😅 There’s A LOT to unpack here

It’s Monday, Boston.

👋 Welcome back, readers! Hope you’re feeling recharged after the holiday. We missed ya!

🥳 Also, a big HBD to my grandmother, a.k.a. Juju. Her 82nd birthday wish is to win the Powerball, so send her some of her namesake.

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Horrible Tuesday traffic

• GLX shutdown change

• Mini LEGO master

Up first...

ICYMI

Let’s catch up (B-Side’s version)

Took a break from the news last week? We don’t blame you (we were on vacation, too).

To get back on track post-holiday, here’s a quick debrief of everything you may have missed:

😭 You’re really going to have to pay those student loans. In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court said “it’s a no from me, dawg” to Biden’s student loan forgiveness program, which would have wiped out a third of all borrowers balances. That means your federal loans will start accruing interest again Sept. 1, and payments will resume in October. That said, the Biden admin is working on a few alternative ways to provide debt relief without the legal headache.

🌲 All Christmas Tree Shops are liquidating their stores ASAP. After filing for bankruptcy in May and defaulting on a loan in June, the eclectic discount retailer plans to close its remaining stores, including the remaining 13 in Mass., by Aug. 31. As a result, they’re leaning into their “Don’t you just love a bargain?” jingle with a massive liquidation sale, offering up to 50% off of lowest ticketed prices, including items like holiday decor, furniture, and more.

🏊 Mayor Wu launched a program to teach young Bostonians how to swim. As part of the city’s new Safe Swim Initiative, they’re bringing free swimming lessons to certain pools throughout Boston, giving up to 500 children access to free lessons. The hope is this program will close some racial gaps: For context, one in four Black parents and one in three Latino parents in the U.S. never learned to swim. For white parents, it's one in 25, Wu said. Plus, the Paris Street pool officially re-opened after a $10 million reno and it looks chefs kiss.

🍔 It was a busy week for Boston foodies. Gordon Ramsay’s new casual burger joint opened near Haymarket; Smoke Shop BBQ opened a location in Eastie; the brains behind Mike & Patty’s launched Up & Down, a smash burger and fried chicken spot in JP; and news broke that Day & Night Cereal Bar, a chain specializing in cereal, reportedly plans to open in Oak Square this summer. If your parents never let you have surgery cereal, their menu is the perfect revenge tour.

🍦 Yelp named the best ice cream shop in Mass. The Ice Cream Barn in Swansea clocked in at No. 46 on Yelp’s list of Top 100 Ice Cream Shops. Their five-star rating is likely thanks to their “huge portions,” “homemade waffle cones,” and “water views,” according to reviewers. And just a 20-minute drive west to Providence, R.I., will land you at No. 7 on the same list: Tricycle Ice Cream, the highest-rated New England spot.

SPONSORED GIVEAWAY WITH THE JIM ISRAY COLLECTION

Giveaway alert!

🎟️ We’re giving away two VIP floor access passes to The Jim Irsay Collection – a traveling museum of rock music, American history, and pop culture– on July 15 at TD Garden. To be eligible, refer a friend and have them accept your invite between June 30 and July 11. If you have already referred a friend to B-Side (and they’ve accepted), you're eligible! Full details below*

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CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🚘 Tuesday traffic is expected to be HORRIBLE. Thanks to July 4 celebrations and summer travel, Sumner Tunnel closure traffic was relatively chill last week. But now that we’re back to reality, MassDOT officials are warning that Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday will have the heaviest traffic during the morning and afternoon commutes, giving you a better idea of just how bad it’s going to be for the next eight weeks. Here’s a refresher on the best ways to get downtown during the closure.

🚃 The Union Square branch of the Green Line isn’t shutting down … yet. Speaking of the Sumner Tunnel closure, Gov. Healey put the brakes on the MBTA’s plans of shutting down the Union Square branch of the Green Line for 42 days later this month to avoid any overlap with the closure. The reason behind the original shutdown was to repair the Squires Bridge over the tracks, but after inspection, MassDOT said it’s safe to delay repairs until September. That said, all other T disruptions this month are still a go.

🌌 The Northern Lights could make a New England appearance this week. It’s not every day you see the Northern Lights during the summer, but a solar storm forecast for Thursday is expected to give skygazers in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine a glimpse. Shout-out to the 11-year solar cycle (expected to peak next year) that’s making the lights visible in places outside Alaska and Sweden. If you’re hoping to get a peek, make sure to get away from city lights and set your alarms: the best viewing times are between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.

🌊 Eastie Week(s) is in full swing. The 10th anniversary of the event celebrating East Boston’s people, culture, history, and art kicked off this weekend. This year, the community is offering two full weeks of free and low-cost activities, with everything from 3-D printing at the makerspace, outdoor movies, workout classes, paint nights, farmers markets, and more. You can see the full event listings here.

THINGS TO DO

Weekday checklist

🔮 Get a tarot reading from a comedian. Practicing tarot reader and standup comic Antonio Morales will be giving public readings at Trident TONIGHT! And there will be food and drinks.

🍿 Catch a free outdoor movie! You can see The Lost World: Jurassic Park on the Greenway on July 12; The Karate Kid on Revere Beach on July 13; and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at Boynton Yards on July 14 (movie snacks at Boynton yards are also free).

💃 Listen to Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) in drag. The queens will be performing the entire album (From the Basement) at Jacques Cabaret. Grab tix quickly, there’s only a few left!

🧘 Take a yoga lunch break at the BPL. This free, 45-min yoga class is all about slow and mindful movements to help loosen up some of the work-day kinks. Bring a mat if you have one.

🎶 Vibe to vinyl at the ICA. Soulelujah will kick off the ICA’s Vinyl Night series featuring some of Boston’s best all-vinyl DJs. Bonus: Admission is free.

ONE LAST THING

Mini LEGO master

If you’re reading this before 9 a.m., here’s a good deed you can do today.

6-year-old Kellan Rietdyk, of Newton, is a LEGO whiz who was just crowned Boston’s Mini Master Model Builder. And now he needs your vote to win the North American title.

The budding builder created his interpretation of Logan, the BPL, the Pru, and a house on Beacon Hill out of LEGOs for the national competition. You can check out his designs and cast a vote for him by liking this pic on Facebook. If he wins, he’ll be Boston’s first North American Mini Master Model Builder.

Voting closes at 9 a.m.!

🧱 Thanks for reading! As Kellen says in the video linked above, have a brick-tastic day!

🎆 The answer from June 30th’s pop quiz was Boston Common. That’s where Boston held one of the country’s first Fourth of July fireworks displays circa 1777.

💃 Keep up with us @BostonBSide on IG, TikTok, and Twitter. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected].