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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.
****PLEASE PAY ATTENTION! WE ARE LOSING LOCAL COVERAGE TO THE CAPITALIST VULTURES THAT GOBBLED UP LOCALS AND HAVE NO INTENTIONS OF PROVING NEWS.
'NO MORE REAL NEWSPAPER' LEFT IN WORCESTER —Columnist Clive McFarlane's recent ouster from the Telegram & Gazette marks the end of an era for the city of Worcester. It's also the latest in a series of layoffs that are sweeping local papers across the state and country, and some longtime editors and columnists are speaking up after getting the axe.
"The indignity of corporate management. After 26 years writing for this community, I was unceremoniously shown the door today by Gatehouse, deprived even of the long-established protocol of allowing a columnist to bid farewell to his readers," McFarlane wrote on Facebook. "So I'll say it here. It has been a long, rewarding trip, during which my life was made richer by so many of the people I've had the pleasure to write about."
McFarlane was well-read in the city, and his layoff sent shockwaves through Worcester. "There is no more real newspaper in the city of Worcester," Mayor Joseph Petty told "Talk of the Commonwealth" in response to McFarlane's layoff. The paper's parent company, GateHouse Media, just merged with Gannett.
Earlier this summer, Lowell Sun sports editors Dennis Whitton and Barry Scanlon met a similar fate when they were laid off from the Sun after decades on the job. Whitton's farewell column criticized the paper's parent company, Digital First Media. Though it appeared in the print paper, the column was pulled from the paper's website.
"Corporate cost-cutting is the culprit. Apparently I was making too much money to suit the suits, even with years of frozen wages. I didn't realize I was making so much. I would have spent more," Whitton wrote in the column, which was published by Northeastern journalism professor Dan Kennedy on his "Media Nation" blog.
"At least the ax wasn't performance-related. I know that because the suits in question have no idea what Barry and I did or how we did it. In the end we were numbers on a spreadsheet. There is one major downside to the affair: According to the exit agreement, my discounted employee newspaper subscription will be rolled over to the regular customer rate at the end of the month," Whitton continued. "Damn."
Some state lawmakers have proposed creating a commission to study communities "underserved" by local news in the state.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.
TODAY — President Donald Trump holds a rally in Manchester, N.H. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito attends a TechTarget open house. Sen. Ed Markey is endorsed by NARAL Pro-Choice America at its Boston office. Rep. Ayanna Pressley holds a millennial housing conversation in Cambridge. The MIRA Coalition holds a press briefing to explain the impact of a new "public charge" rule from the Trump administration.
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh attends the completion ceremony for the first two buildings of Bartlett Station in Roxbury. Walsh attends a recognition event for YOU Boston in the South End. Rep. Seth Moulton campaigns in Iowa.
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DON'T MISS #TRIBFEST19— Some of POLITICO's top journalists are heading to downtown Austin on September 28 for the 2019 Texas Tribune festival—one of the nation's largest, most buzzworthy political gatherings. Join us for big-thinking conversations with top leaders and experts on a range of issues - from immigration to trade, fixing America's broken politics to the playbook for Trump's reelect. Learn more about the festival HERE. Sponsorship opportunities are available. Email Us for details.
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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- "Feds' delay puts crucial tax credit in jeopardy for Vineyard Wind," by Jon Chesto, Boston Globe: "With the federal tax credit for offshore wind projects about to expire, every day counts. So you can understand the concern around town when it became clear the country's first major offshore wind farm would likely miss a crucial deadline for the tax credit, a key element in the project's financing. The reason? The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said it needs more time to review Vineyard Wind's 84-turbine wind farm, to properly weigh the cumulative impacts of similar offshore projects in the pipeline. As a result, developer Vineyard Wind on Monday said it would revise its $2.8 billion project, with a delayed schedule. The vague statement from the developer, a Massachusetts venture owned by Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, didn't say much. But these revisions likely mean one thing: Construction on the 800-megawatt project planned for waters south of Martha's Vineyard would no longer start in time to deliver electricity by the end of 2021."
- "Former Massachusetts GOP candidates concerned over party's 'troubling' spending," by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: "Fifteen former Republican candidates are speaking out about the rift between the Massachusetts GOP and Gov. Charlie Baker's political team — saying they're standing behind MassGOP Chairman Jim Lyons and encourage him to "uncover the truth" about spending before he took over. The previously cash-strapped, losing state candidates wrote in a letter to Lyons Wednesday that they're concerned about the "recent revelations of troubling spending practices" that took place when Kirsten Hughes led the MassGOP. Hughes did not respond to Herald requests for comment."
- "Lack of Pilgrim emergency funding worries legislators," by Christine Legere, Cape Cod Times: "The recent removal of an amendment from this year's state budget will leave towns around Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station without funding for emergency planning come next spring. And activities such as radiological monitoring will be without money once the next fiscal year begins. The budget amendment, submitted by state Senators Julian Cyr, D-Truro, and Viriato "Vinny" deMacedo, R-Plymouth, would have required the owner of the nuclear plant to continue paying for those services until Pilgrim was decommissioned. Entergy Corp., Pilgrim's owner, provides over $3 million annually for state and local agencies to cover emergency response in the 10-mile radius around the plant and for the state Department of Public Health to handle radiation monitoring, according to the corporation's spokesman, Joseph Lynch."
CHARLIE BAKER SAT ON HIS HANDS.
CHARLIE BAKER HAD A GREAT PLAN.
CHARLIE BAKER HAD A GREAT FALL....
CHARLIE BAKER'S HACKS COULDN'T PUT CHARLIE BAKER BACK TOGETHER AGAIN.
- "Managed lanes? Here's a closer look at Charlie Baker's congestion pricing alternative," by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "Last week's study on traffic in Massachusetts presented a number of potential solutions for the Boston area's congestion problem. However, there was one idea that Gov. Charlie Baker specifically singled out to reject: Congestion pricing. Well, sort of. During his press conference last Thursday, the Republican governor said that using tolls to reduce traffic would be unfair to some drivers, at least when implemented across all lanes. He also said the idea of "managed lanes" — a separate, tolled lane to relieve traffic — was one he thought had "significant merit." Think the high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane on I-93, but with a $2 or $3 toll — or more."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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THIS WILL BE ANOTHER CAPITALIST VULTURE DISASTER THAT WILL FURTHER DEGRADE HEALTH CARE. THESE VULTURES USE THE EMERGENCY ROOM AS THEIR PROFIT CENTERS - YOU HAVE AN ACCIDENT? THEY EXHAUST YOUR PIP WITH UNNECESSARY TESTS BECAUSE THEY DON'T NEED PRE-APPROVAL. THIS IS WHY ALL AMERICANS DESERVE MEDICARE FOR ALL! THIS ISN'T ABOUT CARE!
- "Tufts Health Plan, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care are combining," by Priyanka Dayal McCluskey, Boston Globe: "Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care shook up the state's medical industry Wednesday, saying that they plan to merge to create an insurer serving 2.4 million people across New England. The deal could give the companies more leverage with powerful hospital systems, and allow them to more aggressively take on Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the state's largest health insurer. Consumer advocates worried that the combined company could raise costs. Consolidation is reshaping the health care industry in Massachusetts and the country. Two of the state's largest hospital networks, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Lahey Health, combined earlier this year. And the national health insurer Aetna agreed to be acquired by the pharmacy giant CVS Health."
- "Council probes city's anti-violence funding," by Yawu Miller, Bay State Banner: "Every year, millions of dollars in federal, state and local funds go into anti-violence efforts in Boston. Last week, City Council President Andrea Campbell held a hearing to investigate the efficacy of local anti-violence efforts. In her opening remarks, Campbell alluded to recent shootings in Mattapan and across the city that she described as an uptick in violence. "Homicides are down, and we want to commend the work of the Boston Police Department — but shootings are up citywide," she said. " And after any such incident, I think it's important that we ask ourselves, 'What are we doing about it? '"
- "Coalition challenges Tubman House sale," by Saraya Wintersmith, WGBH News: "Opponents of a plan to redevelop the Harriet Tubman House as condos are pointing to deed restrictions on the South End building and calling for the proposal to be scrapped. The neighborhood's urban renewal plan limits the use of the property to "offices and recreation." "Nonprofits need this space to do their events and house their services," said Arnesse Brown, corporate relations manager of the Tenants Development Corporation. The nonprofit is one of six housed in the Tubman House and one of two resisting the building's sale. "It would be a dishonor to turn the building into condos," she said .
- "Somerville mayor says city plans to open safe consumption site for drug users," by Travis Andersen and Andrew Ryan, Boston Globe: "Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone plans to open a safe injection site next year in his city in an effort to protect addicts at risk of overdosing, he said Wednesday. "The intent is to reduce harm and save lives," Curtatone said, adding that he recently attended the funeral of an overdose victim. He said the city had convened a task force to look into the proposal and that officials intend to open the "safe consumption site" by 2020. Curtatone elaborated on the proposal in a Facebook posting."
- "Temporary Protected Status immigrants rally outside federal courthouse," by Diamond Naga Siu, Boston Globe: "Karla Morales Villalobo, 22, aspires to be a doctor in the United States and is in her last year pursuing a biology degree at the University of Massachusetts Boston, but her plans might be foiled under President Trump's administration. Morales Villalobo came to the United States seeking asylum from El Salvador with her family when she was 3 years old and is at risk of losing her Temporary Protected Status under a new policy reversal. The Temporary Protected Status designation is given to asylum seekers from 10 countries that are plagued with violence or natural disasters."
- MASSACHUSETTS CONNECTION: "Ghislaine Maxwell's respectable new life: Jeffrey Epstein's long-time consort and the alleged procurer of his underage victims has been living with 43-year-old tech CEO at his secluded $3M oceanfront mansion outside of Boston," via The Daily Mail. Link.
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| ALL ABOARD |
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- "That 'new car smell': Here are the new Orange Line trains," by Kellen Browning, Boston Globe: "Instead of grungy trains marred by dents and rust, with sticky floors and stale odor, some lucky Orange Line riders were greeted Wednesday morning by clean and sleek silver vehicles with orange trimming that glided through stations. "I felt like I was in the future," said Max Augustin, 20, who boarded the first new Orange Line cars to go into service at Roxbury Crossing. "The youth is definitely going to dig it." The six new cars — the first of 152 that will by 2022 replace the fleet of decaying, decades-old cars still plying the Orange Line — entered service at Wellington Station, surprising and delighting commuters heading south toward Forest Hills."
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| ON THE STUMP |
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- "'Corey is a political hack': Lewandowski Senate bid hits backlash in N.H." by Alex Isenstadt, POLITICO: "President Donald Trump's Thursday evening rally in Manchester, N.H., is ostensibly about ginning up support for his reelection campaign. But the state's establishment GOP class is worried he'll use the event to do something else: Talk up Corey Lewandowski's potential 2020 Senate bid. Republican Gov. Chris Sununu has relayed concerns about Trump's controversial former campaign manager to party leadership. Tom Rath, a former New Hampshire attorney general and a prominent Republican in the state, says he's "not a Corey fan." Former GOP Sen. Judd Gregg took to the pages of New Hampshire's biggest newspaper to deride Lewandowski as a "thug." And Dave Carney, a longtime New Hampshire-based strategist who's worked on an array of statewide Republican campaigns, called the idea of a Lewandowski candidacy a 'joke.'"
- "Coalition for Social Justice Endorses Ed Markey for Re-Election," from the Markey campaign: "The Coalition for Social Justice (CSJ), Massachusetts' leading grassroots organization to bring together people affected by and concerned about poverty to advocate for economic opportunity, has endorsed Ed Markey for U.S. Senate in 2020. "Senator Markey has been a progressive fighter for justice throughout his career. The Coalition for Social Justice is proud to say that we were the first community organization to endorse him in 2013 and we will work to ensure the Senate's leading progressive voice is reelected in 2020," said Maria Fortes, an organizer for the organization."
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| DAY IN COURT |
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- "Four Mass. State Police troopers who had suspensions overturned by Civil Service Commission in March still remain suspended as decision is appealed," by Scott J. Croteau, MassLive.com: "Four Massachusetts State Police troopers who had their suspensions overturned by the state's Civil Service Commission in March remain suspended without pay as the Massachusetts State Police appealed the decision. The case involving troopers Jeffrey Reger, Daniel Crespi, John F. Adams and Jeffrey J. Russell, all members of the now-disbanded State Police Troop E, shows alleged overtime abuse of a different specialized patrol within the state police."
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| WARREN REPORT |
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- "With liberal agenda, Warren seeks to win over moderates," by Michael Levenson, Boston Globe: "It's been one of the central worries many Democrats have expressed about her campaign: How can Senator Elizabeth Warren — liberal firebrand, Cambridge resident, and former Harvard Law School professor — appeal to Republicans and independents who backed Donald Trump in 2016? Warren, addressing a sun-splashed crowd of hundreds on a rolling green farm overlooking the White Mountains, got a chance to answer on Wednesday. She said she would start by telling Trump voters about her plans for higher taxes on the wealthy, an issue she said has broad cross-party appeal in a time of rising income inequality."
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| KENNEDY COMPOUND |
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- "Joe Kennedy: This moment isn't about my grandfather Robert Kennedy's legacy. It is about our own." by Rep. Joe Kennedy III, The Washington Post: "On the night the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered, Robert F. Kennedy climbed onto the back of a flatbed truck in Indianapolis and addressed a largely African American crowd that had yet to hear the news. Stricken and vulnerable, hurting and heartbroken, my grandfather offered them what he could. Not a magic wand to heal all wounds, but some humanity to hold on to, from a man who knew what it meant to ache. While riots and violence shook the rest of the country in the hours that followed, Indianapolis stayed calm. That conservative Post commentator Hugh Hewitt recently manipulated that moment in his column to take a political shot against the Democratic Party is grotesque."
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| IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN |
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- "'The planet is running a fever'; Sen. Ed Markey in New Bedford in call for Green New Deal," by Kiernan Dunlop, SouthCoast Today: "The question isn't can we afford to do the Green New Deal, the question is can we afford not to do the Green New Deal," Sen. Edward Markey told a crowd of over 100 people gathered at Greater New Bedford Voc-Tech Wednesday night. Markey came to the Whaling City to hold a town hall on his Green New Deal Resolution, which he introduced with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez in February to combat the climate crisis. Local legislators attended the town hall and focused on how the SouthCoast, and New Bedford in particular, are already experiencing the effects of climate change."
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| MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS |
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- "AUTHOR OF 1972 MARIJUANA BILL TO CCC: 'I TOLD YOU SO,'" by Colin A. Young, State House News Service: "Former Congressman Barney Frank shuffled to the table in front of four members of the Cannabis Control Commission with the assistance of a cane Wednesday morning and unfolded a piece of paper he wanted to rub in the commission's face. "You can see I am getting old, but there is one thing that I have found improves with age and that is the pleasure of being able to say, 'I told you so,'" Frank told the commission at a public hearing on proposed industry regulations. "And it does not require pills before, during or after you do it." The former congressman, now 79, showed the CCC and crowd a bill he filed soon after being first elected to serve in the Massachusetts House in 1972 that would have done away with any state restrictions on adults purchasing or using marijuana. Frank, who now works with the local cannabis advocacy group Beantown Greentown, testified Wednesday to "say I told you so" and remark on the progress of legalization since 1972."
- "Your marijuana delivery is here — now smile for the body cam," by Dan Adams, Boston Globe: "The doorbell rings and you peek through the window: It's your friendly neighborhood marijuana deliverywoman. But she's not just carrying the eighth-ounce of sour diesel you ordered online — she's also wearing a body camera, part of a government-mandated security system that films customers accepting cannabis deliveries in their own homes and allows law enforcement agencies to access the footage for any reason. A pot consumer's nightmare? No — it's a proposal by the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission for regulating forthcoming recreational pot deliveries. The body camera requirement is just one part of a restrictive plan that is drawing pushback from critics who say it would violate consumers' privacy and make operating a delivery company financially infeasible."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "LINE OF FIRE," — Globe: "Recession indicator sends stocks plummeting," "Harvard Pilgrim, Tufts plan to merge," "Trump heads to N.H. with eye on the undecided." |
| EYE ON 2020 |
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- "Trump is coming to New Hampshire, where voters feel more strongly than ever about him," by Victoria McGrane, Boston Globe: "President Trump, who lost New Hampshire by the slimmest of margins in 2016, will kick off his bid to flip the state into his column Thursday, mustering his fan base with a nighttime rally in Manchester in the same week that a crowd of Democratic candidates are pitching locals on how they can beat him. The president's trip to the SNHU Arena and the scheduled appearances of no fewer than 10 Democratic candidates underscore the importance of the swing state's four electoral votes. On Wednesday, Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts was in Franconia, saying at a town hall meeting that she would try to pull Trump voters to her side by asking the wealthy to pay their "fair share" in taxes."
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| FROM THE 413 |
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REFUSING TO SPEAK TO PROTESTERS? MORE CHARLIE BAKER POLITICAL HACKS CONCEALING GOVERNMENT ACTIONS? RATHER THAN HAVING PROTESTERS ARRESTED, WOULD IT OCCUR TO THE GESTAPO TO SPEAK TO THESE PEOPLE?
- "As protesters, loggers clash at Wendell State Forest, Department of Conservation and Recreation officials 'refuse to meet or speak,' to protesters," by Douglas Hook, MassLive.com:"The Department of Conservation and Recreation has not responded to requests from Wendell State Forest protesters to air their concerns. "[The DCR] need to inform the public more about what we're doing here," said John H. Conkey and Sons Logging, Inc. co-founder Ken Conkey. Eric Burcroff, Dennis Carr and Rema Loeb were arrested for disorderly conduct and trespassing at 8:42 a.m. Wednesday in a continuing dispute between activists and lumberjacks over the logging operations in the area."
EXCERPTS:
Neswald, the lead Plaintiff, and 28 other members of the WFA had filed a lawsuit in Franklin County Superior Court alleging DCR is conducting an illegal logging operation on public land in Wendell State Forest, violating several state laws and numerous regulations.
The group “oppose the destruction of this more than 100-year-old, intact oak forest for the primary purpose of commercial logging.”
According to Neswald, the WFA will show in court that DCR “has engaged in a pattern and practice of violating, ignoring and/or misinterpreting laws and regulations meant to protect the environment.”
WFA member Priscilla Lynch, who was also arrested on Aug. 9 at the forest, said that the DCR has “refused to meet or even speak,” to the WFA.
Ken Conkey also eluded to the fact that there is a lack of information on what his company are actually trying to do.
- "Great Barrington official allegedly stole over $100K from town coffers," by Bob Dunn, The Berkshire Eagle: "A longtime Great Barrington employee is facing larceny and embezzlement charges for allegedly stealing over $100,000 of town money while working in the treasurer/collector's office. Deborah Ball, 63, of Great Barrington, was released on her own recognizance on Wednesday after her arraignment in Berkshire Superior Court. A former assistant treasurer/collector who worked in the office for approximately 35 years, Ball was placed on administrative leave on Feb. 21 after an audit discovered that money was missing from the town coffers."
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| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "Provincetown officials rethink online discussion page," by Ethan Genter, Cape Cod Times: "When David Panagore came to Provincetown as the new town manager in 2015, he brought the idea to have an open Facebook group called Town Talk. The group opened a dialogue between government officials and community members. At times it could be useful, providing periodic updates on projects and clearing up issues in towns. But many times, the conversation would devolve into personal attacks...To help find a way forward to foster a more civil dialogue and a more inclusive community, especially online, the town hired the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The office's work is being paid for largely through a grant."
TRANSITIONS - Marlena Baldacci has been named national media relations manager at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. She was previously producer/news editor at CNN in Chicago.
- American Student Assistance, a Boston-based national nonprofit that helps students understand their education and career options, announced the appointment of former Pearson executive Annabel Cellini as its chief strategy officer. At Pearson, Cellini most recently served as senior vice president of strategy and marketing in North America.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to former Springfield Republican reporter Mary Serreze.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes! The Red Sox beat the Indians 5-1.
FOR YOUR COMMUTE: THE LATEST EPISODE OF THE HORSE RACE - On this week's Horse Race podcast, we break down the group drafting Rep. Joe Kennedy III for Senate and a standoff between Gov. Charlie Baker and the MassGOP. The Boston Globe's Milton Valencia talks Boston Mayor Marty Walsh now that we have a verdict in the Boston Calling case, and Jeff Gross , formerly of the MIRA Coalition, talks about a new commission that will study challenges foreign-trained medical professionals face in Massachusetts. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud.
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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