The first "true battle" of the Revolutionary War

 

❤️ Donate Tuesday, June 17, 2025 🌥️ Mostly cloudy, with a high near 69 and chance of showers. Good Morning Boston, It's the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill. And while we no longer get the day off as a paid holiday (thanks, Deval), there's a packed schedule of events today in Boston to commemorate what some say was the first "true battle" of the Revolutionary War.  Happening today: Several days of anniversary events in Charlestown culminate this afternoon at the Bunker Hill Monument. The schedule includes a religious service, a procession and a remembrance ceremony featuring historians, a British commodore and — as WBUR's Amanda Beland reports — even some descendants of those who fought in the battle. " This is going to be quite the event," Tracie Thornburg, a Revolution 250 programmer for the National Park Service, told WBUR's Fausto Menard. That will be followed by a free Army band concert on the Esplanade at 7 p.m. and fireworks at the Navy Yard at 9:30 p.m. (See the full schedule of events here.) Why it matters: While British soldiers and minutemen traded the first shots of the Revolutionary War in Lexington and Concord in April 1775, those skirmishes didn't compare to the Battle of Bunker Hill two months later. More than 1,500 soldiers were killed or injured, and Charlestown was burned down. The British technically won the battle, but it rallied the 13 colonies to unite and fight back.  "We know that shot heard 'round the world , of course, but the first battle actually happens here in Charlestown," Thornburg said. Later this week: Can't make today's events? An amphibious reenactment of the Battle of Bunker Hill is scheduled this weekend at Gloucester's Stage Fort Park. (Even though Charlestown did host a small bicentennial reenactment in 1975, organizers say there isn't enough space for what they want to do this year.) Did you know... the location where the battle happened (and where the monument now stands) is actually Breed's Hill? The real Bunker Hill is about a half mile away, toward Charlestown's border with Everett and Somerville. Injunction junction: The judicial order blocking President Trump's move to prohibit international Harvard students from entering the U.S. will remain in effect for at least another week. Judge Allison Burroughs extended her temporary restraining order on Trump's proclamation yesterday, after lawyers for Harvard and the administration met in federal court in Boston. Burroughs hopes to have a decision by next week. The debate: Harvard's lawyers argued yesterday that Trump does not have the power to use entry requirements into the country as an "all-purpose hammer" to punish universities. Meanwhile, the sole lawyer representing the government argued Harvard's handling of pro-Palestinian student protests amounted to an unsafe campus for Jewish students and a national security threat. Zoom out: The latest order comes after the Trump administration also canceled billions of dollars in grants and threatened Harvard's tax-exempt status. Here's a look at all the ways the administration is trying to pressure colleges and universities. On Beacon Hill: The MBTA is getting a big boost from Massachusetts' "millionaire's tax." State lawmakers announced a compromise yesterday to dedicate $535 million of the more than $1.3 billion in surplus revenue generated by the surtax to the T. State House News Service reports the extra state assistance is helping the MBTA close a budget gap exacerbated by reduced ridership following the COVID-19 pandemic. The spending deal could reach Gov. Maura Healey's desk by Wednesday. ICYMI: After her comments expressing openness to repealing or scaling back the millionaire's tax, Healey worked to clarify her support for the policy last week. "No, I don't support repealing the surtax," she told State House News Service. The Boston Public Library's first-ever "summer readathon" starts today. The fundraiser, organized by the Boston Public Library Fund, invites participants of all ages to set individual reading goals based on either the number of books they read or the number of hours spent reading. Friends and family can sponsor them by pledging money for their progress. The goal is to raise $7,500 raised through the readathon, which runs through Aug. 25, to support summer reading programs for kids, English-language classes and immigration resource workshops. Heads up: MassDOT is closing the I-93 northbound tunnel through Boston tonight at 11 p.m. until tomorrow morning at 5 a.m. for overnight maintenance work. P.S.— In other British history/Harvard/library news, the Harvard Law School Library is celebrating its recently discovered rare copy of the Magna Carta with a virtual festival today. There will be panels, a mock debate and a medieval history quiz show. Livestream it here, starting at 10 a.m. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Senior Editor, Newsletters The Rundown As ICE ramps up arrests, Plymouth sheriff's office shuttles men from jail to Hanscom airport The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office has taken 545 ICE detainees to the Hanscom airport since President Trump took office, from January through May, according to data obtained in a public records request. Read more. Judge orders NIH to restore research funds terminated using political, not scientific criteria A federal judge in Boston ordered the National Institutes of Health to restore billions of federal research dollars terminated in recent months by the Trump administration.  Judge William Young said the rationale for terminating grants that included studies of racial minorities, gender identity, read as discrimination. Read more. ****MUST READ! THE NEWTON NEBBISH MAKES WILD ACCUSATIONS, BUT NEVER HAS PROOF!**** Josh Kraft again blasts Wu over White Stadium, claiming costs have skyrocketed Boston mayoral candidate Josh Kraft again blasted Mayor Michelle Wu's handling of the White Stadium renovation project on Monday, saying costs have spiraled. But he didn't provide on-the-record evidence to back up his claim. Read more. Purdue Pharma, Sacklers reach new $7.4 billion opioid settlement A new $7.4 billion opioid settlement for Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family has been approved by all U.S. states and territories Read more. Mass. anti-domestic violence group joins suit over federal grant restrictions The groups are suing over requirements in grant applications that they don't promote “gender ideology” or run diversity, equity and inclusion programs or prioritize people in the country illegally. Read more. Anything Else? Southie's beaches are holding on to their bragging rights for the cleanest water in Boston Harbor. WBUR's Vivian La has more here on the annual water quality report card from the nonprofit Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. (While most locations scored similar grades to previous years, several beaches saw notable decreases in water quality, including two historically clean spots.) Nina Kuscsik, the first (official) winner of Boston Marathon women's race, has died at the age of 86. Kuscsik ran the marathon four times before women were officially welcomed — and then won the first recognized Boston women's race in 1972. Red Sox President Sam Kennedy told reporters on Monday night that Rafael Devers’ refusal to change positions was a major factor in the stunning decision to trade away the franchise cornerstone. After attending a local "No Kings" rally, Cognoscenti contributor Anita Diamant writes this era of "the resistance" feels different. What We're Reading 📚 Inside the 'absolute s*** show' that led to the Boston Red Sox's trade of Rafael Devers (Yahoo Sports) Senate President Karen Spilka wants a school cellphone ban in place before new academic year (Boston Herald) Trump’s Big Bill Would Be More Regressive Than Any Major Law in Decades (The New York Times) Tell Me Something Good 2025 graduation speeches give inspiration through activism and humor From a muppet's speech in Maryland to Jennifer Coolidge's address to her Boston alma mater, 2025 commencement speakers inspired graduates with hope, humor and a powerful call to action. Read more. Play: WBUR's daily mini crossword. Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: It's not all bad on the Red Sox front. 😎 Forward to a friend. 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