The NH-Mass war of words get reheated

Also: Boston's first heat wave of 2023; are you paying for your utility's political activities? [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  July 27, 2023 🌤️ Partly sunny, with a high near 93 and isolated storms. Good Morning Boston, There's [a heat emergency in effect today and tomorrow]( in Boston. That means [the city's community centers will be open to help residents cool off]( as well as [dozens of splash pads](. Remember to stay hydrated and avoid [these mistakes]( if you're going out. We have more on the weather below, but first some proverbial heat. - Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey [has no interest in getting into a war of words]( with former U.S. senator and New Hampshire gubernatorial candidate Kelly Ayotte over her anti-Bay State rhetoric. But the same can't be said for every Massachusetts official. "It's kind of sad that she would do something like that," Lowell City Manager Tom Golden told WBUR's Dave Faneuf, calling Ayotte's recent comments targeting his community "cheap" and "childish." - Here's the backstory: Ayotte, a Republican, served in the U.S. Senate from 2011 to 2017 and is [one of several candidates who have jumped into the 2024 race]( to replace [outgoing]( New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu. the past week, she has warned ([repeatedly]( the Granite State is "one election away" from becoming Massachusetts (which, according to her, is a bad thing). Ayotte dialed in [during a Fox News interview]( singling out Lowell and Lawrence as the source of her state's fentanyl problems. "It's killing our citizens," said Ayotte, who subsequently [took aim at WBZ's Jon Keller yesterday]( for [pushing back]( on her strategy. - Golden, a former longtime Democratic state representative, is pushing back, too. He argued that Ayotte's time in the Senate did not result in any solutions "that actually made a difference" addressing the fentanyl crisis. He added New Hampshire spends less on substance abuse and mental health services than other states and suggested Ayotte focus on changing that if she becomes governor. "But I think it starts with an apology," Golden said. - Meanwhile in Lawrence: City Council President Marc Laplante has extended an invite to Ayotte to witness the city's drug enforcement efforts and "improve the cooperative relationship between our governments," [according to The Eagle-Tribune](. - It's not the first time a Republican has pointed the finger at the two Merrimack Valley cities for [the growing fentanyl crisis]( in New Hampshire. [Sununu]( [former Maine Gov. Paul LePage]( and [former President Donald Trump]( all did the same thing in 2016 and 2017. (At the time, former Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said illegal drugs take "a lot of different paths" through the country and called for working "together as a community to deal with this.") - Calling all artists: Lynn is looking for local creatives to help turn bus stop shelters into works of art. LeCrecia Thompson, an arts and culture planner for the city, tells WBUR's Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez they're hoping to incorporate more art into commuters’ daily lives and the shelters are "perfect canvases" to engage them. "People are using them. Why not make them more interesting?" Thompson said. - You have to act fast: The [deadline for "Art on the Move" proposals]( is by end of the day tomorrow. - No more nips in New Bedford: The South Coast city's licensing board controversially voted to ban the sale of the miniature alcohol bottles this week — and it's created a bit of a kerfuffle. WPRI [reports the New Bedford City Council is pretty peeved]( that the board unilaterally made the call without consulting them. However, Mayor Jon Mitchell is standing behind the move, calling nips "a major source of litter." - What's next: The ban will take effect only after New Bedford's liquor stores sell off their current inventory, which the licensing board estimates won't be until November. P.S.— If you need a Newport Folk Fest primer (or just don't want to drive quite as far), come down to [the Sound On Music Festival tonight at CitySpace]( Concord native Ali McGuirk and friends will be filling the air with soulful, blues-tinged grooves. Grab a ticket (or two) [here](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Boston faces its first heat wave of 2023]( Officials urged vulnerable people to seek refuge indoors in cool places, while some hard-core summer fans strategized to keep enjoying the outdoors. [Read more.]( [Boston faces its first heat wave of 2023]( Officials urged vulnerable people to seek refuge indoors in cool places, while some hard-core summer fans strategized to keep enjoying the outdoors. [Read more.]( [Advocates want to limit how utilities pay for 'political activities' in Mass.]( When you pay your monthly gas and electric bills, you might be supporting your utility’s attempts to influence climate policy. Some in Massachusetts want to change this. [Read more.]( [Advocates want to limit how utilities pay for 'political activities' in Mass.]( When you pay your monthly gas and electric bills, you might be supporting your utility’s attempts to influence climate policy. Some in Massachusetts want to change this. [Read more.]( [Mass. auditor moves to sue the Legislature into complying with her review]( Under state law, the auditor's office cannot initiate a lawsuit on its own and must instead ask the attorney general for authorization to head to court, regardless of whether the other party is a public or private entity. DiZoglio's memo filed Wednesday is an official first step toward that goal. [Read more.]( [Mass. auditor moves to sue the Legislature into complying with her review]( Under state law, the auditor's office cannot initiate a lawsuit on its own and must instead ask the attorney general for authorization to head to court, regardless of whether the other party is a public or private entity. DiZoglio's memo filed Wednesday is an official first step toward that goal. [Read more.]( [Irish singer Sinead O'Connor has died at 56]( O'Connor, who had one of the biggest hits of the early 1990s with her version of "Nothing Compares 2 U," became as well known for her political convictions and the tumult in her life as for her songs. [Read more.]( [Irish singer Sinead O'Connor has died at 56]( O'Connor, who had one of the biggest hits of the early 1990s with her version of "Nothing Compares 2 U," became as well known for her political convictions and the tumult in her life as for her songs. [Read more.]( [Survey: Boston parents plan to spend $650 per child on back-to-school items]( The average Boston parent is preparing to spend about $650 on back-to-school related items over the next few weeks, according to a new survey from consulting firm Deloitte. [Read more.]( [Survey: Boston parents plan to spend $650 per child on back-to-school items]( The average Boston parent is preparing to spend about $650 on back-to-school related items over the next few weeks, according to a new survey from consulting firm Deloitte. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Dunnn dun, dunnn dun... The weekend is lurking, and you can send off Shark Week with a screening of "Jaws" every night through Saturday at the New England Aquarium. Or if that John Williams score isn't your speed, there's local jazz and classical musical performances to sink your teeth into. Check out [our full weekend events preview here](. - Help a turtle out: Marine experts are alarmed about an increase in "cold-stunned" sea turtle strandings across New England. But what can you do if you see a shelled friend in trouble? Here are [a few tips](. - Maya Bodnick, a rising sophomore at Harvard, [recently asked her professors to grade essays written by ChatGPT]( to see how well they could detect AI-generated work. The experiment has already led to one prominent professor changing his curriculum. - Seeing "Barbie" with an old friend reminded WBUR editor Sara Shukla of all the different versions of herself. She [writes in this essay about how important it is]( to be seen and loved for all of them.  What We're Reading 📚 This section is supported by [Beacon Hill Books]( a new independent bookstore. - Was the Rolled-Up Painting in the Dog Walker’s Closet Worth Millions? ([The New York Times]( - Drag queen story hours: pulling back the sequined curtain ([CommonWealth]( - With health scare behind him, Mike Gorman is ready for one last season as Celtics voice ([The Athletic](  Tell Me Something Good [8-year-old Ciara Barber halfway to goal of visiting all 351 Massachusetts city and town halls (CBS Boston)]( Barber's uncle was visiting from California when he saw on a restaurant's lottery screen that there are 351 cities and towns in the Commonwealth. He didn't believe the number was so high for such a small state." So he made a spreadsheet of it and mom was like 'Well now we have to do it if we have a whole entire spreadsheet.' " [Read more.]( [8-year-old Ciara Barber halfway to goal of visiting all 351 Massachusetts city and town halls (CBS Boston)]( Barber's uncle was visiting from California when he saw on a restaurant's lottery screen that there are 351 cities and towns in the Commonwealth. He didn't believe the number was so high for such a small state." So he made a spreadsheet of it and mom was like 'Well now we have to do it if we have a whole entire spreadsheet.' " [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [explains how your gas or electric bill may be helping to fund your utility’s attempts]( to influence climate policy. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: It's chaos out there, from the [Crane Estate]( to [Sullivan's on Castle Island](. 😎 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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