MASSterList: DraftKings' Day in Court | Baker gives thanks | Rainy day blame game

 
Wednesday, November 24, 2015

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By Keith Regan and George Donnelly (@geodonnelly)

Today: Get Away Day, Part 2; DraftKings Goes to Court Although Tuesday was said to be the busiest pre-Thanksgiving travel day here in Massachusetts, you can expect plenty of company on the roadways and tarmacs today as well. The exception maybe around the Statehouse, where there is little formal activity planned. The few political items on the schedule are clustered in the early part of the day:  U.S. Environmental  Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy plans to tour Grendel's Den Restaurant & Bar in Harvard Square and join a roundtable with food related small businesses that also includes DoneGood cofounder Cullen Schwarz and Green Restaurant Association founder and CEO Michael Oshman. The event starts at 9.  At 11, House Speaker Robert DeLeo will serve Thanksgiving dinner at the Goodwill in downtown Boston.  At noon, Gov. Charlie Baker has his own pre-Thanksgiving meal, when he attends the Friends of Metro Boston Thanksgiving Dinner at Florian Hall in Dorchester.  Senate President Stan Rosenberg will do the serving on Thursday, when he helps dish up turkey and all the fixings at the Pine Street Inn.  DraftKings has its day in court  Meanwhile, in New York, it's an extraordinarily high-stakes day for Boston-based fantasy sports firm DraftKings, which will ask a judge to block the Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's efforts to stop it from doing business in the Empire State. Schneiderman has taken an aggressive stance against daily fantasy sports, saying they amount to illegal gambling under state law.  The Globe previews the case DraftKings plans to make in court today and lays out what is at stake: New York players have pumped $100 million in entry fees into DraftKings so far this year, making it one of the most lucrative markets in the country, and losing this one case in court could open the companies up to additional legal challenges and even federal prosecution. Attorney David Boies plans to argue that fantasy sports is a game of skill, and point to the results as the ultimate proof. "If most people lose money and the same people continue to win repeatedly, that is absolute proof that this is a game of skill and not of chance," he said. "That kind of dispersion of results does not happen in a casino."http://bit.ly/1NsqjdA   The Governor gives thanks - for business success stories   The range of business in Massachusetts is, even for a longtime business editor, a source of wonder. Who knew there's a large suit maker in New Bedford, Joseph Abboud Manufacturing, making 1,300 suits per day? Or that a brewing company in downtown Framingham, Jack's Abby, just completed a 67,000 square foot expansion? These were among the success stories celebrated yesterday at the annual MassEcon Economic Impact Awards Luncheon, a culmination of contest to honor investment in facilities and job growth across the state. MassEcon, led by Susan Houston, is all about facilitating economic expansion, including helping lay the groundwork for Amazon's big warehouse expansion, which was announced yesterday. As it turns out, Gov. Baker let the crowd at MassEcon know he happened to know all about Jack's Abby - he came across the brewery during his recent campaign for governor. "They sell beer in... I hate to call it a bottle because it's not really a bottle, it's one of these things..." The crowd started calling out "growler!" - the term for the bottles. "The great part about it is, you and five of your friends can have just one." See more info here about finalists for the awards across the commonwealth. http://bit.ly/1NrH8Wd Movember mess-up: The evolution As this year's Movember ends - the month when men grow facial hair for a good cause (men's health) - Senate President Stanley Rosenberg didn't quite get the results he was looking for. He said he "was trying to get the Omar Sharif, and I messed it up, and I got something like the Cheech and Chong look." You be the judge. (Photo illustration by State House New Service's Antonio Caban) Senate looks ahead Rosenberg tells State House News Service that his chamber will be ready to tackle a host of issues when it returns to work in the new year. House legislation banning the handheld use of mobile devices by drivers will be on the docket-though he says the Senate may take a different approach. And Rosenberg says the Senate is already at work on its own public records overhaul. "We will be prepared to debate it in early January," he said. http://bit.ly/1XcZs9Y (subscription required)  RIP John "Wacko" Hurley  John "Wacko" Hurley, who became a national figure when he fought for, and won, the right for the Allied War Veterans to exclude gay and lesbian participants from marching in the annual St. Patrick's Day parade, has died, the Globe reports. Hurley was 85 and in failing health. Mayor Marty Walsh, on of numerous pols quoted, said though he'll best be remembered for his parade activism, Hurley did plenty for the community outside the glare of the public spotlight. "He was truly a son of South Boston," Walsh said. "He did a lot in his community. I know he's going to be known probably for the parade, but he did so much in the community."  http://bit.ly/1I9wy3C On a personal note, I was a young and inexperienced reporter-in-training when a Globe editor sent me to ask Hurley some parade-related questions in the early 1990s. Being asked to track down and interview someone named "Wacko" is a bit disconcerting, but he graciously and patiently answered my questions and encouraged me to call him by his nickname. So: Rest in peace, "Wacko."  Healey: Amazon warehouse not retail  After inquiries from at least one Amazon employee who felt the e-tailer should close its Massachusetts location on Thanksgiving to comply with state laws, Attorney General Maura Healey said the Stoughton operation qualifies as a "distribution warehouse," State House News Service reports. Healey also said her office is looking at the issue, however, after Camille Carrigan, the worker who contacted the AG's office, said she believes her company should be closed like brick-and-mortar retailers in the Commonwealth. http://bit.ly/1XqpDou (subscription required)  T delays changes amid outcry  Facing widespread criticism, the MBTA has decided to delay schedule changes on all commuter rail lines until the spring, the Globe reports. Changes to schedules from North Station were slated to take effect in mid-December, but commuters cried foul over the removal of peak-time trains and stops, prompting a meeting between T officials and 11 lawmakers that led to the decision to push back the changes and to invite public input into what the overhaul should look like.  http://bit.ly/1jjhWTF Senate minority leader Bruce Tarr is proposing legislation that would clear the way for the state's newly minted casino license holders to offer online betting, according to the Gloucester Times. Tarr's proposal would authorize the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to grant licenses for online gaming, but it's not clear the casino industry is eager to venture online, for fear of cannibalizing their expensive brick-and-mortar businesses. Tarr's bill does not cover online fantasy sports. http://bit.ly/1lhnRK9 TODAY'S TOP STORIES National headlines  Donald Trump Leads Poll of Massachusetts Republicans Sens. Markey, Warren want gun loopholes closed - News - MetroWest Daily News, Framingham, MA - Framingham, MA Sanders outlines plan to overhaul immigration laws - The Boston Globe State headlines  MGM casino developer in Springfield sets sights on defeating measure to expand gambling in Connecticut - The Boston Globe DraftKings attorney will focus on law, not controversy, at crucial hearing - The Boston Globe MBTA to revise and delay commuter rail schedule changes after public outcry - The Boston Globe Lauren Baker is a first lady in waiting - The Boston Globe AG Healey gains settlement blocking two student debt firms from doing business in Mass. - The Boston Globe Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signs law making fentanyl trafficking a crime AG Healey Evicts Student Loan Debt Relief Companies From Mass. Mass. tobacco taxes grow as anti-smoking funds dwindle - Gloucester Daily Times: Local News Local headlines  At least one Southie resident is not impressed by Ben Affleck's old-timey cars Lowell Council OKs applying for federal grant to help homeless Report: Weak fiscal oversight allowed Brockton child care scheme - News - The Enterprise, Brockton, MA - Brockton, MA Confident Marty Walsh Shows Off New Snow Blowers, Touts Boston's Winter Snow Plans Ed Davis Joins Uber's Safety Board MBTA looks to lease North Quincy station parking lot to developer Ashland Rep. Sannicandro won't seek re-election Worcester council delays vote on tax rate for one week Shrewsbury selectmen OK lucrative medical marijuana pact Pittsfield mayor-elect Linda Tyer plans for a smooth transition Julie Leonardi departs Western Mass News $50G cap placed on contract for lawyers investigating City Hall ties to Teamsters Safety official cites dangers of IndyCar crash below BCEC Trump leads among GOP presidential candidates in Mass., poll finds - The Boston Globe Baker likely to seek new funding for vocational education - The Boston Globe Even Ben Affleck can't get a break parking in South Boston - The Boston Globe John 'Wacko' Hurley, longtime South Boston's St. Patrick's Day parade organizer, dies - The Boston Globe Snow kidding: Mayor Walsh promises to remove winter's remains, instead of just pushing it - The Boston Globe New tax bills come as shock to owners of multifamily homes - The Boston Globe Hudson High School student journalists excel at conference - News - MetroWest Daily News, Framingham, MA - Framingham, MA