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Boston's Morning Newsletter
What should be on the new Boston Monopoly board? Hasbro wants your ideas
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TGIF. It’s the last day of February and the first day of Ramadan. (Here are some tips on what to avoid saying to your Muslim friends during this holy period.)
To the news:
Go directly to (Freedom) trail: Hasbro may be coming to Boston in more ways than one. The Rhode Island-based toymaker announced yesterday it’s releasing its “first official” Boston edition of the iconic game Monopoly — and they want locals’ input on what landmarks should be featured as squares on the board. “We aim to ensure that MONOPOLY: Boston Edition is an accurate portrayal of what Boston locals and tourists love about this charming city, from the iconic Fenway Park to historic Boston landmarks,” said John Marano, a representative for the game manufacturer Top Trumps (no relation to the president; it’s known for making Hasbro-licensed local versions of Monopoly).
- Tell ’em: The company is accepting Boston square submissions via this online form or email at boston@toptrumps.com. (Sure, feel free to suggest Newbury Street and Faneuil Hall — but may I make a case for Boston’s humble potato monument?)
- When can we get it? This November. It’ll be available in stores and online at Barnes & Noble, Amazon and “select local Boston retailers.”
- FYI: You may have noticed you can already find some Boston versions of Monopoly online. However, those were limited-editions released by Parker Brothers in the 1990s, before the company was bought by Hasbro. Company spokesperson Chris Haynes says the new edition will be a national release. “Also, this Boston version is for the long haul,” Haynes said in an email. “There is no plan to update or refresh it in years to come.”
As the weather warms up, Boston is shifting its approach to address concerns about public safety and drug use downtown. Officials say open-air group drug use, dealing and related crimes have spilled over into Downtown Crossing and Boston Common since the city removed tent encampments in the Mass. and Cass area. In a memo this week, Mayor Michelle Wu’s administration called it “the most pressing issue impacting quality of life for residents citywide.”
- By the numbers: Boston saw noteworthy declines in murders and violent crime last year. However, 2024 actually marked a seven-year high for crime in the Downtown Crossing/Boston Common area, according to a Boston Globe report this week. And a survey found 70% of DTX residents felt less safe as the year progressed.
- The plan: While the city is still primarily focused on connecting people with addiction treatment and housing, the memo this week says they will increase the presence of police officers and ramp up enforcement against drug-related crimes. The plan also includes enabling police to commit people to mental health and addiction treatment diversion programs.
- In other news: Wu told reporters it’s “amusing” how much congressional Republicans are “hyping up” a hearing on immigration policy she’s set to attend next week, after the House Oversight Committee released a dramatic video featuring her.
A local meteorologist has reportedly been caught up in the Trump administration’s latest wave of layoffs. The Boston Herald reports Francis Tarasiewicz, who recently started tracking weather at NWS Boston’s Norton office, was included in yesterday’s layoffs of probationary employees at the NOAA. “This wouldn’t be half as hard to bear if I hadn’t fought my whole life through foster care and impossible odds to serve this great nation,” Tarasiewicz posted on X. “This past month of serving my community has been the honor of a lifetime.”
- Zoom out: It’s unclear how many at the 12,000-employee NOAA, which includes the National Weather Service, were affected by the layoffs. “Probationary” status is applied to staffers who recently joined the agency or had been promoted. (NPR has more here on the concerns about how the cuts could impact forecasting and other operations.)
- The latest: A judge in California ruled yesterday that the indiscriminate firing of probationary employees is illegal and should be stopped (though his order does not cover every agency).
Heads up: Remember how all Green Line service downtown was suspended last weekend? Now, it’s the Orange Line’s turn. The T is shutting down the middle of the line — between Jackson Square and North Station — so crews can make progress on signal upgrades.
- There’ll be free shuttle buses between Jackson Square and Back Bay stations. But to get from Back Bay to North Station, the T suggests taking the Green Line. (Psst: They’re leaving the inbound fare gates open at Copley.) More details here, plus a helpful map.
P.S.— The MFA is loaning out a crown jewel of its collection for a year. Do you know who painted it? Take our Boston News Quiz and test your knowledge of the stories we covered this week.
