COVID positivity rates & hospitalizations trending down

Also: Miss Maine's shrimp in the fall? Blame this squid; researchers find depression did increase in first year of pandemic ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  [Donate [WBUR]]( [View in Browser](  [WBUR]( October 5, 2021 Good Morning Boston, ☔ More rain, mainly before 11 a.m. Highs near 61. How was your [world without Facebook and Instagram]( yesterday? Mine was admittedly more productive, but sadly filled with less [memes](. Twitter had a [great day]( though. Besides social media, here's what else is going down in the news: - Lawmakers on Beacon Hill are holding a final hearing on how and when to spend the $5 billion in federal pandemic aid. At today's meeting, they'll hear a call for the money to go entirely to rural communities in western Massachusetts. While how the cash is divvied up has still not been decided, WBUR's senior State House reporter Steve Brown says legislative leaders have signaled that a bill to allocate at least some of the stimulus dollars could emerge by Thanksgiving. - The U.S. Supreme Court will not hear an appeal trying to prove Gov. Charlie Baker overstepped his authority amid the pandemic. A group of business owners and pastors wanted the high court to overturn an SJC ruling that found Baker was in the clear to order businesses and churches closed amid the state of emergency. But that isn't going to happen. Baker said he stands by his decisions, saying they were appropriate and legal, but that he's not taking "any kind of a victory lap on much of anything associated with this." - It does seem that cases are coming down after a recent peak in infections and serious illnesses caused by the delta variant. The average seven-day positive rest rate is now just below 1.7% – the lowest it's been since July. And when it comes to hospitalizations, it's the lowest number in about a month, with 581 statewide. Also promising: Baker said Massachusetts is leading the nation in vaccinations, with 89% of people over the age of 18 having received at least a first dose. - Waltham-based Thermo Fisher is [facing a lawsuit]( from descendants of Henrietta Lacks, a Black woman whose cells were used by the company to make medical breakthroughs like the polio vaccine possible. The suit alleges that the company knew doctors had taken tissue samples from Lacks, who died in 1951 from cervical cancer, without her permission, but continued to profit off her anyway. Thermo Fisher hasn't responded yet to the suit. - Crossing T's and dotting I's: Residents in Brewster today are voting to finalize the town's big purchase of the Cape Cod Sea Camps, a former kids' summer camp with 120 acres of waterfront property. It's expected to get overwhelming approval, like it did at the town meeting last month, and the next step will be exploring public uses for the land. - This year will be an important one for Vermont's ski industry. Last winter, due to the pandemic and restrictions, the industry lost about $100 million. This year, ski resorts will have to overcome [a major worker shortage.]( P.S.– Thanks to everyone who sent me book recommendations! I definitely have enough reads to get me to my goal of completing 21 books by the end of 2021 – and then some. Now let me return the favor. Here are [10 fall-inspired reads from New England authors]( that you should add to your reading list. You can see all of our arts and culture team's fall guides and recommendations [here](. — Meagan McGinnes [@meaganmcginnes]( newsletters@wbur.org The Rundown [1.](url)[Depression increased through the pandemic's first year, BU researchers say]( According to lead researcher Catherine Ettman, driving factors included having low income, not being married and pandemic-related stressors. [Read more.](   #%23%23[Twitter](  #%23%23[Facebook](    2. [Biden lifts abortion referral ban on family planning clinics]( The Department of Health and Human Services said Monday its new regulation will restore the federal family planning program to the way it ran under the Obama administration, when clinics were able to refer women seeking abortions to a provider. [Read more.]( 3. [Former Boston police union boss pleads guilty in overtime fraud case]( Thomas Nee submitted false and fraudulent overtime slips from at least January 2015 through February 2019 and personally collected about $16,642 for overtime hours he did not work. [Read more.]( 4. [Scientists think longfin squid are reason for Maine's prized shrimp fishery collapse]( It was assumed the shrimp's disappearance was linked to heat-sensitivity and water temperature. But some thought there had to be more – and they were right. [Read more.]( 5. [Hollywood crews vote to authorize a strike for better pay and working conditions]( Behind-the-scenes crew members say they're working long days without breaks for dismal pay. Union leadership may now call a strike. [Read more.]( Support the news Anything Else? - The CDC has some [safety tips for the upcoming holidays](. The big ones: get a fan and get vaccinated. - Who is [Matt Amodio]( The "Jeopardy!" contestant shares his thoughts on his 33-game winning streak. - Last week was the Boston Symphony Orchestra's first concert in Symphony Hall in 18 months. Here's a [review]( of the standing ovation-filled performance. - Health care workers aren't heroes. We're human and we need your help, write Chase T.M. Anderson and Jack Turban [in this commentary](. Today, nearly half of health care workers report burnout. Our fatigue is consuming us. [WBUR] Your Daily Must Listen [Endless Thread | MEMES, Part 2: Scumbag Steve]( [Listen]( FALL ARTS GUIDE 2021 [7 Albums To Listen To This Fall]( 17 Fall Film Festivals To Check Out In (And Around) Greater Boston. [Read more.]( 15 Art Exhibits Worth Exploring This Fall. [Read more.]( From Opera To The Orchestra, Here Are The Classical Music Performances To Attend This Fall. [Read more.]( Love our arts and culture coverage? Then you'll definitely love our weekly newsletter, The ARTery. [Sign up.]( What We're Reading - From novelist to climate crusader: How one woman is working to put a stop to natural gas ([The Washington Post]( - I Had a Chance to Travel Anywhere. Why Did I Pick Spokane? ([The New Yorker]( - Who Wouldn’t Want a $500 Million Theme Park in Their Town? ([The New York Times]( Tell Me Something Good [Heavy Rotation: 9 songs public radio can't stop playing]( We're giving you more of what you love. All of September's picks are available to stream on the Heavy Rotation Spotify and Apple Music playlists (included in this story). Before you go: When social media goes down, at least Boston always has [this old standby.]( 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📨 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news [WBUR]( [95289b97-66e8-43d4-a174-3bc3520a79a9.png]( [Instagram](  [Twitter]( [Facebook]( Want to change how you receive these emails? [Stop getting this newsletter by updating your preferences.]( I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. [Unsubscribe from all editorial newsletters.]( Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2021 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved. You signed up for this newsletter at wbur.org. Our mailing address is: WBUR-FM 890 Commonwealth AveBoston, MA 02215-1205 [Add us to your address book](