Boston's burgeoning food scene boasts award-winning chefs and innovative restaurants, but you won't find any with prestigious Michelin stars because we simply aren't on the guide's radar — yet.

Why it matters: Michelin stars serve as a kind of global benchmark in fine dining, bringing praise and prestige to winning restaurants — along with, presumably, tourist traffic to their towns.

• Without Michelin's guide extending to New England, Boston restaurants remain unranked in one of the world's top culinary systems.

It's not the food that's keeping Michelin out. It's money, politics and local leaders trying to make certain a Boston guide is a good deal for Boston.

• Michelin operates in very few U.S. areas: New York, Chicago, Colorado, Washington, D.C., Florida, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta and Texas.
• The guide launches where there is a willingness by local tourism boards and governments to strike up a financial partnership with the tire company-turned-cultural tastemaker.

State of play: Massachusetts and Boston officials haven't made that deal, so there are no stars available for local restaurants.

• Local tourism boards typically must pay huge fees for Michelin to launch guides.
• California paid $600,000 to expand coverage beyond San Francisco.
• Florida tourism boards collectively paid about $1.5 million over three years to bring Michelin to the Sunshine State.

Boston's tourism organization, Meet Boston, is in discussions to bring the guide to the city but says it needs to ensure any local financial investment pays off for the restaurant industry, tourists and consumers.

• Dave O'Donnell from Meet Boston told Axios it's not as simple as paying the company and getting a guide.
• "There's a lot of elements of the guide in how we would create a launch plan and a strategy to amplify and grow the number of restaurants that are recognized," O'Donnell said, adding, "We're just not there yet in terms of that comprehensive strategy."

Meet Boston's goal, according to O'Donnell, is to elevate the story of Boston dining above clam chowder, beans and Yankee cuisine to showcase the top-level cooking that's done here.

What they're saying: "A city having a guide doesn't necessarily improve its food scene," chef Marc Sheehan, co-owner of Northern Spy in Canton, told Axios.

• He says the Massachusetts scene is less suited for the type of fine dining praised by Michelin — and that's just fine, since Boston has its own high-quality identity.

The bottom line: Boston officials have to be sold on the idea that a Michelin guide would enhance the whole of the Boston food scene, not just a handful of star-rated restaurants, and that it's worth the financial investment.

Keep reading: What Boston's missing out on

Attorney General Andrea Campbell has joined 22 other states in legal action to stop the Trump administration from shutting down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Why it matters: The CFPB is the primary federal watchdog for consumers in the $18 trillion lending market.

• Dismantling it could significantly impact financial industry oversight and protections for consumers.

Zoom in: The Trump administration moved this month to halt CFPB operations. It's part of federal spending cuts tied to Republicans' proposed $4.5 trillion tax package.

State of play: A district judge has temporarily blocked terminations and data deletion at the agency.

• A hearing on the lawsuit is scheduled for March 3.

The other side: Department of Government Efficiency leader Elon Musk has been a vocal critic of the agency and its work to expand oversight of tech companies.

What they're saying: "The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) — the brainchild of Sen. Elizabeth Warren — has long functioned as another woke, weaponized arm of the bureaucracy that leverages its power against certain industries and individuals disfavored by so-called 'elites,' " the White House said in a press release this month.

What's next: State AGs are seeking a preliminary injunction in Maryland U.S. District Court, saying a shutdown would harm enforcement of consumer protection laws, decrease oversight of banks and leave consumer complaints unanswered.

• Warren has invited Campbell and Musk to a CFPB shutdown forum in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.

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💻 Wayfair reported a $492 million net loss in 2024, but that's better than the $738 million lost in 2023.

• CEO Niraj Shah knows the company is in a downturn but says it'll get better when the housing market improves. (BBJ)

🏃‍♀️ The Boston Marathon unveiled a new medal design for its 129th race. (WCVB)

• It's an updated unicorn logo with special markings for the 250th anniversary of Patriots Day.
• And no corporate sponsor branding.

🚇 A Green Line track maintenance vehicle derailed between Government Center and Park Street stations around 4 a.m. yesterday. Service resumed at 6:45 a.m. with no injuries reported. (Boston.com)

Cuts hit the National Science Foundation this week, the latest in a string of terminations at top U.S. science agencies that conduct or support climate research.

Why it matters: Fears are growing within the scientific community that arbitrary firings of government scientists will set back U.S. leadership in a slew of fields.

• This includes climate research and weather forecasting, as well as public health, space exploration, and basic research and development.

Zoom in: 168 employees were dismissed at NSF, or about 10% of the agency's staff. This may be the start of a further curtailed budget and staff at that science funding agency.

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