Daylight Saving Time... forever?

Also: A fourth COVID shot; Boston activist charged with fraud [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  March 16, 2022 ⛅ Mostly cloudy, then gradually sunny, with a high near 57. Good Morning Boston, What does it take to unify the U.S. Senate? Some afternoon sunshine, apparently. Here's what you need to know. - If you're still in a fog from "springing ahead" on Sunday, rejoice in the fact that it may be one of the last times you endure that kind of fatigue. The Senate [passed a bill Tuesday]( that would make Daylight Saving Time permanent for the entire country. The measure still needs to pass the House and be signed by President Joe Biden to become law. But if it does, the change would take effect in November 2023, meaning we would only have to turn the clocks back — and forth — one more time. - The pros? Researchers have found that the annual "spring forward," when we lose an hour, is associated with [an increase in heart attacks and traffic accidents](. And of course, the change would mean more light for afternoon activities, like [sports]( or [shopping](. - The cons? Darker mornings. Permanent DST would mean a full month of post-8 a.m. sunrises in Boston, when many are commuting to school and work. And it'd be worse for residents on the eastern edge of time zones. For example, Detroit would see several weeks of post-9 a.m. sunrises. - Flashback: The U.S. actually switched to permanent DST in the 1970s — and then quickly reversed course after people realized that, in reality, [they didn't like it very much](. Will we try it again? That's in the House's hands now. - Massachusetts is getting $526 million from a settlement with four of the country’s largest drug distributors, including Johnson & Johnson, over their role in the opioid crisis. - Now, what is the state planning to do with the money? About 60% will go to a state fund aimed at addressing the opioid crisis, while the rest will go to cities and towns — and those payouts vary widely. WBUR's Deborah Becker [has the breakdown here](. - Immigrant and civil rights advocates are calling on AG Maura Healey's office to [investigate claims of alleged discriminatory medical treatment by health care providers at the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center](. There are a total of nine allegations dating back to 2018 included in the complaint. Advocates say those instances show the center failed to perform adequate tests and misdiagnosed serious illnesses, and that the individuals involved fear their so-called poor treatment "was due to their race, national origin, sex and insurance." - One more shot: Pfizer and BioNTech are [seeking federal approval for a fourth COVID-19 vaccine shot]( (or second booster) for people who are at least 65. The companies pointed to research suggesting protection against both symptomatic infections and severe disease from omicron wanes three to six months after the first booster. - Is this a sign COVID vaccines will become a regular thing? Maybe. [According to The Washington Post]( the FDA is planning to meet next month to discuss whether there should be an effort each fall to encourage some or all adults to get additional COVID boosters, alongside the annual flu vaccine campaign. - Get ready: The Federal Reserve is [slated to finally raise interest rates today]( for the first time since 2018, the first of a series of expected rate hikes in the central bank's efforts to tamp down inflation. For individuals, that means higher borrowing costs for things like credit cards, mortgages and car loans, though rates will remain quite low by historical standards. P.S.– [This story]( about a peculiar painting featuring "a mad scientist and his bird in a bubble" shows there has long been an appetite for watching social experiments in real time. Our favorite quote from the article: "I mean, there was no Real Housewives in 1768!" Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow]( Meagan McGinnes Senior Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Russia steps up assaults as Ukraine appeals for more help]( The fighting across the country continues as Ukraine's president prepares to speak to the U.S. Congress. [Read more.]( [Russia steps up assaults as Ukraine appeals for more help]( The fighting across the country continues as Ukraine's president prepares to speak to the U.S. Congress. [Read more.]( [Founders of Boston anti-violence nonprofit charged with fraud]( A federal grand jury indicted Monica Cannon-Grant and her husband, Clark Grant, on 18 counts, including wire fraud, conspiracy and making false statements to a mortgage lending business. [Read more.]( [Founders of Boston anti-violence nonprofit charged with fraud]( A federal grand jury indicted Monica Cannon-Grant and her husband, Clark Grant, on 18 counts, including wire fraud, conspiracy and making false statements to a mortgage lending business. [Read more.]( [School mental health program eases transition from hospital to classroom]( Psychiatric hospitalizations have increased across the U.S. for teens struggling with suicidal ideation and other mental health challenges. But after they leave the hospital, teens face what’s often a daunting prospect: going back to school. [Read more.]( [School mental health program eases transition from hospital to classroom]( Psychiatric hospitalizations have increased across the U.S. for teens struggling with suicidal ideation and other mental health challenges. But after they leave the hospital, teens face what’s often a daunting prospect: going back to school. [Read more.]( [A Russian living in Mass. is trying to get his grandmother home to the U.S.]( A Russian-American from Massachusetts who once ran for Worcester City Council, flew to Russia to take care of his sick grandmother and found himself in the middle of a war. He spoke to WBUR's Morning Edition host Rupa Shenoy from his grandmother's apartment in Moscow on what he's seeing on the ground in Russia. [Read more.]( [A Russian living in Mass. is trying to get his grandmother home to the U.S.]( A Russian-American from Massachusetts who once ran for Worcester City Council, flew to Russia to take care of his sick grandmother and found himself in the middle of a war. He spoke to WBUR's Morning Edition host Rupa Shenoy from his grandmother's apartment in Moscow on what he's seeing on the ground in Russia. [Read more.]( [For the first time in its history, architecture's top award goes to a Black architect]( The 2022 Pritzker Architecture Prize honors Diébédo Francis Kéré, who comes from a village with no school in Burkina Faso. He has designed primary schools for "many children to be happy and learn." [Read more.]( [For the first time in its history, architecture's top award goes to a Black architect]( The 2022 Pritzker Architecture Prize honors Diébédo Francis Kéré, who comes from a village with no school in Burkina Faso. He has designed primary schools for "many children to be happy and learn." [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Is your inner art connoisseur emerging from hibernation? WBUR's arts and culture team [has 12 local exhibits worth seeing this spring](. - Adult friendships can be hard, especially as paths diverge. NPR's Life Kit has [four tips for staying connected when your friends live far away](. - Boston has played host to "immersive" Vincent van Gogh and Frida Kahlo exhibits this winter. Now, the latest exhibit comes with a philanthropic twist. "Immersive Shevchenko" [offers a window into "the Ukrainian soul" through the work of the trailblazing poet and artist Taras Shevchenko](. It also raises money to support Ukrainians amid Russia's intensifying invasion. - Next up at the SpeakEasy Stage Company: “Once on This Island.” [WBUR's Jacquinn Sinclair]( the musical village love story shaped by themes of class, race and color. What We're Reading 📚 - Did you hear a loud boom on Saturday night? It most likely was a frost quake ([Boston.com]( - In the Rubble of Kharkiv, Survivors Make Their Stand: ‘It’s a War, and It’s a Dirty War’ ([The Wall Street Journal]( - Why Is David Leonhardt So Happy? ([The New Republic]( PSA [The 12 best Irish pubs in Boston (Boston.com)]( Here are the best Irish pubs and bars in Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville, for St. Patrick's Day or any other day of the year. [Read more.]( [The 12 best Irish pubs in Boston (Boston.com)]( Here are the best Irish pubs and bars in Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville, for St. Patrick's Day or any other day of the year. [Read more.]( Before you go: ["Going to tell my kids this was Daft Punk."]( 😎 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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