New vision for a Brutalist Boston landmark

Also: Can't-miss acts at the Newport (and Lowell) folk fests; 4 takeaways from President Biden's address [❤️ Donate]( [View in Browser](   July 25, 2024  ☁️ Cloudy and humid, with a high near 85 Good Morning Boston, The humidity is back, but [fortunately not for long](. Now, to the news: - Back to the drawing board: Gov. Maura Healey is relaunching plans to redevelop a giant Brutalist landmark ([some say eyesore]( in downtown Boston. No, we're not talking about City Hall. State officials announced new plans for the hulking state office complex known as the Charles F. Hurley and Erich Lindemann buildings. (It's hard to miss if you've ever driven down Staniford Street.) - Flashback: It's the state's second try at redeveloping the so-called "superblock." Former Gov. Charlie Baker [made moves in 2019]( to convert just the Hurley building (not the Lindemann) into a mixed-use development, with a focus on lab space. - What's new? Healey's plan includes the adjacent Lindemann building, and nixes the lab space (something the state [now has more than enough of](. Instead, it will focus on "urgently needed" housing. [According to The Boston Globe]( officials hope to build another building, possibly a residential tower, on the site. - What about the complex's current inhabitants? While the Hurley building is basically empty, the Lindemann still houses a mental health center. The plan is for the new redevelopment to include "upgraded, modern space" for mental health patients. - Don't worry, Brutalism fans. Healey's administration says any project also needs to "prioritize historic preservation," likely sparing the building the same fate as [other concrete behemoths](. - New rules for nurses: Clean syringes and smoking pipes. Narcan. Fentanyl test strips. Massachusetts nurses in any setting can now use a range of harm reduction strategies without fear of violating the rules of their license. WBUR's Martha Bebinger reports the state board that regulates nurses recently issued guidance to clarify that giving clean supplies to people who use drugs is allowed. - Why? Nurses routinely help patients manage many chronic diseases, but also (less commonly) addiction. Colleen LaBelle, a nurse at Boston Medical Center who pushed for the new rules, says connecting with patients who are actively using drugs can create a path toward treatment, while helping to curb the spread of diseases like HIV and hepatitis C through used needles. "We have to try to meet the person where they are and help them keep themselves safe and decrease the harms," LaBelle told Martha. - Heads up: Thousands of nurses with Brigham and Women's Hospital could soon go on strike. Nurses at the the Boston hospital voted overwhelmingly last night to allow a potential one-day strike, amid nearly a year of contract negotiations with Mass General Brigham executives. Meanwhile, nurses at Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital (who are represented by the same statewide union) are set to vote today to follow suit and authorize a strike. - The votes don't mean the strikes are certain. But if approved, they could impact about 4,500 nurses total. (The union would have to give hospital leaders a 10-day heads up before any work stoppage.) - The latest: A "manufacturing error" is to blame for the Vineyard Wind turbine blade that broke and littered debris into the ocean, according the company that built the blade. GE Vernova says they believe the root cause of the problem was ["insufficient bonding."]( - In related news: [An initial environmental assessment of the broken blade]( found the material washing up on Nantucket beaches - [and now, Cape Cod]( - is non-toxic and non-hazardous, but could pose an injury risk for beachgoers. - Three more years: It looks like Red Sox manager Alex Cora is sticking around. Cora [inked a three-year contract extension]( the Sox yesterday, as the young team continues to [beat expectations this season](. - RIP: Funeral arrangements have been set for [the late Boston philanthropist and powerbroker Jack Connors](. A wake will be held on Monday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Saint Ignatius Church in Chestnut Hill, followed by [a live-streamed funeral]( at 10 a.m. on Tuesday. - ICYMI: Former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh [remembered Connors on WBUR's Morning Edition]( "He would help anybody." P.S.- We've made some technical updates to the system that powers this newsletter! You shouldn't notice any changes, except one: We have a new email address: newsletters@email.wbur.org. So, be sure to add it to your contacts - or for Gmail users, move us into your primary folder - so you never miss a newsletter. Reply to this email if you have any questions; we'd love to help. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters The Rundown [4 takeaways from President Biden's Oval Office address]( In his first public remarks after exiting the race for president, Biden focused on his goals for his final months in office and painted a picture of the legacy he hopes to leave behind. [Read more.]( [4 takeaways from President Biden's Oval Office address]( In his first public remarks after exiting the race for president, Biden focused on his goals for his final months in office and painted a picture of the legacy he hopes to leave behind. [Read more.]( [Boston City Council looks to protect workers during extreme heat]( After Boston's recent heat emergency and record-breaking highs this summer, the city council is examining ways to protect workers from extreme heat. Boston currently has no protections for employees who must work in excessive heat. Experts and advocates say this leaves them vulnerable to dangerous conditions. [Read more.]( [Boston City Council looks to protect workers during extreme heat]( After Boston's recent heat emergency and record-breaking highs this summer, the city council is examining ways to protect workers from extreme heat. Boston currently has no protections for employees who must work in excessive heat. Experts and advocates say this leaves them vulnerable to dangerous conditions. [Read more.]( [Black child suffers 'egregious' racial bullying at Brookline middle school, civil rights complaint asserts]( The eighth-grader was subjected to racism and bullying, including an "egregious re-enactment of George Floyd's murder," at the Amos A. Lawrence School in Brookline, according to a civil rights complaint. [Read more.]( [Black child suffers 'egregious' racial bullying at Brookline middle school, civil rights complaint asserts]( The eighth-grader was subjected to racism and bullying, including an "egregious re-enactment of George Floyd's murder," at the Amos A. Lawrence School in Brookline, according to a civil rights complaint. [Read more.]( [As Harris racks up delegates, some Democrats wish nomination process was more competitive]( Some party veterans say they wanted a series of mini-forums to hear from Harris and other top Democrats. Harris already has the backing of enough delegates to win the party's presidential nomination. [Read more.]( [As Harris racks up delegates, some Democrats wish nomination process was more competitive]( Some party veterans say they wanted a series of mini-forums to hear from Harris and other top Democrats. Harris already has the backing of enough delegates to win the party's presidential nomination. [Read more.]( ['Qualified bids' sent in for all Mass. Steward hospitals, Healey says]( All of Steward Health Care's seven Massachusetts hospitals received bids as the for-profit company looks to sell off its facility during bankruptcy proceedings, Gov. Maura Healey told reporters this week. [Read more.]( ['Qualified bids' sent in for all Mass. Steward hospitals, Healey says]( All of Steward Health Care's seven Massachusetts hospitals received bids as the for-profit company looks to sell off its facility during bankruptcy proceedings, Gov. Maura Healey told reporters this week. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - The Newport Folk Festival isn't the only game in town. This weekend also features the (free) Lowell Folk Festival, Cambridge's Jazz Festival and a Star Wars concert on the Cape. [Read more about five things to do this weekend here](. - Festival-goers: Here are [five acts to catch if you grabbed a ticket to Newport]( and [six acts to see if you're headed to Lowell](. - While the opening ceremony isn't until tomorrow, the 2024 Olympics are already underway. Here are [eight storylines to watch]( in Paris ([and Tahiti]( plus [a guide to watching all the events]( now through Aug. 11. - In related news: Salt Lake City was [chosen yesterday to host the 2034 Winter Olympics]( despite [international controversy]( over U.S. inquiries into a Chinese sports doping scandal. - Christopher Kenneally [writes in this commentary]( that the privileges of living in Paris include the privilege to complain about Paris. And now comes something new to complain about: the Olympics. What We're Reading 📚 - What Helps Poor Kids Move Up? Whether Adults in the Neighborhood Have Jobs ([The Wall Street Journal]( - At least 20,000 people wait to learn English in Massachusetts ([GBH News]( - If Boston had hosted the 2024 Olympics, these were the proposed venues. What has happened there since? ([The Boston Globe](   Tell Me Something Good [The late 'Jeopardy!' host Alex Trebek has been honored with a U.S. postage stamp]( The stamp says: "This naturalized U.S. citizen hosted the quiz show 'Jeopardy!' for 37 seasons." Underneath and in the show's signature interrogative format is written: "Who is Alex Trebek?" [Read more.]( [The late 'Jeopardy!' host Alex Trebek has been honored with a U.S. postage stamp]( The stamp says: "This naturalized U.S. citizen hosted the quiz show 'Jeopardy!' for 37 seasons." Underneath and in the show's signature interrogative format is written: "Who is Alex Trebek?" [Read more.]( Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: I don't think you're supposed to be [up there](. 😎 Forward to a friend. 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