What this election could mean for local EPA office

Also: Bluebikes expansion shifts into gear; auditing the shelter system Also: Bluebikes expansion shifts into gear; auditing the shelter system [❤️ Donate]( [View in Browser](  August 14, 2024 ☀️ Sunny, with a high near 84. Good Morning Boston, Our streak of [picture-perfect summer weather]( continues today (though you might notice [the return of a little wildfire smoke]( from Canada). To the news: - Let's get rolling: It's been nearly two years since Mayor Michelle Wu announced her vision of adding 100 new Bluebike stations in Boston — a 40% expansion of the city's system. Now, those plans are about to shift into high gear. The city announced this week that the first major round of new stations will be installed this fall. But unlike [some past expansions]( this phase won't focus on expanding to new communities; rather, the plan is to double down on the population-heavy and job-dense areas where Bluebikes are already in high demand. - Why? Over the course of the city's planning efforts, the primary concern officials heard was about the reliability of Bluebikes. "There are stations that just periodically are empty at peak travel times in the morning or full of bikes when people are trying to return them in the evening," Kim Foltz, the director of [Boston Bikes]( told WBUR's Sydney Ko. By adding more stations near those popular docks, they hope to reduce the number of people left out to dry by a lack of bikes (or docks). - Where? Beacon Hill, Chinatown, Downtown, the North End, South End and West End will all get additional Bluebikes stations this fall. The final locations are still TBD, and the city is asking for public input this month on the proposed sites. You can [view the map of over 40 proposed locations here](. (There's also a [virtual open house scheduled tonight]( from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.) - By the numbers: More than a third of the nearly 2 million Bluebikes trips that occurred in Boston last year started either downtown or in the South End, [according to city officials](. - What's next: The city plans to finish the 100-station expansion next summer. The final stage will focus on expanding the system's "outer reaches" in Boston's southwestern neighborhoods. The big-picture goal is to ensure every resident is within a 10-minute walk of a Bluebike station. (Currently, the city is at [89%]( - Scoop: Massachusetts Auditor Diana DiZoglio is auditing the agency that oversees the state's emergency family shelter system. [As WBUR's Simón Rios first reported]( the audit of the Department of Housing and Livable Communities is part of a broader inquiry looking at housing authorities. But DiZolgio told Simón the audit is partly motivated by concerns around the shelter system. (Her office made the audit public just hours after the Boston Globe published a [story]( yesterday — also featured [on its front-page]( — about the lack of transparency around shelter system spending.) - What's next: DiZoglio says her office is just starting the audit and expects to finish its report within a year. - Meanwhile: The Globe [reports]( the number of families staying at overflow shelters who have been given eviction notices has doubled — from 57 last week to 128 as of Tuesday. - ICYMI: Confused by the whirlwind of recent updates to the state's shelter system? In this week's [Mass. Politics]( newsletter, Simón broke down the last two years of changes [in this timeline.]( - Walz-ing through New England: Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz will be in Boston for a fundraiser today. The event details aren't public, but State House New Service reports it's at a Back Bay hotel, with tickets starting at $25,000. (Former Gov. Deval Patrick's ["ATM for politics" joke]( comes to mind.) - Boston Mayor Michelle Wu [told Radio Boston yesterday]( that she plans to attend the fundraiser. While she hasn't met Walz before, she said he seems like an "incredibly warm, dedicated leader." - Up next: Walz is also planning campaign stops Thursday in Newport, Rhode Island, and Southampton, New York. - Vineyard Wind has been [cleared to resume some construction]( on its offshore wind farm, a month after [a turbine broke and littered debris]( across local beaches. However, federal regulators still aren't letting the company resume blade installation or send power back to the grid. P.S.— The longtime Allston bar Silhouette Cocktail Lounge is [offering a $100 gift card reward]( to anyone who returns "Left Guy" to their iconic sign. "Right Guy" looks so lonely without him! Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters The Rundown [What a Trump or Harris presidency could mean for the EPA in New England]( The upcoming presidential election could have profound effects on America’s climate and environmental policies that will trickle down to New England. It all depends on who takes office. [Read more.]( [What a Trump or Harris presidency could mean for the EPA in New England]( The upcoming presidential election could have profound effects on America’s climate and environmental policies that will trickle down to New England. It all depends on who takes office. [Read more.]( ['Our patients need us': Employees, residents plead for Carney Hospital to be saved]( Hundreds of health care workers, patients and community members gathered Tuesday night to demand that state officials take action to save Carney Hospital, a fixture in Boston for over a century. It is slated for closure by the end of the month after its parent company, Steward Health Care, filed for bankruptcy. [Read more.]( ['Our patients need us': Employees, residents plead for Carney Hospital to be saved]( Hundreds of health care workers, patients and community members gathered Tuesday night to demand that state officials take action to save Carney Hospital, a fixture in Boston for over a century. It is slated for closure by the end of the month after its parent company, Steward Health Care, filed for bankruptcy. [Read more.]( [For new migrants, the search for shelter gets harder]( Families are reaching out to a string of nonprofits for help navigating the system, which is now imposing a 5-day limit on stays at "temporary respite centers." [Read more.]( [For new migrants, the search for shelter gets harder]( Families are reaching out to a string of nonprofits for help navigating the system, which is now imposing a 5-day limit on stays at "temporary respite centers." [Read more.]( [The oceans are weirdly hot. Scientists are trying to figure out why]( Scientists knew that climate change would cause the oceans to heat up a lot. But current ocean temperatures are even higher than expected. [Read more.]( [The oceans are weirdly hot. Scientists are trying to figure out why]( Scientists knew that climate change would cause the oceans to heat up a lot. But current ocean temperatures are even higher than expected. [Read more.]( [As a new semester looms, students and colleges brace for more protests]( The Israel-Hamas war has prompted some of the most volatile campus protests in decades. This summer, student organizers are rethinking strategies, as are counter-protesters and college administrators. [Read more.]( [As a new semester looms, students and colleges brace for more protests]( The Israel-Hamas war has prompted some of the most volatile campus protests in decades. This summer, student organizers are rethinking strategies, as are counter-protesters and college administrators. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - The rooftop solar industry has become [an increasing source of complaints]( about high-pressure sales tactics, misleading financing arrangements, and even fraud and forgery. [Here are four things to know]( if you're thinking about getting new panels. - During yesterday's appearance on Radio Boston, Wu [said the city's plan to replace Franklin Park's White Stadium will "change the game."]( However, she's [less of a fan]( of the proposal to allow a new soccer stadium to be built across the river in Everett. Listen to Tiziana Dearing's full interview with the mayor [here](. - Did you know earthquakes of the same magnitude [can feel very different?]( It depends on more than how close you are to the epicenter. - Steve Almond [writes in this commentary]( that Donald Trump has yet to find an effective line of attack against Kamala Harris — but once he does, he's likely to find a willing accomplice in the corporate media. What We're Reading 📚 - Let Them Eat Invoices ([The American Prospect]( - After hiring new staff, Globe changes its mind on podcast ([CommonWealth Beacon]( - The Last Day of WBCN Boston, As Told By One of the Last DJs ([Boston's Rock 92.9](  Tell Me Something Good [Here’s how you can keep finding new sports to love between now and the next Olympics]( One of the joys of watching the Olympics is getting sucked into sports you’ve barely heard of. If you still need that feeling in your life, these sports are out beyond the Olympic fringe. [Read more.]( [Here’s how you can keep finding new sports to love between now and the next Olympics]( One of the joys of watching the Olympics is getting sucked into sports you’ve barely heard of. If you still need that feeling in your life, these sports are out beyond the Olympic fringe. [Read more.]( Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [This debate over what makes a packie a packie]( led me down a rabbit hole to [the real story behind the term package store](. 😎 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](. Trustees of Boston University on behalf of WBUR, 890 Commonwealth Ave Boston, MA, 02215, US Copyright 2024 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.