Free and news-free. You'll find more news about the Boston Metro this week than you'll find in the Metro.

In the new issue of CommonWealth magazine, Jeffrey Klineman (free reg. req.) offers a smart take on the thin freebie tab, which has been a hit on subways since its debut two years ago.

Globe columnist Steve Bailey writes today that the Globe is thinking about starting its own competitor to the Metro.

And when I asked Herald publisher Pat Purcell last month about rumors that he was thinking of launching a Metro-like publication, he told me, "We're taking a look at doing something there. It has been an annoyance and has probably impacted circulation a little bit."