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Axios Boston
Boston college tuition cost ranked one of the highest in U.S.
Data: National Center for Education Statistics; Chart: Axios VisualsBoston is not only one of the biggest college towns in the country, but it also has the second-costliest average tuition.Why it matters: The rising cost of higher education affects thousands of Boston-area college students years after they graduate, especially those who will soon see federal student loan payments resume next month.Driving the news: The metro area's median college tuition price in the 2021-22 academic year reached $39,649, a 6.6% increase from the 2018-19 academic year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.Greater Boston's median tuition rate comes in second among...
Tracking New England's top private jet travelers
Private jet travel generates a lot of carbon emission without transporting very many passengers. A new report from a progressive think tank is calling out the local executives and multi-millionaires that jet in and out of the Boston area the most.Driving the news: The Institute for Policy Studies' report ranked the top private jet travelers by departures from Hanscom Field, which is New England's largest airport serving private jets. The top travelers at the state-operated airport in Bedford between January 2022 and July 2023 included:Bronwen and J. Ryan Carroll: A BU Medical Center pediatrics professor and Charlesbank Capital Partners managing...
A look at the first six months at the MTBA's Phillip Eng era
Six months after MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng was appointed by Gov. Maura Healey to fix the T, the agency's situation has gotten worse.But observers tell Axios that Eng is still the right person for the job.Why it matters: The T has federal regulators breathing down its neck for a series of safety problems spanning years, and service slowed for track repairs has frustrated riders and made some commutes up to 50% longer.The agency also has a labor shortage of 20-25% that has prompted more service reductions, as well as a budget crunch that forced it to tap emergency funds...
95-year-old artist can return to Provincetown dune shack after eviction
A 95-year-old Cape Cod artist will return to the Provincetown dune shack he was evicted from thanks to a new agreement with the National Park Service announced Monday by the artist’s family. Driving the news: A volunteer legal team working with Salvatore Del Deo's family negotiated with the Cape Cod National Seashore to secure a five-year special use permit for "Frenchie's shack," one of several cabins on Cape Cod's tip that artists have used as studios and refuges for decades.The Park Service did not immediately reply to Axios' request for comment before publication.Catch up fast: National Seashore rangers evicted Del...
76% of new Boston moms are working, down from pre-pandemic high
Data: U.S. Census; Note: Includes women ages 16 to 50; Chart: Kavya Beheraj/AxiosThe percentage of Boston metro area-women who recently gave birth and remain in the workforce has been slowly shrinking since 2019 but remains well above the national average, per new census data.Why it matters: Motherhood often knocks women out of the labor force, at least temporarily — often slowing their career and earnings growth and contributing to the gender pay gap.By the numbers: 76% of Boston-area women who gave birth in the previous 12 months were participating in the labor force as of 2022, per the latest American...
Roxbury Community College opens a food pantry
Roxbury Community College's new food pantry opens Tuesday for students and staff in an effort to address food insecurity. Why it matters: An estimated 37% of Massachusetts public college students lacked sufficient access to food in 2019, per a report from the Hope Center for College, Community and Justice at Temple University.What's happening: The Rox Box will open three days a week and stock both perishable and non-perishable items.RCC funded the pantry through $180,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars and other grants and donations.Stop & Shop donated $10,000 in gift cards to help the pantry restock.Be smart: Students and staff must register to confirm they are affiliated with the college before they can pick up items.The pantry has limited hours: 10am-2pm Tuesdays, 10am-2pm Wednesdays and 2pm-6pm Thursdays, per an RCC spokesperson.Zoom out: At least 42% of community college students nationwide and 33% of students at four-year colleges experienced food insecurity, according to a 2020 report from the Hope Center.Hundreds of colleges and universities have food pantries, including Boston University and Emerson College.
"Little Women" is Boston's best novel
Chart: Axios VisualsAfter a week of voting, Axios Boston readers have declared Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" as Boston's best novel.Driving the news: The story of the March sisters during the Civil War beat "The Weight of Water" by Anita Shreve with 83% of the vote.Why it matters: Massachusetts has a long literary history and has been home to some of the finest American writers. Our readers had some strong opinions about those literary greats.What's next: Since you can't congratulate Ms. Alcott directly (she's been dead for 135 years,) go check out her house in Concord for the full historical experience.Thank you to the hundreds of you who voted!Sign up for Axios Boston for free.
It's a good time to be a Boston moviegoer as Alamo opens, theaters expand
A new outpost of the Alamo Drafthouse movie theater chain opens in the Seaport next month, bringing Boston cinephiles another movie house to see new and classic films. Why it matters: The opening, along with the expansion of the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, are signs that movie theaters aren't dying — at least not in Boston.
Resubmitted Seaport plans propose movie studio, arboretum, library
Two developers resubmitted competing proposals this week to build out 6.2 unused acres of the Seaport — one of the final empty spaces in the city's recently redeveloped, affluent district.Why it matters: Hopeful developers for the site near the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center must deliver amenities and programs that benefit local residents, according to a request for proposals.Catch up fast: Following criticism that the process had been rushed, the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority canceled prior redevelopment plans in April and reopened bidding in June.What's happening: This second round drew two bids from Cronin Development and Boston Global Investors by...
Startup hopes to remedy the nursing shortage with international talent
While hospitals struggle with nursing shortages, a Massachusetts startup is preparing to train hundreds of foreign-born students to fill those roles.Driving the news: Boston-based InSpring plans to admit its first cohort of 20-30 international students with bachelor's degrees in the U.S. and other countries this winter, co-founder and CEO Chris Hoehn-Saric tells Axios.The group will enter an accelerated bachelor of nursing program at the MGH Institute of Health Professions, Mass General Brigham's graduate school.Why it matters: The nationwide nursing shortage has hit Massachusetts hard. Nurse vacancy rates in the state's hospitals doubled from 6.4% in 2019 to 13.5% in 2022,...
Cambridge selected as ARPA-H hub
The federal government named Cambridge as one of three sites to comprise the newest federal agency, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H).Driving the news: Hadley-based nonprofit VentureWell will run the Massachusetts "investor catalyst hub," state officials announced Tuesday.The Cambridge site will focus on helping ARPA-H programs deal with red tape and bring innovative ideas to market.Why it matters: The announcement marks a big win for Boston's biotech economy and state leaders who spent more than a year lobbying the federal government in hopes the location would make Massachusetts more competitive to industry workers.The big picture: The new $2.5...
Abortion rights advocates are trying to make New England a safe haven
Reproductive Equity Now, the advocacy group behind successful efforts to bolster abortion rights laws in Massachusetts, is expanding into Connecticut and New Hampshire.Why it matters: The Boston-based organization wants to build an abortion safe haven across New England, a region where state laws and resources for reproductive health still vary.Codifying abortion protections in state law can shield states from any national abortion restrictions.What they're saying: Rebecca Hart Holder, the group's executive director, tells Axios the move will not only benefit out-of-state travelers seeking care in the region, but also Massachusetts residents who live near state borders and have doctors in...
"Artsakh is dead:" Armenian church shaken by note
Watertown police are investigating an incident at St. Stephen's Armenian Apostolic Church that parishioners are calling a hate crime.Driving the news: Parents who dropped their children off at the church's elementary school Monday morning were greeted with a note on the church sign saying "Artsakh is dead. Karabakh is Azerbaijan!"Why it matters: The situation stoked fears in a city that's home to thousands of people of Armenian descent.The latest: Watertown police did not respond to calls from Axios but wrote on Facebook that they're investigating the "suspicious note."Context: Artsakh is an Armenian name for the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, a breakaway region...
Boston's still a remote work hub, for now
Data: Census Bureau; Chart: Simran Parwani/AxiosOne-fifth of Boston metro area residents worked from home in 2022, down from a peak of nearly 27% a year earlier, new census figures show.What's happening: Boston remains a remote work hub, like many other major U.S. cities, but remote tech workers joined the exodus of people leaving Massachusetts in 2022, Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao told state lawmakers earlier this year.Hao and others have cited cost of living as a major driver for outmigration.Zoom out: Boston's share of remote workers fell above last year's national average of 15%, but the numbers were even higher...
Massachusetts to expand legal services to migrants in response to surge
Massachusetts is spending $2 million to expand state-funded legal services for migrants in response to the surge of new arrivals.Why it matters: Legal help speeds up migrant applications for relief and work permits so they can find work and transition out of shelters sooner, thereby alleviating the strain on the state.More than 6,500 families are in the state's emergency family shelter system as of this week, a record high for Massachusetts.Driving the news: The state will contract with eight refugee resettlement agencies to help fill out asylum petitions and work permit applications for thousands of migrants in up to 50...
A clash over gun rights is headed for Beacon Hill
Gun owners are ready to fight back against Beacon Hill as Democrats plan a push for stronger firearm control laws during next year's legislative session. Why it matters: Massachusetts already has some of the country's toughest gun laws and its lowest firearm death rate, but lawmakers want to drive that rate down further and establish the strongest laws in the nation.
How to celebrate Oktoberfest at Boston-area breweries
Grab your stein and get a drink at one of many Boston-area breweries and bars celebrating Oktoberfest this fall.Sam AdamsBoth the Jamaica Plain brewery and downtown taproom are holding Octoberfest events this weekend.The brewery kicks off the festivities with a VIP Beer Dinner Thursday, including a three-course meal with beer pairings. Tickets are $75.The brewery and taproom will have live music and food all weekend. Tickets are $10.Night ShiftNight Shift Brewing is hosting Oktoberfest events Friday at its beer gardens on the Esplanade and in Allston with jumbo soft pretzels.The Everett location has an event Saturday with live music,...
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