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Things to do this weekend in Boston
SaturdayStart your Dry January off right with a trip to Boston's newest non-alcohol beverage store.Even though it opened in November, Dray Drinks in the South End celebrates its "grand opening" with mixologist sessions, product tastings and a DJ from noon to 8pm.Sunday🕊️ Mass Audubon throws this year's biggest "pigeon party," an afternoon walk at the Boston Nature Center and Wildlife Sanctuary in Mattapan discussing the humble pigeon.♀️ Sunday is your last chance to catch Strong Women in Renaissance Italy, the MFA's exhibit on the female artists, writers and patrons who inspired much of the 14th century's best art.Sign up for Axios Boston for free.
MIT president under pressure after Gay resignation
All eyes are on MIT president Sally Kornbluth after two other major university leaders who testified at a congressional hearing about antisemitism on campuses last month lost their jobs in the political maelstrom that followed.University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill was the first to go.After seeming to weather the storm, Harvard President Claudine Gay resigned Tuesday.Gay wrote in the New York Times a day after stepping down as Harvard's first Black president that she had received death threats and been "called the N-word more times than I care to count."Why it matters: Kornbluth leads the country's No. 2 university...
Madonna returns to the TD Garden this week
Madonna makes her grand return to TD Garden next week with shows Monday and Tuesday.The Material Girl had postponed concerts scheduled for last fall.Also in town this weekend and next week are Zakk Wylde's Sabbath tribute, R&B singer Chanté Moore and pianist Robert Glasper.FridayIf you've seen a metal-looking lady playing a violin really fast on YouTube, or a goth-looking lady playing the bagpipes really fast, you've seen Mia X Ally. They're teaming up at Brighton Music Hall.SaturdayZakk Sabbath, featuring Wylde playing those Iommi riffs like a beast, will be at Paradise Rock Club.There, There, a Radiohead tribute, plays at The Sinclair.Elder is at Sonia.Cozy Throne, Happy Just To See You and Indoor Friends come to Faces.Deadlands will be at The Middle East.SundayR&B singer Chanté Moore plays at City Winery.MondayMadonna plays the first of two back-to-back night at the Garden.Pianist and producer Robert Glasper jazzes up City Winery.TuesdayMadonna plays night number two at TD Garden.WednesdayDead Wait & Lovelace make O'Brien's Pub loud.Sign up for Axios Boston for free.
What's coming in 2024: AI, change for the Patriots and an election year
If you thought 2023 was a dumpster fire, just wait for next year, when the shelter crisis, presidential election and cost of living will test Boston's limits.Yes, but: It's not all bad. We can probably look forward to more Ben Affleck-Dunkin' moments.The shelter crisisAn influx of migrants from the southern U.S. border and an increase in evictions continue to strain the state's family shelter system.Neither has shown signs of letting up in 2024.The latest: The Healey administration set up an overflow site in Cambridge last month for up to 70 families on the shelter waitlist.The state plans to pull from...
Tax cuts signed into law by Gov. Healey take effect as 2024 begins
The tax breaks Gov. Maura Healey signed into law last year are now in effect.Why it matters: Massachusetts taxpayers can find more relief when doing their 2023 taxes.What's happening: The $1 billion tax relief law includes larger deductions for parents and renters.The child and dependent tax credit will increase from $180 to $310 per child for 2023 and then up to $440 for 2024 and beyond.Here are other increased tax breaks, per the state:Earned income tax credit: Worth up to 40% of federal EITC credit.Senior circuit breaker credit: $2,400.Rental deduction: $4,000.Estate tax credit: $99,600 for everyone (effectively kills tax for estates below $2 million).Septic tax credit: $18,000, with up to $4,000 claimable per year.Lead paint abatement: $3,000 for full treatments eliminating lead hazards at home; $1,000 for partial treatment.Plus: The short-term capital gains tax is dropping from 12% to 8.5%.Be smart: The tax relief law also now requires married couples who file federal taxes jointly to do the same for state taxes.Sign up for Axios Boston for free.
Tax cuts signed into law by Gov. Healey take effect as 2024 begins
The tax breaks Gov. Maura Healey signed into law last year are now in effect.Why it matters: Massachusetts taxpayers can find more relief when doing their 2023 taxes.What's happening: The $1 billion tax relief law includes larger deductions for parents and renters.The child and dependent tax credit will increase from $180 to $310 per child for 2023 and then up to $440 for 2024 and beyond.Here are other increased tax breaks, per the state:Earned income tax credit: Worth up to 40% of federal EITC credit.Senior circuit breaker credit: $2,400.Rental deduction: $4,000.Estate tax credit: $99,600 for everyone (effectively kills tax for estates below $2 million).Septic tax credit: $18,000, with up to $4,000 claimable per year.Lead paint abatement: $3,000 for full treatments eliminating lead hazards at home; $1,000 for partial treatment.Plus: The short-term capital gains tax is dropping from 12% to 8.5%.Be smart: The tax relief law also now requires married couples who file federal taxes jointly to do the same for state taxes.Sign up for Axios Boston for free.
Things to do in Boston this week
Start the year with pottery repair or a tribute to Beyoncé.🏺 Artisans Asylum will host an introductory class on kintsugi (Japanese pottery repair) Thursday at 6pm in Allston.Bring your beloved, cracked plates and vases and learn to give it new life with gilded cracks.Cost: $80. Register here.🐝 The BeyHive is congregating for a tribute to Queen Bey Thursday at 8:45pm at Temple Ohabei Shalom in Brookline.The candlelight concert will run for an hour and include favorites like "Love on Top," "Single Ladies" and "Sandcastles."Cost: $25. Register here.Sign up for Axios Boston for free.
Who's the best athlete in Boston sports history? Axios readers say it's Bobby Orr
Bracket: Axios VisualsIn the final round of voting in our bracket tournament to find Boston's favorite professional athlete, Bruins legend Bobby Orr defeated Patriots GOAT Tom Brady.Voting had to be extended over the weekend to determine a final winner. It was a 50/50 split since polls opened.In the end, after over 1,000 votes, Orr received 11 more votes than Brady.Sign up for Axios Boston for free.
Greater Boston home sales slow, but prices don't let up
Data: Redfin; Chart: Axios VisualsHigh mortgage rates have all but frozen the U.S. housing market, Axios' Sami Sparber writes.Why it matters: The "lock-in effect" is real. As one real estate agent put it, 2023 was "the year your first home accidentally became your forever home."Many people are interested in moving, but not to swap their 3% interest rate for 7-8%, Minnesota-based Jake Hlebain tells Axios.Driving the news: The Boston area's median monthly home prices stalled at $685,000 in October, still far higher than the national median of $413,874, per Redfin.Single-family home sales in October fell to their lowest monthly total...
New Boston think tank to release AI-generated transcripts of public meetings
A new non-partisan think tank led by a Democratic campaign consultant launched last week focusing on issues affecting Boston residents and its local government.Why it matters: Bostonians lack the digital town square they once found on Twitter under the #bospoli and #mapoli hashtags, and the think tank aims to help drive public discourse.What's happening: The Boston Policy Institute, created by veteran campaign manager Greg Maynard, will work with subject-matter experts to weigh in on housing, education and transparency.BPI's first order of business is publishing AI-generated transcripts of hours-long public meetings in Boston, with help from Legislata.What they're saying: "I think the housing issue is a stand-in for a bunch of other issues in the state," Maynard tells Axios. "While our issues are getting more intense and more urgent, the public conversation is kind of broken down a bit."Reality check: The AI-generated transcripts won't be edited for spelling, but potentially inaccurate keywords will be color-coded so readers can check the YouTube video themselves.Details: BPI raised roughly $200,000 and plans to seek more money for its work.Maynard declined to disclose its donors.He is contracting outside subject-matter experts and a communications consultant.Sign up for Axios Boston for free.
Sneak peek: Inside the Sugar Factory in Quincy Market
Sugar Factory opens today at Quincy Market.The intrigue: This highly Instagrammable chain has hosted celebrities ranging from dancer JoJo Siwa to rapper 50 Cent.What's happening: The two-story shop downtown will serve brunch, lunch and dinner, with a mix of decadent burgers and locally inspired dishes.Axios got a peek inside to show you what to expect. The entrance features a candy dots wall. Photo: Steph Solis/Axios The first floor has bar seating. Photo: Steph Solis/Axios The first-floor candy studio. Photo: Steph Solis/Axios Sweet and sour candy. Photo: Steph Solis/Axios The store sells buckets, tiaras and birthday necklaces too. Photo: Steph Solis/Axios An Instagrammable telephone booth. Photo: Steph Solis/Axios Kylie Jenner is also a fan of the Sugar Factory. Photo: Steph Solis/Axios The duck is Sugar FActory's mascot. Photo: Steph Solis/Axios 🎶 It was all a dream. I used to read Word Up! magazine. Photo: Steph Solis/Axios Boston Rox. Enough said. Photo: Steph Solis/Axios Chandeliers hang over the first floor dining area. Photo: Steph Solis/Axios The famous "pink room." Photo: Steph Solis/Axios Wicked sweet. Photo: Steph Solis/AxiosSign up for Axios Boston for free.
New Englanders left without power after storm hits
It was another wet and wild Monday morning in Boston yesterday as a significant rainstorm hit eastern Massachusetts and knocked out power for thousands of residents.Driving the news: A major December storm charged out of the Gulf of Mexico over the weekend, lashing Florida with rain before making its way up the east coast yesterday.Why it matters: Nearly 300,000 electrical customers were without power by noon in mostly coastal communities stretching from the North Shore to Plymouth.The Rhode Island coast suffered heavy flooding when its noon high tide hit.Interior towns in Bristol County were also hit hard.High tide hit...
Boston's transit ridership still flagging
Data: American Public Transportation Association; Note: Includes bus, rail, ferry and other modes; Chart: Axios VisualsPublic transit ridership on the MBTA is at 64% of pre-pandemic levels, as subway systems, bus services and light rail lines across the country continue their slow recovery.That's based on September 2023 MBTA ridership as compared to September 2019, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick and Kavya Beheraj report from American Public Transportation Association (APTA) data.Why it matters: Public transit is key to cities' health and vibrancy, making them cleaner, greener and easier to traverse for those without a car while freeing up parking lots to become housing...
The Boston Tea Party turns 250
A quarter millennium ago tomorrow, Boston patriots helped ignite the American Revolution by tossing almost 100,000 pounds of British tea in the harbor.Why it matters: The 1773 Boston Tea Party was one of the first major steps toward Lexington, Concord, and eventually, victory and freedom at Yorktown.The legendary act of defiance is a world famous event and its 250th anniversary kicks off nearly eight years of commemorations for the events of the Revolutionary War.What's happening: The Tea Party Museum holds a reenactment at 8pm tomorrow at its wharf near the historic site on Fort Point Channel.Before the big tea...
Things to do this weekend in Boston
FridayThe Boston Bollywood dance company brings over 90 dancers to celebrate the Indian film industry at their opening night performance.SaturdayLooking for quirky gifts, vintage finds and handmade holiday goodies? The Small Mart vendor popup will be at Deep Cuts in Medford.The Glass Bar in Dedham hosts an introduction to stained glass-making class.SundayWatch the Patriots 1pm kickoff against the Chiefs at The Anchor's waterfront outdoor bar.The Celtics play the Orlando Magic at 3pm at home in the TD Garden.Sign up for Axios Boston for free.
Mass. Catholics step up amid migrant crisis
Catholic Bay Staters have responded with institutional and individual help to a call by Cardinal Seán O'Malley to welcome and aid immigrants coming to Massachusetts as the migrant crisis intensifies.Why it matters: Massachusetts' over-2-million Catholics, whose faith asks followers to aid refugees and migrants, play an outsized role in shaping public response to the crisis.What they're saying: "What we're trying to do here is find gaps in the care of immigrants and fill the gaps," Fr. Bryan Hehir, O'Malley's point-person on the migrant crisis, told Axios.In an October letter to pastors and parishes across the Archdiocese of Boston, O'Malley, the...
Belichick tight-lipped as rumors swirl
Bill Belichick might just be the most nimble person in the 2023 Patriots camp after he managed to dodge question after question on his future with the team yesterday.What's happening: Speculation was rampant Tuesday after a report came out saying the legendary coach would be out at the end of the season.What's new: Asked at least three times yesterday at a press conference ahead of this week's game against the Chiefs whether he'd be back in 2024, Belichick would only respond that he's thinking about the game."Yeah, getting ready for Kansas City," the coach said, later adding, "I'm getting ready for Kansas City."He responded with another "Getting ready for Kansas City," when asked if he even wants to come back next season.What's next: Kansas City.And if ESPN is to be believed, linebackers coach Jerod Mayo could be what's next for the Pats.Sign up for Axios Boston for free.
Where to party in Boston this News Year's Eve
Boston celebrates New Year's with First Night, but there are a couple drawbacks: 1) It's outside and outside is cold and 2) you probably shouldn't bring your champagne out to the City Hall countdown or harbor fireworks.Luckily, plenty of bars and restaurants have you covered with specials, parties and toasts:Alden & Harlow in Harvard Square wil have specialty New Year's cocktails, an a la carte menu, and food specials until 11pm.Citrus & Salt in the Back Bay hosts an "Under the Sea"-themed party with a champagne toast, ice luge, and mermaids-a-plenty until 1am for $35 per person.The Davio's locations around...
Boston concerts this week
It's a slower-than-usual week in Boston's concert venues as touring acts wind down their year.Instead, we're being treated to visits from Hollywood with actor/musician Luke Grimes and the one and only John Waters in town.FridaySheer Terror, Nothing But Enemies andAmerican War Machine play at The Middle East - Upstairs.SaturdayActor Luke Grimes is also a musician. His show sold so well, it got upgraded from the Royale to the Roadrunner.The legendary director of trash-classics "Pink Flamingos" and "Hairspray" brings A John Waters Christmas to the Berklee Performance Center. The show has a warning that it "may be inappropriate for patrons under 16," which seems like an understatement.SundaySinger-songwriters Karla Bonoff and Livingston Taylor are at City Winery.The Slackers are keeping ska alive at The Sinclair.MondayFrances and the Boof Machine headlines at the Midway Cade with Cheer Camp, Crushdepth and Float Stanley.TuesdayLong Island metalcore group From Autumn To Ashes comes to Sonia.WednesdayMarilyn's Bazaar and Black Suede play at the Midway Cafe.ThursdayRapper Elijah Kyle brings Adam Yokum, Jayroddy and D Griffe along to The Middle East - Upstairs.Sign up for Axios Boston for free.
Massachusetts' AI gameplan takes shape
For months, Yvonne Hao has planted the seeds of Massachusetts' AI strategy.Why it matters: Hao wants to make Boston, currently one of six cities where many generative AI jobs are concentrated, the nation's premiere AI hub, and the new year could bring tangible progress toward that goal.What's happening: After months of talking with entrepreneurs at conferences, accelerator launches and other tech events, the state's economic development secretary is tapping industry leaders to help develop the Massachusetts' AI policies.The latest: Hao and Jason Snyder, the technology services and security secretary, are leading an advisory council in 2024 to make recommendations on...
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