How your inhaler hurts the planet

Also: TikTok ban divides Mass. delegation; what's next for Healey's pot pardon plan [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  March 14, 2024 🥧 Mostly sunny, with a high near 57. Good Morning Boston, Happy Pi Day, a [very important holiday here]( at WBUR. [Tune in]( to Radio Boston today at 11 a.m. for some sweet — and possibly savory — pie-making tips. (Or, if you're feeling really ambitious, [watch last year's CitySpace demonstration]( on next-level pie design.). To the news: - The delegation's TikTok dance: Massachusetts' all-Democratic congressional delegation is often in lockstep when voting on issues. But potentially banning TikTok? That's not one of them. The House's [352-65 passage]( of a bill yesterday that would likely ban the popular Chinese-owned social media app in the U.S. divided the Bay State's representatives into two camps. - All those in favor: Reps. Lori Trahan, Jake Auchincloss, Seth Moulton, Stephen Lynch and Bill Keating. (Auchincloss and Moulton also [signed on last week]( as co-sponsors.) "We just don't want the Chinese Communist Party owning TikTok, owning all of Americans' private data on TikTok and manipulating the feeds that they get," Moulton [said on CNN after the vote](. - All those against: Reps. Richard Neal, Jim McGovern, Katherine Clark and Ayanna Pressley voted no, arguing the "rushed" bill raises free speech concerns and would hurt Americans who used TikTok to make a living. "America should be doing way more to protect data privacy & combatting misinformation online," McGovern [tweeted](. "Singling out one app isn't the answer." - Catch up: The bill isn't technically a 100% ban. It would require TikTok's parent company ByteDance to sell the platform within six months — something ByteDance says it won't do. If such a sale doesn't happen, TikTok would be banned in the U.S. - What's next: President Biden has [suggested he would sign the bill](. But first it must clear the Senate, where the bill faces the most uncertainty (and lobbying),[as NPR reported yesterday](. That includes opposition from Massachusetts' senators [Elizabeth Warren]( and [Ed Markey]( both of whom prefer "across the board" social media regulations over a TikTok ban. - Go deeper: [The House passed a TikTok ban bill. But is the app really a national security threat?]( - Child care cuts: More than half of the state's child care providers have been told to prepare for reduced state grant payments this spring. [As WBUR's Carrie Jung reports in this story,]( some could see cuts ranging from 55% to 75% from the pandemic-era C3 grant program. - Why? Officials say the C3 program is a victim of its own "success." While the grants are supporting new programs and classrooms, the "larger than expected growth" means the program's $475 million in funds needs to be spread out among more centers. - Meanwhile: The news comes as the state Senate plans to vote today on [a big early education and child care bill]( which would (among other things) make the C3 grants permanent. - Pardon me: Gov. Maura Healey says her plan to pardon all people convicted of misdemeanor marijuana possession in Massachusetts could affect "hundreds of thousands." [Click here for more details and reactions]( to what Healey says would be a "nation-leading" plan. - What's next: It still needs approval from the Governor's Council, which meets later this month (and is getting [a lot of attention lately](. As WBUR's Walter Wuthmann [reports]( some members of the body are already signaling they'll vote in favor. "I do know that I'm not the only one who's enthusiastic about this," said member Paul DePalo. - FYI: The pardons (if approved) will automatically apply to all eligible convictions, meaning "most people" don't have to do anything. However, some still may want to request a pardon certificate for housing, job or educational opportunities. Healey's office has [a helpful FAQ page on the entire process](. - Just in time for Opening Day: Mighty Squirrel Brewing's giant new brewery in Boston's Fenway neighborhood officially starts pouring beers (and much more) today. Located around the corner from Fenway Park, the 13,000-square-foot, two-floor taproom's grand opening is at 5 p.m. [Take a sneak peek inside here](. - Where to find it: The new Fenway spot is at [the corner of David Ortiz Drive and Maitland Street]( next to the Lansdowne commuter rail station and — just like Mighty Squirrel's original Waltham brewery — a Central Rock climbing gym. - What's on the menu? In addition to beer, you'll find a new line of Mighty Squirrel hard seltzers and hard smoothies (yes, it's [a thing](. There'll also be pizza, salad and tacos — and a coffee bar that opens at 6 a.m. daily. P.S.— ["Bad Blood," the third episode]( of Beyond All Repair, is officially out. [Listen to all three episodes here]( or wherever you get your podcasts. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  The Rundown [Your inhaler saves lives, but its puffs hurt the planet]( In an emergency, an inhaler can save a life. But the gas it releases contributes to global warming. Each of the most commonly prescribed inhalers has about the same climate warming impact as driving 100 miles in a gas-powered car. So doctors are starting to offer patients alternatives. [Read more.]( [Your inhaler saves lives, but its puffs hurt the planet]( In an emergency, an inhaler can save a life. But the gas it releases contributes to global warming. Each of the most commonly prescribed inhalers has about the same climate warming impact as driving 100 miles in a gas-powered car. So doctors are starting to offer patients alternatives. [Read more.]( [Pressure builds to end legacy preferences in college admissions]( Even if a state ban doesn't become law this year, education policy experts say the effort could play an important role in challenging a practice that impedes equitable access to selective schools — and is politically toxic. [Read more.]( [Pressure builds to end legacy preferences in college admissions]( Even if a state ban doesn't become law this year, education policy experts say the effort could play an important role in challenging a practice that impedes equitable access to selective schools — and is politically toxic. [Read more.]( [Salisbury, Mass. spent $600K on shore protection. A winter storm washed it away days later]( The Massachusetts beach community is scrambling after a weekend storm washed away nearly $600,000 worth of sand that had been trucked in to protect homes, roads and other infrastructure. [Read more.]( [Salisbury, Mass. spent $600K on shore protection. A winter storm washed it away days later]( The Massachusetts beach community is scrambling after a weekend storm washed away nearly $600,000 worth of sand that had been trucked in to protect homes, roads and other infrastructure. [Read more.]( [Mistreatment persists at Bridgewater State Hospital, report says]( The report, from the Disability Law Center, found patients at Bridgewater State Hospital were subjected to illegally forced medication injections, violence from staff, lack of medical care, inappropriate medication for opioid use disorder and mold contamination. [Read more.]( [Mistreatment persists at Bridgewater State Hospital, report says]( The report, from the Disability Law Center, found patients at Bridgewater State Hospital were subjected to illegally forced medication injections, violence from staff, lack of medical care, inappropriate medication for opioid use disorder and mold contamination. [Read more.]( [Mass General, Brigham and Women's hospitals promise closer collaboration]( Two of Boston’s biggest and most prominent academic medical centers on Wednesday promised to work more closely together, combining clinical departments in what they’re describing as an effort to improve care and draw patients from across the country. [Read more.]( [Mass General, Brigham and Women's hospitals promise closer collaboration]( Two of Boston’s biggest and most prominent academic medical centers on Wednesday promised to work more closely together, combining clinical departments in what they’re describing as an effort to improve care and draw patients from across the country. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - St. Patrick's Day weekend is almost upon us. WBUR's Katie Cole has [everything you need to know about the annual Southie parade in this guide]( from the route to transportation options. And if you're into some potentially decent, potentially cringe jokes, here's [how to watch this year's politico-filled St. Patrick's Day breakfast](. - Looking for other ways to spend the weekend? Check out our arts and culture team's [list of five things to do]( including story time at the Harvard Art Museums and a Celtic ballads workshop. - Coming to a dance stage near you: Boston Ballet’s fiery “Carmen," the return of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and much more. WBUR contributor Shira Laucharoen [highlights 10 dance performances here as part of our spring arts guides](. - Film critic Sean Burns [reviews the new movie "Love Lies Bleeding,"]( starring Kristen Stewart and Ed Harris, which he calls "a sicko comic cross between the Coen brothers and David Cronenberg." - Local therapist Oona Metz [writes in this Cognoscenti essay]( that she knew her patient loved her dog — she just didn't anticipate how important the dog would become to her, too.  What We're Reading 📚 - Sprouts of Hope in a Gloomy Media Landscape ([The New York Times]( - The gap-year road trip that healed an Ivy League hoops star ([The Athletic]( - A Begrudgingly Affectionate Portrait of the American Mall ([The New Yorker](  PSA [Most inhalers in the U.S. emit climate-warming gasses. Here's what you can do]( When it comes to inhalers commonly used in the U.S., each puff has about the same climate impact as driving a gas-powered car one mile. But increasingly, there are alternative inhalers for some patients. [Read more.]( [Most inhalers in the U.S. emit climate-warming gasses. Here's what you can do]( When it comes to inhalers commonly used in the U.S., each puff has about the same climate impact as driving a gas-powered car one mile. But increasingly, there are alternative inhalers for some patients. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [explores the history behind the community skepticism about the Blue Hill Avenue redesign]( and how the city of Boston hopes to build trust in the neighborhood. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [You must be new here.]( 😎 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? 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