Plus: The Aaron Hernandez story continues
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September 18, 2024
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Begin your day informed

🧩 9 Across Dug in ([link removed]) | 😊 75° with a chance of showers ([link removed]) | 🍔 Free cheeseburgers ([link removed]) !
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Diamond Naga Siu
Starting Point writer
X: @diamondnagasiu ([link removed])

Welcome to Wednesday. Hope you had a wonderful Mid-Autumn Festival ([link removed]) and enjoyed the partial lunar eclipse last night.

Today we're writing about a cut in interest rates ([link removed]) , emotional eating ([link removed]) , and how the Michelada became a side hustle ([link removed]) .

But first, a look at one of my favorite but controversial things: pickleball.
TODAY'S STARTING POINT
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Source: Analyze Boston • NEENA HAGEN/GLOBE STAFF
Note: Data last updated July 2024; some pickleball courts could be missing

Pickleball and tennis are in a tug-of-war over space in Boston.

One-third of tennis courts in Boston have pickleball lines drawn over them, according to a new Globe analysis by my colleague Neena Hagen. She’s a former tennis player who now plays pickleball.

“What was new about this story was that previously, it was difficult to quantify how much pickleball was — according to some people — encroaching on tennis,” Neena told me.

She found parks and rec data from July that showed which courts have tennis, pickleball, or shared lines. And she realized that nearly every neighborhood now has some version of a pickleball court.

While interviewing people for the story, Neena said pickleball players were pretty willing to talk with her and excited about the emergence of this sport. But a lot of tennis players shared some hostile opinions, but weren’t willing to go on the record.

Yet the most surprising thing that Neena learned was how many people appreciate both tennis and pickleball.

“I thought it’d be this all-out rivalry — people at each other’s throats,” Neena told me. “But there was a pretty strong group of people in the middle who obviously wanted to preserve tennis facilities but were also excited about the emergence of pickleball.”

Read the full story here ([link removed]) .
POINTS OF INTEREST
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Luna Lee, 3, of Boston danced her way past balloons on Mass. Ave. in front of Lyrik Back Bay, a new open-air plaza that extends over the Mass. Pike and features restaurants and cafes. STAN GROSSFELD/GLOBE STAFF

MASS. AVE. From Dorchester to Lexington, this 16-mile avenue is exciting and diverse. Even the Boston section has improved. Photographer Stan Grossfeld captured a road that’s pretty amazing ([link removed]) . (The Boston Globe)

NEW YORK CITY Sean “Diddy” Combs was denied bail and jailed after pleading not guilty to charges that he engaged in sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and more. His lawyers will appeal the bail ruling today ([link removed]) . (USA Today)

WASHINGTON, D.C. It looks like interest rates will be cut today for the first time since 2020, an implicit message from the Federal Reserve that inflation has been tamed. Donald Trump is not happy ([link removed]) . (Politico)

DINING TABLE Emotional eating might actually be part of a healthy relationship with food, experts say. There’s a line when it becomes bad — like with binge eating — but in moderation, eating driven by emotion is largely fine ([link removed]) . (CNN)

ON TV A 10-part series about the late Aaron Hernandez — based on a Globe Spotlight investigation and separate podcast — started on FX last night and streams on Hulu today. The complicated story of the Patriots star continues ([link removed]) . (The Boston Globe)

LEBANON Those hundreds of pagers carried by members of the militant group Hezbollah reportedly exploded across the country yesterday because Israel had intercepted a shipment of the Taiwanese-made pagers and planted explosives that were detonated remotely. Hezbollah leaders vowed revenge ([link removed]) . (The New York Times)

LOS ANGELES Chamoy + Tajín + Clamato + Worcestershire sauce + Tapatío + Modelo = a booming side hustle ([link removed]) . (Eater)

WROCLAW, POLAND At least 21 people have died from devastating floods in central Europe. The Czech-Polish border has been hit especially hard ([link removed]) . (Reuters)

TD GARDEN The ice is ready for the Boston Bruins, who have their first preseason game Sunday. Here’s a sizzle reel ([link removed]) . (Instagram)
ELECTION INSIGHTS | 47 days until the presidential election

Could Asian Americans determine the 2024 election?

In 2020, Asian American voters helped Joe Biden become the first Democratic nominee to win swing-state Georgia in 28 years. And in other purple states like Arizona and Pennsylvania, Asian American Pacific Islander voter turnout exceeded the presidential margins of victory ([link removed]) — likely to the benefit of Democrats, according to analysts. And that could be good news for Kamala Harris.

These stats highlight how AAPI voters are a key demographic for either candidate to win. But the Asian American umbrella is large and diverse, so it’s not a locked-in voting bloc for Harris.

Vietnamese Americans, for example, tend to lean Republican, because the promise of lower taxes, opposition to China, and anti-communist rhetoric resonate with many of them. But younger generations of Asian Americans are more liberal-leaning.

“Even though we refer to them with an umbrella term, within the Asian community, people don’t necessarily view themselves in the same group,” said Michelle Au, a Georgia state representative ([link removed]) . “It takes people who live in and understand the communities to do the kind of granular, surgical-level outreach that you need.”

Read my colleague Anjali Huynh’s full story here ([link removed]) .
ARMCHAIR READS | Long reads to curl up with

The Architect of Zendaya’s Red-Carpet Style ([link removed]) , The New Yorker

Jennifer Wilson’s profile of Law Roach documents how the stylist has turned his clients into fashion icons — and in the process became an icon in his own right.

In Hollywood, stylists have long been seen as the help instead of the talent. But Roach’s work and activism has helped elevate the role and transform the industry.

“I like the way I sit now in the landscape,” he told Wilson. “I can do special things with special people.”

Zendaya remains Law Roach’s only full-time client (he’s officially “retired”). But she keeps him pretty busy with press tours and other public appearances.

I love seeing his art and enjoyed reading more about his process. The profile brings us to his home outside Atlanta. It takes us thrifting with him. And it peels back the curtain on years of work — and rejection — that Law Roach experienced to build his fashion empire that shook the industry.

Read this if you love an OOTD ([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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Singing Beach ([link removed]) | Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass.

The sand on this beach has a lovely texture — not too fine and not too rocky. It’s pretty clean and gets a major bonus for being accessible by public transportation. Plus, if you go before an attendant is there, you don’t have to pay the $10 entrance fee.

Rating: Bagged 9/10 (💰)

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Ricky's Flower Market ([link removed]) | Cambridge, Mass.


There’s a strong variety of greenery here: houseplants, trees, herbs, flowers, succulents, and more. The plants are a bit pricey, especially if you’re looking for something a bit larger. But it’s a great place to browse and soak in some nature.

Rating: Bagged 8/10 (💰)

HEADLINES IN THE CLOUDS
Guess the headline from three choices based on the words that appear in the story.
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Thanks for reading Starting Point. I'll be back on Friday 🤭 – Diamond Naga Siu

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.

Correction: A photo caption in Monday’s Starting Point misstated the number of Latinos eligible to vote in the 2024 election. About 65 million Latinos reside in the US; 36.2 million are eligible to vote.

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