Logan Airport's recent scramble

Also: New COVID vaccine available in Mass.; dual 25-day Green Line station closures begin [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  September 18, 2023 ☔ Rainy, with a high of 69. Good Morning Boston, It's [a game of inches]( but at least we have [Dunkin's new, blended-munchkin drink]( to lift spirits (or, at least our blood sugar) after another tough Patriots loss last night. Let's kick off our week with some more news: - Round four of the COVID vaccine rollout is here. The latest version of the COVID vaccine — battling omicron variant XBB. 1.5 — is now officially available across Massachusetts. If you're itching to get the shot, you'll probably want to head to the pharmacy. WBUR's Priyanka Dayal McCluskey reports local hospitals and clinics may not have the vaccine for several more days (if not weeks), while national chains like CVS and Walgreens already have them in stock across the state. - How do I get one? The websites for [CVS]( and [Walgreens]( show pretty plentiful appointment slots this week. But they'll also accept walk-ins. (Only 17% of those eligible for the last booster got one, so it seems unlikely demand will be super high this time around.) - Advice from the top: The CDC says everyone ages six months and older should get the new vaccine if it's been at least two months since your last COVID shot. - But do I need to get one now? Experts say higher-risk individuals should get the shot ASAP. But for healthy young adults and children, it's a little less pressing. Some experts suggest getting it with your flu shot before flu season and the holidays later this fall. "I think you can wait a month or two," Dr. David Hamer, Boston University public health professor, [recently told Radio Boston](. - Remember: The vaccine remains free — whether you have health insurance or not — through the end of 2024. - Go deeper: NPR has [answers to all your new vaccine questions here](. - Get out your walking shoes, Green Line riders. Two 25-day Green Line station closures [begin today]( — and there generally won't be any replacement shuttle bus service for either (with the exception of on-call vans for those with disabilities). Both of the closures will run today through Thursday, Oct. 12. Here's what to know: - First, Haymarket station is closed due to [the still-ongoing demolition work]( on the Government Center Garage. Riders will need to walk three-quarters of a mile between North Station and Government Center, or [switch onto the nearby Orange Line](. - Second, Somerville's Union Square station is closed [due to MassDOT work on the Route 28 Squires Bridge](. The T suggests riders take local buses or the Green Line Extension's Medford/Tufts branch (the East Somerville stop is a half-mile away). Check out the map below for a view of the options. - One sweet, silver lining: There will be some shuttle bus service between the East Somerville stop and Union Square plaza this Saturday from 2:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m for Somerville's [annual "What the Fluff?" Festival](. The shuttles will run every 10 to 15 minutes. - Speaking of bridge work: Another round of repair work begins today on the Bourne Bridge — meaning traffic in each direction will be reduced from two lanes to one. The other Cape Cod bridge, the Sagamore, underwent similar maintenance work this past spring. (These are short-term term fixes until both bridges are [eventually replaced]( - What to expect: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says the repair work will likely run through late November. Bourne Bridge drivers should expect delays, especially in the morning and afternoon. - Make sure to bring a mask if you're headed to a Cambridge Health Alliance facility. The local healthcare system is reinstating a mask mandate today for patients, staff and visitors — and expects to keep the requirement in place through flu and cold season. ([According to the Boston Business Journal]( CHA locations will have masks available for visitors in their lobbies.) - Masks have been optional for most hospital patients and staff [since the end of the COVID public health emergency in May](. However, UMass Memorial Health also [brought back a mask mandate for staff last month]( amid [a bump in COVID cases](. P.S.— Keep your ears peeled for new climate plans from the state this morning. Gov. Maura Healey's office says she will announce new policies during an 8 a.m. keynote speech today at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York. Watch [here](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown ['We started getting just planes of people': Logan Airport team scrambles to help newly arrived migrants]( Each night, workers at Logan Airport provide cots for travelers with canceled flights. But lately, they’re also providing temporary beds for immigrants seeking refuge in Massachusetts. Since July 11, Logan’s Crisis Response Team has assisted over 1,600 new arrivals. [Read more.]( ['We started getting just planes of people': Logan Airport team scrambles to help newly arrived migrants]( Each night, workers at Logan Airport provide cots for travelers with canceled flights. But lately, they’re also providing temporary beds for immigrants seeking refuge in Massachusetts. Since July 11, Logan’s Crisis Response Team has assisted over 1,600 new arrivals. [Read more.]( [Photos: Lee grazes an already water-logged Massachusetts]( Massachusetts was largely spared as Lee moved north, but nevertheless the storm brought strong winds and bands of rain. Here's a look at how New England weathered the storm. [Read more.]( [Photos: Lee grazes an already water-logged Massachusetts]( Massachusetts was largely spared as Lee moved north, but nevertheless the storm brought strong winds and bands of rain. Here's a look at how New England weathered the storm. [Read more.]( [Young people think climate change is a top issue but when they vote, it's complicated]( Climate change is a major issue for young voters, but so far, it has not been a major mobilizing force in U.S. elections. Some environmental action groups see that changing. [Read more.]( [Young people think climate change is a top issue but when they vote, it's complicated]( Climate change is a major issue for young voters, but so far, it has not been a major mobilizing force in U.S. elections. Some environmental action groups see that changing. [Read more.]( [Massachusetts cannabis agency chair Shannon O'Brien suspended]( On Friday, Massachusetts State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg —who appointed O’Brien a year ago — ordered the CCC chair to turn in her laptop, keys and cellphone. The move comes as upheaval continues to collide with the commission’s hefty regulatory and policy responsibilities. [Read more.]( [Massachusetts cannabis agency chair Shannon O'Brien suspended]( On Friday, Massachusetts State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg —who appointed O’Brien a year ago — ordered the CCC chair to turn in her laptop, keys and cellphone. The move comes as upheaval continues to collide with the commission’s hefty regulatory and policy responsibilities. [Read more.]( [Former Boston police officer indicted for role in U.S. Capitol insurrection]( Joseph Fisher pleaded not guilty to a slew of federal charges, including assaulting a police officer and committing physical violence in the Capitol. [Read more.]( [Former Boston police officer indicted for role in U.S. Capitol insurrection]( Joseph Fisher pleaded not guilty to a slew of federal charges, including assaulting a police officer and committing physical violence in the Capitol. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Driving out west for [the Big E fair]( this week? We've got new local music you'll want to queue up for the ride (or any roadtrip). [Check out Charley Ruddell's list of seven albums to listen to]( — part of [our 2023 fall arts guides](. It includes some jangly Western Massachusetts indie rock and energetic pop-leaning projects from the Boston area. - American cyclist Sepp Kuss won one of the sport's crown jewels this weekend: La Vuelta a España. But in a dramatic and controversial twist, the biggest threat to Kuss during the three-week race came from within his own team. Here's [a quick guide to what happened in Spain](. - Liza Ketchum admired a majestic sugar maple at Mount Auburn Cemetery for seven years, as part of her volunteer work gathering data on nature and climate change. Then a microburst injured the tree. "If that sounds personal, it is," Ketchum [writes in this Cognoscenti commentary](. - Now on the main stage at the Huntington Theatre Company: "Prayer for the French Republic." The Joshua Harmon play conveys a Jewish family in France and how many of the same frightening issues their ancestors dealt with continue to proliferate due to antisemitism, despite centuries of living, working and growing in the country. WBUR theater critic Terry Byrne calls it "[a theatrical blessing.](  What We're Reading 📚 - Boston's first "passive" single-family homes preview greener future ([Axios]( - Earth ‘well outside safe operating space for humanity’, scientists find ([The Guardian]( - Should business executives be funding the governor’s travel? ([The Boston Globe](  🔎 Field Guide [Roslindale: A Boston neighborhood guide]( A residential locality on the southwest end of Boston, Roslindale is a diverse neighborhood with access to some of the city’s most stunning green spaces. [Read more.]( [Roslindale: A Boston neighborhood guide]( A residential locality on the southwest end of Boston, Roslindale is a diverse neighborhood with access to some of the city’s most stunning green spaces. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common looks at [Salem High School's new no-cell phone policy]( and what's next for cell phone restriction policies in high schools across the region. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [That feeling when it's Monday again.]( 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 🔎 Explore [WBUR's Field Guide]( stories, events and more. 📣 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.