What Mass. casinos have up their sleeves

Also: Dems officially move to make South Carolina "first in the nation"; a not-so-sweet Christmas show [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  December 6, 2022 ☁️ Cloudy, with a high near 53 and a good chance of rain tonight. Good Morning Boston, Let's all have a Bones Day today in [memory of Noodle the pug](. To the news: - Think your holiday season is busy? Talk to the folks over at the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. As they [work to launch in-person sports betting next month]( the commission is [holding meetings on 13 of the 17 weekdays]( between Dec. 1 and Christmas. That includes meetings today, tomorrow and Thursday to review applications from the three casinos hoping to host the state's first sports wagers: Encore Boston Harbor, MGM Springfield and the Plainridge Park Casino. At this point, the reviews seem like somewhat of a formality; it'd be a massive surprise if any of the casinos are denied a license. But their pages of application documents do provide an interesting peek inside the sportsbooks they're setting up. Here's a look: - Encore Boston Harbor is planning a main sportsbook with a few dozen betting kiosks, 70 TVs and a 10-by-123-foot video wall. The Everett casino is also planning to scatter sports betting kiosks at bars, poker rooms, lounges and other areas around the casino — including an "Express Sportsbook" in the parking garage with kiosks and 15-minute parking that would allow people to place bets without stepping inside the casino. - Out west, MGM Springfield says it has built a sportsbook with stadium seating and a 45-foot video wall. According to their application, they currently have a counter where staff can take bets in person, but also have room to add automated kiosks. - In Plainview, the state's sole slots-only casino plans to also offer kiosks and an in-person window to take sports wagers. But it sounds like the Plainridge Park Casino's sports betting area won't be ready to open in late January; according to their application, they're planning "a temporary betting counter" in the meantime. - What's next: Before voting on the licenses, commissioners will question each of the applicants [during the meetings this week]( about their plans and issues like security and responsible gaming. All three casinos also plan to partner with mobile apps, but online sports betting isn't slated until [March or so](. - Lowell officials are looking at lowering the default speed limit on city-owned streets from 30 mph to 25 mph to make the roads safer, especially for pedestrians and cyclists. City Councilor Dan Rourke told WBUR's Dave Faneuf that the 5 mph difference has big implications. [Studies]( show the risk of serious injury and death for pedestrians hit by cars jumps significantly between 25 mph and 30 mph. - Lowell would follow in the footsteps of other big cities, like Boston, which [lowered its speed limit to 25 in 2016](. Others, [like Cambridge]( have gone as low as 20 mph as the standard. - The town of Wayland is [paying its police chief over $350,000 to resign]( after an investigation showed he violated many of the department's sexual harassment policies. Police Chief Sean Gibbons had been on leave since March, four months after he got the job. - Investigators found Gibbons had sexual relationships with two members of the department during his previous two decades on the force. He [told WCVB]( the relationships were consensual, but is apologizing for "poor judgment." - Remember [that student loan bill on Gov. Charlie Baker's desk]( He's sending it back to the Legislature. The Republican governor says he agrees with the bill's aim of preventing most people from getting their professional licenses refused or revoked over unpaid student debt. However, he has a problem with blocking all agencies from doing so. - Why? Baker says the bill would stop the state's financial services regulator from considering student loan defaults when reviewing the "financial responsibility of certain licensees" — which he says could result in downstream harm for consumers. So, he's sending the bill back to lawmakers with an exemption that would effectively leave out money-related jobs like lending or brokering. - What now? Since the State House is in informal session, the Democratic supermajority can't simply override Baker like usual. Instead, they can accept his suggestions or wait for Governor-elect Maura Healy to take office to see what she thinks. P.S.— Tune in from the comfort of your home tonight to [watch WBUR's Carrie Jung talk to fellow NPR education reporter Anya Kamenetz]( about the COVID pandemic's "profound disruption of kids' lives." [Virtual tickets]( are $5 (and free for WBUR Sustainers). Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Capitol Police chief: Jan. 6 failures 'largely' fixed but extremism threat persists]( USCP Chief Tom Manger says problems that led to the Capitol riot have been addressed, and he is focusing on expanding field offices to be better prepared for rising threats to congressional members. [Read more.]( [Capitol Police chief: Jan. 6 failures 'largely' fixed but extremism threat persists]( USCP Chief Tom Manger says problems that led to the Capitol riot have been addressed, and he is focusing on expanding field offices to be better prepared for rising threats to congressional members. [Read more.]( [Boston establishing 11 wastewater COVID-19 testing sites]( Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, Boston's public health commissioner, said the city will be sampling water from the sites on a weekly basis. Ojikutu said the testing will also help the city monitor for the appearance of new variants of the disease. [Read more.]( [Boston establishing 11 wastewater COVID-19 testing sites]( Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, Boston's public health commissioner, said the city will be sampling water from the sites on a weekly basis. Ojikutu said the testing will also help the city monitor for the appearance of new variants of the disease. [Read more.]( [REAL ID enforcement is delayed again to 2025]( The original deadline for the Transportation Security Administration and other federal agencies to only accept REAL ID-compliant cards was back in 2008. [Read more.]( [REAL ID enforcement is delayed again to 2025]( The original deadline for the Transportation Security Administration and other federal agencies to only accept REAL ID-compliant cards was back in 2008. [Read more.]( [Dems move to make South Carolina, not Iowa, 1st voting state]( President Joe Biden argues that the dramatic shakeup will better reflect the party’s deeply diverse electorate. The move will still have to be approved by the full DNC in a vote likely early next year, but it will almost certainly follow the rule-making committee’s lead. [Read more.]( [Dems move to make South Carolina, not Iowa, 1st voting state]( President Joe Biden argues that the dramatic shakeup will better reflect the party’s deeply diverse electorate. The move will still have to be approved by the full DNC in a vote likely early next year, but it will almost certainly follow the rule-making committee’s lead. [Read more.]( [In an ongoing race, Ukraine tries to repair faster than Russia bombs]( Ukraine's electrical grid has been under assault from Russian airstrikes for two months. Repair workers are racing to fix damaged power stations, even as the country braces for more attacks. [Read more.]( [In an ongoing race, Ukraine tries to repair faster than Russia bombs]( Ukraine's electrical grid has been under assault from Russian airstrikes for two months. Repair workers are racing to fix damaged power stations, even as the country braces for more attacks. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Ski season [has begun on some slopes in Western Massachusetts]( — thanks to big investments in snow-making equipment. But at other mountains, NEPM's Adam Frenier reports it's still a waiting game. - Looking for the opposite of a sweet Christmas show? WBUR's Jacquinn Sinclair [writes that the Gold Dust Orphans' annual Christmas show "Little Shop of Christmas Horrors" is an exhilarating ride]( for those who like to see plays that push the envelope. - Ahead of the release of Little Fuss' debut album next month, [listen to the exclusive premiere of the Berklee pop duo's "I Want a Secret."]( WBUR's Amelia Mason describes the song as "a devious earworm built around a fizzy bass line." - While we might be biased toward Merriam Webster, the Springfield-based dictionary isn't the only one [picking a word of the year](. The Oxford English Dictionary has [made "goblin mode" its 2022 word of the year]( after a process that included an online public vote.  What We're Reading 📚 - Transformative decision a half-century ago to scrap I-95 extension still resonates in Boston today ([The Boston Globe]( - Opinion | Biden Is Putting South Carolina First. I Won’t Vote for That. ([The New York Times]( - As New Hampshire vows to hold first primary, the consequences could be steep ([NHPR](  Tell Me Something Good [95-year-old RI man asking for Christmas cards this season (WHDH)]( George Dowling’s granddaughter says receiving cards has helped George since his wife passed. And the cards have been flowing in! [Read more.]( [95-year-old RI man asking for Christmas cards this season (WHDH)]( George Dowling’s granddaughter says receiving cards has helped George since his wife passed. And the cards have been flowing in! [Read more.]( Listen: The Common takes us for [a stroll through Black Market Nubian's final holiday market](. Before you go: "[A Boston Christmas miracle]( 😎 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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