Mass. parole officers' little-known side gig

Also: Boston doctors transplant pig kidney into patient; different approaches to shelter funding bill [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  March 22, 2024 ⛅ Partly cloudy, with a high near 42. Good Morning Boston, My bracket is already pretty beaten up thanks to [this guy]( and [these refs]( but at least the Holy Cross women's team is [advancing]( to play — gulp — Caitlin Clark and Iowa. (The nationally televised game tips off tomorrow at 3 p.m. on ABC). But first, the news: - Déjà vu: We're headed toward [another]( State House showdown over a bill to keep funding Massachusetts' [overwhelmed]( family shelter system (and make a few other policy changes, too). As WBUR's Walter Wuthmann reports, the state Senate passed a supplemental budget last night that would allocate more money to the shelter system and limit how long people can stay. But there are some important differences compared to the bill the House passed earlier this month — meaning the two chambers will have to negotiate a deal. - The Senate's bill takes a slightly different approach to shelter stay time limits. Both could push individuals out of the system as soon as after nine months. However, [the House bill]( cap all stays at 12 months, while the Senate bill would allow 90-day extensions to residents who meet certain criteria (such as veterans, single parents of kids with disabilities and those who need an extension to avoid losing a work permit.) - Go deeper: Advocates are [worried about the ramifications of the proposed shelter time limits,]( especially since the average stay in the family shelter system is 13 to 14 months. - The Senate also added [a provision]( yesterday to require safety reviews at all state-run emergency shelters, in the wake of [an alleged rape at a Rockland hotel shelter last week](. - Meanwhile, the House bill would use $245 million from a state savings account of surplus money to keep the shelter system funded through June. The Senate bill would let Gov. Maura Healey's administration take $825 million from the account — basically emptying it — to fund the system for the next 15 months. - Like [last fall's supplemental budget]( there are some miscellaneous policy items unrelated to the shelter system. Unlike the House, the Senate bill would let the pandemic-era rule allowing restaurants to sell to-go beer, wine and liquor [expire at the end of this month.]( - Busy day: The state Senate also [passed a bill yesterday that would outlaw so-called "revenge porn" in Massachusetts](. That means non-consensually sharing an image of someone nude or semi-nude to shame them or to extract a ransom, as WBUR's Dave Faneuf reports. If passed, adult violators could face jail time of up to 2.5 years for first-time offenses. "Let this legislation make a difference so that everybody knows this is not acceptable," said state Sen. John Keenan. "It is criminal and there will be a consequence." - Flashback: You may remember this was a [big priority]( for former Gov. Charlie Baker. However, the House and Senate couldn't work out a compromise before the end of his term. This time around, Keenan said there's only minor differences between the Senate bill and the version the House [passed in January]( (and it's around which agency creates a teen diversion program). He's optimistic the legislation will make it to Healey's desk in the next few months. - Zoom out: Massachusetts and South Carolina are currently the only states left in the country without laws against revenge porn. - In memoriam: Sarah-Ann Shaw, Boston's first Black woman TV reporter, has died. WBZ — where Shaw started in 1969 — [announced]( the 90-year-old, lifelong Roxbury resident died at her home yesterday. - Longtime colleague Ron Mitchell spoke with WBUR's All Things Considered host Lisa Mullins about Shaw's trailblazing reporting and selfless work. [Read highlights from the interview here.]( - Heads up: The Orange Line is [fully open again]( but shuttle buses will be back to replace Red Line service [between Broadway and North Quincy, and on all of the Ashmont branch]( for the next three weekends (March 23-24, March 30-31 and April 6-7). - The diversion is so crews can tear down the Dorchester Avenue Bridge, which [is being replaced]( (and slated to reopen to cars this fall). Neighbors, expect some demolition noise in the meantime. - PSA: If you have any bottled water from Simpson Spring Company, don't drink it. State officials say [the Easton-based company's water has too much PFAS in it]( — which is [bad](. P.S.— What could help restore coral reefs, according to a recent study from Woods Hole? [Take our Boston News Quiz]( and test your knowledge of this week's stories compared to other WBUR readers. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [More than half of arrests by Mass. parole officers were not parolees, latest data show]( The state Parole Board said its special officers participated in the arrests of 358 offenders in 2022. Of those, 206 were not parolees. Some lawmakers raised questions about the practice, and the board now says it is taking steps to end it. [Read more.]( [More than half of arrests by Mass. parole officers were not parolees, latest data show]( The state Parole Board said its special officers participated in the arrests of 358 offenders in 2022. Of those, 206 were not parolees. Some lawmakers raised questions about the practice, and the board now says it is taking steps to end it. [Read more.]( [In a first, doctors at Mass General transplanted a pig kidney into a living patient]( Doctors say the patient, a 62-year-old-man is recovering well from the surgery. It is seen as a milestone and a potential solution to the worldwide shortage of human organs for patients who need transplants. [Read more.]( [In a first, doctors at Mass General transplanted a pig kidney into a living patient]( Doctors say the patient, a 62-year-old-man is recovering well from the surgery. It is seen as a milestone and a potential solution to the worldwide shortage of human organs for patients who need transplants. [Read more.]( [Appeals court orders judge to probe claims of juror bias in Boston Marathon bomber's case]( The order keeps intact Tsarnaev's death sentence for now. But the appeals court said the trial court judge's investigation into plausible claims of juror bias “fell short of what was constitutionally required.” [Read more.]( [Appeals court orders judge to probe claims of juror bias in Boston Marathon bomber's case]( The order keeps intact Tsarnaev's death sentence for now. But the appeals court said the trial court judge's investigation into plausible claims of juror bias “fell short of what was constitutionally required.” [Read more.]( [Boston researcher says impact of MBTA Communities zoning requirement are overstated]( Luc Schuster, executive director of the Boston Indicators Research Center at the Boston Foundation, argues everyone is making a bigger deal out of this law than it needs to be. He joined WBUR’s Morning Edition host Rupa Shenoy to explain why. [Read more.]( [Boston researcher says impact of MBTA Communities zoning requirement are overstated]( Luc Schuster, executive director of the Boston Indicators Research Center at the Boston Foundation, argues everyone is making a bigger deal out of this law than it needs to be. He joined WBUR’s Morning Edition host Rupa Shenoy to explain why. [Read more.]( [MassDOT commits $700 million toward Cape bridges rebuild]( Massachusetts will commit $700 million in state funding toward the construction of two new bridges to replace the aging spans connecting Cape Cod to the mainland, officials announced Thursday. [Read more.]( [MassDOT commits $700 million toward Cape bridges rebuild]( Massachusetts will commit $700 million in state funding toward the construction of two new bridges to replace the aging spans connecting Cape Cod to the mainland, officials announced Thursday. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Nearly half a million Starbucks holiday mugs [are being recalled]( following reports of at least a dozen people suffering severe burns or cuts on their hands after using them. - After 13 years leading The Record Company, Matt McArthur has stepped down from his role as executive director. [He talked to WBUR's Arielle Gray]( about the state of Boston's music scene and where he goes now. (He also shared a particularly fond memory from the recording studio's early days when a fridge was, maybe, pushed off a roof.) - As lawmakers in New Hampshire consider legislation to ban transgender girls playing on school sports teams, one 15-year-old student-athlete [worries her lifeline could be taken away](. - For most of her life, Diane Forman felt like a religious misfit: her parents were Jewish and she was baptized in a Protestant church. [But, as she writes in this commentary]( after getting divorced and moving to a new town, she's finding faith on her own terms. What We're Reading 📚 - Boston's Mayor Makes Friends—and Enemies—with Her Focus on Housing ([The New Yorker]( - The venture capital landscape in Boston has changed over the last decade. Just look to the billboard over Mass. Pike. ([The Boston Globe]( - Caitlin Clark and Iowa find peace in the process ([ESPN](  🔎 Field Guide To Boston [How daffodils became a Boston Marathon tradition]( Daffodils are one of the newer Boston Marathon traditions, thanks to a dedicated team of gardeners and volunteers. Some runners say they use the little flowers’ progress as a marker for their training. [Read more.]( [How daffodils became a Boston Marathon tradition]( Daffodils are one of the newer Boston Marathon traditions, thanks to a dedicated team of gardeners and volunteers. Some runners say they use the little flowers’ progress as a marker for their training. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common has [a guide to five can't-miss music residencies to check out in Boston, Somerville and Cambridge]( all year long. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: One man's damaged roof is [another's treasure.]( 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 🔎 Explore [WBUR's Field Guide]( stories, events and more. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news    Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2023 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.