Where the GOP could gain in New England

Also: How pavement can help cool overheated cities; why this flu season is so hard to predict [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  October 24, 2022 🌧️ Rainy, with a high near 62. Good Morning Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu will be on Radio Boston this morning at 11 a.m. Have a question for her? Tweet it to [@RadioBoston]( or send it through our text club by texting BOSTON to 617-766-0382! Now, to the news: - In-person and mail-in voting [now underway in Massachusetts](. And there hasn't been much attention on the local congressional races, with all nine members up for re-election this year widely expected to keep their seats. But that's not the case just across the border. In fact, Republicans are currently favored to pick up at least one New England seat — though WBUR's Anthony Brooks [reports that they might be dampening their chances]( in an otherwise favorable political environment with too many Donald Trump-aligned nominees. With the balance of Congress at stake, here are the top three races to watch: - Rhode Island's 2nd District: The GOP's best shot to win a New England seat may be in reliably blue Rhodey, where polls show Republican Allan Fung leading Democratic state Treasurer Seth Magaziner in the race to succeed retiring Rep. Jim Langevin. Like many GOP candidates, Fung has focused on the rising cost of living, which he [attributed in a forum last week]( to taxes on the wealthy and regulation. But the former Cranston mayor is also a moderate on abortion and no fan of Trump. Magaziner [argued]( a vote for Fung is a vote for GOP control of the House. He also disagreed with the notion that the wealthy are overtaxed. - Maine's 2nd District: Democratic Rep. Jared Golden is facing a rematch against former Republican Rep. Bruce Poliquin, who he narrowly unseated in 2018. But this time around, Poliquin is running on a more rightward message, [according to the AP](. The former GOP congressman is now putting an emphasis on curtailing immigration and protecting gun rights, a shift from his previous economy-focused approach. Meanwhile, Golden, a moderate Democrat, is again running on more local issues. - New Hampshire's 1st District: The Granite State's [famously swingy]( 1st District could make Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas the first person in two decades to represent the district for three straight terms. But he'll have to fend off a challenge from former Trump aide Karoline Leavitt, who won a crowded GOP primary. [In a debate last week]( Leavitt went after Pappas for supporting President Joe Biden's policies, which she argues contributed to inflation and high energy prices. Pappas, however, stood by his support of the Inflation Reduction Act — while dinging Leavitt for her openness to privatizing Social Security and for echoing Trump's "big lie." - Heads up: The Callahan Tunnel from downtown Boston to East Boston and Logan airport will close from 11 p.m. tonight until 5 a.m. tomorrow morning, so crews can install new vent equipment. - Anyone on the roads during those late-night hours will be detoured through the Ted Williams Tunnel. - ICYMI: A federal appeals court halted President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness plan on Friday. And while the White House is still processing applications, the ruling at least temporarily prevents them from discharging any debts. Here's [what borrowers need to know]( - If you haven't applied yet: The White House is still encouraging those eligible for relief to [apply for the debt forgiveness program](. - If you have already applied: The ruling does not prevent officials from reviewing your application and getting documents in order for loan servicers. Biden's administration had [previously been hoping to begin officially canceling debts this fall](. - What's next: Two different things could happen as early as this week. Either the court will issue an injunction that will further extend the pause as the legal fight plays out. Or it could dismiss the case and allow the program to carry on as planned. P.S.— After spending seven years in prison for leaking hundreds of thousands of military and diplomatic records, [Chelsea Manning will be at WBUR CitySpace tonight to tell her story](. Here & Now co-host Robin Young will interview Manning about her early life, her gender transition while in prison and what life is like for her now. In-person and virtual tickets are available [here](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [How pavement can help cool overheated cities, even in chilly Mass.]( More communities, even those in historically colder states, must start reducing pavement or making it more reflective, experts say. Thesestrategies will helpslow global warming and cool cities.One of the particular challenges with pavement is how much heat it radiates at night, when being too hot is especially bad for our health. [Read more.]( [How pavement can help cool overheated cities, even in chilly Mass.]( More communities, even those in historically colder states, must start reducing pavement or making it more reflective, experts say. Thesestrategies will helpslow global warming and cool cities.One of the particular challenges with pavement is how much heat it radiates at night, when being too hot is especially bad for our health. [Read more.]( [Experts aren't sure what to expect this flu season. Here's why]( Experts say the severity of the flu season is always hard to predict, but COVID has made it even harder to know what to expect. [Read more.]( [Experts aren't sure what to expect this flu season. Here's why]( Experts say the severity of the flu season is always hard to predict, but COVID has made it even harder to know what to expect. [Read more.]( [Massachusetts students' scores on a national reading and math exam plummeted during the pandemic]( In 2022, average scores in Massachusetts, like many other states, fell by an unprecedented amount in just two years. [Read more.]( [Massachusetts students' scores on a national reading and math exam plummeted during the pandemic]( In 2022, average scores in Massachusetts, like many other states, fell by an unprecedented amount in just two years. [Read more.]( [The U.S. admitted thousands of Venezuelan migrants. Many are now stuck in legal limbo]( Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants have been released into the U.S. Now many are stuck in a complicated legal limbo: They're legally present for now, but unable to work lawfully. [Read more.]( [The U.S. admitted thousands of Venezuelan migrants. Many are now stuck in legal limbo]( Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants have been released into the U.S. Now many are stuck in a complicated legal limbo: They're legally present for now, but unable to work lawfully. [Read more.]( [Community leaders call on the city and state for help in containing issues at 'Mass and Cass']( Last winter, the city broke down encampments around the intersection and got many people clean and into stable housing. But over the months, what was removed has been returning, and residents say the challenges there are continuing to spill out into surrounding neighborhoods. [Read more.]( [Community leaders call on the city and state for help in containing issues at 'Mass and Cass']( Last winter, the city broke down encampments around the intersection and got many people clean and into stable housing. But over the months, what was removed has been returning, and residents say the challenges there are continuing to spill out into surrounding neighborhoods. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Scary movies are always better with a crowd. And with just seven days left until Halloween, WBUR's Sean Burns has [the details on all the classic horror films showing this week at Boston-area movie theaters](. - This year's World Series clash is set: the dominant Houston Astros will play the surprise upstart Philadelphia Phillies in [a matchup that features a familiar Fall Classic face against a team that hasn't been there in 13 years](. The series begins in Houston on Friday. - The nearly three-week Sysco truckers strike in Plympton[came to an end late last week]( after the company agreed to a new five-year contract with its union. The deal includes an $5 per hour pay raise. - It might be cute, but is it safe to put your dog in a Halloween costume? NPR offers [some tips to make sure that costume isn't affecting your pet's health]( as well as signs that it might be stressing them out.  What We're Reading 📚 - The secret identity of the NFL's last barefoot kicker ([ESPN]( - Daniel Smith, one of the last children of enslaved Americans, dies at 90 ([Washington Post]( - I was fired from NYU after students complained that the class was too hard. Who’s next? ([The Boston Globe](  Tell Me Something Good [New England Aquarium treats elderly penguin with custom footwear (Boston.com)]( Aquarium staff have worked extensively with a penguin named "Beach Donkey" to treat her for a foot condition. [Read more.]( [New England Aquarium treats elderly penguin with custom footwear (Boston.com)]( Aquarium staff have worked extensively with a penguin named "Beach Donkey" to treat her for a foot condition. [Read more.]( Before you go: "[My culture is not your costume]( 😎 Forward to a friend. 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