Stick (and carrot) season

Also: The plight of Nibi the beaver; what a La Niña winter means for New England [❤️ Donate]( [View in Browser](   October 3, 2024  🌤️ Partly sunny, with a high near 72. Good Morning Boston, Oct. 3 has been [a notoriously bad day for New England weather events]( but fortunately it's (mostly) all blue skies today. Now, to the news: - It's not just sticks: After[warning]( about (and [demonstrating]( the consequences of flouting [the MBTA Communities Act]( Gov. Maura Healey is offering cities and towns a carrot. This week, Healey announced her administration is putting $15 million into a new program offering grants to support local housing and infrastructure projects - but only for cities and towns that comply with the multi-family zoning law. During a press conference in Somerville, the governor said the new[MBTA Communities Catalyst Fund]( will "help us do what we need to do in this state, which is to build more housing ... so that people can afford to stay here." - Why now? The fund comes ahead of a critical season for the MBTA Communities Act. Healey's office says they expect a "wave" of additional communities to adopt rezoning plans to comply with the law at city and town meetings this fall. It's also meant to help [assuage concerns]( some have about the construction of more multi-family housing, according to state housing secretary Ed Augustus. "We've heard through many of the debates in local communities that people are worried about, 'Hey, do we have the infrastructure necessary to build this housing?' The governor [and] lieutenant governor listened to that, and created this new program," Augustus told reporters Tuesday. He also noted the state has already provided $7 million in technical assistance to 156 of the 177 MBTA communities. - Zoom out: State officials are claiming "momentum" is on their side as they head into the fall. So far, over half of the 130 communities required to adhere to the law by Dec. 31 have complied. "There's a lot of focus on particular communities, but let's focus on the big picture," Healey said. "Seventy-four to two. That's the score right now," Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll added, alluding to non-compliant towns Milton and Holden. ''I don't want to call it a blowout, because we like to play through the final whistle, but that's a pretty big lead." (With the addition of [Southborough]( and [Gloucester]( this week, that number rose to 76.) - Zoom in: The law doesn't require cities and towns to build new housing; they only must allow multi-family housing as of right in at least one zoning district. Still, officials say it has already spurred new construction. "We now have 1,600 units of new housing in the pipeline in these newly approved zones," Augustus said. - What's next: Healey's administration isn't ditching the stick approach. This Monday, the state's Supreme Judicial Court will hear arguments over [the state's lawsuit]( against Milton for rejecting new zoning. "This law, like any other law in the books, is mandatory," Attorney General Andrea Campbell said. - Welp, continued: The T says it's "unclear" when regular service will resume on the Green Line Extension. Shuttle buses are still replacing trains from North Station out to Union Square and Medford/Tufts after [Tuesday evening's derailment](. - Both the T and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating what caused the derailment. Healey [told reporters Wednesday]( that it wasn't a rail or track issue, suggesting "human factors," such as the trolley operator, were the cause. - The Big EEE: For the first time in weeks, Massachusetts has no cities or towns listed as "high" or "critical" risk for EEE. The Department of Public Health [downgraded 16 communities yesterday]( from those higher levels to "moderate risk" for the mosquito-borne disease. - There have been [four human cases]( (and three horse cases) of EEE in Massachusetts this year. It was the first outbreak since 2020, when 17 human cases led to seven deaths. Given the potential severity of the disease, health officials suggest continuing to take precautions against mosquitos until the first hard frost of the season. P.S.- And the winner is... [GlassHouse](. Out of nearly 250 artists from Massachusetts who tried out for NPR's Tiny Desk Contest this year, the hip-hop trio from Lawrence was our panel of judges' favorite. You'll see why if you [listen to their entry video "Slum Village,"]( a not-tiny desk they call "Big Table." Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters The Rundown [The fate of Nibi the beaver lands in court as rescuers try to stop her release into the wild]( Whether a 2-year-old beaver named Nibi gets to stay with the rescuers she has known since she was a baby or must be released into the wild as winter approaches in Massachusetts has ended up in court - and caused such an uproar that even the governor has weighed in. [Read more.]( [The fate of Nibi the beaver lands in court as rescuers try to stop her release into the wild]( Whether a 2-year-old beaver named Nibi gets to stay with the rescuers she has known since she was a baby or must be released into the wild as winter approaches in Massachusetts has ended up in court - and caused such an uproar that even the governor has weighed in. [Read more.]( [What a potential La Niña winter means for New England]( La Niña is expected to return this fall. New England is likely to experience shots of cold air from time to time and drier conditions this fall and winter, with the potential for significant winter storms when they do hit. [Read more.]( [What a potential La Niña winter means for New England]( La Niña is expected to return this fall. New England is likely to experience shots of cold air from time to time and drier conditions this fall and winter, with the potential for significant winter storms when they do hit. [Read more.]( [Former Steward workers are hopeful as new owners take over, but challenges remain]( As new owners take over five former Steward hospitals in Massachusetts, they face a number of challenges. One of the most significant may be integrating thousands of former Steward employees who watched conditions in their hospitals deteriorate as Steward's financial losses mounted. [Read more.]( [Former Steward workers are hopeful as new owners take over, but challenges remain]( As new owners take over five former Steward hospitals in Massachusetts, they face a number of challenges. One of the most significant may be integrating thousands of former Steward employees who watched conditions in their hospitals deteriorate as Steward's financial losses mounted. [Read more.]( [Hurricanes contribute to thousands of deaths each year in the U.S.-many times the reported number]( The death toll reported from an average tropical cyclone is 24. But the true toll is maybe 300 times higher - and the losses stretch for years after the storm passes. [Read more.]( [Hurricanes contribute to thousands of deaths each year in the U.S.-many times the reported number]( The death toll reported from an average tropical cyclone is 24. But the true toll is maybe 300 times higher - and the losses stretch for years after the storm passes. [Read more.]( [Patriots center David Andrews to have season-ending shoulder surgery]( New England Patriots center David Andrews is expected to have season-ending shoulder surgery. Coach Jerod Mayo made the announcement on Wednesday. [Read more.]( [Patriots center David Andrews to have season-ending shoulder surgery]( New England Patriots center David Andrews is expected to have season-ending shoulder surgery. Coach Jerod Mayo made the announcement on Wednesday. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Go to the vampire circus. Learn to make the Japanese dessert wagashi. Honk your socks off in Somerville. [Check out all five of our eclectic local weekend event recommendations here](. - It's peak bird migration season in Massachusetts. Radio Boston [spoke with experts at Mass Audubon about which species are coming and going, where to birdwatch and how to tell different species apart](. (Make sure to scroll down for the recordings of a few different bird calls.) - An upcoming film series at the Brattle Theatre analyzes starkly contrasting depictions of "transness" in cinema. Film critic Sean Burns [talks to the two authors behind the pair of double features about what went into selecting the four movies](. - This winter's inaugural 4 Nations Face-off - co-hosted at TD Garden - will be the first time in over a decade that hockey's top stars will play together for their international teams. [According to Marty Walsh]( you can already sense a buzz of excitement in Boston. What We're Reading 📚 - Mass General Brigham warns of IV fluids shortage due to Hurricane Helene ([The Boston Globe]( - New Seaport tower showcases low-carbon cement from Somerville firm ([State House News Service]( - Is That a Panda? Or a Dog in Disguise? ([The New York Times](   Tell Me Something Good [That gold statue hidden in the woods has been found in Mass. (Boston.com)]( A treasure hunt centered in Massachusetts ended Tuesday after a man found the trophy - worth more than $26,000 - in Wendell State Forest. [Read more.]( [That gold statue hidden in the woods has been found in Mass. (Boston.com)]( A treasure hunt centered in Massachusetts ended Tuesday after a man found the trophy - worth more than $26,000 - in Wendell State Forest. [Read more.]( Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: He can beat the Dallas Mavericks - [but what about hot wings?]( 😎 Forward to a friend. 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