What the NYC subway shooting means for Boston

Also: Mass. moves to release Thomas Koonce; could Boston restore its mask mandate? [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  April 13, 2022 🌤️ Partly sunny, with a high near 68. Good Morning Boston, The Celtics officially have [their first-round playoff opponent]( a rematch against Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets — and they're full of ["caffeine pride."]( To the news: - Expect to see a lot more police officers out and about, as officials prepare for the Boston Marathon and the Red Sox home opener in the wake of [the New York City subway shooting]( Tuesday morning. - Massachusetts officials stress that there is no evidence of a local threat. New York police currently aren't investigating the shooting, which [injured at least 29]( as an act of terrorism. And Gov. Charlie Baker cautioned against drawing conclusions until more information emerges about the gunman. - Still, the MBTA Transit Police said it was deploying additional officers and bomb-sniffing dogs on the system in response to the NYC shooting to "reassure our riders." And just as in recent years since the 2013 marathon bombing, there will be a heavy presence of uniformed and plainclothes officers along the race route Monday, in addition to more advanced security measures. - Go deeper: Here's [a closer look at how law enforcement officials are approaching the run-up to Marathon Monday](. - Philadelphia [became the first major U.S. city]( on Monday to reinstate (technically re-reinstate) its indoor mask mandate, amid a rebound in COVID cases. Could Boston follow suit? Mayor Michelle Wu says “we’re not there yet,” but that the city is watching the [recent increase]( in COVID rates “very carefully.” - Wu's administration has based its mask and vaccine mandate decisions on [three local health metrics]( COVID positivity rates, COVID hospitalizations and ICU capacity. And Boston's positivity rate has now bounced back above the Wu administration's 5% "threshold for concern" at 5.9%. However, hospitalizations — [similar to statewide trends]( — have so far remained low, well below the city's thresholds. (Wu has said all three metrics would have to rebound above the thresholds for the city to consider restoring restrictions.) - Wu acknowledged that hospitalizations often lag infection rates, but also noted that the "largest chunk" of the increase has been from people between the ages of 20 and 40, who face relatively low risk from the disease. She suggested people take a COVID test before going to a crowded indoor event or visiting a higher-risk individuals, and to wear a mask if they themselves face an elevated risk of severe COVID. - Wu also plans to unveil her first municipal budget as mayor today. Coming in at $3.99 billion, the proposed budget is over $200 million more than previous fiscal years, boosted by federal COVID-19 relief funds. - Where is the additional money going? [According to The Boston Globe]( Wu's budget includes increases for housing and the environment, as well as small businesses, workforce development, and a new office to help businesses owned by women and people of color access city contracts. - Reminder: This year is first time the Boston City Council will have the power to respond with their own budget proposal, following [a ballot measure to overhaul the process last year](. - Lisa Dana, the longtime superintendent of Danvers Public Schools, plans to retire this summer, amid criticism of her handling of racist, homophobic and antisemitic behavior on the boys' high school hockey team. Attorney General Maura Healey has [launched an investigation]( into the school leaders' response to the reports. Dana has been on medical leave since December. - In some lighter news, the Wu administration is trying to draw more people back to downtown Boston with [an all-day "block party" today](. It's the first in a series of Wednesday events. - The party will feature live music, performances, food trucks, a beer garden, street art and plant giveaways from the Greenway to Downtown Crossing. And while Wu may originally be from Chicago, she knows our New England hearts well; there'll also be [free Dunkin' coffee](. P.S.— Today is the last day of our spring fundraiser! And today, you can get your gift to WBUR matched dollar-for-dollar — effectively doubling the impact of your donation. Please consider [making a donation]( if you value our work. Any amount helps! Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Mass. parole board votes to release Thomas Koonce, convicted in 1987 fatal shooting in New Bedford]( The Massachusetts Parole Board unanimously voted Tuesday to parole to Thomas Koonce, a convicted murder whose life sentence was commuted by Gov. Charlie Baker earlier this year, over the objections of the victim’s family. [Read more.]( [Mass. parole board votes to release Thomas Koonce, convicted in 1987 fatal shooting in New Bedford]( The Massachusetts Parole Board unanimously voted Tuesday to parole to Thomas Koonce, a convicted murder whose life sentence was commuted by Gov. Charlie Baker earlier this year, over the objections of the victim’s family. [Read more.]( [Residents of a devastated Chernihiv ponder their future after a Russian siege ends]( For weeks, the Ukrainian city was bombarded daily. Villages outside of town were reduced to rubble. Residents are cleaning up and wondering how to move forward with their homes and livelihoods gone. [Read more.]( [Residents of a devastated Chernihiv ponder their future after a Russian siege ends]( For weeks, the Ukrainian city was bombarded daily. Villages outside of town were reduced to rubble. Residents are cleaning up and wondering how to move forward with their homes and livelihoods gone. [Read more.]( [Maine will close loophole that allows out-of-state waste into state landfill]( Maine's Juniper Ridge Landfill was originally meant to be reserved for in-state waste. But through a loophole, waste from other states — mostly Massachusetts and New Hampshire — has ended up there. [Read more.]( [Maine will close loophole that allows out-of-state waste into state landfill]( Maine's Juniper Ridge Landfill was originally meant to be reserved for in-state waste. But through a loophole, waste from other states — mostly Massachusetts and New Hampshire — has ended up there. [Read more.]( [Why there are growing fears the U.S. is headed to a recession]( With inflation at a four-decade high, a growing number of forecasters worry the U.S. economy may be headed to a recession as the Fed gears up to raise interest rates aggressively. [Read more.]( [Why there are growing fears the U.S. is headed to a recession]( With inflation at a four-decade high, a growing number of forecasters worry the U.S. economy may be headed to a recession as the Fed gears up to raise interest rates aggressively. [Read more.]( [Democrats are considering big changes to the primary process ahead of 2024]( The Democratic National Committee is weighing an overhaul of its presidential nominating process, which could give more diverse states an earlier role in the primary season. [Read more.]( [Democrats are considering big changes to the primary process ahead of 2024]( The Democratic National Committee is weighing an overhaul of its presidential nominating process, which could give more diverse states an earlier role in the primary season. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Does it seem like there are turkey sightings everywhere? That's because there are. Radio Boston [explained why there are so many (often aggressive) turkeys out there]( this time of year — and what you should do if you encounter one. - MGH's Dr. Sourik Beltrán [writes in this commentary]( that we need to look into whether doctors' negative feelings about vaccine hesitant patients influence the quality of care they provide. - Don't wait until May or June to break out the gardening tools. WBUR meteorologist and gardening expert Dave Epstein writes that now is one of the best times to plant new flowers or vegetables. Here are [some tips to get started](. - RIP: The inimitable comedian Gilbert Godfried [has died after a long illness]( his family announced Tuesday. But they want you to remember him as he lived: "Although today is a sad day for all of us, please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert’s honor." What We're Reading 📚 - Bucha’s Month of Terror ([The New York Times]( - Insensitive comments in wake of Dwayne Haskins’s death say something about sports culture ([The Boston Globe]( - Nicholas Kristof’s Botched Rescue Mission ([New York Magazine]( Tell Me Something Good [WooSox 'chief ambassador' on why he loves helping fans cheer on the team at Polar Park]( As the WooSox celebrate their first full-capacity home opener, lots of fans will be greeted by a man with a big grin, big mustache and big personality: Rick Medeiros. [Read more.]( [WooSox 'chief ambassador' on why he loves helping fans cheer on the team at Polar Park]( As the WooSox celebrate their first full-capacity home opener, lots of fans will be greeted by a man with a big grin, big mustache and big personality: Rick Medeiros. [Read more.]( Before you go: Boston finally has [a proper answer to Pizza Rat](. 😎 Forward to a friend. 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