Feeling hot hot hot

Also: The rise of alternative high schools; a "mayor victory" for Weymouth Compressor opponents [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  July 19, 2022 ☀️ Mostly sunny with a high of 92. Good Morning Boston, It's heating up. - Some parts of Massachusetts are expected to near 100 degrees today (check out [this National Weather Service temperature map](. And according to meteorologist Danielle Noyes, there's [a chance we could see six straight days of highs above 90]( (three or more is an official heat wave). Additionally, it's going to stay sticky, with humidity levels remaining in "the uncomfortable range." - Here in Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu has declared a heat emergency today through Thursday, during which the highs are expected to reach into the mid-90s at least. The declaration means the city will make [12 BYCF community centers into cooling centers open to the public]( all three days between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., as well as [open more than 50 splash pads]( playgrounds and parks. - For the vast majority of those who won't make it to a cooling center, city officials [have a comprehensive list of tips to follow]( — from avoiding mid-day outdoor activities, to in-home strategies to stay cool, to ways to help people experiencing homelessness. - Right now, the Boston area averages less than 10 days above 90 degrees each year. Due to climate change, researchers say [that number could reach the 20s by 2030]( — and soar close to 80 toward the end of the century. - We aren't the only ones dealing with heat. [These maps]( are worth a thousand words, but to summarize briefly: highs north of 100 are sweeping across much of the U.S. and some parts of Europe are [setting all-time temperature records]( while Africa and Asia continue to battle [unprecedented heat in some areas](. - The Massachusetts Senate unveiled their tax cut plans as part of a larger economic development bill Monday, after the House passed their own version last week. And while the two proposals are almost identical, there is one big difference the two chambers will have to work out: when the tax code changes would actually take effect. - Under the House proposal, most of the tax code changes — increases to [a tax credit for low-income seniors]( [the earned income tax credit]( [the child and dependent tax credit]( and [deductions for renters]( — would not take effect until next year, meaning taxpayers would not actually feel the impacts of the changes until 2024. However, under the Senate version, those changes would apply beginning this year, so you would feel the impact in next year's filing. - The two chambers are also proposing to raise the state's estate tax threshold from $1 million to $2 million. The Senate's version would apply to the estates of those who died after the end of this August, while the House bill wouldn't kick in until 2023. - One area where the two bills have the same timing: both would send [the proposed $250 one-time payments]( to residents who made $38,000 to $100,000 last year by the end of September. (Married couples who made up to $150,000 would get $500.) - Meanwhile in the State House, lawmakers have sent their proposed budget to Gov. Charlie Baker's court, after both chambers [swiftly passed the newly released $52.7 billion compromise bill Monday](. WBUR's Steve Brown reports that — with a historic $3 billion-plus surplus this year — House and Senate negotiators usually went with the higher figure when hashing out line-item differences between their initial proposals. The move Monday gives Baker 10 days to sign, veto or propose changes to certain sections of the bill. - We should be getting a look today at some of the ideas for[replacing the Massachusetts state seal and motto]( a move that also portends change’s for the state flag (which, at the moment, is basically just the seal). And one early contender is beginning to leak out: a pine tree. - New England Public Media's Nirvani Williams [reports]( that members of the commission tasked with recommending a new seal to state lawmakers have agreed that local plants or animals would be a better design than an image of a human. (The current seal depicts a Native American under an arm wielding a sword, which many tribe members say serve as a reminder of oppression and genocide.) - Brian Weeden, the commission's chair, noted that pine trees have served as important symbols for local Native American tribes, representing love and eternal life. The pine tree was also used on[Revolution-era flags]( in Massachusetts and New England. - One local symbol that seems less likely to make it on the new flag: the cranberry. Commission members said cranberries remain a sensitive symbol for some tribes, since the fruit was one of the reasons some had their lands taken from them. - What's next: The commission is holding[a hearing this morning]( at 11 a.m. to discuss preliminary concepts and designs. P.S.— Come get [a sneak peek at the next generation of Boston artists (and some free pizza) tonight at WBUR CitySpace](. From poetry to film to music, the evening will feature performances from the artists who are setting the pulse of Boston’s creative scene. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [It's back to the drawing board for Weymouth Compressor's waterways permit]( In a "major victory" for compressor opponents, the state will re-evaluate the project's critical waterways permit. [Read more.]( [It's back to the drawing board for Weymouth Compressor's waterways permit]( In a "major victory" for compressor opponents, the state will re-evaluate the project's critical waterways permit. [Read more.]( [Students juggling added pressures like jobs, anxiety seek out alternative high schools]( With more flexible hours and self-paced learning, some alternative schools are seeing new interest from students coping with financial and emotional impacts of the pandemic. [Read more.]( [Students juggling added pressures like jobs, anxiety seek out alternative high schools]( With more flexible hours and self-paced learning, some alternative schools are seeing new interest from students coping with financial and emotional impacts of the pandemic. [Read more.]( [Democrats say voters are watching the Jan. 6 hearings, but it's not their top issue]( Voters are more concerned with inflation, according to Democrats in competitive races who are trying to gauge how the hearings will affect November's midterms. [Read more.]( [Democrats say voters are watching the Jan. 6 hearings, but it's not their top issue]( Voters are more concerned with inflation, according to Democrats in competitive races who are trying to gauge how the hearings will affect November's midterms. [Read more.]( [Mass. insurers will cover abortion travel costs for members]( Tufts, Harvard Pilgrim, and Blue Cross are promising to cover travel and lodging costs for members who live in states where abortion is restricted. [Read more.]( [Mass. insurers will cover abortion travel costs for members]( Tufts, Harvard Pilgrim, and Blue Cross are promising to cover travel and lodging costs for members who live in states where abortion is restricted. [Read more.]( [Study estimates air pollution killed 2,780 Massachusetts residents in a year]( Massachusetts residents have the first glimpse of the toll air pollution is taking on their city or town. Wayland, Amherst and Sherborn have some of the lowest rates, while some towns on Cape Cod and near Pittsfield are among the highest. [Read more.]( [Study estimates air pollution killed 2,780 Massachusetts residents in a year]( Massachusetts residents have the first glimpse of the toll air pollution is taking on their city or town. Wayland, Amherst and Sherborn have some of the lowest rates, while some towns on Cape Cod and near Pittsfield are among the highest. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Headed to the Newport Folk Festival this weekend? Here are [six artists you won't want to miss at Fort Adams State Park](. - The Commonwealth Shakespeare Company is taking the iconic "Much Ado About Nothing" and [giving it a modern reintroduction beginning this Wednesday on Boston Common](. Oh, and it's also free to attend. - Lake-swimming season is in full bloom — but so is cyanobacteria. Take [these four steps to keep that blue-green algae from spoiling your summer](. - The images of our universe captured by the James Webb telescope are somehow even more impressive when put in context. Thanks to [a new tool putting those photos side by side with images captured by the Hubble Space telescope]( that context is now clearer than ever.  What We're Reading 📚 - The Haves and the Have-Yachts ([The New Yorkers]( - Sarah Palin Has Long Been Ridiculed. I Wanted to Tell a Different Story. ([The Washington Post]( - A Message to the Millennials About to Turn 40 ([Harper's Bazaar](  Tell Me Something Good [A whale comes close to a paddleboarder in Plymouth and a photographer captures the wild moment (The Boston Globe)]( A local photographer captured an incredible moment with his camera Sunday morning when he snapped a photo of a whale coming up out of the water near a paddleboarder in Plymouth. [Read more.]( [A whale comes close to a paddleboarder in Plymouth and a photographer captures the wild moment (The Boston Globe)]( A local photographer captured an incredible moment with his camera Sunday morning when he snapped a photo of a whale coming up out of the water near a paddleboarder in Plymouth. [Read more.]( Before you go: Boston's [only victory]( over New York this weekend. Correction: In Friday morning's newsletter, we included a typo on the proposed budget for the coming fiscal year, which is actually about $50 billion (not "nearly $50"). We regret the error, but we're glad lawmakers are spending more than a $50 bill on our great state. 😎 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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