What Bostonians need to know this week
As you savor the last ostensible remnants of the New England summer — and the extra day off Monday — here are a few things to know this week (which actually looks like it will start off quite nice) as we unofficially turn the corner toward fall.
What you missed over the weekend:
This again:
Leaders across the world are sharply condemning — and warning — North Korea after the country said it successfully tested a hydrogen bomb potentially more powerful than the atomic bomb. Defense Secretary James Mattis told reporters Sunday that the United States does not want “total annihilation” of North Korea, but that “we have many options to do so.’’
As Mark Bowden recently reported in The Atlantic, there are generally considered to be four main options for dealing with North Korea — and all of them are bad.
Not a thermonuclear bomb, but still: Boston police arrested a Rhode Island man who veered his car onto City Hall Plaza, before crashing it now the nearby steps Friday night. “Miraculously,” police said none of the pedestrians in the area at the time were struck or injured.
Something maybe worth looking into: The New York Times reports that the Russian election hacking effort, while not believed to have affected the actual vote tally last November, was wider than previously known and potentially compromised “back-end election systems, whose disruption could prevent voters from even casting ballots.”
Au revoir: The Patriots cashed in on Jacoby Brissett’s recent performance, trading the third-string quarterback Saturday to the Indianapolis Colts. But Brisette isn’t the only New England player to depart this weekend. The team also made their final roster cuts, which included fullback Glenn Gronkowski, running back Brandon Bolden, and receiver Austin Carr.
Bonjour: In addition to welcoming receiver Phillip Dorsett, whom the Patriots received in exchange for Brissett, the team also traded draft picks for Detroit Lions cornerback Johnson Bademosi and Seattle Seahawks defensive end Cassius Marsh.
Also, while you were taking off early for the Labor Day weekend, the Celtics introduced their two big-time offseason acquisitions, Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, in a press conference Friday. We also got a first glimpse of the two in their new Celtics jerseys.
A few Labor Day weekend reads: If you find yourself with some extra time over this long weekend, here are a few stories worth your time:
- Cruise ships elicit fear of paradise lost in Bar Harbor: For more than a century, the view from the top of Cadillac Mountain has drawn travelers to this remote and rocky, glacier-carved landscape. … Nowadays, though, the panoramic vista frequently includes another, less natural object: a big white cruise ship parked just off the coast.
- A hockey pro dies, and the coach he said raped him is free: [David] Gove never escaped the anguished memories of his treatment by an influential Boston hockey coach who recognized his talent and took him under his wing, then allegedly raped him repeatedly over several years, beginning when he was 13.
- BC grad breaks Appalachian Trail record with final push of 37 sleepless hours: “That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”
What to know this week:
They’re back:
The Patriots kick off the 2017 NFL season Thursday night at home against the Kansas City Chiefs, and Robert Kraft is promising a “very special” pregame unveiling of the team’s fifth Super Bowl banner. Good thing they made extra space.
DACA: The White House is expected to announce President Donald Trump’s decision on potentially rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which allows 800,000 undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children to work in the country. In a Boston Globe piece Friday, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey and Boston Archbishop Seán O’Malley pleaded for the program to remain in place.
Irma next?: As the Washington Post reports, officials — especially on the East Coast — have an eye on Hurricane Irma, currently gaining intensity in the Caribbean Ocean. Forecasting models say the storm could make landfall anywhere from Florida to New England, or drift back out to sea, by Saturday.
What’s happening in Boston:
Helping Harvey survivors:
The city of Boston is planning to hold a benefit concert, the brainchild of Bell Biv Devoe, for Houston schools affected by the storm Saturday night on City Hall Plaza.
Fight for 15: As part of a national Labor Day demonstratiosn, fast food workers are planning a protest Monday in Boston for a higher minimum wage, union rights, and a Massachusetts bill mandating employers provide paid medical leave for workers.
Concerts galore: The heavy hitters don’t come to Boston until later this month; however, the the September concert scene does kick off this week with a few local musicians.
Bugging out: Cirque du Soleil’s ensemble of acrobats and aerial artists bring their show to Boston’s Agganis Arena this Wednesday through Saturday. It’s the last United States stop for their global OVO tour, which depicts the group’s take on a day in the life of a colony of insects.
A dining hall of grown ups: Hall, a membership-based dining hall evocative of your school meal setting, opens Tuesday in the Back Bay.
Speaking of school: It’s that time of year again, and this local district was just ranked best in the country.
One last summer trip: For those not tied down to work or the new school year, Maine’s “Open Lighthouse Day,” on which you can tour the state’s more than two dozen lighthouses on a single day, is Saturday.
This week’s Patriots schedule:
Week 1: Thursday, September 7: 8:30 p.m. versus the Kansas City Chiefs on NBC
This week’s Red Sox schedule:
Monday, September 4: 7:10 p.m. versus the Toronto Blue Jays on NESN
Tuesday, September 5: 7:10 p.m. versus the Toronto Blue Jays on NESN
Wednesday, September 6: 7:10 p.m. versus the Toronto Blue Jays on NESN
Thursday, September 7: no game
Friday, September 8: 7:10 p.m. versus the Tampa Bay Rays on NESN
Saturday, September 9: 7:10 p.m. versus the Tampa Bay Rays on NESN
Sunday, September 10: 1:35 p.m. versus the Tampa Bay Rays on NESN
