Happening Today
10 a.m. | Rep. Russell Holmes joins city officials and the Mass Audubon Society as the organization launches its Net Zero Carbon Neutral Project and break ground on a new solar array for its Boston Nature Center and Wildlife Sanctuary in Mattapan.
12 p.m. | Sen. Eric Lesser hosts a livestream with Auditor Suzanne Bump to discuss her recent report on public infrastructure in Western Mass., which called for a rural rescue plan.
1 p.m. | Insurance coverage for medically necessary gender affirming health care services is the topic of an informational session hosted by the state Division of Insurance.
Today’s Stories
Kids get ready for pediatric doses of COVID vaccine
Time to roll up sleeves once more and get ready for a jab but this time for your kids.
Federal officials greenlighted the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for kids ages 5-11 this week and more than 500 locations in Massachusetts are slated to start offering shots to kids. The next vaccination phase is now underway and Boston Herald’s Alexi Cohan reports that shots are already getting into arms.
At a press conference Thursday morning, Gov. Charlie Baker said pediatric doses started heading to hospitals in Massachusetts last week. State House News Service’s Katie Lannan reports that more than 80 percent of people ages 12-17 have received at least one dose and the arrival of shots for younger kids is another milestone in the fight against the virus.
Parents or guardians can schedule appointments via the state’s VaxFinder website or directly with their pediatrician. Boston Globe’s Travis Andersen reports that 515,000 kids are now eligible for a two-dose regimen that is a third of the amount adults receive.
Boston Children’s Hospital plans to start vaccinating children starting today, reports MassLive’s Alison Kuznitz, and health officials from the hospital say the benefits of a pediatric vaccine outweigh the risks.
Following the trail of breadcrumbs to Baker’s decision on reelection
There’s an elephant in the room following the Boston mayoral election and the shift in focus to the 2022 gubernatorial race: will Gov. Charlie Baker run for a third term and how will that affect the rest of the field? Boston Globe’s Matt Stout reports that Baker attended a fundraiser last week in Millbury where donors and activists were looking for any sign of a decision.
More from Stout: “It’s the elephant in the room. How could it not be?” said Mike Valanzola, a Republican state committeeman who attended the gathering at Calabria Ristorante. At one point, he said, Baker told attendees he was looking forward “over the course of the next year-plus to attending and supporting events like this.” “Nothing,” Valanzola said, “sounded to me like he was not running.”
Number of women in executive positions increased over the past year
A new report found that the number of woman in Massachusetts serving in C-level positions is at its highest level yet. Boston Business Journal’s Steph Solis reports that the annual Census of Women Directors and Executive Officers from the Boston Club found 47 companies with at least three women directors, an increase from 39 a year ago.
Clues about who isn’t vaccinated among representatives are in short supply
After House officials released new data on how many representatives and staffers complied with a vaccination mandate effective Monday, MassLive’s Alison Kuznitz reports that House Minority Leader Brad Jones said he is aware of several members who did not submit the required paperwork because they “don’t feel it’s appropriate.”
More from Kuznitz: “Some representatives might consider the mandate an overreach, Jones said, while others are uncomfortable publicly acknowledging they are not yet inoculated.”
A detailed breakdown of how Boston voted in the mayoral election
Still not tired of the Boston mayoral election? Good. Here’s a breakdown from WBUR’s William Smith on how every precinct in Boston voted. One interesting note: Mayor-elect Michelle Wu drew in most of the voters that backed Acting Mayor Kim Janey from neighborhoods like Roxbury and Mattapan.
Rattled: WPI students march for action after four recent deaths
Do something. Hundreds of students and faculty marched on the campus of Worcester Polytechnic Institute Thursday to press the school’s administration to do more to address mental health of students following four recent student deaths, at least two of which have been determined to be suicides, Anoushka Dalmia of the Telegram reports.
Desperate times: Some cities bump plow driver pay to record heights
For some, this could be the winter of white gold. Heather Morrison of MassLive reports several Mass. cities are raising pay rates for snowplow drivers to never-before-seen levels in an effort to overcome a severe shortage of qualified operators. Lowell and Worcester are among the cities offering hourly rates of $155 per hour for drivers who bring their own equipment.
Emerson College senior wins seat on Winthrop Town Council
How’s this for a senior gift — a successful campaign for Winthrop Town Council. Residents elected Emerson College Senior Richard Fucillo Jr. to serve on the body during Tuesday’s municipal elections. The Berkeley Beacon’s Camilo Fonseca reports that Fucillo claimed victory with 411 votes, or 74 percent of the vote.
Part of a trend: Former Braintree teacher, photographed at Jan. 6 riot, elected to school board
Former Braintree teacher Matthew Lynch — who acknowledged earlier this year he’d been questioned by the FBI after a photo captured him taking part in the Jan. 6 melee at the Capitol — has won a seat on the Braintree School Committee, Jimmy Bentley of Patch reports. A day after the vote, the school district released 27 complaints leveled against Lynch from his time as a teacher — most of which stemmed from the fact that he took part in the insurrection.
He’s not alone. Amy Wang of the Washington Post reports at least seven people who were at the Jan. 6 Stop the Steal rally won election to public office in this week’s election cycle.
Language, people: Swampscott fumes over vulgar speech at never-ending protests
Yes, even the vulgarities are protected speech. That was the message from Swampscott leaders to residents upset about expletives and sexually loaded comments being shouted by protesters who have set up shop in town, including near a local elementary school. Allysha Dunnigan of the Lynn Item has all the details.
Sunday Public Affairs: Gov. Charlie Baker, Jo Curtatone, and more
Keller at Large, WBZ-TV Ch. 4, 8:30 a.m. This week’s guest: An exit interview with outgoing Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone about the municipal elections, overall political climate, and his 18 years as mayor.
This Week in Business, NECN, Sunday, 10 a.m. This week’s topic: MassMutual head of Insurance Operations Amanda Wallace; Boston Symphony Orchestra COO Alexandra Fuchs and Bassoonist Suzanne Nelsen on orchestrating the future of the institution; and Boston Business Journal Editor Doug Banks on how the business community might work with a Mayor Michelle Wu administration.
On The Record, WCVB-TV Ch. 5, Sunday, 11 a.m. Guest: Gov. Charlie Baker talks with hosts Ed Harding and Janet Wu followed by a roundtable discussion with analysts Mary Anne Marsh and Virginia Buckingham.
CityLine, WCVB-TV, Ch. 5 Sunday 12 p.m., This week’s topic: A preview of this fall’s ‘page turners.’ Brandeis Professor Anita Hill is a leading advocate in the fight against gender-based violence, she tells her story in the memoir “Believing”. Dean of the Boston University School of Public Health Dr. Sandro Galea tells us in his book “The Contagion Next Time.” “Black Was the Ink” is the debut young adult novel from Michelle Coles, an experienced civil rights attorney in the Department of Justice and mother of four.
Today’s Headlines
Metro
Wu replicates exact Menino margin and map – CommonWealth Magazine
What a Boston Towing Bill of Rights Could Do for You – Boston Magazine
Massachusetts
Activists protest Eversource’s planned Springfield pipeline – Daily Hampshire Gazette
Businesses: Jobless fund bailout falls short – Salem News
Nation
House sets up Friday votes for Biden agenda – The Hill
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