Driving from Boston to Cape Cod on a summer weekend usually means hours spent in traffic. But AP writer Tracee Herbaugh beat the crowds recently by taking the CapeFlyer instead. The train runs between Boston and Hyannis on summer weekends. Herbaugh says it has a relaxed, vacation-ready vibe as it rolls through some pretty scenery. There's a bar car too. The trip takes about three hours and is cheaper than many of the travel alternatives. A Sunday round-trip ticket costs $20, half the usual fare. From Hyannis you can take a bus to other Cape Cod locations.

For Boston subway riders, it seems every week brings a new tale of transit woe. There have been runaway trains, subway cars belching smoke and fire, fatal accidents, rush hour trains running on weekend schedules and brand-new subway cars pulled from service. The situation has stretched the nerves of riders, prompted a probe by the Federal Transit Administration and worried political leaders. One of the more maddening failures came in June when the MBTA temporarily sidelined all its new Orange and Red Line cars. Republican Gov. Charlie Baker says despite the troubles, the vast majority of trips end without drama.

A former dean at a Boston high school who was known affectionately by students as “Rev” has been ordered by a federal judge to pay more than $10 million in damages to a former student he tried to kill in a dispute over drug sales. The default judgment Friday against former English High School Dean Shaun Harrison includes more than $80,000 for the victim’s medical bills. Authorities say Harrison led a double life, working at a school while hiding gang ties. The victim, who had been recruited by Harrison to sell marijuana, was 17 when he was shot in March 2015.