Free ways to celebrate MLK Day in Boston

Also: Today's winter weather advisory, a new safety tool for Newton first responders [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  January 16, 2023 ❄️ Cloudy and windy, with a high near 34 and a chance of snow throughout the day. Good Morning Boston, Today marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and there are plenty of news, stories and events to honor the civil rights and nonviolent resistance leader's legacy. But first, if you're hitting the roads today, please be careful. There's a [winter weather advisory from the National Weather Service]( for a large swath of Eastern Massachusetts in effect through 7 p.m. While there shouldn't be too much more snow the rest of the day, gusty winds could make it hard to see and slick spots will make you want to slow down. ([As the NWS's office parking lot shows]( even minor accumulations can make for dangerous conditions.) To the news: - As you know from [last week's newsletter]( the long-awaited memorial "The Embrace" was unveiled this past Friday. The two-story high statue honors Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife, Coretta Scott King, who first met in Boston as college students. You can read more about "The Embrace" below, but also, go check it out yourself. (Seriously, the sculpture is strikingly big!) Here are some other MLK Day ceremonies and events happening across Boston today: - There's a [free concert at Faneuil Hall]( today at 1 p.m., thanks to the Museum of African American History and the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras. Performers will play classical music, read original poetry and recite selections from King's speeches. - Admission to the Museum of Fine Arts is also [free today for Mass. residents in honor of MLK Day]( and there will be many events throughout the day, including a discussion with Embrace sculptor Hank Willis Thomas and public art project manager Sam Giarratani about the making of the memorial. (It's also the last day to see the exhibit “Life Magazine and the Power of Photography" — and yes, your ticket includes access to it.) - Tune in: At 11 a.m., Radio Boston will host a [special hour all on King's legacy](. They'll sit down with Imari Paris Jeffries, executive director of Embrace Boston, and two pastors: the Rev. Willie Bodrick II, senior pastor at Twelfth Baptist Church in Roxbury and the Rev. Mariama White-Hammond, Boston's chief of environment, energy and open space. - A reminder: Because it's a federal holiday, certain businesses have shut their doors for the day (so don't try to go to the RMV). Here's a [full list of what's open and closed.]( - ICYMI: Raynard S. Kington wrote a [powerful commentary]( about how he's not surprised by those who wonder if the holiday is worth celebrating, given the gap between America's reality and our ideals. But he thinks we still should. - Car crashes are never good. And for emergency responders, electric cars pose different issues than normal combustion cars that can make rescues dangerous. But WBUR's Dan Guzman reports that [firefighters in Newton are learning how to use a new safety tool designed for crashes involving electric cars]( — a tool that has only been used by one other city in the country. - What's the tech: It's an "emergency plug" that can be inserted into any EV. It essentially puts the car in park. - Why is it helpful? Newton Captain Phil McCully said he was inspired to get the buttons after an incident in New York City where a firefighter responding to an EV crash was hurt when that vehicle suddenly took off. (How could that happen? Well, a perk of EVs are that they run quiet. But for first responders, it means less warning ahead of sudden vehicle movements.) - When: The entire department will complete training on how to install the button by the end of the month. - That was close: Teachers in Melrose will be in their classrooms tomorrow and not on strike. The teachers union and school committee reached a tentative agreement on a three-year contract on Saturday. Union members still need to vote to finalize the contract, but Melrose Education Association President Lisa Donovan told WBUR's Morning Edition team that the contract gives teachers what they wanted. - What's inside: The most notable contract wins are a 10% raise for teachers over three years and more time to prepare their lessons. P.S.— If you're stuck inside, don't forget about our [winter arts guides]( There are lots of suggestions for things to listen to, watch and read from the comfort of your own couch. Meagan McGinnes Assistant Managing Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [The U.S. could hit its debt ceiling within days. Here's what you need to know.]( The U.S. is expected to hit its debt ceiling Thursday, forcing the Treasury to take "extraordinary measures" to pay off its bills. A political stalemate could lead to an unprecedented federal default. [Read more.]( [The U.S. could hit its debt ceiling within days. Here's what you need to know.]( The U.S. is expected to hit its debt ceiling Thursday, forcing the Treasury to take "extraordinary measures" to pay off its bills. A political stalemate could lead to an unprecedented federal default. [Read more.]( [A monument to the Kings, 'The Embrace' is unveiled on Boston Common]( Crowds gathered to bear witness to this historic moment and hear remarks from prominent Massachusetts leaders, including former Gov. Deval Patrick, U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Boston Mayor Michele Wu. [Read more.]( [A monument to the Kings, 'The Embrace' is unveiled on Boston Common]( Crowds gathered to bear witness to this historic moment and hear remarks from prominent Massachusetts leaders, including former Gov. Deval Patrick, U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Boston Mayor Michele Wu. [Read more.]( [Siamak Namazi, imprisoned since 2015 by Iran, has begun a hunger strike]( The Iranian American businessman's hunger strike marks seven years after he was left out of a prisoner swap when the Iran nuclear deal took effect. He's appealing to President Biden for action. [Read more.]( [Siamak Namazi, imprisoned since 2015 by Iran, has begun a hunger strike]( The Iranian American businessman's hunger strike marks seven years after he was left out of a prisoner swap when the Iran nuclear deal took effect. He's appealing to President Biden for action. [Read more.]( [Across Mass., small businesses saw less-than-stellar holiday shopping sales]( Local small businesses saw the dollar amount in holiday sales increase by slightly more than 1% last year over the 2021 holiday shopping season, well shy of the 4% annual increase the Retailers Association of Massachusetts said is typical. [Read more.]( [Across Mass., small businesses saw less-than-stellar holiday shopping sales]( Local small businesses saw the dollar amount in holiday sales increase by slightly more than 1% last year over the 2021 holiday shopping season, well shy of the 4% annual increase the Retailers Association of Massachusetts said is typical. [Read more.]( [US Navy warship to bear name of Massachusetts Medal of Honor recipient]( A U.S. Navy destroyer is going to bear the name of a Medal of Honor recipient from Massachusetts who continued to direct his unit despite being severely wounded in Vietnam. [Read more.]( [US Navy warship to bear name of Massachusetts Medal of Honor recipient]( A U.S. Navy destroyer is going to bear the name of a Medal of Honor recipient from Massachusetts who continued to direct his unit despite being severely wounded in Vietnam. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Who says Friday the 13th is unlucky? A Maine resident bought a Mega Millions ticket this past Friday — and won the lottery's estimated [$1.35 billion grand prize]( (though they likely will walk away with less than half of that, as WBUR's Todd Wallack [points out](. - The OBERON theater, a stage on the edge of Harvard Square that notably hosted "The Donkey Show," closed after the American Repertory Theater said they weren't renewing the lease. Now, it's being [completely redesigned into a black box theater.]( - People know very little about ice worms. (Yes, you read that right, ice worms.) They're tiny, black worms that live in mountaintop glaciers. However, Short Wave host Emily Kwong takes a deeper dive into what we do know about these mysterious creatures. [Listen in.]( - 2022 was a year of many things, but would you guess it was also a year of hundreds of UFO sightings? According to the Pentagon's new office for investigating these UFO reports, [hundreds were filed last year — and a chunk of them remain unexplained.](  What We're Reading 📚 - ‘God. Guns. Gas stoves.’ The culture wars range into the kitchen. ([The Boston Globe]( - When Did We All Become Pop Culture Detectives? ([The New York Times]( - Can a Video Game Be Prestige TV? ([The New Yorker](  Tell Me Something Good [Brookline sculptor turning ice into art (CBS Boston)]( Eric Fontecchio has always had a passion for art, and now he's put his skills to work through ice sculptures. [Read more.]( [Brookline sculptor turning ice into art (CBS Boston)]( Eric Fontecchio has always had a passion for art, and now he's put his skills to work through ice sculptures. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common features [WBUR Morning Edition host Rupa Shenoy's conversation with Imari Paris Jeffries]( the executive director of Embrace Boston. Before you go: South Station [Slimesicles]( exist. 😎 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.