All eyes on the T

Also: Rethink your lawn; 10 races that will decide the Senate majority [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  August 22, 2022 🌧️ Cloudy, with a high near 77 and a chance of showers. Good Morning Boston, The [Orange Line diversion plan]( faces a big test today, as weekday commuters return for the first time since the MBTA shut down the entire line Friday night. We've had [reporters out since early this morning riding the shuttle buses and talking to riders]( to see how things are going. Follow along [on Twitter]( or (as always) on the air! - The second of the MBTA's one-two closure punch also hits riders today. From today through Sunday, Sept. 18, [all Green Line service north of Government Center will be replaced by (free) shuttle buses](. - MBTA officials say the four-week closure is for some final work on the Green Line Extension before the second, longer leg to Medford opens in late November, as well as to make way for demolition work to continue on the Government Center Garage project. - The shuttle buses are also skipping Haymarket station due to the proximity to Government Center Garage demolition work. - ICYMI: WBUR's Simón Rios [reports that state officials expect these early days of the Orange and Green Line shutdowns to be the hardest]( as riders figure out how to navigate the diversions. But they're urging people not to give up and just drive instead. (That will only make the traffic and disruption worse.) - Tell us: Are you on one of the shuttle buses? Or is the closure affecting your commute in some other way this morning? Let us know how it's going by replying to this email and sharing your experience navigating the unprecedented shutdown. - We've heard some skepticism from riders that the Orange Line won't reopen on time on Sept. 19, but Massachusetts Transportation Secretary Jamey Tesler tells WBUR that, so far, the repairs are on schedule. (Only 28 more days to go!) - Tesler noted that the 16-day closure of the Green Line's E branch [wrapped up about eight hours earlier than planned]( yesterday. "This is bigger, and this is different, but we have experience doing this, and we're confident we're going to keep on schedule," he said. - Is your lawn looking a little thirsty? With watering restrictions in effect in more than 150 Massachusetts cities and towns [due to the ongoing drought]( you're not alone if your grass looks a little dry. - WBUR's Barbara Moran has a great story below on how the alternative lawn trend is beginning to catch on in New England, after growing for decades in the drought-stricken Southwest. - But if you want the SparkNotes version, Moran also [shares eight easy tips to make your lawn more eco-friendly](. Among the dos: Set your mower blade higher. Don't: Put your sprinkler on a timer. - Heads up, bird watchers: There's been a rare pelican sighting in Massachusetts. The Cape Cod Times [reports]( that beachgoers have spotted a brown pelican in a number of places from Eastham to Provincetown. - It's an occurrence that's happened several times since 2012, after Hurricane Sandy effectively [blew some of the distinct birds north](. P.S. — Mayor Michelle Wu is on Radio Boston this morning for her monthly interview, with a guest appearance by new Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper! Listen live at 11 a.m. — and send us your questions for them both on Twitter at [@RadioBoston]( or through our text club by texting BOSTON to 617-766-0382. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Want to help the planet? Rethink your lawn]( Alternatives to the green lawn are growing in popularity in New England, motivated by homeowner's desire to lower their environmental footprint and support pollinators and other wildlife. [Read more.]( [Want to help the planet? Rethink your lawn]( Alternatives to the green lawn are growing in popularity in New England, motivated by homeowner's desire to lower their environmental footprint and support pollinators and other wildlife. [Read more.]( [The Senate looks like a jump ball. Here are the 10 seats that will decide the majority]( Recent events are giving Democrats hope of retaining the 50-50 Senate, which they narrowly control with the vice president casting tie-breaking votes. [Read more.]( [The Senate looks like a jump ball. Here are the 10 seats that will decide the majority]( Recent events are giving Democrats hope of retaining the 50-50 Senate, which they narrowly control with the vice president casting tie-breaking votes. [Read more.]( [Massachusetts student receives uniform violation for hijab]( An eighth grade student at Mystic Valley Regional Charter School in Malden was written up for a uniform infraction for wearing a hijab. The schools says it understands its “handling of the situation came across as insensitive.” [Read more.]( [Massachusetts student receives uniform violation for hijab]( An eighth grade student at Mystic Valley Regional Charter School in Malden was written up for a uniform infraction for wearing a hijab. The schools says it understands its “handling of the situation came across as insensitive.” [Read more.]( [These are some of the ways inflation is changing Americans' spending habits]( From Walmart to the neighborhood supermarket, retailers across the country are having to adjust as Americans watch their pennies in the face of high inflation. [Read more.]( [These are some of the ways inflation is changing Americans' spending habits]( From Walmart to the neighborhood supermarket, retailers across the country are having to adjust as Americans watch their pennies in the face of high inflation. [Read more.]( [TV ads from a PAC causes a stir in Massachusetts' lieutenant governor's race]( A political action committee called Leadership for Mass. this week began running television ads in support of Salem mayor Kim Driscoll. Her Democratic primary opponents want answers and for her to disavow the group. [Read more.]( [TV ads from a PAC causes a stir in Massachusetts' lieutenant governor's race]( A political action committee called Leadership for Mass. this week began running television ads in support of Salem mayor Kim Driscoll. Her Democratic primary opponents want answers and for her to disavow the group. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - The story of the enslaved woman who went to court to win her freedom more than 80 years before the Emancipation Proclamation has been pushed to the fringes of history. A [new statue in Western Massachusetts aims to change that](. Learn more about the life and legacy of Elizabeth Freeman from [this Radio Boston segment](. - Warming waters mean louder shrimp? Yes, it's true! WBUR's Barbara Moran [explains why it matters (with video of snapping shrimp).]( - Sixty-four years ago, Oklahoma City history teacher Clara Luper led a group of 13 Black students to a Katz Drug Store. They sat for three days and demanded to be served, leading to the integration of the store's lunch counter. NPR looks back at how [this relatively lesser-known sit-in shaped the civil rights movement.]( - The last known Tasmanian tiger died in 1936, but the species may have a chance to find its way back from extinction thanks to gene editing. Here's [a rundown of how the plan would work — and the thorny questions it raises](.  What We're Reading 📚 - Social Media Was a C.E.O.’s Bullhorn, and How He Lured Women ([The New York Times]( - My final column: 2024 and the dangers ahead ([Washington Post]( - End Times in Aspen ([The Atlantic](  Tell Me Something Good [She lost her diamond ring in the ocean at a New Hampshire beach. A man found it with his metal detector. (The Boston Globe)]( When you lose a diamond ring in the ocean, what are the chances that you’ll get it back? [Read more.]( [She lost her diamond ring in the ocean at a New Hampshire beach. A man found it with his metal detector. (The Boston Globe)]( When you lose a diamond ring in the ocean, what are the chances that you’ll get it back? [Read more.]( Before you go: At least the Orange Line's [heart will go on.]( Digital producer Derek Anderson co-produced this newsletter. 😎 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.