Auchincloss: Jan. 6 "not history," it's current events

Also: Mass. schools cope with "non-medical" use masks; what to do if you test positive for COVID-19 [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  January 6, 2022 🧣 Mostly sunny, with a high near 40. Snow starting later tonight. Good Morning Boston, Exactly one year ago today, hundreds of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol to disrupt the legitimate certification of Joe Biden's election win. The mob breached police lines and rushed the building, forcing everyone inside to shelter in place. The surreal photos and videos of insurrectionists swarming the halls and standing on the dais in the Senate chamber will personally stay with me forever. Here's what we are talking and thinking about one year later: - The investigation into the Jan. 6 insurrection is one of the largest, most complex and most resource-intensive investigations in American history, according to officials. [Here's a better look at where it stands.]( (Short version: They still have a long way to go to hold everyone who took part in the mob accountable.) - What about the criminal cases? So far, more than 725 people have been arrested in connection with the Capitol riot. Of those, at least 165 have pleaded guilty. Approximately 70 have been sentenced, with around 30 receiving prison time. NPR has been closely tracking these each week and pulled together some some[takeaways from that data](. - Local lawmakers are taking a moment to reflect on the anniversary today. Congressman Jim McGovern says he is worried about democracy in America. Congressman Jake Auchincloss told WBUR's Morning Edition team that the insurrection is not history. "This is current events. This is happening now. We are in the middle of a constitutional crisis where the majority of the GOP thinks the election was stolen in 2020." - President Biden is [expected to make a speech today]( to mark the anniversary. Press secretary Jen Psaki said he will lay out "the singular responsibility President Trump has for the chaos and carnage." In other news: - We hit another grim pandemic milestone yesterday. More than 20,000 Massachusetts residents have died of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic nearly two years ago. In this surge, more than 2,400 people are currently hospitalized, up 50% from two weeks ago. - Give me some hope, please: Some COVID forecasters told WBUR health reporter Gabrielle Emanuel that we should be reaching a peak of this wave in the next two to four weeks. - The CDC is[not adding a testing requirement]( to its new isolation guidelines for people infected with COVID-19, despite pushback from health officials. The back-and-forth is a bit confusing so here's the gist of it all: [If you test positive]( isolate for five days. After five days, if you have an antigen test available, take it. But if you don't have access to a test or want to return to the world in this now shorter timeline, be sure to continue to wear a well-fitting mask for an additional five days. This is a key component of the CDC's changed timeline. - What's the difference between isolation and quarantine? [Let us explain.]( - Pine Street Inn, a Boston homeless shelter, is seeing a spike in guests testing positive for COVID-19. Nearly a quarter of people tested at the house on Monday tested positive. It's a big jump considering there were months last year where the shelter saw no cases. - PSA: Two mass vaccination and booster clinics open today: Fenway Park and Northwoods Medical Center in Taunton. Make those appointments, folks! P.S.– The world feels like a storm right now, so why not add some snow into the mix? We're expecting 4-8 inches of snow tomorrow morning and it could take longer than normal to clear the roads because of a [shortage of snow plow drivers]( in some communities. NPR put together [this helpful list of what you should keep in your car]( to prepare for winter driving. But my favorite tips for surviving a New England winter have historically come from you, our readers. We shared them in this [delightfully funny article]( which is worth the reread. Meagan McGinnes Senior Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [A year after the Jan. 6 attack, Congress is plagued by a toxic atmosphere]( Distrust between the parties is high a year after the violent insurrection. And it has impacted how the institution operates. [Read more.]( [A year after the Jan. 6 attack, Congress is plagued by a toxic atmosphere]( Distrust between the parties is high a year after the violent insurrection. And it has impacted how the institution operates. [Read more.]( [Mass. schools cope with COVID disruptions, including 'non-medical' use masks]( The rampant spread of the omicron variant has caused concern and disruption as schools return from the holidays this week. [Read more.]( [Mass. schools cope with COVID disruptions, including 'non-medical' use masks]( The rampant spread of the omicron variant has caused concern and disruption as schools return from the holidays this week. [Read more.]( [CDC recommends Pfizer COVID booster for kids as young as 12]( The new recommendation for adolescents age 12-17 came hours after a panel of CDC advisers voted in favor of it. The boosters should be given five months after initial immunization. [Read more.]( [CDC recommends Pfizer COVID booster for kids as young as 12]( The new recommendation for adolescents age 12-17 came hours after a panel of CDC advisers voted in favor of it. The boosters should be given five months after initial immunization. [Read more.]( [While talks for more COVID testing sites continue, Boston tries to make existing sites more efficient]( It's unclear how much help testing sites opening up later this month would be for the current demand for tests. Some public health experts have noted that we could expect cases here to begin to decline by mid-January. [Read more.]( [While talks for more COVID testing sites continue, Boston tries to make existing sites more efficient]( It's unclear how much help testing sites opening up later this month would be for the current demand for tests. Some public health experts have noted that we could expect cases here to begin to decline by mid-January. [Read more.]( [The Grammys are postponed and Sundance is moved online because of omicron surge]( A new date has not been announced for the Grammys. Sundance events begin Jan 20. [Read more.]( [The Grammys are postponed and Sundance is moved online because of omicron surge]( A new date has not been announced for the Grammys. Sundance events begin Jan 20. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - A [Jack Kerouac museum]( is on the road to reality in Lowell. - We're still saying [goodbye to OBERON](. Our arts team spoke with performers and staff to remember the venue that was "home," and it's a lovely trip down memory lane. - From two exhibits at the MFA to cozying up on the couch to watch "Dickinson," here are [five things to do this weekend.]( - For those of us who immigrated to the U.S. after surviving war, violent coups and state-sponsored political violence, the insurgency was a vicious reminder that no place is immune from authoritarianism, even the oldest and most developed democracy of them all, writes Yordanos Eyoel [in this commentary](. She thinks extremism is our new normal. What We're Reading 📚 - To Boldly Explore the Jewish Roots of ‘Star Trek’ ([The New York Times]( - What Martin Luther King Jr. said about the filibuster: ‘A minority of misguided senators’ ([The Washington Post]( - House of Cards ([Miami Herald]( Tell Me Something Good [This heroic dog traversed the interstate to lead police to her injured owner]( What started as a report of a dog loose on the highway ended with the timely rescue of two injured humans. One-year-old Tinsley, a Shiloh Shepherd, is getting praise and extra treats for her heroism. [Read more.]( [This heroic dog traversed the interstate to lead police to her injured owner]( What started as a report of a dog loose on the highway ended with the timely rescue of two injured humans. One-year-old Tinsley, a Shiloh Shepherd, is getting praise and extra treats for her heroism. [Read more.]( Before you go: [Uh](.... 🤔 😎 Forward to a friend. 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