Pencils down

Also: Mass. Republicans block Dems' spending deal; Israel-Hamas cease-fire ends [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  December 1, 2023 ☁️ Cloudy, with a high near 54 and a chance of rain in the afternoon. Good Morning Boston, Happy December. We're feeling pretty festive, with the Common Christmas tree [officially lit]( and the Holiday Pops [kicking off tonight](. Before you head off to make the most of [this weekend's dry stretches]( let's take a spin through the news: - Pencils down: For the last time tomorrow, bleary-eyed high school students will wake up early on a Saturday to take the SAT with a pencil and paper. [Starting in 2024]( the college admissions exam is going completely digital. "Students are now doing more of their learning and testing digitally, and the SAT shouldn’t be the exception," Holly Stepp, a spokesperson for the test's maker, College Board, [recently told WBUR's Carrie Jung](. So, what will the SAT of the future look like? Here are the big differences about the app-based test: - BYO-laptop: Students will still have to trudge into a school or testing center to take the test, and will be monitored by a proctor. But they have the option to take it on their own tablet or a laptop — or use a College Board-issued device. (Sorry, there's [no at-home exam]( - It's quicker: The new digital SAT will shrink from three hours to two, with shorter reading passages. - It's adaptive: That means the app will track how students perform to determine what questions they get later. So, both the math and the reading/writing sections will be broken into two parts, called "modules." And based on how students do on the first module, the app will give them easier or harder questions in the second. - The big picture: These changes come amidst a more existential change for the SAT.[Over 2,000 colleges]( in the U.S. have made the test optional or removed it entirely from their admissions process. Still, Carrie reports 1.9 million students took the SAT last year. - The local angle: The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing [a new rule]( that would require cites and towns nationwide to replace all lead water pipes within 10 years. WBUR's Paula Moura reports it could affect "tens of thousands" of homes across Massachusetts. - Zoom in: Massachusetts has some of the nation’s oldest housing stock and water pipes. And while the state is [below lead action levels]( many of the pipes that connect water mains to homes, businesses and schools contain lead. David Cash, the local EPA regional administrator, told Paula the new rule would help address this problem, particularly in larger, older cities like Boston. "We're seeing these impacts more in low income and disadvantaged communities," Cash said. - What's next: The EPA has asked utilities to map where lead pipes are located by late 2024 — which [isn't always a simple task](. - So far so good? About a month after the city of Boston [removed cleared tents in the area known as Mass. and Cass]( there has not been any new encampments in the area, according to Mayor Michelle Wu. Yesterday on Radio Boston, Wu said "not having to focus all of our resources on one large gathering where there was so much need and risk and violence" has allowed the city to put resources into mobile outreach teams to "connect with folks wherever they are." Wu said 73 of the 102 people who were living at the most recent Mass. and Cass encampment are now in low-threshold shelter and housing programs — though she cautioned those numbers are "very fluid." - Tune in: Listen to [Wu's full interview]( which ranged from Boston's winter plans to her thoughts on a guaranteed basic income. - Make your PD your DD: Chelmsford Police are teaming up with a local towing company to provide locals who have had too much to drink — and their cars — free rides home. Chelmsford Police Chief Colin Spence says the offer is open now through New Year's Day to anyone in the Greater Lowell area who has drunk too much to drive. - How it works: Just call Chelmsford Police at 978-256-2521 or Christopher's Towing at 978-452-7433 to request the 24/7 service. The only rule is your car has to be operable; you can't use the offer to get a broken-down car towed for free. - PSA: The Sumner Tunnel is [closing to the final time of 2023 this weekend]( beginning tonight at 11 p.m. Periodic weekend closures will resume in 2024, though MassDOT is still working on that schedule. P.S.— The New England Aquarium recently welcomed two new animals from the Birmingham Zoo. What are they? [Take our Boston News Quiz]( and test your knowledge of this week's stories. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  The Rundown [Mass. House and Senate leaders reach $2.8 billion budget deal, but Republicans block vote]( Democratic leaders said they agreed to a roughly $2.8 billion supplemental budget framework Thursday, including $250 million for the state’s overburdened family shelter system. But Republicans temporarily delayed a vote on the budget Thursday night through a procedural tactic. [Read more.]( [Mass. House and Senate leaders reach $2.8 billion budget deal, but Republicans block vote]( Democratic leaders said they agreed to a roughly $2.8 billion supplemental budget framework Thursday, including $250 million for the state’s overburdened family shelter system. But Republicans temporarily delayed a vote on the budget Thursday night through a procedural tactic. [Read more.]( [Israel hits targets in Gaza as cease-fire with Hamas collapses]( The twice-extended cease-fire held long enough for Israel to secure the release of more than 100 hostages seized by Hamas in its Oct. 7 attack. In exchange, Israel freed hundreds of Palestinians. [Read more.]( [Israel hits targets in Gaza as cease-fire with Hamas collapses]( The twice-extended cease-fire held long enough for Israel to secure the release of more than 100 hostages seized by Hamas in its Oct. 7 attack. In exchange, Israel freed hundreds of Palestinians. [Read more.]( [Undocumented immigrants face issues getting driver’s licenses in Mass. despite new law]( A law allowing undocumented immigrants to apply for driver’s licenses in Massachusetts launched in July, but many are struggling to access RMV applications and resources. Staff at western Massachusetts nonprofits have been working overtime to help these immigrants. [Read more.]( [Undocumented immigrants face issues getting driver’s licenses in Mass. despite new law]( A law allowing undocumented immigrants to apply for driver’s licenses in Massachusetts launched in July, but many are struggling to access RMV applications and resources. Staff at western Massachusetts nonprofits have been working overtime to help these immigrants. [Read more.]( [The iceberg cometh: It's the size of Oahu, and it's moving into the open ocean]( "It's a trillion tons of ice," as one expert told NPR. Now the largest iceberg in the world, A23a, is on the move after decades of being grounded on the seafloor. [Read more.]( [The iceberg cometh: It's the size of Oahu, and it's moving into the open ocean]( "It's a trillion tons of ice," as one expert told NPR. Now the largest iceberg in the world, A23a, is on the move after decades of being grounded on the seafloor. [Read more.]( [Greater Boston communities debate multifamily zoning around MBTA as end-of-year deadline approaches]( State Rep. Andy Vargas talks about the MBTA Communities Act, the landmark housing law he championed, and how the debate around the law is playing out in communities. [Read more.]( [Greater Boston communities debate multifamily zoning around MBTA as end-of-year deadline approaches]( State Rep. Andy Vargas talks about the MBTA Communities Act, the landmark housing law he championed, and how the debate around the law is playing out in communities. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - From Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane" to Jordan Peele's "Get Out," the Coolidge Corner Theatre's new series showcases the efforts of famous, first-time directors. “Big Screen Debuts” [kicks off tonight]( as a celebration of the theater's upcoming January expansion. - Since her daughter’s first seizure at 17 months old, WBUR editor Kate Neale Cooper has spent more nights in the hospital than she can count. But it wasn’t all bad. Kate [writes in this commentary]( that life has a different rhythm in the hospital — one that plants you in the here and now, one where the next step you have to take is clear. - Massachusetts native Daniel Bedrosian has played with funk legend George Clinton for 20 years. And while bringing some order to the man's eight-decade discography may seem like an insurmountable task, Bedrosian felt it was crucial. [The resulting book]( "The Authorized P-Funk Song Reference" spans 500 pages and features over 10,000 songs credited to members of the extended P-Funk family. What We're Reading 📚 - Top Mass. Dem on stalled Revs stadium: ‘We’re not saying no’ ([MassLive]( - Google reaches deal with Canada to keep news content on its platform ([CNN]( - Nom Nom Nom. What’s the Deal With Cookie Monster’s Cookies? ([The New York Times](  Tell Me Something Good [Community members turned an abandoned Roxbury bus yard into a mixed-use ‘urban village’ (Boston.com)]( Bartlett Station is a mixed-use, mixed-income development project near Nubian Station, built by and for the Roxbury community. [Read more.]( [Community members turned an abandoned Roxbury bus yard into a mixed-use ‘urban village’ (Boston.com)]( Bartlett Station is a mixed-use, mixed-income development project near Nubian Station, built by and for the Roxbury community. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common has [a preview of the can't-miss local holiday events coming up this month]( from the naughty to the nice. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [Our very own Bridge of Sighs.]( 😎 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.