Why child care in Mass. costs so much

Also: Countdown until the Mass. sales tax holiday; free Chromebooks in Boston [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  June 14, 2022 ☀️ Sunny, with a high near 86. Good Morning Boston, Happy Flag Day, which marks the anniversary of the official adoption of the American flag. Meanwhile, the Celtics aren't waving any white flags yet. But after dropping Game 5 of the NBA Finals last night to the Warriors, they'll have their backs against the wall Thursday in Boston in a do-or-die Game 6. Now, onto today's news — including Part 2 of our special series on the child care industry in Massachusetts below: - Save the date: Massachusetts' [annual sales tax-free weekend will be Aug. 13-14]( this year, meaning no 6.25% tax on single retail items up to $2,500 purchased in the state. And while we're still two months away, here are a couple reminders about the two-day sales tax holiday, which lawmakers [made a permanent August event]( in 2018: - Yes, online purchases count, even if they're shipped on a different day. They just have to happen that weekend during Eastern Daylight Time hours. - Not everything counts. In addition to individual items over $2,500, the sales tax still applies to meals, motor vehicles, utilities, alcohol, tobacco products and marijuana. - Remember: some things in Massachusetts — like groceries and clothing under $175 — are never subject to the sales tax. More questions? The state has [a helpful FAQ from last year](. - Remember when it felt impossible to find a rapid COVID test? Thankfully those days are long gone. Massachusetts state officials are sending another 2 million free rapid antigen tests to 264 cities and towns around the state to distribute to local residents how they see fit. - You can see [the full list of cities and towns that requested tests here]( as well as how many they're getting. - The new round of tests comes as Massachusetts has seen over three weeks of downward trending COVID rates. As of Monday, the state's positivity rate had dropped to 5.6% and the number of COVID patients was down to 550 (most of whom were [primarily admitted to the hospital for non-COVID reasons](. - The campaign to repeal the new law allowing undocumented immigrants in Massachusetts to get driver's licenses has officially begun. Local Republican activists filed paperwork Monday to put a statewide ballot question before voters this November on whether to overturn the law. The referendum is possible if the group gathers 40,120 signatures in support of the effort by Sept. 7. - Democratic state lawmakers overrode Gov. Charlie Baker's veto of new law last week, though it doesn't kick in until July 1, 2023. - Local residents who use Citizens Bank for direct deposit will start getting their paychecks a day or two early, thanks to [a new feature]( the Providence-based bank is rolling out this month. The bank says it will automatically apply to anyone with a Citizens checking, savings or money market account (they also plan to end fees for not having enough funds in your account by the end of the year). - How does it work? Basically, employers send out a notice up to two days early to let banks know the deposit is coming. Citizens says it will use the notice to make those funds available early. [According to Business Insider,]( any bank can do the same (and many already do). But they can make more money if they don't. - Boston residents can now check out a different kind of book from the library: Chromebooks. The Boston Public Library says it has several thousand of the laptops, as well as wifi routers, to loan to any adult in the city for free as part of an effort to bridge the [digital divide](. - The [program]( is open to anyone in Boston with a library card (which you can [get online]( on a first-come-first-serve basis, and officials say they can keep the devices "as long as you need them." The wifi routers also include at least a year of free internet service. P.S.— Today is a great day to help WBUR meet our monthly fundraising goal! Why? Some members of our Murrow Society will double the first year of any monthly gifts today. So, [make your monthly gift now]( And if you're already a WBUR Sustainer, they're [offering to match increases to existing gifts]( too! Thanks as always for reading and supporting this newsletter — and all of WBUR's important journalism! Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Why child care in Massachusetts costs so much]( At over $20,000 a year, the average price of infant care in Massachusetts is the highest among the 50 states. [Read more.]( [Why child care in Massachusetts costs so much]( At over $20,000 a year, the average price of infant care in Massachusetts is the highest among the 50 states. [Read more.]( [Sales of body armor are on the rise. Who's buying and why?]( Sellers of body armor are reporting an increase in business due in part to several high-profile mass shootings, police shootings and civil unrest during the pandemic. [Read more.]( [Sales of body armor are on the rise. Who's buying and why?]( Sellers of body armor are reporting an increase in business due in part to several high-profile mass shootings, police shootings and civil unrest during the pandemic. [Read more.]( [Paul LePage tries to make a comeback in Maine. Will independent voters bite?]( Former Republican Gov. Paul LePage, known for his aggressive conservative politics, is challenging sitting Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, who faces an enthusiasm gap. It's shaping up to be a tight race. [Read more.]( [Paul LePage tries to make a comeback in Maine. Will independent voters bite?]( Former Republican Gov. Paul LePage, known for his aggressive conservative politics, is challenging sitting Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, who faces an enthusiasm gap. It's shaping up to be a tight race. [Read more.]( [Investigator says Green Line train was speeding, didn't stop at signal before crash]( One of the trains involved in a crash on the Green Line that sent four workers to the hospital earlier this month did not stop at a red signal and was traveling at speeds higher than the posted limit. [Read more.]( [Investigator says Green Line train was speeding, didn't stop at signal before crash]( One of the trains involved in a crash on the Green Line that sent four workers to the hospital earlier this month did not stop at a red signal and was traveling at speeds higher than the posted limit. [Read more.]( [There are 2 ways the media covers mass shootings. Here's why the difference matters]( What is journalists' role when covering America's mass shooting crisis? It's a crucial question to answer, says an expert who studies the impact that news stories have on the public. [Read more.]( [There are 2 ways the media covers mass shootings. Here's why the difference matters]( What is journalists' role when covering America's mass shooting crisis? It's a crucial question to answer, says an expert who studies the impact that news stories have on the public. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - WBUR's summer arts guide continues with [10 local film festivals and outdoor movie events to check out this June, July and August](. - Boston's busing and segregation woes are revisited in[a powerful new play by The Huntington Theatre Company]( at the Wimberly Theatre. - The Brattle is[paying tribute to the late Ray Liotta with a screening Wednesday of “Something Wild]( Sean Burns writes that Liotta’s role in the 1986 movie "remains one of the great, star-making turns." - You just gotta watch: Here & Now talked to a Danish photographer who [captured on camera tens of thousands of starlings in a murmuration]( — or what's colloquially called the Black Sun.  What We're Reading 📚 - How Animals Perceive The World ([The Atlantic]( - Crop Circles Were Made by Supernatural Forces. Named Doug and Dave. ([The New York Times]( - The town crier ([The Washington Post](  Tell Me Something Good [Entangled 900-Pound Sea Turtle Rescued In Nantucket Harbor (Nantucket Current)]( When they arrived, Coast Guard members said they could see it was caught on five orange buoys and was struggling to swim.They managed to get the line off her neck, and then cut the rest of it away from her body. [Read more.]( [Entangled 900-Pound Sea Turtle Rescued In Nantucket Harbor (Nantucket Current)]( When they arrived, Coast Guard members said they could see it was caught on five orange buoys and was struggling to swim.They managed to get the line off her neck, and then cut the rest of it away from her body. [Read more.]( Before you go: An [accurate diagnosis of the Sumner Tunnel closure](. 😎 Forward to a friend. 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