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Axios Boston
Protesters reclaim MIT encampment after college's order to clear
Student protesters who were ordered to clear an encampment on MIT's campus ultimately reclaimed the site hours after the college's deadline to disperse, tearing down fencing surrounding the tents.Why it matters: Even the longest-running encampments in Massachusetts may be nearing their end as tensions escalate ahead of graduation. MIT's encampment escaped demolition for now.Catch up quick: MIT President Sally Kornbluth gave protesters until 2:30pm Monday to leave the encampment on the green space known as Kresge Oval.Campus police set up a tent with machines to swipe protesters' student IDs as they cleared the encampment.Those who left and hadn't already faced...
What's next after Steward Health Care's bankruptcy filing
Steward Health Care's eight functioning hospitals in Massachusetts will remain open while the beleaguered company undergoes Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.Why it matters: The hospital system's move — one of the biggest hospital bankruptcies in decades — raised concerns about the fate of its 16,000 Massachusetts employees and the patients they serve, but state officials tried to dispel those fears yesterday.State of play: Dallas-based Steward, which filed for bankruptcy protection early Monday, said it will move to restructure its debt under court supervision while its hospitals remain open (with the exception of Norwood Hospital, a ninth Steward hospital that closed due...
Things to do in Boston 5/6-5/10
TuesdayTake Lucille Bluth's advice and go see a Star War at the Alamo Drafthouse. They're showing Episode I: The Phantom Menace for its 25th anniversary.Screenings run through Wednesday night.WednesdayAuthor David Krell discusses his new book "The Fenway Effect: A Cultural History of the Boston Red Sox" at the Boston Public Library in Copley Square.
Celtics announcer Melisa Valdez talks tech habits
Melisa Valdez is the face on the Celtics’ basketball court and on the dance floor for the upcoming “Dance Your Style” competition.The intrigue: Valdez, who was born in the Dominican Republic, has drawn visitors from all over to Celtics games, including one girl from Uruguay."What makes this job the most rewarding is being to impact little girls from all over the world," Valdez said.The latest: Boston is hosting the semi-finals of Dance Your Style Saturday night with Valdez at the helm.“Everything is improvised, so it’s really beautiful to see them work their magic,” she said of the dancers.Axios Boston spoke with her about her tech habits.📱 Apple or Android: Apple girl all the way.👇🏽 First tap of the day: My messages — texts from family, emails, instagram.📧 Inbox Zero? Yes. I don’t like seeing unread messages.📰 Go-to news source: Local TV news (e.g. NBC10, WHDH, Fox25).🎧 Podcast of choice: I used to listen to “Girl, We Got This”by Laticia Rolle.I like to listen to a lot of empowering podcasts… people that are trying to motivate.Streaming service of choice: I’ve been a Spotify girl.🎶 Current ear worm: I’ve been rocking with Victoria Monet (no one song).
Things to do, weekend of May 3
FridayIt's prom night at the ICA — the young at heart (and over 21, please) will gather for the museum's First Fridays event for a retro-glam good time.You might even get crowned "prom regent."🎶 High Street Place's Boston Calling Night gives you a taste of the jams you'll hear at the festival this year, 6pm-11pm.It starts with live sets of artists Bad Rabbits and ToriTori! followed by a DJ spinning tracks from this year's lineup.Tickets are free, but limited.🧘🏽 For something lowkey, try Friday Night Yoga at the Museum of Modern Renaissance in Somerville, 7pm-8:30pm.Price: $35.Saturday🕊️ Mass Audubon throws a "pigeon party" — an afternoon walk at the Boston Nature Center and Wildlife Sanctuary in Mattapan discussing the humble pigeon, 10:30am-12pm.Celebrate "Star Wars'" 47th birthday with a May the Fourth brunch at the Summer Shack in Cambridge, 11:30am-3pm.Deehan, of course, only celebrates a few weeks later on Orthodox Star Wars Day.🎞️ The Boston Independent Film Festival runs through Wednesday, so you still have chances to see films like "Rojek," "The Remarkable Life Of Ibelin," "Gasoline Rainbow" and more.🎶 The Viva Selena! tribute show is back at Club Cafe for its third year, featuring a Latine drag cast, 8pm-9:30pm.Price: $20.
College campuses are on edge — just in time for graduation
Boston area colleges are bracing for a month of commencement and graduation events while student unrest is near a boiling point on some campuses over the war in Gaza.Why it matters: A little over a week after the pro-Palestinian student encampment at Northeastern University was cleared by police and nearly 100 demonstrators were arrested, the Northeastern community will gather at Fenway Park for their annual commencement ceremony.Tensions between students and the college's administration are at a fever pitch.What they're saying: "Things obviously aren't back to normal," civil engineering major Colin Sutherland, who graduates Sunday, told the student paper the Huntington...
Massachusetts audit says state could be leaving $266M on table with rideshares
If rideshare drivers were classified as employees, the companies behind them would have owed Massachusetts on average $266 million in state benefits from the past decade, per a state auditor's report.Why it matters: A Superior Court judge and a ballot measure later this year could determine whether drivers for Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and similar companies should be classified as full-fledged employees, who are entitled to certain benefits, or as contractors.State of play: The report estimates how much rideshare and other companies could owe in payments for workers' compensation, unemployment insurance and paid family and medical leave.In the current scenario, rideshare...
Massachusetts' C-section rate exceeds the national average
Cutline: Data: CDC; Chart: Axios VisualsAbout a third of births in Massachusetts last year were cesarean deliveries, just above the national average.Why it matters: Massachusetts, which is home to world-class hospitals, also has C-section rates far above the 10-15% rate the WHO considers "ideal."While C-sections are medically necessary for some parents, they can have short- and long-term health risks.By the numbers: The 2023 C-section rate was 33.5% in Massachusetts, according to provisional CDC data.Zoom out: The national C-section delivery rate has increased since 2020, following a general decline between 2009 and 2019, per the CDC.The national C-section delivery rate increased...
Boston concerts this week: Norah Jones, The Decemberists, Dustin Lynch, Sum 41
This week's headliners include pianist and singer Norah Jones, indie icons the Decemberists, country star Dustin Lynch and throwback acts like Sum 41, Teenage Fanclub, Saxon and Uriah Heep.Tuesday'90s Scottish alt rock group Teenage Fanclub is at the Paradise.Pop punks Sum 41 play at MGM Music Hall.ThursdayTennessee country star Dustin Lynch plays at Leader Bank Pavilion.Portland indie royalty The Decemberists come to Roadrunner.FridaySarah Jarosz plays at the Sinclair.Colombian singer-songwriter Andrés Cepeda will be at the Shubert Theater.SaturdayLocal alt-rockers Slothrust play at the Sinclair.SundayJuliet Ivy performs at Brighton Music Hall.Early heavy metal icons Saxon and Uriah Heep team up at the House of Blues.MondayPianist Norah Jones comes to MGM Music Hall.
How Boston-area colleges are responding to pro-Palestinian protests
College and police responses to pro-Palestinian encampments on campuses have sparked debates over what consequences student protesters should face, if any.Why it matters: Graduation is around the corner, and some students could have their degrees withheld for participating in protests against Israel's ground offensive in Gaza.State of play: Ken Henderson, Northeastern University chancellor, wrote in a letter that students who were arrested will face disciplinary proceedings over their role in the encampment, which he called "an unauthorized occupation of university space."Henderson said he warned protesters multiple times the encampment would have to be dismantled and that the demonstration drew a...
Things to do around the Boston area this week
Monday👀 A group of transit activists have a simple goal for their Monday afternoon rally at Park Street Station: convince the MBTA to glue googly eyes to the front of trains to give them a little personality, 12pm.Tuesday📚 East End Books in the Seaport hosts a discussion with Melissa Giberson, author of "Late Bloomer," and Amy Ferris, author of "Mighty Gorgeous," 6pm-7pm.Includes a guest appearance by pop and jazz singer Suede.Wednesday📖 Author Brad Balukjian presents his new book "The Six Pack: On the Open Road in Search of Wrestlemania," a nonfiction work about the author exploring the world of professional wrestling by tracking down the friends and foes of wrestler the Iron Sheik.🎞 The Boston Independent Film Festival opens for eight days of exploratory cinema at the Brattle, Davis Square Theater, Coolidge Corner Theater and other cinemas.Thursday🖼 The Fenway Cultural District holds its first art crawl, "JoyWalk," 12pm-8pm.The crawl offers drinks, snacks and free admission to nine spots, including the Gardner Museum, the MFA and Trustman Art Gallery.🎭 The Fresh Ink Theater presents a pay-what-you-can performance of "Orpheus in the Overworld," which opened last week at the BCA Plaza Theaters and runs through May 5.
Things to do this weekend in Boston
Friday📚 Read My Lips, a woman- and disability-owned pop-up bookstore, heads to Lamplighter Brewing Co. in Cambridge, 6pm-9pm.🍻 The Envoy Hotel in the Seaport hosts a rooftop social for locals in their 20s and 30s, 7:30pm-11:30pm.Saturday🐐 JetBlue will host a goat petting zoo on the Rose Kennedy Greenway in honor of the soccer GOAT, Lionel Messi, 10am-1:30pm.Bad pun aside, the airline and Revs sponsor is offering prizes to visitors, including a pair of tickets to Saturday night's match against Inter Miami.🥫 Challenge your taste buds and your sanity at Harpoon Brewery's Sauce Party. It'll be two days of hot sauce madness with a wing eating contest, spicy pizza eating contest, and more for just $10.No word if reigning Brookline hot wing-eating champion Conan O'Brien plans to enter.📚 Saturday is Independent Bookstore Day, when shops like the Harvard Bookstore, Brookline Booksmith, Porter Square Books and Trident Books run special promotions.🇯🇵 The Japan Festival returns to Boston Common with a tea ceremony, origami making and cosplay-posing primer, 11am-5pm.The festival also runs Sunday, 11am-5pmSunday🌈 The Big Queer Food Fest, hosted by acclaimed chef Tiffani Faison, is bringing LGBTQ+ chefs and breweries to High Street Place for tastings and discussions, 5pm-8pm.Price: $50.
Messi is coming to Foxborough
Soccer superstar Lionel Messi's Inter Miami play the New England Revolution Saturday night at 7:30pm in Foxborough at Gillette Stadium.Why it matters: New England fans might get their first chance to see soccer's top player in action.Messi's appearance could also set an attendance record for the Revs.Over 60,000 tickets have already been sold for the 65,000-seat stadium.Tickets are still available for nearly $300.The MBTA is running a special round-trip train to Foxborough for the event.The intrigue: Fans won't know if Messi is even playing until about an hour before the game starts.Gillette's astroturf field poses greater injury risk for players, and sometimes top talent sits out games on turf.You can watch from home with the MLS season pass from Apple TV+.
Campus protests escalate around Boston
Throngs of undergrads continued to erect encampments to protest the Gaza war after over 100 people were arrested at Emerson College early Thursday morning.Why it matters: University administrators are juggling students' free speech rights with concerns from Jewish students and alumni that some demonstrations against Israel's war policies have crossed the line into antisemitism.State of play: Four Boston police officers reported being hurt in the Emerson clash while clearing protestors camped out by Boston Common.The encampment had been up since Sunday night.Classes were canceled Thursday at Emerson.Across the river in Harvard Yard, demonstrators set up a camp Wednesday to protest...
Wu pitches commercial tax hike to counter tumbling values
Mayor Michelle Wu wants to temporarily shift some of the city's tax burden away from residential property owners if commercial property values take a nosedive.Why it matters: Wu wants to head off a situation in which decreasing commercial property values in the coming years force the city to rely even more on residential owners.If commercial property values tank, she wants building owners to temporarily pay 200% of the residential tax rate in the short term to take pressure off residential taxpayers in the long term.Business-minded city councilors aren't happy with Wu's one-size-fits-all approach and fear a greater tax burden on...
Patriots face franchise-altering decision with No. 3 pick in NFL Draft
For the first time in three decades, the Patriots have a top-3 pick in the NFL Draft, positioning them to make a franchise-altering decision tonight.Why it matters: The Patriots have been searching for a new face of the franchise since Tom Brady left in 2020. In a strong draft for quarterback prospects, they could use their No. 3 pick to select one — or trade the pick for a haul of assets.Here are some names you might soon see on jerseys all over town:Likely unattainable: Caleb Williams, the former Oklahoma and University of Southern California phenom QB, is expected to be...
Boston kids face opportunity gaps based on where they live
A new analysis illustrates how metro areas like Boston can rank so highly in education while significant childhood opportunity gaps remain within the region. Why it matters: Childhood opportunity has significant influence throughout a person's life, factoring into educational and career progress, life expectancy and more. How it works: The...
A Boston athletic club is coming at Prudential Center
A Life Time athletic club will replace the now-shuttered Barnes and Noble at the Prudential Center late next year.Zoom in: The space will be Life Time's seventh Boston-area location, per the company.The club will include a training floor, casual cafe, work lounge and a co-ed wet spa, the Boston Globe first reported.The wet spa will feature a steam room, sauna, whirlpool and cold plunge.Flashback: Harvard Book Store had planned to open a second location in the old Barnes and Noble space, but the expansion fell through earlier this year.
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