More direct payments for Mass. residents?

Also: Shinzo Abe assasinated; trains, cranes and automobiles [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  July 8, 2022 🌤️ Partly sunny, with a high of 84 and a chance of afternoon showers. Good Morning Boston, We're rolling to the end of this shortened work week with a gorgeous weekend forecast and news that many of you may end the summer with a little extra something in your bank account. Here's what you need to know: - Massachusetts legislative leaders have their answer to rising inflation and gas prices — and, no, it isn't a suspension of the state's gas tax. In a statement Thursday, top Democrats in the State House[announced a plan to send one-time "economic relief" payments]( of $250 to most Massachusetts taxpayers by the end of September. The proposal has the support of key figures — including House Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka — indicating its likely passage before the end of the legislative session this month. - Who exactly would get the payments: Eligibility is based on 2021 tax filings. Individual filers who made between $38,000 and $100,00 would get $250, while joint filers who made up to $150,000 would get a rebate of $500. (Lawmakers didn't give a reason for the $38,000 minimum threshold, although it does line up closely with [the individual income limit for the state's $500 pandemic relief payments]( this past spring.) - Despite support from Republicans ([including Gov. Charlie Baker]( and some fellow Democrats, legislative leaders reiterated their opposition to suspending the gas tax, saying there'd be no way to ensure savings were passed onto consumers. "These rebates represent the Legislature’s commitment to delivering immediate financial relief directly to residents of the Commonwealth, rather than to large oil companies that continue to profit off economic uncertainty and international conflict," the Dems' statement said. - That said, the new rebate plan doesn't mean the Legislature is ditching proposals for other types of permanent tax changes down the line. The House is [still considering]( Baker's [tax break plan]( (minus his proposed capital gains tax cuts) and Spilka has also [signaled she's open to income and estate tax changes](. In their statement Thursday, leaders reiterated they'll continue to work on other potential permanent tax code changes. - Trains, cranes and automobiles: The first Berkshire Flyer trains depart from New York City today en route to Pittsfield, as part of [the summer weekend pilot that Amtrak is testing out this year and next](. Tickets for the four-hour trek start around $80 one-way. And according to Amtrak's website, some of this weekend's trains have already sold out. - Closer to home, tonight also marks the return of [weekend Sumner Tunnel closures in Boston]( after the tunnel remained open the last three weekends due to holidays and MBTA disruptions. [According to the Boston Herald]( officials are encouraging people to take public transportation instead, as well as advising those driving to Logan Airpot to give themselves an extra hour for traffic. - For your planning purposes: Monday also marks the beginning of two other transportation disruptions: - A block of Congress Street in downtown Boston will be [closed off for nearly two months]( so that crews can finish demolition work on the Government Center parking garage. - Shuttle buses will [replace Green Line trolleys on the C branch west of Kenmore Square for 12 days]( (July 11-22) so that MBTA workers can replace track and install [new technology]( aimed at preventing train-on-train collisions. - Early education advocates are [applauding the state Senate]( for unanimously passing a bill Thursday that would create [a framework for increasing child care subsidies for families and providers](. But some supporters are cautioning that the work is far from done. - Why? In addition to approval from the House and Baker, the bill needs lawmakers to separately allocate millions in funding in order to fulfill its promise of making child care more affordable and increasing [worker wages]( (currently, no funding is included). - Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz says the bill "expresses a vision, but it makes no commitment to realize it." While she voted for the bill, Chang-Diaz said in a statement that "it’s sadly a long way away" from addressing [the scale of the child care crisis in Massachusetts](. P.S.— There's a bold experiment in the Berkshires that has now gone digital. Do you know what it is? Then take [our Boston News Quiz]( and test your knowledge of the local stories we covered this week. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Ex-Japan leader Shinzo Abe fatally shot]( Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has died after being shot during a campaign speech Friday in western Japan. 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[Read more.]( Anything Else? - If you found British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's resignation a bit sudden and confusing, NPR has [a clarifying explainer on the series of scandals]( that brought the Conservative leader's reign to an end. (It's [not good when Hugh Grant is trolling you]( with "Yakety Sax" music.) - RIP: James Caan, the famed "tough guy" actor who starred in everything from "The Godfather" to "Elf," has [died at the age of 82](. - Zaiyi Jiang writes in this commentary about [how getting diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer ended up making her a long-distance runner](. - Radio Boston showcases [some light and citrusy summer cocktails (and mocktails) to impress guests]( at your next backyard bash.  What We're Reading 📚 - Editorial: A poor response to white hate threat ([Dorchester Reporter]( - Is a famous shipwreck in Newport Harbor? An international fight over the answer has turned personal. ([The Boston Globe Magazine]( - The World Needs Uncles, Too ([Esquire](  Tell Me Something Good [Cambridge divers recover lost diamond ring from Charles River (WCVB)Â]( A Chicago woman is extremely thankful to Cambridge firefighters after they rescued her ring from the Charles River. [Read more.]( [Cambridge divers recover lost diamond ring from Charles River (WCVB)Â]( A Chicago woman is extremely thankful to Cambridge firefighters after they rescued her ring from the Charles River. [Read more.]( Before you go: This is also [how they get me wake up and write this newsletter in the morning](. 😎 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   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. 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