When In Doubt, Blame 'Woke Cancel Culture Mentality': The HUB

The HUB is an effort to get you caught up on whatever you need to know each weekday in Boston and around Massachusetts.

Good morning! Today is Friday, June 11. Let's get started.

3 Things You Need To Know Today

Charlie Baker, prominent MassGOP members call on Jim Lyons resign as chairman hits back at ‘woke mob’ lawmakers

A simmering squabble within the ranks of the MassGOP has reached a boiling point as party Chairman Jim Lyons hit back at lawmakers he accused of bowing to the “woke mob” and as Gov. Charlie Baker and other prominent Republicans joined calls for the chairman to “step aside” over his refusal to censure a state committeewoman who made anti-gay remarks.

“A chairman who is unable to put the welfare of the party ahead of his or her own interests should have the decency to step aside, for the sake of the party they claim to serve. If the chair will not, time has come for the State Committee to act,” said a letter from party bigwigs including former chairs Jennifer Nassour and former U.S. Rep. Peter Torkildsen.

The Thursday letter came after Lyons published a letter of his own asking state Republicans to sign onto a petition to “to push back against the woke cancel culture mentality” of elected GOP officials who are pressuring him to resign. (Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald)

CARRAGGI'S CORNER: It almost speaks to the current standing of the MassGOP that this fast-moving story hasn't received more attention. Jim Lyons, who recently tried and failed to weaken Charlie Baker's position in the party, doesn't realize there isn't an appetite for a culture war within his own party. The MassGOP is shattered, and its chairman shouting about "poisonous woke cancel culture groupthink" isn't going to solve things. Lyons just can't be wrong — no, rather all the Republicans in the House are part of the "woke mob." Right. OK.

Senate votes to extend some COVID orders

While the pandemic-related health emergency may be winding down, it will take time for society to return to a fully normal state. Lawmakers are now grappling with which aspects of pandemic life need to continue, at least for a limited time.

The Senate on Thursday passed a wide-ranging bill that would extend a number of COVID-19 emergency orders, including allowing restaurants to maintain outdoor dining and sell to-go cocktails, allowing remote participation in meetings, and extending payment rates for telehealth.

The Senate bill goes further than a similar proposal made by Gov. Charlie Baker, which focused primarily on remote meetings, outdoor dining, and medical billing. The bill now goes to the House for consideration. (Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth)

Amid turmoil at Boston Pride, embattled president will resign as boycott brings change

The embattled president of Boston Pride plans to resign this summer to make way for new leadership in response to activists who have boycotted the group to protest its lack of inclusion.

Pride board president Linda DeMarco had previously been reluctant to step aside, instead saying the board would fill vacancies and expand its number to boost diversity. This week, she told the Globe that she intends to step down, and that her exit plan is “a little accelerated now because I think the boycott is really hurting the community.” (Stephanie Ebbert, Boston Globe)

Local voices

Remember yesterday's item about the City Council granting itself the authority to essentially strip Kim Janey of her acting mayor title? The Boston Globe's Adrian Walker dives into why it happened and what it means going forward. The short answer: It's essentially a giant politics pu-pu platter. Read more here.

The Boston Herald's Howie Carr is using some sketchy MBTA factoids to make his case: The so-called "millionaires' tax" is a Democrat-run scam. It's absolutely incredible how many Bulger references he squeezes into this one. Read more here.

Check your numbers

Real quick, if you have any Mass Cash tickets hanging around, check them. Today is the final day a $100,000 winner bought last year at a Canton gas station can be claimed. The winning ticket is from the June 13, 2020 drawing and has the numbers 05-10-17-20-32.

What I'm reading today: Frankly I'm not a big Bruins fan, but I'm a big Chad Finn fan. He's got a good piece at the Globe about what this beloved core has left on the table since the last Bruins championship.

Weather

The National Weather Service says: During the day — Partly sunny, with a high near 71. Southeast wind 6 to 8 mph. At night — A chance of showers, mainly after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. East wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Have a swell weekend.

You can email me at mike.carraggi@patch.com and follow me @PatchCarraggi.