Today's Top Headlines

Friday, January 17

Happy Friday! There's a lot going on with our weekend weather. We're tracking rain Saturday, snow Sunday and arctic air next week. Plus, Israel's security Cabinet has convened to approve a deal to release hostages and pause the 15-month war. Back at home, GOP and Dem leaders are reacting to Gov. Maura Healey's second State of the Commonwealth. I'm Kaitlin McKinley Becker and these are your top headlines.

There’s a lot going on as we round the corner to midwinter.

First up, is the warmup today (a bit) and Saturday (a bit more). A superb winter day is in store as we leap past freezing and head for the mid-30s.

Clouds will have the upper hand all weekend, but we expect the showers to hold off until Saturday afternoon.

Drawing from Massachusetts history while also peeking into the future, Gov. Maura Healey on Thursday night took stock of the state’s strengths and challenges in a speech that focused more on following through on past work than on announcing new initiatives.

The governor began her second State of the Commonwealth address with a reference to the events at Lexington and Concord 250 years ago this April that led to the American Revolution and declared that “it’s Massachusetts’ moment again” to lead the country and the world, as well as an opportunity to “know our past, understand our present and build our future.”

Healey’s 57-minute speech in the House Chamber touched on past, present and future. At the midpoint of her term, Healey spent much of her speech reflecting on the work of her first two years in office, including the tax cut package from 2023, eliminating slow zones on the MBTA’s subway system, and hauling in more than $9 billion in federal funding. In addition to a focus on affordability and addressing cost burdens on residents and businesses, Healey also pitched her administration’s plans to implement last session’s headlining laws, including major housing, energy and economic development packages.

Israel’s security cabinet convened Friday to decide whether to approve a deal that would release dozens of hostages held by militants in Gaza and pause the 15-month-war.

If the cabinet approves, the deal will then go to the government for final sign-off before the ceasefire goes into effect.

U.S. President Joe Biden and key mediator Qatar announced the deal on Wednesday, which is aimed at releasing scores of hostages held in Gaza and winding down the war that has destabilized the Middle East and sparked worldwide protests.

A mother is facing criminal charges after allegedly assaulting two referees at her son’s high school hockey game in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

The incident happened Jan. 4 at Foxboro Sports Center on East Belcher Road.

NBC10 Boston spoke with one of the referees, who does not want to be identified. He said both refs are OK, but that parents need to do better.

Republicans thought Gov. Maura Healey’s annual address “presented a rosy picture” that “fell short of reality;” while top Democrats in the Massachusetts Legislature said they were glad she highlighted past successes, but didn’t jump on board with every one of her outlined future priorities.

“Tonight, the governor presented a rosy picture of our commonwealth, declaring unequivocally that the state of the commonwealth is strong. However, her narrative fell short of reality, obscuring critical challenges and ignoring pressing issues. Massachusetts faces a crisis of affordability, with an unsustainable cost of living driving a mass exodus of residents,” said GOP Rep. Marcus Vaughn of Wrentham, offering a rebuttal speech to the annual State of the Commonwealth address Healey gave from the House floor on Thursday night.

Healey’s 57-minute speech highlighted work from her first two years in office, including the tax cut package from 2023, eliminating slow zones on the MBTA’s subways, new housing and climate laws. She touched only briefly on a crisis that has defined much of her tenure as governor: shelters overflowing with homeless families, many of them new immigrants to the U.S.

Researchers at Harvard and MIT are giving us a new look inside the human brain and its connection to what we eat.

They scientists found that red meats may have a negative impact on cognitive skills.

“I’m not surprised, because there are many studies that show there’s a connection between what you eat and your health,” said nutritionist Sue-Ellen Anderson-Hayes. “We are what we eat, for sure.”