Home rule hang-up

Also: Partial Green Line closure begins; Vineyard Wind fallout [❤️ Donate]( [View in Browser](   August 2, 2024  🌤️ Hot and humid, with a high near 92 and possible thunderstorms this afternoon. Good Morning Boston, TGIF. The heat today may make you want to [take after the governor and dump a bucket of ice water on your head]( challenge or not. But first, let's get to the news: - So much for home rule: There were [many legislative casualties]( during Wednesday night's marathon final day of formal sessions on Beacon Hill. Among them, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's [effort]( to temporarily shift more of the city's property tax burden onto local businesses. Despite [agreeing to some tweaks]( in exchange for approval in the House, the city's home rule petition never made it through the Senate. - Catch up: Wu has argued the change is needed to prevent Boston homeowners from big increases on their tax bills - [potentially to the tune of 33%](. That's because [property values]( for many office buildings have declined due to increased remote work (and state limits on the difference between commercial and residential property taxes). - Now what? Wu is holding out hope the Senate might still pass the measure during informal sessions. "This matter doesn't become settled state law until next year's tax bills have been mailed out to residents and mortgage servicers," Wu told WBUR's Simón Rios in a statement. "In the meantime," she said the city plans to "communicate with residents about how their taxes may be significantly increasing under state law Prop 2 ½ without legislative relief," so folks can start budgeting for a hike now. - The big picture: Greg Maynard, the executive director of the Boston Policy Institute, says there are a lot of questions about Boston's "post-office space future" without new office towers and increases in commercial property values to drive its budget growth: "This is the of first many extremely difficult decisions that are being made by the elected leaders of the city." - Meanwhile: Boston had two other home rule petitions that also failed to get across the State House finish line yesterday: [one to increase the number of liquor licenses in the city]( and [another to restructure the Boston Planning and Development Agency](. - In related news: The head of Boston's [new planning department]( is ([excuse me]( planning to leave. Chief of Planning Arthur Jemison told city workers yesterday he will step down on Sept. 13, citing the need to be closer to his wife and kids, who are living in Michigan. - Heads up, Allston-Brighton: The MBTA is suspending Green Line service on the B branch between Boston College and Babcock Street, starting today through Aug. 11. The 10-day closure - scheduled before BC and BU students return from summer break - is so crews can work on lifting [the numerous speed restrictions]( that remain on the branch. Free shuttles will stop at [all but three of the closed stations](. - Reminder: Boston is partnering with Bluebikes to offer locals up to five free rides during MBTA closures, [including this one](. Just use the code MBTAGREENAUGUST in the Bluebikes app. - The T is also [closing a big chunk of the Orange Line]( - between Wellington and Back Bay - this weekend. Shuttles will replace service between Wellington and North Station, and riders are encouraged to take the Green Line for service downtown. (Fare gates will be open at North Station and Copley's inbound side.) - Beach bummer: Pieces of the broken turbine that fell off Vineyard Wind's offshore wind farm are now washing up on Martha's Vineyard. Edgartown officials [advise]( people not to swim at Norton Point Beach and South Beach as a precaution, after pieces of ([nontoxic]( foam debris were found on the two beaches. - What's next: A Vineyard Wind spokesman [told the Martha's Vineyard Times]( that more turbine debris could head toward the island, due to shifting wind patterns. - Go deeper: WBUR's Miriam Wasser [has more on the fallout from the broken blade and the dueling narratives trying to take hold](. - Pour one out for... Distraction Brewing. The Roslindale Square brewery, which opened in 2019, plans to close for good at the end of this month. [In a social media post yesterday]( the brewery's owners said the demands of the business have been "significant" and they want to spend more time with their children. Their last day is Aug. 31. - What's next for the space: A new brewery and coffee spot called "13 Volt Brewing and Roasting" plans to open in 2025. P.S.- What legendary Boston music club is coming back to life? Take our [Boston News Quiz]( see if you know the answer! Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters The Rundown [Gov. Healey says Steward Health Care must give 120-day notice before closing hospitals]( Gov. Maura Healey says she is pressing Steward Health Care to adhere to a state Department of Public Health regulation that hospital owners must give 120 days notice before any medical facility can close in Massachusetts. Healey made the comment Thursday, a day after a bankruptcy judge allowed Steward's decision to close two Massachusetts hospitals. [Read more.]( [Gov. Healey says Steward Health Care must give 120-day notice before closing hospitals]( Gov. Maura Healey says she is pressing Steward Health Care to adhere to a state Department of Public Health regulation that hospital owners must give 120 days notice before any medical facility can close in Massachusetts. Healey made the comment Thursday, a day after a bankruptcy judge allowed Steward's decision to close two Massachusetts hospitals. [Read more.]( [Who's who in the prisoner swap that has freed Evan Gershkovich from Russian prison]( The Wall Street Journal reporter is among four Americans who will be returning home as part of a massive prisoner swap announced Thursday that involves six nations and two dozen people. [Read more.]( [Who's who in the prisoner swap that has freed Evan Gershkovich from Russian prison]( The Wall Street Journal reporter is among four Americans who will be returning home as part of a massive prisoner swap announced Thursday that involves six nations and two dozen people. [Read more.]( [Tired of spammy political donation texts? You're not alone]( Political groups - and some scammers - are sending out an estimated 100 million texts per week. [Read more.]( [Tired of spammy political donation texts? You're not alone]( Political groups - and some scammers - are sending out an estimated 100 million texts per week. [Read more.]( [Climate activists 'furious' at Beacon Hill's climate bill failure]( A small crowd of climate activists marched through the State House Thursday morning, chanting about lawmakers' failure to strike a deal on a clean energy bill deemed urgent and essential by same the very lawmakers who could not agree on a mutually acceptable version. [Read more.]( [Climate activists 'furious' at Beacon Hill's climate bill failure]( A small crowd of climate activists marched through the State House Thursday morning, chanting about lawmakers' failure to strike a deal on a clean energy bill deemed urgent and essential by same the very lawmakers who could not agree on a mutually acceptable version. [Read more.]( [Inmate sentenced in prison killing of Boston gangster James 'Whitey' Bulger]( An inmate has been sentenced to more than four years in connection with the 2018 prison killing of notorious Boston gangster James "Whitey" Bulger. Paul J. DeCologero was sentenced Thursday. [Read more.]( [Inmate sentenced in prison killing of Boston gangster James 'Whitey' Bulger]( An inmate has been sentenced to more than four years in connection with the 2018 prison killing of notorious Boston gangster James "Whitey" Bulger. Paul J. DeCologero was sentenced Thursday. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Our Cognoscenti team asked readers, contributors and WBUR colleagues to tell us about their favorite Olympic memories from years past and what they're most looking forward to this year. [Here are their answers]( from Mary Lou Retton to beach volleyball. - Speaking of beach volleyball, how did the sport become the hottest ticket in Paris? It starts with [that iconic backdrop](. - Audiences at Tanglewood will have the chance to commune with lost aliens, dinosaurs and Darth Vader, [as the Boston Pops Orchestra performs John Williams' iconic music]( tonight and tomorrow. - "The Instigators," a star-studded heist comedy, has all the making for an iconic Boston movie. It's set in Boston, for one. It features Matt Damon, Casey Affleck and even Bova's Bakery in the North End. So, why does it fall so flat? "Sometimes a movie can have all the right components and none of them wind up working together," film critic Sean Burns writes. He explains [what went wrong in this review](. - Billed as the largest Portuguese fest in the world, New Bedford's Feast of the Blessed Sacrament is underway this weekend. For the first time (and after threat of a lawsuit), [women have a formal role.]( What We're Reading 📚 - In Boston's redlined neighborhoods, the summer's heat waves are even hotter ([The Boston Globe]( - While 'Pod Save America' Tries to Unite Democrats, Its Staff Rebels ([Bloomberg]( - Finger-pointing galore as climate legislation stalls ([CommonWealth Beacon](   Tell Me Something Good [Golden again: Simone Biles wins gymnastics Olympic individual all-around title]( Biles, who won gold earlier this week as part of the team all-around final, now has six Olympic gold medals (plus a silver and two bronze). Those nine Olympic medals are the most by any U.S. gymnast. [Read more.]( [Golden again: Simone Biles wins gymnastics Olympic individual all-around title]( Biles, who won gold earlier this week as part of the team all-around final, now has six Olympic gold medals (plus a silver and two bronze). Those nine Olympic medals are the most by any U.S. gymnast. [Read more.]( Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [Field of dreams seeds.]( 😎 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.](   [Donate](   # # 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](. 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