Putting out fires

Also: 3 men charged in Whitey Bulger's killing; an inside look at crisis pregnancy centers [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  August 19, 2022 ☀️ Sunny, with a high near 93. Good Morning Boston, The heat is back — and here to stay through the weekend. And we are just hours away from the 30-day Orange Line shutdown. We also have breaking news on Whitey Bulger's murder and an inside look at the crisis pregnancy centers that have become a hot button of debate. But first, some final updates on that Orange Line closure. - Our monthlong misadventure [begins tonight at 9 p.m.]( According to WBUR's Paul Connearney, you can already spot shuttle buses around Boston. And remember, it's just not the Orange Line. After the 16-day suspension of the Green Line's E branch wraps up this weekend, [a four-week closure of all Green Line service north of Government Center starts Monday](. - Reminder: Local commuter rail trips will be [basically free]( during the monthlong period. BlueBikes will be [literally free](. So will the [nearly 200 shuttle buses]( the T is deploying. MBTA officials have [put together a rider's guide]( illustrating all the alternative options. They also made [this nifty shuttle animation]( Though I'd argue [this Twitter user-created map of the diversions]( is just as helpful. (There's also this, uh, [less generous take]( on the diversion plan.) - New shuttle stops: The T is now adding "[supplemental shuttle service]( looping between Government Center, Tufts Medical Center and Chinatown stations (two of the four Orange Line stops that did not originally get shuttle stops) every 30 minutes between 5-7 a.m. and at night from 8 p.m. until 1 a.m. That's in addition to the [extra outbound Silver Line stop in Chinatown](. - Street closures: The busiest shuttle bus traffic is going to be around Government Center and Copley Square, the[two main hubs]( where riders can connect to the Green Line. There will be partial street closures and bus-only lanes by those stations, as well as bus-only lanes by Sullivan Square and on the Gilmore Bridge. Plus, expect various parking restrictions all along the Orange Line route. - Still, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is warning it will be "impossible to avoid chaos" during the first few days as crews and riders alike try to sort of their schedules. - What will the Orange Line look like when it reopens on Sep. 19? The MBTA says they hope to eliminate most, if not all, [slow zones]( on the line, and that it will run mostly [new Orange Line cars](. And hopefully no more [sudden fires](. - Actually, there's no shortage of fires right now. A handful of brush fires forced officials [to close Lynn Woods]( and [Breakheart Reservation]( in Saugus. Gov. Charlie Baker is also [sending 30 specially-trained National Guard members]( to help put out a wildfire in Rockport. - Some of these fires have been smoldering for weeks, a symptom of [an intensifying and expanding drought in Massachusetts]( that experts say is now worse than the [infamously bad drought of 2016](. Nearly the whole state is in a "severe" or "extreme" drought. - Over 150 cities and towns have imposed mandatory restrictions on outdoor water use. You can [view a map of the rules here](. - A one-day strike [begins today at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams](. And while management will be filling in to keep the museum open, striking workers are asking people not to cross the picket line and reschedule their visits. - What do they want? The union wants a minimum hourly rate of $18, with raises over the next two years about $20 per hour. Currently, about two-thirds of unionized workers at the Mass MoCA make less than $15.50 an hour. P.S.— Boston Mayor Wu created a new position in her administration this week. Do you know what it is? Then take [our Boston News Quiz]( and test your knowledge of the local stories we covered this week. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [3 men charged in Whitey Bulger's killing]( Three men — including a Mafia hitman — have been charged in the prison killing of James “Whitey” Bulger, according to federal officials. [Read more.]( [3 men charged in Whitey Bulger's killing]( Three men — including a Mafia hitman — have been charged in the prison killing of James “Whitey” Bulger, according to federal officials. [Read more.]( [Crisis pregnancy centers are at the center of a renewed debate over abortion rights]( Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion in June, the work of these centers has become the subject of national, state and local debate. [Read more.]( [Crisis pregnancy centers are at the center of a renewed debate over abortion rights]( Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion in June, the work of these centers has become the subject of national, state and local debate. [Read more.]( [What's behind the spike in childhood anxiety and depression in Massachusetts]( In Massachusetts the share of kids ages 3 to 17 who had a clinical diagnosis of anxiety or depression reached 18% in 2020, higher than the national rate of 11.8%. [Read more.]( [What's behind the spike in childhood anxiety and depression in Massachusetts]( In Massachusetts the share of kids ages 3 to 17 who had a clinical diagnosis of anxiety or depression reached 18% in 2020, higher than the national rate of 11.8%. [Read more.]( [Deshaun Watson is suspended for 11 games. How does the NFL make those decisions?]( Behavior that is “illegal, violent, dangerous or irresponsible” is a violation of league policy. But deciding the severity of the punishment is a little more complicated. [Read more.]( [Deshaun Watson is suspended for 11 games. How does the NFL make those decisions?]( Behavior that is “illegal, violent, dangerous or irresponsible” is a violation of league policy. But deciding the severity of the punishment is a little more complicated. [Read more.]( [What is 'quiet quitting,' and how it may be a misnomer for setting boundaries at work]( Quiet quitting doesn't actually involve quitting. Instead, it has been deemed a response to hustle culture and burnout. [Read more.]( [What is 'quiet quitting,' and how it may be a misnomer for setting boundaries at work]( Quiet quitting doesn't actually involve quitting. Instead, it has been deemed a response to hustle culture and burnout. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - This week's episode of Endless Thread [tells two stories of rule-breaking's good side]( A college senior prank emails his entire school, and wild monkeys take residence in a Florida parking lot. - If you thought getting a big climate bill through Congress was hard, just wait. Frederick Hewitt [writes in this commentary]( the bill's enactment this week sets the stage for a decade of struggle over its implementation. So, the fight isn't over quite yet. - Today is your last day to vote for the winner of this year's child Mullet Championship — and wow, do we have some worthy contenders. [Meet the finalists here]( and help decide who wins the $2,500 grand prize. - A piece to save for the weekend: Cognoscenti contributor Neema Avashia [writes about doing the hard work of rest](.  What We're Reading 📚 - Wait, When Did Everyone Start Using Apple Pay? ([The Wall Street Journal]( - The Netherlands makes aging and long-term care a priority. In the US, it’s a different story. ([The Boston Globe]( - “It’s Either Going to Be Really Funny, or They’re Going to Be Horrified”: An Oral History of Superbad ([Vanity Fair](  Tell Me Something Good [The world's smallest sea turtle nests in Louisiana for the first time in 75 years]( Kemp's ridley sea turtles have hatched in Louisiana's wilds, officials say, in a victory for barrier island restoration. The tiny turtle is also believed to be the world's most endangered. [Read more.]( [The world's smallest sea turtle nests in Louisiana for the first time in 75 years]( Kemp's ridley sea turtles have hatched in Louisiana's wilds, officials say, in a victory for barrier island restoration. The tiny turtle is also believed to be the world's most endangered. [Read more.]( Before you go: "[Boston for the next month]( 😎 Forward to a friend. 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