What happens in Mass. if the gov shuts down

Also: Why everyone's mad at Curt Schilling again; former treasurer sues current treasurer over hazy suspension [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  September 29, 2023 ☁️ Cloudy, with a high of 64 and a good chance of rain in the afternoon. Good Morning Boston, In [the words of Rep. Jim McGovern yesterday]( it will take a "miracle" to avoid a shutdown of the federal government this weekend. If it happens, the effects will be felt far from Washington, D.C. You've probably heard this story before ([in 2018]( [in 2013]( etc). But it's a little different this time; the potential shutdown isn't because of conflict between Democrats and Republicans. Instead, it's [because of infighting among congressional Republicans](. [Click here for NPR's look]( at what would — and wouldn't — be affected by a shutdown at the national level. Keep scrolling to see how those impacts would be felt across Massachusetts: - Federal workers: There are nearly 30,000 federal employees based in Massachusetts. Some would be immediately furloughed without pay. Others considered essential employees — like the state's nearly 15,000 military members — would be required to keep working, but miss their next paycheck if the shutdown continues into mid-October. (The good news is that both groups will get back pay for the period once the potential shutdown ends, [thanks to a 2019 law]( - Logan Airport: Massport says they don't expect interruptions in service "at this time" because air traffic controllers and TSA officers are among the workers deemed essential. However, [during previous shutdowns]( many began calling out sick, leading to delays at airports. If you're traveling in the near future, plan accordingly. - Food assistance: Massachusetts officials say they'd be able keep federally funded food programs for low-income residents like SNAP and WIC running during the shutdown. But some worry those programs could begin to dry up by the end of October. More than 1 million Bay Staters depend on SNAP and another 125,921 residents use WIC. - Head Start: Some of the 159 Head Start child care programs in Massachusetts would have to scramble for new funding streams in the event of a shutdown. As WBUR's Emily Piper-Vallillo reports, some of the programs run on a fiscal year calendar that begins Oct. 1. Tommy Sheridan, the deputy director of the National Head Start Association, says such centers would have to pull from reserves or lines of credit, and could temporarily close if the shutdown lasts long. - Disaster recovery: For now, the Small Business Administration says it's "business as usual" for residents applying for [disaster relief loans]( in the wake of this summer's flooding. However, FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund is running short of money and the agency [has already paused payments]( on less pressing projects. - Medicare and Social Security: Payments through Medicare and Social Security [will keep going out automatically]( regardless of a shutdown. Still, since some staff at those agencies may face furloughs, initial Medicare enrollment could be disrupted. - Veterans: VA benefits like health care and pensions also continue automatically. But, according to Boston City Council President Ed Flynn's office, some veterans services, such as transition assistance and career counseling, are likely to be affected by a shutdown. - Go deeper: [Click here]( for our full story on what the local impacts of a shutdown would look like in the Bay State. - Tune in: Sen. Elizabeth Warren will be on Radio Boston this morning to talk more about the shutdown. Listen at 11 a.m. Now, to slightly more functional bodies of government: - The [tax relief bill]( is officially on Gov. Maura Healey's desk (at least, figuratively speaking). The state Senate overwhelmingly approved the wide-ranging piece of legislation yesterday (like the House, there was [only one no vote](. Senate President Karen Spilka called it "the most significant tax relief package in a generation." - Set your timers: Healey has 10 days to sign or veto the bill. (She's been a big fan of passing tax relief, so bet on the first option.) - Electric vehicle chargers are returning to the Mass. Pike. State officials plan to have new charging stations up and running at six highway rest stops by the end of the year — replacing the chargers that were [decommissioned this past spring]( after frequent breakdowns. - Where will they be located: The chargers will be at rest stops on both sides of the Pike in Charlton and Lee, plus westbound in Framingham and eastbound in Natick. - Go deeper: [A look at EV infrastructure in Massachusetts](. - Today is the first day of Topsfield Fair, which [runs through Oct. 9](. It's also the second day of the [Deerfield Fair]( which — and this may be my New Hampshire-native bias showing — I think is better. P.S.— The Salem chapter of this historic organization has started to see its members disappear. Do you know what organization it is? Take our [Boston News Quiz]( and test your knowledge of this week's stories. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Red Sox say Tim Wakefield is in treatment, asks for privacy after illness outed by Schilling]( The team issued a statement on Thursday after Schilling said on a podcast that Wakefield had brain cancer, leading to an outpouring of support for Wakefield — and criticism of Schilling. [Read more.]( [Red Sox say Tim Wakefield is in treatment, asks for privacy after illness outed by Schilling]( The team issued a statement on Thursday after Schilling said on a podcast that Wakefield had brain cancer, leading to an outpouring of support for Wakefield — and criticism of Schilling. [Read more.]( [Top cannabis regulator O'Brien sues treasurer over suspension]( The lawsuit, filed in Suffolk Superior Court, is the latest sign of upheaval around the agency that oversees the state's legal cannabis sector and lays bare details of internal acrimony. [Read more.]( [Top cannabis regulator O'Brien sues treasurer over suspension]( The lawsuit, filed in Suffolk Superior Court, is the latest sign of upheaval around the agency that oversees the state's legal cannabis sector and lays bare details of internal acrimony. [Read more.]( [Have a complaint about CVS? So do pharmacists: Many just walked out]( After a large walkout forced at least a dozen stores to shut down in the Kansas City area, CVS promises change. But critics say the crisis in staffing and unfair pay extends beyond that market. [Read more.]( [Have a complaint about CVS? So do pharmacists: Many just walked out]( After a large walkout forced at least a dozen stores to shut down in the Kansas City area, CVS promises change. But critics say the crisis in staffing and unfair pay extends beyond that market. [Read more.]( [Woman pleads guilty to calling in hoax bomb threat at Boston Children's Hospital]( A Massachusetts woman has pleaded guilty to calling in a fake bomb threat at Boston Children’s Hospital as it faced a barrage of harassment over its surgical program for transgender youths. [Read more.]( [Woman pleads guilty to calling in hoax bomb threat at Boston Children's Hospital]( A Massachusetts woman has pleaded guilty to calling in a fake bomb threat at Boston Children’s Hospital as it faced a barrage of harassment over its surgical program for transgender youths. [Read more.]( [MBTA announces new climate office to reduce its environmental footprint]( The MBTA plans to establish a new office that will focus on preparing the system for climate change and minimizing the T's impact on the environment. [Read more.]( [MBTA announces new climate office to reduce its environmental footprint]( The MBTA plans to establish a new office that will focus on preparing the system for climate change and minimizing the T's impact on the environment. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Just in time for foliage season: Massachusetts has a new state department aimed at getting more people to spend time outdoors. Paul Jahnige, the director of the newly created Office of Outdoor Recreation, [spoke with WBUR’s Morning Edition about his new gig]( and what Massachusetts has to offer outside. - What happens when you reimagine “Hamlet” through the lens of a Black family’s fraught backyard barbecue? You get "Fat Ham," a hilarious and thought-provoking nod to “that old white dude’s tragedy" now playing at Boston's Calderwood Pavilion. Read theater critic Terry Byrne's review [here](. - Once a de facto translator for older relatives, Judy Bolton-Fasman [writes in this commentary]( that she's been losing her grasp on Spanish for over a decade. "I know my grammar is in tatters, my fluency slipping by the day," she writes. "Yet I remain fiercely Latinx."  What We're Reading 📚 - Lesbian bars are disappearing nationwide, but there are signs of life in Mass. ([The Boston Globe]( - Nearly 1,000 Apply for Taylor Swift, Beyoncé Reporting Jobs: ‘This Is How We Save Local Journalism’ ([The Wall Street Journal]( - She challenges one school book a week. She says she’ll never stop. ([Washington Post](  🔎 Field Guide [Jamaica Plain: A Boston neighborhood guide]( Known for its iconic green spaces, vibrant LGBTQ scene and Latin Quarter, Jamaica Plain is a diverse neighborhood with a history of progressive activism that now sees its inclusive identity imperiled by gentrification. [Read more.]( [Jamaica Plain: A Boston neighborhood guide]( Known for its iconic green spaces, vibrant LGBTQ scene and Latin Quarter, Jamaica Plain is a diverse neighborhood with a history of progressive activism that now sees its inclusive identity imperiled by gentrification. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [reflects on four decades of The Dorchester Reporter]( and how it helped shaped the Boston we know today. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: The T is (unintentionally) [ready for Halloween](. 😎 Forward to a friend. 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