POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Bay State Dems pitch the big tent

By Kelly Garrity Presented by  PROGRAMMING NOTE: Massachusetts Playbook is taking its annual end-of-summer hiatus next week, but we’ll be back Tuesday, Sept. 3. Don’t hesitate to reach out in the meantime to kgarrity@politico.com . MASSACHUSETTS' MANY MESSAGES — Three Massachusetts politicians took the stage at the United Center on the final night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. And each delivered a different message to the crowd of politicians, staffers, activists and stars as Democrats capped off a week of displays of joy and unity. Democratic Whip Katherine Clark put child care, one of her signature issues, atop Vice President Kamala Harris’ still emerging agenda — and tied former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance , to the Project 2025 policies (that the Trump camp has aggressively disavowed) that she said would raise costs for child care programs. Sen. Elizabeth Warren pitched Harris as a politician prepared to promote affordability by taking on Wall Street and Big Pharma (and ribbed Vance with a meme-inspired dig). And Gov. Maura Healey , who won a coveted prime-time slot Thursday night, used her airtime to tout Harris’ history as a prosecutor well suited to take on a former president embroiled in legal battles. Massachusetts’ varied messages — and varied messengers, who represent different corners of the Democratic Party — are a microcosm of the big tent Democrats hoped to put on full display this week with the parade of speakers that ranged from progressive icons like New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to former Republican lawmakers and ex-Trump officials , as Harris looks to scoop up support wherever she can in the still tight sprint to November. Harris made a direct appeal to voters across the political spectrum during her speech Thursday night. "I know there are people of various political views watching tonight, and I want you to know, I promise to be a president for all Americans," she said. "You can always trust me to put country above party and self, to hold sacred America's fundamental principles, from the rule of law to free and fair elections, to the peaceful transfer of power." For Democrats, there’s still work to be done. The pre-convention hand-wringing over protests may have been over the top considering the relatively quiet week in Chicago. But activists with pro-Palestinian “uncommitted” movement weren’t happy with convention organizers after they rejected its request to allow a Palestinian-American speaker to take the main stage. And Harris will still have to fine-tune in the weeks ahead exactly what her presidency would look like, as she prepares to take on Trump on the debate stage. GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Warren received one of the warmest welcomes of the week from the crowd. The applause that began when she emerged on stage lasted for more than a minute, and left Warren, who ran for president in 2020, teary eyed . But two of the Republicans battling to challenge the popular progressive in November were quick to turn the senator’s speech into an attack line. CRYPTO SCAMMER CARPETBAGGER DEATON JUST BLABBERS! YOU VOTED 3 TIMES IN 20 YEARS & ARE MINDLESSLY UNINFORMED! DID YOU EVEN NOTICE THE MENTION OF CFPB? YOU WANT SOMEONE TO EXPLAIN IT TO YOU? IT BENEFITS ALL CONSUMERS! CHINA BANNED CRYPTO FOR GOOD REASON!  IAN CAIN is a flip-flopper...didn't show up for important vote in QUINCY! VOTERS ARE WELL INFORMED! THAT'S WHY THE MASS GOP IS DWINDLING! IT'S ONLY "R" VOTERS WHO REFUSE TO INFORM THEMSELVES! Attorney and Marine veteran John Deaton accused Warren of prioritizing her national profile over Massachusetts residents in a statement sent out Thursday night. And Quincy City Council President Ian Cain called her speech a sign that “we need fresh blood and new thinking in Washington,” in a post on X . TODAY — Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll have no public events. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu attends St. Anthony's Feast at 6 p.m. in the North End. THIS WEEKEND — Early voting begins Saturday; it’s also the last day to register to vote before the Sept. 3 primary elections. State Auditor Diana DiZoglio attends the Islamic Society of the North Shore’s annual barbecue at 3 p.m. in Lynn Saturday. SUNDAY SHOWS — Sen. Elizabeth Warren is on WBZ’s “Keller @ Large” at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. Former Rep. Mike Capuano is on WCVB’s “On the Record” at 11 a.m. Sunday. Jesse Mermell, Wendy Wakeman and Glen Johnson are on NBC10 Boston’s “@Issue” airing Sunday at 11:30 a.m. on NBC10 and noon, 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. on NECN.   A message from Uber: Massachusetts Uber and Lyft drivers will now earn at least $32.50 while working on the app, making them some of the highest paid drivers in the country. This new rate sets a high standard for driver pay across the nation. Go deeper.   CONVENTION ZONE Some convention odds and ends: — The Washington Post got Gov. Maura Healey to try Malört .  — Democratic Whip Katherine Clark downed her own very Vermont-style shot with members of the Vermont delegation. — About those Beyoncé rumors ... — ICYMI: Massachusetts delegate Joe Caiazzo has a daily DNC update. Catch the last day's recap . — “‘The honeymoon’s inevitably going to end’: Harris dives into a critical stretch of the election,” by Eli Stokols, Adam Cancryn and Lisa Kashinsky, POLITICO.  — “IVF has become a hot topic at the DNC. In Mass., more couples use it to conceive,” by Scooty Nickerson, Izzy Bryars and Helena Getahun-Hawkins, The Boston Globe. — “At DNC, limited anxiety over possible attacks on Harris’ gender and race,” by Adam Reilly, GBH News: “Given how close Hillary Clinton came to becoming the first female U.S. president back in 2016 — and given how catastrophic her failure to break that barrier felt for many of her supporters — it’s no surprise that, at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, there are glimmers of concern that Kamala Harris might experience similar disappointment this fall. … Yet among the Massachusetts delegates gathered in Chicago, fears that a late-campaign barrage of racism and misogyny could derail Harris’ presidential bid seem relatively muted — and in some cases, entirely nonexistent.” — “Politics has changed since 2016. Look no further than the three powerful Mass. women who took center stage Thursday at the DNC,” by Emma Platoff, The Boston Globe: “Eight years ago, when Democrats last gathered in person for their convention, speakers from Massachusetts were given slots on the first night of the gathering, which typically gets a smaller audience. And most of the best-known state pols to take the stage were men. This year, the Bay State had a much more prestigious position — on Thursday night, in some of the final slots before Vice President Kamala Harris gives her acceptance speech. And it was Senator Elizabeth Warren, Governor Maura Healey, and House Democratic whip Katherine Clark at the podium, in prime billing for the state and the women who lead it.”   DON’T MISS OUR AI & TECH SUMMIT: Join POLITICO’s AI & Tech Summit for exclusive interviews and conversations with senior tech leaders, lawmakers, officials and stakeholders about where the rising energy around global competition — and the sense of potential around AI and restoring American tech knowhow — is driving tech policy and investment. REGISTER HERE .     DATELINE BEACON HILL *****STEWARD***** — “Locals side with Healey's plan to seize land under St. Elizabeth's despite landlord pushback,” by Mark Herz, GBH News: “Gov. Healey is moving forward with taking the land St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center sits on by eminent domain, despite pushback from the owners of the property — ACREFI CS U, LLC, Medical Properties Trust, and Apollo Global Management — saying they are rejecting her $4.5 million dollar offer as part of the taking. Employees of St. Elizabeth’s and a local politician want Healey’s plan — to seize the land and transfer operation of the hospital to Boston Medical Center — to be allowed to proceed.” FROM THE HUB — “Mid-century ‘urban renewal’ tore Boston apart. Air rights projects are starting to sew it back together again,” by Murray Whyte, The Boston Globe. — “‘We feel like our hands are tied’: Developers and Black church sue BPDA to build apartments on wooded land in Hyde Park,” by Jon Chesto, The Boston Globe: “The long-running fight over a large swath of wooded land on the border of Hyde Park and Roslindale has moved from City Hall to the courtroom. A court-imposed deadline this week represents the latest chapter in a dispute between the Jubilee Christian Church, home to one of New England’s largest Black congregations, and the Boston Planning & Development Agency, which Jubilee accuses of slow-walking its plans to build a 200-plus unit apartment complex in what’s known by neighbors as ‘Crane Ledge Woods.’” BALLOT BATTLES — “Massachusetts Republicans exploring emergency shelter ballot question for 2026 election,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “Massachusetts Republicans are having early conversations about advancing a ballot question for the 2026 election that would attempt to codify into state law a series of restrictions Gov. Maura Healey has placed on the emergency shelter system, lawmakers and party officials told the Herald. The effort, the success of which may depend on who wins the presidential election in November, could formalize later this year or in early 2025 after focus shifts away from the contest for the White House and the Massachusetts gubernatorial race starts to take shape, those involved in the preliminary discussions said.”  BOSTON HERALD RAG - PAYWALL! NOT WORTH IT!   A message from Uber:     YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS — “Candidates for 3rd Berkshire District discuss climate issues, storm readiness at forum,” by Sten Spinella, The Berkshire Eagle: “All four candidates running for State Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli's seat for the 3rd Berkshire District agreed on one thing during Wednesday's climate-focused forum: Whoever wins must be proactive in securing money for storm readiness.” MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS — “Cannabis commissioner pushing for forensic audit of agency,” by Bhaamati Borkhetaria, CommonWealth Beacon. PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES — “MBTA board, but not Tibbits-Nutt, talks new revenue,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Beacon: “The MBTA board of directors spent some time Thursday looking back at what has gone wrong with funding of the transit authority over the last several decades, and then looked ahead to a fast-approaching deadline to get things back on track. … Monica Tibbits-Nutt, the secretary of transportation, a member of the MBTA board, and the co-chair of the transportation revenue task force, said nothing during the T board’s discussion about new revenues. In April at an event hosted by WalkMassachusetts, Tibbits-Nutt talked enthusiastically about assembling a transportation revenue package, including new tolls at the state’s borders. Healey four days later disavowed the talk about border tolls, and Tibbits-Nutt has said almost nothing about new revenues since.”   SUBSCRIBE TO GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Don’t miss out on POLITICO’s Global Playbook, our newsletter taking you inside pivotal discussions at the most influential gatherings in the world. Suzanne Lynch delivers the world's elite and influential moments directly to you. Stay in the global loop. SUBSCRIBE NOW .     THE LOCAL ANGLE — “‘I feel really lucky’: Pushed out of Everett, Priya Tahiliani takes helm of troubled Brockton schools,” by Deanna Pan, The Boston Globe. — “MBTA Board approves 545 housing units near Riverside station in Newton,” by Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald. — “'Alarming lack of transparency': Worcester city councilors weigh in on WPI hotel plan,” by Marco Cartolano, Telegram & Gazette: “A city commission meeting scheduled Thursday where Worcester Polytechnic Institute's controversial plans to buy two hotels in the city so they can be turned into student housing would likely be discussed has been postponed to Aug. 29. Meanwhile, talks are ongoing between the city and WPI representatives about a potential meeting, and multiple city councilors have joined in on blasting WPI's conduct.” — “Barnstable wind farm cable opponents unfazed at legal setback,” by Heather McCarron, Cape Cod Times: “Barnstable residents who want a public review of the Town Council's recent side agreement with Avangrid Renewables for its New England Wind 1 project were denied their request in Barnstable Superior Court to withhold the related easements until the matter is resolved. However, their lawsuit challenging the agreement remains in play.” MEANWHILE IN RHODE ISLAND — “R.I. Republican mayoral candidates spar over votes on immigrant tuition, safe injection sites,” by Edward Fitzpatrick, The Boston Globe.   A message from Uber: Massachusetts Uber and Lyft drivers will soon receive comprehensive benefits alongside their new pay rate. Benefits include health insurance stipends for those working over 15 hours a week, paid sick leave, and occupational accident insurance. These enhancements provide vital support and security for drivers, ensuring they have access to essential healthcare and financial protection. These new benefits mark a significant improvement in the quality of life for rideshare drivers. Go deeper.   HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH TRANSITIONS — Dana Alas will serve as the executive director Boston's Office of Women’s Advancement. She previously helped lead 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East and served as an adviser on Mayor Michelle Wu ’s 2021 transition team. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Springfield state Rep. Carlos González, Everett state Rep. Joe McGonagle, Joshua Ostroff, George Schadler, Dianne Bagley Smith, Shelley Long (the actress who played “Diane Chambers” in “Cheers”), Robert Solow and Yanisa Techagumthorn. Happy belated to James Kugel, who celebrated Thursday. HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND — to Lawrence Bacow, Emily Cherniack, Sarah Heinonen, former NH congressional candidate and Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, and Keith Sonia of Regina Villa Associates, who celebrate Saturday; and to Sunday birthday-ers Maria Nation and Chandra Allard.  HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY — to late-August birthday-ers WCVB’s Sharman Sacchetti, Hampshire County Register of Deeds Mary Olberding, Eric Fehrnstrom, Quint Forgey and Francis Morris, who celebrate Monday; Westford state Rep. Jim Arciero, Robert Orthman, Sierra LaBonte, Jaime Watson and Noah Futterman, who celebrate Tuesday; state Rep. Christine Barber, Katie Bowler, Revere City Council President Anthony Cogliandro and Meghan Sorensen, who celebrate Wednesday; Kelly Smith, Michael Segal and Ben Martello, who celebrate Thursday; The Washington Post’s Martine Powers, a Boston Globe/POLITICO alum, and Julia Hoffman, who celebrate Friday, Aug. 30; and to state Rep. Smitty Pignatelli and state Sen. Becca Rausch, who celebrate Saturday, Aug. 31. HAPPY EXTRA EARLY BIRTHDAY — to early September birthday-ers Amy Friguletti and Alan Dershowitz, who celebrate Sunday, Sept. 1; and former Rep. Michael Harrington, who celebrates Monday, Sept. 2. 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 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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POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Healey takes Chicago

By Lisa Kashinsky and Kelly Garrity Presented by  PROGRAMMING NOTE: Massachusetts Playbook is taking its annual end-of-summer hiatus starting Monday, Aug. 26. We’ll be back Tuesday, Sept. 3. THE VIEW FROM CHICAGOLAND — To hear Bryan Rafanelli tell it, Maura Healey is playing the political “long game.” At least that’s what the event planner and prolific Democratic bundler told a room of party activists who had gathered to meet the Massachusetts governor at a winery on the north side of the Chicago River on Tuesday afternoon. “We are going to elevate Maura — continue to elevate Maura — as much as we can,” he said. “Because she deserves it.” As Healey navigates her first Democratic National Convention as governor, it’s become clear she and her allies have some work to do on that front — at least if she’s aiming for higher office someday. And, despite the rumor mill, that’s a big if. Healey is not on delegates’ lists of governors they’d like to see run for president down the line, one that often includes two others from her class — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore — and other fan favorites like Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Some told POLITICO they only know her as one of the nation’s first two lesbian governors. Others said they haven’t heard of her at all. “She’s less visible. I’m just being honest,” said Ken Bohan, a delegate from Houston, after hearing Healey speak at the LGBTQ+ caucus on Monday. “But there’s always that dark horse person you don’t know as much about today.” At a convention where several of her ambitious counterparts are blitzing swing-state delegate breakfasts (Shapiro, Moore, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker) and sponsoring key states’ receptions (California Rep. Ro Khanna), Healey’s intentions are more murky — or simply not the same. She’s hosted her own reception and joined events focused on climate and featuring LGBTQ+ and women leaders. And she has done interviews with media throughout New England as she works to promote the Democratic ticket. But many of her wheelings and dealings — she’s attended receptions hosted by Whitmer and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, for instance — at the party’s confab in Chicago have played out behind the scenes. And she is less recognizable to delegates, to the press and even to convention staffers — one of whom admonished Healey for briefly standing on the edge of the bleachers on Monday night only to have a member of the governor’s team respond: “That’s the governor of Massachusetts.” The staffer walked away red-faced. But those who do know about Healey believe she has a bright future ahead. After she delivered a fiery pitch for Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz at the LGBTQ+ caucus, activist Tanya Hackney told POLITICO, “We wish for someone like [Healey]” in her home state of Indiana. And Healey’s comedic timing at a Wednesday panel of Democratic female governors moderated by the actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus endeared her to Abby Clark of Michigan. “She was so relaxed and funny. It was really fun to see her joking around with a very famous comedian. It’s hard not to be intimidated by that, and she seemed so at ease and was really pithy in her remarks. She was great,” Clark said. “I absolutely think Maura Healey has national chops.” Delegates across more than a dozen interviews didn’t want to get ahead of Healey by labeling her as a potential presidential hopeful down the line. One person who would like to see Healey run for president someday: New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley — so the first-in-the-nation primary state can once again have a candidate to claim as their own. GOOD THURSDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Healey will get a chance to introduce herself on the national stage tonight. Her convention speech will lean on her experience working with Harris when they were both attorneys general, according to a person familiar with her remarks, and will draw the distinction between Harris as a prosecutor and former President Donald Trump as a convicted felon (as Harris herself often does on the trail). TODAY — Healey, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark and Sen. Elizabeth Warren are expected to speak on the mainstage at the United Center in Chicago tonight. Warren is also set to speak at the breakfasts hosted by the Wisconsin and Oklahoma delegations. Rep. Ayanna Pressley joins a panel on “The Politics of Student Debt,” attends a DNC Youth Council Meeting and is on a panel with activist and podcast host Brittany Packnett Cunningham.   A message from Uber: Massachusetts Uber and Lyft drivers now earn at least $32.50 while working on the app, making them some of the highest paid drivers in the country. This new rate sets a high standard for driver pay across the nation. Learn more about what higher pay means for the state.   CONVENTION ZONE SPOTTED — House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz taking batting practice at Wrigley Field on Wednesday during a Harris campaign event. ALSO SPOTTED — at the POLITICO/CNN Grill: Gov. Maura Healey, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz, BHA Administrator Kenzie Bok, and Joe Caiazzo.  SHOUTOUT — Actress and Massachusetts native Mindy Kaling gave a nod to her home state Wednesday night. WALZ WATCH — “Watch out, Trump: Walz shows he’s not just Minnesota nice,” by Elena Schneider and Lauren Egan, POLITICO: “Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz wants to be America’s coach. In his primetime convention speech Wednesday, Democrats pitched Kamala Harris’ vice presidential pick as the straight-talking coach, Midwestern neighbor and ‘the guy who will dig you out of a snowbank,’ as a former student described him. It’s the kind of biography, rare in today’s Democratic Party, that the Harris campaign hopes will help them cut into Donald Trump’s lead with male voters and close the historically large gender gap.” — “‘Just glad they’re here’: Harris’s 2020 backers celebrate Democrats lining up behind her now,” by Sam Brodey, The Boston Globe.  — “Rising Democrats angle for 2028 and beyond in Chicago,” by Adam Wren, Lisa Kashinsky, Adam Cancryn and Holly Otterbein, POLITICO.  WATCH — “Rep. Ayanna Pressley on Harris-Walz ticket, recent ‘Squad’ primary losses,” by CBS News.    DON’T MISS OUR AI & TECH SUMMIT: Join POLITICO’s AI & Tech Summit for exclusive interviews and conversations with senior tech leaders, lawmakers, officials and stakeholders about where the rising energy around global competition — and the sense of potential around AI and restoring American tech knowhow — is driving tech policy and investment. REGISTER HERE .     DATELINE BEACON HILL *****STEWARD****** — “St. Elizabeth's landlord rejects eminent domain bid; Healey responds 'stop playing games',” by Priyanka Dayal McCluskey and Martha Bebinger, WBUR: “The company that controls Steward Health Care’s hospital properties in Massachusetts has rejected Gov. Maura Healey’s proposal to save St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center by seizing its building and grounds for $4.5 million. The firm, a subsidiary of Apollo Global Management, said that offer is a mere fraction of the property’s assessed value of more than $200 million. … Still, Healey’s plan is unchanged, her spokesperson, Jillian Fennimore, said Wednesday. ‘Steward and Apollo need to stop playing games with people’s health care,’ she said by email. ‘We are moving forward with plans to take St. Elizabeth’s by eminent domain.’” FROM THE HUB — “Defense attorneys for Boston Marathon bomber seek recusal of judge overseeing case,” by Steve LeBlanc, The Associated Press: “Attorneys for Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev are seeking to remove the judge overseeing the protracted legal battle over Tsarnaev’s death sentence. Tsarnaev’s lawyers said during a hearing in federal court in Boston on Wednesday that U.S. District Court Judge George O’Toole should be recused from the case, pointing to what they said were comments O’Toole made about the case on podcasts and at public events during the appeals process. Prosecutors said they are not opposed to a hearing on the issue, but they said they believe the motion is meritless.” — “After violence, Boston city councilor urges police leadership to request backup for weekend festival, events,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “Citing concerns with violence and low staffing levels, a Boston city councilor formally requested that police department leadership enlist the help of outside law enforcement agencies to 'ensure public safety' at this weekend’s festival and events." — “Boston mayors have tried to rein in police overtime for decades. Why won’t it stick?,” by Dan Glaun, The Boston Globe.   A message from Uber:     MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS — “Cape Cod town’s fight over shelter project with Massachusetts housing attorney escalates,” by Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald: “The fight over a proposed homeless shelter on Cape Cod continues to escalate, with a town’s Planning Board denying alleged conflicts of interest that the applicant’s attorney believes have driven ‘vehement opposition.’” YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS —  “As she readies to hit the trail for Kamala Harris, Senator Elizabeth Warren brings in $828,000 for her own reelection bid,”  by Samantha J. Gross, The Boston Globe: “Senator Elizabeth Warren raised $828,311 in the last six weeks for her reelection bid, her campaign said, marking an 80 percent uptick compared to the same time period last quarter.” — “Simmering Hampden Senate Race Boils over in August Home Stretch,” by Matt Szafranski, Western Mass Politics & Insight: “From the moment the contest began the subtext—and sometimes outright text—of the Hampden Senate District’s Democratic primary would be who could represent it best. Therefore, it was probably fate that the battle between Senator Adam Gomez and Springfield City Councilor Malo Brown would take a nasty turn. That happened mid-August, weeks before the September 3 primary.” — “Acting governor talks up early in-person voting in Springfield ahead of Sept. 3 primary,” by James Foster, The Springfield Republican. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Former Lt. Gov. Tim Murray and Teamsters Local 25 have endorsed Dave Reservitz in the race for the currently vacant District 2 Governor's Council seat. — State Rep. Jerry Parisella is backing Tom Driscoll' s reelection bid for Essex County clerk of courts.   SUBSCRIBE TO GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Don’t miss out on POLITICO’s Global Playbook, our newsletter taking you inside pivotal discussions at the most influential gatherings in the world. Suzanne Lynch delivers the world's elite and influential moments directly to you. Stay in the global loop. SUBSCRIBE NOW .     BALLOT BATTLES — “Eliminate the tipped minimum wage? Both sides debate Massachusetts Ballot Question 5,” by Jeremy Siegel and Lisa Wardle, GBH News.  THE LOCAL ANGLE — “Somerville grapples with a rise in unsheltered homelessness,” by Tori Bedford, GBH News: “City officials and homeless advocates say there has been a surge over the last few months of unhoused people spending nights in the woods near Alewife Station and in tents in East Somerville in Statue Park and Chuckie Harris Park.” — “New Bedford schools roll out new cell phone policies,” by  Colin Hogan, The New Bedford Light: “Administrators will take a new approach to cell phones when school resumes later this month. Normandin and Roosevelt middle schools and local charter Global Learning will use pouches and lockboxes to enforce cell phone restrictions. Meanwhile, New Bedford High has eased off its plan to lock away students’ phones.” — “Worcester Housing Authority revokes rent-security policy,” by Marco Cartolano, Telegram & Gazette: “The Worcester Housing Authority Board of Commissioners has rescinded its policy of two upfront prepayments from lease signees, according to the public housing agency.”   A message from Uber: Massachusetts Uber and Lyft drivers now receive comprehensive benefits, including health insurance stipends for those working over 15 hours a week, paid sick leave, and occupational accident insurance. These protections ensure drivers have the support they need while maintaining their independence and mark a significant improvement in drivers’ quality of life. See how these benefits are changing gig work.   WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD BE READING — “Sports betting is soaking ‘financially constrained’ households,” by Michael Jonas, CommonWealth Beacon: “While political leaders and policymakers voice concerns about the large number of families living on the financial edge, often extolling the value of various government-sponsored savings plans, they have simultaneously legalized sports betting, embracing an industry that is directly undermining the goal of saving for the future. That’s the finding of a massive new study looking at the impact of sports betting on household finances in the first six years since a 2018 US Supreme Court decision cleared the way for states to legalize gambling on sports.” — “New study links slaveholder ancestry with higher net worth for members of Congress,” by Esmy Jimenez, The Boston Globe. — “MIT sees sharp drop in diversity in 1st post-affirmative action class,” by Juliet Schulman-Hall, MassLive: “Following the Supreme Court’s June 2023 ruling against the use of affirmative action in higher education, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology released data on Wednesday detailing a less diverse incoming academic class. Stu Schmill, MIT’s dean of admissions and student financial services, said the percentage of Black, Hispanic, Native American or Pacific Islander students at the school has decreased from an average of 25% to 16% for the incoming class.” — “One Portrait But Two IDs: Is That You, Gov. Greenhalge?” by Sam Doran, State House News Service. HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Mark Martinez, Greg Shanahan, Alvin Buyinza and Margie Berkowitz. 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 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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