POLITICO Nightly: Will Kevin McCarthy turn heel?

 

BY ELANA SCHOR Presented by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy speaks with reporters at the Capitol on July 25. | Francis Chung/POLITICO GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN-MANIA — Professional wrestlers come in two basic varieties: faces, the “good guys” of the ring, and heels, the “bad guys.” Occasionally a face will turn into a heel, or vice versa, based on the reactions from fans — who sometimes prefer a watchable heel to a predictable face. Congressional leaders, when it comes to the personas they project at high-stakes moments, often follow the same exact template. And with 19 days left for lawmakers to stave off a government shutdown, Speaker Kevin McCarthy is forced to consider the role he wants to play. McCarthy entered the last act of this spring’s debt-limit drama, Capitol Hill’s most recent big moment, looking every inch the face. He had leaned on conservative allies like Reps. Jim Jordan and Marjorie Taylor Greene to help quell frustration on the right with a bipartisan agreement that inevitably gave ground from the House GOP’s original version. But a week later, a group of hardliners derailed their own leaders’ bill on the floor. It was a show of force to squeeze the speaker, a reminder to McCarthy of his precarious hold on his party’s five-seat majority. (If it were a wrestling move, we might call it the Freedom Caucus Clutch.) House GOP leaders needed days to squash the resistors, who refused to rule out another takeover attempt. It was a prime example of a moment that wrestling fans know well — when a bad-guy heel becomes more watchable and influential than a good-guy face. In ring parlance, that kind of advantage is known as “getting over” with fans. McCarthy’s allies might argue that he’s getting over with the majority of the GOP, if not the party base, by trying to bridge the gap between the bumptious right and the quieter establishment. With conservatives increasingly ascendant in his majority, though, the speaker is facing a near-impossible dilemma as he tries to please all types of Republicans with a government funding plan. So how does McCarthy get out of this bind? Instead of trying to play the conciliatory face again, he might consider a heel turn of his own. For the oft-beleaguered and underestimated speaker, that would mean doubling down on his own agenda, damn the doubters and the haters. But first he has to decide which fan base he wants to get over with. Does McCarthy care more about getting over with the GOP base or swing voters? If he chooses the first path, it’s time to push through whatever can pass the House before the Democratic-controlled Senate has a chance to approve its own stopgap government funding plan — and refuse to back down, even if it means a shutdown. If the speaker wants to get over with swing voters, he’d do well to look back at which party took the blame for past government shutdowns before he decides how much brinkmanship to engage in. The verdict there is rather mixed,according to the nonpartisan Pew Research Center ; polling from both of the two most recent shutdowns, in 2013 and 2018, shows that Republicans may well have more to lose as the party out of power in the White House. McCarthy’s only way to decisively absolve the GOP of blame for a shutdown, though, looks like striking a deal with Democrats. That means playing the heel for his party’s base and conservatives in his own conference — putting his gavel at risk by emboldening his critics to try to strip it from him. It’s the kind of I-dare-you move that’s turned wrestling heels into icons. And the next 19 days will tell us whether McCarthy will drop the face act. Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@politico.com . Or contact tonight’s author at eschor@politico.com or on Twitter at @eschor .   A message from Citi: Asia adopts new technologies an estimated 8-12 years ahead of the West. Early adoption of mobile technologies has enabled Asia to explore and develop new forms of digital commerce before other regions. In doing so, Asia provides a glimpse of what the future could look like in more developed, Western economies. Learn more in the recent Citi GPS Report, Asia as a Time Machine to the Future.   WHAT'D I MISS? — Prosecutors drop foreign-agent case against Trump transition adviser: The Justice Department has quietly abandoned one of the last prosecutions stemming from investigations into alleged foreign influence over Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. In a court filing today, prosecutors indicated they’re giving up their long-running quest to convict Bijan Rafiekian, a California businessman and former business partner of Trump ally Michael Flynn, on charges of acting as an unregistered foreign agent for Turkey amid Trump’s successful White House bid seven years ago. — Trump lawyers seek recusal of Washington D.C. judge in federal election subversion case: Lawyers for Donald Trump today requested that the federal judge presiding over his election subversion case in Washington recuse herself, saying her past public statements about the former president and his connection to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol call into question whether she can be fair. The recusal motion from Trump’s lawyers takes aim at U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan , a former assistant public defender who was nominated to the bench by President Barack Obama and has been one of the toughest punishers of Jan. 6 defendants. The request is a long shot given the high threshold for recusal and because the decision on whether to recuse belongs to Chutkan, who is unlikely to see cause to step aside from the case. — Biden launches effort to take down Google in court: The Biden administration’s push to check the power of the tech giants gets its first big test Tuesday in a Washington courtroom where the Department of Justice will kick off a case designed to curb Google’s dominance in online search. The trial against the $1.7 trillion company will be “the most significant U.S. monopoly case in a generation,” said Bill Baer, a fellow with the Brookings Institution and former DOJ antitrust head under President Barack Obama. The DOJ’s suit against Google claims the company has become the overwhelmingly most-used search engine not because of a superior product but because it illegally uses its money to box out its competitors. — Sen. Feinstein family legal drama sent to private mediation: The bitter legal drama around Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s family finances might be resolved out of the limelight after weeks of embarrassing revelations . A judge today ordered the parties in a dispute over the estate of the senator’s late husband to resolve their differences through mediation — generally a private process that will keep further details about the family finances out of public view. Superior Court Judge Roger Picquet, presiding over the first public hearing in the case, urged a settlement to litigation that has made national headlines and raised fresh questions about Feinstein’s ability to serve in the Senate.   GO INSIDE THE WORLD’S BIGGEST DIPLOMATIC PLATFORM WITH UNGA PLAYBOOK: The 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly will jam some of the world's most influential leaders into four city blocks in Manhattan. POLITICO's special edition UNGA Playbook will take you inside this important gathering starting Sept. 17 — revealing newsy nuggets throughout the week and insights into the most pressing issues facing global decision-makers today. Sign up for UNGA Playbook .     NIGHTLY ROAD TO 2024 CLONE WARS — The AI “clones” of politicians are coming. And they’re not half bad. In June, the AI avatars of Joe Biden and Donald Trump engaged in a marathon session of profane trash-talking broadcast on Twitch, offering a surreal glimpse at one potential future of political debate , reports POLITICO. Now a project called Chat2024 has soft-launched a much broader multi-candidate platform — a slick, Silicon Valley venture-backed version of what has so far just been a set of lighthearted experiments. On Wednesday, the project will officially unveil the AI-powered avatars of 17 leading presidential candidates. Each one is a chatbot trained on reams of data generated from at least a hundred sources, like candidates’ video appearances and writings. Users can query the bots individually, ask the same question of all 17 at once, or set any two of them against each other in one-on-one debates directed by user input. 14TH AMENDMENT UPDATE — State election officers have a near-unified message about the possibility of challenges to Donald Trump’s eligibility for the ballot in 2024: We want nothing to do with this . “I don’t think it’s the role of the secretary of state to make a judicial determination,” Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, a Republican, told NBC News. “My job is to create the process and the environment in the state of Missouri where candidates can run and the voters of the state of Missouri have the accessibility, the elections have security and credibility, so that the people of the state can make a decision.” At issue is a rarely used provision of the U.S. Constitution — Section 3 of the 14th Amendment — which bars any person who took an “oath” to uphold the Constitution from holding public office if they have “engaged in insurrection or rebellion against” the nation. Some critics of the former president have said that Trump should be disqualified from appearing on the presidential ballot because of this provision. Secretaries of state in New Hampshire, Arizona, Michigan and Colorado have faced, or are preparing to face, legal challenges to Trump’s eligibility as they prepare state ballots for the upcoming Republican presidential primaries. NBC News reached out to chief election officers in all 50 states and D.C. Most are choosing not to weigh in on whether the insurrection clause in the 14th Amendment applies here.   A message from Citi:     AROUND THE WORLD People recover a washing machine from their home that was damaged by the earthquake in the town of Amizmiz, near Marrakech, Morocco on Sunday. | Mosa'ab Elshamy/AP Photo EARTHQUAKE SHAKEOUT — People in Morocco slept in the streets of Marrakech for a third straight night as soldiers and international aid teams in trucks and helicopters began to fan into remote mountain towns hit hardest by a historic earthquake, write Sam Metz and Mosa’ab Elshamy for The Associated Press. The disaster killed more than 2,600 people as of this afternoon — a number that is expected to rise — and the United Nations estimated that 300,000 people were affected by Friday night’s magnitude 6.8 quake. Amid offers from several countries, including the United States and France, Moroccan officials said Sunday that they are accepting international aid from just four countries: Spain, Qatar, Britain and the United Arab Emirates. While some foreign search-and-rescue teams arrived on Sunday as an aftershock rattled Moroccans already in mourning and shock, other aid teams poised to deploy grew frustrated waiting for the government to officially request assistance. “We know there is a great urgency to save people and dig under the remains of buildings,” said Arnaud Fraisse, founder of Rescuers Without Borders, who had a team stuck in Paris waiting for the green light. “There are people dying under the rubble, and we cannot do anything to save them.” Help was slow to arrive in Amizmiz, where a whole chunk of the town of orange and red sandstone brick homes carved into a mountainside appeared to be missing. A mosque’s minaret had collapsed. “It’s a catastrophe,’’ said villager Salah Ancheu, 28. “We don’t know what the future is. The aid remains insufficient.” DEAL WITH THAT — Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) warned of a “devil’s deal” between Moscow and Pyongyang as North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un traveled to Russia today , a potential exchange that U.S. officials have warned would escalate tensions with the West, writes Matt Berg . “He’s desperate for more equipment, he’s desperate for more support,” Coons said on MSNBC this morning, referring to Putin’s war efforts. “North Korea has a very large arsenal of artillery, of materiel. So, they may well make a devil’s deal.” That could include the Kremlin agreeing to provide more advanced technology to help Pyongyang build a nuclear-armed submarine or successfully launch intercontinental ballistic missiles, both which Kim “is eager to do,” the senator said. In return, Moscow could receive access to significant stockpiles of artillery shells, though they probably wouldn’t be the highest quality, Coons said. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters earlier this month that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had attempted to “convince Pyongyang to sell artillery ammunition” to Moscow during a recent trip to North Korea.   JOIN 9/19 FOR A TALK ON BUILDING THE NEW AMERICAN ECONOMY : The United States is undergoing a generational economic transformation, with a renewed bipartisan emphasis on manufacturing. Join POLITICO on Sept. 19th for high-level conversations that examine the progress and chart the next steps in preserving America’s economic preeminence, driving innovation and protecting jobs. REGISTER HERE .     NIGHTLY NUMBER About 146,000 The number of auto workers set to go on strike in the United States this week if they can’t reach a deal with General Motors, Ford and Stellantis. Shawn Fain, the president of the United Auto Workers union, has threatened to strike any of the three companies that hasn’t reached an agreement by the time its contract with the union expires at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time Thursday. The UAW is asking for big pay raises and the restoration of concessions the workers made years ago when the companies were in financial trouble. RADAR SWEEP HOTLINE, LIFELINE — As the opioid crisis reaches unparalleled highs in the United States, people affected are trying to stay alive in every way that they can. One method is projects like Never Use Alone , a safe use hotline that drug users can call before they use to make sure that someone is on the line while they’re taking drugs alone. For Kimber King, her decision to call the hotline saved her life: the woman on the other end of the line, Jessica Blanchard, called paramedics who managed to bust in and revive her after an overdose. Blanchard came to work at the hotline because of her own daughter’s continued struggles with opioid addiction. For Slate, Aymann Ismail and Mary Harris tell the story of Blanchard, King and how a phone call might not stop drug use but can save a life. PARTING IMAGE On this date in 2001: People flee from downtown Manhattan after planes crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center. | Richard Drew/AP Photo Did someone forward this email to you?  Sign up here .   A message from Citi: Asia adopts new technologies an estimated 8-12 years ahead of the West , making it much like a time machine to the future. While its infrastructure has historically been underdeveloped relative to the West’s, Asia’s high internet connectivity, young and increasingly affluent and urban demographics, and entrepreneurial spirit have driven the region to adopt many technologies at a faster pace. For example, early adoption of mobile tech has enabled Asia to explore and develop new forms of digital commerce before other regions. In 2021, digital/mobile wallets accounted for nearly 70% of the e-commerce transaction value in Asia, more than double that of North America or Europe. Looking ahead, the trends and technologies seen across the region today can provide a glimpse of what the future could look like in Western markets in years to come. Learn more in the recent Citi GPS Report, Asia as a Time Machine to the Future.     Follow us on Twitter Charlie Mahtesian @PoliticoCharlie Calder McHugh @calder_mchugh   FOLLOW US

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Tragedy in Morocco DAN RATHER AND ELLIOT KIRSCHNER SEP 9 At a moment of cataclysmic tragedy, the world’s attention turns to the precariousness of life and the calamity of loss.  We are moved by images of destruction... Pledging aid... Hugging our loved ones more tightly.  The stories and pictures out of Morocco are heartbreaking, like those out of Maui, or any number of locations where disasters strike with deadly consequences.  In the hustle and bustle of life, we sometimes forget that all can change in an instant. There is no guarantee of safety, but that does not mean we can’t do better.  Loss can beget lessons, if we will heed them. We can learn to make our buildings more resilient, our disaster planning more robust, our assistance to others more plentiful.  Hopefully, in an age of more numerous and ferocious climate crises, we can find the initiative to curtail the harm we are doing to the planet and bequeathing to future generations.  But underlying all of our accumulated wisdom is a core truth: We are stronger when we work together.  Our heart aches for those suffering in distant places we will never visit, because we share a common humanity. In the pain and terror of their eyes and voices, we can feel and hear echoes of our own. We often define ourselves by our differences, forgetting how much more we have in common.  Over the course of the history of our species, we have spread to almost every corner of the globe. Time and distance have given us different languages, customs, cultures, religions, and countless other distinctions. They even have given us superficial differences of appearance.  Sadly, far too often we have defined ourselves by the meaninglessness that makes us distinct rather than the depth that binds us. In times of tragedy, we can be reminded, even if just fleetingly, of our connectedness. It touches us at a level deeper than words or even thoughts. We feel it.  And if we can hold onto that feeling, we can make the world a little safer and more empathetic.  Our hearts break for those in Morocco. We desperately hope more are pulled alive from the rubble. And may those who have lost so much find support in our global community.

RSN: Harvey Wasserman | "President" Newsom Goes Anti-Solar and Pro-Nuke With a Ticking Clock

 IT'S HERE:

RSN: Harvey Wasserman | "President" Newsom Goes Anti-Solar and Pro-Nuke With a Ticking Clock

Biden celebrations | Second surge arrives | JOB BOARD MONDAY: Today's sponsor - IBEW Local 103 and NECA Greater Boston – The Power Professionals

 

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By Jay Fitzgerald and Keith Regan 11/09/2020 Biden celebrations | Second surge arrives | JOB BOARD MONDAY

 

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Happening Today   MBTA service cuts, virtual rallies, and more   -- Mass. Lottery opens its new Western Mass. claims center in West Springfield today. -- The Gaming Commission meets to select topics for future business meeting agendas, then goes into executive session to review a lawsuit filed by the city of Revere and Mohegan Sun claiming the commission erred by issuing a license to Encore Boston Harbor, 9 a.m. -- The MBTA Fiscal and Management Control Board is expected to review possible service cuts as a result of pandemic-era ridership declines; the meeting comes after a planned early morning press conference and rally by opponents of service cuts, with meeting starting at 11 a.m. -- Massachusetts Cannabis Association for Delivery and Equitable Opportunities Now host a virtual rally calling for equity in the forthcoming non-medical marijuana delivery industry, 12 p.m. -- Supporters of legislation that would open the door to doctors prescribing lethal doses for terminally ill patients hold a Zoom rally to urge the Legislature to advance the issue before the session ends in early January, 4 p.m. For the most comprehensive listing of calendar items, check out State House News Service’s Daily Advances (pay wall – free trial subscriptions available), as well as MassterList’s Beacon Hill Town Square below.

Today's News   Reminder to readers: SHNS Coronavirus Tracker available for free   A reminder to our readers as the coronavirus crisis unfolds: The paywalled State House News Service, which produces MASSterList, is making its full Coronavirus Tracker available to the community for free on a daily basis each morning via ML. SHNS Coronavirus Tracker.     The coronavirus numbers: 20 new deaths, 9,923 total deaths, 1,809 new cases   CBS Boston has the latest coronavirus numbers for Massachusetts.     Celebrations break out across the state after Biden-Harris declared winners   National media outlets over the weekend declared Democrat Joe Biden the winner of the presidential election – and spontaneous celebrations broke out across blue-state Massachusetts as news of Biden and running-mate Kamala Harris’s triumph spread. From GBH’s Esteban Bustillos: “Boston Takes To The Streets As Biden Is Declared Winner Of The Presidential Election.” ... From MassLive: “Hundreds line Northampton’s Main Street to celebrate Biden/Harris win.” ... From WGBH’s Tori Bedford: “Tears Of Joy And Mourning As Boston’s Black Activists Look To The Future.” ... From the Cape Cod Times: “Biden supporters on Cape Cod celebrate the end to a very long four years.” ... From the Martha’s Vineyard Times: “Bold Vineyarders celebrate election with a plunge.”  And, finally, from the Globe: “Jennifer Lawrence celebrates Biden’s win by running through the streets of Boston.” Here’s the reactions of local pols via the Boston Herald and CBS Boston and South Coast Today.         Romney and Bush among few national Republicans to congratulate Biden   Former Massachusetts Gov. and Utah Sen. Mitt Romney was the first national Republican over the weekend to congratulate Joe Biden on his declared presidential victory over Donald Trump, as MassLive reports. Former President George W. Bush also called Biden to congratulate him, the NYT reports. But they’re among only a few national Republicans to openly acknowledge Biden’s victory. The rest? Who knows.  Fyi: Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican and no friend of Trump, also congratulated Biden and Kamala Harris, reports the Herald’s Lisa Kashinsky.       'Just a flesh wound’: Mass. GOP leaders say pro-Trump strategy actually worked   The Globe’s Brian MacQuarrie reports that many people might logically conclude that Donald Trump’s 2-1 drubbing by Joe Biden in Massachusetts suggests local Republicans should rethink their pro-Trump strategy here. But such people are not pro-Trump state party leaders. Some of them think the pro-Trump strategy actually worked to limit GOP losses last week in Massachusetts. And so ... cue the Monty Python just-a-flesh-wound skit. Needless to say, Jason Sokol’s reform-or-else advice to local Republicans may be falling on deaf ears (Globe). Boston Globe     So who’s leaving? Who's staying?   It’s Massachusetts. And so it’s just assumed some prominent pols and academics and others will be heading to Washington, D.C. come January, after Democrat Joe Biden’s declared presidential victory over the weekend. Mayor Marty Walsh yesterday was downplaying speculation he might be in line for a Cabinet post, as CBS Boston reports. Meanwhile, the NYT reports progressives are “preparing to unleash a furious campaign” to get their favorite pols and policies at the top of Biden’s priority lists, including the appointment of U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren as treasury secretary.  Can we throw out a local name, considering everyone else is throwing out local names? Deval Patrick. Why not?       Sponsored IBEW Local 103 and NECA Electrical Contractors are committed to raising the standards of Greater Boston's electrical industry. Our highly-trained, on-demand workforce is always ready to get the job done right, on time and under budget. Contact us about your next project, or your career, by calling 617-436-3710. Visit ThePowerProfessionals.org.     Local gal done good: Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, Biden’s campaign manager   Stephen Peterson at the Sun Chronicle reports that it was a great presidential election for one local native in particular: Franklin’s Jennifer O'Malley Dillon, who was Joe Biden’s campaign manager and who’s now being called the “unsung hero” of his campaign. A Tufts grad, Dillon is also the first woman to manage a winning Democratic presidential campaign, Peterson reports. Fyi: The Washington Post did a big story on Dillon a few months back. Sun Chronicle     Not this time around: Moulton to support Nancy Pelosi for House Speaker   He’s learned his lesson. U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, who was at the forefront of past failed attempts to oust Nancy Pelosi as leader of House Democrats, tells David Bernstein at GBH that he intends to support Pelosi’s re-election as speaker of the U.S. House, despite grumblings from other centrists over Dem losses of seats on Tuesday and Pelosi’s handling of elections. GBH     Shattered glass ceilings on Beacon Hill: Record number of women to serve in Legislature next year   Kamala Harris has shattered one of the highest and sturdiest glass ceilings in the land with her election (or apparent election, if you’re a diehard pro-Trump holdout) as the nation’s first female and person of color vice president. But glass ceilings were also shattered right here in Massachusetts, with a record 62 women poised to serve in the Legislature in 2021, as a result of last Tuesday’s local elections, as SHNS’s Katie Lannan reports. SHNS (pay wall -- free trial subscription available)         Do-over: Harrington seeks recount in state rep race marred by reporting error   He mainly wants to clear things up. Republican James “Chip” Harrington says he’ll ask for a recount in the 7th Hampden District state representative race--mainly because he wants clarity after inaccurately being declared the winner on election night only to have results flip the next morning, as Stephanie Barry at MassLive reports. MassLive     More than 20 displaced by earthquake off state coast   Did you feel it? They certainly did in New Bedford, where a number of homes were damaged and multiple families displaced by what the U.S. Geological Survey is describing as a 3.6-magnitude earthquake in an area of Buzzards Bay on Sunday. The quake occurred shortly after 9 a.m. yesterday. New Bedford’s Standard Times and Fall River’s Herald Review have more on the quake and the response of the Red Cross, police, and New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell.      As Baker pronounces arrival of second surge, administration pushes for more in-person learning   SHNS’s Michael Norton (pay wall) reports that Gov. Charlie Baker late last week told local officials that, yes, the second coronavirus surge has indeed arrived. And this past weekend’s coronavirus numbers seemed to verify that pronouncement, as new daily cases surged above the 2,000 mark on Friday (UH) and Saturday (MassLive). But even as the second surge spreads across the state, Baker administration officials on Friday “ramped up pressure on the roughly 23 percent of school districts teaching remotely to return to in-person classes by releasing new metrics that downgraded the risk of COVID-19 in most communities,” reports Sarah Betancourt at CommonWealth magazine. SHNS’s Chris Lisinski (pay wall) has more on the new state guidance aimed at boosting in-person learning and discouraging remote classes.     Sponsored Taxing Drinks by Sugar Content Reduces Consumption by 25% The facts on sugary drinks are simple. They pose a real health risk. Kids especially are drinking too many of them. All those sweet drinks contribute to major health problems, like diabetes and heart disease. And with Massachusetts already spending nearly $2 billion per year treating obesity-related diseases, we need to address the problem. Massachusetts should take a page from a growing number of places across the country and adopt a tax on sugary drinks. Learn how a sugary drink tax would improve the health of Massachusetts.     Poof! The number of hotspot communities suddenly declines under new metrics system   The Baker administration’s push for more in-person learning at schools is partly based on a new metrics system for how communities are classified as high-risk or not in Massachusetts. And the change has already led to a dramatic plunge in the number of communities previously classified as hotspots, as the Herald’s Lisa Kashinky and CommonWealth’s Bruce Mohl report.     ‘MBTA says this time it means it: It's going to enforce its mask rule’   Universal Hub reports the MBTA is warning that “anybody over the age of 5 caught not wearing a mask in its stations or on its trains and buses is looking at a $300 fine starting right this second.” As UH notes, masks on the T have technically been required since March, but only now, considering the governor’ new edicts, is it putting its enforcement foot down. Universal Hub     Bad timing: Bickford faulted for handling of Morse controversy as rivals seek to oust him as Dem party chair   It’s bad timing for Gus Bickford. It’s good timing for rivals who want to oust him later this week as state Democratic Party chairman, i.e., the release of a report that faults the way Bickford handled, and allegedly took part in, an effort to derail progressive Alex Morse’s primary campaign against U.S. Rep. Richard Neal. The Herald’s Lisa Kashinsky and the Globe’s Matt Stout have the details on the investigation’s findings.   Meanwhile, CommonWealth’s Shira Schoenberg reports on the timing of the report – and how it’s adding “fuel to calls to replace Bickford” as party chair later this week.         ‘A sham:’ Census takers come forward to detail count fraud   A Natick resident is among Census workers coming forward to reveal they were told to falsify their field reports as higher-ups pushed to close down the count ahead of an early deadline, Mike Schneider at the Associated Press reports. Maria Arce says her supervisor instructed her to override Census software to allow her to declare cases closed even though she was at home and not in the Framingham neighborhood where she was supposed to be knocking on doors and counting residents.  AP News     Busted: Framingham mayor sent nasty texts about city councilors during meeting   Harmless venting or evidence of deep dysfunction? During an October city council meeting, Framingham Mayor Yvonne Spicer swapped text messages with the city’s chief operating officer in which she called members of the council “assholes” and said she couldn’t work with them, Susan Petroni at Framingham Source reports.  Framingham Source     Christmas tree ornaments: House members file 777 amendments to $46B budget bill   The holiday season approaches, and lawmakers are in a decorating mood, attaching 777 amendments to the House’s recently unveiled $46 billion state budget. Some are local-favorite earmarks. But SHNS’s Michael Norton reports that some of the proposals include more sweeping changes dealing with earned income tax credits, disposal of nip bottles and creating a MassHealth Control Board. SHNS (pay wall -- free trial subscription available)     The End: ‘A half-eaten cheeseburger on a presidential plate’   Even before last Tuesday’s election, Vanity Fair was having fun with the possibility/probability of President Trump leaving office in January and it asked various writers to envision how it may play out. Here’s one, in a screenplay style, as a “helicopter waits on the (White House) lawn, its rotors turning lazily” and then to the Oval Office: “CLOSE ON: A half-eaten cheeseburger on a presidential plate. “PULL BACK TO REVEAL: Trump sits at the big desk, a cloth napkin tucked into his shirt collar, while a Secret Service agent in a face mask waits in the doorway. Trump takes a dainty bite of the burger, trying to make it last. “Trump: Did I ever tell you about my uncle who taught at MIT? Very smart guy. That’s how I know so much about viruses and whatnot. All the doctors were amazed, they said, Sir, how is it that you know so much about viruses and what— "Secret Service Agent: We really have to go.”  Vanity Fair         Today's Headlines   Metro   Boston public schools receive $6.2 million grant from EPA for water fountains - Boston Herald Quincy councilors to propose creation of Department of Social Justice and Equity - Patriot Ledger   Massachusetts   Natick town meeting puts brakes on possible affordable housing project for military vets - MetroWest Daily News Unum’s tax deal revisited as jobs goal unmet - Telegram & Gazette Methuen councilors, mayor fight over release of Covid data - Eagle-Tribune   Nation   Donald Trump has lost to Joe Biden, what's next? The presidential transition from hell. - USA Today Meet the candidates for Joe Biden’s cabinet - Politico       To view more events or post an event listing on Beacon Hill Town Square, please visit events.massterlist.com. Beacon Hill Town Square   Nov. 10, 8 a.m. The International Response to the US Election Hosted by: Harvard Kennedy School and Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs   A Conversation with Julie Bishop, former Foreign Minister of Australia; Federica Mogherini, former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs; and Peter Wittig, former Ambassador of Germany to the US. Registration is required. More Information     Nov. 10, 9 a.m. Veterans Day Virtual Job Fair Hosted by: MassHire Department of Career Services Veterans Program & MassHire Career Center System   Statewide MassHire Veterans Day Virtual Job Fair: Exclusive access for veterans 9AM - 10AM; open to the general public and veterans, 10AM - 2PM. More Information     Nov. 11, 2 p.m. ICP - Breaking the crime-poverty cycle Hosted by: ESRC IAA - University of Birmingham   Panel Debate - The event will feature an overview by Professor Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay, Director, Center for Crime, Justice and Policing, University of Birmingham, a quick historical recap of antiquated laws and contributions by the panelists. More Information     Nov. 11, 2:30 p.m. US Market Outlook Part II: Post Presidential Election and Covid-19 Hosted by: Swissnex Boston   In this discussion, we will hear from experts at BlackRock as they examine where the market is, where it is going, and how to think about the macroeconomics of the new financial policies put into place in the US to address the current economic challenges. Register to receive the virtual meeting link. More Information     Nov. 12, 9 a.m. What's Next for Energy & Climate Change Policy in the Wake of the U.S. Election? Hosted by: Harvard Kennedy School and Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs   This event will explore the implications of the U.S. presidential election for U.S. energy and climate-change policy. The speaker will explore, in particular, how various election outcomes might lead to quite different U.S. stances on climate-change and energy policy. More Information     Nov. 12, 10 a.m. Critical Conversations: Racial Justice and the Immigrant Rights Movement Hosted by: James H. Binger Center Annual Immigration Law Forum   The Binger Annual Immigration Law Forum brings together lawyers, students, advocates and community members to learn from each other and develop tools to continue the struggle to protect human rights, basic dignity, and the rule of law. More Information     Nov. 12, 11 a.m. Building a Better Business Through Diversity and Inclusion Hosted by: Worcester Business Journal   In this panel discussion we'll explore steps large and small organizations can make to further promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace. How are companies going about building a more diverse and inclusive work environment, and what have been the major challenges, as well as best practices that assure a strong program. More Information     Nov. 12, 12 p.m. Virtual Discussion - Women Who Lead: Navigating the Challenges of 2020 and Beyond Hosted by: Boston Business Journal and Santander Commercial Banking   Join us for a virtual live-streamed panel discussion with four female business leaders moderated by Carolyn Jones, publisher of the Boston Business Journal. Women have unique perspectives to offer on leading through these current turbulent times from how to build organizational resilience to how to advocate for themselves in a politically charged environment to maintaining a work/life balance. More Information     Nov. 12, 2 p.m. Virtual-Revolutionizing Retail: The Omnichannel Experience Hosted by: Verizon   Omnichannel is a word we've heard tossed around the industry, but what does it really mean? Some years ago, in-store was the only channel, then we moved into multi-channel and now it seems omnichannel is the way to go. Join us to learn about which technologies are supporting the omnichannel approach, how 5G is opening up a word of consumer insights, and how retailers can use those takeaways. More Information     Nov. 12, 6 p.m. Baxter Lecture with author Nathaniel Philbrick: Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War Hosted by: Boston Public Library, American Ancestors/New England Historic Genealogical Society, the State Library of Massachusetts, and the GBH Forum Network   Join for an online talk with Nathaniel Philbrick about his book Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War as part of the BPL's Baxter Lecture Series. Ryan J. Woods from NEHGS will be the moderator and a representative of the State Library will be a co-host. BPL President David Leonard will introduce this program. Registration is encouraged. More Information     Nov. 16, 11 a.m. 8th Annual 2020 Startup of the Year Summit Hosted by: Established   For the first time in its eight year history, the Startup of the Year Summit will be held online, allowing a global audience to participate from afar in the annual conference and have a behind-the-scenes experience for the 2020 competition. Date: November 16-18,2020. We are waiving all fees this year. We want you to join us. More Information     Nov. 16, 6 p.m. Local Voices Network Conversation: Civic Engagement (Honan-Allston) Hosted by: Boston Public Library   Join the Boston Public Library and Local Voices Network for an online discussion about civic engagement. LVN conversations are focused on sharing our lived experience, rather than beginning the conversation with our positions on issues. We are doing this in order to help build connections and to foster conversations that improve our understanding of one another. More Information     Nov. 16, 6 p.m. Modern Mobility Aloft: Elevated Highways, Architecture and Urban Change in Pre-Interstate America Hosted by: Boston Public Library   Join the Boston Public Library and the Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center at the Boston Public Library for an online talk with Amy D. Finstein, author of Modern Mobility Aloft: Elevated Highways, Architecture and Urban Change in Pre-Interstate America. More Information     Nov. 17, 11:30 a.m. Managing Change to Grow Business - Part II: Growing Your Business in a Virtual World Hosted by: Boston Business Journal and Middlesex Savings Bank   Please join Middlesex Savings Bank and the Boston Business Journal for this conversation about managing business change in our new normal. More Information     Nov. 17, 1 p.m. Data + AI Summit Europe 2020 Hosted by: Databricks   Data and AI are converging. The Success of Apache Spark has accelerated the evolution of data teams to include data analytics, science, engineering, and AI. Date + AI Summit brings together thousands of data teams to learn from practitioners, leaders, innovators, and the original creators of Spark. Delta Lake, MLflow and Koalas. More Information     Nov. 17, 6 p.m. Climate Change, Survival, and Deepening Our Humanity Hosted by: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum   City of Boston's Poet Laureate Porsha Olayiwola leads a panelist discussion on how the belief systems that define and maintain our societies impact the planet and influence our survival. Register for this free virtual Kennedy Library Forum to receive an email reminder with a viewing link before the event. More Information     Nov. 18, 10 a.m. MIT: AI and the Work of the Future Congress Hosted by: MIT Work of the Future Task Force; MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab; MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy   Join MIT's Task Force on WOTF, MIT CSAIL, and MIT Digital for this year's Congress which will be a virtual event highlighting research findings from the MIT Task Force on WOTF's final report that will be released in November. Given the rapidly changing environment brought on by Covid-19, this topic is more important and relevant that ever. More Information     Nov. 18, 3 p.m. Disinformation and Digital Citizenship: Disinformation and Election Psychology Hosted by: Boston Public Library   Disinformation and Digital Citizenship is a Learning Circle that meets weekly to discuss disinformation and its effect on civic institutions and society during an election year. Learning circles are small groups of individuals who explore and area of shared interest through discussion in a collaborative, friendly and mutually supportive environment. More Information     Nov. 19, 12 p.m. Managing Climate Risk in the US Financial System Hosted by: Harvard Kennedy School of Business/Mossavar-Rahmani center for Business and Government   This webinar will be given by Robert Litterman, Chairman of the Risk Committee and Founding Partner, Kepos Capital, and Stephen Moch, MBA and MPP candidate at HBS and HKS. It is part of M-RCBG"s weekly Business and Government Seminar series. Registration is required. More Information     Nov. 17, 7 p.m. Interrupting Hatred Can Save Someone's Life Hosted by: Town of Lexington   This presentation, part of the Town of Lexington's No Hate November series, will focus on lessons learned after the killings of Ahmaud Arbery and Vincent Chen. The event is co-sponsored by the Lexington Human Rights Committee, Association of Black Citizens of Lexington, Chinese American Association of Lexington. More Information     Nov. 19, 12 p.m. The Future of Higher Education Hosted by: Washington Business Journal   As schools around the country plan, react, and adapt during the Covid-19 pandemic, the presidents of Greater Washington's top universities will gather virtually to discuss health and safety, diversity and inclusion, and budgeting and development of the future of higher education. Join the Washington Business Journal for a look behind the scenes with the decision makers. More Information   Nov. 19, 4 p.m. AARP Innovation Labs' Innovation Challenges Hosted by: AARP Innovation Labs and Mass Challenge HealthTech   AARP Innovation Labs and Mass Challenge HealthTech are excited to offer themed innovation challenges. Do you have an innovative entertainment solution that curates the fun in life for older adults? We are highly encouraging our 50+ entrepreneurs and founders to apply to this challenge. More Information   Nov. 20, 9 a.m. Virtual Job Fair: MassHire Central Region Honors Our Veterans Hosted by: MassHire Central Region Career Centers   Virtual Job Fair featuring 45 employers from diverse industries throughout Central Massachusetts. Free and open to the public and veterans! More Information Dec. 3, 4 p.m. Inno on Fire Hosted by: Boston Business Journal   The Inno on Fire Awards is our annual celebration of innovators, big and small, people, and organizations in Boston. What makes a company or individual on fire? We are looking at startups that have had a banner year, people and companies with hew funding, recent product launches, hot hires, innovative approaches to solving problems, and creative leaders who think out of the box. More Information     Dec. 8, 8:30 a.m. WBJ Central MA Health Care Forum Hosted by: Worcester Business Journal   Healthcare Post Pandemic: The Covid-19 pandemic has not only claimed over 200,000 lives in our country, but has been a disruptive force to many industries, including healthcare. Join us for this timely and informative webcast where our panel of experts will discuss what has changed since the beginning of the pandemic and what lies ahead. More Information     Dec. 9, 5:30 p.m. The State of Innovation: Electrification presented by Analog Devices Hosted by: The Boston Business Journals   Across the network, Innos State of Innovations meetups focus on a specific industry, category, theme or individual and will feature a keynote, fireside chat, panel, pitch, demo or a combination of the five. Join us for a conversation with local innovators and experts. More Information     Dec. 10, 8:30 a.m. 2020 Women Who Mean Business Hosted by: Boston Business Journal and Webster Bank   Join us as we celebrate outstanding women at our fourth Women Who Mean Business awards program. These women represent the scale of business in Greater Boston and have demonstrated significant growth in their companies. More Information   How to Contact MASSterList     For advertising questions and Beacon Hill Town Square submissions, please email: dart@massterlist.com. For Happening Today calendar and press release submissions, please email: news@statehousenews.com. For editorial matters, please email: editorial@massterlist.com.   MASSterList, 568 Washington St, Wellesley, MA 02482