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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. TGIF!
THE ROAD TO REOPENING — It's the first day of May, which means Bay Staters are beginning another month under Gov. Charlie Baker's stay at home advisory. Massachusetts faces the third-largest coronavirus outbreak in the country, and Baker has ordered nonessential businesses closed until May 18.
The date to begin to reopen is a moving target as researchers and officials work to understand and control the coronavirus pandemic, and the push to stay home has wide support in deep blue Massachusetts - but President Donald Trump has said he's eager to reopen the economy.
Even in many of the swing states, where Trump has more support than he does in Massachusetts, governors are taking it slow. Here's a roundup of when restrictions will lift in those states. (Three exceptions: Georgia, Florida and North Carolina are swing states that are taking actions to reopen soon).
Closed for at least two more weeks:
Arizona - Republican Gov. Doug Ducey has extended his state's stay-at-home order through May 15. By May 8, retail stores can open on a voluntary basis with reduced occupancy and strict cleaning protocols. Keep an eye out for when Trump makes his first trip from the White House in weeks to Arizona on Tuesday to visit a mask production site.
Michigan - The state extended its stay-at-home order through May 15, but Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer lifted some restrictions on outdoor activity like golfing and boating. Construction resumes May 7 in Michigan, an industry that was an early point of contention here in Massachusetts.
Minnesota - Democratic Gov. Tim Walz extended a stay-at-home advisory for another two weeks on Thursday.
Wisconsin - Democratic Gov. Tony Evers extended his state's "safer at home" order until May 26. Evers said he is working on a plan to reopen the economy in phases, but cautioned against opening parts of the state at different times.
The undecideds:
New Hampshire - Republican Gov. Chris Sununu says he will announce today whether he plans to extend his state's stay-at-home order, which ends May 4. Baker often says he is in contact with Sununu to ensure any plans to reopen don't come with unintended consequences.
Pennsylvania - Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf is taking a regional approach to reopening. He plans to announce Friday which counties or regions can begin to reopen at the end of next week. And speaking of regions, Pennsylvania is part of a regional coalition with Massachusetts, New York, and a number of other states to reopen their economies in a coordinated way.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.
TODAY — Sen. Elizabeth Warren joins an online rally for restaurant workers. Attorney General Maura Healey answers questions on Twitter. Sen. Ed Markey holds a livestream with disability activists Matthew Cortland and Rebecca Cokley. Rep. Joe Kennedy III hosts a "MA04/MetroWest" virtual town hall.
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NEXT THURSDAY - HOW DOES THE GLOBAL ECONOMY START MOVING AGAIN?: The pandemic has caused the global economy to stall and has triggered economic crises in varying forms around the world. So, what happens next? Join Global Translations author Ryan Heath next Thursday at 1 p.m. EDT for a virtual discussion with Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, about the trade-offs and investments needed to get the global economy moving again, what role China can be expected to play, and what happens next with growing debt and deficits in the developing world. 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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- "Massachusetts sees 157 new coronavirus deaths, 1,940 new cases, but hospitalizations continue to dip," by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: "Massachusetts health officials announced 157 new deaths on Thursday, bringing the number of fatalities statewide to 3,562. The share of those deaths among the elderly in long-term care continues to be staggeringly high, with now 2,101 of the total fatalities coming from long-term care facilities. There were also 1,940 new cases reported for a total of now 62,205 statewide."
-- "Jobless claims in Mass. top 893,000, or 24% of the labor force, amid coronavirus crisis," by Larry Edelman, Boston Globe: "Nearly one in four Massachusetts workers have lost their jobs during the coronavirus shutdown, a harrowing gutting of the workforce in a state where just two months ago employers were having a hard time filling open positions. In the weeks since COVID-19 restrictions closed stores, restaurants, and thousands of other business, the state has fielded more than 893,600 claims for unemployment pay, or 24 percent of the labor force before the pandemic, the Baker administration said Thursday."
- " More Than 240,000 Mass. Workers File Unemployment Claims In Worst Week On Record," by Callum Borchers, WBUR: "Almost a quarter-million workers filed for unemployment benefits in Massachusetts last week, a record total that dwarfs even the worst period of the Great Recession and suggests the economic pain inflicted by the coronavirus pandemic remains acute, as state leaders make plans to restart stalled businesses. In the last six weeks, more than 30 million Americans nationwide and 725,000 Massachusetts workers have filed unemployment claims amid widespread economic shutdowns, according to the latest weekly figures from the U.S. Department of Labor."
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| DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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- "Six weeks after social distancing began, Mass. coronavirus hospitalizations and cases remain high. Why so little improvement?" by Mark Arsenault, Boston Globe: "Rewind the clock a month, to late March, as nonessential businesses were closing and Governor Charlie Baker asked us to stay home to reduce the spread of coronavirus. Where did we imagine we would be as a state by the start of May? A lot further along than we are now. It's maddening: More than six weeks after statewide social distancing measures began to take effect, the number of hospitalizations for COVID-19 infections is stuck in a stubbornly high place."
- "Baker urges residents to cooperate with contact tracing program," by Travis Andersen, Jaclyn Reiss and Martin Finucane, Boston Globe: "Governor Charlie Baker implored residents Thursday to cooperate if they're reached by a state team that is tracking down people infected with the coronavirus and those who have been in contact with them. Speaking during his daily briefing, Baker said the team of roughly 1,000 callers has made contact with some 5,000 residents over the past month."
- "Massachusetts could pursue coronavirus contact tracing app, but not without addressing privacy concerns first, governor says," by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: "Public health experts warn that quick, effective contact tracing is key to reducing the spread of the coronavirus. It turns out there's an app for that — several apps, actually. Massachusetts isn't implementing mobile contact tracing because of privacy concerns, but the governor hasn't dismissed the idea altogether."
- "House rules still stalled," by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: "House Minority Leader Brad Jones on Thursday blocked consideration of emergency rules for the Massachusetts House for the second day, amid a debate that is throwing off efforts by Gov. Charlie Baker to improve the state's cash flow. Baker, a Republican, filed a bill March 27 that would let Treasurer Deborah Goldberg borrow money this fiscal year to help the state's cash flow, given the delayed income tax deadline."
- "The state has changed how it classifies coronavirus cases. It could lead to a spike in numbers," by Kay Lazar and Andrew Ryan, Boston Globe: "As the coronavirus pandemic stretches into a third month, state health leaders are reclassifying the way they count COVID-19 cases, a change that's sure to lead to an increase in the number of reported victims and have a profound effect on our understanding of the devastating impact of the disease in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts state health department last week issued new directives on what counts as COVID-19 to hundreds of local health boards based on guidance from a low-profile, but influential national group of disease trackers."
- "'It was awesome': Charlie Baker recommends this film while you stay at home," by Dialynn Dwyer, Boston.com: "Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker took a moment Thursday during his daily coronavirus press conference to give a movie recommendation as everyone stays home to slow the spread of the illness The conversation turned to books and entertainment after Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders urged everyone to take care of their mental health as the pandemic continues, suggesting breaks from the news and connecting with friends."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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- "Virus notes: Nursing home deaths pass 2,000," by Bruce Mohl and Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: "COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes and rest homes crossed the 2,000 threshold on Thursday, meaning roughly 5 percent of the residents at the 476 facilities have died of the virus. The state reported an increase of 119 deaths at long-term care facilities on Thursday, bringing the total to 2,101. The total represents 59 percent of all 3,562 COVID-19 deaths in the state."
- "The good news about a statewide economic shutdown? Almost no one gets a ticket anymore," by Andrea Estes and Matt Rocheleau, Boston Globe: "It's hard to find a bright side to an international health crisis that has derailed the entire economy, but here's one: Very few people are getting speeding or parking tickets anymore. Police departments across Massachusetts wrote 95 percent fewer tickets for moving violations such as speeding and driving without a license in the first three weeks of April compared with the same period in 2019."
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| THE OPINION PAGES |
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- "Just like the Great Depression, we need 500,000 service year jobs now," by Alan Khazei and John M. Bridgeland, Boston Globe: "Americans are at war with an invisible enemy — a virus that latches its spiky proteins onto healthy cells, crippling our ability to breathe. As infections rise, tragedies mount, and lockdowns continue, the health crisis is prompting an economic crisis with parallels to the Great Depression. In the 1930s, President Franklin D. Roosevelt responded with the New Deal, marshaling the nation to put Americans to work through national service. Once again, America needs the bold idea of national service to tackle this pandemic."
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| DAY IN COURT |
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- "BU students file class action suit over spring semester reimbursements," by Hilary Burns, Boston Business Journal: "A group of Boston University students have filed a class action lawsuit against the institution over the school's approach to reimbursing room, board and other fees after closing its campus due to the coronavirus pandemic. While the students said in the lawsuit that closing campus and transitioning to online classes was the right thing to do, they feel that BU has not fully compensated students for the loss of in-person instruction, housing, access to campus facilities, student activities, and other benefits and services for which they had already paid fees and tuition."
- "Charlie Baker cites 1902 yellow fever case in defense of gun store coronavirus shutdowns," by Andrew Martinez, Boston Herald: "Gov. Charlie Baker cited an 118-year-old court ruling during a yellow fever outbreak as part of his rejection for the re-opening of gun retailers in Massachusetts amid the coronavirus pandemic, among other reasons in a response to gun shops and customers in a federal lawsuit. Gun shop owners, customers and firearms groups are suing Massachusetts over the closure of firearms retailers considered 'non-essential' amid statewide closures through May 18."
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| WARREN REPORT |
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- "Elizabeth Warren and Jan Schakowsky have a plan to end mask and medicine shortages amid the Covid-19 crisis," by Dylan Scott, Vox: "Under a new bill from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), a new federal agency would take responsibility for eliminating protective gear shortages and other supply scarcities critical to the coronavirus response. The legislation, to be released on Thursday and shared first with Vox, seeks to remedy the critical supply shortages reported in some Covid-19 hot spots."
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| MARKEYCHUSETTS |
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- "A US Senator Wants To Know Which Federal Authorities Are Using Clearview AI To Track The Coronavirus," by Ryan Mac, BuzzFeed News: "Clearview AI, the facial recognition company that claims to have scraped over 3 billion photos from social media to power its face-matching tool, is now facing questions from Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey about recent claims that it's developing a digital contact tracing tool for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus."
- "Ed Markey calls for federal rule requiring airplane passengers to wear masks," by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "This week, JetBlue became the first American airline to announce that passengers will be required to wear face coverings. Sen. Ed Markey wants the rest to follow suit. In a letter Wednesday, the Massachusetts senator and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a fellow Democrat from Connecticut, called on federal officials to issue an emergency rule requiring all individuals engaged in air travel to wear a face mask during the coronavirus pandemic."
- "Sen. Ed Markey doubles signature goal to get on Democratic Senate primary ballot," by Benjamin Kail, MassLive.com: "Sen. Ed Markey has more than doubled a goal of 10,000 signatures to secure a spot on the Democratic Senate primary ballot in September. The campaign announced Thursday evening that it received 'an enormous outpouring of support' and more than 23,600 total signatures from 'an unprecedented sweep of the state, with requests for nomination papers from 343 of the 351 cities and towns.'"
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| FROM THE DELEGATION |
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- "Ayanna Pressley, Rachael Rollins call for releasing many prisoners due to coronavirus," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins are furthering their call to let criminal defendants and inmates out of jail as the coronavirus crisis deepens, saying the state needs to take action and let people out of jail. 'This is a crisis within a crisis,' Pressley said in a live-streamed teleconference hosted by lefty publications NowThis News and The Appeal."
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| KENNEDY COMPOUND |
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CLOWN!
- "Joe Kennedy looks deep inside himself — and discovers a cool head in a time of crisis," by Scot Lehigh, Boston Globe: "Big news! Seven months after declaring he would challenge Senator Ed Markey, Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III is finally developing a rationale for why he's running: He has better judgment than Markey in times of crisis, he has determined. That, Kennedy says, is demonstrated by his decision to suspend his campaign from mid-March until April 1."
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| IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN |
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— Herald: "WELCOME HOME, GAVIN!" — Globe: "One-quarter of Mass. workers jobless and picture may worsen," "A flatter curve, but no quick way down." |
| FROM THE 413 |
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- "'Is my dad alive?': Outrage as deaths mount at veterans home," by Alanna Durkin Richer, Associated Press: "Desperate for information as coronavirus deaths mounted at the Massachusetts veterans home where her father lived, Susan Kenney drove there with her question written in big letters on her car window: 'Is my dad alive?' He was. But not for long. Kenney's father and 70 others who served their country have died after contracting the virus at the Holyoke Soldiers' Home in what has become the deadliest known outbreak at a long-term care facility in the U.S."
- "Crane Stationery to close North Adams plant," by Larry Parnass, The Berkshire Eagle: "One of the oldest names in American manufacturing plans to shutter its North Adams facility in June, stranding 270 employees and ending a more than two-century run in the Berkshires. Crane Stationery, which traces its corporate lineage to a paper-making plant launched by Zenas Crane in 1801, plans to cease operations due to the impact both of the coronavirus and a decline in stationery use in the digital age."
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| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "Quincy company staffs state coronavirus tracing program," by Joe DiFazio, The Patriot Ledger: "When Boston-based nonprofit Partners in Health needed more than 1,000 workers as part of a coronavirus tracing initiative created by the the state, it turned to a Quincy human resources company to help. GattiHR, on Greenleaf Street near Quincy Center, has helped Partners in Health hire about 1,200 workers during April to be a part of the state's tracing efforts."
- "Guidelines issued for seasonal Cape and Islands visitors," by Geoff Spillane, Cape Cod Times: "The annual 'Cape escape' for seasonal residents, visitors and workers may look and feel a lot different this year. The Cape and Islands legislative delegation, along with the region's chambers of commerce and hospitals, has issued guidelines for seasonal residents amid the COVID-19 public health emergency, with Memorial Day weekend — the unofficial start of the summer season — three weeks away."
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| MEDIA MATTERS |
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- "WBZ Meteorologist Barry Burbank Retires After Four Decades On The Air," by Christina Beiene, WGBH News: "After 42 years of broadcasting the weather for WBZ Boston, veteran meteorologist, Barry Burbank, has retired. He told Emily Rooney on WGBH News' Greater Boston Thursday that the fascination with the science began when he was a young child."
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to state Rep. Daniel Donahue, Gimlet Media's Abbie Ruzicka, and Gary Uter of the Boston Planning and Development Agency.
HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND - to Saturday birthday-ers to Matt Murphy of State House News and former state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson. And to Sunday birthday-ers AP alum Andrew Miga, former EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and Peter Brown of Peter Brown Communications.
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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