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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.
BUTTIGIEG DRAWS BIG BOSTON CROWD — Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Ind., and a nascent presidential candidate, riled up a crowd of more than 1,000 college students at Northeastern University on Wednesday. Part of his appeal, the students said, was that Buttigieg wasn't trying to appeal to them.
The 37-year-old Democrat solidified his standing in the 2020 contest when he took in a $7 million fundraising haul in the first quarter of the year. On Wednesday, he staked out policy positions on higher education and health care, reflected on being a millennial in elected office, and spoke about religion and his military service during the hourlong talk.
When Northeastern initially planned Buttigieg's visit nine weeks ago, organizers set aside a room that fits around 200 people. As interest in the candidate's talk grew, the school moved the event to a larger auditorium. The expanded event still drew an overflow crowd. More than an hour before Buttigieg took the stage, hundreds of people stood in a line that stretched around the building.
The South Bend mayor drew applause when he spoke about his support for the "framework" of the Green New Deal, about his husband, Chasten, and when he called the Electoral College "a dumb idea." At one point, moderator Kimberly Atkins of WBUR asked the crowd to hold its applause so Buttigieg could get to more of their questions. While they stopped clapping, many in the crowd continued to snap their fingers in support.
Buttigieg took a notably more moderate stance on tuition-free college compared with some 2020 Democratic candidates, especially Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. While Buttigieg supports lowering the cost of a higher education, he said, he doesn't support making college free. "Americans who have a college degree earn more than Americans who don't," he said. "As a progressive, I have a hard time getting my head around the idea of a majority who earn less because they didn't go to college subsidizing a minority who earn more because they did."
And though tuition-free college has been something of a rallying cry for progressive Democrats, especially millennials, since the 2016 election, Buttigieg's straightforward answer impressed many of the college students in the audience.
"He stayed true to himself and had obviously thought through something he thought was a more logical solution to the problem and didn't just say the political buzzwords that he knows will get support from college students or progressive liberals," Northeastern College Democrats President Yael Sheinfeld told me.
Read the rest of my story about Buttigieg's visit to Boston here.
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, state Sen. Jo Comerford, state Rep. Mindy Domb, UMass President Marty Meehan and UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy attend a ribbon cutting for the Physical Sciences Building at UMass Amherst. State Senate President Karen Spilka appears on "Boston Public Radio." Boston Mayor Marty Walsh attends a Boston Public Schools Red Sox hat giveaway.
State Sen. Marc Pacheco speaks on a Community Labor United panel to reflect on the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Gaming Commission hearing on Wynn Resorts continues for a third day. The Cannabis Control Commission meets. The Harvard Kennedy School holds a conference featuring members of the Massachusetts Commission on the Future of Transportation.
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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- "DEMS USE WYNN REPORT TO RENEW PUSH FOR LOOK AT RGA DONATIONS," by Matt Murphy, State House News Service:"Democratic Party Chairman Gus Bickford is renewing the party's call for an investigation into Steve Wynn's $2 million gift in 2014 to the Republican Governors Association, and newly questioning whether Wynn Resorts' willingness to cover up bad behavior stopped at allegations of sexual assault against Wynn. Bickford's suggestion of a possible "quid pro quo" between Wynn and Gov. Charlie Baker came as the Massachusetts Gaming Commission entered its second day of hearings on the suitability of the company to continue to hold the license for its Encore Boston Harbor casino in Everett."
- "Wynn Resorts executives say they've cleaned house after accusations against Steve Wynn," by Mark Arsenault, Boston Globe: "With the company's casino license under harsh scrutiny, Wynn Resorts executives Wednesday told state regulators they have cleaned house in the year since sexual misconduct allegations against the company's billionaire founder came to light, ousting employees who mishandled the complaints and building a new company culture from scratch. 'We launched a full back-of-house campaign, 'We are Wynn,' " chief executive Matt Maddox told the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. 'We are about 25,000 people, we're not about a man.'"
- "Bill would require fingerprints from Uber, Lyft drivers," by Mary Markos, Boston Herald: "Drivers for ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft would be fingerprinted under a bill being considered on Beacon Hill, a measure that failed when mandatory background checks were first signed into law in 2016. "There is a hole in the system," advocate Scott Solombrino said. "You absolutely have to have a fingerprint. It's the only way you can guarantee people are who they say they are." Solombrino is a spokesman for Ride Safe Massachusetts, a coalition of chauffeured car and taxi companies, and also the owner of Dav El/Boston Coach, a luxury chauffeur transportation service."
- "SOCIAL WORKERS FACE TWIN THREATS IN DEBT, CLAWBACKS," by Kaitlyn Budion, State House News Service:"Social workers are putting loan forgiveness and limiting insurance "clawbacks" at the top of their legislative priorities, saying changes are needed to stop people from leaving the field for financial reasons. The National Association of Social Workers Massachusetts Chapter held a lobby day Wednesday to advocate for bills to improve the professional lives of social workers."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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- "REP. BRODEUR RUNNING FOR MAYOR OF MELROSE," by Matt Murphy, State House News Service: "Rep. Paul Brodeur, who campaigned hard this winter in his home city of Melrose for a $5.2 million tax override that passed Tuesday night, has decided to run for mayor this fall. "I'm running, and I'm excited about it," Brodeur told the News Service on Wednesday in a hallway interview in the State House. Brodeur is the second legislator to officially jump into a mayoral race this year after Sen. Donald Humason said last month that he would seek the mayor's office in Westfield."
- "After protests, state tosses out MCAS question on 'Underground Railroad,'" by James Vaznis, Boston Globe: "When tenth-graders sat down for the MCAS this spring, many confronted an essay question that struck them as inappropriate and insensitive: They were asked to write a journal entry from the perspective of a white woman who uses derogatory language toward a runaway slave and is conflicted about helping her. The essay question — based on a passage from the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "The Underground Railroad" — sparked a range questions among students, including whether using racist language would win them points for historical accuracy or deductions for inappropriateness."
- "Boston Fed report paints bleak picture for low-income renters," by Tim Logan, Boston Globe: "Massachusetts needs about twice as many apartments that are affordable to low-income renters as it has, according to a study, and the need could grow in coming years. A report released Wednesday by researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston said the state has 274,842 "extremely low-income households" — those earning up to $22,650 for a single person and no more than $29,150 for a family of three — and just 128,037 apartments set at rents they can afford."
- "Rachael Rollins' office: Boston cops turning to higher charges," by Marie Szaniszlo and Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "Prosecutors have seen an increase in the number of people charged with assaulting police since Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins included resisting arrest among the 15 "non-violent" offenses that her office now looks to dismiss unless a supervisor's permission is obtained. "One of the 15 is resisting arrest, so we've seen an uptick in assault and battery on a police officer," Donna Patalano, general counsel for the DA's office, said Wednesday at a Boston College Law School panel discussion on the charging decisions. 'We need to figure out why.'"
- "Sober house operator says he has 'paused' Percival Street plan," by Jennifer Smith, Dorchester Reporter: "A heated standoff between the owner of several sober homes and neighbors in Meetinghouse Hill, who worried about the prospect of oversaturating their block with such residences, cooled some this week, with a number of residents hopeful that a compromise is on the horizon and the owner saying his plans for a new Percival Street sober home are on hold. Last Wednesday, the day after a contentious meeting at the Mather Elementary School, Joseph Pizziferri, Jr., who owns a sober home at 16 Potosi St. that houses 19 women, walked over to a neighbor's house to formally introduce himself to the block ."
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| DAY IN COURT |
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- "Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin Appear in Court as College Admissions Scandal Rewrites Lives," by Kate Taylor, New York Times: "The actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin made their first appearances in federal court in Boston on Wednesday, along with 10 other parents charged in the college admissions fraud investigation. But while they are months away from a potential trial, in some ways their punishments have already started. Even before the 33 parents charged in the scandal have their cases heard in court, they are facing repercussions, from the limitations that come with being on bail to the shame of being held up as examples of greed and entitlement."
- "Family of Ralph Nader's Niece, Killed in Crash, Plans to Sue Boeing," by Mike Isaac, New York Times: "The family of a woman killed in an Ethiopian Airlines accident last month plans to file a wrongful-death lawsuit against the airline, the aircraft manufacturer and the parts supplier linked to the crash that left 157 people dead. The woman, Samya Rose Stumo, 24, was a niece of Ralph Nader, the consumer rights advocate and past presidential candidate. Lawyers representing the family said in a statement that they planned to file the suit on Thursday morning in Federal District Court in Chicago."
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| WARREN REPORT |
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- "Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden have a history. It's complicated." by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden could find themselves sharing a Democratic presidential primary debate stage this summer. It wouldn't be the first time they've sparred. Warren was one of a number of Democrats running for president who recently said Biden, who is expected to also launch a 2020 campaign later this month, would have to answer for his history of physical behavior toward women. However, the Massachusetts senator has shared a uniquely contentious history with the former vice president, dating back to her days in Cambridge."
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| TRUMPACHUSETTS |
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- "House Democrats unleash bid for Trump's tax returns," by Brian Faler, POLITICO: "The House's top tax writer formally requested President Donald Trump's tax returns on Wednesday, escalating a bid by Democrats to unmask the long-hidden documents that's likely to ignite a precedent-setting legal showdown between Congress and the administration. Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.), citing an arcane law allowing him to examine anyone's confidential tax filings, asked for six years of Trump's personal tax returns and of some of his businesses. He is asking the administration to turn over the documents by April 10."
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| FROM THE DELEGATION |
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- "Rep. McGovern: 'We Should Have Normal Relations With Cuba,'" by Shelby El Otmani, WGBH News: "Massachusetts Congressman Jim McGovern has been at the forefront of improving U.S.-Cuba relations for years. Despite new business and travel restrictions from the Trump administration that have chilled relations between the two nations, McGovern says he is still hopeful, and he believes the unique connections between Cuba and Massachusetts can help pave the way to something better."
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| THE CLARK CAUCUS |
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- "Luján's move opens up Jeffries' path to speaker's chair," by Heather Caygle and John Bresnahan, POLITICO: "Ben Ray Luján just gave Hakeem Jeffries a big gift: A clearer path to the speaker's chair. Luján's decision to jump into the New Mexico Senate race — waiving the chance to move up in House leadership — removes a potential rival for Jeffries (D-N.Y.), according to more than a dozen Democratic lawmakers and aides. Luján's decision leaves Jeffries and Bustos, chairwoman of House Democrats' campaign arm, on that tier alone. Other members are also in the mix — including Massachusetts Rep. Katherine Clark, vice chair of the caucus, and Reps. Cedric Richmond of Louisiana and Pete Aguilar of California, both senior whips under Clyburn."
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| IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN |
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- "Why Markey sees success in the unpassed Green New Deal," by Jon Chesto, Boston Globe: "The Green New Deal has had a rough start. But that hasn't stopped Ed Markey, one of its chief architects, from sounding triumphant. Last week, the GOP-controlled Senate sidelined the ambitious resolution, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi continues to speak coolly about its near-term prospects in the House. So why did the Massachusetts senator call the GND a "huge success so far" in an interview with me Wednesday?"
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| MOULTON MATTERS |
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- "Seth Moulton, The Long Shot Candidate?" by Haili Blassingame, WBUR: "So far, Massachusetts Congressman Seth Moulton hasn't said if he's running for president. But it sure sounds like he might be trying to. He told The Atlantic last month that "I think Donald Trump is a lot harder to beat than most Democrats think. But I'm also quietly confident that I can beat him, and I don't think it'll be the hardest thing that I do in my life." One of Moulton's policy priorities is national security. He served several tours of duty in Iraq and won several medals for his work there."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "FED CARPET," — Globe: "Question cut from MCAS amid concerns," "Neal asks IRS for Trump's tax forms," "Living through grief's legacy." |
| FROM THE 413 |
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- "34 food service workers at Hampshire College to lose jobs by August," by Dusty Christensen, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "On Wednesday, 34 food service workers at Hampshire College were informed that come August 1, they will no longer have jobs. The news was delivered to the employees at the college's on-campus café, Bon Appétit, which is run by Bon Appétit Management Company, a third-party contractor. Mary McEneany, the college's treasurer and vice president for finance and administration, on Tuesday had informed the leaders of the food service workers' union — the only union on campus — that the college would not renew its contract with Bon Appétit this fall."
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| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "What Is Local News? New Survey Raises A Fundamental Question," by Dan Kennedy, WGBH News: "What is local news? A new report by the Pew Research Center claims to measure Americans' perceptions of journalism in their communities. But the results show that the largest share of the 35,000 people who were surveyed — 38 percent — say their medium of choice is television. Moreover, the kinds of news that respondents say are "important for daily life" are an exact match for the typical fare of a local TV newscast."
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| MEDIA MATTERS |
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- Chris Triunfo joins the Boston Globe as a correspondent in July. Tweet.
TRANSITIONS - Laura Capps is running Working Hero Action, a campaign that aims to connect low-income Americans to the Earned Income Tax Credit. Capps was communications director for the late Sen. Ted Kennedy and is a member of the Santa Barbara School Board.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to former Sen. Mo Cowan, who turns 5-0; former Rep. Jim Shannon, who turns 67; Sam Doran of the State House News Service, Michael Forbes Wilcox and Joe Ricca.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes and yes! The Celtics beat the Heat112-102. The Red Sox beat the Athletics 6-3.
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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