Rebate update 💸

Also: Concerning conditions at Mass.'s new migrant shelter; the winners of the 2022 Boston Music Awards [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  December 15, 2022 ☁️ Cloudy, with a high near 41 and rain in the evening. Good Morning Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu gave [her yearly update on Boston's winter weather preparations]( yesterday, but it doesn't look like we'll need [that big pile of salt]( just yet. Forecasters say the storm hitting New England tonight through Saturday will [mostly be rain in the Boston area]( — though it looks like [amazing news]( for the region's ski areas. To the news: - Check your bank account (or your mailbox). Today is the deadline for Gov. Charlie Baker's administration to finish [distributing over 3 million tax rebates]( under the state's [62F revenue cap law](. State officials say they've now issued refunds to all eligible taxpayers who filed their 2021 income tax returns by the end of October. According to a Department of Revenue spokeswoman, "most" will have received their refund by this week, though some paper checks may still be in the mail. (About two thirds of the refunds have been sent in the mail, rather than direct deposit.) - Not seeing yours? You can call the state's 62F Refund Call Center at 877-677-9727 with questions about the status of your rebate. - Officials also expect to send more rebates to the small group of procrastinators — I mean, residents — who didn't file their taxes by the end of October (about $150 million out of the $2.9 billion in rebates they plan to issue in total). If that group includes you, expect to get your rebate about one month after you got that 2021 filing in. - If you still haven't completed your 2021 return, you can get a refund if you file by Sept. 15, 2023. - Heads up: Cambridge is hosting [a COVID vaccine clinic this afternoon]( offering $75 gift cards to anyone who lives or works in the city and gets their shot at the CambridgeSide mall today. The clinic will have everything from primary dose vaccines to the new omicron-fighting bivalent boosters. There's even free parking at the mall's garage. - Appointments aren't required, but city officials strongly encourage people to pre-register for the clinic using [this link](. Officials say they have enough doses for up to 800 people. - FYI: The city-run clinic is separate from the state's [series of COVID vaccine clinics offering $75 gift cards]( to supermarkets and other big box stores. For non-Cambridge dwellers, there's [nearly 150 of those clinics]( scheduled through the end of the year. - PSA: Starting today, you can once again [order free COVID tests through the mail]( as part of the White House's winter plan for dealing with the pandemic. The free tests will begin shipping on Monday. - Who reigns supreme in the Massachusetts music scene? Last night at the Boston Music Awards, it was a genre rather than any individual that stole the show. WBUR's Amelia Mason reports that hip hop artists, a group long snubbed by the awards, swept the major 2022 award categories, led by Dorchester rapper Cousin Stizz. - You can read the complete list of winners [here](. P.S.— What's it like to transition from one Massachusetts governor to the next? Tune in today to [Radio Boston]( to find out. We'll have former members of Deval Patrick or Baker's transition teams on the show (including one man who was a member of both) to share insight and stories about what the weeks between the election and inauguration day are like on Beacon Hill. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Advocates question conditions at shelter for migrants and families experiencing homelessness]( Homeless advocates said they were taken aback when they got their first glimpse inside Massachusetts' new temporary shelter and intake center. They raised concerns about the conditions, who is being sent to the site and whether the accommodations are legal. [Read more.]( [Advocates question conditions at shelter for migrants and families experiencing homelessness]( Homeless advocates said they were taken aback when they got their first glimpse inside Massachusetts' new temporary shelter and intake center. They raised concerns about the conditions, who is being sent to the site and whether the accommodations are legal. [Read more.]( [Why the government fails to limit many dangerous chemicals in the workplace]( The U.S. agency that's supposed to protect workers' health has all but given up on setting limits on a dangerous chemical released in tire manufacturing. Meanwhile, workers are dying. [Read more.]( [Why the government fails to limit many dangerous chemicals in the workplace]( The U.S. agency that's supposed to protect workers' health has all but given up on setting limits on a dangerous chemical released in tire manufacturing. Meanwhile, workers are dying. [Read more.]( [Council votes to study reparations for Black Bostonians]( The council has voted to form a new commission to study how it can provide reparations for and other forms of atonement to Black Bostonians for the city's role in slavery and its legacy of inequality. The unanimous vote means Boston now joins a conversation about reparations that is happening across the country. [Read more.]( [Council votes to study reparations for Black Bostonians]( The council has voted to form a new commission to study how it can provide reparations for and other forms of atonement to Black Bostonians for the city's role in slavery and its legacy of inequality. The unanimous vote means Boston now joins a conversation about reparations that is happening across the country. [Read more.]( [The Fed continues its crackdown on inflation, pushing up interest rates again]( The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by half a percentage point Wednesday, which was a smaller increase than the four previous hikes. [Read more.]( [The Fed continues its crackdown on inflation, pushing up interest rates again]( The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by half a percentage point Wednesday, which was a smaller increase than the four previous hikes. [Read more.]( [Gov. Baker withdraws controversial pardon request in 1980s child sex abuse case]( “Following yesterday’s hearing, it is apparent that there are not sufficient votes from the Governor’s Council to support a pardon for the Amiraults," the governor's press secretary said in a statement. [Read more.]( [Gov. Baker withdraws controversial pardon request in 1980s child sex abuse case]( “Following yesterday’s hearing, it is apparent that there are not sufficient votes from the Governor’s Council to support a pardon for the Amiraults," the governor's press secretary said in a statement. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - From a Hanukkah party at the Museum of Fine Arts, to a poetry stroll in Harvard Square, to a Langston Hughes Christmas musical, [here are five things to do around Boston this weekend](. - Did you read the best-selling novel “Life of Pi” or see Ang Lee's Academy Award-winning film adaption? Well, the story is [taking over the stage at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge]( where Pi and a cast of full-sized animal puppets star in the play's U.S. premiere. - 2022 marked the return of in-person classical music performances, with concert halls almost fully open and often full. WBUR's classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz [shares his favorites of the year](. - It wasn't to be. Morocco's magical World Cup run [came to an end yesterday against powerhouse France]( despite a close game and nearly netting what [would have been an incredible tying goal](. Now we prepare for a blockbuster World Cup final matchup Sunday between the defending champions and Lionel Messi's Argentina.  What We're Reading 📚 - A Sign That Tuition Is Too High: Some Colleges Are Hacking It in Half ([The New York Times]( - Like a plot from ‘The Americans’: An alleged Russian smuggling ring found in N.H. town ([The Boston Globe]( - “It’s Going to Be Epic”: The Oral History of James Cameron ([The Ringer](  Life Advice [Terrible at buying Christmas presents? Peep our guide for clever gift ideas]( Not everyone has a knack for gift giving — and that's OK! Our experts share tips on what to get for 5 personality types, ranging from the practical to the sentimental to the hard to shop for. [Read more.]( [Terrible at buying Christmas presents? Peep our guide for clever gift ideas]( Not everyone has a knack for gift giving — and that's OK! Our experts share tips on what to get for 5 personality types, ranging from the practical to the sentimental to the hard to shop for. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common goes [inside Chinatown's battle for public space](. Before you go: Oh no, all the way...[across the street?]( 😎 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.