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| | |  | BY STEPHANIE MURRAY | Presented by Uber Driver Stories | GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Happy Monday! BACK TO SCHOOL — For thousands of kids across the state, it’s the first day of school. The first day of full-time, in-person school, that is. Many public schools are bringing their youngest students back to the classroom full-time beginning today, under a plan from Gov. Charlie Baker and his top education officials. It’s important to note students can opt to keep learning remotely for now, and many already had some in-person class time through hybrid learning. Still, today is a big step. Massachusetts is not alone in bringing students back to the classroom. Governors in Ohio, Washington, California, New Hampshire and elsewhere have pushed schools to reopen, the New York Times reports. “We have a chance to try to right some of this over the last part of the year,” Baker, who doesn’t often do national interviews, told the Times. “I just think we shouldn’t miss this opportunity.” The reopening deadline comes as Covid-19 cases are rising in Massachusetts. The state hit its highest-ever number of coronavirus cases in schools last week, though experts say that’s not necessarily a cause for concern, according to the Boston Globe. Some towns that opted to expand in-person learning ahead of the deadline were already shuttered by virus outbreaks. Tyngsboro Elementary School, for example, is reopening today after closing for a week. Baker has spent some political capital to get schools to this point. The governor and his Secretary of Education James Pesyer promoted reopening schools on Sunday morning TV and in press conferences. The Board of Education voted to give the education commissioner the authority to force it. Baker gave the green light to keeping students 3 feet apart, rather than the previously-recommended 6 feet. It hasn’t been without conflict. The governor had a very public clash with the state’s teachers unions, who insisted educators should be vaccinated ahead of time. And then came a scramble to retool the vaccine plan after President Joe Biden sided with the unions and directed states to vaccinate teachers as soon as possible. Plus, cases of the virus are rising across the state, and emboldened state lawmakers are eager to hold oversight hearings on the governor’s handling of the pandemic. For their part, parents of school-age kids are split on whether schools should focus on in-person instruction or improving remote learning, according to a MassINC poll conducted Feb. 8 to March 2. Just over half (55%) of parents did say the changes to school this year have had a major or minor negative impact on their child’s mental or emotional health. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com. TODAY — Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark hosts a virtual roundtable on immigration. Boston Acting Mayor Kim Janey unveils a new campaign in Roxbury to promote recovery for the tourism and hospitality industries, and visits the Museum of Fine Arts. | |
A message from Uber Driver Stories: Meet Olivia. Because of her multiple sclerosis (MS) and fibromyalgia, Olivia has trouble standing for long periods of time. A traditional 9-to-5 job just won’t work for her. Driving with Uber gives Olivia the flexibility to decide when to work, when to spend time with her family, and when to focus on rest. Watch her story in her own words below . | | | | |
| | JOIN AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION, SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" NEWSLETTER: Power dynamics are shifting in Washington and across the country, and more people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that all politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. "The Recast" is our twice-weekly newsletter that breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics, policy and power in America. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country and hear from important new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out, SUBSCRIBE . Thank you to our sponsor, Intel. | | | | | |  | THE LATEST NUMBERS |
| – “There are 34,157 active COVID cases in Massachusetts as state announces 2,263 new cases, 30 more deaths,” by Michelle Williams, MassLive.com: “Active COVID infections in Massachusetts rose to 34,157 on Saturday, up from 33,424 the day before, according to the latest data from the Department of Public Health. State health officials confirmed another 2,263 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday. That’s based on 116,516 new molecular tests, according to the Department of Public Health.” | | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
| – “Mass. Revokes Air Permit For Controversial Biomass Facility In Springfield,” by Miriam Wasser, WBUR: “In a big win for public health and environmental justice advocates, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has revoked a key air permit for a controversial proposed biomass plant in Springfield. The permit for the Palmer Renewable Energy facility — technically called the ‘Final Plan Approval’ — was issued almost nine years ago, and according to the state, was revoked because of a lag in construction activities as well as major public health and environmental justice concerns.” – “One year after COVID outbreak at Holyoke Soldiers’ Home, questions over accountability linger,” by Stephanie Barry, Springfield Republican: “In addition to claiming the lives of at least 77 veterans and sickening dozens of staff, the catastrophe also revealed a historically dysfunctional facility with a flawed governing structure. A year after the first veteran died of COVID-19 at the Soldiers’ Home and after many months by federal and state investigators and legislators, questions over accountability linger.” – “Lawmakers, Advocates Question Need For New Women's Prison In Massachusetts,” by Deborah Becker, WBUR: “Framingham is home to the oldest state prison for women in the nation, and so it's little surprise that the facility is decrepit. But as the state weighs whether to spend $50 million on a new women's prison, advocates and some lawmakers are rallying against the proposal.” | | VAX-ACHUSETTS |
| – “Mass. Expands Vaccine Eligibility To Residents 55+ Or With 1 Medical Condition,” by Simón Rios, WBUR: “Starting Monday, Massachusetts will allow anyone 55 and older or with one qualifying medical condition to be vaccinated for the coronavirus, the latest effort to expand the pool of people eligible to receive the vaccine.” – “More than 1.3 million Massachusetts residents are fully vaccinated; So why are cases still rising?” by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: “Not even one month ago, COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts were in decline. With vaccinations well underway, health experts were cautiously optimistic heading into the spring months that the state — and the country — could start to look forward to a post-pandemic future. … But in recent weeks, that overall decline in cases began to slow. It plateaued and began creeping up again.” – “What You Need to Know about the Idea of a ‘Vaccine Pass,’” by Spencer Buell, Boston Magazine: “The vaccine passes are coming! Or…are they? From the early days of the pandemic, the concept of a vaccine pass (sometimes called a vaccine passport) has been floated as a way to track who has and has not gotten one of the precious shots.” | | FROM THE HUB |
| – “Boston’s hospital chiefs moonlight on corporate boards at rates far beyond the national level,” by Liz Kowalczyk, Sarah L. Ryley, Mark Arsenault and Patricia Wen, Boston Globe: “The Globe found that of the seven CEOs and presidents of Boston’s major teaching hospitals, five also work as directors of publicly traded companies. Earlier this year, the number sitting on company boards was six out of seven, but one of them, Dr. Elizabeth Nabel of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, stepped down last month.” – “Mass. becomes state with most cases of new COVID-19 variant after Cape Cod outbreaks,” by Caroline Enos, Boston Globe: “The new P.1 variant of COVID-19 first found in travelers from Brazil has been detected in Massachusetts more than anywhere else in the country, and the lion’s share of those cases are part of a cluster on Cape Cod, according to researchers.” – “New England power grid operator shelling out millions on salaries,” by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: “The organization that oversees New England’s power grid — essentially the same role as the one blamed for Texas’s winter electricity woes — is being zapped by advocates for its executives’ sky-high salaries and a lack of transparency.” – “For the hospitality industry, struggling to recover, it’s a moment of reckoning,” by Janelle Nanos, Boston Globe: “After a year of forced dormancy, the restaurant industry is scrambling to get ready for an expected boom this summer. That means hiring back some of the thousands of workers who’ve been without jobs or steady hours over the past year because of pandemic closings and restrictions. Yet despite a massive labor pool, some restaurants say they are having trouble finding people willing to return to the business.” | | THE RACE FOR CITY HALL |
| – FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: “Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui Endorses Andrea Campbell for Mayor of Boston,” from the Campbell campaign: “Today, Councilor and Boston mayoral candidate Andrea Campbell was endorsed by Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui. ‘I am proud to support Andrea Campbell for mayor of Boston, whose vision and plans to make Boston truly equitable for all will help our entire region,’ said Mayor Siddiqui.” – “Will Acting Mayor Janey run for a full term?” by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: “She has yet to declare her plans, but Acting Mayor Kim Janey certainly is acting as though she’s running for a full term in Boston’s executive office. Her stint as City Hall’s temporary steward, and the national attention her historic role brings, means she has a clear leg up in a race she hasn’t officially joined. Hints that Janey is running in this fall’s mayoral election abound.” – “Jon Santiago snags an endorsement in the race to be Boston mayor from Marty Walsh. No, not that Marty Walsh.” by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: “Former Boston mayor Marty Walsh said he won’t make an endorsement in the 2021 race to succeed him for a full term as mayor. But that isn’t keeping other Marty Walshes out of the race. Mayoral candidate and state Rep. Jon Santiago landed an endorsement Friday afternoon from Walsh’s old construction union, Laborers Local 223, which is now led by the former mayor’s cousin, who is also named Marty Walsh.” | | PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES |
| – “‘True game changer’: A vocal state senator’s take on Amtrak’s eyed expansion in Western Mass. — and what needs to happen next,” by Christopher Gavin, Boston.com: “For Eric Lesser, it’s time to get all aboard. The Longmeadow state senator’s excitement was apparent earlier this week when Amtrak unveiled proposed plans to expand service to possibly millions of new customers across the country by 2035. The proposal could be a reality with $80 billion in funding geared for railroads under President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure plan, also released this week.” | |
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| | | | | DAY IN COURT |
| – “Judge’s ruling could have ramifications for coastal development in Mass.” by Tim Logan, Boston Globe: “In a ruling whose effects could ripple from Gloucester to New Bedford, a Suffolk County judge has dealt a major blow to a long-planned and much-debated skyscraper on the edge of Boston Harbor. Superior Court Judge Brian Davis on Thursday threw out Boston zoning rules that would have allowed the 600-foot tower developer Don Chiofaro has proposed for the site of the Boston Harbor Garage. And he did it in a way that calls into question the validity of similar waterfront plans up and down the state’s coast.” | | FEELING '22 |
| – “Maura Healey comes up big in March fundraising; Karyn Polito again out-paces Charlie Baker,” by Lisa Kashinsky, Boston Herald: “State Attorney General Maura Healey is raking in campaign cash even as she contends her recent spate of public appearances isn’t a precursor to a gubernatorial bid.” | | MARKEYCHUSETTS |
| – “Sen. Markey reintroduces legislation to block infrastructure for exporting natural gas,” by Jessica Trufant, The Patriot Ledger: “In an effort to prevent projects like the compressor station on the banks of the Fore River, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey said he has refiled legislation that would block construction of any compressor station that would aid energy companies in exporting natural gas overseas.” | | DATELINE D.C. |
| – “Capitol Police officer killed at barricade was Massachusetts native,” by Lisa Kashinsky, Boston Herald: “The U.S. Capitol Police officer killed Friday when a man rammed a car into officers at a barricade outside the U.S. Capitol was a ‘terrific dad’ and ‘hometown hero’ who hailed from western Massachusetts, officials said. Police identified the slain officer as William ‘Billy’ Evans, an 18-year veteran who was a member of the department’s first responders unit.” – “Inside the White House plan to sell its massive infrastructure proposal,” by Natasha Korecki and Megan Cassella, POLITICO: “Before President Joe Biden even unveiled his ambitious $2 trillion infrastructure plan, the White House deployed the head of its National Economic Council, Brian Deese, on a sales mission.” | | IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN |
| – “Old data slows climate change efforts,” by Christian M. Wade, The Salem News: “Massachusetts is pursuing one of the nation's most ambitious climate change plans that will require substantially reduced greenhouse gas emissions from homes, offices and vehicles over the next 30 years. But data that environmental officials use to gauge whether those efforts are successful lags behind years, which is complicating the work of policymakers as they seek to address climate change.” | | MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE |
| – “Jockeying over 2024 primary calendar has New Hampshire, region on alert,” by Lisa Kashinsky and Meghan Ottolini, Boston Herald: “Granite Staters again playing defense amid primary calendar jockeying are voicing concerns that any diminished stature could hurt local businesses that serve as campaign stops, while others wonder what potentially fewer candidate visits could mean for a region that relies on New Hampshire for unfettered access to presidential hopefuls.” | | ABOVE THE FOLD |
| — Herald: “RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW," "MAURA'S IN THE MONEY,” — Globe: “For Amtrak, an $80 billion question," "Focus on domestic terrorism intensifies.” | | AS SEEN ON TV |
| – Rep. Bill Keating on President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan, during an interview on WCVB’s “On the Record” which aired Sunday: “It is going to be important for our overall economy, it is going to be important in terms of dealing with our climate change issues, it's going to create new jobs, not the jobs of the past. And I'm extremely optimistic with or without this plan, that we are going to have the funding for those two Cape Cod bridges. They are unique. They are assets of the federal government. … They have responsibility, statutorily, to fix it. So I'm very confident we're going to have the money for the bridges going forward.” Link. – Rep. Stephen Lynch on the Boston mayoral race, during an interview on WBZ’s “Keller @ Large” which aired Sunday: “We've had, you know, 100 white male mayors. So it's time for change, I think. You can feel that. People are eager to see that. But that will not determine the success of the next mayor. People, they'll be happy on election night if we elect a woman or a person of color. But I know the people of Boston. It's going to be, ‘Did the garbage get picked up? Is the pothole fixed? How are we doing with basic services?’ Things like that. There will be no sentimentality in judging the next mayor, so they will be judged according to performance.” Link. | | THE LOCAL ANGLE |
| – “Politics and the City: Rescue Plan Act gives city 'awful lot' of spending options,” by Steven H. Foskett Jr., Telegram & Gazette: “The meat of the fiscal 2022 budget discussion is still about a month out, but with an estimated $230 million due to come the city's way from the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act, it's going to be a budget season like no other.” NEW EPISODE: CLEARING THE AIR – On this week’s Horse Race podcast, hosts Jennifer Smith and Steve Koczela speak with WBUR’s Ally Jarmanning about a new report that found not prosecuting low-level crimes can lead to less crime, and Tim Cronin of Climate XChange breaks down the new climate law signed by Gov. Charlie Baker. 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. | |
A message from Uber Driver Stories: When Olivia was diagnosed with MS in 2017, it became clear to her that having a regular job would no longer be possible.
“I drive with Uber because I love to drive,” she says. “It just puts the MS far out of my head. There’s no way I could work a regular 9-5.”
With Uber, Olivia can choose when, where, and how long she wants to drive. This flexibility lets Olivia be there for her daughter and for her own health needs.
If she’s not feeling well, or her daughter needs her, she doesn’t have to worry about asking her boss or requesting time off—she can take the time she needs to focus on herself and her family.
To see more stories like Olivia’s, click here.
*Driver earnings may vary depending on location, demand, hours, drivers, and other variables. | | | | |
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