Boston visitors bureau pushes back on DeSantis

Also: Inside the mission to get the "NASA for healthcare"; feds launch inquiry into Mass. special education system [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  October 6, 2023 ⛅ Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70. Good Morning Boston, It's [World Smile Day]( but let's try to contain any grinning for now about [those Shohei Ohtani rumors](. Let's get to the news: - About that DeSantis tweet: Boston's visitors bureau is pushing back on the notion — [promoted by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis]( and other right-wing commentators — that veterans and others planning to attend [this December's Army-Navy football game]( at Gillette Stadium "cannot find anywhere to stay" because some local hotels are using rooms to house immigrants in the state's family shelter system. - For the not-online crowd: DeSantis, who is running for the GOP presidential nomination, bashed Massachusetts on Twitter earlier this week, after the Boston Herald [reported]( that some service academy graduates and families were "scrambling" to find hotel rooms for the historic Army-Navy game in Foxborough because their reservations were taken back by the hotel management company to provide housing for recently arrived refugees. "Our veterans and service academy graduates cannot find anywhere to stay for the Army-Navy Game because hotels are housing illegal aliens on the taxpayers’ dime," DeSantis tweeted. - While it's true hotels in Foxborough (and also [across the state]( have been contracted by the state to house people in the shelter system, the local hospitality trade group Meet Boston suggested the impacts were being overblown. "Recent attention has focused on an isolated situation, at specific hotels, in the area around Gillette Stadium which has created a false notion that widespread hotel displacement is happening without solutions in place," the group said in a statement, noting "much of the activity" around the game is centered in downtown Boston. - The big picture: Massachusetts has seen the number of families in state-funded shelters more than double this year to over 6,700 families, as WBUR's Gabrielle Emanuel [recently reported](. The increase is driven by the rising number of newly arrived immigrant families, many of whom have fled unrest in Haiti. As a result, the state — which has a unique right-to-shelter law — has run out of room in its shelter system and is paying for nearly 3,000 families to stay in overflow hotels and motels. - What's being done now? The company that operates several hotels in Foxborough told the Herald they will “seamlessly relocate" displaced guests to other nearby hotels, and Gov. Maura Healey has also directed her office to help. Meet Boston officials also say they're working with the MBTA to offer discounted transportation deals to any displaced veterans staying in Boston-based hotels. - Dim the lights: Boston-area theaters will pay tribute tonight to Spiro Veloudos, a long-time figure in the local theater scene, by dimming their marquee lights. Veloudos spent more than two decades at the Lyric Stage in Boston, as artistic director. - Read more: Critic-at-large Ed Siegel [writes that Veloudos was one of the most important figures in Boston theater’s recent history]( for bringing provocative contemporary drama to the scene. - Just in time for boot season: L.L. Bean's newest store opens this morning at 9 a.m. in Peabody. The [new Northshore Mall location]( comes less than a month after the South Shore got its [own new L.L. Bean store in Hanover](. - Zoom out: The Maine-based company now has a total of 11 brick-and-mortar locations in Massachusetts, the [most of any state](. - Save the date: The U.S. Open is returning to Brookline... eventually. The U.S. Golf Association [announced yesterday]( that the men's U.S. Open will circle back to The Country Club in 2038. The Brookline club will also host the U.S. Women's Open for the first time in 2045. So you can probably wait a little before you [put your house back on Airbnb](. - What's all that noise? It's probably [the HONK! Festival](. Dozens of brass bands are descending on Cambridge and Somerville today for the expanded, three-day musical celebration. The music begins tonight with performances around Union Square, with lots more scheduled tomorrow in Davis Square and Sunday in Harvard Square. Check out the schedule [here.]( P.S.— What city is NBA champion and Olympic gold medalist Jrue Holiday newly calling home? Take our [Boston News Quiz]( to see if you know the answer and compare how well your knowledge of this week's stories compares with other WBUR readers. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [How Mass. won the competition to host a 'NASA for health care']( A group of public officials, scientists, business leaders and community advocates made a pitch — and it paid off. Cambridge’s Kendall Square will become a hub for the new federal health agency, ARPA-H. [Read more.]( [How Mass. won the competition to host a 'NASA for health care']( A group of public officials, scientists, business leaders and community advocates made a pitch — and it paid off. Cambridge’s Kendall Square will become a hub for the new federal health agency, ARPA-H. [Read more.]( [Feds launch inquiry into whether Mass.' special education system fails to comply with law]( Citing concerns from families and advocates, the federal government is demanding state education officials turn over a slew of documents as it questions whether Massachusetts adequately supports students with disabilities. It also is looking into the state's oversight of public schools and its network of private special education schools. [Read more.]( [Feds launch inquiry into whether Mass.' special education system fails to comply with law]( Citing concerns from families and advocates, the federal government is demanding state education officials turn over a slew of documents as it questions whether Massachusetts adequately supports students with disabilities. It also is looking into the state's oversight of public schools and its network of private special education schools. [Read more.]( [Study: Over 70% of marine mammals in American waters are vulnerable to climate change threats]( A first-of-its-kind assessment says whales, dolphins and seals living in U.S. waters face major threats from the warming ocean temperatures, rising sea levels and decreasing sea ice associated with climate change. [Read more.]( [Study: Over 70% of marine mammals in American waters are vulnerable to climate change threats]( A first-of-its-kind assessment says whales, dolphins and seals living in U.S. waters face major threats from the warming ocean temperatures, rising sea levels and decreasing sea ice associated with climate change. [Read more.]( [Skyscraper in Boston is now the largest ‘passive house’ office space in the world]( The 691-foot tower's office space uses 65% less energy to heat and cool than similar buildings. [Read more.]( [Skyscraper in Boston is now the largest ‘passive house’ office space in the world]( The 691-foot tower's office space uses 65% less energy to heat and cool than similar buildings. [Read more.]( [The House can't work without a speaker. How will it choose McCarthy's successor?]( Republicans plan to convene for a candidate forum on Tuesday and hold a speakership vote on Wednesday. While it's not clear who will be running, there's no question they face a tough road ahead. [Read more.]( [The House can't work without a speaker. How will it choose McCarthy's successor?]( Republicans plan to convene for a candidate forum on Tuesday and hold a speakership vote on Wednesday. While it's not clear who will be running, there's no question they face a tough road ahead. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - More than two dozen local jazz ensembles will converge on a 1.5-mile walking loop along the Charles River tomorrow afternoon, and starting at 2 p.m. they'll all play the same set list — simultaneously. WBUR's Andrea Shea has [more on how the group selected their songs and what to expect]( if you venture down to the Esplanade on Saturday. - How will our rainy summer affect this fall's foliage? WBUR's Morning Edition host Rupa Shenoy spoke with Jim Salge, a meteorologist and fall foliage expert for Yankee magazine, about what people can expect for the 2023 leaf-peeping season. Here are [the highlights](. - Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal co-star in a new, 31-minute Western short film called "Strange Way of Life." For better or worse, movie critic Sean Burns [writes that the film leaves people wanting more](. - Spooky season listening: Should we consider the volunteer-generated website findagrave.com one of the first social media websites ever? [This week's episode of Endless Thread]( takes the question all the way to a graveyard and the website's founder.  What We're Reading 📚 - Mystery solved: Cambridge officials reveal identity of Fresh Pond’s so-called ‘Loch Fresh Monster’ ([The Boston Globe]( - Garrett Harker Conquers Kenmore (Again) ([Boston Magazine]( - Kevin McCarthy Got What He Wanted ([The Atlantic](  🔎 Field Guide [East Boston: A Boston neighborhood guide]( Surrounded by water and New England's biggest airport, East Boston sits directly across the harbor from downtown — a mix of single- and multi-family homes that evoke an older Boston, alongside a shoreline studded with modern apartment buildings. [Read more.]( [East Boston: A Boston neighborhood guide]( Surrounded by water and New England's biggest airport, East Boston sits directly across the harbor from downtown — a mix of single- and multi-family homes that evoke an older Boston, alongside a shoreline studded with modern apartment buildings. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [previews this month's must-see shows in the Boston area]( — both on-stage and on-screen. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [Map]( imitates [life](. 😎 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.