Healey's big three

Also: Boston schools team up with Bloomberg; 5 things to do this weekend [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  January 18, 2024 🌨️ Cloudy, with a high of 28 and potential flurries in the afternoon. Good Morning Boston, Unlike the T, you don't have to pay anything for these “[creative ideas]( - Healey's 2024 wish list: If you were wondering about the theme of Gov. Maura Healey's [first State of the Commonwealth address last night]( a quick ctrl-F of the [text]( would give you the answer. Healey used some form of the words "afford" or "affordable" 17 times during her speech. Early on, she touted [last year's tax break package]( as an example of how her administration is taking on the state's cost of living. But the work isn't done. Even amid [a recent decline in revenue]( Healey used her speech to pitch lawmakers on several new plans she hopes they'll send to her desk in 2024. We know this governor [loves a basketball reference]( so here's a look at her [big three]( - Housing: Healey called her $4 billion housing bond bill — which she [first unveiled last October]( — her "top priority." The legislation includes a range of tax breaks, legal changes and other initiatives mostly aimed at boosting the construction of new housing. It would also allow communities to enact a tax of up to 2% on real estate sales over $1 million. (Mayor Michelle Wu [is cheering]( - Child care: The governor also plugged her new plan to take on[ the cost of childcare](. The new proposal — which Healey plans to include in her FY25 budget proposal — would cap the cost of preschool in all 26 of the state's so-called[ Gateway Cities]( expanding a program that currently exists in 12 of them. It would also raise the income ceiling for state child care subsidies, so more middle-income families are eligible. WBUR's Carrie Jung has[Â]( full [breakdown here of the details](. - Literacy: While the governor said Massachusetts has "the best schools in the country," she called attention to one "urgent issue." Healey said a majority of the state's third-graders did not meet expectations in English Language Arts on last year's MCAS and said "many districts are using out-of-date, disproven methods to teach reading." So, Healey plans to include in her upcoming budget proposal a five-year initiative called "Literacy Launch," which would provide schools with better reading materials and direct teachers to use "evidence-based instruction." - Ballot battles: A Maine court has put [on hold]( the decision barring Donald Trump from the state's presidential primary ballot. The reason? The judge in Maine wants to wait for the U.S. Supreme Court to decide on Colorado's similar move to ban Trump from the ballot, based on a provision in the Constitution that prohibits insurrectionists from holding public office. (Oral arguments in the Colorado case are [scheduled to begin]( Feb. 8.) - Meanwhile: Massachusetts' own State Ballot Law Commission will hold a "[pre-hearing conference]( this morning to decide what's next for the two challenges to Trump's ballot eligibility in the Bay State. The commission could schedule a hearing or they could dismiss the challenges, which you can [read more about here](. - The hearing that isn't happening today: Massachusetts' top court has delayed probable-cause hearings that were scheduled to begin today for those accused of participating in a high-end, interstate prostitution ring. Federal prosecutors say over two-dozen men purchased sex out of the ring, which was run through apartments in Watertown’s Arsenal Yards, North Cambridge and Virginia. - Who are the men? The feds say the ring catered to [elected officials, military officers and other wealthy clients]( — but have not named any of the individuals accused of buying sex. WBUR and other outlets have appealed to make the hearings and documents public. - However, [as WBUR's Deborah Becker reports]( the defendants' lawyers threw up roadblocks this week, arguing their clients would face embarrassment and negative consequences if their names were released before criminal charges are even filed. (If criminal charges are eventually filed, that information becomes public.) - Heads up: Newton teachers are slated to decide whether or not to go on strike this afternoon, after over a year of [contentious]( unsuccessful contract negotiations between the city and the teachers' union. If approved, Newton could be forced to cancel school as soon as Friday. WHDH has [more details on the next steps](. P.S.— Healey wasn't the only major Massachusetts figure making a debut public address yesterday. The New England Patriots formally introduced Jerod Mayo as their new head coach. The [press conference]( included Mayo's [thoughts on being the Patriots' first Black coach]( a few hints about how he plans to operate differently than Bill Belichick and [some friendly awkwardness](. Read the full recap [here](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Boston Public Schools receives $38 million grant to expand health care career training]( The funding is part of a larger initiative from Bloomberg Philanthropies that pairs high schools in 10 communities across the country with hospital systems that are struggling with workforce shortages. [Read more.]( [Boston Public Schools receives $38 million grant to expand health care career training]( The funding is part of a larger initiative from Bloomberg Philanthropies that pairs high schools in 10 communities across the country with hospital systems that are struggling with workforce shortages. [Read more.]( [Massachusetts man sentenced to life with possibility of parole in racist road rage killing]( A Massachusetts man convicted of murder in the 2021 death of a Black man after a racist road rage encounter has been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years. Dean Kapsalis was convicted by a jury last year of second-degree murder, violation of constitutional rights and other offenses in the killing of Henry Tapia. [Read more.]( [Massachusetts man sentenced to life with possibility of parole in racist road rage killing]( A Massachusetts man convicted of murder in the 2021 death of a Black man after a racist road rage encounter has been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years. Dean Kapsalis was convicted by a jury last year of second-degree murder, violation of constitutional rights and other offenses in the killing of Henry Tapia. [Read more.]( [Water quality 'unacceptable' for 90% of Cape Cod's coastal bays]( Ninety percent of Cape Cod's coastal bays and more than a third of its ponds have “unacceptable” water quality, according to an annual report from the Association to Preserve Cape Cod. The region's bays and ponds are polluted with excess nutrients from septic systems, which feed the growth of invasive weeds and toxic algae. [Read more.]( [Water quality 'unacceptable' for 90% of Cape Cod's coastal bays]( Ninety percent of Cape Cod's coastal bays and more than a third of its ponds have “unacceptable” water quality, according to an annual report from the Association to Preserve Cape Cod. The region's bays and ponds are polluted with excess nutrients from septic systems, which feed the growth of invasive weeds and toxic algae. [Read more.]( [Boston lawsuit alleges pharmacy benefit managers helped fuel opioid epidemic]( The defendants include major companies such as Express Scripts Pharmacy, ESI Mail Pharmacy Services and Optum Rx. The companies manage prescription drug benefits for many health plans, overseeing prescriptions for hundreds of thousands of people. [Read more.]( [Boston lawsuit alleges pharmacy benefit managers helped fuel opioid epidemic]( The defendants include major companies such as Express Scripts Pharmacy, ESI Mail Pharmacy Services and Optum Rx. The companies manage prescription drug benefits for many health plans, overseeing prescriptions for hundreds of thousands of people. [Read more.]( [A little fish at the Supreme Court could take a big bite out of regulatory power]( In cases being argued Wednesday, lawyers for fishermen from Rhode Island and New Jersey are asking the Supreme Court to overturn a 40-year-old decision that's among the most frequently cited high court cases in support of regulatory power. [Read more.]( [A little fish at the Supreme Court could take a big bite out of regulatory power]( In cases being argued Wednesday, lawyers for fishermen from Rhode Island and New Jersey are asking the Supreme Court to overturn a 40-year-old decision that's among the most frequently cited high court cases in support of regulatory power. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Those weird clowns in downtown Boston aren't the only new thing to check out this weekend. Read our arts and culture team's [full list of local event recommendations here](. - Harvard's longtime football coach Tim Murphy [announced his retirement yesterday]( after leading the Crimson to the "most successful era" in the team's long history. Murphy's legacy includes 10 Ivy League titles, three unbeaten seasons, several NFL players and — most importantly — a winning record against Yale. - Many adults with autism have a court-appointed guardian to make decisions about another their health, safety and self-care. But [as Jonathan Gardner with Sarah Boonin write in the Cognoscenti commentary]( there's an alternative model that has taken a step toward legalization in Massachusetts. - Fresh off her breakout performance in “Killers of the Flower Moon," actress Lily Gladstone is returning to the local big screen this Friday in “The Unknown Country.” The film — which first played in other parts of the country last summer — is kicking off the first weekend of the Brattle Theatre’s “(Some of) The Best of 2023” series. "This is a movie I’m glad I was able to catch up with," [writes film critic Sean Burns](.  What We're Reading 📚 - The Whale Who Went AWOL ([The New York Times Magazine]( - Dozens of Massachusetts districts have faced attempts to remove books from schools ([The Boston Globe]( - Metaphors Journalists Live By (Part I) ([The American Prospect](  Did You Know? [Bobi's 'oldest ever dog' title is in question as Guinness World Record investigates]( The Portuguese pooch was said be 31 years when he died last October, far outlasting dogs of the same breed, which often live half that age. Now, experts have doubts about the validity of those claims. [Read more.]( [Bobi's 'oldest ever dog' title is in question as Guinness World Record investigates]( The Portuguese pooch was said be 31 years when he died last October, far outlasting dogs of the same breed, which often live half that age. Now, experts have doubts about the validity of those claims. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [goes inside a crystal shop in Jamaica Plain]( to explore why crystals, tarot and other spiritual practices have become increasingly popular in the Black community in the last few years. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: What's in [your Boston postal stamp chart]( today? Roberto Scalese contributed to today's newsletter. 😎 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.