The End Of The Line: The HUB

The HUB is an effort to get you caught up on whatever you need to know each weekday in Boston and around Massachusetts.

Good morning! Today is Wednesday, June 2. Let's get started.

3 Things You Need To Know Today

Boston police commissioner says he spoke repeatedly with Marty Walsh about past troubles, claims former mayor knew of restraining order

Embattled Police Commissioner Dennis White said in a sworn statement released Tuesday that he personally told former mayor Martin J. Walsh that he had been the subject of a restraining order when he was accused in the late 1990s of threatening to shoot his former wife. White’s claim directly contradicted statements issued by Walsh, who is now US labor secretary and has maintained for months that he was unaware of the allegations when he appointed White commissioner. The sworn statement was released as an hour-long video of White being interviewed by his attorney, the latest part of an effort to dissuade Acting Mayor Kim Janey from ousting White at an administrative hearing scheduled Wednesday. (Andrew Ryan and Danny McDonald, Boston Globe)

CARRAGGI'S CORNER: It's all but guaranteed the acting mayor will move to fire the police commissioner after Wednesday's hearing — if it can even be called that. Dennis White will have an opportunity to make his case before getting the boot, but even with some new information coming to light, it's clear Kim Janey has made up her mind. "The purpose of this hearing ... is to move in a new direction," she said in an interview on GBH Tuesday. Is it fair? Tough to say. Is it necessary? Of course. Right or wrong, White is in no position to lead a department that has been mired in scandal and in desperate need of "a new direction." How do you think Wednesday's hearing should play out? Should White be given a chance to lead? Email me at mike.carraggi@patch.com and leave your comments below.

Pavement Coffeehouse Employees Move To Unionize; Would Be First Union Café In Mass.

Employees at Pavement Coffeehouse, a local chain with locations around Greater Boston, have begun the process of forming a union — hoping to become the first coffee shop in the state with a unionized workforce. Eleven members of the Pavement Coffee Organizing Committee, represented by the New England Joint Board UNITE HERE union, delivered a letter to Pavement Coffee Roasters owner Larry Margulies Tuesday morning that declared their intent to form a union. In the letter, employees asked Margulies to voluntarily recognize the union, not engage in 'any union busting activity' and enter into a good faith contract negotiation. (Tori Bedford, GBH)

Also: Krispy Kreme May Give Boston A Second Chance (Patch)

Dorchester man accused of broad daylight slaying was deported in 2016, prosecutors say

The Dorchester man accused in last week’s broad daylight slaying was held without bail Tuesday as he hid behind a door during his arraignment on a murder charge. Nickoyan Wallace, 46, is accused of fatally shooting 37-year-old Ivanildo Barros, of Dorchester, following an apparent argument Friday morning on Spencer Street. Wallace fired seven shots and struck Barros four times, a prosecutor said. Wallace was previously charged in a 2000 killing and was deported five years ago after he was convicted and jailed on a federal armed robbery charge. (Rick Sobey, Boston Herald)

Swan song

Keeping up with candidates

• Will the new normal keep some of what made the pandemic tolerable? Acting Mayor Kim Janey said in Tuesday's GBH interview that "at a bare minimum, we want to be able to continue that outdoor dining experience." She also sounded like she was a fan of opening streets to pedestrians by periodically closing them off to vehicles. You can listen to Janey's "Boston Public Radio" interview with Jim Braude and Margery Eagen here.
• Michael Jonas captures it in his lede at CommonWealth: "Some have called her a moderate in the race, a candidate looking to corral some of the base of voters loyal to former mayor Marty Walsh, her Dorchester neighbor growing up and a longtime political ally. Annissa Essaibi George describes herself simply as a 'pragmatic and practical elected official, legislator, leader.'" Read more here.

What I'm reading today: Politico's Maggie Severns takes a look at Liberty University's central role in whether evangelicalism will continue to embrace former President Trump as the school approaches a crossroads.

Weather

The National Weather Service says: During the day — Partly sunny, with a high near 80. South wind 5 to 9 mph. At night — Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. South wind 8 to 10 mph.

Have a swell Wednesday.

You can email me at mike.carraggi@patch.com and follow me @PatchCarraggi.