POLITICO Nightly: The showdown in the suburbs

 

BY CALDER MCHUGH Mazi Pilip arrives to vote early at a polling station in Massapequa, New York. | Adam Gray/POOL/AFP via Getty Images SNOW MACHINE — It’s a snow day across much of Long Island’s Nassau County today. But as the kids stayed home, voters — at least those who remain motivated enough — headed to the polls for a nationally watched special election in New York’s 3rd District. Multiple inches of snow have dumped on the North Shore, and turnout this morning appeared considerably lower than usual , though it picked up this afternoon as the storm abated and polls remain open. The race pits former three-term Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) against a little known, Republican one-term member of the Nassau County legislature, Mazi Pilip. But the real question today, in light of the snow hammering the district, is how much juice does the Nassau Republican machine have? In the decades after World War II, this was the nation’s preeminent suburban political operation. It was a place where Republicans successfully replicated big-city, machine politics (the operation owned a printing plant for candidate mailers) and even GOP presidents came here to pay their respects. The zenith of the Nassau machine’s power came when an unknown town supervisor from Hempstead named Al D’Amato sent shockwaves through the political world when he defeated the iconic Jacob Javits in the Republican Senate primary — and then went on to squeak by Democrat Elizabeth Holzman — in 1980. D’Amato served for three terms until Chuck Schumer bested him in 1998. While much of the luster has come off the machine in recent decades as the county became more competitive, Nassau Republican party boss Joseph Cairo Jr., who’s served in the post since 2018, has it humming again, leading to big wins in 2022. In response to getting stunned last cycle, Democrats have redoubled their organizational efforts. It has paid off with a solid advantage in the early vote totals that could prove key if Election Day turnout is lower than expected due to the storm. Another reason for Democratic hope: After years of doing better with low-propensity voters and worse during off-year or special elections, Democrats nationwide now appear to have a special election advantage . The airwaves have been blanketed with ads; the parties combined have spent $22 million on advertisements according to ad tracker AdImpact, with Dems holding a $13.8 million to $8.1 million advantage. Ad buys are expensive on Long Island because of the pricey New York media market, but those numbers are still astounding for a special election. Cairo’s plan to run a hand-picked county legislator against a well-funded Democrat with experience and a familiar local name is a test of just how much sway he has and how well-oiled his machine is. It’s a complex system of old-school patronage that doles out government posts and expects thousands of local officials to do their part as hard-charging volunteers. That local system is up against a national Democratic effort led by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who sees the Long Island seats that Democrats lost in 2022 as a key to regaining the House majority next year. As the snow poured down this morning, national Republicans brought in their big guns, too. The Republican-affiliated Congressional Leadership Fund hired snow plowing companies to clear the streets in the 3rd District, making it easier to get to the Election Day polling locations that dot the district. Now, it’s up to Cairo’s GOP army to stage the upset. Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@politico.com . Or contact tonight’s author at cmchugh@politico.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @calder_mchugh .   YOUR VIP PASS TO THE MUNICH SECURITY CONFERENCE : Dive into the heart of global security with POLITICO's Global Playbook at the 2024 Munich Security Conference. Gain exclusive insights and in-depth analysis as author Suzanne Lynch navigates the crucial discussions, key players and emerging trends that will shape the international security landscape. Subscribe now to Global Playbook and stay informed .     WHAT'D I MISS? — Chief justice gives Jack Smith one week to respond to Trump’s bid to stave off trial: Chief Justice John Roberts is giving prosecutors a week to respond to former President Donald Trump’s request to keep his federal criminal election-subversion trial on hold while he tries to persuade the Supreme Court to scuttle it entirely on the grounds of presidential immunity. A brief docket entry from the court today morning said special counsel Jack Smith has until next Tuesday at 4 p.m. to address the emergency application Trump’s lawyers filed at the high court Monday. — Senate passes $95B aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan despite Trump attacks: The Senate approved $95 billion in aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan aid by a 70-29 vote early this morning, sending the bill to an uncertain fate in the House, where Speaker Mike Johnson is giving the legislation a frosty reception. Despite a last-ditch effort from conservative opponents of the bill, Johnson‘s cold water and former President Donald Trump’s attempts to kill the legislation, Republican support for the deal actually grew overnight, with 22 GOP senators voting in favor of the package — a kind of rejection of those in the party, like Trump, who argued any aid should be structured as a loan. — Blinken spoke to Paul Whelan, American detained in Russia, on Monday: Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently spoke with Paul Whelan , the former Marine who has been jailed in Russia for more than five years, Blinken said today. Blinken spoke on the phone with Whelan on Monday, he said during an event on hostage diplomacy in Washington D.C. But he provided few details about what he discussed with Whelan. The U.S. government, Whelan and his family maintain that he was unjustly accused and convicted after being arrested on espionage charges in Russia in 2018 and later sentenced to 16 years in prison. NIGHTLY ROAD TO 2024 NIKKI THE KNIFE — With less than two weeks to go until the South Carolina primary, and with early voting already underway, Nikki Haley is attacking Donald Trump harder than ever before, escalating her criticisms of his character and behavior , reports the New York Times. Barnstorming in South Carolina on Monday, Haley said that Trump, the dominant front-runner for the Republican nomination, had disrespected U.S. troops with his comments insinuating that her husband, a National Guardsmen, deployed overseas to escape her, and for suggesting he would encourage Russian aggression against U.S. allies in Europe that had not paid the money they owed to the military alliance. “The most harm he’s ever come across is whether a golf ball hits him on a golf cart, and you’re going to go and mock our men and women in the military?” Haley said in Elgin, S.C., remarks that kept up her steady drumbeat of criticism on the matter. She also sent a fund-raising text on Sunday and released a digital ad on Monday. HOME STYLE — Nikki Haley made a campaign stop today in her hometown of Bamberg , a reliably Democratic rural town that she has described as instrumental to the values that guide her presidential bid, as well as a place where she and her family experienced discrimination. The Associated Press reports Haley’s hometown was her first stop as she barnstormed across the state in the closing days ahead of South Carolina’s Feb. 24 primary, aiming to cut into Donald Trump’s popularity in the state. The former president plans to hold a rally Wednesday in North Charleston; Haley, meanwhile, is heading to Texas later this week for fundraising and campaigning in the Super Tuesday state. RETURN TO SENDER — The super PAC supporting Robert F. Kennedy Jr. padded its war chest with millions of dollars in contributions from one of the best-known private security executives in the country — Gavin de Becker — writes POLITICO. And then it did something remarkable: it returned nearly all of the funds, making his contributions effectively a loan. The move shocked campaign finance watchdogs who said they’ve never seen such an arrangement before. De Becker’s contributions helped the PAC report a high fundraising total that can, in turn, be seen as a sign of legitimacy for the committee. All told, de Becker made $10 million in donations to the super PAC; $9.65 million of which was returned. AROUND THE WORLD Palestinians mourn relatives killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip at a hospital morgue in Rafah on Feb. 12, 2024. | Fatima Shbair/AP PROGRESS REPORT — Israel and Hamas are making progress toward another cease-fire and hostage-release deal , officials said today, as negotiations went on and Israel threatened to expand its offensive to Gaza’s southern edge, where some 1.4 million Palestinians have sought refuge. The talks continued in Egypt a day after Israeli forces rescued two captives in Rafah, the packed southern town along the Egyptian border, in a raid that killed at least 74 Palestinians, according to local health officials, and caused heavy destruction. The operation offered a glimpse of what a full-blown ground advance might look like. A senior Egyptian official said mediators have achieved “relatively significant” progress ahead of the Cairo meeting between representatives from Qatar, the U.S. and Israel. The official said the meeting would focus on “crafting a final draft” of a six-week cease-fire deal, with guarantees that the parties would continue negotiations toward a permanent cease-fire. CIA chief William Burns and David Barnea, head of Israel’s Mossad spy agency, attended the Cairo talks. Both men played a key role in brokering the previous cease-fire. FORCED LABOR FOUND — The Chinese region of Xinjiang continues to subject members of the Uyghur ethnic group to forced labor two years after a damning U.N. report detailed the abusive practice, according to new research previewed exclusively by POLITICO EU. The findings will likely pressure Western lawmakers to further restrict imports of products from the region. According to a report by Beijing-sanctioned academic Adrian Zenz, due to be published this week in the Jamestown Foundation China Brief, “forced labor transfers” of the Uyghur Muslim workforce in 2023 “exceeded those from the previous year and surpassed state-mandated quotas.” The study, which focuses on 2023 and early this year, adds to a growing body of evidence that Beijing is using forced labor and mass internment camps to control the Uyghurs — and ramps up pressure on the European Union to finalize plans for a bloc-wide ban on imports of products made with forced labor. Such a ban, currently in the hot phase of negotiations, would allow customs authorities in EU countries to take products off the market if they are found to have been made using forced labor.   YOUR GUIDE TO EMPIRE STATE POLITICS : From the newsroom that doesn’t sleep, POLITICO's New York Playbook is the ultimate guide for power players navigating the intricate landscape of Empire State politics. Stay ahead of the curve with the latest and most important stories from Albany, New York City and around the state, with in-depth, original reporting to stay ahead of policy trends and political developments. Subscribe now to keep up with the daily hustle and bustle of NY politics.      NIGHTLY NUMBER Over 1 million The number of New York City students and staff who — after switching to remote learning for the day due to school closures in a snowstorm — were affected by a crash in the city’s remote learning software. RADAR SWEEP GUEST AT YOUR OWN FUNERAL — Deborah Vankin, an arts and culture writer for the Los Angeles Times, discovered she was the victim of an AI death hoax, which spread fake news online about her supposed death. It was part of an elaborate phishing scheme, created by anonymous scammers, that used her name as clickbait. You can read more about the surreal experience of what it’s like to read your own obituary here . PARTING IMAGE On this date in 1990: Workers carry absorbent pom-poms and large plastic bag with mini-booms as they head for the surf at Bolsa Chica State Beach near Huntington Beach, Calif.. Waves of gooey brown foam and sludge came ashore after an oil spill that sent more than 416,000 gallons of oil into the ocean. | Alan Greth/AP Did someone forward this email to you?  Sign up here .   Follow us on Twitter Charlie Mahtesian @PoliticoCharlie Calder McHugh @calder_mchugh Mia McCarthy @Reporter_Mia   FOLLOW US

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Informed Comment daily updates (02/14/2024)

 

South Africa lodges Urgent Complaint with Int’l Court of Justice over Israel’s Plan to Assault Rafah Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The South African government lodged an urgent complaint on Monday at the International Court of Justice against the plan announced by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to attack Rafah in southern Gaza, where 1.4 million people, most of them refugees from elsewhere, have been pushed by the Israeli military. So […]

Jerusalem: Jewish Settler Movement makes bid for Large Expanse of Christian Armenian Quarter By Svante Lundgren, Lund University | – The Armenian quarter in Jerusalem’s Old City is facing its biggest crisis in a long time. A Jewish businessman with connections to the radical settler movement is poised to develop a quarter of the neighbourhood’s territory, with plans to build a luxury hotel. If this goes ahead, it […]

Throwing out the Constitution: Donald Trump vs. the 14th Amendment By Clarence Lusane ( Tomdispatch.com) – When the Civil War ended in 1865, the 76-year-old Constitution needed an upgrading and those leading the country did indeed dramatically transform it with the passage of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, known collectively as the Reconstruction Era amendments. The 13th (1865) abolished slavery, while the 15th (1870) […]

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POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Healey's zoning offensive

BY LISA KASHINSKY AND KELLY GARRITY Presented by McDonald's With help from Mia McCarthy CONFLICT ZONE — Maura Healey is putting her thumb on the scale in a local zoning battle with widespread repercussions as the governor tries to get tough on enforcing the state’s MBTA Communities law. Milton residents are voting today on whether to change the suburban town’s zoning rules to make it easier to build multifamily housing near MBTA stations — as required by the law passed under former Gov. Charlie Baker that’s now a key component of Healey’s efforts to spur housing production. Town Meeting members already approved rezoning parts of town — including along the Mattapan Trolley line that hugs the border between Boston and Milton and got the latter classified as a “rapid transit community” under the law — before last year’s deadline. But opponents forced a referendum on it. How Milton votes today could reverberate across the 100-plus cities and towns that have to rewrite their land-use rules over the next two years. It could also prompt legal action from the attorney general’s office . Healey has used her official bully pulpit to press cities and towns to comply with the law. And she’s threatened to withhold state funding for school, road and bridge projects from communities that don’t. But the governor is taking it a step further — sending out an email through her political arm prodding her supporters in Milton to vote in favor of the zoning changes. “[W]e need you to go to the polls and vote Yes for Milton. Yes for housing that is affordable and accessible to families and older adults,” Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll wrote in the email obtained by Playbook. A “Yes vote ensures that Milton will be in compliance and remain eligible for key state funding programs,” they continued. “We want Milton to continue to grow and thrive. But we can’t do that without your help.” Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll are flexing their political arm — as well as using their official bully pulpit — to try to get Milton voters to pass zoning changes to comply with the MBTA Communities law. | Lisa Kashinsky/POLITICO It’s not uncommon for governors to get involved in municipal elections. Healey and Driscoll waded into more than a dozen mayoral races last year. But the state’s top executive expending significant political capital on a local zoning battle is seen as unusual — even given the stakes of this one. Healey’s efforts earned her plaudits from Democratic strategists unaffiliated with her administration who commended her “courage” in engaging in a messy municipal matter to help further her housing agenda. That she’s willing to risk her standing in an increasingly liberal town she won by nearly 44 percentage points in 2022 to do so, they said, is even bolder. Yet Healey is facing blowback from Milton residents rallying against the rezoning who are accusing her of spreading misinformation and fear about what financial resources the town could lose access to if it doesn’t fall in line with the law. “It set the stage in an unfair way,” Denny Swenson, a former Planning Board member who is leading the “No” campaign against the zoning changes, told Playbook. “I felt like it wasn’t really respecting the Democratic process taking place in town.” Swenson says those on the “No” side aren’t against more multifamily housing . But they want to make sure it’s done in a way that doesn’t unfairly burden one neighborhood over another and that won’t increase traffic congestion. And they argue the state should not have classified Milton as a rapid transit community because the Mattapan Trolley, while part of the Red Line, is slower and has less rider capacity. “We don’t want to be noncompliant,” Swenson said. “But we want to hit pause and get this right.” GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, VALENTINES! Roses are red, Facebook is a fuss, If you're not running for reelection, Could you just email us? ( lkashinsky@politico.com and kgarrity@politico.com ) TODAY — Healey addresses the Public Health Council about her administration's plans regarding Steward Health Care at 9 a.m., headlines a fundraiser for the Biden Victory Fund in Boston and chairs a Governor’s Council meeting at 11:45 a.m. at the State House. Senate President Karen Spilka unveils a new bust of Frederick Douglass at 1 p.m. in the Senate Chamber. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu attends a Valentine’s Day celebration at the East Boston Senior Center at 12:30 p.m. Auditor Diana DiZoglio speaks at a Lynn Chamber government affairs meeting at 8:30 a.m. and chairs a Municipal Finance Oversight Board hearing at 10 a.m.   A message from McDonald's: From 2021 to 2022, the McDonald’s System contributed over $700 million to Massachusetts’ economy, supporting over 14,350 jobs statewide. McDonald’s presence in local communities throughout Massachusetts generated nearly $125 million in federal, state and local tax revenue, providing funding for public schools, infrastructure, parks and more. Learn more about McDonald’s impact on local communities in Massachusetts and nationally by visiting https://www.mcdeconomicimpact.com/state-impacts/ma .   DATELINE BEACON HILL DEPARTURE LOUNGE — The dean of the Senate and a longtime representative are the latest lawmakers to say they’re not seeking reelection. State Sen. Marc Pacheco — the body’s longest continuously serving member, who has a law named after him regulating privatization of state services — said Tuesday night he won’t be running again in the 3rd Bristol and Plymouth District. While recent articles suggested he would seek another term, the Taunton Democrat wrote in a letter to his constituents that “they were published without speaking directly to me.” Pacheco also said his departure from the Senate “does not mean I’m closing the door on other existing or future electoral or appointed positions in public service.” State Rep. Paul Schmid III also said Tuesday he will not seek reelection. The Westport Democrat thanked the members of the South Coast delegation, as well his staff and family, in a letter announcing his plans. More on both departures from WPRI’s Ted Nesi . Meanwhile, Democrat Dennis Gallagher, the vice president of the Bridgewater Town Council, says he’s likely to run for state Rep. Angelo D’Emilia ’s seat after the Republican said he wouldn’t be seeking reelection in the 8th Plymouth District. Newton City Councilor Bill Humphrey has entered the Democratic primary to succeed retiring state Rep. Ruth Balser in the 12th Middlesex District. And The Enterprise's Chris Helms takes a look at how redistricting has reshaped the open 9th Plymouth House District that used to be entirely within Brockton. — “How governors pick high-court justices is a ‘black box.’ Healey’s process was more close-knit than usual,” by Matt Stout, The Boston Globe: “For decades, when openings on Massachusetts’ highest court emerged, governors typically convened a wide-ranging group of seasoned attorneys to vet and recommend candidates, using a process in which debate was confidential, meetings weren’t public, and timelines were malleable. Even by those opaque standards, Governor Maura Healey’s approach for her initial picks may be more insular than most, legal observers say.” — “Overflow shelter at old Cambridge courthouse receives $173K in renovations,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “Gov. Maura Healey’s administration pumped $173,000 worth of upgrades into an old courthouse in Cambridge that is serving as an overflow shelter for homeless families and pregnant women, including newly-arrived migrants. The money spent on the building ... represents only a fraction of the $35 million state officials reported spending on the emergency assistance program between Jan. 29 and Feb. 8, according to a report released Monday.” — “Hate group demonstrated outside Governor Healey’s home on Saturday; no arrests made,” by Travis Andersen, The Boston Globe: “A regional neo-Nazi group returned to Arlington on Saturday to demonstrate outside Governor Maura Healey’s home, marking at least the second time the hate group has protested outside her residence since October." — “FEMA denies Gov. Healey's disaster declaration request for Sept. flooding,” by Jeremy C. Fox, The Boston Globe: “Federal officials have rejected Governor Maura Healey’s request for a major disaster declaration for three Massachusetts counties devastated by a September storm that caused widespread flooding and property damage, but Healey plans to appeal the decision, officials said Tuesday.”   DON’T MISS POLITICO’S GOVERNORS SUMMIT: Join POLITICO on Feb. 22 to dive into how Governors are wielding immense power. While Washington remains gridlocked, governors are at the center of landmark decisions in AI and tech, economic development, infrastructure, housing, reproductive health and energy. How are they setting the stage for the future of American politics, policies and priorities? How are they confronting major challenges? Explore these questions and more at the 2024 Governors Summit. REGISTER HERE .     FROM THE HUB AGE IS JUST A NUMBER — Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is “excited and eager” to hit the campaign trail for Joe Biden even as the president’s age and mental acuity have some voters — and elected Democrats — concerned about his reelection chances. “I feel very confident in his ability to do the job,” Wu said during an interview on GBH . “And I also know that being in positions, especially on the executive side, is about the team that you put around you.” PAY UP, MAYBE — Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson wants a hearing on congestion pricing in the city , and the Boston Herald’s Gayla Cawley has a number of pols and advocates weighing in on the idea. — “Boston City Council to consider resolution supporting negotiated ceasefire in Gaza,” by  Niki Griswold, The Boston Globe: “The Boston City Council is set to consider a resolution in support of a negotiated ceasefire in the war in Gaza during its meeting Wednesday, teeing up a potentially contentious debate. … Councilor Ben Weber, who is Jewish and in his first term representing District 6, is hopeful that the new resolution he filed will help the body reach accord on what has been a divisive issue.” PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES — “‘We are not the MBTA we were in 2015′: T says it was ready for big snowstorm that never came,” by Taylor Dolven, The Boston Globe: “Had snow pummeled Boston, forcing the T to send workers out to chip ice off of frozen switches and shovel platforms to keep trains running, the T would have been ready."   A message from McDonald's:   DAY IN COURT — “Judge upholds $10K fine against select board member in conflict case,” by Walker Armstrong, The Cape Cod Times: “A Suffolk Superior Court judge upheld a 2022 decision by the State Ethics Commission ordering an Aquinnah Select Board member to pay a $10,000 fine for violating the state’s conflict of interest law when he approved a payment for himself after performing work for the town.” — “Courts preparing to give restorative justice a try,” by Jennifer Smith, CommonWealth Beacon. — “Federal judge dismisses lawsuit filed against Chelsea Soldiers’ Home,” by Tonya Alanez, The Boston Globe: “A federal judge on Monday dismissed a class-action lawsuit brought against the Chelsea Soldiers’ Home on behalf of three veterans who died of COVID-19 during the early days of the pandemic, finding their civil rights were not violated.” FROM THE DELEGATION Reps. Seth Moulton and Jake Auchincloss join House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries to push for passage of a $95 billion national security bill. | Mariam Zuhaib/AP SPOTTED ON THE HILL — Reps. Jake Auchincloss and Seth Moulton among the lawmakers with military backgrounds flanking U.S. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) as he called to pass the foreign aid bill that cleared the Senate. Jeffries pledged to use “every available legislative tool” to force a vote on the $95 billion package of aid for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan over Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson ’s objections. Moulton paired his plea to pass the bill with criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , our Mia McCarthy writes in. “I don't think that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s prosecution of this war is going too well. He's killing too many civilians" in Gaza, Moulton said. “But we also have a seat at the table because we give them aid to help them learn from the lessons, from the mistakes that we made in Iraq and Afghanistan, to get this right so that we can actually have Palestinian rights, Israeli security.” Meanwhile, the all-Democratic delegation voted against impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas . ALSO SPOTTED ON THE HILL — A birthday party for Rep. Richard Neal with all of the Massachusetts delegation in attendance, according to Rep. Stephen Lynch . Neal turns 75 today.   YOUR GUIDE TO EMPIRE STATE POLITICS : From the newsroom that doesn’t sleep, POLITICO's New York Playbook is the ultimate guide for power players navigating the intricate landscape of Empire State politics. Stay ahead of the curve with the latest and most important stories from Albany, New York City and around the state, with in-depth, original reporting to stay ahead of policy trends and political developments. Subscribe now to keep up with the daily hustle and bustle of NY politics.      THE LOCAL ANGLE — “Is a motel room affordable housing? This city is arguing yes,” by Gintautas Dumcius, CommonWealth Beacon: “In a case that shows the lengths communities will go to stop a housing project from getting built, Methuen officials are trying to leverage the state’s use of a Days Inn motel as an emergency shelter for homeless families to block a development proposal to build 300 rental units on a parcel that straddles the city’s border with neighboring Dracut.” — “Oregon's psychedelic therapy law offers a potential guide for Mass. ballot question,” by Katie Lannan, GBH News “Is there room for love in politics? A Brookline couple shares their story,” by Paris Alston, GBH News. MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE SEND REINFORCEMENTS — Fresh off a visit to the southern border with other GOP governors, Gov. Chris Sununu is asking state lawmakers for $850,000 to send 15 members of New Hampshire’s National Guard to Eagle Pass, Texas — the city that’s ground zero for the southern state’s standoff with the federal government over border security. Both Republicans running for governor quickly voiced support for the plan. SAY IT WITH ME — “Lawmaker seeks official pronunciation of ‘Concord,’ New Hampshire’s capital city,” by Holly Ramer, The Associated Press.   A message from McDonald's: McDonald’s is an economic engine for the state of Massachusetts, contributing over $700 million to our state’s economy, directly employing nearly 11,600 Massachusettsans and supporting an additional 2,750 jobs statewide. It’s also an engine of opportunity: 1 in 4 independent McDonald’s operators in Massachusetts began their careers as restaurant crew members, generating wealth for their families and local communities. We are proud to support Massachusetts through public schools, parks and more from the nearly $125 million in federal, state and local tax revenue generated by the McDonald’s System’s activities. And thanks to the generosity of McDonald’s customers and owner/operators, the $700,000 raised through Ronald McDonald House Charities in 2022 provided over 7,000 overnight stays for families with children receiving medical care in Massachusetts. Learn more about McDonald’s impact on local communities in Massachusetts and nationally by visiting https://www.mcdeconomicimpact.com/state-impacts/ma .   HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH CONDOLENCES — to Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll on the passing of her father , Fred. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Rep. Richard Neal, Medford native Mike Bloomberg, Hayley Johnson and Diana Felber. 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 .   Follow us on Twitter Lisa Kashinsky @lisakashinsky Kelly Garrity @KellyGarrity3   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters FOLLOW US

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