Scary news for car inspection scofflaws

Also: Natick buries sexual assault allegations against local cop; rebates around the corner [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  October 31, 2022 👻 Partly sunny, with a high near 66. Good Morning Boston, Happy Halloween! The trick-or-treating forecast this evening isn't frightening at all. And with the exception of some showers early tomorrow morning, we should be in store for a pretty dry and sunny week. (Good weather for checking out [these three spooky sites in Massachusetts]( if you dare.) - Some scary news if you're a perpetual car inspection procrastinator: the RMV is making [a small but sweeping rule change]( to stop residents from sneaking in a free month (or more) before getting their annual inspection. Beginning tomorrow, car inspection stickers will be based on the month that your last sticker expired, rather than the month you got the actual inspection. - In other words: If you have a November sticker from last year's inspection, you'll again get a November sticker this year — even if the month got away from you and the inspection didn't happen until December or later. (We've all been there, right?) - State officials say the change is intended to ensure people actually get their cars inspected on time, rather than letting their stickers lapse. Not only is it important for safety, they say it's also good for the environment, since most vehicles have emission control systems that should be checked annually. Don't forget: you can also get dinged with fines for driving with an expired sticker. - Heads up: Tomorrow marks the beginning of Gov. Charlie Baker's distribution of nearly $3 billion in rebates to taxpayers due to the[1986 law capping state revenue](. WBUR's Garo Hagopian reports that state officials now say taxpayers will get back about 14% of what they paid in state income tax by check or direct deposit. - The payments will be issued on a rolling basis, so it may not arrive immediately. But if you filed a 2021 tax return, you should see it at some point between this week and mid-December. - How much will you get? [Calculate your expected rebate here](. - Feel like you're spending extra time in the waiting room? You're not alone. The Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association says a statewide hospital staffing shortage of roughly 19,000 jobs is forcing patients to wait longer, and WBUR's Priyanka Dayal McClusky reports that some leaders warn that hospitals may have to cut services soon. - The staffing shortage is a vicious cycle: Burned-out health care workers are quitting, and this increases the burden on staff who stay. Hospitals are asking the state for more aid to cover labor costs. - ICYMI: McClusky reported on how the two major Massachusetts gubernatorial candidates — Maura Healey and Geoff Diehl —would tackle the state's biggest health care challenges; both pointed to staffing shortages as priority. Read [what they also said about affordability, COVID, mental health and more here](. - MBTA crews wrapped up the last big Green Line closure of 2022 over the weekend ([ahead of schedule, in fact](. But expect more full branch closures in 2023 and beyond. Officials hinted there's still "[significant work]( to do in the coming years to fully upgrade service. P.S.— This is the [last week of in-person early voting before next Tuesday's election](. We're also getting to the point where you may want to hand-deliver your mail-in ballot. That said, [dropboxes in Boston]( and some other communities are closed today because of Halloween. (You can still bring your ballot to early voting sites.) Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Natick and its police continue to bury allegations of sexual assault against one of their own]( Court records show Natick police initially shrugged off the allegations. And for more than two years, the town has fought to keep records about how it responded secret. [Read more.]( [Natick and its police continue to bury allegations of sexual assault against one of their own]( Court records show Natick police initially shrugged off the allegations. And for more than two years, the town has fought to keep records about how it responded secret. [Read more.]( [Lula beats President Bolsonaro to win Brazil election]( The results bring to a close the most consequential election in Brazil in decades. Now, President-elect da Silva faces the huge task of reinvigorating Brazil's economy. [Read more.]( [Lula beats President Bolsonaro to win Brazil election]( The results bring to a close the most consequential election in Brazil in decades. Now, President-elect da Silva faces the huge task of reinvigorating Brazil's economy. [Read more.]( [Supreme Court revisits affirmative action in college admissions]( The justices are re-examining decades of precedent allowing affirmative action policies. This time, however, there is every likelihood that the court will overrule some or all of those precedents. [Read more.]( [Supreme Court revisits affirmative action in college admissions]( The justices are re-examining decades of precedent allowing affirmative action policies. This time, however, there is every likelihood that the court will overrule some or all of those precedents. [Read more.]( [Over 150 dead after Halloween crowd surge in Seoul]( Dozens more were injured, officials said, after a stampede took place in a narrow alley near a major party spot on Saturday night in the South Korean capital. [Read more.]( [Over 150 dead after Halloween crowd surge in Seoul]( Dozens more were injured, officials said, after a stampede took place in a narrow alley near a major party spot on Saturday night in the South Korean capital. [Read more.]( [Holiday flights will be pricey and packed. Here are 5 things to know before you book]( Airlines and travel websites say that bookings for holiday travel are strong despite higher air fares, as pandemic-weary travelers seem willing to pay. [Read more.]( [Holiday flights will be pricey and packed. Here are 5 things to know before you book]( Airlines and travel websites say that bookings for holiday travel are strong despite higher air fares, as pandemic-weary travelers seem willing to pay. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - While researching his latest book on technology and the supernatural, Cambridge author Peter Bebergal set out to commune with ghosts. WBUR's Andrea Shea [reports that what he discovered gave him chills](. - One of the most popular classes at UMass Lowell dives into a deep analysis of monsters, from Frankenstein to Jurassic Park. [Professor Todd Avery joined Radio Boston to discuss the class]( and how sci-fi reflects our real-life fears around technology, science and the future. - NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured an image of [the sun appearing to have a smiling face.]( And while the grin resulted in plenty of memes, it could also could signal a solar storm with problems for Earth. - It's official: Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen have finalized their divorce. Here's [the backstory on their relationship — and its end](.  What We're Reading 📚 - What does the future hold for Franklin Park? ([The Boston Globe]( - USA Curling is in an uproar, and a Mass. club is caught in the middle ([Boston Business Journal]( - The New World: Envisioning Life After Climate Change ([The New York Times](  Tell Me Something Good [Boston firefighters help surprise teen with Halloween costume that fits his wheelchair (CBS News)]( On Friday, a Roslindale high school student got the perfect Halloween costume to complement his wheelchair. [Read more.]( [Boston firefighters help surprise teen with Halloween costume that fits his wheelchair (CBS News)]( On Friday, a Roslindale high school student got the perfect Halloween costume to complement his wheelchair. [Read more.]( Before you go: Have you ever noticed [the Red Line's "spooky secret"?]( 😎 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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