Mass. Wish List For Biden's Infrastructure Plan

Also: As advocates push for gun control, business is booming at Springfield's Smith & Wesson; tips for booking a vaccine appointment ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  [Donate [WBUR]]( [View in Browser](  [WBUR]( April 16, 2021 Good Morning Boston, 🌧️ Rain before 2 p.m., then rain and chance of snow. High near 42. Let's end the week with some – dare I say – encouraging pandemic news. Here's the rundown: - The number of cities and towns at high risk for COVID-19 is down for the first time since the beginning of March. There are 59 communities in the red, which is 18 fewer than last week. - Nearly 2 million people have been fully vaccinated against COVID statewide, and almost 3 million have received their first shots and likely have second shots booked. And come Monday, even more people will become eligible to get their shots. Appointment booking will open up to the general public, which is estimated to add about 2.55 million people. Demand is sure to overwhelm supply in the first few weeks, which means finding an open time slot may be tricky. To help, [here are some tips for booking an appointment]( from local experts, and WBUR readers and listeners. - A closer look at schools: Education officials say more than 1,200 students and school workers in the state tested positive for COVID in the last week. It's a 30% increase from the week prior, and the first time more than 1,000 of the infections were among students. - An update from our neighbor: New Hampshire's mask mandate is ending today. Gov. Chris Sununu said COVID deaths have dropped 95% with the mandate and he feels comfortable making the call as more people are getting vaccinated. However, he said individual communities can continue enforcing mask mandates and encouraged residents to still observe pandemic safety protocols, including mask wearing, even if the state isn't requiring it any more. - In non-COVID news: An independent investigation concluded that former Suffolk County Prosecutor Adam Foss, now a high-profile criminal justice reform advocate, [did not engage in criminal conduct]( while he worked in Boston. DA Rachael Rollins said Foss' behavior with young adult women interns was "troubling," but ultimately could not be classified as criminal. P.S.– So much has changed during the pandemic – especially education. What will the "new normal" look like? We want to hear from middle and high school students: what are they hoping will stay and what will change for post-pandemic school? If such students are in your life,[please have them fill out this survey](. They can even submit artwork and videos expressing their feelings. — Meagan McGinnes [@meaganmcginnes]( newsletters@wbur.org The Rundown [1.](url)[Dams, Bridges And Paid Sick Leave: What The Mass. Delegation Hopes To Insert In Biden's Infrastructure Plan]( The president's $2 trillion infrastructure plan lays out his vision of better transit, broadband and more, but it doesn't yet specify which projects could get funded. Members of Congress from Massachusetts are working to put local improvements on the list. [Read more.](   #%23%23[Twitter](  #%23%23[Facebook](    2. [Federal Judge Upholds One-Year Admissions Change At Boston's Exam Schools]( In a decision published late Wednesday, Judge William Young found that the temporary system to admit students to its exam schools based on their grades and home ZIP codes is imperfect — but passes constitutional muster. [Read more.]( 3. [Gunman Kills 8 At FedEx Warehouse In Indianapolis]( A man opened fire at a FedEx warehouse facility in Indianapolis late Thursday night, killing eight people and injuring others. The suspect shot himself and is among the nine dead, according to police. [Read more.]( 4. [Chicago Releases Video Showing Fatal Police Shooting Of 13-Year-Old Adam Toledo]( A graphic and disturbing video captures what police have described as an alleyway confrontation between Toledo and an officer identified as Eric Stillman in the early morning of March 29. [Read more.]( - Local Response To Police Brutality & Violence: [Protesters Gather On Beacon Hill, Demand Prosecution Of Police Officers Who Kill People]( 5. [As Advocates Push For Gun Control, Business Is Booming For Springfield's Smith & Wesson]( Massachusetts has some of the strongest gun control laws in the country. But it is also home to one of the country's biggest gun makers, Smith & Wesson. And business has never been better. [Read more.]( Support the news Anything Else? - Some 12 person juries will [resume]( in Massachusetts next month. It will be the first time full jury trials are held since the pandemic began. - [These newly released recordings]( of Mark Sandman's "secret band" show another side of Morphine's frontman. - Julie Kohler's six-year-old son became a storyteller to make sense of the last year. But his stories and imagination [came to mean so much more – for both of them.]( [WBUR] Your Daily Must Listen [The Most Popular J&J Vaccine Story On Facebook? A Conspiracy Theorist Posted It]( [Listen]( COVID-19 VACCINES [Share Your Tips On Booking A Coronavirus Vaccine In Massachusetts]( FAQ: What Is A Vaccine 'Passport,' And What Are These Credentials Used For? [Read more.]( What To Know About Coronavirus Vaccine Distribution In Mass. [Read more.]( CDC Says More Virulent British Strain Of Coronavirus Now Dominant In U.S. [Read more.]( 📬 Get the latest on vaccine safety protocols, side effects, local distribution plans & more in your inbox. [Sign up for our coronavirus newsletter and alerts.]( What We're Reading - Tito Jackson found his birth mother. Their family’s journey is a tale of Boston history ([The Boston Globe]( - Why racial oversamples in polling make sense ([Commonwealth Magazine]( - I’m in a Police Union That Holds Bad Cops Accountable ([The New York Times]( Tell Me Something Good [Meet Officer Clarence, The Dog Who Comforted President Joe Biden And Other Officers At US Capitol Service (The National)]( The Saint Barnard, who works for the Greenfield Police Department, is the first official police comfort dog who specializes in helping first responders in the aftermath of critical incidents. Before you go: [This]( is "both the smartest and the most Boston thing I have ever seen." 😎 Forward to a friend. 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