Also: A new COVID test site opens in Roxbury; the voting rights bills, explained [Donate â¤ï¸]( [View in Browser](  January 18, 2022Â ðŸŒ¬ï¸ Sunny, with a high near 29. Still breezy. Good Morning Boston, From a fight about flags, to a new, high capacity COVID testing site opening its doors, here's what you need to know this morning: - The U.S. Supreme Court is taking up a dispute today about whether or not the City of Boston can decide what flags it flies at City Hall. Camp Constitution, a New Hampshire-based religious group, asked four years ago to have its flag flown on one of three flag poles on City Hall Plaza. The city said no because it wanted to avoid endorsing a religion. The group argued the Christian flag is non-denominational and aims to celebrate Boston's Christian history.
- A lower court previously sided with Boston, saying it gets to choose what it endorses. The flag poles at City Hall are known to fly flags for a cause or community Boston supports. - Boston Public Schools' student athletes are back to practice starting today – and competitions could return as early as next week. Athletics have been on hold since last month due to the spike in COVID cases during the omicron surge. To mitigate risk, anyone participating in winter sports will have to submit weekly COVID tests. - Brockton Hospital is one of more than 50 acute care hospitals in Massachusetts getting support from the National Guard. Ten troops will help with transportation, security and food service as the hospital still feels the strain from the omicron surge. - It looks like Massachusetts made some pretty costly mistakes when it comes to unemployment claims. A [new analysis from The Boston Globe]( shows the state accidentally paid at least $2.7 billion in unemployment claims during the pandemic. And these weren't fraudulent claims. According to the Globe, they were filed in good faith by people who then received too much money or didn't qualify, but were paid anyways. Now, the state is asking these people to pay up. - PSA: The third high-capacity COVID testing site run by Boston's health commission opens in Roxbury at the Bolling Building today. Tests are free and you don't need an appointment. Boston's other two sites are in Jamaica Plain and Allston. P.S.– I can't listen to enough stories about Betty White and her legacy. [This Here & Now feature]( really hit me in the feels. It's from a Colorado Public Radio reporter who found out he was HIV+ in the 1990s. He talks about how after his diagnosis, he found comfort in an episode of "The Golden Girls." Meagan McGinnes
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['The struggle is real': Educators work to keep classrooms open despite COVID surge](
More than 7,000 educators and school staff in Massachusetts have gotten COVID-19 since early January. [Read more.](
['The struggle is real': Educators work to keep classrooms open despite COVID surge](
More than 7,000 educators and school staff in Massachusetts have gotten COVID-19 since early January. [Read more.](
[In the omicron crush, some people pay whatever it costs to get tested](
People are paying hundreds of dollars out of pocket for COVID testing because at-home antigen kits and free appointments that offer timely results are scarce. [Read more.](
[In the omicron crush, some people pay whatever it costs to get tested](
People are paying hundreds of dollars out of pocket for COVID testing because at-home antigen kits and free appointments that offer timely results are scarce. [Read more.](
[The Senate is set to debate voting rights. Here's what the bills would do](
The two measures the Senate will debate aim to prevent states from limiting access to the ballot and make it easier for people to vote. [Read more.](
[The Senate is set to debate voting rights. Here's what the bills would do](
The two measures the Senate will debate aim to prevent states from limiting access to the ballot and make it easier for people to vote. [Read more.](
[A new look at how turmoil is defining the lives and politics of Generation Z](
In a new book, Fight: How Gen Z is channeling their fear and passion to save America, pollster John Della Volpe explores how America's youngest voters and activists are coming of age. [Read more.](
[A new look at how turmoil is defining the lives and politics of Generation Z](
In a new book, Fight: How Gen Z is channeling their fear and passion to save America, pollster John Della Volpe explores how America's youngest voters and activists are coming of age. [Read more.](
[Cold case team believes it has solved the mystery of who may have betrayed Anne Frank](
The diary Anne wrote while in hiding became a symbol of hope and resilience read by millions. But the identity of the person who disclosed her hiding place has always remained a mystery. [Read more.](
[Cold case team believes it has solved the mystery of who may have betrayed Anne Frank](
The diary Anne wrote while in hiding became a symbol of hope and resilience read by millions. But the identity of the person who disclosed her hiding place has always remained a mystery. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Senate Democrats are planning a vote to change the filibuster in an effort to pass a set of voting rights bills. But, what is a filibuster and why is it used? NPR is [bringing back this helpful 2-minute video]( that's worth the watch. - Maurice Emmanuel Parent plays himself in a one-man show that connects his life as a teacher and actor to the world beyond the classroom and the stage. Read Jacquinn Sinclair's [review of "Mr. Parent" at the Lyric Stage Company here.]( - Maybe we of the Jewish faith are the ultimate optimists, sending prayers to a God who has not obviously been moved to tears by our suffering, writes Judy Bolton-Fasman [in this commentary](. I can't recall a time I've been more scared as a Jew. What We're Reading 📚 - How rescuing a runaway chicken in the city taught me about accepting others ([Boston Globe Magazine]( - The Rise of A.I. Fighter Pilots ([The New Yorker]( - Insurance providers are now required to cover the costs of at-home COVID tests for any American clever enough to navigate the Labyrinth of Terrors ([McSweeney's]( Life Advice
[A behavioral scientist's advice for changing your life](
When's the best time to start a new habit? And what makes some stick while others fall by the wayside? Behavioral scientist Katy Milkman's new book, How to Change, breaks down the research about how to leverage human nature instead of working against it to achieve your goals. [Read more.](
[A behavioral scientist's advice for changing your life](
When's the best time to start a new habit? And what makes some stick while others fall by the wayside? Behavioral scientist Katy Milkman's new book, How to Change, breaks down the research about how to leverage human nature instead of working against it to achieve your goals. [Read more.]( Before you go: "[Stah Wahs]( The Lowell Line Awakens." 😎 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 Â
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