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The Lexington Minute Men are calling for reinforcements
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While you wait for a certain part-time Rhode Island resident's newly announced album, let's get to the news.
Calling all aspiring historical reenactors: The Lexington Minute Men are hiring. With the semiquincentennial celebration now in the rearview mirror, the 60-person group of Revolutionary War reenactors is looking to add 25 new members as it plans ahead for the 275th anniversary in 2050 (the bicenterquasquigenary, if you will).
- Why do they need new members? Well, frankly, a lot of the current members are getting up there. " Some are well over 30 years of membership and are not actually able to get out in the field anymore," David Gipson, the first lieutenant and recruiting officer with the Lexington Minute Men, told WBUR's Dan Guzman.
- Who should apply? Anyone over 18 years old with a love for history, according to Gipson. "It's really a cool thing to represent the men and women that were there when the American Revolution started," he said. "So if you get chills thinking about that, pick up the phone or contact us by email [or] by one of our websites, and let's have a conversation." (Click here to apply online.)
- FYI: It's not a cheap hobby. The Lexington Minute Men estimate it can cost up to $7,000 a person to acquire the mandatory gear, such as hand-sewn clothing and old-timey muskets. " Lexington is very focused on authenticity," Gipson said. So, the group recently kicked off a fundraising campaign to create "starter kits" with "all the major accoutrements needed to join." The kits allow members to get the gear first and pay for it over a period of time. " The goal here was to take that financial burden out of the way so that young members who want to join or maybe haven't established themselves in their careers yet, don't have a lot of disposal income yet, could still participate," Gipson said.
Behind closed doors: Harvard is reportedly closing in on a settlement with the Trump administration to restore billions in federal research funding. According to The New York Times, the tentative framework includes Harvard paying $500 million — not to the government directly, but on vocational and educational programs and research. The university would also make commitments to continue its efforts to combat antisemitism on campus. But unlike Columbia University, it would avoid the appointment of a monitor. Meanwhile, the Trump administration would stop its investigations and efforts to block Harvard from enrolling international students.
- Go deeper: WBUR's Emily Piper-Vallillo recently spoke to experts about the potential pros and cons of cutting a deal with Trump for Harvard.
On Beacon Hill: Gov. Maura Healey says it's too soon to say if indicted Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins should resign. Tompkins was arrested Friday by the FBI for allegedly extorting a local cannabis company. And while an arrest has been enough for Healey to call for other local elected officials to step down, she said yesterday that she needs more information in this case: "I need to know more about this."
- Why it matters: Healey can't directly remove Tompkins from office, though she can petition the state's Supreme Judicial Court to remove him. Tompkins, who isn't up for reelection until 2028, hasn't said if he will resign. (Healey does have the power to suspend him as chair of Roxbury Community College's Board of Trustees, which her two Republican challengers want her to do.)
Out west: Tourism officials in Western Massachusetts anticipate some impact from the cancellation of the remainder of this year's Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival. Last week, the two-month festival in Becket canceled the rest of its summer season after a production director died while moving staging platforms. Jonathan Butler, the president and CEO of the economic development agency 1Berkshire, told New England Public Media that Jacob's Pillow is "one of the higher attended festivals" of the summer. "We do know people come here specifically to enjoy the performances and the dance and the unique experience and the setting of the Pillow," Butler said, adding that he expects the festival to rebound "as strong as ever" next year.
- The latest: Berkshire Eagle reports that the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has opened an investigation into the Aug. 1 incident.
P.S.— There are now just four weeks until Boston's preliminary election. Brush up on all the candidates in the city's contested mayoral and City Council races — as well as the important dates and deadlines to remember — in our preliminary voter guide.
Correction: A previous version of this article misspelled David Gipson's last name.
