Federal law enforcement officials and U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins' office will meet with the state, city and MBTA Transit police departments today to talk about ways to prevent white nationalists from causing disruptions during this year's South Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade.

Threat level: It comes after a group wearing neo-Nazi insignia displayed a banner reading "keep Boston Irish" over a sidewalk guardrail at last year's event, angering parade attendees, organizers and local officials.

Driving the news: Sen. Nick Collins and other South Boston leaders have asked for more security on commuter rail trains headed into the city and at the South Station, Andrew and Broadway MBTA stations ahead of next Sunday's parade.

• Collins said communication between law enforcement, including federal agencies, will be key to preventing hate groups from causing trouble at the parade.

What they're saying: "We can't have people in hate groups hijack celebrations of what's great about our country," Collins told Axios this week.

U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch told GBH News last year that earlier law enforcement intervention could have stopped the disruption last year.

• Collins told Axios he and other South Boston leaders want law enforcement to focus on groups that may vandalize or destroy MBTA and city property.

Details: The annual parade, organized by the Allied War Veterans Council, celebrates the patron saint of Ireland and the evacuation of Boston by British troops in 1776.

• The route carries the parade from Broadway station to Andrew Square and begins at 1pm Sunday, March 19.

With no Damons, Afflecks, Poehlers, Carrells or Wahlbergs in sight, New England's hope for a hometown Academy Award winner this year falls to Westborough's own Daniel Kwan, who's nominated for best director for his film “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”

State of play: Kwan, 35, met his directing partner and co-nominee Daniel Scheinert (they're collectively known as The Daniels) at Emerson College.

• The pair's debut feature Swiss Army Man starred Daniel Radcliffe, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Paul Dano.
• But true fans know that The Daniels' best work is the ridiculous music video for Lil Jon's “Turn Down for What.”

Of note: The Daniels may have had some award show luck rub off on them when they directed a recent W magazine photoshoot with Emmy-winning native and fellow Emerson grad Jennifer Coolidge.

• Click here to see Coolidge from the Japanese monster movie-inspired shoot.

🎓 Massachusetts’ 15 community colleges plan to drop their COVID-19 vaccine mandates for students and employees after the spring semester. (GBH News)

A judge ordered a mental health evaluation for Francisco Severo Torres, the man who allegedly tried to open one of a United Airlines plane's emergency exists and after stab a flight attendant with a broken spoon. (NBC Boston)

• Torres told investigators that he would not die if stabbed in the heart or shot in the chest, or that he would come back to life, per court documents.

🧐 Senate President Karen Spilka says the legislature sets its own rules, manages its own business and hires outside firms to run audits, implying her branch doesn't need any additional spending oversight. (WCVB)

• State Auditor (and ex-senator) Diana DiZoglio begs to differ and is launching an audit anyway.

🏀 Merrimack College in Andover should have earned a trip to March Madness. Instead, their season is over, because a transition between divisions means they're ineligible. (Axios)

The FBI raided a "creepy doll" and bone art shop in Peabody and the home of the creepy doll maker in Salem. An FBI spokesperson declined to say why except that it's because of an "ongoing federal investigation." (Salem News)

👷 Ten years after getting city approval, a Newton developer says he’s finally ready to break ground on a three-story, 127-unit apartment building on H and East 1st streets in South Boston. (UniversalHub)

😡 The Red Line continues to move slower than a molasses flood through the tunnels beneath Boston, especially the stretch between South Station and Andrew Square, and the absolute crawl from Wollaston to Quincy Center, according to data analyzed by Transit Matters.

• Red Line round trips this week were on average 37 minutes longer than how the T was performing just a few years ago.

⚠️ Worth noting: Orange Line service will be suspended between North Station and Ruggles this weekend for track work.

• The work will also shut down the Green Line between North Station and Government Center.

💼 See who’s hiring around the city.

1. Ambulatory Services Representative II-U at Boston Medical Center (BMC).
2. Account Director at Hitachi.
3. Director, Media Relations at Corebridge.

Want more opportunities? Check out our Job Board.

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There's plenty to hear this week at Boston's concert venues. Here's your curated list of shows that might have gone under the radar.

Tonight

• Singer-songwriter and Alison Krauss mentee Sierra Hull will be at the Sinclair — 9pm
• Multi-instrumentalist Dabin presents his show "Sanctuary" tonight at Roadrunner — 8pm
• Rapper/singer-songwriter Yeat takes on the MGM Music Hall — 8pm

Saturday

• Colombian singer ¿Téo? Performs at the Sinclair — 9pm
• Egyptian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Hamza Namira plays at the Berklee Performance Center — 7pm
• Former Television guitarist Richard Lloyd is at City Winery — 7:30pm

Sunday

• Country duo Seaforth bring their "About Time Tour" to Brighton Music Hall — 8pm
• Canadian Celt-rock veterans Enter the Haggis boil up the good stuff at City Winery — 7pm