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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. And welcome to my inaugural edition of the Massachusetts Playbook.
I hope you'll join me each morning for a must-read rundown of all things Massachusetts politics. A little about me: I'm a political reporter born and raised in the Merrimack Valley. I'm a proud UMass Amherst grad, and I'm back in the Bay State after covering breaking news for POLITICO in Washington, D.C. I'll spend most of my time working out of the State House, so swing by and say hello if you're on Beacon Hill. For tips, clips and birthdays, drop me a line at smurray@politico.com.
JEFF FLAKE'S IN TOWN — After making waves in Washington last week for his high-profile role in the Kavanaugh hearings, Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake will be in New England today to talk about it.
Flake's first stop is in Boston, where he's slated to speak at the Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit. He'll be greeted by protesters urging him to reject Kavanaugh's nomination, including MA-7 Democratic nominee Ayanna Pressley and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. "The American people are entitled to the truth, survivors entitled to justice, and Kavanaugh is most certainly not entitled to a lifetime appointment," Pressley told POLITICO in a statement on Sunday.
At the Forbes event, Flake will appear with Ohio Gov. John Kasich — another Trump skeptic like the Arizona senator — who you may remember from the 2016 election cycle. The exact venue remains uncertain: Forbes says the talk isn't canceled, but by early Monday morning, it still wasn't clear where it would be. Emerson College planned to host the event but pulled out amid "safety concerns." Some other Forbes speakers to watch out for Monday are former Secretary of State John Kerry and short-lived White House press secretary Anthony Scaramucci.
Other Republican Judiciary Committee members might have canceled a speaking engagement after Kavanaugh's contentious confirmation hearing. But Flake's toughing it out, which is a lot easier when you're not running for reelection. He did cancel a weekend slot at Texas Tribune Festival, though.
Flake shocked fellow Republicans when he asked for an FBI investigation into sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh on Friday. Breaking step with his party, the senator threw a wrench into Kavanaugh's off-the-rails confirmation. Republicans already face a razor-thin margin to get the troubled nominee through the Senate.
Massachusetts pols have made clear where they stand on the issue. Like Flake, Gov. Charlie Baker rejected the Republican effort to rush Kavanaugh through the Senate. Baker called for an independent investigation into the claims against Kavanaugh. Further, Baker says he believes Christine Blasey Ford, who says Kavanaugh assaulted her in high school.
Later in the day Monday, Flake will head north to Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire. Registration for his talk on the "rejection of destructive politics" is closed due to "increasing demand." Wonder why.
2020 WATCH: Sen. Elizabeth Warren admitted this weekend what we already knew about the 2020 election: She's definitely thinking about it. Warren said she'll take a "hard look" at a 2020 run after the midterm elections on Saturday at a town hall in Western Mass. Rep. Seth Moulton, who some see as a 2020 contender himself, wouldn't say whether he'd support a Warren run. "I'm not thinking about 2020 at all. I have great appreciation for our senior Senator but that's a long ways off," Moulton told me after a town hall in Tewksbury on Sunday, adding that he's focused on flipping the House.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.
TODAY — The Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit features Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake, former Secretary of State John Kerry and former White House press secretary Anthony Scaramucci, among others. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and MA-7 Democratic nominee Ayanna Pressley attend a rally at City Hall Plaza urging Sen. Jeff Flake to vote 'no' on SCOTUS nominee Brett Kavanaugh. House Speaker Robert DeLeo celebrates Italian Heritage Month in the House Chamber. New York Democratic Socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez attends a screening of "Fahrenheit 11/9" in Brookline. Rep. Katherine Clark is in Pennsylvania stumping for a Democratic candidate. Supporters of the 2016 Yes on 4 campaign hold a press conference on the "slow pace" of cannabis business license approvals at the State House.
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 | ON THE STUMP |
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- "For Warren, 'engaged and enraged' Democratic women strong base for potential presidential run," by John Hilliard, Boston Globe: " When Senator Elizabeth Warren told a town hall audience in Holyoke on Saturday that she'd "take a hard look" at running for president after next month's midterm election, she further stoked talk of her national ambitions. Political observers on both sides of the spectrum who have long speculated about the liberal Democrat's future on Sunday had a mixed response to Warren's surprising statement, which came in response to a question from the audience."
- SCOOPLET: Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is now selling "PERSIST" T-shirts tailored to all 50 states in her online and relaunched campaign store. "We wanted to give everyone the chance to show they're in this fight," spokesperson Kristen Orthman told my colleagues Daniel Lippman and Eli Okun. Take a look at the shirts
- "Green runs on 'working harder' for 3rd District seat," by Chris Lisinski, The Lowell Sun: " With no opponent in the Republican primary, Rick Green spent close to a year running for the 3rd Congressional District out of the spotlight, keeping his presence known but having to wait until the 10-way Democratic primary settled to know his opponent would be Lori Trahan. Now that the race is clearly defined, Green said his campaign has not changed beyond bringing on additional staff and volunteers. He continues to talk about infrastructure and opioids, two of his central themes, more than almost any other topic, and most days are a string of events to meet voters. But despite Green's efforts, a question lingers as the general election draws near: Can he do enough to win in a district that, despite a somewhat independent bent, has not elected a Republican to the House of Representatives in 46 years?"
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| DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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- "The many faces of climate denial," by Craig S. Altemose, CommonWealth: " North Carolinians are paying a price for the politicization of climate science. In 2012, the North Carolina state legislature attempted to outlaw sea level rise by preventing the use of sea level rise data in any government planning efforts (after a 2010 study predicted a rise of three feet this century). The cost in terms of property damage and human suffering that could have been prevented without this order is hard to measure. But if there is one thing Hurricane Florence demonstrated, it is that we cannot ignore or wish away climate change for short-term political convenience. Which brings us to Massachusetts. While North Carolina's state legislature demonstrated the most egregious and obvious form of climate denial — a wholesale denial of the problem — Massachusetts's state government, under the leadership of Gov. Charlie Baker, has recently adopted a different form of climate denial that is arguably just as pernicious and even more widespread: denying that the problem is as serious as it is."
- "Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey: 'I believe Dr. Ford,'" by Shira Schoenberg, Masslive.com: "'I believe Dr. Ford.' So said Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, a Democrat, on Friday. Healey was referring to Christine Blasey Ford's testimony on Thursday, in which the California professor accused U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were both in high school. Healey, who has been a vocal critic of Republican President Donald Trump's administration, said she does not think Kavanaugh belongs on the Supreme Court."
- "'Garden' Clause In New Law Requires Pay During Noncompete" by Bob Salsberg, The Associated Press: "Whether or not they choose to spend their idle time in their yards, workers with noncompete contracts in Massachusetts will soon be the first in the U.S. to enjoy a "garden leave" provision allowing them to get paid even after leaving a job. The rule taking effect Monday is part of a major revamp of state law covering noncompetition agreements and protection of trade secrets. Both are highly sensitive topics in Massachusetts, where the economy is largely driven by brainpower and technological innovation."
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| MOULTON MATTERS |
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- "Congressman Seth Moulton: Kavanaugh too untrustworthy for Supreme Court," 7 News Boston: "Bay State Congressman Seth Moulton spoke out about Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh at a town hall event in Tewksbury on Sunday. Moulton said he and many others feel they cannot trust Kavanaugh following his controversial testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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Herald: "OUT OF BOUNDS " — Globe: "Exclusive psychiatric care, for a price," "Troopers' retirement rate soars."
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| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "Inside our secret courts," by Jenn Abelson, Nicole Dungca and Todd Wallack, Boston Globe: " Every year, tens of thousands of cases wind up in secret court sessions — formally known as "show cause hearings" — that are presided over by court clerks and usually held for suspects who haven't been arrested and don't pose a flight risk or danger to others. ... It's a land of arbitrary second chances, where the powerful, the privileged, and the lucky can see serious charges like reckless endangerment of a child and motor vehicle homicide quietly swept away in private hearings."
- "State Police force shrinks, while workload grows," by Matt Rocheleau, Boston Globe: " Massachusetts State Police troopers are retiring at a record clip this year, pushing staff levels lower even as the department is trying to both expand its operations and rein in overtime costs. The agency, mired in scandals and battling low morale, has no plan, or funding set aside, to start hiring replacements, who take months to vet and train. Law enforcement experts say the retirement surge, coupled with the agency's growing workload, could cost taxpayers money, imperil public safety, or both."
- "Thefts and lies: A timeline of the scandals that have shaken the Massachusetts State Police," by Scott J. Croteau, Masslive.com : "The suspension of the Massachusetts State Police's highest paid trooper was just the beginning of the scandals that have continued to rock the Massachusetts State Police this year. Dozens of troopers now face federal and state charges and additional troopers have resigned or been suspended. There were allegations of supervisors interfering in the arrest of a judge's daughter, lawsuits filed against State Police top brass, a trooper caught lying about her involvement in illegal drug distribution, all topped off by investigations into alleged overtime theft."
- "Worcester gears up mass transportation, but long road lies ahead," by Cyrus Moulton, Worcester Telegram & Gazette: "Twenty years ago, Union Station was vacant, its roof had collapsed and trees were growing in the grand, main concourse. Twelve years ago, and again six years ago, no commercial airlines flew out of Worcester Regional Airport, and the city entertained discussions of turning the property into a casino or housing. Last year, the Worcester Regional Transit Authority raised fares and cut services to overcome a nearly $800,000 deficit. Today, it's a different story."
- "School official rips cellphone use, news media after Confederate flag episode," by Heather Bellow, The Berkshire Eagle: "Should what happens in school, stay in school? One local school official thinks so, after news that an unidentified student wearing a Confederate flag spread across social media and local news outlets. In the wake of Tuesday's episode at Monument Mountain Regional High School, a Berkshire Hills Regional School District school committee member took the culture of cellphone use in schools to task Thursday at the committee's regularly scheduled meeting. Richard Dohoney also said that the news media were out of line."
SPOTTED in a bathroom at the Women@Forbes Under 30 event on Sunday: a flyer urging people to "peacefully protest" Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) who is speaking at the Forbes 30 under 30 conference on Monday. "When he starts speaking, we all stand up with fists raised, in silence," it reads. The flyer
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY - to Cassie Moreno, the finance assistant for Congressman Seth Moulton and Serve America, who celebrated on Saturday.
TRANSITION - Anne Carlson and Anthony Arias have started OrganizeTogether, a volunteer management and grassroots mobilizing platform. The founders, who have been involved with Raise Up's Fight for 15 campaign and Our Revolution, have worked for a number of tech and media companies, including indico data, Social Sphere, Fog Creek, and the Boston Globe.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes and yes! - The New England Patriots beat the Miami Dolphins 38-7. The Red Sox beat the Yankees 10-2.
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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