11:00am Joint Committee on Housing, Public Hearing

11:30am Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy, Public Hearing

12:45pm Joint Committee on Emergency Preparedness & Management, Oversight Hearing

Special election for former Sen. Joseph Boncore's seat

Birthdays: State Senator Karen Spilka

Biden and Democrats are beginning to embrace an old line from former Boston mayor Kevin White. It might just save them in the midterms and 2024 » Boston Globe

Anti–vax mandate leader says she was unfairly placed on leave from Boston police over distorted allegations » WGBH

Attleboro mayor declares candidacy for sheriff of Bristol County » The Sun Chronicle

Mass. is monitoring white-tailed deer for COVID. Here's why » WBUR

IN: An Indiana GOP state senator backtracks on comments that teachers ‘need to be impartial’ during lessons about Nazism and fascism » Boston Globe

FL: Female-oriented issues may be huge topics in the male-dominated 2022 legislative session » Florida Phoenix

Biden to back filibuster changes to push voting rights bill » AP News

FL: When Florida lawmakers gather, watch for stories within the story » Herald Tribune

Massachusetts ban on rent control up for debate Tuesday » Boston Herald

Opinion: Maybe Maura Healey isn’t a slam dunk for governor » Boston Globe

NY: End of an era: Assembly streak of not rejecting any bills on floor ends after nearly 36,000 votes » Politico

NJ: Justices give hope to juvenile offenders, allow sentencing review after 20 years » New Jersey Monitor

SD: Trump calls GOP senator a ‘jerk’ after he rejects former president’s false claims of widespread election fraud » Washington Post

Mariano eyes vaccine mandate for public access to State House » Commonwealth Magazine

Local companies got millions in state grants to start making masks. But the state isn't buying them. » WGBH

Mass. Attorney General hasn’t seen big uptick in COVID rapid test price gouging, but here’s how to report potential scammers » MassLive

Holiday sales soar at Mass. small retailers this season » Boston Business Journal

Voting rights groups worry Biden’s Ga. speech comes too late » Boston Globe

The next abortion battleground: campus health clinics » Boston Globe

Amid COVID surge, Boston Public Schools could turn to remote learning » Boston Globe

Boston Schools Preparing For Remote Learning » State House News Service

Boston schools preparing for remote learning, despite state policy pushed by Gov. Charlie Baker » MassLive

Massachusetts DESE extends mask requirement for staff, students, visitors in all K-12 public schools through February » MassLive

Bus driver shortage delays school in South Hadley » Gazette Net

US emissions surged in 2021, putting the nation further off track from its climate targets » Boston Globe

Moderna says Omicron-specific vaccine won’t be ready before fall; data in young children imminent » Boston Globe

Medicare is poised to make pivotal announcement on Biogen’s Alzheimer’s drug » Boston Globe

'It’s just brutal': Surging COVID cases in Central Mass. straining region's health care system » Worcester Telegram

Affordable housing plans aired for former Northampton nursing home » Gazette Net

Mayor Wu says 83 people have already moved from Mass. and Cass to new housing » Boston Globe

Opinion: Any solution to Mass. and Cass must be informed by experiences of formerly incarcerated » Boston Globe

Home COVID tests will be covered by insurers starting Saturday. Here are the details » Boston Globe

At the US attorney’s office, a team of rivals » Boston Globe

‘A very good day’: Rachael Rollins sworn in as US attorney for Massachusetts » Boston Globe

Kevin Hayden sworn in as new Suffolk district attorney » Boston Globe

Justice on state’s highest court will grant The Light’s request to halt Hovan hearing » New Bedford Light

Arbitrator rejects contract that would have required Methuen to pay some police captains $500,000 a year » Boston Globe

Hadley town officials eye ban on single-use plastic bags » Gazette Net

Battenfeld: The remaking of the Massachusetts Republican Party » Boston Herald

Edward McColgan recalled as ‘elder statesman’ » Gazette Net

Methuen Councilor McCarty to run for state representative » The Eagle Tribune

Mass. offers QR code to prove COVID vaccine status » Commonwealth Magazine

Massachusetts and Boston are releasing two different ways for residents to show digital proof of COVID-19 vaccination » Boston.com

Baker to Give COVID-19 Testing Update Tuesday » NBC Boston

Massachusetts launches phone-based vaccine passport » Boston Herald

Springfield’s Eastfield Mall COVID testing site still waiting on help from state as long lines continue » MassLive

Baker firmly against returning to remote learning, pushes new vax verification system » WGBH

Digital vaccine card rolled out in Massachusetts, days before Boston’s indoor mandate takes effect » MassLive

Mass. cities and towns sue McKinsey despite settlement » WBUR

Boston’s COVID hospitalization rate jumps 50 percent; officials working to protect schools, city says » Boston Globe

Experts warn more trouble could be ahead, as COVID surge hits Boston’s hospitals, schools » Boston Globe

VA clinic jabs not showing up on state’s vaccine passport site » News 22 WWLP.com

Over 10% of all COVID-19 cases reported in Massachusetts were from the past week alone » WGBH

‘Don’t go sticking that COVID19 testing swab down your throat,’ FDA urges use of nasal swab as confusion about testing methods spreads » MassLive

State Opening Access To Digital Vaccine Passports » State House News Service

Massachusetts reports spike of 60,986 coronavirus cases over the weekend, hospitalizations keep surging » Boston Herald

Editorial: Did a Boston cop participate in the Jan. 6 attack? » Boston Globe

Baker suggests he’s open to clemency, but does not say if he’ll commute murderer’s life sentence » Boston Globe

For BPD sergeant leading push against vaccination mandate, a mixed work history » Boston Globe

Federal lawsuit accuses state officials of retaliatory violence against Souza-Baranowski prisoners » Boston Globe

State-run alcohol lab blows another disclosure, says attorney in class action lawsuit over breath tests » MassLive

Vaccination Proof In Mix For State House Entry » State House News Service

MBTA Feeling Pinch Of Omicron, Extreme Cold » State House News Service

Social Media Spotlight

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MassGovernor January 11, 2022: COVID-19 Testing Announcement CBS Boston Massachusetts Launches Digital System To Verify Vaccination Status

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Podcast Spotlight

Five Thirty Eight Politics Podcast: How The 2022 Midterms Might Play Out Tech Freedom Tech Policy Podcast: Conspiracy Theories and the Internet NPR The NPR Politics Podcast: Congress is back in session. Can Democrats finally pass Build Back Better? Crooked Media Pod Save America: “Joe and the Giant Speech.” CommonWealth Magazine The Codcast: How Boston escaped the national spike in homicides

MBTA Celebrates Autism Acceptance Month with Inaugural Participation in the Autism Transit Project » MBTA

MMA’s 2nd ‘Climate Action’ webinar focuses on planning » Mass. Municipal Association

Massachusetts Gaming Commission Grants $1.5M in Workforce Development Initiatives to Boost Career Training across Commonwealth Grants Funded by Community Mitigation Fund » Mass. Gaming Commission

Union Carpenters Hold Rally at Polar Park » North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters

MassHousing Announces New Round of Neighborhood Stabilization Program Capital Grants » MassHousing

Fossil Fuel Companies Make Billions in Profit as We Suffer Billions in Losses: 2024 Edition » Union of Concerned Scientists

City of Boston and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Announce BlueBikes Support During 2024 MBTA Closures » Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts

Time to Speed Up the Pace of the Legislature » Progressive Mass