Bet on it

Also: Why Revere hired a police chief accused of harassment; an idea to reduce flooding in Boston [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  August 11, 2022 ☁️ Cloudy, with a high near 81. Good Morning Boston, I thought the news cycle was supposed to slow down in August. Apparently not this year: - Massachusetts became the 36th state in the U.S. to [legalize sports betting on Wednesday]( after Gov. Charlie Baker signed an 11th hour bill passed by lawmakers last week. Still, you're going to have to wait a little bit before placing any wagers on the Patriots or ([gulp]( Red Sox. - Who: Anyone 21 or older in Massachusetts will be able to wager. - What: Bets are allowed for professional sports, most collegiate sports, car racing and e-sports. However, no high school or youth sports betting. And you can only bet on in-state colleges if they're placing in a tournament with four or more teams (like March Madness). - Where: The law allows the state's three casinos, as well as the Raynham Park and Suffolk Downs race tracks, to host sports books. Online and mobile betting apps will also be allowed — though you'll only be able to use them if you're in Massachusetts. - When: This part is a little murky. The new law tasks the state's Gaming Commission with licensing and regulating the sports betting companies — and commissions officials say there's over 200 regulations they need to draft and formalize, in addition to hiring staff to oversee the industry. While they've been preparing for this moment for awhile now, the process is expected to take at least several months before any actual bets are placed. - How: There's lots more packed into the law, from taxes to guardrails against problem gaming. Read [my full explainer here](. - The sports betting bill wasn't the only action Baker took Wednesday. He also... - ...approved [changes to the state's gun licensing laws]( in response to the Supreme Court's recent decision striking down a similar rule in New York. - ...signed [a mental health bill]( that, among other things, requires insurers to expand coverage and changes the way medical facilities like hospitals accept patients to get them into appropriate programs more quickly. - ...signed [(most) of a $11 billion bill]( to invest in transportation projects, including MBTA safety and [East-West rail]( prep work. - ...[vetoed]( a proposed pilot program to [expand state-subsidized health insurance]( to more middle-class residents. - ...finalized [new multi-family zoning requirements]( for the 175 communities served by the MBTA (technically, Baker's top housing officials did this, not the governor himself). - Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden now [says a grand jury will investigate]( the MBTA police officer who allegedly pointed his gun at a motorist while off duty and then tried to cover it up with a colleague. - The news comes after backlash over [reports]( that his office didn't intend to prosecute the case. But WBUR's Deborah Becker reports that Hayden says the timing is coincidence: "I cannot control perceptions," he said. "But I can assure everyone that this action would be happening on the same timeline regardless of what attention this investigation did or didn’t attract." - Look up: Tonight through Saturday morning is your [last chance to catch a supermoon this year](. It's the fourth and final supermoon of 2022 — nicknamed the Sturgeon Moon since August was traditionally the best time of year to catch these fish, [per the Farmer's Almanac](. - Photograph the full moon like a pro with [these tips from NASA](. P.S.— The Here & Now team [needs your help settling a heated internal newsroom debate]( Is brunch good? Bad? Somewhere in between? Tell us [your opinion on America's most divisive meal](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [No outsiders need apply: Why Revere settled for a police chief accused of harassment]( Restrictions on hiring police chiefs from outside their departments are common in Massachusetts. In Revere, the mayor wanted the option to look for a top cop externally to clean up a "toxic culture" within the city's police force. But, a city law made that impossible. [Read more.]( [No outsiders need apply: Why Revere settled for a police chief accused of harassment]( Restrictions on hiring police chiefs from outside their departments are common in Massachusetts. In Revere, the mayor wanted the option to look for a top cop externally to clean up a "toxic culture" within the city's police force. But, a city law made that impossible. [Read more.]( [The many investigations surrounding Donald Trump: Jan. 6, Mar-a-Lago, taxes and more]( The FBI raid this week isn't the only investigation Trump is a subject of at the moment. Authorities have several open on the former president, including investigations into his businesses, his tax returns and his actions leading up to the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol.. [Read more.]( [The many investigations surrounding Donald Trump: Jan. 6, Mar-a-Lago, taxes and more]( The FBI raid this week isn't the only investigation Trump is a subject of at the moment. Authorities have several open on the former president, including investigations into his businesses, his tax returns and his actions leading up to the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol.. [Read more.]( [Despite big boost for child care, advocates say the industry needs more funding]( Lawmakers set aside more than a billion dollars for child care in 2023, but leaders in the industry say that may not be enough to prevent some centers from shutting down. [Read more.]( [Despite big boost for child care, advocates say the industry needs more funding]( Lawmakers set aside more than a billion dollars for child care in 2023, but leaders in the industry say that may not be enough to prevent some centers from shutting down. [Read more.]( [Boston's incoming superintendent will earn $300,000, per proposed contract]( The Boston School Committee presented the deal as competitive, fair and designed to keep Mary Skipper in place as the district leader for the foreseeable future. [Read more.]( [Boston's incoming superintendent will earn $300,000, per proposed contract]( The Boston School Committee presented the deal as competitive, fair and designed to keep Mary Skipper in place as the district leader for the foreseeable future. [Read more.]( [Social media posts warn people not to call 988. Should I use it or not?]( Is 988 a critical mental health resource or a cause for concern? NPR decided to dig into these questions to figure out how 988 works and explain what you need to know before dialing. [Read more.]( [Social media posts warn people not to call 988. Should I use it or not?]( Is 988 a critical mental health resource or a cause for concern? NPR decided to dig into these questions to figure out how 988 works and explain what you need to know before dialing. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Here are [five things to do this weekend]( including a free opera adaptation of Romeo & Juliet, live music at the Museum of Fine Arts and an arts market in Watertown. - One idea to reduce flooding from climate change in Boston: create a spongey, artificial wetland — and WBUR's Hannah Chanatry [reports that researchers are already in the harbor testing out the concept](. - WBUR film critic Sean Burns[reflects on the Steve Spielberg classic "E.T." and its remarkable emotional directness]( — 40 years later. - Did you miss yesterday's newsy WBUR-hosted debate between the three Democrats running to be Massachusetts' next attorney general? No worries! You can [watch it all right here](  What We're Reading 📚 - The Problem With Wine Bottles ([The New York Times]( - Facebook turned over chat messages between mother and daughter now charged over abortion ([NBC News]( - The End of Manual Transmission ([The Atlantic](  PSA [A vaccine for Lyme disease is in its final clinical trial]( There isn't currently a Lyme disease vaccine on the U.S. market. Researchers are hoping to change that. [Read more.]( [A vaccine for Lyme disease is in its final clinical trial]( There isn't currently a Lyme disease vaccine on the U.S. market. Researchers are hoping to change that. [Read more.]( Before you go: ["This is the most romantic picture I’ve ever seen."]( 😎 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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