About those budget cuts

Also: Our winter classical music guide is here; Is it time to say bye to Belichick? [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  January 9, 2024 🌧️ Today is mostly cloudy, with heavy rain and some snow arriving tonight. High of 38. Good Morning Boston, Heading out today? Don't forget to bring an umbrella. WBUR meteorologist Danielle Noyes says there will be some [hard rain, maybe a little snow and definitely some high winds]( whipping through the state today and tomorrow. The storm will hit southwestern New England first by mid-afternoon and spread east through 6 p.m., so be careful on your evening commute. Now, to the news: - Yesterday morning, Gov. Maura Healey unveiled $375 million in budget cuts for her state administration, a change made to help cover a [$1 billion tax shortfall](. Much of the cuts affect MassHealth, the state's Medicaid program — specifically, its fee-for-service payments, WBUR's Walt Wuthmann and Todd Wallack report. Let's look into the program, why the cuts are happening and what we know so far about what it means for you: - What are fee-for-service payments? They're payments to doctors and other clinicians for health care services provided to patients, like office visits, X-Ray scans or blood tests. MassHealth has been shifting away from a fee-for-service payment framework in favor of [accountable care](. That's when payments to healthcare providers take other measures into account, like a patient's [health outcomes]( not just the list of services provided. - How many people will this change affect? It's still unclear what percentage of MassHealth patients have elected to receive accountable care and which sectors of healthcare will be most heavily affected by the program's $294 million in cuts. WBUR's newsroom reports the state is not releasing details yet, but we do know cuts will not change MassHealth applicants' eligibility to apply. - Why are these budget cuts happening? For the past six months, tax collections in Massachusetts have fallen short of expectations. "Look, the economy is growing, it's not growing as fast as we anticipated," Administration and Finance Secretary Matthew Gorzkowicz said during a press conference. "And it's resulting in us making some mid-year adjustments, which I think are both reasonable and expected." [You can read Walt and Todd 's full story here.]( - The backdrop: These cuts come at a tricky time. Massachusetts is dealing with an [emergency shelter funding crisis]( driven by a surge in unhoused families and migrants. In order to cover that program's roughly $915 million funding gap, Healey has proposed tapping a surplus fund. - Harvard's interim president, Alan Garber, addressed the school's polarized community yesterday for the first time since stepping into in his new role. - [In his letter]( Garber expressed sadness over the loss of former president Claudine Gay and stated "it’s crucial that [Harvard] bridge the fissures that have weakened our sense of community." He goes on to say he regrets the circumstances that made him president, but is looking forward to his time in the role. - Go deeper: Garber, an [economist, physician and provost]( first joined Harvard in 1973 as an undergraduate and has since served under three of the school's presidents. On the side, he serves as a [board member of two pharmaceutical companies]( and some have pointed it out as a possible[conflict of interest.]( - As temperatures drop, Somerville has reopened its [overnight winter warming center at The Armory at 191 Highland Ave.]( for those experiencing homelessness. - The warming center will be open daily from 6:45 p.m. to 7 a.m., and is equipped to host up to 20 adults. Those who stay will have access to bathrooms, yoga mats, free meals and a safe place to sleep. The city will keep the warming center open all winter, through March 24. - Heads up: The warming center is for adults only. For those with children, the city suggests calling the [Somerville Office of Housing Stability]( to get more info on family resources and shelters. - Stay tuned: Boston Mayor Michelle Wu will deliver her State of the City address tonight at 7 p.m. at the MGM Music Hall. Be sure to listen to 90.9 or check us out [online]( for live coverage of the event. P.S. — Is being "delulu" really the "solulu"? Follow as Endless Thread hosts Amory Sivertson and Ben Brock Johnson investigate [manifestation, astrology and "signs from the universe"]( — and why, sometimes, these pseudosciences seem to strike us as truthful. Hanna Ali Associate Producer, Newsletters  Support the news  The Rundown [911 transcripts reveal chaotic scene as gunman killed 18 people in Maine]( Callers who dialed 911 after Maine's deadliest mass shooting described hiding behind trees, scrambling to find their glasses, searching for loved ones and fearing for their lives after shots rang out first at a bowling alley, then minutes later at a bar. [Read more.]( [911 transcripts reveal chaotic scene as gunman killed 18 people in Maine]( Callers who dialed 911 after Maine's deadliest mass shooting described hiding behind trees, scrambling to find their glasses, searching for loved ones and fearing for their lives after shots rang out first at a bowling alley, then minutes later at a bar. [Read more.]( [N.H. attorney general suggests national Dems broke law by calling primary 'meaningless']( New Hampshire’s attorney general sent a cease-and-desist notice to Democratic party leaders, ordering them to stop calling the state’s unsanctioned presidential primary “meaningless,” saying doing so violates state law. The attorney general released a statement saying the comments amount to an illegal attempt to deter voters from participating in the primary. [Read more.]( [N.H. attorney general suggests national Dems broke law by calling primary 'meaningless']( New Hampshire’s attorney general sent a cease-and-desist notice to Democratic party leaders, ordering them to stop calling the state’s unsanctioned presidential primary “meaningless,” saying doing so violates state law. The attorney general released a statement saying the comments amount to an illegal attempt to deter voters from participating in the primary. [Read more.]( [2023 was the hottest year on record. Is this how it's going to be now?]( Global temperatures soared past previous records in 2023, according to new data released by the European Union. Scientists say it's what they expect to see as the climate keeps changing. [Read more.]( [2023 was the hottest year on record. Is this how it's going to be now?]( Global temperatures soared past previous records in 2023, according to new data released by the European Union. Scientists say it's what they expect to see as the climate keeps changing. [Read more.]( [Mass. employers are feeling optimistic about the economy heading into 2024]( Massachusetts employers closed out 2023 feeling optimistic about the economy — and the future of their businesses in 2024, according to the latest Business Confidence Index. The boost in business confidence comes as interest rates have leveled off and the Fed has signaled it may cut rates this year. [Read more.]( [Mass. employers are feeling optimistic about the economy heading into 2024]( Massachusetts employers closed out 2023 feeling optimistic about the economy — and the future of their businesses in 2024, according to the latest Business Confidence Index. The boost in business confidence comes as interest rates have leveled off and the Fed has signaled it may cut rates this year. [Read more.]( [Boston's newly re-opened archaeology lab connects the past with the present]( The city of Boston has collected more than 1 million artifacts through its Archaeology Program over the past 40 years. Here's a look at some of those artifacts, including the oldest artifact ever found to date in Boston. [Read more.]( [Boston's newly re-opened archaeology lab connects the past with the present]( The city of Boston has collected more than 1 million artifacts through its Archaeology Program over the past 40 years. Here's a look at some of those artifacts, including the oldest artifact ever found to date in Boston. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - With the weather fluctuating from weirdly warm to frighteningly frosty, I'm not sure which one of [Vivaldi's "Four Seasons"]( we're in right now. Regardless, there's never a bad time to enjoy some classical music. Arts critic Lloyd Schwartz is back with a guide to this winter's classical music performances; [read them all here.]( - You've likely seen the [viral video]( of a door being blown off an Alaska Airlines-operated Boeing 737 Max 9 plane mid-flight. An investigation into the malfunction found that before the door plug flew off, an advisory light came on three times during previous flights. [Learn more about what went wrong.]( - As a respected coach and influential force in the game of football, Bill Belichick has made decades-worth of savvy decisions that transformed the Patriots into champions. But are they ready for something new? Radio Boston's Khari Thompson writes it might be time for the Pats to say bye to Bill [in this essay for Cognoscenti.]( - Don't let your new years' resolutions wash away so soon. [Here are five tips]( to help you slowly segue into a year's worth of progress.  What We're Reading 📚 - Pope Francis Urges Ban on Surrogacy, Calling It ‘Despicable’ ([The New York Times]( - How John Coltrane’s ‘My Favorite Things’ Changed American Music ([Smithsonian Magazine]( - The "frantic paddling" of Boston's food scene ([Commonwealth Beacon](  Tell Me Something Good [An endangered river dolphin finds an unlikely savior: fisherfolk]( In Pakistan, illiterate fishermen have become citizen scientists, helping to revive the fortunes of the endangered Indus River dolphin. [Read more.]( [An endangered river dolphin finds an unlikely savior: fisherfolk]( In Pakistan, illiterate fishermen have become citizen scientists, helping to revive the fortunes of the endangered Indus River dolphin. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common discusses [BPS' new plan for its school facilities.]( Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: At least there was [enough snow for one.]( Correction: In yesterday's newsletter, we incorrectly stated that former Stoneham police officer Robert Kennedy had been decertified. His certification was actually temporarily revoked, which means he is suspended from the department. We regret the error. 😎 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.