Tax free for the weekend

Also: What to expect when you're expecting sea level rise; all quiet on Beacon Hill [❤️ Donate]( [View in Browser](   August 9, 2024  🌧️ Cloudy, with a high near 82 and scattered showers. Good Morning Boston, Football is, apparently, back - and it was another Patriots rookie quarterback [stealing the show last night]( during [Drake Maye's debut](. While we remind ourselves not to read too much into the preseason, let's tackle the news: - Massachusetts' annual sales tax holiday is upon us. This weekend, the state is giving shoppers a break from the state's 6.25% sales tax (with some restrictions). Want to make the most of the two-day holiday? WBUR's Paul Connearney talked to Bill Rennie, the vice president of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts, for some tips. - What should I buy? Big ticket items that aren't super expensive (more why in a second). Need a new TV, laptop, couch or outdoor grill? Rennie says electronics, furniture and hardware stores see the biggest boost in shoppers this weekend. "We hear from a lot of folks in the lawn and power equipment business that sell more snow blowers in August than they do in December," he said. Clothing under $175 is always exempt from the state sales tax, but if you need a new wedding dress or suit, this could also be a good time for it. - What do I still have to pay tax on? Sorry, you can't get a break on any huge purchases. Any single item over $2,500 remains fully subject to the state sales tax. Cars, boats, utilities, marijuana, tobacco, alcohol and meals also are still taxed - no matter the price. Here's [the full FAQ on all the exceptions](. - Do I need to go to a physical store? Nope! Online purchases - as long as they're made Saturday or Sunday during Eastern Daylight Time hours - are eligible for the holiday, too. - It's also an Orange Line-free weekend, if you live south of Back Bay. Shuttles will [replace the MBTA subway line from Forest Hills to Back Bay]( on both Saturday and Sunday for maintenance work. - Good news: The commuter rail will be free to ride between Forest Hills, Ruggles, Back Bay and South Station during the partial closure. - In the 'burbs: The Canton Select Board is moving its meetings to Zoom for the foreseeable future, following regular disruptions by [Karen Read]( supporters. [As the Boston Herald first reported yesterday]( Board Chair Mike Loughran said the decision is meant to keep the meetings "safe and efficient." According to town leaders, many of the recent board meetings have been disrupted by people accusing police of corruption in connection with the case, which ended in a mistrial. - What's next: A retrial [has been scheduled for January](. However, Read's lawyers will be back in court today to [continue to argue]( two of the three charges against her should be dismissed. - Strike averted: Nurses at Brigham and Women's Hospital have reached a tentative new contract agreement. The deal comes two weeks after the nurses union [voted to authorize a potential strike](. - Zoom in: The Massachusetts Nurses Association says the new contract includes 20%-30% raises for the hospital's nearly 4,000 nurses over the next two and a half years. The group says it also improves hospital security and patient safety. - Wootown woes: Every branch in the Worcester Public Library system is closed today, after [a patron attacked a librarian with a skateboard yesterday](. The librarian's injuries are reportedly not critical. Worcester officials say the library will remain closed so they can meet with staff about the unprovoked attack. - Zoom out: The city's libraries reported a rise in visitors in 2023, but also saw a 44% increase in troubling incidents, [the Worcester Telegram & Gazette reported earlier this year](. - Up north: Starting today, gun retailers in Maine will require a three-day waiting period for gun purchases. The new law is [one of several the state adopted]( after the mass shooting in Lewiston last October. - The new TV voice of the Bruins: Judd Sirott will replace Jack Edwards as NESN's new Boston Bruins play-by-play announcer this season, [the TV network announced yesterday](. Sirott comes over from 98.5 The Sports Hub, where he called Bruins games for radio. - FYI: A successor has already been announced for Mike Gorman, the longtime Celtics announcer who also retired this year. NBC Boston [hired ESPN announcer]( Drew Carter to fill the role. P.S.- Which event did Harvard grad and Massachusetts native Gabby Thomas win a gold medal in this week? Take our [Boston News Quiz]( and test your knowledge of this week's stories. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters The Rundown [Boston should expect 12 to 19 days of high-tide flooding next year, per NOAA]( Boston had 19 days of high-tide flooding last year and can expect 12 to 19 days next year, more than any other city in the Northeast, according to an annual NOAA report released this week. By mid-century, Boston will likely see what adds up to about two months of high-tide flooding each year. [Read more.]( [Boston should expect 12 to 19 days of high-tide flooding next year, per NOAA]( Boston had 19 days of high-tide flooding last year and can expect 12 to 19 days next year, more than any other city in the Northeast, according to an annual NOAA report released this week. By mid-century, Boston will likely see what adds up to about two months of high-tide flooding each year. [Read more.]( [Top Democrats are still unable to forge deals a week after the state legislative session ended]( There's been virtually no movement on a range of unfinished measures since the state Legislature adjourned its final formal session hours after sunrise on Aug. 1. Legislative leaders continue to express optimism about their ability to push stalled proposals across the finish line in the months ahead without providing any evidence of progress. [Read more.]( [Top Democrats are still unable to forge deals a week after the state legislative session ended]( There's been virtually no movement on a range of unfinished measures since the state Legislature adjourned its final formal session hours after sunrise on Aug. 1. Legislative leaders continue to express optimism about their ability to push stalled proposals across the finish line in the months ahead without providing any evidence of progress. [Read more.]( [Healey signs new veterans' benefits law, honors service at Lexington ceremony]( Gov. Maura Healey signed off Thursday on a new veterans' benefits law at a ceremony in Lexington. Veterans' Services Secretary Jon Santiago also announced at the event that the Holyoke Veterans Home had been awarded licensure by the Department of Public Health, meeting a mandate spurred after a COVID-19 in 2020 killed 70 veterans there. [Read more.]( [Healey signs new veterans' benefits law, honors service at Lexington ceremony]( Gov. Maura Healey signed off Thursday on a new veterans' benefits law at a ceremony in Lexington. Veterans' Services Secretary Jon Santiago also announced at the event that the Holyoke Veterans Home had been awarded licensure by the Department of Public Health, meeting a mandate spurred after a COVID-19 in 2020 killed 70 veterans there. [Read more.]( [Lawmakers question contract to continue holding immigrants at Plymouth jail]( In a letter to federal officials, Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey call conditions at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility "inhumane" and "substandard." [Read more.]( [Lawmakers question contract to continue holding immigrants at Plymouth jail]( In a letter to federal officials, Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey call conditions at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility "inhumane" and "substandard." [Read more.]( [Judge dismisses antisemitism lawsuit against MIT, allows one against Harvard to move ahead]( A judge ruled that MIT took steps to address potential threats to Jewish students. However, the judge drew a sharply different conclusion about Harvard, saying its response to antisemitic incidents "was, at best, indecisive, vacillating, and at times internally contradictory." [Read more.]( [Judge dismisses antisemitism lawsuit against MIT, allows one against Harvard to move ahead]( A judge ruled that MIT took steps to address potential threats to Jewish students. However, the judge drew a sharply different conclusion about Harvard, saying its response to antisemitic incidents "was, at best, indecisive, vacillating, and at times internally contradictory." [Read more.]( Anything Else? - August is Black Business Month. [Check out our recommendations for Black-owned businesses]( to swing by in Greater Boston - from cafes to clothing stores to candle companies. - Save the date: ABC News says Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have [agreed to their first presidential debate on Sept. 10](. There are early talks of additional debates, too. - American sprinter Noah Lyles won [bronze yesterday in his specialty event]( the 200-meter race, before later revealing he had tested positive for COVID two days earlier. Meanwhile, Team USA's men's basketball team will play against host nation France in the gold medal game tomorrow, after [a nail-biter comeback against Serbia]( yesterday. - Team USA is leading the medal count in Paris. Behind that basic stat, [things get more complicated and arguably more interesting](. - Meet Boston legend Skippy White. The record shop owner and well-known radio DJ, now in his 80s, [spoke with Radio Boston about why he fell in love with blues and soul, and how he got his name](. (He also dished on the time he got to hang with Tina Turner in Boston.) What We're Reading 📚 - How did 'Nantucket red' become an island tradition? ([Boston.com]( - As bankrupt Steward sells and closes hospitals, Ralph de la Torre visits Versailles to watch the Olympics ([The Boston Globe]( - An Intoxicating 500-Year-Old Mystery ([The Atlantic](   Tell Me Something Good [COMMENTARY: The American women are crushing it - and it's a joy to watch]( In Paris, the U.S. women have showed that women can do anything and be anything, Lisa Liberty Becker for Cognoscenti. It's been such fun to admire these athletes' perseverance and determination, their sportsmanship and their ability to get the job done. [Read more.]( [COMMENTARY: The American women are crushing it - and it's a joy to watch]( In Paris, the U.S. women have showed that women can do anything and be anything, Lisa Liberty Becker for Cognoscenti. It's been such fun to admire these athletes' perseverance and determination, their sportsmanship and their ability to get the job done. [Read more.]( Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: How could Maine reject [these beautiful proposals?]( 😎 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.](   [Donate](   # # 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](. Trustees of Boston University on behalf of WBUR, 890 Commonwealth Ave Boston, MA, 02215, US Copyright 2024 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.