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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.
MASS. CORONAVIRUS CASES RISE — Federal officials said yesterday that the coronavirus outbreak is getting worse , and that it is beyond a point where it can be prevented from spreading in the United States. Further, officials said the elderly and sick people should avoid traveling or being in crowds.
In Massachusetts, the state reported 15 new cases of coronavirus over the weekend, bringing the state's total to 28 cases. All of the new cases, and several of the previously reported cases, are linked to a Biogen conference that drew around 175 people to a Boston hotel in late February. Four of the state's cases were linked to travel to Italy or China, and the final known case is not linked to travel or the Biogen conference, according to a WBUR report.
One Massachusetts school is closed today as a precautionary measure against the virus. The Stratton Elementary School in Arlington is closed, while several schools closed on Friday to disinfect buildings. The Boston Globe compiled a full list of school closures.
And the drug maker Takeda is advising its 5,000 Massachusetts employees to work from home today , a policy the company is using for its 50,000 employees across the globe.
It's not clear whether the outbreak could lead state officials to cancel large events in the coming weeks. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said at a press conference on Friday that the city is monitoring the situation "day by day" and cautioned against "jumping to conclusions." Walsh said two upcoming events that typically draw large crowds — the city's annual St. Patrick's Day parade and the Boston Marathon — will go on as planned, though that could change.
"We're not there in Boston right now, yet," Walsh said on Friday. "Until the medical professionals come to us and say we need to shut everything down, we're gonna continue to pass information out to people, what they need to do to take precautions."
Some events in other parts of the country have been canceled, including the South By Southwest conference in Austin, Texas, and San Francisco's St. Patrick's Day parade. But the Los Angeles Marathon is still on, and so is the Coachella music festival.
As far as travel goes, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sen. Ed Markey have urged the U.S. Department of Transportation to suspend cancellation or ticket change fees charged by airlines, so travelers can more easily reasses their travel plans as information about the virus changes.
And Rep. Seth Moulton said in an NBC10 interview on Friday that he and his House colleagues should be careful not to contract or spread the virus, because politicians travel often and interact with so many people on a daily basis. To Moulton's point, t wo Republican lawmakers, including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, are in "self-quarantine" after attending a conference where someone was infected, though neither lawmaker is showing signs of the coronavirus.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.
TODAY — Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh speak at the Interise2020: Close the Gap - Solve it! conference. Rep. Katherine Clark and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi attend Northeastern's Women Who Empower Summit. Clark hosts a DCCC fundraiser, which Pelosi will attend, at the Liberty Hotel. Sen. Ed Markey holds a press conference on new legislation to "support immigrants and refugees" at Agencia ALPHA.
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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- "Robert DeLeo Is King of the Hill," by David Bernstein, Boston Magazine: "If ever there was a moment when the opaque inner workings of Robert DeLeo's House of Representatives were revealed for all to see, it was at the tail end of a marathon day of voting in January 2019. The exhaustion filling the room that Wednesday was undeniable. After nearly six hours of voting, a member of the Democratic leadership announced that there would be three minutes for members to cast their ballots on an amendment that had just been presented. As the din of conversation filled the chamber, a red light signifying a nay vote came alive beside DeLeo's name on the giant scoreboard that hangs in the front chamber, displaying how each representative votes for all to see. Immediately after his vote was recorded, the board lit up like a Christmas tree as red lights appeared next to the names of 63 Democratic members."
- "Scores of sex offenders worked as personal care aides — yet Mass. did not require background checks," by Matt Stout and Priyanka Dayal McCluskey, Boston Globe: "In 2018, more than 120 personal care attendants — paid by the state to help people with disabilities eat, dress, or use the bathroom — were registered sex offenders, a state watchdog found. Thousands more had open criminal cases. Some had even faced murder charges. Yet, state officials, who pay $1 billion to these workers each year, don't require background checks for them. In fact, the state's Medicaid program, known as MassHealth, has so little information about these 50,000 workers, it doesn't even know their names, according to a new report."
- "State's economy continuing to show strength," The Associated Press: "The economy in Massachusetts is continuing to show strength in the first months of the year. In February, the state pulled in $1.53 billion in tax revenues. That's an increase of $69 million or 4.7% over estimates and $115 million or 8.1% more than actual tax collections in February of last year. So far this fiscal year through February, revenue collections have totaled nearly $18.43 billion. That's $909 million or 5.2% more than the same fiscal year-to-date period in 2019, and $176 million or 1% more than the estimate at this point in the current fiscal year, which began July 1."
- "Panel balks at raising prison age," by Christian M. Wade, CNHI News: "A state panel is calling for more money and programs to keep young adults out of prison but is balking at raising the age of jurisdiction by juvenile courts. A 21-member commission created as part of the 2018 criminal justice reforms is calling for more resources for diversion programs targeting offenders ages 18 to 24 and more specialized units in prisons where young adults are separated from the general population."
- "Lawmakers reviewing bill for recovery coach certification," by Mike LaBella, Eagle-Tribune: "A proposal made by Gov. Charlie Baker to create a professional licensing process for recovery coaches is now before the Legislature. A 15-member Recovery Coach Commission, created as part of a sweeping opioid bill signed into law by Baker in 2018, has been studying and making recommendations concerning the creation of a Board of Registration of Recovery Coaches to review the credentials of people moving into the emerging profession."
- "Is it time for a percent-for-art reboot?" by Jack Sullivan, CommonWealth Magazine: "NEARLY 40 YEARS AGO, when the new Porter Square Station on the MBTA's Red Line opened, it meant more than just access to rapid transit for thousands of North Cambridge residents. The embedding of sculptures of bronzed winter gloves on the station floor and alongside its escalators made a bold statement about the value of incorporating art into big infrastructure projects. But Massachusetts has shown an on-again, off-again commitment to the effort in the years since, with other states taking our place in the public art vanguard. Now state lawmakers are looking to reboot a program that would mandate taxpayer dollars for public art in state-owned properties and backers think, despite the potential cost, they may succeed in bringing back culture to the masses."
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| HEALTH CHECK |
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- "Mass. insurers to cover full cost of coronavirus testing, treatment," by Felice J. Freyer, Boston Globe: "Health insurers in Massachusetts will cover the full cost of testing, counseling, treatment, and vaccination for the novel coronavirus, under new instructions from the state's division of insurance. That means there will be no co-payments for these services, and deductibles will not be applied to them. But the insurers can check to make sure they are paying only for medically necessary services. A vaccine has not been developed but this directive will apply when one becomes available."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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- "Public records on Boston's version of stop-and-frisk, sought in Nov., still not released," by Gal Tziperman Lotan, Boston Globe: "In 2016, Whittier Street Apartments in Roxbury was one of the places where police most often stopped people, searched them, or observed them secretly from afar. Police said the encounters — known as "field interrogations and observations" but commonly referred to around the country as stop-and-frisk — were an effort to make a troubled neighborhood safer. But statistics at the time showed that the tactic disproportionately targeted Black people. In a city that is roughly a quarter Black, about 70 percent of the nearly 15,000 such encounters that year targeted Black people."
- "Mystic power plant workers strike, raise safety concerns," by Abigail Feldman, Boston Globe: "Dozens of workers at Mystic Generating Station, the state's largest power plant, went on strike early Saturday morning at the Charlestown facility, according officials from the utility workers union. In a news release, union representatives said Exelon, the plant's Chicago-based owner, has sought "to lower standards for workers in ways that they believe would jeopardize the retention of highly-skilled frontline employees who are vital to the safe operation of the 2,001 megawatt fossil power plant," The strike officially began around 4 a.m. on Saturday."
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| PRIMARY SOURCES |
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- FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: "MASSACHUSETTS STATE COUNCIL OF MACHINISTS ENDORSE JESSE MERMELL FOR CONGRESS," from the Mermell campaign: "Jesse Mermell announced today that she has secured a major labor endorsement in her campaign for Congress from the Massachusetts State Council of Machinists. The Council, which is a member of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM&AW) and represents more than 1,500 machinists in the Greater Boston Area, selected Mermell out of a crowded Democratic primary field because of her commitment to standing up for Massachusetts workers.
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| DAY IN COURT |
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- "Nearly 5,700 stolen credit and debit card numbers discovered in card skimming investigation after devices found on gas pumps in Massachusetts," by Scott J. Croteau, MassLive.com: "A federal investigation into the placement of card skimmers on gas pumps in Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut and New Hampshire led to the discovery of nearly 5,700 credit and debit card account numbers, according to paperwork filed in Boston federal court. The accounts were contained in text messages and equipment that authorities from the United States Secret Service discovered during the investigation into a card skimming ring."
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| WARREN REPORT |
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- "Prayers in Vegas, slumped shoulders in N.H. — inside the final days of Warren's campaign," by Jess Bidgood and Liz Goodwin, Boston Globe: "The postmortem of Warren's presidential campaign is already underway following the campaign's end on Thursday. Some supporters wonder where the Bloomberg-slaying version had been all along, lamenting what could have been had her fighter persona been fully unleashed. Others questioned her advertising strategy in Iowa, or her decision to focus on "unity." Staffers grappled with how, in their minds, the best candidate, the strongest team, and best policies did not translate into more votes, admitting she was squeezed between the center and the left. Warren herself, who is not a brooder by nature, reflected on what was happening in a series of behind-the scenes interviews with the Globe in the final month of her campaign, on the condition they not be used until her bid for the nomination ended, either in victory or defeat."
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| THE OPINION PAGES |
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- "Boston politics — with its diverse slate of women leaders — offers glimmer of hope," by Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu, Boston Globe: "On November 8, 2016 — Election Day — in those blissful hours before the world learned that Donald Trump would become president, my husband and I learned that I was pregnant. That night I went to bed early, dreaming of raising our baby in a world where women lead at the highest levels. Like so many women in the era of Trump, my devastation the next morning —turned into resolve. I've had to measure my son's developmental milestones against our democracy's decline over weeks, months, and years. Every new insult to our American ideals or assault on our communities is a reminder of how urgently we must fight for the futures of all our children."
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| MOULTON MATTERS |
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- "Angus McQuilken kicks off campaign to win Seth Moulton's congressional seat," by Laura Crimaldi, Boston Globe: "As US Representative Seth Moulton campaigned for president last summer, Angus McQuilken began working to replace him in Congress. On Saturday afternoon, McQuilken, 50, made it official with a campaign kickoff in Beverly where a reference to Moulton was a punch line. McQuilken, a Topsfield resident with a long history of working on Democratic and progressive causes, is among three Democrats challenging Moulton, 41, who is seeking a fourth term."
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| THE PRESSLEY PARTY |
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- "Ayanna Presley and Other Lawmakers and Legal Experts Call for End to Death Penalty in the Wake of Nathaniel Woods Execution," by Nathaniel Woods, The Root: "The unfathomably unjust execution of Nathaniel Woods on Friday has sparked widespread outrage and scorn from activists, lawmakers and legal experts and has inspired a renewed sense of urgency in the call to abolish the death penalty. On Friday morning, Presley took to twitter to blast the "INJUSTICE system" calling it "racist, sexist and xenophobic" and including a link to her proposed People's Justice Guarantee legislation and a bill (H.R. 4052) which she introduced last summer to "prohibit the imposition of the death penalty for any violation of federal law, and for other purposes."
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| TRUMPACHUSETTS |
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- "Lyons has votes to remain Mass. GOP chair," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "THE MASSACHUSETTS GOP released unofficial results on Friday indicating conservative Jim Lyons should have enough support on the 80-member state committee to continue as chairman of the state Republican Party. The state committee races were unusually contentious and bitter this year, with undisclosed amounts of money pouring in to the campaigns. Forces allied with Gov. Charlie Baker sought to elect candidates who would be supportive of his agenda, while more conservative elements in the party rallied behind Lyons. There was also a sharp split between fans of President Trump (Lyons) and Trump opponents (Baker)."
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| IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN |
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- "Jane Winn fought a local PCB dump. Then she said yes. She explains." by Larry Parnass, The Berkshire Eagle: "Jane Winn fought a local PCB dump. For years. Then, last month, she changed her mind. The General Electric Co. now has the federal government's support to create a landfill in Lee for toxins it dumped or dribbled into the Housatonic River for decades. That, for most, was the least surprising element of the settlement agreement announced Feb. 10. Winn's bittersweet backing of the plan, reached through mediation, was far from expected."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "GAS TAX FOR THEE PER DIEM* FOR ME," "DOUBLED OVERNIGHT," — Globe: "Sex offenders worked as personal care aides," "Infections mount in US; Calif. on alert." |
| MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS |
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- "From police stops to marijuana executives: The long journey for owners of Boston's first pot shop," by Naomi Martin, Boston Globe: "After the television news crew left, Kobie Evans unpacked a case of wood Ikea shelves and started drilling. In a few days, he expected thousands of people to flock to Monday's planned grand opening of Pure Oasis, Boston's first cannabis store — and the first owned by people enrolled in a program designed to ensure that some of legalization's windfall benefits communities that were hardest hit by the war on drugs."
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| FROM THE 413 |
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- "'It's a new way to ride': Springfield's 413 BikeLife 'urban cyclists' and city officials in vicious cycle over stunts vs. safety," by Patrick Johnson, Springfield Republican: "Mayor Domenic J. Sarno has used a few choice words to describe people like Joshua Diaz and his friends. Words like "miscreants," "negative individuals," and renegade thrill-seekers. Diaz, of Springfield, prefers to call himself an urban cyclist. A sophomore at Commerce High School, Diaz is president of 413 BikeLife, a loose collective of like-minded pedal pushers. Perhaps you've seen them in downtown Springfield, riding in groups of 10 or more — sometimes in traffic and often defying the laws of gravity, if not the rules of the road."
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| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "West Newbury officials: Former police chief deleted thousands of emails," by Dave Rogers, The Salem News: "Town officials believe former West Newbury police Chief Art Reed deleted thousands of internal and external emails shortly before leaving the job in December 2018, costing taxpayers thousands of dollars to recover most of them and possibly exposing the town and himself to legal trouble. "He tanked the whole database of emails," West Newbury police Officer Michael Dwyer, the department's information technology officer, said in an interview Friday."
- "South Shore Health officials: We're ready for possible coronavirus 'epidemic,'" by Mary Whitfill, The Patriot Ledger: "It started with a watchful eye on China. Then, it turned into stocking up on supplies such as masks and other equipment; meeting regularly with infectious-disease doctors; and putting new rules into place, like implementing visitor restrictions and encouraging people to call before going to the emergency room. And now, more than three months after South Shore Health first started keeping tabs on the latest strain of the coronavirus, officials say they're as ready as they can be for whatever the virus may bring."
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? No! The Thunder beat the Celtics 105-104.
FOR YOUR COMMUTE: BARN BURNER - For a special live taping of the Horse Race podcast, hosts Steve Koczela, Jennifer Smith and Stephanie Murray partnered with the hosts of the Deep Democracy podcast, Gina Christo and Wilnelia Rivera for a post-Super Tuesday episode. Will Rasky of Rasky Partners talked about Joe Biden's Super Tuesday success, and where he goes from here. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud.
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