 | By Kelly Garrity | BRAVO TO MAYOR MICHELLE WU FOR STANDING UP TO TOM HOMAN'S LIES! PROBLEMS WITH POTUS — Boston mayoral hopeful Josh Kraft has a Donald Trump problem, but not the one you might expect. The GOP in D.C. keeps handing Mayor Michelle Wu new opportunities to position herself as Boston’s chief defender at a time when the city’s largely left-leaning voting base is looking for a fighter. After getting grilled by congressional Republicans and bashed by border czar Tom Homan , Wu took a direct hit from the White House Thursday. ***TARGETING BOSTON WITH LIES? DAFFY DON INVOKED THE ALIEN ENEMIES ACT OF 1798 THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DECLARED BY A JUDGE TO BE ILLEGAL - WHEN DID CONGRESS DECLARE WAR?
PRIOR TO SENDING MEN TO THE EL SALVADOR HUMAN RIGHTS HELL HOLE, NO CRIMINAL CHECKS WERE CONDUCTED - MANY OR MOST HAVE NO CRIMINAL HISTORIES! THESE DIM WITS SUBSEQUENTLY DEFIED A COURT ORDER! NOW THREATENING THE JUDGE WITH IMPEACHMENT THAT JOHN ROBERTS ADDRESSED - THEY CAN'T DO IT!
INFORM YOURSELF BEFORE BELIEVING LIES! BOSTON IS AN INSPIRING CITY DUE TO ITS MULTI-CULTURAL POPULATION! ***** “Boston’s Radical Mayor Puts Violent Criminal Illegal Aliens First,” the header of an email sent from the White House’s Office of Communications Thursday afternoon read. It accused Wu of doubling down “on giving sanctuary to violent criminal illegal immigrants” during her State of the City address the night before. (It’s a leap from what Wu actually said: that the city would stand with immigrants.) The jab offered Wu another opening, which she seized on. “I’m glad that the White House watched the speech, but Boston’s record does not match their reckless propaganda,” she said in a statement. “Boston is proud to be the safest major city in the country, and we work with all levels of law enforcement every day to prevent crime and hold perpetrators accountable. If the Trump administration is truly concerned about safety, they should fund healthcare and education, support our veterans, pass common sense gun reforms, and stop threatening our economy." So far, each attempt by national Republicans to undermine Wu has had the opposite effect. The mayor emerged from the sanctuary city hearing on Capitol Hill with sound bites she wove into an intro video for her speech Wednesday night, and she’s repeatedly twisted Homan’s warning about bringing “hell” on the city back on him. (“Come high water or hell — no matter who threatens to bring it — Boston has stood up for the people we love and the country we built,” she said during her speech Wednesday night.) THE NEWTON NEBBISH SHOULD FOLD HIS TENT & RETURN TO HIS HALLOWED SANCTUARY! JUST A FLASH IN THE PAN! All the back-and-forth between Wu and Washington has at times left little oxygen for Kraft’s campaign. And the first-time candidate has to pick his criticism of the Wu’s defense carefully (or avoid it all together), or risk coming off like he’s attacking the city he’s hoping to lead. GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS . Happy Friday! TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey, first lady Joanna Lydgate and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll attend the Wonderfund’s Period Party at 11:30 a.m. in Boston. House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark is the keynote speaker at the Women Elected Municipal Officials Leadership Conference at 8:30 a.m. in Wrentham. Rep. Lori Trahan hosts a roundtable with superintendents and representatives from universities and community colleges on the White House’s effort to dismantle the Education Department at 10:30 a.m. in Fitchburg. THIS WEEKEND — Rep. Lori Trahan is on WBZ’s “Keller @ Large” at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. Attorney General Andrea Campbell is on WCVB’s “On the Record” at 11 a.m. Sunday. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Drop me a line: kgarrity@politico.com .
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| — “Gov. Maura Healey met with top official in Trump administration during Washington trip,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “Gov. Maura Healey talked with American Airlines’ top executive days after a jet and military helicopter collided in Washington and met with a key Trump administration official while she was in DC last month, according to a copy of her February calendar released to the Herald. The two meetings were part of a packed month in which Healey also held court with a lieutenant general in the Air Force, talked with offshore wind developers alongside her energy and environmental affairs secretary, and welcomed the king of Jordan to Massachusetts.”
excerpt: The meeting between Blair and Healey came a day after Trump and Maine Gov. Janet Mills had a fiery exchange at the White House over a threat to deny federal funding to the state unless officials there banned transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports. In a national media interview released about a week later but taped after Healey returned from Washington, the Massachusetts governor said she was sitting at Mills’ table when Trump singled her out. “What I saw as so upsetting in that exchange was when he looked at her, and I was sitting at the table, and he leered at her, and he said, ‘we are the federal law. We are the federal law,’” Healey said. “I heard somebody who thinks he’s king.” Healey pledged at the end of January to work with Trump where it benefited Massachusetts but also to “stand up for the interests of Massachusetts residents, of our businesses, of our economy when the federal administration and President Trump do something that hurts us.” But in the weeks since the meeting with Blair, Healey has ramped up her criticism of the Trump administration in the wake of widespread efforts to slash federal funding that states rely on and reduce the size of the federal government. Trump has also increasingly targeted Massachusetts over the state’s immigration policies and alleged antisemitism at institutions of higher education, actions that have prompted Healey to fire back at the Republican president. “Sometimes I wonder if the Trump administration really understands what they’re doing. And you know, it is important that we educate members of the Trump administration and President Trump about the impact of things like cuts to medical research,” she said earlier this week during a visit to Boston Children’s Hospital. Healey’s meeting with Blair at the White House was not the only high-profile talk she had last month. The governor held a less than hour-long call with American Airlines CEO Robert Isom on Feb. 4, according to her calendar. The call came about a week after American Airlines Flight 5342 and an Army helicopter collided midair in Washington D.C. All 67 aboard both aircraft were killed. “The governor reached out to Robert Isom to express her sympathies and support following the crash, which claimed the lives of Massachusetts residents,” a spokesperson for Healey said in response to a question about the call. Six of the victims on the American Airlines flight were members of the Skating Club of Boston — Spencer Lane, 16, Jinna Han, 13, and their mothers Christine Lane and Jin Han. The Hans were from Mansfield and the Lanes were from Barrington, Rhode Island. The victims also included coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov of Norwood. Investigators probing the cause of the crash have said the helicopter may have had inaccurate altitude readings just before the collision and the crew may not have heard critical instructions from air traffic controllers. A spokesperson for American Airlines confirmed that Healey offered condolences to the airline’s staff who died in the crash. Healey also held a less than hour-long call on Feb. 28 with Air Force Lt. Gen. Donna D. Shipton, who is the commander of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, according to Healey’s February calendar. Lt. Gen. Shipton is in charge of “total life cycle management” for aircraft, engines, munitions, electronic, computer, network, cyber and agile combat support systems, according to the Air Force. The center she runs employs more than 28,000 people and has a $300 billion-plus budget, the military said. A spokesperson for Healey said the meeting was about the Massachusetts Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force, which is responsible for the six military installations in the state. “Gov. Healey is strongly committed to supporting military defense, installations, and infrastructure in Massachusetts, and our strong partnership with the federal government is key to that,” Healey’s spokesperson said in a statement. | | FROM THE HUB |
| ****BOSTON SCHOOL CLOSURES!**** — “Boston School Committee OKs school closure, merger plan,” by John Hilliard, The Boston Globe: “The Boston School Committee Thursday night approved the controversial closure of three public high schools and an elementary school, plus the merger of two more schools, after many parents and educators made last-minute pleas for a reprieve. The plan, which was approved in a 5 to 1 vote, affects as many as 1,300 students, and means Community Academy in Jamaica Plain, Excel High School in South Boston, and Mary Lyon Pilot High School in Allston/Brighton — as well as Paul A. Dever Elementary School in Dorchester — will close at the end of the 2025-26 school year.” ***INTERESTING ARGUMENTS!**** — “Boston’s White Stadium trial ends after three days, with fate of $200M soccer plan up in the air,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “A trial that will decide the fate of the City of Boston’s $200 million public-private plan to rehab White Stadium for a pro soccer team ended with closing arguments focused on the plaintiffs’ main claim that the use will privatize protected parkland. Attorneys for the defendants, the City of Boston and Boston Unity Soccer Partners, and the plaintiffs, Emerald Necklace Conservancy and 20 park neighbors, used their final moments of this week’s trial summarizing their respective positions around whether the proposed project violates Article 97 of the state Constitution.” excerpt: Nestor ruled in favor of the city on all pre-trial motions, effectively dismissing half of the plaintiffs’ case. His prior ruling threw out one of the plaintiffs’ major claims, but left an avenue for their attorneys to try to prove the other at this week’s trial, which is that the proposed plan violates Article 97 of the state constitution. Article 97, approved by voters in 1972, requires two-thirds approval from the state Legislature for other uses for land and easements taken or acquired for conservation purposes. The city and BUSP deny the privatization claim. They have argued that the city and Boston Public Schools would maintain ownership of Franklin Park’s White Stadium through a lease agreement, which would see the new National Women’s Soccer League team, as tenants, share use of the facility with BPS student-athletes. Gary Ronan, an attorney for the city, said during his closing arguments that the proposal does not constitute a new use for the portion of relevant parkland, in that the public-private plan is for an existing stadium to be rebuilt. “There is no case in the Commonwealth… where the court has found something like a giant sports stadium is protected by Article 97,” Ronan said. “All that’s happening now is a reconstruction of White Stadium. The existing facility was already approved by the General Court.” Alan Lipkind, an attorney for the plaintiffs, disagreed. “This is putting a $200 million sports and entertainment complex in what’s supposed to be a schoolboy stadium,” Lipkind said. “You have to go through land that’s protected by Article 97 to get there.” THE NATIONAL TAKE — “In sports-crazed Boston, a fight over a women’s soccer stadium,” by Joe Drape, The New York Times: “For nearly 50 years, the ramshackle White Stadium in Frederick Law Olmsted’s Franklin Park in Boston has been a monument to neglect. The peeling paint and potholed track a testament to a neighborhood long victimized by the city’s politics of race. Now, this stadium may finally be getting a second life as the home of one of the National Women’s Soccer League’s newest franchises. But in sports-crazed Boston, not everyone is happy.”
| | PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES |
| ****SOUTH COAST RAIL!***** — “All aboard: The MBTA to unveil long-awaited South Coast Rail line,” by Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez, WBUR: “It's a project roughly 40 years and $1.1 billion in the making: Rail service that reconnects passengers in South Coast communities, like New Bedford, Fall River and Taunton, to Boston. Trains are set to start rolling Monday on the MBTA’s long-awaited South Coast Rail project.” ****UBER & LYFT FEE INCREASE!**** — “Board approves higher Uber and Lyft fees at Logan Airport,” by Jeremy Siegel, GBH News: “Rideshare passengers will soon have to pay a couple more dollars for trips to or from Logan Airport. Massachusetts Port Authority board members voted unanimously Thursday morning on a series of fee hikes affecting apps like Uber and Lyft, as well as limos, taxis and parking for passengers and employees. Starting in July, the per-trip fee for ride-hailing apps will rise from $3.25 to $5.50.”
| | FROM THE DELEGATION |
| — “Trahan seeks overhaul of federal privacy law,” by Christian M. Wade, The Eagle-Tribune: “U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan is leading a push in Congress to close loopholes in a half-century-old federal privacy law that critics say has allowed the Trump administration to ‘weaponize’ the personal financial data of tens of millions of Americans. Trahan, D-Westford, on Tuesday released an open ‘request for information’ letter to civil society, groups, privacy experts, recently fired federal employees and the general public seeking input about potential misuse of the Privacy Act of 1974, which was approved by Congress in response to the Watergate scandal.”
PAY WALL | | TRUMPACHUSETTS |
| — “With Trump changes, Campbell taking ‘bring it on’ approach,” by Sam Drysdale, State House News Service (paywall): “Warning of "economic hardship" and a possible "constitutional crisis," Attorney General Andrea Campbell delivered a message Thursday for President Donald Trump, who her office has already sued more than half a dozen times. ‘You have an attorney general, that is like 'bring it on,'’ Campbell said during a speech to business leaders, discussing her office's efforts to combat Trump's agenda in his first two months in office. During her prepared remarks, which focused almost entirely on the federal administration, Campbell accused Trump of ‘operating like a king,’ saying ‘I do think the goal is to put more power in the executive branch.’” ****USDA FUNDING & STAFF CUTS!**** — “Mass. agriculture commissioner urges federal government to release funds and rehire USDA staff,” by Bhaamati Borkhetaria, CommonWealth Beacon: “With the spring growing season rapidly approaching even earlier than it normally would, the commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources sent a letter urging the federal government to release frozen funds for farmers and reinstate staff at the US Department of Agriculture. Farmers in Massachusetts are preparing for their growing season – which means deciding what crops to grow, how many greenhouses to build, and how much money to spend. The recent funding freezes and large staff cuts at federal government agencies initiated by the Trump administration have created uncertainty across industries.” ***WORTH READING IN ITS ENTIRETY!**** PROJECT 2025 IS A MOVE TO PRIVATIZE SCHOOLS & DESTROY PUBLIC EDUCATION - ALWAYS A GOAL FOR KOCH & MAGA! BETSY DEVOS REAPED THE PROFITS BY DESTROYING EDUCATION WITH HER PHONY SCHOOLS THAT FAILED TO EDUCATE KIDS! — “‘The damage is so big’: How ending the Dept. of Ed. could impact Mass.,” by Juliet Schulman-Hall, MassLive: “President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday that begins the efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. For a state like Massachusetts, which is known for its higher education and education system, the impact of eliminating the department would be a ‘direct hit to Massachusetts’ economic future,’ according to Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao.”
excerpts: “Our state’s innovation economy — driven by world-class universities, a highly skilled workforce and cutting-edge industries — depends on strong federal investment in education,” Hao said. “Gutting that support threatens the pipeline of talent that fuels our businesses, weakens workforce development programs that help residents build careers and creates uncertainty for employers looking to grow here. Massachusetts succeeds when education and economic opportunity go hand in hand, and this move puts both at risk.” Finalizing the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education is likely impossible without an act of Congress, which created the department in 1979. However, despite needing Congressional intervention, Will Ragland at the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank, told MassLive that the Trump administration can effectively shut the department down by stripping it back until it barely has anyone working there and can’t operate. The Trump administration has already been gutting the agency. Its workforce is being slashed in half and there have been deep cuts to the Office for Civil Rights and the Institute of Education Sciences, which gathers data on the nation’s academic progress. All those at the regional Boston office of the U.S. Education Department were fired. Public school fundingWhile the Trump administration has said the money saved through eliminating the Department of Education would be passed on to the states, the conservative playbook of Project 2025 has laid out reasons to believe the money may not support public education. Chapter 11 of the plan states that school funding should be “sent to states.” The first page of the chapter highlights and encourages a state plan where that money would be used on “education options such as private school tuition, online courses and tutoring” rather than on public school education. During Trump’s presidential campaign, he denied his involvement in Project 2025. However, his aim to significantly cut the federal agency is in line with what is stated in the conservative blueprint. Most students go to public schools in Massachusetts and 95% of students with disabilities in the United States in 2022 attended public schools, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. As such, defunding programs has the potential to have damaging impacts on every student, especially those who are already disadvantaged, Sivongxay said. As a parent of two children in the Cambridge Public Schools, Sivongxay said she is particularly worried about the potential cuts to teacher salaries and support because there is already a shortage in the state. She is also concerned about the potential cuts to summer programming. “If there is disruption in the summer programs, all the hard work that the student and the teacher did during this school year is going to be lost,” she said. “I want every student and every child in our community to have access to those, because ... my child is going to have a better future when his peers have the same opportunities as he does,” she said. | | FROM THE 413 |
| — “A proposed 'median safety' ordinance draws backlash from Pittsfield residents who say it unfairly targets panhandlers,” by Maryjane Williams, The Berkshire Eagle: “The ordinance, proposed by Mayor Peter Marchetti, states that every pedestrian has the right to use public ways in Pittsfield (except where it’s expressly prohibited), but there has been ‘an increase in public safety issues relating to pedestrian use of and entry into the public roadways identified herein.’ It is slated for discussion at the Committee on Ordinances and Rules meeting on Monday; protesters said they plan to attend to voice their concerns.”
| | THE LOCAL ANGLE |
| ****HOMELESSNESS! MAGA REPUBLICANS IGNORE THE ISSUE OR BLAME MIGRANTS AS AN EXCUSE!**** — “'A backlog of clients': Health official outlines homeless shelter needs for councilors,” by Toni Caushi, Telegram & Gazette: “Concern about rising homelessness was shared at the City Council meeting Tuesday following a report that highlighted a continued need for shelters and housing in the city. Dr. Matilde Castiel, the city commissioner of Health and Human Services, referenced the findings of the Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance in saying the rate of homelessness has increased across all ages in the past five years, especially among those above 65.” excerpt: “Some people may have an apartment and they’re paying X amount of dollars and within two months they’re going to be evicted because the landlord wants to increase the rent and that creates more homelessness.” Castiel stated that 1,535 people had accessed shelters in the past year, with 90 being of the ages 65 and older, a considerable increase from 2020 and 2021, when it was 42 for each year. With most of the homeless population falling between the ages of 35 and 44, the report stated that the increase is “significantly higher compared to earlier years like 2020 and 2021.” The report also argued that the homeless population in the city faced racial disparities, noting that the percentages of Black and Hispanic or Latino individuals were higher among the homeless in proportion to the city's demographics. Hispanic and Latino individuals comprised 29% of the homeless population, a number higher than the 24.6% of the rate of that group across the city; Black individuals comprised 17% of the unsheltered population, compared to 13.7% citywide. Among the homeless, 51% were white, a number higher than the 48.9% demographic across the city. In the report, Castiel says that several “systemic barriers” have exacerbated the homeless rates, stating that shelters are often faced with capacity challenges. As of February, 180 adult shelter beds were available in Worcester year-round; with 260 winter beds.
— “‘Budget buster:’ Spiking health insurance costs burdening local municipal budgets,” by Emilee Klein, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “Cities and towns in Hampshire County are facing spikes in health insurance costs between 10% and 20% for fiscal year 2026, an increase in a normally stable cost that promises to eat into bottom lines during an already tight budget season.”
PAY WALL | | HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH |
| HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to UMass Lowell’s John Cluverius, Ryanne Olsen and Shane Dunn.HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND — to former state Rep. Tom Sannicandro, Daniel Sullivan, Zachary Agush and Larry Farmer, who celebrate Saturday; and to Sunday birthday-er state Sen. Paul Feeney. 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 . | |
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