The "true cost" of clean drinking water

Also: A troubling trend in Mass. high school sports; the 2022 drought is — officially — over [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  February 14, 2023 ☀️ Sunny, with a high near 49. Good Morning Boston, Northeastern University is your 2023 men's Beanpot champions, after [beating Harvard in the tournament's first-ever finals shootout](. The Huskies will also play Boston College tonight for the women's Beanpot trophy. But first, we're kicking off today's newsletter with a troubling trend one step down the ladder in local amateur sports: - As the winter high school sports season nears its close, leaders in Massachusetts are grappling with what they've described as a persistent problem over the last year: hateful chants and heckling. Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association assistant director Mike Rubin told WBUR's Amy Sokolow that there've been dozens of reported hate incidents during games, mostly involving spectators — both adults and students — yelling things from the stands. "The majority of it is racial slurs," Rubin said. But he noted the incidents run "the whole gamut," including sexism and anti-Semitism. - The most recent example: Wellesley High School [mandated that students could only attend a basketball game last week if they were seated with an adult]( after someone yelled racial slurs at Black players on Weymouth's team from the school's student section during a previous game. There have been 42 reported incidents since the MIAA launched a form to report them in November 2021, according to Rubin. And he knows others are going unreported. - What's next: For now, the MIAA wants individual schools to take the lead on enforcing consequences and policies. However, Rubin says he hears from "a lot" of athletic directors asking for help handling such difficult situations. So, they're planning to hold 30 regional workshops this spring as part of [a joint effort launched this past December]( by then-Attorney General Maura Healey. - His advice to schools for now: Be visible and clear about not tolerating hate, and make sure to have staff present at games. "You got to make sure you put up signage. You got to welcome the opposing teams... Your student body needs to know your expectations and the opposing team needs to know your expectations," Rubin said. - PSA: Want to reduce your exposure to PFAS in your water, your kitchen and food supplies, your clothing, your... dental floss? WBUR's Gabrielle Emanuel spoke with more than a half-dozen experts to learn what changes they’ve made in their own lives to avoid the concerning "forever chemicals." Read [the full list of tips here](. - Go deeper: As part of [our new PFAS series]( we also have a feature in "The Rundown" below from WBUR's Barbara Moran on how new regulations are forcing Massachusetts communities to face the "true cost" of clean drinking water. Give it a read! - If you're getting back late from that Valentine's Day dinner tonight, watch out for possible highway ramp closures. State officials are doing overnight work this week to expand a new safety system designed to prevent wrong-way crashes. And it means a number of ramps on I-93, Route 6, and Route 3 will be closed from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. through Friday, from Boston to Fall River. - The work is being done on a total of 16 ramps that officials say are "most prone" to wrong-way entries. (Since 2014, the state says there have been over 2,000 such incidents on highways.) NBC Boston has the full list of this week's planned closures [here](. - The drought is over — the literal drought. State officials declared Monday that the drought that [began last spring]( and reached [extreme levels across Massachusetts]( in the summer has officially ended. Rebecca Tepper, the state's secretary of energy and environmental affairs, said in a statement that every region of the state has returned to normal conditions, after above-normal rainfall in January. - What it means: Following the relaxation of widespread [outdoor water-use restrictions]( last summer, the new declaration doesn't have much impact for most residents. It just means the state's Drought Management Task Force can stop meeting for now. - What's next: WBUR's Miriam Wasser reports that [sudden droughts — as well as more intense storms — are becoming more frequent in New England](. Both trends make it harder for groundwater levels to recover before the next drought hits. P.S.— Our downloadable Boston-themed Valentine's Day cards are [back again this year]( and they're perfect for your loved one (if your loved one is a local who loves iced coffee and long walks 10 miles west of Boston; otherwise, they might ask "Wait, um, who's [Caroline](. [Click here to check them out](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Toxic 'forever chemicals' force Mass. towns to face 'true cost of water']( Massachusetts' limit on PFAS in drinking water is one of the strictest in the country. Removing the chemicals from drinking water can cost millions, and so far, communities have footed most of the bills. With new regulations expected this year, the costs may get much higher. [Read more.]( [Toxic 'forever chemicals' force Mass. towns to face 'true cost of water']( Massachusetts' limit on PFAS in drinking water is one of the strictest in the country. Removing the chemicals from drinking water can cost millions, and so far, communities have footed most of the bills. With new regulations expected this year, the costs may get much higher. [Read more.]( [UFOs? Airborne objects? What we know about 4 recent shootdowns]( The shootdowns came in steady succession over the weekend, after alarms were raised in early February over an object spotted over Montana. [Read more.]( [UFOs? Airborne objects? What we know about 4 recent shootdowns]( The shootdowns came in steady succession over the weekend, after alarms were raised in early February over an object spotted over Montana. [Read more.]( [U.S. border agents in Vermont report sharp increase in activity]( The U.S. Border Patrol's Swanton Sector, which is based in Swanton, Vermont and is responsible for a 2,200 square mile area, reported 367 apprehensions and encounters in January, which is more than the combined January apprehensions at that station spanning the last 12 years. [Read more.]( [U.S. border agents in Vermont report sharp increase in activity]( The U.S. Border Patrol's Swanton Sector, which is based in Swanton, Vermont and is responsible for a 2,200 square mile area, reported 367 apprehensions and encounters in January, which is more than the combined January apprehensions at that station spanning the last 12 years. [Read more.]( [Biden fires the Architect of the Capitol after bipartisan criticism from lawmakers]( An inspector general investigation found that J. Brett Blanton had misused government vehicles and "impersonated a government agent," among other ethical violations. [Read more.]( [Biden fires the Architect of the Capitol after bipartisan criticism from lawmakers]( An inspector general investigation found that J. Brett Blanton had misused government vehicles and "impersonated a government agent," among other ethical violations. [Read more.]( [Suffolk County report: Officers justified in shooting at Juston Root near hospital]( Two Boston police officers who opened fire on a man who had what appeared to be a real gun near a city hospital, and who was later shot and killed by police following a car chase, were justified in their use of force and should not face criminal charges, according to the results of an investigation released Monday. [Read more.]( [Suffolk County report: Officers justified in shooting at Juston Root near hospital]( Two Boston police officers who opened fire on a man who had what appeared to be a real gun near a city hospital, and who was later shot and killed by police following a car chase, were justified in their use of force and should not face criminal charges, according to the results of an investigation released Monday. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - For Valentine's Day, local bookstore owner Hannah Harlow put a question to her community: “What’s a book you love with all your heart?” As Harlow writes in this commentary for Cognoscenti, it turns out it’s [a question people really like answering](. - Newton native Aoife O'Donovan is bringing some "Nebraska" back to Boston. Jim Sullivan [writes that the folksinger will play March 17 at Harvard’s Sanders Theater]( the first of at least nine acoustic U.S. performances of the highly regarded Bruce Springsteen album. - Have your social muscles slackened? A[new book by Champlain College professor Sheila Liming makes the case for just “Hanging Out"]( — in other words, casual social gatherings without much of a plan. - Critic-at-large Ed Seigel recalls his dinner with Peter Falk, whose iconic character "Columbo" has been given [new life as an influence for the recently released works “Amsterdam” and “Poker Face.”](  What We're Reading 📚 - Why Everyone Feels Like They’re Faking It ([The New Yorker]( - China’s Bid to Improve Food Production? Giant Towers of Pigs. ([The New York Times]( - The ‘Enshittification’ of TikTok ([Wired](  Food For Thought [Is chocolate good for your heart? Finally the FDA has an answer – kind of]( For years, chocolate-lovers have pointed to studies suggesting compounds in cocoa may be good for heart health. But some of the recent evidence comes from flavanol-rich cocoa, not from candy bars [Read more.]( [Is chocolate good for your heart? Finally the FDA has an answer – kind of]( For years, chocolate-lovers have pointed to studies suggesting compounds in cocoa may be good for heart health. But some of the recent evidence comes from flavanol-rich cocoa, not from candy bars [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [goes behind the scenes of The Boston Globe's popular "Dinner with Cupid" column]( and talks to contributing editor Melissa Schorr about the latest dating trends here in Boston. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: The [outtakes]( to the Ben Affleck-Dunkin' Super Bowl commercial are [pretty]( [great]( too. (You can watch all of them [here]( 😎 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.