Good news for Cape-goers

Also: A Q&A on the push for psychedlics in Mass.; art for the birds [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  April 24, 2024 🐋 Mostly cloudy, with a high of 61 and a chance of rain. Good Morning Boston, It's Right Whale Day in Massachusetts, so [say hi to Calvin]( if you're near the aquarium around lunchtime. (If you're in the mood for a deep dive, [read more here]( on the threats to right whales and how they became a pawn in a larger political fight.) Now, to the news: - Looking to rent on Cape Cod this summer? It might be easier than years past, thanks to an increase in short-term rentals. Even though vacationers are still flocking to the Cape in high numbers, real estate experts say the supply of rentals this summer has rebounded in a big way. “What we're looking at now is just higher inventory, more availability,” Jim Reese, an exec at the Cape rental website We Need A Vacation, told WBUR’s Samantha Coetzee. - Why? A few factors led to “frantic” booking seasons the last few years, according to Reese. Many homes were taken off the rental market during the COVID pandemic, and there was a wave of second-home buying. But now, many of those homes are rentable again. “Maybe in years past when they purchased their home, they were renovating, it wasn't ready for rentals, or they were using it for personal reasons,” Reese said. He also noted “a lot of repeat renters” are now looking to travel out of town and overseas, forcing owners to find new renters. - By the numbers: Nearly 18,000 Cape summer rentals are on the market,[The Boston Globe reported earlier this month](. That's 12% more compared to last April and 50% more than March 2021. - What does that mean for prices? CBS News [reports]( the average daily price for a Cape Cod rental in July was $272, down from $387 in 2021. - Pro-tip: Don’t limit yourself to a vacation in the “heart of summer." Reese says you’ll have better options around the “end of June, early July, or at the end of the summer.” “You'll see a lot stronger availability — in the 30-40% range,” he added. - What's next for Marshfield: Town meeting voters in Marshfield [rejected zoning changes this week]( that were intended to bring the South Shore town into compliance with the MBTA Communities Act. However, whether Marshfield ends up in [the same legal battle with state officials as Milton]( is still a bit TBD. - Why? Marshfield is considered an "[adjacent community]( under the law, meaning it has until the end of this year to comply. So, town planners could make tweaks to the proposed zoning bylaw and hold another vote in the fall, Marshfield town counsel Robert Galvin told WBUR's Amy Sokolow. - Easier said than done? The trick will be finding a compromise bylaw that both allows denser development (as required by the MBTA Communities Act) and addresses concerns about "the character" of the town. "The town has a very passionate group of residents that feel very strongly about its determination as to what should be appropriate for the town," Galvin said. - Up in the air: Massachusetts is spending nearly $800,000 to install roughly 200 softball-sized air sensors around the state. WBUR's Barbara Moran reports they will be deployed in environmental justice neighborhoods — places that historically have experienced a disproportionate burden of environmental hazards that affect health and quality of life — to measure tiny airborne particles that aggravate asthma and other respiratory problems. - What will the data be used for? Bonnie Heiple, the state's Department of Environmental Protection commissioner, told Barb the data will be [available online in real time](. Not only will that allow folks to make informed decisions about how they spend their day, Heiple says it will also allow people to report issues to the state. - Zoom out: [According to a new report]( over one-third of Americans routinely breathe in unhealthy air, with [communities of color and low-income Americans]( having higher exposure. - ICYMI: Gov. Maura Healey called her transportation secretary's comments suggesting Massachusetts would consider adding tolls along the state's border "a very poor choice of words" [during her appearance yesterday on Radio Boston](. "It's not how we do things. It's not how we operate. And we moved on from that," Healey said. - [Click here to read and listen]( to Healey's full, wide-ranging conversation with Radio Boston host Tiziana Dearing. P.S.— Here & Now is marking Earth Week with a new edition of their [Reverse Course]( series — this time looking at how to clean up the way we move around and ship goods. The transportation-focused segments cover everything from [battery-powered big rigs]( to [efforts to make planes more emission-friendly](. Read the latest [here](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters  Support the news  The Rundown [From politics to the lab: The push for psychedelics in Mass.Â]( New research, a potential state ballot measure and pending decisions from the FDA are putting psychedelics are on a path that could lead them to become an integral part of mental health care in Massachusetts. [Read more.]( [From politics to the lab: The push for psychedelics in Mass.Â]( New research, a potential state ballot measure and pending decisions from the FDA are putting psychedelics are on a path that could lead them to become an integral part of mental health care in Massachusetts. [Read more.]( [Watertown police officer faces jury trial on rape charges]( Kevin Rooney remains on unpaid leave pending the outcome of the criminal trial and a departmental investigation. Prosecutors are accusing him of sexually assaulting a woman three years ago. [Read more.]( [Watertown police officer faces jury trial on rape charges]( Kevin Rooney remains on unpaid leave pending the outcome of the criminal trial and a departmental investigation. Prosecutors are accusing him of sexually assaulting a woman three years ago. [Read more.]( [U.S. bans noncompete agreements for nearly all jobs]( The Federal Trade Commission has voted to ban employment agreements that typically prevent workers from leaving their companies for competitors, or starting competing businesses of their own. [Read more.]( [U.S. bans noncompete agreements for nearly all jobs]( The Federal Trade Commission has voted to ban employment agreements that typically prevent workers from leaving their companies for competitors, or starting competing businesses of their own. [Read more.]( [Remnants of the bird flu virus have been found in pasteurized milk, the FDA says]( The agency stressed the material is inactivated and that the findings "do not represent actual virus that may be a risk to consumers," but it's continuing to study the issue. [Read more.]( [Remnants of the bird flu virus have been found in pasteurized milk, the FDA says]( The agency stressed the material is inactivated and that the findings "do not represent actual virus that may be a risk to consumers," but it's continuing to study the issue. [Read more.]( [Poll: Small businesses in Mass. say it's hard to hire and get capital]( Many small businesses across Massachusetts are looking to grow but say it's difficult to fill open jobs and access capital, according to a new survey released Tuesday from MassInc Polling Group. [Read more.]( [Poll: Small businesses in Mass. say it's hard to hire and get capital]( Many small businesses across Massachusetts are looking to grow but say it's difficult to fill open jobs and access capital, according to a new survey released Tuesday from MassInc Polling Group. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Every spring at Ipswich's Appleton Farms, little songbirds known as bobolinks use the grasslands for breeding. When they return this year, [the bobolinks will find they're also the stars of a new art installation on the farm.]( - The University of Maine — which is home to the world's largest 3D printer — [unveiled an even larger printer on Tuesday]( that could one day create entire neighborhoods. University officials hope the machine can help address the state's affordable housing shortage. - Some flood-vulnerable homeowners in New England have reengineered their houses to let the water in when it gets too high. As precipitation and more intense storms increase, it's [one of several creative solutions property owners are using]( combat flooding. - Steve Almond [writes in this Cognoscenti commentary]( that Donald Trump's essential appeal to his base has little to do with his policy proposals or his record in the White House. What We're Reading 📚 - What it takes to run a metro newspaper in the digital era, according to four top editors ([Nieman Lab]( - Terrence Clarke died three years ago. A tidal wave of elite Mass. basketball players is keeping his memory alive. ([The Boston Globe]( - Local journalism tax credits included in 2025 N.Y. state budget ([Axios](  Food For Thought [A first look at Somaek and Sushi @ Temple Records (The Boston Globe)]( Where Jamie Bissonnette cooks Korean, vinyl takes center stage, and sushi goes underground. [Read more.]( [A first look at Somaek and Sushi @ Temple Records (The Boston Globe)]( Where Jamie Bissonnette cooks Korean, vinyl takes center stage, and sushi goes underground. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [looks at the barriers to electric vehicle ownership in Massachusetts]( and what the state is doing about them. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [Type II fun.]( 😎 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.](   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. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2023 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.