She Can Fire Him, If She Wants: The HUB

The HUB is a rundown of the stories people in Boston are talking about. Patch publishes the HUB every weekday.

Good morning, Boston! Today is Wednesday, May 26. We're talking "a poorly delivered attempt at humor," a year of reflection and high-tech mini-golf.

But first...

Dennis White cannot stop Kim Janey from firing him.

That was the decision a superior court judge made yesterday, dealing a critical blow to White's last-ditch efforts to remain commissioner of the Boston Police Department.

Of course, White has only really served in the capacity for about 48 hours. He was put on administrative leave in early February after decades-old domestic violence allegations surfaced.

Judge Heidi Brieger said White can still sue if he is fired, meaning this saga likely isn't close to ending. But while a lawsuit could potentially make White richer, it won't get him his job back.

"It is time to move our City and the Boston Police Department forward," Janey said. No one wants that more than her, as the scandal she inherited — and at times exacerbated — has marked her short tenure as acting mayor.

Ally Jarmanning at WBUR has more on the judge's decision.

Check it out

"A poorly delivered attempt at humor." Hey, I'm the king of those, but I'm not the Speaker of the House stumping for a Boston mayoral candidate. Ron Mariano, however, is — and that's why his quip that he was "afraid my car's gonna get stolen" at a South End event for Jon Santiago made headlines throughout the day. Mariano later said he was referring to his car actually being stolen in the 1960s, a story he earlier talked about with some attendees. Matt Stout at The Boston Globe has the full rundown, but the best parts are the opportunistic finger-waggings from other mayoral candidates, which you can catch on Boston.com scribe Nik DeCosta-Klipa's timeline.

It's been a year since the murder of George Floyd. Liz Neisloss and Mark Herz at GBH put together a number of videos of Bostonians reflecting on the time since it happened. They are all very short videos — under a minute — and are worth your time.

A high-tech mini-golf course? You've got my attention. Erin Kayata at Boston Magazine wrote about Puttshack, which announced it will open in Boston's Seaport next year. I don't love those indoor mini-golf courses (the mall ones are depressing) but this seems like a pretty fun idea for people who are into it.

What I'm reading today: You've probably heard by now, but Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance has convened a grand jury in his office's probe of Donald Trump. Shayana Jacobs and David Fahrenthold have the scoop at The Washington Post.

Weather

The National Weather Service says: During the day — Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Southwest wind 11 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. At night — A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1 am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. Southwest wind 7 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Have a swell Wednesday.

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