• President Trump threatens federal funds over mail-in-ballots
  • Associated Press poll: Reopening spikes fear of new infections
  • UMass President proposes tuition freeze for 2020-2021 academic year
  • Colleges and universities look to resolve major concerns before upcoming fall semester
  • As businesses reopen, the responsibility of noncompliance falls to the workers
  • Thursday’s Silver Lining: Dr. Fauci & Julia Roberts team up

 

  1. President Trump escalated his campaign to discredit mail-in-voting by threatening to “hold up” federal funding in Michigan and Nevada as both states attempt to reduce the public exposure to COVID-19.

 

  1. Strong concern about a second wave of COVID-19 infections is reinforcing widespread opposition to reopening public places, according to a new poll by The Associated Press. Eighty-three percent of Americans are at least somewhat concerned that lifting restrictions in their area will lead to additional infections, with 54 percent extremely concerned that such steps will result in a spike of COVID-19.

 

  1. University of Massachusetts President Marty Meehan has proposed a tuition freeze for the 50,000 in-state ungraduated students for 2020-2021 academic year. President Meehan citied COVID-19 and the economic stress for families as the driving reason behind the move.

 

  1. Leaders from Boston University, Northeastern and UMass discussed the six largest issues they are trying to resolve, with the hopes of returning students to campus this fall. Ideas ranging from having select majors that need equipment or laboratory space back to campus to reducing large lecture halls, closing dorms and drastically changing how dining halls function are all under consideration. Despite the uncertainty, colleges say they are making every effort to bring students back to campus this fall.

 

  1. As businesses reopen, they are required to adopt mandatory health and safety standards and post a completed compliance poster for employees and customers. If businesses don’t adhere to these requirements, employees or visitors can call the local board of health. Attorney General Maura Healey has also established a hotline to report concerns, 617-727-3465.

 

  1. JUST ADD HOLLYWOOD: Julia Roberts and other celebrities are teaming up with Dr. Anthony Fauci and other experts to highlight the need for a more unified global response to COVID-19. The #PassTheMic campaign will have celebrities turn over their social media accounts to front line workers, health and economic experts to share their perspectives on the pandemic.