| | |  | BY STEPHANIE MURRAY | GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. TGIF. THE #MAPOLI MOMENTS IN LAST NIGHT'S DEBATE — Boston got a brief moment in the spotlight during last night's presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden. The Thursday night showdown marked the final time Trump and Biden would go head-to-head before the Nov. 3 election. Voting is already well underway — 47 million Americans have already cast ballots, and at least a million of those early votes are from Massachusetts. At the same time, the country is facing an uptick in coronavirus cases. Massachusetts reported 986 new Covid-19 cases yesterday, a five-month high. Boston opted to move all public school students online this week, which caught the eye of the debate moderator. "Just yesterday Boston became the latest city to move its public school system entirely online after a coronavirus spike. What is your message to parents who worry that sending their children to school will endanger not only their kids but also their teachers and families?" debate moderator Kristen Welker asked the candidates. Trump pushed for reopening schools, while Biden emphasized that students and teachers need resources to do it safety. Neither candidate commented on what's happening in Boston specifically, but the broader point is that the city, hit hard by the pandemic in the spring, is facing a coronavirus situation significant enough to get a mention on the national stage. The second Boston mention came toward the end of the debate, when Trump and Biden sparred over environmental issues. "His environmental plan, you know who developed it? AOC plus three. They know nothing about the climate," Trump said, referencing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who drafted the the Green New Deal, which Biden does not support. "They're all hopping through hoops for AOC plus three." The "plus three" Trump was referencing were Reps Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, the first-term members of congress who quickly became national figures in the party after the 2018 midterm election. "Living in his head rent free is something," Pressley said in a tweet. Pressley is one of Biden's most active Massachusetts surrogates. She'll speak at a "Progressives for Biden" virtual unity event today. Also on the guest list are Sen. Bernie Sanders, Reps Pramila Jayapal, Mark Pocan and Chuy García. EXCLUSIVE: POLS CALL ON FAA TO ADDRESS LOUD PLANES — If you live near Logan Airport and find planes flying overhead to be particularly loud, it's not just you. A group of Bay State lawmakers are calling on the Federal Aviation Administration to reconsider more than half a dozen plans to reduce noise from planes flying to and from Logan Airport. Rep. Katherine Clark sent a letter to the FAA's New England Regional Administrator this week, along with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Ed Markey, Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Rep. Stephen Lynch. Back in 2016, the FAA signed a memorandum of understanding with Massport and their congressional offices to identify ways to reduce flight noise. Communities impacted by the noise drafted eight plans to reduce the noise with Massport and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The FAA decided not to move forward with any of the plans, a decision the letter calls "deeply disappointing." Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com. TODAY — Rep. Ayanna Pressley speaks at a “Progressives for Biden” event. Pressley, Sen. Ed Markey and former Kentucky candidate for Senate Charles Booker speak at a virtual rally hosted by the Massachusetts Democratic Party. ELECTIONLAND: POLITICO is partnering with Electionland, a ProPublica project that works with newsrooms to track voting issues around the country. The Electionland project covers problems that prevent eligible voters from casting their ballots during the 2020 elections. We’re part of a coalition of newsrooms around the country that are investigating issues related to voter registration, pandemic-related changes to voting, the shift to vote-by-mail, cybersecurity, voter education, misinformation, and more. Tell us here if you’re having trouble voting. | |
| | THIS WEEK - NEW EPISODES OF POLITICO'S GLOBAL TRANSLATIONS PODCAST : The world has long been beset by big problems that defy political boundaries, but many of those issues exploded over the past year. Are world leaders and political actors up to the task of solving them? Is the private sector? Our Global Translations podcast, presented by Citi, unpacks the roadblocks to smart policy decisions and examines the long-term costs of the short-term thinking that drives many political and business decisions. Subscribe now for Season Two, launching Oct. 21. | | | | | |  | THE LATEST NUMBERS |
| – Mass. coronavirus case numbers jump to 986 with 30 deaths; 77 communities now designated high risk,” by Martin Finucane, Boston Globe: “The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Massachusetts jumped to 986 Thursday, while the death toll rose by 30, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported. The daily case number, which was the highest since May 24, brought the total to 143,927. The additional confirmed coronavirus deaths brought the state’s total to 9,589.” – “129 student, 73 staff cases of COVID reported in Massachusetts schools in last week,” by Melissa Hanson, MassLive.com: “State education officials on Thursday said that a total of 202 coronavirus cases have been identified in Massachusetts schools from Oct. 15 to Oct. 21. Those cases include 129 students and 73 staff members, spread out between districts, approved special education schools and education collaboratives, according to data released Thursday by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.” | | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
| – “‘I’m not going to Monday-morning quarterback this stuff,’ Baker says of Boston’s remote-only school plans,” by Felicia Gans, Boston Globe: “Governor Charlie Baker would not explicitly say Thursday that he disagreed with Boston school officials' decision to return to all-remote learning, but he emphasized that districts across the state are not seeing coronavirus spread within school buildings. ‘One of the things we’ve tried to do over the course of this pandemic is to learn from the real-life experience and the research of others, and the real-life experience and the research with respect to schools is overwhelming at this point that schools are not spreaders, that kids in schools are not spreaders of COVID,’ Baker said.” – “With federal relief up in the air, Massachusetts is launching its own economic recovery plan,” by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: “Gov. Charlie Baker says downtowns and small businesses in Massachusetts have ‘lost a lot’ due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And with the prospect of additional federal relief plagued by uncertainty, the state is taking its own action. Baker’s administration announced a $774 million plan Thursday that aims to support the state’s economic recovery through a mix of grants for small businesses, funding for workforce training partnerships, and millions more in assistance to businesses, cultural sites, and municipalities.” – “AG Healey Plans To Fight $8 Billion Purdue Pharma Settlement: 'Our Department Of Justice Failed Us,'” by Tori Bedford, GBH News: “Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey says she plans to fight an $8 billion settlement reached Wednesday between OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and the federal government, after the company pleaded guilty in a criminal investigation to its role in the opioid epidemic.” – “Senate passes ‘Laura’s law,’ named after woman who died after she couldn’t get into ER,” by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: “Four years after Laura Levis died after suffering a severe asthma attack, unable to find a Cambridge Health Alliance emergency room, the Massachusetts Senate passed a law that would require well-lit signage, panic buttons and other tools to make sure ER entrances are easy to access 24 hours a day. In what may be the first major, non-budgetary bill passed since the Legislature extended its session past July, senators approved the bill known as ‘Laura’s law’ during an informal session Thursday.” – “Legislative candidates favor ending exemption to public records law,” The Scope: “Massachusetts is one of just four states whose legislatures are exempt from public records laws, according to the investigative website MuckRock. In an effort to learn whether that might change, Northeastern journalism students this fall contacted all 257 legislative candidates who will be on the ballot Nov. 3, a number that comprises 209 House hopefuls and 48 who are running for Senate seats.” | | FROM THE HUB |
| – “School Committee Chairman resigns after mocking names on ‘hot-mic,’” by Katie Trojano, Dorchester Reporter: “Boston School Committee Chairman Michael Loconto resigned today after he mockingly recited the names of people who participated in Wednesday night’s long virtual meeting that ended in a unanimous vote to suspend the BPS placement exam. Loconto was apparently unaware that his microphone was not muted when he repeated the names in a mocking fashion.” – “Boston Children’s Hospital will no longer perform two types of intersex surgery on children,” by Shefali Luthra, The 19th: “A top pediatric hospital has agreed to stop performing certain types of genital surgeries on intersex children if they are too young to meaningfully consent— a decision that activists say could be a watershed moment for intersex rights .” – “COVID-19 Hit Mass. Nursing Homes Hard — Especially Those Serving People Of Color,” by Amelia Mason and Miriam Wasser, WBUR: “In Massachusetts, nursing homes were hit hard and early by the coronavirus. Thousands of residents in these facilities have died from COVID-19, and the death rate from the virus in nursing homes is 90 times that of the statewide death rate. But nursing homes across the state did not bear this burden equally.” – “Masks, Gloves And Other Protective Equipment In Demand As Mass. Readies For Possible Surge,” by Craig LeMoult, GBH News: “When COVID-19 was surging in Massachusetts last spring, masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) were in short supply — health care workers, first responders and others were scrambling to find enough to stay safe. Eight months into the pandemic, as infection rates are on the rise and the state faces the possibility of another surge, PPE can still be hard to come by.” – “Recessions Are Usually Good For Community Colleges. Not This Time,” by Kirk Carapezza, GBH News: “Historically, community colleges have gained enrollment during recessions, as unemployed people often go back to school to upgrade their skills with the hope of getting a better job when the economy improves. But this year, enrollment has gone down — by about 12% at community colleges in Massachusetts. That’s compared to a 7% decline at the state’s public four-year universities.” | | NOVEMBER IS COMING |
| – “Getting out the prisoner vote,” by Sarah Betnacourt, CommonWealth Magazine: “Even though they’re locked up during a pandemic, it’s starting to look like the roughly 6,800 prisoners across the state who are eligible to vote will have a better chance to do so as Election Day approaches. A statewide coalition of organizations — including Common Cause Massachusetts, League of Women Voters of Massachusetts, Prisoners Legal Services, and the ACLU of Massachusetts — are putting volunteers into the effort and pressuring state officials to do their part.” – “Nearly 50,000 more Massachusetts residents apply to vote by mail or cast ballots early Thursday,” by Michelle Williams, MassLive.com: “The number of Massachusetts residents casting their ballots before Election Day continues to rise. An additional 47,758 Massachusetts residents applied to vote by mail or cast their ballots in person reaching 2,073,743 now, the Secretary of State’s office reported Thursday.” – “Black Activists Gather At Roxbury Drive-In To Boost Biden During Debate,” by Phillip Martin, GBH News: “Local Black activists organized a debate watching party Thursday night at the The Nubian Summer Drive-In in Roxbury, gathering in support of former Vice President Joe Biden from the safety of their cars during the second and final debate between Biden and President Donald Trump.” | | ON THE STUMP |
| – FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: “KENNEDY ENDORSES ADAM SCANLON FOR STATE REP,” from Kennedy’s campaign: “Congressman Joe Kennedy III today endorsed Adam Scanlon for State Representative for the 14th Bristol District, covering North Attleboro, as well as parts of Attleboro and Mansfield. The seat is currently held by outgoing State Representative Betty Poirier. ‘I'm proud to endorse Adam to represent the hard-working families of North Attleboro, Attleboro and Mansfield,’ said Kennedy.” | | DAY IN COURT |
| – “Massachusetts AG Maura Healey highlights more than 200 actions taken against President Donald Trump’s administration over environmental protections,” by Melissa Hanson, MassLive.com: “Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey on Wednesday has released a report that details more than 200 actions her office has taken against the administration of President Donald Trump in response to rollbacks of critical environmental protections. Some actions have led to victories, Healey’s office said in a statement.” | | THE SENATE SHOWDOWN |
| – “Markey, O’Connor vie for US Senate,” by Brian Lee, Telegram & Gazette: “U.S. Sen. Edward J. Markey, a perennial Capitol Hill legislator who won what was described as the country’s highest-profile Democratic primary, faces a challenge from political newcomer Kevin O’Connor, R-Dover, on Nov. 3. Markey, 74, of Malden, defeated U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III of Newton in September’s well-followed primary. O’Connor, a 58-year-old lawyer, defeated Shiva Ayyadurai of Belmont in the Republican primary.” | | FROM THE DELEGATION |
| – “There’s hope for a second stimulus package; US Rep. Richard Neal says the first one ‘saved the economy,’” by Ron Chimelis, Springfield Republican: “In a wide-ranging analysis of current American politics and society, U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal expressed hope for a second stimulus package, but also described the unsettling trifecta that 2020 represents. ‘The word ‘unprecedented’ has been tossed around so much in the last several months that it seems to have lost meaning, but these times really are unprecedented. This is 1918, 1968 and 2008, all rolled into one as we look for a path forward,’ Neal said, referring to an influenza pandemic, civil rights protests and a wobbling economy.” | | TRUMPACHUSETTS |
| – “State GOP call for 'watchdogs' draws criticism,” by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: “The state Republican Party is seeking to enlist ‘watchdogs’ to check for fraud at the polls, which Democrats say signals plans to intimidate voters. … Lyons’ call follows a similar one from President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly suggested that his supporters, as well as law enforcement, should monitor the voting process. Trump’s campaign argues that a Republican victory in November could be imperiled by voter fraud.” – “Trump supporters plan rally in Norton this weekend; Wheaton students plan counter-protest,” by Tom Reilly, Sun Chronicle: “Another face-off is shaping up on the town common between supporters and opponents of President Donald Trump. Elizabeth Browning, a Wheaton College junior, says students will be on hand this Saturday morning to counter an anticipated Trump re-election rally on the common, across from campus.” | | ALL'S WELD THAT ENDS WELD |
| – “Bill Weld says he voted for Joe Biden,” by Lisa Kashinsky, Boston Herald: “While some current and former Massachusetts GOP governors are playing coy about who they’re casting ballots for in the presidential election, Bill Weld is not. The former Bay State governor, who waged a primary bid against President Trump, said to little surprise Thursday that he voted early for Democratic nominee Joe Biden.” | | ABOVE THE FOLD |
| — Herald: “CAN'T MUTE THIS,” — Globe: “Another ominous virus sign – Mass. cases at 5-month high," "Official quits after mocking names at meeting," "Face to face for the final time, Trump and Biden do battle.” | | MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS |
| – “Massachusetts' largest cannabis companies adjust, plan for rebound,” by Sean McFadden, Boston Business Journal: “If there’s any doubt the cannabis industry has firmly taken root in Massachusetts, consider this: In 2019, $445 million in recreational marijuana was sold statewide. In light of that burgeoning part of the state's cannabis industry, we've separated our list of the state's largest marijuana dispensaries into two parts — one covering medical-use providers, the other recreational-use providers.” | | FROM THE 413 |
| – “A trust of tracers: Making contact is just the first step for these public health workers,” by Greta Jochem, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “At the end of Amelia Windorski’s senior year at Smith College last spring, they were in their dorm room training for a job that, the year before, they never could have imagined would exist. Windorski is a COVID-19 contact tracer for Partners in Health, a nonprofit that is running the state’s Community Tracing Collaborative (CTC). Many cities and towns have hired contract tracers already, and for those that haven’t or need more assistance, the CTC picks up those cases.” – “Racist Zoom meeting intruder rattles Great Barrington Du Bois event,” by Heather Bellow, The Berkshire Eagle: “A virtual event to honor civil rights pioneer and native son W.E.B. Du Bois on Sunday evening was ‘Zoom-bombed’ by someone uttering racist slurs. Great Barrington Police are investigating and the Berkshire County District Attorney’s Office was notified, according to Gwendolyn VanSant, vice chair of the town’s W.E.B. Du Bois Legacy Committee, which held the event. The intruder arrived just as the committee began its online version of the annual celebration to commemorate the dedication of the Du Bois Boyhood Homesite as a National Historic Landmark 51 years ago.” | | THE LOCAL ANGLE |
| – “Rep. Thomas Golden hosting Halloween food drives,” by Jon Winkler, Nashoba Valley Voice: “Halloween is often associated with giving out treats to people, so it makes sense to follow that spirit by having a food drive for residents in need. State Rep. Tom Golden is hosting a Halloween Food Drive Spooktacular — a contactless drive-thru food drive — benefiting The Merrimack Valley Food Bank in Lowell and The Chelmsford Community Exchange and Table of Plenty in Chelmsford.” – “Newton’s public school enrollment declines amid pandemic,” by Isabela Rocha, Boston Globe: “Enrollment at Newton Public Schools is the lowest it’s been in about a decade, according to a review of school records, and officials say much of the decline likely is due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ruth Goldman, chair of the Newton School Committee, said it is hard to know if these numbers are temporary or part of a trend.” TRANSITIONS – James W. Hunt Jr. is retiring from his role as chief executive of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers. He’ll be succeeded by Michael Curry, who most recently served as deputy CEO and general counsel. Link. – David Hardy joins Ørsted as chief executive officer for Ørsted Offshore North America. HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to Molly Drennan, Annika Lichtenbaum and Arielle Tait. HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND – to Saturday birthday-ers Rep. Seth Moulton, who is 42; Ernie Corrigan of Corrigan Communications; Leigh Appleby and Michael Antonellis. And to former state Rep. Jim Cantwell, who serves as state director to Sen. Ed Markey and celebrates Sunday. NEW EPISODE: ELECTION DAZE – On this week’s Horse Race podcast, hosts Jennifer Smith, Steve Koczela and Stephanie Murray discuss the expiration of the state’s eviction moratorium, and break down early voting data with MassINC’s Rich Parr. And just in time for Halloween, we ask you: Is candy corn good or gross? Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud. 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. | |
| | GLOBAL PULSE, GLOBAL PURPOSE: At a high-stakes moment when global health has become a household concern, it is pivotal to keep up with the politics and policy driving change. Global Pulse connects leaders, policymakers and advocates to the people and politics driving global health. Join the conversation and subscribe today for this new weekly newsletter. | | | | | | |
|
| | Follow us on Twitter | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters | FOLLOW US
|
| |
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.