GLX issues run deeper than we knew

Also: "Snowmageddon" may be coming this winter; prepping for Head of The Charles weekend [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  October 20, 2023 🚣 Mostly cloudy, with a high near 66 and a chance of rain. Good Morning Boston, Happy "We Should Have Made a Restaurant Reservation Earlier" weekend — aka Head of the Charles weekend. Expect heavy crowds and traffic around the river, and [much of Memorial Drive]( will be closed during the day Saturday and Sunday (though it's still open today). Check out our [full HOCR guide]( on how to get there and what to see this year — and while you're at it, come say hi to us at [the WBUR tent]( Now to an all-too-familiar presence in this newsletter: the T. - Narrowing down the problem: The MBTA says most of the newly opened Green Line Extension's tracks will need to be fixed, after revealing yesterday that the recent issues — the [fact that much of the tracks were too narrow]( for trains to safely go full speed— were known as far back as April 2021. According to MBTA General Manager Phil Eng, 80% of the GLX's branch through Somerville to Medford/Tufts and 50% of the Union Square branch will need adjustments. - Does that mean more shutdowns? Potentially. MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo said in an email that the T is "looking at proposed plans to get a lot of the work done during nights." Eng also mentioned the possibility of weekend closures, but nothing has been finalized yet. Eng stressed that the contractors who built the GLX — not taxpayers — will pay for the repairs. - How did this happen? Here's where it gets a bit technical. It's not the tracks themselves that are the problem. The [wood ties]( below the tracks came preassembled with the metal plates that hold the tracks in place. But it appears those plates were anchored to the ties a little too closely together, making the tracks too narrow. "That's what I believe is a likely cause of this," Eng said. - Zoom in: It's a difference of the tiniest amounts. Eng says the tracks should be 56.5 inches apart, give or take 1/16th of an inch. Trains can even still run safely if the tracks are too narrow by an eighth of an inch. However, "a significant portion" are off by between one-eighth and three-eighths of an inch, according to Eng. - Zoom out: The fixes that are now needed is all work Eng says "should have" been done by T officials while the project was still being constructed during former Gov. Charlie Baker's tenure. Making matters worse, Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement that no one told them about it. "Senior MBTA officials under the previous administration knew about issues with the Green Line Extension tracks years ago and did not disclose them to our administration or address them on their watch," Healey said in a statement. "The people of Massachusetts deserve better." - Rep. Seth Moulton says he'd be willing to back a Republican from Ohio as the next speaker of the House — but no, not Rep. Jim Jordan. The Salem Democrat told Radio Boston yesterday that he'd support Rep. Brad Wenstrup as a more moderate compromise. - Why? Moulton said Wenstrup, who's represented southern Ohio for over a decade, is a fellow veteran who's been able to work across the aisle: "He's the kind of moderate, reasonable, thoughtful person we should have as speaker of the House." - The latest: Don't hold your breath for a Speaker Wenstrup. Jordan is [planning a third vote in an attempt to become speaker]( but his path forward remains unclear after two failed tries. - In related news: Moulton told Radio Boston that he's increasingly troubled by the Israeli government's response and treatment of civilians in Gaza. Listen to the full interview [here](. - An MSPCA PSA: The local MSPCA is waiving adoption fees for many animals today through Sunday, due to shelters reaching capacity. Mike Kelley, the head of adoptions at MSPCA Angell in Jamaica Plain, told WBUR's Samantha Coetzee that it's part of a seasonal decline they tend to see in adoptions during this time of year. - Fees — which usually range from $15 to $500 — will be waived for rabbits, mice, rats, guinea pigs, hamsters, parakeets, roosters and pigs, along with older cats and dogs. [Search available pets here](. P.S.— Do you know which sport local artist Alex Diaz is hoping to compete in at the Olympics in 2024, the first time it will be included? [Take our Boston News Quiz]( and see how closely you've been following our coverage this week. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Mass. might face a 'Snowmageddon' this winter. Thanks, El Niño]( Massachusetts will probably see a warmer and wetter winter, with a couple heavy storms, according to the U.S. Climate Prediction Center. A strong El Niño in the Pacific Ocean will influence global weather. [Read more.]( [Mass. might face a 'Snowmageddon' this winter. Thanks, El Niño]( Massachusetts will probably see a warmer and wetter winter, with a couple heavy storms, according to the U.S. Climate Prediction Center. A strong El Niño in the Pacific Ocean will influence global weather. [Read more.]( [New Hampshire's border with Canada border is small, but patrols are about to increase in a big way]( New Hampshire announced there will be a tenfold increase in patrols along the Canadian border, with Republican leaders promising to use state and local law enforcement to close what they consider a potentially dangerous gap in public safety. [Read more.]( [New Hampshire's border with Canada border is small, but patrols are about to increase in a big way]( New Hampshire announced there will be a tenfold increase in patrols along the Canadian border, with Republican leaders promising to use state and local law enforcement to close what they consider a potentially dangerous gap in public safety. [Read more.]( [A bad apple season has some U.S. fruit growers planning for life in a warmer world]( Many New Hampshire apple orchards are barren this year after a late-spring freeze killed apple blossoms. Fruit growers are realizing climate change could mean different crops in the future. [Read more.]( [A bad apple season has some U.S. fruit growers planning for life in a warmer world]( Many New Hampshire apple orchards are barren this year after a late-spring freeze killed apple blossoms. Fruit growers are realizing climate change could mean different crops in the future. [Read more.]( [State Department issues global travel warning for Americans, as Gaza awaits aid]( Aid trucks line up at Egypt-Gaza border as protests continue around the world. The State Department has warned Americans overseas to be on high alert for terrorist attacks in heavily visited areas. [Read more.]( [State Department issues global travel warning for Americans, as Gaza awaits aid]( Aid trucks line up at Egypt-Gaza border as protests continue around the world. The State Department has warned Americans overseas to be on high alert for terrorist attacks in heavily visited areas. [Read more.]( [4 key takeaways from the FBI's annual crime report]( There was less reported violent crime across the U.S. last year after a dramatic spike in 2020. But there were more car thefts and hate crimes reported. [Read more.]( [4 key takeaways from the FBI's annual crime report]( There was less reported violent crime across the U.S. last year after a dramatic spike in 2020. But there were more car thefts and hate crimes reported. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - People who routinely eat a lot of red meat may be increasing their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, according to a new study from Harvard. So, how much red meat is healthy? [Read more]( about the current guidelines and what the new study's author suggests as a limit. - United Airlines is [switching up its boarding policy next week](. Starting on Thursday, the airline will board window seat passengers first, then those in middle seats, followed by people in aisle seats. ([Watch this YouTube video]( to see why this way makes a little more sense.) - Last year, Baylor Henry rowed in the first all-Black, all-female eight boat in the Head of the Charles. Now a junior at Drexel University, [she started an Instagram account, blackgirlsrow, to encourage other young women of color to get involved in the historically exclusive sport](. - Cognoscenti contributor Fred Hewett has lived within a mile of the Charles River for more than 40 years. And [as he writes in this Cognoscenti essay]( the river has changed the way he thinks about Boston.  What We're Reading 📚 - After 30 years of silence, Althea Garrison is claiming her place in LGBTQ+ history ([The 19th News]( - Chug chug chug? Nah. Student desire for booze-free housing growing at local colleges. ([The Boston Globe]( - The Annoyance Economy ([The Atlantic](  Tell Me Something Good [This couple hiked a Vermont mountain in wedding dresses before marrying at the summit (Boston.com)]( This couple hiked Camel's Hump in Vermont in their wedding dresses before marrying at the summit on September 30, 2023. [Read more.]( [This couple hiked a Vermont mountain in wedding dresses before marrying at the summit (Boston.com)]( This couple hiked Camel's Hump in Vermont in their wedding dresses before marrying at the summit on September 30, 2023. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common shares [how locals are adjusting to the return of student loan payments]( and its effects of their monthly budget. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: Take [a soothing drone tour of Vermont's fall foliage]( (and make sure to turn your video quality to 2160p). 😎 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. 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