Mass. feels market jitters

Also: Boston's historically low homicide rate; an electric deal for cycilists [❤️ Donate]( [View in Browser](   August 6, 2024  🌧️ Cloudy, with a high near 72 and morning showers. Good Morning Boston, While we wait to see[who Vice President Kamala Harris reveals as her running mate today]( on the [now-official]( Democratic ticket, let's catch up on some other big news: - The local angle: Could an economic slowdown be in store for Massachusetts' ever-strong economy? After a weaker-than-expected US jobs report Friday, the S&P 500 had [its worst day in nearly two years yesterday](. Economic analysts say there are some local warning signs, too. "We're not seeing large numbers of layoffs or anything that could cause concern like that," Michael Goodman, co-editor of the economic research group Mass Benchmarks, told WBUR's Amy Sokolow. "But clearly, some of the developments at the national level ... suggest that we are experiencing the beginnings of a slowdown here." - In government: Tax revenue in Massachusetts is down again. Data released yesterday showed the state brought in $2.65 billion last month - [$18 million less than in July 2023](. And if not for an incidental shift in tax collections between months, it actually would have been down by $78 million to last July. Officials point to lower income tax revenue as a primary factor. - For consumers: The cost of living - as measured by the Consumer Price Index - has also been growing faster in Massachusetts than the rest of the country, according to Mass Benchmarks. "That's certainly troubling and could help to explain some of the cost pressures that are being experienced by our households, our working families and our businesses," Goodman said - In business: Several large, locally headquartered companies also saw their stocks tumble yesterday. Boston-based State Street's stock dropped 4.7%, Framingham-based TJX saw a 3.8% decline and Boston's Vertex slid 3.5%. Meanwhile, Cambridge's Moderna was down 3.3% yesterday - and over 30% since last week. - The big picture: Massachusetts' economy still gets relatively high marks overall. The state's GDP grew faster than the rest of the nation's rate in the second quarter. And while the number of jobs grew slowly, [its unemployment rate]( remains low. - ICYMI: [Here are three things to know]( last week's jobs report - and why labor market concerns could be overblown. - Some green to go green: A number of Boston residents can now get help from the city buying an electric bike. Mayor Michelle Wu [announced a new incentive program yesterday]( which will send out about 1,000 vouchers [ranging from $800 to $2,400](. It will also offer $150 for safety equipment like helmets, lights and locks. - The fine print: The vouchers are only open to Boston residents over the age of 18 who make less than $45,720 a year, folks over 60 years old, or those who have a chronic or permanent disability. After the winning applicants are randomly selected, they will have 90 days to use the vouchers at [a to-be-announced list of bike shops](. - Shelter latest: Massachusetts has notified 57 families staying in overflow shelters that they need to leave the facilities by this Friday. They are the first to be ordered out under [the new policy]( which limits stays in the rebranded "temporary respite sites" to five days. There are 270 families currently in the temporary respite sites, and 7,382 families were in the larger emergency shelter system as of last Thursday. - The state says it has given some families tickets to travel to other states where they may have a place to stay. Providers are working with other families to help them figure out their next steps. - On your marks: Northampton native Gabby Thomas will run in the Olympic women's 200-meter final this afternoon in Paris, after coasting to first place in yesterday's semifinal heat. After winning bronze and silver in Tokyo in 2021, Thomas is looking to bring home her first Olympic gold. - How to watch: The race is scheduled for 3:40 p.m. (ET) on NBC and Peacock. - Out west: North Adams Regional Hospital is celebrating a federal designation that could shore up its future, after being closed for a decade. New England Public Media [reports leaders got word last week]( that the hospital had been deemed a "Critical Access Hospital." - Why does that matter? The designation pays for hospital staffing, regardless of the number of patients. (It's designed to help rural hospitals stay afloat.) The previous North Adams Regional Hospital closed abruptly in March 2014 and then declared bankruptcy. The hospital reopened in March. P.S.- Maine revealed its winning submission for the proposed state flag design that residents will get to vote on this fall. The proposal pays homage to the state's first flag, featuring a pine tree and blue star - but with more detail. [Check it out here.]( Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters The Rundown [Boston homicide rate drops to historic low; city leaders worry if it will stay down]( So far, Boston police reported eight homicides this year - a historic low for the city. Public safety officials credited the drop in part to a decades-old effort between police and community leaders to reduce violence and the influence of gangs. [Read more.]( [Boston homicide rate drops to historic low; city leaders worry if it will stay down]( So far, Boston police reported eight homicides this year - a historic low for the city. Public safety officials credited the drop in part to a decades-old effort between police and community leaders to reduce violence and the influence of gangs. [Read more.]( [A Michigan company wanted to buy all Steward's Mass. hospitals. Steward said no]( A Michigan-based, for-profit health care company that specializes in distressed hospitals made a bid to buy all of Steward's Massachusetts hospitals out of bankruptcy, but the bid was rejected as not viable, WBUR has learned. [Read more.]( [A Michigan company wanted to buy all Steward's Mass. hospitals. Steward said no]( A Michigan-based, for-profit health care company that specializes in distressed hospitals made a bid to buy all of Steward's Massachusetts hospitals out of bankruptcy, but the bid was rejected as not viable, WBUR has learned. [Read more.]( [Hurricane Debby inundates northern Florida with heavy rains and flooding]( Debby came ashore just west of Steinhatchee, along the state's Big Bend region. It arrived with sustained winds of 80 mph, and knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of utility customers. [Read more.]( [Hurricane Debby inundates northern Florida with heavy rains and flooding]( Debby came ashore just west of Steinhatchee, along the state's Big Bend region. It arrived with sustained winds of 80 mph, and knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of utility customers. [Read more.]( [Bill Weld, former Mass. governor, among Republicans backing Harris]( The Harris campaign rolled out a "Republicans for Harris" program Sunday that organizers said would "further outreach efforts to the millions of Republican voters who continue to reject the chaos, division, and violence of Donald Trump and his Project 2025 agenda." [Read more.]( [Bill Weld, former Mass. governor, among Republicans backing Harris]( The Harris campaign rolled out a "Republicans for Harris" program Sunday that organizers said would "further outreach efforts to the millions of Republican voters who continue to reject the chaos, division, and violence of Donald Trump and his Project 2025 agenda." [Read more.]( [As an Olympic boxing controversy deepens, the women at its center are poised to medal]( Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting are guaranteed to leave Paris with medals. But fallout continues, as does drama between Olympic officials and the Russian-led association that disqualified them last year. [Read more.]( [As an Olympic boxing controversy deepens, the women at its center are poised to medal]( Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting are guaranteed to leave Paris with medals. But fallout continues, as does drama between Olympic officials and the Russian-led association that disqualified them last year. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - WBUR's Amory Sivertson chatted with Team USA gymnast, Worcester native and "[pommel horse guy]( Steve Nedoroscik about his journey to the Olympics, quirky hobbies and his plans for the 2028 games. [Here are the highlights from the Radio Boston conversation](. - [In an interview with NPR]( Nancy Pelosi opens up about wielding power - and what she was doing in the days leading up to President Joe Biden's decision to end his race for a second term. - After more than half a century on tour, Aerosmith announced last Friday the band is retiring from touring. Music writer Jim Sullivan [reflects on the Bad Boys from Boston's career highlights](. - F1 Arcade, which opened its first U.S. location in Boston's Seaport this spring, is bringing the feel of Formula 1 to fans more accustomed to rush hour traffic. [Take a peek inside the arcade bar]( which combines 69 haptic simulators with upscale food and drink. What We're Reading 📚 - Harvard grad Kristen Faulkner became a full-time cyclist in 2021. She just won an unlikely gold in Paris. ([The Boston Globe]( - Bloomberg News disciplines staffers after breaking embargo on US-Russia prisoner swap ([CNN]( - Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Admits He Left a Dead Bear in Central Park ([The New York Times](   Tell Me Something Good [Tom Brady was in awe of Simone Biles' Olympic floor routine (Boston.com)]( Tom Brady was amazed by Simone Biles' floor routine while watching with his daughter at the Paris Olympics on Monday morning. [Read more.]( [Tom Brady was in awe of Simone Biles' Olympic floor routine (Boston.com)]( Tom Brady was amazed by Simone Biles' floor routine while watching with his daughter at the Paris Olympics on Monday morning. [Read more.]( Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [Why it smells like pizza inside the Sumner Tunnel.]( 😎 Forward to a friend. 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