Why Baker Vetoed The Climate Bill

Also: "Forgotten" seniors get their place in the vaccine line; 10 books to transport you anywhere but here this winter ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  [Donate [WBUR]]( [View in Browser](  [WBUR]( January 15, 2021 Good Morning Boston, ☁️ Mostly cloudy, with a high near 42. Happy Friday to everyone, [especially Brad Marchand and the Boston Bruins](. Here's what you need to know to end your week: - About 65% of Massachusetts communities are in the red after this week's COVID-19 report. More than a dozen of those cities and towns are new additions, including Somerville and Hopkinton. Only six communities were removed from the list this week. - More first responders are set to get their first doses of COVID vaccines today. Chelsea, Revere and Winthrop start their three-day clinic to vaccinate 600 police, fire and EMT units. Some first responders will also be heading to Gillette Stadium, as the mass vaccination site has its soft opening today. The site is officially open on Monday. - Boston Public Schools are trying to get students back to in-person learning this winter. As of now, about 1,900 students with high needs have the option to be back in the classroom, and next month that option extends to about 4,900 of those students. The school department's hope is to have all students back in-person by the end of March. And in non-coronavirus news: - A Boston Police officer is being investigated for potentially participating in last week's insurrection at the Capitol. A BPD spokesperson [told the Boston Globe]( also looking into whether the officer posted threats on social media against Vice President Mike Pence. - Gov. Charlie Baker said yesterday he plans to [veto the climate bill](. The bill would have been a major commitment from the state to become carbon neutral by 2050. This comes as quite the blow to local lawmakers who overwhelmingly approved the bill after – wait for it – five years of negotiations. Ouch. - So what happened? For starters, Baker said he couldn't look past one part of the bill: updating building codes for new construction to be "net-zero." Why? It contradicts with the[just-signed "housing choice" bill](. (WBUR's Miriam Wasser gave a Cliff Notes version of what happened[in this helpful tweet]( Legislators aren't going down without a fight: supporters say they'll refile the bill, despite the veto. And Dems have a veto-proof majority. - Speaking of Baker, he'll give this year's [State of the Commonwealth speech]( remotely on Tuesday, Jan. 26, at 7 p.m. We'll have more information on ways to tune in as it gets closer. P.S.– The deadline for small businesses to apply for the latest round of COVID relief grants from the state is tonight at midnight. If your business needs help, [get those applications in!]( — Meagan McGinnes [@meaganmcginnes]( newsletters@wbur.org The Rundown [1.](url)['Forgotten' Seniors In Mass. Low-Income Housing Get Their Place In The Coronavirus Vaccine Line]( Tens of thousands of older adults who live in low-income housing in Massachusetts can now expect to start getting coronavirus vaccines next month, state officials say. [Read more.](   #%23%23[Twitter](  #%23%23[Facebook](    2. [Federal Authorities Charge MIT Professor With Hiding Ties To Chinese Government]( U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling said its charges against Gang Chen — paired with similar charges filed last summer against Harvard chemistry professor Charles Lieber — represent his office's attempt to counter the Chinese government's effort to "siphon off U.S. technology instead of doing the work themselves." [Read more.]( 3. [Massachusetts Parole Board Approves First Commutation Under Baker Administration]( In its first decision on a commutation petition in almost seven years, the Massachusetts Parole Board recommended commuting the life in prison sentence of Thomas Koonce. The decision was unanimous. [Read more.]( 4. ['We Cannot Afford Inaction': Biden Unveils $1.9 Trillion COVID-19 Relief Plan]( His plan, called the American Rescue Plan, cites the need for a more robust vaccination plan as well as for additional direct payments to American families to help recover the U.S. economy. [Read more.]( 5. [What We Know So Far: A Timeline Of Security At The Capitol On January 6]( The Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol was either a security failure, an intelligence failure — or both. Here is a timeline of events before, during and after the insurrection at the Capitol. [Read more.]( Support the news Anything Else? - Why is everyone on TikTok so [obsessed with sea chanties]( A Gloucester shanty singer explains the newfound popularity for us. - Wish you could be... well, anywhere but here this winter? Featuring works by New England authors, [these 10 books]( will transport you to other worlds while we all eagerly await our turns for the COVID-19 vaccine. - Bill Eville and his family drove from Massachusetts to Atlanta to help Rev. Warnock's U.S. Senate campaign in the Georgia runoff. He shares this story and why they made the trip[in this essay.]( [WBUR] Your Daily Must Listen [Life Kit | Time To Start Fresh: Follow These Steps To Deep Clean Your Space]( [Listen]( VACCINE NEWS [First Responder Vaccine Clinics Provide Glimpse Of Mass. Plan To Vaccinate Larger Public]( What To Know About Coronavirus Vaccine Distribution In Mass. [Read more.]( Here's How The U.S. Can Jump Start Its Sluggish COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout. [Read more.]( Latest Mass. Map, Case Count & Vaccine Numbers: [Breaking down coronavirus here in charts.]( 📬 Get the latest on vaccine safety protocols, side effects, local distribution plans & more in your inbox. Sign up for our [coronavirus newsletter and alerts.]( What We're Reading - What 1919 Teaches Us About Pent-Up Demand ([Planet Money]( - The $3,000-a-month toilet for the Ivanka Trump/Jared Kushner Secret Service detail ([The Washington Post]( - 5 Tips for How to Actually Change an Anti-Masker’s Mind, According to Experts ([Mother Jones]( Tell Me Something Good [Anything for Selena and 4 More Podcasts Worth Trying (Vulture)]( Our new podcast, "Anything For Selena," caught the eyes – and ears – of Nicholas Quah. Read his review! Before you go: Thank you to this [pizza angel](. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 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 [WBUR]( [95289b97-66e8-43d4-a174-3bc3520a79a9.png]( [Instagram](  [Twitter]( [Facebook]( Want to change how you receive these emails? 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