A Pride Month pitch

Also: Big moves for two of Boston's biggest high schools; Jane Swift returns to Beacon Hill [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  June 7, 2023 ☁️ Mostly cloudy, with a high of 69 and isolated afternoon showers. Good Morning Boston, The rainbow flag will be raised outside the Massachusetts State House this morning in recognition of Pride Month — and Gov. Maura Healey is adding LGBTQ+ rights to her list of selling points for the Bay State. - Healey told reporters this week that Saturday's Pride parade is a "particularly special one to be marching in." Not only is it [Boston's first Pride parade since 2019]( but the country's [first openly lesbian governor]( sees it as an opportunity to showcase the state's progressive record on LGBTQ+ rights at a time when some states are "going backwards, taking away equality, taking away freedoms, demonizing members of the LGBTQ+ community." (Healey was referring to efforts to [restrict drag shows]( [books]( and [gender-affirming care]( in some Republican-led states.) "We are a state that prizes equality, protects freedoms, protects civil rights, protects the LGBTQ+ community," Healey said, urging people to "come to Massachusetts" for those protections. - The big picture: The first five months of Healey's tenure has focused a lot on "competitiveness" as Massachusetts deals with [a net outflow of residents](. That focus has [primarily centered on tax relief](. But it's also [extended to social issues like abortion rights](. - On the books: Massachusetts [passed a law in 2022 under Gov. Charlie Baker to protect gender-affirming care]( for transgender residents. [Five other states]( passed similar laws this year. - Does it matter? Following the overturning of Roe v. Wade last year, [a national poll]( found 62% of young women — and 53% of young men — said states' [individual abortion laws]( at least "somewhat" influence where they choose to live. However, there's been less recent research on how LGBTQ+ rights play a factor. As of last year, [census data]( indicates jobs remain the primary reason for Americans making long-distance moves, with housing costs coming in second. - When it comes to retention of residents already here: [Local polls]( suggest housing costs and [transportation]( are more top of mind for Massachusetts residents considering moving. - On the march: [Meet the new organizers of Boston's Pride parade]( who are promising a more inclusive event this year after the previous group behind the parade folded amid allegations of racism and transphobia. - In related news: Boston City Council President Flynn is filing a resolution today to officially mark June as Pride Month in Boston. - Boston Mayor Michelle Wu was a passenger in a scary two-car collision yesterday in Roslindale, but city officials say "thankfully no one sustained any major injuries." - [Video obtained by Boston 25 News]( shows a police SUV carrying Wu with its lights on making a left turn off Blakemore Street onto Hyde Park Avenue when the crash happened. Boston police plan to investigate the incident, Wu's office said. - State officials will [let pharmacists provide former patients of the suddenly-closed Compass Medical with up to 30 days worth of certain medications]( (even if they don't have remaining refills on their prescription). - The Quincy-based medical practice filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy this week, after leaders said they plan to keep operating "[collapsed]( The practice, which has 70,000 patients, is now facing a class-action lawsuit. - The race is on in District 5: Boston City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo is facing a challenge from a member of Wu's administration. Enrique Pepén, the city's executive director of neighborhood services, [officially filed to run for the District 5 seat yesterday]( pledging "leadership that puts people first." - Go deeper: Arroyo [faced scrutiny last month after an investigation]( showed he got help from former U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins during his bid for Suffolk County DA. The Dorchester Reporter has [more on the findings and the emerging District 5 field](. - Save the date: Boston's preliminary election is Sept. 12. - Name a more iconic duo: The beer garden at Boston City Hall is reopening today — and this time it will be a collaborative effort between two local breweries. The D&D Beer Garden will be run by co-operated by nearby Democracy Brewing and Roslindale's Distraction Brewing, with 12 tap lines pouring beers from both breweries. - Check out the menu: Boston.com has [the beer list here](. (There'll also be sandwiches and ice cream from [Jimmies Cafe]( - Hours: To start, D&D Beer Garden will be open in the evenings Tuesday through Friday, and all day on the weekend. However, city officials plan to expand those hours later this month. - Read the fine print: The contract will last until at least Dec. 31, 2024 so they'll be there next summer, too. P.S.— We're entering ice cream season, but how exactly unhealthy is that scoop of cookie dough? Maybe not as bad as you think. Check out WBUR health and science reporter Gabrielle Emanuel's [interview with nutrition expert Dariush Mozaffarian]( about the latest research on the health of ice cream and other dairy products. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Officials propose to move, expand 2 of Boston’s largest high schools]( Mayor Michelle Wu and Superintendent Mary Skipper announced plans to move the John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science from Roxbury to the site of the former West Roxbury Education Complex seven miles away—leaving room for the Madison Park Technical Vocational High School to expand. [Read more.]( [Officials propose to move, expand 2 of Boston’s largest high schools]( Mayor Michelle Wu and Superintendent Mary Skipper announced plans to move the John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science from Roxbury to the site of the former West Roxbury Education Complex seven miles away—leaving room for the Madison Park Technical Vocational High School to expand. [Read more.]( [Here's how Canadian wildfires are worsening air quality across the U.S.]( The National Weather Service said air quality has "plummeted" across the Northeast. A disaster preparedness expert says people should take the warnings seriously. [Read more.]( [Here's how Canadian wildfires are worsening air quality across the U.S.]( The National Weather Service said air quality has "plummeted" across the Northeast. A disaster preparedness expert says people should take the warnings seriously. [Read more.]( [Judge dismisses civil rights case against NSC-131, a blow to prosecutors seeking to rein in white supremacist group]( A superior court judge is dismissing a high profile civil rights case against a regional white supremacist group and two of its members, ruling that New Hampshire prosecutors used an overly broad interpretation of state law to stifle protected speech. [Read more.]( [Judge dismisses civil rights case against NSC-131, a blow to prosecutors seeking to rein in white supremacist group]( A superior court judge is dismissing a high profile civil rights case against a regional white supremacist group and two of its members, ruling that New Hampshire prosecutors used an overly broad interpretation of state law to stifle protected speech. [Read more.]( [In a stunning move, PGA Tour agrees to merge with its Saudi-backed rival, LIV Golf]( The merger, which has not yet been finalized, would end all pending litigation between the leagues, mending a burgeoning split in men's professional golf that has remade the game in the last year. [Read more.]( [In a stunning move, PGA Tour agrees to merge with its Saudi-backed rival, LIV Golf]( The merger, which has not yet been finalized, would end all pending litigation between the leagues, mending a burgeoning split in men's professional golf that has remade the game in the last year. [Read more.]( [Former Gov. Swift and daughter testify at State House on hurdles to access medication]( Swift and her daughter, Lauren Hunt, recounted years of struggles securing drugs for Hunt's juvenile arthritis, blaming the middlemen known as pharmacy benefit managers. [Read more.]( [Former Gov. Swift and daughter testify at State House on hurdles to access medication]( Swift and her daughter, Lauren Hunt, recounted years of struggles securing drugs for Hunt's juvenile arthritis, blaming the middlemen known as pharmacy benefit managers. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - June is typically a busy month of Supreme Court decisions, and [the recent clean water case]( isn't the only one on the docket. Here's [a look ahead at the major decisions due out this month]( — from LGBTQ+ rights to affirmative action to Sunday work at the post office. - Ukrainian director Sasha Denisova's new play in Harvard Square imagines the trial of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Arts writer Jenn Stanley [says the dramatization is a first-class production](. - Egg-cellent news for your grocery bill: Federal data shows the sky-high price of eggs is falling, hitting its lowest levels this spring since last September. NPR [explains the trend here](. - Ellen Braaten lost pretty much everything she owned when her house burned down in 2016. But she [writes in this Cognoscenti commentary]( that the possession she misses most is an old mug.  What We're Reading 📚 This section is supported by [Beacon Hill Books]( a new independent bookstore. - A Reporter Investigated Sexual Misconduct. Then the Attacks Began. ([The New York Times]( - A New CEO Says Employees Can’t Work Remotely After All, and They Revolt ([The Wall Street Journal]( - ‘We’re being ripped off’: Teens investigating equity find Stop & Shop charges more in Jackson Square than at a more affluent suburb ([The Boston Globe](  Tell Me Something Good [Boston caterer wins Gordon Ramsay’s ‘Feed Your Dreams’ contest (Boston 25 News)]( A catering business based in Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood that specializes in southern soul food has emerged victorious in Gordon Ramsay’s “Feed Your Dreams” contest. [Read more.]( [Boston caterer wins Gordon Ramsay’s ‘Feed Your Dreams’ contest (Boston 25 News)]( A catering business based in Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood that specializes in southern soul food has emerged victorious in Gordon Ramsay’s “Feed Your Dreams” contest. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common gets you up to speed on [the particular lack of speed in the Massachusetts Legislature]( this year. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: What's [your MBTA station dog name?]( 😎 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. 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