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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.
WARREN BLOWBACK — Just days before she makes a likely presidential campaign announcement in Lawrence, Sen. Elizabeth Warren faces a familiar issue — blowback from her past claims of Native American heritage.
Warren sought to address the issue with a DNA test last fall, but the botched effort didn't really work. Now, a new document showing she claimed "American Indian" heritage to the State Bar of Texas has prompted a new wave of criticism. The registration card from more than three decades ago is different because it shows Warren claiming Native American heritage in her own handwriting. The senator also recently apologized to tribal leaders for her past actions.
But the apology hasn't quieted much of the criticism Warren faces. And now the question is whether the ancestry issue will haunt Warren throughout the primary. The reaction this week offers a taste of what could come if Warren becomes the nominee in 2020 and the issue endures.
The president mocked her earlier this week at a lunch meeting with television anchors. The Republican National Committee filed a formal complaint with the Texas Bar. In her home state, newly-elected MassGOP chairman Jim Lyons said Warren is "incapable of being a leader" for the party. "It is discouraging to know that our Senator ... refuses to provide voters with a straight timeline and honest accounting about claiming an inauthentic heritage to advance her legal and academic career," Lyons said in a statement.
Warren's also taking a hit in the opinion pages of her hometown paper. "Who can beat Donald Trump in 2020? Not Elizabeth Warren," the Boston Globe's Joan Vennochi began her column this morning. It's a turnaround from when Venocchi defended Warren's presidential prospects in December, shortly after an unsigned Globe editorial said Warren had missed her moment in 2016. "If Elizabeth Warren really wants to run for president — she should go for it, and not let the fickle press undercut her resolve," Venocchi wrote at the time.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.
TODAY - Gov. Charlie Baker attends the Swampscott High School National Blue Ribbon Award Presentation. Lt. Gov. Karyn Politovisits Billerica, North Andover, Georgetown and Wenham for Community Compact discussions, and makes a Technical Assistance Program Awards announcement in Topsfield.
Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez reveal their Green New Deal resolution. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh celebrates City Hall's 50th anniversary. Easthampton Mayor Nicole LaChapelledelivers a State of the City address. The Edward M. Kennedy Institutehosts a screening of "The Peacemaker." Former presidential candidate and Ohio Gov. John Kasich speaks at Amherst College. Revere Mayor Brian Arrigo delivers a State of the City address.
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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- "Baker, Polito refile cyberbullying bill," by Mary Markos, Boston Herald: "A bill that would require schools to teach students about the risks of cyberbullying is being refiled after a study showed alarming bullying rates, indicating a growing crisis. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found that as many as 14,000 of the state's nearly 1 million K-12 students claimed in 2017 that they had been bullied, while schools reported only 2,031 incidents in the 2017-18 school year. The CDC reported that 12 percent said they had considered killing themselves. Schools would have to teach students about the risks of taking and sharing sexually explicit photos or videos of minors as they relate to cyberbullying under the legislation."
- "After death of Laura Levis, lawmakers seek to prevent another such tragedy," by Priyanka Dayal McCluskey, Boston Globe: "If just one thing had happened differently that day, Laura Levis might have survived. Instead, Levis, seeking emergency help for an asthma attack, found a locked door when she arrived at Somerville Hospital, collapsed outside, and later died. She was just 34. Now Levis's husband is pushing Massachusetts lawmakers to approve legislation to help prevent another such tragedy. One bill — dubbed 'Laura's Law' — would require the Department of Public Health to write rules requiring all hospitals in the state to 'ensure safe patient access at all times' to their emergency departments."
- "Healey gets boost from health insurers, hospitals for inauguration fête," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "Attorney General Maura Healey, whose broad responsibilities include enforcing the state's health care laws, got a boost from two of the industry's most influential interest groups amid an array of developers, banks, and others who bankrolled her inaugural celebration last month. The Massachusetts Association of Health Plans, which shares an adviser with Healey, and the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association combined to give the Charlestown Democrat's inaugural committee $5,000 on the same day last month, records show."
- "Fact-checking new poll on voter tax attitudes," by Andy Metzger, CommonWealth Magazine: "A GROUP THAT GENERALLY sees eye-to-eye with Republican politicians in Massachusetts publicized a poll Wednesday that might suggest dismal support for Gov. Charlie Baker's tax proposals. The poll indicated most of the voters in districts represented by the most powerful lawmakers on Beacon Hill think the Republican governor should "hold the line" on taxes and spending. The poll's questions, however, were worded in a way that seemed designed to influence the response."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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- "If Rosa Parks rode a bus in Boston today, she'd see nearly the same segregation she fought," by Nestor Ramos, Boston Globe:"What would Rosa Parks see if she boarded a bus in Boston today? Parks now symbolically rides every MBTA bus. Thanks to a law signed last month, a decal or LED sign on every bus will permanently commemorate the woman whose bravery and sacrifice became a flashpoint in the civil rights movement. Most of the decals were installed last week. It's a nice honor for a great American. And it's not nearly enough."
- "Mayor Walsh says he's getting 'too much credit' for helping driver whose car caught fire," by Travis Andersen, Boston Globe:"Mayor Martin J. Walsh said Wednesday that he and his driver were receiving "too much credit" for coming to the aid of a Quincy man whose car engine caught fire the night before on Interstate 93. 'Thank God everything was OK,' Walsh told reporters after a public event. 'You see these fires all the time that start in the engine, and then all of a sudden, next thing, the car's up' in flames. Walsh said he became alarmed when he saw the man's vehicle traveling on the highway with sparks flying out from under the wheel."
- "Fewer Spaces, More Parking? A Trend's Afoot In Downtown Boston," by Stephanie Leydon, WGBH News: "At a time when there's more development, jobs and people than ever, something appears to be disappearing from downtown Boston: commercial garage space. Consider the landmark Government Center garage, which, at its peak, held 2,300 cars. Much of the garage is now being demolished, and when construction at the site is complete, it will be transformed into a residential, hotel and office complex that will hold far more people and about that half that number of cars. Bullfinch Crossing, as the development is called, exemplifies a trend to redevelop commercial parking amid growing evidence that, at least in downtown Boston, other modes of transportation are catching on, too."
- "Despite criticism and complaints, MIT won't cut ties to Saudi Arabia," by Deirdre Fernandes, Boston Globe: "MIT won't sever its financial and research ties to Saudi Arabian government groups over the brutal killing of a journalist, despite the urging of many faculty and students, and complaints by some of the university's female researchers that they face more restrictions than their male colleagues when working in the Saudi kingdom. On Wednesday, MIT president, L. Rafael Reif, denounced the behavior of the Saudi regime for violating human rights but rejected calls to unilaterally pull out of engagements in the Middle Eastern country."
- "Boston Public Schools Debuts Its Latest 'Largest-Ever' Budget," by Max Larkin, WBUR: "Boston Public Schools plans to spend at least $1.139 billion in the next fiscal year, a $26 million increase over this year's budget. District officials have touted the 2020 budget as "the largest ever" — as they do every year. And owing to the way funds are distributed, many schools can expect either limited new investment or cuts next year."
- WHAT ABOUT THE GONDOLA: "A 200-foot observation wheel on Boston's Long Wharf?" by Tim Logan, Boston Globe: "Imagine soaring 200 feet above Boston Harbor. Off the end of Long Wharf. On a giant wheel. That's the vision a group of Canadian developers have been discreetly pitching to waterfront neighborhood groups and City Hall in recent weeks, hoping to build support for a plan to build an 'observation wheel' off of Long Wharf. The structure would extend over the water, with two buildings and outdoor seating. Such a complex, no doubt, would enliven — and forever change — one of the most historic spots on Boston's waterfront."
- "Police cited four restaurants for opening their patios during the Patriots parade," by John Hilliard, Boston Globe: "Four restaurants were cited by Boston police for opening up their patios during unseasonably warm weather Tuesday, clearing patrons from their tables during a parade celebrating the Patriots' latest championship. Among those restaurants was Orá Trattorizza, where managing partner Jo Oliviero-Megwa said three Boston police officers ordered Orá's patio on Boylston Street cleared during the parade. The timing couldn't have been worse, she said."
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| DAY IN COURT |
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- "Mass. high court upholds Michelle Carter ruling," by John R. Ellement and Travis Andersen, Boston Globe: "Michelle Carter acted with criminal intent when she 'badgered' Conrad Roy III into killing himself in 2014, so her involuntary manslaughter conviction will stand and her 15-month prison sentence will be enforced, the state's highest court ruled Wednesday. In a unanimous ruling, the Supreme Judicial Court rejected legal arguments that Carter's text messages and cellphone calls with Roy were forms of free speech protected by the First Amendment, and instead applied a 203-year-old ruling to her 21st-century communications."
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| WARREN REPORT |
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- "Warren struggles to move past Native American heritage flap," by Elana Schor, Associated Press: "Sen. Elizabeth Warren is on the verge of launching a presidential campaign that should be all about her vision for the future. But first she has to explain her past. For the second time in two weeks, the Massachusetts Democrat apologized Wednesday for claiming Native American identity on multiple occasions early in her career. The move followed a report that she listed her race as 'American Indian' — in her own handwriting — on a 1986 registration card for the Texas state bar."
- "Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey look to crack down on presidential transition ethics rules," by Shannon Young, Springfield Republican: "U.S. Sens. Elizabeth and Ed Markey joined fellow Democrats this week in pushing for federal legislation that seeks to enhance ethics requirements presidential transition teams must meet -- an issue which has surfaced in wake of President Donald Trump's 2017 transition.
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| DATELINE D.C. |
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- "House Democrat leaders back cautious approach to Trump's tax returns," by Aaron Lorenzo and Bernie Becker, POLITICO:"House Democratic leaders, in addition to backing Neal's approach, also say they won't be bullied by Trump. But the issue is already starting to create splinters within a couple of factions in the House Democratic Caucus, as progressives, including some Ways and Means members, aren't on the same page about how quickly Neal should be moving to obtain Trump's records, which he can do by law."
- "Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker urges Congress to address climate change," by Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican:"Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker testified about climate change before a congressional committee in Washington on Wednesday, calling on Congress to create federal emissions targets, fund research on climate change and consider climate change resilience in federal infrastructure funding. In response to a question about whether policymakers can do anything about climate change, Baker compared climate change to acid rain and the ozone layer, other environmental challenges that public policies have been able to address."
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| TRUMPACHUSETTS |
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- "Mass. Biotechs Have Much At Stake, As Trump Calls Drug Prices A 'Major Priority,'" by Callum Borchers, WBUR: "President Trump grabbed the attention of Massachusetts pharmaceutical companies when he called drug prices a "major priority" during his State of the Union address Tuesday. The companies are already facing pressure from Gov. Charlie Baker. Drawing applause even from Democrats, Trump ripped what he called an "unfair" drug pricing system. He called for action from Congress to make medications that are cheaper in other countries available to Americans at lower rates."
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| MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS |
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- "Boston Councilor's Bill Would Mandate Minority Inclusion Among Marijuana Licensees," by Isaiah Thompson, WGBH News:"With the first legal recreational marijuana shops expected to open in Boston sometime this year, there's been growing concern among city officials that minority communities are at risk of being left behind by the economic boom being generated by legalized pot."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "FAKE ID" — Globe: "Stickers can't solve this bus segregation," "Conviction in teen's suicide is upheld." |
| NO PLACE LIKE THE CITY OF HOMES |
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- "Springfield City Councilor Orlando Ramos 'strongly considering' run for mayor in 2019," by Peter Goonan, Springfield Republican: "City Councilor Orlando Ramos said Wednesday he is "strongly considering" a run for mayor in 2019 against incumbent Domenic Sarno. Ramos said he will make a decision by the end of February. Ramos was first elected to the council in 2013 and is now in this third two-year term. Sarno has served as mayor since 2008 and has stated he is running for re-election."
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| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "Donkey Therapy On Care Farm Helps Kids With Autism," by Cristina Quinn, WGBH News: "They're cute, they're stubborn and they're gaining favor in the animal therapy world. Long regarded as the less than glamorous equine, donkeys are increasingly getting credit where it's due — on care farms. At Cultivate Care Farms, an outpatient care farm in Bolton, Mass., clients with mental health, addiction and communication disorders come to connect with animals and agriculture as a form of therapy."
TRANSITIONS - Linda Matys O'Connell will handle coverage of arts and culture in Springfield and the Pioneer Valley for Western Mass Politics & Insight.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to former Uxbridge Rep. Kevin Kuros and Massachusetts Parents United founder Keri Rodrigues.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? No! The Rangers beat the Bruins 4-3.
WELCOME TO THE PLAYBOOK FAMILY -- Annabelle Dickson,POLITICO Europe's London-based politics and technology correspondent, starting this Friday, will officially write the Friday edition of the London Playbook. Jack Blanchard will continue to oversee the newsletter and will write the other 4 editions. Subscribe
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