Today in Politics, Bulletin 118. 4/25/25

Ron Filipkowski Apr 25 ∙

… Serial fraudster George Santos was sentenced to 87 months in prison today for his role in defrauding donors and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign donations on lavish personal expenses. The former Republican Rep. was expelled from Congress in 2023.

… NYT: “He covered his face and was sobbing as the sentence was read. Judge Seybert said she did not believe Santos had shown remorse or contrition.”

… Last night before his sentencing, Santos went on Matt Gaetz’s show on OAN to talk about doing time in prison: “I plan to serve the entirely of any sentence in solitary confinement because I fear for my safety. It is definitely not an easy task.”

… He also offered a 67% discount on his Cameos this week as a “going out of business” sale to his fans. This was one of his previous Cameos when they were $500 each.

… Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested by the FBI today for allegedly obstructing justice by helping a migrant avoid arrest by ICE. Director Kash Patel: "The FBI arrested Judge Dugan on charges of obstruction - after evidence of Judge Dugan obstructing an immigration arrest operation last week. We believe Judge Dugan intentionally misdirected fed agents away from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse, Eduardo Flores Ruiz, allowing the subject - an illegal alien -to evade arrest."

… Judge Dugan reportedly allowed Ruiz, who had a court date in her courtroom, to enter the jury room which had a back door which allowed him to exit the building as ICE agents were entering. He was apprehended after a short foot chase outside.

… AG Pam Bondi: "What has happened to our judiciary is beyond me. They are deranged. We are sending a very strong message today - we will come after you and we will prosecute you. We will find you."

… In a new interview with TIME, Trump claimed that China’s President Xi has called him to try and make a trade deal:

TIME: Will you call President Xi if he doesn’t call you?

TRUMP: No.

TIME: You won’t?

TRUMP: Nope.

TIME: Has he called you yet?

TRUMP: Yep.

TIME: When did he call you?

TRUMP: He's called.

… As Trump was boarding AF1 to fly to Rome today for the Pope’s funeral, he was asked about this claim that he spoke to Xi about a trade deal. REPORTER: You said you have spoken to President Xi. When did that happen? China says it hasn't happened. TRUMP: “I spoke to him numerous times. So, we're leaving and going to Rome. It's going to be very interesting.” Bye.

… Gov. Gavin Newsom was asked by MeidasTouch to give his take on Trump’s false claims that he’s negotiating with China: “Well, I saw a meme of Xi reading The Art of the Deal and laughing. I think that summed everything up. I mean, here’s Trump negotiating against himself.”

… “The impact of this is outsized in my state. I’ve got the Port of Long Beach—40% of the goods that move through this country come through LA and Long Beach—and it’s starting to dry up. There’s a significant decline in cargo coming into the US. This is the #1 manufacturing state in America. It’s the #1 state in terms of direct foreign investment and two-way trade. We dominate in every economic category. So I just pray that we can get a deal with China because of its outsized influence. I’ll just make one simple point - as a guy with 4 young kids: 80% of the toys that are supposed to be coming in the ports right now for the holidays come from China.”

… CNBC: “Amazon merchants are hiking prices for everything from diaper bags and refrigerator magnets to charm necklaces and other top-selling items as they confront higher import costs. E-commerce software company SmartScout tracked 930 products on Amazon that have seen increased prices since April 9, with an average jump of 29%. The price hikes affect a range of categories, including clothing, jewelry, household items, office supplies, electronics and toys.

… “The trade war with China has threatened to upend sellers on Amazon’s third-party marketplace, which accounts for about 60% of the company’s online sales. Many merchants are based in China or rely on the world’s second-largest economy to source and assemble their products.”

… Trump was asked about Peter Navarro’s pledge 14 days ago that they would make 90 trade deals in 90 days:

Trump: I’ve made 200 deals.

TIME: You’ve made 200 deals?

Trump: 100%.

TIME: I’m just curious, why don’t you announce these deals that you’ve solidified?

Trump: I would say, over the next 3-4 weeks.

… Usually he says “2 weeks” when things are never going to happen. This is so bad he’s saying 3-4.

… Treasury Sec Scott Bessent and Trump both announced that they expect their first trade deal to be with S. Korea. Univ. of Michigan’s Justin Wolfers explained on CBS why this is another Trump PR scam: “We already have a free trade agreement with Korea! We’ve had one for nearly 20 years. Almost all trade with the US and Korea is tariff free. There’s nothing more you can do, so of course they are going to sign an agreement. But this agreement would only paper over the problems that the Trump admin has created.”

… South China Morning Post reported that Chinese importers have canceled 12,030 metric tons of American pork. Dexter Roberts with the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub says they are doing this specifically to hurt Trump voters: “This is a targeted response from China to hurt parts of the US that are red. People are very aware of this and very worried. One bad year and you might be mortgaging the farm.”

… The National Pork Producers Council: “China’s duties on US imports have raised the effective tariff rate on pork shipments to 172%. US pork producers remain at the tip of the spear with China tariffs. The new tariffs make it impossible for American pork producers to compete in that market”.

… China bought $125 million in US pork last year.

… Fox Business host Stuart Varney: Has the president's policies thus far brought any new manufacturing jobs to your district? Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI): “The number one thing that the president is bringing to our state and specifically my district is hope.”

… Trump was pressed by TIME on his broken promise to end war in Ukraine 24 hours after he took office: “Well, I said that figuratively, and I said that as an exaggeration, because to make a point, and you know, it gets, of course, twisted by the fake news. Obviously, people know that when I said that, it was said in jest.”

… I watched him say it hundreds of times. Posted the video clips. At no time was he joking - he was assuring voters that he would stop the war immediately if they elected him. Besides, Trump doesn’t joke. About anything. He lied, and now he’s lying about the lie.

… Special Envoy Steve Witkoff was back in Moscow again today to meet with his good friend Putin. As usual, he inexplicably went alone to the meeting with Putin and his top advisors. He did not attend the talks in London with the leaders of Ukraine, for some unknown reason since he’s supposed to be our chief negotiator.

… Fox Chief Nat Sec Correspondent Jennifer Griffin: “Where are the subject matter experts with Witkoff? Putin, the KGB officer, is laughing. Meanwhile the instability at the Pentagon is not helping project strength during these delicate negotiations. There is still no confirmed NSA (Cyber Command) director after Hegseth fired Gen Hauck and his deputy for no reason, not even a nominee yet for the person overseeing the crown jewel of US intelligence and SIGINT, which might come into handy when you are negotiating with Putin and Xi.”

… Alex Marquardt, CNN’s Chief Nat Sec Correspondent: “Yet again, Witkoff meets with Putin with no other senior US officials. While Putin has two of his closest aides. This is the 4th Witkoff-Putin meeting this year and Witkoff doesn't appear to have taken a senior diplomat/intel/expert with him to any of them.”

… Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA): “I’VE SEEN ENOUGH KILLING OF INNOCENT UKRAINIAN women and children. President Trump please put the toughest of sanctions on Putin. You ought to see from clear evidence that he is playing America as a patsy.

… Trump sees that. Because he is the patsy.

… Yaroslav Moskalik, Dep. Chief of Operations Directorate of the Russian army, was assassinated by a car bomb in Moscow today. Russian state media: “According to available data, the explosion occurred as a result of the detonation of a homemade explosive device filled with destructive elements.”

… Telegraph: “Ukraine’s SBU intelligence service has been known to target high-profile military officers on Russian soil. In December, Lt Gen Igor Kirillov, head of Russia’s Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection troops, was killed outside an apartment building when a bomb hidden in an electric scooter exploded.”

… Former CIA Agent Marc Polymeropoulos on the car bomb: “No surprise. As the US disengages, meaning has less influence, Ukrainian intel no doubt will feel more emboldened to conduct such ops. No more US intel finger wagging not to do it. And given the US betrayal, I don’t blame them one bit. The little Mossad will be unleashed.”

… Trump issued his 5th warning to Putin yesterday on Truth Social to stop bombing Ukraine (Vladimir, STOP!). Russia responded last night by bombing Ukraine. 3 people were killed and 10 injured in a Russian drone strike on the Ukrainian city of Pavlohrad early this morning.

… CNN followed up reporting by Fox on the debacle in Yemen, that Trump and Pete Hegseth have been hyping as a great success: “In the month since the US launched a major military campaign targeting the Houthi rebel group in Yemen, the militants have successfully shot down at least 7 multi-million-dollar American drones, hindering the US’ ability to move into ‘phase two’ of the operation.”

… “The US was hoping to achieve air superiority over Yemen within 30 days and degrade Houthi air defense systems enough to begin a new phase focusing on ramping up intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance of senior Houthi leaders in order to target and kill them. But the platforms best suited to conduct that persistent effort, the MQ9 Reaper drones, keep getting shot down.”

… “Over the last 6 weeks, the Houthis have launched 77 one-way attack drones, 30 cruise missiles, 24 medium-range ballistic missiles, and 23 surface-to-air missiles either at US forces, into the Red Sea, or at Israel. The intelligence community has also assessed in recent days that over nearly 6 weeks of US bombing, the Houthis’ ability and intent to keep lobbing missiles at US and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and at Israel is little changed.”

… WSJ reported that DHS Sec Kristi Noem has inundated the HQ building of Customs and Border Patrol in DC with over a dozen action photos of herself in various outfits out in the field with agents. Many of these photo ops have subjected Noem to ridicule from both the right and the left. After Noem was asked about it by a sneering Laura Ingraham on Fox two weeks ago, she stopped doing them. But she has the photos all over DHS buildings. This is one hanging in the halls:

I will be serving as a judge for a “no rules” chowder competition here in Maine tomorrow. It’s a difficult task, but I have always been willing to serve my country in a variety of different ways. If you missed yesterday’s Bulletin, you can find it here. I will be back with the Weekend Bulletin on Sunday night!

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… The Trump admin was forced to reverse course and restore the student visas of thousands of foreign students who had minor legal infractions and cases that had been previously dismissed. Over 104 separate lawsuits had been filed and were pending when this latest in a long line of policy reversals was announced. Over 50 judges in 23 different states had already issued temporary injunctions blocking the original order.

… Financial Times reports that the Trump admin is making it easier for Elon Musk to launch his self-driving cars on US roads while also loosening crash reporting requirements. Self-driving vehicles have been advocated strongly by Musk, who has also complained in the past about regulations on them and crash reporting rules.

… Transportation Sec Sean Duffy: “This admin understands that we’re in a race with China to out-innovate, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Our new framework will slash red tape and move us closer to a single national standard that spurs innovation and prioritizes safety.”

… FT on Musk’s latest vehicles that will have no drivers: “Tesla plans to roll out a fleet of Cybercabs - futuristic models without steering wheels or pedals - in Austin, Texas, this June. To win approval, the company needs an exemption from the NHTSA to operate a non-standard car on American roads.”

… While on his flight to Italy for the Pope’s funeral, Trump posted that he was ending wars in Africa: “Big news coming out of Africa, where I am also involved in settling violent wars and conflicts. I don’t know why so many of these events have fallen to me and my Administration, but they have, and we have done an unprecedented job in getting them SETTLED or, putting them in position for PEACE. STAY TUNED!!!”

… Reuters reported that the Trump admin is about to approve an arms package worth well over $100 billion to Saudi Arabia, which will be announced when Trump visits the country next month. Trump also has several business deals with the Saudi government, including golf resorts, other developments, and the LIV golf league that plays events on his courses.

… Trump ordered DOJ to investigate ActBlue, the fundraising platform used by almost every Democratic candidate and cause. From NYT: “The move steps up Republicans’ effort to cripple their opponents’ political infrastructure. The inquiry is ostensibly meant to look into possible illegal donations made by people in someone else’s name, known as straw donations, as well as hard-dollar contributions from foreign donors.”

… ActBlue spokesperson Megan Hughes: “ActBlue plays a vital role in enabling all Americans to participate in our democracy and the organization strictly abides by all federal and state laws governing its activities. We will always stand steadfast in defending the rights of all Americans to participate in our democracy and ActBlue will continue its mission undeterred and uninterrupted, providing a safe, secure fund-raising platform for the millions of grassroots donors who rely on us.”

… Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT): “If anyone out there was undecided on whether Trump is operationalizing a precise, coordinated plan to destroy our democracy so he can rule until he dies, the move to shut down Act Blue, the primary way Democrats’ campaigns are funded, should be the final proof point.”

… Steve Bannon told Politico that there are bigger things on the horizon for Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt: “After she’s spokesman for a year or two, I think she’s going to get a Cabinet position. Maybe Chief of Staff.”

… CSPAN asked Leavitt about her process for deciding who gets to sit in the “new media chair” at the press briefings: "It's not about ideology. It's just about increasing the wide array of outlets that have access.”

… Except they have all been from far-right media outlets and podcasters. We applied for it. Crickets.

… Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) gave a series of speeches recently on what she thinks the Democratic Party needs to do heading into 2026 & 2028. Politico reported that Slotkin said there is a public perception of the party as “weak and woke” and that needs to change. She said Democrats must “fucking retake the flag” with demonstrations of patriotism, and to adopt “the goddamn Alpha energy” of Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell.

… NextOn9 News reported that federal judge Nina Wang in CO is threatening to refer Mike Lindell’s attorneys to the Bar for disciplinary proceedings after she got them to admit that they used AI to generate 30 legal citations to case precedents that were fake.

… Punchbowl reported that Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) is backing Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) to succeed retiring Dick Durbin as Senate Democratic Whip. It has previously been reported that Schatz ultimately wants Schumer’s job as Leader, but said he will not run for that spot unless Schumer volunteers to step aside.

… New NYT/Siena Poll has Trump’s approval rating at 42%. When asked to rate him in several different areas, his lowest ratings were for his handling of Russia/Ukraine (35%) and the Kilmar Abrego Garcia deportation case (31%). Looks like voters care about due process after all, despite Stephen Miller’s assertions.

… The same poll has Musk’s approval rating even worse than Trump’s at 35%.

… Trump's Surgeon General nominee, Fox contributor Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, is now facing allegations that she has lied about her medical qualifications. She has described herself as a double board-certified physician with a degree from the University of Arkansas School of Medicine - which Trump bragged about when he made the announcement of her nomination.

… However, CBS reported that Nesheiwat actually earned her medical degree from the American University of the Caribbean (AUC) School of Medicine, located in St. Maarten. A spokesperson for the University of Arkansas confirmed she did not obtain her medical degree there.

… Trump’s FEMA administrator Cameron Hamilton sent a memo to the WH Office of Management and Budget outlining a plan that would make it more difficult for states to get disaster aid. CNN: “It dramatically raises the threshold for states to qualify for public assistance, effectively quadrupling the amount of damage a community must suffer in order to receive fed aid. The proposal also recommends reducing the share of recovery costs the federal govt will pay, limiting the types of facilities eligible for assistance and denying all major disaster declarations for snowstorms.”

… “When a state requests a major disaster declaration, FEMA uses a metric that measures the estimated cost of the assistance against the state population – known as the Per Capita Indicator (PCI) – to evaluate the severity of the damage and inform its recommendation to the president on whether to approve public assistance. Hamilton’s proposal would increase the PCI from $1.89 to $7.56, which would focus fed funds on large-scale disasters and ‘eliminate small disaster declarations.’”

… Politico reported that RFK Jr’s draconian cuts to HHS are now affecting firefighters and first responders. Workers with the Center for Firefighter Safety, Health and Well-being, the World Trade Center Health Program, the Health Hazard Evaluation program, and CDC’s National Firefighter Registry for Cancer have been fired. These agencies provided services for hundreds of thousands of people over the years.

… Kenny Schroeder, a firefighter hired by the CDC to help recruit participants for the cancer database, described the cuts as “really a gut punch. It’s very disheartening. The government is supposed to assist us all - they’re there in place to do work for us as the people of this country.”

… NIOSH studies showed that firefighters have a 9% greater risk of a cancer diagnosis and a 14% greater risk of dying from cancer than the general population.

… A new Univ of NH/American Assn of Public Opinion Research poll shows that 71% of Maine voters do not want Susan Collins to run for another term. 53% of Maine Republicans don’t want Collins to run again. But she is running for a 6th term, despite pledging in 1996 that she would only serve 2 terms because she believed strongly in term limits and wanted to set a good example.

… Maine Gov. Janet Mills, who would likely be the strongest Democratic candidate for the seat, said today that she will not run for Senate in 2026.

… AllRiseNews reported that 3 Georgetown Law students got together to create a guide for law students applying for jobs at big firms which tells them how the firms have responded to Trump’s executive orders. They call it the ‘Legal Industry Responses to Fascist Attacks Tracker’, and it puts over 800 firms in one of 5 categories: 1. Caved to Admin. 2. Complying in Advance. 3. Other Negative Action. 4. Stood Up Against Administration’s Attacks. 5. No Response.

… Mari Latibashvili: “We didn't know how big this was going to get. It was just giving the students the opportunity to see what the firms that they were considering were doing and to show them alternatives. Firms have been emailing us asking to be added to the tracker, have their designation changed, and/or have other edits made to their entries.”

… Forbes reported on a growing trend of the best and brightest law students around the country now turning down 6-figure salary opportunities from firms who have surrendered to Trump like Skadden Arps, Paul Weiss, Milbank, and Willkie, Farr and Gallagher.

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Dems see red over ActBlue layoffs

 

Apr 06, 2023 View in browser   BY LISA KASHINSKY RAISING RESISTANCE — It took a few days, but big-name progressives are starting to rally behind ActBlue workers clashing with the Somerville-based Democratic fundraising giant over the company’s recent layoffs. ActBlue said Monday it's reducing its workforce to help control costs . The online fundraising processor for Democratic campaigns said it would offer outgoing staff a severance package. But the ActBlue Union said the layoffs “unfairly punish union employees” who are “not responsible for the current financial difficulties.” The union, which said it represents 32 of the 54 affected employees and had just ratified a contract in February , accused company leaders of “prioritizing executive profit” and called on them to freeze layoffs and take pay cuts to stem the losses. Many pro-union Democrats in Massachusetts, who funnel thousands if not millions of dollars through the small-donor fundraising platform, were curiously quiet as news of the layoffs spread. But now the progressive cavalry is coming. Rep. Ayanna Pressley , who represents Somerville and “many” of the affected workers, is calling on the company and the union “to explore all possible alternatives” to layoffs. Rep. Jim McGovern told Playbook in a statement: “I stand with the ActBlue workers and urge the management team to rethink this decision.” The list keeps growing: state Sens. Liz Miranda, Brendan Crighton and Becca Rausch ; state Reps. Manny Cruz , Mike Connolly and Erika Uyterhoeven ; Boston City Councilors Ricardo Arroyo, Kendra Lara, Ruthzee Louijeune, Gabriela Coletta, Julia Mejia, Liz Breadon and Brian Worrell ; former congressional candidates Jesse Mermell and Lisa Peterson ; Somerville City Councilors Willie Burnley Jr. , Charlotte Kelly, Ben Ewen-Campen and Kristen Strezo ; and Waltham City Councilor and mayoral hopeful Jonathan Paz have all now expressed support for the workers. Yet Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, who’ve stood on picket lines with nurses and tweeted support for striking teachers, have been conspicuously silent. Now, this isn’t the type of contract conflict or unionization effort that pols tend to wade into. But the senators’ absence on the issue is prompting some confused chatter among political observers, particularly as Warren continues her ActBlue-driven online fundraising push for her reelection campaign. Neither senator’s office responded to Playbook’s requests for comment yesterday. Nor did several other delegation members. And Gov. Maura Healey, stopped by Playbook in a State House hallway, said the situation “was news to me” — though that’s understandable given that she’s still getting up to speed on running a state. GOOD THURSDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Tips? Scoops? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com . TODAY — Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll tour the New England Carpenters training facility at 9 a.m. in Millbury and visit Fitchburg High at 11:30 a.m. Driscoll speaks at the Holyoke 150th Celebration at 3 p.m. at Holyoke City Hall. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu hosts a press conference on summer jobs at 11:30 a.m. in Mattapan and speaks at the City of Boston’s Community Iftar at 6:45 p.m. at City Hall. Rep. Richard Neal visits Springfield’s White Street Elementary at 1 p.m. McGovern attends a Worcester Regional Food Hub graduation ceremony at 6 p.m.   STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING : What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today .     2024 WATCH GRANITE STATE OF MIND — Two of former President Donald Trump ’s campaign associates are now heading up GOP presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy ’s New Hampshire campaign, adding some weight to his longshot bid. Fred Doucette, a two-time Trump campaign co-chair in the state and deputy state House majority leader, is Ramaswamy’s senior strategist/state chair. Joshua Whitehouse , who worked on Trump’s 2016 campaign and in his administration, is his state director, the campaign told Playbook. The hires show cracks in Trump’s old coalition, even as he leads polls in the Granite State. Trump locked up longtime ally and former New Hampshire GOP Chair Stephen Stepanek as a senior adviser, but turned outside his usual circles for his state director . — “Sununu: No pathway for a Donald Trump presidency,” by Amanda Gokee, Boston Globe: “[Gov. Chris] Sununu said Americans have already decided whether they support Trump or not, leaving ‘no pathway’ for the former president to win back voters or states that have previously opposed him. … Sununu remained coy about the possibility of running for president, although he indicated that he is not planning to run for governor again.” DATELINE BEACON HILL — “As white nationalist activity rises, Mass. AG’s office ‘exploring’ legal action against hate groups,” by Chris Van Buskirk, MassLive: “Top state lawyers are exploring whether they can ‘take on’ white supremacist groups who have made their presence known in the past year and are ‘creatively looking at every legal tool available,’ Attorney General Andrea Campbell said in an interview with MassLive Tuesday.” — More: “Here’s how Mass. AG Andrea Campbell would approach a 2nd Trump presidency,” by Dave Eisenstadter, MassLive: “Maura Healey — now Massachusetts’ governor — famously sued the Donald Trump administration about 100 times when she held the office of Massachusetts attorney general. But Andrea Campbell, who took office as the state’s attorney general in January, signaled she will take a different approach.” MASK-ACHUSETTS — “Health groups call on Mass. to keep mask mandates in health care settings,” by Kay Lazar, Boston Globe: “A spokesperson for the state’s Executive Office of Health and Human Services, in response to questions from the Globe, released a statement that said its decision aligned with CDC guidance and federal requirements based on transmission rates and was made following ‘extensive conversations with health care experts.’” FROM THE HUB — “City Councilor Kenzie Bok to head Boston Housing Authority as city battles housing crisis,” by Emma Platoff, Boston Globe: “Kenzie Bok, a housing and budget policy wonk serving her second term on the Boston City Council, will be the next leader of the Boston Housing Authority, assuming responsibility for an organization that serves tens of thousands of Boston’s poorest residents. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced Bok’s appointment Wednesday, and Bok will start at the authority in May.” Bok is resigning on April 28, she said in an email to constituents and supporters yesterday that was obtained by Playbook, a move that will trigger a special election to fill out the remainder of her term in District 8. Among those considering jumping in: Jon Spillane , legal counsel at the Boston Planning & Development Agency and Bok’s former budget director who ran unsuccessfully for councilor at-large in 2021. — “City Council's tussle over redistricting map now in federal judge’s hands,” by Gintautas Dumcius, Dorchester Reporter: “The judge, Patti Saris, could leave the map as is, or send it back to the 13-member Council, which spent September and October haggling over which precincts go where, for a rewrite. During a court hearing on Wednesday, Saris said she isn’t in drawing a map herself, or appointing an independent ‘special master’ to come up with a map, something that opponents of the redistricting map have pressed for.” — More: “For Ed Flynn, awkward roles of race healer and redistricting foe,” by Michael Jonas, CommonWealth Magazine. — And more: “Boston city councilors clash over redistricting records request,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald.   GO INSIDE THE 2023 MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE:  POLITICO is proud to partner with the Milken Institute to produce a special edition "Global Insider" newsletter featuring exclusive coverage, insider nuggets and unparalleled insights from the 2023 Global Conference, which will convene leaders in health, finance, politics, philanthropy and entertainment from April 30-May 3. This year’s theme, Advancing a Thriving World , will challenge and inspire attendees to lean into building an optimistic coalition capable of tackling the issues and inequities we collectively face. Don’t miss a thing — subscribe today for a front row seat .     DAY IN COURT — “MBTA contractors charged with stealing more than $8 million,” by Travis Andersen, Mike Damiano and Taylor Dolven, Boston Globe: “A former Keolis official was charged with conspiring with an electrical vendor to steal more than $8 million from the commuter rail operator by falsifying invoices and scrapping copper wire for cash.” — “Supreme Court weighs Galvin's fiduciary powers,” by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: “The state’s highest court is set to take up a case next month challenging whether Secretary of State Bill Galvin has the regulatory authority to set strict fiduciary rules for brokerage firms. The case before the Supreme Judicial Court stems from Galvin’s decision in 2020 to revoke a state trading license for Robinhood, a popular online brokerage.” — “Judge allows defamation suit brought by Mayor Tyer's husband against Melissa Mazzeo to move forward,” by Meg Britton-Mehlisch, Berkshire Eagle: “Mazzeo, a former city councilor and one-time mayoral candidate, asked Judge John Agostini to rule that [Barry] Clairmont, the husband of Pittsfield Mayor Linda Tyer, had failed to meet the legal standard that her statements in the wake of the 2019 mayoral race defamed Clairmont and intentionally inflicted emotional distress.” — “Former top officials at Mass. company charged with knowingly selling defective lead-testing machines used by tens of thousands of children,” by John R. Ellement and Kay Lazar, Boston Globe. FROM THE DELEGATION — “U.S. Tensions With China on Display as McCarthy Hosts Taiwan’s Leader,” by Karoun Demirjian and Chris Buckley, The New York Times: “Deliveries of weapons were a subject of discussions in Wednesday’s closed-door hearings, according to lawmakers who participated in them. But [President Tsai Ing-wen] emphasized trade and economic partnerships even more than military assistance, according to Representative Seth Moulton, Democrat of Massachusetts. Mr. Moulton and other lawmakers present noted that she said she did not think an attack from Beijing was imminent.” — “A major student-loan lender is 'actively working to harm' millions of borrowers by trying to block Biden's debt relief, Elizabeth Warren and Ayanna Pressley say. They're demanding answers about this 'dangerous and cynical ploy’,” by Ayelet Sheffey, Insider. FROM THE 413 — “One of 2 ‘ladies’ seeks to distance herself from furor over Easthampton superintendent controversy,” by Emily Thurlow, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “One of the two women whom superintendent finalist Vito Perrone addressed as ‘ladies’ in an email last week is seeking to distance herself from mudslinging that has erupted after the news broke last weekend. ‘I want to be clear, I am a Lady,’ executive assistant Suzanne Colby wrote in a public Facebook post on April 5.” THE LOCAL ELECTIONS ROUNDUP — “Fall River's 2023 election begins to take shape, with a former mayor wanting his job back,” by Jo C. Goode, Herald News: “Former Fall River mayor and Bristol County District Attorney Sam Sutter hadn’t made it a secret that he intended to take on incumbent Mayor Paul Coogan. By 8:10 a.m., he was filling out the required paperwork in the Board of Elections office.” — “Candidates stressing diversity and inclusion prevail in Dartmouth school races,” by Colin Hogan, New Bedford Light: “The results from the earliest town elections in the South Coast, including Dartmouth and Fairhaven, show that wedge issues like removing books from libraries have been important to voters in school committee races, though none of the candidates supporting that cause have yet prevailed.” THE LOCAL ANGLE — ”Federal agents enter wrong Boston hotel room, interrogated man during training,” by Cheryl Fiandaca, WBZ: “A Delta Air Lines pilot who was a guest at the hotel was sleeping inside, woke up and opened the door. Agents barged in, handcuffed the man who is in his 30s, interrogated him and put him in the shower. It was more than 45 minutes before they took off the handcuffs, realized their mistake and apologized.” — “Seaport's refusal to fly Christian flag draws free speech scrutiny,” by Ethan Forman, Gloucester Daily Times: “Boston’s refusal to fly the Christian flag on City Hall Plaza in 2017, in what became a case the Hub lost last May before the U.S. Supreme Court, could have legal ramifications for Gloucester, which has twice refused a resident’s request to raise the flag on a flagpole at City Hall on Dale Avenue during Holy Week.” — “DraftKings seeks permission to allow gambling on outcome of Boston Marathon,” by WCVB. HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to John Lechner and Ricardo Sánchez,  Rep. Ayanna Pressley's communications director. NEW HORSE RACE ALERT — Boston Herald alum Sean Philip Cotter joins hosts Steve Koczela, Jennifer Smith and Lisa Kashinsky to break down Boston’s court fight over redistricting. MassLive’s Chris Van Buskirk helps the hosts unpack the MBTA’s hiring woes. 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 .   Follow us on Twitter Lisa Kashinsky @lisakashinsky   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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