How New England Is Helping The Electrical Grid Survive The Winter

Having trouble viewing this email? [Click here]( [Like us on Facebook]( [View on Instagram]( [Follow us on Twitter]( [View our videos on YouTube]( [Listen]( The cold never bothered New England residents anyway. But its electric providers? That's been a different story. ISO is using a new method to change that - and it aims to be as reliable as Frozen's ability to get its anthem "Let It Go" stuck in your head. Here's what you need to know today. The rundown 1. [New England Tries a New Way To Help The Grid Survive Winter]( It's called "Pay for Performance," and it's a competitive market system that rewards power generators for efficiency, and punishes them for poor execution. 2. [Massachusetts Board of Higher Education Considers Identifying Failing Colleges]( "The objective is not to stop closures. The objective is to serve students well." 3. ['Assuming Our Rightful Place': Pressley Hails Political Wins By Black Women At MLK Breakfast]( For the first time, the city's 49th annual breakfast celebration featured a black Boston Police commissioner and a black congresswoman from Massachusetts. 4. [Differing Narratives After Standoff Between Native American Man, High School Student]( A viral video of a Native American man surrounded by teenagers at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., has sparked uproar. Here is more context to what happened during Friday's confrontation. 5. [Flooding Already Costing Homeowners Millions In Lost Appreciation, Study Finds]( One extreme case: a triple-decker on Marginal Street in East Boston, now valued at $374,000, is estimated to be worth nearly $800,000 were it not for flooding and sea level rise. What's it like outside? [Cold Air Retreats]( Temperatures hit the 20s today, ahead of a milder flow of air. That change in wind direction, which will boost temperatures into the 40s and even 50s, will make it feel a bit like spring by the time we get to Thursday. Give me more [Coast Guard Family Relying On Food Bank Says They're Fed Up With Shutdown]( More than 41,000 active duty members of the U.S. Coast Guard are among the federal employees not getting paid during the government shutdown. [Leading Journalist Flees Nicaragua, Citing 'Extreme Threats' From The Government]( Carlos Fernando Chamorro, editor of the online publication Confidencial, has gone into exile in Costa Rica, citing the suppression of independent press under Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. [9 Must-See Live Music Events This Winter]( From Mick Jenkins at the Middle East to I'm With Her at the House of Blues, here are 9 concerts on our calendars this winter. [Commentary: 'Little By Little,' We Work For A Better, More Humane World]( These, unquestionably, can feel like dark times, writes Ophelia Dahl, but don't lose heart. I've seen how one bright idea sparks many more. Bookmark this [For Many With Disabilities, 'Let It Go' Is An Anthem Of Acceptance]( "She used words like, 'a kingdom of isolation and it looks like I'm the queen,' and that was exactly what I was going through. She gave me words to describe this bipolar that I had that nobody had given me before." Other stories we're reading - Hired To Help The Sick, She Leaves A Trail Of Accusations In Her Wake ([Boston Globe]( - When The Whole Country Reviews A Play, Referees Can't Always Join ([New York Times]( - What The Environmental Justice Movement Owes Martin Luther King Jr ([Grist]( - A Conversation With Robert Earl, The New Owner Of Bertucci's ([Boston Magazine]( We value your feedback so [let us know what you think of the new look](. Love this newsletter? Forward it to a friend and have them sign up [here](. Want more stories from WBUR delivered to your inbox? Sign up for some of our other newsletters [here](. [Like us on Facebook]( [Follow us on Twitter]( [View on Instagram]( WBUR, 890 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215 [SafeUnsubscribe™ {EMAIL}]( [Forward this email]( | [Update Profile]( | [About our service provider]( Sent by wburtoday@wbur.org in collaboration with [Constant Contact]( [Try it free today](