Itβs Wednesday, Boston.
π¨ PSA: Noah Kahan added an extra show to his βWeβll All Be Here Foreverβ tour stop at Fenway Park next July. If you have a presale code, youβll be able to pick between both dates today at 10 a.m. Tickets go on sale to the general public Friday. Ready. Set. GO!
π Whatβs on tap today:
Cambridge could cure cancer
$20 train to NYC
Thereβs always a Mass. connection
Up first β¦
POLITICS
Tax relief takes a big step

Statehouse leaders unveiled the $1 billion tax package on Tuesday. Image: Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff. Illustration: Emily Schario.
It only took two years, but we finally have a tax relief bill. Lawmakers will start voting today on a $1 billion tax package that would boost savings for families, seniors, and renters, while still throwing a bone to the stateβs most rich and powerful.
Hereβs how it could impact you:
π Renters and seniors could claim a little extra. It wonβt lower the cost of your rent, but under this package, renters would be able to deduct $4,000, up from $3,000. Seniors over 65 who own a home or rent an apartment get their tax credit doubled from $1,200 to $2,400.
πͺ Thereβs a little extra dough for children and dependents. The bill combines two existing tax credits for child care and dependent care, allowing taxpayers to claim $310 per dependent in the first year, then jumping to $440 in the second. Although Gov. Healey originally asked for $600 per dependent, officials said itβs the most generous universal child and dependent tax credit in the country.
π Your rich friends made out OK. Business leaders who have long lobbied for reforming the stateβs capital gains tax finally got what they wished for, or at least close to it. The bill would cut the tax rate on short-term capital gains from 12% to 8.5%, a more modest cut than what Healey and the House originally pushed for (5%), but still reasonable given the Senate didnβt include any cuts in their original proposal.
π° If you have an inheritance, you bagged a W, too. The Mass. estate tax is currently considered one of the nationβs strictest, but this package ups the threshold from $1 million to $2 million. Plus, theyβre offering a near $100,000 tax credit that would offset the βcliff effectβ that happens since the whole estate is taxed once it hits the threshold, not just the amount over it.
π€ That random tax refund you got last year could change. You can thank Chapter 62F, a law requiring the state to return excess revenue back to taxpayers if they collect over a certain cap, for that extra tax refund last year. Under current rules, the money is returned on a βproportional basis,β meaning if you paid more in taxes, you got a bigger refund. But the new bill adjusts the credit so that all taxpayers receive an equal amount.
π And legislators are trying to close a millionaireβs tax loophole. Thereβs talk of married couples trying to weasel their way out of paying the new millionaireβs tax (a 4% surtax on annual income over $1 million) by filing their state taxes separately. But this bill would require all married couples who file joint returns federally to also file jointly at the state level.
QUICK QUESTION!
π Do you think Mass. taxes are too high?
Let us know below!
TOGETHER WITH MFA BOSTON
π¨ The perfect way to end to a long week

Image: Caitlin Cunningham Photography
The MFAβs First Fridays are back β and the popular gatherings are the perfect opportunity to meet new people, enjoy art-inspired cocktails and tapas, and experience an inside look at the Museumβs newest exhibition of contemporary art. The series kicks off Friday, Nov. 3 to celebrate βTender Loving Care,β with a curator-led tour and music from DJ Lβduke.
First Fridays sell out fast, so grab your tickets today ($27, free for members)!
CITY
Quick & dirty headlines

Image: Michael Dwyer/AP
π§ Cambridge might be the place that figures out a cure for cancer. The Biden admin just created a new health research agency called Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H, for short) as a way to accelerate breakthroughs for diseases like cancer and Alzheimerβs. Cambridge will be the site of the agencyβs investor βcatalyst hub,β working with scientists and entrepreneurs to fast-track research into actual medicine and technology. Itβs a big win for Mass., and a testament to the cityβs powerful life sciences scene.
π΅ Weβre one step closer to pay transparency in Mass. Future conversations of βhow much do you make?β could get a little less awkward. House Democrats are planning to bring forward legislation this fall that would require Mass. employers with at least 25 employees to include a salary range or wage within any job listing. The bill would also require larger employers to report salary data to monitor pay disparities by race and gender. NYC passed a similar pay transparency bill last year, but employers have found ways to work around it.
π You can now take the train to NYC for as little as $20. You can finally break up with Greyhound. Amtrak just announced its βNight Owlβ fares on select routes along the Northeast Corridor trains, where you can travel between Boston and New York for just $20, Boston and New Haven for $15, and Boston and Providence for $5. The only catch is your train has to depart between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., hence the βNight Owlβ name. Alas, it will never be as cheap as the Fung Wah Bus, but itβll do.
π₯ Another exciting new restaurant is coming to the Seaport. ZaZibar, a new Caribbean Asian spot bringing the flavors of Grenada, is set to open on Seaport Boulevard (next to Lululemon) Oct. 10. This is the third concept from chef Olrie Roberts, the man behind the Zaz brand with restaurants in Hyde Park and Boston City Hall, as well as pop-ups around the city. ZaZibar will be the most elevated of the concepts, featuring a black and gold Roaring Twenties aesthetic, a tropical lounge patio, and a vegan-focused menu.
TOGETHER WITH MR. SWINDLEβS TRAVELING PELICULIARUM
Giveaway alert!
Enter to win a pair of tickets to the opening night of Mr. Swindleβs Traveling Peculiarium. If youβve already referred a friend to B-Side (and theyβve accepted), you're eligible! Full details below*

ONE LAST THING
Dumb Moneyβs Mass. connection

Image: Claire Folger
Massachusetts is getting some love on the big screen.
The new star-studded film Dumb Money is out this week, and if you grew up around here, itβs basically a local version of βI Spy.β
The movie is based on Harvard alum Ben Mezrichβs book The Antisocial Network, where Keith Gill, a Brockton-native and YouTuber, used meme stock to cause a giant mess on Wall Street in 2021 (yeah, heβs the GameStop stock guy).
Gill was a star runner at Brockton High School, then later at Stonehill College (Go Hill!), so thereβs plenty of Skyhawk paraphernalia on display, in addition to Pete Davidson rocking Celtics gear.
That said, the Brockton parts of the movie were shot in New Jersey. Which makes sense when you think about it because, as WBUR points out, the NJ Transit train that rumbles by in the beginning simply doesnβt pass for the MBTA because, well, βitβs working.β
You can watch the full trailer here.
π€© Thanks for reading! I donβt think you understand, as a Stonehill alum who always has to explain where/what Stonehill is, this is my Super Bowl.
π Special shoutout to todayβs sponsor, MFA Boston, for supporting local journalism and fostering a vibrant Boston arts community.
π Keep up with us @BostonBSide on IG, TikTok, and Twitter. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected].