Madam Mayor, Falling Rents And The Harp's Return: The HUB

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

Good morning, Boston! It's Thursday, March 25. Today we're watching Kim Janey's first full day as acting mayor, wondering if the Bruins will be able to play tonight and worried about what might be in the data Facebook was NOT ordered to turn over to the Attorney General.

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Madam Mayor

For the first time in its history, Boston has a mayor who isn't a man and who isn't white.

Kim Janey took the oath of office shortly after noon on Wednesday, replacing Marty Walsh, who stepped down earlier this week after being confirmed as the Biden administration's labor secretary. Janey, who was previously city council president, has not said whether she will run to permanently replace Walsh in the crowded racing shaping up for this fall.

Janey attended Boston Public Schools during the height of the bussing crisis in the 1970s and recalled having rocks thrown at her as she tried to get to school in Charlestown. On Wednesday, she talked about returning to that same school a day earlier. "I saw students happy to be back in school with their teachers and friends, instead of the pain and trauma that I had experienced in middle school," she said.

Janey said she'll use her time as acting mayor to address economic disparities, including food insecurity, high housing costs and high unemployment among residents of color.

How do you think Gov. Baker has done in fighting COVID-19? Take our survey.

Coronavirus Concerns

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health will release its weekly, town-by-town report this afternoon, and there is concern several communities will remain or join the list of "high risk" places for coronavirus transmission. In addition to clusters in Swampscott and on Cape Cod, the state has seen an increase in the number of new cases in daily reports this week.

And now, the Boston Globe reports, Massachusetts has 441 confirmed cases of "the worrisome coronavirus variant that first emerged in Britain." The so-called British variant spreads faster and more easily, and some studies show it is more deadly. That could mean a nationwide surge of COVID-19 cases and deaths, even as more Americans get vaccinated.

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

Thursday's Other Top Stories

Once desirable addresses are now bargains. A new report shows rent prices have dropped for one-bedroom apartments near 105 Boston T stops—most notably at Government Center, State, and Park Street, a RentHop study shows. Only 11 stops saw nearby rent increase, compared to 88 stops the year before.

The Bruins, who have been quarantined since returning from Buffalo Sunday, hope to return to the ice tonight to host the Islanders. The team was scheduled to practice Wednesday, assuming players passed COVID-19 testing. Forward Sean Kuraly was placed in the NHL's COVID-19 protocol following the 4-1 win on March 18 in Buffalo. The following day, four more players tested positive.

The state's highest court gave Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey a mixed decision in her office's investigation of Facebook. The Supreme Judicial Court ruled Wednesday that Facebook needs to turn over some data Healey has requested, but limited the scope of the data a lower court judge ordered the social media giant to share. Healey launched the investigation following the 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal and is looking into whether Facebook misused customer data.

What's On Tap For Thursday

Single-game tickets for April home games at Fenway go on sale at 10 a.m. The team is using demand-based pricing for tickets this season.

At noon, The Harp on Causeway Street across from North Station and TD Garden, will reopen after being closed for more than a year. Those plans are in pencil for now —the bar will only reopen if Thursday night's Bruins game is a go.

The Rundown

• What I'm reading: The White Album, by Joan Didion, after watching The Center Will Not Hold on Netflix.
• What I'm watching: My wife and I are late to the party, but we're six episodes into The Crown, and we CAN'T. STOP. WATCHING.
• What I'm listening to: Foo Fighters Radio on Sirius XM. The satellite radio provider has dedicated a channel to the band to mark the release of Medicine At Midnight last month that features lots of rare performances and interviews.
• What I'm eating: I spent part of Wednesday writing about the North Shore's obsession with roast beef sandwiches and have been craving a three-way ever since.

Weather

After overnight rain, we can look for times of clouds and sun with a high of 63 in the Boston area on Thursday. Rain returns on Friday, while cooler temperatures are in the weekend forecast.

Dave Copeland is Patch's regional editor for Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island and is filling in for Mike Carraggi as curator of the HUB this week. Mike will be back tomorrow.