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Today on Beacon Hill

10:30am Governor's Council Meeting, Governor's Council Chamber, Room 360, State House

11:00am Mass. School Building Authority Public Hearing, Forest Park Conference Room, 299 Sumner Avenue, Springfield

11:00am House Session, Informal Session

11:00am Senate Session, Informal Session

12:00pm Joint Committee on Environment & Natural Resources, Committee Hearing
Must-Reads
MASSACHUSETTS

‘It’s frankly shameful.’ Mass. Legislature closes out least productive period in decades. » Boston Globe

State looks to hire ‘chief coastal resilience officer’ to respond to rising sea levels, extreme storms » Boston Herald

Report: Investors Adding To Mass. Housing Market Strain » State House News Service

Sports Betting Elbows Lottery Out Of TV Ad Market » State House News Service

Hearing Shows Rifts Over Extent Of Gun Regulation » State House News Service

Goldberg indicates meeting with O’Brien to be private » CommonWealth Beacon

Harvard University faces federal civil rights investigation for antisemitism amid Israel-Hamas war » Boston Herald

Undocumented immigrants rose in Massachusetts under Obama, Trump » Axios

'Stealing' overtime was common for years in Mass. State Police, retired trooper testifies » Worcester Telegram

Uber Pitching NY Settlement Framework To Mass. Lawmakers » State House News Service

THE OTHER 49

VT: Was the Vermont shooting of 3 men of Palestinian descent a hate crime? Under state law it might be » AP News

RI: Mr. Amo goes to Washington (and Smithfield) » Boston Globe

CT: Lamont withdraws CT plan to ban gas-powered cars » Hartford Courant

MI: Whitmer signs Michigan’s 100% clean energy mandate into law » MLive.com

IL: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker makes $1 billion clean energy pitch to EPA » Axios

SC: Nikki Haley’s home-state strategy faces a hitch: South Carolina is Trump country » NBC News

SC: Republicans won a historic urban upset last week. Can they repeat it? » Semafor

FL: State expects ‘serious consequences’ in transgender athlete controversy; students stage walkout » Orlando Sentinel

AL: In Alabama, An “Out of Control Board” Cuts Chances for Parole » Bolts

AR: Arkansas attorney general rejects wording of ballot measure seeking to repeal state’s abortion ban » AP News

TX: Texas AG’s office argues women should sue doctors — not state — over lack of abortion access » The Hill

CO: Colorado struggles to cut unnecessary medical care, despite focus on costs » Axios

CA: Speech is freer in California than in Florida, watchdog group says ahead of Newsom-DeSantis debate » Los Angeles Times

NATIONAL

Is 2024 the year for a third-party candidate to break through with dissatisfied voters? » Roll Call

The plot thickens on a Mike Pence Jan. 6 recusal » Washington Post

How Arab American voters' backlash could imperil Biden's 2024 campaign » Axios

‘Trump’s Not Eating’: Kevin McCarthy’s Bonkers Explanation For His 2021 Mar-A-Lago Visit » HUFFPOST

The Rural Challenge for Democrats » The Liberal Patriot

If Trump convicted, Home Depot billionaire says he'd still likely fund campaign » Reuters

As Advertisers Flee, Elon Musk Doubles Down On ... Pizzagate » HUFFPOST

Why Drugs Are Disappearing From Your Insurance Coverage » The Lever

Where the Republican presidential candidates stand on Israel, Ukraine and China » WBUR

“Among them was Republican Congressman Mark Green of Tennessee,” Cheney writes. “As he moved down the line, signing his name to the pieces of paper, Green said sheepishly to no one in particular, ‘The things we do for the Orange Jesus.’”

Former Rep. Liz Cheney

GOP members were encouraged to sign their names on electoral vote objection sheets, lined up on a table, one for each of the states Republicans were contesting. Most members knew “it was a farce” and “another public display of fealty to Trump."
News By Category
Beltway Politics

Opinion: Donald Trump’s un-wonderful life » Boston Globe

Business

Cape Cod nonprofit preserving Portuguese, Cape Verdean histories » WCAI

The upside of Boston’s office space glut? Opportunity for startups. » Boston Globe

Fed officials hint rate increases are over, and investors celebrate » Boston Globe

A mellow holiday shopping vibe in Boston, as online sales surge nationally » WBUR

Rent-a-Center to pay more than $8 million to settle claims of abusive conduct toward poor consumers » Boston Globe

Lawsuit against Tree House is a classic small business power struggle » Boston Globe

Expand the South Boston convention center? Close the Hynes? City’s convention authority needs a vision. » Boston Globe

The capital gap is getting worse for business owners of color » Boston Business Journal

A tiny Waltham biotech just scored a $509M+ deal with Boehringer Ingelheim » Boston Business Journal

Education

Harvard University faces federal civil rights investigation for antisemitism amid Israel-Hamas war » Boston Herald

Harvard, MIT presidents to testify before Congress about confronting antisemitism on campus » Boston Globe

Amid Israel-Hamas unrest on campus, Department of Education opens investigation into Harvard » Boston Globe

BPS delays rollout of inclusion plan for English learners » Boston Globe

Army-Navy Game coming to Gillette Stadium » News 22 WWLP.com

Environment

Governor Healey unveils plan to protect Mass. coastline from climate change » Boston Globe

Healey Sketches Out Process To Address Coastal Threats » State House News Service

New state strategy will help coastal towns tackle climate change's "tough questions" » WGBH

At vulnerable Lynch Park, governor unveils coastal resiliency plan » Salem News

Health Care

New Massachusetts Dental Law Takes Effect January 1, 2024 » WBSM

Housing

Over 400 families have left state’s emergency shelter system » Athol Daily News

Rep. Andy Vargas talks the importance of multifamily zoning amid debate in MBTA communities » WBUR

Human Services

Boston Weighs Cash Aid For Those "Just Surviving" » State House News Service

NY: City touts success with involuntary removals policy, but provides limited data » POLITICO Pro

Insurance

MassHealth Enrollment Down By More Than 110,000 » State House News Service

MassHealth rolls continue to drop » The Eagle Tribune

Legislative

They don’t have a budget deal, but Mass. lawmakers will return on Wednesday anyway » MassLive

Lawmakers playing chicken on Beacon Hill » Commonwealth Beacon

Local Government

Boston Weighs Cash Aid For Those "Just Surviving" » State House News Service

Cambridge ban on gas-powered leaf blowers could go into effect a year earlier than first proposed » Boston Herald

A guaranteed basic income for Boston’s poor? Officials consider the idea. » Boston Globe

Resolution Against Hate now hangs in Attleboro City Hall » The Sun Chronicle

Editorial: Basic income’s basic question – who will pay? » Boston Herald

Politics

Jasiel Correia moved to federal prison in Brooklyn, NY: Where the ex-Fall River mayor is » The Herald News

NY: Adams administration denies existence of developer roster tied to FBI probe » POLITICO Pro

Howie Carr: Latest lefty media darling busted » Boston Herald

Public Safety

For and against Massachusetts gun control sides heard after Springfield violence uptick » News 22 WWLP.com

Police stun gun use continues to decline » The Eagle Tribune

Haverhill Names Police Detective Orsillo Police Officer of the Year; Also Honors Graham, Zefta Family » WHAV

Living up to her promise: Departing Police Chief Kasper hailed for captaining department through trying times » Gazette Net

56 gun control bills bring heated testimony to Beacon Hill » Boston Herald

Gaskin: Education needs to be part of prison reform » Boston Herald

Utilities

Opinion: Giving consumers a choice when buying their electricity » Boston Globe

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Recipe of the Week

Easy Mexican Wedding Cookies

Stella Parks — Serious Eats

Ingredients

For the Dough:

2 ounces raw pecan halves (1/2 cup; 55g)

1 1/2 ounces powdered sugar (1/3 cup; 40g) (see notes)

4 ounces all-purpose flour (3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon; 110g)

4 ounces cold unsalted butter (1 stick; 110g), cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 teaspoon (5g) vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon (1g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume or use the same weight

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

To Finish:

2 ounces powdered sugar (1/2 cup; 55g), divided (see notes)

Directions

For the Dough: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Combine pecans and powdered sugar in a 10-inch stainless steel skillet and toast in oven until fragrant but not deeply browned, 12 to 15 minutes. When pecans and sugar have cooled to room temperature, combine with flour, cold butter, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor. (Save the skillet for step 2.) Pulse until pecan pieces disappear, then continue pulsing to form a stiff dough.

To Finish: Sprinkle about half of powdered sugar into skillet, then divide dough into 20 half-ounce portions (I use a #60 scoop). Tumble each piece in powdered sugar until fully coated and roll into a ball. When all pieces have been rounded up, shake skillet so the cookie dough rolls around, collecting more sugar. Arrange on a parchment-lined half sheet pan and bake until puffed and firm, about 18 minutes. Cool to room temperature directly on sheet pan and sift remaining powdered sugar on top.

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