Experts: Mass. In "A COVID Autumn" & We're Not Ready For Winter

Also: Indigenous people call for Boston to stop celebration of Columbus; Judge Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court confirmation hearing begins today ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  [Donate [WBUR]]( [View in Browser](  [WBUR]( October 12, 2020 Good Morning Boston, 🌧️ A chance of rain, mainly after 9am. Cloudy, with a high near 55. Massachusetts is celebrating Columbus Day today and Indigenous People's Day in some local communities. Here's what you need to know: - If you have to head into work today, don't worry: the MBTA is running on a normal week day schedule. - A Harvard alum won this year's Nobel Prize in economics. Robert Wilson is one of two people to win this morning for their work on "auction theory," or rather, why people behave the way they do when bidding. - The NFL has [postponed]( the Denver-New England game due to another positive coronavirus test with the Patriots. It had originally been moved from Sunday to tonight. Right now the game has been [rescheduled]( to next Sunday, Oct. 18 at 1 p.m. - Judge Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court confirmation hearing [begins today.]( It's moving ahead, even with Election Day looming and a coronavirus outbreak still roiling Washington. NPR obtained Coney Barrett's opening statement from a source familiar with the hearing preparations and it gave us a peek into her judicial philosophy. Read the story below and go to [wbur.org]( to watch the livestream starting at 9 a.m. P.S.– WBUR's Only A Game, which came to an end this year, this weekend won a Murrow Award for sports reporting in radio for the story ["Learning To Swim With 7-Foot-5 Celtic Tacko Fall."]( If you missed it when it first aired or just want to re-listen to a delightful story today, I highly recommend checking it out. — Meagan McGinnes [@meaganmcginnes]( newsletters@wbur.org The Rundown [1.](url)[Indigenous People, Allies Demand Change Ahead Of Columbus Day]( Indigenous people and their allies gathered on Boston Common Saturday to call for an end to the city's celebration of Christopher Columbus. Their three demands are as follows: that Boston should observe Indigenous Peoples Day in lieu of Columbus Day; that Boston should not resurrect the Columbus statue that was removed by the city this summer; and that Massachusetts revises its state flag. [Read more.](   #%23%23[Twitter](  #%23%23[Facebook](    2. [Health Experts Say Mass. Is In 'A COVID Autumn,' And We're Not Ready For Winter]( Epidemiologists often use the analogy of a forest fire to describe epidemics. Over the summer, when infection rates were low, the pandemic felt controllable with only a few small fires smoldering in hot spots like Chelsea and Revere. But now, epidemiologists are seeing smoke alarms everywhere. [Read more.]( 3. [Online Exhibit At Harvard’s Peabody Museum Elevates Wampanoag Voices]( This Indigenous Peoples’ Day, the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard University is taking the focus away from 1620 and centering the voices of contemporary Wampanoag speakers. [Read more.]( 4. ['Courts Are Not Designed To Solve Every Problem,' Barrett To Say In Opening Statement]( "Courts have a vital responsibility to enforce the rule of law, which is critical to a free society," Barrett is set to say in her opening statement. "But courts are not designed to solve every problem or right every wrong in our public life. The policy decisions and value judgments of government must be made by the political branches elected by and accountable to the People. The public should not expect courts to do so, and courts should not try." [Read more.]( 5. [Trump's Doctor Says There's No 'Actively Replicating Virus' — So Is He COVID-19-Free?]( "I think it's hard sometimes, even with my patients, when I explain: 'Yes, your test is still positive, but no, you're not contagious anymore.' " [Read more.]( Support the news Anything Else? - Mars is getting big and bright this week. The sun, Earth and Mars will [line up close to a new moon]( tomorrow. No need to stay up late or get up too early; it should be visible all night. - Gov. Charlie Baker should put his political muscle behind legislation to rename Columbus Day, writes Rich Barlow in this [commentary](. [WBUR] Your Daily Must Listen [A Coronavirus Vaccine Could Kill Half A Million Sharks, Conservationists Warn]( [Listen]( Election 2020 [Mass. Voters: Let Us Know About Any Voting Problems You See]( Become An Informed Voter In 7 Days. [Sign up for Mass. Election Prep emails.]( Your Guide To Voting In The 2020 Election, From Mail-In Ballots To Hitting The Polls. [Read more.]( Mass. Ballot Question 2, Explained: What You Need To Know About Ranked-Choice Voting. [Watch.]( What We're Reading - Thousands of Sick Federal Prisoners Sought Compassionate Release. 98 Percent Were Denied ([The Marshall Project]( - How rampant plant thefts ruined spring and summer for Somerville residents stuck at home ([The Boston Globe]( - How Voter Intimidation Could Get Uglier ([Bloomberg CityLab]( Tell Me Something Good [TikTok Sensation: Meet The Idaho Potato Worker Who Sent Fleetwood Mac Sales Soaring]( "I almost didn't post it, but I was like, 'Let's post it and see what it does within an hour.' 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