POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Harvard makes Mass. home to the resistance

 

By Kelly Garrity THANK YOU HARVARD FOR STANDING UP TO THE BULLY! MASSACHUSETTS VS. TRUMP — If you expected Harvard to capitulate to the White House’s demands any time soon, think again. The university turned up the heat in its war with President Donald Trump on Monday, filing a lawsuit to unfreeze the $2.2 billion in federal funding the administration put on ice after Harvard President Alan Garber announced he would not comply with demands for broad changes to the school’s leadership and admissions policies. Harvard’s faculty union already sued to block the funding freeze, alleging the demands violate staffers constitutional rights. But Monday’s lawsuit, filed in Massachusetts federal court, directly sets up the country’s oldest university for a high-profile legal showdown with the White House. Harvard alleges that Trump has launched an attack on the school’s funding in an effort to gain “leverage” that can be used to control “academic decision-making at Harvard.” Those actions, Garber said in a statemen t, were “unlawful and beyond the government’s authority. The lawsuit comes as the White House was reportedly considering whether to bring down the federal funding ax on Harvard again. The Wall Street Journal reported the Trump administration was planning to pull another $1 billion for health research at the school after slashing the more than $2 billion earlier this month.  CONFUSING SUPPORT OF PALESTINIANS, PROTESTING GENOCIDE, WAR CRIMES & ISRAEL'S BLOCKADE OF HUMANITARIAN SUPPLIES IS NOT ANTI-SEMITISM! UNCONDITIONAL US SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL HAS DESTROYED US CREDIBILITY. WHILE US MEDIA FAILS TO REPORT NETANYAHU'S CORRUPTION & LIES, IT IS BEING REPORTED ELSEWHERE!  THE US IS ARMING ISRAEL TO KILL CIVILIANS! ISRAEL HAS TARGETED JOURNALISTS TO SILENCE TRUTH!  ISRAEL HAS TARGETED MEDICS & RECENTLY LIED UNTIL VIDEO EXPOSED ISRAELI BARBARIANS!  ISRAEL HAS BOMBED HOSPITALS & KILLED MEDICAL STAFF - BURIED IN MASS GRAVES!  RELEASED ISRAELI PRISONERS REPORT ISRAELI TORTURE WITH SCARS TO PROVE IT!   MAYBE IT'S TIME FOR THOSE WEALTHY DONORS TO CONDEMN ISRAEL'S BARBARITY INSTEAD OF SILENCING LEGAL CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS. Harvard placing itself directly in Trump’s line of fire is giving Massachusetts Democrats a spotlight as their party looks for people to help lead the resistance to Trump 2.0 — particularly Gov. Maura Healey. Healey’s been making the rounds on the cable news circuit in recent weeks to talk about the fight between the administration and her alma mater. Earlier this month, she was on MSNBC warning the clash was “bigger than Harvard .” She cautioned on CNN’s “Amanpour” that China has been on college campuses in the U.S., threatening to “take away our talent” and putting the U.S.’s “competitive advantage” at risk. And asked over the weekend during an interview on CBS’s “Face the Nation” whether there was any evidence to merit Harvard losing its tax-exempt status as Trump warned the school could, Healey called the move “outrageous.” But “it's part of this continued playbook that Donald Trump has been using, which is to silence critics, right?” she said. GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS . Congrats to all the runners Monday! TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and Rep. Lori Trahan announce Housing Development Incentive Program awards at 10:30 a.m. in Fitchburg. Healey and first lady Joanna Lydgate walk their dog, Charlie, and plant a tree with local Girls Scouts to celebrate Earth Day at 2 p.m. in Medford. Rep. Richard Neal hosts a veterans’ roundtable on the impact of actions taken by the Trump administration at noon in Ludlow. Driscoll speaks at Haverhill Mayor Melinda Barrett's State of the City Address at 5:30 p.m. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Drop me a line: kgarrity@politico.com .    Cut through policy complexity and turn intelligence into action with POLITICO’s Policy Intelligence Assistant—a new suite of tools designed to save you time and demonstrate your impact more easily than ever—available only to Pro subscribers. Save hours, uncover critical insights instantly, and stay ahead of the next big shift. Power your strategy today— learn more .     From The Churches — Massachusetts leaders, Catholics mourn the death of Pope Francis by Katie Cole, WBUR.  RELATED — Boston’s Cardinal O’Malley to head to the Vatican, but could he be the next pope? by Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald: “Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley, who recently retired as Archbishop of Boston, will attend Pope Francis’s funeral at the Vatican but will not vote for the next pope. O’Malley, who turns 81 in June, lost his coveted voting rights once he turned 80, an aide close to O’Malley tells the Herald. ‘He will not be in the Sistine Chapel to vote’ with the other cardinals, the aide said, but he will be among his fellow cardinals as discussions over a successor begin.” MORE — Survivors of clergy sex abuse say Pope Francis' response to crisis was insufficien t by Craig LeMoult, GBH News. DATELINE BEACON HILL — Meet a 19-year-old who's trying to run for governor in Mass. by Mary Markos, NBC10 Boston: “A surprising candidate has emerged in the lead-up to the 2026 Massachusetts gubernatorial election: a 19-year-old Peabody resident and aspiring rap artist. Connor Gray has officially registered his independent campaign, promising a departure from traditional politics. In an interview with NBC10 Boston, Gray revealed that running for governor was not always in his life plans, but he feels compelled to do so.” — Will a bill to protect students from sex abuse by school staff finally pass this year? by Abigail Pritchard, The New Bedford Light. excerpt: On April 4, Jacob Pothier’s family filed a lawsuit in federal court, alleging that the Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School and its administrators failed to protect their son from an “inappropriate sexual relationship” with an employee.  Pothier died in a car crash in January 2024, just after his 18th birthday. Kathleen Martins, a former security officer at the school, was also in the car, sustaining serious injuries. Pothier had been in a relationship with Martins, which Pothier’s family said began while she was an employee at the school and Pothier was a student. In the complaint, Pothier’s family allege Martins sexually groomed their son. This type of grooming is all too common, according to Jetta Bernier, the executive director of Enough Abuse, who helped Lovely draft her legislation. In Massachusetts, individuals can consent to sexual activity once they’re 16 years old. Bernier said that abusive school personnel often groom a child for years so they can begin a sexual relationship once the child turns 16.  “The pain and heartbreak endured by the Pothier family is inexcusable and must not be allowed to persist,” New Bedford’s Sen. Mark Montigny wrote in a statement to The Light. Montigny is cosponsoring Lovely’s bill in the Senate, and said he previously drafted legislation to close the same “consent loophole.” “Beacon Hill should have prohibited this conduct years ago,” Montigny wrote in the statement. “There’s simply no excuse for the legislative inaction and these bills should pass as soon as possible.” THE RACE FOR CITY HALL ***BOSTON HERALD PROPAGANDA RAG IS FOCUSED ON OTHERS, IGNORING FATTMAN FAMILY ABUSE! ****  Mass. GOP couple agree to state's largest settlement after campaign finance investigation NBC BOSTON — Don’t diss Tania, Dianne Wilkerson warns candidates vying to replace disgraced Boston city councilor by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “Dianne Wilkerson, an ex-state senator whose political career ended after she was busted by the feds for taking a bribe, is warning candidates vying to replace Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson not to disrespect the disgraced city pol. Wilkerson, who sits on the District 7 Advisory Council that Fernandes Anderson is consulting about the timeline for her resignation and transition plans for the Roxbury-centric district, told candidates taking part in a recent forum that any pitches they may make about wanting to ‘restore honesty and integrity’ would not go over well.” excerpt:  Wilkerson resigned from the state Senate in 2008 and spent more than two years in jail after agreeing to plead guilty to charges tied to a federal corruption bust. She was infamously shown stuffing $1,000 in cash bribes into her bra in a photo that was released by the feds. — Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty to run for reelection by Adam Bass, MassLive: “Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty is running for reelection this year. Petty will announce his candidacy at Burncoat High School on Tuesday afternoon, according to a statement from his campaign. First elected in 2011, Petty has served seven terms as mayor and is now seeking an eighth. He plans to run on ‘a commitment to education, affordable housing, public safety, economic development—and to being a mayor who brings people together.’” PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES ****PUT THE BLAME WHERE IT BELONGS: KEOLIS!***** — New Bedford commuter train ensnared in delays, cancellations by Anastasia E. Lennon, The New Bedford Light: “The arrival of the rail to the South Coast was widely celebrated last month, but since opening day, its first weeks have been marked with delays and canceled trains. This past holiday weekend, with the 250th anniversary celebration of the American Revolution and the Boston Marathon, 10 trips on the Fall River and New Bedford lines (five inbound and five outbound) were replaced with bus service. And earlier this month, WJAR reported people were left ‘stranded’ in Boston after five hours of direct service to the South Coast were canceled due to staff shortages.” excerpt:  “We understand how these changes impact our riders who deserve an appropriate level of service and we want to express our appreciation for their continued support of transit by extending the fare-free weekend travel on this new line through the end of May,” Eng said in a statement. “We are in constant communication with Keolis as they work to address this matter for the long term.” According to the MBTA, Keolis, the contractor that runs the agency’s commuter rail network, is training additional crews to support the service on the new line. Currently, if a crew member calls out sick or misses their shift, trains may be cancelled if a qualified person is not available to replace them. Keolis is working to increase the number of “qualified conductors” within the South Coast Rail region, with a plan to reach 65 conductors by early June to increase rail reliability, per the MBTA. ****WHERE WAS THE WHITE TOOTHED GOVERNOR WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF THE MBTA? HOW ABOUT THE REPUBLICAN CLOWNS WHO WANT TO BE GOVERNOR & WERE PART OF THE BAKER FIASCO? THE MEDIA GAVE BAKER A FREE RIDE & IGNORED HIS INCOMPETENCE & APPOINTMENT OF POLITICAL LACKEYS! WHERE WERE THOSE WHO ARE CURRENTLY COMPLAINING?*****  — Some MBTA escalators have been down for years, testing patience of riders by Shannon Larson, The Boston Globe: “On a daily basis, closed escalators at MBTA stations pose accessibility issues and headaches for passengers, leaving them with the option to climb the stairs — a sweat-inducing workout for some, and a painful task for those with mobility challenges — or spend precious time during their busy commute waiting in line for an elevator, if one is available. While certain issues can be fixed within a day, others that require major work or new parts can take far longer. Across the transit system, 13 of 177 escalators were down last week, according to accessibility alerts posted by the T. Reasons ranged from ‘pending replacement’ to ‘undergoing maintenance.’” MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS — ‘Lorna’s Law’ gets an airing: Mother whose daughter died in Holyoke marijuana facility backs bill for better worker safety by Samuel Gelinas, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “Eight months after she started working in a Holyoke marijuana cultivation facility in 2021, 27-year-old Lorna McMurrey died from an asthma attack after inhaling ground cannabis dust while on the job — a death that drew national attention as it was the first to be traced to dust and mold deposits found within marijuana workspaces.” PAY WALL FROM THE 413 — Second Miss Hall's School alumna files civil lawsuit alleging negligence in allowing sexual abuse by teacher by Heather Bellow, The Berkshire Eagle PAY WALL THE LOCAL ANGLE — Report: Police decertifications, complaints, on the rise by Christian M. Wade, The Eagle-Tribune: “More than two dozen Massachusetts law enforcement officers were decertified last year by a largely civilian-led police oversight board. Charges against them ranged from excessive force, to theft, and sex crimes, according to a new report. Members of the state Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, which was created by a 2020 law overhauling policing in Massachusetts, stripped 30 officers of their police credentials in 2024 after investigations and disciplinary hearings determined they had broken the law or were unfit to wear the uniform.” PAY WALL — Wife of ousted Marshfield fire chief is running for office. It's not personal, she says by Hannah Morse, The Patriot Ledger: “The wife of Marshfield’s former fire chief, who was suddenly ousted from his position by the town’s select board last year, is running for local office. But Patricia ‘Trish’ Simpson says her entry into politics isn’t personal. Simpson faces incumbent Lynne Fidler in the sole Marshfield select board race on May 3. Fidler was first elected to the three-person board in 2022 and currently serves as the chairwoman. Marshfield select board members serve three-year terms.” PAY WALL — Acushnet debt exclusion will fund school HVAC project, if voters approve on April 22 by Matthew Ferreira, The Standard-Times: “Coming up on April 22, Acushnet will hold its local elections, where, aside from voting on candidates, residents will decide on a Proposition 2½ debt exclusion that would temporarily raise property taxes in order to fund an HVAC upgrade for Acushnet Elementary School.” PAY WALL MEANWHILE IN RHODE ISLAND — Dominick J. Ruggerio, R.I. Senate president, has died by Edward Fitzpatrick, The Boston Globe: “Rhode Island Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio, an old-school politician who wielded enormous influence over more than four decades as the longest-serving member of the state Legislature, died early Monday morning. He was 76. Senator Ruggerio, who had been battling cancer, died at about 3:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Fatima Hospital in North Providence, Senate spokesman Greg Pare said in a statement.” HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Drew O’Brien, Yasmina Vinci and Evan Dobelle. 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 X Kelly Garrity @KellyGarrity3   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters Follow us

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