A reason to procrastinate

Also: Countdown to sports betting's second launch; get your GED for free [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  February 10, 2023 🏖️ Mostly sunny, with a high near 61. Good Morning Boston, This time last week we were bracing for [unthinkable wind chills]( and now... we'll see [near-record highs]( with temperatures reaching 60. That's called shorts weather in New England. (Then again, [some people]( consider single digits shorts weather, too.) To the news. - Planning to get an early start on your taxes this weekend? Here's a good reason to procrastinate a little longer: The IRS is [asking people in at least 19 states]( including Massachusetts, to hold off on filing their tax returns. Why? Well, the federal agency is still trying to figure out how to handle all the various special tax refunds and payments that many states issued in 2022. And [the 62F rebates that Massachusetts sent out to over 3 million taxpayers]( last fall fit that description. - How long do you have to wait? Unclear! The IRS said it would provide "additional clarity" this week. But so far, no more details have been shared. (In the meantime, you can join me over on [the IRS press release webpage]( repeatedly hitting refresh.) - On the other hand: Some local experts say just go ahead and file. Worcester-based accountant Michael Sacco told WBUR's Dave Faneuf that he's telling clients not to delay doing their returns. Sacco says he'd just include the 62F rebate "as part of or in addition to the normal state tax refund that you received." - What does that mean? While the 62F rebates won't be taxed as income at the state level, Massachusetts officials say the feds may tax them "to the extent that the recipient claimed itemized deductions" on their return last year. In other words, only if you didn't take the standard deduction — in which case that state should be sending you [a form]( to report the rebate on your tax return. (Unless you [got a really big rebate]( it ultimately shouldn't make a huge difference for your tax refund.) - What if you already filed your taxes? Don't worry about it; at this point, the IRS is saying not to amend already-filed 2022 returns. - Get ready for the [launch of sports betting in Massachusetts]( part two. The state's Gaming Commission is planning to launch mobile sports betting exactly one month from today — at 10 a.m. on March 10. That's the Friday before the beginning of the NCAA basketball tournament. That gives the commission a little buffer room in case "there's any issues before March Madness starts," Karen Wells, the commission's executive director, said during a meeting Thursday. (Officials plan to finalize that launch date next week, as long as mobile betting companies have their paperwork in order.) - When that day comes, up to [11 mobile sports betting platforms]( including popular apps like DraftKings and FanDuel, will get the greenlight to go live. - In truth, this launch is quite bigger than the start of in-person sports betting last month. National industry research has shown that over 90% of the money from sports wagers is now bet online. According to DraftKings spokesman Jamie Chisholm, it's "unquestionably the dominant channel for sports betting." - Woops: State regulators are also looking into illegal bets accepted by Plainridge Park Casino and Encore Boston Harbor, which briefly allowed wagers on a Merrimack College men's basketball game and a Boston College women's basketball game, respectively. (Remember, bets on in-state college teams [generally aren't allowed]( It seems like the issue was due to simple catalog errors. - Goodbye, shuttle buses. Red Line subway service is [resuming today at Alewife]( nearly a week after an "intentional" single-car crash caused what officials estimate will be over $1 million of damage to the station's parking garage and main lobby. - For now, riders can only enter and exit the station through the nearby Russell Field head house (not the lobby). But MBTA officials are [putting up signs showing the way there](. - Massachusetts has no term limits for the governor and — [as of 2015]( — no term limits for the House speaker. Now, the same is true for the Senate president. The Senate voted 32-6 Thursday to lift its eight-year term limit on the position. State House News Service [has more on the reasoning for the move]( (as well as some criticism it has received). - The rule would have otherwise forced current Senate President Karen Spilka to step down from her leadership post in 2026. P.S.— Sen. Elizabeth Warren pitched a plan this week to cap this service at $10-a-day nationwide. Do you know what it is? Then [take our Boston News Quiz](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [High school equivalency exam is now free for learners in Mass.]( The move will cost the department about $800,000 per year, which will come out of the state's $60 million annual budget for adult education. [Read more.]( [High school equivalency exam is now free for learners in Mass.]( The move will cost the department about $800,000 per year, which will come out of the state's $60 million annual budget for adult education. [Read more.]( [6 major takeaways from the ATF's first report in 20 years on U.S. gun crime]( The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives released a major report that details how stolen guns and emerging technology like "ghost guns" play a factor in gun violence in the U.S. [Read more.]( [6 major takeaways from the ATF's first report in 20 years on U.S. gun crime]( The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives released a major report that details how stolen guns and emerging technology like "ghost guns" play a factor in gun violence in the U.S. [Read more.]( [Records obtained under new Mass. law show Holyoke police dismiss nearly all civilian complaints]( An investigation by New England Public Media found that only in a few cases do civilian complaints of police misconduct result in disciplinary action. This comes after a 2020 sweeping police reform law clarified that law enforcement misconduct investigations were not “personnel records" but rather public records. [Read more.]( [Records obtained under new Mass. law show Holyoke police dismiss nearly all civilian complaints]( An investigation by New England Public Media found that only in a few cases do civilian complaints of police misconduct result in disciplinary action. This comes after a 2020 sweeping police reform law clarified that law enforcement misconduct investigations were not “personnel records" but rather public records. [Read more.]( [Russia is draining a massive Ukrainian reservoir, endangering a nuclear plant]( Satellite data show water levels plummeting at the massive Kakhovka Reservoir. The reservoir supplies drinking water, irrigates vast tracts of farmland, and cools Europe's largest nuclear plant. [Read more.]( [Russia is draining a massive Ukrainian reservoir, endangering a nuclear plant]( Satellite data show water levels plummeting at the massive Kakhovka Reservoir. The reservoir supplies drinking water, irrigates vast tracts of farmland, and cools Europe's largest nuclear plant. [Read more.]( [The T needs dispatchers, and will continue to dangle $10,000 sign-on bonuses to hire them]( With train service still running at diminished levels, staffing efforts in the MBTA's operations control center have plateaued since December. The agency will keep offering a $10,000 sign-on bonus through June to attract dispatchers critical to reversing months-long service cuts. [Read more.]( [The T needs dispatchers, and will continue to dangle $10,000 sign-on bonuses to hire them]( With train service still running at diminished levels, staffing efforts in the MBTA's operations control center have plateaued since December. The agency will keep offering a $10,000 sign-on bonus through June to attract dispatchers critical to reversing months-long service cuts. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - A new gallery in Salem is opening this weekend with the aim of providing a space for outsider art and nontraditional artists to showcase their paintings, sculptures and other pieces. Arts writer Olivia Deng [got a sneak peek inside](. - The "Canadian Girlfriend" has been fodder for jokes on TV, movies, the internet and likely many, many classrooms. But what happens when you actually have a girlfriend in Canada? The Endless Thread co-hosts [talk to a Redditor about the girl he fell for when the internet was new](. - Guess what? The Super Bowl is this Sunday! For the first time in the game's history, the matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles [will feature two Black quarterbacks]( (as well as [two brothers playing against each other](. Here are [five storylines to watch](. - "One Fine Morning," a movie about mourning someone while they’re still alive, opens locally today at the Coolidge Corner Theatre and at Kendall Square Cinema. Film critic Sean Burns writes that there's "a beautiful flow to the picture." Read [his full review here](.  What We're Reading 📚 - What Do Candy Hearts Tell Us? Be Clever. Be Current. Be Mine. ([The New York Times]( - How a newspaper and a museum partnered to create a project on the Dutch colonial past ([Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism]( - A ‘twisted’ experience: How KY’s abortion bans are depriving pregnant patients of health care ([Lexington Herald Leader](  Tell Me Something Good [6 February break activities around Boston to fend off boredom]( Take a look at six fun, family-friendly events happening in and around Boston this February vacation week. (Pssst—most of them are free.) [Read more.]( [6 February break activities around Boston to fend off boredom]( Take a look at six fun, family-friendly events happening in and around Boston this February vacation week. (Pssst—most of them are free.) [Read more.]( Listen: The Common pays a [visit to Boston's new dumpling factory](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: Well, [from this angle](... 😎 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.