Beacon Hill: Well, that's recess

Also: Judge denies bid to block 'Mass. and Cass' tent removals; Boston may soon divest from fossil fuels [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  November 17, 2021 🌞 Mostly sunny, with a high near 67. Good Morning Boston, You might want to plan to wake up extra early tomorrow morning because there will be a near-total lunar eclipse. [Learn more]( about when to see it and how long it will last. Here's what else is on my mind this morning: - Legislators on Beacon Hill didn't have the productive day we were all hoping for yesterday. The House and Senate went into their mid-session recess last night and left many big decisions on the table. That means it's still unclear how state lawmakers will spend billions of dollars in federal pandemic relief money, which arrived months ago. We also don't know the fate of early and mail-in voting. Lawmakers did not extend the bill to keep the options in place for elections held after mid-December, and the law is set to expire next month. - A Suffolk Superior Court judge yesterday rejected a request to issue a restraining order against Boston. The request was over the way tents for people experiencing homelessness and addiction are being cleared near the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard. Under former Mayor Kim Janey, tent removal began in late October as part of an [effort to address the "public health emergency"]( the makeshift living space causes. City officials said they promise to take a "holistic approach" to handling a tent encampment in the city. - Boston may soon officially divest from fossil fuels. The City Council passed a divestment measure yesterday, which means it's now heading to Mayor Michelle Wu's desk for approval. Wu helped craft the proposal when she was on city council so it's VERY likely that she'll push it through. - Speaking of Mayor Wu, she's asking City Council to set aside $8 million to make three MBTA bus lanes – the 23, 28 and 29 – free for the next two years. One of Wu's campaign promises was to make public transit free, so this request doesn't come as a surprise. - And speaking of the MBTA, it will reimburse Cambridge and Somerville the $75 million they put toward the Green Line Extension. Not because of anything bad, but because T officials expect the project to [come in under budget](. ( I'm jealous; when was the last time you finished an improvement project that did that?) The project extends the Green Line from Lechmere into East Cambridge, Somerville and Medford. It's not all roses, though. There have definitely been delays, so the first stations of the extension won't open until next spring. P.S.– Now here's some "Christmas creep" I don't mind. Boston's official Christmas tree arrives on the Common later today after making its long trek from Nova Scotia. This is the 50th year Nova Scotians have cut down a tree and shipped it south to Boston. Meagan McGinnes Senior Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [The Biden administration sold oil and gas leases days after the climate summit]( The Biden administration oversaw one of the largest oil and gas lease sales in American history just days after pledging to take action on climate change at the international climate summit. [Read more.]( [The Biden administration sold oil and gas leases days after the climate summit]( The Biden administration oversaw one of the largest oil and gas lease sales in American history just days after pledging to take action on climate change at the international climate summit. [Read more.]( [Salt marshes soak up carbon. Restoring them is key to fighting climate change]( Scientists in Maine recently unlocked a mystery that helps explain what's happening to marshes —and how to restore them. [Read more.]( [Salt marshes soak up carbon. Restoring them is key to fighting climate change]( Scientists in Maine recently unlocked a mystery that helps explain what's happening to marshes —and how to restore them. [Read more.]( [Judge denies ACLU bid to block tent removals along 'Mass. and Cass']( A Suffolk Superior Court judge has denied an American Civil Liberties Union request to stop Boston officials from removing tents from an encampment near the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard. [Read more.]( [Judge denies ACLU bid to block tent removals along 'Mass. and Cass']( A Suffolk Superior Court judge has denied an American Civil Liberties Union request to stop Boston officials from removing tents from an encampment near the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard. [Read more.]( [Mixed report on gains among women in life sciences]( Gender diversity on the boards of biopharmaceutical companies has improved significantly over the past four years, but women have not made the same progress advancing into senior executive roles and Black and Latinx workers continue to be underrepresented in the workforce, according to a new survey. [Read more.]( [Mixed report on gains among women in life sciences]( Gender diversity on the boards of biopharmaceutical companies has improved significantly over the past four years, but women have not made the same progress advancing into senior executive roles and Black and Latinx workers continue to be underrepresented in the workforce, according to a new survey. [Read more.]( [Rep. Gosar is censured over an anime video depicts him killing AOC]( The mainly party line vote of 223-207 came after GOP Rep. Gosar posted a video on social media with an animated scene of him murdering Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. [Read more.]( [Rep. Gosar is censured over an anime video depicts him killing AOC]( The mainly party line vote of 223-207 came after GOP Rep. Gosar posted a video on social media with an animated scene of him murdering Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Drum roll please: Our art and culture team's favorite Massachusetts entry to NPR's 2021 Tiny Desk contest is... HEESU! (That's the stage name of musician Heesu Yu.) [Listen to her song "Me" here.]( - Between the hybrid Boston International Kids Film Festival (BIKFF) and the virtual Boston Jewish Film Festival (BJFF), families have a lot of kid-friendly, independent films to watch this month. Here are [four recommendations]( to start with. - From a virtual concert to holiday lights at the zoo, here are [five things to do this weekend](. What We're Reading 📚 - ‘I want him gone.’ Elijah Lewis’s mother messaged a friend just months before his mysterious death ([The Boston Globe]( - His sudden seizures were a mystery. Then doctors saw a tapeworm in his brain from 20 years ago ([The Washington Post]( - Skiing Hut-to-Hut in the Maine Wilderness ([The New York Times]( Tell Me Something Good [Tewksbury Police Ask For Help Naming New Comfort Dog (CBS Boston)]( He will work with an officer visiting schools, community events and more. [Read more.]( [Tewksbury Police Ask For Help Naming New Comfort Dog (CBS Boston)]( He will work with an officer visiting schools, community events and more. [Read more.]( Before you go: The [investigation]( I've been waiting for. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 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? 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