Published June 7, 2011

The Department of Homeland Security says it will overrule Gov. Deval Patrick on his decision to opt out of the controversial immigration program Secure Communities. Patrick had said that the state wouldn’t participate in the program, which shares fingerprints among law enforcement and immigration agencies.

In a surprise move, the defense team in former House Speaker Sal DiMasi’s corruption trial said yesterday that it would wrap up its case tomorrow, less than a week after presenting its first witness. The government took about a month to present its case.

Since last week’s tornadoes devastated the area, volunteers have been flooding central and western Massachusetts to help with clean up. The Red Cross has been so inundated with volunteers that it asked people to stop coming out while they continue to get organized.

The rough housing market may also be hurting rentals. A new Harvard study says that rental vacancy rates have been falling, pushing up rents.

Well, Boston hockey fans, Merry Christmas. In your team’s first home Stanley Cup finals game in 21 years, the Bruins erupted to rout the Canucks 8-1. Goalie Tim Thomas was an absolute brick wall and the team got energy bursts from the likes of Mark Recchi and Michael Ryder.

Bruins forward Nathan Horton was felled by a brutal, illegal hit in the first period and had to be carted off on a stretcher. The team rallied around their fallen teammate to win their first game of the best-of-seven series.

What we’re following: We’ll continue to report on tornado damage assessment, political wrangling over Secure Communities and the opening of a commuter rail station on Talbot Avenue in Dorchester.