Also: Mass. lawmakers at odds over late-term abortions; the next BPD commissioner [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser]( Â July 13, 2022Â ☀️ Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Good Morning Boston, It's not just heat or humidity today; it's both. I'll be staying inside, still gazing at the [stunning batch of photos of our universe that NASA released this week](. And [the photos]( of last night's [colorful sunsets](. And also [the photos]( of yesterday's [buck supermoon]( over Boston. That said, we have an exciting announcement below to help you beat the heat this summer. But first, the news: - We have a deal: Elected officials in Boston have agreed to back the first phase of Harvard's long-planned expansion into Allston, after the two sides reached an agreement on how much affordable housing and public open space the first phase of the mixed development (think housing, lab space, a hotel, offices, etc.) must include. As a result, the Boston Planning & Development Agency plans to vote to approve [the 900,000-square-foot project]( â a [mix]( of labs, offices, housing and commercial space that has [been in the works for over two decades]( â at its board meeting Thursday.
- What's in the deal? Harvard agreed to make 25% of the project's 345 housing units [income restricted]( (in other words, affordable for lower-to-middle-income residents) and pay $25 million to set up a fund to support affordable housing in Allston-Brighton. The deal also includes plans to create three acres of open space, an Allston Greenway and improvements for pedestrians and cyclists.
- The 25% affordability commitment does not go as far as the 33% minimum some activists [had pushed for]( but is almost double Boston's 13% requirement for big projects. Harvard's developer Tishman Speyer previously resisted going above 17%. Tony DâIsidoro, the president of the Allston Civic Association, said the deal announced Tuesday represented "tremendous progress."
- What's next: This first phase accounts for 14 of the 36 acres covered by Harvard's planned Enterprise Research Campus. And in total, the university is looking to develop 140 acres in Allston. So, as DâIsidoro said Tuesday, "there's more work to be done." - The Massachusetts Senate is expected to pass a bill today aimed at shielding abortion providers and their patients from potential legal action from other states with tighter restrictions, following the House's [overwhelming approval of a similar bill late last month](. But it seems the two sides still have some differences to work out before they put any legislation on Gov. Charlie Baker's desk.
- Why? The House bill includes a provision that would expand access to late-term abortions in cases of a "severe" fetal anomaly. (Currently, state law only allows abortions after 24 weeks in the fetus's condition is deemed "fatal," which has forced some Massachusetts women to [leave the state for the procedure](
- The Senate bill doesn't go that far. Its sponsor, Sen. Cindy Friedman, [told the State House News Service]( that she fielded concerns that the term "severe" was too vague and that the House's bill risked a potential veto from Baker with little time to spare before the legislative session expires at the end of the month. The Republican governor is generally pro-choice, but [did veto a reproductive rights bill in 2020]( partly over language around easing access to late-term abortions. He was later overridden.
- One senior House member is already pushing back. [As Politico first reported]( Rep. Kate Hogan sent a letter to the Senate noting that the House bill would require state health officials to issue guidelines to help doctors decide what constitutes a "severe" condition. She also noted that the House passed the bill by a veto-proof majority, urging the Senate to adopt their language and quickly follow suit (and avoid the risk of [a stronger potential veto](. - In other local news, Boston will [learn today who its next police commissioner will be](. After a months-long national search, Wu plans to announce the new BPD leader today at 11 a.m.
- The city has gone over a year without a permanent police commissioner, after former commissioner Dennis White was [firedâ]( in early 2021 after decades-old domestic violence allegations against him surfaced shortly after he was promoted to the job. - Heads up, North Shore: The MBTA is moving up their plans to close the Lynn commuter rail station by nearly a year, as officials [work to upgrade the "deteriorating" station.]( The stop will now close on July 25 and T officials aren't even giving a rough estimate of how long the closure will last. The entire project is projected to wrap up in 2024.
- In the meantime, the T is [encouraging riders]( to either take the bus from Lynn to Wonderland station and jump on the Blue Line to finish their trip into Boston, or use the nearby Swampscott commuter rail stop (though that option is more expensive). P.S.â It's another good day for the beach, and we're [launching a new pop-up newsletter, Beach Books,]( to help you wrap up summer with some great reads. You'll get book recommendations, guides from WBUR and NPR and more. [Sign up now!]( The fun starts in August. Nik DeCosta-Klipa
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[The meeting that changed history and 3 other takeaways from the latest Jan. 6 hearing](
Trump made a fateful choice in the early morning hours of Dec. 19, 2020, days after the Electoral College voted, to choose a path that led to the insurrection on Jan. 6. [Read more.](
[The meeting that changed history and 3 other takeaways from the latest Jan. 6 hearing](
Trump made a fateful choice in the early morning hours of Dec. 19, 2020, days after the Electoral College voted, to choose a path that led to the insurrection on Jan. 6. [Read more.](
[Program will pay Mass. landowners to use 'climate-friendly' forest management](
The Family Forest Carbon Program, created by the American Forest Foundation and the Nature Conservancy, will pay forest owners in Western Massachusetts, Vermont and parts of New York to practice âclimate-smartâ forestry. [Read more.](
[Program will pay Mass. landowners to use 'climate-friendly' forest management](
The Family Forest Carbon Program, created by the American Forest Foundation and the Nature Conservancy, will pay forest owners in Western Massachusetts, Vermont and parts of New York to practice âclimate-smartâ forestry. [Read more.](
[No retreat in the summer heat. Prices likely topped 40 year high last month](
Forecasters say inflation likely hit a new, four-decade high last month, fueled in part by record high gasoline prices. Gas prices have since fallen, but overall inflation is still elevated. [Read more.](
[No retreat in the summer heat. Prices likely topped 40 year high last month](
Forecasters say inflation likely hit a new, four-decade high last month, fueled in part by record high gasoline prices. Gas prices have since fallen, but overall inflation is still elevated. [Read more.](
[Protesters in Sri Lanka brave tear gas and storm prime minister's office](
The move on the prime ministerâs office comes after Sri Lanka's president fled the country early Wednesday, slipping away only hours before he promised to resign under pressure from protesters angry over a devastating economic crisis. [Read more.](
[Protesters in Sri Lanka brave tear gas and storm prime minister's office](
The move on the prime ministerâs office comes after Sri Lanka's president fled the country early Wednesday, slipping away only hours before he promised to resign under pressure from protesters angry over a devastating economic crisis. [Read more.](
[Biden gets an earful in the Oval from Mexican President López Obrador](
President Biden met with Mexico's Andrés Manuel López Obrador a month after the Mexican president boycotted a regional summit. Biden's public remarks were brief. López Obrador â not so much. [Read more.](
[Biden gets an earful in the Oval from Mexican President López Obrador](
President Biden met with Mexico's Andrés Manuel López Obrador a month after the Mexican president boycotted a regional summit. Biden's public remarks were brief. López Obrador â not so much. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - We told you yesterday that the ongoing drought in Massachusetts is getting worse. For further evidence, [look no further than these two photos of the Assabet River in Acton]( â just one month apart. - Radio Boston spoke to local doctors about the latest COVID-19 numbers, the BA.5 omicron subvariant, monkeypox and whether there's reason for alarm. [Check out the highlights here](. - A new immersive "Beyond King Tut" exhibit at the SoWa Power Station this summer [offers visitors the chance to experience ancient Egyptian history "in a whole new way."](  What We're Reading 📚 - Boston has the Freedom Trail. How about an Innovation Trail? ([The Boston Globe]( - Hard Seltzer Has Gone Flat ([The Atlantic]( - He Had a Dark Secret. It Changed His Best Friendâs Life. ([The New York Times](  Tell Me Something Good
[An Alamo Drafthouse movie theater is opening in Boston (Boston.com)](
Attention, cinephiles: The renowned theater chain Alamo Drafthouse Cinema plans to open its first-ever New England location in Boston. [Read more.](
[An Alamo Drafthouse movie theater is opening in Boston (Boston.com)](
Attention, cinephiles: The renowned theater chain Alamo Drafthouse Cinema plans to open its first-ever New England location in Boston. [Read more.]( Before you go: The Boss is [coming to Boston](. 😎 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 Â
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