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Axios Boston
Boston Calling attendees describe 'overcrowding,' chaos
Overcrowding. Insufficient water. People being carried out on stretchers.This is what attendees say they encountered at Boston Calling on Sunday.Why it matters: The popular music festival is under scrutiny after attendees say they faced unsafe conditions on a sweltering Day 3.Between the lines: Some say they won't return unless the festival's organizers improve safety conditions.What they're saying: If anything had happened, like the sound of a gunshot, "there would have been deaths, without a doubt. People would have been trampled," Alyssa Lutz, a Boston Calling attendee, tells Axios.State of play: Boston EMS assigned 40 employees to work each day of...
Catching up on the Karen Read trial so far
The Karen Read murder trial ended its 17th day with highly anticipated testimony from Brian Higgins, an ATF agent who was partying with Read and the man she's accused of murdering the night of the crime.Why it matters: The Read trial has captured the attention of Massachusetts and the eventual verdict will have people talking all summer.Catch up quick: Read is accused of the second degree murder of her boyfriend John O'Keefe, who was found in the snow the morning after a party at a friend's in Milton in January 2022.Prosecutors claim Read ran O'Keefe over with her SUV after...
Things to do in Boston this long weekend: 5/22-5/27
Friday 5/24πΆ Boston Calling 2024 kicks off Friday with performances from Renee Rapp, the Killers and Megan Thee Stallion this weekend. (Here's what to expect.)π If you like cheesecake and need friends, hop into the "Make Friends After College" group's walk from Harvard Square all the way to the Cheesecake Factory in Cambridge, 6pm-11pm.π€ Boston-based comic Nora Panahi hosts the 2024 AAPI Comedy Festival at Rozzie Square Theater, 7:30pm.There are also shows at 9pm Friday and 8pm Saturday.Price: $20Saturday 5/25π The Charles River Speedway hosts the "Let's Spritz" patio party, 2pm-5pm.Includes live music, three patio spritz bars and a sangria...
Things to do in Boston this long weekend: 5/22-5/27
Friday 5/24πΆ Boston Calling 2024 kicks off Friday with performances from Renee Rapp, the Killers and Megan Thee Stallion this weekend. (Here's what to expect.)π If you like cheesecake and need friends, hop into the "Make Friends After College" group's walk from Harvard Square all the way to the Cheesecake Factory in Cambridge, 6pm-11pm.π€ Boston-based comic Nora Panahi hosts the 2024 AAPI Comedy Festival at Rozzie Square Theater, 7:30pm.There are also shows at 9pm Friday and 8pm Saturday.Price: $20Saturday 5/25π The Charles River Speedway hosts the "Let's Spritz" patio party, 2pm-5pm.Includes live music, three patio spritz bars and a sangria...
Tap-to-pay finally coming to the MBTA
The MBTA is finally going to roll out its contactless payment system.Why it matters: The new system will allow riders to simply tap their credit cards or smartphones against new T gates and on-vehicle sensors to pay.It will bring Boston up to speed with most merchants and other transit systems that have embraced the tech.It won't just be subway entry gates that accept tap payment.Riders can pay at sensors by every door on MBTA buses instead of the machine by the driver.The T hopes to have the same contactless system onboard commuter rail trains and ferries by the spring of...
Students walk out of Harvard commencement over encampment punishments
Over 1,000 Harvard University graduates walked out of their commencement ceremony Thursday in protest of the school's decision to bar some students who participated in pro-Palestinian encampments from getting their degrees.Why it matters: After encampments and demonstrations on campuses across the country were shut down by police and college administrators, students are maintaining their anti-war push and their demands that universities divest from Israeli companies.State of play: As they left the Harvard Yard ceremony, students chanted "let them walk" and proceeded to a nearby church to hold what they called a "people's commencement."They honored the 13 undergraduate students the university disciplined.What they're saying: "As a Palestinian who has been betrayed and abandoned by the University, I cannot tell you how much it means to me that all of you walked out in solidarity with the Palestinian people," Harvard Law School graduate Lea H. Kayali said, according to the Harvard Crimson.Catch up quick: Harvard began suspending student protesters two weeks ago as final exams began. Suspended students are not allowed to take exams or walk at commencement.Faculty members voted to excuse the 13 students this week, but the university's board overruled them.Sign up for Axios Boston for free.
Democrats tangle over how to spend that "millionaire tax" money
Beacon Hill lawmakers sprang to life this month to debate competing visions for what the state should spend tax dollars on, including where to send revenue from the new "millionaires' tax."Why it matters: Massachusetts faces mounting bills for housing homeless families, ever-expanding health care costs and other government business.The lethargic Legislature doesn't pass much outside the budget, meaning the spending plan is the most consequential piece of what electeds actually get done.Follow the money: Normal tax revenue has been down while the new surtax is coming in strong.It's already brought in around $1.8 billion this year, $800 million more than...
π A new place downtown to get your Charlie Card
MBTA riders soon won't have to wander the tunnels beneath Downtown Crossing to get a new Charlie Card.A new MBTA "Charlie Store" will open on Washington Street near the Old South Meeting House (across from that huge Walgreens) later this summer.Why it matters: Commuting on the T is hard enough without dedicated customer service reps in an easy to find storefront.The MBTA closed down the previous Charlie store in the Downtown Crossing concourse last year because of HVAC and infrastructure problems and opened a temporary window inside the state transportation building at 10 Park Plaza.The store will be where riders...
The MBTA bets on the future of Boston-area ferry service
David Perry learned as a boy to steer boats through New England waters and trained as a man to navigate the meandering channels of government.That's what led to his latest role: The MBTA's inaugural commuter ferry services director.Why it matters: The Boston Harbor's 180 miles of shoreline have huge potential for commuters, tourists and others seeking an alternative to driving or navigating public transit across coastal cities. That's where Perry comes in.State of play: Perry tells Axios he wants to incrementally expand the ferry system to offer more frequent rides, possibly longer hours and more stops along the coastline.But first,...
How to pay for the East Boston ferry
The Eastie ferry returned this spring with renewed interest from commuters β and no way to read Charlie cards.Why it matters: For those paying for a $90-monthly LinkPass on their Charlie Cards, that means having to spend more on an individual ticket. That requires either buying it on the mTicket app or buying a paper ticket at a T station. There are no ticket kiosks on the dock.Yes, but: Officials said fare collection system improvements will eventually enable ferry workers to read Charlie Cards.They'll have an update on fare collections later this week.Protip: David Perry, the new commuter ferry services...
Boston professional services freelancers see post-pandemic growth
Data: Fiverr via Census Bureau; Note: Analysis includes tax returns for non-employer entities with at least $1,000 in annual receipts; Chart: Kavya Beheraj/AxiosBoston's freelancers in accounting, legal and other professional services have seen double-digit revenue growth in recent years, despite the upheaval of the pandemic.The big picture: Boston is among a handful of "upscale brain markets" that have attracted highly educated workers freelancing in professional services and, to some extent, tech jobs, according to a report by the freelance platform Fiverr and the market research firm Illuminas.They're earning higher incomes, but also live in cities with higher costs of living.State...
Boston concerts this week: Talib Kweli, Rufus Wainwright and more
Boston Calling is going to dominate the live music scene in Boston this week, but there are quite a few acts in the clubs that won't appear on stage at Harvard.Rapper Talib Kweli is at the Sinclair.Singer-songwriter icon Rufus Wainwright plays two shows in one night on Friday.South Korean boyband P1Harmony makes an appearance stateside.TuesdayFolk and soul singer Amos Lee plays at MGM Music Hall.WednesdayMetal band Bodysnatcher is at the Paradise.Young pop star Alexander Stewart comes to Crystal Ballroom.ThursdayBlack Metal legend Abbath comes to the Sinclair.Indie band Kid Kapichi will be at Brighton Music Hall.FridaySleep Token is prog metal and somehow also kind of an indie pop band. They're hard to classify and they're at MGM Music Hall.Australian post-hardcore group The Amity Affliction comes to the House of Blues.Japanese alt metal group SiM will be at the Paradise.Talib Kweli performs at the Sinclair.Rufus Wainwright plays two shows β at 6:30pm and 9:30pm β at City Winery.SaturdayCrime In Stereo plays at Brighton Music Hall.Heartland singer-songwriter John Hiatt will be at City Winery.SundayThe latest Kroean boyband to blow up globally, P1Harmony, plays at the Wang Theater.Little Big will be at the Sinclair.Sign up for Axios Boston for free.
Celtics face Indiana Pacers in Easter Conference Finals
The Celtics are heavy favorites against the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, boasting a more talented and better-rested roster βΒ but bearing the weight of title-or-bust expectations.Game 1 tips off 8pm at TD Garden.State of playoffs: The Celts won each of their first two playoff series 4-1, most recently dispatching the Cleveland Cavaliers on May 15.The Pacers, meanwhile, needed seven games β the last on Sunday βΒ to eliminate the New York Knicks after beating the Milwaukee Bucs in the first round.Know your enemy: The Pacers are led by star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, the team's primary ballhandler and weapon....
Summer kicks off with the biggest Boston Calling yet
The region's biggest music festival begins Friday with a stacked lineup and some eye-popping perks for concertgoers willing to fork over a small fortune.Why it matters: Boston Calling returns to the Harvard Athletic Complex in Allston over Memorial Day weekend. Stars like Tyler Childers, Ed Sheeran, Hozier, The Killers and Megan Thee Stallion are headlining for an expected crowd of around 40,000.New this year is the platinum ticket tier for those with cash to burn.The 1%ers with platinum access won't be in the sweaty crowd or in line for the port-a-potty. There's a lounge and air-conditioned bathrooms for them.The price:...
Picking the best Boston Calling artist, bracket-style
We asked you to pick the best major act at Boston Calling 2024, and after four rounds, you landed on the millennial-rock darling The Killers.The Killers and California indie band Young The Giant knocked out Megan Thee Stallion and Leon Bridges in the last round before facing off. But the 2000s nostalgia runs deep. Young The Giant didn't stand a chance. Bracket: Axios VisualsThe biggest surprise, perhaps, was not that The Killers won against Megan Thee Stallion, but how much more support the band got compared to the H-Town hottie. The bottom line: Brandon Flowers can head into Boston Calling satisfied this weekend, knowing The Killers are shining on in the hearts of locals.Sign up for Axios Boston for free.
Driving to the Cape this summer? What to know before you go
The good news if you're traveling to the Cape this summer: The bridges haven't shut down for repairs β yet.The bad news: Traffic, lots of it.The big picture: More than 120,000 vehicles cross the Bourne and Sagamore bridges daily during the summer months, per data from the Cape Cod Commission.State of play: State crews gave the Bourne rotary, just south of the Bourne Bridge, a facelift, the Cape Cod Times reported.That includes new entry and exit lane barriers to better direct traffic.Yes, but: The changes will slightly alleviate traffic, not eliminate it altogether.Rotaries "don't behave well under extremely high volumes,"...
Mass. celebrates 20 years of same-sex marriage
Massachusetts is hitting a milestone Friday: the first 20th wedding anniversaries for same-sex couples.Why it matters: The pioneers who packed churches, city halls and clerks' offices across the commonwealth in 2004 are looking back at two decades of legal recognition and the rapid acceptance of gay marriage nationwide.What they're saying: "Everybody loves a wedding. It's not just people on the left who love weddings, it's people on the right who love weddings. That helped a lot," Gina Nortonsmith told Axios.She and her wife Heidi were among the 12 co-plaintiffs in the case that challenged the state to give gay and...
π Things to do in Boston this weekend
FridayCoolidge Corner presents one of the cringiest cult classics, "The Room" as part of its After Midnite series, 11:59pm.SundayThe Revere Beach Kite Festival takes over America's oldest public beach for the 8th annual showcase of professional kite-flyers, kite building and more.Boston Dancemakers present BABYBABYBABY, an evening-long dance showcase about love.Performances run through Sunday afternoon.Sign up for Axios Boston for free.
70 years after Brown ruling, Boston schools are increasingly segregated
Data: Orfield and Pfleger, 2024, "The Unfinished Battle for Integration in a Multiracial America"; Chart: Axios VisualsRacial segregation in schools across the country has increased dramatically over the last three decades, according to two new reports and an Axios review of federal data.Why it matters: As the U.S. marks the 70th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling on Friday, American public schools are growing more separate and unequal even though the country is more racially and ethnically diverse than ever.Public schools across the Boston area are increasingly segregated, decades after Brown, the 1964 Civil Rights Act...
70 years after Brown ruling, Boston schools are increasingly segregated
Data: Orfield and Pfleger, 2024, "The Unfinished Battle for Integration in a Multiracial America"; Chart: Axios VisualsRacial segregation in schools across the country has increased dramatically over the last three decades, according to two new reports and an Axios review of federal data.Why it matters: As the U.S. marks the 70th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling on Friday, American public schools are growing more separate and unequal even though the country is more racially and ethnically diverse than ever.Public schools across the Boston area are increasingly segregated, decades after Brown, the 1964 Civil Rights Act...
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