Back to school, with new rules & no masks

Also: Biden to sign massive climate and health care billl; "avoid the region altogether" [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  August 16, 2022 🌤️ Partly sunny, with a high near 76. Good Morning Boston, Back-to-school shopping is in full swing, and the [higher costs of backpacks and binders]( aren't the only big changes this year. - The incoming class of high school freshmen in Massachusetts will have to jump a higher bar to graduate than the grades before them, thanks to [a vote Monday by the state's Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to raise the minimum for passing MCAS scores](. - Why? Education Commissioner Jeff Riley [has argued the current threshold doesn't set up students for success]( pointing to research showing a small fraction of those at the current minimum standard end up graduating from college. - It's not a popular move. WBUR's Max Larkin reports that 98% of the comments the state received on the proposal opposed it. Critics say the move will make it more likely that students learning English, students with disabilities and others fail and drop out. - State officials also [sent a memo Monday]( nudging school districts against mask mandates, contact tracing and routine testing programs this fall, citing the availability of vaccines and rapid tests. The news comes after the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education [announced in May it would pull its robust financial support]( for school testing programs. WBUR's Carrie Jung reports that Riley wants schools to focus their energy on vulnerable and symptomatic people. - It doesn't seem like any school districts have plans to require masks this fall anyway. A DESE spokeswoman told me that all districts dropped them by the end of this past school year and none (that she was aware of) are reconsidering the move. - The state is also planning [back-to-school vaccine clinics]( for kids older than 6 months. They'll have boosters for those over 5, too. - ICYMI: The new guidelines closely mirror the new COVID guidelines released by the CDC last week. Read NPR's [guide to what parents, teachers and students should know](. - It's not just MBTA riders that should fret about their commutes during the upcoming Orange and Green line closures. Officials warn the entire Boston region will [feel the effects of the closures]( in the form of "severe traffic congestion," particularly during rush hour. - Areas to stay away from: Intersections like Charles Circle, Leverett Circle and Sullivan Square. Roads like I-93, Route 1 and the Fellsway. Or just take Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver's advice and "[avoid the region altogether]( - MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak urged employers to give local workers the flexibility to work from home during the closure. - Gulliver urged Orange Line riders who must commute to [take advantage of the expanded transit alternatives]( rather than driving. "I assure you that that is not a good option," he said. - The shutdown also hits just as students — from kindergartners to college kids — are returning to class. The Boston Globe[reports that it's creating some major hurdles for them]( since they're not getting the same encouragement as workers to stay remote. P.S.— The three Democrats vying to be Maura Healey's running mate will face off in [a WBUR CitySpace debate today](. You can watch the event online or listen live on air at 11 a.m. Also, in case you missed it, you can [catch the highlights from the yesterday's Republican lieutenant gubernatorial debate right here.]( Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Biden to sign massive climate and health care legislation]( The legislation includes the most substantial federal investment in history to fight climate change — some $375 billion over the decade. It also would cap prescription drug costs for Medicare recipients and extend COVID-era subsidies to millions of Americans. [Read more.]( [Biden to sign massive climate and health care legislation]( The legislation includes the most substantial federal investment in history to fight climate change — some $375 billion over the decade. It also would cap prescription drug costs for Medicare recipients and extend COVID-era subsidies to millions of Americans. [Read more.]( [Michael Cox sworn in as Boston police commissioner]( Cox, a Boston police veteran who was brutally beaten by fellow officers while chasing a suspect in 1995 , was sworn in Monday as the new commissioner of the police department. [Read more.]( [Michael Cox sworn in as Boston police commissioner]( Cox, a Boston police veteran who was brutally beaten by fellow officers while chasing a suspect in 1995 , was sworn in Monday as the new commissioner of the police department. [Read more.]( [The U.K. approved omicron-specific booster shots. They're coming to the U.S. soon]( Officials have asked vaccine makers to target BA.5, rather than the original omicron strain. That has delayed the boosters’ development — but officials hope they will be more effective. [Read more.]( [The U.K. approved omicron-specific booster shots. They're coming to the U.S. soon]( Officials have asked vaccine makers to target BA.5, rather than the original omicron strain. That has delayed the boosters’ development — but officials hope they will be more effective. [Read more.]( [Researchers suggest improvements for addiction medication program in Massachusetts' jails]( The study found that sometimes people have difficulty accessing care promptly upon release and steps could be taken to improve access and reduce the risk of overdose. [Read more.]( [Researchers suggest improvements for addiction medication program in Massachusetts' jails]( The study found that sometimes people have difficulty accessing care promptly upon release and steps could be taken to improve access and reduce the risk of overdose. [Read more.]( [New federal recommendations for at-home COVID testing come from UMass study]( A study from researchers at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School in Worcester is the basis for new guidelines from the FDA regarding the use of at-home COVID-19 tests. [Read more.]( [New federal recommendations for at-home COVID testing come from UMass study]( A study from researchers at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School in Worcester is the basis for new guidelines from the FDA regarding the use of at-home COVID-19 tests. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - What's next for marijuana in Massachusetts? Boston Globe reporter Dan Adams joined Consider This to [break down the details and implications of the state's new cannabis law]( from cafes to convictions. - With the help of about 300 set pieces from a recent Apple TV show, Emily Dickinson's former home in Amherst has been[brought back to life as a museum meant to "connect with the poet more authentically."]( - Rep. Liz Cheney will officially learn her electoral fate today. Here & Now [went to Wyoming to look at what's weighing on the minds of the state's primary voters]( who are [on the verge of ousting]( their lone U.S. representative and rare Republican critic of Donald Trump. - A picture that's worth more than a thousand words? NPR's LifeKit [has five tips for taking better (and more distinctive) photos]( on vacation.  What We're Reading 📚 - The Untold History of the Biden Family ([The New Yorker]( - The Perfect Professional Headshot Is Worth $1,000, and Maybe Even a Job ([The Wall Street Journal]( - The Rise of the Worker Productivity Score ([The New York Times](  Tell Me Something Good [Boston police officer answers call for 'a groom in distress,'™ saves a young couple's wedding day (The Boston Globe)]( The couple would be married in just a few hours on Thompson Island on a sunny, sparkling day. But the groom and groomsmen found themselves stuck on a dock in Boston. [Read more.]( [Boston police officer answers call for 'a groom in distress,'™ saves a young couple's wedding day (The Boston Globe)]( The couple would be married in just a few hours on Thompson Island on a sunny, sparkling day. But the groom and groomsmen found themselves stuck on a dock in Boston. [Read more.]( Before you go: The road rage will be [visible from space](. 😎 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.