Takeaways From Last Night's Heated Presidential Debate

Also: Baker to loosen gathering restrictions in some "low risk" communities; health experts call for action as cases creep back up in Mass. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  [Donate [WBUR]]( [View in Browser](  [WBUR]( September 30, 2020 Good Morning Boston, ☂️ Rain and possibly a thunderstorm before 11 a.m., chance of rain until 2 p.m. High near 75. Last night's first presidential debate was contentious, to say the least. It left many of us [feeling a little like this](. Here's a quick recap (you can read more analysis later in this newsletter): - President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden spent a majority of the night bickering and yelling over each other – especially Trump. Moderator Chris Wallace was at times forced to raise his voice and Biden at one point asked Trump to "shut up, man." It wasn't pretty. - NPR fact checked the candidates on many of the issues they touched upon, including the [coronavirus vaccine timeline]( [their tax plans]( [Biden’s crime bill record]( and [Trump’s “law and order” messaging](. - A notable moment people are talking about: When Trump was [asked to condemn white supremacy]( and instead ended up telling the extremist group The Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by.” And in local coronavirus news: - Gov. Charlie Baker said yesterday afternoon that certain "lower risk" communities will soon be allowed to loosen several mandatory safety restrictions on gatherings and recreational activities. - The new rules would kick in for those selected communities starting Monday, Oct. 5. They will then be allowed to ➡️ Permit indoor performance venues to open "with 50% capacity with a maximum of 250 people" ➡️ Permit outdoor performance venues to "increase to 50% with a max of 250 people" ➡️ Open arcades, trampoline parks, obstacle courses, roller rinks and laser tag venues, with up to 50% capacity ➡️ Open fitting rooms in all retail stores ➡️ Expand capacity to 50% in driving and flight schools, museums, libraries and gyms - Right now, we don't know which towns or cities will move into this new phase. A list is coming out today, after the state releases its weekly town-by-town data. - Why is Baker making this move? "If people are going to go inside — which they probably will — I would much rather have them go inside in organized and supervised ways with rules than an unorganized, unsupervised way with no rules," he said. [Read the full story here.]( P.S.– We have Election 2o20 on the brain. If you do, too, we want to know: Are you listening to any interesting podcasts covering politics, Election 2020 or anything tangentially-related? It can be something that just dropped or a throwback that feels especially poignant this year. It can be serious or silly. All suggestions are welcome. Send us your favorite episodes by replying to this email (we may include your pick in a future newsletter). — Meagan McGinnes [@meaganmcginnes]( newsletters@wbur.org The Rundown [1.](url)[Trump Derails 1st Presidential Debate With Biden, And 5 Other Takeaways]( The president ran roughshod over debate moderator Chris Wallace and his Democratic opponent Joe Biden — and crossed many lines in the process. [Read more.]( - Commentary: [Joe Biden And The Power Of Breaking The Fourth Wall](   #%23%23[Twitter](  #%23%23[Facebook](    2. [With More Districts Remote Or Hybrid, Catholic Schools See New Families Enroll]( The pandemic has had an unexpected effect on Catholic Schools in Massachusetts. While some families could no longer afford the tuition, others enrolled for the first time. [Read more.]( 3. [After Discovery Of Prosecutors' Racist Emails, Plymouth DA Will Not Seek New Trial For Woman Over Parents Death]( She was convicted of setting her Brockton home on fire and killing her parents in 2003. A judge vacated her conviction earlier this year — in part because of the discovery of racist emails written by the prosecutors who tried the case. [Read more.]( 4. [With The Coronavirus Creeping Back In Mass., Health Experts And Community Groups Call For Action]( Epidemiologists are warily eyeing the approaching winter like storm clouds on a horizon. Although there’s still more data that must be examined to understand the pandemic’s direction in Massachusetts, some health experts and advocates say Gov. Baker should take stronger action to stem a rising coronavirus rate. [Read more.]( 5. [Census End Remains Uncertain After Judge Calls New Schedule 'A Violation']( A day after the Census Bureau fired off a one-sentence tweet announcing Oct. 5 as its new "target date" for ending all efforts to tally the country's residents, a federal judge said she thinks the new schedule is "a violation" of her court order. [Read more.]( Support the news Anything Else? - Boston Mayor Marty Walsh [hinted]( that he'll seek reelection in 2021, but stopped short of explicitly confirming his candidacy. - There [won’t be any big sendoff]( for the last gay bar and nightclub in the historic "gayborhood," Machine and Ramrod. It’s just one chapter in a story about people on the outskirts of a changing city. - By this time last year, Anne Gardner had performed four weddings, on four consecutive weekends, in three different states. This September? Not even one. COVID has reminded me how much I miss joy, she writes [in this commentary.]( [WBUR] Your Daily Must Listen [Here & Now | Can We Believe Our Ears? Experts Say To Heed Caution As Audio Deep Fake Technology Advances]( [Listen]( ELECTION 2020 [Become An Informed Voter In Only 7 Days]( Your Guide To Voting In The 2020 Election, From Mail-In Ballots To Hitting The Polls. [Read more.]( [VIDEO]( | A 'Right To Repair' Sequel: Mass. Ballot Question 1, Explained [VIDEO]( | A 'Right To Repair' Sequel: Mass. Ballot Question 1, Explained What We're Reading - I keep a family photo at my front door. It’ll stay there until toxic attitudes toward Black lives go away ([The Washington Post]( - The technology that powers the 2020 campaigns, explained ([MIT Technology Review]( Tell Me Something Good [From The Massachusetts Tiny Desk: Two Songs That Capture Our Solitary Days]( When our panelists convened to choose a favorite Massachusetts entry to NPR's Tiny Desk Contest, Kaiti Jones and Katie Lynne Sharbaugh were clear favorites. Though their songs sound nothing alike, both capture, with vivid poetry, the anxiety and solitude of the present moment. Before you go: I think [this]( is going to give me nightmares. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 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 [WBUR]( [95289b97-66e8-43d4-a174-3bc3520a79a9.png]( [Instagram](  [Twitter]( [Facebook]( Want to change how you receive these emails? 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