Boston wants your food scraps

Also: An unusual look inside Mass. prison "re-entry" programs; a month of nightly Storrow closures begins [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  April 24, 2023 🐋 Mostly cloudy, with a high near 57. Good Morning Boston, Happy inaugural [Right Whale Day]( Massachusetts. Take a moment to [read this NPR interactive]( on how this endangered species is one of the many parts of our global ecosystem being threatened by melting ice. And don't forget to say hi to [Calvin the giant inflatable whale]( if you're walking by the New England Aquarium today. Let's start the week with another new way you can help the planet: - Boston residents, want the city to come pick up your compost? Mayor Michelle Wu's office plans to begin expanding the city's [free curbside food waste collection program]( this July — with the goal of eventually tripling the program from 10,000 to 30,000 households. - The expansion will start with 7,150 households on the waitlist for the program, which quickly filled up last summer. If you're not already on the list, you can [sign up here](. (The city will keep adding new enrollees until they hit the 30,000 mark.) - How it works: Enrolled households just put their food waste bins out on the same day as their scheduled trash and recycling pickup. Read [more details]( and [FAQs here](. - Where it goes: The city takes the food scraps to a composting facility in West Bridgewater or an anaerobic digestion plant in North Andover to get converted into green energy. (How does anaerobic digestion work? Let WBUR's Barbara Moran [explain]( - Boston's program is limited to those living in buildings with six units or less. If you live in a larger apartment building, consider [the city's Project Oscar community compost drop-off bins](. - Several members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation are kicking off a press conference in Boston aimed at bringing attention to what they say are ethical lapses and partisan rulings from the Supreme Court. It's part of [a new national bus tour launched by progressive groups]( calling for Supreme Court reform. - Roll call: Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Ayanna Pressley all plan to be at the downtown Boston event. - What's their issue: After [a recent investigation]( found that Justice Clarence Thomas did not disclose years of gifts from a Republican billionaire, Warren [told Radio Boston]( that Congress should pass a law establishing a code of ethics for the Supreme Court justices (there is no such standard currently). "They decide how they are going to take gifts, and do whatever they want to do," Warren said. - Go deeper: Read more on how the Thomas gifts scandal [highlights "double standard" for ethics in government](. - Heads up, commuters: Crews are repaving Storrow Drive over the course of the next month. That means [the majority of the Boston parkway will be fully closed in both directions]( from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. on weeknights (i.e. every night except Friday and Saturday nights) this week through May 21. Here are the exact stretches that will be closed: - Going east: Basically all of Storrow and part of Soldier's Field Road, from Cambridge Street in Allston to the Leverett Circle - Going west: A roughly mile-and-a-half stretch of Storrow, from the Leverett Circle to Massachusetts Avenue. - Speaking of nighttime closures: Blue Line riders will get an extra hour to ride the train before shuttle buses [descend to replace after-dark subway service this week](. The T says the early closure — running tonight through Thursday — will begin at 8 p.m., instead of the [previously planned 7 p.m start time.]( - Why? The T is working to [prioritize lifting slow zones on the Blue Line]( with the two-month Sumner Tunnel closure quietly approaching this summer. However, T officials say they got pushback last week asking them to dial back the 7 p.m. start to 8 p.m. to give riders a little more time to catch the last train at night. - What's next: There's another identical early Blue Line closure next week as well (May 1 to 4). And depending how much progress the T makes, they're considering more 8 p.m. closures in June. - One closure that will require a somewhat larger detour: the Cape Cod Canal will be closed to boats this week between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. — and this time it isn't [because of whales](. (You're off the hook, Calvin.) - The reason for the canal closure is because crews are finishing maintenance work on the railroad bridge in Bourne. P.S.— Wu will be taking your questions live on the WBUR airwaves today at 11 a.m. during her monthly Radio Boston interview. As always, you can send in your questions for the mayor [through our text club](. (Join by simply texting BOSTON to 617-766-0382.) Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [As Mass. considers funds for prisoner re-entry, advocates say more is needed]( The state Department of Correction is making a case for an overall budget increase next fiscal year, and more money for programs that help people transition to life outside of prison, a process known as "re-entry." [Read more.]( [As Mass. considers funds for prisoner re-entry, advocates say more is needed]( The state Department of Correction is making a case for an overall budget increase next fiscal year, and more money for programs that help people transition to life outside of prison, a process known as "re-entry." [Read more.]( [Ashland mother and daughter trapped in Sudan as violent military conflict continues]( Teacher Trillian Clifford and her 18-month-old daughter were living in Sudan when a sudden and violent conflict between two militarized factions erupted just over a week ago. The two have been trapped and sheltering in place as the conflict continues. [Read more.]( [Ashland mother and daughter trapped in Sudan as violent military conflict continues]( Teacher Trillian Clifford and her 18-month-old daughter were living in Sudan when a sudden and violent conflict between two militarized factions erupted just over a week ago. The two have been trapped and sheltering in place as the conflict continues. [Read more.]( [Supreme Court blocks lower court decision in case on FDA approval of abortion pill]( The Supreme Court has left the case in the hands of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which has scheduled oral arguments in the case for May 17. [Read more.]( [Supreme Court blocks lower court decision in case on FDA approval of abortion pill]( The Supreme Court has left the case in the hands of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which has scheduled oral arguments in the case for May 17. [Read more.]( [Unrest at Bristol County jail over suicide prevention moves]( Close to 200 correctional officers responded to a disturbance at the Bristol County Jail and House of Correction Friday, after an hours-long standoff between prisoners and jail officials. [Read more.]( [Unrest at Bristol County jail over suicide prevention moves]( Close to 200 correctional officers responded to a disturbance at the Bristol County Jail and House of Correction Friday, after an hours-long standoff between prisoners and jail officials. [Read more.]( [Mass. health insurers say they'll stop providing free at-home COVID tests]( The state’s biggest health insurers have decided to stop providing free over-the-counter COVID tests next month, a move that could force many people to pay out of pocket. [Read more.]( [Mass. health insurers say they'll stop providing free at-home COVID tests]( The state’s biggest health insurers have decided to stop providing free over-the-counter COVID tests next month, a move that could force many people to pay out of pocket. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - This week at CitySpace: Our Sound On concerts are back! This weekend, come see [musician-led string ensemble Palaver Strings present “Elements,"]( a program that explores the fluid space between improvisation and composition, and draws on classical, jazz and Syrian folk elements. [See all upcoming CitySpace events here.]( - Independent Film Festival Boston returns for its 20th year this week, having blossomed into a weeklong celebration. Film critic Sean Burns [has a preview of what this year’s "fresh-faced" installment]( will be showing at the Somerville, Brattle and Coolidge Corner theaters. - Bed Bath & Beyond — once known as an unstoppable retailer — has filed for bankruptcy and will begin closing stores this week. How did it get to this point? Here's [the story of the identity crisis that led to the iconic chain's decline](. - What can we learn from Jupiter's icy moons? Joelle Renstrom [writes in this commentary]( that they may in fact hold keys to some of the biggest existential questions, such as where and how life emerged in our solar system. And there's a spacecraft on the way to explore them.  What We're Reading 📚 - Massachusetts Legislature, hostile to rent control, includes more landlords than renters ([The Boston Globe]( - Israel’s Right-Wing Government Has Jewish Democrats at a Loss ([The New York Times]( - Who is Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s presidential campaign for? ([Semafor](  Tell Me Something Good [For New England farmers, silvopasture could be a key adaptation to a changing climate]( One of agriculture’s top climate change solutions isn't a new idea, but it’s starting to gain momentum in New England. Meet silvopasture. [Read more.]( [For New England farmers, silvopasture could be a key adaptation to a changing climate]( One of agriculture’s top climate change solutions isn't a new idea, but it’s starting to gain momentum in New England. Meet silvopasture. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [takes a field trip to the Institute of Contemporary Art]( to see a new exhibition making its U.S. debut. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: We're [looking good one week into playoff season](. 😎 Forward to a friend. 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