Advertisement
Boston's Morning Newsletter
King tides expected to bring flooding to Mass. Friday and Saturday
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
Last night’s Patriots game wasn’t particularly fun to watch (unless you had the New York Jets defense on your fantasy football team 😇). We have more on the aftermath of last night’s loss below, as the Pats fell to 1-2 on the season. But first, the news:
Wicked high tides: A coastal flood advisory is in effect today up and down the eastern Massachusetts coast, as the king tides reach their peak. The seasonal phenomenon is expected to bring tides two feet higher than normal to the Boston area. There’s also a high surf advisory in effect, so officials are urging people to be cautious along the shore. (The MBTA’s Lynn ferry is canceled today as well.)
- Where to expect flooding: The usual flood-prone areas along the coast — like Boston’s Morrissey Boulevard, the Fort Point Channel harbor walk, Long Wharf and East Boston’s Central Square.
- When will they peak? This afternoon around 1:27 p.m. and then again Saturday around 2:27 p.m.
- Go deeper: The tides are caused by the lunar orbit, but magnified by the effects of climate change, says Rebecca Shoer, a program manager with the research nonprofit Stone Living Lab. “These have been happening for millennia, as long as there’s been a moon and a sun and an earth, but it’s compounded on top of sea level rise,” Shoer told WBUR’s John Bender. “Boston has already had about 10 inches of sea level rise, which means when these really high tides happen, we see flooding in the city.”
- What’s next: The NOAA says Boston should expect 12 to 19 days of high-tide flooding next year, more than any other Northeast city.
Haven’t paid your taxes yet? Massachusetts is giving residents one last chance to do so. The state’s Department of Revenue is rolling out a new tax amnesty program this November allowing people to catch up on back taxes without having to pay a penalty.
- How it works: The state will send letters to anyone eligible for the program — for example, if you simply never filed your tax return or have an outstanding payment. Then, you’ll need to submit an amnesty request and pay all tax and interest by Dec. 30. (Have questions? The state has a detailed FAQ page here.)
- Why are they doing this? The state is hoping it’s a win-win. Eligible residents who are behind on their taxes will get most penalties waived. Meanwhile, state officials project that they will bring in $100 million in revenue through the program.
On Capitol Hill: The full U.S. Senate will now decide whether to hold Steward Health Care CEO Ralph de la Torre in contempt of Congress. As WBUR’s Priyanka Dayal McCluskey reports, a Senate committee unanimously approved both civil and criminal contempt charges yesterday, after de la Torre ignored a subpoena to testify about his leadership while Steward went bankrupt. Priyanka has more here on the bipartisan vote.
- What’s next: If the full Senate follows suit, de la Torre could be prosecuted and face fines and even jail time.
The clock is ticking: Opponents of Massachusetts’ most recent gun law say they have close to half the signatures they need to suspend the law for a few years as they pursue a 2026 ballot question on the issue. The referendum campaign, which launched in August, is working toward an Oct. 9 deadline to gather a total of 49,716 signatures.
- The referendum campaign can still move forward with just 37,287 signatures. However, if they can gather 49,716, they could actually suspend the law until it gets voted on in 2026. (That said, as the State House News Service notes, Gov. Maura Healey could prevent them from doing that by adding emergency language to the law.)
Yard sale this way: Medford is hosting its first-ever citywide yard sale this weekend. WBUR’s Jesús Marrero Suárez reports that more than 200 residences plan to host a yard sale or a lemonade stand over the course of Saturday and Sunday — and 38 will have both.
- Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn said the idea comes from two residents: “I received an anonymous little note that just said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to have a community-wide yard sale?'” Her office ran with it. (Lungo-Koehn credits a young boy named Owen for coming up with the idea to include lemonade stands, too).
- Plan on going? Medford published a map of all the yard sales (and lemonade stands). The event will take place roughly between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. both days — rain or shine.
Meanwhile: Over the border in Somerville, this Saturday is the city’s 19th annual What the Fluff? Festival. The free festival will take over Union Square to celebrate the invention of marshmallow fluff in Somerville with all manner of fluff-based events, entertainment, food and drinks — like the canned Fluffernutter-flavored cocktail.
- From the archives: Radio Boston spoke to the Fluff festival’s founder, Mimi Graney, about the sticky spread’s history. (Did you know Fluffernutters were originally called Liberty Sandwiches?)
Last call: Today is the last day to apply for Boston’s “Spooky Streets” grants. The city is offering the $250 “mini-grants” to help residents throw Halloween or other fall holiday-themed block parties.
P.S.— What room is the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum restoring? Take our Boston News Quiz and see if you know the answer.
