Two teacher strikes diverge

Also: Offshore wind's onshore problem; the latest on tax relief in Massachusetts [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  October 18, 2022 🌧️ Rain through the morning with a high of 61. Good Morning Boston, One local teachers strike is over; the other dispute seems poised to escalate. Here's the latest on where things stand in Malden and Haverhill, plus a tax relief update, Bluebikes expansion and the tipoff of a new Celtics season. - Malden schools [are back open today]( after district officials and the local teachers union announced they agreed to a new three-year contract late last night. The tentative agreement must still be officially ratified, but Malden Superintendent Ligia Noriega-Murphy said all schools will resume as usual today. - That is [not the case in Haverhill]( where the strike is stretching on and cancelling school for the second straight day. And city officials are getting the courts involved to try to force teachers back to class. - Public employee strikes are technically illegal in Massachusetts, though that rule isn't always immediately enforced. However, a court order is the primary option if officials want to enforce it. - WBUR's Max Larkin reports that a judge will decide later this morning whether to issue an injunction against the strike, meaning the local union in Haverhill — and the Massachusetts Teachers Association — could face fines if the strike continues. - Remember that big tax relief package Massachusetts lawmakers had teed up to pass this summer — before it was [shelved by the emergence of the forgotten rebate law]( There could be a new governor by the time the bill reaches his or her desk. State House leaders said Monday that they’re continuing to negotiate the reworked bill, but acknowledged that pushing off action until 2023 is certainly an option. - There's general agreement on most of the proposed tax changes, but it’s more difficult to pass anything now during informal sessions, since it only takes one person to block the bill. Senate President Karen Spilka said the [return $3 billion in tax rebates]( and its effect on revenue have made talks even more complicated. - About those rebates: state officials plan on issuing them as [a check or direct deposit]( sometime next month — though the exact timing of that (i.e. before or after Thanksgiving) remains unclear, too. - Welcome to the club: Medford and Malden are joining the Boston area's Bluebikes bike-share system, with six new stations and roughly 36 bikes across the two cities. Here's where you'll find them: - Medford: Tufts Square, Brooks Park (at Main St), Medford Square - Malden: Malden Center T Station, Northern Strand at Main St, Malden High School - Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has officially vetoed the slate of 20% salary increases the City Council [passed for her and themselves]( urging the chamber to accept the 12% raises she [originally proposed](. - Wu agreed that her fellow elected official deserve raises (which would take effect next term) after going without any since 2018. But she said they should "square" with the raises negotiated for Boston's frontline workers and other municipal employees. - What's next: All eyes now turn to the City Council — which unanimously passed their raise proposal and could override Wu with a supermajority vote (nine of 13 members). - Basketball season is back already! The Boston Celtics are tipping off tonight at the TD Garden against their rivals and fellow title contenders, the Philadelphia 76ers. For their part, the Celtics are running it back with most of last year's NBA Finals runner-up squad largely in tact — with a few very notable changes: - The missing man: The Celtics will be without head coach Ime Udoka, who was [hit with a shocking full-season suspension last month]( for having an improper relationship with a team staff member. (It's unclear if Udoka will ever return.) Assistant coach Joe Mazzulla has taken over as head coach on an interim basis. - New faces: The Celtics' offseason moves were headlined by the addition of [sixth-man playmaker]( Malcolm Brogdon. They also [added]( six-time All-Star (if past his prime) Blake Griffin. Haverhill native and former first-round draft pick Noah Vonleh also [earned a last-minute roster spot on the team](. P.S.— You can now apply to get your college loans forgiven under President Joe Biden's student debt relief plan. The U.S. Education Department [released an early version of the application over the weekend](. All it takes is two minutes and some basic information — name, birth date, Social Security number, phone number and e-mail address — to apply. Once submitted, Biden administration officials say you should see eligible debts canceled in "a matter of weeks." Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [As offshore wind plans grow, so does the need for transmission]( There's a growing consensus that instead of rebuilding the onshore transmission system to accommodate a massive influx of offshore wind power, the U.S. should build a transmission grid in the ocean. [Read more.]( [As offshore wind plans grow, so does the need for transmission]( There's a growing consensus that instead of rebuilding the onshore transmission system to accommodate a massive influx of offshore wind power, the U.S. should build a transmission grid in the ocean. [Read more.]( [In Ukraine, trend lines point to escalation, not an endgame]( When the question comes up on how the war in Ukraine ends, the debate tends to be brief. After eight months of fighting, most all the signs are pointing toward prolonged conflict. [Read more.]( [In Ukraine, trend lines point to escalation, not an endgame]( When the question comes up on how the war in Ukraine ends, the debate tends to be brief. After eight months of fighting, most all the signs are pointing toward prolonged conflict. [Read more.]( [Supreme Court declines to consider challenge to racist citizenship laws]( The action dashes hopes of American Samoans who were seeking birthright citizenship and leaves intact a decision that breathed new life into distinctions between U.S. states and territories. [Read more.]( [Supreme Court declines to consider challenge to racist citizenship laws]( The action dashes hopes of American Samoans who were seeking birthright citizenship and leaves intact a decision that breathed new life into distinctions between U.S. states and territories. [Read more.]( [Up to 20 arrested after striking truckers block Mass. plant exits]( More than 400 Teamster union members arrived at the Sysco facility in Plympton, Massachusetts, in the early morning and stopped about 100 employees from leaving, Police Chief Matthew Ahl said in a statement. [Read more.]( [Up to 20 arrested after striking truckers block Mass. plant exits]( More than 400 Teamster union members arrived at the Sysco facility in Plympton, Massachusetts, in the early morning and stopped about 100 employees from leaving, Police Chief Matthew Ahl said in a statement. [Read more.]( [Flooding in Nigeria has killed more than 600 people, the government says]( More than 1.3 million people have been displaced, and destroyed farmland has raised concerns about the country's food supply. [Read more.]( [Flooding in Nigeria has killed more than 600 people, the government says]( More than 1.3 million people have been displaced, and destroyed farmland has raised concerns about the country's food supply. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - At the age of 88, the abstract painter Frank Bowling is[finally getting his due with a Museum of Fine Arts exhibition]( showcasing the Black "outsider" artist's seminal work during the 1960s and 1970s. - Can you pick up signs of a COVID surge in online Yankee Candle reviews? As official case tracking data gets cut back, a Northeastern University professor [followed the digital breadcrumbs and published his own viral theory]( linking COVID infections to Amazon comments. - Massachusetts has often topped the national education rankings, but former Gov. Jane Swift [writes in this commentary]( that other states around the country are taking bolder action to combat the challenges now facing children in the wake of the pandemic. She recommends three steps the next governor of the Bay State should pursue.  What We're Reading 📚 - The Making (And Unmaking) Of Monica Cannon-Grant ([Boston Magazine]( - Is This the World’s Most Picturesque High Dive? ([The New York Times]( - A Sports Hub producer was fired despite great ratings. Now host Rich Shertenlieb is paying to bring him back. ([Boston.com](  Tell Me Something Good [2 California bakers created a life-size Han Solo out of bread]( To many, Han Solo may be a hunk. But “Pan Solo” is a hunk of bread. [Read more.]( [2 California bakers created a life-size Han Solo out of bread]( To many, Han Solo may be a hunk. But “Pan Solo” is a hunk of bread. [Read more.]( Before you go: Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe might prove to be a suitable Mac Jones replacement in [more ways than one](. 😎 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.