Axios Boston

June 23, 2026
Welcome to Tuesday.
- It's a bittersweet farewell to the Tartan Army as Boston says "tìoraidh" to the Scots, plus there's a high-stakes harassment hearing surrounding Brockton Mayor Moises Rodrigues.
🌫️ Today's weather: Patchy fog, with a high of 76 and a low of 61.
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Today's newsletter is 1,082 words — a 4-minute read.
1 big thing: Saying goodbye to Scotland
They came. They partied. They put road cones on statues.
- And now, alas, Scotland's Tartan Army is leaving Boston as their World Cup journey takes the team to South Florida.
Why it matters: The Scottish team plays Brazil Wednesday in Miami, and after what seems like a month of occupying Boston, the Scots we've all grown to love will be gone.
What's happening: Delta Air Lines wants to send the Tartan Army off in style as they depart Boston for Miami.
- Through Wednesday morning, the airline is offering kilt- and bagpipe-toting travelers priority boarding on BOS-to-MIA and BOS-to-FLL flights.
- It's partly to help bagpipe players secure precious overhead bin space for their instruments.
The airline's sendoff party will have bagpipe music at the gate, Scottish shortbread, specialty mocktails and some employees in kilts.
- Fans are invited to write "Love Letters to Boston" postcards at the gate about their memories. The most coherent may appear online or in the airport.
What's next: England.
- They play Ghana in Foxborough at 4pm.
The intrigue: As Scotland moves on, there's been some drama between Scottish fans and at least one bar downtown.
- The 4th Wall on Tremont Street played what the owner told Axios was a good-natured joke on a group of friendly Scottish fans that had become temporary regulars.
- The bar blared the English national anthem "God Save the King" and posted "This is an English bar fuck off" on the TVs. A world-class troll to take the piss out of the bar's new Scottish friends.
Yes, but: At least one Scottish fan didn't receive the joke as intended, and according to social media posts, started a firestorm online criticizing the bar.
- "We love the Scottish, and we had a great time all weekend," owner and general manager Brett Walshaw told Axios.
- "It was like five minutes out of a whole week ruined an entire party," he said.
💭 Deehan's thought bubble: I've seen a few English tourists taking in the sights downtown and they seem a bit more family-friendly than their Scottish compatriots.
- We'll see if that changes tonight when they come back from Gillette.
2. 💸 $1 million starter homes

A record 242 American cities now have typical starter homes valued at $1 million or more, according to a new Zillow report.
Why it matters: That's up from 226 cities last year — and 80 in February 2020, before the pandemic housing boom sent home prices soaring.
The big picture: 26 states had at least one city with million-dollar starter homes in April, up from nine states before the pandemic, Zillow found.
- California leads with 105 cities, followed by New York with 41 and New Jersey with 26.
- Zillow's list included 10 towns in Massachusetts: Nantucket, Weston, Wellesley, Chilmark, Dover, West Tisbury, Needham, Lexington, Edgartown and Carlisle.
- Zillow defines starter homes as those in the bottom third of home values in a given area.
Reality check: Seven-figure prices for entry-level homes remain the exception nationally. (The typical U.S. starter home is worth less than $200,000, per the report.)
- But affordability challenges persist due to a long-running housing shortage.
The bottom line: "Our list of $1 million starter homes is a cautionary tale of what happens when we don't build enough to meet demand," Zillow senior economist Kara Ng tells Axios.
Share with someone who won't own property until their parents' will reading
3. 🔙 BTMU: Celtics miss on Giannis
🏀 The Miami Heat acquired Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo in a trade last night. The Celtics were reportedly the other frontrunner to acquire the "Greek Freak." (ESPN)
🍃 Six months after Massachusetts regulators approved rules for cannabis lounges, almost none have opened and operators are losing money waiting. (Boston Globe)
- Cities want the Cannabis Control Commission to release licenses first; the CCC says municipalities need to pass zoning changes before it will.
🏘️ Boston approved new rules for Chinatown that cut maximum building heights in the neighborhood's historic row house district nearly in half, from 80 feet to 45 feet. (Boston Business Journal)
4. Brockton mayor in hot water
Brockton Mayor Moises Rodrigues' political future is up in the air as witnesses describe in court how he allegedly pressed his body against a teenage student while dancing at a parade.
Why it matters: The hearing will determine whether a harassment prevention order against Rodrigues will be extended or dismissed. It bars him from coming within 100 yards of the student.
- The complaint has thrown Rodrigues' administration into a tailspin as the mayor struggles with damage control.
State of play: A Brockton High marching band teacher took the stand yesterday in Hingham District Court to describe the parade in May.
- Music director Andrew Fantucchio said he was 10–15 feet away when he saw Rodrigues put his hands and face on the student's shoulders.
- "It wasn't just his hands. His body was touching her body," Fantucchio testified.
The intrigue: The incident made headlines when a woman ran onto the Brockton High field at graduation to confront Rodrigues
- "You know what you did to my daughter," the woman shouted before being escorted off the field.
The student testified yesterday, saying Rodrigues grabbed her by the waist during the Huntington Day Parade May 22 and pulled her closer while someone filmed him dancing.
- She said she hid in a bathroom when she learned he'd come to the school afterward. She broke down in tears when he appeared at graduation despite a letter from the district saying he wouldn't attend.
The other side: Rodrigues also testified, saying he "felt awful" after learning the student was uncomfortable with their interaction.
- "I believe it's possible I put my hand on her shoulder," he said, per The Enterprise. "It was not meant to hurt her. I was being nice to someone."
What's next: State Police are investigating a formal complaint filed by the student's family with Brockton Public Schools.
- A judge is reviewing cellphone video from the parade incident.
5. 🍁 Canadian fans in town?

This pack of fans on East Berkeley Street is a long way from Vancouver, where Team Canada will play Switzerland tomorrow at 3pm.
Deehan wonders if the English will embrace Boston's Irish pubs the way the Scots did.
Steph was out.
This newsletter was edited by Jeff Weiner.
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