South End residents convinced a private school to back off plans to turn a grocery store into classrooms, but that's just half the battle.

The big picture: The news of Foodie's Market 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.

Yes, but: This could all become moot if the landlord doesn't agree.

Catch up quick: Foodie's and the landlord announced last week that the Croft School, a private preschool, would move in.

• The outrage was swift.
• South End residents blasted the move, which would not only eliminate the supermarket, but also a retail storefront altogether with the Croft School's expansion. (The preschool has two ground-level spaces down the street, which used to house Stella restaurant, Stella café and other retailers.)
• Within four days of the announcement, the Croft School had canceled its plans to lease the space, vowing to work with residents on its expansion plans.

State of play: Residents want to convince a new grocer to replace Foodie's.

• They've enlisted the help of Mayor Michelle Wu's office and state representatives, including Boston State Rep. John Moran.

What they're saying: "This is my pantry. I come here almost every day," said Philip Saul, a South End resident and owner of the clothing brand SAULT New England, during a standout outside Foodie's on Saturday morning.

• "If it would go away, it would be detrimental," said Saul, who is also president of the South End Business Alliance.

Reality check: Grocery stores are low-margin businesses, especially post-pandemic, and it's unclear how much commercial rents or other costs played a role in Foodie's Market.

• Neither Leon Jr. nor the landlords responded to requests for an interview.
• A spokesperson representing the landlord, 1421 Washington Associates, declined comment.

What's next: Saul and other business owners urged people to contact them if they come across a potential new grocer and, in the meantime, remember to shop local.

• "We need to keep our money with our neighborhood," he said. "We need to keep our money with our people."

Go deeper: Foodie's history

Massachusetts is cracking down on prediction markets that are emerging as rivals to sports betting giants like DraftKings and FanDuel.

Why it matters: In turn, prediction market platforms Kalshi and Polymarket are fighting back, maintaining they should be regulated by the federal government, not the state's gaming regulators.

• It's a decision that could reshape the future of legal sports betting.

Driving the news: Polymarket sued Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell in Boston federal court yesterday, accusing the state of overstepping its bounds in trying to regulate prediction markets.

• The lawsuit comes weeks after a Suffolk Superior Court judge temporarily blocked Kalshi from offering sports wagers in Massachusetts.

What they're saying: "Racing to state court to try to shut down Polymarket US and other prediction markets doesn't change federal law ..." Neal Kumar, chief legal officer at Polymarket, wrote on X.

• He argues that Congress gave the Commodity Futures Trading Commission exclusive authority over prediction markets, not state gaming commissions.
• Campbell's office did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

Zoom out: The U.S. sports betting market, which was legalized less than eight years ago, has grown into a multibillion-dollar industry.

• The market generated nearly $14 billion in gross revenue in 2024, with billions in tax revenue across legal betting states.
• Prediction markets have spread like wildfire in the past year, drawing bets on anything from the Oscars to the New York City mayoral race ... to the Super Bowl — even if they don't have state gambling licenses.

Keep reading: What we're watching

Four State Police staffers face involuntary manslaughter charges over the death of Enrique Delgado-Garcia, a state police recruit killed after an academy boxing training exercise in 2024. (Boston Globe)

⚖️ Valentina Amaro Bowser, a Venezuelan staffer for Gov. Maura Healey, is suing the Trump administration over delays to her permanent residency application that could cost Bowser her job. (WBUR)

• Bowser is being placed on unpaid leave starting Saturday, the day her H-1B visa is set to expire.

🏟️ ICYMI: Foxborough officials say FIFA must confirm when the town will get $8 million in public safety funding for the World Cup before they can issue a license for the games. (ESPN)

• Town officials say they can't afford to front the money and wait for reimbursement.

☕️ The Brendan Behan Pub in Jamaica Plain wants to open a cafe next door, per Restaurant Talk.

🇬🇷 Xenia Greek Hospitality, the restaurant group behind Bar Vlaha, Krasi and Kaia, is launching a 15-seat omakase called Moru Mou that blends Greek and Japanese cuisine, per Boston Magazine.

• The restaurant opens in the Seaport this summer.

🇪🇸 South Boston is getting a Spanish restaurant called Dalia later this year.

Avatar technology company Genies has partnered with MLB Players, Inc., the business arm of the Major League Baseball Players Association, to create AI characters of its players, CEO Akash Nigam exclusively tells Axios.

Why it matters: The collaboration redefines how players can connect with fans and how they can monetize their likeness in the AI era.

How it works: Genies will use its technology to generate interactive AI companions of MLB players.

• The experience is exclusively chat via text or voice.
• All the players in the league can have an avatar, which will be available on Genies.com. But in the future, they potentially could be used through third-party apps that use Genies' SDK.
• Monetization could include paid chats or digital goods. Players also could choose to use their avatar in sponsorships.

Go deeper

Yesterday, we asked you to guess where Townie had been. She was at the Gridley Locks and New Charles River Dam.

• The locks are named after Col. Richard Gridley, the Continental Army's chief engineer during the Revolutionary War.

Kudos to reader Corey D., who guessed first.