Boston

blue

Axios Boston Partners

Axios Boston

Standard

Boston Alerts

Alert

Axios Boston Thought Bubble

Thought Bubble

Boston Members

Membership

topics

politics-policy

epstein-files

donald-trump

2026-midterm-elections

immigration

behind-the-curtain

race-and-equity

technology

privacy-tech-regulation

automation-and-ai

tiktok-news

big-tech

social-media

cybersecurity

economy

social-security

inflation

tariffs

federal-reserve

jobs

transportation

business

stock-market-news

retail-news

crypto

media

elon-musk

dealmaking

health

rfk-jr

drug-prices

axios-explains-abortion

public-health

world

israel

axios-explains-ukraine

iran

russia

china

energy-climate

nuclear-energy

climate-energy-policy

climate-change

extreme-weather

alternative-energy

electric-vehicles

science

emerging-tech

biomedicine

newsletters

charlotte

detroit

columbus

austin

kansas-city

dallas

atlanta

washington-dc

nw-arkansas

boulder

chicago

indianapolis

nashville

richmond

houston

san-francisco

seattle

colorado-springs

boston

des-moines

salt-lake-city

philadelphia

denver

phoenix

new-orleans

miami

twin-cities

huntsville

raleigh

san-antonio

portland

san-diego

tampa-bay

cleveland

pittsburgh

axios-local

axios-pro

axios-live

the-axios-show

House wants to spend Fair Share cash on the MBTA, schools

House wants to spend $1.8B in Fair Share cash and tax dollars on the MBTA and schools — here's where every dollar would go.

News

The state has over $1 billion in &quot;Millionaire&#x27;s Tax&quot; money to spend and House leaders want it to go the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="MBTA" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/transit" data-vars-content-id="ee839a21-85bf-4f0e-b240-bd79c152bfb5" data-vars-headline="House wants to spend Fair Share cash on the MBTA, schools" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/transit" target="_self">MBTA</a>, special education and early childcare.Why it matters: If passed into law intact, it would be one of the largest single deployments of Fair Share revenue since voters approved <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the income surtax" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2025/04/29/millionaires-massachusetts-income-surtax-increase" data-vars-content-id="ee839a21-85bf-4f0e-b240-bd79c152bfb5" data-vars-headline="House wants to spend Fair Share cash on the MBTA, schools" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2025/04/29/millionaires-massachusetts-income-surtax-increase" target="_self">the income surtax</a> in 2022.

What we know about The Croft School's financial troubles

A month ago, The Croft School was planning to expand. Now, it's struggling to keep its doors open.

Education

A month ago, The Croft School was <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="discussing expansion plans" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/02/10/foodies-market-south-end" data-vars-content-id="ffd83883-b38a-40ca-a47d-2c15a406e25f" data-vars-headline="What we know about The Croft School&#x27;s financial troubles" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/02/10/foodies-market-south-end" target="_self">discussing expansion plans</a> in the South End.<ul><li>Now, the private school is struggling to keep its doors open amid allegations that its founder hid $13 million in debt.</li></ul>

AI-generated attack ads are already slopping up Mass. races

AI attack ads are already showing up in Massachusetts races — and the 2026 cycle is just getting started.

Politics

Deehan here with Spill of the Hill, my column unraveling Massachusetts politics.<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Artificial intelligence" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/24/ai-biggest-threats-2028-election" data-vars-content-id="5ae6c8eb-8ab5-4404-af1a-e50396c6af3a" data-vars-headline="AI-generated attack ads are already slopping up Mass. races" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/24/ai-biggest-threats-2028-election" target="_self">Artificial intelligence</a> is becoming an active political weapon in Massachusetts.Why it matters: Two recent cases show that candidates are willing to use the technology as lawmakers struggle to regulate it.

Mass. startup aims to bring archival work into 21st century

Archives nationwide face decades-long backlogs. A startup aims to modernize their preservation.

Business

Countless records that shed light on this <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="250-year-old nation" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/07/black-history-250-who-decides" data-vars-content-id="1089d381-1de9-45cb-a76f-cf64bc3ec76f" data-vars-headline="Mass. startup aims to bring archival work into 21st century" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/07/black-history-250-who-decides" target="_self">250-year-old nation</a> have languished in boxes and warehouses for decades.<ul><li>A Massachusetts-based startup wants to modernize the cataloguing process to help preserve those items before it&#x27;s too late.</li></ul>

RFK Jr. took aim at Dunkin'. Mass. residents threatened revolts

RFK Jr. took aim at Dunkin's sugary coffee drinks. Massachusetts residents blew up.

The United States&#x27; <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="250th anniversary" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/07/black-history-250-who-decides" data-vars-content-id="c892d6ba-a617-43da-98dc-fc962d4a2d41" data-vars-headline="RFK Jr. took aim at Dunkin&#x27;. Mass. residents threatened revolts" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/07/black-history-250-who-decides" target="_self">250th anniversary</a> may be remembered as the year a Kennedy declared war on Massachusetts.Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Dunkin" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/02/25/dunkin-boston-iced-coffee-mitten-bucket" data-vars-content-id="c892d6ba-a617-43da-98dc-fc962d4a2d41" data-vars-headline="RFK Jr. took aim at Dunkin&#x27;. Mass. residents threatened revolts" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/02/25/dunkin-boston-iced-coffee-mitten-bucket" target="_self">Dunkin</a>&#x27;, the Bay State&#x27;s beloved coffee chain, is the Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy&#x27;s latest target.

Restaurant under scrutiny after Patriots players' late-night party

Estella's owner may now face penalties from licensing officials.

Sports

A downtown Boston restaurant may face penalties for hosting <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Patriots" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/02/09/super-bowl-patriots-loss" data-vars-content-id="41b46e05-61c3-4fdb-95b1-8d6ac172243a" data-vars-headline="Restaurant under scrutiny after Patriots players&#x27; late-night party" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/02/09/super-bowl-patriots-loss" target="_self">Patriots</a> players after hours in a pot- and hookah-filled celebration in January.Why it matters: Helder George Brandao, the owner of Estella on Temple Place, said the celebration caught him by surprise and broke several local laws and regulations.<ul><li>Brandao described the evening to the Boston Licensing Board on Tuesday morning, per reporting by <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="UniversalHub" data-vars-click-url="https://www.universalhub.com/2026/downtown-bar-owner-says-patriots-came-celebrate-his-place-after-they" data-vars-content-id="41b46e05-61c3-4fdb-95b1-8d6ac172243a" data-vars-headline="Restaurant under scrutiny after Patriots players&#x27; late-night party" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.universalhub.com/2026/downtown-bar-owner-says-patriots-came-celebrate-his-place-after-they" target="_blank">UniversalHub</a>.</li></ul>

How to do Dine Out Boston on a budget

The restaurant week aims to bring new customers to local eateries, but it's becoming pricer.

Food and Drink

Dine Out Boston returns this week with more restaurants and higher price points.The intrigue: The restaurant week aims to bring new customers to local eateries, but it&#x27;s becoming harder for cash-strapped Boston-area residents to enjoy.

Food hall app Wonder opening 9 Mass. restaurants

Wonder opens locations in Natick, Belmont and Framingham Thursday with more on the way.

A fast-growing company that&#x27;s part-restaurant, part-food pickup and delivery app opens three Massachusetts locations Thursday.Why it matters: Massachusetts is the latest market for New York-based Wonder, which is ramping up operations across the Northeast.

Foodie's closure sparks fight over South End storefronts

Residents fended off an attempt to convert the market into a school. But the battle's not over.

South End residents convinced a private school to back off plans to turn a grocery store into classrooms, but that&#x27;s just half the battle.The big picture: The news of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Foodie&#x27;s Market" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/02/04/foodies-market-closure" data-vars-content-id="7c582db7-c9e0-4abc-9083-f2e6fec22da5" data-vars-headline="Foodie&#x27;s closure sparks fight over South End storefronts" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/02/04/foodies-market-closure" target="_self">Foodie&#x27;s Market</a> closing in June has mobilized residents to lobby for a new grocer to maintain food access around 1421 Washington St., the only supermarket in that part of the South End.

South End market closure sparks food access debate

Residents called on city planners to reject efforts to convert the space for a private school.

The impending closure of a South End market has sparked a debate over what should replace it — another grocer or a growing private school.The big picture: Foodie&#x27;s Markets&#x27; South End location is the latest small grocer in the Boston area to shutter.

Boston dining's 2026 glow-up

Boston is shedding its chowder-and-beans reputation entering 2026.

Boston is shedding its chowder-and-beans reputation entering 2026, with new awards buzz and highly anticipated openings.Why it matters: Boston grabbed <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="its first Michelin star" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/01/16/boston-michelin-guide-alternatives-dining" data-vars-content-id="3ec32f01-4472-4ea2-b5c9-ee4d01ff56e7" data-vars-headline="Boston dining&#x27;s 2026 glow-up" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/01/16/boston-michelin-guide-alternatives-dining" target="_self">its first Michelin star</a>, did well in recent <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="James Beard award nominations" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/01/21/james-beard-boston-semifinalists" data-vars-content-id="3ec32f01-4472-4ea2-b5c9-ee4d01ff56e7" data-vars-headline="Boston dining&#x27;s 2026 glow-up" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/01/21/james-beard-boston-semifinalists" target="_self">James Beard award nominations</a> and captured the title of Condé Nast Traveler&#x27;s #1 food destination in the U.S.

Exclusive: Harpoon wades into "mid-strength" beer market with Low Key lager

Boozy beers have long dominated American craft beer, but the pendulum's swinging the other way.

Harpoon is taking a page from European brewers and releasing a lower-ABV lager in March.Why it matters: While strong, boozy beers have long dominated the craft beer world, the pendulum is swinging in the other direction in the U.S. as <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="more consumers shy away from alcohol" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/08/13/alcohol-drinking-rate-low-health" data-vars-content-id="cd419ce4-5f8c-4456-a448-b870f12de4ff" data-vars-headline="Exclusive: Harpoon wades into &quot;mid-strength&quot; beer market with Low Key lager" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/08/13/alcohol-drinking-rate-low-health" target="_self">more consumers shy away from alcohol</a>.

These are the Boston-area James Beard semifinalists

O Ya, Comfort Kitchen, Tonino are among those represented in this year's list.

The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="James Beard Awards" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2025/04/02/james-beard-award-finalists" data-vars-content-id="afe511cd-2cf9-41ff-afdd-8a8ea760321d" data-vars-headline="These are the Boston-area James Beard semifinalists" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2025/04/02/james-beard-award-finalists" target="_self">James Beard Awards</a> named nearly a dozen Boston-area eateries and chefs as semifinalists yesterday.The big picture: This year&#x27;s list includes previously nominated restaurants, like O Ya, as well as several first-time nominees.

Where to eat in Boston when the Michelin spots are full

Can't get a table at Michelin-picked spots? Here are the best neighborhood alternatives.

After the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Michelin Guide" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2025/05/12/michelin-adds-boston-philadelphia-to-northeast-cities-guide" data-vars-content-id="4060a17b-5c6a-45aa-80f7-b0efaf219fb7" data-vars-headline="Where to eat in Boston when the Michelin spots are full" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2025/05/12/michelin-adds-boston-philadelphia-to-northeast-cities-guide" target="_self">Michelin Guide</a> launched in metro Boston late last year and put several local eateries on the map, it&#x27;s harder than ever to get a table at the city&#x27;s hottest spots.Yes, but: There are plenty of great restaurants you can visit as soon as you like without a weekslong waitlist.

🍽️ Restaurant roundup

Allston food hall vendors seek alcohol licenses 

Carrie Nation, Dubliner settle wage theft violations with Mass. AG

Food and Drink 🍽

Allston food hall vendors seek alcohol licenses

Carrie Nation, Dubliner settle wage theft violations with Mass. AG

RFK Jr. took aim at Dunkin'. Mass. residents threatened revolts

Restaurant under scrutiny after Patriots players' late-night party

How to do Dine Out Boston on a budget