Scratch that

Also: The unexpected origin story of the birth control pill; a statewide school cellphone crackdown? [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  May 24, 2023 🌤️ Mostly sunny, with a high near 70. Good Morning Boston, The Celtics [got one](. To [paraphrase Kevin Millar]( don't let them get two. (Game 5 is back in Boston tomorrow night.) Now, to the news: - Scratch that: Plans for a so-called "iLottery" in Massachusetts suffered a setback yesterday. State House News Service reports that the state Senate — which has long been [skeptical of online lottery measures]( — rejected a proposal to roll an "iLottery" system into their budget. - It's not over yet: The Senate's public rejection of the proposal effectively moves the debate behind closed doors, where House and Senate negotiators will eventually meet to work out the differences between their two budget proposals. - Supporters — which include a majority of state representatives, [Treasurer Deb Goldberg]( and, perhaps most importantly, Gov. Maura Healey — say letting the Massachusetts Lottery offer its products online is necessary so that it can compete in the 21st century, especially when online sports betting ads are [everywhere](. - Why do they care? Unlike private casinos and sports betting companies, the state lottery's net profits [go to cities and towns]( to help pay for everything from schools to snowplows. - However, critics point to a striking number: $800. That's how much the average Massachusetts resident spends on lottery tickets each year, which is the most in the country. If an online lottery system does move forward in the state, Attorney General Andrea Campbell says [there needs to be guardrails to prevent gambling addiction and other public health concerns](. - Phones away: Massachusetts education officials are encouraging schools to crack down on cellphones in classrooms. Education Commissioner Jeff Riley said yesterday the state will likely roll out a grant program to help schools test out various restrictions. - Zoom in: Some private boarding schools in Massachusetts[have already implemented smartphone bans]( to limit distraction. And many other public schools are trying lighter restrictions. - Zoom out: There's no statewide policy ... yet. "But we're certainly interested in piloting more of this," Riley said. - Go deeper: The U.S. surgeon general [warned yesterday]( that social media presents real risks to the mental health of children and teenagers because of how their brains are affected by using it. - Temperature check: A [new poll shows that Massachusetts parents are mostly satisfied]( by the quality of their kids' education. But mental health challenges are a top concern. - Parents of young children in Cambridge will have [free, publicly funded preschool]( as an option beginning in the fall of 2024. The city said yesterday that it plans to open applications for its new universal pre-K this upcoming winter for the 2024-2025 school year. The $20 million-a-year initiative will replace the city's current public preschool program, which is based on a lottery system and includes tuition fees. - Who's eligible? All Cambridge children who are 4 years old by Aug. 31, 2024 will be accepted into the preschool program. Three-year-olds can apply too, but they're not guaranteed a spot. - The free program will run during school hours and the school year, but families can pay for after-school and summer preschool. - A prep school in Danvers is [resuming classes for the first time today]( after a police officer [accidentally fired a gun inside a bathroom while responding to a hoax report of a school shooting](. While no one was injured, officials say the accident elevated the situation and resulted in a larger police response. Some students at the all-boys Catholic school ran into the woods near campus after hearing the gunshot. - What's next: The investigation is now focused on who was behind the hoax call and what caused the officer to fire his gun. P.S.— Want to know what is in the state Senate's budget proposal? Listen to [today's episode of The Common for more]( on the ongoing debate and how the Senate budget lines up with the House and Healey's proposals. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [A year after Uvalde's school massacre, healing remains elusive]( There are still many unresolved questions about the shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers. As they grasp for answers, surviving families and the broader community feel suspended in grief. [Read more.]( [A year after Uvalde's school massacre, healing remains elusive]( There are still many unresolved questions about the shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers. As they grasp for answers, surviving families and the broader community feel suspended in grief. [Read more.]( [The unexpected story of how the birth control pill was invented and tested]( In over 100 countries, the pill is available without a prescription. As the Food and Drug Administration considers a similar move in the U.S., advocates are revisiting the pill’s quirky and controversial beginnings. [Read more.]( [The unexpected story of how the birth control pill was invented and tested]( In over 100 countries, the pill is available without a prescription. As the Food and Drug Administration considers a similar move in the U.S., advocates are revisiting the pill’s quirky and controversial beginnings. [Read more.]( [DeSantis is expected to announce a presidential run on Twitter with Elon Musk]( The Florida governor’s wife further teased the likely run on Twitter with a video showing DeSantis taking to a stage with an American flag backdrop. [Read more.]( [DeSantis is expected to announce a presidential run on Twitter with Elon Musk]( The Florida governor’s wife further teased the likely run on Twitter with a video showing DeSantis taking to a stage with an American flag backdrop. [Read more.]( [Recent shark attacks are worrying beach-goers, yet experts say they're very rare]( Is it safe to go in the water? Here's what you need to know. [Read more.]( [Recent shark attacks are worrying beach-goers, yet experts say they're very rare]( Is it safe to go in the water? Here's what you need to know. [Read more.]( [Report: Mass. leads nation in rate of special education services for kids under 3]( Massachusetts provided special education services to about 10% of kids under age three in the 2020-21 school year, compared to a national rate of 3%, according to a new report. [Read more.]( [Report: Mass. leads nation in rate of special education services for kids under 3]( Massachusetts provided special education services to about 10% of kids under age three in the 2020-21 school year, compared to a national rate of 3%, according to a new report. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Speaking of the lottery: A father and son from Watertown [have been sent to prison for an elaborate lottery fraud scheme]( in which they bought 14,000 winning lottery tickets at a discount and then claimed the full prize amount. They were also convicted of defrauding the IRS. - The $20 million scheme worked because the original buyers of the lottery tickets wanted to avoid identification by the state lottery, which withholds taxes and outstanding child support payments from payouts. - Hate crimes reported in Massachusetts rose by more than 30% between 2021 and 2022, according to a new report from the Anti-Defamation League. Massachusetts trailed only Texas for the most number of white supremacist propaganda incidents. [Read more here]( about the report's findings and how top lawmakers are responding. - More than a year after the policy was first announced, Netflix [has officially begun its plan to make users pay extra for sharing passwords outside of their household](. That means an additional $7.99 a month for those who share their accounts with out-of-household users. - Kaivan Shroff [writes in this commentary]( that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently had his own Howard Dean moment in Iowa. But President Trump desensitized us to bizarre behavior, and we miss something when it fails to register on our radar, Shroff argues.  What We're Reading 📚 - Lessons From a Renters’ Utopia ([The New York Times Magazine]( - The First Social-Media Babies Are Growing Up—And They’re Horrified ([The Atlantic]( - The mayor, the business community, and so many fragile egos ([The Boston Globe](  Tell Me Something Good [View Boston observatory atop Prudential Tower announces opening date, ticket prices (CBS Boston)]( We now know when the public can ascend to the top of "View Boston," the three-floor observatory atop the Prudential Towerthat's replacing the "Top of The Hub" restaurant three years after it shut down. [Read more.]( [View Boston observatory atop Prudential Tower announces opening date, ticket prices (CBS Boston)]( We now know when the public can ascend to the top of "View Boston," the three-floor observatory atop the Prudential Towerthat's replacing the "Top of The Hub" restaurant three years after it shut down. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [breaks down the Senate budget debate this week]( and what issues are getting prioritization. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [Eight hundred words, at a minimum.]( 😎 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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