After months during which virtually everyone anointed Elizabeth Warren as the Democratic nominee for Senate and ignored her potential primary opponent, Marisa DeFranco, suddenly there’s a storm over Gov. Deval Patrick’s endorsement of Warren days before the state Democratic convention.

The Herald, which has been beating the DeFranco drum lately to derail Warren’s seeming inevitability train, labeled the governor “BOSS DEVAL” in 72-point bold. The Globe, as most other outlets did, pointed out in the lead that Patrick was going back on his promise to wait until there’s a nominee.

“Must be panic time at Warren HQ,” Eric Fehrnstrom, Scott Brown’s top advisor, tweeted about the Patrick turnaround.

It was, indeed, a surprise, as Patrick sent out an email early yesterday morning announcing his support for Warren, and then the Warren campaign, which shares Patrick’s political advisor Doug Rubin, hastily arranged the press conference at its headquarters, packed with about 150 supporters.
 
Most reports described the press conference as more of a campaign rally than Q & A, with some supporters offering testimonials to Warren’s perseverance amid the media onslaught surrounding her claims to ethnic heritage. They hissed and booed when reporters tried to ask questions relating to the subject.  While Patrick, who gave a mild rebuke to the gathered fans for stifling questions, says he and most people aren’t bothered by the maelstrom, Warren deferred questions. At least initially.

Later in the day, Warren’s people used the endorsement to try to deflect attention from her acknowledgment that she did, indeed, inform Harvard and Penn that she had Native American blood coursing through her veins. And in her statement, she stood by her assertion that it is part of her heritage. The Globe editorial page calls on Warren to use the convention this Saturday to address the controversy.

At the same time, Warren phones, and then manages to alienate, Peter Gelzinis, the lone Herald staffer who isn’t frothing over Cherokee bloodlines.

All of this makes this weekend’s Democratic gathering in Springfield more dramatic than many had anticipated. The Lowell Sun asks: Will a DeFranco primary run weaken Warren? Such worries may be the exact reason for Patrick’s about-face, which could help thwart DeFranco from gaining the 15 percent support needed at the convention to get on the September primary ballot. For those who may be aghast at such an undemocratic maneuver (read: state GOP), it’s not unlike Charlie Baker’s successful pressure to keep Christy Mihos from forcing a primary in 2010.

                                                                                                                                            –JACK SULLIVAN

BEACON HILL

In very strong terms, Gov. Deval Patrick says he’s heard enough about Evergreen and Solyndra, CommonWealth reports. Meanwhile, car battery start-ups, with more than $1 billion in federal aid, are fizzling.

Some lawmakers are worried that changing the definition of Gateway Cities could stretch the available assistance for those communities too thin.  CommonWealth recently spotlighted the move to alter the definition and MassINC research director Ben Forman urged caution on the proposal.

Rep. Joseph Wagner, the Chicopee Democrat, is none too happy with Gaming Commission head Stephen Crosby’s pronouncement that Massachusetts officials may have to take a second look at whether the state can support three casinos.

Peabody eyes joining Danvers and Salisbury in pushing legislation that would declare mobile homes as low-income housing in a bid to avoid the reach of the state’s 40B law, the Salem News reports.

MUNICIPAL MATTERS

An Essex County grand jury investigating the administration of Lawrence Mayor William Lantigua gets busy, interviewing his “paramour” and an employee of the city parking garage, the Eagle-Tribune reports.

The Swansea Recreation Commission rescinded its vote to exclude children with autism from the town’s summer programs after learning it violated a little-known law — or at least apparently little known to them — called the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Brookline town meeting members vote to start the process to secede from Norfolk County.

A panel of fire chiefs from out of state will select the candidates to become the new Quincy fire chief after the Civil Service Commission ordered the position vacated because of a “procedurally flawed” process in hiring the current chief.

Brockton City Councilor Jass Stewart filed a measure to require minimum qualifications for city department head hires, including a college degree in some cases.

ELECTION 2012

The Obama campaign will set its sights today on Mitt Romney’s record as governor, the Globe reports, with top presidential advisor David Axelrod due at a State House press conference to highlight the jobs-and-economy shortcomings of Romney’s reign.

Republican Richard Tisei, who is challenging US Rep. John Tierney, says he won’t sign the no-tax-hike pledge, the Salem News reports.

Former Gov. William Weld endorses Elizabeth Childs in the race for Barney Frank’s congressional seat.

The Phoenix sizes up the state of progressive Internet activists, and wonders whether the Occupy movement fits in.

EDUCATION

More details on the school turnaround plan in Lawrence emerge. CommonWealth has this report on Lawrence as an education laboratory, while the Eagle-Tribune reports principals will have more authority to run their schools. An editorial in the Eagle-Tribune says the plan holds promise.

Boston Superintendent Carol Johnson and others discuss how to put a dent in the achievement gap during a meeting with black community activists.

A Bay State Banner editorial accuses Boston Globe columnist Adrian Walker of  playing fast and loose with the facts in his pieces about Roxbury Community College.

Two Massachusetts high schools — Acton-Boxborough and Wayland — made the U.S. News & World Report’s Top 10 for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education.

Attorney General Martha Coakley joined the growing chorus of those concerned about for-profit colleges who leave their students with mounds of debt while under delivering on promises and training.

Two fellows at the Hoover Institution examine higher education’s online revolution.

HEALTH CARE

The Wall Street Journal, in an editorial, examines Maine’s experiment with ObamaCare in reverse.

National Journal reports on a new Consumer Reports story highlighting the great variability in the pricing of the same procedure by different health care providers, one of the points that has been raised repeatedly in discussions of Massachusetts health care costs.

ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT

The Newton Tab praises the MWRA’s decision to open lands under its jurisdiction for public recreational use.

Boulder, Colorado, and other “green” cities are breaking with private utilities, Governing reports.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

More and more communities across the country ban sex offenders from public places, the New York Times reports. CommonWealth takes an in-depth look at society’s lepers.

In the second part of his series on Whitey Bulger, WBUR’s David Boeri examines his political connections.  The Globe follows a WBUR report on the issue with its own reporting on Bulger’s life as an informant, which we now know extends back to the 1950s.

The jockeying continues over legislation to extend the statute of limitations for claims of child sexual abuse, the Globe reports.

Prominent defense attorney Robert George’s trial on federal money laundering charges opens with wiretap tapes.

MEDIA

Radio Boston paddles out for a visit with artist Heidi Kayser in the middle of Fort Point Channel.

Politwoops tracks the deleted tweets of politicians, the Atlantic reports.