FAIR: Ritchie Torres: The AOC Alternative Who Isn't

 

View article on FAIR's website Ritchie Torres: The AOC Alternative Who Isn't ARI PAUL   Eli Lake (Bloomberg, 11/16/20) describes Ritchie Torres as a "rising progressive star who has proudly resisted" an "anti-Israel purity test." Corporate media are having a field day with the ascendance of Rep. Ritchie Torres, a Democrat from New York City. The image we see repeated across outlets is that he is a new kind of progressive: a young Black gay man from the Bronx, he stands as an alternative to the rise of democratic socialism. In particular, he is offered as a pragmatist, rather than an idealist, and above all, he’s aggressively pro-Israel. Media sources (New York Times, 6/11/20; City and State, 8/23/20) anointed Torres as the Goldilocks candidate in a complicated open Democratic primary last year: He was well to the left of the conservative and anti-gay Ruben Diaz, Sr., but more palatable to the Democratic establishment than socialist Samelys Lopez. Now representing the Bronx along with two socialists who have bucked the pro-Israel consensus, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman, Torres continues to brand himself as an alternative that the establishment can trust, and media are going along for the ride. Bloomberg (11/16/20) was one of many news sources to trumpet Torres’ victory as a win for pro-Israel advocates, carving out a place for Zionism on the left. And his announcement that he would not join the “Squad,” the small socialist-backed congressional faction primarily associated with Ocasio-Cortez, due to its support for Palestine, made headlines from Tremont Avenue to Tel Aviv (Jerusalem Post, 12/21/20; Daily Beast, 12/31/20; Ha’aretz, 12/21/20; New York Post, 12/19/20; i24, 12/21/20). He downplayed his non-association with the socialist contingent, telling WNYC/Gothamist (12/31/20) that he refuses “to be defined in relation to someone else,” and that he wants to be “defined on my own terms, based on my own story and my own record.” He told Jewish Insider (12/5/19) that a 2015 trip to Israel helped inspire his belief that anti-Zionism is antisemitic. (This would make a great many Jews antisemitic, by the way.) Torres told Jewish Insider (1/15/21) that "you can run as a pro-Israel, pragmatic progressive without catering to the extremes." He later told Jewish Insider (1/15/21) that a “few demagogues [can] pump antisemitic poison into the bloodstream of a political party,” and that he wants to “resist the Jeremy Corbynization of progressive politics in the United States.” It's a reference to the idea that former British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn allowed antisemitism to fester in the party, which Corbyn's defenders call a politically motivated accusation designed to steer Labour to the right (Jacobin, 10/29/20). This framing of a left-wing critique of Israel as "antisemitic poison" is line with the impulse to take a misleading “both sides” approach to antisemitism: Sure, on the right, literal armed Nazis are storming the Capitol, but politicians and media alike feel the need to equate that with left-wing lawmakers getting too vocal about Palestinian human rights (FAIR.org, 11/6/18). The coverage of Torres’ Israelophilia is also unbalanced. For example, in the New York Post piece, he says: “I remember meeting a family in Sderot. And I had no concept of what it was like to live in a city that lives under the fear of rocket fire.” But here’s a fact he leaves out about that Israeli city: It is where Israelis infamously gathered in 2014 to watch rockets rain down on Gaza as if it were a sporting event (New York Times, 7/14/14). There are two sides to the terror and to the hatred in the conflict, and Torres missed half the lesson. Worse, Torres doesn’t appear to get questioned about it. Certainly, a progressive politician in the United States might be interested in like-minded, progressive lawmakers and activists abroad. But his appearance last summer for an LGBT event with the Israeli embassy, alongside former Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer and Israeli Defense Force Lt. Col. Dana Ben-Ezra, is an example of support for Israel's right-wing government that is hardly in line with Torres’ stated domestic agenda. There are numerous organizations in Israel that organize against discrimination and offer services for LGBT people. Standing with them would, indeed, be progressive. But doing public relations for Israel’s current right-wing leadership very much isn’t. Who in his constituency or the progressive Democratic base benefits from this? The media covering his “progressive but pro-Israel” image ignore this contradiction. Torres told the New York Post (12/19/20) that he saw "his strong support for Israel as a primary distinction" between democratic socialists and "true progressives." Some of the coverage of Torres’s pro-Israel advocacy, like the New York Post piece (12/19/20), pays lip service to the other side of the issue: Yes, he supports a two-state solution and believes in addressing the rights of Palestinians, and, as he told Jewish Insider (12/5/19), it’s OK to criticize Israel as long as you don’t threaten to cut aid or "delegitimize" the state, especially by backing boycott campaigns meant to highlight the second-class status of Palestinians living under occupation. What Torres and his media cheerleaders miss is that such existential questions about Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, and the legitimacy of the current government, are at the heart of the nation’s own discourse. The country’s leading human rights group, B’Tselem, declared recently “that the entirety of Israel should be considered an apartheid state” (Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 1/14/21). Street protests against the right-wing prime minister are more than half a year old (Ha’aretz, 1/16/21). Israel’s main political opposition leader has said he is open to an alliance with the Joint List, a coalition of Arab parties and the left-wing Hadash party (Middle East Monitor, 1/18/21). Sixty Israeli teenagers have refused military conscription this year, citing the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories (Ha’aretz, 1/5/21). One would think that on the question of Israel’s future, a progressive would be aligned with these forces rather than the current leaders of the state. But US media’s concept of Israeli politics is woefully unnuanced: You either support Israel, or your criticism veers into pro-Palestinian extremism. A realist might conclude that Torres is taking advantage of that media myopia, branding himself as a pro-Israel lawmaker in order to seek funding opportunities in the future. Hot button compromiser At first glance, Torres comes into Congress with a fairly progressive platform. For instance, he has voiced support for the Green New Deal and told one progressive LGBT Democratic club that he’d support “universal healthcare, including the availability of Medicare for all,” as long it had the support of organized labor and wouldn’t result in healthcare job losses in the Bronx. A police reform advocate (Politico, 12/12/17) called Torres' watering down of a police ID bill a "dishonorably crass political move"--which Torres rejected as the complaints of a "fanatical few." But missed by much of the media branding is his time as a City Council member, where he often found himself as a compromiser on hot button issues. On police violence, it's true that he's taken heat from cop advocates—the sergeants union once tweeted that he was a "first class whore" (Gay City News, 9/4/20), the kind of vitriol that can be a badge of honor for police reformers. But advocates of reform have also accused him of "surrendering to the mayor and police department" (Politico, 12/12/17)—with more substance to back up their criticism. At issue was Torres’ role in the Right to Know Act, a set of proposals to promote transparency and accountability in the New York Police Department. As the Center for Constitutional Rights explained, “at the very last minute,” Torres, a sponsor of one of the key bills, “pulled the version supported by [more than 200] community groups” and put forth a “compromise version backed by the NYPD and the mayor which effectively removed the key provisions of the bill.” The group said Torres helped craft an exception that excused “officers from showing their ID in a vast majority of encounters.” While “defund the police” became a battle cry for the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement, Torres was quoted in the  New York Post (12/19/20) saying the phrase was “arbitrary and irresponsible.” Torres (Daily News, 11/21/18) has touted "public-private partnerships" as the key to saving public housing. While fair housing has been his key city issue, Politico (10/1/19) reported that his congressional campaign received cash from “executives at a contracting company with a history of wage theft allegations and safety violations,” and The City (10/21/19) found that his campaign took in more $100,000 in real estate industry contributions. Campaign finance records also show that he took money from the pro-Israel group NorPAC, as well as Elliot Management, the hedge fund of Paul Singer, who mostly gives to Republican candidates (Intercept, 10/15/20). One Democratic Socialists of America chapter (Twitter, 6/18/20) called out Torres for accepting money from Bradley Tusk, a venture capitalist who also was campaign manager for Michael Bloomberg’s controversial third mayoral run. The Trump administration in 2018 signed a “massive expansion of a controversial program called Rental Assistance Demonstration, or RAD, which privatizes public housing” (Intercept, 4/2/18). Torres co-wrote an op-ed (Daily News, 11/21/18) in favor of this program, and City Limits (11/19/15) covered his embrace of privatization more than five years ago. The New York Post (8/29/18), in a pro-privatization editorial, praised Torres for pushing the public housing authority management to seek more discipline against its workers. Despite the media hype, Torres not joining AOC’s Squad is not a case of a fellow progressive challenging the group’s pro-Palestine position, but rather a politician considerably to their right declaring that he is much more at home with the Democratic establishment. The media should be honest about that, rather than making him out to be an iconoclast that he isn’t.

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Baker, lawmakers lock horns again over climate change bill

Doug Fraser Cape Cod Times 

Published Jan 26, 2021

BOSTON – Legislators will vote Thursday to approve the same sweeping climate change bill that was vetoed by Gov. Charlie Baker two weeks ago.

Baker refused to sign the bill Jan. 15, citing concerns over the economic hardship higher emissions reductions could cause state residents and businesses. He was also skeptical that some renewable energy goals could be achieved, and said building-code changes in the bill would depress the industry and hamper efforts to build affordable housing. 

“There is strong agreement from the governor with the Legislature’s goals to address climate change as aggressively as we can and maintain the leadership role we have had in Massachusetts,” Kathleen Theoharides, Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, told the Times Tuesday. 

Gov. Baker’s plan released on Dec. 30 was based on two years of analysis, she said, and set emissions goals based on science and cost-effectiveness. 

Two weeks ago, Baker said the bill landed on his desk at the close of the last legislative session and left him no time to make amendments. It’s likely there will be amendments this time, but the House and Senate passed the climate bill by overwhelming majorities, enough to override amendments or the governor’s veto, should he use it.

“I am expecting a unanimous or near-unanimous vote again this week,” said State Rep. Sarah Peake, D-Provincetown, who thinks Baker will return the bill with amendments to the Legislature.

“At this time, I certainly have no appetite to take up any of his amendments that may slow down the implementation of this bill and slow us down in getting to net-zero (greenhouse gas emissions by 2050),” Peake said. “All of us who live here on the Cape see the realities of climate change happening before our very eyes. …There is a clear cost to not addressing climate change as quickly as possible.”

While there has been pointed criticism of Gov. Baker from legislators and environmentalists for not signing the climate change bill, it’s not like he’s a climate change denier.

Last month, his administration released its own plan to reach climate change goals that included a 45% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050. This included retrofitting one million of the state’s 3 million homes to use electricity for heating and cooling, and electrifying the transportation sector, including the state fleet of 750,000 electric vehicles, by 2030. The state would also add 2,000 additional megawatts of renewable energy beyond what is already in the pipeline to power that change.

The Legislature’s bill, known as the Next-Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy, set more ambitious goals, including a target of 50% emissions reductions from 1990 levels and 75% by 2040, with status checks at five-year intervals.

It also boosted goals for offshore wind by 2,400 megawatts to a total of 5,600 megawatts. For context, the 800 megawatt Vineyard Wind utility-scale wind farm will generate enough electricity to power 400,000 homes and businesses.

The climate bill sets safety and accountability measures for the natural gas industry, including leaks and infrastructure, and environmental justice provisions for low- to middle-income communities that have suffered inequitably from climate change impacts and solutions. 

One of the main points of contention is the 5% of additional emission reductions by 2030 in the Legislature’s bill, which is beyond what Baker proposed.

Theoharides said that while it seemed like a small amount, it actually required heavy lifting, including an additional 400,000 electric vehicles, a new low-carbon fuel standard 50% tougher than any in the U.S., completely eliminating petroleum-based fuel oil for heating and adding 2,000 megawatts in clean energy.

She said the Legislature’s higher emission reduction goal didn’t allow for homeowners and businesses to take advantage of stock rollover, naturally retiring old equipment. She estimated the higher emission target would cost $6 billion and would be borne by taxpayers, businesses, vehicle owners and homeowners. 

Theoharides was also critical of the new building codes that require new structures to meet net-zero for emissions, while the governor’s proposal worked on making existing and new buildings as energy efficient as possible while preparing to switch to clean energy. 

“It’s disappointing that the governor is nitpicking at the margins of legislation,” state Sen. Julian Cyr, D-Truro said. “It will cost the commonwealth, businesses (and) families money, but prior generations have kicked the can down the road and left us with the clearest of choices: We either take action or sentence my generation, my children’s generation, or our grandchildren to a future that is unlivable.” 

 

Ex-Attleboro man linked to Guiliani associates apologizes for his role in fraud

By David Linton

January 26, 2021

David Correia

ASSOCIATED PRESS

ATTLEBORO — A former city man has apologized for conspiring with associates of Rudy Giuliani to bilk investors through a purported fraud-busting company and for lying to federal election officials.

“I regret what I did and I am sorry for it,” David Correia, 45, wrote in the letter to a federal judge in Manhattan that was among court papers filed Monday.

Correia pleaded guilty Oct. 29 to making false statements to the Federal Elections Commission about political contributions and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 8 and faces about three years in prison, according to sentencing guidelines, which are not binding.

His lawyer, William Harrington of New York, is asking the judge to spare Correia from going to prison and said his client had no prior criminal history.

Federal prosecutors have not yet filed their sentencing memorandum to Judge J. Paul Oetken, but a prison sentence of 33 months to 41 months was stipulated in the plea agreement.

Correia, a 1993 graduate of Attleboro High School, now lives in West Palm Beach, Fla. with his wife and two children, ages 6 and 9.

In his sentencing memorandum, Harrington depicted Correia as a hard-working businessman and devoted husband and father who placed his trust in the wrong person.

Correia was in a business called Fraud Guarantee, headed by Giuliani associate Lev Parnas. The company was supposed to protect investors against fraud. But prosecutors say it had no clients and ripped off investors of $2.3 million.

While prosecutors said the company was a fraud, Harrington said Correia believed in it and trusted Parnas because he had a luxurious lifestyle and appeared to be successful.

“Mr. Correia was enamored by Mr. Parnas’s success,” Harrington wrote.

In his letter, Correia said he ignored “red flags” and advice to be wary of Parnas. However, he said he only blamed himself “for giving in on many subjects.”

As part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, Correia has agreed to pay $2.3 million in restitution to investors and forfeit $43,650.

Harrington said Corriea believed the company could have been successful and the $43,650 represents the all the money he received for his work in seven years.

In arguing that his client should be spared a prison sentence, Harrington said Corriea’s wife is the primary breadwinner as a physician’s assistant and he is the primary caretaker of the children.

“A period of incarceration will fracture his family and disrupt his children’s lives,” Harrington wrote.

The defense lawyer said Correia overcame a difficult childhood and his parents’ divorce to become a successful restaurant owner before going into business with Parnas.

A gifted golfer from the age of 12, Correia abandoned efforts to become a professional in order to help a friend who experienced some hard times, Harrington said.

Portions of the documents were redacted at Harrington’s request.

The cases against Parnas and the other defendants are still pending.

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This email may be cut off by your email provider. To see today's full MASSterList, click "View entire message" at the bottom, or view the online version here. By Jay Fitzgerald and Keith Regan 01/27/2021 'End is in sight’ | Ready, set, go | Joe's new gig       Happening Today   Biotech meeting, Governor’s Council, and more   -- Mass. Biotechnology Council holds its annual policy leadership breakfast, with a panel discussion on ensuring effective, efficient and equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and with U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, Gov. Charlie Baker and state Sen. Joe Boncore among those participating in the overall event, 9 a.m. -- Governor's Council holds two meetings today, the first to interview Essex County chief homicide prosecutor Kristen Buxton, who was nominated to the Superior Court bench, and the second to handle routine business, including the Treasury warrant, justices of the peace, and notaries public, 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., respectively. -- Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Kimberly Budd and Attorney General Maura Healey are among those participating in a ‘Talk to the Hill for Civil Legal Aid’ online rally asking lawmakers to provide $35 million to the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation in the fiscal year 2022 budget, 11 a.m. For the most comprehensive list 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.     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.     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: 41 new deaths, 13,930 total deaths, 2,215 new cases   NBC Boston has the latest coronavirus numbers for Massachusetts.     Baker on pandemic: ‘The end is in sight – but’   In a virtual address from the confines of his State House office, Gov. Charlie Baker last evening praised and thanked all those who have made sacrifices during the pandemic – and even touched upon what life, including work life, might look  like after the pandemic is over. “The end is in sight – but for the next few months, we must continue to stay vigilant and take steps to stop the spread," Baker said. SHNS’s Matt Murphy, MassLive’s Michelle Williams, the Globe’s Matt Stout and CommonWealth’s Shira Schoenberg have more on the governor’s ‘very different’ State of the Commonwealth address that didn’t include any big policy announcements. WBUR has a video and full text of the speech.         Ready, set, go: People 75 and older can sign up for vaccine shots beginning today   Speaking of the pandemic, the Globe’s Martin Finucane and Travis Anderson report that people 75 and older can now register for coronavirus vaccinations in Massachusetts. It was the top-read story at the Globe as of earlier this morning because, well, a lot of people are anxious. Btw: Is your town doing this? Via the Patriot Ledger’s Wheeler Cowperthwaite: “Marshfield, Braintree, Milton planning vaccination clinics.” Boston Globe     Oh look: New Hampshire is ‘off and running’ with its 65-plus vaccination program   Up north, they’re one priority-list step ahead of Massachusetts. Just pointing it out. CBS Boston has more. CBS Boston     Warning: Vaccination-priority story may raise your blood pressure   Don’t read this story by GBH’s Gabrielle Emanuele if you’re the type who gets upset reading about dunderheaded public policy decisions. In this case, it’s the state’s decision that let healthy, young, non-frontline medical researchers, administrators and others, many of whom work remotely and far away from Covid patients, to get vaccinated before vulnerable elderly people. Money quote from a Harvard public health professor: “We're seeing just a huge number of people get vaccinated, who I think should, frankly, be way down the line.”  GBH     Sponsored An investigative watchdog exposing corruption through filmmaking and unbiased reporting. Seeking to expose and report on Anti-Semitism and the BDS movement in America today, reversing the tide against hate. Dark Wire will bring you information and coverage you will not get anywhere else.     Walsh approves business reopenings amid improving case numbers   The Herald’s Sean Philip Cotter reports that Mayor Marty Walsh, who’s taken a hard line on the reopening of businesses during the second coronavirus surge, has decided things have improved enough to let Boston gyms, movie theaters, museums and indoor recreational facilities to resume business – with restrictions. NBC Boston has more. Boston Herald     Coronavirus updates: Marathon set for fall (maybe), another signature spat, strong Lottery sales, teachers upset   There’s a lot happening on the coronavirus front this morning, so we’re going with just headlines and brief summaries in this post, starting with CBS Boston: “Boston Marathon set for Monday, October 11 if races are allowed.” ... From SHNS’s Colin Young (pay wall): “Lottery sales, profits rising during pandemic.” ... SHNS’s Chris Lisinski (pay wall) reports on another political candidate upset with signature-gathering requirements during the pandemic. ... From the Herald’s Alexi Cohan: “Massachusetts teachers slam drop in vaccine priority, say they feel like ‘pawns’ in a game.” ... From CBS Boston: “UMass Medical School To Test Moderna’s Coronavirus Vaccine In Teenagers.”     Confirmed: Climate-bill vote set for tomorrow   SHNS’s Colin Young reports the House and Senate will indeed vote tomorrow on a climate-change bill that Gov. Charlie Baker previously vetoed. Stay tuned. SHNS (pay wall -- free trial subscription available)         Things get testy at council’s special election hearing   As evidenced at a Boston City Council public hearing yesterday, there seems be widespread local support for nixing a special mayoral election and going with just a fall election to replace outgoing Mayor Marty Walsh. But it sure got testy yesterday, after the head of the NAACP accused Councilor Lydia Edwards, a Black, of trying to thwart the candidacies of other women of color, reports CommonWealth’s Michael Jonas and Universal Hub’s Adam Gaffin.     Kennedy’s latest political gig: A new PAC aimed at boosting Dem voting   Former U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy has a new mission. After losing his bid to unseat U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, Kennedy is launching a new political action committee to help Democrats expand their voting base via grassroots organizing of overlooked voters in Massachusetts and across the nation, reports the Globe’s Victoria McGrane and the Herald’s Lisa Kashinsky.     At-large local elections: How they freeze out non-white candidates   Speaking of overlooked voting blocs, the Globe’s Stephanie Ebbert takes a look at how at-large local elections for city council and school board seats routinely entrench established candidates (i.e. whites) while freezing out up-and-coming candidates (i.e. non-whites). Everett and Haverhill, you’ve been warned. There’s a big voting-rights-lawsuit bullseye on your backs. Boston Globe     Some Mass. Republicans seek censure of Baker for supporting Trump impeachment   They oppose punishing a man who tried to overthrow a democratic election, but they favor punishing a man who opposed overthrowing a democratic election. The Herald’s Joe Dwinell has the latest on the wild and wacky world of the state GOP, where some want to censure their own Republican governor for supporting the impeachment of Donald Trump. Boston Herald         ‘Suicide enablers’ could face prison under proposed law   State Sen. Barry Finegold has filed legislation that calls for prison sentences for so-called ‘suicide enablers’ convicted of encouraging others to take their own lives. The bill is inspired by the Michelle Carter case, reports Christian Wade the Salem news. Salem News     Teachable moment? Thin Blue Line flag debate moves into high schools   New venue, same arguments. Students at Weymouth High School have now sent dueling petitions to the school’s leadership, one demanding that the Thin Blue Line American flag be banned from campus and another saying it should stay because it honors a fallen police officer, Christopher Gavin at Boston.com reports. Meanwhile, controversy over the Think Blue Line flag has also broken out at Taunton High School, reports the Taunton Gazette.   Boston.com     Border jumpers: Report says New Hampshire gains after Mass. banned menthol   Our loss, their gain. A new report says the ban on sales of menthol tobacco products has cost the Bay State $62 million in lost tax revenue since it took effect last July and that over the same time, New Hampshire saw its tobacco excise taxes rise by $28 million, Christopher Maidment at the Lowell Sun reports. Lowell Sun         Marty Baron, former Globe editor, is retiring from the Washington Post   As Dan Kennedy puts it at GBH, one of the best newspaper editors of our times, Marty Baron, is stepping down as editor of the Washington Post. Baron won local fame when, as editor of the Globe, he oversaw the Spotlight Team’s investigation of the Catholic Church’s cover-up of widespread clergy sexual abuse of minors.  Fyi, we couldn’t agree more with this line from Kennedy: “Under Baron, the Post was fearless, negotiating the bizarre media landscape dominated by Donald Trump with a sure-footedness that its larger competitor, The New York Times, never quite seemed to master.”  GBH     MIT president and faculty ride to the defense of arrested scientist   Both the New York Times and the Globe’s Deirdre Fernandes report that MIT President Rafael Reif and scores of faculty members are challenging allegations that MIT professor Gang Chen improperly tried to hide his financial affiliations with China, saying fed prosecutors overreached by arresting and charging him with serious crimes. Fyi: Fernandes first reported on this late last week.     Meanwhile, Harvard cancels course on policing techniques after uproar   While one school is defending a professor (see above), another is throwing a professor under the proverbial academic bus. From GBH’s Adam Reilly: “Harvard University's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences is canceling a new course focused on evaluating the efficacy of military-style counterinsurgency techniques used to fight crime in Springfield, Massachusetts, after critics raised concerns about the ethical implications of that approach.” GBH         Thanks, Norm: Berkshire Museum reveals upgrades work funded by Rockwell painting sales   Now they just need to get the doors opened to the public. The Berkshire Museum unveiled some of the latest renovations and additions made possible by the controversial sale of artwork from its collections, including some Norman Rockwell paintings, Larry Parnass at the Berkshire Eagle reports.  Berkshire Eagle     Fee-free: Northampton drops local tax on marijuana companies   No impacts, no fee. The city of Northampton says it will stop collecting a “local impact fee” from cannabis companies, saying the types of negative community fallout the fee was designed to address have not materialized. Dan Adams at the Globe and Shira Schoenberg at CommonWealth Magazine have the details.     Fewer firearms seized last year under 'red flag' law   Christian Wade at the Eagle Tribune reports that the number of so-called “red flag” cases – in which people can have their firearms seized if they’re deemed a danger to themselves and others – fell last year. Was it the pandemic? Eagle Tribune     Mega-developments alert: Mass General Brigham and Allston developer plan huge projects   Economic downturn? Not for the state’s life-sciences sector. The BBJ’s Jessica Bartlett reports on Mass General Brigham’s plans for $2 billion in various expansion projects, while Universal Hub’s Adam Gaffin reports on tentative plans to develop a 14-acre R&D complex with a hotel, apartments and a conference center on Harvard land off Western Ave.     Today's Headlines   Metro   GE reports cash flow surge; stock soars - Boston Business Journal Lynn council puts diversity position in mayor’s hands - Lynn Item   Massachusetts   Former Southworth paper mill in Turners Falls could see new life with marijuana company - Greenfield Recorder Leominster Credit Union gives $600 stimulus checks to all employees - Worcester Business Journal Ex-Attelboro man linked to Guiliani associates apologizes for his role in fraud - Sun Chronicle   Nation   Biden to place environmental justice at center of sweeping climate plan - Washington Post What Jeffrey Epstein did to earn $158 million from Leon Black - New York Times   Jobs   Reach MASSterList's 22,000 Beacon Hill connected and policy-minded subscribers with your job postings. Have friends interested in one of these positions? Forward the newsletter to them! Contact David Art at dart@massterlist.com or call 860-576-1886 for more information.   Recent postings to the MASSterList Job Board:   Assistant Director, Human Resources, City of Brockton Assistant City Solicitor, City of Brockton Executive Director, Right Question Institute Regional Director, Office of Congressman Seth Moulton Director of Programs, The Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy Deputy Director, Local Initiatives Support Corporation Data Strategist, Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization Central Transportation Planning Staff Executive Director, The Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges (MACC) State Contracting Policy Analysis Consultant, The Collaborative UTEC Policy Director, UTEC AIM Engagement Director- Central/Western MA, Associated Industries of Massachusetts Legislative Liaison, Department of Family and Medical Leave Director of Communications, Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) Workforce Development Director, The Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges (MACC) Deputy Political Director, SEIU Local 509 Executive Director, Asian American Commission (AAC)   To view more events or post an event listing on Beacon Hill Town Square, please visit events.massterlist.com. Beacon Hill Town Square   Jan. 27, 12 p.m. Malcolm Gladwell and the New Normal after COVID-19 Hosted by: Arent Fox LLP   Join Arent Fox for a one hour virtual event with Malcolm Gladwell, the celebrated journalist and best-selling author of Tipping Point, Outliers, and Talking to Strangers, who will talk about life after COVID-19. There will also be a Q&A with Arent Fox Partner Anthony V. Lupo.Malcolm Gladwell and the New Normal after COVID-19 JAN 27 2021 12:00 PM Hosted by: Arent Fox LLP Online Event www.eventbrite.com/e/malcolm-gladwell-and-the-new-normal-after-covid-19-tickets-132113604347?aff=ebdssbonlinesearch Join Arent Fox for a one hour virtual event with Malcolm Gladwell, the celebrated journalist and best-selling author of Tipping Point, Outliers, and Talking to Strangers, who will talk about life after COVID-19. There will also be a Q&A with Arent Fox Partner Anthony V. Lupo. More Information     Jan. 27, 1 p.m. ROAR Web Series with Josefina Bonilla and Special Guest Evelyn Brito Hosted by: RIYHT Media   Guest Speaker Evelyn Brito, Founder, Bodega Makeover. Following Your Passion and Dreams. The ROAR Webinar Series is inspirational and aspirational. Join industry leaders as we discuss innovation and leadership, definition of success and the emergence of new leadership styles in trying times More Information     Jan. 28, 11 a.m. Race, Work, and Leadership: New Perspectives on the Black Experience Hosted by: Harvard Kennedy School   This seminar will be given by Dr. Laura Morgan Roberts, speaking on her book, "Race, Work, and Leadership: New Perspectives on the Black Experience". It is part of Mossavar-Rahamani Center for Business and Government's webinar series, Registration is required. More Information     Jan. 28, 11 a.m. Condition of Education in the Commonwealth Hosted by: The Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy   Join the Rennie Center for a conversation on the state of learning in this unprecedented time, including a panel discussion with all three MA education commissioners—Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley, Early Education and Care Commissioner Samantha Aigner-Treworgy, and Higher Education Commissioner Carlos Santiago—and remarks from Secretary of Education James Peyser. More Information     Jan. 28, 2 p.m. lo T in Sports: Changing the Game Hosted by: Verizon   Join us as we hear from industry experts about the integration of lo T in the world of live sports, how major leagues like the NFL are utilizing wearable technology and connected devices, what features fans can expect from stadiums as they become more connected, and how 5G & MEC are changing the game for years to come. More Information     Jan. 28, 6 p.m. Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings & James Dale - "We're Better Than This" Hosted by: Boston Public Library   Join the Boston Public Library for an online talk with distinguished political expert, Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings and longtime non-fiction writer James Dale, co-authors of We're Better Than This: My Fight for the Future of our Democracy, primarily authored by the late Elijah Cummings. More Information     Jan. 28, 6 p.m. Community Read Book Group: An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States Hosted by: Boston Public Library   Let's read together! Join your friends, family and fellow Yearlong Reading Challenge participants at the Boston Public Library as we discuss the January Community Read for adults: An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz. The discussion will be moderated by a librarian and will take place on Zoom. More Information     Jan. 28, 7:30 p.m. The State of Race: The Housing Gap Hosted by: GBH, The Boston Globe, NAACP Boston, and WORLD   The State of Race: The Housing Gap is a virtual forum co-sponsored by The Boston Globe, NAACP Boston and GBH WORLD that addresses the impact racial disparities have had on key social issues. In January, join GBH host Dan Lothian and a panel of experts including Lisa Rice, President and Chief Executive Officer at National Fair Housing Alliance, Alex Ponte-Capellan a community organizer and housing advocate at City Life/Vida Urbana and Tim Logan, Reporter for The Boston Globe, as they explore the history of structural racism in the US housing system and its long-lasting impact on Massachusetts communities of color. More Information     Jan. 29, 10 a.m. Art & Culture in Public Life Symposium Hosted by: Harvard Kennedy School   The Arts & Culture in Public Life Symposium is hosted by the Arts & Culture in Public Life Caucus, a student organization of Harvard Business School. The event will bring together high profile art leaders and policy makers to discuss the potential of the arts to create meaningful change in the world. Moderator is Ping Wang, MPA 2021 More Information     Jan. 29, 12 p.m. Global Mobility and the Threat of Pandemics: Evidence from Three Centuries Hosted by: Harvard Kennedy School   Researchers at the Center for Global Development test predictions across four global pandemics in three different centuries: the influenza pandemics that began in 1889, 1918, 1957, and 2009. They find that in all cases, even a draconian 50 percent reduction in pre-pandemic international mobility is associated with 1-2 weeks later arrival and no detectable reduction in final mortality. More Information     Feb. 1, 12 p.m. Human Rights and the Future World Order Hosted by: Harvard Kennedy School and Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs   Speakers include Hina Jilanni, former United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Human Rights Defenders; Samuel Moyn, Henry R. Luce Professor of Jurisprudence, Yale Law School and Professor of History, Yale University; Zeid Ra'ad, Perry World House Professor of the Practice of Law and Human Rights, University of Pennsylvania. More Information     Feb. 2, 2 p.m. Social Media for Government Agencies and the Public Sector: Everything You Need to Know but are Afraid to Ask, a Digital CP Hosted by: Harvard Kennedy School   Come learn the basics of the Social Media platforms and how you can use them effectively to achieve your goals. Whether you're a Tik Tok influencer or just learned that the symbol # isn't a "pound sign". This workshop is open to all levels. 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. 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