10:00am Governor's Council Meeting, Room 157, State House

11:00am LGBT Aging Commission, Virtual Hearing

11:00am Special Commission Relative to the Seal and Motto of the Commonwealth, A-2

12:30pm "Ask the Mayor" with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu on GBH's Boston Public Radio, 89.7 FM or gbhnews.org

Birthdays: State Senator Lydia Edwards

Gov.-elect Healey is mostly mum on priorities. Experts point to major challenges and low-hanging fruit. » WGBH

Maura Healey names first Cabinet picks, including state budget chief, chief of staff » Boston Globe

Mass. lawmakers revive proposal requiring state’s chief medical examiner to review autopsies of young children » Boston Globe

What will it take to diversify the Boston police? » Boston Globe

Recount results name Margaret Scarsdale next state representative for 1st Middlesex District » Sentinel & Enterprise

Recount leads to single vote Democratic victory in 2nd Essex, Republican will challenge » Boston Herald

Board of Higher Ed to recommend doubling financial aid, updating how colleges retain revenue » Boston Business Journal

Trust Funds Urged In Fight Against Poverty » State House News Service

Can Drugs Treat Addiction? Prisons Offer an Answer » The Wall Street Journal

RI: Can Governor McKee really evict homeless people sleeping on State House grounds? » Boston Globe

NY: Incarcerated People Forced to Do Dangerous Work for “Slave” Wages at Height of Pandemic » The Intercept

NY: New York Education Department requests largest school aid increase in history » POLITICO Pro

NY: DOT Expects to Miss Targets for New Bus Lanes, Sources Say » StreetsBlog

PA: Most Philly-area health systems lost money over the summer as financial woes persist » The Philadelphia Inquirer

PA: Philadelphia police misconduct payouts on the rise » Axios

DC: D.C. unveils bold plan to boost public transit » Boston Globe

SC: This South Carolina power broker is reshaping Democratic politics » Boston Globe

FL: Democrats, trial attorneys, fail to slow advance of GOP’s insurance reform bill » Florida Phoenix

CA: Feinstein says she won’t step down early from Senate » Los Angeles Times

CA: Supreme Court won’t block California flavored tobacco ban » AP News

Dems agonize over Sinema 2024 » Politico

Rent-Control Measures Are Poised for a Big 2023 » Route Fifty

Fake Populists See A Real Opportunity » The Lever

Greene says Jan. 6 remarks were ‘sarcasm’ » The Hill

Republicans Made Midterm Gains With An Unlikely Group: Young People » The Daily Caller

House Oversight Committee to hold hearing on surging anti-LGBTQ violence » The Hill

Republican National Committee Treasurer will not seek re-election, will wade into primaries » Boston Herald

Lessons learned from guaranteed income experiments » Commonwealth Magazine

'Baby Bonds' program touted as a way to shrink the wealth gap in Massachusetts » WAMC

Boston startup can search Shakespeare’s plays in a test tube of DNA » Boston Globe

Going from international relations at Wellesley to local relations to improve diversity in development sector » Boston Globe

US inflation slowed sharply to 7.1% over past 12 months » Boston Herald

Boston debuts program to fill empty storefronts, especially downtown » Boston Business Journal

Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried arrested in the Bahamas » Boston Herald

Gas prices in Bay State now at same level they were before war in Ukraine » The Sun Chronicle

Biden to sign gay marriage bill at White House ceremony » Boston Globe

Boston Requires Captions on TVs in Restaurants, Banks, Gyms » NBC Boston

Obstruction charge takes center stage at Jan. 6 court hearing » Boston Globe

Nicholas Goldberg: Are you worried about another American civil war? It’s not imminent, but… » Boston Herald

Editorial: Jan. 6 committee must focus on Trump, but mustn’t omit other crucial aspects in its report » Boston Globe

Bristol, MassBay, Haverhill, Springfield among community colleges given $1 million to start STEM Tech Career Academies » Fall River Reporter

Bay State College is set to appear before accreditor next month. Here's what to know. » Boston Business Journal

Williams College reimbursed by FEMA for COVID-19 testing costs » News 22 WWLP.com

The perfect portrait: Amherst College unveils portrait of former president Biddy Martin taken by Annie Leibovitz » Gazette Net

State to get more federal money for sewer outfalls » The Eagle Tribune

Major breakthrough in fusion is a game-changer for clean energy » Boston Globe

Opinion: Barstool Sports isn’t the right bet for safe gambling in Massachusetts » Boston Globe

Massachusetts mobile sports betting licenses may be on the way » Axios

Is horse racing in Massachusetts' future? Plymouth said no; now it's up to Hardwick residents to decide if they want it » Worcester Telegram

CVS, Walgreens to pay Massachusetts $230 million for opioid crisis settlement » MassLive

CVS, Walgreens finalize $10 billion in settlements over opioids » Boston Globe

Pittsfield nursing home resident is lead plaintiff in class action against state officials over being ‘needlessly institutionalized’ » Berkshire Eagle

‘We don’t see the end’: In daily juggling act, overstretched hospitals try to maintain services » Boston Globe

In a $6B deal, Cambridge biotech sells experimental psoriasis drug to Takeda » Boston Business Journal

Opinion: Don’t try to flout the Housing Choice law » Commonwealth Magazine

Boston City Council signals impatience with Wu on housing » WGBH

Trapped: Worcester neighborhoods still suffer from the legacy of redlining » Worcester Business Journal

Developers race to beat plans to cut building heights » Salem News

Worcester renters bear larger burden of rising housing costs, report says » MassLive

Poll Bolsters Push On Early Ed, Child Care » State House News Service

Worcester church to host emergency shelter; city says it will address neighbors' concerns » Worcester Telegram

Victims and families oppose Governor Baker’s pardons in Fells Acres Daycare sex abuse case » Fox 25 News

Emotional testimony expected about Baker pardons in child sex abuse case » WBUR

Why remote workers are still resistant to return — and the benefits that could change their mind » Boston Business Journal

Mass MoCA union votes 'overwhelmingly' in favor of its first contract » Berkshire Eagle

Latinas make about half the pay of white men, but work just as hard » Boston Globe

Lawmakers Open Up While Closing Out Careers » State House News Service

Sen. Eric Lesser warns of East-West divide in Mass. in farewell speech » MassLive

Worcester City Manager Eric Batista shares his vision for city’s future » Spectrum News

Immigrant voting proposal comes before City Council » Boston Herald

Boston to consider giving voting rights to some immigrants in local elections » WGBH

Battenfeld: Millions of disgruntled voters fleeing the Democratic and Republican rolls » Boston Herald

Chelmsford Fire Department Gets $18K State Grant For New Equipment » Chelmsford Patch

Haverhill and Area Fire Departments Receive State Grants for Protective Clothing and Gear » WHAV

Hate crimes in Massachusetts jump 31%: ‘Hate crimes continue to have a deep impact across New England’ » Boston Herald

Mayor’s senior adviser on public safety to leave cabinet post in Feb. » Dorchester Reporter

Mass. POST Commission Police Officer Database Unveiled » NBC Boston

Healey taps Matthew Gorzkowicz for state budget chief » Commonwealth Magazine

Healey-Driscoll team taps Matthew Gorzkowicz as administration and finance chief » Boston Business Journal

Maura Healey makes first hires, most from her AGs office » Boston Herald

Healey Names Three Top Aides » State House News Service

Gov.-elect Maura Healey starts naming top staff for new administration » MassLive

Mass. nearly done distributing 62F tax refunds to eligible taxpayers » MassLive

Haven’t received your Mass. tax refund? Make sure to file 2021 return » MassLive

Trains Roll On GLX, Ending Years Of Waiting » State House News Service

‘It’s finally here’: Green Line Extension’s Medford branch opens to a crush of excited riders » Boston Globe

'It’s just a huge accomplishment': Green Line Extension opens with fanfare, festivities, some protests » WGBH

The long GLX wait is over » Commonwealth Magazine

Green Line Extension ‘finally’ rolling out of Medford after decades of setbacks and delays » Boston Herald

Officials hope new bus stop will make it safer to access malls in Hadley » Gazette Net

Social Media Spotlight

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CBS Boston Riders excited to ride first MBTA trains from Medford-Tufts MBTA station WCVB Channel 5 Boston Massachusetts congressman speaks about his second trip to Ukraine

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Podcast Spotlight

Commonwealth Magazine The Codcast: Lessons Learned from guaranteed income experiment Beacon Hill in 5 Beacon Hill in 5: Transition, planning continues for Massachusetts Gov.-elect Maura Healey AM Quincy AM Quincy: Paula Fleming Talk Franklin - a podcast from the Town Administrator's Office Talk Franklin - a podcast from the Town Administrator's Office: Open Space, School Budget and Holiday Happenings!

Pioneer Institute Study Finds Massachusetts Saw Four-Fold Loss of Income to Net Outmigration » Pioneer Institute

Small Business Saturday to Kick off Free Parking at Select Locations on Saturdays Through Dc. 28 to Promote Local Engagement » City of Worcester

The Mass Leads Act Gains Momentum: Extending Permits and Offering Protections for Developers » Bowditch & Dewey

MTA statement on implementing new high-school graduation requirement » Massachusetts Teachers Association

MMA webinar covers key legal issues related to holiday displays » Mass. Municipal Association

Resident Charged with Arson in Apartment Complex Fire » MA Department of Fire Services

Critical Drought Declared Across Massachusetts » MA Department of Fire Services

Healey-Driscoll Administration, UMass Lowell and Boston University Launch New Initiative to Advance Clean Energy and Build Geothermal Workforce » MA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs

Governor Healey Signs Executive Order Granting State Recognition to Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe » Office of Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll

MSA Honors Individuals at 2024 Law Enforcement & Corrections Awards Ceremony » Mass. Sheriffs’ Association