Get ready for a rare May scorcher

Also: A look at current COVID pandemic moment; how the U.S. got into this baby formula mess [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  May 20, 2022 🌤️ Mostly sunny, with a high near 76. Good Morning Boston, Don't let the [wild]( [fog]( this morning fool you; make sure you pack all your sunscreen and extra water this weekend. It's going to be a potentially record-breaking spring scorcher. - According to meteorologist Dave Epstein, Massachusetts hasn't seen back-to-back days of 90-degree weather in May in five years. But that's [exactly what's expected Saturday and Sunday](. - Epstein says Saturday morning will start out in the 60s, but reach the 90s by early afternoon. Sunday, meanwhile, will feel stuffy and hotter throughout the day. And the long-range forecast indicates a good chance of warmer-than-average conditions for the entire summer. - WBUR's Jose Guarino reports Boston's Pine Street Inn will allow homeless residents in its air-conditioned lobby. Staff will also be handing out sunscreen and water. - Temperatures aren't the only thing on the rise. COVID rates in Massachusetts (from virus levels in the wastewater, to positive test rates, to hospitalizations) have roughly doubled over the past month, but Harvard epidemiologist Bill Hanage says such spikes are "entirely predictable." However, he told WBUR's Morning Edition it's been difficult communicating that to the public. - Hanage stressed staying up-to-date on your vaccine and booster shots. And he said it's a "very good idea" to wear a mask indoors in public spaces and to avoid crowds over the new few weeks if you do not want to get COVID. - At the same time, Hanage says the hospital system should be able to handle the spike in areas with high vaccination rates (like Massachusetts). - Check out the [full highlights of the interview here](. - Another 330,00 Massachusetts residents will be getting $500 checks in the mail next month. Gov. Charlie Baker's administration says its preparing to send out the second round of checks to low-income workers as part of the premium pay program that was included in a spending plan for federal COVID funds last winter. - The second round of payments are based on 2021 tax returns and will go to those who didn't get a check during the first round in March (eligibility has also been slightly tweaked due to changes to the minimum wage and federal poverty levels). - The long story short: Did you make between $13,500 and $38,640 in 2021 (the income limits are [higher for larger households]( but didn't get anything in the first round of payments? Keep an eye out for a check in the mail. - The MBTA ([again]( took all of its new Orange and Red Line [cars off the rails yesterday]( after one Orange Line car suffered a braking problem at Wellington Station. While the T says the incident never presented a hazard for riders or employees, they're taking all of the cars out of service while they look into the issue to be careful. So, Orange Line riders, expect longer wait times during these inspections. - The bill to allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's license could be on Baker's desk very soon. State lawmakers ironed out the differences between the [House]( and [Senate]( versions of the bill Thursday. - Baker has repeatedly expressed objections over concerns about potential ineligible voting, which supporters say are overblown. In the end, the legislation passed both chambers with veto-proof majorities, so the Democrat-run State House ultimately has the power to override Baker. - The [East Boston Community Soup Kitchen]( is scrambling to buy more food in order to keep up with rising demand, after this week’s distribution left some people empty-handed. - WBUR’s Vanessa Ochavillo reports the pantry prepared around 500 boxes this week, but had to turn away between 50 and 100 people when supplies ran out. Executive Director Elena Jimenez attributed the growing number of people needing help to the rising cost of food and rent. - It’s not just in East Boston. A spokesperson for the Greater Boston Food Bank told Ochavillo that other pantries in the region are facing a similar spike in demand. P.S.— Do you know what type of new specialty food shop opened in Somerville? Then take [our Boston News Quiz]( and test your knowledge of the latest local stories. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Much of the U.S. could criminalize abortion. But how will those laws be enforced?]( Law professor Kim Mutcherson said that while states are bound by HIPAA laws, individuals are not. This means that abortion "bounty hunters" could help punish people who seek abortions in other states. [Read more.]( [Much of the U.S. could criminalize abortion. But how will those laws be enforced?]( Law professor Kim Mutcherson said that while states are bound by HIPAA laws, individuals are not. This means that abortion "bounty hunters" could help punish people who seek abortions in other states. [Read more.]( [Ukrainian teen who fled to Mass. wants to return home as a post-war leader]( Staying at her uncle’s home in Sharon, Svitlana Pokliatska says she wants to return to Ukraine after the war and help make it stronger than it was before. [Read more.]( [Ukrainian teen who fled to Mass. wants to return home as a post-war leader]( Staying at her uncle’s home in Sharon, Svitlana Pokliatska says she wants to return to Ukraine after the war and help make it stronger than it was before. [Read more.]( [These 14 states had significant miscounts in the 2020 census]( The states were not counted equally well for population totals used to determine their share of political representation and federal funding for the next 10 years, a new Census Bureau report shows. [Read more.]( [These 14 states had significant miscounts in the 2020 census]( The states were not counted equally well for population totals used to determine their share of political representation and federal funding for the next 10 years, a new Census Bureau report shows. [Read more.]( [How the U.S. got into this baby formula mess]( Just a handful of formula makers dominate the industry so a single plant shutdown can lead to empty shelves. [Read more.]( [How the U.S. got into this baby formula mess]( Just a handful of formula makers dominate the industry so a single plant shutdown can lead to empty shelves. [Read more.]( [The Buffalo shooting shuttered Tops and left a food desert. Locals are stepping in]( Local organizations are behind food distributions in the East Side of Buffalo following the shooting at a Tops supermarket. [Read more.]( [The Buffalo shooting shuttered Tops and left a food desert. Locals are stepping in]( Local organizations are behind food distributions in the East Side of Buffalo following the shooting at a Tops supermarket. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Radio Boston [spoke with two local infectious disease doctors]( about the risk of COVID reinfections and the effectiveness of oral antiviral medications like Paxlovid. Give it a listen! - Julie Lindahl [writes in this commentary]( about her Nazi grandfather's attempts to reframe history — and what it tells us about this current geopolitical moment. - This week's episode of Endless Thread [looks at the role social media platforms played in last week's mass shooting in Buffalo]( — and how to stop online extremism from becoming offline violence.  What We're Reading 📚 - At Wells Fargo, a Quest to Increase Diversity Leads to Fake Job Interviews ([The New York Times]( - Tom Cruise’s Last Stand ([Vulture]( - Why do so many L.A. apartments come without fridges? Inside the chilling mystery ([The Los Angeles Times](  Tell Me Something Good [After a lifetime of learning, a 92-year-old Newton woman earns her college degree (The Boston Globe)]( “I came here because that is what I was interested in — I wanted to continue my education,” Elly Pollan said. “It’s wonderful, actually. It keeps you alive, and keeps you interested.” [Read more.]( [After a lifetime of learning, a 92-year-old Newton woman earns her college degree (The Boston Globe)]( “I came here because that is what I was interested in — I wanted to continue my education,” Elly Pollan said. “It’s wonderful, actually. It keeps you alive, and keeps you interested.” [Read more.]( Before you go: Usually, you have to go to Fenway Park to [pay this much for a Sam Adams](. 😎 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. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2022 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.