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Presented by JUUL Labs
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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. TGIF.
KENNEDY HEADS TO THE BORDER — Rep. Joe Kennedy III is headed to Texas on Monday to visit a border facility that has come under fire for its treatment of migrant children. Conditions at the facility in Clint, Texas, have reignited criticism of President Donald Trump's family separation policy in recent days.
Frustration over the Trump administration policy has come to a head this week. One local example: Wayfair employees flooded Copley Square for a walkout in protest of the Boston-based company's decision to sell furniture to migrant detention centers.
Immigration policy was a central issue during the first night of the Democratic debates on Wednesday — it was at the center of a disagreement between Texas candidates Julian Castro and Beto O'Rourke. Sen. Elizabeth Warren was among the 2020 candidates who visited a Homestead, Fla. shelter that houses migrant kids while she was in Miami for the presidential debates, and recently gave a nod to Castro's immigration plan.
Kennedy has made several trips to the U.S.-Mexico border over the last year, and has used his email list to raise more than $280,000 for organizations assisting detained migrants, according to his office. Kennedy says he'll use his campaign funds to match contributions up to $35,000 for such groups.
"This isn't political," Kennedy wrote in a recent email to supporters. "It's heart-rending, horrifying tragedy. There's no explanation that can soften this level of neglect. There's no way to excuse it or to separate ourselves. It's a crisis of trauma and human rights, orchestrated and executed by Donald Trump and his administration."
PROGRAMMING NOTE: Massachusetts Playbook will not publish on Thursday, July 4 and Friday, July 5. The next Massachusetts Playbook newsletter will publish on Monday, July 8.
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 meets with United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom Woody Johnson in London. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh attends the U.S. Conference of Mayors Annual Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii. Boston Police Commissioner William Gross is a guest on "Boston Public Radio." Sen. Elizabeth Warren campaigns in Chicago.
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A message from JUUL Labs:
Youth vaping is a problem. We're taking action. No youth or non-nicotine user should ever try JUUL products. We've taken a series of actions to greatly reduce youth use of tobacco products, including our own. Learn more about our youth prevention efforts: JUUL.com/youth-prevention
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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- "STATE BUDGET TALKS AGAIN SPILLING INTO NEW FISCAL YEAR," by Michael P. Norton, Matt Murphy, Katie Lannan and Chris Lisinski, State House News Service: "Massachusetts lawmakers and Gov. Charlie Baker will head into another new fiscal year on Monday without an annual budget in place. While most states around the country have wrapped up annual budget deliberations, Democratic leaders in the House and Senate here have been unable to bridge disagreements over pieces of their nearly $43 billion spending bills. The bills take different approaches to school aid, prescription drug price controls, a tuition and fee freeze at the University of Massachusetts, and aid to the struggling nursing home industry, among other issues. Negotiators are deliberating privately and have not disclosed what's holding up an on-time agreement."
- "Senate passes bill to expand rights of public-sector unions," by Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican: "The Massachusetts Senate on Thursday passed a bill that would expand the rights of public-sector unions. Unions would be allowed to charge nonmembers for representation in grievances. They would be guaranteed access to employees' contact information and be allowed to meet with employees at their workplace. The bill passed 38-1, with Sen. Ryan Fattman, R-Webster, as the sole no vote. A version of the bill passed the House earlier this month, and it will now be up to the two bodies to reconcile the different versions."
- "Will Baker get on the T revenue train?" by Michael Jonas, CommonWealth Magazine: "FOR CHARLIE BAKER, when you've lost Bob DeLeo and Marty Walsh, along with leading business voices, those infernal MBTA countdown clocks that can't give Red Line riders a clue to when the next train is coming are instead flashing a big warning to you that time's up. And so it came to pass, after a surreptitious late-night visit to the scene of the latest transit calamity, that the governor stood in a Medford train garage and proclaimed that the troubled agency would get an emergency infusion of $50 million to speed along repair work as well changes to procurement policies to also aid infrastructure improvement efforts."
- "Spilka refers Brady case to Ethics Committee," by Andy Metzger, CommonWealth Magazine: "THE SENATE ON Thursday took a step towards opening an ethics investigation into Sen. Michael Brady, a Brockton Democrat who was arrested for drunk driving last year. Brady admitted to sufficient facts in the case against him and the case was continued without finding on June 4. Brady did not plead guilty and if he stays out of trouble and completes alcohol training, the charges against him will be dismissed. Senate President Karen Spilka had obtained the transcript of the proceedings in Quincy District Court. She announced a referral of the Brady matter to the Ethics Committee on Thursday, after a closed-door Democratic caucus."
- "Air Quality Permit For Weymouth Compressor Should Move Ahead, State Official Says," by Miriam Wasser, WBUR: "A proposed natural gas compressor station in Weymouth is a step closer to becoming reality. On Thursday an official with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) affirmed the department's decision to grant an air permit for the project. Alice Arena, founder and president of the Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Station (FRRACS), a local activist group fighting the compressor, says she feels "betrayed" by the decision."
- "House Speaker Robert DeLeo silent over nondisclosure agreements," by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: "House Speaker Robert DeLeo is refusing to talk publicly about the use of secret deals to settle sexual misconduct complaints, a practice roundly criticized by advocates and a state senator who says she was pressured to sign a nondisclosure agreement as a House aide. Questions remain about the pervasiveness of these confidential deals across Bay State taxpayer-funded agencies."
- "State Rep seeks boost for micro businesses," by Yawu Miller, Bay State Banner: "Walk into the business district of any predominantly black or Latino neighborhood and you'll usually see an array of variety stores, barber shops, small appliance repair shops and other micro businesses. State Rep. Carlos Gonzalez of Springfield sees value and potential in these tiny storefronts. "Micro businesses are an important employment resource for low-income communities," Gonzalez tells the Banner."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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- "Lisa Wieland will serve as Massport's new chief executive," by Jon Chesto, Boston Globe: "The Massachusetts Port Authority picked its port director, Lisa Wieland, on Thursday to be its next chief executive, bypassing the other finalist, a member of the city's power elite, for one of the most influential public-sector jobs in the state. The 5-to-2 vote by the Massport board of directors makes Wieland the second woman to hold the $360,000-a-year post that oversees Logan Airport, Boston port operations, two other airports, and large chunks of real estate in South Boston."
- "Air Pollution In Mass. Hits Asian Americans Hardest," by Lexi Peery, WBUR: "Communities of color are disproportionately exposed to vehicular air pollution, according to a new analysis from the Union of Concerned Scientists. The hardest hit are Asian Americans, who are exposed to 36% more small-particle air pollution than white residents. African American and Latino residents are exposed to 34% and 26% more air pollution than white residents, respectively."
- "Incoming Boston superintendent announces leadership team," by James Vaznis, Boston Globe: "Incoming Boston Public Schools superintendent Brenda Cassellius on Thursday announced her new executive leadership team, which will elevate Latinos to some of the district's top positions and fill a glaring demographic void in the upper ranks of the school system. The expanded leadership team consists of four Latinas, six African-Americans, two Asians, and six Caucasians and is notably larger than the current executive team, which has about a dozen positions. That decision appears to reflect a big-tent approach to leadership decisions, which will give Cassellius a broader sounding board."
- "Somerville City Council passes facial recognition ban," by Sarah Wu, Boston Globe: "The Somerville City Council voted Thursday to ban the use of facial recognition technology in police investigations and municipal surveillance programs, taking an aggressive stance against the practice amid a national debate over online privacy. By a vote of 11 to 0, the council sent the measure to Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, who has said he supports it. The ban would make Somerville one of the first communities in the nation to prohibit government use of facial recognition software. A similar measure recently passed in San Francisco. Also in California, Oakland and Berkeley are considering bans ."
- "White supremacists spread propaganda at seven Mass. colleges this year, data indicate," by Sophia Eppolito, Boston Globe: "White supremacist groups distributed propaganda on seven Massachusetts college campuses during the 2018-2019 academic year, according to new data from the Anti-Defamation League. Nationwide, the league reported 313 cases of white supremacist propaganda on college campuses from Sept. 1, 2018, to May 31, 2019 — a 7 percent increase from the 292 incidents during the 2017-2018 academic year. There was a 77 percent increase in 2017-2018 compared with 2016-2017."
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POLITICO's The Agenda: The New Moon Race issue, presented by Leidos, has landed. America is heading back to the moon, but so is everyone else. This special report brings together POLITICO's growing space expertise with pivotal industry players, including NASA chief Jim Bridenstine, to explore the stakes of the new moon race. Read the full issue now.
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| DAY IN COURT |
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- "Supreme Court holds up citizenship question on census," by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: "IN A BLOW TO THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, the Supreme Court on Thursday blocked a citizenship question from being added to the 2020 Census, partially because the Commerce Department's initial explanation for why it decided to include it appeared to be "contrived." In a 5-4 decision, the justices sent back to a lower court the case challenging whether the census should contain a citizenship question. Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey was one of 19 Democratic attorneys general who filed the lawsuit against the Commerce Department, which oversees the Census."
- "Lawyers sue police department for data on hiring, race," by Yawu Miller, Bay State Banner: "The group Lawyers for Civil Rights filed a lawsuit against the Boston Police Department last week calling for the release of records on hiring, promotion, discipline and termination of applicants and employees of color in the department. The lawsuit comes six months after the civil rights group requested the information from the department under the Freedom of Information Act, a request that, by law, the department should have complied with within 10 days."
NOTE: FOIA PERTAINS TO FEDERAL AGENCIES. THE APPLICABLE MASSACHUSETTS STATUTE IS PUBLIC RECORDS AND DOES CONTAIN RESTRICTIONS REGARDING CERTAIN PERSONNEL RECORDS.
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| WARREN REPORT |
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- "Why Elizabeth Warren Raised Her Hand," by Gabriel Debenedetti, New York Magazine: "For a few weeks, the behind-the-scenes grumbling was getting louder in precincts of the left supportive of Bernie Sanders: What, exactly, was Elizabeth Warren's position on health care? She was an outspoken proponent of Medicare for All, sure, but they wanted more clarity on her position about whether private insurance should remain an option. Warren's campaign team and her allies could hear the whispers — and they were just whispers, while Sanders backers tiptoe around the question of how to engage with Warren. So as Wednesday night's debate neared, they figured she'd answer them."
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| MOULTON MATTERS |
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- "Seth Moulton, barred from debate stage, is in Miami anyway — and on the attack," by Liz Goodwin, Boston Globe: "Seventeen floors above Biscayne Bay, in a gleaming rented condo, Representative Seth Moulton alternated between sounding wistful and critical as he described the first Democratic debate, which he did not qualify for, to a handful of reporters over a plate of shrimp and tropical fruit on Thursday. The ten presidential candidates who faced off Wednesday night only had a few harried minutes to make their case on national television, but it's better than watching it play out from an Airbnb, Moulton conceded."
- "Seth Moulton Missed The First Debate. He Doesn't Think It Matters." by David Catanese, U.S. News and World Report:"Moulton has personal relationships with many of the candidates. He knows Beto O'Rourke best, having shared a couple's dinner with him and his wife. "A nice guy," he calls the Texan. Another congressman once told him former Rep. John Delaney of Maryland was the smartest guy in Congress. He works out with Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii but disagrees with almost everything she utters on foreign policy. "This is why she's so dangerous," he says as Gabbard spoke about pulling troops out of Afghanistan. "Tulsi's plan is just to break bread with [Bashar] Assad." His relationship with Warren, though, is more complicated, given they are Bay State colleagues. When Moulton got married in 2017, Warren RSVP'd - then canceled last minute, a decision that still seems to irk him."
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| TRUMPACHUSETTS |
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- "TARIFFS HURTING MASS. LOBSTERING INDUSTRY, REP SAYS," by Michael P. Norton, State House News Service: "A state rep from Gloucester wants her colleagues to travel to the coastal city to learn more about the effects of U.S. trade policies with China and their negative impacts on the Massachusetts lobster industry. Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante, the co-chair of the Legislature's Economic Development Committee, said in a letter this week that the state's lobstering industry "has become collateral damage in the Trump Administration's trade war with China." U.S. lobster exports to China have decreased by 70 percent and Canadian exports to China have increased 50 percent, she said. Urging the Joint Committee on Export Development to hold a field hearing in Gloucester, Ferrante said lobster harvesters and exporters in her region have reported losses and two companies, National Fish and Pigeon Cove Seafood, have closed down."
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| KENNEDY COMPOUND |
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- "Jackie Kennedy's Martha's Vineyard Estate Is on Sale for $65 Million," by James Tarmy, Bloomberg: "The famed Kennedy compound might be in Hyannis Port, on the mainland of Cape Cod, but for the last 40 years a more discreet Kennedy estate has existed a short boat ride away on Martha's Vineyard. Originally purchased by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in 1979, her family has held on to the 340-acre estate, slowly renovating the buildings and improving the land. Now, Caroline Kennedy is listing the Red Gate Farm compound for $65 million with Christie's International Real Estate."
- "TLC to air exclusive footage from JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette's wedding," by Lillian Brown, Boston Globe: "Twenty years after the tragic plane crash off Martha's Vineyard that killed John F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife, Carolyn Bessette, the TLC network will release a documentary about the couple, featuring never-before-seen footage of their famously private wedding. The two-hour special, "JFK Jr. and Carolyn's Wedding: The Lost Tapes," will air July 13 at 8 p.m. Narrated by actress Elizabeth McGovern, viewers will get to see recently released footage from the 1996 ceremony on Georgia's Cumberland Island."
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POLITICO Pro G-20 Report: Sign-up for exclusive reporting from the G-20 Summit, June 27, 28 & 29. POLITICO Pro's policy reporters collaborate with POLITICO Europe and the South China Morning Post to deliver exclusive summit coverage with an international focus. The newsletter arrives each morning with a summary of the day's developments from Osaka, Japan. Sign up today.
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "WE'VE GOT GRACE!" "BIDEN TAKEDOWN," — Globe :"Massport picks port director as new CEO," "FRONT-RUNNER IS THE TARGET IN ROUND 2," "In 2 court decisions, both parties get win." |
| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "DA probes deaths of 5 babies in Merrimack Valley," by Breanna Edelstein, Eagle-Tribune: "The Essex district attorney's office says it is investigating the deaths of at least five babies that happened since April, two of whom were in foster care. A statement released Thursday by Carrie Kimball, spokesperson for District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett, emphasized that the deaths are not necessarily criminal, and that state investigators are required to be involved with all unattended and unexpected deaths. Most recently, on June 23, state police detectives received a report of a 15-month-old girl who died while in foster care in Lawrence, Kimball said."
- "Worcester says Planned Parenthood presentation on sex ed a 'mistake,'" by Scott O'Connell, Telegram & Gazette: "The city has issued a statement saying it was a mistake that Planned Parenthood gave an "overly political" presentation to students at a youth leadership symposium on Wednesday. The statement, attributed to Raquel Castro-Corazzini, director of the Youth Services Division, didn't specify what the reproductive health care nonprofit told students at the event, which was intended to provide training to 15 college- and high school-age summer workers. Ms. Castro-Corazzini said the fact the specific presentation was allowed to be made "was a mistake and the result of a miscommunication ... the presentation was removed and discontinued from the overall curriculum as soon as we learned about its political advocacy content." The presentation allegedly focused on the need for a comprehensive sex education curriculum in the Worcester schools."
SPOTTED: separately on an Icelandair flight from Dulles to Reykjavik on Thursday ... John King, Ryan Williams, Kevin Latek and Dan Meyers.
HAPPY 38th ANNIVERSARY - to Dr. David Lippman and Honey Sharp of Great Barrington, Mass.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to Moses Marx, chairman of Berkshire Bank. (h/t Jewish Insider)
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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A message from JUUL Labs:
We're combating the problem of underage vaping by: Advocating for raising the legal age to purchase our products to 21+ nationwide. Stopping the sale of non-tobacco and non-menthol based flavored JUULpods to traditional retail stores. Enhancing our online age verification process. Strengthening our retail compliance program with over 2,000 secret shopper visits per month. Shutting down our Facebook and Instagram accounts and working to remove inappropriate social media content generated by others on those platforms. And investing in new technologies to further prevent youth use. JUUL.com/youth-prevention |
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