Also: What to know about tomorrow's final presidential debate; Franklin Park Zoo's new baby gorilla
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 October 21, 2020
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| Good Morning Boston,
☁️ Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 69.
Today we're talking about how the pandemic is impacting the local education sector, as well as seabirds, gorillas and asteroids. Yes, it's quite a mixed bag this morning. Here's what you need to know:
- The Boston City Council is considering a plan today that would give more preference to Boston Public Schools grads who want to work for the city police department. The goal is to help build more diversity in the ranks. This is the first in a package of reforms recommended by Mayor Walsh's Boston Police Reform Task Force.
- Tonight, the Boston School Committee is voting on whether it should temporarily change its entrance process amid the pandemic for the city's three exam schools. Superintendent Brenda Casseullius is proposing to do away with the exams for one year and use grades and zip codes for admissions instead. The prospect of a test-free admissions cycle has spurred families, alumni and staff to discuss the exam schools' reputations for exclusion as well as excellence, and to debate the role they should play in a changing city.
- State public health officials plan to update the metric that measures community COVID-19 transmission risks so that it better incorporates examples where cases at colleges, nursing homes, or jails may push an entire community into the red category. The hope is that more nuanced information will allow high risk communities to make more informed decisions around potential changes to in-person learning.
- The education commissioner added that teachers and staff have been doing a good job with safety protocols in the classroom and that he thinks fears of super-spreading schools have turned out to be "somewhat unfounded." (Teachers: Now that you've been in school for over a month, Here & Now wants to know how your work experience during the pandemic is going. Share your thoughts here.)
- We're closely watching the state coronavirus case numbers and infection rates are ticking up. State health officials reported more than 800 new cases yesterday for the second day in a row. Why is this so concerning? They're the largest single-day increases in new cases in nearly five months.
P.S.– The Franklin Park Zoo said the first ever male gorilla was born via C-section at the zoo last week – and he's adorable. He weighs 6 pounds, 3 ounces (which is actually pretty big for an infant gorilla). The zoo says mom Kiki and baby are doing well. — Meagan McGinnes
@meaganmcginnes
newsletters@wbur.org
The Rundown 1. The Final Biden-Trump Debate Is Thursday. Here's What You Need To Know
The debate likely marks President Trump's last chance to reach a massive audience as he trails Joe Biden in polls nationally and in key states. Read more. | 
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2. Study: Most Of The Plastic Found In Seabirds’ Stomachs Was Recycleable
The birds aren't rare or endangered, but they can live for decades, and this makes them especially interesting to scientists who study long-term environmental pollutants. Read more.
3. Studies Point To Big Drop In COVID-19 Death Rates
The drop is seen in all groups, including older patients and those with underlying conditions, suggesting that physicians are getting better at helping patients survive their illness. Read more.
4. Public Higher Ed Enrollment Down 7% In Mass.
This drop is the largest single-year decrease since data collection began. And fall enrollment trends for first-time degree-seeking students are down across the board, with the greatest decrease at the community college level. Read more.
5. GOP Welcomes Steve Wynn's Millions, Despite Rape And Harassment Allegations
Steve Wynn's political contributions were once seen as toxic. A series of investigative reports in the Wall Street Journal detailed alleged rape, assault and harassment by the now-disgraced casino mogul. Wynn has denied all of the allegations. He is now back - or at least his money is. Read more.
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- Boston rapper Cakeswagg has a new single for you, “Ferb and Phineas.” It's a message to people in the industry who try to give her unsolicited advice. Get an exclusive first listen here.
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- We married during the pandemic, Tanushree Baidya writes in this commentary. Now my husband is getting to know my parents in India, via FaceTime.
| | | | | | HERE & NOW
Poet Amanda Gorman On Activism And Art In Times Of Darkness | | Viral Video Makes Phil Collins' 'In the Air Tonight' A Hit Song Again. 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 |
- New York Times to Staff: You Can Only Trash Colleagues If You Have a Column (Vice)
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- Men and Women Have Never Been More Politically Divided (Intelligencer)
| | | | Tell Me Something Good
A NASA Spacecraft Successfully Touched Down On A Rocky Asteroid
This spacecraft with technology developed at MIT is now on its return trip to Earth with samples of the astroid. |  | | | | Before you go: Don't worry, this little WBUR visitor found his way home. | | | 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up here.
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