The Boston Globe - 17.10.2019

BritishandEuropeannego-
tiatorsblewthroughone
deadlineafteranotheras
they raced to reach a Brexit
deal on the eve of a critical
summit.A3.

TheCityofBostonterminat-
editsrelationshipwithbil-
lionairemoneymanager
KenFisherfollowing lewd
comments he made last
week.B7.

Anaccountantforformer
statesenatorBrianA.Joyce
wasconvictedofconspiring
with the late Milton Demo-
crat to defraud the IRS of
about $600,000.B1.

VOL. 296, NO. 109

*

Suggested retail price

$3.

Thursday:Very windy.

High: 56-61. Low: 46-51.

Friday:Cool, sunny.

Comics and Weather,C7-8.

Obituaries,A19.

Gustperfect

abcde

Thursday, October 17, 2019

By Andy Rosen

GLOBE STAFF

Wynn Resorts said Wednesday it had re-

placed the top executive at the Encore Boston

Harbor casino, an abrupt shift that comes as the

new resort is still trying to find its footing in an

increasingly competitive regional market.

Robert DeSalvio, who steered the $2.6 billion

Everett project through construction and its first

months of operations, will be succeeded by Bri-

an Gullbrants, who had overseen the casino’s ho-

tel and food business as executive vice president

of operations.

DeSalvio was a key figure in selling the casino

to the public. He had won praise from communi-

ty leaders and regulators as a straight-shooting,

genial executive who could engage easily with

people — even opponents of the massive project,

which opened in June and employs more than

4,800 people.

But Encore also had to traverse a legal mine-

ENCORE, Page A

By Liz Goodwin
GLOBE STAFF
WASHINGTON — Senator Eliz-
abeth Warren has spent weeks
dodging a simple question about
how she would finance a pillar of
her presidential campaign — a
universal health care plan dubbed

Medicare for All. This week, that

tactic appeared to hit a wall.

On the debate stage in Ohio

Tuesday, Warren faced fierce criti-

cism from her Democratic rivals

over why the candidate who has a

detailed plan for everything won’t

spell out how she will pay for a

transformation to a fully govern-

ment-run health insurance system

that would eliminate private insur-

ance. She batted away a question

about whether Medicare for All

would require higher taxes on

middle-class families, arguing that

overall costs would go down be-

cause those families won’t have to

pay medical bills and premiums

anymore.

“I will not sign a bill into law

that does not lower costs for mid-

dle-class families,” Warren prom-

ised.

But her rivals jumped all over

the evasion, suggesting that War-

ren — who for months has gotten

away with saying, “I’m with Ber-

nie” on Medicare for All while

staying vague on the details — may

need to shake up her approach as

she faces increasing scrutiny as a

WARREN, Page A

SUZANNE KREITER/GLOBE STAFF

Acorn Street’s vine-covered brick walls and quaint cobblestones have proved irresistible in the age of Instagram.

By Steve Annear

GLOBE STAFF

Balancing in her knee-high boots on the river-

stone-studded roadway of what some call America’s

most photographed street, an elegant young wom-

an primped her blond hair one last time as her

mother aimed her phone’s camera lens.

Aspen Talbot, 19, stumbled on the uneven road.

High heels and cobblestones look great together on

Instagram, but pose problems in real life. Other

tourists ambled past, getting in the way as they an-

gled for their own photos. Finally, Talbot readjusted

her posture and smiled.

Snap. Snap.

On Acorn Street, the struggle for the perfect Ins-

tagram shot is real. On any given day, dozens or

even hundreds of people from all over the world

flock to this private drive on Beacon Hill wedged

between a row of 19th-century homes and fenced-

in gardens. Tourists and locals alike pose before

backdrops plucked straight from Longfellow: vine-

covered brick walls, gas street lamps, and quaint

cobblestones.

But in the Instagram era, the allure of Acorn

Street’s postcard perfection has become so power-

ful that actually living here can be a lot less idyllic,

residents of the dozen or so multimillion-dollar

homes say.

The swells of overzealous tourists, amateur

ACORN STREET, Page A

$

perhour

to$3,

perday

the cost for a permit

to use the street for

professional

photography and

videography

By Tim Logan

GLOBE STAFF

It sounds wild — a sleek skyscraper rising nearly 700

feet above South Station, an aging transportation hub

that’s swarmed by thousands of commuters daily.

Indeed, the complications — and costs — involved in

pulling off such an engineering feat mostly account for

why the project hasn’t gone forward since it was ap-

proved by the city more than 13 years ago.

But that could soon change. The project’s developer

has found new investors willing to finance the 51-story

office-and-condo tower and is nailing down construc-

tion details with the Massachusetts Department of

Transportation.

In what would mark a bold bet on Boston’s commer-

cial real estate market, work could start before year’s

end.

“This is another step forward for this project,” David

Perry, senior managing director of the development

company, Houston-based Hines, said in a statement.

“We are excited to be at the point of completing the

financing.”

Hines on Thursday will ask the Boston Planning &

Development Agency to approve funding by the Dutch

TOWER, Page A8 HINES

The 51-story

tower at

South

Station

would take

four years to

build and

wouldn’t

interrupt

commuter

rail and

Amtrak

service, the

developer

said.

Casino executive

steps down amid

low early returns

DeSalviohelpedguide

Encorethroughapproval

Warrenquietonhealthplanspecifics

Byavoidingtaxtalk,shestymiesattack

ads,butcriticsseealackofhonesty

‘Iwillnotsignabillintolawthatdoesnot

lowercostsformiddle-classfamilies.’

SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN

NOTQUITEPICTUREPERFECT

Crowdsontiny,privateAcornStreethaveresidentslookingforrelief

FirstOK’din’06,

SouthStation

toweradvances

Investorsfound;construction

detailsarebeingreviewed

The project is the first of

three planned phases to

remake South Station. Plans

eventually call for a349-foot

hotel or residential building

above the tracks themselves,

and a279-foot office building

atop the bus depot.

By Peter Baker and Catie Edmondson

NEW YORK TIMES

WASHINGTON — President Trump faced off

against both parties in Congress on Wednesday

in an extraordinary confrontation over his deci-

sion to abandon Kurdish allies as the vast majori-

ty of House Republicans joined Democrats to

condemn his policy in an overwhelming vote.

Trump found himself increasingly isolated af-

ter deciding to withdraw troops from Syria, clear-

ing the way for a Turkish offensive against Kurds

who had fought alongside the United States. The

president all but washed his hands of the conflict,

saying it “has nothing to do with us,” generating

withering criticism from Republicans and lead-

ing to a stormy clash with Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Bereft of supporters and under pressure from

an impeachment inquiry, Trump spent much of

the day defending his decision and lashing out

against rivals. He dismissed the Kurds, who until

last week shared outposts with American sol-

SYRIA, Page A

Furyover

Syriaaligns

partiesvs.

president

Houserebukesshift;Trump

clasheswithtoplawmakers

‘Yoursignature,senator,istohaveaplanfor

everything.Exceptthis.’

MAYOR PETE BUTTIGIEG

ºMcConnelltellsGOPsenators topreparefor

impeachmenttrial.A2.