Rained out

Also: Recapping the first day of the Sumner Tunnel closure; GLX branch closure postponed [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  July 6, 2023 ☀️ Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. Good Morning Boston, After a rain-soaked holiday weekend, today looks like another great chance for outdoor time. But one note of caution: There's [an air quality advisory]( for Suffolk and Essex counties starting at 11 a.m., and this time Canadian wildfires aren't the reason. Rather, [elevated ozone levels]( will make conditions unhealthy for sensitive groups in those select areas. (Air quality will be moderate everywhere else.) Now, to the news: - One day down; 57 to go: The first day of the two-month Sumner Tunnel closure came and went, and while it undoubtedly resulted in added congestion for those headed across the harbor from East Boston and Logan Airport, WBUR's Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez reports most travelers and commuters felt prepared for it. "We knew about the tunnel," said Tim Dagata, a visitor from Washington, D.C., who was flying back yesterday. "We saw the signs on the tunnel on the way in. Our airline also told us. So, it was well known." - On the roads: Belwinder Gill, a Boston cab driver for 24 years, said he made two trips to Logan yesterday and the drive back through the Ted Williams Tunnel was 10 minutes longer than usual. Gill said he thinks people were ready because of the regular weekend closures of the Sumner over the last year. - One big caveat: Yesterday was a relatively light travel day. State officials have said the first big test will likely be next week. - On the Blue Line: Even if Logan was quiet, Perdomo-Hernandez reports the Blue Line was packed with morning commuters. "I’m not even thinking of really crossing into the city by car," said Eastie resident Natasha Winter. - Another caveat: Perdomo-Hernandez says many Blue Line riders didn't know (but were pleasantly surprised) that [the line is free during the closure.]( - Psst: You can read about more tips for avoiding the Sumner Tunnel closure in [this comprehensive guide]( from Andrea and me. - One closure we won't have to worry about this month: The Green Line Extension's one-station leg to Union Square. Gov. Maura Healey's administration [announced yesterday that they're postponing the six weeks of repair work]( on a nearby Route 28 bridge so the GLX branch closure doesn't happen until September. - Why the change of plans? Last week's announcement [elicited outspoken concern from local officials]( about the closure's timing and lack of diversion plans. In response, Healey spokesperson Karissa Hand said MassDOT inspected the bridge over the weekend and found it "safe to delay repairs until September" so the work doesn't coincide with the Sumner Tunnel closure. Hand added it gives more time to explore other ways to ease the disruption and communicate plans with the public. - Remember: This doesn't change [the plans to close the Green Line's B branch later this month](. That diversion is still on. - A change of heart: Boston City Councilor Michael Flaherty says he will no longer seek reelection this year, after a total of 20 years in office. The South Boston Democrat and former mayoral candidate had originally filed to run to keep his at-large seat but [announced last night]( he changed his mind after talking it over with his family. - What's next: Flaherty says he has "no present plans to run for another public office." His decision means at least three City Council seats will change hands this year. (District 8 Councilor Kenzie Bok has [already left office]( and District 3 Councilor Frank Baker [says he's not running again]( - We told you: Beacon Hill [isn't exactly chomping at the bit to act on Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's proposal]( to bring back a form of rent control. State House News Service[reports]( Boston's home rule petition likely won't get a review — much less a vote — until this fall. It's a timeline housing advocates criticize for lacking urgency. - As WBUR's Steve Brown [reported in May]( Boston's measure — which now needs approval from the State House and Gov. Maura Healey due to Massachusetts' rent control ban — has little public support among the Democratic supermajority on Beacon Hill. - It's not just rent control: The Boston Globe reported this spring that the State House is off to [a historically slow start](. P.S.— Need a laugh to get you through the Sumner Tunnel closure? The North End's Improv Asylum is offering free shows every Wednesday night [beginning next week]( through the end of August. You can check the full schedule and show times [here](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Why heavy rains shut down many Mass. beaches on hot summer days]( About 5% of the state’s saltwater beaches had too much bacteria in the water, leading to more than 1,000 days of posted closures. [Read more.]( [Why heavy rains shut down many Mass. beaches on hot summer days]( About 5% of the state’s saltwater beaches had too much bacteria in the water, leading to more than 1,000 days of posted closures. [Read more.]( [Test strips for the deadly street drug xylazine could save lives]( A handful of harm reduction programs in Massachusetts have started handing out test strips for xylazine, a drug that can produce gaping skin wounds and increase the risk of an overdose, or even death. [Read more.]( [Test strips for the deadly street drug xylazine could save lives]( A handful of harm reduction programs in Massachusetts have started handing out test strips for xylazine, a drug that can produce gaping skin wounds and increase the risk of an overdose, or even death. [Read more.]( [Boston Democratic Socialists move to expel progressive state lawmaker]( A group of DSA members says Cambridge State Rep. Mike Connolly has fallen out of step with the core principles of their organization.Connolly says he's doing what's necessary to pass progressive legislation. [Read more.]( [Boston Democratic Socialists move to expel progressive state lawmaker]( A group of DSA members says Cambridge State Rep. Mike Connolly has fallen out of step with the core principles of their organization.Connolly says he's doing what's necessary to pass progressive legislation. [Read more.]( [U.S. is barred from combating disinformation on social media. Here's what it means]( Under a judge's new ruling, much of the federal government is now barred from working with social media companies to address removing any content that might contain "protected free speech." [Read more.]( [U.S. is barred from combating disinformation on social media. Here's what it means]( Under a judge's new ruling, much of the federal government is now barred from working with social media companies to address removing any content that might contain "protected free speech." [Read more.]( [Former Mass. Gov. Charlie Baker appears to have a state portrait underway]( The former Massachusetts governor's campaign paid $13,500 to Pennsylvania-based portrait artist Ellen Cooper, finance filings show. [Read more.]( [Former Mass. Gov. Charlie Baker appears to have a state portrait underway]( The former Massachusetts governor's campaign paid $13,500 to Pennsylvania-based portrait artist Ellen Cooper, finance filings show. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - The annual Levitate Music Festival returns to the Marshfield Fairgrounds this weekend, 10 years after 1,500 fans turned out for the first fest in 2013. WBUR's Andrea Shea [reports]( that Levitate, which now draws 20,000 jam band and Reggae fans each day, has come a long way since its origins at a local skate and surf shop. - Not headed to Marshfield? Check out [our full weekend events preview]( which also includes a tropical First Friday party at the ICA, BBG Fest at City Hall and an epic Taylor Swift/Lana Del Rey double tribute concert at the legendary Somerville Theatre. - Film critic Sean Burns says the raunchy, R-rated comedy “Joy Ride" [might be the most delightful surprise of the season.]( There's a local angle, too: Dorchester’s own Ayo Edebiri co-stars. - Tracey Palmer explains the pure joy of being a grown-up BTS superfan in [this Cognoscenti commentary]( "You are there for BTS, but suddenly you realize you are also there for each other, and for yourself."  What We're Reading 📚 - I attended the Market Basket academy of summer jobs. It’s still paying off. ([The Boston Globe]( - Who killed Google Reader? ([The Verge]( - Bitter rivals. Beloved friends. Survivors. ([Washington Post](  Food For Thought [Gordon Ramsay opens a burger joint in downtown Boston (Boston.com)]( The burger restaurant is Ramsay’s second in Boston, sprawling over 4,000 square feet and featuring a second-story roof deck with views of downtown, the West End, the North End and the Rose Kennedy Greenway. [Read more.]( [Gordon Ramsay opens a burger joint in downtown Boston (Boston.com)]( The burger restaurant is Ramsay’s second in Boston, sprawling over 4,000 square feet and featuring a second-story roof deck with views of downtown, the West End, the North End and the Rose Kennedy Greenway. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [discusses how the Boston area's housing market got so crazy]( and what's at stake for communities when home ownership strays farther out of reach for average families. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: You have to respect [this optimism](. 😎 Forward to a friend. 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