The Biggest Threat To Blue Line Service? The Sea

Also: Massachusetts' state of emergency is over; demonstrators file federal suit against BPD ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  [Donate [WBUR]]( [View in Browser](  [WBUR]( June 15, 2021 Good Morning Boston, 🚿 Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Highs near 77. Don't worry, I'll guide you through the news this morning just like this man in Brooklyn guided a family of ducks to safety, in a [real-life "Make Way For Ducklings" situation](. Whether or not you [find a bagel]( at the end of this newsletter, however, is up to you. Let's get started: - It's official: The state's pandemic state of emergency expired this morning. Gov. Charlie Baker declared it 15 months ago and it had been in place ever since, giving him the power to create pandemic policies that have now also expired. Lawmakers are trying to extend some of those policies – including to-go cocktails, loosened restrictions for voting by mail and allowing municipal boards to meet remotely – but they didn't meet their deadline. The Senate voted last week to approve an extension, but the House has only given its initial approval so far. Both the House and the Senate are scheduled to meet again today, so hopefully we'll have some answers soon. - We're about [130,000 residents shy]( of hitting 4 million people fully vaccinated in Massachusetts. That's a big milestone that the state is expected to hit before the end of the week. - Baker released his[$2.65 billion capital budget plan]( yesterday. What is Massachusetts spending money on? The state is making some substantial investments in housing, transportation, climate resiliency, health and human services, and education. - Today marks 100 days since nurses walked off the job at St. Vincent Hospital, making it one of the longest nurse strikes in the country in the past decade. And if it continues until next Sunday, it will become the second longest nurse strike ever in the state. Nurses are striking over staffing levels, saying they need more people to provide patients with safe care. The hospital believes staffing levels are adequate. - Boston police want your help to try to solve a cold case: a more than 30-year-old murder in Roxbury. Barbara Ann Williams was shot and killed inside her bedroom in December 1989. Her bedroom window was damaged and ballistics were found outside her room, but they never found her killer. Investigators are asking anyone with information to step forward. P.S.– This week, our environmental team and newsroom have a new series for you, Boston Under Water. Part of Boston’s charm lies in its location and its age, with historic buildings and winding streets shouldering up to the waterfront. But there's now a big problem: the city was built for a different climate. Scientists are projecting up to 40 inches of sea rise by 2070, researchers and city officials are thinking about ways to keep Boston from flooding. It's interesting, relevant and a series you won't want to miss any part of, so be sure to keep [checking here]( for new features. — Meagan McGinnes [@meaganmcginnes]( newsletters@wbur.org The Rundown [1.](url)[The Blue Line Was Named For Boston Harbor. Now The Sea Threatens The Service]( Without Belle Isle Marsh the Blue Line would be far more vulnerable to flooding. But, as sea level continues to rise, the marsh may disappear under water. [Read more.]( - By The Numbers: [The 1-2-3s Of Boston's Rising Sea Level]( - Boston Under Water: [See Our Full Coverage.](   #%23%23[Twitter](  #%23%23[Facebook](    2. [Demonstrators File Federal Suit Against Boston Police, Alleging Excessive Force At Floyd Protest]( The lawsuit says the people who were attacked by police were peaceful and committed no crimes. Three of the them were hit with wooden riot batons, and two were hit with pepper spray, the lawsuit says. [Read more.]( 3. [For Some Rural Students, Taking More AP Courses Means More Online Learning]( Most students in Massachusetts will be putting virtual learning behind them next year. But for some students in rural parts of the state who want to take AP courses, remote classes will be the only option. [Read more.]( 4. [SJC Affirms Dismissal Of Somerville Mayor Curatone's Lawsuit Against Barstool Over Wiretapping Law]( Curtatone sued Barstool Sports and Kirk Minihane after Minihane, former WEEI host, called him in 2019 pretending to be Boston Globe columnist Kevin Cullen. The state Supreme Judicial Court ruled Monday that the recording was not "secret," so no laws were violated. [Read more.]( 5. [Novavax Says Its COVID Vaccine Is Extremely Effective]( According to Novavax, the vaccine's manufacturer, it had a 100% efficacy against the original strain of the coronavirus and 93% efficacy against more worrisome variants that have subsequently appeared. [Read more.]( Support the news Anything Else? - "We're back.": Boston's Head of the Charles Regatta [will return this fall]( from Oct. 22 - Oct. 24. - Provincetown's International Film Festival will take place this year at several outdoor venues – including the Wellfleet Drive-In, the Mary Heaton Vorse House garden, and a pop-up at Herring Cove Beach – and it will coincide with the reopening of the Waters Edge Cinema. This year's concept? The water's edge. [Check out some of the selected films here.]( - Fill is a touchy subject in Boston Harbor, writes Courtney Humphries [in this commentary](. But Boston may need to make land again to achieve the city’s vision for a waterfront that will continue to thrive as the climate changes. (Read about Boston's history of landmaking [here]( [WBUR] Your Daily Must Listen [My Mother, The Doctor. She's Still Inside There Someplace]( [Listen]( COVID-19 VACCINES [New Evidence Suggests COVID-19 Vaccines Remain Effective Against Variants]( Mobile Vaccination Efforts Underway As Mass Vaccination Sites Close. [Read more.]( Charts & Maps: Mass. Vaccine Tracking And COVID Case Counts. [Read more.]( Fake COVID Vaccine Cards Are Being Sold Online. Using One Is A Crime. [Read more.]( See WBUR's [full coronavirus coverage.]( A MESSAGE FROM WBUR CITYSPACE Join us (virtually) on June 16 at 6 p.m. ET for "This Changes Everything: The Office Edition." Pandemic innovations and pivots have led great swatches of our workforces out of the office building and into the home office. Many companies are already planning to shift to flexible workspaces – reducing overall space they need, trading business travel for videoconferencing and re-thinking office design. What are the cyber security issues with a remote work force? What are the repercussions of this hybrid work model? Will anyone want to commute again? Reporter Callum Borchers moderates this conversation about how companies can maintain productivity, collaboration and connectivity in a virtual world. [Learn more and register for this free event here.]( Panelists - Hiawatha Bray: tech reporter, The Boston Globe - Meena Krenek: interior design director, Perkins&Will - Tsedal Neely: Naylor Fitzhugh professor of business administration, Harvard Business School *This event is made possible with support from [Code42]( providing Insider Risk Management to prevent data loss, leaks and theft. What We're Reading - A Milton gay couple was harassed anonymously for years. Then a piece of handwriting unraveled the mystery ([The Boston Globe]( - How the Personal Computer Broke the Human Body ([Vice]( - Questions Swirl After Powerful Lawyer’s Wife, Son Are Killed Amid Fatal Boat Party Probe ([The Daily Beast]( Tell Me Something Good [The New England Aquarium Accepted This 38-Year-Old Late Gate Ticket (Twitter)]( "My great aunt kept this ticket in her wallet for ~40 years and gave it to me when I moved to Boston," Rachel Carle tweeted. "Today the New England Aquarium honored it as my admission ticket 😂 Thank you @NEAQ staff for being so sweet and having a laugh with me!" Before you go: ["To immunity and beyond!"]( 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📨 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news [WBUR]( [95289b97-66e8-43d4-a174-3bc3520a79a9.png]( [Instagram](  [Twitter]( [Facebook]( Want to change how you receive these emails? 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