GE, we hardly knew ye

Also: How a little mussel could save a Mass. salt marsh; what to know about Question 2 [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  October 19, 2022 ☀️ Sunny, with a high near 58. Good Morning Boston, The Celtics [picked up where they left off]( last night. (Unfortunately for me, so did the Lakers.) Here's where we're picking up on this crisp morning: - Six years ago, General Electric envisioned [a glassy, 12-story campus on the banks of Fort Point Channel]( as its headquarters. Yesterday, the company told its Boston workers that they're moving out. According to a GE spokesman, the company is winding down its physical space in Boston and plans to find a smaller office in the city early next year. It's a conspicuous end to a move that began with lots of fanfare and tax incentives — not to mention the former mayor in a [big, Adele-inspired fur coat](. - GE says it plans to keep its HQ in Boston, but the 100,000-square-foot Seaport property was more than it ever ended up needing. While they had planned to bring 800 jobs to the new HQ, "fewer than 200 people are based there now and many only come in on a part-time basis," [according to The Boston Globe](. It's unclear how many people GE plans to keep at the new location. - The big picture: A lot has changed for GE since it announced its plan in 2016 to move its headquarters from Connecticut to Boston — not much of it good. As Planet Money [explains here]( the iconic company overextended itself during the previous decades, made [risky moves]( and never really recovered from the financial crisis. Last year, GE announced a plan to [split itself into three different companies]( focused on aviation, healthcare and energy. - The local angle: GE [said]( in 2019 that it would scale back its Boston HQ plans and reimburse the state for its investments in the property. (It also canceled its tax incentive deal with the city). - What's next: The company has been emphasizing a ["lean" business plan]( a lot lately. The Boston news also coincided with announcements that GE will sell its longtime training campus in New York, as well as downsize corporate offices in Connecticut and New York City. - Public schools in Haverhill will be closed yet again today, as the district's teachers continue to strike for higher pay and smaller class sizes. The teachers union is facing an increasing risk of financial fines for the work stoppage, as it enters its third day. That's because public-sector worker strikes are illegal under state law. - WBUR's Max Larkin [reports]( that school and state officials have secured a court injunction against the strike and are asking a judge to fine the union $50,000 for each day the strike goes on. Superior Judge Joseph Lang has yet to impose fines, but has asked the union to take steps to comply with his order by this morning. - The two sides were reportedly close to a deal Tuesday night, but school officials said that negotiations ultimately stalled out. - You'll be able to ride the Blue Line late into the evening for the rest of the week after all. MBTA officials [announced yesterday]( that they're postponing the rest of [the planned Blue Line mini-closure this week]( after just one night of the late-night service suspension. - Why? Well, the first night didn't go great. According to an MBTA spokeswoman, shuttle buses weren't able to run consistent service Monday night due to detours and lane closures from simultaneous road work happening on I-93 and the Sumner and Callahan tunnels: "This resulted in a level of service that MBTA staff felt was inadequate for our riders," the T's Lisa Battiston told me. - According to Battiston, the MBTA is working with MassDOT to find new dates — when there isn't other road work on I-93 and the two East Boston tunnels — for the Blue Line diversion. P.S.— Come [meet World Cup champion Briana Scurry at WBUR CitySpace tonight]( She'll joining On Point host Meghna Chakrabarti for a discussion about about her career and the impact of head injuries. Chakrabarti will also talk to researchers from Boston University’s CTE Center about their recent work on the types of hits that have the most long-term consequences for athletes. Both in-person and virtual [tickets are free]( Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [How a little mussel could help save a Merrimack River salt marsh]( The salt marsh at Joppa Flats in Newburyport is eroding. A MassAudubon pilot project is testing whether ribbed mussels could help stabilize the marsh as part of a living shoreline. [Read more.]( [How a little mussel could help save a Merrimack River salt marsh]( The salt marsh at Joppa Flats in Newburyport is eroding. A MassAudubon pilot project is testing whether ribbed mussels could help stabilize the marsh as part of a living shoreline. [Read more.]( [What to know about Question 2, which would require dental insurers to spend a minimum rate on patient care]( The 'Yes on 2' campaign says this initiative is about transparency and making sure dental insurance premiums go to patient care and not executive salaries. The 'No on 2' campaign says the measure could trigger price hikes and cause people to lose dental coverage. Experts say there aren't likely to be big changes to the system. [Read more.]( [What to know about Question 2, which would require dental insurers to spend a minimum rate on patient care]( The 'Yes on 2' campaign says this initiative is about transparency and making sure dental insurance premiums go to patient care and not executive salaries. The 'No on 2' campaign says the measure could trigger price hikes and cause people to lose dental coverage. Experts say there aren't likely to be big changes to the system. [Read more.]( [BU disputes reports it created a potentially dangerous pathogen]( Boston University researchers are refuting reports that they created a more dangerous strain of the coronavirus, after their work was picked up by the Daily Mail and other media outlets. [Read more.]( [BU disputes reports it created a potentially dangerous pathogen]( Boston University researchers are refuting reports that they created a more dangerous strain of the coronavirus, after their work was picked up by the Daily Mail and other media outlets. [Read more.]( [Transgender Emergency Fund launches first-of-its-kind housing initiative in Boston]( The organization has created a program offering housing to eight trans and nonbinary individuals, and also provides monetary support for transportation, medical expenses, and help with job-building skills and financial literacy. [Read more.]( [Transgender Emergency Fund launches first-of-its-kind housing initiative in Boston]( The organization has created a program offering housing to eight trans and nonbinary individuals, and also provides monetary support for transportation, medical expenses, and help with job-building skills and financial literacy. [Read more.]( [The U.S. creates a legal pathway for Venezuelan migrants, but many won't qualify]( The Biden administration has announced a new legal pathway to discourage Venezuelan migrants from crossing the border illegally. But many may not qualify because they lack financial sponsors. [Read more.]( [The U.S. creates a legal pathway for Venezuelan migrants, but many won't qualify]( The Biden administration has announced a new legal pathway to discourage Venezuelan migrants from crossing the border illegally. But many may not qualify because they lack financial sponsors. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - With refugees making both local and international news, WBUR's Lauren Williams [recommends three books]( on borders and belonging. - Rep. Katherine Clark, the assistant House speaker, joined WBUR's Morning Edition to discuss Democrats' prospects in this year's midterm election and what happens if Republicans win control in Congress. Listen to the full interview (or read the highlights) [here](. - PSA: The IRS is [upping its standard deductions and income tax thresholds]( by big amounts for the 2023 tax year. That should mean more savings for people in all income brackets during a time when prices for everything from utilities to groceries are at [record highs](. - Dr. Alister Martin and Sammer Marzouk [write in this commentary about a newfound space for voter registration]( the doctor's office.  What We're Reading 📚 - The legacy of Kowloon: A restaurant, a family, and the remarkable perseverance of Chinese cuisine in America ([The Boston Globe]( - Mayor Michelle Wu Wants to Change Boston. But Can Boston Change? ([The New York Times Magazine]( - As workers restore Dorchester's iconic rainbow gas tank, a history lesson about the artwork ([GBH News](  Tell Me Something Good [After leaving 'Mass. and Cass,' former Sox minor league pitcher has 'team' helping him toward recovery]( Mike Spinelli's addiction to opioids started more than 20 years ago, after he was injured while pitching for a Red Sox minor league team. He lived on the streets of the 'Mass. and Cass' area of Boston for about five years until he was housed with the help of Eliot Community Human Services in June. [Read more.]( [After leaving 'Mass. and Cass,' former Sox minor league pitcher has 'team' helping him toward recovery]( Mike Spinelli's addiction to opioids started more than 20 years ago, after he was injured while pitching for a Red Sox minor league team. He lived on the streets of the 'Mass. and Cass' area of Boston for about five years until he was housed with the help of Eliot Community Human Services in June. [Read more.]( Before you go: Birkenstock's Boston clog may be this season's [most popular shoe]( — but [not with these Boston residents](. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news   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.]( Copyright © 2022 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.