The Green Line, extended

Also: How one Mass. school got caught in the culture wars; more spring arts guides [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  March 21, 2022 ☀️. Sunny, with a high near 56 and some wind. Good Morning Boston, Hope you enjoyed the first day of spring. By the [look of the streets of South Boston yesterday]( it seems like many of you did! Now, here's what's coming down the tracks today: - At long last, the MBTA's Green Line has officially been extended. The first trolley left the station this morning from Somerville's Union Square station, beginning service of the first leg of the Green Line Extension and marking the system’s first expansion since 1987. You can [watch video of the inaugural departure here](. Somerville's former mayor Joe Curtatone [was there for the first train "20 years in the making" — and was pretty excited](. - The opening of the shorter branch also includes the reopening of the Science Park station and the opening of the relocated (new and improved) Lechmere Station. - The longer GLX leg through the middle of Somerville to Tufts in Medford is still in the works (officials are aiming for later this summer). The accompanying bike path will open sometime after that. - Heads up: Paying your fare on the GLX is a little different, as the MBTA [illustrates in this video](. - Why? The new stations don’t have fare gates. And since they also have center-running platforms, riders won’t be asked to pay at the on-board fare collectors on the opposite side by the drivers. Instead, riders will “validate” their fare cards by twice-tapping a reader on a fare vending machine in order to get a receipt to show they’ve paid. It's basically the honor system for now, though the MBTA is [planning to deploy a team of inspectors to check if riders have paid]( as part of its [larger fare modernization efforts](. - One of [the four Marines killed in a plane crash in Norway]( last week was from Massachusetts. Officials say Captain Ross Reynolds, a 27-year old Leominster native, was part of the NATO training mission (unrelated to Russia's invasion of Ukraine) when the group's aircraft crashed amid bad weather conditions in northern Norway. The cause of the crash is still being investigated. - Both of the two Republicans running to be Massachusetts governor now have a running mate. Geoff Diehl announced this morning that he is teaming up with [Leah Allen]( a 33-year-old conservative former state representative from Peabody, as his unofficial candidate for lieutenant governor. - Massachusetts elects general election nominees for governor and lieutenant governor in separate primaries, but it's become common for GOP hopefuls to team up in recent years. Case in point: Chris Doughty, the other declared Republican gubernatorial candidate, [announced former state rep Kate Campanale as his LG running mate earlier this month](. - It's not quite opening day, but the Red Sox are already taking some big swings. The team [signed former Colorado Rockies star infielder Trevor Story]( to a six-year deal for $140 million over the weekend. It's the largest contract Boston has agreed to since signing David Price in 2015. - Story has been playing shortstop for the Rockies, but is [expected to switch to second base]( since the Red Sox already have a star shortstop in Xander Bogaerts. - There was one longtime mainstay of [the St. Patrick's Day parade]( in attendance Sunday: Rep. Stephen Lynch. The reason? Lynch and fellow Massachusetts Rep. Lori Trahan are in Poland to meet firsthand with Ukrainian refugees from Russia's invasion, as well as the groups assisting them. - Trahan tells me in a statement that it is "truly heartbreaking" to be on the ground witnessing families separated and "wondering if they’ll ever be able to return home." - More than [3 million Ukrainians]( are estimated to have fled. P.S.— With the Green Line now at least partially extended, we were wondering: Where would you like to see the MBTA expand to next? Blue Line to Lynn? Silver Line to Cambridge? Reply to this email with your suggestions — serious or aspirational — to let us know. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [How one Mass. school board got caught in the culture wars]( School boards across the country are facing recalls and angry questions about everything from COVID restrictions to curriculum about racism. Even in Massachusetts, known for being one of the most liberal states in the country. The reality is more complex. [Read more.]( [How one Mass. school board got caught in the culture wars]( School boards across the country are facing recalls and angry questions about everything from COVID restrictions to curriculum about racism. Even in Massachusetts, known for being one of the most liberal states in the country. The reality is more complex. [Read more.]( [In office? Remote? Why many companies are saying yes to both]( For some employees, going back to the office is a sign of hope and a chance to reconnect. For others, it's a nuisance. [Read more.]( [In office? Remote? Why many companies are saying yes to both]( For some employees, going back to the office is a sign of hope and a chance to reconnect. For others, it's a nuisance. [Read more.]( [Confirmation hearings for Ketanji Brown Jackson begin Monday. Here's what to expect]( Confirmation hearings begin for Ketanji Brown Jackson, the federal judge President Joe Biden has picked to fill Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer's seat when he retires this summer. [Read more.]( [Confirmation hearings for Ketanji Brown Jackson begin Monday. Here's what to expect]( Confirmation hearings begin for Ketanji Brown Jackson, the federal judge President Joe Biden has picked to fill Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer's seat when he retires this summer. [Read more.]( [Private investigator says drug kingpin targeted David Ortiz]( A Dominican drug trafficker who was jealous of David Ortiz and felt disrespected by him had him shot at a Dominican nightclub in 2019, according to private investigators the Red Sox slugger hired to look into the attack that nearly killed him. [Read more.]( [Private investigator says drug kingpin targeted David Ortiz]( A Dominican drug trafficker who was jealous of David Ortiz and felt disrespected by him had him shot at a Dominican nightclub in 2019, according to private investigators the Red Sox slugger hired to look into the attack that nearly killed him. [Read more.]( [What's the future of gas in Mass.? Utilities and critics have different visions]( New reports from the state’s five gas utilities offer roadmaps to the companies’ future. But critics say the plans rely on unproven technologies and warn they will spend billions of dollars installing new pipelines that will be obsolete by mid-century. [Read more.]( [What's the future of gas in Mass.? Utilities and critics have different visions]( New reports from the state’s five gas utilities offer roadmaps to the companies’ future. But critics say the plans rely on unproven technologies and warn they will spend billions of dollars installing new pipelines that will be obsolete by mid-century. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - WBUR's spring arts guides continue this week with the [seven music releases you should listen to this season](. - A seventh grader from Mattapan is [headed to the Scripps National Spelling Bee]( after outlasting 18 other finalists from around Boston. The word sending him to the national stage: "après." - After two years off due to the pandemic, the Boston Underground Film Festival returns to Brattle Theatre this week. WBUR critic Sean Burns [writes that it once again brings the most wild and weird selection of movies](. - The [hip-hop improv group that began with Lin-Manuel Miranda is coming to Boston]( — and in fine style, writes Jacquinn Sinclair. What We're Reading 📚 - In an effort to ease fossil-fuel reliance, an MIT spinoff plans to dig the deepest holes on Earth ([The Boston Globe]( - How Russia’s mistakes and Ukrainian resistance altered Putin’s war ([Financial Times]( - It Could’ve Been the World’s Largest Potato, if Only It Were a Potato ([The New York Times]( Tell Me Something Good [How my family's story tracks with the Green Line]( Sharon Brody writes that the Green Line shaped the lives of hers sons, as well as her relationship to them. Its imminent expansion was the perfect time for her train-enthusiast family to reunite. [Read more.]( [How my family's story tracks with the Green Line]( Sharon Brody writes that the Green Line shaped the lives of hers sons, as well as her relationship to them. Its imminent expansion was the perfect time for her train-enthusiast family to reunite. [Read more.]( Before you go: My money is on "[Eek]( 😎 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   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.]( Copyright © 2022 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.