State Ed Board To Vote On Fall Mask Mandate For Students

Also: What Pfizer's FDA approval means for mandates; Saugus police shooting just latest involving mental health issues ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  [Donate [WBUR]]( [View in Browser](  [WBUR]( August 24, 2021 Good Morning Boston, ⛅ Partly sunny, with a high near 87. It's never too early for a coffee and this roundup of local news. It is, however, a little too early for pumpkin spice, in my opinion. [Starbucks]( [Dunkin]( apparently disagree. Here's what's on our menu this morning: - The state education board will be voting today on a statewide school mask mandate. By voting "yes," the board would give state education commissioner Jeffrey Riley the power to institute a mask mandate for several weeks. This would also signify a pretty big departure from Gov. Charlie Baker's stance on masks in schools in the fall. If given the authority, Riley said he'd put a mask mandate in place until at least Oct. 1. We'll keep you posted on the vote – on air and online – whenever we get word. - The conversation around masking in schools is heating up as COVID-19 hospitalizations across the state are rising. We've hit a four-month high, with [530 patients]( the most reported since April. Of those people hospitalized, 139 are in the ICU, which is the highest number reported in over three months. The seven-day average positive test rate is down slightly from a week ago, now just under 2.6%. A reminder: the majority of those hospitalized across the country are unvaccinated. Getting your shots significantly protects you from serious illness and death. - A Hampden Superior Court Judge will consider today whether to dismiss criminal neglect charges against the two former leaders of the state-run Holyoke Soldiers' Home – former superintendent Bennett Walsh and former medical director David Clinton – after more than 70 veterans died of COVID-19 last year under their leadership. Regardless of what the judge decides today, Walsh and Clinton aren't out of hot water yet. They are also the focus of a federal class-action lawsuit filed last week by staff at the home, who say they were forced to work under inhumane and unsafe conditions. - ICYMI: The FDA has [formally given the thumbs up]( to Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine is the first COVID vaccine to get a full approval, which puts it on par with other marketed vaccines. What does that mean moving forward? For starters, it could make it easier for employers, the military and universities to mandate vaccination. Hopefully, it also reassures some people who are hesitant about getting their shots. More on all of this below. And in non-COVID news: - Tropical Storm Henri sent some parting gifts: [three tornadoes]( that touched down in Massachusetts on Monday afternoon. The tornadoes occurred in Stow, Bolton and Marlborough. The good news is that those only brought down some trees and branches, and all three were rated EF-0 – the lowest possible rating on the Enhanced Fujita Tornado Damage Scale. - Attention Green Line commuters: Shuttle buses are replacing trains on the D branch between Reservoir and Kenmore because of some downed power lines in Brookline. It's unclear when service will be restored, so plan on a slower ride this morning. P.S.– It seems that a local family's streak of "luck" is ending. Ali Jaafar and his sons Mohamed and Yousef, of Watertown, are [facing federal criminal charges]( for lottery fraud for claiming $21 million in state lottery winnings in less than a decade. Does this story sound familiar? We covered it pretty extensively on WBUR in 2018 and 2019, and I highly recommend reading [this]( [this]( to get the background on how the family kept winning, despite a state rule to stop repeat lottery winners. — Meagan McGinnes [@meaganmcginnes]( newsletters@wbur.org The Rundown [1.](url)[Saugus Police Shooting Was Just The Latest Involving Mental Health Issues]( More than 1,400 people with a mental health condition have been killed in a police shooting across the country since 2015, according to the Washington Post, which has compiled a database of police shootings. That's despite efforts by police departments across the country to better deal with mental health calls. [Read more.](   #%23%23[Twitter](  #%23%23[Facebook](    2. [Why Pfizer's FDA Approval Matters And What It Means For Vaccine Mandates]( The approval, says the FDA, means "the public can be very confident that this vaccine meets the high standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality the FDA requires of an approved product." [Read more.]( 3. [Lawyers On Both Sides Recommend Sanctions For 3 Ex-Assistant AGs In Drug Lab Scandal]( Lawyers for Kris Foster, Anne Kaczmarek and John Verner recommended their clients face some sanctions for their roles in the highly-publicized scandal, including public reprimands or even short-term suspensions of their law licenses. [Read more.]( 4. [At-Risk Afghans Who Fear The Taliban Hunker Down And Wait To Leave]( They fear a massive rollback of women's rights, or they are distrustful of the Taliban's promises that they won't seek revenge on former adversaries and that they want to form an inclusive government as the U.S. ends its 20-year war. [Read more.]( - Analysis: [The Taliban's Rise Is Complicating Biden's Efforts To Close Guantánamo's Prison]( 5. [Jimmy Hayes, 31, Boston College Star Who Played In NHL, Dies At 31]( Hayes won a national hockey championship at Boston College and played seven seasons in the NHL. [Read more.]( Support the news Anything Else? - [This retired flight attendant]( is pushing an airline beverage cart more than 200 miles from Boston to New York City to honor his colleagues who died during the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. He started his journey over the weekend. - We've got [a new Sean Burns' film review]( for you. It's on the documentary "What We Left Unfinished," which explores the brief heyday of the Afghan movie industry. - The unvaccinated should pay more for health insurance, writes Rich Barlow [in this commentary](. Mandatory vaccination would be ideal. But charging Anti-vaxxers for their heedlessness is a worthy Plan B. [WBUR] Your Daily Must Listen [Radio Boston | The Art Of The Sandwich]( [Listen]( 2021 BOSTON MAYORAL RACE [Voter Guide: Everything To Know About Boston's Preliminary Mayoral Race]( How To Vote By Mail In Boston's Preliminary Election. [Read more.]( How Much Do You Know About Boston's Mayors? [Take the quiz.]( 2021 Boston Mayoral Race: [See our complete coverage.]( What We're Reading - Dear Tony Russo ([The Boston Globe]( - ‘Don’t Call Me Chef’ ([Eater]( - Opinion: Work Is a False Idol ([The New York Times]( Tell Me Something Good [Beyoncé Just Became The First Black Woman To Wear The Iconic Tiffany Diamond]( Beyoncé is only the fourth woman, and first Black woman, to wear the diamond in more than a century. Before you go: Bill Belichick, [was that a smile]( 😎 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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