+ The Michelin guide awards 16 “keys” to Bay State hotels
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September 27, 2024
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Diamond Naga Siu
Starting Point writer
X: @diamondnagasiu ([link removed])

It’s the final Friday of the month. I want to really lean into fall this weekend — perhaps by driving somewhere to see New England’s fall colors or going apple picking. On Wednesday, we wrote about the Globe’s list of 10 great apple farms ([link removed]) , but reader Lew Holzman said we missed one:

“You forgot Cider Hill in Amesbury, Mass. They not only have great apples and apple picking, but on Fridays they sell award-winning hard apple cider of varying flavors (my favorite is the cherry harvest) outside with live music. Picnic tables and a food truck! Play area for kids and chickens and goats.”

Thanks, Lew. Let us know when they offer goat yoga.

Today, we’re diving into tipping etiquette ([link removed]) , Hurricane Helene ([link removed]) , and the price of eggs ([link removed]) .

But first, let’s look at the rise of return-to-office mandates nationwide and what’s happening in metro Boston.
TODAY'S STARTING POINT
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A newly built lab building alongside the CambridgeSide shopping center in East Cambridge. A wave of new lab construction has opened in recent years even as funding for new life sciences startups has slowed. JESSICA RINALDI/GLOBE STAFF

AT&T. Walmart. Citigroup. JPMorgan. Ubisoft. UPS.

The list of major companies ([link removed]) requiring workers to return to the office post-pandemic continues to grow, even as employees protest ([link removed]) . Amazon, for example, received significant backlash last February for imposing a hybrid schedule, ordering employees to be in the office three days a week. And this week, it announced a five-days-a-week ([link removed]) in-office schedule starting in January.

These return-to-office mandates are worrying for remote workers because when a major company makes such a drastic move, it could embolden other companies to do the same thing (think the chain reaction after Elon Musk’s mass Twitter layoffs ([link removed]) ).

Meanwhile, Amazon employees aren’t happy ([link removed]) and are expressing their discontent on company forums and informal surveys. Some are threatening to quit, especially working parents or those hired during the fully remote work era who don’t live anywhere near an Amazon office.

Indeed, some observers believe that may be Amazon’s ulterior motive ([link removed]) : To trim staff without having to do even more layoffs. They point out that with many layoffs in the tech sector, the power pendulum has swung back in favor of companies. The same is not true in other sectors such as manufacturing, where the labor market is still strong. Look at Boeing workers, who felt confident enough to go on strike last week ([link removed]) and then rejected an offer of a 30 percent pay raise (over four years) from the aerospace giant.

In Boston, many companies have already issued return-to-office mandates ([link removed]) , but experts said that the current remote/hybrid/in-person balance could be about as “returned” as Boston gets ([link removed]) . The same is generally true across the country ([link removed]) .

This, however, poses economic challenges. The city has so many empty office towers ([link removed]) that the government has committed millions of dollars in incentives ([link removed]) to convert the vacant buildings into housing. Plus, lab space availability in Greater Boston has skyrocketed ([link removed]) . Three years ago, the vacancy rate sat at about 1 percent; it’s now more than 20 percent.

“I think most companies have resigned themselves to the fact that flexible work schedules are here to stay,” Jim Rooney, CEO of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, told my colleague Dana Gerber ([link removed]) . “Could I see a day when it’s viewed as better for the business, better for the employee, and better for society if people are getting up and going to work? Yeah, I can see that coming back — but it’s not going to happen in the short term.”

Readers: If you are working a fully remote or hybrid schedule, has your company asked you to return to the office more days or full-time? And what was your reaction? Let us know at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]?subject=Starting%20Point%3A%20Return-to-office) .
POINTS OF INTEREST
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Gabby Thomas won three gold medals at the Paris Olympics. MATTHIAS SCHRADER/ASSOCIATED PRESS

GABBY’S WORLD Gabby Thomas is the new face of track after returning from the Paris Olympics as her sport’s most decorated athlete of those Games. Thomas is still figuring out how to navigate her newfound fame. But she’s running with it ([link removed]) . (The Boston Globe)

NEW YORK CITY Mayor Eric Adams was charged with bribery and wire fraud, allegedly conducting a play-to-pay scheme in which he did favors for wealthy Turkish businessmen in exchange for free travel benefits and illegal campaign contributions. He’ll be in court at noon today ([link removed]) . (NBC News)

BEIRUT Israel rejected calls for a cessation of its airstrikes in Lebanon against Hezbollah, which have already killed hundreds of people. There are heightened fears of an all-out war in the region ([link removed]) . (Reuters)

AT THE TABLE Kitchen fee. 20 percent tip. Service fee. A reader asked the Globe’s Miss Conduct if this is the new payment standard while dining out. Here’s her golden rule ([link removed]) . (The Boston Globe)

FLORIDA At least three people have died and more than 2.2 million people are without power since Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm last night. Live updates. ([link removed]) (The Weather Channel)

IN THE DAIRY AISLE Supermarket prices have stabilized – except for eggs. Blame bird flu ([link removed]) . (CNN)

THE HOUSE OF MOUSE Like Netflix, Disney+ is cracking down on password-sharing. Mickey and Minnie may have to finally move in together ([link removed]) . (THR)

MASSACHUSETTS The Michelin Guide included 16 Bay State hotels in its second-annual hotel guide. The awardees include Raffles Boston, The Brant in Nantucket, and Hob Knob in Edgartown ([link removed]) . (Michelin Guide)

BOSTON If you missed any of the Globe Summit interviews with leaders from the fields of science, politics, sports, climate, health, education, and more, you can watch them here ([link removed]) . (YouTube)

INSIDE FAST-FOOD JOINTS Wendy's is teasing McDonald's over its perpetually broken McFlurry machines by offering Frostys for just $1 ([link removed]) . (Quartz)
ELECTION INSIGHTS | 38 days until the presidential election

Election interference is on the rise.

Meddling efforts typically get worse in October ([link removed]) , according to US intelligence officials, and the country is particularly wary of tampering by Russia, China, and Iran ([link removed]) . Plus, generative artificial intelligence has made it easier for bad actors to create higher quality disinformation at a much faster rate ([link removed]) than ever before.

Stay alert this election season and avoid falling for these common election interference tactics:
* Articles from “news” sites. Also called cybersquatting, this tactic involves publishing disinformation on websites that resemble legitimate news outlets. Earlier this month, the Justice Department seized 32 of these scam domains ([link removed]) and said these sites were used to influence voters in the US and foreign elections.

* Staged videos. An example of this is a viral — but fake — video ([link removed]) of two Black people kicking a white person who was wearing a Trump shirt. This video style relies on actors and fabricated storylines to push a message. But another genre of disinformation videos are of people who pretend to be American citizens with extreme viewpoints. These are designed to divide Americans and undermine confidence in the country’s democratic process.

* Hacking. Phishing attempts successfully infiltrated and obtained documents from the Trump campaign ([link removed]) . The documents were leaked to news outlets ([link removed]) , which they declined to publish ([link removed]) . (Side note: Independent journalist Ken Klippenstein was suspended from X yesterday after he published the report ([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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Somenya ([link removed]) | Boston

This soba/udon spot in Chinatown has really amazing noodles. The broth is flavorful, the noodles are springy and the vibes are wonderful. The main issue is that the portions are pretty small, so you might leave hungry if you don’t get apps.

Rating: Tagged 8/10 (💰)

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MIT Stata Center ([link removed]) | Cambridge


This architecturally iconic MIT building is worth checking out if you’re in the area (it’s not worth a separate trip). If you can get inside, the lobby has a variety of interactive art exhibits that are the cherry on top of a low-stakes side quest.

Rating: Tagged 6/10 (🏷️)

HEADLINES IN THE CLOUDS
Guess the headline from three choices based on words that appear in the story.
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Thanks for reading Starting Point. I'll be back on Monday 😊 – 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) .

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