Primary topples several Mass. incumbents

Also: The T's new fare discount; why Mass. schools are having an 'extremely difficult' financial year [❤️ Donate]( [View in Browser](   September 4, 2024  ☀️ Sunny, with a high near 79. Good Morning Boston, We've got all your key Massachusetts primary results below. But first, a long-awaited MBTA program takes flight: - It's live: After years of [advocacy]( [study]( and [planning]( the MBTA's new low-income fare program is now open to the public. Beginning today, eligible riders can sign up to get a 50% discount on trips on the T's subway, bus, commuter rail, ferry and The Ride - whether they're paying as they go or using a weekly or monthly pass. As WBUR's Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez reports, [the program expands half-off fares to an estimated 60,000 riders]( who were previously eligible for some sort of discount. Want in? Here's what to know: - Am I eligible? The income limit for the program is 200% of the [federal poverty level]( - in other words, $30,120 a year for a single person or $62,400 for a family of four. - What's the easiest way to apply? [Probably online]( which T officials say can be as quick as 90 seconds. First, you need to be already enrolled in an income-based state assistance program, like MassHealth or SNAP. ([The full list of qualifying programs is here]( Then, you need to log into or create [a MyCharlie account]( go to the "Reduced Fares" program and enter some basic information. If you have an RMV-issued ID, the system should be able to automatically verify your info and enroll you in the program. MBTA officials say they'll mail your card within a few days. (If you don't have a state ID you can also manually upload your info, which will take a couple additional days to review.) - Option B? Apply in person. The nonprofit Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD) will help you apply at [its offices]( in downtown Boston, Dorchester, East Boston, Mattapan and Malden. This is a good option if you meet the income criteria, but aren't already signed up for another state program. "We can actually get them onto SNAP; we can actually help them access MassHealth," Sharon Scott-Chandler, ABCD's CEO, [told Andrea](. "And so thereby making them eligible for the T pass as well." - The results are in: Sen. Elizabeth Warren officially has her November challenger. Marine Corps veteran and cryptocurrency lawyer John Deaton, who moved to Massachusetts from Rhode Island last winter, was declared the winner last night of the three-way Republican primary to take on Warren. WBUR's Anthony Brooks has [more on Deaton's background and platform here](. (Warren's campaign has agreed to at least two debates in October, though Deaton wants five.) Now, let's get to some down-ballot results. - In the State House: At least three incumbents members of the Legislature are on the verge of losing their seats. ([Click here to scroll through]( all the contested State House primary race results.) - With 99% of votes counted, longtime Cambridge state Rep. Marjorie Decker trails democratic socialist challenger and Harvard graduate student Evan MacKay by just 40 votes in the Democratic primary for the 25th Middlesex district. - Meanwhile, in the Democratic primary for the 18th Middlesex district seat, 24-year-old challenger Tara Hong defeated Lowell state Rep. Rady Mom. (Mom became the country's first Cambodian-American state lawmaker in 2014.) - And in the 2nd Plymouth primary, Carver Republican John Gaskey beat longtime GOP state Rep. Susan Williams-Gifford. - Governor's Council: Mara Dolan ousted longtime member Marilyn Petito Devaney in a Democratic primary rematch from 2022. According to the Associated Press, Dolan won 52% of votes, to Devaney's 48%, with 99% of the ballots counted. [Click here for more Governor's Council]( and county race results. - Public defender Allison Cartwright has [declared victory]( over Boston City Councilor Erin Murphy in the Democratic primary for a somewhat obscure clerkship in Suffolk County. The closely-watched contest had [morphed into a larger proxy battle](. - Meanwhile on Beacon Hill: State lawmakers reached a deal on another item they weren't able to finish before formal sessions ended: [more alcohol licenses for Boston](. The compromise bill grants Boston an additional 225 licenses - including 195 equally divided between 13 of the city's [zip codes]( (five each distributed a year, over three years). - Why it matters: The limited supply and stunningly high price of alcohol licenses has had [a stunting effect on the city's restaurant scene]( - especially for aspiring restaurateurs of color. "It's bigger than just a liquor license," state Sen. Liz Miranda told WBUR's Amy Sokolow. "It's about dreams. It's about possibilities and opportunities and making our communities more whole." - What's next: Lawmakers are hoping to get the bill to Gov. Maura Healey's desk by the end of the week. (For her part, Healey [wants to go even further]( to give municipalities - [rather than the State House]( - control over the liquor licenses they can distribute.) P.S.- [This episode of The Common]( has a quick-and-easy breakdown of why our liquor license laws are the way they are - and why they create a particularly challenging situation for the city of Boston. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters The Rundown [Why Massachusetts schools are having an 'extremely difficult' financial year]( A combination of factors like the end of federal COVID-19 funds, rising inflation and declining enrollment are straining school district budgets across Massachusetts. [Read more.]( [Why Massachusetts schools are having an 'extremely difficult' financial year]( A combination of factors like the end of federal COVID-19 funds, rising inflation and declining enrollment are straining school district budgets across Massachusetts. [Read more.]( [Dana-Farber CEO Laurie Glimcher to step down]( Laurie Glimcher was the first woman to lead the health care institution when she began her tenure in 2016. Dana-Farber touted its role over the past five years in the development of half of all cancer drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. [Read more.]( [Dana-Farber CEO Laurie Glimcher to step down]( Laurie Glimcher was the first woman to lead the health care institution when she began her tenure in 2016. Dana-Farber touted its role over the past five years in the development of half of all cancer drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. [Read more.]( [Here's why many election experts aren't freaking out about certification this year]( Watchdog groups and pundits are sounding the alarm about the potential for mischief when it comes to certifying vote tallies, but election experts have confidence in the system's guardrails. [Read more.]( [Here's why many election experts aren't freaking out about certification this year]( Watchdog groups and pundits are sounding the alarm about the potential for mischief when it comes to certifying vote tallies, but election experts have confidence in the system's guardrails. [Read more.]( [Mistrial declared after jury deadlocks in rape case of former N.H. youth center worker]( Victor Malavet, 62, is one ofnine mencharged in the 5-year-old investigation into abuse allegations at the Sununu Youth Services Center in Manchester, though unlike the others, he worked at a separate state-run facility in Concord. [Read more.]( [Mistrial declared after jury deadlocks in rape case of former N.H. youth center worker]( Victor Malavet, 62, is one ofnine mencharged in the 5-year-old investigation into abuse allegations at the Sununu Youth Services Center in Manchester, though unlike the others, he worked at a separate state-run facility in Concord. [Read more.]( [5 things to know about the U.K.'s suspension of some arms exports to Israel]( The U.K. exports explosive devices, guns and fighter jet components to Israel. But it's suspending some arms shipments, fearing Israel could used them in violation of international law. [Read more.]( [5 things to know about the U.K.'s suspension of some arms exports to Israel]( The U.K. exports explosive devices, guns and fighter jet components to Israel. But it's suspending some arms shipments, fearing Israel could used them in violation of international law. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - For the first time since 2006, the U.S. Open will have an American in the tennis tournament's men's finals in either Frances Tiafoe or Taylor Fritz - and [there could be an American in the women's final, too](. - The beloved beluga Hvaldimir - believed to have escaped Russian capitivity - was found dead over the weekend off Norway, from what animal rights groups say were "unnatural" causes. Here's [a look at the questions surrounding the whale's death (and life)](. - Amy Julia Becker [writes in this Cognoscenti commentary]( that we can tell a story of loss and lack when it comes to disability - or we can tell a story of the inherent worth and purpose of every individual. What We're Reading 📚 - Why do we elect a Supreme Judicial Court clerk anyway? The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. ([CommonWealth Beacon]( - A reporter detailed a tennis star's alleged abuse. Now he's paying for it. ([Washington Post]( - Turbine Blades Have Piled Up in Landfills. A Solution May Be Coming. ([The New York Times](   Food For Thought [Creating portraits made of pizza is 'a pretty unique art form,' says Rhode Island baker (The Boston Globe)]( For Eric Palmieri, the business of pizza art is a way to experiment with ingredients and add his own touch to his family's legacy. [Read more.]( [Creating portraits made of pizza is 'a pretty unique art form,' says Rhode Island baker (The Boston Globe)]( For Eric Palmieri, the business of pizza art is a way to experiment with ingredients and add his own touch to his family's legacy. [Read more.]( Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [Limited-time offer, valid at all participating Dunkin's](. 😎 Forward to a friend. 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