2,000 state workers have not complied with vax mandate

Also: Boston mayoral candidates condemn arrest of Black man having a stroke; trial for the killing of Ahmaud Arbery set to begin today ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  [Donate [WBUR]]( [View in Browser](  [WBUR]( October 18, 2021 Good Morning Boston, 🍂 Mostly sunny, with a high near 60. Yesterday may have felt like summer, but we're back to your regularly scheduled fall vibes and temperatures for the next few days. Here's what else you need to know this morning: - The state's COVID vaccine mandate for executive branch employees takes effect today. So far, more than 40,000 state workers have complied. But 2,000 have not, and they could get fired because of it. As of this morning, they've been told to keep coming to work, business as usual, unless they've been told otherwise. - Starting today, 200 Massachusetts National Guard members are helping schools administer COVID-19 tests. This will help Massachusetts get pooled testing in schools up and running. Staffing shortages had held up the efforts. - Be Like Brit Foundation, a Worcester organization that runs an orphanage in Haiti, says it was on high alert long before a group of U.S. missionaries were kidnapped there over the weekend. The group that was kidnapped by a gang [includes 17 missionaries]( as well as children. Haiti has seen a spike in gang-related kidnappings, the murder of President Jovenel Moïse in July and a deadly 7.2-magnitude earthquake in August. - PSA: Housing advocates say millions of dollars in state and federal assistance are still available for tenants and landlords who are financially struggling amid the pandemic. Over the weekend, there was a workshop to help tenants and landlords fill out rental assistance applications, and thousands showed up. A reminder to landlords: You can fill out assistance forms on behalf of your tenants, too. - Tonight at Fenway Park: the Red Sox face off against the Astros in game three of the ALCS. Right now the series is tied up at one game each. Go Sox! P.S.– It's been [42 years]( "The Hitchhiker's Guide" was published and answered the ultimate question of life. And if you read the book, you know this anniversary is a pretty big deal. — Meagan McGinnes [@meaganmcginnes]( newsletters@wbur.org The Rundown [1.](url)[Michelle Wu's path from immigrant daughter to the pinnacle of Boston politics]( Wu, 36, grew up in Chicago — the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants. Back then, she never imagined that she would enter politics, let alone run for mayor of Boston. [Read more.](   #%23%23[Twitter](  #%23%23[Facebook](    2. [Boston mayoral candidates condemn arrest of Black man having a stroke]( Al Copeland's wife, Valerie, said she is glad the mayoral candidates are talking about her husband’s treatment. But she wishes they would provide more concrete plans to make sure it never happens again. [Read more.]( 3. [MassHealth expands long-term care to thousands of immigrants]( The MassHealth members that fall under the new policy are currently prohibited from long-term care coverage due to their immigration status, though their medical care is covered by the program. The change takes effect Nov. 1. [Read more.]( 4. [What you need to know about the trial set to begin in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery]( Jury selection begins today in the trial of the three men charged with murdering Ahmaud Arbery in southeastern Georgia last year. [Read more.]( 5. [The political fight over vaccine mandates deepens despite their effectiveness]( Republicans have grown increasingly hostile to the notion of mandatory vaccines — despite vaccine mandates existing in the background in parts of the United States since the 19th century. [Read more.]( Support the news Anything Else? - Megan Rice, a nun and Catholic peace activist who spent two years in federal prison while in her 80s after breaking into a government security complex to protest nuclear weapons, has [died at the age of 91](. (She also has some ties to Massachusetts: She attended Boston University, where she earned a Master of Science, and she taught at elementary schools across the state.) - La Niña is coming. Here's [what that means for winter weather]( in the U.S. - Reforms like mail-in voting and expanded early voting are important, writes Kristina Mensik [in this commentary]( but they but do little to redress political inequality in our democratic system. [WBUR] Your Daily Must Listen [On Point | The science behind good listening and why it matters]( [Listen]( FALL ARTS GUIDE 2021 [Fall will fly by with these 10 reads from New England authors]( 15 Art Exhibits Worth Exploring This Fall. [Read more.]( 17 Fall Film Festivals To Check Out In (And Around) Greater Boston. [Read more.]( 7 Albums To Listen To 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 - When will supply chains be back to normal? And how did things get so bad? ([Los Angeles Times]( - Finding resilience: Para rowers upend notions of ability ([The Christian Science Monitor]( - Welcome to Striketober ([Intelligencer]( Tell Me Something Good [Where to go for tricks, treats, and everything in between as Halloween approaches (The Boston Globe)]( After a year-long drought of costumes and candy, Halloween is back in action. It's time to grab your witch hats and broomsticks, and have some festive fun. Before you go: [Robo-dogs]( need love and exercise too, right? 😎 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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