BostonGlobe.com Political Headlines - March 11, 2013

• No fixed standards for gun permits in Mass.: Decisions about who can carry a concealed and loaded handgun vary widely within the state and from police chief to police chief. Globe metro reporter Brian MacQuarrie details.

• Local economists back Patrick's tax hike plan: More than 50 economists say the chronic underfunding of education and transportation in Mass. threatens future prosperity. Globe investigative reporter Andrea Estes outlines.

• Safety vs. recovery after disasters: The failure to achieve full safety is inevitable; the failure to strive to be safer, to learn from the past, is inexcusable. Globe columnist Juliette Kayyem writes.