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This email may be cut off by your email provider. To see today's full MASSterList, click "View entire message" at the bottom, or view the online version here. By Jay Fitzgerald and Keith Regan 04/21/2021 Relief and celebration | They all knew | Fare Verifiers   Advertisement     Happening Today   Governor’s Council, post-pandemic resiliency, and more   -- Governor's Council interviews Hingham District Court Assistant Clerk Magistrate Paul Fullam, nominated by Gov. Baker for a promotion to Hingham clerk magistrate, 10 a.m. -- Department of Transportation Board of Directors Capital Programs Committee meets virtually to discuss grant programs, construction projects and the capital investment plan, 10:30 a.m. -- The Senate Committee on Reimagining Massachusetts Post-Pandemic Resiliency holds a public hearing on child care, K-12 education, higher education, and regional issues specific to the northeastern part of the state, 1 p.m. -- Mass Action Against Police Brutality holds a press conference to reflect upon the Derek Chauvin verdict, State House, 5 p.m. For the most comprehensive list of calendar items, check out State House News Service’s Daily Advances (pay wall – free trial subscriptions available), as well as MassterList’s Beacon Hill Town Square below.     Sponsored Mascon Medical is committed to solving the issues of Covid-19 PPE supplies and vaccine distribution in Massachusetts, especially in those communities most affected by the pandemic. This minority-owned family business based in Woburn stands ready to help your town get back to normal. For more information, call us at 781-938-5800.     Today's News   Reminder to readers: SHNS Coronavirus Tracker available for free   A reminder to our readers as the coronavirus crisis unfolds: The paywalled State House News Service, which produces MASSterList, is making its full Coronavirus Tracker available to the community for free on a daily basis each morning via ML. SHNS Coronavirus Tracker.     The coronavirus numbers: 3 new deaths, 17,138 total deaths, 968 new cases   CBS Boston has the latest coronavirus numbers for Massachusetts.     Relief and even celebration: Chauvin guilty verdicts defuse tensions across Massachusetts and nation   Massachusetts National Guard troops were put on alert (WBUR). Retailers were boarding up windows (Universal Hub). Boston police were poised for potential unrest (WCVB). All in anticipation of the Derek Chauvin verdicts and ... the former Minnesota cop yesterday was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd, whose death last year touched off widespread protests over police misconduct towards Black Americans (Washington Post). The reaction across the nation: Relief and even celebration, the Post reports separately. In Massachusetts, there was also relief and celebration, though mixed with sadness over Floyd's death. The Boston Globe and CBS Boston and GBH and MetroWest Daily News and the Berkshire Ealge have more on local reactions of pols, activists and others. From the Globe’s Renée Graham: “We knew Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd. But Black people never expect justice.” But the Globe’s Jeneé Osterheldt is not so sure justice was served.     Median home price in Greater Boston hits record of nearly $725,000   Housing crisis? What housing crisis? We figured readers might be interested in this piece by the Globe’s Tim Logan on how the region’s already ridiculous housing prices have gotten even more ridiculous. The housing shortage is partly the cause. But the demand for single-family homes in the ‘burbs has only increased since the onset of the pandemic, due to the now-verified exodus of residents from urban areas to non-urban areas, as the Globe’s Amanda Kaufman reports. Boston Globe     Advertisement     Education updates: MCAS graduation requirement waived, vocational admission changes OK’d   The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education was busy yesterday. SHNS’s Katie Lannan reports the board officially approved a proposal to waive the state’s MCAS graduation requirement for the high school class of 2022. The reason: the pandemic. Meanwhile, the Globe’s Naomi Martin reports that the board, under pressure, approved “preliminary changes to the admissions process at vocational high schools aimed at giving disadvantaged students a better chance of attending.”     The outdoor mask mandate: Pressure mounts to ditch it   For now, Gov. Charlie Baker is holding firm to his emergency order that everyone should wear protective masks – even outdoors. But WCVB and the Herald’s Rick Sobey and Erin Tiernan report on the growing calls to ditch the outdoor-mask mandate.     BPD documents: Police commissioner knew of Rose molestation charge while union demanded his reinstatement   Not that it matters at this point, but here’s a question: Did then Mayor Thomas Menino know too? It seems everyone else did. WBUR’s Ally Jarmanning and the Globe’s Andrew Ryan and Dugan Arnett report that newly released redacted documents from the BPD show that: A.) The Boston police union successfully pushed to reinstate Patrick Rose to a police post after he was accused of molesting a child in the 1990s and B.) Then Police Commissioner Paul F. Evans knew the charge against Rose was likely true.     Sponsored Massachusetts is on a path to a clean, vibrant, carbon-neutral future. The Next Generation Roadmap bill established a framework, but now we must execute on it to achieve our goals. With offshore wind, decarbonized buildings, electric vehicles, reduced waste, and environmental justice, we will make significant progress. Support these next steps on our road toward carbon neutrality.     Amid more than 1,100 budget amendments, this one clearly stands out: Voter ID requirement   MassLive’s Steph Solis reports that more than 1,100 amendments have been filed to the House’s $47.6 billion state budget proposal on Beacon Hill. And, separately, Solis reports that one of those amendments, proposed by state Rep. Nick Boldyga (REPUBLICAN), would require would-be voters to show an ID before receiving a ballot. Critics call it a classic voter-suppression move. In other legislative-funding news, from SHNS’s Katie Lannan: “Supporters Eye Early College Credit Expansion.”      The Few, the Proud, the Fare Verifiers   When the MBTA eventually switches to a new cashless fare system, the T will likely hire 80 to 120 people to verify that people did indeed pay to ride buses and subway cars, etc., according to GM Steve Poftak. After all, a semi-honor-system can be taken only so far. Bruce Mohl at CommonWealth has more. CommonWealth     Taking aim at Smith & Wesson: Activists call for ban on assault weapon manufacturing in Massachusetts   SHNS’s Chris Lisinski reports that lawmakers, activists and parents who lost children to mass shootings are banding together to push legislation that would ban the manufacturing of assault weapons for civilian use in Massachusetts – in addition to banning the possession of assault weapons in Massachusetts.  Needless to say, some aren’t happy about the proposal that would have a major impact on a certain Springfield-based company. SHNS (pay wall -- free trial subscription available)         Lawmakers: Childcare system needs more than just a little tender loving care   CommonWealth’s Shira Schoenberg reports on legislative calls to make changes to the state’s childcare system – a system they say was inadequate before the pandemic and more than inadequate during the pandemic. CommonWealth     Cambridge mayor on guaranteed-income initiative: Cash is the ‘most powerful way to do the most good’   She happens to be right. Study after study has proven that handing out simple cash does more good to help the poor than most other welfare programs combined. GBH’s Zoe Matthews has more on Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui’s thoughts on her city’s planned experiment with so-called ‘guaranteed income.’ GBH     Not-so-super: Henry apologizes for now imploded soccer league idea   Who would have thought European soccer could make such big news here? Anyway, Red Sox, Globe and Liverpool Football owner John Henry took to Twitter in the early hours this morning to issue an apology to fans of his Liverpool soccer club for Fenway Sports Group's role in the controversial – and now seemingly dead -- proposal to form a new European Super League, Chris Cotillo at MassLive reports. MassLive     Prefer to enjoy Keller at Large in print rather than audio? You can access Jon’s most recent columns here: 4/13/21 - Political Cliches That Need a Rewrite 4/6/21 - Can You Represent the Whole City? 3/29/21 - The Premature Obit For Baker's Vaccine Rollout     Up in vapor: Amherst health board plans smoking and vaping crackdown   No means no. The Amherst Board of Health is mulling some of the state’s toughest local restrictions on tobacco use, with plans to ban both smoking and vaping in hotels and inns and at Uber and Lyft waiting areas, Scott Merzbach at the Daily Hampshire Gazette reports. The rules would treat vaping the same as smoking, but one question has yet to be answered: Whether the updated regulations will address cannabis consumption. Daily Hampshire Gazette     An early preliminary election in Boston? It’s under consideration   We missed this one from the other day, i.e. a report by the Globe’s Danny McDonald about how some on the Boston City Council want to move the city’s preliminary election up a week to give officials more time to distribute vote-by-mail ballots.  In other mayoral election news, they held a candidates’ forum yesterday. Can you guess which mayoral candidate was too busy to virtually attend? Universal Hub’s Adam Gaffin has more. Boston Globe     Expensive parting: UMass Boston spent $10,000 to bid farewell to Walsh   Remember that 11-page ad supplement in the Globe last month in which various big corporations and institutions bid a fond farewell to now former Mayor Marty Walsh? It cost UMass-Boston $10,000 and the Boston Public Library $2,000, among others ponying up money for the rather unusual and expensive good-bye gesture. Colman Herman at CommonWealth has more.     Advertisement     One more time: Markey and AOC reintroduce Green New Deal bill   Why not? Progressives are largely on a roll in Washington these days, so U.S. Sen. Ed Markey and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are pressing President Biden to go even “bigger and bolder” by passing their Green New Deal legislation to combat climate change, reports the Herald’s Lisa Kashinsky. Boston Herald     Indirect hit? Report says millionaire’s tax would hurt small businesses   The proposal to amend the state’s Constitution to allow millionaires to be taxed at a higher rate would impact thousands of small businesses and hamper the state’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Pioneer Institute, the Herald’s Rick Sobey reports.  Boston Herald     Hard pass: Billionaire turns down Warren invitation to testify on taxes   Hedge fund billionaire Leon Cooperman has turned down U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s incredibly kind offer to visit her D.C. lion’s den, i.e. a Congressional subcommittee hearing next week on her Ultra Millionaire Tax Act, as Brian Schwartz of CNBC reports. Cooperman was one of the most outspoken critics of Warren’s wealth tax proposal during her presidential run -- and says he’s already made his feelings on the idea clear. CNBC     All hail the champs!   Gov. Charlie Baker and House Speaker Ronald Mariano were among those welcoming the state’s newest sports champs to the State House yesterday: The 2021 NCCA Division 1 men’s hockey champions from UMass. And the governor had high praise for the team, as CBS Boston reports. CBS Boston         Today's Headlines   Metro   Bostonians want to keep mask mandate in place for now - Boston Herald Health officials struggle to contain Boston HIV outbreak - Boston Globe   Massachusetts   Greater Lowell reps applaud EPA’s Merrimack River funding - Lowell Sun Bus driver shortage leaves Framingham families in transportation limbo - MetroWest Daily News Berkshire unemployment rate drops to 8 percent, lowest in a year - Berkshire Eagle   Nation   Senate Democrats split over legalizing weed - Politico Foxconn mostly abandons $10 billion Wisconsin project touted by Trump - Reuters       Jobs   Reach MASSterList's 22,000 Beacon Hill connected and policy-minded subscribers with your job postings. Have friends interested in one of these positions? Forward the newsletter to them! Contact David Art at dart@massterlist.com or call 860-576-1886 for more information.   Recent postings to the MASSterList Job Board:   Public Policy & Communications Associate, Providers' Council Community Assistance Program Assistant, Massachusetts Housing Partnership Marketing & Membership Coordinator, NAIOP Massachusetts Digital Communications Manager and Content Strategist, ACLU of Massachusetts Mid- and Senior-level PR Account Roles, The Castle Group Committee Coordinator, Instatrac, Inc. Policy/Intergovernmental Affairs Associate, City of Brockton Director of Development, MassBudget Assistant Deputy Chief Counsel, Department of Housing & Community Development EDI Training Coordinator, Department of Housing & Community Development Deputy Director of Communications, Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR) Vice President (Labor Communications), 617MediaGroup Membership and Operations Manager, Boston Municipal Research Bureau General Counsel, Massachusetts Organization of State Engineers and Scientists (MOSES) Associate Vice President, 90 West, LLC Co-Director for Public Policy and Government Relations, Massachusetts Association for Mental Health (MAMH) Reporter, Commonwealth Maintenance Tech, MA House of Representatives Principal Clerk, Collector’s Office, City of Everett Executive Secretary to the Mayor, City of Marlborough Public Affairs Principal, Kivvit   To view more events or post an event listing on Beacon Hill Town Square, please visit events.massterlist.com. Beacon Hill Town Square   Apr. 21, 4:30 p.m. Harvard Seminar in Environmental Economics and Policy: Kelsey Jack, University of California, Santa Barbara Hosted by: Harvard Kennedy School   Kelsey Jack, University of California, Santa Barbara, "Harvesting the Rain: The Adoption of Environmental Technologies in the Sahel". Seminar held via Zoom and is open to the public. More Information     Apr. 21, 5 p.m. Power in Plants: A Conversation on the Environmental Impacts of Plant-Based Dietary Shifts Hosted by: Harvard Kennedy School   Please join the Center for Leadership for a discussions on the correlation between climate change solutions and sustainable food futures through plant-based meat with Rebekah Moses, Head of Impact Strategy at Impossible Foods Inc. More Information     Apr. 22, 12 p.m. Webinar on Climate & Economy Hosted by: Environmental League of Massachusetts   Join ELM on Earth Day, Thursday, April 22 from 12:00-12:45PM for a webinar on Climate & Economy moderated by Bethany Patten with Ivan Frishberg, Secretary Michael Kennealy, and Lauren Jones. More Information     Apr. 22, 6 p.m. Forum: The Decisive Decade for Climate Action Hosted by: Harvard Kennedy School   As we begin this critical decade for climate action with growing momentum for protecting and restoring our global commons, the intensity of this moment makes it a uniquely compelling and privileged time to be alive. More Information     Apr. 22, 7 p.m. Anthony Amore, Author of Stealing Rembrandts Hosted by: Cary Memorial Public Library   Anthony Amore is currently Director of Security and Chief Investigator of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, where he is charged with the ongoing efforts to recover 13 works of art stolen from the museum on March 18, 1990. He will talk about his 2011 true-crime bestseller Stealing Rembrandts: The Untold Stories of Notorious Art Heists. More Information     Apr. 23, 12:15 p.m. How are Landlords Managing the COVID-19 Rental Crisis? Evidence from a Large Cross-Site Survey Hosted by: Harvard Kennedy School   In this session, Elijah de la Campa will present preliminary findings from a recent Center-supported survey of landlords in a dozen U.S. cities. He will offer findings on the magnitude of the rent arrears crisis, the steps landlords have been taking in response to loss of income, and their willingness to participate in public and non-profit rental assistance programs. More Information     Apr. 24, 9 a.m. The National Antiracist Book Festival Hosted by: The BU Center for Antiracist Research   Boston University's Center for Antiracist Research will host the 2nd annual National Antiracist Book Festival virtually. This is the first and only book festival that brings together, showcases, and celebrates the nation's leading antiracist writers and helps to prepare the writers of tomorrow. Panelists are topically organized with two authors and a monitor. More Information     Apr. 24, 8 p.m. The Color of Covid: Reflections on Pandemics Past and Present Hosted by: Cary Memorial Public Library   Dr. Paul Farmer will share stories of the transformative effects of healthcare for people in global hot spots, and he will inspire us with his continued commitment to solving the most intractable of medical problems. A medical anthropologist and physician, Dr. Farmer has devoted his life to improving health care for the world's poorest people. More Information     Apr. 26, 3 p.m. From Citizens United to Bots United: Reinterpreting "Robot Rights" as a Corporate Power Grab Hosted by: Harvard Kennedy School   Towards Life 3.0: Ethics and Technology in the 21st Century is a talk series organized and facilitated by Mathias Risse, Director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, and Berthold Beitz Professor in Human Rights, Global Affairs, and Philosophy. Speaker is Frank Pasquale, Professor of Law, Brooklyn Law School More Information     Apr. 26, 6 p.m. Exploring Trees and Equity in Boston through Literature Hosted by: Boston Public Library   In collaboration with Speak for the Trees, Boston, we will be presenting resources to help you learn about tree and nature equity, environmental justice, and the natural world that exists throughout the city of Boston. We will be highlighting literary, scientific and art collections and other resources available through the Boston Public Library that are of interest to adults teens and children. More Information     Apr. 26, 6 p.m. Leadership During Crisis Featuring Carmen Yulín Cruz Hosted by: UMass Women into Leadership   Join UMass Women into Leadership for a conversation with Carmen Yulín Cruz, former mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico, as she discusses her thoughts on leadership during crisis. More Information     Apr. 27, 4 p.m. Transportation Tech Trends: 3 Perspectives on the Future Direction of Mobility Hosted by: Harvard Kennedy School   Between now and 2030, policymakers and regulators will need to guide deployment of new technologies, including connected vehicles, advanced driver assistance systems, and micromobility, to maximize benefits while minimizing harm for all road users. This conversation will feature three fellows working at the intersection of technology and transportation policy. More Information     Apr. 27, 6 p.m. Monuments and Memory: A Confederate Marker in Boston Hosted by: Boston Public Library   In October 2017, Massachusetts officials removed one of the only markers in the state dedicated to the Confederacy from Fort Warren on Georges Island. This program will explore the history of the marker, the organization that erected it, and the broader national dialogue abut how we remember the American Civil War. More Information   How to Contact MASSterList     For advertising questions and Beacon Hill Town Square submissions, please email: dart@massterlist.com. For Happening Today calendar and press release submissions, please email: news@statehousenews.com. For editorial matters, please email: editorial@massterlist.com.   MASSterList, 568 Washington St, Wellesley, MA 02482