Wrong pot

Also: A sneak peek at Boston's planned Holocaust museum; Senate tax proposal coming soon [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  June 6, 2023 🌤️ Partly sunny, with a high near 76 and scattered afternoon showers. Good Morning Boston, The sun is back — and so is the smog. Look outside and you'll notice [smoke from wildfires in Quebec has returned today]( making for a "[weirdly red and hazy sunrise]( as WBUR's chief early bird Dan Guzman observed. The smoke has [led to an air quality alert]( for Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, meaning people with asthma, older adults and children should avoid prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion. So, let's escape the haze and go inside the Golden Dome. - Big woops: Massachusetts officials disclosed last week that [they accidentally used $2.5 billion in federal funds]( to cover jobless claims during pandemic — money that should have been paid by the state. Now, Gov. Maura Healey says they're trying to work with the feds to find a resolution that "minimizes any impact to the commonwealth." But what happens next remains pretty unclear. - How it happened: The mistake occurred during Gov. Charlie Baker's tenure, but Healey says it was only discovered by a recent state audit. "For whatever reason, money was drawn from a federal pot instead of a state pot," Healey said, noting there were multiple state and federal relief funds with different requirements that ended up getting merged. "Other states experienced similar complications and difficulties," she added. - A look at the numbers: The amount is no rounding error; $2.5 billion is nearly 5% of Massachusetts' annual budget — and more than twice the size of the recently proposed tax cut packages. - The fear: the state ends up being on the hook for all $2.5 billion. But state leaders say it's too early to speculate about that — or what action might be needed. "We don't even know how much we owe," said House Speaker Ron Mariano. "We've got to begin with getting the bill — if there is a bill." - Coming soon: Last time we had [a $2.5 billion surprise this time of year]( it [derailed the state's nearly finished tax cut plans](. However, Senate President Karen Spilka told reporters yesterday that history won't repeat itself this time. "We will do a tax relief package, and it will be out soon," Spilka said of the Senate's [long-awaited proposal](. - How soon? Senate Ways and Means Committee Chairman Michael Rodrigues told the State House News Service the bill will be unveiled "within the next two weeks." - What to expect: There are [hints that the Senate bill will share some similarities]( with [the tax proposal]( the House passed in May. If there are any differences, the two sides have less than a month to work them out before the new fiscal year begins. - Activist and former Harvard professor Cornel West [announced yesterday that he will run for president next year as a third-party candidate]( knocking both major parties in [his announcement video](. - What's he running on: [West's website]( lays out a lot of ambitious goals: end all wars, disband NATO, Medicare-for-All, forgive all student debt and ban corporate lobbying. - Who else is in (and out): It was also a newsy day on the GOP side. Former vice president Mike Pence [made his 2024 bid official]( while New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu [said he won't run](. - Surveying the field: [Here's a list of all the Republican presidential candidates, as well as their strengths and weaknesses.]( - [Holograms]( won't be the only thing on display at [Boston's planned Holocaust museum](. The couple behind the museum [unveiled renderings]( yesterday of the six-story Tremont Street building. - The design includes a window displaying an authentic railcar from Nazi extermination camps — viewable from Boston Common. Jody Kipnis, one of the museum's founders, told WBUR's Amy Sokolow the decision is part of their effort to tie the museum into the city. "Once we acquired the railcar, I knew right away it had to be seen from the Freedom Trail," she said. - Looking ahead: The museum is scheduled to open in early 2026. - Out late tonight? Beware. The I-93 southbound tunnel through Boston will close to all traffic from 11 p.m. until 5 a.m. tomorrow for maintenance. The closure will begin before the Zakim Bridge at the Sullivan Square exit in Somerville and includes all tunnel on-ramps. P.S.— Our June fundraising goal is for 700 WBUR fans to [become monthly contributors]( this week. Why? Because your monthly contributions go a long way toward keeping our journalism strong — and free — for our entire community. If you value that mission (or this newsletter), please consider [making a monthly pledge]( today! Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [MBTA takes new pass at track worker safety plan]( T officials on Monday submitted a revised work plan to the Federal Transit Administration, meeting the regulatory agency’s deadline for another pass at laying out immediate reforms that will mitigate risks that employees face while on the rail right-of-way. [Read more.]( [MBTA takes new pass at track worker safety plan]( T officials on Monday submitted a revised work plan to the Federal Transit Administration, meeting the regulatory agency’s deadline for another pass at laying out immediate reforms that will mitigate risks that employees face while on the rail right-of-way. [Read more.]( [Wu announces $4 million effort to get 1,000 Boston workers into biotech jobs]( Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said programs would include internships and hiring commitments at life sciences companies that will train people "for specific in-demand positions, and focus on empowering residents without four-year degrees, particularly workers of color women and immigrant residents, all of whom are underrepresented in the industry today and ready and eager from our communities to contribute." [Read more.]( [Wu announces $4 million effort to get 1,000 Boston workers into biotech jobs]( Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said programs would include internships and hiring commitments at life sciences companies that will train people "for specific in-demand positions, and focus on empowering residents without four-year degrees, particularly workers of color women and immigrant residents, all of whom are underrepresented in the industry today and ready and eager from our communities to contribute." [Read more.]( [Evacuations begin after a major dam in southern Ukraine is heavily damaged]( It was immediately unclear who was responsible for the the damage of the dam and power station on the Dnipro River. The damage risked to flood areas where hundreds of thousands of people live. [Read more.]( [Evacuations begin after a major dam in southern Ukraine is heavily damaged]( It was immediately unclear who was responsible for the the damage of the dam and power station on the Dnipro River. The damage risked to flood areas where hundreds of thousands of people live. [Read more.]( [DNA from drinking glass linked New Jersey man to 4 Charlestown sexual assaults, prosecutor says]( Matthew Nilo, a former Boston resident, pleaded not guilty to several charges that stem from four attacks that happened in Charlestown between 2007 and 2008. [Read more.]( [DNA from drinking glass linked New Jersey man to 4 Charlestown sexual assaults, prosecutor says]( Matthew Nilo, a former Boston resident, pleaded not guilty to several charges that stem from four attacks that happened in Charlestown between 2007 and 2008. [Read more.]( [Environmental advocates appeal EPA's Housatonic River cleanup in federal court]( The groups oppose a cleanup plan that the EPA reached with General Electric and towns on the river. It includes digging up soil containing the chemical compound PCB and dumping waste with lower concentrations in a disposal site in the town of Lee. [Read more.]( [Environmental advocates appeal EPA's Housatonic River cleanup in federal court]( The groups oppose a cleanup plan that the EPA reached with General Electric and towns on the river. It includes digging up soil containing the chemical compound PCB and dumping waste with lower concentrations in a disposal site in the town of Lee. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Up in the air: Southcoast Wind — [one of the three offshore wind projects in the pipeline]( off the coast of Massachusetts — [announced Monday it wants to cancel its current contract]( and renegotiate with the state for more money. The company says rising costs have made the project no longer financially viable. - Meanwhile, work has resumed on Vineyard Wind, the state's first offshore wind farm slated to become operational. It was [paused for six days due to protests]( over a predominantly Black union of dock workers getting boxed out of the construction work. - A new study from Dartmouth College predicts extreme precipitation in the Northeast will increase 52% by the end of the century. Here's [a closer look at the findings](. - Apple has revealed its long-rumored virtual reality goggles — dubbed "Vision Pro." They'll cost $3,500 and won't be released in stores until early next year, but you can [learn about their capabilities here](. - There's a new National Geographic miniseries that tells the story of one of the people who helped hide Anne Frank and her family. Julie Brill [writes in this commentary]( the show helped her understand her own family’s Holocaust history — and served a reminder that their experience was "neither long ago nor far away."  What We're Reading 📚 This section is supported by [Beacon Hill Books]( a new independent bookstore. - ‘This is Boston’s big challenge’: A new plan to defend downtown against sea-level rise ([The Boston Globe]( - Inside the high-stakes clash for control of Ukraine’s story ([Semafor]( - A race to keep up – or to the bottom? Lottery bets big on $50 scratch ticket, online games ([CommonWealth Magazine](  Spoiler Alert [We ask the creator of 'Succession' everything you wanted to know about the finale]( Was Kendall going to jump into the river? Why did we keep seeing Logan in the bathroom? Creator Jesse Armstrong and executive producer Frank Rich answer all in this wide-ranging interview. [Read more.]( [We ask the creator of 'Succession' everything you wanted to know about the finale]( Was Kendall going to jump into the river? Why did we keep seeing Logan in the bathroom? Creator Jesse Armstrong and executive producer Frank Rich answer all in this wide-ranging interview. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [opens the door to factory-made housing](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: ["Siri's at the plate."]( 😎 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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