FM #492 - Senator Becca Rausch - 03/11/21 (audio)

FM #492 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 492 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares my conversation with Senator Becca Rausch. 

We had our conversation via conference bridge to adhere to the ‘social distancing’ requirements of this pandemic period.

We talk about: 

Last meet/recorded Aug 14, 2020 on the Franklin Town Common

How are you doing?

 

Priorities this year

Vaccine equity/ post pandemic

Voting rights

Links to the Senator’s pages as mentioned during our conversation are provided in the show notes.  

Our recording runs about 41 minutes, so let’s listen to my conversation with Senator Becca Rausch. Audio file = https://player.captivate.fm/episode/4bf800a4-d8a6-4568-8c6e-2748f8e7d523 

--------------

Senator Becca Rausch home page:   https://www.beccarauschma.com/ 

Her issues page:  https://www.beccarausch.com/issues    

Leadership Lunch series celebrating women in March on Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/beccarauschMA/posts/748458989143885

Sign up for a spot during one of her virtual ‘office hours’  https://www.beccarauschma.com/office-hours 

COVID-19 updates https://www.beccarauschma.com/coronavirus 

Newsletter archive  https://us20.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=09452b4d597ce95fe20563af4&id=c427233b9b 

From the archives: our conversation recorded in August 2020
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/08/fm-331-senator-becca-rausch-81420-audio.html  

--------------

We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm).

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.
 
How can you help?

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors
• If you don't like something here, please let me know

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.
 
For additional information, please visit   Franklinmatters.org/  or www.franklin.news/

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

------------------

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

Senator Becca Rausch (Twitter profile image)

St. Mary's Women's Faith Formation Group - April 3 - "The Meaning of Easter"

St Mary's Women's Faith Formation will be watching  Bishop Barron's video  "The Meaning of Easter" at our monthly Saturday morning Zoom meeting on April 3 starting at 9:30 AM. 

There will be time for discussion after the viewing.  This meeting is open to all women. 

If interested in attending this 45 minute meeting, please email Deacon Guy (deaconguy@stmarysfranklin.org) for Zoom link contact information.

 

St. Mary's Women's Faith Formation Group

MA Legislature News: no action on move to slow school reopening; Senate advances Climate change bill again

 

"Massachusetts lawmakers have not been shy about criticizing Governor Charlie Baker’s balky vaccine rollout, especially amid the recent, escalating conflict between Baker and teachers unions over school reopenings.

State lawmakers could turn those rebukes into legislative action by passing a new bill to delay Baker’s timetable for school reopenings by several weeks and mandate that all school staff have “equitable access” to vaccines before they’re required to return.

But so far, few seem eager to do so."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/03/15/metro/legislative-leaders-quiet-new-bill-override-baker-school-return-timeline/ 

"THE MASSACHUSETTS SENATE passed climate change legislation on Monday by an overwhelming vote of 39-1, signaling the Legislature is unwilling to go along with several amendments sought by Gov. Charlie Baker.

The bill approved by the Senate includes a number of tweaks sought by the governor, but on several key provisions – a 50 percent reduction in emissions by 2030 and mandatory interim goals for industry subsectors – the legislation did not budge. Baker has insisted the 50 percent target, as opposed to the 45 percent he favored, would end up costing Massachusetts residents $6 billion unnecessarily."

Continue reading the article online

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/environment/senate-passes-climate-change-bill-39-1/

National News: CDC review of documents; AI and the bias issue

"Federal health officials have identified several controversial pandemic recommendations released during the Donald Trump administration that they say were “not primarily authored” by staff and don’t reflect the best scientific evidence, based on a review ordered by its new director.

The review identified three documents that had already been removed from the agency’s website: One, released in July, delivered a strong argument for school reopenings and downplayed health risks. A second set of guidelines about the country’s reopening was released in April by the White House and was far less detailed than what had been drafted by the CDC and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. A third guidance issued in August discouraged the testing of people without covid-19 symptoms even when they had contact with infected individuals. That was replaced in September after experts inside and outside the agency raised alarms."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/03/15/cdc-removes-some-trump-era-guidance/

"Hundreds of people gathered for the first lecture at what had become the world’s most important conference on artificial intelligence — row after row of faces. Some were East Asian, a few were Indian, and a few were women. But the vast majority were white men. More than 5,500 people attended the meeting, five years ago in Barcelona, Spain.

Timnit Gebru, then a graduate student at Stanford University, remembers counting only six Black people other than herself, all of whom she knew, all of whom were men.

The homogeneous crowd crystallized for her a glaring issue. The big thinkers of tech say A.I. is the future. It will underpin everything from search engines and email to the software that drives our cars, directs the policing of our streets and helps create our vaccines."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/15/technology/artificial-intelligence-google-bias.html

Franklin Senior Center: Quarantini Time Tuesday at 5 PM

Franklin Senior Center: Quarantini Time Tuesday at 5 PM

Invite a friend to join us!!

Click below to join Quarantini Time Tuesday at 5 PM
https://zoom.us/j/97985268050?pwd=M3ZSNU5WSS9pQnhDT2t3ZkF2MVBzdz09

Meeting ID: 979 8526 8050
Passcode: 350991

--

Ariel Doggett

Virtual Program Coordinator

Respite Coordinator

"We rise by lifting others" - Robert Ingersoll

There is no act of kindness too small

Veterans COVID-19 Vaccine Scheduling Phone Number

Veterans COVID-19 Vaccine Scheduling Phone Number

Veterans Can Enroll in VA Healthcare by Phone

 

Veterans enrolled in the VA Healthcare System can now call: 857-203-3919 to schedule an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine at VA Boston's Brockton, Jamaica Plain or Brockton campuses.

Veterans can call: 877-222-8387 to enroll in VA Healthcare.

VA Boston offers both the Moderna and Janssen COVID-19 vaccines and Veterans will be offered a vaccine based on clinical need and vaccine inventory. For those receiving the Moderna vaccine a second dose will be scheduled 28 days later. For those receiving the Janssen vaccine a second shot is not needed.
 
Shared from the Town of Franklin page =
https://www.franklinma.gov/veterans-services/news/veterans-covid-19-vaccine-scheduling-phone-number

 

Veterans COVID-19 Vaccine Scheduling Phone Number

 

Senate President Spilka holds Fourth Annual Social Emotional Learning Forum - Mar 19

Senate President holds Fourth Annual Social Emotional Learning Forum

Event to offer parents tools to support students' success during pandemic and beyond

On Friday, March 19, 2020, Massachusetts Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland) will hold a virtual event entitled, "Supporting our Students through COVID-19 and Beyond." The event is the Senate President's fourth annual Social Emotional Learning (SEL) forum part of her #MetroWestKids initiative and is aimed at offering resources to educators and parents. This important event is being presented in partnership with the Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy and will feature local and statewide experts in social emotional learning.

 

"In this moment, ensuring our young people's future success means stepping up and stepping into their lives to understand the hardships they are facing due to COVID-19," stated Senate President Spilka. "The need to talk about our kids' mental health has never been so great. I hope all MetroWest parents and educators who are interested will join us on March 19." 

While continuing to provide parents with tools to support the development of key skills, such as making self-aware, responsible decisions and maintaining healthy relationships, this year's event will also deal with the specific challenges faced by young people in light of the pandemic. In particular, the forum will highlight methods to reduce stress levels, build resilience, and promote overall wellness.

Those interested in the event, which will be held on Zoom, may register at https://karenspilka.com/sel. The event will be from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm on March 19, 2021. All are welcome to join, but event will be focused on MetroWest. Participants may submit questions to the featured experts when registering.

 

Fourth Annual Social Emotional Learning Forum - Mar 19