--Never underestimate the power of a good story. The Globe's piece on the short, tragic lives of Sophia and Acia Johnson has lit a fire under DSS' collective ass. Now they will be cross-checking data and making sure children in their care are living with the proper guardians. [Boston Globe] --The best job in town is apparently one with Boston's Department of Public Works. How can we get one of those? They get HBO!......

When a fire tore through a South Boston home, killing 14-year-old Acia Johnson and her little 3-year-old sister, Sophia, the story was painful enough. Then the sad details of the life of their mother, Anna Reisopoulos, emerged, raising the question, "How could anyone let children live with this woman?" Now, their mother's lover, Nicole Chuminski, stands accused of causing the fire after a romantic spat. Keith O'Brien and Donovan Slack chronicle just how bad things......

--The Department of Social Services, whose name has come up more than once in investigations of the deaths of children in this state, received a D minus from the watchdog group the Children's Advocacy Institute. [Boston Herald, DSS in Bostonist] --Bad: A water main broke on Devonshire Street. Worse: The damage was so bad that repairs will continue through the summer. Worst: No hot water or heat until THURSDAY. [WBZ, Boston Globe] --Pour one out......

--Bye-bye, Filene. The legendary store saw some "major destruction" today. [More photos at On Common Ground] --The Department of Social Services (DSS) is on the hot seat because they removed Acia Johnson and Sophia Johnson, the children who died in a fire in their South Boston home, from the home and their mother--Anna Reisopoulos, who had a record with DSS--a while ago. Yet the children still lived with their mother when the deadly fire......

--The investigation into why a commuter rail train crashed into a loose boxcar in Canton, injuring 150, is turning toward brakes not being set on a car at a lumberyard in Stoughton. Also, even if the train was on the loose, "The car should have been stopped by a derailing device where the siding meets the main track. A source close to the investigation said the derailing device worked properly when tested Wednesday morning......

--Hug a social worker today. If you've ever wondered why the Department of Social Services couldn't stop an act of violence from happening, read this eye-opening article on just how hard it is to be a social worker. According to the piece, "between one-third and three-quarters of all social workers nationwide have been threatened, physically assaulted, or had their property damaged." [Boston Globe] --A Bridgewater State College student and his girlfriend, a student at......