A Mega rejection. Now what?

Also: Wu makes her case for rent control in Boston; why athletes want protection as Mass. nears legal sports betting [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  January 24, 2023 ☀️ Mostly sunny, with a high near 38. Good Morning Boston, Sheesh, even when it snows, [some ski mountains can't win](. Watch out for ice this morning and make sure to finishing shoveling before the next snowstorm drops a few more inches on us tomorrow. (Yes, we already [have a new snowfall map for Wednesday]( To the news: - Boston Mayor Michelle Wu say she's spoken with U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg "no fewer than three times, in person" about [the Allston "megaproject."]( The $2 billion plan would completely overhaul and redevelop a chokepoint of roads, rails and paths by the Charles River. "Every time I see him, I feel like he has this moment where he knows it's going to come again," Wu [said yesterday on Radio Boston](. But after The Boston Globe [reported]( that the federal government rejected Boston and MassDOT's joint bid for a ["Mega" grant]( befitting the megaproject, Mayor Pete might be in for another call from Wu. Here's the latest on the massive project and what comes next: - Remind me, what's in the project? A lot! The plan includes tearing down the aging viaduct that carries the Mass. Pike through Allston/Brighton, straightening out [that big curve]( in the highway, constructing a [big new transit hub called West Station]( and improving the nearby pedestrian/bike paths along the Charles River. The realignment of the roads would also open up an old rail yard, owned by Harvard, for redevelopment. (As the Globe noted, it's basically the last big patch of empty land for development in Boston.) - What to expect: Some have called the project "[Big Dig 2]( In other words, it'll be very disruptive, with construction slated to take up to 10 years. Officials [once hoped]( to get started as soon as this year. But with yesterday's news, the timeline looks more uncertain. At the earliest, construction is "still years away," according to the Globe. - Money, money, money: Boston and MassDOT are asking the feds for over $1.1 billion to help pay for the project. The rest of the funding — which could come from the city, state and private sources like Harvard — hasn't been figured out yet. - Not taken for grant-ed: MassDOT spokeswoman Kristen Penucci told WBUR's Stevee Chapman "it is not a surprise" the bid got rejected, given all the other projects across the nation competing for Mega grants — especially since Boston [only officially settled on a final design for the Allston project last month](. But this was only the first of five annual Mega grant rounds, thanks to the 2021 infrastructure law. So, the project still has more chances. - What's next: MassDOT plans to refine the application and reapply as soon as next spring. "Many of these larger projects and larger grants require several years in the cycle, and many of the projects ahead of us in the queue were further along in their design and planning," Wu told Radio Boston, adding, "We'll keep going." - Somerville is trying to wipe out medical debt for it residents. Earlier this month, the City Council unanimously passed a resolution to use federal COVID relief funds to cancel all medical debt for people in Somerville making up to 400% of the [federal poverty rate]( (in other words, $58,320 a year for one person or $120,000 for households of four). - What's next: The City Council is planning a hearing on Feb. 13 to get more details on the concept. If approved by Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, Somerville would be the first city in Massachusetts to cancel residents' medical debt en masse. - Zoom out: Toledo, Pittsburgh, New Orleans and Cook County, Illinois [have all worked with the nonprofit RIP Medical Debt]( to devote millions to similar medical debt cancellation plans. You can read more about RIP Medical Debt's work [here](. - It's not just [tech companies announcing mass layoffs](. Tufts Medicine is laying off 70 workers and eliminating 170 open positions, though the cuts amount to less than 1% of its 13,000-person workforce. - Why? The healthcare network cited big financial challenges due to post-pandemic capacity constraints, its reliance on costly contract labor — especially for nurses — and delays discharging patients. P.S.— Summer ferry reservations are [officially open]( for Martha's Vineyard... and it looks like the Steamship Authority is having issues with their online waiting room again. Officials [say it's mostly people using Google Chrome having problems]( so try another internet browser if you don't want to spend all morning as 2,663rd in line. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Citing 'dire, destructive' housing market, Wu makes her case for rent control in Boston]( Speaking on WBUR’s Radio Boston, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu made the case for plan to press for modified rent control in Boston. She also answered listener questions about expanding Boston’s nightlife and improving public transportation. [Read more.]( [Citing 'dire, destructive' housing market, Wu makes her case for rent control in Boston]( Speaking on WBUR’s Radio Boston, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu made the case for plan to press for modified rent control in Boston. She also answered listener questions about expanding Boston’s nightlife and improving public transportation. [Read more.]( [Harvard completes repatriation of Native remains to Wampanoag tribes]( The Harvard University's Peabody Museum and Warren Anatomical Museum has completed the legal process for return the remains of 313 Native people from eastern Massachusetts to Wampanoag communities in Mashpee and Aquinnah. It is one of institutions doing the work of repatriation. [Read more.]( [Harvard completes repatriation of Native remains to Wampanoag tribes]( The Harvard University's Peabody Museum and Warren Anatomical Museum has completed the legal process for return the remains of 313 Native people from eastern Massachusetts to Wampanoag communities in Mashpee and Aquinnah. It is one of institutions doing the work of repatriation. [Read more.]( [A gunman killed 7 people in shootings in Half Moon Bay, California]( Seven people were killed at two landscaping nurseries in Half Moon Bay, Calif., about 30 miles south of San Francisco. A suspect has been arrested, officials said. [Read more.]( [A gunman killed 7 people in shootings in Half Moon Bay, California]( Seven people were killed at two landscaping nurseries in Half Moon Bay, Calif., about 30 miles south of San Francisco. A suspect has been arrested, officials said. [Read more.]( [As Mass. nears legal sports betting, pro players want protection from angry bettors]( The Players’ Association – a collective that includes representatives from the NFL, NBA, and others – has asked the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to impose penalties for fans and bettors who make threats against players and their families. They’re concerned they will be targeted by potential losing betters, citing past incidents. [Read more.]( [As Mass. nears legal sports betting, pro players want protection from angry bettors]( The Players’ Association – a collective that includes representatives from the NFL, NBA, and others – has asked the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to impose penalties for fans and bettors who make threats against players and their families. They’re concerned they will be targeted by potential losing betters, citing past incidents. [Read more.]( [Feds deny emergency call to slow ships, ease whale strikes along East Coast]( The U.S. government has denied a request from a group of environmental organizations to immediately apply proposed ship-speed restrictions in an effort to save a vanishing species of whale. [Read more.]( [Feds deny emergency call to slow ships, ease whale strikes along East Coast]( The U.S. government has denied a request from a group of environmental organizations to immediately apply proposed ship-speed restrictions in an effort to save a vanishing species of whale. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - We're still [digging out from yesterday's storm](. As of 7:25 a.m., there were still over 16,000 households without power — mostly in north-central Massachusetts — and Worcester schools have a two-hour delay due to the slippery roads. Channel [the persistence of this Maine seal]( if you need to finish shoveling today. - A study by Stony Brook University found a massive die-off of scallops in Long Island since 2019. With waters warming due to climate change, they say [it could be a cautionary tale for New England](. - Miles Howard says that Wu's rent control plan is "groundbreaking." But [in this commentary]( he argues it won't make much of a difference to vulnerable renters if additional cities and towns in Massachusetts do not choose to adopt rent control.  What We're Reading 📚 - An immigrant from East Boston has been missing for two months. Where is the nonstop coverage? ([The Boston Globe]( - Ashmont Grill offered a healthy serving of community-building ([CommonWealth Magazine]( - America, the Bland ([The New York Times](  Tell Me Something Good [Girl asks police to run DNA test on Christmas cookie for evidence of Santa Claus]( A young girl wrote to a Rhode Island police department asking them to run a DNA test on a cookie and carrots left for Santa Claus and his reindeer. [Read more.]( [Girl asks police to run DNA test on Christmas cookie for evidence of Santa Claus]( A young girl wrote to a Rhode Island police department asking them to run a DNA test on a cookie and carrots left for Santa Claus and his reindeer. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common talks to Boston Globe reporter Emma Platoff about rent control for the [first part of a two-day deep-dive on affordable housing in the region.]( Before you go: Extremely [on brand](. 😎 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.