A closer look at EVs in Boston

Also: Why you should care about this county clerk race; Cambridge police's pistol problems [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  April 5, 2024 ✈️ Reminder: If you donate to WBUR by 7 p.m. tonight, you'll be [automatically entered to win a trip for two to Japan]( as part of our spring fundraiser sweepstakes. ☁️ Mostly cloudy, with a high near 46 and a slight chance of afternoon rain. Good Morning Boston, TGIF! While the clouds and showers might linger for another day, this week's weather may well be worth [the clear New England skies forecasted for the solar eclipse on Monday](. Now, if you're done [shoveling the ocean]( let's get to the news: - This summer's hottest race is... clerk? Before November's high-stakes general election, Massachusetts has a sleepy Sept. 3 primary on its hands, particularly for Democrats. Sen. Elizabeth Warren — who holds[the only statewide office on the ballot this year]( — isn't facing any major primary challengers, nor are any of the state's nine members of Congress. So, some Democrats are turning their attention to an emerging race for a widely overlooked job: Supreme Judicial Court clerk for Suffolk County. Intrigued? No? Here's why you should be: - Who's running? The race is shaping up to be a bit of a grudge match between Boston's progressives and moderates. City Councilor Erin Murphy, one of the chamber's most frequent adversaries of Mayor Michelle Wu, [first announced her candidacy for the job last month]( — and quickly picked up endorsements from fellow [Councilor Ed Flynn]( and [U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch](. However, Murphy was [officially joined in the race this week]( by longtime public defense attorney Allison Cartwright, whose campaign is being run by former Wu staffers and allies, like state Sen. Lydia Edwards. - Cartwright's supporters argue the 30-year lawyer is more qualified than Murphy, a former school teacher. Murphy [says]( her experience serving students and constituents has prepared her for the role. - What does a clerk even do? You'll probably recognize them as people in courtrooms who sit below the judge's bench. Clerks are generally responsible for keeping the court's records, running court sessions and acting as a liaison between judges and lawyers. - What does the SJC clerk for Suffolk County do? So, the state's top court actually has two clerks (and like the governor, they're [both]( [currently]( named Maura). There's the SJC clerk for the commonwealth — which[deals with the seven-justice court's main caseload]( — and then there's the SJC clerk for Suffolk County. (Don't confuse either with the state's[many superior court clerks]( The SJC clerk for Suffolk County works on[the SJC's single-justice sessions](. That's when just one SJC justice acts as a trial judge to review various lower court rulings. They also oversee lawyer discipline and bar admission. - What makes it an attractive job? You get to be involved in some of the state's top legal cases. Also, it pays well —[roughly $190,00 a year](. (By comparison, Boston city councilors this year will make $115,000). Most clerks hold onto the job for a long time; [the outgoing clerk with the gig]( Maura Doyle, was elected in 1996. - Why should I care? "EVERY LAWYER admitted to practice law in MA goes through the Clerk," Edwards [posted on social media this week](. "Also, the Clerk enforces decisions to disbar judges." The outcome could also effect the makeup of the Boston City Council for a year at least. (If Murphy wins, last year's fifth-place finisher in the Council's at-large race, [Bridget Nee-Walsh]( would get the chance to fill her seat through the end of 2025.) - Zoom out: Even if you're not a resident of Boston, Chelsea, Revere or Winthrop, there may be a contested clerk's race on your ballot this summer. [As Politico reports]( multiple state lawmakers are also leaving their jobs to run for country clerk. - New weekend, same shuttle sitch: Just like last weekend, the MBTA is suspending large chunks of the Red Line and Orange Line due to various projects. Shuttle buses will replace [Red Line service between Broadway and North Quincy, plus the entire four-stop Ashmont branch](. They'll also replace the Orange Line [between Forest Hills and Ruggles](. - Listen: [T General Manager Phil Eng explained yesterday on Radio Boston]( why he thinks the agency's "reset" contract to pay another $148 million for the new Red and Orange Line cars is actually a good deal — even though they won't all arrive until 2027. - See ya, State Street: There's a new local company sponsoring the luxury seats above home plate at Fenway Park. The Seaport-based cybersecurity firm Aura will [have its name on the 1,500-seat luxury club section]( previously called the State Street Pavilion. P.S.— After nearly four years, a statewide policy in Massachusetts at least temporarily expired this week. Do you know what it was? Then [take our Boston News Quiz]( and see how well you remember this week's stories compared to other WBUR readers! Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [There are more electric vehicles in Boston, but the region lags behind other metros]( Electric vehicle sales have surged in Boston, making the region one of the biggest EV markets in the U.S. But experts warn that the pace isn't enough to help the state reach its emission goals, or to catch up with other larger markets. [Read more.]( [There are more electric vehicles in Boston, but the region lags behind other metros]( Electric vehicle sales have surged in Boston, making the region one of the biggest EV markets in the U.S. But experts warn that the pace isn't enough to help the state reach its emission goals, or to catch up with other larger markets. [Read more.]( [Officer’s gun that fired inside Cambridge school is latest Sig Sauer incident]( New Hampshire-based Sig Sauer’s P320 is one of the country’s most popular pistols among civilians and law enforcement agencies, but it has been plagued by allegations — and lawsuits — claiming that it can fire without a trigger pull due to a design or mechanical flaw. [Read more.]( [Officer’s gun that fired inside Cambridge school is latest Sig Sauer incident]( New Hampshire-based Sig Sauer’s P320 is one of the country’s most popular pistols among civilians and law enforcement agencies, but it has been plagued by allegations — and lawsuits — claiming that it can fire without a trigger pull due to a design or mechanical flaw. [Read more.]( [Thinking of taking a last-minute drive to see the eclipse? Here's what to know]( Experts say you should gas up before you go, and plan to stay for a while afterward. [Read more.]( [Thinking of taking a last-minute drive to see the eclipse? Here's what to know]( Experts say you should gas up before you go, and plan to stay for a while afterward. [Read more.]( [Cambridge company pulls ALS drug from US market after study shows no benefit]( The Cambridge-based maker of a drug for ALS that recently failed in a study says it will pull the medicine from the U.S. market. Amylyx Pharmaceuticals said Thursday it will halt marketing in the U.S. and Canada. In March, the drugmaker announced that its drug had failed to show any benefit for patients in a 600-person study. [Read more.]( [Cambridge company pulls ALS drug from US market after study shows no benefit]( The Cambridge-based maker of a drug for ALS that recently failed in a study says it will pull the medicine from the U.S. market. Amylyx Pharmaceuticals said Thursday it will halt marketing in the U.S. and Canada. In March, the drugmaker announced that its drug had failed to show any benefit for patients in a 600-person study. [Read more.]( [Taiwan ties in focus as ambassador visits State House]( Bay State and Taiwanese officials celebrated the 45th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act on Thursday at the State House. Taiwan is Massachusetts' eighth-largest trading partner, according to Ambassador Alexander Yui, Taiwan's newly-seated representative in the U.S. Massachusetts was the first stop on Yui's tour of the states since arriving in Washington. [Read more.]( [Taiwan ties in focus as ambassador visits State House]( Bay State and Taiwanese officials celebrated the 45th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act on Thursday at the State House. Taiwan is Massachusetts' eighth-largest trading partner, according to Ambassador Alexander Yui, Taiwan's newly-seated representative in the U.S. Massachusetts was the first stop on Yui's tour of the states since arriving in Washington. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Caitlin Clark once dreamed of going to UConn to play basketball. Now, as she tries to cap off her record-breaking college career with Iowa’s first-ever championship, [a star-studded Final Four matchup tonight against the Huskies stands in her way](. - Related: Cognoscenti contributor — and occasional women's sports reporter — Laura Everett is delighted the NCAA women's tournament is finally having its moment. [But, as she writes in this commentary]( there are profoundly interesting and talented athletes in every women’s league, if only we were looking for them. - While you may know Edgar Allan Poe’s creepy poem “The Raven," what’s less known is the seminal horror writer was born in Boston. Now, WBUR's Andrea Shea reports [Poe’s final days are being conjured by the Boston Modern Orchestra Project in an hallucinatory opera](. - A new solo exhibit by the artist Firelei Baez is now open at the ICA in Boston. It's the first major survey dedicated to the Dominican-born painter in North America. WBUR's Amelia Mason has [a look inside the colorful exhibit here](. - There aren't many cranes that have a storied history like the one brought in to clear the wreck of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge. It dates back to a secret CIA mission during the Cold War. Here's [what to know about "Chessy" the crane](.  What We're Reading 📚 - Have the Brands Gone Too Far? Boston Marathoners Think So. ([The New York Times]( - What’s Wrong With the Economy? It’s You, Not the Data ([The Wall Street Journal]( - Crying Myself to Sleep on the Biggest Cruise Ship Ever ([The Atlantic](  Tell Me Something Good [Annual Red Sox 'Hat Day' brings city officials, camaraderie to East Boston school]( District leaders say the special blue, yellow, and white Red Sox hats are distributed only to BPS students. The goal is to build school pride and a sense of community. [Read more.]( [Annual Red Sox 'Hat Day' brings city officials, camaraderie to East Boston school]( District leaders say the special blue, yellow, and white Red Sox hats are distributed only to BPS students. The goal is to build school pride and a sense of community. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common has [a list of fun ways to emerge from hibernation this April]( from mystery picnics to a local craft beer festival to Earth Week at CitySpace. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: Thank [you]( ([and you]( for taking responsibility. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 🔎 Explore [WBUR's Field Guide]( stories, events and more. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news    Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. 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