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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. It's the last day of April!
PANDEMIC PUSHES BACK SENATE DEBATES — Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Joe Kennedy III have not met on the debate stage since February, which marked their first and only debate of the Senate race so far.
The closest Markey and Kennedy have been lately is their back-to-back rankings on a Boston Magazine list of influential people.
And they will miss another chance to square-off in a couple of weeks — the May 11 debate in Worcester, planned by NBC10 Boston, Telemundo Boston and NECN, is being postponed due to the pandemic. A debate planned for March 18 in Springfield was already pushed off for the same reason.
The next chance for a Markey-Kennedy debate will likely be on June 8, hosted by the Providence, R.I. television station WPRI.
"The voters still have to cast their ballots Sept. 1, so at this point we are planning to hold our debate on June 8," said Ted Nesi, politics and business editor at WPRI.
For now, that debate date is after stay-at-home restrictions are set to lift in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and it's likely there will be no studio audience and appropriate social distancing. The plan is for the Springfield and Worcester debates to be rescheduled this summer, and the campaigns have already agreed to an Aug. 18 debate. That means the summer months could be jam-packed with debates before the September primary.
In the absence of a debate, Kennedy has taken a more direct line of attack against Markey. Kennedy caught some flack in the February debate for having an unclear answer on why he is running for Senate, but now he's sharpening his message. Instead of delivering it in a televised debate, however, he did so over email.
"I got into this race because we need stronger leadership in the Senate. And if I thought that six months ago, I think it even more now," Kennedy wrote in an email to supporters on Monday. "Senator Markey isn't here enough. He isn't in Massachusetts enough. And in the months ahead, more than ever, we are going to need a Senator who will be on the ground — with us — as we recover and rebuild."
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.
TODAY — Rep. Katherine Clark and state Rep. Jon Santiago join a virtual "Civic Life Lunch" hosted by Tufts University's Tisch College. Clark hosts a town hall for independent restaurant owners hosed by chef Tracy Chang of PAGU. Rep. Richard Neal visits Nick's Nest in Holyoke. Rep. Lori Trahan hosts a tele-town hall with Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and other guests.
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TODAY - CAN VIRTUAL CARE FILL A GAP FOR WOMEN'S HEALTH IN THE AGE OF COVID-19? Telemedicine and remote care have boomed in in recent weeks. Join Women Rule Editorial Director Anna Palmer today at 4 p.m. EDT for a virtual conversation with Carolyn Witte , CEO and co-founder of Tia, a membership-driven women's health care platform and clinic. How can women better prioritize their health? Can virtual care can fill a gap in women's health care during the current crisis? How will this pandemic transform women's health care in both the near and long-term future? Have questions? Submit yours by tweeting it to @POLITICOLive using #AskPOLITICO. REGISTER HERE TO PARTICIPATE.
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 | THE LATEST NUMBERS |
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- "Mass. reports highest single-day death toll since outbreak began," by Travis Andersen, Jaclyn Reiss, Martin Finucane and Jeremy C. Fox Globe, Boston Globe: "The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported Wednesday that the death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in the state had risen by 252 cases to 3,405. It was the largest single-day increase announced so far in the outbreak. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases climbed by 1,963 to 60,265. The Department of Public Health also reported a total of 265,618 people in the state had been tested, up from 254,500 a day earlier."
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| DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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- "Mass. House's attempt to install remote voting hits GOP roadblock," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "The top Republican in the Massachusetts House on Wednesday blocked the passage of an emergency rules package designed to allow remote voting in the chamber, setting off a rare — and vitriolic — rift between Democratic leaders and the chamber's small GOP caucus. The House appeared poised to approve an order with 20 new emergency rules reshaping how representatives pass laws in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, a day after parts of the package were changed amid concerns from Republicans and progressive Democrats."
- "Mass. still searching for new protective gear," by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: "Gov. Charlie Baker often begins his daily press briefings by ticking off a list of new protective equipment secured by the state for nursing homes, hospitals and health care facilities. As the state wrestles with a surge in coronavirus cases, masks, gowns and gloves have been in short supply. So the Baker administration has turned to private markets and opened up alternative supply chains. The state has also enlisted local manufacturers to produce the equipment.
- "Legislating during a global pandemic," by Yawu Miller, Bay State Banner: "The halls of the State House may be empty, but the Legislature is buzzing with activity, with lawmakers and constituents participating in hearings and votes from the confines of home offices and living rooms. Members of the Massachusetts Legislative Black and Latino Caucus say they are faced with an added layer of complexity, dealing with communities that bear a disproportionate number of COVID-19 infections."
- "Massachusetts daycare centers fear coronavirus will close them permanently, request direct aid from Gov. Charlie Baker to help with costs, rent," by Michael Bonner, MassLive.com: "Daycares United, a coalition for childcare facilities across Massachusetts, addressed a letter to Gov. Charlie Baker on Wednesday requesting assistance as many are unsure they'll be able to reopen after the coronavirus pandemic. The letter signed by 30 provides the governor with three specific methods to help aid daycare centers with rent and other costs."
- "Covid-19 causes Mass. GDP to shrink at 6% pace," by Greg Ryan, Boston Business Journal: "Massachusetts' real gross domestic product declined at an annualized rate of 6.1% in the first quarter of 2020, a steeper drop-off than the country as a whole, according to a new estimate from MassBenchmarks. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis published data on Wednesday that showed U.S. GDP declining at a 4.8% pace from January through March, as the coronavirus pandemic began to roil the country and sent the economy into a recession."
- "Police, fire departments are the latest to voice concern about state-provided masks," by Dugan Arnett and Victoria McGrane, Boston Globe: "When the Brockton Police Department received hundreds of protective respirator masks from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency earlier this month, they came as a welcome gift to officers increasingly worried about exposure in the line of duty. But on Friday, the department received notice from the agency that new tests showed the masks to be severely deficient, filtering just 28 percent of airborne particles — far below what is considered safe for front-line workers. The department immediately recalled the masks."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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- "In Chelsea, the deadly consequences of dirty air," by Yvonne Abraham, Boston Globe: "Right now, Chelsea is showing us who we are. It isn't pretty. Coronavirus has been racing through the city of 40,000 on the Mystic River, leaving it with the highest rate of infections in the state and laying bare our failures along the way. Confirmed infections there stood at 1,965 as of Wednesday, but they likely represent only a fraction of total cases."
- "Blood from COVID-19 patients could treat others," by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: "Blood banks are collecting antibody-rich plasma from people who have recovered from the COVID-19 disease, which could eventually be used to help severely ill patients still fighting the virus. The initiative, part of a broader effort by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, involves drawing 'convalescent plasma,' or blood serum, from patients previously infected with the respiratory illness to treat others with life-threatening infections."
- "Local Banks Hit Speed Bumps As Race For Small Business Administration Loans Restarts," by Adrian Ma, WBUR: "It's been another long, and in many cases frustrating, day for local bank employees trying to process loan applications through the federal government's Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Before the sun rose on Monday morning, Quincy Miller, president of Eastern Bank, said his staff had prepared some 2,000 applications to submit to the U.S. Small Business Administration's electronic loan processing system, E-Tran."
- "Should Boston buy back some liquor licenses? City Council considering ways to help ailing restaurant industry," by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: "Boston city councilors are considering ways to help a floundering restaurant industry decimated by the coronavirus pandemic, including the prospect of the city buying liquor licenses from struggling establishments and authorities placing a temporary cap on third-party delivery fees. A proposal by Councilor Lydia Edwards calls for the city to look at what can be done with liquor licenses ."
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| PRIMARY SOURCES |
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- "Markey's Senate reelection campaign unionizes," by Victoria McGrane, Boston Globe: "Campaign staff working to reelect Senator Edward J. Markey have opted to join a union, making Markey's operation the first statewide campaign in Massachusetts to be represented by a union, the campaign announced. The group of 27 campaign workers — including regional organizing directors, field organizers, and communication assistants, among others — unanimously agreed to a contract with Teamsters Local 122."
- "Four-way race for 12th Suffolk seat," by Yawu Miller, Bay State Banner: "Gathering and submitting nomination signatures is a time-honored rite in Massachusetts politics, but during a pandemic, it's turned into a logistical conundrum. Attorney Brandy Fluker Oakley, a candidate for the 12th Suffolk District seat being vacated by Rep. Dan Cullinane, took her signature-gathering operation out to the Neponset Greenway on a recent afternoon, armed with a facemask, hand sanitizer and Clorox wipes."
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| THE OPINION PAGES |
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- "The nation's economy can be rescued by rescuing state economies," by state Sen. Adam Hinds, Boston Globe: "There is a looming obstacle to the Commonwealth's recovery from the economic devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic. At exactly the moment Massachusetts will try to get the economy moving again, probably this summer, the state and local governments could be contracting their budgets under the weight of plummeting revenue and colossal COVID-19 related costs."
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| DAY IN COURT |
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- "Mici: No need to release inmates due to COVID-19," by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: "The Baker administration's top prison official told a state judge on Wednesday that she is satisfied with the way the system is responding to COVID-19 cases and sees no need to release inmates convicted of serious crimes to house arrest. Carol Mici, the commissioner of the Department of Correction, appeared virtually before Superior Court Judge Robert Ullmann, who is gathering information for the Supreme Judicial Court in a case where inmates are seeking their release to house arrest to reduce their exposure to COVID-19."
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| MOULTON MATTERS |
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- "Moulton, Healey chat about coronavirus scams," by Ethan Forman, The Salem News: "U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton moderated questions from viewers to Attorney General Maura Healey during a Wednesday Facebook Live event on cybersecurity and scams amid the coronavirus pandemic, including one alleged scam tied to the North Shore. 'We have also seen people, this is pretty sick,' said Healey, a Democrat, ' who have been putting online things like a coronavirus treatment or cure or vaccine.'"
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| FROM THE DELEGATION |
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- "Mayors warn U.S. Rep. Richard Neal that economic recovery won't happen if cities don't get federal dollars," by Jim Kinney, MassLive.com: "With mushrooming needs for basic services and revenue dried up by the COVID-19 pandemic, five mayors from across the country told U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Mass., on Wednesday that their cities need federal dollars — and soon. At stake, they told Neal, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and a former Springfield mayor, are basic services like police, fire, parks and recreation and sanitation."
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| TRUMPACHUSETTS |
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- "Charlie Baker and Marty Walsh rebuke Trump's suggestion that coronavirus aid be used against sanctuary cities," by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "President Donald Trump's suggestion that the federal government should use coronavirus relief aid to states to apply pressure on so-called sanctuary cities received rebukes from both sides of the political aisle Wednesday in Massachusetts. Republican Gov. Charlie Baker told reporters that it was 'the wrong way to do this,' while Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, a Democrat, noted that Trump has tended to stoke partisan flames by changing the subject to immigration whenever he 'gets his back up against the wall.'"
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| DATELINE D.C. |
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- "How did Plymouth County end up with $90 million in federal relief funds?" by Andrea Estes, Boston Globe: "When Congress approved $2.7 billion in coronavirus relief funds for Massachusetts, the Baker administration and the City of Boston stepped forward to oversee distribution of the money. Oh, and one other government agency: the Plymouth County Commissioners Office. The county's three commissioners took advantage of wording in the CARES Act, signed by President Trump last month, to receive $90 million in federal funds that they will distribute — an amount almost nine times bigger than their entire annual budget."
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| IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN |
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- "Clean Energy Center's financial woes continue to mount," by Colman M. Herman, CommonWealth Magazine: "The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center paid two outside law firms $2.3 million to defend it in a lawsuit the agency eventually lost and ultimately settled for $20.8 million. Both the settlement and the litigation costs have exacerbated the center's shaky financial situation, which has prompted soul-searching within the agency and the hiring of Gov. Charlie Baker's former chief of staff to help develop a strategy for the future."
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| MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS |
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- "Cannabis regulator Kay Doyle jumps to pharma," by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: "Cannabis Control Commissioner Kay Doyle is leaving the state oversight panel to take a job as US director of public policy for Greenwich Biosciences, the first company to manufacture an FDA-approved cannabis drug. 'It returns me back to really focusing on patients, which is where my heart is,' Doyle said. The five-member Cannabis Control Commission was appointed in 2017 to oversee the state's new marijuana industry."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "SPRING TIME!" — Globe: "Recovery quicker for those taking Gilead drug," "Pollution may be COVID catalyst." |
| EYE ON 2020 |
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- "Joe Biden hires Rufus Gifford as new deputy campaign manager," by Michael Scherer: "Former vice president Joe Biden has hired Rufus Gifford, a former top adviser to Barack Obama's reelection campaign, as his new deputy campaign manager focused on finance, external outreach and coalition building, according to campaign officials familiar with the move. The addition of Gifford, who also previously served as ambassador to Denmark and ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2018, adds another veteran of recent presidential campaigns to the staff of Biden, who became the presumptive nominee in recent weeks with a lean and underfunded operation."
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| FROM THE 413 |
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- "Teacher retention remains a challenge under receivership in Holyoke," by Dusty Christensen, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "Elizabeth Butler remembers feeling stunned after a meeting in 2017-18 school year with her administrators at Holyoke High School. Butler had been a teacher in the district for more than 20 years, and the number of students in her classroom had increased to its largest size ever that year. She said she spent six hours a night correcting papers, and raised that as a concern during the meeting."
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| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "Adams Square Baptist Church in Worcester holds another service during coronavirus pandemic, police say gathering size didn't violate governor's ban," by Melissa Hanson, MassLive.com: "The Adams Square Baptist Church in Worcester held an in-person service on Wednesday night after holding a service with more than 50 people on Sunday, but police officials said this gathering did not violate the governor's order banning gatherings of more than 10 people. Earlier this week, Worcester city officials condemned the pastor's decision to hold a service on Sunday, which 56 people attended, and warned that future services in violation of the order would result in fines."
- "Mass. Cities And Towns That Now Require Face Masks, Coverings In Public," by Laney Ruckstuhl, WBUR: "As the numbers of coronavirus cases and deaths continue to rise in Massachusetts, some cities and towns are mandating that face masks or other protective coverings be worn in public within their communities. Here's what we know about the orders in various municipalities."
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| MEDIA MATTERS |
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- "Danielle Johnson's Spark FM lighting up Boston airwaves," by Kenneal Patterson, Bay State Banner: "Danielle Johnson is the first black woman in Boston to own an all-digital radio station. Spark FM boasts its success as the city's #1 station for Urban and Caribbean music, attracting listeners, artists and DJs who perform live every week. Small businesses are shutting down across the country, but Johnson hasn't let the pandemic stop her. Instead, she's adapted."
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to comms consultant Matt Wilder, Martin Kessler of WBUR, former Assistant Secretary of Business Development and International Trade at EOHED Nam Pham, Nikko Mendoza, Executive Director of Harvard Innovation Labs Matt Segneri, James Barron of Barron Associates Worldwide and Joseph Bottum.
Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you're promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com.
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POLITICO Magazine Justice Reform: The Decarceration Issue, presented by Verizon: Over the past decade, the longstanding challenge of criminal-justice reform has emerged under the spotlight with a new twist: Both Republicans and Democrats are on board. But if both parties want to lower the incarceration rate, why are our jail and prison populations still so high? The latest series from POLITICO Magazine works to answer this important question and take a deeper look into what it will take to make progress in the policy and politics of justice reform. READ THE FULL ISSUE.
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