Spilling the T

Also: Why this Trump indictment is different; Woo-niversal basic income [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  August 2, 2023 🌤️ Partly cloudy, with a high near 77. Good Morning Boston, We're back this morning [like Bed Bath & Beyond](. We'll get you up to speed on [the new Jan. 6 charges against former President Donald Trump]( and why they stand apart from his existing legal woes. But we begin today with the effort to get the MBTA up to speed: - For the first time yesterday, MBTA General Manager Phil Eng took the Green Line's [newly reopened B branch]( to the WBUR studios for an in-person interview on Radio Boston. ("The ride was fine," Eng said.) Still less than four months into the job, the longtime New Yorker [talked to host Tiziana Dearing about the early challenges and surprises]( turning around the much-maligned transit system. Here's what we learned: - A hiring spree knocked off track: Much of the MBTA recent woes — from [service cuts]( to safety issues — can be traced back to [a severe shortage of staff](. Eng said the T is now "hiring at a rate that we've never hired before" and would be hitting their internal targets if current employees weren't [retiring or leaving for other jobs](. "Attrition is offsetting those metrics," he said. "That's the next piece we're working on." Hours after the interview, state officials announced the MBTA and the Carmen's Union agreed to a new contract that focuses on employee retention. - The slog of lifting slow zones: Since he started the job, Eng has been digging out from [widespread subway slow zones]( due to track defects discovered last March. But just because a portion of a line gets shut down for repairs doesn't always mean it will immediately reopen at full speed. "Each time we go in, we're tackling different components," he said of [the upcoming diversions on the Red Line]( declining to give a timeline on when all speed restrictions there would be eliminated. Instead, he said they're being lifted "little by little." - Eng also mentioned the recent Green Line B branch closure was "more about ensuring safety" through Packard's Corner than slow zones, noting there's "still a six-mile-an-hour restriction through that turn." - After-hours: Eng is the transit GM you'd want to get a beer with. Why? He's a [home-brew hobbyist](. He added he's found "quite a few" good breweries since moving to Boston and lives across from Cambridge's Lamplighter Brewing. His favorite style of beer? "I love a lager," he said. - Call it Woo-niversal basic income: The city of Worcester will [give 52 low-income families monthly payments of $100 to $500 for the next two years](. The goal is to provide those selected some financial stability and flexibility to pursue their career goals. The Worcester Community Action Council, which will run the $250,000 program, says it's the "[first of its kind in Central Massachusetts]( - The details: The no-strings-attached money will be added onto preloaded gift cards that recipients can use for whatever they want. The WCAC will then track the broad spending categories to show how people use the money. Participants will have access to financial empowerment workshops and coaching. - WCAC executive director Marybeth Campbell told WBUR's Samantha Coetzee they hope the program makes life less stressful for struggling families. "Our vision is to break the cycle of poverty one neighbor at a time," Campbell said. - New England Revolution head coach Bruce Arena has been placed on administrative leave due to allegations of "insensitive and inappropriate remarks," the team [announced yesterday](. No other details have been released and the MLS says it's investigating the accusations against Arena, the league's all-time most successful coach (he previously coached the USMNT, too). P.S. — The newsmaker train keeps on chugging this week on Radio Boston with none other than Gov. Maura Healey at the mic. Tune in at 11 a.m. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [5 things to know about the latest charges against Donald Trump]( Former President Donald Trump was indicted Tuesday on charges he led a web of conspiracies, with the ultimate goal of overturning the 2020 election results. Read this if you need to get up to speed. [Read more.]( [5 things to know about the latest charges against Donald Trump]( Former President Donald Trump was indicted Tuesday on charges he led a web of conspiracies, with the ultimate goal of overturning the 2020 election results. Read this if you need to get up to speed. [Read more.]( [Impasse declared in talks over Mass. correction officers wearing body cameras]( Talks have stalled in negotiations with the correction officers' union over the rules on how the cameras will be used. But the state will move forward on technological improvements needed for all officers to begin wearing the cameras by next year. [Read more.]( [Impasse declared in talks over Mass. correction officers wearing body cameras]( Talks have stalled in negotiations with the correction officers' union over the rules on how the cameras will be used. But the state will move forward on technological improvements needed for all officers to begin wearing the cameras by next year. [Read more.]( [New England states ask grid operator to create environmental justice position]( To help create an equitable energy transition, five New England states have asked ISO New England to create an executive-level position dedicated to environmental justice [Read more.]( [New England states ask grid operator to create environmental justice position]( To help create an equitable energy transition, five New England states have asked ISO New England to create an executive-level position dedicated to environmental justice [Read more.]( [The new CDC director outlines 3 steps to rebuild trust with the public]( Mandy Cohen led North Carolina's department of Health & Human Services throughout the pandemic. Now, she's taking what she learned to the national level. [Read more.]( [The new CDC director outlines 3 steps to rebuild trust with the public]( Mandy Cohen led North Carolina's department of Health & Human Services throughout the pandemic. Now, she's taking what she learned to the national level. [Read more.]( [Boston seeks public input on how to spend opioid settlement money]( Boston officials are asking the public how best to spend more than $22 million in settlement funds from lawsuits against opioid manufacturers and distributors. It's the most any municipality in Massachusetts expects to receive from this litigation. [Read more.]( [Boston seeks public input on how to spend opioid settlement money]( Boston officials are asking the public how best to spend more than $22 million in settlement funds from lawsuits against opioid manufacturers and distributors. It's the most any municipality in Massachusetts expects to receive from this litigation. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Want to learn more about the new Jan. 6 charges against Trump? Here's the latest coverage: - A basic breakdown: [The charges facing Trump in the Jan. 6 investigation, explained]( - The local angle: [How Massachusetts Republicans view the charges]( - Watch: [Special counsel Jack Smith speaks about the indictment]( - Read: [The indictment against former President Trump]( - Big picture: [Here's where all the criminal and civil cases facing Trump stand]( - More than 70 years after doctors took Henrietta Lacks’ cervical cells without her knowledge, her descendants have [agreed to a settlement with Waltham-based Thermo Fisher Scientific]( over claims the biotech company profited from her cells. - Mount Washington weather can be pretty different than the rest of New England. But last month, meteorologists up there could relate to the rest of us below tree line. The region's highest peak set [a record for wettest July ever](. - Cognoscenti contributor Ilyse Levine-Kanji writes in this commentary that something as simple as a blue envelope could make traffic stops safer for people with autism. Here's [how it would work, as outlined by a bill pending in the Massachusetts Legislature](.  What We're Reading 📚 This section is supported by [Beacon Hill Books]( a new independent bookstore. - New ownership brought Table Talk back from the brink. Now, it’s in expansion mode. ([The Boston Globe]( - Topped Out: Has Boston's skyscraper boom passed its peak? ([Boston Business Journal]( - After The Deluge ([The Atlantic](  Tell Me Something Good [Do you spot it? Puppy in Mass. born with mark resembling Cape Cod (WCVB)]( The puppy, named Chowdah, has a white patch shaped like Cape Cod on his back, which is fitting given that’s where he was bred. [Read more.]( [Do you spot it? Puppy in Mass. born with mark resembling Cape Cod (WCVB)]( The puppy, named Chowdah, has a white patch shaped like Cape Cod on his back, which is fitting given that’s where he was bred. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common has [a talk about legacy admissions](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: Move over sturgeon moon, some shooting stars were spotted from [Fenway Park]( to [Gillette Stadium](. 😎 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.