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Today on Beacon Hill

10:00am Senate Committee on Post Audit & Oversight, Committee Hearing

11:00am Senate Session, Full Formal Session

11:00am House Session, Informal Session

Must-Reads
MASSACHUSETTS

With a flip of the switch, offshore wind energy enters New England’s grid » Boston Globe

Up to half of Boston Public School buildings could close, according to new district plan » Boston Globe

Next step for 7 possible ballot questions? The Legislature. » WGBH

Rodrigues Cool To Guv's Plan To Plug Shelter Funding Gap » State House News Service

Claudine Gay’s resignation was a mainstream victory for conservative media » Boston Globe

Number of migrants with work permits triples » WGBH

Report: Domestic violence murder rate up 55% » The Eagle Tribune

House, Senate leaders tapping brakes on spending growth » Commonwealth Beacon

Heat pumps slow to gain traction: Complexity, questions dog adoption of key factor in net-zero goal » Gazette Net

MA state employee overtime in ‘fantasy world,’ $100K earners up 25% » Boston Herald

Claudine Gay: What Just Happened at Harvard Is Bigger Than Me » New York Times

A career marked by many complaints ends with a hefty payday » Plymouth Independent

THE OTHER 49

NH: Care about Trump’s odds of becoming president? Then pay attention to New Hampshire. » Boston Globe

NH: N.H. bill targets undocumented immigrants driving with legal Mass. licenses » Boston.com

NH: Which political topics to watch for in N.H. in 2024 » Boston Globe

RI: 'Denial of basic treatment': Judge lets medical malpractice suit against ACI move forward » The Providence Journal

RI: Overdoses, assault and restraints: Inside a damning report on St. Mary's Home for Children » The Providence Journal

CT: CT is ‘well wired’ but thousands still have no internet. The state has a $17 million plan to change that » Hartford Courant

CT: Hartford community activist files defamation lawsuit against lobbyist regarding North End flooding » Hartford Courant

NY: New Jersey deploys cops to send dumped migrants to NYC in desperate move: ‘F–k this’ » New York Post

NJ: Menendez gives Senate Democrats fresh headache after Qatar gift allegations » The Hill

FL: Florida Supreme Court sets hearing on abortion-rights amendment » Orlando Sentinel

IL: Judge delays corruption trial of Michael Madigan while Supreme Court considers case in Indiana » Chicago Sun-Times

MN: Watchdog files FEC complaint against Dean Phillips » Axios

Opinion: How We Squeezed Harvard to Push Claudine Gay Out » The Wall Street Journal

NATIONAL

The Trump campaign embraces Jan. 6 rioters with money and pardon promises » WBUR

A quarter of Americans believe FBI instigated Jan. 6, Post-UMD poll finds » Washington Post

Factory construction spending booms under Biden » Axios

Christie could have dropped out this week. But after Haley’s Civil War comments, it’s now complicated. » Boston Globe

Gen Z House Fault Lines & TikTok Geopolitics » Puck

Companies are backing away from "DEI" » Axios

The Supreme Court is expected to determine whether Trump can keep running for president. Here’s why » AP News

Here’s one bipartisan deal Congress could strike in January » Washington Post

Trump Supporters Are Very Worked Up About the Jeffrey Epstein “List” » Vanity Fair

The Presidential Race at the Dawn of a New Year » Sabato's Crystal Ball

How Bannon and Trump normalized antisemitic bigotry » Public Notice

Bomb threats force evacuations in several state capitols » Washington Post

"Trump heading into the 2024 election has decided to go all in as being the pro-Jan. 6 candidate," said Tom Joscelyn. "He's gone full steam ahead in praising and in his own way endorsing the Jan. 6 rioters and extremists who attacked the Capitol."

Tom Joscelyn, a counterterrorism expert

Trump has made calls to "free" Jan. 6 defendants or promised to issue them presidential pardons more than a dozen times. Trump has said he would issue those pardons on "day one" of his presidency.

News By Category
Business

How a billionaire grocer from New Hampshire built one of Boston’s biggest tech companies » Boston Globe

A rough 2023 for startups and VCs ended with more bad news » Boston Globe

World’s biggest banks made $3 billion on green debt in 2023 » Boston Globe

Acton-based drug testing company moving headquarters to Texas after turbulent 2023 » Worcester Business Journal

Hill Holliday sold to New Zealand company » Boston Globe

Cannabis & Psychedelics

How high is Worcester? Legal cannabis is a big 'hit,' but challenges remain » Worcester Telegram

Crimes

Court documents reveal names of powerful men allegedly linked to Jeffrey Epstein » WBUR

Education

Universities ‘dragged into the culture wars’ as right-wing leaders take aim » Boston Globe

A grand vision, with few specifics, for the overhaul of Boston Public Schools buildings » WBUR

Harvard president's resignation highlights new conservative weapon against colleges: plagiarism » WBUR

Michelle Wu blames ‘racial bias’ for Claudine Gay’s downfall as Harvard president: ‘I’m just really saddened’ » Boston Herald

Commentary: Ousting Claudine Gay from Harvard was always about the money » WBUR

Security increased at Lynn high school after slayings of two teenagers and spike in gun violence in city » Boston Globe

Mayor Michelle Wu defends Claudine Gay in interview, points to ‘racial bias’ » Boston Globe

Nikki Haley says she would go after tax-exempt status for universities, in reference to Harvard » Boston Globe

Opinion: To rebuild, Harvard needs to reform DEI culture » Boston Globe

Opinion: The bullies beat Claudine Gay. Black women in academia wonder if they will be next. » Boston Globe

Claudine Gay resignation sparks outrage among Black academics » WGBH

The teacher whose Great Barrington classroom was searched for 'Gender Queer' book is taking a temporary leave of absence » Berkshire Eagle

MIT president under pressure after Gay resignation » Axios

Environment

New Reports Inform Emissions-Fighting Debate » State House News Service

Gov. Maura Healey announces $50M toward forest land conservation » MassLive

Manikka Bowman takes the helm at Nature Conservancy » The Bay State Banner

Health Care

As respiratory illnesses spread, hospitals in western Massachusetts require face masks » New England Public Media

UMass Memorial to convert former Beaumont nursing home to hospital to reduce ER congestion » Worcester Telegram

Tufts Medicine chooses Andrew DeVoe as next CFO » Boston Business Journal

UMass Memorial plans to convert nursing facility into additional hospital beds » Worcester Business Journal

Housing

Housing legislative update planned » Martha's Vineyard Times

With housing crisis, it often feels like same old story » Commonwealth Beacon

Registry of Deeds officially acknowledges over 500 racial covenants » Salem News

Mass. Senate budget writer ‘not surprised’ by $915M shelter price tag for fiscal year 2025 » Boston Herald

Report shows which Massachusetts communities have the most families at emergency shelters » CBS News

Human Services

Editorial: Elderly poor in Mass. need funding, help too » Boston Herald

Immigration

Lucas: Despite migrant $$ drain, Dems back Biden » Boston Herald

Migrant families begin to arrive in Lowell » Lowell Sun

NJ: In shadow of Statue of Liberty, Fulop and Jersey City officials say they won’t turn backs on migrants » NJ.com

Judiciary

Man sentenced to prison for shooting outside courthouse » Lowell Sun

Labor

Editorial: Boosting work permits will help communities in Mass. and beyond weather the migrant crisis » Boston Globe

Legislative

Mariano Weighs In On MCAS, Tipped Wages » State House News Service

Local Government

Erin Joyce takes office as Braintree mayor. She's facing a tough challenge » Patriot Ledger

School Committee adds flexibility to remote participation » The Reminder

Loss of Star Store almost invisible at inauguration » The New Bedford Light

Judge Vacates Surfside Crossing's State Approval; Remands Project Back To Nantucket Zoning Board » Nantucket Current

Convicted former mayor Jasiel Correia moved to 5th federal facility. Where he is now » The Herald News

City officials receive antisemitic postcards » Newburyport News

New Lawrence council president pledges transparency, dialogue » The Eagle Tribune

Patrick Keefe Inaugurated as Mayor of Revere » Revere Journal

Politics

Battenfeld: Maura Healey joins lame Biden campaign in New Hampshire even though he’s skipping primary » Boston Herald

A half-dozen ballot measures affecting Uber and Lyft drivers cleared a hurdle for the November ballot. It’s as complicated as it sounds. » Boston Globe

NY: Majority of NYC councilmembers, all Democrats, say Trump shouldn’t be on NY ballot » Gothamist

Public Health

Masks return to some hospitals as respiratory illnesses increase in Mass. » WBUR

Public Safety

Select Board unanimously selects Daugherty as town’s fire chief » Hopkinton Independent

MA Senate Democrats getting handle on gun reform bill promised by end of January » Boston Herald

A year after a young man’s death in Cambridge, the details of an inquest portray a troubled mind » Cambridge Day

FL: Lawmakers propose steeper punishments for online child predators, push for automatic internet filters » Florida Politics

State Government

Gov. Healey talks migrants, North Adams storm aid, and minimum wage in Pittsfield » WAMC

Transportation

Your guide to 23 days of Green Line shutdowns » Boston Globe

Southwick roadwork to be boosted by $215K from state’s ‘millionaire’s tax’ » MassLive

Passengers say Green Line shutdowns that began Wednesday resulted in delays; MBTA details alternate routes » Boston Globe

Much of the Green Line will be closed (again) for most of January. Here's what to know » WBUR

Utilities

Offshore Wind Delivers First Electrons To Mass. Grid » State House News Service

Offshore turbine sends power to Mass. grid for the first time » WPRI.com

In a 'historic moment,' Vineyard Wind sends its first offshore power to the grid » Berkshire Eagle

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The Week In Review

New laws enacted this week:

HB2030 - An Act to amend the Williamstown town charter by making all gender references therein gender neutral

HB4165 - An Act establishing a sick leave bank for Anthony Fannoh, Jr. an employee of the Department of Mental Health

HB3979 - An Act authorizing Cynthia Falzone to purchase creditable service from the Norfolk county retirement board

HB4047 - An Act relative to establishing a trust to administer a Length of Service Award Program for the Swansea Fire Department

Most read bills of the week:

House Actions This Week: 36

Senate Actions This Week: 33


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