Teacher tensions in Newton

Also: Grief and outrage at Braindeis University over proposed cuts; the latest on Idalia [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  August 30, 2023 ☁️ Cloudy, with a chance of rain and a high near 75. Good Morning Boston, The skies should clear up for tonight's [super-rare blue supermoon](. Don't miss it, or you'll have to wait over 13 years to see another one. For what it's worth, a blue supermoon doesn't really look any different than a normal supermoon, but this one will be the biggest of 2023 since the moon will be super close to Earth — just 222,043 miles away. But we begin today's newsletter [10 miles west Boston]( - Newton teachers' fight for a new contract is spilling into public view, starting this morning. The Newton Teachers Association says its members will boycott a traditional convocation today held for staff on the first day back from summer break. According to the union, the ceremony is usually voluntary, but school district officials [wrote that attendance is "expected" this year]( with Massachusetts Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler slated to attend. In response, the union first planned a rally outside convocation. But now, they're boycotting. - What they're saying: "We're not going to attend under a directive," Michael Zilles, the NTA's president, told WBUR's Dave Faneuf. "We're going to remain in our building in order to protest both the directive and the lack of a fair contract." - The backstory: Newton's contract with the NTA expires this Thursday. And the union says the annual cost-of-living raises (1.5%-2% each year) that the city is offering in the talks over the new contract [do not keep up with inflation or nearby districts](. - What's next: Newton Superintendent of Schools Anna Nolin says the mediator [recently appointed]( by the state to help negotiate a new contract will be meeting with both sides individually later this week. Until a deal is reached, the Newton School Committee [is telling parents]( to expect to see teachers demonstrating outside buildings before and after class as students return to school. - Boston is feeling the effects of Hurricane Idalia in the form of flight cancellations at Logan Airport. [According to the website FlightAware]( there have already been 20 cancellations in and out of the airport —many of which are JetBlue flights to Tampa and other points in the south. - The latest: Now a Category 4 hurricane, Idalia is [projected to make landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast today]( with winds up to 130 mph and a storm surge potentially as high as 16 feet. - PSA: Eversource is warning customers that their personal information may have been exposed as part of a [worldwide data breach](. While there's no evidence bank accounts or Social Security numbers were leaked, Eversource says some information like customer names, addresses, contact information and utility accounts were exposed. - What should you do: Eversource says customers should keep an eye on their account for unusual activity and [follow these tips to protect against potential scam attempts](. - Zoom out: The breach also affected [National Grid customers]( and [certain health and senior assistance programs in Massachusetts](. - Boston will no longer force couples to pick their sex or gender on marriage licenses. City officials [announced yesterday that they are doing away with gender markers on the forms]( in order to be more inclusive to residents who identify as transgender or nonbinary. - If you're already married and want to get an updated license with no sex or gender identification, [reach out to the city's registry](. - A deal for football fans: The MBTA's special commuter rail train to Gillette Stadium for Patriots home games will cost just $10 roundtrip this season — half the price of what they cost in years past. - Train tickets are now on sale for the Patriots' Sept. 10 home-opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on the T's mTicket app. (For the rest of the season, they'll go on sale at 11 a.m. on the Monday before each game.) - What to expect: There are two trains — one that leaves Boston and one that leaves Providence (each making a few stops on the way). Both drop off across the street from Gillette Stadium about 90 minutes before kick-off and leave 30 minutes after each game ends. [Check here]( for schedule details closer to game day. P.S.— Want to help shape the journalism you hear on-air, online and in newsletters like this one? Come attend one of our two listening sessions next week ([Sept. 5 in Chelsea]( and [Sept. 9 in Lawrence](. There'll be free refreshments and WBUR journalists will be on hand, ready to listen to what’s on your mind. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Idalia strengthens into a Category 4 hurricane as it nears Florida's Gulf Coast]( Idalia intensified into a potentially catastrophic Category 4 hurricane Wednesday morning as it approached Florida's Big Bend region with 130 mph winds. [Read more.]( [Idalia strengthens into a Category 4 hurricane as it nears Florida's Gulf Coast]( Idalia intensified into a potentially catastrophic Category 4 hurricane Wednesday morning as it approached Florida's Big Bend region with 130 mph winds. [Read more.]( [Proposed cuts to music PhD programs at Brandeis spark grief — and outrage]( A statement published Monday by Brandeis’ music faculty called the administration’s arguments for the cuts 'staggeringly untrue,' 'impolitic' and, simply, 'bonkers.' [Read more.]( [Proposed cuts to music PhD programs at Brandeis spark grief — and outrage]( A statement published Monday by Brandeis’ music faculty called the administration’s arguments for the cuts 'staggeringly untrue,' 'impolitic' and, simply, 'bonkers.' [Read more.]( [Here are the first 10 drugs that Medicare will target for price cuts]( The government will negotiate new prices for the commonly prescribed drugs, but the cuts won't take effect until 2026. In the meantime, drugmakers are fighting the negotiations with lawsuits. [Read more.]( [Here are the first 10 drugs that Medicare will target for price cuts]( The government will negotiate new prices for the commonly prescribed drugs, but the cuts won't take effect until 2026. In the meantime, drugmakers are fighting the negotiations with lawsuits. [Read more.]( [The EPA removes federal protections for most of the country's wetlands]( The amended EPA rule is to comply with a Supreme Court ruling this year that narrowed the scope of the Clean Water Act and the agency's power to regulate waterways and wetlands. [Read more.]( [The EPA removes federal protections for most of the country's wetlands]( The amended EPA rule is to comply with a Supreme Court ruling this year that narrowed the scope of the Clean Water Act and the agency's power to regulate waterways and wetlands. [Read more.]( [As more teens overdose on fentanyl, schools face a drug crisis unlike any other]( Fentanyl-related teen overdose deaths nearly tripled from 2019 to 2021. As the school year gets under way, families in mourning urge education leaders to respond. [Read more.]( [As more teens overdose on fentanyl, schools face a drug crisis unlike any other]( Fentanyl-related teen overdose deaths nearly tripled from 2019 to 2021. As the school year gets under way, families in mourning urge education leaders to respond. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - It's easy to forget to cancel a monthly subscription, whether it's for a streaming service or food delivery. So, a few economists set out to figure out how much people were paying for subscriptions they no longer want. Here's [a look at their findings and the FTC proposal to require companies to make it easier to cancel your subscription](. - Coming out of their recent performance at Boston Calling, local hardcore band Actor Observer is out with a new music video that serves as a bracing and angry love letter to Boston. [Watch it here](. - A recently implemented U.S. law designated sesame as the 9th official allergen, requiring it to be labeled on packaged foods. But ironically, [many say it has made the seed more difficult to avoid]( due to how commercial bakers are responding.  What We're Reading 📚 - Bobbi Gibb: The Boston Marathon pioneer who raced a lie ([BBC]( - Town hands over emails from Town Meeting listserv after Brookline.News request ([Brookline.News]( - San Francisco, not Boston, has emerged as a hub for self-driving cars. Maybe we’re fine with that. ([The Boston Globe](  Tell Me Something Good [Maine's puffin colonies recovering in the face of climate change]( Atlantic puffin chicks are rebounding after a catastrophic reproduction season two years ago. Thanks to an abundance of a certain type of fish, the birds thrived, despite challenging climate conditions this year. [Read more.]( [Maine's puffin colonies recovering in the face of climate change]( Atlantic puffin chicks are rebounding after a catastrophic reproduction season two years ago. Thanks to an abundance of a certain type of fish, the birds thrived, despite challenging climate conditions this year. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common talks to [the local Instagram influencer who uses her account to help Spanish-speaking residents navigate government bureaucracy](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: We've found [a solution to the housing crisis](. 😎 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.