A holiday travel guide

Also: South Shore school closures; Boston bakers' favorite pastry shops [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  December 19, 2023 ☁️ Mostly cloudy, with a high of 46 and a chance of afternoon rain. Good Morning Boston, The wind has calmed down and the skies will be clearer today, but thousands in eastern Massachusetts are still in the dark after yesterday's powerful ([and deadly]( storm. We have more on the cleanup efforts below, but first here's some must know info for your holiday travel plans: - You know the drill: Massachusetts officials are warning drivers to expect busier than usual roads as we approach Christmas and New Year's. "There will be congestion at times, holiday schedules are in play and travel will be impacted so please take this into consideration," Massachusetts Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said yesterday. As a holiday gift to you, here's some early advice to help plan ahead: - How to avoid traffic: AAA predicts this Saturday (Dec. 23) and next Thursday (Dec. 28) will be the most congested days on the road. And due to holiday travel, Dec. 30 is also projected to be unusually busy for a Saturday. Their advice is to drive before lunchtime or after 7 p.m. if you want a quicker trip. ([Click here]( and scroll down for a closer look at the best and worst times to drive.) - Zoom out: Nationwide, this is expected to be the second-busiest year-end travel season since AAA began tracking the trend in 2000 — and the busiest ever for fliers. With plane tickets slightly cheaper than last year, AAA projects 7.5 million people will fly this holiday season, topping 2019’s record of 7.3 million. - Zoom in: There are [no more weekend closures of the Sumner Tunnel]( scheduled through the end of the year. MassDOT is also opening [the southbound I-93 carpool lane between Boston and Quincy]( an hour earlier in the afternoon the next two Thursdays and Fridays. - Last but not least: MassDOT is asking you Massholes to "make an extra effort to be courteous on the roads." So, [use ya blinkah](. - Many schools on the South Shore are [closed today]( as widespread power outages continue after the area was hit hard by yesterday's intense wind and rain. The closures include the public school districts in Cohasset, Duxbury, Marshfield, Norwell and Scituate. NBC Boston has [an updating list here](. - Across Massachusetts, over 131,000 customers remain without power this morning, including over 90% of Scituate. According to National Grid's [power outage map]( some parts of the South Shore may not get power back until Wednesday or Thursday. As Eversource spokesperson Priscilla Ress told WBUR's John Bender, one challenge crews faced yesterday was that bucket trucks couldn't go up in the air while winds were still gusting. "It's going to take a while to get everything cleaned up," said Scituate Town Administrator Jim Boudreau. - Meanwhile, things are getting back to normal at Logan Airport, after flights were grounded during yesterday's storm. The website FlightAware reports just over 30 delays this morning, after over 200 flights were delayed or canceled yesterday. - All MBTA ferry service to Hull is [canceled today due to cleanup work at the dock](. However, ferry trips to Charlestown, Hingham and Logan have resumed. - Gov. Maura Healey's administration says just over 3,500 of the 7,500 families in the state's emergency shelter system are migrants, refugees or asylum seekers. That's according to [the first bi-weekly shelter report]( that the administration sent to lawmakers last night, as part of [its new disclosure requirements](. - The report estimates the state will need an additional $224 million to keep its emergency shelter system running through June. Healey's office proposes dipping into leftover budget surplus funds (roughly $700 million in the state's Transitional Escrow Fund) to cover the expected deficit. - MBTA Transit Police are trying to identify two people who — yes, seriously — jumped off the top of a moving Red Line train into the Neponset River as it crossed between Quincy and Boston. [The stunt was captured in a video]( that police believe is "several months old," though it only recently began circulating on social media. P.S.— You've still got a chance to [grab tickets to WBUR's rendition of "A Christmas Carol" tonight at CitySpace]( (and help those in need this holiday season). The annual reading of this timeless holiday tale has been a tradition for over 20 years at WBUR. Proceeds go to support Boston's longest-standing women's shelter, Rosie's Place. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Pope approves blessings for same-sex couples if the rituals don't resemble marriage]( Pope Francis has formally approved allowing priests to bless same-sex couples. The Vatican issued a new document explaining a radical change in Vatican policy by insisting that people seeking God’s love and mercy shouldn’t be subject to “an exhaustive moral analysis” to receive it. [Read more.]( [Pope approves blessings for same-sex couples if the rituals don't resemble marriage]( Pope Francis has formally approved allowing priests to bless same-sex couples. The Vatican issued a new document explaining a radical change in Vatican policy by insisting that people seeking God’s love and mercy shouldn’t be subject to “an exhaustive moral analysis” to receive it. [Read more.]( [Mayor Wu is optimistic about the future of Boston Public Schools]( Boston Mayor Michelle Wu says she’s approaching the new calendar year feeling hope about the future of Boston Public Schools, but there also challenges ahead. During an appearance Monday on Radio Boston, Wu said the biggest item giving her "anxiety in the short term" is the expiration of a federal pandemic relief funding in 2024. [Read more.]( [Mayor Wu is optimistic about the future of Boston Public Schools]( Boston Mayor Michelle Wu says she’s approaching the new calendar year feeling hope about the future of Boston Public Schools, but there also challenges ahead. During an appearance Monday on Radio Boston, Wu said the biggest item giving her "anxiety in the short term" is the expiration of a federal pandemic relief funding in 2024. [Read more.]( [Google to pay $700 million in case over whether its app store is an illegal monopoly]( The deal with dozens of states resolves a lawsuit that claimed Google engages in anticompetitive behavior through its Google Play store, which is how most people download apps on Android devices. [Read more.]( [Google to pay $700 million in case over whether its app store is an illegal monopoly]( The deal with dozens of states resolves a lawsuit that claimed Google engages in anticompetitive behavior through its Google Play store, which is how most people download apps on Android devices. [Read more.]( [A volcano in Iceland erupts weeks after thousands were evacuated from a nearby town]( Police evacuated Grindavik in November after strong seismic activity in the area damaged homes and raised fears of an imminent eruption. Officials said magma could continue in that direction. [Read more.]( [A volcano in Iceland erupts weeks after thousands were evacuated from a nearby town]( Police evacuated Grindavik in November after strong seismic activity in the area damaged homes and raised fears of an imminent eruption. Officials said magma could continue in that direction. [Read more.]( [Jonathan Majors convicted in split verdict, dropped from Marvel]( In New York Monday afternoon, a jury found the fast-rising actor guilty of assaulting and harassing his former girlfriend, Grace Jabbari. The jury found him not guilty of two other charges. [Read more.]( [Jonathan Majors convicted in split verdict, dropped from Marvel]( In New York Monday afternoon, a jury found the fast-rising actor guilty of assaulting and harassing his former girlfriend, Grace Jabbari. The jury found him not guilty of two other charges. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Brews you can use: Local breweries are getting creative with their recipes this holiday season, adding festive ingredients like peppermint ice cream, sweet potatoes and actual apple pie. WBUR's Andrea Shea highlights [six of most novel holiday beers to try](. - From a Boston soul singer famous in South America to a pop band barely out of Berklee, our music critics picked their 10 favorite local albums of 2023. Explore [the full list here](. - The Department of Public Utilities isn’t exactly top of mind for most Massachusetts residents. But the Acadia Center's Kyle Murray writes in [this Cognoscenti commentary]( that the DPU just took an important step toward ending the state's reliance on natural gas. - More than 70 years after his debut, Snoopy has won over the affection of Gen Z, with TikTok views and sold-out toy store shelves to prove it. [Here's what to know about the craze]( — and what Peanuts and pop culture experts think might be behind it.  What We're Reading 📚 - Santa Claus is coming to town. And he’s making bank. ([The Boston Globe]( - Bowdoin College offering employees up to $50,000 in forgivable loans to buy homes ([Portland Press Herald]( - Can Crosswords Be More Inclusive? ([The New Yorker](  Food For Thought [Here are 8 bakers' favorite pastry shops around Greater Boston]( From festive baked goods to every day treats, here are the sweet spots Boston bakers frequent most often — and their favorite things to order. [Read more.]( [Here are 8 bakers' favorite pastry shops around Greater Boston]( From festive baked goods to every day treats, here are the sweet spots Boston bakers frequent most often — and their favorite things to order. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common introduces you to Pink Navel, [a Boston-based rapper fusing hip-hop, video games and the creative power of play](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [Honestly, the garbage truck should know better.]( 😎 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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