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Axios Boston
Upcoming Boston special elections are all about housing
Voters in Boston want the state to do more to tackle the cost of living in the city, and they're making sure the candidates running for two open seats on Beacon Hill know where they stand.Why it matters: Gov. Maura Healey is preparing a plan to tackle housing production and costs this year that will need the approval of lawmakers inundated with complaints from constituents.Between the lines: Newly-elected lawmakers won't have much sway on the agenda, but they will be the latest examples of voters crying out for government intervention in the housing market.What's happening: Bostonians in the South End,...
Juul will pay Massachusetts $41 million as part of new settlement
E-cigarette maker Juul will pay Massachusetts $41 million as part of a multi-state settlement for the company’s role in the nationwide youth vaping epidemic.Driving the news: It’s the largest settlement of its kind against the company, stemming in part from the state’s 2018 probe into Juul. Massachusetts is among six states and Washington D.C. getting a combined $462 million from the E-cig maker.Why it matters: Juul was one of the most popular vaping brands before Massachusetts banned flavored vaping products and sued the company for allegedly advertising to minors.The big picture: With this settlement, Juul has reached settlements with 47...
A boozy dog haven opens up in Everett
Steph here. Doors open today at Park-9 Dog Bar, the Boston area’s first and only indoor dog park and bar.I got a sneak peek at the space last night.What to know: Park-9 in Everett has both on- and off-leash areas inside and outside, but only dogs that are up to date on their shots will be admitted.The menu includes treats from Boston-based Polka Dog Bakery and Wareham-based Preppy Puppy Bakery, as well as dog-friendly brews.For the humans, Park-9 offers cocktails, craft beers and wine. The bar will partner with local food vendors.Be smart: Outside food and treats won’t be allowed in.Our thought bubble, via editor Fadel Allassan: Time to ditch Bumble. People are going to find the love of their life here. Park-9 Dog Bar's "park rangers" are watching out for troublemakers and petting the very good doggos. Photo: Steph Solis/Axios Bear, a black lab, sticks his tongue out inside Park-9 Dog Bar's off-leash area. Photo: Steph Solis/Axios Dog treats. Photo: Steph Solis/Axios A playful pit bull explores Park-9 Dog Bar's outdoor park. Photo: Steph Solis/Axios Shaggy, the rescue, is just chillin' on the spool while his fellow dogs run around Park-9 Dog Bar's off-leash area. Photo: Steph Solis/Axios
Boston biotech braces for space
An early-stage Boston biotech company is preparing for a lab experiment that will happen thousands of miles away in space.Why it matters: A small but nimble team at Eascra Biotech has a front row seat to a relatively new frontier of space research: testing whether atypical environments like no-gravity orbit could become new arenas for the tech sector’s latest innovations.What’s happening: Eascra, working with the University of Connecticut, is among more than a dozen companies from around the world sending a lab experiment to the International Space Station.Astronauts working on Eascra's behalf will develop the biotech company's Janus base nanomaterials...
Massachusetts House Democrats back across-the-board tax breaks
Six weeks after Gov. Maura Healey proposed tax breaks for all income earners in Massachusetts, House leaders are offering a similar plan.Driving the news: Like Healey's plan, House Speaker Ron Mariano's $654 million in tax breaks would benefit seniors, families and renters while slashing rates for the richest residents to attract businesses to the state.Under the House plan, the tax on investment earnings would drop from 12% to 5%.Estates would need to be worth $2 million, not $1 million, before the estate tax kicks in. Healey had pitched a $3 million threshold.What they're saying: "We want to attract investment. We...
New MBTA chief Phillip Eng kicks off work at embattled agency
Phillip Eng officially started as the MBTA's general manager yesterday by commuting into downtown Boston on the Blue and Green Lines.The big picture: Eng has the unenviable job of righting the MBTA. The agency faces worsening hiring and safety problems that have left T lines operating at slow speeds with abnormally long wait times.Safety precautions and slow service have alienated riders, starved the T of fare revenue and set up a looming budget crisis for the agency.What they're saying: "To people who have lost faith in the T, I tell them, stay tuned. I know we can turn it around....
Greater Boston now has largest foreign-born Black population in the U.S.
The Boston metropolitan area became home to the largest foreign-born Black population in the nation as communities outside of Boston proper added residents, according to a new report by Boston Indicators.Why it matters: Greater Boston’s Black population is larger than an initial glance at U.S. census data suggests, the report indicates.The shift may be easily missed if one only pays attention to those self-identifying as Black, as opposed to the larger swath of people who select Black, multiracial and other categories.The report notes the population growth is a sign of the potential for Black residents to gain more political power — whether that means more visibility in media or more representation in government outside of Boston proper.Driving the news: Boston’s metro area’s Black population grew from around 380,000 in 2010 to 485,000 in 2020, in large part because of immigration, per research from BI, the research arm of the Boston Foundation.Boston lost residents, but Brockton, Randolph and other communities saw major gains that drove up the region’s Black population overall.Zoom in: The Black population is more diverse than ever. It includes recently arrived Nigerians, Kenyans, Dominicans and Haitians, and U.S.-born residents of Haitian, Cape Verdean and Jamaican descent.
5 Boston area bars to visit when you don't want to watch the big game
Sometimes, you just want to have a drink or a meal in peace, without a TV blaring whatever's on ESPN 8 that evening.Yes, but: It's surprisingly hard to find bars around Boston that aren't absorbed in sports culture, especially during baseball season.Sports broadcasts, with loud commercials and announcers screaming every 45 seconds, are even more annoying than the dad-rock Spotify stations most bars leave playing on the speakers.And nothing kills the mood of a nice dimly lit bar more than seven 60-inch TVs shining obnoxious blue light all over everything.That's why you need this handy guide to a handful...
Laura Stevenson and other Boston-area concerts this weekend
It's a rock-heavy weekend at Boston's concert venues. Here's you curated list to get you out of the house an into a crowd.TonightLocal alt rockers Bleach the Sky are upstairs at the Middle East. — 8pmQuirky singer-songwriter Laura Stevenson performs at the Sinclair for the 10th anniversary of her album "Wheel" — 8:30pmSaturdayRipe's easygoing alt-pop takes over the MGM Music Hall — 7:30pmIt's time for the annual Rock & Roll Rumble! Up first: Time Wolf, City of Dis, One Fall, D-Tension & The Secrets upstairs at Middle East — 8pmBritish post-punk duo Sleaford Mods come to the Paradise — 8pmJazz-fusion from Snarky Puppy is at Roadrunner — 8pmSomerville-based artist Mighty Mystic brings his reggae act to Brighton Music Hall — 8pmSundayModern hard rockers The Home Team are a powerful and catchy group. They'll be at Brighton Music Hall — 8pmRiot grrrl is back, and so are classic '90s punks Bikini Kill at Roadrunner — 8pmSicilian Jazz singer Sissy Castrogiovanni is at City Winery — 7pm
New swanky seafood spot Row 34 opens in Cambridge
Row 34 opens today in Kendall Square.Driving the news: The oyster bar is kicking off with dinner at 5pm at 314 Main St., Chef Jeremy Sewall and co-owner Shore Gregory announced this week.The location has a 40-seat seasonal patio and private event space.It’s Row 34’s fourth location. The others are in Burlington, Massachusetts, Boston’s Fort Point neighborhood and Portsmouth, New Hampshire.The intrigue: Row 34 serves fresh fish picked daily from the Boston Fish Pier and shellfish from local oyster farms.There’s tuna crudo with black garlic aioli, avocado and shallots.The Cambridge restaurant also offers grilled whole black sea bass with sparrow arc potatoes, asparagus and salsa verde.Plus: The Cambridge location features a mural by Boston artist Silvia Lopez Chavez.
Campaign aims to reverse pandemic learning loss
A new campaign in Boston is sounding the alarm to parents that their children might be struggling academically because of pandemic-related disruptions.Why it matters: K-12 students are still behind on math and reading three years on from the start of the pandemic.By the numbers: Just 23% of Boston eighth graders are performing at or above grade level in math, while just 30% are reading at or above grade level, per state standardized test results. Students in other grades showed similarly low test results.What’s happening: The #GoBeyondGrades campaign, by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, nonprofit Learning Heroes and other organizations,...
Councilor Kenzie Bok to take charge of public housing in Boston
Back Bay City Councilor Kenzie Bok is set to take over the Boston Housing Authority as Mayor Michelle Wu's point person for managing housing for low-income residents.Why it matters: The BHA manages affordable housing for over 62,000 Bostonians, almost 9% of the city's population, according to Wu's office.Bok will be in charge of the BHA's 70 developments that make up nearly 13,000 housing units.Much of the BHA's work is in administering federal funds and housing programs like Section 8 vouchers at the local level.Background: When she was elected in 2019 to fill the seat formerly held by Josh Zakim, Bok,...
MBTA's problems go from bad to worse
Just over a week after Phillip Eng was announced as Gov. Maura Healey's pick to lead the MBTA, the agency's troubles have gone from bad to worse.Driving the news: A new report from a fiscal watchdog group found the T needs to hire 2,800 workers over the next year to be fully operational. That's a lot more than the 1,000 hires Healey planned for.The understaffing crisis is a key cause of the T's "slow zone" safety measures that have frustrated riders with significantly reduced speeds on the subway.To boost hiring, The MBTA said Monday it will raise its signing bonus...
Boston sets plans to honor Mel King
City officials, activists and family members of Mel King will honor the civil rights leader’s memory next week.What’s happening: Union United Methodist Church will host a public viewing, visitation and funeral service for King, who died last week at age 94.Why it matters: King’s unwavering activism for affordable housing and social justice changed Boston politics. One local activist called him the city’s Nelson Mandela. King is credited with the creation of Tent City, a mixed-income residential complex, years after he and demonstrators camped out in tents to protest gentrification in the South End.He also was the first Black man to reach the general election for mayor.Details: The public viewing and visitation are 4pm-8pm Monday at the church, at 485 Columbus Ave.The church will host a hybrid funeral service on Tuesday with a broadcast over Zoom at noon.Of note: The family encourages guests to wear bow ties to the funeral as a tribute to King.
How Massachusetts advocates are curbing the high cost of citizenship
Immigration advocates and local officials are tackling the cost barriers that keep thousands of Massachusetts residents from obtaining citizenship.Why it matters: The Boston metropolitan area has some 230,000 lawful permanent residents who, despite being eligible, haven’t taken steps toward obtaining citizenship, in part because of the costs.That includes 30,000 people in Boston, local officials say.The bottom line: The application and biometric fees cost about $725 today — nearly double from 15 years ago.U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services plans to increase the cost to $760. The process can cost upwards of $10,000 for those who get attorneys.What’s happening: The nonprofit Project...
Inside Blank Street’s barista training lab
Steph here. A high-quality coffee chain that has taken over New York City is expanding its footprint in Boston. And it’s all made possible with its automated espresso machine.The folks at Blank Street walked me through the process last week in their barista training lab at the new Boylston Street shop.Driving the news: The Boylston location is Blank Street’s third in the Boston area.The intrigue: Co-founder Vinay Menda says having the Eversys espresso machine across all its stores keeps the taste and quality of the espresso consistent.How it works: The Eversys machine extracts the coffee beans and grinds them at...
Boston mortgage rates curb home sales
Data: RE/MAX; Note: Overall number includes 50 metro areas analyzed by RE/MAX; Table: Kavya Beheraj/AxiosHome sales were down 19.1% year over year in the Boston metro area, per RE/MAX’s February report.Why it matters: In 2022, potential buyers were desperate for more inventory. Now, homes are hitting the market but people can’t afford them.What’s happening: Rates for a 30-year loan were at 6.09% in early February, and shot up to 6.65% by the end of the month, per Freddie Mac.By the numbers:Sales were down 15.4% in February compared to January.Inventory has crept up 15.6% since last February as sales have slowed.It...
Discount grocer brings bargains to Mattapan
A grocery store chain dedicated to getting affordable food to underprivileged communities is expanding to a fourth location. Daily Table's new outpost in Mattapan Square opened Thursday.Why it matters: Food prices are going up, making it harder to find fresh, healthy alternatives to cheap fast food and snacks.Daily Table redirects products that would become food waste into affordable groceries.More than a million tons of food go to waste each year in Massachusetts, according to Harvard’s Food Law and Policy Clinic.Background: Former Trader Joe's president Doug Rauch founded the Daily Table chain and opened its first store in Dorchester in 2015.The...
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