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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Happy Monday!
BAKER'S BIG ANNOUNCEMENT — Today's the day.
Gov. Charlie Baker is expected to lay out the details of how he will slowly begin to reopen the state's economy today. The governor said last week his focus was on keeping information about reopening under wraps until he was ready to announce the plan drafted with his Reopening Advisory Board, but news began leaking out on Sunday.
The first phase will start with looser restrictions for manufacturing, construction and places of worship, according to a memo sent to municipal leaders by the Massachusetts Municipal Association, which was first reported by the Boston Globe. And the reopening will come with lots of new protocols.
Places of worship should limit occupancy to 40 percent of the building's capacity, and attendees and staff should wear face coverings, according to a two-page safety checklist included in the memo. Churches are encouraged to have members sign up for services in advance online to limit attendance. On the construction and manufacturing side, anyone who visits a work site, including temporary visitors, should have their information logged for contact tracing purposes, according to a six-page checklist for those industries.
By staying quiet about the plan until the day his order was set to expire (it's been extended to May 19), Baker created some suspense over the past week. Business owners across the state spoke to their local papers about being hungry for information on how and when they may be able to reopen.
The majority of Massachusetts residents — 84 percent — say they approve of Baker's handling of the pandemic, according to a recent poll. But the governor has come under fire from some Democratic lawmakers who say he is opening the state too quickly. And he's been a source of frustration for activists who say he's moving too slowly. Some groups staged protests in Swampscott and Boston over the weekend. Baker acknowledged conflicting views on reopening last week.
"I'm quite sure that some folks are going to say it's too fast and some folks are going to say it's not fast enough. And what we believe is based on data, information, guidance and advice from a lot of very smart people, that this will represent what we consider to be a properly cautious and careful way forward," Baker said during a briefing on Friday.
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TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker announces his plan to slowly reopen the economy. Rep. Joe Kennedy III hosts a livestream with filmmaker Lynn Novick and Jule Hall, graduate of the Bard Prison Initiative. Sen. Ed Markey joins a livestream hosted by Indivisible Northampton. Rep. Seth Moulton speaks to the New England Council.
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JOIN TOMORROW – HOW DO WE STRATEGICALLY REOPEN THE ECONOMY? Join chief economic correspondent Ben White tomorrow at 9 a.m. EDT for a virtual conversation with Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.), to discuss his work on the newly launched House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis and whether he believes that the fiscal response so far has been enough. Should there be more transparency on how stimulus dollars are being spent? What more does Congress need to do to keep the economy afloat? Have questions? Submit yours by tweeting it to @POLITICOLive using #AskPOLITICO. REGISTER HERE.
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 | THE LATEST NUMBERS |
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– “Massachusetts reports 92 additional coronavirus deaths, 1,077 new cases,” by Andy Rosen, Boston Globe: “The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed 92 more lives in Massachusetts, according to the state Department of Public Health, which said Sunday that a total of 5,797 people in the state have now died as a result of the viral illness. The state reported a total of 1,077 new cases on Sunday, bringing the total to 86,010 since the outbreak began.”
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| DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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– “State’s reopening will start with places of worship, construction, manufacturing; offices, retail likely to follow later this month,” by Andy Rosen, Larry Edelman and Anissa Gardizy, Boston Globe: “Massachusetts on Monday will take a tentative step toward restoring some aspects of normal life after a two-month lockdown, when Governor Charlie Baker presents a plan to gradually reopen the economy amid a COVID-19 pandemic that is still claiming close to 100 lives in the state every day.”
– “Don’t expect ‘bold’ reopening report,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “Gov. Charlie Baker said his administration’s reopening report coming on Monday is a well-thought-out piece of work, describing it with words like cautious, careful, slow, and steady. ‘I absolutely know that people who think we’re going too fast will say you’re going too fast and people who think we’re going too slow will say you’re going too slow,’ he said at a State House press conference on Friday.”
– “Massachusetts invests $56M to combat food insecurity amid coronavirus,” by Benjamin Kail, MassLive.com: “To bolster the food supply chain amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Baker-Polito administration on Sunday announced the state will invest $56 million to combat food insecurity in Massachusetts. Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito said the funding was consistent with the findings of the Food Security Task Force, which was convened on April 22 in response to increased demands for food assistance.”
– “Democratic lawmakers urge Mass. Gov. Charlie Baker to extend coronavirus shutdown through June 1,” by Benjamin Kail, MassLive.com: “A dozen Democratic state lawmakers say the statewide shutdown amid the coronavirus — set to expire Monday — should remain in effect in Massachusetts through June 1. The lawmakers wrote to Gov. Charlie Baker on Saturday, urging him to extend the stay-at-home advisory and shutdown of nonessential businesses.”
– RELATED: “State representative from Cambridge receives threatening message after calling on governor to delay reopening,” by Abigail Feldman, Boston Globe: “Police are investigating after state Representative Mike Connolly received a threatening message on Saturday evening in response to a letter calling on Governor Charlie Baker to extend the stay-at-home advisory until at least the beginning of June. The Cambridge-based representative said the message, which was posted on Facebook in response to the letter, suggested someone might approach him with a gun.”
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| FROM THE HUB |
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– “MGH begins to shift some resources as COVID-19 cases decline,” by Andy Rosen, Boston Globe: “Massachusetts General Hospital said Sunday that it is beginning to return some resources to normal use that were devoted to intensive care for COVID-19 patients, as cases at the hospital have begun to decline following their peak about two weeks ago. Ann Prestipino, a senior vice president at MGH who has been overseeing the hospital’s response to the novel coronavirus, said the hospital is currently caring for about 200 patients with the virus.”
– “Ahead of Massachusetts reopening announcement, religious leaders left in the dark,” by Douglas Hook, MassLive.com: “In days before the first stage of Massachusetts’ reopening plan, many faith leaders remained unsure about what to expect. A letter was signed by 250 religious leaders to Gov. Charlie Baker to allow churches to reopen during the first phases of Massachusetts’ reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic. Additionally, it asked a clergy member be added to the state’s Reopening Advisory Board.”
– “Hundreds of Mass. workers say companies failed to protect them from coronavirus,” by Matt Rocheleau, Boston Globe: “As they risk their own well-being to care for infected patients or rush to keep store shelves stocked, workers across Massachusetts have filed hundreds of complaints with the federal government in recent weeks, alleging their employers failed to keep them protected from the coronavirus. Yet worker advocates, as well as former leaders of the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration, say the federal agency is falling short of its duty to hold employers accountable.”
– “Boston hearing focuses on language barriers,” by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: "Boston City Councilors Julia Mejia and Ed Flynn held a hearing Friday focused on the language barriers non-native English speakers are facing during the coronavirus pandemic. Fittingly, the hearing was the first to be translated into Spanish, Haitian Creole, Cantonese, and Mandarin as it was being conducted. Mejia has a personal connection to the effort.”
– “More women than men are dying of coronavirus in Massachusetts. Why is that?” by Rebecca Ostriker, Boston Globe: “Around the world, the death toll from COVID-19 has a stark gender divide: More men are dying with the coronavirus than women. In the United States, government data show men account for a significant majority of all deaths. But Massachusetts is one of a handful of states that stand as exceptions: Here, women make up nearly 52 percent of all coronavirus-related deaths — a percentage that has steadily ticked up in recent weeks.”
– “Mass. stores fear another financial hit with June 1 ban on menthol, mint, wintergreen tobacco,” by Breanna Edelstein, Eagle-Tribune: “Massachusetts convenience stores struggling with sales during the coronavirus pandemic are bracing for the second half of a 1-2 punch. Store owners expect business to take another hit with the June 1 enactment of Gov. Charlie Baker’s ban on menthol, mint and wintergreen tobacco products. Some want the first-in-the-nation law delayed a year.”
– “To reopen, restaurants will need to completely reinvent themselves,” by Janelle Nanos, Boston Globe: “If and when dining out resumes in Massachusetts, expect to be asked for contact tracing info when you reserve a table. After you arrive at your seat, which won’t have silverware laid out on it for fear of contamination, you might summon your server from your mobile phone, then grab your dishes from a cart that is wheeled through the room.”
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| PRIMARY SOURCES |
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– FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: “Massachusetts Sierra Club Endorses Jordan Meehan for State Representative,” from the Meehan campaign: “Today the Massachusetts Sierra Club endorsed Jordan Meehan for State Representative. This endorsement signals Sierra Club’s confidence that Meehan is well-positioned to win his race for state representative and will be a strong, urgent voice for climate action and environmental protection once elected.”
– “Sen. Pacheco backs Alan Khazei in crowded 4th District primary,” by Ted Nesi, WPRI: “State Sen. Marc Pacheco, the longest-serving member of the Massachusetts Senate and one of Beacon Hill’s leading voices on climate change, announced Sunday he is endorsing Alan Khazei in the crowded primary to replace Congressman Joe Kennedy III. Pacheco, D-Taunton, said he has known Khazei for over 30 years and praised the Brookline resident’s role as founder of the service organization City Year.”
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| DAY IN COURT |
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– “Appeals hearing in Orchids of Asia case rescheduled as Zoom video conference call June 30,” by Bob Hohler, Boston Globe: “A Florida appeals court has postponed a key hearing on prostitution charges against Patriots owner Robert Kraft, ordering that arguments be conducted June 30 in a Zoom video conference because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The hearing was originally scheduled for May 21 in a West Palm Beach courtroom.”
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| WARREN REPORT |
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– “My Brother’s Death Didn’t Have to Happen,” by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, The Atlantic: “It just feels like something that didn’t have to happen. He had had pneumonia and had been hospitalized. This is back in February. He wanted to go home after he’d been hospitalized and his doctor said, ‘No, I want you to just go to a rehab and just get some of your strength back.’ Pneumonia really takes it out of you. And, you know, he’s old. And so he went to the rehab and was ready to go home. He was packed up and ready to go home when somebody tested positive, and they wouldn’t let him leave.”
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| KENNEDY COMPOUND |
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– “Joe Kennedy on the need for a ‘Civil Gideon’ and the ‘disappointing’ response he received on Twitter,” by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: “Before he was a national figure, Rep. Joe Kennedy III witnessed the inequities of the civil justice system play out on a near-daily basis. Unlike in the criminal justice system, individuals facing legal action in civil court aren’t guaranteed a lawyer. And as a law student volunteering as a legal aid in Boston’s housing court, Kennedy saw what that meant.”
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: “OPENING DAY,” — Globe: “A loosening of the lockdown," "Charges of unsafe conditions piling up.” |
| FROM THE 413 |
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– “A heavy or hero? Inside Tom Bernard's game plan on Crane,” by Larry Parnass, The Berkshire Eagle: “The mayor of North Adams is in a pitched battle with one of his city's largest employers. In a pandemic, no less. In this interview, Thomas Bernard discusses his handling of Crane Stationery Co.'s move to reopen. The company is operating in defiance of Bernard's request that it prove that all of the work it called employees back to perform May 8 qualifies as ‘essential.’”
– “Special election for 2nd Hampden Hampshire district senate seat pits moderate Democrat against fiscally-conservative Republican,” by Jeanette DeForge, Springfield Republican: “No matter if the next Hampden and Hampshire 2nd District senator is a moderate Democrat or a fiscally-conservative Republican, both candidates have vowed to work with members of both parties to fight for their constituents. The Tuesday, May 19, special election pits three-term state Rep. John Velis, D-Westfield, against John Cain, of Southwick, a political newcomer and Republican, who runs a family-owned business.”
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| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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– “Major nursing home chain violated federal standards meant to stop spread of disease even after start of covid-19, records show,” by Debbie Cenziper, Sidnee King, Shawn Mulcahy and Joel Jacobs, The Washington Post: “At the Life Care Center of Nashoba Valley, set amid the apple orchards of Littleton, Mass., former marketing director Lina Le said nurses and aides for months were working short, a term the caregivers used to describe low staffing levels.”
EXCERPT [SEE VIDEO] :
"I look around and I see people without masks on. These people are not taking this seriously by congregating so close," said Mary DeChillo. "They're not keeping a social distance and they put everybody at risk."
– “With pandemic, Mitchell staring down biggest challenge of his mayorship,” by Kiernan Dunlop, SouthCoast Today: “This isn’t the first time Mayor Jon Mitchell’s family has been directly involved in the response to a pandemic in New Bedford. Mitchell’s great-grandfather, John Kinney, was a police officer in the city during the Spanish flu pandemic in 1918 and, among other things, was assigned to help pull flu victims’ bodies out of houses, according to Mitchell. ”
– “Malden City Council president apologizes for parking lot birthday bash,” by Arianna MacNeill, Boston.com: “The Malden City Council president has apologized after she reportedly organized a 21st birthday party for her daughter in a city parking lot Wednesday night that was broken up by police. Jadeane Sica-Bernbaum took ownership of the party, held in the Mixx 360 parking lot off Broadway and lasting about a half hour, in a post made to the Malden (MA) Politics Facebook page. It included a parade and a DJ, she said.”
– “Central Mass. businesses hope Gov. Baker will provide clarity Monday on way forward,” by Brad Petrishen, Telegram & Gazette: “Before COVID-19 hit, Gary Riello had just been approved for a Small Business Administration loan that allowed him to pay off the debt it took him to buy the Anytime Fitness he’s owned on Shrewsbury Street for four years. The 41-year-old Pittsfield native worked many other places before landing his own gym - restaurants, prisons, a cancer research firm - but had always been into fitness, and loved owning his own facility.”
HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to POLITICO’s Bryan Bender, Erik Smith, Judy Boullet, Robert Colt, Patrick Long, and Josh Troop.
NEW EPISODE: H-O-R-S-E – On this week’s Horse Race podcast, hosts Steve Koczela, Jennifer Smith, Maeve Duggan and Stephanie Murray discuss the state’s plans to reopen, and a recent poll of Massachusetts nurses. Special guest Enes Kanter of the Boston Celtics talks about the future of the NBA. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud , or watch on Facebook.
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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