The (water-logged) dog days of August

Also: COVID creeps up in Mass.; what's in Healey's first budget [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  August 14, 2023 🌤️ Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. Good Morning Boston, Just [like Mayor Michelle Wu]( we're back from vacation. And we have a lot of catching up to do, from [sinkholes]( to [spiked Dunkin' drinks]( to "[something we've never seen before]( at Fenway Park. Here's a look at what's ahead and what we missed during the week off: - Gov. Maura Healey is planning to meet with local officials in the Merrimack Valley — the latest region in Massachusetts to be affected by torrential rain — to see what help the state can provide. Some parts of Haverhill, North Andover, Lawrence and Methuen saw six inches of rain from [the intense storm last Tuesday](. Residents are continuing to file insurance claims and sort through property damage this week. - Haverhill was especially hard hit. Mayor James Fiorentini told WBUR's Amy Sokolow the rain likely led to [a massive sinkhole]( that forced a five-unit home to be evacuated and will cost the city over $1 million to repair. Despite declaring a state of emergency, Fiorentini said he's worried the city won't qualify for federal aid. "The fire chief has been on the force for 30 to 40 years. He says he hasn't seen anything like it," Fiorentini said. "Five or six inches came down in about an hour. It was an absolute deluge." Scientists say the pattern of heavy rainfall we've gotten this summer is [directly related to climate change](. - PSA: Haverhill officials are asking residents and business owners to fill out [a form describing any damage]( they experienced from the storm. The deadline is this Thursday. - The wait is over: As of last week, Massachusetts residents can now reap the full benefits of the state's rebates for buying (or even leasing) a new or used electric car. As WBUR's Miriam Wasser reports, that means up to $5,000 in savings for local EV buyers, including $1,000 for trading in your gas-guzzler. - The deets: The program does limit what cars qualify and — under the new rebates for used EVs — how much money you make. Read Miriam's [full explainer here]( on all the eligibility rules. The state also has [a list showing how big the rebate is for each specific EV model]( from MINIs to Teslas. - Psst: Remember, the state incentives are separate from [the federal government's new EV rebates]( which can add up to $7,500 on top of the state's cash. And yes, you can apply for both. - Go deeper: The federal government is also offering sizable carrots to the auto industry to transition to electric. But there's [a big debate]( around whether the current timeline is doable. - A Falmouth man has [pled guilty to sending a bomb threat to Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs]( over certifying the 2020 election during her tenure as secretary of state. Thirty-eight-year-old James Clark faces up to five years in prison. (He'll be sentenced in October.) - Zoom out: Violent threats against public officials are [trending up across the nation]( fueled by right-wing actors. - ICYMI: Healey [signed into law]( her first annual state budget last Wednesday, approving the vast majority of the $56 billion spending bill, which includes a slew of new initiatives and policies. [Listen here for a full breakdown of what made it into the budget]( from WBUR's Steve Brown. Or read below for a few highlights: - Free school lunches, permanently: The budget includes money to permanently extend the pandemic-era program that offers all K-12 students free school meals, regardless of their family's income. The program will save families up to $1,200 per student per year, according to Senate President Karen Spilka. - Free degrees, too: The new "MassReconnect" program will fund free community college for students ages 25 and older without a college degree. The budget will also make nursing programs in the state's community college system free, too. - Free prison calls... soon: Phone calls will be free for inmates in state and county prison, but Healey [delayed the start date until December]( to give officials some wiggle room for implementation. - Boston's seat at the MBTA table: The budget adds two more seats to the MBTA's Board of Directors — one of which would be appointed by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. It's [a long-awaited change]( that Boston had been pushing for for years. P.S.— Not to [get ahead of the final weeks of August]( but CitySpace's fall 2023 lineup is now out! [Click here]( to check out the schedule of speakers and lock down your tickets to events with guests like NPR's Steve Inskeep to poet Robert Pinsky to local chef Nia Grace. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow]( Hanna Ali Associate Producer, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Hawaii's governor orders review as Maui fires become deadliest in modern U.S. history]( Hawaii Gov. Josh Green ordered a comprehensive review to understand the actions taken before, during and after last week’s wildfires on Maui. The fires killed at least 96 people and destroyed more than 2,700 structures in and around the historic town of Lahaina. [Read more.]( [Hawaii's governor orders review as Maui fires become deadliest in modern U.S. history]( Hawaii Gov. Josh Green ordered a comprehensive review to understand the actions taken before, during and after last week’s wildfires on Maui. The fires killed at least 96 people and destroyed more than 2,700 structures in and around the historic town of Lahaina. [Read more.]( [After a lull, COVID is creeping up again in Mass.]( COVID is not as severe for most people as it used to be, but those at high risk should take precautions, experts say. [Read more.]( [After a lull, COVID is creeping up again in Mass.]( COVID is not as severe for most people as it used to be, but those at high risk should take precautions, experts say. [Read more.]( [Former foster children win $7 million settlement after alleging state turned blind eye to abuse]( Four former foster children sued the Department of Children and Families Services and 17 DCF workers in Middlesex Superior Court, claiming their constitutional rights were violated by the organization’s indifference to the children’s treatment by a Massachusetts couple. [Read more.]( [Former foster children win $7 million settlement after alleging state turned blind eye to abuse]( Four former foster children sued the Department of Children and Families Services and 17 DCF workers in Middlesex Superior Court, claiming their constitutional rights were violated by the organization’s indifference to the children’s treatment by a Massachusetts couple. [Read more.]( [A lot is happening in Florida education. These are some of the changes kids will see]( The Florida education system has been in the spotlight lately after Gov. Ron DeSantis banned diversity and inclusion programs in public colleges and approved a controversial social studies curriculum. [Read more.]( [A lot is happening in Florida education. These are some of the changes kids will see]( The Florida education system has been in the spotlight lately after Gov. Ron DeSantis banned diversity and inclusion programs in public colleges and approved a controversial social studies curriculum. [Read more.]( [In Mass., frustration mounts as Purdue's bankruptcy drags on]( The delay on the national stage has frustrated some in Massachusetts who have waited for years for the bankruptcy to conclude — and for the billions in funding to combat the opioid epidemic to finally make it to the impacted states. [Read more.]( [In Mass., frustration mounts as Purdue's bankruptcy drags on]( The delay on the national stage has frustrated some in Massachusetts who have waited for years for the bankruptcy to conclude — and for the billions in funding to combat the opioid epidemic to finally make it to the impacted states. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Fisheries in Maine are [blaming the loss of 50,000 salmon at two farms on none other than hungry seals](. Company officials say the "unusually aggressive seal behavior" is the result of a significant increase in the seal population across the Gulf of Maine. - Radio Boston marked the 50th anniversary of hip-hop with a deep dive into how Boston played a role in the early history of the genre with local journalist and historian Dart Adams. [Listen to the full segment here]( — and make sure to listen to Here & Now's [playlist of five hip-hop songs from each of the five decades](. - The Brattle Theatre staff is remembering the life of Paul Reubens this week with special screenings of "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure." Film critic Sean Burns previews the shows, while [remembering the "hilariously stunted man-child who hovered somewhere circa puberty for a four-decade career."]( - Twenty years ago, you’d have trouble finding black sea bass in local waters or at dinner tables. But over the last decade, the species has become more common in the Northeast. [Explore how]( climate change has led to an abundance of this fish, and how fishermen are adapting.  What We're Reading 📚 - Applicants, Colleges Want to Know More About You and Your ‘Identity’ ([The New York Times]( - As Cape Cod aims to expand its underused airport, some residents wonder why ([The Boston Globe]( - Whatever Happened to the Relaxing Days of August? ([The Wall Street Journal](  Tell Me Something Good [Some family-friendly ideas to close out your summer]( Summer isn’t over yet! In fact, there are many ways to make sweet summer memories in the city before the kids in your life march back on to the school bus. Here are some ideas, plus tips from parents in WBUR’s newsroom. [Read more.]( [Some family-friendly ideas to close out your summer]( Summer isn’t over yet! In fact, there are many ways to make sweet summer memories in the city before the kids in your life march back on to the school bus. Here are some ideas, plus tips from parents in WBUR’s newsroom. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common goes inside [the recent allegations of discrimination against senior leaders at the Worcester Art Museum](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [The new king and queen of Boston.]( 😎 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 © 2023 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.