Turning old ⚡ car batteries into better ones

Also: How to watch Baker's State of the Commonwealth address; make filing your taxes a little easier [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  January 25, 2022 ☁️ Mostly cloudy, with a high near 42. Chance of light snow before 9 a.m. Good Morning Boston, Radio Boston had an [interesting show yesterday about "The Great Resignation,"]( a trend of workers leaving their jobs in growing numbers. There are many factors causing this – which Radio Boston does a great job delving into – BUT maybe they missed one: [this particular job posting](. It's attracting quite a few applicants. I think I'll add "landlord-king of a remote English island" to my list of pandemic runaway fantasies now. Until then, I'll get back to my current job and share the local news of the day: - Gov. Charlie Baker will give his final State of the Commonwealth address tonight, speaking at the Hynes Convention Center. (The State House is still closed to the public. More on that in a moment.) Like any good "state of the state" speech, Baker is expected to take both a backward glance at what the state has accomplished during his seven-year tenure, as well as a look to the future and what he hopes to do in his last year, including the passage of a mental health bill. - If you want to watch or listen, WBUR will begin live coverage of the event at 7 p.m. on air and online at [wbur.org](. - In regard to the State House, it could reopen to the public – with COVID rules in place – as early as next month. This move was expected in the fall, but then the omicron wave dismantled those plans. Right now, the State House is only open to staffers and lawmakers. - People moves: Last week, we learned Attorney General Maura Healey is putting her hat in the ring for governor when Baker ends his tenure in November. Which means, Healey's current role will also be up for grabs. Labor attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan [announced today]( officially launching her campaign for attorney general. - Speaking of omicron, let's look at if we are still moving in the right direction. Short answer: COVID-19 health metrics in Massachusetts show we are. - Slightly longer answer: The daily average of new cases and the seven-day average positive test rate have both been dropping steadily for more than two weeks. Hospital capacity still remains tight with only 6.5% of non-ICU beds open, but the good news is that there are fewer than 3,000 COVID patients in hospitals across the state for the first time in 10 days. - Last September, the state announced it would take in roughly 1,100 Afghan evacuees after the Taliban takeover in the country last summer. Now, one of the state’s major refugee resettlement agencies says Massachusetts is [expecting to receive twice as many Afghan refugees]( as it had anticipated. Around 2,000 refugees are expected to be settled by the end of next month. - A state board has ruled Methuen's first female firefighter be [promoted to captain]( saying that she was passed over for a promotion in 2019 because of her gender and favoritism in the department. The commission also said she must receive back pay at a captain's salary dating back to when she was first overlooked. - Attention college sports fan: Starting today, Harvard is allowing people to attend indoor sporting events. Face masks are required and anyone 12 or older will have to show their vax credentials at the door. P.S.– Want to know what your Wordle strategy says about you? (I promise this isn't a Buzzfeed quiz, though that sounds like something I would definitely take.) [This nerdy deep-dive]( into everything from the words you start with to the differences in playing on easy and hard mode is perfect for anyone who's addicted to this online game. Meagan McGinnes Senior Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Mass. startup transforms old electric car batteries into better-than-new ones]( A Massachusetts startup has an innovative method for recycling lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles. The company says the recycled batteries are cheaper and perform better than new ones. They're less polluting, too. [Read more.]( [Mass. startup transforms old electric car batteries into better-than-new ones]( A Massachusetts startup has an innovative method for recycling lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles. The company says the recycled batteries are cheaper and perform better than new ones. They're less polluting, too. [Read more.]( [The Supreme Court adds affirmative action to its potential hit list]( With the court already having heard arguments this term on abortion and guns, this case marks yet another politically charged issue that threatens to uproot decades of legal doctrine. [Read more.]( [The Supreme Court adds affirmative action to its potential hit list]( With the court already having heard arguments this term on abortion and guns, this case marks yet another politically charged issue that threatens to uproot decades of legal doctrine. [Read more.]( [Prosecutors in multiple states are investigating false Electoral College submissions]( Legal experts say the illegitimate submissions should motivate Congress to update the Electoral Count Act and "firm up the guardrails" of democracy. [Read more.]( [Prosecutors in multiple states are investigating false Electoral College submissions]( Legal experts say the illegitimate submissions should motivate Congress to update the Electoral Count Act and "firm up the guardrails" of democracy. [Read more.]( [Unvaccinated students in some schools can go maskless]( When state education officials earlier this month announced the extension of masking requirements in K-12 schools, they also quietly tucked in a change affecting a small number of schools where local officials have opted to drop the mask mandate. [Read more.]( [Unvaccinated students in some schools can go maskless]( When state education officials earlier this month announced the extension of masking requirements in K-12 schools, they also quietly tucked in a change affecting a small number of schools where local officials have opted to drop the mask mandate. [Read more.]( [The U.S. is placing 8,500 troops on alert for possible deployment to Eastern Europe]( The Pentagon said no final decision has been made, but Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin wanted U.S. forces to be ready "just in case" of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. [Read more.]( [The U.S. is placing 8,500 troops on alert for possible deployment to Eastern Europe]( The Pentagon said no final decision has been made, but Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin wanted U.S. forces to be ready "just in case" of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - It's that time again: Tax filing season. Here are some [tips from Here & Now to make filing a tad easier this year.]( - Listen to Massachusetts radio [journalist David Freudberg reflect on his 50-year career](. It included interviewing everyone from the Dalai Lama to Muhammad Ali — and a 29-year-old Joe Biden, just after his election to the Senate. - Our local NPR sister station 'GBH is bringing back ["Arthur" for its 25th and final season next month](. After that, no new episodes are planned for America's favorite aardvark. What We're Reading 📚 - What to know about the battle over Wisconsin health care workers now playing out in court ([Appleton-Post Crescent]( - Their DNA Hides a Warning, but They Don’t Want to Know What It Says ([The New York Times]( - Amazon’s Mandatory ‘Wellness Huddles’ Tell Workers to Eat Their Vegetables ([VICE]( Tell Me Something Good [Who's making a difference in your community? Tell us about them]( NPR wants to hear your stories about the joy and good things happening in your community. Tell them about the people who are doing amazing stuff with humor, generosity and selflessness. [Read more.]( [Who's making a difference in your community? Tell us about them]( NPR wants to hear your stories about the joy and good things happening in your community. Tell them about the people who are doing amazing stuff with humor, generosity and selflessness. [Read more.]( Before you go: Born to be [wild](. 😎 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? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2021 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.