| | |  | BY STEPHANIE MURRAY | Presented by the American Heart Association | GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. TGIF! COMMISSIONER RETIRES TODAY — When Boston Police Commissioner William Gross announced his abrupt retirement on Thursday, speculation immediately swung to the mayoral race. Gross had been open about considering a run, and the race is quickly taking a new shape now that Mayor Marty Walsh is bound for Washington. But almost as quickly, Gross signaled he would not run for mayor. The commissioner’s 37-year career with the Boston Police Department ends today, just a day after his announcement. Gross was appointed as Boston's first Black police commissioner in 2018. The news had left some scratching their heads at the fast departure, and rumors flew about whether he may be taking a new job elsewhere. Gross did not return a request for comment about his future plans. The outgoing commissioner did shine some light on his decision to retire during an interview on WBZ's "Nightside with Dan Rea" on Thursday evening. "I made a promise to my family. We planned out retirement. And when Mayor Walsh — whenever he left, I was going to go, too. So I kept my word to my family, which is important," Gross said. The result: Appointing the city’s next police commissioner, Dennis White, will be one of Walsh's final acts as mayor before he leaves for the U.S. Department of Labor and the new acting mayor takes over. As a well-known figure in the city, Gross's decision not to run will have an impact on the still-developing field of candidates vying for mayor of Boston. The feeling that Gross would not run had been growing among some City Hall sources over the past week. City Councilor Annissa Essaibi George became the latest candidate to enter the fray on Thursday morning. And others, including state Rep. Jon Santiago, are likely to join the field. Gross gave some thanks to his political supporters who hoped he would run for mayor. An 8,000-member Facebook group with the title "Boston Supports William Gross for Mayor" changed its name to "Friends of William Gross" last night. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com. TODAY — New England Law School Dean Scott Brown, the former ambassador and senator, is a guest on the “Bloomberg Baystate Business” radio show. Rep. Richard Neal visits Harrington Hospital in Southbridge and Old Sturbridge Village. The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Women’s Network honors Senate President Karen Spilka at its 2021 Pinnacle Awards.
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A message from the American Heart Association: The facts on sugary drinks are simple. They pose a real health risk. Kids especially are drinking too many of them. All those sweet drinks contribute to major health problems, like diabetes and heart disease. And with Massachusetts already spending nearly $2 billion per year treating obesity-related diseases, we need to address the problem. Massachusetts should take a page from a growing number of places across the country and adopt a tax on sugary drinks. Learn more here. | | | | |
| | TRACK THE FIRST 100 DAYS OF THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION: A new president occupies the White House and he is already making changes. What are some of the key moments from Biden's first week in office? Find out in Transition Playbook, our scoop-filled newsletter tracking the appointments, people, and emerging power centers of the first 100 days of the new administration. Subscribe today. | | | | | |  | THE LATEST NUMBERS |
| – “Massachusetts reports 4,222 new COVID cases, 43 new deaths on Thursday as active cases drop below 80K,” by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: “State health officials confirmed another 4,222 COVID-19 cases on Thursday, bringing the number of active statewide cases to 78,171. Officials also announced another 43 COVID-related fatalities, bringing the death toll from coronavirus to 14,056.” – “192 Massachusetts cities and towns now at ‘high risk’ for COVID spread, down from 222 last week,” by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: “Massachusetts saw a number of communities downgraded from ‘high risk’ for COVID spread, bringing the number of cities and towns most vulnerable to 192, according to the Department of Public Health. The latest changes to the state’s COVID community risk assessments were released on Thursday.” | | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
| – “Massachusetts House to review its internal rules, citing concerns over rise of ‘opaque’ advocacy groups,” by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: “House Speaker Ronald Mariano told colleagues this week that the Legislature will review its internal rules to deal with what he called a growing number of ‘unregistered, or vaguely-affiliated’ advocacy coalitions on Beacon Hill. Mariano’s plans, circulated to state representatives late Wednesday, could create a substantial shift in how the House interacts with organizers and advocates.” – “Let’s try this (climate change bill) again,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “With little fanfare and no drama, the House and Senate on Thursday enacted and sent to the governor the same climate change bill he vetoed on January 14. The Senate approved the bill on a series of voice votes and the House enacted it by a vote of 144-14, with 13 of the 31 Republicans voting no along with Rep. Colleen Garry, a Democrat from Dracut.” – “Sec. Bill Galvin To Mass. Investors After GameStop Stock Surge: 'Be Careful. Be Very Careful,'” by Meghan Smith, GBH News: “The video game retailer GameStop has sent shockwaves through the financial world after its stock price quadrupled in just under a week. The volatility is the result of a group of individual investors — who organized on the online platform Reddit — buying up stocks that had been shorted by Wall Street hedge funds.” – “Report: Future Of Education Lies In Community Collaboration,” by Carrie Jung, WBUR: “Among the many lessons during the historic year, this year’s annual Condition of Education report from the Rennie Center, a research and policy think tank, highlighted just how much communities rely on their education systems. In addition to basic learning, public schools fill a variety of needs for children like food security, technology access and mental health services.” | | VAX-ACHUSETTS |
| – “Baker urges frustrated residents to keep checking for coronavirus vaccination slots, says call center will open next week,” by Travis Andersen, Boston Globe: “Acknowledging that people have been frustrated with the initial rollout of coronavirus vaccines for people 75 and older, Governor Charlie Baker said Thursday that new appointment slots will soon be available at various sites around the state. He said people should keep checking for new slots opening up, and that the state plans to open a call center next week for booking appointments to accommodate people who are having trouble signing up online.” – “Massachusetts lawmakers call on Charlie Baker to create a centralized website and phone number for vaccine appointments,” by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: “Dozens of Massachusetts lawmakers are calling on Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration to create a more centralized system and phone number for COVID-19 vaccine appointments, after residents reported widespread problems with the state’s current online portal on the first day that anyone over the age of 75 was allowed to sign up.” – “Massachusetts’ hope of vaccinating almost everyone by the end of summer depends on a lot going right,” by Robert Weisman and Jonathan Saltzman, Boston Globe: “Massachusetts’ hope of vaccinating almost everyone by the end of the summer — a national target set by President Biden this week — depends on a lot going right. Not only will the federal government have to find a way to crank up supply, but the Baker administration will have to dramatically step up its game in getting shots into arms.” – “Lawmaker 'stunned' by state’s silence on funeral director vaccinations,” by Brad Petrishen, Telegram & Gazette: “More than 100 lawmakers who asked Gov. Charlie Baker two weeks ago to join 33 other states in prioritizing funeral workers for COVID-19 vaccinations have, yet, to receive a reply, prompting puzzlement from a lawmaker who led the effort and offending those in the business.” | | FROM THE HUB |
| – “Boston’s next police commissioner says top priority is continuing reforms,” by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: “Boston’s next top cop is another longtime city police officer who says his goal is to continue the police reforms that began under his predecessor. Superintendent Dennis White, who will become the Boston Police Department’s acting commissioner when Commissioner William Gross retires Friday, will be sworn into the position in a permanent capacity in the coming days.” – “Does The Former Bpd Commissioner Even Live In Boston?” by Zack Huffman, DigBoston: “Outgoing Boston Police Commissioner William Gross, who personally only spent about half of his tenure in compliance with the city’s residency requirement, appears to have set an example for a department that has frequently struggled to remain compliant.” – “With Latinos Dying At Higher Rates From COVID, Brigham And Women’s Hospital Intervenes,” by Martha Bebinger, WBUR: “In March, just weeks into the COVID-19 pandemic, the incident command center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital was scrambling to understand this deadly new disease. It appeared to be killing more Black and brown patients than whites. For Latino patients, there was an additional warning sign.” – “Boston Properties CEO: Return to office will be balanced by new worker expectations,” by Catherine Carlock, Boston Business Journal: “As business leaders seek a return to the office for most of their workers in a post-pandemic world, they will face pressure to offer new flexibility in allowing remote work to continue, according to Owen Thomas, CEO of office landlord Boston Properties.” – “At Least for Now, Fenway Is the People’s Park,” by Spencer Buell, Boston Magazine: “Eligible Bostonians will once again be queueing up at Fenway as it morphs into one of the state’s mass vaccination sites. A soft-open starts Thursday, and the plan is to eventually give out as many as 5,000 shots a day this spring and possibly into the summer ( The Sox tell me the plan is to keep it running even after the baseball season gets underway).” | | THE RACE FOR CITY HALL |
| – “In Boston mayoral race, Essaibi-George says she’s in and Gross says he’s out,” by Danny McDonald and Andrea Estes, Boston Globe: “The Boston mayoral race took another turn on Thursday, with one city councilor, Annissa Essaibi-George, kicking off her campaign and another potential candidate, Boston Police Commissioner William G. Gross, ruling out a run.” | |
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| | | | | DAY IN COURT |
| – “COVID-19 scammer pleads guilty to shipping ‘virus shut out’ devices from Quincy duplex,” by Tonya Alanez, Boston Globe: “A Quincy man is facing federal charges for allegedly peddling ‘Virus Shut Out’ devices on eBay. The notched card, much like a security badge to be worn on a lanyard, came with a promise to sanitize, disinfect and ward off viruses, including the coronavirus.” – “Judge won’t block Mass. men’s extradition to Japan in case of former Nissan CEO’s escape,” by Jeremy C. Fox, Boston Globe: “A Massachusetts father and son accused of orchestrating the escape of Nissan’s former chief executive, Carlos Ghosn, from Japan have failed in their latest attempt to avoid facing criminal charges in that country.” | | WARREN REPORT |
| – “Elizabeth Warren’s campaign branding was influenced by Spider-Man, Nike, and Yoko Ono,” by Mark Wilson, Fast Company: “In case you missed it, Senator Elizabeth Warren is not our nation’s president. She didn’t even manage to secure the Democratic nomination. But there’s no questioning that her red, white, and green brand marked a new approach to presidential politics. And now that the 2020 race is sorted, as Democrats won the election, the team behind the Warren brand is sharing the methodology behind it for the first time.” | | FROM THE DELEGATION |
| – “Rep. Lori Trahan says she has tested positive for COVID-19,” The Associated Press: “U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan announced Thursday that she has tested positive for COVID-19. The Massachusetts Democrat said in a tweet that after repeatedly testing negative for the disease caused by the coronavirus, she learned Thursday evening that she had tested positive for the virus .” – “Stimulus check update: Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Jim McGovern join House progressives in pressing for recurring payments ‘to those who need it most,’” by Benjamin Kail, MassLive.com: “Members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation continue to press for recurring stimulus checks to millions of Americans strapped for cash during the COVID-19 pandemic.” – “Massachusetts needs to speed up pace of vaccine rollout, Congresswoman Katherine Clark says,” by Katie Lannan, State House News Service: “The state needs ‘to do more’ on COVID-19 vaccination efforts, Congresswoman Katherine Clark said, describing herself as ‘encouraged’ that Massachusetts is moving into the second phase of its distribution plan and increasing capacity by adding more vaccination sites.” – “Rep. Ayanna Pressley Pushes Gov. Baker To Ensure Vaccine Equity,” by Mark Herz, GBH News: “Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley is imploring Gov. Charlie Baker to urgently address disparities in vaccination rates affecting Black and brown communities, that she says are evident in recent data.” | | IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN |
| – “Jiminy Peak a model for renewable energy tax incentives, Rep. Neal says,” by Danny Jin, The Berkshire Eagle: “If Jiminy Peak offers any indication, 100-percent renewable is doable — at least on days that are sunny or windy. Jiminy’s almost decade-long renewable energy transition took plenty of effort and money, as well as help from state and federal tax credits for solar and wind energy, to get to this goal.” | | ABOVE THE FOLD |
| — Herald: “MAGICAL," "TOP COP OUT,” — Globe : “Gross abruptly retires as police commissioner," "State will offer more help in booking shots.” | | FROM THE 413 |
| – “‘This is how our system works’: Public defender Randy Gioia charges Springfield Mayor Sarno, Police Commissioner Clapprood with stoking fear,” by Patrick Johnson, Springfield Republican: “One of the state’s top public defenders is faulting Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno and Police Commissioner Cheryl C. Clapprood for using the ‘bully pulpit to stoke fear.’ Randy Gioia, deputy chief counsel for the Committee for Public Counsel Services, reacted to comments made Wednesday by Sarno and Clapprood criticizing a Springfield District Court judge’s decision to release a firearms suspect from custody on the condition that he wear a GPS monitoring device.” | | THE LOCAL ANGLE |
| – “Barnstable County expects delay in phase 2 vaccine rollout,” by Cynthia McCormick, Cape Cod Times: “On paper, Massachusetts residents age 75 and older are eligible to be immunized against COVID-19 starting Monday. But Barnstable County officials said limited supplies of COVID-19 vaccine and a backlog left over from phase one mean the majority of older residents prioritized in phase two likely will have to wait to book an appointment locally.” – “School Committee refuses to release records related to potential lawsuits associated with superintendent,” by Jo C. Goode, The Herald News: “The Fall River School Committee declined a request for public records regarding notices related to pending litigation that may be associated with allegations that Superintendent Matthew Malone harrassed members of the school department staff.” – “Restaurants struggling with capacity restrictions,” by Alana Melanson, The Lowell Sun: “For restaurants in particular, the state-imposed 25% capacity restriction can make it challenging to make ends meet for small businesses already financially hurt by the coronavirus pandemic.” HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to Rep. Jake Auchincloss, Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse, Dr. Natalia Linos, Mass. Playbook alum and CNN’s Lauren Dezenski and Rich Rubino. HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND – to Ed Murray, who celebrates Saturday, and to Sunday birthday-ers to Steven Boozang, Eli Nachmany, Bob Norris and Andrew Smith. 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. | |
A message from the American Heart Association: The facts on sugary drinks are simple. They pose a real health risk. Kids especially are drinking too many of them. All those sweet drinks contribute to major health problems, like diabetes and heart disease. And with Massachusetts already spending nearly $2 billion per year treating obesity-related diseases, we need to address the problem. Massachusetts should take a page from a growing number of places across the country and adopt a tax on sugary drinks. Learn more here. | | | | |
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