Back to school 2.0

Also: A messy move-in day at Tufts; how New England farmers are responding to climate change [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  August 29, 2023 ☁️ Cloudy, with a high near 76 and a chance of rain in the afternoon. Good Morning Boston, We're in for another stretch of rain this week, but [the Labor Day weekend forecast]( should at least be worth it. To the news: - Back to school is taking on a new meaning for thousands of adults in Massachusetts this fall. Last week, Gov. Maura Healey launched the beginning of the state's [new MassReconnect program]( offering to cover the costs of community college (tuition, fees, books, supplies) to residents who are 25 and up. [As WBUR's Max Larkin reported]( the program is expected to start out relatively small, supporting between 6,500 and 8,000 community college students in this first year. - But there's a lot of room to grow. By next academic year, officials are aiming to get closer to 10,000. And theoretically, there are over 2 million people in Massachusetts who qualify, including 700,000 who have started — but not finished — college. - Is MassReconnect right for you? Healey's office says the program is open to current students, new students and returning students alike. There's just four criteria you must meet to be eligible: - You must be at least 25 years old by the first day of class. - You must be a permanent Massachusetts resident for at least one year by the start of the term. - You must have no previous two- or four-year college degrees. - You must enroll in at least six credits per semester. - When can I apply? There's no signup deadline, so you could even apply for classes this fall. Most community college programs begin next week, but officials say there are scattered start dates throughout the semester, so students can enroll at any time. - What do I need to do? There are two steps: First, [fill out your FAFSA form](. Then enroll in an approved program at [one of the state's 15 community colleges](. State officials say your financial aid provider should reach out and automatically apply the perk to eligible students (both full and part time students qualify). - Move-in day today at Tufts University could be a bit messy: The university's 150 resident advisors are planning a one-day strike today, after hitting an impasse with school officials over their benefits. - What the RAs want: The group has been demanding a semesterly stipend between $3,000 and $5,000. Tufts has offered to pay for the RAs' meal plan, in addition to housing (which the school already covers). However, Joel Omalade, a first-year Tufts RA, told WBUR's Amy Sokolow it still doesn't recognize the amount of work they're doing. "The money exists," he said. "They're just not willing to pay the amount of money that [we] deserve." - What's next: Tufts says they have "robust contingency plans" for staff to help students move in if the strike occurs. - Plans for a big new apartment complex at Braintree's South Shore Plaza mall have been dropped, following [stiff opposition from some local residents](. The Patriots Ledger [reports]( that the developer behind the project decided to withdraw the proposal after the city's planning board recommended against zoning changes in the area. - The project would have been built in the South Shore Plaza parking lot, just off I-93. Despite [repeatedly downsizing]( the project from 495 apartments to 290 units, Jim Dunlop, the managing director of the development firm ZOM Living, [told the Boston Business Journal]( that they could not overcome "almost-blanket" opposition to multifamily housing in Braintree. Dunlop said they're "actively looking for other towns" to work with. - Heads up, Red Line riders: Shuttle buses will [replace service between North Quincy and Braintree station starting at 8:45 p.m. tonight, tomorrow and Thursday]( — and there's more where that came from. The MBTA's schedule of September diversions includes similar early closures of the North Quincy-to-Braintree stretch each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of the first three weeks of September, plus several weekend diversions on the Red Line's southern legs. - Plan ahead: You can [read about the T's full schedule of September shutdowns here]( — and you'll want to, if you take the Green Line, Orange Line or commuter rail. That's because it includes a 25-day closure of Haymarket station and [a nearly-two month closure of most of the Haverhill commuter rail line](. P.S.— It's not just creative parody videos [inspired by Sarah McLachlan]( and ["The Office."]( The state Department of Conservation and Recreation has installed [additional, physical "Cars Only" signs]( this year by the entrance to Storrow Drive to prevent "[Storrowing]( To [paraphrase Dwight Shrute]( "This is the bridge!" Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Climate change is threatening farms across New England. Here’s how farmers are responding]( Heavy rains have caused massive damage for New England farmers this summer. Problems from heat, pests and drought are common. Some farmers are changing their practices to become more resilient to climate change. [Read more.]( [Climate change is threatening farms across New England. Here’s how farmers are responding]( Heavy rains have caused massive damage for New England farmers this summer. Problems from heat, pests and drought are common. Some farmers are changing their practices to become more resilient to climate change. [Read more.]( [Mass. transportation secretary set to step down in September]( Gina Fiandaca will be the first official in Maura Healey's cabinet to step down. Officials did not give reasons for her departure. [Read more.]( [Mass. transportation secretary set to step down in September]( Gina Fiandaca will be the first official in Maura Healey's cabinet to step down. Officials did not give reasons for her departure. [Read more.]( [Idalia strengthens into a hurricane off Cuba as it churns toward Florida]( Forecasters warn of the possibility of dangerous storm surges caused by Idalia and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has suggested that some residents in coastal areas may have to evacuate. [Read more.]( [Idalia strengthens into a hurricane off Cuba as it churns toward Florida]( Forecasters warn of the possibility of dangerous storm surges caused by Idalia and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has suggested that some residents in coastal areas may have to evacuate. [Read more.]( [Authorities identify husband as killer in ‘Lady of the Dunes’ cold case]( The news comes just days after a disclosure that a Provincetown police detective had improperly exhumed the victim's body from a grave a decade ago. [Read more.]( [Authorities identify husband as killer in ‘Lady of the Dunes’ cold case]( The news comes just days after a disclosure that a Provincetown police detective had improperly exhumed the victim's body from a grave a decade ago. [Read more.]( [March 4 trial date set for Trump in federal case charging him with plotting to overturn election]( The decision from U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan denied adefense requestto push the trial back until April 2026, about a year and a half after the 2024 election, but also sets it later than theJanuary dateproposed byspecial counsel Jack Smith’s team. [Read more.]( [March 4 trial date set for Trump in federal case charging him with plotting to overturn election]( The decision from U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan denied adefense requestto push the trial back until April 2026, about a year and a half after the 2024 election, but also sets it later than theJanuary dateproposed byspecial counsel Jack Smith’s team. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Harvard historian (and West Boylston native) Jill Lepore is [out with a new collection of essays today titled "The Deadline."]( Taken together, critic Carol Iaciofano Aucoin writes that the essays — many of which were first published in The New Yorker — constitute a bracing guide to the ground-shifting cultural and political events of the past 10 years. - Samuel Wurzelbacher — the Ohio man who became famous as "Joe the Plumber" after questioning Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign — has [died at the age of 49 after a battle with cancer](. - With the help of some genetic tweaks, scientists in Woods Hole [were able to make a thumb-sized squid almost invisible](. The see-through version was made possible by the gene-editing technology CRISPR. It also allows researchers to study the squid's three hearts and the inner workings of its relatively large and sophisticated brain.  What We're Reading 📚 - Should We All Be Eating Like The Rock? ([The Atlantic]( - The forgotten history of Block Island’s Harborside Inn ([The Boston Globe]( - Where do old MBTA trains go to die? ([Boston.com](  Life Advice [4 tips on improving your outdoor lighting to protect dark skies]( Light placement and where it's pointed to matters, as well as color temperature and brightness. [Read more.]( [4 tips on improving your outdoor lighting to protect dark skies]( Light placement and where it's pointed to matters, as well as color temperature and brightness. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common looks at [what's missing from the state's POST police complaint database](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [A very Boston fantasy football punishment.]( 😎 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? 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