A Mass. and Cass breakdown

Also: What we know about the Texas school shooting; Memorial Day weekend travel trips [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  May 25, 2022 🌤️ Mostly sunny, with a high near 72. Good Morning Boston, Massachusetts politicians are speaking in horror in the wake of the [school shooting Tuesday afternoon]( in Texas that killed 19 children and two adults, and congressional Democrats are — again — calling for reforms to the nation's gun laws. Republican Gov. Charlie Baker tweeted that he was “[horrified by the senseless act of violence]( adding that his thoughts are with the students, teachers and families affected by the tragedy. Meanwhile, Rep. Jim McGovern tweeted that thoughts and prayers “aren’t enough.” “We need ACTION!” [he wrote.]( NPR has more on the story below and it's something we will continue to cover in the days and weeks ahead. To other local news: - Boston Mayor Michelle Wu [announced a new "warm weather plan"]( Tuesday to address the dual crises of homelessness and drug use in the [area near Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard]( — the latest of several recent initiatives from multiple levels of government that are just as overlapping and multifaceted as the vexing issues they seek to resolve. It can get a bit confusing, so here's a bit of breakdown of the various efforts — from the city to the state: - What the city is doing as part of [the new warm weather plan]( which spans across 10 city departments: - There will be 24/7 police patrols, along with an increase in outreach workers to help people transition off the street. - Wu said the [Engagement Center]( on Atkinson Street — a city-run gathering space that offered amenities like restrooms and snacks, but [had to temporarily close after nearby stabbings]( — will begin focusing solely on medical and social services. However, the city plans to open other engagement centers elsewhere to reduce crowding at Mass. and Cass (the city also plans to provide transportation and referrals to those centers). - City officials will begin street sweeping, repaint sidewalks, clean up graffiti and enforce new parking rules in the area to make the neighborhood more welcoming. - The city [outlined a long-term strategy]( to provide more services and housing away from Mass. and Cass, after officials [cleared tent encampments in the area this past winter](. - What the county is doing: Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden [recently expanded an adult diversion program]( for people arrested in the Mass. and Cass area on drug or mental health-related crimes, so they can get treatment instead of being prosecuted. - What the state is doing: The Boston Globe [reported this week]( that state health officials plan to expand low-threshold housing options, where those struggling with addiction can live and get treatment without being first required to get sober. In all, they have agreed to fund nearly 300 solo rooms, over 200 of which they say could be open by June. - As the nation mourns the Texas school shooting Tuesday that killed 21 people, Boston authorities are calling attention to the issue of "ghost guns" at home after police [seized a stash of parts and ammunition]( at a Dorchester home this week. - What are ghost guns? They're weapons that can be made at home with a 3D printer and store-bought parts, which makes them difficult to trace (hence the name ghost guns). - Hayden, the county DA, said that one of the two guns [found at Charlestown High School last week]( was a ghost gun, though it's unclear if it had any connection to the "[ghost run mill]( in Dorchester. - COVID levels in the Boston-area wastewater are dipping, indicating that the latest spike in cases may have peaked. The [latest wastewater samples collected by the state]( now show the rate of COVID has been trending downward for nearly a week. - A note of caution: There was a similar weeklong downturn in COVID levels in the local wastewater in late April, right before the numbers began rising again. So, for now, it's probably too soon to know for sure. - Traveling this Memorial Day weekend? Make sure to plan (and pack) ahead of time. It's expected to be the busiest Memorial Day Weekend since before the pandemic. - According to AAA, the worst times to drive will be Thursday and Friday afternoon (if you need to travel one of those days, consider leaving early in the morning or after 9 p.m.). In fact, AAA thinks the stretch of I-93 South between Boston and Braintree will be [one of the worst corridors in the nation]( Thursday between 2:30 and 4:30 p.m. (looking at you, Cape travelers!) And if you're heading home Sunday or Monday, AAA recommends hitting the road before 10 a.m. - Separately, Cambridge officials [warn about traffic]( from Harvard and MIT's commencements, Boston Calling and Boston's Run to Remember all between Thursday and Sunday. P.S.— If you've been enjoying [our new pop-up newsletter "Cooked,"]( we have good news! Two weeks from today, environmental reporter and newsletter writer extraordinaire Barbara Moran is hosting [a panel discussion at WBUR CitySpace about eating local in New England](. The event will be co-produced by Fix, Grist's solutions lab. And there will even be a specially curated farmer’s market in the CitySpace lobby. [Get tickets here!]( Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [What we know so far about the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas]( The attack Tuesday afternoon at Robb Elementary School took the lives of 21 people, including 19 students and two adults. [Read more.]( [What we know so far about the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas]( The attack Tuesday afternoon at Robb Elementary School took the lives of 21 people, including 19 students and two adults. [Read more.]( [Local leaders promised change after George Floyd's death. 2 years later, the work is unfinished]( After George Floyd was killed by a police officer two years, advocates called for change at police departments across the country, including in Massachusetts. But today, those efforts remain a work in progress. [Read more.]( [Local leaders promised change after George Floyd's death. 2 years later, the work is unfinished]( After George Floyd was killed by a police officer two years, advocates called for change at police departments across the country, including in Massachusetts. But today, those efforts remain a work in progress. [Read more.]( [ExxonMobil loses bid to dismiss AG Healey's climate change lawsuit]( The lawsuit filed in 2019 by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey alleges Exxon launched an effort, “reminiscent of the tobacco industry’s long denial campaign about the dangerous effects of cigarettes,” to deceive consumers and investors about climate change. [Read more.]( [ExxonMobil loses bid to dismiss AG Healey's climate change lawsuit]( The lawsuit filed in 2019 by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey alleges Exxon launched an effort, “reminiscent of the tobacco industry’s long denial campaign about the dangerous effects of cigarettes,” to deceive consumers and investors about climate change. [Read more.]( [More cyclists are being killed by cars. Advocates say U.S. streets are the problem]( The pandemic got more people riding bikes, but the number of cyclists hit and killed by cars is rising at an alarming rate. [Read more.]( [More cyclists are being killed by cars. Advocates say U.S. streets are the problem]( The pandemic got more people riding bikes, but the number of cyclists hit and killed by cars is rising at an alarming rate. [Read more.]( [Kids afraid of getting shots? Here are 3 easy ways for parents to help them]( While getting shots provokes anxiety in most children, the degree of anxiety can be lessened. As a parent, there are three things you can do to improve the vaccine experience for your child. [Read more.]( [Kids afraid of getting shots? Here are 3 easy ways for parents to help them]( While getting shots provokes anxiety in most children, the degree of anxiety can be lessened. As a parent, there are three things you can do to improve the vaccine experience for your child. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Here's why monkeypox [isn't like COVID, in a good way](. - WBUR arts reporting fellow Lauren Williams [recommends three books to read during the next heat wave]( featuring heat itself. - Julie Wittes Schlack [writes in this commentary about why she's been having a hard time explaining America]( to Afghan refugees.  What We're Reading 📚 - In storied New England mill city, Cambodian Americans make political history ([Los Angeles Times]( - A Rude Awakening ([Slate]( - The Miraculous Comeback of the Field Trip ([The Atlantic](  Tell Me Something Good [Boston Calling organizers are ready for the fans and the festival's return]( It’s been more than 1,000 days since organizers have been able to transform Harvard’s athletic complex into their mammoth music festival, an event that has “literally been three years in the making.” [Read more.]( [Boston Calling organizers are ready for the fans and the festival's return]( It’s been more than 1,000 days since organizers have been able to transform Harvard’s athletic complex into their mammoth music festival, an event that has “literally been three years in the making.” [Read more.]( Before you go: Shout out to [metal detector enthusiast dudes](. 😎 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.