| | |  | BY STEPHANIE MURRAY | GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. PROGRAMMING NOTE: Massachusetts Playbook will not publish on Monday, Oct. 12. I'll be back in your inbox on Tuesday, Oct. 13. In the meantime, send tips, scoops and birthdays to smurray@politico.com. WHITE HOUSE EVENT HAS FAR REACH — The impact of a White House gathering where dozens of officials contracted Covid-19 has made its way to Massachusetts. REPUBLICANS WITH NO FACE MASKS! Legislative candidate Steven Xiarhos is quarantining after attending a ceremony for Gold Star families at the White House, the Cape Cod Times reported earlier this week. Xiarhos spoke at the Sept. 27 event and came into contact with President Donald Trump and White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, who have both tested positive for the virus. Xiarhos, a Republican running to replace state Rep. Randy Hunt, has tested negative for Covid-19, his campaign says. And just over the border in New Hampshire, a Trump aide was spotted without a mask after being exposed to the virus. Corey Lewandowski, a Lowell native, was seen by a reader of his hometown paper at an outdoor youth sporting event in Pelham, N.H. A photo of Lewandowski sans mask was published by The Lowell Sun yesterday. Lewandowski spent time with the president on the day that officials gathered to celebrate Trump's nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, and announced plans to isolate. The Trump adviser has said that his coronavirus test came back negative, but those who have been exposed are still recommended to quarantine for two weeks. New Hampshire does not have a mask mandate. To be sure, there's no evidence that what happened at the White House has led to a rise in cases in Massachusetts. But the fact that Xiarhos and Lewandowski were likely exposed to the virus and have returned to New England shows just how far-reaching an event where Covid-19 spreads can be. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com. TODAY — Boston Mayor Marty Walsh joins WCVB on Facebook Live. Attorney General Maura Healey is a guest on GBH’s “Boston Public Radio.” Former Gov. Deval Patrick hosts a fundraiser with South Carolina congressional candidate Adair Ford Boroughs. The Kennedy Institute hosts a virtual talk with Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, moderated by MSNBC’s Ari Melber. | |
| | NEW EPISODES: LISTEN TO POLITICO'S GLOBAL TRANSLATIONS PODCAST : The world has always been beset by big problems that defy political boundaries, but in 2020 many of those issues have exploded. Are world leaders and political actors up to the task of solving them? Is the private sector? Our Global Translations podcast 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 |
| – “Massachusetts reports 509 new COVID cases, 19 deaths on Wednesday as hospitalizations continue to climb,” by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: “Massachusetts health officials confirmed another 509 coronavirus cases on Wednesday, bringing the statewide total to at least 133,868. Officials also announced another 19 COVID-related deaths, for a total now of 9,342 since the start of the pandemic, according to the Department of Public Health.” | | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
| – “Massachusetts could face a $5 billion budget hole; Baker administration takes tax hikes off the table for now,” by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: “With the prospects for a federal stimulus package in flux, Massachusetts’ financial picture is likely to crumble in the months ahead, state officials and outside economists warned Wednesday, projecting that tax revenues this year could dive anywhere from nearly $3 billion to $5 billion below expectations amid the pandemic.” – “Lobbying begins on what to do next on budget,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “As Beacon Hill on Wednesday began trying to find consensus on the budget challenges facing the state, key interest groups began jockeying on how best to respond. The Fund Our Future campaign, which successfully pressured Beacon Hill to boost funding for public schools prior to the pandemic, called for raising revenues to plug the billions of dollars in holes emerging in the state budget.” – “Number of COVID-19 high-risk communities jumps,” by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: “The number of communities at high risk for COVID-19 nearly doubled in the past week, as infection rates in some communities north of Boston soared higher amid expanded testing. The Department of Public Health reported 40 communities are coded ‘red,’ meaning they had an average of more than eight daily coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents over the last 14 days, once numbers are adjusted for population. That's up from 23 communities the previous week.” – “Gov. Charlie Baker announces COVID vaccine advisory group to prepare for mass distribution of potential coronavirus vaccine,” by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: “Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration announced on Wednesday the creation of a coronavirus vaccine advisory group to prepare for the safe mass distribution of a COVID vaccine once one becomes available — an effort that officials began planning for in August.” – “Massachusetts Department of Public Health urges residents to keep Halloween festivities outdoors,” by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: “Massachusetts health officials renewed their push Wednesday for people to keep Halloween celebrations outdoors and socially distanced to limit the spread of COVID-19. The Department of Public Health issued recommendations based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that condone trick-or-treating and other festivities as long as people follow safety precautions.” – “State approves $56 million settlement with Columbia Gas for Merrimack Valley gas explosions,” by Andrew Stanton, Boston Globe: “A settlement agreed upon in July that requires Columbia Gas of Massachusetts to pay $56 million for its role in the 2018 Merrimack Valley gas explosions was approved by the state Department of Public Utilities on Wednesday, officials said. The settlement also requires Columbia Gas to leave Massachusetts and transfer its assets to Eversource Energy, the department said in a statement.” – “State lawmakers hear testimony on higher ed budget woes,” by Lauryn Allen, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “Budget shortfalls due to the COVID-19 pandemic have forced Massachusetts colleges and universities to make difficult choices such as laying off employees and cutting certain programs, but faculty in the state said these measures have been extreme and unnecessary .” | | THE RACE FOR CITY HALL |
| – “Progressives seeking city council seats,” by Morgan C. Mullings, Bay State Banner: “Though local elections are a year away, progressive candidates for city council are gearing up for 2021. Alex Gray, who served as an aide to former Gov. Deval Patrick, is planning to run for an at-large council seat. Another ex-Patrick staffer, David Halbert, is considering a second run for an at-large seat.” | | FROM THE HUB |
| – “Higher COVID Rates Delay Planned School Opening, Walsh Says,” by Isaiah Thompson, GBH News: “Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and public health chief Marty Martinez said Wednesday morning that the citywide positive test rate for COVID-19 has risen to 4.1 percent, just above the 4 percent threshold set for halting the schedule for a phased reopening of Boston Public Schools for in-classroom learning. That threshold was set by an agreement between the BPS and Boston Teachers Union.” – “ICE Confirms Immigration Officials Stopped Black Man Jogging In West Roxbury,” by Shannon Dooling, WBUR: “An official with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Boston confirmed Wednesday afternoon that the men who stopped a jogger the day before in West Roxbury were indeed ICE officers looking for another man. The official initially declined to provide further details about the nature of the stop or whether the ICE officers identified themselves as law enforcement, though the agency released a fuller statement Wednesday evening alleging they did.” – “As Mass. Schools Reopen, Teachers Are On The Move Again. Some See A Public-Health Risk,” by Max Larkin, WBUR: “As the fall semester progresses, teachers and administrators are working hard to keep students, desks and classrooms separate to limit the risk that coronavirus will spread. But that project of distancing breaks down before and after each in-person school day, with thousands of teachers commuting many miles on their way to and from work.” – “Advocates Demand Universal Testing, Decreased Populations In Massachusetts Prisons,” by Jenifer B. McKim, GBH News: “Concerned about recent coronavirus outbreaks among prisoners in Massachusetts, the state’s public defenders’ office on Wednesday urged state officials to test all inmates and work to reduce prison populations. Anthony Benedetti, chief counsel of the state’s Committee for Public Counsel Services, demanded prisoners be tested regularly amidst concerns of a second wave of the virus in the state’s prisons and jails .” – “More than two dozen Boston landlords pledge not to evict tenants during coronavirus pandemic through 2020,” by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: “With the state’s moratorium on evictions set to expire in 10 days, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh is asking landlords to sign a pledge stating they will uphold a federal moratorium through the end of the year as tenants navigate financial hardship during the coronavirus pandemic.” | | YOU'VE GOT MAIL |
| – “Mail-in voting error causes confusion,” by Mike LaBella, Eagle-Tribune: “Some residents who were sent mail-in ballots for the Nov. 3 presidential election also received a letter erroneously listing Sept. 1 as the deadline for returning the ballots. Fearing those residents may be confused by the error and therefore not fill out their ballots, the city clerk's office said it wants to alert the public to the problem. The clerk's office said the ballots can be received by election officials as late as Nov. 6 to be counted, as long as they are postmarked by Nov. 3.” | | DAY IN COURT |
| – “Appeals judges improperly threw out Tsarnaev’s death sentence, prosecutors tell Supreme Court,” by Travis Andersen, Boston Globe: “The appeals court ruling that tossed out Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s death sentence was an improper intervention into ‘one of the most important terrorism prosecutions in our Nation’s history,’ federal prosecutors said this week in a strongly worded legal filing that asks the Supreme Court to review the case.” – “SJC expands insanity defense to include chronic alcohol or substance abuse,” by John R. Ellement, Boston Globe: “The state’s high court Wednesday expanded what is commonly known as the insanity defense to include people suffering from the psychological impacts of chronic abuse of alcohol or drugs. The 5-0 ruling by the Supreme Judicial Court overturned the first-degree murder conviction of Aldo W. Dolphe who beat a fellow patient to death in the UMass Memorial Medical Center psychiatric ward in Worcester in 2013.” – “Higher immigration fees put on hold,” by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: “For thousands of Massachusetts immigrants worried about paying higher fees for immigration and citizenship applications, the significant increases have been held at bay —at least temporarily. A federal judge in California last week granted a nationwide preliminary injunction against the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, barring the agency from hiking fees on October 2 for applications for naturalization, international student work authorizations, and others. | | WARREN REPORT |
| – “Elizabeth Warren on Supporting Friend Kamala Harris for the Vice Presidency: ‘Woo-hoo!’” by Sarah Cristobal, InStyle Magazine: “Elizabeth Warren is not only famed for ‘persisting’ but for having a plan. Many of them. A schoolteacher-turned-Harvard Law professor-turned-politician, Warren established the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau following the housing crisis of 2008. Since taking office in 2013, she has been a populist crusader for women's rights, climate change, health care, taxes, and the economy.” | | KENNEDY COMPOUND |
| – “Congressman Joe Kennedy III speaks about MA primary, presidential election,” by Alejandra Carrillo, The Tufts Daily: “U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III spoke to the Tufts community in a webinar on Tuesday, Oct. 6, as part of the Tisch College Distinguished Speaker Series. The event was moderated by Alan Solomont, dean of the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life. Solomont opened the discussion by asking Kennedy about his recent loss to incumbent Sen. Ed Markey in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts last month.” | | TRUMPACHUSETTS |
| – “‘I fell for what Trump was saying’: Workers sound off on virus, uncertainty about economic aid,” by Katie Johnston and Anissa Gardizy, Boston Globe: “With President Trump calling for a new economic stimulus package to be put off until after the election, millions of unemployed Americans and hard-hit businesses may have to wait until after Election Day, or possibly next year, to find out if their rapidly dwindling benefits will be extended.” – “Massachusetts Voters Split On Trump's Handling Of Coronavirus,” by Tovia Smith, GBH News: “Voters are both denouncing and defending President Trump for how he's handling his COVID-19 diagnosis, reflecting the deep political divide over how he has managed the pandemic as a whole. Even in blue Massachusetts, the president is getting both criticism and kudos .” | | ABOVE THE FOLD |
| — Herald: “PENCE POUNCES,” — Globe: “Boston slows down return to schools," "With spotlight hotter than usual, VP candidates take their shots.” | | FROM THE 413 |
| – “In Great Barrington, scientists declare policy for living with COVID: Shield only the most vulnerable for herd immunity,” by Heather Bellow The Berkshire Eagle: “Three top scientists say there’s another public health crisis underway, and it is the poor and working class who suffer the most from a COVID-19 policy that also is slowing development of herd immunity. They say the rise in mental health and substance abuse problems, as well as excess deaths and other medical problems from lack of care, are the result of seven months of lockdowns meant to stop the virus.” | | THE LOCAL ANGLE |
| – “Once a Ku Klux Klan stronghold, Groton fights its reputation as a ‘sundown town,’” by Deanna Pan, Boston Globe: “Like many cities and towns jolted by the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other Black Americans, Groton — a bucolic suburb of some 11,300 people — is trying to reconcile an ugly past with its present image.” – “Sharon School Committee Accused Of Racism After Ouster Of First Black Superintendent,” by Cristela Guerra, WBUR: “On her first day as superintendent of Sharon Public Schools in fall of 2017, Victoria Greer remembers looking out at an auditorium of more than 600 district-wide employees. She was one of three Black staff members in the room, she recalled, the first Black superintendent in a town that prides itself on the quality of its schools and has a population that is steadily growing more diverse — but has few Black teachers. – “Worcester won’t release internal police investigation in Beer Garden case,” by Brad Petrishen, Telegram & Gazette: “The city is refusing to release internal affairs records of Officer Shawn Tivnan, the former K-9 handler whose report regarding his dog biting a man in 2019 is contradicted by video evidence. The city denied a Telegram & Gazette request for the records Oct. 2, saying the Police Department’s investigation into Tivnan should not be public because the man he arrested has filed a civil rights lawsuit.” HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to Samantha Riemer, finance director and senior adviser to Rep. Ayanna Pressley; Ryan Markham and Don Seiffert, managing editor of the Boston Business Journal. DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS – The attorney selected to review the Massachusetts Democratic Party’s handling of allegations against Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse was chosen by a three members of the Democratic State Committee, not the chair of the party. 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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