Boston may consider reparations for Black residents

Also: State lawmakers strike deal for how to spend $4B in federal relief money; meteorological winter starts today [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  November 30, 2021 🌞 Mostly sunny, with a high near 46. Good Morning Boston, I'm not looking forward to the "season of shivers" starting soon, according to Janice Stillman, editor of The Old Farmer's Almanac. (No, this isn't an [Ed Sheeran reference]( Meteorological winter starts today, and Stillman says the region should expect colder temps and above-average snowfall this year. Here's what else you should know this morning: - After months of going back and forth on how and when Massachusetts should spend $4 billion in federal pandemic relief money, state lawmakers finally [struck a deal]( last night. It still needs to be finalized and the Legislature did not share a timeline for passing the compromise bill. That's partly because if lawmakers take this vote up during December's informal sessions, rules prohibit a roll call vote and a single lawmaker could block its passage. However, House Speaker Ron Mariano says he doesn't anticipate that kind of road block and wants to see this passed before the new year. - We'll keep you posted on not only if and when it's officially pushed through, but also the details of how the money will be spent. (We don't have the specifics of the agreement yet.) - Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is reappointing two members to the school committee to serve through 2024. The first is Rafaela Polanco Garcia; she's the first BPS committee member whose primary language is Spanish. The second committee member is Lorena Lopera. Both were initially appointed by former acting Mayor Kim Janey this past summer, but their terms expired with Janey’s. Acting mayors in Boston cannot make permanent appointments. - Let's talk about our neighbors in New Hampshire for a moment. The state is seeing a rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, like many other states. Nearly 400 people are hospitalized with COVID in New Hampshire – the highest since the start of the pandemic – and that's forcing state health officials to contract with out-of-state workers amid healthcare staffing shortages. - Yesterday was also the first day of New Hampshire's program delivering free at-home COVID-19 tests. But the state ran out of tests less than 24 hours after its launch. - Gov. Chris Sununu is asking residents to get tested and vaccinated, but says he has no plans of reimplementing a mask mandate. - The New England Revolution did not end its best season ever in the way fans were hoping. The team lost to New York City FC on penalty kicks in their playoff match in Foxboro last night. P.S.– WBUR's podcast ["Anything For Selena"]( was named by Apple as one of the [best podcasts of 2021](. If you haven't listened yet (in English or Spanish) to this story about identity, belonging and, of course, Selena, you're missing out. (...Seriously, go add it to your queue right now!) Meagan McGinnes Senior Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Boston could be next city to consider reparations for Black residents]( City Councilor Julia Mejia is leading an effort in City Hall to establish a commission that would examine the negative effects of slavery and racial discrimination on Boston’s Black residents and how the city can repair the damage. [Read more.]( [Boston could be next city to consider reparations for Black residents]( City Councilor Julia Mejia is leading an effort in City Hall to establish a commission that would examine the negative effects of slavery and racial discrimination on Boston’s Black residents and how the city can repair the damage. [Read more.]( [Supreme Court considers whether to reverse Roe v. Wade in historic arguments]( At issue is whether to reverse the court's nearly half-century-old decision, Roe v. Wade, and subsequent decisions declaring that women have a constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy. [Read more.]( [Supreme Court considers whether to reverse Roe v. Wade in historic arguments]( At issue is whether to reverse the court's nearly half-century-old decision, Roe v. Wade, and subsequent decisions declaring that women have a constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy. [Read more.]( [As U.S. races to detect and track omicron, patchwork surveillance makes that tough]( What's the U.S. doing to watch out for the omicron variant? Here's the work underway and the challenges that experts say may slow down the country's efforts. [Read more.]( [As U.S. races to detect and track omicron, patchwork surveillance makes that tough]( What's the U.S. doing to watch out for the omicron variant? Here's the work underway and the challenges that experts say may slow down the country's efforts. [Read more.]( [CNN suspends Chris Cuomo indefinitely over his role in his brother's defense]( CNN said new documents "raise serious questions" about the anchor's role in trying to help his brother, former N.Y. governor Andrew Cuomo, respond to sexual misconduct allegations. [Read more.]( [CNN suspends Chris Cuomo indefinitely over his role in his brother's defense]( CNN said new documents "raise serious questions" about the anchor's role in trying to help his brother, former N.Y. governor Andrew Cuomo, respond to sexual misconduct allegations. [Read more.]( [An FDA panel supports Merck COVID drug in mixed vote]( If the Food and Drug Administration authorizes use of the drug, called molnupiravir, it would be the first oral COVID-19 treatment that could be taken at home. [Read more.]( [An FDA panel supports Merck COVID drug in mixed vote]( If the Food and Drug Administration authorizes use of the drug, called molnupiravir, it would be the first oral COVID-19 treatment that could be taken at home. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Josephine Baker is the first Black woman to be [inducted]( into France's Pantheon, the nation's monument to heroes. - Miss Wally's Jazz Cafe Club? Shane Dylan used to frequent it regularly. He teamed up with some of the artists he met there, including trumpeter Chunka Amaré and bassist JP Heston, for his [debut hip-hop album]( “A Star or a Lonely Dreamer.” - Anita Diamant was recently slipping into yet another winter of discontent. Then, miraculously, came Hanukkah. She writes about finding light in a season of "meh" [in this commentary](. What We're Reading 📚 - Local news deserts are expanding: Here’s what we’ll lose ([The Washington Post Magazine]( - The Missing Voices In The Panic Over Critical Race Theory ([HuffPost]( - ‘SNL’ nearly squashed Natasha Rothwell. Then ‘Insecure’ helped her find her voice ([Los Angles Times]( Life Advice ['Comfort decorating' is all about making your home a sanctuary]( The spaces we live and work in have a big impact on our mindset. And creating a calm, restful space can provide stability in times of change and uncertainty. It's called "comfort decorating." [Read more.]( ['Comfort decorating' is all about making your home a sanctuary]( The spaces we live and work in have a big impact on our mindset. And creating a calm, restful space can provide stability in times of change and uncertainty. It's called "comfort decorating." [Read more.]( Before you go: The Boston Globe archives are filled with gems – [and dragons.]( 😎 Forward to a friend. 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