"Forever chemicals" widespread in Mass. drinking water

Also: Tents removed from Mass. & Cass; possible changes to your student loan debt [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  October 29, 2021 ☁️ Mostly cloudy, with a high near 54. Good Morning Boston, I don't know about you, but I'm ready for the weekend and my soon-to-come Halloween sugar rush. What candy are you hiding away for yourself? I'm a Reese's and Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme bar kind of girl. I fully endorse starting the weekend festivities early by treating yourself to a piece while you read this newsletter. Local news sounds better with chocolate: - Today marks the third day without power for 160,000 electric customers in Massachusetts following Wednesday's nor'easter. The lack of power also means that some schools on the South Shore and Cape Cod are closed again today. Now, electric companies are saying it could be the weekend before the power is back up and running. - If you're a Boston resident having a hard time keeping up with your mortgage payments, there is a new way to get financial relief. Boston has set aside [$5 million in emergency funds]( help local homeowners avoid foreclosure. Eligible local residents include those who are at least 90 days behind on payments and who meet income guidelines. - This emergency fund comes as Boston faces a lawsuit from landlords who want the city's eviction ban, which was enacted in August, to be overturned or unenforceable. Plaintiffs say they've lost valuable income and call the ban the result of "political gamesmanship." - We've been talking a lot about right whales this week. That's because this year's Right Whale Consortium meeting [revealed]( just how dire the situation is. There are just 336 right whales left in existence – and the population continues to decline. And now making researchers and advocates even more concerned is the fact that the commercial-scale wind farm going up off the coast of Martha's Vineyard will be built in an area popular among the remaining North Atlantic right whales. To be clear: Researchers do not want to stop offshore wind. (They know it will be a key tool in reducing climate change.) But they do want to make sure the company minimizes any effect construction could have on the whales. - If you're heading to Salem for spooky festivities, you'll need to mask up indoors – and no, your Spiderman mask that comes with your costume doesn't count. If you're heading to a larger gathering, you will also be required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test. Plan accordingly. P.S.– Have you been paying attention to our coverage this week? Test your knowledge of what's happening in Boston with our [news quiz](. Meagan McGinnes Senior Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Some Mass. state workers could jump to other agencies to avoid vaccine mandates]( State workers who refuse the jab may find refuge in local governments that don't require immunizations. But matching the pay and benefits of state employment could prove challenging. [Read more.]( [Some Mass. state workers could jump to other agencies to avoid vaccine mandates]( State workers who refuse the jab may find refuge in local governments that don't require immunizations. But matching the pay and benefits of state employment could prove challenging. [Read more.]( [Boston removes tents from Mass. and Cass encampment]( It took about three hours Thursday for Boston workers to remove about a dozen tents and debris from part of an encampment that has gotten a lot of attention the past few weeks. [Read more.]( [Boston removes tents from Mass. and Cass encampment]( It took about three hours Thursday for Boston workers to remove about a dozen tents and debris from part of an encampment that has gotten a lot of attention the past few weeks. [Read more.]( ['Forever chemicals' widespread in Mass. surface and ground water, says new report]( A new analysis of Massachusetts public water systems by the Sierra Club finds that 70% of communities have detectable levels of the six most dangerous PFAS chemicals in their ground and surface waters. [Read more.]( ['Forever chemicals' widespread in Mass. surface and ground water, says new report]( A new analysis of Massachusetts public water systems by the Sierra Club finds that 70% of communities have detectable levels of the six most dangerous PFAS chemicals in their ground and surface waters. [Read more.]( [Paid family leave gets slashed as Democrats try to reach consensus on spending plan]( The United States is one of a handful of countries, and the only wealthy nation, without a national paid leave policy. [Read more.]( [Paid family leave gets slashed as Democrats try to reach consensus on spending plan]( The United States is one of a handful of countries, and the only wealthy nation, without a national paid leave policy. [Read more.]( [4 things to know about possible changes to your student loan debt]( The head of the office of Federal Student Aid, Richard Cordray, spoke with lawmakers about loan forgiveness and a resumption of student loan repayments after the pandemic pause. [Read more.]( [4 things to know about possible changes to your student loan debt]( The head of the office of Federal Student Aid, Richard Cordray, spoke with lawmakers about loan forgiveness and a resumption of student loan repayments after the pandemic pause. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Facebook is [rebranding as Meta]( — but the app you use will still be called Facebook. - The American Repertory Theater’s newest production, [“Macbeth in Stride,”]( melds a rock concert with a play, and tells the classic tragedy from Lady Macbeth’s perspective. - After four years of Donald Trump’s climate destruction and denial, President Biden has the chance to show the world that "America is back," writes Sen. Ed Markey [in this commentary](. The Congress must send Biden to COP26 with a deal on climate. What We're Reading 📚 - The 37-Year-Olds Are Afraid of the 23-Year-Olds Who Work for Them ([The New York Times]( - Is it worth a seven-hour drive to eat Buffalo wings in Buffalo? Why, yes. Yes it is. ([The Boston Globe]( - The morbid appeal of “botched” plastic surgery ([Vox]( Tell Me Something Good [It's not Halloween without some zoo animals smashing pumpkins]( From elephants to otters to armadillos, all sorts of animals get a kick out stomping, rolling and eating the orange gourds. [Read more.]( [It's not Halloween without some zoo animals smashing pumpkins]( From elephants to otters to armadillos, all sorts of animals get a kick out stomping, rolling and eating the orange gourds. [Read more.]( Before you go: This is a [great little side story.]( 😎 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   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. 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