Is She More Than A Speed Bump? And Please Find Your Seat: The HUB

The HUB is a rundown of the stories people in Boston are talking about. Patch publishes the HUB every weekday.

Good morning, Boston! It's Friday, March 26. That means it's my birthday tomorrow. Forgot a gift? Just subscribe to Boston Patch for free to get the HUB in your inbox and we'll call it square.

Today we're looking at the return of fans to TD Garden after more than a year away, important news to come out of a local study and more delays for the MBTA.

But first...

Is Maura Healey to Uber and Lyft what those companies were to taxis?

The state's attorney general threatens to reshape the industry in a lawsuit that was allowed to move forward Thursday when a judge denied the ride-sharing companies' request to toss it.

The lawsuit, which involves reclassifying ride-sharing drivers as employees and not contractors, could potentially transform the industry that has changed the way people get around Boston and all major American cities.

Uber and Lyft argued the suit should be tossed because it "does not adequately allege that any drivers were denied benefits to which they would be entitled if they were employees, or that there is an actual controversy about the alleged misclassification," according to Suffolk Superior Court Justice Kenneth Salinger's decision.

Salinger said Healey adequetely alleges the companies may be depriving drivers of minimum wage, overtime and sick leave.

Read the full decision here.

For information on getting a coronavirus vaccine in Massachusetts, visit Patch's information hub.

They're back

What were you doing on March 8, 2020? If you were one of the 19,156 fans who watched the Celtics play the Thunder at TD Garden, then you were among the very last people to witness a professional sports team play in Boston.

Until Thursday night.

The Bruins lost, 4-3, to the New York Islanders in overtime. Goalie Tuukka Rask left in the first period with an undisclosed injury. Those will likely be footnotes: The front-page news is it all happened in front of 2,191 fans. The Boston Globe's Matt Porter wrote about what it was like for those in attendance.

The return of fans to a city drenched in sports history is a symbolic victory — unless you think it's too early for them to be back. Just hours before the puck dropped, the Department of Public Health categorized 32 communities as high risk for the spread of the coronavirus; last week's report had only 20 communities at high risk. There were 2,274 new cases reported, the highest daily total since early February.

The Celtics host fans Monday, and the Red Sox welcome folks back April 1.

@t Last

There are boss tweets, then are tweets from the boss. Here's an example of both:

What else is happening in Boston

A Boston study that's the largest of its kind suggested pregnant and nursing mothers who get the coronavirus vaccine pass antibodies on to their babies. The study, which was published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, was co-authored by MGH specialist Dr. Andrea Edlow. (NBC News)

A pastor at a Boston church was indicted on child rape charges. George Swain, 71, is accused of sexually abusing three young boys who were members of the Greater Victory Temple Church in Mattapan. (NBC10 Boston)

I guess the joke's on us for expecting the Orange Line to be on time. The MBTA is extending the closure for a chunk of the Orange Line after the March 16 derailment at Wellington Station. (Melrose Patch)

The listless Celtics looked to inject some life into their roster at the NBA's trade deadline. The team sent out starting center Daniel Theis and some flotsam for scoring guard Evan Fournier and some jetsam. (The Boston Globe)

What I'm reading: I'm not ready to say I've missed it, but the MBTA does have a certain, ahem, charm if you're a local. Lilian Cohen at Boston Magazine reflects on all the things she's missed about the T as more people return to commuting life. If I can add one: Finding a spot to get off your sore feet on a crowded car when you're coming back from a concert. Pure bliss.

Weather

By the time you're reading this, there's likely to be showers with temperatures in the mid-to-high 50s. Things will clear up through the day as it warms up into the 60s, but get ready for very strong winds throughout the day.

Have a swell Friday.

You can email me at mike.carraggi@patch.com and follow me @PatchCarraggi.