Baker Wants To Keep Outdoor Dining, Remote Meetings

Also: Workers share hopes & concerns about soon-to-be lifted COVID restrictions; judge won't stop Boston from firing BPD commissioner ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  [Donate [WBUR]]( [View in Browser](  [WBUR]( May 26, 2021 Good Morning Boston, 🌞 Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. It's time to break out the sunscreen and refill those water bottles: It's heating up today. It will likely be the second 90-degree day of the year, [according to meteorologist Dave Epstein](. Whether you're a fan of warmer temps or planning to hide in the shade, stay cool, my friends. Here's what you need to know this morning: - It's official: Gov. Charlie Baker[signed a bill]( that approved $400 million in funding for the construction of a new Holyoke Soldiers’ Home. The new facility will replace the site of one of the deadliest coronavirus outbreaks at a long-term care facility in the nation. - Boston will get $50 million in its first round of federal pandemic relief funding, and Acting Mayor Kim Janey wants to use $10 million of it to address inequities that existed, even before the pandemic, in some of the hardest hit neighborhoods. Boston expects to receive a total of $500 million through 2024. - Have business to take care of at Boston City Hall? Starting this weekend, the offices will be open for in-person appointments four days a week. City Hall will fully reopen in July, open five-days a week, for walk-up business, too. - Zoom in: Newton zoning and planning officials tonight will consider an ordinance to ban gun businesses from opening up in the city. This consideration comes as the city councilors are debating whether or not to change zoning rules to redistrict where gun shops can be located in Newton. This conversation was sparked by a gun business trying to open up in the city on Washington Street – and many residents aren't pleased. - Zoom out: [Half of all U.S. adults are fully vaccinated]( – and it took less than six months to hit this milestone. Massachusetts is almost at 50% of its residents fully vaccinated (we're likely to hit or surpass this marker today). - It looks like kids may have a second vaccination option in the near future. Moderna said Tuesday its COVID-19 vaccine [strongly protects kids as young as 12](. The Cambridge-based company will submit its teen data to the FDA next month. P.S.– Memorial Day prep is beginning today. Hundreds of volunteers will help plant more than 37,000 American flags on the Boston Common. Each flag represents every fallen service member from Massachusetts since the American Revolution. If you can swing by at any point over the weekend, it's truly a moving sight to see. — Meagan McGinnes [@meaganmcginnes]( newsletters@wbur.org The Rundown [1.](url)[Judge Won't Stop Boston From Firing Police Commissioner Dennis White]( Judge Heidi Brieger ruled that Boston Acting Mayor Kim Janey has the right to remove the commissioner, so long as she gives him an opportunity to be heard. In addition, Brieger ruled that an injunction is not necessary, because White can always challenge the decision later and seek monetary damages if he believes the firing was improper. [Read more.](   #%23%23[Twitter](  #%23%23[Facebook](    2. [On Anniversary Of George Floyd's Death, Demonstrators Gather In Franklin Park]( Several hundred people gathered in Franklin Park to mark the anniversary of the killing of George Floyd — and to call for local officials to do more to combat police brutality. [Read more.]( - Related: [Boston Detective Says Racism In BPD Is Evident, 1 Year After George Floyd]( 3. [Mass. Workers Share Hopes, Concerns About Plans To Lift COVID Restrictions]( "Where I work is very tourist heavy, so like most of the traffic in my store is people who are coming from abroad who are literally like, 'I just got off my flight, I'm here and need a cellphone package,'" one worker said. [Read more.]( 4. [Baker Seeks To Preserve Some Emergency Measures Like Outdoor Dining, Remote Meetings]( All of those are tied to executive orders Baker issued that are poised to expire in the wake of the emergency's end. [Read more.]( 5. [Biden Administration Strikes A Deal To Bring Offshore Wind To California]( The move adds momentum to the administration's goal of reaching 100% carbon-free electricity by 2035, coming just weeks after the country's first large-scale offshore wind farm was approved off the coast of New England. [Read more.]( Support the news Anything Else? - The biggest winner in green jobs for Massachusetts? Construction, [according to a new report.]( - Massachusetts state auditor Suzanne Bump [will not seek reelection](. That means there's a rare opening in one of the state's six constitutional offices. - Poetry belongs in the classroom, writes Karen Harris [in this commentary.]( I’m afraid that just when students need the comfort and challenge of poetry the most, our (adult) panic about falling behind will make us more metrics-obsessed and reductive. [WBUR] Your Daily Must Listen [General Speaks Out About Bipolar Disorder That Ended Military Career]( [Listen]( UNEXPECTED LESSONS [For Anxious Students, Remote School Year Has Been A Bit Of Relief]( After A Year Mostly Indoors, Possibilities Bloom In A Schoolyard Garden. [Read more.]( Bringing Pandemic Tech Into Classrooms Could Provide Better Access For Students With Visual Impairments. [Read more.]( Reflections On A Year Of Pandemic Learning: From 'Team Resilience' To 'Seeing My Strong Kids Crumble.'[Read more.]( Read and listen to the full series [here](. What We're Reading - How a commissioner changed the culture within the Boston Police Department ([The Boston Globe]( - What Happens When Americans Can Finally Exhale ([The Atlantic]( - Why are we so worried about Satan? ([Vox]( Tell Me Something Good [Massachusetts Teams Up With Dunkin, Museum Of Science To Promote COVID-19 Vaccinations (WCVB)]( Anyone who gets a shot on Thursday and Friday at the Hynes Convention Center will be given a free iced coffee and entered for a chance to win free coffee for a year. Those who get their shot at the Museum of Science on Friday and Saturday will get free parking and two free tickets to the museum for a future date. Before you go: Looking for good places to read outside? [Bookmark this.]( 😎 Forward to a friend. 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