Waiting on the Supreme Court, working on responses

Also: How to see a rare planetary alignment on Friday; a tale of two arts districts [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  June 22, 2022 ⛅ Partly sunny, with a high near 71. A slight chance of showers after 2 p.m. Good Morning Boston, I have some good news! You can see five planets all at once with your naked eye this week. The bad news is you have to wake up around 4:30 a.m. on Friday to do so. The last time Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn lined up along the eastern horizon was December 2004 and it [won't happen again until 2040](. Lucky for me, I'm already waking up early to write the newsletter this week. While you contemplate your willingness to rise before the sun, here's what else you should know today: - We officially have [two finalists to be the next superintendent of the Boston Public Schools]( Tommy Welch and Mary Skipper. The candidates both have extensive histories in the district and come as a result of a nationwide search that started in March. - Welch is now the regional superintendent focused on East Boston, Charlestown and the North End. He came to the district from Los Angeles in 2015. - Skipper has served as superintendent of the Somerville Public Schools since 2015, but also worked for BPS for nearly 18 years as a founding director of TechBoston Academy in Dorchester and an assistant superintendent overseeing the city’s high schools. - What's next? Both Welch and Skipper will participate in two full days of public interviews on Thursday and Friday, which the city will livestream. There's a vote tentatively scheduled for June 29, which squeaks in right in time; the current superintendent Brenda Cassellius is set to step down in eight days. - The Orange and Red line blues continue. The MBTA has [pulled all of its new Orange Line and Red Line cars]( from service after one of the cars — not in service at the time — experienced battery failure. This comes at a tough time for the T. On Tuesday, legislative leaders announced they're holding an oversight hearing in the coming weeks to look at recent problems with the transit agency, and there's already a safety review in progress by federal officials. - Martha's Vineyard may have a [new, highly contagious strain of avian influenza]( on its hands. Hundreds of dead cormorants have washed up all over the island. The disease is considered low risk for people, but "extremely dangerous" for a small island, according to officials. - If you live on or are visiting the island, stay clear of the dead birds and keep your dogs on leashes while on beaches. If you see a dead bird, don't touch it. Call animal control and officers will come by to collect it to send to the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife for testing. - News from our neighbors: Rhode Island signed three new gun control bills into law on Tuesday. The new laws raise the age from 18 to 21 to buy guns and ammo, limit magazines to 10 rounds and prohibit carrying a loaded long gun in a public place. Massachusetts is one of at least 10 states that already ban large capacity magazines. - What we're waiting on: a handful of major Supreme Court decisions still left on the docket. In total, there are 13 decisions yet to be announced, including those on abortion, gun control and the environment. The court usually tries to wrap by the end of June and the next decision date is tomorrow, but the remaining cases likely will not all get announced. That means more decisions rolling out next week. As we hold our breath in waiting, NPR put together this [helpful explainer of the biggest remaining cases](. P.S.— There's now another reason to take a stroll by the New England Aquarium, besides looking at the seals. The aquarium is [showcasing an exhibit]( along the wharf that features rare photographs from the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, a large federally protected area off the Massachusetts coast. Underwater photographer Keith Ellenbogen has shots of everything from great white sharks to plankton. You can see them outside the aquarium from now through November. Meagan McGinnes Senior Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [The Supreme Court could soon limit abortion access. Lawmakers in Massachusetts are already working on a response]( Lawmakers are working on a raft of proposals to preserve and even expand access to abortion in Massachusetts, anticipating that the Supreme Court could soon limit people's right to the procedure. [Read more.]( [The Supreme Court could soon limit abortion access. Lawmakers in Massachusetts are already working on a response]( Lawmakers are working on a raft of proposals to preserve and even expand access to abortion in Massachusetts, anticipating that the Supreme Court could soon limit people's right to the procedure. [Read more.]( [Biden wants a gas tax holiday. Some economists say that's a bad idea]( Biden wants Congress to give people a break on the federal gas tax for the summer. But economists say that won't translate into big savings at the pump — and could hurt efforts to curb inflation. [Read more.]( [Biden wants a gas tax holiday. Some economists say that's a bad idea]( Biden wants Congress to give people a break on the federal gas tax for the summer. But economists say that won't translate into big savings at the pump — and could hurt efforts to curb inflation. [Read more.]( [In Boston, a tale of two arts districts]( Is "development without displacement" truly possible? In SoWa and Nubian Square, the promise and perils of using art and culture to transform a neighborhood. [Read more.]( [In Boston, a tale of two arts districts]( Is "development without displacement" truly possible? In SoWa and Nubian Square, the promise and perils of using art and culture to transform a neighborhood. [Read more.]( [Supreme Court rules Maine's tuition assistance program must cover religious schools]( The 6-3 opinion, which was along ideological lines, invalidates provisions in 37 state constitutions that ban the direct or indirect use of taxpayer money in religious schools. [Read more.]( [Supreme Court rules Maine's tuition assistance program must cover religious schools]( The 6-3 opinion, which was along ideological lines, invalidates provisions in 37 state constitutions that ban the direct or indirect use of taxpayer money in religious schools. [Read more.]( [Trump team didn't have the evidence and 4 other takeaways from the Jan. 6 hearing]( There were a number of eye-opening findings in the Jan. 6 committee's fourth hearing that showed the depth and breadth of Trump and his allies' pressure on local and state officials. [Read more.]( [Trump team didn't have the evidence and 4 other takeaways from the Jan. 6 hearing]( There were a number of eye-opening findings in the Jan. 6 committee's fourth hearing that showed the depth and breadth of Trump and his allies' pressure on local and state officials. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Live music is back in full swing, and so are some beloved music festivals. Check out this [list of 10 classical music festivals]( add to your summer plans. - PSA: If you subscribe to the at-home food delivery service Daily Harvest, toss that lentil and leek crumbles dish in the trash (or compost). The company [issued a recall]( after customers on social media complained of stomach issues. - When COVID-19 caught up to Cloe Axelson’s family in the final weeks of school — with second grade field day at stake — one of her twin daughters reminded her how, even after the past two years, plenty of things are worth fighting for. (You don't have to be a twin to enjoy this essay but I think because I have a twin sister, too, I loved it even more.)  What We're Reading 📚 - ‘The worst of small-town governments’: In Stoughton, latest police scandal adds to long history of trouble ([The Boston Globe]( - When Covid Came for Provincetown ([Wired]( - Why These Middle-Of-The-Road Americans Refuse to Lose Hope ([The New York Times](  Tell Me Something Good [A teacher in Hawaii is rehoming surfboards and skateboards to underprivileged kids]( A schoolteacher in Hawaii connected with a student through skateboarding, only to find out he couldn't afford a board of his own. She started a grassroots organization to fix that. [Read more.]( [A teacher in Hawaii is rehoming surfboards and skateboards to underprivileged kids]( A schoolteacher in Hawaii connected with a student through skateboarding, only to find out he couldn't afford a board of his own. She started a grassroots organization to fix that. [Read more.]( Before you go: Gronk, your [phone is ringing.]( 😎 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 © 2022 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.