Fighting "period poverty" at the library

Also: Mass. sees first suicide increase in five years; lawyer accuses Boston city councilors of bullying [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  August 16, 2023 🌻 Cloudy, with a high near 74 and a chance of rain. Good Morning Boston, I regret to inform you it's [officially pumpkin spice latte season]( at Dunkin'. Please, see if you can hold off until at least Labor Day. To the news. - Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's administration is on a mission to de-stigmatize periods, and they're starting in the bathrooms at some of the city's libraries. The Office of Women’s Advancement recently launched an initiative offering free menstrual pads and tampons in bathroom dispensers at six Boston Public Library branches: Brighton, Codman Square, East Boston, North End, Mattapan and Roxbury. - What the group is saying: Alexandra Valdez, the director of the Office of Women's Advancement, told WBUR's Amy Sokolow the goal is to make menstrual products a normal part of everyday life. "The same way that we see toilet paper, the same way that we see hand sanitizers everywhere, we should be thinking around the same way how we see menstrual products in our own cities," she said. - What's next: The program is starting with dispensers in the female, male and gender-neutral restrooms at each of the initial library branches. Valdez says they want to expand to not only all 26 of the BPL's locations, but also other city-owned buildings like BCYF community centers, if they can get more funding. - Learn more: Boston is pairing the new dispensers with monthly informational workshops at each of the participating BPL branches (you can [see the schedule here](. Valdez says topics range from the "importance of menstrual equity" to open Q&A sessions for people menstruating for the first time. - Over the border: The neighboring town of Brookline [became the first municipality in the U.S. in 2019]( to offer free tampons and pads in all of its town-owned restrooms. - Zoom out: One in five American teens reportedly struggle to afford menstrual products, often referred to as experiencing "period poverty." Listen to [this Here & Now segment]( on why the overlooked issue has persisted. - Massachusetts health officials are reaching out to roughly 134,000 residents whose medical and financial information may have been compromised by a data breach. Officials say the breach was part of a "worldwide data security incident" involving a file-transfer software program used by the UMass Chan Medical School. - The breach mostly only affects participants on [a specific list of state health and senior assistance programs](. Otherwise, state officials say "it is unlikely your data was exposed." - UMass Chan is offering free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services to those affected. - COVID-19 may be on [a bit of an upswing]( but with back-to-school season around the corner, health officials in Boston have their eye on a different virus: the flu. The Boston Public Health Commission is urging families to get their flu shots in September and October, especially after flu season [hit so hard last fall](. - The BPHC also said the recent COVID uptick is "not cause for immediate concern," but recommended everyone over the age of six months be up to date on their COVID vaccinations, too. Experts generally say it's [best to wait for the reformulated booster this fall](. - Allston residents' next food delivery could arrive via e-bike: In an effort to reduce traffic and greenhouse gas emissions, Wu's office is partnering with local businesses in the neighborhood to send out their deliveries by couriers on electric bikes as part of a yearlong pilot. - The deets: "[Boston Delivers]( will launch in mid-September. The city is paying $345,00 to subsidize the costs for up to eight local businesses or nonprofits, which means you could get free delivery for your eats, too. - Who's involved: Wu's office says some participants have already been picked, like the Allston-Brighton CSA and the Korean fusion restaurant OliToki. But they're hoping more will [sign up](. The city plans to have a full list of participants on [its website](. P.S.— It is Post Malone like you've never heard him before. The affable hip-hop star — aka Austin Richard Post — swung by NPR's Tiny Desk this week to sing a few unique renditions of some of the biggest pop hits of the 21st century. It's really cool. Watch and listen [here](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Suicides increase in Mass. after a few years of decline]( There was a slight increase in suicides in Massachusetts last year, according to provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control. It's the first increase in suicides in the state in five years, and it happened as suicides nationally reached an all-time high. [Read more.]( [Suicides increase in Mass. after a few years of decline]( There was a slight increase in suicides in Massachusetts last year, according to provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control. It's the first increase in suicides in the state in five years, and it happened as suicides nationally reached an all-time high. [Read more.]( [Boston City Council attorney alleges toxic work environment, bullying by 3 councilors]( The newly revealed allegations against councilors Ricardo Arroyo, Kendra Lara, and Julia Mejia add to a growing list of ethics scandals surrounding the city’s legislative body. [Read more.]( [Boston City Council attorney alleges toxic work environment, bullying by 3 councilors]( The newly revealed allegations against councilors Ricardo Arroyo, Kendra Lara, and Julia Mejia add to a growing list of ethics scandals surrounding the city’s legislative body. [Read more.]( [A new push for ranked-choice voting system dials in on Boston]( The move follows a failed 2020 ballot campaign for statewide ranked-choice voting. But data show a majority of Boston voters approved of ranked-choice voting. [Read more.]( [A new push for ranked-choice voting system dials in on Boston]( The move follows a failed 2020 ballot campaign for statewide ranked-choice voting. But data show a majority of Boston voters approved of ranked-choice voting. [Read more.]( [As Trump's legal jeopardy mounts, a sharp divide in Republican talking points]( After a grand jury in Georgia handed down a 41-count criminal indictment against Trump and his allies, accusing them of a wide-ranging conspiracy to upend the 2020 election, some Republicans are calling for him to drop out of the presidential race. Others call the indictment unfair. [Read more.]( [As Trump's legal jeopardy mounts, a sharp divide in Republican talking points]( After a grand jury in Georgia handed down a 41-count criminal indictment against Trump and his allies, accusing them of a wide-ranging conspiracy to upend the 2020 election, some Republicans are calling for him to drop out of the presidential race. Others call the indictment unfair. [Read more.]( [The MBTA's chief safety officer is resigning, transit authority leaders say]( MBTA Chief Safety Officer Ron Ester plans to resign on Aug. 30, officials said Tuesday. The MBTA has faced increased scrutiny in recent years over safety issues affecting both passengers and employees. [Read more.]( [The MBTA's chief safety officer is resigning, transit authority leaders say]( MBTA Chief Safety Officer Ron Ester plans to resign on Aug. 30, officials said Tuesday. The MBTA has faced increased scrutiny in recent years over safety issues affecting both passengers and employees. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Local community college leaders say the influx of state funding from this year's newly approved budget will be "transformational" — and it's not just the MassReconnect program for students 25 years or older. Listen to Radio Boston's [full conversation with three local community college leaders]( about how the $50 million will be felt. - No conch shell required: A beat-making competition organized by Save the Harbor/Save the Bay will highlight the sounds of the Boston Harbor this weekend with a Seaport block party. [Read more about the second-ever and totally free]( Beats On The Beach competition and how it merges environmental advocacy with racial justice. - Once thought to have been destroyed, a marbled "Wounded Indian" statue that was given to a group founded by Paul Revere in the 1800s is [now on its way back to Boston](. The return comes as 19th-century art depicting Native Americans is under increased scrutiny. - Frederick Hewett [writes in this Cognoscenti commentary]( that Maui was primed for a climate-induced catastrophe like the recent fires — partly because of "myopic disruptions of its environment over the past 150 years" that were obscured by postcard images of the island.  What We're Reading 📚 - ‘His Name Was Bélizaire’: Rare Portrait of Enslaved Child Arrives at the Met ([The New York Times]( - Tiffany Gomas, a.k.a. "Crazy Plane Lady," Didn't Owe the Public an Apology ([The Present Age]( - Right Price, Wrong Politics ([The Atlantic](  Tell Me Something Good [Sunflower festivals are blossoming in New Hampshire this summer]( As summer begins to wind down, New Hampshire is being treated to the bountiful brightness of sunflowers. [Read more.]( [Sunflower festivals are blossoming in New Hampshire this summer]( As summer begins to wind down, New Hampshire is being treated to the bountiful brightness of sunflowers. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [takes a deep dive into the state budget's big investments]( in child care and education. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: ["This is our first car at lost and found ever."]( 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news   Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2023 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.