BOSTON, March 22 (Reuters) – Both Democratic contenders in
Massachusetts’ April U.S. Senate primary are pushing back
against a former hedge fund manager turned environmental
activist who is trying to make the proposed Keystone XL pipeline
an issue in the race.

While the pipeline, which would carry crude from Canada’s
tar sands to Texas refineries, is not due to come anywhere near
the New England state, California billionaire Tom Steyer is
threatening a campaign to make it a wedge issue ahead of the
April 30 primary.

BOSTON/WASHINGTON, March 20 (Reuters) – A former hedge fund
manager turned environmental activist who opposes the Keystone
XL pipeline has waded into the Massachusetts U.S. Senate race,
threatening to undermine a pledge by the two Democratic
candidates to reject outside money.

California billionaire Tom Steyer has called on Democratic
Representative Stephen Lynch to abandon his support for the
proposed Keystone XL pipeline, which would transport crude from
Canada’s oil sands to refineries in Texas.

BOSTON (Reuters) – The FBI believes it has identified the thieves who pulled off the 1990 theft of 13 artworks from Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, which stands as the costliest art theft in U.S. history.

Officials, who did not identify the suspects, said on Monday they believed the artworks, which are valued at a total of $500 million, were taken to Connecticut and Philadelphia after the heist.

BOSTON (Reuters) – Boston’s federal court on Friday tapped a new judge to hear the government’s case against James “Whitey” Bulger after the accused mobster’s lawyer objected to the previous judge’s work prosecuting organized crime in the New England city.

The court named Judge Denise Casper to hear the case, replacing Judge Richard Stearns, according to a court filing.

BOSTON (Reuters) – The Court of Appeals on Thursday agreed to remove the lower court judge who had been hearing the case against accused mobster James “Whitey” Bulger, saying the official’s prior role as a prosecutor calls his impartiality into question.

Bulger’s attorney had asked the appeals court to remove District Court Judge Richard Stearns from the case.

March 13 (Reuters) – U.S. chief executive officers’
confidence in the economy rebounded in the first quarter, but
they remained leery of taking on new workers at home, according
to a survey released on Wednesday.

The Business Roundtable’s CEO Economic Outlook Index rose to
81.0 in March from 65.6 in December, according to the quarterly
survey, which was conducted before the recent sharp rise in the
U.S. stock market. Any number above 50 indicates growth.

BOSTON (Reuters) – The three Republican contenders for the Massachusetts Senate seat that opened up when John Kerry was named Secretary of State were set to face off in their first debate on Tuesday.

The trio – Boston’s former top federal prosecutor, a state representative and a private equity executive – face an uphill battle in liberal-leaning Massachusetts, where polls show Democrats with a strong lead ahead of the June 25 special election for the vacant Senate seat.

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (Reuters) – Both political parties need to do a better job connecting with moderate Americans rather than staking out extreme positions, the second-ranking Republican in the House of Representatives said on Monday.

Representative Eric Cantor’s comments came as Republicans and Democrats are trying to strike a more conciliatory tone after more than two years at loggerheads over how to begin to pay down the $16.7 trillion federal debt.

BOSTON, March 11 (Reuters) – Political uncertainty in the
United States could prompt Corporate America to throttle back on
capital spending, the chief executive of General Electric Co
warned in his annual letter to shareholders.

“The U.S. faces more major ‘political storms’ this year: the
fiscal situation, repeated debt-limit controversy and tax
reform. We fear that this uncertainty will impact capital
investment,” CEO Jeff Immelt said.

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (Reuters) – Senegal is stepping up monitoring of its borders and mounting a public education campaign in an effort to ensure that Islamist militants from neighboring Mali do not disrupt life in the West African nation, Senegalese President Macky Sall said on Friday.

Senegal, one of Africa’s most peaceful countries, is keen to remain insulated from violence in northern Mali, where a French military offensive has reclaimed most of the territory seized by militants nearly a year ago.