Mass. cannabis chair fired

Also: What's next for Wu's BPS Sundays program; photos from the Mud Bowl [❤️ Donate]( [View in Browser](   September 10, 2024  ☀️ Sunny, with a high near 74. Good Morning Boston, The first (and only) scheduled presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump is tonight. [This link has everything you need to know]( about what to expect, the rules for the debate and how to watch it. But first, let's get to the latest local news: - Fall freebies: Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is extending - and maybe expanding - the city's free Sunday museum program for Boston Public Schools students. "[BPS Sundays]( has granted free Sunday admission to a half-dozen local institutions for the city's public school students (and up to three guests) since February. Originally, it was set to end last month. But this weekend, Wu announced the program will continue through the end of the year and "we hope ... even beyond that." Wu also hinted at other changes to come. - More locations? Currently, the program includes the Boston Children's Museum, the Institute of Contemporary Art, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Science, the New England Aquarium and the Franklin Park Zoo. Wu told reporters Sunday at the zoo that they're in talks about adding more institutions. "There's been a lot of excitement also from performing arts organizations," she said, noting that it "works a little differently when you only have a certain number of concert tickets." - More students? BPS Sundays has, [somewhat controversially]( not included Boston children enrolled in private or charter schools, those who are home-schooled or students in the METCO program. That won't change for now - leading to [criticism from a few city councilors](. However, Wu sounded hopeful about including new categories of students. She said the city is still studying and discussing the financial costs of such an expansion with the institutions in the program. "We feel very good about the potential for an expansion in the next phases," she said. - By the numbers: So far, BPS Sundays has seen more than 36,000 BPS students and families participate. That includes 10,000 who have visited the Franklin Park Zoo, officials said Sunday. A spokesperson for the Boston Children's Museum told WBUR's Cici Yongshi Yu they'd had over 5,000 visitors from the program. - Weeded out: Massachusetts' top cannabis official is out of a job. After a [nearly yearlong legal battle]( Treasurer Deborah Goldberg [fired Cannabis Commission Chair Shannon O'Brien yesterday]( citing "gross misconduct" in office. Goldberg suspended O'Brien (a former state treasurer herself) last September for [allegedly making racially insensitive remarks and mistreating an employee](. O'Brien has fought both the allegations and the closed-door disciplinary process. - The big picture: The decision caps a [period of instability]( at the CCC - which oversees the state's $ 7 billion marijuana industry and has been beset by high-level suspensions, staff departures and board fights. (O'Brien's lawyers called it a "shipwreck.") - What's next: [WBUR's Walter Wuthmann and Beth Healy report]( that O'Brien's lawyers have threatened further legal action if she was fired. Meanwhile, Goldberg's office says she plans to name an acting CCC chair soon. - North of the border: New Hampshire's presidential primary gets all the attention, but this year it's the state primary that's bringing the drama. Granite Staters are voting today to decide the nominees in an open governor's race and an open congressional race. WBUR's Anthony Brooks has [an overview of the increasingly contentious races]( this week's edition of our [local politics newsletter](. - In related only-in-New England news: New Hampshire's outgoing governor, Chris Sununu, performed the Heimlich maneuver on a man who was choking during a Hampton Beach lobster roll eating contest. (And yes, [there's video of the episode.]( - Last call: Brockton Beer Company, one of the state's few Black-owned breweries, will close its taproom and kitchen at the end of the month. The company [announced the decision last Friday]( "exhausting all possible options," explaining simply that their "current revenue does not cover our current and ongoing expenses." - Want to make one last trip? For the rest of September, the brewery says it will be open from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, and from noon to 10 p.m. on Saturdays. P.S.- Our local women's hockey team officially has a name: [the Boston Fleet](. The nickname is inspired by the city's maritime history. And while we can [argue all day]( about how much the anchor logo looks like the old Hartford Whalers "W," the new branding has already led to [some indisputably stylish vintage Fleet sweaters](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters The Rundown [Mass. high court weighs whether sex ring hearings should be public]( Twenty-eight men are accused of patronizing a high-profile sex ring. Federal prosecutors said customers included elected officials, business executives, military officers and government contractors, but hasn't provided the names or other details about the people facing potential charges in Massachusetts. [Read more.]( [Mass. high court weighs whether sex ring hearings should be public]( Twenty-eight men are accused of patronizing a high-profile sex ring. Federal prosecutors said customers included elected officials, business executives, military officers and government contractors, but hasn't provided the names or other details about the people facing potential charges in Massachusetts. [Read more.]( [Actor and beloved baritone James Earl Jones dies at 93]( Everything about Jones was big: his stage presence, the intensity of his glance and the brilliance of his craft. From Star Wars to The Lion King to CNN, his voice pervaded popular culture. [Read more.]( [Actor and beloved baritone James Earl Jones dies at 93]( Everything about Jones was big: his stage presence, the intensity of his glance and the brilliance of his craft. From Star Wars to The Lion King to CNN, his voice pervaded popular culture. [Read more.]( [Chelsea program focuses on protecting young mothers from violence]( As Massachusetts sees an increase in violence involving women, the Chelsea-based nonprofit Roca is working to help hundreds of young mothers. [Read more.]( [Chelsea program focuses on protecting young mothers from violence]( As Massachusetts sees an increase in violence involving women, the Chelsea-based nonprofit Roca is working to help hundreds of young mothers. [Read more.]( [Department of Justice sues Maine for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act]( The lawsuit alleges that Maine segregates children with behavioral disabilities in hospitals, residential facilities and the Long Creek Youth Development Center. [Read more.]( [Department of Justice sues Maine for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act]( The lawsuit alleges that Maine segregates children with behavioral disabilities in hospitals, residential facilities and the Long Creek Youth Development Center. [Read more.]( [With pedestrian fatalities mounting, regulators propose tougher vehicle design rules]( The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is proposing new regulations for vehicle design intended to protect pedestrians in response to the rising number of fatalities on U.S. roads. [Read more.]( [With pedestrian fatalities mounting, regulators propose tougher vehicle design rules]( The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is proposing new regulations for vehicle design intended to protect pedestrians in response to the rising number of fatalities on U.S. roads. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Apple unveiled a host of new products yesterday, from new iPhones and AirPods to AI tools. [Here's everything you need to know](. - Massachusetts is bringing home nine medals (and a new world record) from the 2024 Paralympics. [Check out the list of winners here](. - NPR has [a full recap of the Paris Paralympics' most memorable moments]( from a historic armless archer and the surprising number of marriage proposals. Overall, the U.S. finished third, while China continued their two-decade-long winning streak. - Theater critic Jacquinn Sinclair [reviews the American Repertory Theater's take on "Romeo and Juliet"]( - a visually appealing and approachable performance made more relatable through movement. - Ahead of tonight's debate, Steve Almond [writes in this Cognoscenti commentary]( that the standards of success the media will apply to Harris and Trump are "staggeringly different." What We're Reading 📚 - They died in hallways. In line. Alone. Their deaths are the human cost of Steward's financial neglect. ([The Boston Globe]( - A portrait found in a Maine attic unexpectedly sold for $1.4M. Could it be a long-lost Rembrandt? ([CNN]( - America's love affair with the increasingly weird Kennedys ([Vox](   Tell Me Something Good [Joy in Mud Bowl: N.H. football tournament celebrates 50 years of messy fun]( On Sunday, the Mud Bowl celebrated its 50th year of mud-caked football in North Conway, New Hampshire. [Read more.]( [Joy in Mud Bowl: N.H. football tournament celebrates 50 years of messy fun]( On Sunday, the Mud Bowl celebrated its 50th year of mud-caked football in North Conway, New Hampshire. [Read more.]( Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [How it started]( it's going](. 😎 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.