Inside the drama at the CCC

Also: Concerns remain at Mass. and Cass; the State House's supp-rise [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  December 5, 2023 🌨️ Cloudy, with a high near 40 and [a chance of snow]( overnight. Good Morning Boston, While we [contemplate New England's fifth season]( here is what's sticking out in the news today: - CCC's hazy future: It's been a weird few months at the Cannabis Control Commission. The Massachusetts agency has been working to finalize an important new round of regulations for the state's legal marijuana industry, while its chair, Shannon O'Brien, has been in a legal fight with Massachusetts Treasurer Deb Goldberg over her ongoing suspension. Today should soon shed light on how the battle between the two political heavyweights will play out. Here's what to know about the drama and what's next for the CCC: - The suspension: When Goldberg [first suspended O'Brien in September]( the reason remained a mystery. Then last week, court documents revealed [a host of allegations]( against O'Brien, the state's 2002 Democratic gubernatorial candidate and former treasurer herself. They accused O'Brien of making "racially, ethnically, culturally insensitive" comments, including using the word yellow in reference to an Asian person. O'Brien's lawyers say the allegations are frivolous and out-of-context. While she regretted the "yellow" comment, O'Brien said she was quoting a real estate developer. However, the documents also allege O'Brien repeatedly clashed with CCC staff and referred to the agency's [outgoing executive director]( as "missing in action" while he was on parental leave. - What's next: Goldberg and O'Brien are scheduled to meet in private today, but O'Brien is asking a state judge in Boston to delay the meeting and clarify the process. O'Brien's legal team argues Goldberg is acting as "judge, jury and executioner" in the matter. The judge is expected to issue a ruling this morning. - Amid all the drama, the CCC is readying to roll out a whole new legal pot sector: social consumption sites —aka cannabis cafes. But they won't just be cafes. [Listen to this Radio Boston segment]( with CCC Commissioner Bruce Stebbins about the new type of business and why you'll hear a lot about them in 2024. - Supp-rise: The $3 billion supplemental budget [is now law](. In a flurry of votes yesterday, both chambers of the Massachusetts Legislature actually passed the legislation in informal sessions, after getting enough Democrats to show up to hold a "standing vote" and overcome Republicans' procedural blockade. The bill — with its extra money for the state's shelter system, disaster relief funds and state worker raises — was subsequently signed last night by Gov. Maura Healey. - It's worth noting how rare it is for enough lawmakers to show up during an informal session to reach the necessary quorum to hold a hand-counted vote. In fact, according to the State House News Service, House Speaker Ron Mariano could not recall one other time it happened during his 32-year career in the House. - The Newton City Council voted last night to rezone six of the city’s village centers to allow for more multifamily housing and comply with the state's [new MBTA Communities Act](. The measure is a scaled-back version, after voters [ousted several councilors who supported a more ambitious 13-village proposal]( during last month's election. - Zoom in: The [six centers being rezoned to allow for more density]( are Newton Centre, Newton Highlands, Newtonville, Waban, West Newton and Auburndale. - Boston to DC: The presidents of Harvard and MIT are [headed to Capitol Hill this morning to testify to Congress]( about how they responded to student protests over the Israel-Hamas war. Don't expect it to be a friendly event. The GOP chair of the House committee holding the hearing said last week that the college administrators have "largely stood by" and offered “indecision and milquetoast statements" in the face of "antisemitism." - Go deeper: Harvard has since launched task forces to address both antisemitism and the harassment of students with pro-Palestinian views. WBUR's Max Larkin has [a closer look at the current tensions on campus and the school's response]( in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks on Hamas and Israel's subsequent bombing of Gaza. - DC to Boston: Meanwhile, President Joe Biden will be in town today for [a concert-fundraiser]( with singer James Taylor at the Shubert Theatre. He's also scheduled for [two other fundraisers]( and a meeting with Healey when he arrives at Logan Airport shortly before noon. P.S.— Here and Now's climate series "Reverse Course" is [back this week with new installments focused on carbon capture projects](. Check out the first feature (about rock dust!) [right here](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [The tents are gone from 'Mass. and Cass,' but concerns about care remain]( In the month since city workers cleared a large tent encampment near Boston’s South End, the streets remain tent-free. Several law enforcement agencies are involved in the effort to keep it that way, raising concerns about the impact to people seeking services for substance use disorders and mental health care. [Read more.]( [The tents are gone from 'Mass. and Cass,' but concerns about care remain]( In the month since city workers cleared a large tent encampment near Boston’s South End, the streets remain tent-free. Several law enforcement agencies are involved in the effort to keep it that way, raising concerns about the impact to people seeking services for substance use disorders and mental health care. [Read more.]( [Boston woman killed in shark attack in Bahamas, police say]( A female tourist from Boston has been killed by a shark while paddleboarding in the Bahamas, police told reporters. Police said the unidentified victim was attacked Monday less than a mile off the western end of New Providence island. [Read more.]( [Boston woman killed in shark attack in Bahamas, police say]( A female tourist from Boston has been killed by a shark while paddleboarding in the Bahamas, police told reporters. Police said the unidentified victim was attacked Monday less than a mile off the western end of New Providence island. [Read more.]( [After Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, fears of a wider Middle East conflict grow]( The Iran-backed rebel group attacked multiple ships in the Red Sea over the weekend. The Houthis control large swaths of Yemen's territory. [Read more.]( [After Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, fears of a wider Middle East conflict grow]( The Iran-backed rebel group attacked multiple ships in the Red Sea over the weekend. The Houthis control large swaths of Yemen's territory. [Read more.]( [Joan Donovan files whistleblower complaint against Harvard]( A prominent disinformation scholar who left Harvard University in August has accused the school of stifling — then dismantling — her team as it launched a deep dive into Facebook. The actions impacting Joan Donovan's work coincided with a $500 million donation to Harvard by a foundation run by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan. [Read more.]( [Joan Donovan files whistleblower complaint against Harvard]( A prominent disinformation scholar who left Harvard University in August has accused the school of stifling — then dismantling — her team as it launched a deep dive into Facebook. The actions impacting Joan Donovan's work coincided with a $500 million donation to Harvard by a foundation run by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan. [Read more.]( [Supreme Court hears a case that experts say could wreak havoc on the tax code]( A couple who owned a controlling interest in a foreign corporation argue that a controversial Trump-era tax is unconstitutional under the Sixteenth Amendment. [Read more.]( [Supreme Court hears a case that experts say could wreak havoc on the tax code]( A couple who owned a controlling interest in a foreign corporation argue that a controversial Trump-era tax is unconstitutional under the Sixteenth Amendment. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Frederick Hewett [writes in this Cognoscenti commentary]( that we "must resist the politicization of the electric vehicle." - Delving into the archives of college radio stations from Cambridge to California, [the new book "Live from the Underground" by historian and Fitchburg State University professor Katherine Rye Jewell]( highlights the role student-run stations played in elevating boundary-pushing music and cultural perspectives in their communities. - Climate Café, a new events series hosted by the Montshire Museum of Science in Vermont, offers parents [a place to talk through their feelings about climate change]( while their kids play nearby. - Endless Thread host Ben Brock Johnson [talks to Washington Post tech columnist Taylor Lorenz]( about her new book, "Extremely Online," and why we've been paying too much attention to the Elon Musks of the world and not enough to everyday internet users.  What We're Reading 📚 - Tribes in Maine Spent Decades Fighting to Rebury Ancestral Remains. Harvard Resisted Them at Nearly Every Turn. ([ProPublica]( - Massachusetts Blues ([The American Prospect]( - For years, the FBI quietly stopped tracking anti-Arab violence and hate crimes ([NPR](  Food For Thought [The best cookbooks of 2023, from our resident chef Kathy Gunst]( I say the same thing every December: there were so many really good new cookbooks published this year. And 2023 is no exception. [Read more.]( [The best cookbooks of 2023, from our resident chef Kathy Gunst]( I say the same thing every December: there were so many really good new cookbooks published this year. And 2023 is no exception. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common takes [a closer look at the contents of the supplemental budget and its funding for the state's family shelters](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [Otto's back!]( 😎 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.