The Orange Line is finally faster than it was before

Also: Giving the American chestnut tree a leg up on climate change; Musk vs. Markey [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  November 14, 2022 🌞 Sunny with a high near 45. Good Morning Boston, I hope your week kicks off with [less animosity]( than the Sen. Ed Markey and Elon Musk cheeky Twitter fight. The two have been sparring after Markey made comments over the [highly criticized changes to the social platform's verification system and a rise in impersonator accounts.]( Here's what else is on our radar and in our feeds: - Guess what: The Orange Line is finally faster than it was before its monthlong shutdown this past summer — just[like they said](. While it took longer than expected and[some slow zones will remain through the end of the year]( WBUR's Simón Rios [reports]( that riders are at last seeing the benefits of the unprecedented diversion — including the fleet of new, more accessible Orange Line cars. - By the numbers:[According to Transit Matters]( there are just over four minutes of slowdown due to speed restrictions along the entire Orange Line, down from about seven minutes in August. - The bigger problem now is the Red Line, where slow zones contribute to over 10 minutes of delay along the entire line. Rios reports that transit advocates are frustrated by the lack of information from the MBTA about what they're doing about it. - The other line we're thinking about: Blue. Tonight through Thursday, shuttle buses will [replace Blue Line service]( between Bowdoin and Orient Heights for track work. Plan accordingly! - One last PSA: There will be another meeting tonight at 6 p.m. for MBTA riders to weigh in on redesigning bus routes after the first had so many people that it hit Zoom's capacity of 300 participants virtually. [Here's how you can watch and weigh in.]( - Starting today, teachers, paraprofessionals and school secretaries at Melrose Public Schools won't be doing any work outside of what's listed in their contracts. It's called "working to rule," and the union representing staff said it's happening because they've been in negotiations with the districts since February — and their contract expired back in June. The biggest issues being worked through? Wages and prep time before classes. - Educators are also planning a rally tonight in front of Melrose City Hall. Melrose Public Schools have not responded to a request for comment, according to WBUR's newscast team. - Another negotiation that's not going super well? The one between Boston and the city's largest police union. The two sides have yet to reach an agreement on pay increases, a reform to the disciplinary process and a proposal to allow citizens to work safety details. - The city and union aren't even agreeing over the extent of the disagreement. The head of the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association told WBUR's newscast that they're preparing to bring their case to an independent arbitrator, whereas a spokesperson from Mayor Michelle Wu's office says there's no impasse and they remain open to negotiating. - Speaking of things cooling off, the housing market is finally starting to slow down, according to new data from the Massachusetts Association of Realtors. The numbers show that 22% fewer homes were sold in Massachusetts last month compared to October of last year. And while the median cost of a home ($547,000) is still higher than last year, it is a 4% price drop from the previous month. - Why is this finally starting to (hopefully, fingers crossed) level off? Association President Dawn Ruffini told WBUR "we're finally starting to kind of see the impact of the changes in interest rates." At the moment, [rates are around 7%]( the highest they've been for the first time in two decades. - A list I preferred Boston was not on: "the rattiest cities." Boston ranks 13 on the roundup from pest control company Orkin, which tracks which cities paid the most for exterminations over the past year. - The good news? We're less "ratty" than New York and Philadelphia. (Yes, they are larger cities, but let me have this.) P.S.— This newsletter's normal star writer, Nik DeCosta-Klipa is on a well-earned vacation for the next few mornings — and he's somewhere warm (yes, I'm jealous, too). In the meantime, thanks for hanging out with me while I'm back in the writing chair! Meagan McGinnes Assistant Managing Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Mass. borrowers react to federal court ruling blocking student debt relief program]( For some borrowers who had either already applied for student debt relief or were planning to apply after graduation, this most recent court decision almost felt expected. [Read more.]( [Mass. borrowers react to federal court ruling blocking student debt relief program]( For some borrowers who had either already applied for student debt relief or were planning to apply after graduation, this most recent court decision almost felt expected. [Read more.]( [Researchers hope to give the American chestnut tree a leg up on climate change]( The goal of this "assisted migration" experiment is to see if humans could not only help the American chestnut tree deal with climate change but also help restore it. [Read more.]( [Researchers hope to give the American chestnut tree a leg up on climate change]( The goal of this "assisted migration" experiment is to see if humans could not only help the American chestnut tree deal with climate change but also help restore it. [Read more.]( [Multiple students are dead from Virginia and Idaho university campuses, officials say]( Dual tragedies over the weekend on opposite sides of the country over the weekend left multiple students dead at the universities of Virginia and Idaho, authorities said. [Read more.]( [Multiple students are dead from Virginia and Idaho university campuses, officials say]( Dual tragedies over the weekend on opposite sides of the country over the weekend left multiple students dead at the universities of Virginia and Idaho, authorities said. [Read more.]( [Why elections are not over until the votes are certified]( Even after vote counting ends, the midterms are not officially over until the results are certified. Election deniers who don't like the results may try to slow down or stop this step. [Read more.]( [Why elections are not over until the votes are certified]( Even after vote counting ends, the midterms are not officially over until the results are certified. Election deniers who don't like the results may try to slow down or stop this step. [Read more.]( [Biden and Xi begin meeting with high stakes issues on the agenda]( President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping are holding a high-stakes face-to-face meeting in Bali, Indonesia. Here's what we know so far. [Read more.]( [Biden and Xi begin meeting with high stakes issues on the agenda]( President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping are holding a high-stakes face-to-face meeting in Bali, Indonesia. Here's what we know so far. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Grammy and Oscar-award-winning medical doctor Jorge Drexler was back in Boston this past Saturday, bringing his guitars and new songs from his album "Tinta y Tiempo." [Check out this insightful Q&A]( between Drexler and WBUR's Simón Rios on Drexler's home country of Uruguay and his music-making process. - A documentary crew searching the coastal waters of Florida happened upon [pieces of the 1986 Challenger space shuttle.]( After the discovery, NASA confirmed the findings to be legitimate and now it's deciding what to do with the shuttle's debris. - Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching, and Ina Garten — aka the Barefoot Contessa — knows the cooking anxiety that can come with the holiday. [She recently spoke with NPR]( to discuss how to best plan for a dinner party and reduce the nervousness around it. - If Boston is one of the rattiest cities, does that mean we also have more rhythm? A [new study shows]( that rats possess the ability to keep a beat. And they're classy about it; the rats were played one-minute excerpts of "Sonata for two pianos (K.448)" by Mozart.  What We're Reading 📚 - She was a celebrated oncologist. Why did she hide her breast cancer until it was too late? ([The Boston Globe]( - My PR Day of Yes ([Slate]( - In an Age of Constant Disaster, What Does It Mean to Rebuild? ([The New York Times Magazine](  Tell Me Something Good [Missing WWII soldier from Maine to be buried near hometown (The Boston Globe)]( A World War II aircraft gunner from rural Maine will be laid to rest Saturday in a cemetery near his hometown. [Read more.]( [Missing WWII soldier from Maine to be buried near hometown (The Boston Globe)]( A World War II aircraft gunner from rural Maine will be laid to rest Saturday in a cemetery near his hometown. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common talks about [how to make the most of your heating bill this winter.]( Before you go: The [big difference]( between Maura Healey and Gov. Charlie Baker's administrations. Newsletter editor Nik DeCosta-Klipa and producer Derek Anderson also helped create today's issue. 😎 Forward to a friend. 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