😳🎤 Gov. Healey dropped some news ...

🔥📚 So you’ve already read “Heated Rivalry” … twice. What’s next? Local booksellers have a list of 15 other slow-burn, sporty, steamy reads to keep you warm this winter. 

🥳 And happy birthday to *deep breath* … B-Side Members Courtlyn, Tania Castro-Daunais, Sara Sienkiewicz, AND Rebekah Stovell! We hope your special days were … heated. If you’re into that!

👀 What’s on tap today:

Up first…

Gov. Maura Healey was on the mic last night. A.k.a. The State of the Commonwealth, her splashy annual address where she brags about her wins and pitches her future plans to the legislature (and us!). 

Here are the SparkNotes: 

🗳️ First, some context: Healey officially launched her re-election campaign this week. And though recent polls show her sitting pretty compared with her trio of Republican challengers, many residents are heading into some rough financial waters. And as we know, people tend to vote with their wallets.

✅ Healey made her first-term victory lap loud and clear. To name a few wins: She eliminated renter-paid broker fees, inked a $1 billion tax relief bill, made community college free for Mass. residents, handled a number of surprises from the Trump administration (see: hikes in health care premiums, SNAP benefit cuts), and notched many an MBTA success (shoutout, Train Daddy!).

😮‍💨 But she’s still got a lot on her plate. In 2026, she’ll have to contend with Mass.’ ongoing housing crisis, staggering cost-of-living, growing unemployment rate, and the always-on potential of federal funding cuts that have most local lawmakers in belt-tightening mode. And unlike last year, Healey wasn’t shy about blaming President Donald Trump who she said “is raising costs on everything with tariffs" and “throws tantrums like a two-year-old.”

All that said, here’s a taste of her 2026 to-do list:

🔌 Nix the heating bill sticker shock. Healey dropped a plan to temporarily slash electricity bills by 25% and gas bills by 10% in February and March. The state will cover $180 million in residents’ electric costs, and the rest will be temporarily covered by the utility companies (the difference will be tacked onto your bills in off-peak months …). 

🏘️ Tackle the housing crisis. She committed to not just meeting, but beating the state’s goal of building 220,000 new homes by 2035. Plus, she’ll invest $25 million toward MassHousing programs that help families buy their first homes by chipping in on down payments and lowering interest rates.

🏥 Make health care more affordable. That looks like eliminating prior authorization for essential care, banning medical debt from being reported to credit agencies, and building a “Health Care Affordability Working Group.” 

📲 Set boundaries on teen social media usage. In a pivot from affordability, Healey teased a slew of strict new requirements for kids and teens on social media, including mandatory parental consent, age verification, and disabling addictive features.

🎤 Wanna hear it for yourself? You can watch the speech here, or check out an in-depth analysis from the Globe here.

🥶 Boston could get over a FOOT of snow this weekend. Meteorologists are forecasting southern New England’s biggest snowstorm in four years, which could dump anywhere from 10 to 24(!) inches of snow on Boston from Sunday afternoon to Monday evening. Also in the cards: Frigid temps that could dip to -10 degrees with wind chill, leading Mayor Wu to declare a cold emergency from today through Sunday. Long story short, keep up with the forecast and be ready for a potential snow emergency, too.

🚆 Say bye bye to the Blue Line. ‘Cause from Jan. 24 to 25, it’ll be shut down between Bowdoin and Orient Heights and replaced with shuttles. And in true MBTA fashion, there’s a catch: Shuttle service will only run between ​​Orient Heights, Wood Island, Airport, Maverick, and Haymarket, so if you’re looking to travel between Bowdoin, Government Center, State, or Aquarium, it’ll be on your feet. Another option: Weather permitting, the East Boston ferry will be running fare-free. Visual learner? Too bad, ‘cause this map of the changes … isn’t very helpful.

🏈 The Pats are headed to the Mile High city! We’re talking about Denver, where they’ll take on the Broncos in the AFC Championship game this Sunday and punch their ticket to Super Bowl LX *aggressively knocks on wood*! NBC10 Boston is sending them off with a pep rally on “The Today Show” this morning. You can watch it here (and your unemployed friends can join in IRL at J.J. Foley’s in the South End). As for game day, if you’re not in the market for a $500 ticket, here’s where to watch!

🍺 Pour one out for Trillium’s Greenway beer garden. Nearly 10 years later, Boston’s first-ever beer garden won’t be returning to the Greenway this summer. Apparently, the brewery’s lease was up this year, and the Greenway decided to move in a new direction. And rumor has it, they’ve already selected a new tenant that’ll be announced this spring. In the meantime, if you need to fill the IPA-shaped hole in your heart, Trillium just opened a new winter beer garden in Winthrop Center.

🍸 Get your Gatsby on. Tonight, Lamplighter Brewing turns into a secret speakeasy straight out of the 1920s. Head to the back taproom for beer cocktails, mocktails, and other specials.

🛍️ Shop (vintage) ‘till you drop. Our pals at Select Markets are back again with a massive winter vintage market at The Cyclorama on Jan. 24 and 25. Expect free drinks, temporary tats, tooth gems, and more.

☠️ Enter the dead of winter … market. Brighton Bazaar’s wonderfully witchy “Dead of Winter” market is back for year two Jan. 24 and 25, with 50+ local vendors selling their strangest, spookiest wares. 

❤️‍🩹 Flirt and … fight? Out: Speed dating. In Speed boxing at this boxing-style singles mixer on Jan. 24. (Yes, there will be instructors.)

✂️ Make your 2026 bingo card. Literally! Everyone will craft and take home their own 2026 bingo card-themed goal tracker at this books and bingo meetup at CambridgeSide on Jan. 24. RSVP here!

💃 Give swing dancing a swing. Put on your 1940s best and head to JP to rock step the night away with a live band on Jan. 24. Beginners: Get there at 6:30 p.m. for a lesson!

🚶 Take a (winter) wellness walk. Bundle up and head to the Boston Nature Center on Jan. 24 for an afternoon of gentle yoga, mindful walking, and reconnecting with nature. 

🎉 Alexa, play “Closer” by the Chainsmokers. It’s 2016 again on the internet … and at Sam Adams’ JP Brewery on Jan. 24. Head over for a themed party complete with a photo booth, 2016 music, and free brewery tours.

You’re doing Dry January. This guy is doing Cop Slide January. 

Cop Slide January is exactly what it sounds like: Take a ride on the infamous cop slide every day for the month. And this guy named Brad is documenting his journey on TikTok. Every day, he puts on a semi-ridiculous outfit (usually some kind of jumpsuit), takes a slide, and rates the experience on a scale of one to 10.

In true brain rot fashion, his initial video racked up almost 250,000 views, and he’s growing a dedicated following in the comments section. Our favorite slide so far has gotta be Day 11, featuring a Vector-like yellow tracksuit.

Check out the series here. 

— Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

🛝 Thanks for reading! Cannot wait to see what it’s like riding the Cop Slide with a foot of snow on the ground. Good luck, Brad!

🤤 The results are in: OK, foodies! 50% of B-Siders say they’ve been to a James Beard-nominated spot before. One reader said: “Several. Being a foodie is expensive, but someone's gotta do it.” So true.

💃 Keep up with us @BostonBSide on IG, TikTok, and Twitter. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected] or [email protected].