Long live the passback

Also: The rise and fall of Cool Dogs; getting our happy hour hopes up? [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  July 12, 2024 🌦️ Partly sunny, with a high near 90 and chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. (A [flood watch is in effect]( into Saturday.) Good Morning Boston, Before you [swipe back to SharkTok]( let's get to the news: - Passback comeback: It turns out the MBTA is keeping so-called "passback" payments after all. After [initially planning]( to phase out passbacks with their [upcoming contactless fare payment system]( T officials tell WBUR the popular practice among many riders is here to stay. You can thank General Manager Phil Eng. - What's a passback? You've probably done it if you've ever tried to take out-of-town friends or family on the T. Instead of making them get a separate CharlieCard they'll never use again, you just tap your CharlieCard on the fare reader and then hand it back for them to use. (It only works if you have stored value on your Charlie Card, rather than a monthly pass.) - Flashback: In 2022, T officials [announced]( they would be getting rid of passbacks with the contactless payment system, since riders would need to carry their own "proof of payment" on board. - What changed? Eng, who arrived at the T in 2023, directed the agency to change course and tweak the configuration of the new tech to allow passbacks, according to T spokesman Joe Pesaturo. In a statement, Eng said he's a fan of the ease passbacks give groups. "I consider it a family-friendly feature that allows a group of people to access our system with just one phone or one card," Eng said. - FYI: Don't try to tap your CharlieCard on the new fare readers [when the tap-to-pay tech turns on in August](. CharlieCard users will still have to use the old fare readers. - On Beacon Hill: While you were sleeping, the Massachusetts Senate passed a $2.86 billion economic development bond bill last night. And while the term "economic development bond bill" might put you back to sleep, there are a few head-turning proposals packed in there. - For starters, it includes a zoning change that would pave the way for [a soccer stadium in Everett](. The Senate also adopted an amendment to let cities and towns decide if they want to allow happy hours. - The big but: Don't get too excited just yet. The Senate has passed [both]( of those [proposals]( in the past, only to see them stripped out of the compromise bill ultimately negotiated with the House. The two chambers have until July 31 to reach a deal. - In other T news: Shuttles [aren't the only thing coming soon]( to the Red Line. The MBTA will follow through on its plan to [install cabinets containing the overdose reversal drug naloxone]( or Narcan, at five Red Line stations later this month. As WBUR's Martha Bebinger [first reported last summer]( it's part of a pilot program to test the effectiveness of expanding public access to the medication. - Which stations? Quincy Center, Ashmont, Andrew, South Station and Harvard. Rachel Morse, the T's director of transit policy, says those stations were selected based on nearby overdose data, along with the short response times for Transit Police. The cabinets will be located in areas on both sides of the fare gates, as well as near or inside station restrooms. - Heads up: [That 16-day partial Red Line shutdown]( now begins tonight at 8:15 p.m. between Alewife and Kendall/MIT. - Camping curious? Massachusetts is offering free camping at the Myles Standish State Forest on the South Shore this weekend. It's the first time the state has offered the promotion since the pandemic. - What to know: The offer specifically encourages people who've never camped before to try it this weekend. There'll be outdoor activities, staff on hand to help people set up their campsites — and even tents and camp stoves to borrow. - Act fast: Spaces for the free weekend are limited, so families are encouraged to sign up ahead of time. Learn how [here](. - Just short: An effort in Quincy to hold a referendum on Mayor Thomas Koch's big pay raise has come up short. The group "A Just Quincy" was hoping to get over 8,000 signatures by this past Monday to force a citywide vote to repeal Koch's raise, but ultimately got just over 6,000 signatures. Koch's annual salary is set to jump from roughly $150,000 to $285,000 on Jan. 1, 2025. P.S.— What did archeologists recently find in Concord? Take our [Boston News Quiz]( and test your knowledge of this week's stories. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters  The Rundown [Biden says he's 'determined on running' as calls to step aside grow]( President Biden, in a roughly hour-long press conference, doubled down on his decision to stay in the race despite growing calls from leaders and supporters that he should step down from the ticket. [Read more.]( [Biden says he's 'determined on running' as calls to step aside grow]( President Biden, in a roughly hour-long press conference, doubled down on his decision to stay in the race despite growing calls from leaders and supporters that he should step down from the ticket. [Read more.]( [Steward Health Care says it's under federal investigation]( Steward Health Care, the bankrupt company that operates seven Massachusetts hospitals, confirmed Thursday that it is under federal investigation for alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. [Read more.]( [Steward Health Care says it's under federal investigation]( Steward Health Care, the bankrupt company that operates seven Massachusetts hospitals, confirmed Thursday that it is under federal investigation for alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. [Read more.]( [Lawsuit filed in case of Worcester teen who died after eating spicy chip as part of chipmaker's challenge]( Harris Wolobah, a 10th grader from Worcester, died last September after eating the Paqui chip as part of the manufacturer’s “One Chip Challenge.” [Read more.]( [Lawsuit filed in case of Worcester teen who died after eating spicy chip as part of chipmaker's challenge]( Harris Wolobah, a 10th grader from Worcester, died last September after eating the Paqui chip as part of the manufacturer’s “One Chip Challenge.” [Read more.]( [It seems like Project 2025 is everywhere. But what is it?]( After calling Project 2025 "ridiculous," Trump continued to distance himself from the conservative roadmap for the next Republican president. Meanwhile, the Biden team wants to tie the plan to Trump. [Read more.]( [It seems like Project 2025 is everywhere. But what is it?]( After calling Project 2025 "ridiculous," Trump continued to distance himself from the conservative roadmap for the next Republican president. Meanwhile, the Biden team wants to tie the plan to Trump. [Read more.]( [Fallout after Boston police leader was demoted following his appointment to POST commission]( Backlash is mounting following the demotion of Boston deputy superintendent Eddy Chrispin over his appointing to the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, known as POST. Radio Boston checks in on the latest with the Boston Globe’s Adrian Walker and founding POST Commission member Larry Ellison. [Read more.]( [Fallout after Boston police leader was demoted following his appointment to POST commission]( Backlash is mounting following the demotion of Boston deputy superintendent Eddy Chrispin over his appointing to the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, known as POST. Radio Boston checks in on the latest with the Boston Globe’s Adrian Walker and founding POST Commission member Larry Ellison. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Atlantic hurricane season is well underway. And while Massachusetts residents rarely batten down the hatches like southern East Coasters do, experts say it’s a good idea to prepare this summer. [Check out this guide on what you can do]( from WBUR's Sydney Ko. - Case in point: The remnants of Hurricane Beryl [caused damaging flooding yesterday in some parts of Vermont]( — including the same areas that were hit by catastrophic flooding last summer.  - A man on a quest to solo row across the Atlantic Ocean found himself in an "amazing" but slightly scary situation when he was surrounded by scores of whales for hours. [Watch the video.](  - Andrea Skinner, the youngest daughter of late author Alice Munro, [shared an essay]( in the Toronto Star this week about being sexually abused by her stepfather. Janet Chwalibog [writes in this Cognoscenti commentary]( that Skinner deserves an award for crafting a life out of the horrors of sexual abuse and familial betrayal. What We're Reading 📚 - The Codfather’s 2nd act: ‘I’m the bank now’ ([The New Bedford Light]( - Fine dining, cigar lounges, and TD Garden suites: Here’s what happens when Beacon Hill’s most powerful pick up the tab ([The Boston Globe]( - After the fire, East Boston residents feel the gaps in city’s emergency response ([GBH News](  Food For Thought [The rise and fall of Cool Dogs, Ayo Edebiri's favorite hot dog-shaped ice cream treat]( Ayo Edebiri shouted out Cool Dogs on a talk show. But the quirky ice cream novelty, once served at Fenway Park, is now nowhere to be found. [Read more.]( [The rise and fall of Cool Dogs, Ayo Edebiri's favorite hot dog-shaped ice cream treat]( Ayo Edebiri shouted out Cool Dogs on a talk show. But the quirky ice cream novelty, once served at Fenway Park, is now nowhere to be found. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common learns [what it's like to start a cannabis delivery business](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [It's Rhode Island's version]( of the Orange Dinosaur. 😎 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.