Franklin Matters

Saturday, August 29, 2020

In the News: "the position is typically held by FDA civil servants, not political appointees"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"The credibility of two of the nation’s leading public health agencies was under fire this week after controversial decisions that outside experts said smacked of political pressure from President Donald Trump as he attempts to move past the devastating toll of the coronavirus ahead of the November election.

The head of the Food and Drug Administration grossly misstated, then corrected, claims about the life-saving power of a plasma therapy for COVID-19 authorized by his agency. Then the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention quietly updated its guidelines to suggest fewer Americans need to get tested for coronavirus, sparking outrage from scientists.

Trump’s own factual misstatements about COVID-19 are well documented, but the back-to-back messaging blunders by public health officials could create new damage, eroding public trust in front-line agencies. That’s already raising concerns about whether the administration will be forthcoming with critical details about upcoming vaccines needed to defeat the pandemic.

“I do worry about the credibility of the FDA and CDC, especially at a time when the capacity of the federal government to advance public health should be a priority for all policymakers,” said Daniel Levinson, former longtime inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees both the FDA and the CDC."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.milforddailynews.com/zz/news/20200828/health-agencies-credibility-at-risk-after-week-of-blunders?rssfeed=true

Please find links to current information regarding the COVID-19 outbreak from State and Federal agencies

In the News: "UMass Amherst puts 850 workers on indefinite furloughs"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"Citing the “incredible financial cost” associated with not fully reopening its campus this fall, UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy has calculated nearly $169 million in budget losses and is now placing 850 workers, including dining and residence hall staff, on indefinite furloughs effective Sept. 13.

“Because their union representation agreed to a furlough rather than a layoff, they will retain their UMass benefits, including health care, while still being entitled to unemployment benefits,” Subbaswamy wrote in an email Thursday to the campus community. “This agreement will also enable a smooth re-employment process when the campus resumes normal operations.”

And there will likely be additional labor impacts at the flagship UMass campus.

“While some permanent layoffs are expected in the coming weeks, we are doing everything possible to lessen the number of layoffs and are currently in discussions with other staff labor unions with the hope of reaching an agreement that prioritizes temporary reductions in hours and furloughs, which will likely impact approximately 450 additional campus employees,” according to Subbaswamy."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200828/umass-amherst-puts-850-workers-on-indefinite-furloughs?rssfeed=true

Commonwealth Magazine has a related article on the UMass cuts

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/opinion/public-higher-ed-staff-resources-being-cut/

What to do when you (and your kids) are online at home

Consumer Alerts from the Federal Trade Commission

What to do when you (and your kids) are online at home

by Jennifer Leach, Associate Director Division of Consumer & Business Education, FTC

If you have kids in school, there's a good chance they're kicking off their school year…in your living room. All the while, you might be working away, yourself, in some carved out corner at home.

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2020/08/what-do-when-you-and-your-kids-are-online-home

This is a free service provided by the Federal Trade Commission.

Friday, August 28, 2020

Reminder: THE BLACK BOX: Montgomery and Marshall Duo - Aug 28

THE BLACK BOX welcomes the Montgomery and Marshall Duo with two shows on August 28 at 6:30 and 8:15 PM in the theater’s parking lot.

James Montgomery and Bruce Marshall are celebrating 26 years together as a duo in 2020. They started in 1994 after Bruce Marshall auditioned for the James Montgomery Band and asked James if he was interested in acoustic work as a duo. Their first gig was opening for the Band at the State Theater in Providence, RI and old friend Rick Danko introduced the pair as “the real deal”. Although Marshall didn’t get the electric gig, he ended up forging an enduring musical and personal relationship with James that continues to flourish.

Get tickets online or call the box office https://www.theblackboxonline.com/events.php?id=1398&month=08&year=2020

THE BLACK BOX: Montgomery and Marshall Duo - Aug 28

Nexamp solar presentation available for replay

Town of Franklin, MA (@TOFranklinMA) tweeted at 11:01 AM on Thu, Aug 27, 2020:

Did you miss the NEXAMP Community Solar presentation? Find it here https://t.co/0gmRTlSheW

Video link = https://youtu.be/Jnqi1ExZtSs

The post sharing the information in advance of the session

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/08/nexamp-shared-solar-farm-information.html

On this Day in 1963 : "I Have A Dream" - Martin Luther King Jr.

"I Have a Dream" is a public speech that was delivered by American civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963, in which he called for civil and economic rights and an end to racism in the United States. Delivered to over 250,000 civil rights supporters from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., the speech was a defining moment of the civil rights movement and among the most iconic speeches in American history