It's a bird, it's a plane, it's supercar!

Also: Bloomberg's big ballot campaign donation; Lizzie Borden's 'killer' meatloaf inspires haunted cookbook [❤️ Donate]( [View in Browser](   October 29, 2024  🌥️ Cloudy, with a high near 56. Good Morning Boston, Get ready for [a weather rollercoaster this week](. But first, the news: - Sneak peek: Curious to know what the next generation of Green Line trolleys will look like? Now's your chance to see them up close. The MBTA is putting one of its future [Type 10 Green Line "supercars"]( outside Boston City Hall [today]( and [tomorrow]( from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. WBUR's Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez reports you'll be able to go inside the sample trolley and tell MBTA staff what you think. "The feedback is going to be invaluable to make sure that these suit not only our operator needs, but the public needs," MBTA General Manager Phil Eng said during a meeting last week. - Zoom in: At 114-feet long, the so-called supercars are 40 feet longer than the T's current Green Line trolleys. "As we rebuild our infrastructure, we want to also make sure that we can carry more and more people," Eng said. They also feature wider doors, 100% low floors for accessible boarding, digital screens and [a fresh paint design](. (The car outside City Hall is technically only four-sevenths of a supercar, because the full-length Type 10s were logistically too difficult to transport to the plaza.) - Zoom out: The MBTA has ordered over 100 Type 10 cars to fully replace the current hodgepodge of old and new trolleys. But it will be a bit of a wait. While the first test cars are set to arrive in 2026, Eng says they won't start to be phased into service until spring 2027. - Where there's smoke: There are at least 30 wildfires currently burning across Massachusetts, according to officials. Dave Celino, the state's chief fire warden, told WBUR's John Bender the majority are small, but a few fires have grown to significant sizes - such as a 135-acre fire in Salem and a 233-acre fire in Middleton. According to Celino, the priority now is containment. "We actually don't want to draw resources to the interior part of these fires," he said. "We want our resources focused on securing the perimeters." - Don't expect the fires to be extinguished anytime soon. While some scattered showers are expected later this week, Celino says it will likely take several inches of rain over multiple days to put out the larger fires. "That will actually bring fire activity right to a screeching halt if we get that kind of event," he said. - Closing time: Citizens Bank says it will close 15 of its branches - including [four in Massachusetts](. The Providence-based bank's branches in Bellingham, Belmont, Burlington and Boston's Hyde Park neighborhood are set to shutter this January. The closures also include a branch in Rhode Island and New Hampshire. - Why? The Boston Globe [reports]( Citizens has been tweaking its branch strategy based on customer habits, as the company leans into digital banking and wealth management. (After the closures, Citizens will still have over 180 branches in Massachusetts - more than any other bank in the state.) - Hiring up: Two recently embattled Massachusetts state agencies have picked new leaders. The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority's board [voted yesterday to appoint Marcel Vernon Sr.]( a local CFO who members described as a potential "agent of change" - as its next executive director. Meanwhile, the Cannabis Control Commission is [working to lure a familiar face - David Lakeman - back from Illinois]( be its new director. - T-minus one week: Today is the last day to apply to [vote by mail in Massachusetts]( before Election Day next week. It's also the unofficial deadline to mail back your ballot. If you're still holding onto a mail-in ballot after today, Secretary of State Bill Galvin says you should probably [drop your ballot off or go vote in person](. - Zoom in: More than 1 million Bay Staters have already voted in the 2024 election. [Click here for the latest stats](. - Zoom out: The FBI and local police are investigating [attempts to set ballots on fire in drop boxes and post office boxes]( across several states. - Meanwhile: Vice President Kamala Harris is set to visit the site of Donald Trump's Jan. 6 rally tonight to make a speech laying out her closing argument. NPR has [more on what to expect here](. P.S.- Do you feel ready to vote? [Take our election quiz]( on the rules around going to the polls and the ballot questions in Massachusetts. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters The Rundown [Billionaire Mike Bloomberg funnels $2.5M toward opposing MCAS ballot measure]( Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg donated $2.5 million to the "Vote No on 2" campaign that opposes a ballot measure to remove the MCAS high school graduation requirement in Massachusetts. [Read more.]( [Billionaire Mike Bloomberg funnels $2.5M toward opposing MCAS ballot measure]( Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg donated $2.5 million to the "Vote No on 2" campaign that opposes a ballot measure to remove the MCAS high school graduation requirement in Massachusetts. [Read more.]( [Stocking vending machines with needles and Narcan to curb overdose deaths ]( Groups trying to reduce overdose deaths and the spread of infectious diseases are replacing chips and soda in vending machines with sterile needles, pipes, wound care kits, Narcan and fentanyl test strips. The machines make life-saving supplies available 24/7. Critics worry about increased litter, crime and enabling drug use. [Read more.]( [Stocking vending machines with needles and Narcan to curb overdose deaths ]( Groups trying to reduce overdose deaths and the spread of infectious diseases are replacing chips and soda in vending machines with sterile needles, pipes, wound care kits, Narcan and fentanyl test strips. The machines make life-saving supplies available 24/7. Critics worry about increased litter, crime and enabling drug use. [Read more.]( [In a close presidential race, getting out the vote means getting out of Mass.]( Vice President Kamala Harris can count on carrying Massachusetts. That's why some of the state's Democrats are canvassing in states like Pennsylvania, where the polls are too close to call. [Read more.]( [In a close presidential race, getting out the vote means getting out of Mass.]( Vice President Kamala Harris can count on carrying Massachusetts. That's why some of the state's Democrats are canvassing in states like Pennsylvania, where the polls are too close to call. [Read more.]( [Over 200,000 subscribers flee 'Washington Post' after Bezos blocks Harris endorsement]( Over 200,000 people canceled their subscriptions in the first few days following news that The Washington Post would not endorse any presidential candidate. [Read more.]( [Over 200,000 subscribers flee 'Washington Post' after Bezos blocks Harris endorsement]( Over 200,000 people canceled their subscriptions in the first few days following news that The Washington Post would not endorse any presidential candidate. [Read more.]( [As Mass. tests its aging devices for voters with disabilities, advocates stress their critical role]( Massachusetts must keep technology inside every precinct that ensures voters with disabilities, like people who are blind or low vision, can vote independently. Problems with the machines are rare, but disability advocates say past malfunctions or printer jams have forced voters to wait to cast their ballots. [Read more.]( [As Mass. tests its aging devices for voters with disabilities, advocates stress their critical role]( Massachusetts must keep technology inside every precinct that ensures voters with disabilities, like people who are blind or low vision, can vote independently. Problems with the machines are rare, but disability advocates say past malfunctions or printer jams have forced voters to wait to cast their ballots. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - [Bloomberg]( [de Blasio,]( [Bratton](. The list of Bay Staters filling important roles in New York City is getting a little longer this fall. For the first time since the '50s, [this year's Rockefeller Center Christmas tree will come from Massachusetts](. (You're welcome, NYC.) - This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Independent Film Festival's autumnal Fall Focus offshoot. Film critic Sean Burns reports [organizers have managed to fit 14 movies into five days]( including sneak peeks of upcoming award contenders and festival favorites. - Brandeis University is cutting its nationally-acclaimed Lydian Quartet - a staple of Boston's classical music scene for over four decades - as part of larger budget cuts. WBUR's Amelia Mason [reports]( the decision comes just a month after the ensemble welcomed a new violinist. - Chocolate prices are giving shoppers a jump scare at the grocery store this spooky season, leading to a decline in candy like KitKats and M&Ms. Experts say the trend is due to volatile weather in the world's top cocoa-producing regions. And barring a dramatic turnaround, Halloween [likely won't be the only holiday affected](. What We're Reading 📚 - Thousands of animals are killed every year on Mass. roads. There's a lasting impact. ([GBH News]( - Here's what we know about the illegal Jamaica Plain nightclub that two police officers allegedly ran ([The Boston Globe]( - Her Job Was Talking on the Radio. Then Suddenly, Words Wouldn't Come. ([The New York Times](   Food For Thought [Lizzie Borden's 'killer' meatloaf inspires a haunted cookbook ]( Historic dishes fill the creepy new cookbook "Food to Die For: Recipes and Stories from America's Most Legendary Haunted Places." Author Amy Bruni shared what inspired her culinary quest. [Read more.]( [Lizzie Borden's 'killer' meatloaf inspires a haunted cookbook ]( Historic dishes fill the creepy new cookbook "Food to Die For: Recipes and Stories from America's Most Legendary Haunted Places." Author Amy Bruni shared what inspired her culinary quest. [Read more.]( Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [Cheer up, Yankees fans](. Editor's note: There was a slight technical hiccup with yesterday's newsletter and some readers may have had a difficult time reading the smaller font. [Here's yesterday's newsletter]( if you missed it. 😎 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.