What’s News

Your condensed guide to today’s daily papers.

Whoops: A Boston Police Department report cites more than a dozen examples of gang members who are arrested for crimes but are released due to bureaucratic slip-ups. The report also cites a departmental crackdown on the high-paying court appearances by cops as cause for the releases. [Herald]

Maybe testifying cops could have been paid with some of this money: A new bonus plan for state pension fund employees has been approved. Some lawmakers are upset with the plan, which could cost almost $1 million during these budget-strapped times. Maybe we’ll need a fourth casino? [Globe]

Just as we suspected: Lawmakers are already questioning Governor Deval Patrick’s plan to create one state transportation agency, wondering if the financial benefits are worth the trouble and if the new agency would be removed from public scrutiny. Oh well. Maybe a fifth casino? [Herald]

Let the probing begin! Robert Coughlin, the economic development undersecretary turned Massachusetts Biotechnology Council president, faces a formal ethics probe into how exactly he got his job and if he acted inappropriately by not telling Governor Patrick he was interviewing for it. [Globe]