Mass. taxpayers are one step closer to $3 billion in refunds

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TGIF! There's a growing feeling of fall in the air this morning — not to mention the look of winter atop Mount Washington.

And while we're now officially in the final week of summer (boo!), there is some good news: today is the final weekday of the Orange Line and partial Green Line shutdowns, and MBTA leaders say they're confident both lines will fully reopen as scheduled Monday (yay!).

Here's what else to know before you start your weekend:

It's official: Massachusetts Auditor Suzanne Bump says that taxpayers are owed back a total of nearly $3 billion — $2,941,499,731, if we want to be exact — under an obscure old law capping the amount of revenue the state can take in each year relative to wage growth. It's the first time the law will be triggered since 1987, when the state went over the limit by $29 million and allowed most Bay Staters to claim a credit of around a few dollars on their tax returns the following year. But this time, the refunds are expected to be much larger, and Gov. Charlie Baker wants to issue them in the form of direct payments this fall.

When exactly should you expect the refunds? Baker reiterated this week that rebates are sent out before the holiday season. After Bumps's report Thursday, state finance officials said they'll share more details about how the money will be distributed "soon."

How much will you get? That part hasn't been pinned down either, but we are getting a better idea. The refunds are based on a percentage of how much an individual paid in state income taxes this past spring. Based on a previous, slightly higher projection of $2.965 billion, officials said it would be 7% — which would equate to a refund of $250 for someone who made $75,000 in 2021. Of course, those with a higher salary would get a bigger payment, while those who made less would see a smaller check. But again, we're gonna have to wait a little longer for exact numbers.

The Baker administration is exploring setting up temporary housing and support services at Joint Base Cape Cod for the four dozen migrants who were flown to Martha's Vineyard without notice by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration. But for now, WBUR's Simón Rios reports that community leaders on the island have stepped up to support the group with shelter, food and warm clothes.

Immigration lawyers told Rios that many of the migrants had applied for asylum upon crossing the border and are now trying to figure out how to keep their appointments. Several members of the group told NPR that they were lured onto the plane by false promises that the process would be expedited. For more on the scenes from Edgartown and moving photos captured by our photographer Jesse Costa, click here.

Massachusetts Democrats are slamming DeSantis for using humans in what they say is a "political stunt," while several local Republican candidates have looked to blame liberal immigration policies. For his part, Baker has held back from publicly criticizing DeSantis, a fellow GOP governor. Instead, he's thanked "everyone on the ground who quickly came together to provide assistance."

Zoom out: Also on Thursday, two busloads of migrants were dropped off near Vice President Kamala Harris' home in DC. And this isn't the first time these type of tactics have been used by southern politicians to score political points. Read here about the cruel and mostly forgotten history of "Reverse Freedom Rides."

Massachusetts officials say this week's order of Moderna's version of the new bivalent omicron booster was canceled this week due to a temporary national shortage of the shots. While residents can still get Pfizer's version of the booster, the shortage has resulted in some Moderna appointments getting canceled and overall limited availability of the shots at pharmacies like CVS.

State health officials said Thursday that they don't expect to be able to order the Moderna boosters again until Sept. 26. They're encouraging providers to order Pfizer in the meantime.

Reminder: Boston is offering free $75 Visa gift cards (among other things) to anyone who gets vaccinated or boosted against COVID-19 at a pop-up clinic tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Franklin Park's White Stadium. You can read more about the details here.

Here's a guide to if — and when — you should get the new shots.

P.S.— An incident caused part of the Green Line to temporarily shut down earlier this week. Do you remember what it was?  Then take our Boston News Quiz and test your knowledge of the local stories we covered this week.