A bump or a spike?

Also: Warnock wins Senate runoff; what we learned from Wu and Healey's first official meeting [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  December 7, 2022 🌧️ Rainy with a high near 56. Good Morning Boston, This rain is expected to stick around through this morning and into the afternoon, but hey, it could be worse. We could be in the upper Midwest, where[the temperatures are as low as -20 degrees today](. A little rain doesn't seem so bad now, does it? To the news: - Gov. Charlie Baker and Marty Walsh had their "[bromance]( But what does the partnership between Governor-elect Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu look like for the next few years? The two Democrats had what was billed as their first formal meeting Tuesday (if you're not counting [last week's Celtics game with the royal couple](. While the short press briefing afterwards didn't break any major news, it did illustrate some slight shifts in the city-state relationship. - On Mass. and Cass: Wu and Baker's administration [have clashed over whether the state was doing enough]( to help the city address issues around the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard. Healey noted Tuesday that the state is doing "an awful lot," but said she wants to "take stock" of whether it's enough through more conversations with Wu. - On housing: Wu and Baker were also on [opposite sides of the rent control debate](. And while Healey [isn't a big fan of rent control]( and has focused more on the need to boost housing production to solve the region's affordability crisis, she reiterated her position Tuesday that it should be "up to communities to decide." Wu's administration is [currently studying different forms of rent control](. If they can eventually get some type of home rule petition exempting them from [the statewide ban]( through the State House (a big if!), it seems Healey would be willing to sign off on it. - Meanwhile, Healey is still wrapping up her job as attorney general. Yesterday, her office [approved a Nantucket bylaw]( allowing any person — man or woman — to go topless on public or private beaches in the town. Healey's determination that the bylaw doesn't violate any state laws allows the town to begin what they've said will be a "[phased implementation]( of the new rules (which will apply only to beaches, not parking lots, concessions or other nearby areas). - What they're saying: state Rep. Dylan Fernandes [tweeted]( that Healey's final signoff is "a win for gender equity (& tan lines🏖️)." - The beginning of a spike — or just a bump? [Boston-area wastewater data]( is showing an uptick in COVID case levels since Thanksgiving, bringing back memories of holiday surges we saw in the last two years. But [as WBUR's Gabrielle Emanuel reports]( disease experts aren't too concerned this time around for two main reasons: - First, as Harvard's Bill Hanage told Emanuel, the uptick is "not out of line with the fluctuations we have seen over the last few months." The region saw a similar uptick during the start of the school year, but rates dropped back down in late October. - Second, experts are more focused on the number of people in the hospital — particularly the ICU — with COVID. And those numbers haven't really budged in several months. - What's next: Multiple experts told Emanuel they expect the current uptick to level off, but they think it will be followed by another increase around the late December holidays. - What you can do: Get the [new bivalent COVID booster](. There's even [a bunch of clinics across Massachusetts offering $75 gift cards]( as part of the state's booster push during the holidays. - It's official: Lowell is lowering the default speed limit on city-owned streets from 30 mph to 25 mph, following an unanimous vote by the City Council last night. WBUR's Amy Sokolow reports that the city will begin placing new signs — and kick off an education campaign — as early as today, though the new speed limit won't be enforced until a later date determined by the Council. - Lowell's move to calm traffic came on the same day that[an advocacy group ranked Massachusetts among worst states in the country for roadway safety](. However, that ranking has less to do with speed limits than it does the state's secondary seatbelt enforcement rules and lack of requirements for in-car breathalyzers for those with drunk driving convictions. P.S.— WBUR CitySpace's packed week continues tonight with the kickoff event of a new mini-series on health and longevity. Meghna Chakrabarti will [host a deep-dive discussion with journalist Dan Buettner about Blue Zones]( — locations around the wold with high concentrations of centenarians. In-person attendees will also get to sample food from Buettner's Blue Zones cuisine recipe book. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock defeats Republican Herschel Walker in Georgia runoff]( After a long campaign cycle that stretched into December with a runoff election, Georgia elected Sen. Raphael Warnock to a full term. [Read more.]( [Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock defeats Republican Herschel Walker in Georgia runoff]( After a long campaign cycle that stretched into December with a runoff election, Georgia elected Sen. Raphael Warnock to a full term. [Read more.]( [Former President Donald Trump's company is found guilty of criminal tax fraud]( Trump and his company have repeatedly faced criminal investigations but this case marks the first time his company has been charged, tried, and convicted on criminal charges. [Read more.]( [Former President Donald Trump's company is found guilty of criminal tax fraud]( Trump and his company have repeatedly faced criminal investigations but this case marks the first time his company has been charged, tried, and convicted on criminal charges. [Read more.]( [New England’s grid is expected to be reliable this winter, but a cold snap could cause issues]( The grid operator says they do not anticipate calling for any controlled power outages – or “rolling blackouts” – this winter. [Read more.]( [New England’s grid is expected to be reliable this winter, but a cold snap could cause issues]( The grid operator says they do not anticipate calling for any controlled power outages – or “rolling blackouts” – this winter. [Read more.]( [Why Warnock's seat means so much to Senate Democrats]( That one seat, according to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, is a bit of a game changer for Democrats. "The truth is it's not a 1% difference," he said. "It's a world of difference." [Read more.]( [Why Warnock's seat means so much to Senate Democrats]( That one seat, according to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, is a bit of a game changer for Democrats. "The truth is it's not a 1% difference," he said. "It's a world of difference." [Read more.]( [Why sanctions against Russia aren't working — yet]( When sanctions were enacted against Russia in February of this year, many forecasts were of an imminent collapse in the Russian economy. A new report looks at why that hasn't happened. [Read more.]( [Why sanctions against Russia aren't working — yet]( When sanctions were enacted against Russia in February of this year, many forecasts were of an imminent collapse in the Russian economy. A new report looks at why that hasn't happened. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - This week's episode of Last Seen [tackles another food-related mystery through the story of one Vermont diner]( The Guilty Plate. - Amid a national rise in antisemitism, Ben Berman [writes in this Cognoscenti commentary]( about his troubling experience finding swastikas etched into a slide at a playground in his progressive town. - Karaoke night? There's (going to be) an app for that. Apple Music says it will [roll out a new in-app feature later this month]( that not only displays song lyrics but syncs them to the music by syllable. - Morocco has become [the first ever Arab team to reach the World Cup quarterfinals]( after a thrilling upset Tuesday over soccer powerhouse Spain. (Don't miss [the daring penalty kick]( that won the match.)  What We're Reading 📚 - My boyfriend, a writer, broke up with me because I’m a writer ([The Guardian]( - The Brilliance and Weirdness of ChatGPT ([The New York Times]( - The Year in Stupid Tattoos I’m Sure I Won’t Regret ([Hazlitt](  Tell Me Something Good [Neil Diamond Surprises Broadway Audience with Rare Performance of 'Sweet Caroline' (People)]( Diamond’s impromptu performance marked the first time the music icon has performed in his hometown of New York City since 2017, after retiring from touring due to Parkinson's in 2018. [Read more.]( [Neil Diamond Surprises Broadway Audience with Rare Performance of 'Sweet Caroline' (People)]( Diamond’s impromptu performance marked the first time the music icon has performed in his hometown of New York City since 2017, after retiring from touring due to Parkinson's in 2018. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [reflects on the rough start to the 2022-23 school year]( and what may lie ahead this winter. Before you go: This is [some true service journalism](. 😎 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. 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