Axios Boston

November 07, 2025
We made it to Friday. Let's hope you don't have to go to the airport today.
☀️ Clouds, then rain, 57°/50°
🎂 Happy birthday to Axios Boston member Jack DeManche!
Today's newsletter is 928 words — a 3.5 minute read.
1 big thing: Flight chaos looms at Logan
Boston's Logan Airport is set to experience significant flight reductions starting today, as federal authorities force emergency capacity cuts due to the government shutdown.
Why it matters: The Federal Aviation Administration wants a 10% traffic reduction at 40 major airports nationwide, including at Logan.
- That could strand thousands of New England travelers and disrupt holiday plans.
State of play: Massport confirmed yesterday that Logan will be affected.
- But state officials don't know which flights will be canceled and are waiting on the FAA for details.
- "For those traveling over the next few days, we do anticipate delays and cancellations and strongly urge passengers to check with their airline before coming to the airport," a Massport spokesperson said in a statement.
Threat level: Logan could see dozens of flight cancellations today, affecting up to 6,200 passengers, aviation analytics firm Cirium told GBH News.
- That's 10% of Logan's typical daily 500 departures carrying 62,000 passengers.
The big picture: Air traffic controllers have been working unpaid since the shutdown began Oct. 1.
- Controllers face their second missed paycheck today. That creates mounting financial pressure and staffing shortages.
Of note: Airlines say they will offer flexibility during the disruption.
- United, Delta, American and JetBlue, which each have a big presence at Logan, said they'll refund canceled flights, including for non-refundable tickets.
- Carriers expect regional flights to bear the brunt of cancellations while preserving international and hub-to-hub routes.
What's next: Massport says it is coordinating with the FAA and airlines to minimize disruptions but expects conditions to worsen if the shutdown continues.
2. 🏛️ Looking for new landmarks
The Boston Landmarks Commission is taking up petitions to preserve three historic downtown structures and potentially make them Boston's newest official landmarks.
Why it matters: Landmark designation provides protection for buildings that have contributed to history or been around through major historical events, like the Great Fire of 1872.
- It's meant to protect significant architectural periods from the post-Civil War era through the mid-20th century.
The city will look at three potential landmarks:
- Gilchrist Building (431–439 Washington St.) — An 1899 Modern Gothic former department store designed by Henry Forbes Bigelow. It's the home of the Corner mall now.
- Wesleyan Building (36 Bromfield St.) — An 1870 Italianate structure by Hammatt Billings that survived the Great Fire and was the Wesleyan Association's headquarters in Boston before housing the Boston University Law School.
- Boston Five Cents Savings Bank (School and Washington streets) — A property spanning two eras that combines a 1913 classical design with a 1960s modernist addition.
Of note: Any 10 registered Boston voters can petition for landmark status at Boston.gov/landmarks.
What's next: Experts will analyze each structure's historical significance before the Commission makes final decisions.
3. 🔙 BTMU: Moderna still shaky
💊 Moderna reported a 45% revenue drop in Q3 of 2025 driven by declining Covid-19 vaccine sales. (Boston Business Journal)
- The Cambridge drugmaker maintains it'll reach its goal of breaking even by 2028.
💧 The Boston Water and Sewer Commission became embroiled in controversy after two top staffers obtained dueling restraining orders against each other. (The Boston Globe)
- Former security director Sean Canty alleged he was surveilled by the commission after filing a whistleblower complaint.
- Executive Director Henry Vitale obtained a restraining order against Canty in October, alleging harassment.
🚨 Massachusetts Republican lawmakers demanded full transparency from Gov. Maura Healey regarding the hiring of LaMar Cook, who was arrested on cocaine trafficking charges. (Boston Herald)
- Cook, deputy director of the Western Massachusetts office, was fired after authorities intercepted 18 pounds of cocaine destined for the Springfield State Office Building.
4. 🚂 Tracking the T
Alert: There is no train service between the Green Line extension stops at Medford/Tufts, Union Square and Park Street through Nov 13 for track work through Nov. 13.
- There are shuttle buses between Medford/Tufts and North Station.
- Green Line C Branch eastbound service is stopping at Kenmore. You can take the B or D trains to Kenmore to get on a train headed toward Cleveland Circle.

Subway service in October was mostly steady, with small gains across the subway lines compared to September.
🔴 The Red Line averaged 23.4 mph, holding near late-summer levels with only some minor day-to-day wobbles.
🟠 The Orange Line ran at an average of 21.9 mph, a bit faster than September.
🔵 The Blue Line averaged 20.9 mph, continuing its rebound from the summer.
🟢 The Green Line averaged 11.3 mph and remained the slowest of the four lines.
Grade: B
5. 👴🏻 First-time homebuyers are older than ever


The typical first-time homebuyer in the U.S. is now 40 — the oldest on record, according to a report by the National Association of Realtors.
Why it matters: High prices, near-6% mortgage rates, and a shortage of affordable houses are delaying homeownership for many.
State of play: First-timers made up 21% of buyers between July 2024 and June 2025 — a new low in data going back to 1981.
- Some are co-buying with friends or moving further afield to get a foot in the door.
- Many are tapping family money: 60% of Gen Z and 57% of millennials say they couldn't have purchased a home without help from relatives, BMO bank research shows.
The bottom line: 40 is the new 30.
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This newsletter was edited by Jeff Weiner.
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