The T’s systemwide slowdown

Also: What to know about mobile sports betting's launch in Mass.; Bay State College faces eviction [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  March 10, 2023 ☀️ Mostly sunny, with a high near 48. Good Morning Boston, TGIF! Remember that our clocks jump forward an hour this weekend for daylight saving time. Here are [six tips from sleep experts]( to help you avoid that DST hangover on Monday. - Before you turn your clocks ahead, set a timer for 10 a.m. today. That's when all of our phones and laptops turn into little digital sportsbooks, thanks to the state's big official launch of mobile sports betting. While [in-person sports betting began at casinos in January]( WBUR's Walter Wuthmann [reports that the apps are quickly expected to become the dominant form of sports gambling in the state](. Experts estimate that around 90% of sports bets will be placed online. - Who's allowed to bet? Anyone over the age of 21 can place bets as long as they're within a new "geofence" that runs along the state's borders. You don't even need to be on land; the geofence extends out to waters three miles off Massachusetts' coast. However, it cuts out sovereign Wampanoag tribal land. - What can you bet on? There's a [massive catalog of college and professional sports]( to wager on. But remember: while you’ll be allowed to bet on Massachusetts schools in tournaments like March Madness next week, bets on single games involving in-state colleges are [generally banned]( - Go deeper: Here's [everything you need to know about the state's sports betting law](. - Take your pick: While 11 different apps [have gotten the green light to eventually launch in Massachusetts]( only six now say they'll be ready today at 10 a.m.: - Barstool Sportsbook - BetMGM - Caesars Sportsbook - DraftKings - FanDuel - WynnBET - Cause for concern: Massachusetts — like [many other states]( — has seen a recent deluge of sports betting ads, everywhere from social media to billboards to, yes, [even articles about sports betting ads](. This week, Attorney General Andrea Campbell [raised concerns that the state doesn't have enough rules]( to prevent vulnerable residents — particularly young people — from being "unduly exposed to potentially addicting products" by all the ads. - Beware the bonus: The Gaming Commission is already [looking into FanDuel ads that may have illegally marketed "free" bonus money]( to hook people to sign up. That's because state rules ban ads describing sign-up promotions as "risk free" or "free," since users typically have to deposit their own money to get the bonus. - Listen: UMass Amherst professor Rachel Volberg talked to WBUR's Sharon Brody about [how to deal with an emerging gambling problem and the resources available to help](. - Get ready for an extraordinarily slow day (or days) on the MBTA. The agency announced late last night it is [imposing 10-25 mph speed restrictions across all four subway lines]( Red, Orange, Blue and Green. - The MBTA says the sudden widespread slow zones are "out of an abundance of caution" after unspecified findings during a visit by the Department of Public Utilities to the Red Line between Ashmont and Savin Hill. An MBTA spokesperson declined to elaborate any further than that last night, but they plan to hold a press conference today at 10 a.m. with more details. - What we do know: The T says the slow zones will mean longer commutes for train riders — so give yourself extra time today. - What we don't know: It's unclear how long the speed restrictions will stay in place. - Wait, there's more: Shuttle buses are [replacing Blue Line service between Maverick and Suffolk Downs]( due to a power problem. Shuttles are also [replacing the entire Mattapan trolley line]( after "a piece of construction equipment tipped over onto the tracks" during [the staircase demolition]( at Milton Station. - One more thing: There's [another downtown T closure ahead]( this weekend. Due to the Government Center Garage demolition project (plus track work), the Orange Line will be closed between Ruggles and North Station — and the Green Line will be suspended between North Station and Government Center. - Getting around the diversions will require a mix of shuttle buses and Green Line trolleys, as [the MBTA illustrates here](. - Apple Pay for food stamps? Thanks to a new federal pilot program, local SNAP recipients will have the option of using their phone to pay for groceries in the coming years, rather than just an EBT card. Massachusetts was one of five states selected to participate. - Why? The feds say mobile payments can help protect families from fraud and card skimming. Gov. Maura Healey also noted that the pilot ensures low-income families have the opportunity to use the same convenient purchasing technologies as other customers. P.S.— Healey's budget proposal includes a new $5 million for work on a new MBTA initiative. Do you know what it is? Then [take our Boston News Quiz]( and see how well you know this week's stories. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Bay State College faces eviction over $720,000 unpaid rent claim]( The rent dispute is the latest development in weeks of unraveling at the state’s only for-profit four-year college, which was stripped of its accreditation in January, pending an upcoming appeal. [Read more.]( [Bay State College faces eviction over $720,000 unpaid rent claim]( The rent dispute is the latest development in weeks of unraveling at the state’s only for-profit four-year college, which was stripped of its accreditation in January, pending an upcoming appeal. [Read more.]( [Healey won't release sexual harassment complaints, settlement pacts from past 5 years]( Healey's office said her office is completely exempt from the public records law, despite a pledge last year to voluntarily comply with the law. The agency rejected a WBUR request for copies of complaints about sexual harassment, as well as settlement and severance pacts, involving members of the governor's office. [Read more.]( [Healey won't release sexual harassment complaints, settlement pacts from past 5 years]( Healey's office said her office is completely exempt from the public records law, despite a pledge last year to voluntarily comply with the law. The agency rejected a WBUR request for copies of complaints about sexual harassment, as well as settlement and severance pacts, involving members of the governor's office. [Read more.]( [Russia is firing hypersonic missiles into Ukraine that are nearly impossible to stop]( A Russian barrage on Ukrainian targets Thursday included the use of the Kinzhal hypersonic missile — a weapon that can travel four times the speed of sound and is thought to be nuclear-capable. [Read more.]( [Russia is firing hypersonic missiles into Ukraine that are nearly impossible to stop]( A Russian barrage on Ukrainian targets Thursday included the use of the Kinzhal hypersonic missile — a weapon that can travel four times the speed of sound and is thought to be nuclear-capable. [Read more.]( [Mental health test ordered for man charged with trying to open plane emergency door]( A federal court judge ordered a mental health evaluation for the man charged with attempting to stab a flight attendant and open an emergency door on a Boston-bound flight last weekend. Authorities say the 33-year-old Massachusetts man used a broken spoon to attack the crew member on United Flight 2609 on Sunday. [Read more.]( [Mental health test ordered for man charged with trying to open plane emergency door]( A federal court judge ordered a mental health evaluation for the man charged with attempting to stab a flight attendant and open an emergency door on a Boston-bound flight last weekend. Authorities say the 33-year-old Massachusetts man used a broken spoon to attack the crew member on United Flight 2609 on Sunday. [Read more.]( [Holyoke officials debate steps to improve police department following audit]( Officials in Holyoke, Massachusetts, this week debated how best to move forward after an independent audit released last month found the police department poses a “substantial risk” to the city. [Read more.]( [Holyoke officials debate steps to improve police department following audit]( Officials in Holyoke, Massachusetts, this week debated how best to move forward after an independent audit released last month found the police department poses a “substantial risk” to the city. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - This week's episode of Endless Thread [tells the story of a mysterious owl]( who gained online campus fame in North Carolina — and the hosts get a surprise update from the person who knows the owl best. - Ahead of this weekend's 95th Academy Awards, take [a look back at the near-century of Oscars history]( — including the surprises, the scandals, the slap and even the streaker. - Cognoscenti contributor Renee Loth is [taking an unpopular stand in support of the "jarring" twice-a-year daylight saving time clock-changing routine](. "It’s one of the few things almost everyone in a fiercely divided America does together — grumbling all the way, perhaps, but together," Loth writes in this commentary. (She also has a compromise idea: a new national holiday to spring ahead.)  What We're Reading 📚 - This Trend Is a Mess ([The New York Times]( - At 102, she leads fitness classes 4 days a week: ‘When I get old I’ll quit’ ([Washington Post]( - The scale of local news destruction in Gannett’s markets is astonishing ([Nieman Lab](  Tell Me Something Good [A man forgot about a lottery ticket in a drawer. It won $100K, and he turned it in just in time, thanks to his wife. (Boston.com)]( West Roxbury’s John Butler proudly secured his winnings at the Lottery’s Braintree claim center this week. [Read more.]( [A man forgot about a lottery ticket in a drawer. It won $100K, and he turned it in just in time, thanks to his wife. (Boston.com)]( West Roxbury’s John Butler proudly secured his winnings at the Lottery’s Braintree claim center this week. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common walk us through [the best special events happening in Boston's museum scene this month](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: Such [a wholesome tradition](. 😎 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.