Also: Largest eating disorder treatment facility in the U.S. opens in Dedham; Former N.H. GOP Chair speaks out against Trump
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 October 22, 2020
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| Good Morning Boston,
🌴 Mostly sunny, with a high near 70.
Tonight is the last debate of the 2020 election – and this one will be a little different to help avoid the chaos of the first debate. Here's what you need to know about that, and more, to start your morning:
- Under the new debate rules, President Trump and former VP Joe Biden will each have two minutes of uninterrupted time at the beginning of every 15-minute segment. Afterward, they'll be unmuted so they can discuss issues with each other with both microphones open. It all starts at 9 p.m. and will last 90 minutes. Here are some questions we're thinking about ahead of the debate.
- This is not a trick, nor a treat: Salem really does not want you to visit for Halloween this year. Mayor Kim Driscoll joined Gov. Charlie Baker yesterday to announce a series of steps the city is taking to discourage people from visiting the rest of the month, including early business closures, limited parking and MBTA schedule changes. (And speaking of the holidays, Baker is expected to give more guidance on Thanksgiving in the next few days.)
- ICYMI: Boston Public Schools will return to fully remote learning starting today, due to an uptick in the city's coronavirus cases. The city's seven-day average positive test rate has gone up to 5.7% this week.
- What's the plan moving forward? Students with the highest needs will be able to return to in-person learning after infection rates fall below 5% for two straight weeks. Other groups will join when that number reaches 4%.
- Another education update: Early this morning, the Boston School Committee voted to suspend the entrance test for the city's three exam schools for one year. Admission will be decided by grades and zip codes.
- PSA: The state's weekly town-by-town risk map is now coming out on Thursday evenings instead of Wednesday. It's supposed to include more granular data so communities in the red have a better idea where the rise in cases is coming from (schools, universities, long term care facilities, etc.). Don't worry, we'll give you the highlights from the report tomorrow morning.
- Zoom out: Senate Democrats say they plan to boycott today's scheduled vote on the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. There's an assertion by Democrats that at least two minority members are needed to move forward with the vote, but Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham disagrees and said the vote will move forward. It's scheduled for 1 p.m. You can watch live at wbur.org.
P.S.– I love my coworkers, but I wish the newest member of the Boston Fire Department was on my team. — Meagan McGinnes
@meaganmcginnes
newsletters@wbur.org
The Rundown 1. CDC Reduces Consecutive Minutes Of COVID-19 Exposure Needed To Be A 'Close Contact'
Previous language defined a close contact as someone who spent at least 15 minutes within 6 feet of a person with a confirmed case. The CDC now defines a close contact as someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period. Read more. | 
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2. Former N.H. GOP Chair Says Her Party Faces A Post-Trump Reckoning
While most Republicans support President Trump's re-election, some don't, and are actively working to elect his Democratic challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden. That includes members of the Lincoln Project, which is producing some of the toughest attack ads of this election. Read more.
3. Nation's Largest Eating Disorder Treatment Facility Opens In Dedham Amid Pandemic-Fueled Rise In Cases
During the pandemic, advocates say more people have struggled with eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia and binge eating. The National Eating Disorders Association says its Helpline saw a 94% increase in calls and messages from March through September compared to the same time last year. Read more.
4. U.S. Officials: OxyContin Maker To Plead Guilty To 3 Criminal Charges
The powerful prescription painkiller that experts say helped touch off an opioid epidemic will plead guilty to three counts, including conspiracy to defraud the United States and violating federal anti-kickback laws. Read more.
5. There's A Lot At Stake For The Climate In The 2020 Election
Here are six takeaways from Trump's first term on climate and energy, and the challenges he or Biden would face if elected. Read more.
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 | Anything Else? |
- If you're fighting climate change, you also must fight voter suppression, writes Nathaniel Stinnett in this commentary. Voter suppression is not only a poisonous assault on civil rights, it's an assault on our collective efforts to protect the planet.
| | | | | | HERE & NOW
Peter Frampton Reflects On Life As A Guitar God And Unlikely Teenybopper Idol In New Memoir | | What To Make Of N.Y. Post Story On Hunter Biden's Emails. Listen. Tired Of Pandemic Cooking? Jacques Pépin Says To Simplify, Shares His Best Tips. Listen. First Time Voters Share Thoughts On Candidates, Worries Of Post-Election Unrest. Listen. | | | | | | | | What We're Reading |
- Jacob Lawrence Painting, Missing for Decades, Is Found by Met Visitor (The New York Times)
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- Meet the Concord man who rides around on a bike in a headless horseman costume playing guitar (The Boston Globe)
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- Inside Foxconn’s empty buildings, empty factories, and empty promises in Wisconsin (The Verge)
| | | | Tell Me Something Good
Bustle | Why The Great British Baking Show Is The Ultimate Self-Soother
Nothing brings people together quite like "The Great British Baking Show." This essay from Bustle had the whole newsroom reminiscing on Slack about Sue and Mel, and the shows most memorable moments (like the legendary ice cream cake incident). |  | | | | Before you go: I respect the Halloween hustle. | | | 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up here.
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