Here's where Mass. traffic is worse than before

Also: The must-see photos from Ukraine; how food banks are battling inflation [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  March 17, 2022 🌧️ Cloudy with a chance of rain in the afternoon and a high of 60. Good Morning Boston, And sláinte! It's St. Patrick's Day! Before you get to that [Irish breakfast]( [Irish coffee]( or [Irish exit]( here's what's going on in the "[capital]( of Irish America. - Boston-area traffic is back ([again]( as the latest COVID-19 surge eases. While officials say the overall volume of cars on the roads is more spread out over the day compared to before the pandemic, rush hour is worse than before in some areas. - Where? The biggest difference is during the reverse commutes on I-93 just south of Boston, though traffic in normal directions during the morning and afternoon rush hours on that stretch are also close to their 2019 levels, too. Southbound afternoon traffic on I-95 between Route 1 in Peabody and the I-93 exit in Woburn is also up 24% compared to 2019. - Still, peak congestion on most major Massachusetts corridors remains lower than before the pandemic. According to state Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver, that's because more people have been "spreading out their trips." But as more workers return to the office this spring, Gulliver cautioned that driving patterns remain in flux: "We don't really have a great handle on where things are going yet." - Friends, family, colleagues and viewers are mourning [the loss of longtime Boston meteorologist Mish Michaels,]( who passed away at the age of 53. "With a license plate that read “T-STORM”, her love and passion for the weather was undeniable and contagious," wrote WBZ's head weather producer Terry Eliasen. - The Department of Veterans Affairs is taking some heat in Massachusetts over its national plans to "realign" services, which would close several local clinics, like in Northampton and Quincy. The proposal would also scale back Boston's Jamaica Plain VA Medical Center and redirect veterans to other nearby clinics. - State Sen. John Velis is calling the VA's plan a "[slap in the face]( that would create transportation challenges for veterans. He's also pledging to do "everything" in his power to stop the Northampton center closure, including holding a hearing. - Velis isn't the only one. The nation-wide plan to phase out aging clinics with unused beds faces some resistance from both sides of the political aisle, [as the Washington Post reports](. - Heads up: Gov. Charlie Baker's administration is alerting renters and landlords alike that the state's federally funded pandemic-era housing payment assistance programs will stop accepting new applications around April 15. The reason? Federal funding for the programs is running dry. - After April 15, officials say residents should apply for the state's [Residential Assistance for Families in Transition program]( for help in paying down costs. Baker also wants to more than double RAFT funding in his budget. - Preparations are under way for the first South Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade since 2019. Organizers tell WBUR they're still getting requests from groups that want to participate in the Sunday march. - So you know: The parade returns with a little bit of controversy, [per usual](. Organizers have been on the defensive about the shortened parade route, which they say is for public safety reasons. - PSA: If you're out celebrating the holiday today, Mothers Against Drunk Driving is partnering with Uber to offer Massachusetts riders a $10 discount between the hours of 5 p.m today and 2 a.m. tomorrow morning. You just have to enter the promo code "STPADDYS10" in the Uber app before requesting a trip. Be safe out there! P.S.— You only have a few hours left if you're filling out a March Madness bracket. If you're like me and have not watched much college basketball this year, here are a few things to know. The betting favorites (again) to win it all? [Gonzaga and their mustachioed star](. The smart Cinderella pick? [Hot-shooting South Dakota State](. Local darlings? [Vermont](. Come on, Catamounts! Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Boston physician urges diplomacy to Russian doctors, scientists amid threat of nuclear war]( Dr. James Muller, a Brigham and Women's Hospital doctor and co-founder of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), warned the Russian invasion of Ukraine had raised the threat of a nuclear war whose "damage is beyond our imagination." [Read more.]( [Boston physician urges diplomacy to Russian doctors, scientists amid threat of nuclear war]( Dr. James Muller, a Brigham and Women's Hospital doctor and co-founder of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), warned the Russian invasion of Ukraine had raised the threat of a nuclear war whose "damage is beyond our imagination." [Read more.]( [Biden pledges $800 million to Ukraine after Zelenskyy's plea for more U.S. aid]( Ukrainian PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy delivered an impassioned appeal for additional help and for President Joe Biden to spearhead the world’s defense of Ukraine. [Read more.]( [Biden pledges $800 million to Ukraine after Zelenskyy's plea for more U.S. aid]( Ukrainian PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy delivered an impassioned appeal for additional help and for President Joe Biden to spearhead the world’s defense of Ukraine. [Read more.]( [How the Greater Boston Food Bank is handling increased pressure amid rising inflation]( Skyrocketing prices are putting increasing pressure on organizations that vulnerable people rely on for help, like food banks. [Read more.]( [How the Greater Boston Food Bank is handling increased pressure amid rising inflation]( Skyrocketing prices are putting increasing pressure on organizations that vulnerable people rely on for help, like food banks. [Read more.]( [The Federal Reserve raises interest rates for the first time since 2018]( The central bank raises its benchmark rate by a quarter percentage point in an effort to tamp down inflation. Additional rate hikes are likely in the months to come. [Read more.]( [The Federal Reserve raises interest rates for the first time since 2018]( The central bank raises its benchmark rate by a quarter percentage point in an effort to tamp down inflation. Additional rate hikes are likely in the months to come. [Read more.]( [Deepfake video of Zelenskyy could be 'tip of the iceberg' in info war, experts warn]( A fake video of the Ukrainian president claiming defeat spread on social media on Wednesday. [Read more.]( [Deepfake video of Zelenskyy could be 'tip of the iceberg' in info war, experts warn]( A fake video of the Ukrainian president claiming defeat spread on social media on Wednesday. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - From the return of Friday evening hours at the MFA and the St. Patrick's Day parade to rare maps at the Boston Public Library, WBUR's arts and culture team has [a loaded slate of recommendations for this weekend](. - Get your popcorn: Here are [seven Boston-area film festivals to check out this spring]( (with both in-person and remote options). - We've finally found something that Tom Brady is bad at: Retirement, [writes retired Only a Game host Bill Littlefield](. (ICYMI: NPR also talked to an expert about [why it can be so hard for certain pro athletes like Brady to stay retired]( - UMass Amherst professor Karen List [writes in this commentary]( about the photos from Ukraine you "have to see." What We're Reading 📚 - The Soul of Saugus ([Eater]( - A covid surge in western Europe has U.S. bracing for another wave ([Washington Post]( - The truth about Ukraine’s far-Right militias ([UnHerd]( PSA [23 Yorkie Mixes, Some Rescued From Backyard Shed, Going Up For Adoption With MSPCA (WBZ)]( The dogs range from 1 to 16 years old and are in overall good health. [Read more.]( [23 Yorkie Mixes, Some Rescued From Backyard Shed, Going Up For Adoption With MSPCA (WBZ)]( The dogs range from 1 to 16 years old and are in overall good health. [Read more.]( Before you go: In honor of St. Patrick's Day, [an all-time classic](. 😎 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. 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