🙋‍♀️ Gov. Maura Healey takes over

It's Thursday, Boston.

📚 Attention, local book worms! Read a book by an author from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania by Feb. 28 and you’ll be entered to win a $20 gift card to a local independent bookstore. Sign up for the BPL’s winter reading challenge here. 

👀 What’s on tap today:

• “Varsity Blues” guy is going to prison

• A special $18,003 donation

• A portrait fit for a pooch 

Up first…

POLITICS

Happy Inauguration Day!

Maura Healey will be sworn in as Massachusetts governor today. Here’s what you need to know: 

The ceremony: Maura Healey and Kim Driscoll will be sworn in as the state’s 73rd governor and lieutenant governor today at 11:30 a.m. at the Mass. State House.

The significance: Healey is the first woman and openly gay candidate elected to serve in the role. And with Kim Driscoll as her No. 2, they’ll be the nation’s first all-female Governor and Lieutenant Governor duo.

How to watch: The morning events, including the swearing in of the governor and lieutenant governor and their inaugural speeches, will be shown on WBZ-TV. There will also be a livestream on the State House website.

The after party: Both Healey and Driscoll have basketball in their blood: Healey played professionally in Austria and co-captained Harvard’s squad, and Driscoll played at Salem State University. So hosting the post-inaugural festivities at TD Garden was a no-brainer. Her transition team has dubbed the basketball-themed event “Moving the Ball Forward.” 

The headliner: Six-time Grammy Award-winning artist Brandi Carlile will headline the event, and Healey is a big Carlile fan. 

“Brandi’s music spans genres and explores themes of women’s empowerment, LGBTQ+ history, and the joy of community. I can’t think of a more perfect musician to bring us together for this celebration,” Healey said in a statement. 

Other notable performances: Boston-born rapper Oompa, The Boston Gay Men’s Chorus, Lynn native DJ Frenchy, Springfield High School of Science and Technology’s SciTech Band, the disability rights dance group Abilities Dance Boston, and others will be making an appearance at the Garden.

You can still get tickets to the celebration tonight at TD Garden for $25 here. Doors open at 5 p.m. with the event starting at 6 p.m.

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🎓 The mastermind of the ‘Varsity Blues’ college admission scam is going to prison. Rick Singer was sentenced to three and a half years in a U.S. District Court in Boston yesterday. He was also ordered to pay $10 million in restitution to the IRS. Singer is infamously known for helping his wealthy clients get their children admitted to elite schools by cheating on admission tests or posing as fake athletic recruits (think Lori Loughlin’s kids). Prosecutors thought Singer deserved a tougher sentence than the others convicted, saying that “without him this massive, historic national scheme would never have happened.”

🚴 Outgoing Gov. Baker signs new law protecting non-motorists. This means drivers are now required to give “vulnerable users'' at least four feet of space when passing them on the road. “Vulnerable users” used to be just cyclists, but the new law covers pedestrians, skateboarders, and even horse-drawn carriages. It also gives drivers permission to cross the center lane to give everyone the required space. Will police enforce the passing part of the law? Probably not. But it will be taught in driver’s ed, so future drivers can keep it in mind. 

🏈 Robert Kraft made a generous (and specific) donation to Damar Hamlin’s fundraiser. $18,003 to be exact. And it isn’t random. No. 18 signifies life in the Jewish faith and No. 3 is Hamlin’s number with the Bills. Hamlin, who went into cardiac arrest on the field during Monday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, remains in critical condition. His fundraiser, originally meant to be a holiday toy drive, has raised more than $6 million in donations.

THINGS TO DO

Date night ideas

🤸‍♀️ Get some air at Sky Zone Trampoline Park in Everett. Tickets start at $20 for 60 minutes of tramp time. Sky Zone socks are required to jump and cost $4. 

🌮 Be a cheap date at Bodega Canal with their $35 for two date night deal, a three-course meal featuring Mexican-style street fare. Every Wednesday. Book your res here. 

🏓 Play a round of ping pong at the Cheeky Monkey in Fenway, followed by a pint of beer brewed on site (and snacks). 

🎿 Cozy up with your cutie at APRÈS at Deck 12 in the Seaport. Their ski-themed heated rooftop is equipped with shareable fondues and stunning city views. Book your res here. 

🎲 Game while you grab a bite at Tavern of Tales, a cafe and board game bar. You can reserve a game experience in one of their private rooms, or play from their selection of free-to-play games.

ONE LAST THING

A portrait fit for a pooch 

A portrait of Spencer, the official dog of the 126th Boston Marathon, was unveiled at the Copley Plaza Hotel yesterday. 

The golden retriever known for holding flags in his mouth while supporting runners along the marathon route in Ashland was recently diagnosed with untreatable liver cancer. He received an honorary medal from the Boston Athletic Association and a frame from Copley Plaza Hotel naming him the honorary canine ambassador. 

His owners say he may not make it to this year’s marathon, but that his legacy will live on.

🤫 Thanks for reading! Ever feel like restaurants these days are too … loud? If you like to be able to hear your thoughts while you eat, the Globe put together a list of quiet food spots in the city. Your eardrums will thank me later.

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