A wager for compromise

Also: pour one out for happy hour? And a chat with B.J. Novak [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  July 27, 2022 🌤️ Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. Good Morning Boston, We're exactly a month away from the start of early voting in this year's Massachusetts state primary. Check out our [handy voter's guide here]( — a primary primer, so to speak. You just might recognize the author. Now, to the news: - The clock is winding down, and Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka is urging the House to compromise on a bill that, at least, legalizes gambling on professional sports. The two chambers are still split on whether bets on college sports should be allowed, too. During an appearance Tuesday on Radio Boston, Spilka urged the House against taking an "all-or-nothing approach," noting how the Senate compromised on [a recent voting reform bill that left out same-day registration](. - House Speaker Ron Mariano has said that leaving big events like March Madness and college football bowl games out of the legal sporting betting arena "[makes no sense]( and would [probably be a dealbreaker](. But Spilka pointed Tuesday to the [opposition from local college leaders](. "We would be ignoring the pleas of all the college presidents and the athletic directors," she said. - Zoom out: [30 other states]( have legalized sports betting. And while [some of those states]( prohibit betting on in-state colleges, none have left college sports completely out of the mix. - Gov. Charlie Baker has expressed openness to both options; in fact, his 2019 sports betting bill also proposed leaving out college sports. - There are other differences, too. The Senate's bill would impose [higher taxes on sportsbooks and a ban on sports betting ads during live sports broadcasts](. - During her Radio Boston appearance, Spilka also broke down the [new abortion rights bill]( that the State House sent to Baker's desk Tuesday (listen to the [full interview here](. Baker told reporters he hopes to sign the bill and act on the legislation quickly to provide time to work out any differences with the Legislature before the end of the session this weekend. - We went over the bill's details in [yesterday's newsletter]( but here are the broad strokes: the bill creates protections for providers who perform abortions for out-of-state patients, clarifies the current rules around abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy and requires health insurance companies to cover abortion care. - The bill also extends legal protections to a wide range of gender-affirming services for transgender individuals, as [an increasing number of Republican-led states]( impose restrictions on such care. - Pour one out for the near-term return of happy hour? Baker reiterated Tuesday his reservations about letting happy hours return in Massachusetts, due to drunk driving concerns. According to the State House News Service, Baker suggested he'd be especially hesitant to let happy hours come back given the Legislature's lack of action on his [recent road safety bill]( (local roadway deaths are at [an 11-year high](. - Baker's comments come after the Senate passed [a proposal to allow cities and town to opt out of the statewide happy hour ban]( as part of a transportation bond bill currently moving through the State House — though it's unclear if the provision will be included in the final version of the bill that is negotiated. So, Baker might not even get the chance to officially weigh in. - What about the next governor? Attorney General Maura Healey's gubernatorial campaign is noncommittal at this point, saying the Democrat is reviewing the idea. Republican candidate Chris Doughty's team says he supports letting communities reinstate happy hour, while fellow GOP hopeful Geoff Diehl did not immediately respond to a request for comment. - It's official: Massachusetts is joining over a dozen other states that prohibit discrimination against hairstyles like braids, cornrows and locks in schools and workplaces, with [Baker's signing Tuesday of the so-called Crown Act](. The new bill bans policies that place restrictions on natural and protective hairstyles — though it also tasks the state's [backlogged anti-discrimination commission]( with enforcing the rules. - At the federal level, the House also [passed]( its own version of the Crown Act this past spring and President Joe Biden has expressed support. However, the bill is waiting on the Senate for action. P.S.— Former President Barack Obama may have beat us to the punch with his [own summer reading list]( but we're still very excited about the launch of our new pop-up newsletter [Beach Books]( next Wednesday. [Subscribe here!]( Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Proposal to dump contaminated water in Cape Cod Bay meets opposition in Plymouth]( The company cleaning up Pilgrim has proposed four options for disposing of the one million gallons of wastewater used to cool spent nuclear fuel rods. [Read more.]( [Proposal to dump contaminated water in Cape Cod Bay meets opposition in Plymouth]( The company cleaning up Pilgrim has proposed four options for disposing of the one million gallons of wastewater used to cool spent nuclear fuel rods. [Read more.]( [Child care in Boston to get funding boost through zoning requirements]( A new executive order signed by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu sets a formula laying out specific cash contributions developers must pay when building downtown. [Read more.]( [Child care in Boston to get funding boost through zoning requirements]( A new executive order signed by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu sets a formula laying out specific cash contributions developers must pay when building downtown. [Read more.]( [New Harvard study concludes U.S. Capitol rioters were primarily motivated by Trump]( Preliminary findings from a new study out of Harvard University confirm that the top motivator for the rioters was former President Donald Trump. WBUR's Morning Edition host Rupa Shenoy speaks with Joan Donovan, research director of Harvard's Shorenstein Center and author of the study, to provide insight on the study's findings. [Read more.]( [New Harvard study concludes U.S. Capitol rioters were primarily motivated by Trump]( Preliminary findings from a new study out of Harvard University confirm that the top motivator for the rioters was former President Donald Trump. WBUR's Morning Edition host Rupa Shenoy speaks with Joan Donovan, research director of Harvard's Shorenstein Center and author of the study, to provide insight on the study's findings. [Read more.]( [Reformulated COVID vaccine boosters may be available earlier than expected]( The Biden administration may scrap plans to expand eligibility for second boosters to younger adults. Instead, it's trying to speed up the next generation of boosters targeting the omicron variant. [Read more.]( [Reformulated COVID vaccine boosters may be available earlier than expected]( The Biden administration may scrap plans to expand eligibility for second boosters to younger adults. Instead, it's trying to speed up the next generation of boosters targeting the omicron variant. [Read more.]( [As Fed battles inflation demon with aggressive rate hikes, economy hangs in balance]( The Federal Reserve is expected to raise its benchmark interest rate by another three-quarters of a percentage point amid fears of a looming recession. [Read more.]( [As Fed battles inflation demon with aggressive rate hikes, economy hangs in balance]( The Federal Reserve is expected to raise its benchmark interest rate by another three-quarters of a percentage point amid fears of a looming recession. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Newton native B.J. Novak [talks to WBUR film critic Sean Burns]( about "The Office," his new film "Vengeance" and how "everyone" in Boston is funny. - We're nearly all the way through Disability Pride Month, and some advocates are [wondering aloud why New England has been so lacking in events and celebration](. - Rich Barlow [writes in this commentary]( that Massachusetts legislators' plan to give middle class residents a $250 rebate is a bad idea. - Researchers say that [a rare colony of endangered Indiana bats found in Vermont]( could provide lessons for the species' recovery.  What We're Reading 📚 - In Japan, Abe Suspect’s Grudge Against Unification Church Is a Familiar One ([The New York Times]( - The deadliest road in America ([Vox]( - America Was in an Early-Death Crisis Long Before COVID ([The Atlantic](  Tell Me Something Good [Here's why Joni Mitchell's performance at the Newport Folk Festival is so incredible]( The iconic singer-songwriter wasn't able to walk or talk after a brain aneurysm in 2015. Dr. Anthony Wang, a neurosurgeon, explains the challenges she faced as a musician and her remarkable comeback. [Read more.]( [Here's why Joni Mitchell's performance at the Newport Folk Festival is so incredible]( The iconic singer-songwriter wasn't able to walk or talk after a brain aneurysm in 2015. Dr. Anthony Wang, a neurosurgeon, explains the challenges she faced as a musician and her remarkable comeback. [Read more.]( Before you go: [Still got it](. 😎 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.