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At this time’s storm appears like some much-needed excellent news for ski nation — and it might find yourself leaving an inch or extra of snow throughout Massachusetts by the tip of the day. You additionally may need to depart your shovels by the door. There are a minimum of two different winter storms on our radar for subsequent week, together with one arriving Sunday evening. Learn the full forecast right here.
To the information:
The Massachusetts Republican Celebration is kicking off 2023 with even much less energy on Beacon Hill, a pile of unpaid payments and a rising variety of names vying to problem chair Jim Lyons. And now, Lyons and firm seem to have a authorized drawback on their palms. WBUR’s Steve Brown reviews that the occasion’s treasurer is sharing emails exhibiting that Lyons coordinated with an unbiased political motion committee — a violation of state marketing campaign finance legal guidelines.
- The specifics: Brown reviews that MassGOP Treasurer Pat Crowley shared emails exchanged between Lyons and the top of a PAC as a part of an effort to get a third-party opposition analysis agency to dig up dust on then-gubernatorial candidate Maura Healey’s private life and personal relationships. The emails point out that Lyons tried to get the PAC to choose up the $52,000 tab for the investigation. (That tab is an enormous chunk of these unpaid payments.)
- Why is that unlawful? State regulation forbids PACs — which might settle for limitless donations — from coordinating with candidates or state events. (In any other case, campaigns might use PACs as a workaround to authorized limits on the dimensions of donations they will settle for.) In keeping with The Boston Globe, marketing campaign finance violations are punishable by fines and even jail time, relying on the severity.
- Again up: This isn’t the primary time Crowley and Lyons have clashed. Final 12 months, Lyons sued Crowley for locking him out of the MassGOP checking account amid an intra-party battle between extra average members and the Trump-aligned chair.
- What’s subsequent: MassGOP committee members will vote for the occasion’s subsequent chairman on Jan. 31. Brown reviews that Lyon has stated he intends to hunt reelection.
Massachusetts regulators authorized cellular sports activities betting licenses yesterday for all six playing firms that utilized, together with Boston-based DraftKings and its rival FanDuel. They’ll be part of the 5 “tethered” cellular sports activities betting firms which might be partnering with the state’s authorized three casinos. (You may learn the complete checklist of authorized cellular sports activities betting firms right here.)
- Up subsequent: The Massachusetts Gaming Fee is anticipated to announce immediately the precise time that in-person sports activities betting will start on the three casinos on launch day, Jan. 31.
- Regulators are nonetheless aiming for early March to start cellular sports activities betting, however haven’t settled on an actual date.
Bear in mind when Boston shut down a piece of Dartmouth Avenue for 10 days to create an extra-large pedestrian plaza in Copley Sq.? Metropolis officers are transferring ahead with plans to make some everlasting modifications to the realm. A brand new examine discovered the short-term pilot final summer time attracted extra guests to Copley and didn’t have a big impact on visitors for the encompassing streets.
- Subsequent steps: The Boston Planning and Growth Company voted yesterday to approve a design marketing consultant. BPDA senior planner Ted Schwartzberg stated they may examine how the town might make alterations to close by streets (i.e. making Exeter Avenue a two-way avenue) to proceed to minimize the “comparatively minimal visitors impacts that we noticed over the summer time.”
Reminder: The Inexperienced and Orange Traces shall be bypassing Haymarket station this weekend as a result of demolition work on the Authorities Middle parking storage. (Riders can as an alternative get off at North Station, State Avenue or Authorities Middle — all of that are a brief stroll away.) We additionally acquired updates yesterday on two points plaguing MBTA service:
P.S.— Six environmental activists have been arrested Tuesday in East Boston. Are you aware why? Then take our Boston Information Quiz.