Who has the sigs?

Also: Stormy weather affecting Thanksgiving travel; Israel and Hamas agree to 4-day cease-fire [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  November 22, 2023 ☔ Rainy through the morning, with a high near 51. Good Morning Boston, It's Thanksgiving Eve. I'm incredibly grateful for all of you who wake up and read this newsletter each morning (and yes, also for the people who read it only occasionally, too). Now, to the news: - A 2024 progress report: Today is a big day for the groups in Massachusetts trying to put a question on the statewide ballot next fall. Campaigns have to submit at least 74,574 signatures to local election officials in support of their proposed 2024 ballot questions. And while there are[ several more steps in the process]( (including a smaller round of signature-gathering next spring), reaching that threshold is often the biggest hurdle. A half-dozen groups are feeling pretty good about their numbers ahead of the holiday weekend. Here's a look at who says they've cleared the signature requirement: - Checking the books: After[ running into roadblocks with the House, Senate]( and[ attorney general]( Massachusetts Auditor Diana DiZoglio's battle to audit the Legislature could very well be headed to the ballot box. DiZoglio's team announced yesterday that they collected over 100,000 signatures in support of their proposed 2024 ballot question, which would change state law to explicitly mandated audits of the Legislature. - Psychedelics: Despite [a signature snafu last week]( the [ballot campaign to legalize psychedelics for therapy]( says it has reached the threshold after all. The group Massachusetts for Mental Health Options says it is delivering over 100,000 signatures this week, in addition to signatures it had already submitted. - Tipped minimum wage: As we noted yesterday, the campaign behind the proposed ballot question to incrementally raise the state's tipped minimum wage up to the normal minimum wage has collected [about 108,000 signatures](. - MCAS: The Massachusetts Teachers Association has collected more than 130,000 signatures for its proposed ballot question to get rid of the MCAS exam as a high school graduation requirement, [as The Boston Globe first reported last week](. - Rideshare unionization: The union-backed effort to put a question on the 2024 ballot to allow Uber and Lyft drivers to unionize is expected to deliver their signatures to Secretary of State Bill Galvin's office today, after getting what they say is "enough" certified by local election officials. (How many? They aren't yet saying.) - Rideshare reclassification: The [industry-backed campaign to reclassify gig workers]( as independent contractors (and guarantee certain benefits) also has collected enough signatures, according to a spokesman. (They aren't saying how many yet, either.) - PSA: Be careful if you're hitting the [busy roads]( for the holiday today. Meteorologist Danielle Noyes reports that the steady rain should continue through midday, leading to reduced visibility and puddles. (Some parts of Massachusetts even got hit with [a surprising amount of snow last night]( So, remember to give yourself extra time for your trip and extra room between other cars on the road. - In the air: [Thirteen flights]( in and out of Logan Airport (mostly by Cape Air) have been canceled today, and nearly two dozen have been delayed, amid the wet, blustery conditions. - Out at sea: [The Steamship Authority]( says a few of its ferries between Hyannis and Nantucket have also been canceled today. - Go deeper: Check out [Noyes' full forecast for Thanksgiving day and the long weekend here](. - X does not mark the spot: If you're looking for updates from Senate President Karen Spilka's office, forget about checking X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter. Spilka [announced yesterday she is leaving X]( due to antisemitism on the platform. - Spilka's not the only one: [A number of larger advertisers have reportedly left X over the past week]( following owner Elon Musk's endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory and a report that ads were being placed alongside white nationalist posts. - Heads up: Worcester is offering free parking this Saturday at four downtown municipal lots and garages for Small Business Saturday. And a special $1 rate will be in effect for many of them for several holiday events in the city next month. Check out [the details here](. P.S.— This newsletter will be off tomorrow as I roast a turkey [the way science intended]( and root for Winston to defend [his dog show title](. But we'll be back in your inboxes on Friday with a special-edition Black Friday newsletter. Have a great Thanksgiving! Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Qatar says Israel and Hamas agree to a cease-fire deal to free some hostages]( Qatar's foreign ministry announced a "humanitarian pause" in fighting between Israel and Hamas to allow release of some hostages. [Read more.]( [Qatar says Israel and Hamas agree to a cease-fire deal to free some hostages]( Qatar's foreign ministry announced a "humanitarian pause" in fighting between Israel and Hamas to allow release of some hostages. [Read more.]( [60 years after JFK's death, today's Kennedys choose other paths to public service]( President John F. Kennedy assassination 60 years ago was a seismic national event that predates most American lives but remains an inflection point in the country's history — as a wellspring of modern conspiracy theories, as a debate over what JFK might have achieved, as an emotional cornerstone of the Kennedy story. [Read more.]( [60 years after JFK's death, today's Kennedys choose other paths to public service]( President John F. Kennedy assassination 60 years ago was a seismic national event that predates most American lives but remains an inflection point in the country's history — as a wellspring of modern conspiracy theories, as a debate over what JFK might have achieved, as an emotional cornerstone of the Kennedy story. [Read more.]( [Mass. Convention Center Authority chief resigns]( Massachusetts Convention Center Authority Executive Director David Gibbons is stepping down from his position running the agency, shortly after a series of apparent missteps with its board. [Read more.]( [Mass. Convention Center Authority chief resigns]( Massachusetts Convention Center Authority Executive Director David Gibbons is stepping down from his position running the agency, shortly after a series of apparent missteps with its board. [Read more.]( [Mass. awards $27 million to help ‘decarbonize’ hundreds of affordable housing units]( The grant money will help reduce planet-warming emissions and improve energy efficiency at more than 700 affordable housing units around the state. [Read more.]( [Mass. awards $27 million to help ‘decarbonize’ hundreds of affordable housing units]( The grant money will help reduce planet-warming emissions and improve energy efficiency at more than 700 affordable housing units around the state. [Read more.]( [How a Vermont farmer saved Thanksgiving turkeys from summer floods]( The flooding this summer almost wiped out the turkey crop at Maple Wind Farm in Richmond, Vermont. But the farm owner and staff worked to make turkeys available to its community — with the help of a canoe. [Read more.]( [How a Vermont farmer saved Thanksgiving turkeys from summer floods]( The flooding this summer almost wiped out the turkey crop at Maple Wind Farm in Richmond, Vermont. But the farm owner and staff worked to make turkeys available to its community — with the help of a canoe. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - The cost of a traditional Thanksgiving feast is slightly lower this year than last, largely thanks to falling turkey prices. If you still have things on the grocery list to check off for tomorrow, here's [a look at which items will cost you more — and less — for the big feast](. - After the turkey and football: Check out [the WBUR arts and culture team's list of five things to do]( around Boston over the long weekend, from winter markets to a David Bowie-themed burlesque show. - Tanglewood is making its Hollywood debut. The Boston Symphony Orchestra's summer home is featured in Bradley Cooper's new movie “Maestro,” which hits select theaters today (and Boston theaters next week). Cooper directed and stars as conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein, filming at Bernstein's home in Connecticut and Tanglewood in Lenox. WBUR's Andrea Shea [has the inside story here](. - The gun industry is inextricable from the American government and, for many, American identity. But with more than 100 Americans dying from shootings everyday, and even more being wounded, how do we begin to calculate the cost of our country's current relationship with guns? We grapple with that question in the final episode of our new short-run podcast The Gun Machine. Listen [here](.  What We're Reading 📚 - For Alaska Families, Questions Remain About Unsolved Deaths and “Suicides” ([ProPublica]( - CVS pharmacists are at a breaking point, imperiling company’s reinvention plans ([The Boston Globe]( - ‘Re-wilding’ Massachusetts cranberry bogs ([CommonWealth Beacon](  Tell Me Something Good [New Hampshire man had no car or furniture, but died with a big secret, leaving his town millions]( Geoffrey Holt died this year with a secret: He was a multimillionaire. And he gave it all away to this community of 4,200 people. [Read more.]( [New Hampshire man had no car or furniture, but died with a big secret, leaving his town millions]( Geoffrey Holt died this year with a secret: He was a multimillionaire. And he gave it all away to this community of 4,200 people. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common serves up [a dreamy cocktail recipe]( from Comfort Kitchen to pair alongside your Thanksgiving meal. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [Guess who's not getting a pardon](. 😎 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. 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