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By Jay Fitzgerald and Keith Regan

08/25/2017

Felix fired | Safe for now | Power-Boo boo

Happening Today

Urban League training program, Warren visits General Dynamics, Markey presser

Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency hosts a first-of-its-kind hazard mitigation and climate adaption plan meeting with the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and the state plan project management team, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 661 N Pleasant St., Amherst, 9 a.m. ... Gov. Charlie Baker and Boston Mayor Martin Walsh announce a new job training program being launched by the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts in partnership with Google, Bank of America, and Arthur F. Blanchard Trust/BNY Mellon, 88 Warren St., Roxbury, 9:30 a.m. ... U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren visits the General Dynamics facility in Taunton, along with U.S. Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, General Dynamics, 400 John Quincy Adams Rd, Taunton, 10 a.m. ... Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito joins UMass Dartmouth Chancellor Robert Johnson, Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia, Sen. Michael Rodrigues and Rep. Paul Schmid at the opening of UMass Dartmouth's RapidLab at the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 151 Martine St., Fall River, 11 a.m. ... Lt. Gov. Polito joins Sen. Rodrigues and Rep. Schmid to sign a community compact and announce an award to the Westport Council on Aging through MassDOT's Mobility Assistance Program, Westport Town Hall, 816 Main Rd., Westport, 12:30 p.m. ... U.S. Sens. Warren and Reed visit MIT Lincoln Laboratory for several demonstrations and a tour of the facilities' recent modernization efforts, Lexington, 12:45 p.m. ... After returning from an official trip to Asia, U.S. Sen. Edward Markey holds a press conference to detail a ‘plan for moving forward diplomatically to address the threat of a nuclear North Korea,’ Room 900A, JFK Federal Building, 15 New Sudbury St., Boston, 1 p.m. ... Special edition of ‘Radio Boston’ focuses on President John F. Kennedy’s ‘human side,’ which includes talks with MSNBC host Chris Matthews, BU professor emeritus Robert Dallek, former Kennedy Library director Tom Putnam and others, WBUR-FM 90.9, 3 p.m. ... Massachusetts drivers who want a low-number license plate have until today to apply to enter the lottery for one, with applications via online or with an application postmarked by Aug. 25, according to the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

Today's News

Felix Arroyo fired after sexual-harassment complaint

Boston’s Felix G. Arroyo, the one-time mayoral candidate and the city’s embattled chief of health services, was given the boot yesterday by Mayor Marty Walsh, amid allegation that Arroyo sexually harassed a woman in his office, reports the Globe’s Meghan Irons and the Herald’s Dan Atkinson and Matt Stout.

The firing of Arroyo, who was previously suspended and who is now signaling he may fight his dismissal, comes with the mayoral election just around the Labor Day corner and with Walsh dogged by a number of other administrative controversies at City Hall. If recent polling data is any indication, this latest controversy shouldn’t hurt Walsh’s re-election chances. But you never know. The mayor did rid himself of one potential headache yesterday: The city and teachers union signed a new contract, as the Herald reports.

Marine monument off coast of New England is safe – for now

U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has recommended that President Trump not eliminate the legal status of 27 protected land and sea national monuments, including the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, located off the New England's coast. But Zinke, without providing specifics, did recommend potential future changes on how the areas are managed – and some environmentalists are alarmed, reports David Abel at the Globe. Meanwhile, both environmentalists and fishing groups are bracing for legal battles over the marine monument designation, reports the AP’s Patrick Whittle at WBUR.

Eldridge takes a pass on Congressional race, plans to seek re-election to state Senate

This is somewhat of a surprise: State Sen. Jamie Eldridge, who ran for Congress as a Democrat ten years ago, has decided he won’t seek the 3rd Congressional District seat now held by retiring U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas, saying he’s happy in the Senate, according to reports by Chris Lisinski at the Lowell Sun and SHNS’s Matt Murphy at the Telegram. Eldridge, an Acton resident and one of the most liberal lawmakers on Beacon Hill, would have been a strong contender in what’s expected to be a crowded and expensive race, although ... see next post.

Race for Tsongas seat slow to take shape

Though most everyone expects a crowded and expensive contest to fill U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas’s seat next year (with or without Jamie Eldridge), it’s a pretty lonely affair so far. Dan Koh, an Andover native and chief of staff to Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, says he’s running. But other potential candidates – including state Sens. Barbara L'Italien and Eileen Donoghue, Steve Kerrigan, the 2014 Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, and Ellen Murphy Meehan, wife of former Congressman and current UMass boss Marty Meehan – have yet to make formal decisions, reports Katie Lannan at State House News Service.

As for Koh, the Herald’s Joe Battenfeld wonders if voters in Haverhill, Lowell and Lawrence really care if he’s considered the wunderkind of Boston City Hall.

SHNS (pay wall)

Second GOP candidate announces he’s gunning for Healey’s job

Sandwich resident Dan Shores is the second Republican – and second attorney from Cape Cod – to announce he’s seeking the GOP nomination to run against incumbent Attorney General Maura Healey, a Democrat, reports Jim O’Sullivan at the Globe and Matt Murphy at SHNS (pay wall). Shores, founder of an intellectual property law firm, accused Healey of being “soft on crime” and plans to focus on the opioid crisis and cyber crime.

James McMahon, a Bourne attorney, has already launched his bid for the GOP nomination.

Kingston touts ability to spend on Warren race

He’s not even officially in the race yet, but John Kingston wants Massachusetts Republicans to know he’s ready to spend big if he’s the nominee chosen to run against U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Frank Phillips of the Globe reports the businessman is ready to spend $2 million of his own funds and has $200K lined up from other donors as well, cash he’s clearly hoping will set him apart in what is shaping up to be at least a four-way race for the GOP primary battle to challenge Warren.

Boston Globe

Powerball winner from Chicopee, not Watertown, claims $758M prize

What a day for Mavis Wanczyk – and the Lottery and media. The 53-year-old Wanczyk, the mother of two who has toiled 32 years at the Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, yesterday stepped forward as the sole winner of the $758 million Powerball jackpot, the largest lottery jackpot ever claimed by a single ticket holder. She’s already declared hasta la vista to her job, after opting for the $480 million lump sum payment, $333.3 million after taxes. Coverage is available at MassLive and the Boston Globe and the Boston Business Journal and just about every other media outlet in the universe.

Of course, the day started out a little rocky, shall we say, with numerous said media outlets, including your favorite morning political newsletter, reporting the winning ticket was purchased in Watertown, before the Lottery announced that it had screwed up and that the winning ticket had actually been purchased in Chicopee. That led to some hilarious social-media moments, including a lot of Steve Harvey references (such as at Universal Hub) and other jokes (there’s a good run-down of them at MassLive). And, of course, there was a lot of journalistic backtracking (tough luck Handy Variety store of Watertown).

Lottery director explains Power-Boo-boo: It was simple human error

Michael Sweeney, the executive director of the Massachusetts Lottery, yesterday explained how the agency initially reported early Thursday morning, erroneously, that the winning $758.7 million Powerball ticket was purchased in Watertown, only later to issue a correction saying it was purchased in Chicopee. “It was the result of a human error that was corrected as quickly as it could be corrected,” said Sweeney. CBS Boston has the details on how winning tickets were effectively mixed up by an employee. And you know what? The explanation is logical, understandable and acceptable. It was still a joyous day, boo-boos or not.

CBS Boston

Baker on Power-Boo-boo: ‘I'm just glad the winning pick was in Massachusetts.’

And he’s right, of course. Via Gintautas Dumcius at MassLive, Gov. Charlie Bakers gets the last word on Power-Boo-boo: "I think most people are going to focus on the fact that the winning ticket was sold in Massachusetts. And from our point of view, that's great. ... I'm just glad the winning pick was in Massachusetts.”

MassLive

Oh boy: BC High names first female president of all-boys school

Following a near revolt by alumni and others upset at the mere thought of admitting girls, Boston College High School has announced that its new president will be a ... girl! Actually, she’s Grace Cotter Regan, a woman with tons of experience running Catholic schools across the region, reports Danny McDonald at the Globe.

Boston Globe

Kennedys dispute police accounts of wild Hyannisport bash: ‘There was no mob’

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and a Kennedy clan spokesman are disputing police accounts of a rowdy weekend party that led to the arrest of Matthew “Max” Kennedy and his daughter Caroline, saying that Max Kennedy wasn’t drunk and that there was never any angry “mob” jeering police, reports Geoff Spillane at the Cape Cod Times. “I can tell you that Max Kennedy was sober as a judge,” said Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Max’s brother, who was present at the party earlier that night before police arrived. “He hasn’t had a drink or a drug for 35 years.”

In the end, most everyone, including Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O’Keefe, seem to think the charges against the Kennedys will be dismissed, as similar noise-complaint charges have been regularly dismissed in the past, reports John Ellement at the Globe.

Cape Cod Times

Local hospitals not ‘haunted’ by Yawkey affiliation

Red Sox owner John Henry may he’s ‘haunted’ by the Yawkey Way street name and open to changing the name due to its ties to former Sox owner Tom Yawkey, considered by many a racist. But local hospitals – including Mass. General Hospital and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute – have no plans to change the names of their facilities named after Yawkey, whose charitable foundation has donated millions to them over the years, reports Jessica Bartlett at the BBJ.

BBJ

Some lawmakers decline to sign anti-hate resolution

About a dozen state lawmakers have not signed onto a joint resolution signed by Gov. Charlie Baker that sought to make it clear the state denounces white nationalism, Zoe Matthews of the Eagle-Tribune reports. Andover Rep. Jim Lyons tells the paper he had already issued his own statement in the wake of the Charlottesville protest violence and didn’t feel the need to repeat his stance.

Eagle Tribune

Mass tenant evictions sweep Boston

Besides pricing out many poor, working- and middleclass residents, Boston’s red-hot real estate market has another negative for the non-rich: Mass evictions, also known as “building clearouts,” of tenants after investors snap up properties, reports the Globe’s Katheleen Conti.

Boston Globe

Meanwhile, group seeks halt of debt collection orders from state courts

Northeast Legal Aid wants the Supreme Judicial Court to suspend debt-collection orders issued out of 10 district courts in the northeast part of the state—including Lawrence, Lowell and Haverhill—saying those courts are ignoring laws meant to protect low-income residents, Robert Mills of the Lowell Sun reports.

Lowell Sun

The Blue Hills deer hunt: The critics are not going away

Opponents of the Blue Hills Reservation deer hunt are gearing up for another fight, as the state gets ready to hold the third season of the controversial hunt at the reservation, reports Fred Hanson at the Enterprise.

Enterprise

Nonprofits pony up—sort of

Some 49 nonprofit institutions in Boston paid the city $32.4 million in payments in lieu of taxes in fiscal year 2017, a 1 percent increase from the year before but $17 million less than what the city had suggested they pay in total, Isaiah Thompson of WGBH reports.

WGBH

Sunday public affairs TV

Keller at Large, WBZ-TV Channel 4, 8:30 a.m. This week’s guest: Tanisha Sullivan, president of the NAACP Boston, who talks with host Jon Keller about last weekend’s rally and counter-march and rallies in Boston, police and community relations, and the Boston mayoral race.

This is New England, NBC Boston, Channel 10, 9:30 a.m. With host Latoyia Edwards, this week’s focus: Back to school.

This Week in Business, NECN, 10 a.m. Chris Comparato, CEO of Toast, on how his firm’s software for restaurants just got $101 million in funding; Radhames Nova, the president and CEO of Northern New England, on is company’s work to prepare high school students for success; and Doug Banks of the Boston Business Journal on the top local business stories of the week.

CEO Corner, NECN, 10:30 a.m. Stephen Crosby, chairman of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, provides an update on casino projects in Massachusetts and the recently passed law allowing casinos to serve liquor till 4 a.m.

On The Record, WCVB-TV Channel 5, 11 a.m. This week’s guest: Dan Wasserman, political cartoonist for the Boston Globe, who talks with anchor Ed Harding and co-anchor Janet Wu.

CityLine, WCVB-TV Channel 5, 12 p.m. With host Karen Holmes Ward, this week’s topics: METCO and The Schott Foundation.

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Today's Headlines

Metro

Felix G. Arroyo fired as city’s health services chief - Boston Globe

Large nonprofits contribute less than city’s PILOT request—again - WGBH

After 18 months, Boston teachers union and city agree to new contract - WBUR

Massachusetts

John Kingston pledges $2 million for race against Elizabeth Warren - Boston Globe

Easthampton Superintendent unveils investigation results, outlines plan to ‘eliminate bias’ - MassLive

Chiefs support Baker detainer proposal - Gloucester Times

Barnstable County floats early retirement program - Cape Cod Times