☀️T-G-I-F! It’s mostly sunny with some isolated showers and a high of 60. Sunset is at 5:48 p.m. It’s day 24 of the federal government shutdown.
All this week, we’ve been looking at vaccination rates across Massachusetts as part of our Connecting the Commonwealth series, Unraveling Immunity. And we asked you: what conversations have you had about vaccines in your family or community?
If you haven’t had a chance to respond just yet, reply to this email or send a note to daily@wgbh.org and we might include your thoughts in a future newsletter.
Four Things to Know
- Worcester is full of potential voters who don’t cast ballots. Turnout in the city routinely ranks among the lowest in Massachusetts — but that wasn’t always the case. Decades ago, residents voted at more than twice the rate they do today. In recent municipal election years, when mayor, city council and school committee seats areon the ballot, turnout has hovered between 17% and 20%. When there are so few votes, races can be decided by a few hundred people. This year, civic organizations are hoping their grassroots efforts will help restore some of the enthusiasm voters once had. We partnered up with The Worcester Guardian to learn more.
- According to AP sources, former Celtics players Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups were arrested Thursday in a gambling probe, along with more than 30 others. The two are charged in separate criminal cases alleging sprawling schemes to rake in millions by rigging sports bets and poker games involving Mafia families, authorities said. Joseph Nocella, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, called it “one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalized in the United States.”
- Rep. Tram Nguyen wants to trade her seat in the Massachusetts House for one in Congress. The Andover Democrat on Thursday launched her campaign for the seat U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton is vacating to run for U.S. Senate. Nguyen came to the U.S. as a refugee when she was five years old. Her family was fleeing Vietnam’s authoritarian regime and arrived here “with only $100 and a dream,” according to her campaign.
- Casa Myrna CEO Stephanie Brown was among a group of advocates who gathered outside the State House on Thursday, calling on lawmakers to restore more than $6 million cut from a Department of Public Health account in this year’s state budget — a reduction that would impact funding for domestic violence and sexual assault services. “We provide financial assistance to 450 families each year, helping them with rent and utility arrearages so they can remain in their housing, with hotel stays when they need to flee and shelter is unavailable, with car repair so they can get to work, with food when groceries are unaffordable,” Brown said. “With these funding cuts, we will not have the financial resources to provide these kinds of supports.”
...Plus One More!
Back in his 1770s heyday, Boston’s own Sam Adams courted controversy; now, the brewery bearing his name is once again stirring the pot. Its 2025 release of Sam Adams Utopias, a barrel-aged brew, is branded as an “extreme beer” with a whopping 30% alcohol volume. Oh — and did we mention it’s so strong it’s illegal in 15 states? (Craft beer fans will be relieved to hear Massachusetts is not among them).
According to the company, the specialty beer is bottled in individually numbered ceramic vessels. Described as “ruby-black in color,” the new Utopias brew claims to have tasting notes of caramel, oak, dried fruit, subtle smoke and citrus.
And before you offer to buy the first round, you’ll want to check the price tag: each bottle comes with a suggested retail price of $240.
