POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Battle lines drawn

 

View in browser   BY LISA KASHINSKY PROGRAMMING NOTE: Massachusetts Playbook won't publish next week. I'll be back in your inbox on Aug. 15. TWO CHRISES WALK INTO A ROOM — To hear Chris Sununu tell it, the New Hampshire governor endorsed Chris Doughty for Massachusetts governor out of his own “self-interest.” Sununu wants a Republican to remain in control of Massachusetts so that New Hampshire can keep benefiting from the region’s economic driver. And he definitely doesn’t want the “socialism” he claims Democratic Attorney General Maura Healey would bring to the Bay State. “All that matters is winning in November,” Sununu told a few dozen Doughty supporters at a fundraiser in Peabody last night. “People say, ‘Well, I’m going to vote for [Geoff] Diehl because, you know, he’s the more, he’s the ultra-conservative and I agree with him on this point.’ Well what’s the frickin’ point if you’re not gonna win in November? Because that guy’s not gonna win.” Sununu and his team insist that his support for Doughty has nothing to do with the fact that Donald Trump, with whom the New Hampshire governor has a complicated relationship, endorsed Diehl. Or that former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, who called for Sununu’s ouster, is advising Diehl’s campaign. But by picking Doughty over Diehl, Sununu is making clear what he thinks the direction of the GOP should be at a time when the party is warring over whether Trumpism is its past or its future — and as a shrinking cast of Sununu-like characters try to keep the old flame of New England's moderate Republicans alive. The battle continues next week, when South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is expected to come to town to fundraise with Diehl. Massachusetts governor candidate Chris Doughty (left) and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (right) at a fundraiser in Peabody on Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022. | Lisa Kashinsky/POLITICO GOOD THURSDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. It’s Annissa Essaibi George versus Michelle Wu all over again. Essaibi George is endorsing Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden for a full term. Her support of Hayden pits her directly against Wu, who’s backing Boston City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo, in a Democratic primary that increasingly echoes the ideological divides displayed in last year’s mayoral contest between the two women. “Since taking office, [Hayden] has made clear his commitment to keeping our neighborhoods safe while working to create a more equitable system for all,” Essaibi George said in a statement shared first with Playbook. “From his initiative to get guns off our streets to his Services Over Sentences program, helping those struggling with substance abuse get access to the recovery services they need, Kevin has already shown that he is the right person for the job.” Hayden is also rolling out endorsements today from IBEW Local 2222, AFSCME Council 93 and Supreme Judicial Court clerk Maura Doyle. TODAY — Vice President Kamala Harris holds a roundtable on reproductive rights with state lawmakers and abortion-rights advocates in Boston and attends a DNC fundraiser on Martha’s Vineyard. It's her first trip to Massachusetts since taking office and the latest stop in her nationwide tour of sorts on the issue. Rep. Seth Moulton visits Beverly Library at 10 a.m., speaks at Beverly’s Senior Day at 11:30 a.m. and holds a Facebook town hall on reproductive rights at 6 p.m. State Sen. Eric Lesser campaigns for LG in Great Barrington.   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 .     YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS — CASH DASH: Shannon Liss-Riordan gave her campaign for attorney general another $2.5 million in July, bringing her total loans to $3 million, state campaign finance records show. Liss-Riordan also poured $3 million into her 2020 U.S. Senate bid before dropping out. The cash infusion comes as Liss-Riordan’s placed more than $2.3 million in ad buys, according to ad tracker AdImpact, and is already airing her second television ad with just over a month to go until the primary election. She said in a campaign finance filing — required because one of her opponents, Quentin Palfrey, is participating in the state’s public financing program — that she could spend up to $12 million in the primary . "We’re going to run a campaign that reaches voters in every corner of the state and we have been clear that Shannon is willing to support her own campaign," Liss-Riordan's campaign manager, Jordan Meehan, said in a statement that also took shots at Andrea Campbell's spending habits and super PAC support in last year's Boston mayoral race. — State Sen. Lydia Edwards, state Reps. Aaron Michlewitz, Adrian Madaro, Jessica Giannino and Jeff Turco, former House Speaker Robert DeLeo, Revere Mayor Brian Arrigo and MassBio’s Joe Boncore host a fundraiser for Attorney General Maura Healey for governor at 5 p.m. in Winthrop. — WARREN WEIGHS IN: Sen. Elizabeth Warren has endorsed Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Berkshire District Attorney Andrea Harrington for reelection to their respective seats. — FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Longtime Springfield Ward 7 City Councilor Tim Allen has endorsed Sydney Levin-Epstein for state Senate in the Hampden, Hampshire and Worcester District, per her campaign. Allen narrowly lost his 2014 campaign for the seat to now-state Sen. Eric Lesser. — State Rep. Tommy Vitolo has been endorsed for reelection by 1199SEIU, SEIU NAGE, Sheet Metal Workers Local 17, Boston Carmen’s Union Local 589 and Laborers’ Local 22. — “Democratic candidates for state auditor trade barbs in contentious WBUR-WCVB-Globe debate,” by Samantha J. Gross, Boston Globe: “State Senator Diana DiZoglio and former transportation advocate Chris Dempsey pitched voters on why they should be the state’s next government watchdog , at times attacking each other for past votes or campaign promises. DiZoglio, a Methuen Democrat first elected to the Massachusetts House in 2012, cast herself as a political outsider who will be aggressive in fighting for more transparency and accountability in state government. Dempsey, who served as assistant secretary of transportation under former governor Deval Patrick, pitched himself as a candidate with the executive-level experience to be ‘fiercely independent’ in collecting data and investigating state agencies.” — "Doughty favors pragmatic conservatism to hot-button issues. He hopes that will win him the governor's seat," by Anthony Brooks, WBUR: "In a recent interview with WBUR, Doughty said he's not running as a 'judicial activist or a social warrior,' but as a 'pragmatic businessman' who wants to govern and has the skills to accomplish the job." DATELINE BEACON HILL — “Massachusetts tax relief: Baker sidesteps accusations from House Speaker over lack of communication,” by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: “Gov. Charlie Baker waved aside accusations Wednesday lobbed by House Speaker Ron Mariano that his administration remained mum on an obscure state statute that upended $1 billion in tax relief to Bay Staters earlier this week on Beacon Hill. … ‘The auditor’s report last year, which gets put out every year and has been put out every year for 35 years and gets sent to the administration and to the Legislature made very clear the tax revenue last year got the commonwealth very close to triggering this tax cap,’ Baker told reporters Wednesday at an unrelated press conference.” — “Massachusetts pension fund returns drop 3%, but outperform market,” by Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald: “The Massachusetts pension fund dropped a relatively-low -3% and exceeded its benchmark by 1.5%, according to the Massachusetts Pension Reserves Investment Management (PRIM).” — “Sports betting may soon be legal at Massachusetts casinos — wagers may also extend to local bars, restaurants and clubs,” by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: “Legal sports betting is likely to become a reality for Massachusetts casinos and mobile gaming applications, with Beacon Hill’s highly anticipated compromise bill now awaiting Gov. Charlie Baker’s signature. But as the Massachusetts Gaming Commission parses through licensing logistics for major operators, it is also tasked with exploring the feasibility of widening the scope of wagering to small businesses. By the end of the year, the commission must submit a report about installing sports wagering kiosks at local restaurants, bars and nightclubs still reeling from the financial aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic.” FROM THE HUB — “After Supreme Court decision, a once-denied Christian flag is raised at Boston City Hall,” by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: “A flag bearing a red Christian cross was raised at Boston’s City Hall Plaza Wednesday, concluding a First Amendment legal saga that reached the Supreme Court after city authorities denied an application to fly the banner in 2017.” — “Boston faith community unites in opposition to surge of white supremacy,” by Flint McColgan, Boston Herald: “Black church leaders aren’t taking the recent surge in white supremacist activity in the city lying down. ‘We choose proactivity instead of reactiveness. And so as we began the work today, we galvanized to address these issues,’ the Rev. Willie Bodrick II, the senior pastor of Roxbury’s Twelfth Baptist Church, said in the parking lot of his church following a Wednesday meeting of clergy inside.”   INTRODUCING POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don’t miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY .     PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES — “Decision to shut down entire Orange Line for a month of track work is a high-stakes gamble for the MBTA,” by Taylor Dolven, Boston Globe: “For the embattled MBTA, the decision to shut down the entire Orange Line for one month to replace and repair tracks is a high-stakes gamble that could finally lead to faster, more reliable subway service — or be the biggest transit calamity yet in a year full of them. For perhaps hundreds of thousands of Orange Line riders, though, the announcement Wednesday by top officials could translate into a very bad day — or 30 of them. From the evening of Aug. 19 until the morning of Sept. 19, the MBTA will shut down Orange Line service to finish badly needed fixes on its train tracks. The shutdown will come just as students are starting classes, and many workers are considering a post-summer return to downtown offices. … If not for the full line shutdown, Governor Charlie Baker said, it would take the T around five years during weekends and evenings to finish the work.” — “Month-long MBTA Orange Line shutdown means longer, more complex commutes for community college students,” by Chris Van Buskirk, MassLive: “Thousands of students attend Roxbury Community College and Bunker Hill Community College, which both sit directly on the Orange Line and have stations just steps from their campuses. On Wednesday afternoon, the MBTA pitched the closure as a necessary move to perform work on speed-restricted areas, but students who rely on train service will now have to bank on alternate modes of transportation. Bunker Hill Community College President Pam Eddinger said the Orange Line has faced years of neglect and if crews do not conduct repair work — ‘if we keep kicking the can down the road’ — the situation will only worsen. … MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said community colleges were not involved in preliminary discussions about the Orange Line shutdown ahead of Wednesday’s announcement.” — “MBTA to get major infusion of public funds,” by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: “The T's Board of Directors approved a $37 million contract to provide shuttle bus service to temporarily replace trains on the [Orange Line]. … The move follows a massive infusion of public funds — approved by the state Legislature as part of the state budget and other spending bills — aimed at fixing the T.” — More: “MBTA riders fume over plans to close Orange Line for 30 days,” by Simón Rios, WBUR. DAY IN COURT — “Holyoke Soldiers’ Home faces whistleblower lawsuit by former nurse manager, claiming resident abuse and misreporting of COVID deaths in past year,” by Stephanie Barry, Springfield Republican: “A former nurse manager at the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke has filed a whistleblower lawsuit alleging employees of the state-run home for ailing veterans barricaded a dementia patient in her room late last year and fudged the numbers while reporting COVID-19 deaths. The lawsuit, filed by Kathleen Newman in Suffolk Superior Court in July, paints a bleak picture of the home as it struggled over the past 18 months to emerge from its darkest days during the coronavirus outbreak. The complaint says Newman was fired for using an obscenity during a dispute with her supervisor, but argues that was merely a pretext and other employees also were fired for bucking the system.” FROM THE DELEGATION — MIDTERMS MESSAGING: Assistant House Speaker Katherine Clark is touting a new interactive map highlighting the billions of dollars Massachusetts and other states received under President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act. THE LOCAL ANGLE — “Massachusetts education officials sound alarm over college enrollment plunge,” by Kirk Carapezza, GBH News: “Massachusetts is seeing what education officials describe as an ‘alarming drop’ in the percentage of high school graduates going to college. New data released by the state Wednesday show the overall rate of Massachusetts high school graduates who immediately enroll in college has plunged nearly 10 percentage points over the past five years. It's now barely 60%, down from nearly 70% in 2017.” — “Meet the woman tasked with helping Everett heal from racial turmoil,” by Liz Neisloss, GBH News: “Feeling ignored is a common theme among Everett’s residents of color, where the government remains largely white even as the city's population has grown more racially diverse. … Standing firmly in the middle of this storm is Cathy Draine, who last November was hired as the city’s first diversity, equity and inclusion director. Her tasks include setting up community discussions, strengthening standards for government employees' behavior, and helping to increase diversity among government hires.” — “New Massachusetts hotline number for reporting hate crimes 1-833-634-8669, U.S. Attorney says,” by Alvin Buyinza, MassLive. HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH TRANSITIONS — James Vallee has been promoted to be Boston office managing partner of Nixon Peabody LLP. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to former President Barack Obama , who is 61; Dorchester Reporter founder and Boston Irish Reporter publisher Ed Forry; Jordan Maynard of Gov. Charlie Baker’s office and Jennifer Clark. NEW HORSE RACE ALERT — GBH's Katie Lannan and Lisa Kashinsky walk host Steve Koczela through what happened — and how much coffee they drank — during the marathon that was the end of formal sessions on Beacon Hill. Kashinsky and Koczela spill the tea on the T's Orange Line closure. 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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POLITICO NIGHTLY: College enrollment is down — and dropping

 

BY MYAH WARD With help from Renuka Rayasam DECISION DAY — Saturday is the last day for many high school seniors to decide where they’ll spend the next four years of their education — many without even stepping foot on a college campus. National headlines have highlighted acceptance rates going down, but that’s for the Ivy Leagues and top institutions in the U.S., said Angel Pérez, CEO of the National Association for College Admission Counseling. Because many of these schools made standardized tests optional, more students applied, thinking they may have a shot. Yet the majority of schools are actually still looking for students, Pérez said. Spring undergraduate enrollment is down 5.9 percent compared to this time last year, according to research by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center — a steeper decline in undergraduate enrollment than occurred in fall 2020. Traditional college students, ages 18 to 20, saw the largest decline: 7.2 percent for the current semester compared to last year. During summer 2020, pandemic-fueled uncertainty led some students to defer their freshman year. The concern was that these gap-year students would make it more difficult for this class to get accepted. That largely hasn’t been the case. Pérez’s group releases an annual list of universities and colleges still looking for applicants. This year’s list has over 300 institutions so far, and it’s expected to grow. The group released it early after calls from concerned high school counselors and students. This trend isn’t solely because of Covid. It’s the first edge of a demographic cliff coming in 2025 and 2026 when the country will have fewer high school students, Pérez said. The decline arrived early this year because high levels of unemployment and underemployment pulled a lot of families out of the college pipeline. “We’re worried about, what will that look like this September?” he said. “And will the students ever come back?” Students exit the KSU Ice Arena after getting their Covid vaccine at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. | Getty The numbers are even more alarming for community colleges, where enrollment nationwide has dropped 11.3 percent since this time last year, according to National Student Clearinghouse. It was down 9.5 percent last fall. The majority of community college students are older adults, and the responsibilities of work, child care and school were too much to handle. At large public universities like North Carolina State University, the acceptance rate has been relatively stable, said Jon Westover, director of undergraduate admissions at N.C. State. Roughly 100 students deferred last year, and the school expects a class size of 4,800 freshmen in September. It will accept 1,450 transfer students in the fall as well. Applications from international students, particularly from China and India, were down 20 percent this year, Westover said. Class differences among students were also exacerbated as some families had to make difficult choices about how, or whether, to pay for their child’s education. On top of everything else, Westover said universities can’t forget about the soon-to-be college sophomores who had their freshman year upended by the pandemic — a year that’s pivotal for retention. The lingering questions for this fall’s incoming first-year students are overwhelming. Will this year be more normal? Will they be required to get vaccinated before enrolling? How is their mental health? Did their remote high school environment leave them less prepared for college courses? Did they make the right choice without even a campus visit? Application readers had to go in with a different mindset — not comparing students to those they’d seen in years past. Students have been isolated at home. They missed out on standout opportunities and extracurriculars. Families lost jobs and loved ones. “This has been the most challenging year in my career,” Westover said. “I started in admissions in 1998, and it just felt like everything was different this year.” Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas for us at rrayasam@politico.com and mward@politico.com, or on Twitter at @renurayasam or @myahward.   JOIN TUESDAY FOR A CONVERSATION ON SMALL BUSINESSES AFTER COVID-19: About one in six small businesses in the U.S. closed their doors since the pandemic began. The ones that remained open are getting by with fewer employees after laying off workers or a hiring freeze. What is ahead for small businesses in 2021 as they try to weather the ongoing economic uncertainty? And how does President Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package intend to support small-business owners? Join POLITICO for a virtual conversation with White House economic adviser Jared Bernstein and Joyce Beatty, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, on what small businesses need to survive and thrive beyond the Covid economic crisis. REGISTER HERE.     WHAT'D I MISS? — Biden considering mandatory Covid vaccines for all U.S. troops: Biden said he has not ruled out requiring all U.S. troops to get the coronavirus vaccine after the shots win final clearance from federal regulators, but cautioned that such a decision would be a “tough call.” — Manchin doesn’t support D.C. statehood: Sen. Joe Manchin said today that he did not support the D.C. statehood bill, a blow to advocates pushing to make it the 51st state after the legislation passed the House last week. Manchin was the first Democratic senator to come out against the bill. — Biden terminating border wall construction: The Department of Defense said today that Biden is canceling construction of the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. — Biden to restrict travel from India: Biden is preparing to restrict travel from India beginning next week, as the country grapples with a massive coronavirus outbreak, a White House official confirmed. The decision will not apply to U.S. citizens or humanitarian workers. It will officially take effect on May 4. — Bustos to retire: Rep. Cheri Bustos, House Democrats’ former campaign chief, announced today she would retire from Congress after this term, in one of the party’s first midterm surprises of the cycle. Bustos represents a district in northwestern Illinois that has shifted to the right since former President Barack Obama won it handily in 2012. Former President Donald Trump narrowly won her district twice. — Robocall accuses Texas candidate Wright of causing husband’s death: Texas Republican congressional candidate Susan Wright’s campaign reached out to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice today after discovering robocalls alleging that she had “murdered” her husband, the late GOP Rep. Ron Wright. Twenty-three candidates are running in a special election set for Saturday to succeed Wright, who passed away in February after being diagnosed with coronavirus. PUNCHLINES WAIT FOR IT — Matt Wuerker dresses up like Alexander Hamilton to take us through the week that marked Biden’s 100th day in office in his Weekend Wrap. AROUND THE WORLD EU TAKES SECOND BITE AT APPLE — Less than a year after her court defeat over a €13 billion case against Apple, the EU’s top antitrust enforcer Margrethe Vestager is once again taking aim at the iPhone maker, writes Vincent Manancourt. This time, Vestager is targeting one of CEO Tim Cook’s crown jewels: Apple’s App Store. In charges announced today, the Danish politician accused the iPhone maker of abusing a dominant position to distort competition in the music streaming market, handing an early win to the chief complainant in the case, Sweden-based Spotify. The case marks a return to center stage for Vestager, who has suffered a string of defeats in EU courts on some of her flagship cases against Big Tech, including Apple. But it’s also set to revive a tense dynamic between the European enforcer and Cook, which exploded into public acrimony in 2016 when she announced her decision against Apple in the tax case. NIGHTLY NUMBER 101 million The number of Americans who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, according to the latest CDC data. PARTING IMAGE FEELING 100 — Starting on the day Biden took office, photographer Stephen Voss walked the halls and streets of D.C. to capture life in Washington at the start of a new presidential era.   DON'T MISS OUT ON OUR NEW PLAYBOOK DEEP DIVE PODCAST: Washington is full of whispers, colorful characters and little-known back stories that even D.C. insiders might not know. Playbook Deep Dive is a new, weekly podcast that pulls back the curtain on the stories behind the power. From Congress and the White House to bar stools and backrooms, POLITICO's top reporters and Playbook authors bring you the most compelling and confounding stories that explain what’s really going on in Washington. SUBSCRIBE NOW.     PARTING WORDS ALONE TOGETHER — If you are on Twitter, you probably know Jonny Sun’s presence: missives about his innermost thoughts that somehow capture the mood of the internet. The same is true of his latest book, Goodbye, Again. He says he wrote most of the book in 2018, but it often reads like a prophetic guide to our post-pandemic world. He writes about fearing parties, how we change and trying to keep houseplants alive. There are essays about egg recipes, funeral playlists and a 15-minute countdown to the end of the world. The themes in the book about trying to find connection while being ultimately lonely run throughout his work, including a PhD in online communities from MIT, a writer for the show “BoJack Horseman” and a TED Talk . Nightly’s Renuka Rayasam tried to peer into Sun’s brain today. This conversation has been edited. Do you think social media and just the general process of moving our lives online has actually made us more lonely? I’ve actually found an inverse relationship between technology and loneliness. I’ve always thought communication is communication no matter what the medium is. I’ve been technology agnostic. A lot of my anxiety and depression, my social anxiety specifically, tends to isolate me. But I found that through writing and through sharing both online and also in my work, I’ve been able to connect with people and communicate more clearly and more honestly and definitely more intentionally. Readers will reach out and say, “I have felt this way my whole life but I never figured how to articulate it.” That sort of energy applies to communicating online. You’ve got more than half a million Twitter followers (!!). Tell me how I can get good at social media. Are you just a natural or is there a skill to this? I don’t feel like a natural. I am constantly trying to figure everything out. The answer has kind of shifted throughout time. There are different eras of Twitter. The people who I care about following the most — it’s always been this feeling of genuineness and openness. It is really hard to be like, “oh I’m gonna bare my heart online and share all this stuff publicly,” but the things that really connect with people are the things that are a little less filtered and branded. The more open and vulnerable and really honest and kind of sad about things that I’ve shared, the more people connect to that. It’s the unspoken thing that everyone’s feeling that no one’s talking about. Okay now it’s lightning round time. Let’s see how many of these questions you can answer in three minutes. Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here.   Follow us on Twitter Renuka Rayasam @renurayasam Chris Suellentrop @suellentrop Tyler Weyant @tweyant Myah Ward @myahward   FOLLOW US

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