Overdose deaths drop in Mass.

Also: Mass. leaders' lip service for protesters; 3 things to know about the Patriots' 2024 season [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  May 16, 2024 🌧️ Rainy (mainly before 4 p.m.) with a high near 59. Good Morning Boston, The Celtics are officially [headed to the Eastern Conference Finals](. (Was there ever a doubt?) While we wait for the [Knicks and Pacers]( to determine who the Celtics will play, let's get to the news: - For the first time in four years, Massachusetts saw a decline in overdose deaths in 2023 — and a significant one at that. WBUR's Martha Bebinger reports that overdose deaths in the state dropped 11% to 2,384, based on [preliminary numbers]( from the Centers for Disease Control. Deirdre Calvert, the head of state Public Health Department's addiction services bureau, credits the widespread distribution of naloxone and fentanyl test strips, as well mobile treatment programs and housing. - Zoom out: U.S. drug deaths [fell by 3% to 107,543 in 2023](. While that's the first national drop in five years, officials say the toll remains at "crisis" levels due to synthetic drugs like fentanyl. - Now what? Calvert says the high numbers support the need for overdose prevention centers — also known as supervised consumption sites. [DPH officials have been calling for legislation]( to ease state restrictions on opening the centers. "We need every tool available at our means," Calvert told Martha. "Overdose prevention centers are not going to be the tool that ends overdoses, but it’s going to be a very effective, needed tool to prevent overdose deaths." - On Beacon Hill: Mayor Michelle Wu's [hopes for a real estate transfer tax in Boston]( just got a little dimmer. Massachusetts House Speaker Ron Mariano told reporters yesterday the proposal to let individual cities and towns impose fees between 0.5% and 2% on a portion of higher-end real estate sales is "not as popular" among fellow members as he thought. [As State House News Service reports]( the tax was included in Gov. Maura Healey's [larger housing bond bill]( — and disagreement over the tax may be holding up the whole bill. - Zoom out: [At least 10 cities and towns]( including Boston, have sent home rule petitions to the Legislature asking for the ability to launch their own real estate transfer fees. (None of them have been approved.) - Meanwhile: [Hundreds of people rallied yesterday on Boston Common]( in support of bills to increase the minimum wage and end the statewide ban on rent control. - Mark your calendar: Itching to see [new Patriots quarterback Drake Maye]( — or at least [Jacoby Brissett]( — at Gillette Stadium this fall? The NFL unveiled the schedule for the 2024 season last night. You can [check out the full Pats schedule here]( (as well as [the team's "Good Will Hunting" schedule release parody](. Here are three things to know: - The Pats and new coach Jerod Mayo will begin 2024 with a Sept. 8 away game against the Cincinnati Bengals. - After a last place finish in the AFC East, the Pats only have one primetime night game on the schedule. It's a Week 3 Thursday game on Sept. 19 against the New York Jets. - There's another overseas trip following last year's Germany game — this time in London. The Pats will play the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium on Oct. 20. - On the Esplanade: The Boston Pops are out with the lineup for [their 50th annual Fourth of July concert]( at the Hatch Shell this summer. Conductor Keith Lockhart says they're trying to make it "as diverse a lineup as possible" for the hundreds of thousands of people watching both along the Charles River and on TV. - So, who will join them? Special guests include R&B legend Darlene Love, Broadway singer Kelli O'Hara, The Mavericks (the country band, not the basketball team) and a U.S. Army chorus. - New on Mass. Ave: Lexington unveiled a new monument yesterday honoring women who shaped the town's history. The bronze "Something is Being Done" sculpture recognizes more than 20 women of different races and ages dating back to the American Revolution. - See for yourself: The monument is located on the Lexington Visitors Center's lawn. [Check out photos of its unveiling here.]( P.S.— Beyond All Repair fans, we have a special event coming for you. On Point's Meghna Chakrabarti will sit down with [Beyond All Repair host Amory Sivertson at CitySpace on June 20]( for a conversation on how the hit true crime podcast was made. They'll also take your questions about the case and the podcast. [Get your tickets here.]( Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters  The Rundown [Many political leaders paid lip service to protesters' free speech while agreeing with arrests]( Critics say history will not look well upon hundreds of pro-Palestinian students being arrested for peaceful protests. [Read more.]( [Many political leaders paid lip service to protesters' free speech while agreeing with arrests]( Critics say history will not look well upon hundreds of pro-Palestinian students being arrested for peaceful protests. [Read more.]( [Under a deadline to leave shelters, homeless families face obstacles]( Ericka Guerrero and her son Leudi have been in the state shelter system since he was born more than 16 months ago. They've faced many hurdles and delays in getting out of shelter, including obtaining work authorization and competing for limited affordable housing. [Read more.]( [Under a deadline to leave shelters, homeless families face obstacles]( Ericka Guerrero and her son Leudi have been in the state shelter system since he was born more than 16 months ago. They've faced many hurdles and delays in getting out of shelter, including obtaining work authorization and competing for limited affordable housing. [Read more.]( [Biden and Trump will debate in June and September. But the terms have changed]( President Biden and former President Donald Trump have agreed to events on June 27 with CNN and Sept. 10 with ABC News. They're opting out of a plan from the Commission on Presidential Debates. [Read more.]( [Biden and Trump will debate in June and September. But the terms have changed]( President Biden and former President Donald Trump have agreed to events on June 27 with CNN and Sept. 10 with ABC News. They're opting out of a plan from the Commission on Presidential Debates. [Read more.]( [Mass. health leaders concerned about effects of Steward bankruptcy]( State health officials on Wednesday sought to assure health care leaders that they are working to preserve care at Steward Health Care's hospitals, despite the company's bankruptcy. But some hospital leaders expressed concerns about the ripple effects already becoming evident at facilities in Massachusetts. [Read more.]( [Mass. health leaders concerned about effects of Steward bankruptcy]( State health officials on Wednesday sought to assure health care leaders that they are working to preserve care at Steward Health Care's hospitals, despite the company's bankruptcy. But some hospital leaders expressed concerns about the ripple effects already becoming evident at facilities in Massachusetts. [Read more.]( [City finalizing settlement in Felix Arroyo's sexual harassment lawsuit]( Attorneys say they have have reached a "mutually agreeable settlement" in a sexual harassment lawsuit against former city health chief Felix Arroyo and the city of Boston, days after the start of long-awaited trial. [Read more.]( [City finalizing settlement in Felix Arroyo's sexual harassment lawsuit]( Attorneys say they have have reached a "mutually agreeable settlement" in a sexual harassment lawsuit against former city health chief Felix Arroyo and the city of Boston, days after the start of long-awaited trial. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - From a dance performance in Cambridge to a book fair in Roxbury to history-inspired walking tour in Jamaica Plain, there's plenty to explore this weekend — whether the skies clear or not. Read all five of our [arts team's weekend event recommendations here](. - Since its inception in late 2023, the Instagram account Boston Urban Archive has amassed over 30,000 followers. WBUR's Arielle Gray [reports it's the work of UMass Boston student Ebony Gill](. A senior English major, Gill digs through the university's library to find archival video and newspaper clips that highlight the history of the city's communities of color. - Good news: Eggs and milk prices fell last month, as April saw the lowest "core inflation" reading in three years. Does that mean an interest rate cut could be coming soon? NPR [has more on the trends](. - Every year, as spring approaches, Anita Diamant wonders if she should just let nature run its course and surrender her garden to the weeds. [But as she writes in this Cognoscenti essay]( she's too Type A to give up. What We're Reading 📚 - The friendships forged in a governors group chat ([The 19th]( - Meet the Boston architects who designed the largest cruise ship in the world ([The Boston Globe]( - We tried to pet all 200 breeds at the Westminster dog show ([Washington Post](  Sound On [And the winner of the 2024 Tiny Desk Contest is...]( Nearly 7,000 independent artists submitted to this year's Tiny Desk Contest. Meet the Sacramento artist that rose to the top. [Read more.]( [And the winner of the 2024 Tiny Desk Contest is...]( Nearly 7,000 independent artists submitted to this year's Tiny Desk Contest. Meet the Sacramento artist that rose to the top. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [looks at the barriers groups disproportionately hurt by the war on drugs continue to face]( in the cannabis industry. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? 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