| Today's News |
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| Five inches of snow? |
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To avoid sowing too much panic around the state, it should be noted that the five inches of snow forecasters are predicting for tomorrow will likely occur in the southeast part of the state, as the Globe reports. The rest of us get off lighter. Still, any snow at this point is depressing. |
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| State EPA slowly gutted over the years |
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This stretches back all the way through the Patrick administration years, it should be noted. From the Globe’s David Abel: “Over the past decade, the state Department of Environmental Protection’s enforcement of air and water quality rules has fallen off sharply, as the agency’s workforce shrunk by nearly a third, according to a Globe review of state records. Enforcement actions for serious violations have dropped by more than half, statistics show, as inspections also declined. Fines collected from violators plummeted during the same period by nearly 75 percent.”
By coincidence, while the Globe was putting the pre-print finishing touches on its EPA story, Gov. Baker yesterday was touting legislation to “bring Massachusetts in line with 46 other states by allowing the Department of Environmental Protection to administer a federal water quality protection program,” reports SHNS’s Colin Young at the Telegram. The governor also “highlighted support from Democrats as his administration makes a second attempt at assuming state control of the program.” |
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| 'A Day With Fewer Women in the Office’ |
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Clearly, yesterday’s ‘A Day Without Women’ strike wasn’t nearly as successful as the huge women’s marches earlier this year, as reported by the Globe’s Stephanie Ebbert and Katie Johnston, who throw out the alternative names of ‘A Day With Fewer Women in the Office’ or ‘A Day Spent Conspicuously Wearing Red’ as perhaps better descriptions of yesterday’s rallies and gatherings. But you can’t blame those who participated for not trying. The Globe has photos from rallies in Boston and Cambridge yesterday. Meanwhile, MassLive has multiple stories about protests in Northampton and Holyoke and UMass. The Herald has its own story on the spirited protest in downtown Boston. The T elegram reports on a protest in Sturbridge. SouthCost Today reports on what businesswomen did in New Bedford. |
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| New journal aiming to ‘intellectualize Trumpism’ rolled out at Harvard Club |
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To be clear, a new journal attempting to give “intellectual heft and coherence” to, for lack of other words, Trumpism was rolled out at the Harvard Club, not by the Harvard Club, as reported by the NYT. The initial press run of the quarterly American Affairs was 300. How it makes sense of Trumpism and its daily tweets and turns should be fascinating.
NYT |
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| R.I. lawmaker: State House boozing in Providence ‘blows my mind’ |
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Freshman Rep. Moira Walsh, a Providence Democrat, said the most surprising thing she’s learned about the Rhode Island State House is that lawmakers sure love their cocktails and cold ones. “The drinking,” she told WPRO. “It is the drinking that blows my mind. You can not operate a motor vehicle when you’ve had two beers but you can make laws that effect people’s lives forever when you’re half in the bag? That’s outrageous!”
WPRO |
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| Transgender gubernatorial candidate: 'Because I’m transgender, I’m not allowed to support Trump?’ |
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In yet another New England state, Jacey Wyatt, a transgender candidate for governor in Connecticut, thinks, among other things, that Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloy is spending too much time criticizing North Carolina’s transgender bathroom law and not enough time trying to keep companies like General Electric from moving out of state, according to CTPost. As for President Trump, Wyatt says: “Don’t worry, me and Trump will be fine together. Because I’m transgender, I’m not allowed to support Trump?”
CTPost |
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| Warren, Kennedy and hospital groups step up criticism of GOP ObamaCare plan |
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Assuming House Republican leaders can beat back a conservative insurrection in their own party over plans to wipe out large components of the Affordable Care Act, the GOP will still have to surmount growing opposition from Democrats and, interestingly, industry groups. Talking Points Memo reports how major hospital and other health-care groups are voicing their opposition to the GOP proposal.
Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren is warning that the Republican alternative to ObamaCare will “tear apart” Massachusetts’ health-care system, reports Tori Bedford at WGBH. Rep. Joseph Kennedy III denounced the House blueprint for showing “no mercy” toward the most vulnerable in society, as he tweetedyesterday and according to a report at the Globe. Is there anyone around here who actually likes what House Republicans are doing? Answer: Yes, Scott Brown, who says the plan is a “good first start,” reports the Herald. |
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| Amid outcry, St. Pats parade organizers plan another vote on excluding gay vets group |
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It was déjà vu all over again yesterday with pols and other denouncing the organizers of the South Boston St. Patrick’s Day parade for voting to exclude a gay veterans group from the event, a highly controversial move that seemed to come from the way-back-machine politics of yesteryear. Gov. Baker emotionally criticized the ban and suggested he’d find something else to do on Sunday, reports CommonWealth magazine. Mayor Marty Walsh unloaded on the organizers, saying their anti-gay sentiments are “so old,” reports MassLive (with video). A veteran who was to lead the parade quit in protest of the ban, reports Universal Hub.
But the Herald’s Matt Stout and Chris Villani say that some are pushing for another vote today or tomorrow to overturn the controversial ban, though both sides seem to be digging in their heels on the issue. |
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| Anti-abortion protestors hound Gov. Baker |
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Next time someone urges the Republican Gov. Charlie Baker to act more like a liberal Democrat, remember that he does have real and potential critics to contend with in his own party. SHNS’s Matt Murphy notes at the Lowell Sun how more than 100 anti-abortion activists protested outside the first-floor press room in the State House while Baker was holding a press conference on water quality legislation.
Lowell Sun |
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| Despite conservative grumbling, Baker unlikely to face primary challenger |
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Anti-abortion activists and other conservatives may be upset with Baker, but they concede the moderate (and very popular) Republican is unlikely to face a GOP primary challenge, the Globe’s Jim O’Sullivan reports.
In other 2018 gubernatorial news, Jim O’Sullivan is also reporting that Newton mayor Setti Warren, still a non-official Democratic candidate, has picked up an interesting corporate backer. |
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| Marijuana committee shoots for June bill |
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The Legislature’s new marijuana committee is aiming to have a bill ready for action by June, reports Colin Young at SHNS. Committee members certainly have a full plate. Check out all the different factions members plan to consult. “Some of the people we had in mind were the proponents, the treasurer, the attorney general, (the Department of Public Health), Gaming Commission, the governor, agriculture, Department of Revenue,” said Senate Co-chair Sen. Patricia Jehlen. And that’s the short list.
SHNS (pay wall) |
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| The case of the disappearing tax refunds |
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The Department of Revenue says a computer glitch led to thousands of state income tax refund payments being withdrawn from taxpayers’ bank accounts shortly after they arrived by electronic deposit, Jessica Reyes of Fox25 Boston reports. New payments are expected this week but still unclear is whether DOR will pay any overdraft fees incurred by confused taxpayers.
Fox25 |
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| Herald going all out to promote Howie’s Kennedy-bashing book |
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In case you didn’t notice, the Herald is providing big excerpt spreads this week from Howie Carr’s new book “Kennedy Babylon Vol. 1,” basically a tired rehashing of old anti-Kennedy tales. Today’s installment: The Marilyn Monroe connection.
Boston Herald |
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| FBI Director: ‘You’re stuck with me’ |
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He said it as a sort of joke, but, with all the controversy surrounding the FBI these days, FBI Director James Comey’s “you're stuck with me for about 6 1/2 years” line at Boston College yesterday seemed to have a little extra meaning, as reported by NPR. The Herald has more on Comey’s BC appearance, including his warnings about cyber threats to the nation.
NPR
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