Mass. Dems at the DNC

Also: Seeing Red (Line diversions); Healey pushes Steward sale forward [❤️ Donate]( [View in Browser](   August 19, 2024  🌧 Today is mostly cloudy, with a chance of rain and a high of 76. Good Morning Boston, And just like that, there are only two more weeks left in August. If you're dealing with end-of-summer FOMO, [check out this playlist]( from the Cognoscenti team to help you savor these sweet last moments of the season. Now, to the news: - If you take the Red Line to reach downtown Boston, you're the unlucky recipient of the T's latest diversion. Starting today, shuttle buses will replace train service between the Kendall/MIT and JFK/UMass stops. The closure is expected to last through Sunday, August 25. Here are a few [alternative routes available]( during the disruption: - By bus: Shuttle buses will stop at all affected stations, except for Downtown Crossing and Park Street. If you usually get the Red Line from either of those stations, you'll need to wait at the [Federal St @ Franklin St]( bus stop to catch a northbound shuttle, or the [Otis St @ Summer St]( for a southbound shuttle. Both are less than a half mile walk from Downtown Crossing. - By rail: The commuter rail will be free between Braintree and South Station and between Porter and North Station during the closure. - What is it this time? The MBTA is suspending service in order to perform station upgrades, like lighting repairs, deep cleaning and painting, as well as track work to hopefully address 26 [speed restrictions]( across the line. A map of the Red Line closure from Aug. 19 to Aug. 25. (Image courtesy of the MBTA) - A historic Democratic National Convention begins tonight in Chicago, Illinois, less than a month after President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race. This week's convention - which runs through Thursday - mostly stands to show the Democratic party as unified behind Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, as well as to certify their nominations to make everything official. - Party people: [WCVB reports]( the Massachusetts Democratic Party will send a total of 144 delegates, alternates and DNC members to Chicago. Among this group are Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Gov. Maura Healey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, Congressman Seth Moulton, Sen. Ed Markey, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley and Sen. Elizabeth Warren. - DNC delegates note [renewed excitement]( within the party. Darnell Williams, a longtime delegate who has participated in the convention since 1980, told WBUR's Josie Guarino he sees Harris gaining support particularly from young, Black and Hispanic voters. Pressley told WCVB that with a Harris-Walz ticket, "a new electoral map is emerging, a new coalition of voters is being built." - Harris may also be in a [better position]( win the support of those [who want to see ceasefire in Gaza](. (Thousands of activists are expected to bring their calls to the DNC.) "Vice President Harris's voice, her listening. Her understanding of the issues," Williams said. "I think that there's going to be a different way for us to approach the table regarding the tensions in the Middle East." - Looking for answers: The fate of the Steward hospitals may be decided as soon as this week. On Friday, Healey [announced]( there are deals in principle to transfer five hospitals previously owned by the bankrupt health care chain. This includes the state [seizing St. Elizabeth's Medical Center]( via eminent domain, in an effort to keep the hospital open before transferring ownership to Boston Medical Center. Carney Hospital in Dorchester and Nashoba Valley Medical Center are still set to close at the end of August. - Adding up the cost: The transfer process is expected to cost [$80 million per year, for three years]( - and the state will flip the bill. (About $4.5 million will be the cost for the state to take over St. Elizabeth's.) The state also committed $30 million in advance Medicaid payments to keep some Steward facilities operating through the end of the month. - What's next: There are still some legal proceedings that need to happen before any new ownership can be confirmed. More details are expected tomorrow, when all the involved parties go before a judge. - Five people were injured during a shooting at yesterday's Dominican Cultural Festival in Franklin Park. Gunshots were heard at 8:43 p.m. Five people were wounded and taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox [told the Boston Globe]( the violent incident "marred a pretty successful event." P.S.- WBUR will broadcast two hours of DNC special coverage tonight from 9 to 11 p.m. Get the latest from Chicago by listening live on air at 90.9, online, or on our app. Hanna Ali Associate Producer, Newsletters The Rundown [The DNC starts Monday. Here's what you need to know]( The Democratic National Convention kicks off in Chicago, just a month after the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee and a few short weeks after Harris got in the running for president. [Read more.]( [The DNC starts Monday. Here's what you need to know]( The Democratic National Convention kicks off in Chicago, just a month after the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee and a few short weeks after Harris got in the running for president. [Read more.]( [Families of trans athletes sue over N.H. law banning them from girls' sports]( The families of two transgender girls are suing the state of New Hampshire over a new state law barring them from playing girls sports. [Read more.]( [Families of trans athletes sue over N.H. law banning them from girls' sports]( The families of two transgender girls are suing the state of New Hampshire over a new state law barring them from playing girls sports. [Read more.]( [Rhode Island files lawsuit against 13 companies that worked on troubled Washington Bridge]( Rhode Island has filed a lawsuit against 13 companies that provided design, construction and inspection services related to the troubled Washington Bridge. [Read more.]( [Rhode Island files lawsuit against 13 companies that worked on troubled Washington Bridge]( Rhode Island has filed a lawsuit against 13 companies that provided design, construction and inspection services related to the troubled Washington Bridge. [Read more.]( [Champagne wishes and caviar dreams with 'The Queen of Versailles']( The Broadway-bound musical reunites Kristin Chenoweth and musical composer Stephen Schwartz, who previously worked together on "Wicked." [Read more.]( [Champagne wishes and caviar dreams with 'The Queen of Versailles']( The Broadway-bound musical reunites Kristin Chenoweth and musical composer Stephen Schwartz, who previously worked together on "Wicked." [Read more.]( [Ernesto strengthens back into a hurricane, sends powerful rip currents to East Coast]( Ernesto became a hurricane again as it churned away from Bermuda and headed further out in the northeastern Atlantic, sending powerful swells toward the U.S. East Coast. [Read more.]( [Ernesto strengthens back into a hurricane, sends powerful rip currents to East Coast]( Ernesto became a hurricane again as it churned away from Bermuda and headed further out in the northeastern Atlantic, sending powerful swells toward the U.S. East Coast. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - The Hood Milk Bottle is an iconic structure in Boston's Seaport - for more than just its ice cream and picturesque location. WBUR's Hanna Ali takes us through [how the milk bottle made its way to Children's Wharf]( and even got a chance to see what it's like to work inside of the structure. - By mid-August, nature beckons us to slow down: the crickets' chirps grow in intensity; the hydrangeas have lost their colors; the mornings are cool; the sun feels less sharp than it did even a few weeks ago. So, our [Cog editors decided to go out for a float]( and made space to slow down, just for a day. - Need a landscaper? [These sheep in New Boston, New Hampshire, are up to the job.]( What We're Reading 📚 - Why so many Haitian migrants at the border are still Massachusetts bound, despite the state's 'we're full' message ([The Boston Globe]( - 'Washington Post' reviews star columnist Taylor Lorenz's 'war criminal' jab at Biden ([NPR]( - How Raygun earned her spot - fair and square - as an Olympics breaker ([Vox](   Life Advice [To save more money, avoid these 5 common financial mistakes]( Financial missteps can cost you money. Make better-informed decisions about budgeting, investing and borrowing money. [Read more.]( [To save more money, avoid these 5 common financial mistakes]( Financial missteps can cost you money. Make better-informed decisions about budgeting, investing and borrowing money. [Read more.]( Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [The latest iteration of Storrowing.]( 😎 Forward to a friend. 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