11:00am Mass. School Building Authority Public Hearing, Gardner Public Schools - Central Office, 160 Elm Street, Room 210, Gardner

11:00am Attorney General Andrea Campbell on Boston Public Radio with Jim Braude & Margery Eagan, GBH Studio, Boston Public Library, Central Branch, Copley and via YouTube

11:30am Civil Service Law, Virtual Hearing

12:00pm Mayor Michelle Wu on Boston Public Radio with Jim Braude & Margery Eagan, GBH Studio, Boston Public Library, Central Branch, Copley and via YouTube

5:30pm 2023 BOSTINNO Fire Awards, W Boston, 100 Stuart Street, Boston

Birthdays: State Senator Peter Durant

President Claudine Gay Will Remain in Office, Harvard Corporation to Issue Statement in Support » The Harvard Crimson

Diehl Switches "Office Sought" To State Senate » State House News Service

Boston schools grudgingly release some sexual misconduct data » CommonWealth Beacon

Why did half of Massachusetts’s counties abolish their governments in the ’90s? » Boston.com

2 top managers suspended at Cannabis Control Commission » WBUR

‘Far too large and costly’: State backs away from scale of Shattuck Hospital expansion plan » Boston Globe

'Pretty bleak': Waitlist for family shelter tops 200 households after first month » WBUR

Mass. at center of U.S. Israel-Palestinian protests » Axios

Massachusetts lawyers move to bump Trump off ballot. Fat chance, says MassGOP » Boston Herald

School Shootings Driving Push For Door Locking Devices » State House News Service

RI: Shekarchi: 'We need to learn to live within our own state budget' » The Providence Journal

RI: How can Rhode Island fix its primary care crisis? Here are some proposed solutions. » The Providence Journal

CT: CT’s Cigna breaks off talks on merger with rival Humana » Hartford Courant

NY: Union-backed bill aims to curb workplace bullying in state government » The Buffalo News

PA: Philadelphia metro's restaurant worker wage growth on the decline » Axios

DC: Metro’s forthcoming budget proposal would close stations, reduce service, boost fares and cut jobs » Washington Business Journal

MI: Judge closes Flint water case against former Michigan governor » AP News

MI: More pressure mounts to remove Michigan’s once-cheered GOP chair » MLive.com

IL: Under proposed agreement, state would drop enforcement of law aimed at deterring deceptive anti-abortion practices » Chicago Trbune

TX: Texas Supreme Court blocks order allowing abortion; woman who sought it leaves state » Texas Tribune

CA: These Californians live in affordable housing. Why did their rent skyrocket? » Cal Matters

As voters cut cords, campaigns rethink ad strategies » Pluribus News

DeSantis Accuses Trump of ‘Cowardice’ for Refusing to Debate Rivals » New York Times

‘Bud Light moment’: Stefanik forces a reckoning on the left » Politico

Google’s App Store Ruled an Illegal Monopoly, as a Jury Sides With Epic Games » Wired

Special counsel Jack Smith asks the Supreme Court to rule quickly on whether Trump can be prosecuted » AP News

How a group of grandparents is mobilizing to push back against Moms for Liberty » The 19th

Poll: A fifth of Black voters want ‘someone else’ instead of Trump or Biden » Politico

Microsoft and labor unions form ‘historic’ alliance on AI » Boston Globe

GOP smells blood in the water in elite school antisemitism controversy » The Hill

Donald Trump’s “Dictator” Promise Is No Joke » Vanity Fair

An Explosion in Sports Betting Is Driving Gambling Addiction Among College Students » TIME

Congress at Christmas: A debacle of democracy » Roll Call

Robbins: Biden deflects Left to stand strong with Israel » Boston Herald

Commercial fishermen need more support for substance abuse and fatigue, lawmakers say » AP News

Nearly 350 Mass. farms to receive $20 million in disaster aid » Boston Globe

State Street plans to lay off 1,500 employees » Boston Globe

Haverhill, Methuen, North Andover and West Newbury Farms Share in State Disaster Aid » WHAV

Wu says development reviews will get better in 2024. Developers are waiting. » Boston Business Journal

No laughing matter: ImprovBoston ends its run after 40-plus years » Boston Business Journal

2 top managers suspended at Cannabis Control Commission » WBUR

Legal 'magic mushrooms' a step closer to reality » Gloucester Times

ACLU files suit against North Brookfield officials over refusal to allow Pride event with drag show » Boston Globe

Jewish Voice for Peace to lead 25-mile march in Western Mass., the length of Gaza » MassLive

North Brookfield sued after second denial of Pride event, drag show » MassLive

A push is on to ban body size discrimination in Massachusetts » Berkshire Eagle

ACLU sues North Brookfield after selectmen again decline to support drag show on common » Worcester Telegram

Harvard’s Board Says President Will Stay, Despite Calls for Her Ouster » New York Times

Progressives worry Biden’s new student loan relief proposal is too small » Politico

Pandemic funding for Mass. schools is going away, but state funding should soften the blow » Boston Globe

Plan for professional soccer at White Stadium sharply reduces access for Boston high school football » Boston Globe

Key oversight board backs Harvard University leader: ‘We unanimously stand in support of President Gay’ » Boston Globe

Editorial: Fire Harvard President Gay today » Boston Herald

Key Harvard oversight board offers silence as controversy engulfs Harvard president Claudine Gay » Boston Globe

‘I think we’ve lost our way’: To fix state literacy crisis, education commissioner says, Legislature must step up » Boston Globe

Silence is not golden. If Harvard board supports Claudine Gay, it should say so. » Boston Globe

Scenic trail that cuts through Massachusetts now considered national park » CBS News

Plan taking shape to fight pollution in Spicket River » The Eagle Tribune

Rat infestation complaints drop in Cambridge after combination of efforts, and more to come » Cambridge Day

Slow-moving disaster looms: UMass experts contribute to cryosphere report on display at COP28 » Gazette Net

Probe of alleged secret doc leak by Dighton air guardsman leads to punishment of 15 Air Force members » The Sun Chronicle

Moderna shakes up C-suite amid restructuring » Boston Business Journal

Milton Town Meeting passes plan to allow for more multifamily housing in some areas » Boston Globe

Opinion: Private investors are dashing the dream of homeownership » Boston Globe

'Pretty bleak': Waitlist for family shelter tops 200 households after first month » WBUR

State lawmakers restore food benefits to immigrants with legal status » WBUR

Gold Star Tree A Reminder of Sacrifices Through The Years » State House News Service

Mass. bill would make services more accessible to all veterans » NBC Boston

Amid executive changes, State Street lays off 1,500 employees » Boston Business Journal

Central Mass. businesses granted $4M to train 2,500+ workers » Worcester Business Journal

Beacon Hill Roll Call: Senate attendance records for 2023 session » Lowell Sun

State Awards Groveland and North Andover Community Compact Money for IT Systems » WHAV

Lame duck Boston city councilor skips work in support of Palestinian-led ‘global strike’ » Boston Herald

Salem Council honors McCarthy as 18-year career ends » Salem News

Federal jury finds former Springfield golf pro Kevin Kennedy did not steal from city » MassLive

Select Board sending State House letter supporting Alewife CSO bill » Your Arlington

Diehl sets sites on state Senate, with $31.35 in bank » Boston Herald

Whitman's Geoff Diehl might be running for office again. Here's what we know » Patriot Ledger

GOP candidates pay $20K to get on ballot » Newburyport News

Proportionality does not matter to the MAGA supporters » The Sun Chronicle

Former Republican gubernatorial candidate Geoff Diehl eyes state Senate seat » MassLive

Reversing the war on drugs, one overdose at a time » Commonwealth Beacon

NY: Drug Case Linked to Trainer at Vulgar ‘Street Cop’ Conference Is Dismissed » New York Times

Lawsuit claims Fall River police were complicit in covering up ex-cop's domestic abuse » The Herald News

City of Worcester lowers business tax rate » Worcester Business Journal

Completion Date Extended On GLX Repairs » State House News Service

Funds awarded to support Boston-Albany Passenger Rail Corridor through Springfield » News 22 WWLP.com

MBTA expands timeline of nighttime Green Line Extension repairs » WBUR

With warning letter to FTC, Markey wades into competitive electric supplier debate » Boston Globe

State board approves Craigville Beach transmission line » Commonwealth Beacon

Legislative Hearing in Pittsfield Tackles Inflated Utility Rates » iBerkshires

Social Media Spotlight

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GBH News Harvard campus reacts to President Claudine Gay’s controversial testimony CBS Boston Lawmakers discuss expansion to Nero's Law, which allows EMTs to treat injured K-9s

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Podcast Spotlight

Boston Consulting Group In Her Ellement: Micro-Optimizations with Flatiron Health's Cat Miller Wall St. Journal Minute Briefing: Ukraine Aid Finds Tough Audience in Washington

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