Déjà vu

Also: Reading reckons with racism toward Bill Russell; commuter rail returns to Lynn [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  December 18, 2023 🌧️ Rainy and windy, with a high of 62. Good Morning Boston, I don't usually kick off this newsletter by quoting the Steamship Authority, but this Monday is "[déjà vu all over again]( We have another wet and windy start to the week, with the most heavy rain and damaging gusts this morning. [Thousands]( are without power, [most MBTA ferries]( are canceled and officials are warning commuters to drive carefully. The good news is the weather should settle down this afternoon. The rest of the week is also looking much quieter and drier. Read meteorologist Danielle Noyes'[ full forecast of what to expect today here](. Now, to the news: - Another reason for déjà vu: For the second year in a row, Northeastern University has mistakenly sent out acceptance emails to grad school applicants. [As NBC Boston first reported yesterday]( school officials say "due to a technical error," 48 applicants for master’s degree programs got emails incorrectly telling them they had been accepted. "They were immediately contacted by the university to clarify the mistake," a Northeastern spokesperson said. (According to NBC Boston, one applicant said it took a week to get the correction.) - The erroneous emails don't necessarily mean the applicants weren't accepted. Northeastern says they're still reviewing the applications and plan to make final decisions next month. - Zoom out: It's worth noting the emails were sent to only a small slice of the nearly 64,000 applicants for master's degrees programs. It's unclear what Northeastern is doing to prevent such errors from happening again. - Flashback: Last fall, Northeastern [sent mistaken acceptance emails]( to more than 200 pending law school applicants, plus nearly 4,000 applicants who had applied the previous year. - Orange you glad: Some MBTA riders may not have to wait quite as long this morning. Beginning this week, the T's [new winter schedule]( takes effect, with slightly more frequent service for the Red and Orange lines (though still nowhere close to their pre-pandemic frequencies). - During rush hours, Orange Line trains will run every seven-to-eight minutes, compared to the every nine-to-1o minutes this fall. The average weekday Red Line wait will also drop a minute to every eight-to-nine minutes. It's not much, but it is something. - Meanwhile on the North Shore: After going [over a year without train service]( the city of Lynn's temporary commuter rail stop opens today. ([Here]( are the details on its location.) Newburyport/Rockport Line trains will stop at the makeshift station until Lynn's permanent, reconstructed commuter rail station opens in 2030. - PSA: The opening also means the MBTA is no longer running a free shuttle between Lynn and Swampscott's commuter rail station. - Fun fact: The platform is opening nine months earlier than planned. [According to The Boston Globe]( that's partly because crews were able to use leftover parts from the Big Dig. - Deadline day: Gov. Maura Healey is facing her first deadline this week for enhanced reporting on the [strained state shelter system](. Under the [supplemental budget she signed earlier this month]( the Healey administration must regularly disclose how many families and new immigrants are in the shelters, how much the state is spending on the system and the number of families on waitlists. The first report, which state lawmakers plan to make public, is due tomorrow. - What's new? The state already has [a dashboard]( showing some of this, but it doesn't show how many of the families are recent immigrants. (Healey has [estimated it's about half]( - Good to know: Don't expect Healey to pull a [Bill Weld]( or [Paul Cellucci](. The Massachusetts governor [told the Boston Herald in an interview published Sunday]( that she would not accept a job in a potential second Biden administration, if offered. While Healey said Biden has been a “great partner,” she said she's happy as governor. P.S.— If you missed Saturday's 250th anniversary reenactment of the Boston Tea Party, you can still [watch the entire event on YouTube](. (If you're strapped for time and just want to watch some boxes of tea splash into the water, fast-forward to [the 1:18:30 mark]( Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Town of Reading reckons with its past as it looks to honor Celtics great Bill Russell]( Sixty years after the town first floated a Bill Russell Day, advocates are pushing to finally make it happen — and to acknowledge the racist experiences the Russell family endured there. [Read more.]( [Town of Reading reckons with its past as it looks to honor Celtics great Bill Russell]( Sixty years after the town first floated a Bill Russell Day, advocates are pushing to finally make it happen — and to acknowledge the racist experiences the Russell family endured there. [Read more.]( [Southwest will pay a $140 million fine for its meltdown during the 2022 holidays]( The U.S. Transportation Department ordered Southwest Airlines to pay a $140 million civil penalty as part of an agreement over operational failures that stranded millions of passengers a year ago. [Read more.]( [Southwest will pay a $140 million fine for its meltdown during the 2022 holidays]( The U.S. Transportation Department ordered Southwest Airlines to pay a $140 million civil penalty as part of an agreement over operational failures that stranded millions of passengers a year ago. [Read more.]( [China is subtly increasing military pressure on Taiwan. Here's how]( China has been sending ships and planes to encircle Taiwan and mounting more sophisticated military drills simulating a blockade of the island. [Read more.]( [China is subtly increasing military pressure on Taiwan. Here's how]( China has been sending ships and planes to encircle Taiwan and mounting more sophisticated military drills simulating a blockade of the island. [Read more.]( [Cannabis commissioners defend their work, despite turmoil and high-level suspensions]( Leadership at the state's Cannabis Control Commission are defending the embattled agency, arguing the body is successfully doing its work despite several recent high-level suspensions and an ongoing court battle involving the state treasurer. [Read more.]( [Cannabis commissioners defend their work, despite turmoil and high-level suspensions]( Leadership at the state's Cannabis Control Commission are defending the embattled agency, arguing the body is successfully doing its work despite several recent high-level suspensions and an ongoing court battle involving the state treasurer. [Read more.]( ['An amazing young man': Procession honors Pittsfield native who died on Air Force training mission]( Jacob "Jake" Galliher was among eight service members who died last month when an Osprey aircraft crashed during a training mission off southwestern Japan. [Read more.]( ['An amazing young man': Procession honors Pittsfield native who died on Air Force training mission]( Jacob "Jake" Galliher was among eight service members who died last month when an Osprey aircraft crashed during a training mission off southwestern Japan. [Read more.]( 🎁 Give us the gift of getting to know you! 🎁 We have a [super short end-of-year survey]( that will help us better personalize our newsletters to your interests. Please help us out — it will only take 60 seconds or less. Anything Else? - Inflation has cooled a lot in recent months, but you may still find yourself paying more at the grocery store. What gives? Here’s [a primer on what easing inflation actually means](. - Buyer beware: Quaker Oats is asking customers who bought the brand's granola bars and cereal to throw them away, as the products [may be contaminated with salmonella](. The recall, issued Friday, includes [a full list of items]( to check your pantry for and toss. - Jeopardy! host Ken Jennings will be flying solo from now on. Mayim Bialik, who has co-hosted the popular game show since 2022, [announced Sony informed her Jennings will be the only host]( for the upcoming season. - ‘Tis the season for “best-of” lists, and local book shop owner Hanna Harlow has [some can’t-miss reads to recommend](.  What We're Reading 📚 - The Salem Bruins? The Hartford Patriots? Remembering when Boston teams almost left the city. ([The Boston Globe]( - Once They Were Pets. Now Giant Goldfish Are Menacing the Great Lakes. ([The New York Times]( - Amid Boston Area Housing Crisis, Rent Control Gains Momentum, But Troubled Cambridge Legacy Poses Obstacles ([Harvard Crimson](  Tell Me Something Good [Weird, wild and wonderful stories of joy from 2023]( Let's face it: the news in 2023 was often a grind, confronting us with war, tragedy and controversies. But there were also incredible moments of hope, kindness and joy. [Read more.]( [Weird, wild and wonderful stories of joy from 2023]( Let's face it: the news in 2023 was often a grind, confronting us with war, tragedy and controversies. But there were also incredible moments of hope, kindness and joy. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [talks to WBUR's Martha Bebinger about her recent reporting on addiction in Massachusetts]( how one mother took overdose prevention into her own hands. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [Act natural!]( 😎 Forward to a friend. 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