Cruel summer, hot fall

Also: Catholic Diocese of Worcester under fire; how to weigh in on new Mass. seal and motto [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  August 18, 2023 ⚡ Showers and thunderstorms, with a high near 82. Good Morning Boston, Well, that's [one way to promote an album](. Here's hoping your Friday is a little less controversial. To the news. - The Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester is under fire from local LGBTQ+ rights leaders for a new policy at schools under its purview. The policy — [announced earlier this week]( ahead of the school year — prohibits students and staff in the diocese school system from using pronouns, clothing, bathrooms or locker rooms that don't align with the sex they were assigned at birth. "All students are expected to conduct themselves at school in a manner consistent with their biological sex," the policy says. - Why? WBUR's Fausto Menard reports the diocese says it's trying to ensure uniformity, since some schools had policies on the subject and others didn't. At the same time, the diocese says schools will not tolerate any harassment, threats or violence against students based on their perceived sex, sexual orientation or gender identity. - The backlash: A local Catholic group that supports LGBTQ+ rights is calling for the policy to be rescinded. Marianne Duddy-Burke, the head of Boston-based organization [Dignity USA]( says the new Worcester policy singles out children who identify as transgender or nonbinary. Duddy-Burke added LGBTQ+ children are already more likely to be bullied or depressed, and the new policy could make things worse. "As children do the very important work of identity formation, many are going to question sexual orientation or gender identity," she told Menard. "And they have to know that they are going to be respected and loved no matter who they finally determine themselves to be." - Meanwhile, in Boston: A spokesperson for the Boston Archdiocese [told The Boston Globe]( they have no similar policy for their schools currently, but it is being considered for the future. - After a rainy summer in New England, get ready for a hot fall. WBUR's Barbara Moran reports federal forecasters are predicting warmer-than-average temperatures for New England this autumn. - We'll let you guess the reason. (No, [not hot girl fall]( we mean climate change.) National Climate Prediction Center meteorologist Dan Collins says the global warming trend is "a significant factor in the outlook for September, October and November." - The big picture: New England temperatures are [warming faster than the national average]( according to researchers. And a [recent study]( found southern New England is losing its snow cover at one of the fastest rates in the world. - ICYMI: In addition to [all the rain]( last month was also the fourth warmest July on record in Massachusetts. - Massachusetts officials want your feedback on a new state seal and motto. The Massachusetts Seal and Motto commission has been working on a full redesign [since May 2022]( after the current version was condemned as racist to the state's Native Peoples. (The original seal, which has been in place since 1898, portrays a Native man with a detached arm holding sword poised over his head.) - How to weigh in: You just take this [online survey](. That's it! It's available in a variety of languages, too. To get a range of feedback, the commission also plans to share the digital survey with Native American communities in Massachusetts and veterans’ groups, and plans to mail physical questionnaires to a random sample of Massachusetts households, according to [The Boston Herald](. - What's next: Once the results are in, the Commission should make final recommendations to the Legislature in November. - This [weekend's weather]( looks ideal for Open Streets Allston-Brighton. Stretches of [Harvard and Brighton avenues]( will be closed to car traffic tomorrow for the pedestrian-only event. It runs from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. - Wait, what's happening? The [newly expanded Boston program]( closes down specific streets in selected neighborhoods throughout the summer. Pedestrians takeover and it becomes a block party of sorts, with food trucks, performances and art installations. P.S.— There's a new third-party app allowing Massachusetts residents to access ____ online. Do you know the answer? Then [take our Boston News Quiz]( and see how well your knowledge of this week's stories compares to other WBUR readers. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow]( Meagan McGinnes Asst. Managing Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Detective accused of exhuming 'Lady of the Dunes' body without authority]( Cape and Islands District Attorney named retired detective Meredith Lobur to a "Brady List," alerting prosecutors to alleged misconduct that could make an officer's testimony unreliable in legal cases. [Read more.]( [Detective accused of exhuming 'Lady of the Dunes' body without authority]( Cape and Islands District Attorney named retired detective Meredith Lobur to a "Brady List," alerting prosecutors to alleged misconduct that could make an officer's testimony unreliable in legal cases. [Read more.]( [How Biden is using Camp David to elevate a summit with Japan and South Korea]( For 80 years, presidents have used the rustic mountain retreat at Camp David to host foreign leaders. President Biden is hoping to tap into that history for talks with Japan and South Korea on Friday. [Read more.]( [How Biden is using Camp David to elevate a summit with Japan and South Korea]( For 80 years, presidents have used the rustic mountain retreat at Camp David to host foreign leaders. President Biden is hoping to tap into that history for talks with Japan and South Korea on Friday. [Read more.]( [Springfield community leaders meet again to discuss how to curb an uptick in violence]( A second meeting of Springfield political officials and community organizations has brought forth ideas on how to keep young people engaged and away from criminal activity. [Read more.]( [Springfield community leaders meet again to discuss how to curb an uptick in violence]( A second meeting of Springfield political officials and community organizations has brought forth ideas on how to keep young people engaged and away from criminal activity. [Read more.]( [Mass. set to fine Eversource $1.5M for role in deadly gas explosion in Maynard]( The state Department of Public Utilities plans to fine the utility Eversource $1.5 million for safety violations related to a deadly gas explosion in a Maynard home in 2021, which killed one man. [Read more.]( [Mass. set to fine Eversource $1.5M for role in deadly gas explosion in Maynard]( The state Department of Public Utilities plans to fine the utility Eversource $1.5 million for safety violations related to a deadly gas explosion in a Maynard home in 2021, which killed one man. [Read more.]( [Man convicted in Malden teen's cold case 30 years after killing]( Rodney Daniels, 50, was found guilty of first-degree murder in the slaying of Patricia Moreno in Malden on July 20, 1991, [Read more.]( [Man convicted in Malden teen's cold case 30 years after killing]( Rodney Daniels, 50, was found guilty of first-degree murder in the slaying of Patricia Moreno in Malden on July 20, 1991, [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Don't be spooked by a [red Connecticut River](. Scientists are dying it that color to find a solution to an invasive species taking over the waterway. - The TV show "Suits" ended in 2019, but it [just set a streaming record](. Here's what happened and why it might give a peek into the state of streaming and TV as a whole. - Each of our children has chosen a different path at school, moved at their own pace and, in the process, found themselves, writes Linda Button in this [Cognoscenti commentary](. And for the first time in 10 years, Button and her partner won't be dropping off a kid at college — but she has advice for those who will.  What We're Reading 📚 - Are libraries the future of news? ([Nieman Lab]( - Louis DeJoy: From Trump villain to Biden’s clean energy buddy ([Politico]( - The Instagram Account That Shattered a California High School ([The New York Times Magazine](  Space Out [People are freaking out over a question mark seen in space. Scientists can explain]( A stunning new image from the James Webb Space Telescope shows a pair of actively forming stars. But many people are more curious about the tiny question mark visible toward the bottom of the frame. [Read more.]( [People are freaking out over a question mark seen in space. Scientists can explain]( A stunning new image from the James Webb Space Telescope shows a pair of actively forming stars. But many people are more curious about the tiny question mark visible toward the bottom of the frame. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common is [talking to WBUR reporter Simón Rios about Boston's Sept. 1 move-in day and what you can do to prepare]( for the chaos. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: ["Banana Ball"]( comes to Massachusetts. 😎 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 © 2023 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.