CDC Says To Mask Up, But No Word From Baker Yet

Also: A closer look at Mass.'s COVID wastewater data; Mass. Lottery's winning fiscal year ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  [Donate [WBUR]]( [View in Browser](  [WBUR]( July 28, 2021 Good Morning Boston, ⛅ Morning showers likely. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 72. Rising local case numbers, masking concerns and spikes in COVID wastewater data? This news stinks, literally. Here's what you need to know: - The big news out yesterday is that the CDC has [changed its guidance]( on masking for the vaccinated. The health agency is now saying that fully vaccinated people should once again mask up in schools and in indoor public places where transmission rates are high. In Massachusetts, that means Suffolk, Bristol, Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket counties. However, Gov. Charlie Baker is still reviewing the new guidance, so there are no official changes to Massachusetts' marching orders. Many local communities are waiting to take their cues from Baker before reinstating mask mandates. - Massachusetts is one of the leading states in vaccination rates, but we're still seeing an uptick in cases from the delta variant. A good-but-gross indicator of what's to come in the next few weeks in terms of cases is looking at the amount of viral RNA in wastewater. Biobot, a Cambridge-based analytics company, is reporting levels of COVID-19 in Boston-area water that hasn't been seen since the spring. "Clearly the delta variant has something to do with this," Biobot public health data scientist Nour Sharara told WBUR's Morning Edition. "Even early July, the numbers were in the 20s of amount of viral copies. And now, we're at 101. So there's a huge increase in a very short period of time." And in non-COVID news: - Some state senators want Baker to [end ties with consulting firm McKinsey & Company]( which is supposed to be looking into the long-term impact the pandemic may have on the future of work in Massachusetts. Why are people taking issue with this? It's the same firm that settled with Attorney General Maura Healey and others for advising Purdue Pharma on how to boost OxyContin sales, contributing to the opioid crisis in Massachusetts. - Some members from the Rise of the Moors who were arrested after an armed standoff along I-95 earlier this month are [suing state police](. The claim: state courts have no jurisdiction over the case. (As a reminder, Moors [consider themselves sovereign citizens]( meaning they believe they are not U.S. citizens, and not beholden to laws.) - Former Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia is [pushing back on his fraud and corruption conviction](. His lawyers yesterday asked the judge to acquit him, citing the evidence in the case as “remarkably shallow." As of now, Correia is scheduled to be sentenced in September. - In a year full of hardships, it looks like more people were trying to change their streak of luck by playing the lottery. The Massachusetts Lottery experienced a [record fiscal year]( – which ended last month – bringing in a profit of more than $1.1 billion. (Yeah, that "B" is no typo 😳) - If you're looking to increase your daily steps while being inspired by the speed and spirit of Seabiscuit, now's your chance. The former Suffolk Downs race track is opening to the public today, meaning you can walk, run or take your dog for a stroll on the former race track's oval. P.S.– I didn't think we'd be talking about deep fakes, disinformation and Tom Brady in the same sentence this week, but here we are. That [viral training camp video]( of the former Patriots quarterback playing catch with a throwing machine isn't real, but it's a great reminder of what to look out for before hitting the share button. This [Twitter thread]( gets into the editing giveaways for the Brady video, but if you're looking for other tips to spot disinformation online, this [WBUR article from the election]( lists a bunch of resources that are still relevant. [This read]( from the Nieman Lab about labeling AI content is also super comprehensive. "The more you know." 🌈 — Meagan McGinnes [@meaganmcginnes]( newsletters@wbur.org The Rundown [1.](url)[Here Are The Colleges Requiring Students, Staff To Get COVID-19 Vaccine]( At least 65 of the state's largest colleges and universities will require their students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. A smaller number will require vaccinations for on-campus faculty and staff. [Read more.]( - More Requirements: [Biden Is Considering A Vaccine Or Testing Mandate For Federal Workers](   #%23%23[Twitter](  #%23%23[Facebook](    2. [CDC Urges Vaccinated People To Mask Up Indoors In Places With High Virus Transmission]( "When we examine the rare breakthrough infections and we look at the amount of virus in those people, it is pretty similar to the amount of virus in unvaccinated people," Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC's director, said. And, it's possible that because of this higher viral load, people with breakthrough cases of delta may be able to spread it. [Read more.]( - What Should You Do? [CDC Tells The Vaccinated To Mask Up In Some Settings. Our Questionnaire Can Guide You]( - Listen: [Ask The Doctors: New Masking, Delta Variant]( 3. [Senate Likely To Confirm Rollins As Massachusetts U.S. Attorney]( University of Richmond law professor Carl Tobias says a rejection is unlikely because Rollins was chosen based on recommendations from Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey. [Read more.]( 4. [4 Takeaways From The Emotional 1st Select Committee Hearing On The Capitol Attack]( The panel's first hearing on Tuesday was emotional, as four law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol that day gave firsthand accounts of being overrun, assaulted and harangued by rioters as "traitors." All described lingering physical and emotional trauma. [Read more.]( 5. [Simone Biles Withdraws From The Individual All-Around Final At Tokyo Olympics]( Biles still may compete in the individual event finals — USA Gymnastics said she'd be evaluated every day to determine whether she'll take part. She qualified in all four of the events. [Read more.]( Support the news Anything Else? - The Huntington Theatre Company is [joining forces with The Front Porch Arts Collective]( beginning Sept. 1. It's part of a five-year plan to create a successful future for the emerging Black theater. - Should you opt out of the monthly child tax credit payments? Here's [how to decide what makes sense for you.]( - Washington Post food writer G. Daniela Galarza recently published an article titled “Stop Calling Food ‘Exotic’ ” asking for people to stop using the word exotic as a descriptor. Here & Now looks into [why the word is problematic.]( - Fox News targeted my town's summer reading list, writes Belmont's Rich Barlow [in this commentary](. Here's what they got wrong. [WBUR] Your Daily Must Listen [Radio Boston | Talks With The Mayor: Kim Janey On COVID-19, Police Reform]( [Listen]( TIPS & LIFE ADVICE [The Plastic Problem Isn't Your Fault, But You Can Be Part Of The Solution]( How To Help Your Garden And Plants After All This Rain. [Read more.]( With The Delta Variant Spreading Fast, Is It Time To Mask Up Again? [Read more.]( How To Heat Proof Your Summer Workout. [Read more.]( Want more tips to win at life – and your weekend? [Sign up for WBUR's Weekender newsletter.]( It will hit your inbox every Saturday morning. What We're Reading - NBC’s Gymnastics Broadcast Didn’t Tell The Whole Story ([Defector]( - I’m a Parkland Shooting Survivor. QAnon Convinced My Dad It Was All a Hoax. ([Vice]( - Cities That Reduced Arrests For Minor Offenses Also Saw Fewer Police Shootings ([FiveThirtyEight]( Tell Me Something Good [From Obey Giant To Oceans, Artist Shepard Fairey Reflects On His First Permanent Mural In Boston]( "I hope they become curious about the whale that's in it. I hope they think about how the oceans cover a massive amount of the planet and that ocean health is really important to the health of the entire planet. I hope that the mandala helps them to see this interconnectedness." Before you go: I hope the ["10 people on Twitter" who celebrate]( had a great day yesterday. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📨 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. 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