Plus: The Patriots' surprising upset

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September 09, 2024
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Diamond Naga Siu
Starting Point writer
X: @diamondnagasiu ([link removed])

Welcome to the first edition of Starting Point. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning, we'll bring you reporter insights, interesting articles, things to do/read, and stories from around New England. We hope you like what you see and stick around. Please send suggestions, critiques, bouquets — or anything else — to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]?subject=Comment) .

Today, we’re writing about the Harris-Trump debate ([link removed]) , gun violence ([link removed]) , the Red Line shutdown ([link removed]) (ugh), the Patriots' upset ([link removed]) , and America's obsession with the Kennedy family ([link removed]) .

But first, we’re highlighting a disturbing Spotlight Team report about the tragic human cost of Steward Health Care’s mismanagement and neglect ([link removed]) .
TODAY'S STARTING POINT
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Concetta McCarthy visited the gravesite of her beloved cousin, Gilberto Melendez-Brancaccio, in Mt. Wollaston Cemetery in Quincy in July. Gilberto was just 31 when he died at Carney Hospital, part of the Steward Health Care chain. BARRY CHIN/GLOBE STAFF

As soon as the Globe began uncovering evidence of Steward Health Care’s grave financial distress ([link removed]) earlier this year, the reporters and editors of the Spotlight Team realized they had to not only follow the money, but also find the patients – the men, women, and children victimized by the hospital network’s gross mismanagement.

The Globe’s Jessica Bartlett had reported on one such case: 39-year-old Sungida Rashid died ([link removed]) last October after giving birth at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton because a common medical device that could have stopped the bleeding in her liver had been repossessed by the manufacturer. Why? Steward Health Care, St. E’s parent company and one of the nation’s largest private, for-profit hospital chains, hadn’t paid the bill.

That case raised a question: How many more Sungidas were out there?

Finding such patients turned out to be harder than expected, according to my colleague Liz Kowalczyk ([link removed]) , a member of the Spotlight Team and an experienced medical reporter.

“We wanted to distinguish between patients who were hurt because of one person’s mistake from patients who were hurt because Steward had starved a hospital of staff or supplies,” Liz said. “After all, medical errors happen at even the best hospitals. We were trying to uncover something very different.”

The investigative team went to work, taking over a large Globe conference room as they pored over records and debated each case: “Did we have enough information to say lack of staff or equipment was a factor in the patient’s death?” Liz recounted.

Next came another difficult task: Contacting the families whose patients the Spotlight reporters believed had been harmed by Steward’s neglect.

“The families we approached reacted to our questions very differently,” Liz said. “Many welcomed our investigation as a way to better understand what happened to their loved one and to shine light on the injustice of the situation. But some, perhaps still profoundly struggling, closed the door to conversations. Either way, we always tried to be respectful.”

The result was a stunning story of indignity, despair, and death ([link removed]) , a tragic chronicle of the vast human toll caused by Steward’s mismanagement as ill patients tried to get treatment at depleted hospitals. The Spotlight Team identified at least 15 instances ([link removed]) in which Steward patients died after failing to receive professionally accepted standards of care due to equipment issues or staffing shortages.

Meanwhile, Spotlight also investigated Steward’s finances, and discovered that even as the company was stiffing contractors and failing to give hospitals the necessary equipment and staff, it was making lavish outlays ([link removed]) to its CEO, Ralph de la Torre, according to court documents, flight records, company financials, and interviews, including emails obtained by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project ([link removed]) and shared with the Globe.

You can read the Spotlight Team’s investigations into Steward Health Care here, ([link removed]) as well as all recent Globe reporting about the Steward crisis ([link removed]) .

Email your thoughts on the Steward situation to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]?subject=Steward) and we’ll use some of your comments in a future edition.
POINTS OF INTEREST
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Foam blasted from a cannon engulfed paradegoers at the annual Caribbean Carnival in Roxbury and Dorchester in August, one of the Globe’s best photos of that month. JOHN TLUMACKI/GLOBE STAFF

ON THE T The Red Line between JFK/UMass and Braintree shut down for track upgrades Friday to get rid of "slow zones," and will stay that way until Sept. 29. You'll have to take shuttle buses instead ([link removed]) . (The Boston Globe)

STONINGTON, Maine The storied way of life in this picturesque fishing town is feeling fragile as pressure builds from climate change and economic forces. Now residents are fighting to save their waterfront ([link removed]) . (The Boston Globe)

NEW ENGLAND The Globe's best photos from August capture summer euphoria (such as the Caribbean Carnival pictured above), heart-wrenching struggles, and breathtaking nature. A kaleidoscope of life ([link removed]) . (The Boston Globe)

CINCINNATI The Patriots upset the Bengals yesterday, 16-10, to kick off the season. Pop into this comment section to see how fans are feeling this year ([link removed]) . (Boston.com on Facebook)

CAMELOT Americans — especially those of us in the Northeast — are obsessed with the Kennedys, even as they are increasingly weird. It’s an odd love affair, a parasocial relationship. The media spotlight is circling back once again to America’s royal family ([link removed]) . (Vox)

MEXICO CITY Thousands of Chinese migrants are flocking to Mexico, in search of business opportunities, more freedom, or better financial prospects —
and hoping that proximity to the US will help them succeed ([link removed]) . (The Associated Press)

D.C. Good news, parents: Teen vaping is declining. Only 6 percent of middle and high school students say they are using e-cigarettes. That's the lowest level in a decade ([link removed]) . (Quartz)

NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND It’s fall foliage season again, and these 12 spots are already showing some color ([link removed]) . (The Boston Globe)

METRO BOSTON Speaking of fall, Globe food writer Devra First suggests 10 restaurants opening this autumn that are worth visiting, as well as more than a dozen others that have opened recently or will soon. Vegetable omakase, anyone? ([link removed]) (The Boston Globe)

SALEM, Mass. He handles custody disputes, death row cases, and biters. Meet Salem's dog lawyer ([link removed]) . (The Boston Globe)
ELECTION INSIGHTS | 57 days until the presidential election

Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump are set to meet on the debate stage Tuesday night, and the Globe’s Washington bureau chief, Jackie Kucinich, told me the stakes are sky-high.

“It's really hard to overstate just how important this presidential debate is for the candidates ([link removed]) ," she said. "Both of them have a lot to prove, and it might be the last time to do it in front of a broad audience.”

What’s at stake for Harris:

“For a lot of people, it’ll be an introduction to her policies ([link removed]) , and she’ll be tested on her ability to advocate for them under questioning and attacks from Trump,” Jackie told me.

Plus, she’ll most likely have to face questions about if — and how — she’ll break from the Biden administration ([link removed]) on a variety of issues. That might also mean addressing why she flip-flopped on many of the positions she took during the 2020 Democratic primary, Jackie added.

What’s at stake for Trump:

If he wins, Trump will be the oldest person — he's 78 — to assume the presidency in US history. Will the moderators bring up his age?

Also, “he will be forced to make the case for a second term ([link removed]) and that includes likely answering questions on abortion, his anti-democratic rhetoric and his many court cases (which now look like they will be pushed into next year ([link removed]) ),” Jackie said.

Watch the debate at 9 p.m. Tuesday night on ABC News. And follow our election live blog ([link removed]) for all the latest updates on the presidential race.

Meanwhile, as authorities investigate developments ([link removed]) in the Georgia school shooting case, Globe columnist Renée Graham points out that even though immigration and the economy have dominated the presidential race, the tragedy in Georgia should put gun violence back on the ballot ([link removed]) .
POLAROID DIARIES
Where we share our adventures around New England and rate them for Starting Point readers.
Rating: Bagged (💰) | Tagged (🏷️) | Dragged (❌)
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Artists Bluff | Franconia, N.H.
Artists Bluff Loop Trail was a satisfying, easy trek for a non-hiker like myself. It’s a well-marked trail (which begins in the Cannon Mountain parking lot) and the view-to-effort ratio is strong.

Rating: Bagged 7/10 (💰)

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Kayaking | Charles River

This is bucket-list-worthy. Rent a two-person kayak from Paddle Boston in Allston/Brighton or Kendall Square to save money. But if you splurge for two single kayaks or go with a group, you can take more than just selfies.

Rating: Bagged 9/10 (💰)

HEADLINES IN THE CLOUDS
Guess the headline from three choices based on the words that appear in the story.
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Play Now ([link removed])
Thanks for reading Starting Point. We're back Wednesday with my colleague Jazmin Aguilera at the helm. — Diamond Naga

This email was written by Diamond Naga Siu ([link removed]) and edited by Teresa Hanafin ([link removed]) .

Have a question for the team? Email us at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]?subject=Question%2Fsuggestion) .

Did someone forward you this newsletter? Sign up for your own copy ([link removed]) . Delivered Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

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