The Masks Stay — For Now: The HUB

The HUB is a rundown of the stories people in Boston are talking about. Patch publishes the HUB every weekday.

Good morning, Boston! Today is Friday, May 14. We're talking who has the best odds, what seems like not the best place to work and family fun at the beer gardens.

But first...

Don't partake in a celebratory burning of your face coverings just yet.

Aside from the fact that you'll still need them for some modes of transportation, what remains of the mask mandate is sticking around for a little bit longer in Massachusetts.

Gov. Charlie Baker's office released a statement last night saying an update will come "in the near future," but for now masks will still be required in indoor public places, events and where people can't socially distance — even outside.

Boston also said it is keeping its indoor mask policy in place.

The announcements came shortly after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidance that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks indoors or outdoors, except at places like hospitals, nursing homes, planes and trains.

"Now let's finish the work of beating this virus and getting everything back to normal," President Joe Biden said.

Check it out

May the odds be ever in your favor. Just not the dudes. BetOnline.ag released odds for the Boston mayoral election, and Michelle Wu at 5/9 and Kim Janey at 7/5 sit atop the leaderboard. Andrea Campbell and Annissa Essaibi George are at 20/1 and the two men in the race, John Barros and Jon Santiago, sit way behind at 66/1. Boston has never elected a woman mayor. Want to bet that'll change?

Not sure how many stories about the Glass Slipper I'll have in here, so listen up. An appeals court agreed the Chinatown strip club was indeed a racist place to work, but dismissed a state ruling that a Black bouncer was fired because of his race. Of course, Adam Gaffin at Universal Hub has the story on this one. Is it just me or is the appeals court putting the screws to the bouncer based on a technicality?

Beer isn't exactly family-friendly, but beer gardens have become a family destination. Sipping on a brew while the little gremlins play Cornhole? That's a nice afternoon. Plus, many of the outdoor patios are dog-friendly. Rachel Leah Blumenthal at Eater Boston has a map/list of some of the best family-friendly beer gardens around. Trust me, some of these places are home runs.

What I'm reading today: People are still getting sick. People are still dying. But the pandemic is not what it once was, and many people are looking forward to getting back to normal. Arthur C. Brooks at The Atlantic has a story called "A Once-In-A-Lifetime Chance To Start Over." Essentially, now's the time to take stock and make decisions.

Weather

The National Weather Service says: During the day — isolated showers after 1 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 73. Northwest wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent. At night — isolated showers before 9 p.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 50. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.

Have a swell Friday.

You can email me at mike.carraggi@patch.com and follow me @PatchCarraggi.