Mass. moving to stave off future abortion fights

Also: The next big Supreme Court decision; 5 takeaways from an explosive Jan. 6 hearing [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  June 29, 2022 🌤️ Partly cloudy with a high near 84. Good Morning Boston, I just want to say that I'm very proud of[my home state's innovative use for invasive crabs](. Here's what else is on our menu today: - Massachusetts lawmakers are making moves to prepare for [the next round of abortion battles](. Following the Supreme Court's ruling last week overturning Roe v. Wade, the House will vote today on [a reproductive rights bill]( aimed at further protecting individuals who come to Massachusetts to get an abortion against legal action from states with more restrictive laws, according to Speaker Ron Mariano. - The [new bill]( comes after Gov. Charlie Baker [signed an executive order immediately after the ruling Friday]( that, among other things, prohibits state agencies from assisting out-of-state investigations into abortions lawfully performed in Massachusetts and ensures providers won't be punished for those services. However, the House bill extends those protections more broadly by enshrining them into law, meaning no law enforcement entity at any level (local police, college campus security, etc) could assist an out-of-state investigation into locally provided abortions. It also would extend those protections to [gender-affirming care]( and make [emergency contraception]( more accessible at pharmacies. - What's next: House leaders expect to pass the bill today. The Senate passed similar legislation as part of its budget proposal last month, [as WBUR's Marta Bebinger reported at the time](. But Mariano — who said he's discussed the matter with the Senate —wants to pass it as a separate piece of legislation. So, it remains to be seen whose approach ultimately wins out. - Zoom out: A lot has changed — and a lot has been written — since last week's decision. NPR has[a great big-picture summary here on the impacts]( — from state-level policy changes, to implications for non-abortion services, to potential legal fights on the horizon. - At the federal level, Massachusetts lawmakers are already bracing for the Supreme Court's next big decision, which is expected to come down today. In [the case West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency]( the court could significantly limit federal agencies' ability to enact environmental regulations (reserving that power for Congress). Many experts [worry such a ruling could make it even harder]( for the country to reduce greenhouse emissions to combat climate change. - The case specifically deals with regulating power plants, but Sen. Ed Markey says the decision could have ramifications far beyond climate change. He told WBUR's Hannah Chanatry that it could set a precedent that also weakens wider federal regulatory power, from health care to safety to "the entire spectrum of issues" that federal agencies have regulated over the course of history. - Get ready for another COVID-19 vaccine booster campaign this fall. A panel of advisers to the FDA [voted 19-2 on Tuesday]( recommend that vaccine manufacturers create tweaked booster shots that target the omicron variant. [Moderna]( and [Pfizer]( have both found that their so-called "bivalent" shots substantially increase antibodies capable of fighting the original omicron strain, as well as (though to a lesser degree) the [more recently dominant]( BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants. - So, who would be eligible for the updated boosters? FDA advisers aren't touching that subject quite yet. But they expressed hope the improved recipe will entice more people to get a booster. So far, roughly half of vaccinated Americans have gotten a booster. And while [adults over 50 and those with certain medical conditions can get a second booster]( only a quarter of those eligible have done so. - Speaking of vaccines, the Biden administration announced Tuesday that it will make nearly 300,000 doses of the monkeypox vaccine [available in the coming weeks]( amid concerns that the outbreak is more widespread than we know. The shots will go to those with confirmed or presumed monkeypox exposure. P.S.— Any interest in conversation and a movie? New York Times best-selling author Tom Perrotta [will be at WBUR CitySpace tonight for a talk about his new book "Tracy Flick Can't Win,"]( the sequel to his 1998 novel "Election." After the talk, we'll host a screening of the original book's iconic film adaption starring Reese Witherspoon. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Trump's legal exposure may be growing – and 4 other takeaways from the Jan. 6 hearing]( Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House aide testified that the volatile and angry president who was prone to throwing dishes, knew supporters were armed and didn’t want the riot to stop. [Read more.]( [Trump's legal exposure may be growing – and 4 other takeaways from the Jan. 6 hearing]( Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House aide testified that the volatile and angry president who was prone to throwing dishes, knew supporters were armed and didn’t want the riot to stop. [Read more.]( [Mass. legislators oppose education board proposal requiring higher MCAS scores for graduation]( State education officials are recommending a proposal that seeks to raise the scores needed on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) test for high school students to graduate. But nearly 100 state lawmakers oppose it. [Read more.]( [Mass. legislators oppose education board proposal requiring higher MCAS scores for graduation]( State education officials are recommending a proposal that seeks to raise the scores needed on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) test for high school students to graduate. But nearly 100 state lawmakers oppose it. [Read more.]( [With 51 people dead in Texas, here's what you should know about migrant smuggling]( The trapped people were found after a worker heard someone crying for help. Two experts — one a former Homeland Security Investigations agent — tell NPR how it happened. [Read more.]( [With 51 people dead in Texas, here's what you should know about migrant smuggling]( The trapped people were found after a worker heard someone crying for help. Two experts — one a former Homeland Security Investigations agent — tell NPR how it happened. [Read more.]( [Massachusetts judge rules that social media, membership questions are inappropriate in police recertification]( Just days before the deadline for thousands of Massachusetts law enforcement officers to be recertified, a judge has ruled that two of the eight questions that a new state police oversight commission asks as part of the process are out of bounds. [Read more.]( [Massachusetts judge rules that social media, membership questions are inappropriate in police recertification]( Just days before the deadline for thousands of Massachusetts law enforcement officers to be recertified, a judge has ruled that two of the eight questions that a new state police oversight commission asks as part of the process are out of bounds. [Read more.]( [Judge dismisses 'qualified immunity' claim in suit against ex-prosecutor in drug lab scandal]( The lawsuit was one of the last tied to prosecutors’ disputed handling of the case against disgraced ex-chemist Sonja Farak. [Read more.]( [Judge dismisses 'qualified immunity' claim in suit against ex-prosecutor in drug lab scandal]( The lawsuit was one of the last tied to prosecutors’ disputed handling of the case against disgraced ex-chemist Sonja Farak. [Read more.]( Election Season 🗳️ This week, WBUR reporter [Miriam Wasser]( is giving us a look at what two of the Massachusetts gubernatorial candidates say they want to do with the windfall of money the state is getting when it comes to climate change and the environment: Thanks to last year’s bipartisan [federal infrastructure law]( there’s A LOT of money coming to Massachusetts over the next 5 years — like, $9.5 billion, plus whatever millions in competitive grants the state wins. This money can be used for transportation, climate resiliency, environmental remediation and a whole host of other energy or infrastructure projects. While the Massachusetts legislature technically controls how this money is spent, the next governor will have a lot of influence. And as an environmental reporter, I wanted to know where the candidates’ priorities lay. Of the three people left in the race, Democratic state Attorney General Maura Healey and Republican businessman Chris Doughty answered my questions. (Former state representative Geoff Diehl declined to comment.) Here’s what they said: Healey’s Top 5 Priorities: - Environmental Justice. Whether it’s public transportation, home weatherization, lead pipe removal or cleaning up environmental toxins, Healey said she would prioritize projects that directly benefit [environmental justice communities]( and those disproportionately affected by climate change. - Clean Transportation. Money spent on transit should also advance our climate goals, Healey said. That means investing in electric school buses and public transit, expanding EV charging infrastructure and making streets safer for walking and biking. - Local and Regional Collaboration. Healey also wants federal dollars to support ongoing local, state and regional resiliency efforts, such as planting trees in urban heat islands, protecting communities from sea level rise and bolstering the region’s electrical grid. - Creating Jobs. Healey would invest money in developing new clean energy technologies and training people to work in offshore wind, install heat pumps and other programs that support the energy transition. - Home Retrofits and Electrification. Getting homes across the state off of fossil fuels and better insulated is going to take a lot of money. Healey says she’ll prioritize doing this work in low-income communities. Doughty’s Top 5 Priorities - Public Transportation. Doughty will prioritize making sure the MBTA and regional transit authorities are safe and modern. This includes upgrading facilities, completing deferred maintenance projects and increasing ridership.. - Traffic Reduction. Traffic is not only frustrating, but bad for the environment. Doughty wants to use federal dollars on new smart light technology and traffic mitigation systems to relieve the most congested areas. - Clean Drinking Water. Whether it's replacing lead pipes or replacing old and leaky septic systems, Doughty says money should be spent to make sure everyone in the state has clean drinking water at home. - Energy Security. Everyone is feeling the squeeze of high energy prices right now, and it will only get worse in the winter when Massachusetts faces natural gas constraints. Doughty’s top priority is building out natural gas infrastructure to ensure adequate supply and bring down costs. He’ll also “aggressively” work to bring more hydroelectric power from Quebec to the state. - Flood Protection. Between sea level rise and major storms, Massachusetts needs to address coastal and inland flooding. Doughty wants to use federal dollars to improve dams and build sea walls in vulnerable areas. He’ll give specific attention to projects in the Cape Cod Canal, Boston Harbor, Boston-area rivers, and on Cape Ann.  Anything Else? - Steve Almond [writes in this commentary]( that Cassidy Hutchinson's explosive testimony in yesterday's unexpected Jan. 6 committee hearing reveals "how out of control Donald Trump became." - Workers at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston are in store for some big raises over the next few years, after [the museum's newly formed union ratified its first contract after 18 months of negotiations](. - A new exhibit at the Boston Children's Museum [shares the hopes and dreams of seven New England trans kids through multimedia portraits](. - Who — or what — is actually to blame for rising inflation? NPR [fact checks the most common claims]( about what's going on, whose fault it is and whether things will get better anytime soon. Tell Me Something Good [Joy is a core value at NPR. So we're creating a space to celebrate it]( NPR is launching I'm Really Into, a space to celebrate the things we love and what they say about the world. But the NPR team doesn't just want to share theirs — they want to hear about yours, too. [Read more.]( [Joy is a core value at NPR. So we're creating a space to celebrate it]( NPR is launching I'm Really Into, a space to celebrate the things we love and what they say about the world. But the NPR team doesn't just want to share theirs — they want to hear about yours, too. [Read more.]( Before you go: "[We’re now in a state of Dunkinflation]( 😎 Forward to a friend. 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