🍟 Mass-ive takeout spending

Also: What the Obamas said at the DNC; Marathon bombing case returns to court [❤️ Donate]( [View in Browser](   August 21, 2024  ⛅ A little cloudy, with a high of 72 and scattered afternoon showers. Good Morning Boston, Before you fangirl too hard about Gov. Maura Healey [hanging out on stage with "Veep" star Julia Louis-Dreyfus]( (and seven other Democratic women governors) at the DNC today, let's get to the news: - Massachusetts residents are spending A LOT on takeout. How much? Roughly $4,800 per year, according to a new study by owner.com, which analyzed food and beverage consumption data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. (Put another way, that's about $400 a month.) The state ranks fifth-highest nationally in spending on to-go food and beverages, WBUR's Zeninjor Enwemeka reports. - Zoom in: According to the study, Bay Staters have the highest average annual disposable income of any state: approximately $74,000. And over 6% of that is spent on takeout. - Zoom out: The study found our New England neighbors are spending even more than us on takeout. Nationally, New Hampshire ranked second, Maine third and Vermont fourth. Residents in those states averaged $5,000 - or more - on takeout each year. - Who tops the list? The study said the No. 1 spot goes to Hawaii, where residents spend an average of $5,300 a year on takeout. - On the docket: A federal hearing is scheduled in Boston today to determine the next step in the Boston Marathon bomber case. U.S. District Judge George A. O'Toole Jr. - who presided over the 2015 trial that led to Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's conviction - will meet with lawyers from both sides for the first time since an appeals court [ruled in March he did not sufficiently investigate claims]( of juror bias. - What to expect: Today's hearing is simply a status conference, meaning O'Toole will discuss issues like scheduling, [according to The Boston Globe](. Tsarnaev, who remains on death row at a federal prison in Colorado, is not expected to be present. - The stakes: If O'Toole ultimately rules the two allegedly biased jurors should have been removed, Tsarnaev could get a new trial. - Something in the water: The town of Wayland is getting temporary emergency access to water from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, after the Boston suburb found E. coli in one of its primary wells. Regulators approved the move yesterday. - What's next: The emergency access runs through late January. However, Wayland is also seeking permanent access to the MWRA system. Tom Holder, the town's director of the Department of Public Works, told WBUR's John Bender the move was prompted by [tighter PFAS regulations]( drinking water, which took effect in December. Holder says they hope to rely on the MWRA for daily water service within the next five years. - Porter Square Books has a big anniversary - and a big move - later this year. Right in time for their 20th anniversary, PSB [announced on Instagram]( yesterday it's moving the flagship store to Lesley University Hall (the former Sears Building) in October. - What's not changing: The bookstore will remain independent, even though it'll be located in the university building. - What is changing: The new location will have a bigger footprint. Page and Leaf Cafe will also be the shop's new food partner. - Slow down! Data from the RMV suggests Massachusetts drivers are getting more violations this year - nearly 697,000 violations between January and July. That's about 9,000 more a month than last year. - The most common offenses? Speeding, failure to stop and inspection sticker issues. [Dive deeper into the ticket data here](. - Meanwhile, Cambridge [will be doubling its fine to $100]( for people who park illegally during street cleaning starting Sept. 1. The city will [continue to not tow]( illegally parked cars, but said the current $50 fee isn't deterring people enough. P.S.- Last night's DNC roll call featured a musical salute to each of the 50 states (and I bet you can guess which Boston-bred band repped Massachusetts). [Here's a look at the songs each state's delegation picked.]( Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters Meagan McGinnes Assistant Managing Editor, Newsletters The Rundown [With humor and hope, Obamas warn against Trump, urge Democrats to 'do something']( The former president and first lady headlined the second night of the Democratic National Convention, delivering a message of excitement at the possibility of electing the first woman in U.S. history. [Read more.]( [With humor and hope, Obamas warn against Trump, urge Democrats to 'do something']( The former president and first lady headlined the second night of the Democratic National Convention, delivering a message of excitement at the possibility of electing the first woman in U.S. history. [Read more.]( [Holtec argues state has no authority to ban radioactive water discharge into Cape Cod Bay]( The company that owns the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station has filed an appeal seeking to discharge radioactive water into Cape Cod Bay after the state denied a permit last month. Holtec International wants to release nearly 1 million gallons of water from the nuclear reactor system at Pilgrim as part of the plant decommissioning. [Read more.]( [Holtec argues state has no authority to ban radioactive water discharge into Cape Cod Bay]( The company that owns the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station has filed an appeal seeking to discharge radioactive water into Cape Cod Bay after the state denied a permit last month. Holtec International wants to release nearly 1 million gallons of water from the nuclear reactor system at Pilgrim as part of the plant decommissioning. [Read more.]( [Over 1,600 gallons of PFAS firefighting foam spills into environment in Maine]( The firefighting foam containing PFAS was accidentally discharged in a hanger at what's now the Brunswick Executive Airport before entering the sewer and storm water systems. [Read more.]( [Over 1,600 gallons of PFAS firefighting foam spills into environment in Maine]( The firefighting foam containing PFAS was accidentally discharged in a hanger at what's now the Brunswick Executive Airport before entering the sewer and storm water systems. [Read more.]( [Who are Mike Lynch and the other people missing after a yacht sank in Sicily?]( Lynch, a tech entrepreneur, had recently been acquitted on federal fraud charges in the U.S. The yacht he was on, the Bayesian, sank two days after Lynch's co-defendant was killed by a car. [Read more.]( [Who are Mike Lynch and the other people missing after a yacht sank in Sicily?]( Lynch, a tech entrepreneur, had recently been acquitted on federal fraud charges in the U.S. The yacht he was on, the Bayesian, sank two days after Lynch's co-defendant was killed by a car. [Read more.]( [Army and police missed chances to intervene before Maine mass shootings, final report says]( A special commission has concluded that the Army Reserves and local police missed out on opportunities to intervene and potentially stop the deadliest shootings in Maine history. The independent commission released its final report Tuesday on the shootings by an Army reservist who killed 18 people at a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston on Oct. 25, 2023. [Read more.]( [Army and police missed chances to intervene before Maine mass shootings, final report says]( A special commission has concluded that the Army Reserves and local police missed out on opportunities to intervene and potentially stop the deadliest shootings in Maine history. The independent commission released its final report Tuesday on the shootings by an Army reservist who killed 18 people at a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston on Oct. 25, 2023. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - This year's Somergloom is the festival's biggest yet, with 17 bands and artists from around Boston taking the stage at the Center for Arts at the Armory this Thursday through Saturday. Expect post-metal, dark folk, screamo and punk music - [all with a healthy dose of gloom.]( - The Connecticut Sun [beat the Los Angeles Sparks last night in the first WNBA game ever played at Boston's TD Garden](. It was played in front of a sold-out crowd of 19,125 (a record for the Sun) and featured [the daughter of one well-known local sportscaster](. - The Apple TV+ adaptation of Bonnie Garmus' book, "Lessons in Chemistry," has garnered 10 Emmy nominations. Here & Now's Scott Tong sat down with Garmus to discuss the book, television series and the author's later-in-life success. [You can listen to the interview here.]( - The southeastern U.S. is currently dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Debby - and some of the strange things the storm managed to wash ashore. [Here's one of the more shocking finds.]( What We're Reading 📚 - Boston's Rock 92.9 is being replaced by Bloomberg Radio, moving to HD2 ([Boston Herald]( - Mark Zuckerberg's wife statue joins bad art of the rich and famous ([Washington Post]( - Is dog-friendly dining a good idea? The Globe's food critic brought her dog to Boston restaurants to find out. ([The Boston Globe](   Food For Thought [To-may-to, To-mah-to. Mass Tomato growers convene in Boston for 39th annual contest]( Heirlooms, cherries and giant tomatoes - farmers show off their harvest in the waning summer days of a favorite local crop. [Read more.]( [To-may-to, To-mah-to. Mass Tomato growers convene in Boston for 39th annual contest]( Heirlooms, cherries and giant tomatoes - farmers show off their harvest in the waning summer days of a favorite local crop. [Read more.]( Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [Now that's what I call commitment.]( 😎 Forward to a friend. 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