A win for Boston residents with disabilities

Also: Hospitals to reduce nonessential procedures amid bed shortages; microgrids to solve macro energy challenges [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  November 24, 2021 🌞 Sunshine, with highs in the lower 40s. Good Morning Boston, Happy Thanksgiving eve, folks! I'm glad to be back in your inboxes just in time for the holidays. Here's what you need to know: - Massachusetts hospitals are having some capacity issues, and it's not all directly due to COVID patients this time. Hospitals are seeing longer than average stays and major staffing shortages, which according to Gov. Charlie Baker have "contributed to the loss of approximately 500 medical/surgical and ICU hospital beds across the Commonwealth." To help, Baker ordered yesterday that hospitals in the state facing shortages of beds [need to reduce certain scheduled nonessential or non-urgent medical procedures](. This new guidance goes into effect Monday, Nov. 29. - Attorney General Maura Healey really wants the [state's hate crimes statute to be overhauled](. What's wrong with the current wording, according to Healy? There is effectively "no difference" between a battery offense and a hate crime battery, which means there's a gap that keeps some offenses from being fully punished. The bill was proposed in February, but it's only surfacing now. - Boston may have a new landmark soon. At the Nov. 9 Landmarks meeting, commissioners [voted unanimously]( to make the Massachusetts Tribe’s Mattapan Rhyolite Quarry a pending landmark in the city. The quarry is described by experts as a "one-of-a-kind" ancient volcanic stone, with banded maroon color and ideal qualities for making stone tools. - PSA: The Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center is rolling out its new, state-of-the-art mammography van to bring screening tech to communities that may have difficulties accessing traditional hospital care. The hospital's mobile outreach efforts began 20 years ago and it has provided 50,000 mammograms in that time. You can check out [the van's calendar here.]( - What's the [weather going to be like for Thanksgiving]( If you're lacing up for a morning turkey trot or heading to an earlier football game, WBUR meteorologist Dave Epstein says to bundle up. But, in the afternoon temperatures will rise to the 50s. P.S.– If you're traveling for Thanksgiving, today is going to be one of the busiest days. Whether you're driving or flying, here's[what to expect.]( forget your headphones or a book! This is particularly for the flyers.) And as you prepare to see loved ones to celebrate, here are some reminders for [how to keep your family gatherings safe](. Meagan McGinnes Senior Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [In win for residents with disabilities, Boston must upgrade curb ramps across the city]( A long-running civil rights movement has won a huge but quiet victory in Boston. It’ll mean millions of dollars in spending, and construction projects across the city. [Read more.]( [In win for residents with disabilities, Boston must upgrade curb ramps across the city]( A long-running civil rights movement has won a huge but quiet victory in Boston. It’ll mean millions of dollars in spending, and construction projects across the city. [Read more.]( [Chelsea and Chinatown are building microgrids to solve big energy, climate challenges]( The planned systems in Chelsea and Chinatown can detach from the main power grid, giving the communities their own islands of energy while relieving pressure on the wider regional system. [Read more.]( [Chelsea and Chinatown are building microgrids to solve big energy, climate challenges]( The planned systems in Chelsea and Chinatown can detach from the main power grid, giving the communities their own islands of energy while relieving pressure on the wider regional system. [Read more.]( [Jury finds rally organizers liable for the violence that broke out in Charlottesville]( The plaintiffs alleged that the organizers and participants of the 2017 Unite the Right rally conspired to commit violence and interfered with their right to be free from racially motivated violence. [Read more.]( [Jury finds rally organizers liable for the violence that broke out in Charlottesville]( The plaintiffs alleged that the organizers and participants of the 2017 Unite the Right rally conspired to commit violence and interfered with their right to be free from racially motivated violence. [Read more.]( [A Mass. veteran tries to help his translator's family escape Afghanistan before it's too late]( When the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan, thousands of people who helped the military were left behind. Now, a Massachusetts veteran is trying to get the family of his former translator out of the country -- before they're found by the Taliban. [Read more.]( [A Mass. veteran tries to help his translator's family escape Afghanistan before it's too late]( When the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan, thousands of people who helped the military were left behind. Now, a Massachusetts veteran is trying to get the family of his former translator out of the country -- before they're found by the Taliban. [Read more.]( [3 of America's biggest pharmacy chains have been found liable for the opioid crisis]( Tuesday's verdict comes as CVS, Walgreens and Walmart face thousands of lawsuits filed by communities across the U.S. The companies say they did nothing wrong dispensing huge quantities of opioids. [Read more.]( [3 of America's biggest pharmacy chains have been found liable for the opioid crisis]( Tuesday's verdict comes as CVS, Walgreens and Walmart face thousands of lawsuits filed by communities across the U.S. The companies say they did nothing wrong dispensing huge quantities of opioids. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - The Boston Public Library is [asking for donations]( to its new Spice Bank Collective, in partnership with the Greater Boston Food Bank. - From a mural tour to a chamber opera concert, here are [five things to do this weekend.]( - This brutal pandemic is producing at least a few tangential benefits for society, writes Rich Barlow [in this commentary](. One silver lining? Most stores will remain closed on Thanksgiving. What We're Reading 📚 - Meet Conor Pewarski, Boston’s first gentleman. If you haven’t heard of him, he’s probably OK with that ([The Boston Globe]( - For Those Who Feel Rejected by Family, Friendsgiving Can Be a Lifeline ([The New York Times]( Tell Me Something Good [For Record Store Day, Aerosmith is releasing an LP of recordings made in 1971]( The 40-minute LP and cassette, called "1971: The Road Starts Hear, was culled from a two-track tape done on a vintage Wollensak reel-to-reel deck owned by guitarist Joe Perry in 1971 at Boston University. [Read more.]( [For Record Store Day, Aerosmith is releasing an LP of recordings made in 1971]( The 40-minute LP and cassette, called "1971: The Road Starts Hear, was culled from a two-track tape done on a vintage Wollensak reel-to-reel deck owned by guitarist Joe Perry in 1971 at Boston University. [Read more.]( Before you go: By land or [by sea](... 😎 Forward to a friend. 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