AG Maura Healey is running for governor 🚨

Also: Epidemiologists say don't declare victory over omicron yet; how to get your vax QR code on your phone [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  January 20, 2022 ❄️ Snow, mainly before noon. Temperatures falling to around 26 by 5 p.m. Accumulation will be 1-2 inches. Good Morning Boston, We have a dusting this morning! Normally, that wouldn't bother us tough New Englanders, but the [inch or two of light snow]( is coming at an inopportune time during this morning's commute. Be safe out there! Now, on to the news: - After much speculation, [Attorney General Maura Healey announced today]( she is running for governor. Politicos are considering her an early favorite for the 2022 election because so far she's the only candidate that's already won a statewide election. More details on her announcement and what it means for the gubernatorial playing field below. - It's likely to get contentious today at federal energy regulators' review of the Weymouth Natural Gas compressor station. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission still has questions about the station – even though it already approved its final permit more than a year ago. - So what triggered this latest review? Opponents say they saw their initial fears realized when the station had to shut down multiple times for maintenance and technical issues, including releasing gas into the area. Dissenting commissioners are calling the review "unlawful." - Remember that House bill we mentioned yesterday, which would allow the state to spend $55 million in COVID-related funding, including tests? As expected, it was passed unanimously and is now on its way to the Senate for next week. - A federal judge has[dismissed the wrongful-death lawsuit]( filed by notorious Boston crime boss James “Whitey” Bulger Jr.'s family. Whitey was beaten to death in a federal prison in West Virginia in 2018. The lawsuit looked for $200 million in damages and argued that prison officials placed Whitey in harm’s way when they transferred him to a federal prison. The judge said federal law precludes the family's ability to sue. - The MBTA will begin letting riders board buses and trolleys at the front and rear next year. It's part of a new contactless fare collection system, which means fare evasion is a topic of concern right now. Current penalties include fines from $100 up to $600, but a new proposal suggests lowering those fines to between $50 and $100. There's been no final call made yet, but [a new study from the Pioneer Institute estimates]( the MBTA could be facing fare evasion costs of $35 million. - Three men – including a Needham cop – are getting hit with insider trading charges. The trio [allegedly used inside information]( conspire to trade shares of Linear Technology Corp., a semiconductor company in Milpitas, California, that was expected to acquire Analog Devices, Inc., a Norwood-based semiconductor company. P.S.– Do you miss listening to new episodes of "Last Seen"? Well, I have good news for you! WBUR's popular true-crime podcast is coming back with a new –and different – kind of season. Season 2 will be an anthology of true stories and mysteries about all kinds of unexpected people, places and more that have gone missing. The first episodes won't drop until Feb. 1, but in the meantime you can [listen to the trailer here](. Meagan McGinnes Senior Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Maura Healey announces her bid for Massachusetts governor]( Many political observers consider Healey the early favorite for the Nov. 2022 election because she is the only candidate in the race to have won a statewide election. The Democrat has served as attorney general since 2015 and has more than $3 million in her campaign accounts. [Read more.]( [Maura Healey announces her bid for Massachusetts governor]( Many political observers consider Healey the early favorite for the Nov. 2022 election because she is the only candidate in the race to have won a statewide election. The Democrat has served as attorney general since 2015 and has more than $3 million in her campaign accounts. [Read more.]( [Epidemiologists warn impacts of omicron could linger 'if you declare victory too quickly']( “Epidemics are symmetrical: just as many people get infected on the downside as the upside,” said Justin Lessler, an epidemiologist who is part of the COVID-19 Scenario Modeling Hub. [Read more.]( [Epidemiologists warn impacts of omicron could linger 'if you declare victory too quickly']( “Epidemics are symmetrical: just as many people get infected on the downside as the upside,” said Justin Lessler, an epidemiologist who is part of the COVID-19 Scenario Modeling Hub. [Read more.]( [Trash is a burning question with mixed answers in some Mass. towns]( Massachusetts uses incinerators to burn most of its trash. Some activists want that to stop, because incinerators emit pollution. But in the communities that house the incinerators, residents' opinions are more complicated. [Read more.]( [Trash is a burning question with mixed answers in some Mass. towns]( Massachusetts uses incinerators to burn most of its trash. Some activists want that to stop, because incinerators emit pollution. But in the communities that house the incinerators, residents' opinions are more complicated. [Read more.]( [With cases surging, Massachusetts officials will "pivot" on COVID in schools]( As he announced plans to provide free rapid antigen tests to schools and childcare providers starting next week, Gov. Charlie Baker spoke of a strategic “pivot”: away from cost-intensive and centralized viral surveillance and toward monitoring at the household level. [Read more.]( [With cases surging, Massachusetts officials will "pivot" on COVID in schools]( As he announced plans to provide free rapid antigen tests to schools and childcare providers starting next week, Gov. Charlie Baker spoke of a strategic “pivot”: away from cost-intensive and centralized viral surveillance and toward monitoring at the household level. [Read more.]( [Five moments that mattered in Biden's 1st year in the White House]( President Biden's 1st year in office was marked by the pandemic fight, the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and a tough push to get his agenda through Congress. [Read more.]( [Five moments that mattered in Biden's 1st year in the White House]( President Biden's 1st year in office was marked by the pandemic fight, the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and a tough push to get his agenda through Congress. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Don't nervously carry your vaccination card with you all the time! Here's [how to get your vaccination QR code]( your phone. - Longtime readers of this newsletter know I'm a bookworm. That's why I'm super excited about this list of [12 books with New England ties to read this winter.]( - [In this commentary]( writer and teacher Jennifer Dines watches her students struggle with classwork when they're worried about their families losing their homes. What We're Reading 📚 - Is Pluto A Planet? ([The New York Times]( - Can cannabis really prevent COVID? Not quite, but new study shows promise ([The Boston Globe]( - Chicago Public Media will acquire the Chicago Sun-Times ([WBEZ]( Tell Me Something Good [The Biden administration will give out 400 million free N95 masks]( The high-quality masks will go to pharmacies and community health centers starting this week in an effort to control the spread of COVID-19. [Read more.]( [The Biden administration will give out 400 million free N95 masks]( The high-quality masks will go to pharmacies and community health centers starting this week in an effort to control the spread of COVID-19. [Read more.]( Before you go: [This]( be the best collab of 2022. 😎 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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