Also: Your local Thanksgiving week travel guide; Eversource rate hikes [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  November 21, 2022 🌥️ Cloudy, with a high near 39. Good Morning Boston, It's a clear but cold start to the holiday week. Need something to help push you through the next few days (or weeks)? Well, we have more than a little good news. Our seasonal joy newsletter, [The Pick Me Up]( returns this afternoon for its first annual holiday run! [Sign up here]( to get a nugget of joy â plus holiday guides and general festiveness â in your inbox three days a week through the end of the year. Now, to the news: - Planning your Thanksgiving travel plans? You're not alone. AAA says 55 million people across the country are planning to travel over 50 miles for the holiday, making it the third-busiest Thanksgiving since they started tracking data in 2000. And the vast majority of those people will be on the roads. In Massachusetts, Transportation Secretary Jamie Tesler says the state is expecting traffic volumes "equal to or just exceeding pre-pandemic levels."
- So, when should you not drive? We all know that Wednesday afternoon tends to be the worst travel time. But according to AAA, Tuesday afternoon is getting pretty busy, too. AAA spokeswoman Mary Maguire told WBUR's Jon Cain that we should expect big backups on major interstates like I-93, I-95 and the Mass. Pike.
- When should you drive? Thanksgiving itself will be the lightest travel day. But if you need to leave on Wednesday, AAA suggests before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m. And if you're on the roads Tuesday, the earlier the better.
- Don't forget: Maguire says to expect the same bottlenecks â but in reverse â on Sunday. If you're returning home then, AAA says the best time to leave is before 11:00 a.m. or after 8:00 p.m. - Brandeis University has canceled all classes this week after [a bus carrying students back from a hockey game Saturday night crashed into a tree in Waltham]( killing one and injuring over two dozen.
- The sole victim has been identified as 25-year-old Vanessa Mark. Officials are continuing to investigate what caused the bus driver to go off the road and crash. - Not running: Gov. Charlie Baker may [want the Republican Party to move on from Donald Trump]( but it won't be onto himself. The outgoing Massachusetts governor made it clear that he will not be running for president in 2024 [during a WCVB interview Sunday](.
- While the news may be [disappointing to some hosts of The View]( Baker has been pretty clear about his intentions to take a break from public office for awhile now.
- "If I was looking at this point in my career to continue to engage in public service, I think Lauren and I, and Karyn Polito and her husband, Steve, would have run for another term," Baker said. - Eversource customers, now it's our turn for big electricity rate hikes. The energy company announced Friday that it will seek to raise electricity rates by 43% for customers in Eastern Massachusetts, beginning Jan. 1, 2023. That means about a $47 spike in the average customer's monthly electric bill (though the exact increase depends on things like weather and how much energy you're using).
- Meanwhile, Eversource customers in Western Massachusetts will face what amounts to a $39-a-month electricity rate hike, which would also take effect Jan. 1.
- Eversource adjusts its rates twice a year, so the new rates are set to stick around until at least July. The rate hikes come on the heels of National Grid [jacking up its electricity prices by an average of $100-a-month in November]( as well as home heating rates of over $50-a-month across the state. - PSA: You do have options if you're struggling to afford these skyrocketing energy bills. Here's[how to access utility bill relief programs in Massachusetts](. - Heads up: The U.S. men's national team â and former New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner! â will take to the field today for their first World Cup match. They'll kick off against Wales at 2 p.m. in Group B, which also includes England and Iran. (Talk about some historic [geopolitical rivalries](
- The game will air on FOX, Telemundo and Peacock. Tell your boss you have a dentist appointment. It's just good patriotism. 😉 P.S.â Legendary environmentalist, activist and author Bill McKibben [will be at WBUR CitySpace tonight]( for a conversation with our senior environmental reporter, Miriam Wasser. (Name a more iconic duo!) You can grab [both in-person and virtual tickets here](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa
Editor, Newsletters
[Follow](
 Support the news  The Rundown
['Officer shuffle': Some ousted cops find jobs at new departments in Mass.](
WBUR found more than a dozen current Massachusetts police officers were previously fired or resigned from another department after the launch of a misconduct investigation. [Read more.](
['Officer shuffle': Some ousted cops find jobs at new departments in Mass.](
WBUR found more than a dozen current Massachusetts police officers were previously fired or resigned from another department after the launch of a misconduct investigation. [Read more.](
[What we know about the shooting at a Colorado Springs LGBTQ club](
A gunman killed five people and injured at least 25 others. Police are still investigating the motive and have yet to determine if it was a hate crime. [Read more.](
[What we know about the shooting at a Colorado Springs LGBTQ club](
A gunman killed five people and injured at least 25 others. Police are still investigating the motive and have yet to determine if it was a hate crime. [Read more.](
[Hidden audits reveal millions in overcharges by Medicare Advantage plans](
Taxpayers footed the bill for care that should have cost far less, according to records released under the Freedom of Information Act. The U.S. government may charge insurers $650 million as a result. [Read more.](
[Hidden audits reveal millions in overcharges by Medicare Advantage plans](
Taxpayers footed the bill for care that should have cost far less, according to records released under the Freedom of Information Act. The U.S. government may charge insurers $650 million as a result. [Read more.](
[Biden, turning 80, faces an age-old question: How old is too old to be president?](
President Biden is celebrating his 80th birthday on Sunday. The oldest president to serve, he's contemplating whether to make good on his intention to run for a second term. [Read more.](
[Biden, turning 80, faces an age-old question: How old is too old to be president?](
President Biden is celebrating his 80th birthday on Sunday. The oldest president to serve, he's contemplating whether to make good on his intention to run for a second term. [Read more.](
[Food distribution centers kick into high gear in attempts to meet the needs for holiday meals](
On Saturday, two dozen sites in 21 communities distributed meals through the United Way ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. According to the organization, their plan was to give away 20,000 packed meals â its largest ever distribution. [Read more.](
[Food distribution centers kick into high gear in attempts to meet the needs for holiday meals](
On Saturday, two dozen sites in 21 communities distributed meals through the United Way ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. According to the organization, their plan was to give away 20,000 packed meals â its largest ever distribution. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Were you a fan of the acclaimed 2019 film âKnives Outâ? Well, get your popcorn. WBUR's Sean Burns writes that âGlass Onion: A Knives Out Mysteryâ is [a rare sequel that is even funnier than the first](. - Think yesterday's chilly wind was bad? Well, it could have been worse. Western New York was [hit hard this weekend with over 6 feet (!) of snow in some areas]( setting a new record for daily snowfall in Buffalo. Check out [photos of the aftermath here](. - We know it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but the Christmas news is rolling in already â specifically around Mariah Carey. Last year, the pop star sought to officially trademark herself as the "Queen of Christmas," but it turns out there are others who feel they should wear the crown. [Her trademark request was officially denied last week.]( - Cognoscenti contributor Erica Youngren's son decided against college. [In this commentary]( she writes about why â to her surprise â it turned out to be the right decision for him (and maybe many others).  What We're Reading 📚 - Is Boston reaching âpeak labâ? ([The Boston Globe]( - Hospitals Often Donât Help Needy Patients, Even Those Who Qualify ([The Wall Street Journal]( - Ukraineâs 15,000-Mile Lifeline ([The New York Times Magazine](  Life Advice
[Want to get into credit card points? Here's what you should know](
Credit card rewards programs can offer big perks like airline miles and hotel upgrades. Finance journalist Katherine Fan explains how to choose the right card and what to know before signing up. [Read more.](
[Want to get into credit card points? Here's what you should know](
Credit card rewards programs can offer big perks like airline miles and hotel upgrades. Finance journalist Katherine Fan explains how to choose the right card and what to know before signing up. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [talks to WBUR reporter Walter Wuthmann]( about his investigation into the "officer shuffle." (Note: This episode will be available soon.) Before you go: Want to buy a firetruck? [Look no further.]( 😎 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 Â
 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.