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Boston gas prices creep up, but still lower than last summer
Data: GasBuddy; Note: Price as of the 1st of each month; Chart: Axios VisualsAfter facing some of the highest prices in the nation last year, Greater Boston has seen the cost of gas come back down to earth.Why it matters: When nearly everything is costlier than it was a few years ago, the drop in gas prices may offer some relief for cash-strapped households, especially when public transit isn't reliable.Higher gas prices take a bigger toll on our wallets — and contribute to overall inflation.Driving the news: A gallon of gas in Boston cost $3.66 on average in August, about...
Data breach affects 134K in Massachusetts
Some 134,000 Massachusetts residents may have had their personal information stolen in a data breach involving a widely used file-transfer software, state officials and UMass Chan Medical School say.Driving the news: Hackers targeted recent or current recipients of MassHealth, state cash benefits, Aging Services Access Points services and other resources, officials said in a news release.UMass Chan started notifying those affected Tuesday and says neither its nor the state's systems were compromised in the incident.The big picture: Millions of Americans have had their health information stolen thanks to a security flaw in the MOVEit file-transfer software IBM used.The Colorado Department...
Housing advocates urge lawmakers to spend federal aid on the shelter crisis
Housing advocates are calling on Massachusetts leaders to spend the state's remaining federal American Rescue Plan Act funds on its shelter crisis, according to a letter shared with Axios.Why it matters: Massachusetts' emergency family shelter population has increased by 80% in the past year, in large part because of an influx of migrants. That prompted Gov. Healey to declare a state of emergency last week.Driving the news: The Aug. 14 letter called on Healey and legislative leaders to make more investments in future spending bills, pass an affordable housing bond bill and use federal aid to address the situation.The letter,...
Boston residents are trying to grow its LGBTQ+ nightlife scene
Boston has long lacked nightlife options for its LGBTQ+ community, especially for women and nonbinary people.Why it matters: Amid an "unprecedented" spike in anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment in some states, per the Human Rights Campaign, these physical places can provide connection away from prejudice, Axios' Annalise Frank reported.LGBTQ+ locals say the dearth of safe, nightlife spaces makes it harder for them to find community.It's become common for many Bostonians to seek them out elsewhere, as far away as Provincetown, Providence and even New York City. Some end up moving away because of it.Driving the news: Just a handful of LGBTQ+ bars in...
Boston residents are trying to grow its LGBTQ+ nightlife scene
Boston has long lacked nightlife options for its LGBTQ+ community, especially for women and nonbinary people.Why it matters: Amid an "unprecedented" spike in anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment in some states, per the Human Rights Campaign, these physical places can provide connection away from prejudice, Axios' Annalise Frank reported.LGBTQ+ locals say the dearth of safe, nightlife spaces makes it harder for them to find community.It's become common for many Bostonians to seek them out elsewhere, as far away as Provincetown, Providence and even New York City. Some end up moving away because of it.Driving the news: Just a handful of LGBTQ+ bars in...
Come to Axios Boston's anniversary kegger
Come meet the degenerates behind Axios Boston's newsletter.What's happening: We're celebrating Axios Boston's first anniversary later this month with some brews at Dorchester Brewing Co.We reached 1 year on June 13, but better late than never.Come for the drinks, stay for the photos with Townie.The first 50 pints of DBCo's flagship Neponset Gold are on us.There will be some free swag and glassware.The details: The party starts at 5:30pm on Aug. 28.Yes, that's a Monday. Send the kids to your ma's.Be smart: RSVP here.Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Boston.
How Mass. is responding to the migrant shelter crisis
Gov. Healey's state of emergency declaration regarding the migrant crisis is a call to action for every business owner, nonprofit leader and individual willing to help people seeking shelter in Massachusetts.Driving the news: The state is asking anyone able to host homeless families or migrants to open their doors, but first they must be vetted by the Brazilian Worker Center.People can start to get involved by calling 211 or emailing shelterhelp@mass.gov.The center is leading the process to onboard and match volunteers with new arrivals, similar to how nonprofits lead refugee resettlements.Why it matters: State shelters have seen an 80% increase...
Weekender: Provincetown Carnival, Feast of the Madonna return
Provincetown's annual Carnival kicks off this weekend.This year's theme is "the land of toys" so get your costumes ready for the kickoff party Sunday night at 10pm at the Crown & Anchor.There's a 5k Sunday morning, a "babes and bois" pool party at noon and a disco duck cruise at 4pm.If you can't make it to Carnival, you can get a slice of P-town at the MFA with the "Provincetown Printmakers" exhibit.The show features a group of artists who created color woodblock prints of the seaside art colony and LGBTQ+ resort town.For those staying around Boston this weekend, the Feast of the Madonna Della Cava returns to the North End for its 103rd year.The festivities begin Friday with a blessing, music and raffle and culminates with a mass Sunday at St. Stephen's Church and procession.Find the full schedule here.Chinatown celebrates the August Moon Festival, the local East Asian community's version of the mid-autumn harvest festival.The celebration runs 10am-5pm Sunday at Beach Street and Harrison Avenue.Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Boston.
Hip-hop at 50: Boston celebrates with a music festival
Boston is celebrating hip-hop's 50th anniversary with a festival Saturday at City Hall Plaza.Driving the news: EarthGang and Dead Prez, hip-hop duos from Atlanta and New York City respectively, will headline the GLD FSTVL.The lineup also features STL GLD, Oompa, Billy Dean Thomas and other local artists.Why it matters: Boston has been home to hip-hop and rap artists since the genre's infancy in the 1970s, including MC Spice, the writer behind "Good Vibrations," and iconic local hip hop groups like New Edition and STL GLD, who helped organize the event.What they're saying: "When most people think of cities that had a major role in the growth of Rap music and Hip-Hop culture, they usually overlook Boston," music journalist Dart Adams wrote in a 2020 Rock the Bells article.Details: The festival runs 12pm-10pm Saturday on the plaza.Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Boston.
Mass. and Cass. encampment crisis escalates, officials promise action
It's been a bad summer at Mass. and Cass, the troubled stretch of the Newmarket area near Boston Medical Center. The tent city there has become the heart of the opioid epidemic and a public safety nightmare.Driving the news: Nonprofits working in and around the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard have pulled workers out amid safety concerns and warned Mayor Michelle Wu that violence, crime, drug use and human trafficking are all getting out of hand.Wu said last week "we are planning to take a major step" to support law enforcement and maintain public safety, but details...
European Watch Company: Boston's multi-million-dollar watch business
Diamond-studded watches. Gold cases. Alligator-leather wristbands.That's what's made European Watch Company a multi-million-dollar Boston business with clients from all over the world. Why it matters: The company, which runs out of a nondescript Back Bay brownstone, has grown from a niche retailer and repairer into a father-son team with $100 million in sales last year, per the owners.What's happening: Albert Ganjei and his son Joshua are celebrating the company's 30th anniversary and pushing to grow even more as they ride a recent wave of vintage watch collecting.Flashback: Albert Ganjei, a civil engineer and IT professional turned watch dealer, opened the...
Massachusetts declares state of emergency as migrants flood shelters
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has declared a state of emergency to address the surge of migrants seeking shelter and awaiting work permits.Why it matters: The state's family shelter system is bursting at the seams, and newly arrived people are waiting months — in some cases, years — for permission to work legally, immigrant advocates say.Driving the news: At a Tuesday press conference, Healey urged the federal government to expedite work authorizations for thousands of migrants and asked for funding help with the crisis.Massachusetts is spending $45 million a month on expanded shelter services and can't keep pace, Healey wrote in...
Massachusetts ballot questions begin to take shape
Massachusetts voters could be asked on their ballots next fall to bring back rent control, legalize psychedelics and decide if the MCAS exam should remain a high school graduation requirement.What's happening: Organizers of nascent ballot issue campaigns have filed dozens of petitions with the Attorney General to set the field for potential 2024 ballot questions.To start the year-long process, petitioners only had to submit 10 signatures by last Wednesday.Why it matters: Policy-based political campaigns have come to rely on the ballot initiative process to prod or even circumvent lawmakers unwilling to vote on big changes to the law.Catch up quick:...
What you need to make to be in Massachusetts' 1%
You need to earn close to $1 million a year to be in Massachusetts' 1% club.Driving the news: Bay State workers who make $903,401 or more are considered in the top 1% of earners, according to a new SmartAsset analysis of IRS tax filer data.The national average is nearly 28% less — $652,657.Massachusetts is the second richest state by this standard. Connecticut's on top at $952,902.Zoom out: The median household income in Massachusetts is $89,645, per census data.It's $79,283 in Boston and $112,764 in Middlesex County.The intrigue: The poorest 1%-ers in the state probably won't have to pay the new 4% income surtax since it only affects income over $1 million a year.Call it that $950k sweet spot.The big picture: The top 1% of U.S. families had more than one third of the total wealth in the U.S. in 2019. That's up from 27% in 1989, according to the Congressional Budget Office.Families in the entire bottom half of the earning spectrum held just 2% of the country's wealth.Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Boston.
Boston's liquor license system is dragging down its nightlife scene
One of the biggest hurdles faced by would-be dining and nightlife entrepreneurs is the limited supply of liquor licenses available in the city.Why it matters: The dearth of licenses is a major contributor to Boston's languid late-night scene.How it works: The right to serve alcohol in Boston is highly controlled by the city and state.Right now the city's licenses are capped at about 1,400 by state law.The regulation and cap have sent the price of licenses sky high.Buying and transferring one from a current licensee to a new business can cost as much as $600,000.Meanwhile, existing bar and restaurant owners...
How downtown Boston's pandemic recovery is going
Data: University of Toronto; Note: Seasons are March-May (spring), June-August (summer), September-November (fall) and December-February (winter); Visitors determined by counting unique mobile phones in ZIP codes with high employee density; Chart: Kavya Beheraj/AxiosFoot traffic is rebounding unevenly in different parts of Boston's downtown, according to two studies of where people are going.What's happening: Foot traffic in the two zip codes that make up the city's Financial District is at 47.8% of pre-pandemic 2019 levels, according to mobile phone data analyzed by University of Toronto researchers.That means activity in the area has decreased this year compared to last — and was...
Things to do in Boston this weekend
Saturday's Roxbury Poetry Festival features keynotes from poet and essayist Hanif Abdurraqib and writer Nate Marshall.There'll be panels and workshops on journalism and prose as well as several readings.A poetry slam at the Bolling Building starts at 7pm.🍿 The Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival starts today and runs through next Saturday.Screenings include "Forgetting Christmas," "Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip Hop," "Regret to Inform You" and "Black Barbie: A Documentary."This weekend's your last chance to catch Macbeth on Boston Common.The play starts at 8pm tonight, 6pm Saturday and 8pm Sunday.Also closing this weekend is the exhibit on large-scale painter María Berrío and her "Children's Crusade" series at the MFA.🧘🏽 Try out yoga on the beach at Pleasure Bay in South Boston at 10am Saturday or yoga in the beer garden at Remnant Brewery in Somerville at 9:30am.Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Boston.
COVID is clawing its way back this summer
Data: MWRA Wastewater COVID-19 Tracking; Chart: Axios VisualsThe sun is finally out and about in Boston. So is our old friend COVID-19.What's happening: The Deer Island wastewater testing program has been recording an uptick in the virus flushed into Boston's sewer system since late June.Meanwhile, the number of positive tests and hospitalizations are also going up, according to the state's Department of Public Health.Why it matters: The city hasn't seen COVID-19 numbers this high since early spring.Zoom in: Hospitalizations for COVID-19 had trended down since January, but have increased 30% compared to two weeks ago, the Globe reported.That pattern is outpacing what's happening nationally, where COVID-19 hospitalizations are up 11%, according to the CDC.Details: The MWRA treatment plant recorded a 7-day rolling average of 353 copies of the virus per milliliter last Thursday at its northern facility and 418 copies at the facility covering the southern part of the city.Yes, but: Upwards of 3000 copies were regularly found during spikes in 2020 and 2021.Be smart: According to DPH, there have been spikes in COVID-19 cases each of the last three summers, though the specific timing has varied.Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Boston.
COVID is clawing its way back this summer
Data: MWRA Wastewater COVID-19 Tracking; Chart: Axios VisualsThe sun is finally out and about in Boston. So is our old friend COVID-19.What's happening: The Deer Island wastewater testing program has been recording an uptick in the virus flushed into Boston's sewer system since late June.Meanwhile, the number of positive tests and hospitalizations are also going up, according to the state's Department of Public Health.Why it matters: The city hasn't seen COVID-19 numbers this high since early spring.Zoom in: Hospitalizations for COVID-19 had trended down since January, but have increased 30% compared to two weeks ago, the Globe reported.That pattern is outpacing what's happening nationally, where COVID-19 hospitalizations are up 11%, according to the CDC.Details: The MWRA treatment plant recorded a 7-day rolling average of 353 copies of the virus per milliliter last Thursday at its northern facility and 418 copies at the facility covering the southern part of the city.Yes, but: Upwards of 3000 copies were regularly found during spikes in 2020 and 2021.Be smart: According to DPH, there have been spikes in COVID-19 cases each of the last three summers, though the specific timing has varied.Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Boston.
Healey is giving MBTA workers a raise
Gov. Maura Healey is increasing pay and benefits for the MBTA's drivers and repair workers.Why it matters: The T lost 860 workers last fiscal year — an attrition rate of 13%.Driving the news: The MBTA Carmen's Union Sunday approved a new four-year contract that includes an 18% wage increase, signing bonuses, 10 additional days of parental and bereavement leave, and other incentives to help retain workers and recruit new ones.The T's board is expected to approve the contract this week.The big picture: Understaffing has played a big part in the T's recent service cutbacks and safety issues.New General Manager Phillip...
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