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Also: The new overdose threat in Mass.; New Hampshire's Taylor Swift doppelgänger [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  July 17, 2024 ☀️ Mostly sunny, with a high near 93 and a chance of thunderstorms in the evening. Good Morning Boston, Jarren Duran's [big All-Star Game performance last night]( has me wondering if I should take up [coloring books]( too. The Red Sox are off until Friday, but (for better or worse) there's no break from the news: - Your new arrival time: Massachusetts officials are a few years away from starting work on the first new Cape Cod bridge. Gov. Maura Healey told reporters yesterday the state is aiming to break ground on the new Sagamore Bridge "by 2027, if not sooner." Her comments came during a press conference celebrating [the $1 billion federal grant]( the project won last week. Previously, the state had eyed 2028 to start construction on the new Sagamore Bridge. But with the new grant, Healey's office feels "confident" about a 2027 groundbreaking. - By the numbers: Officials say they now have more than enough money for the first bridge. In total, the federal government has now committed $1.7 billion to the project and the state is pitching in another $700 million. The milestone comes after the Healey administration [changed its strategy]( last year and began applying only for funding to replace the Sagamore (rather than packaging the Sagamore and Bourne replacement projects together.) The cost of replacing both bridges is estimated to be $4.5 billion. - How long will it take? Construction will likely last eight to 10 years, according to state Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver. That puts the completion date in the mid-to-late 2030s. - What about the Bourne Bridge? Don't worry, they still plan to replace that one, too. Having secured funding for the Sagamore, Healey says the focus shifts to getting grants to the aging span to the west: "Tomorrow we get after the Bourne Bridge." - Go deeper: Sen. Ed Markey says the new grant is the ["largest single bridge grant to a single state"]( in the history of the U.S. - On Beacon Hill: The Massachusetts House is planning to vote today on its answer to [the renewable energy bill the Senate passed]( last month. [As State House News Service reports,]( the bill is similarly focused on streamlining how Massachusetts decides where to build clean energy infrastructure. Still, there are some crucial differences: - What the House added: In addition to siting reforms, the bill calls for another big round of clean energy procurement — to the tune of nearly 9.5 million megawatt-hours of energy. - What they left out: The House bill doesn't include the Senate's proposal to ban [competitive electric suppliers]( from enrolling new residential customers. It also does not include several electric vehicle-related programs proposed by the Senate, like extending funding for the state’s EV rebates through 2027 and making it easier for condo owners to install at-home chargers. - Now what? If the House bill passes (as expected), the two chambers will have exactly two weeks to iron out their differences before the formal legislative session ends on July 31. - Tonight's agenda: A recent Harvard graduate who sued the university over its handling of antisemitism on campus will speak at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee tonight. Shabbos Kestenbaum [tells The Boston Globe]( that his speech will focus on what he calls "the plight of Jewish students on college campuses." While he didn't say if he supports Donald Trump's candidacy, Kestenbaum said he does support some of Trump's policies, like taxing university endowments and expelling foreign students who violate laws. - Catch up: Women [took centerstage at the RNC last night]( describing Trump as a family man and a unifier — despite his divisive persona. NPR has [the latest updates here](. - Wind turbulence: Vineyard Wind has [temporarily shut down all operations]( until further notice after one of the offshore wind farm's turbine blades broke. The incident led to debris washing up on Nantucket and [the closure of the island's south-facing beaches for swimming](. The fed-ordered shutdown includes all 10 of Vineyard Wind's operating turbines as well as construction on new ones. - It’s still unclear what exactly happened. Vineyard Wind said only that a turbine blade experienced some damage Saturday night. [A photo taken by the Nantucket Current]( shows the blade seemingly snapped near the base but is still hanging on, dangling high above the water. (Each blade is about the length of a football field.) P.S.— It's National Hot Dog Day, which is a good excuse to plug two of WBUR's recent 'dog-related stories. First, [read this investigation into why split-top buns reign supreme only in New England](. Second, cool down with [this retrospective on the rise and fall of the local hot dog-shaped dessert known as the Cool Dog](. And [follow WBUR on TikTok]( to see us taste-test a decade-old Cool Dog coming soon. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters  The Rundown [Nitazenes, opioids often more potent than fentanyl, emerge as new overdose threat in Mass.]( The state says versions of nitazenes up to 25 times stronger than fentanyl have been detected in Massachusetts, raising the overdose risks for people who use drugs. Naloxone or Narcan can reverse an overdose from this class of opioids, but several doses may be required. [Read more.]( [Nitazenes, opioids often more potent than fentanyl, emerge as new overdose threat in Mass.]( The state says versions of nitazenes up to 25 times stronger than fentanyl have been detected in Massachusetts, raising the overdose risks for people who use drugs. Naloxone or Narcan can reverse an overdose from this class of opioids, but several doses may be required. [Read more.]( [Wu defends property tax plan on Beacon Hill]( Boston Mayor Michelle Wu was on Beacon Hill Tuesday asking legislators to sign off on a plan to increase the property tax share paid by city businesses. [Read more.]( [Wu defends property tax plan on Beacon Hill]( Boston Mayor Michelle Wu was on Beacon Hill Tuesday asking legislators to sign off on a plan to increase the property tax share paid by city businesses. [Read more.]( [Home sellers in NH must include PFAS notification starting in 2025, per new law]( People selling homes in New Hampshire will be required to notify buyers of the possibility of water contamination from PFAS chemicals, under a new law signed this month by Gov. Chris Sununu. [Read more.]( [Home sellers in NH must include PFAS notification starting in 2025, per new law]( People selling homes in New Hampshire will be required to notify buyers of the possibility of water contamination from PFAS chemicals, under a new law signed this month by Gov. Chris Sununu. [Read more.]( [Leaked video shows Trump criticizing vaccines on phone with RFK Jr.]( A leaked video of a phone call between independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Donald Trump shows the former president expressing doubt about vaccines. [Read more.]( [Leaked video shows Trump criticizing vaccines on phone with RFK Jr.]( A leaked video of a phone call between independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Donald Trump shows the former president expressing doubt about vaccines. [Read more.]( [Sen. Bob Menendez found guilty on all counts in bribery trial]( A New York City jury convicted the New Jersey senator of accepting bribes to benefit businessmen in his home state and the governments of Egypt and Qatar. [Read more.]( [Sen. Bob Menendez found guilty on all counts in bribery trial]( A New York City jury convicted the New Jersey senator of accepting bribes to benefit businessmen in his home state and the governments of Egypt and Qatar. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Commonwealth Shakespeare Company is back on Boston Common with one of the Bard's lesser-known works, “The Winter’s Tale." The free play — running every night through Aug. 4 — shifts seasons and tone, leaving audiences with a story about renewal and redemption. Read WBUR arts writer Shira Laucharoen's [full preview here](. - Amazon's Prime Day continues today, but not all deals are good deals. [Here are five essentials to know]( before you hit "Add to Cart." - It's the Eras Tour — New Hampshire’s version. Taylor Swift fans are flocking to Canobie Lake Park in Salem for the amusement park's mini-tribute show starring a Swift impersonator [whose resemblance to the pop star has gone viral on social media](. - In [this commentary for our Cognoscenti section]( Tufts political scientist Jeffrey M. Berry writes that the questions about President Biden's lack of candor regarding his health obscures a larger issue: Presidents routinely protect their medical history. What We're Reading 📚 - We need to change the way we think about outdoor temperatures ([Washington Post]( - Boston police use of ‘undercover’ Snapchat accounts at issue in SJC case ([The Boston Globe]( - Glowing swings at the Lawn on D removed after nearly ten years ([Boston.com](  Tell Me Something Good [‘Plant a Row’ helps N.H. gardeners address food insecurity]( A University of New Hampshire extension program is working with gardeners to deliver excess produce to local food pantries. [Read more.]( [‘Plant a Row’ helps N.H. gardeners address food insecurity]( A University of New Hampshire extension program is working with gardeners to deliver excess produce to local food pantries. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common shares [the first episode of a three-part podcast project by WBUR’s Barbara Moran and Scientific American]( that looks into water pollution on Cape Cod, what’s causing it and how the Cape community is scrambling to fix it. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [Our two cathedrals.]( 😎 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.]({{ update_preferences }})  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here]({{ unsubscribe_link }}).  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2023 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved. This email was sent to {EMAIL} [why did I get this?]( [unsubscribe from this list]( [update subscription preferences]( WBUR-FM · 890 Commonwealth Ave · Boston, MA 02215-1205 · USA