The long road to Long Island

Also: Mass poised to — finally — ban child marriage; monkeypox worries [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  July 26, 2022 ⛅ Cloudy with a high near 83 Good Morning Boston, We're finally getting some relative relief from the heat — but emphasis on the word "relative." Temperatures are still expected to get into the 80s, especially [during the second half of the week](. To the news: - Boston is another step closer to reopening support programs on Long Island after the state's top court [sided with the city in its dispute with Quincy over rebuilding a bridge to the island](. But just how close is a little less clear. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said Monday on Radio Boston that there's still a lot of planning that needs to be done first. And the city of Quincy says the fight isn't over yet. - Back up: Long Island hosted the region's largest homeless shelter and several substance abuse recovery programs up until 2014, when the bridge was deemed unsafe and eventually demolished. In its wake, many of the residents and services on Long Island relocated to the so-called Mass. and Cass area, which became host to a growing tent camp plagued by open drug use and violence. Boston has since been [pushing to decentralize services and refer people from tents to housing and treatment](. Reopening programs at Long Island is part of that strategy. However, access to the bridge site runs through Quincy, which has opposed the effort and tried to deny Boston necessary building permits. - Wu [said on Radio Boston]( that the city still needs to decide what services would be offered at Long Island before "rushing" to build the bridge. She also noted that some of the buildings are in "pretty rough shape" after seven years of disuse. And there are sacred Indigenous sites on the island that would need to be respected if any additional building happened, she said. Her focus is on making sure the conditions at Mass. and Cass do not worsen in the meantime as fall and winter approach. - Quincy officials aren't giving up: Chris Walker, the chief of staff to Mayor Thomas Koch, says the bridge still needs several waterways and building permits, and they plan to continue to raise concerns through those approval processes. - Flashback: During her mayoral campaign, Wu [estimated]( that it would take five to 10 years to rebuild the bridge. She said she'd instead move quickly to establish ferry service to the island. (Speaking of which: state lawmakers are currently [considering a bill]( that would allocate $10 million for a Long Island ferry service.) - Gov. Charlie Baker could have an abortion rights bill on his desk as soon as today, after the House and Senate announced a deal Monday on legislation aimed at strengthening legal protections in response to the Supreme Court decision last month overturning the constitutional right to an abortion. - The bill focuses on bolstering the state's legal shield for abortion providers and out-of-state patients by barring local officials from assisting with any lawsuits or investigations from outside states into services that are legally performed here. It would also require insurers to cover abortions and make emergency contraceptives like Plan B more accessible. On those subjects, the two overwhelmingly Democratic chambers never really disagreed. - The big sticking point, however, was what to do to make sure local residents don't have to go out of state for an abortion. The House proposed expanding access to abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy to cases of “severe” — not just lethal — fetal anomalies. But that led to [pushback from the Senate and some disability rights advocates]( who felt the wording was too vague. Baker also hinted last week that he agreed with the Senate's opinion. - The compromise: The new bill allows abortions after 24 weeks if there is a "grave fetal diagnosis" that doctors believe would take "extraordinary medical intervention" to keep the fetus alive outside the uterus (or if there's a danger to the mother's health). - One bill on which we know Baker's position: [the CROWN Act](. The governor is planning to sign the legislation this afternoon banning discrimination based on hair styles like braids and locks in workplaces and schools, meaning Massachusetts will join [over a dozen other states]( that prohibit such hair discrimination. - This legislation stems from a 2017 incident in which two Black students at Malden charter school were punished for wearing hair extensions. Amid criticism, the school [later dropped its ban](. P.S.— It's [David Ortiz night]( tonight at Fenway Park. The Red Sox are honoring the [newly inducted Hall of Famer]( with pins and T-shirt giveaways. And yes, Big Papi will be there, too. So, get to the ballpark early for the 6:30 p.m. pregame ceremony if you have tickets; he's known to be good for a [memorable quote or two](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Massachusetts poised to ban child marriage after years of effort]( Both the House and Senate have included language banning marriages involving children under the age of 18 in the state budget. It is now sitting on Gov. Charlie Baker’s desk for final approval [Read more.]( [Massachusetts poised to ban child marriage after years of effort]( Both the House and Senate have included language banning marriages involving children under the age of 18 in the state budget. It is now sitting on Gov. Charlie Baker’s desk for final approval [Read more.]( [The pope's apology in Canada was historic, but for some Indigenous people, not enough]( Pope Francis issued the apology years after a Canadian-government-funded report said children had been physically and sexually abused at the mostly Catholic-run schools in the country. [Read more.]( [The pope's apology in Canada was historic, but for some Indigenous people, not enough]( Pope Francis issued the apology years after a Canadian-government-funded report said children had been physically and sexually abused at the mostly Catholic-run schools in the country. [Read more.]( [Worried about monkeypox, Mass. politicians call for 'aggressive action' from federal officials]( The representatives say the country needs more testing, education and equitable access to vaccinations. They also want to see “greatly improved” data tracking. [Read more.]( [Worried about monkeypox, Mass. politicians call for 'aggressive action' from federal officials]( The representatives say the country needs more testing, education and equitable access to vaccinations. They also want to see “greatly improved” data tracking. [Read more.]( [DA expands office due to white supremacist actions in Boston]( District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced the addition of civil rights prosecutors for district and superior court two days after three men were arrested at a rally in Boston. [Read more.]( [DA expands office due to white supremacist actions in Boston]( District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced the addition of civil rights prosecutors for district and superior court two days after three men were arrested at a rally in Boston. [Read more.]( [Amazon buying One Medical is only its most recent dive into the health care industry]( The tech giant has already stepped into the health care world, but experts said this is a big step to expand Amazon’s physical health presence. [Read more.]( [Amazon buying One Medical is only its most recent dive into the health care industry]( The tech giant has already stepped into the health care world, but experts said this is a big step to expand Amazon’s physical health presence. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Listen to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's [full interview Monday on Radio Boston]( to hear her comments on everything from the heatwave and protesting Starbucks workers, to MBTA safety and David Ortiz. - With monkeypox now designated as a global health emergency, NPR [broke down everything you need to know about the disease]( — from early symptoms, to risk factors, to protection and treatment tips. - In this commentary, four OB-GYNs write that Massachusetts [cannot completely protect abortions providers and patients]( from the far-reaching impacts of the Dobbs decision. - Some big box stores are now dealing with the opposite of supply chain problems. Thanks to the effects of inflation and something called the bullwhip effect, they [now have a huge surplus of certain appliances]( (and that means more air fryers than they know what to do with.)  What We're Reading 📚 - The Agony of an Early Case of Monkeypox ([The New Yorker]( - The Single Most Important Thing to Know About Financial Aid: It’s a Sham ([Slate]( - Sister Act: Meet the Nun who Gave Pop Art a Soul ([Elephant](  ICYMI [Breaching humpback whale lands on boat near Plymouth]( A humpback whale breached and landed on the bow of a small boat in Cape Cod Bay on Sunday. [Read more.]( [Breaching humpback whale lands on boat near Plymouth]( A humpback whale breached and landed on the bow of a small boat in Cape Cod Bay on Sunday. [Read more.]( Before you go: Even for a New Englander, this is [too much Dunkin'](. 😎 Forward to a friend. 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