What a new climate assessment means for Mass.

Also: Meet MassDOT's new permanent leader; Harvard report on morgue thefts is delayed [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  November 14, 2023 ☁️ Cloudy, with a high near 47. Good Morning Boston, How you doin'? While [local "Friends" fans have something to celebrate]( this morning, a new climate report has a mix of good and bad news for Massachusetts. Before we get into that, lets run through some quick local news: - Meet the new MassDOT chief: After nearly two months of serving as the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s acting secretary, Monica Tibbits-Nutt has been given a permanent seat in Gov. Maura Healey’s cabinet. Healey appointed Tibbits-Nutt as the department’s [permanent leader]( yesterday, following [the departure this summer]( of former secretary [Gina Fiandaca](. As the department's permanent head, Tibbits-Nutt will oversee MassDOT’s four divisions: Highway, rail and transit, the Registry of Motor Vehicles, and aeronautics. She’ll also serve on the board of directors for two key transportation organizations: the Massachusetts Port Authority and the MBTA. - What’s at the top of her to-do list? Tibbits-Nutt sat down yesterday with Radio Boston to share a few of her priorities. In addition to resurrecting the MBTA, Tibbits-Nutt wants to develop a schedule to repair Cape Cod’s [aging Sagamore and Bourne bridges]( increase transportation options for residents in central and western Massachusetts and bring more transparency to her role. "It is about setting expectations and being very honest when we are unsure about something," she said. You can listen to the full interview [here](. - Before joining MassDOT this year as Fiandaca's undersecretary, Tibbits-Nutt spent six years as vice chair of the MBTA's Fiscal and Management Control Board, the predecessor to the T's current Board of Directors. As a result, transit advocates are familiar with her work — and they're largely welcoming the permanent appointment. "She has a lot of respect from environmental justice communities, frontline communities and the business community, and that is really tough to balance," Stacy Thompson, the director of the nonprofit LivableStreets, told WBUR's Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez. "So, I frankly can't think of a stronger pick for the position and I'm pleased to see her in this role." - Speaking of the MBTA (again): Remember that the Red Line's downtown night diversions begin tonight. That means[ no trains starting at 8:45 p.m. between Park Street and JFK/UMass]( tonight, Wednesday night and Thursday night — as well as all-day on Saturday and Sunday. - Shuttle buses will stop at most of the closed stations. [The only exception]( is if you're headed south at Downtown Crossing. - On Beacon Hill: The state Senate will take up a bill today to send Massachusetts' overwhelmed emergency family shelter system an extra $250 million. But unlike [the bill passed by the House last week]( the Senate's version would not require the Healey administration to create overflow shelters for families on [the newly created waitlist](. - The clock is ticking. If the Senate passes its bill today, lawmakers will have only through Wednesday to iron out the differences and vote on the compromise before adjourning for the holidays. - The latest: WBUR's Gabrielle Emanuel reports there were 22 families on the shelter waitlist as of yesterday afternoon. [Listen to this Radio Boston segment]( for more on the situation. - Day Three of the Andover teacher strike: Public schools in Andover are closed again today, as [the teacher strike in the town]( enters its third school day. [According to The Boston Globe]( yesterday the Andover teachers union was working on a counter to the district's most recent contract proposal to raise wages, but the two sides did not reach an agreement. - According to the Andover Education Association, the union began accruing fines [starting at $50,000]( yesterday, after the school district took them to court over the illegal strike. The judge-imposed fines are slated to rise the longer the strike goes on. - Neigh: After six years of officers on horseback, Worcester is shutting down its mounted police unit. [According to the Telegram & Gazette]( the city's police chief called the program "a highly effective form of community policing" but said its costs outweigh its benefits. The move will save the police department about $160,000 a year. - What's next: Worcester is now looking into potentially donating the program's five horses to another mounted police unit. P.S.— If you ever wanted a piece of Prince's purple wardrobe, now's your chance. A Boston auction company [has put more than 200 items up for sale this week]( after a plan to create a museum honoring the music icon was scrapped. Check out all the items — from a guitar played by Prince to a pair of stage-worn blue boots. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow]( Hanna Ali Associate Producer, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [8 takeaways for Mass. from the National Climate Assessment]( The fifth National Climate Assessment, produced every four years, details on the effects of climate change in the Northeast. Climate change will bring more heat waves, flooding and coastal erosion to the region. [Read more.]( [8 takeaways for Mass. from the National Climate Assessment]( The fifth National Climate Assessment, produced every four years, details on the effects of climate change in the Northeast. Climate change will bring more heat waves, flooding and coastal erosion to the region. [Read more.]( [Harvard report on morgue thefts is delayed, frustrating affected families]( Harvard Medical School appears to have temporarily halted donations to the school’s anatomical gift program in the aftermath of the scandal. [Read more.]( [Harvard report on morgue thefts is delayed, frustrating affected families]( Harvard Medical School appears to have temporarily halted donations to the school’s anatomical gift program in the aftermath of the scandal. [Read more.]( [Entrepreneurs want to use EV chargers to highlight historic Black landmarks]( Impact Energy's plan is to install EV chargers in key locations to boost business and tourism in historical Black neighborhoods. [Read more.]( [Entrepreneurs want to use EV chargers to highlight historic Black landmarks]( Impact Energy's plan is to install EV chargers in key locations to boost business and tourism in historical Black neighborhoods. [Read more.]( [Gov. Healey will stop disclosing out-of-state travel in advance]( Gov. Healey’s office said last Thursday that it will no longer tell the public in advance when Healey is traveling out of state because of unspecified “security concerns.” Healey’s office previously had informed the press before the governor or lieutenant governor was leaving Massachusetts, as has been typical of at least the last few gubernatorial administrations. [Read more.]( [Gov. Healey will stop disclosing out-of-state travel in advance]( Gov. Healey’s office said last Thursday that it will no longer tell the public in advance when Healey is traveling out of state because of unspecified “security concerns.” Healey’s office previously had informed the press before the governor or lieutenant governor was leaving Massachusetts, as has been typical of at least the last few gubernatorial administrations. [Read more.]( [Rent control advocates end 2024 ballot question push]( After facing pushback from other housing justice and progressive groups, the effort to put local-option rent control on the ballot next year fell well short of collecting enough signatures to advance. [Read more.]( [Rent control advocates end 2024 ballot question push]( After facing pushback from other housing justice and progressive groups, the effort to put local-option rent control on the ballot next year fell well short of collecting enough signatures to advance. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Trying to save time and stress while flying over the holidays? [Here's what travel expert Scott Keyes suggests]( budget-conscious customers should do to save money and avoid complications at the airport. - Sophia Higgins, the artist behind the LAVAGXRL moniker, spent years in Boston’s DIY and underground music scenes while writing her debut album, “Faith in Chaos.” WBUR's Solon Kelleher writes that the end result is [an uninhibited step into the dark and weird](. - ICYMI: New York Times literary critic Dwight Garner was at CitySpace last week for a discussion with Here & Now co-host Robin Young about his new food-filled memoir, "The Upstairs Delicatessen." Miss the event? Not a problem! You now can read an excerpt of his book and hear a segment from the [live interview here.]( - Local comedian Bethany Van Delft writes about accepting a whole new world — as a mother, and as someone who had to listen to so many children's songs and musicals — in a [heartfelt essay for Cognoscenti.](  What We're Reading 📚 - Why did MassDOT hang T employees out to dry? ([Commonwealth Beacon]( - 'It just isn’t like that anymore’: With the decline of retail politics, the N.H. primary is changing ([The Boston Globe]( - Fans push baseball cards, Fisher-Price Corn Popper into toy Hall of Fame ([PBS NewsHour](  Tell Me Something Good [Northern Lights "easily visible" from Mount Washington (WBZ)]( The Mount Washington Observatory shared a photo of the northern lights when they were at their peak Sunday night. [Read more.]( [Northern Lights "easily visible" from Mount Washington (WBZ)]( The Mount Washington Observatory shared a photo of the northern lights when they were at their peak Sunday night. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common takes a closer look at [staffing shortages at Head Start centers]( across Massachusetts with WBUR's Emily Piper-Vallillo. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: ["Unwrapped like a Christmas present."]( 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 🔎 Explore [WBUR's Field Guide]( stories, events and more. 📣 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.