Mayor Menino to Speak at Democratic National Convention

Mayor Menino to Speak at Democratic National Convention. His speech is slated for Wednesday, and Menino says he’s going to address Mitt Romney’s record as governor and address issues like immigration and education. The Globe‘s Andrew Ryan notes that it’s also a move by the Dems to gain favor of Menino’s political machine. Let’s all hope to God for no surprise appearances from Clint Eastwood or an empty chair. [Herald | Globe]

Too Soon To Tell If Football Killed Junior Seau, But That’s What’s Being Reported. Last week, the San Diego County coroner’s office released the results of Seau’s autopsy, which found nothing abnormal with his brain after a surface evaluation. Some outlets jumped the gun and reported that Seau’s brain wasn’t damaged at all after years of playing football (and therefore football didn’t play a role in his suicide), but experts disagree. “That assumption is totally, flagrantly false,” Dr. Robert Cantu, the chief of neurosurgery at Emerson Hospital and a co-director of BU’s Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy, told Wired Playbook. “You cannot make that statement based on the external examination of the brain. You can only make that statement after a microscopic evaluation of the brain is conducted in a specialized lab.” [Wired]

Happy 115th Birthday on Saturday, MBTA. Jonathan Davis, the T’s acting general manager, says his birthday wish is a continued increase in ridership. Ours? An increase in the number of fans. [Boston.com]

A Depressing Reminder of the Past Year in Red Sox Baseball. Hard to believe that a year ago today, the Sox had the best record in the AL, huh? ESPN’s Jeremy Lundblad takes us back down the road of “the biggest collapse in MLB history.” [ESPN]

8-Year-Old Girl Returns Lost Purse, Rewarded with Justin Bieber Tickets. Abbie Jacobson, of Scarborough, Maine, did the right thing when she found a purse containing $4,000—she and her family tracked down the owner, and returned it. Bank of Maine officials found out and “secured” five tickets to the Bieber concert at the Garden in November. [Morning Sentinel]