Should I be worried about bird flu in Mass.?

Also: How 5 Boston colleges are handling encampment standoffs; farewell to Mike Gorman [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  May 2, 2024 ☁️ More clouds, with a high near 71 and some scattered showers in the evening. Good Morning Boston, The nine-day closure of the middle of the Red Line is now officially underway. [Click here for more details on the diversion]( whether you're shuttling, biking or commuter rail-ing your way around it. But first, the news: - Got (safe) milk? You've probably seen the headlines about the outbreak of bird flu in dairy cattle — and traces of the virus even showing up in commercially sold milk. But according to a local infectious disease expert, you shouldn't freak out. At least not right now. "This is a moment where there needs to be concern and urgency among public health experts," Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, the founding director of BU's Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases, told WBUR's Fausto Menard. "But I don't think it's a moment where there needs to be concern or alarm for the general population about H5N1." - What's going on with the outbreak? So far, H5N1 has been reported in[nine states]( (none in the Northeast) and [the only confirmed human case]( was a Texas dairy worker. Bhadelia says it was a "mild case" that "resolved pretty quickly" with an antiviral. The [leading theory]( is the worker got the virus while milking an infected cow or from milking equipment. - What about my milk? Unless you're drinking[raw milk]( it should be fine. Milk at grocery stores in Massachusetts is required to be pasteurized. And[that process kills heat-sensitive viruses]( like bird flu — the traces left behind don't appear to be infectious. (To make that clear, one virologist who incidentally bought milk that tested positive for H5N1 fragments[told NPR he kept it]( - What should I worry about long-term? Before COVID, bird flu was the disease that kept epidemiologists up at night, Bhadelia says. It has an ability to[ quickly mutate]( to infect different species of mammals (46 in total, so far) and has caused "mass amounts of deaths" in [some of them](. "The closer those animals are to us humans in terms of how their lungs function, how their immune systems function, the greater the concern that the virus is moving towards ... a point where it could efficiently infect and transmit between humans," she said. - Go deeper: As the outbreak unfolds,[here are four big questions scientists are trying to answer](. - CCC clash: After months of delay, a disciplinary hearing for suspended Cannabis Control Commission Chair Shannon O'Brien is set to begin this morning. As WBUR's Walter Wuthmann reports, state Treasurer Deb Goldberg will weigh whether to fire O'Brien, a former ally and state treasurer herself, after the two-day hearing (and yes, it's closed door, [despite O'Brien's protests](. - Catch up: Goldberg suspended O'Brien in September, accusing her of making "racially, ethnically and culturally insensitive" remarks and mistreating staff. O'Brien argues she's being undermined by CCC staff, and is the "latest casualty" of [the agency's dysfunction](. - Go deeper: CommonWealth Beacon [talked to three academic experts]( about whether O'Brien's comments merit her firing. - Read her lips: Despite the state's "choppy" revenue outlook, Gov. Maura Healey says she has "no plans to propose new taxes or raise existing ones." Healey made the comments during a speech yesterday to local business leaders, telling reporters the pledge stands "for the foreseeable future," State House News Service [reports](. - Doesn't Healey's [housing bond bill]( include a provision that would allow cities and towns to impose a small tax on real estate sales over $1 million? True! But she suggests the pledge does not apply to taxes levied by municipal governments. - A boomerang that isn't coming back: Boomerangs — a local thrift store chain dedicated to supporting HIV and AIDs care — is [closing all three of its stores in June](. The chain's operator, Fenway Health, cited "significant financial losses" over the past six years. - Zoom out: Boomerangs opened its doors [in the mid-90s]( and revenue from sales have gone directly to AIDS research and community care. - Zoom in: The stores in Boston's Jamaica Plain, the South End and Cambridge's Central Square aren't closed quite yet (those dates are still TBD), but they are no longer accepting donations. P.S.— As the Celtics [finished off the shorthanded Miami Heat last night]( the team also said farewell to longtime announcer Mike Gorman. After 43 years of calling Celtics games, he's [retiring this year]( The rest of the NBA playoff will be carried solely on ESPN and TNT, so last night was Gorman's last game (and he got a [standing ovation from the crowd](. You can [watch his final signoff to fans here](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters  Support the news  The Rundown [How Boston-area schools are handling campus encampments]( While Columbia University in New York and UCLA in California have garnered the most recent national headlines, several schools in the Boston area are also embroiled in these standoffs. Encampments have popped up in outdoor areas on both sides of the Charles River. [Read more.]( [How Boston-area schools are handling campus encampments]( While Columbia University in New York and UCLA in California have garnered the most recent national headlines, several schools in the Boston area are also embroiled in these standoffs. Encampments have popped up in outdoor areas on both sides of the Charles River. [Read more.]( [Peer support transforms mental health care for some in Massachusetts]( People who’ve struggled with bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety and other conditions are joining the mental health workforce to provide support for patients experiencing some of the same difficulties they have worked to overcome. In Massachusetts, mental health care leaders call them game-changers. [Read more.]( [Peer support transforms mental health care for some in Massachusetts]( People who’ve struggled with bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety and other conditions are joining the mental health workforce to provide support for patients experiencing some of the same difficulties they have worked to overcome. In Massachusetts, mental health care leaders call them game-changers. [Read more.]( [Boston city council adopts Gaza cease-fire resolution]( This was the council's third attempt to pass a resolution calling for an end to the Israel-Hamas war. The symbolic move calls for an "immediate and permanent cease-fire in Israel and Palestine." [Read more.]( [Boston city council adopts Gaza cease-fire resolution]( This was the council's third attempt to pass a resolution calling for an end to the Israel-Hamas war. The symbolic move calls for an "immediate and permanent cease-fire in Israel and Palestine." [Read more.]( [Fed keeps interest rates at 23-year high]( The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady Wednesday, as inflation remained stubbornly above the Fed's 2% target. Investors now think it could be September or later before rates start to fall. [Read more.]( [Fed keeps interest rates at 23-year high]( The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady Wednesday, as inflation remained stubbornly above the Fed's 2% target. Investors now think it could be September or later before rates start to fall. [Read more.]( [8 areas in the Gulf of Maine chosen as possible lease sites for commercial offshore wind]( The federal government is proposing eight areas in the Gulf of Maine as possible sites for commercial offshore wind farms — six of which are located off Massachusetts. The proposed lease areas cover about 1 million acres and have the potential to generate 15 gigawatts of energy, enough to power five million homes. [Read more.]( [8 areas in the Gulf of Maine chosen as possible lease sites for commercial offshore wind]( The federal government is proposing eight areas in the Gulf of Maine as possible sites for commercial offshore wind farms — six of which are located off Massachusetts. The proposed lease areas cover about 1 million acres and have the potential to generate 15 gigawatts of energy, enough to power five million homes. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - We could have made a list of 10 things to do around Boston this weekend, but we'll stick to five. [Read the full events lineup here]( from a Star Wars Roller Derby to Somerville Open Studios. - Why haven't we seen pro-Palestinian encampments at Boston University and Boston College? Here's [a look at why some local campuses have been quieter](. - "Stormy" Mayo — a right whale expert who has perhaps the coolest name in Massachusetts — is retiring this month from the Center for Coastal Studies, which he founded 48 years ago. [Check out the highlights from Mayo's exit interview]( with All Things Considered host Lisa Mullins. - Coming next May: [A six-month-long “Public Art Triennial” in Boston](. WBUR's Andrea Shea reports the local arts group Now + There is starting the new three-year tradition, featuring works by local and international artists simultaneously on display across the city.  What We're Reading 📚 - The secret lives of Shelby Hewitt, 32-year-old high school imposter ([The Boston Globe)]( - NBC Sports could buy back rights to iconic theme song ‘Roundball Rock’ if it airs NBA games again, composer John Tesh says ([CNBC]( - The drinking fountain button is tragically misunderstood ([The Verge](  Tell Me Something Good [Anonymous donor gives over $5 million to effort to save West Newton Cinema]( An anonymous donor gave $5.2 million to help purchase and renovate the 87-year-old movie theater, according to the nonprofit formed by residents to save the theater from demolition. [Read more.]( [Anonymous donor gives over $5 million to effort to save West Newton Cinema]( An anonymous donor gave $5.2 million to help purchase and renovate the 87-year-old movie theater, according to the nonprofit formed by residents to save the theater from demolition. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [talks to WBUR's Deborah Becker about why funding is running out]( for state programs housing Mass. and Cass inhabitants and how the closures will affect the people they serve. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: What the Boston accent [sounds like on a todd-lah](. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 🔎 Explore [WBUR's Field Guide]( stories, events and more. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news    Want to change how you receive these emails? 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