Shark safety 101

Also: How & where to see the Northern Lights this week; Sumner Tunnel closure gets real [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  July 10, 2023 🌧️ Rainy, with a chance of a thunderstorm and a high of 75. Good Morning Boston, Want something to look forward to when the skies clear? The Northern Lights are [coming to New England]( this week, and some experts say the geomagnetic storm may even be visible "low on the horizon" from Boston starting Wednesday. However, you'll probably want to find somewhere with less light pollution (and higher elevation) to give yourself the best chance of seeing the aurora. Check out [this tip sheet for more](. And send us your photos if you do see them, because the best viewing hours are really pushing up against this morning newsletter writer's bedtime. Now, to the news: - Shark Week doesn't start until later this month, but our toothy friends are already making headlines up and down the East Coast. [Multiple apparent attacks]( closed beaches last week in New York. And there have been [sightings]( as far north [as Maine](. But local wildlife officials stress that a fear of sharks should not keep you away from the beach (or the water) this summer. Attacks are very rare. And if you follow these five simple tips from the Cape Cod National Seashore's Linzy French, you can reduce that low risk even further: - Never swim near seals. (That's [shark food]( - Avoid murky or low visibility water. - Don't swim alone or away from others. - Limit your splashing, which [attracts sharks](. - Be visible to lifeguards. "Stay close to shore where rescuers can reach you and always listen to the lifeguards and pay attention to signage and flag warnings," French said. - Speaking of beaches: Seventy beaches across Massachusetts have been forced to close for swimming, but not because of sharks. The reason: bacteria. The state's Department of Public Health says it closes beaches if there are high levels of the bacteria for two days in a row. That led to "no swimming" signs at popular spots [like Revere Beach]( last week. - ICYMI: WBUR's Ally Jarmanning [explained here]( why heavy rains often lead to higher bacteria levels and beach closures. - Read the full list: While some beaches have since gotten the green light to reopen, you can read the full list of freshwater and ocean beaches with "unsafe" water quality on [the state's website](. - Get ready to see the real delays from the Sumner Tunnel closure hit. After a week during which some travelers [complained their trips to the airport were too fast]( Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said the relative smooth-going during the first few days of the closure may be over. "Last week was an extremely light traffic week," Gulliver said. "It was the holiday week, people were on vacation, impacts were pretty minor. We expect that to really increase over the next few weeks as those travelers come back." - Not just the North Shore: Gulliver says commuters from all directions — Mass Pike, 93, Southeast Expressway — should expect traffic to get worse, due the "domino effect" of the backups. - If you were on vacation last week: The Sumner — which runs downtown from East Boston and Logan Airport — is fully closed through the end of August. To get around it, officials have made the entire Blue Line free and are providing discounted commuter rail and ferry service. Here's [our full guide to getting around it.]( - Some good news for the North Shore: Parking meters in Salem are now free for anyone with a veteran license plate. The city made the change last week after a Purple Heart recipient got two parking tickets in a short amount of time. - The deets: The free parking includes any city-owned parking lot, but not garages. Veterans also still have to follow other parking rules, like time limits. Find more details [on Salem's website](. P.S.— Shout out to our local professional rugby team, the New England Free Jacks, for [taking home their first Major League Rugby title this weekend](. The upset victory over San Diego came on a last-minute game-winning try. You can [watch the video here](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [After spring freezes wiped out apples, peaches and more, NH farmers pivot to other crops — and new revenue sources]( Many fruit growers experienced significant crop loss after erratic weather in February and May, diminishing this year's harvest. [Read more.]( [After spring freezes wiped out apples, peaches and more, NH farmers pivot to other crops — and new revenue sources]( Many fruit growers experienced significant crop loss after erratic weather in February and May, diminishing this year's harvest. [Read more.]( [Here's who controls the $50 billion opioid settlement funds in each state]( As money is funneled to states, opioid councils wield significant power in determining how it gets spent. They face concerns about conflicts of interest and lack of representation by affected groups. [Read more.]( [Here's who controls the $50 billion opioid settlement funds in each state]( As money is funneled to states, opioid councils wield significant power in determining how it gets spent. They face concerns about conflicts of interest and lack of representation by affected groups. [Read more.]( [It's hot. For farmworkers without federal heat protections, it could be life or death]( Amid extreme heat, there are few federal protections for workers during hot temperatures. The Biden administration wants to change that but the rule making process is long and the heat won't wait. [Read more.]( [It's hot. For farmworkers without federal heat protections, it could be life or death]( Amid extreme heat, there are few federal protections for workers during hot temperatures. The Biden administration wants to change that but the rule making process is long and the heat won't wait. [Read more.]( [A Vermont police officer, aged 19, died in a crash with a burglary suspect she was chasing]( Rutland City Police Officer Jessica Ebbighausen, 19, was killed and two other officers were injured Friday, July 7, 2023 when a burglary suspect crashed into two police cruisers pursuing him, Vermont State Police said. [Read more.]( [A Vermont police officer, aged 19, died in a crash with a burglary suspect she was chasing]( Rutland City Police Officer Jessica Ebbighausen, 19, was killed and two other officers were injured Friday, July 7, 2023 when a burglary suspect crashed into two police cruisers pursuing him, Vermont State Police said. [Read more.]( [Supreme Court dissents and rejoinders, with respect and disrespect]( Feelings seem raw at the court, certainly for the court's three liberal justices, who were on the losing end of some of the court's biggest cases this term, but also for the conservatives. [Read more.]( [Supreme Court dissents and rejoinders, with respect and disrespect]( Feelings seem raw at the court, certainly for the court's three liberal justices, who were on the losing end of some of the court's biggest cases this term, but also for the conservatives. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - U.S. soccer star and political activist Megan Rapinoe [announced she's hanging up her cleats for good at the end of this season.]( She'll play in her fourth World Cup (starting next week!) before finishing the season with her National Women's Soccer League team. - Don't let the lack of a physical "grill" preclude you from grilling this summer. Use a flower pot. A few rocks. Maybe even some bricks. British cookbook author James Whetlor shows you how to [create a DIY grill]( to make those summer dishes you love. - In the late 1960s, the [Eastfield Mall in Springfield]( was a western Massachusetts staple. Now, the property has been purchased by a developer with plans to demolish the building. Those who still have stores there, or continue to visit, says it's the end of an era. - Sara Evans [writes in this Cognoscenti commentary]( that Somerville's plans to set up the area’s first safe consumption site should be part of the solution to Massachusetts' drug problem. In other countries, Evans writes "these sites all have one thing in common: There has never been a single overdose fatality at any of them."  What We're Reading 📚 This section is supported by [Beacon Hill Books]( a new independent bookstore. - The IHOP Kingpin vs. the American Revolutionaries ([Curbed]( - The Mayor Had a Photo of a Fallen Officer. Was His Story About It True? ([The New York Times]( - How an AI-written Star Wars story created chaos at Gizmodo ([The Washington Post](  Tell Me Something Good [An overdue library book makes a return trip to the shelves — 119 years later]( There are overdue library books. Then there’s An Elementary Treatise on Electricity, which was last checked out in Massachusetts in 1904.It would take 119 years and the sharp eyes of a librarian in West Virginia before the book found its way back. [Read more.]( [An overdue library book makes a return trip to the shelves — 119 years later]( There are overdue library books. Then there’s An Elementary Treatise on Electricity, which was last checked out in Massachusetts in 1904.It would take 119 years and the sharp eyes of a librarian in West Virginia before the book found its way back. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [provides an introduction to the Summer of Sass and the nonprofit's new home in Provincetown](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [Lobster Threads]( already. Digital producer Derek Anderson co-produced this newsletter. 😎 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 © 2023 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.