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Presented by the American Heart Association
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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Happy Monday
and Shanah Tovah!
ED MARKEY GETS HIS IRISH UP — At the age of 73,
with four decades of service in Congress, Ed Markey is embracing a new role: underdog.
Facing Rep. Joe Kennedy III, a younger, more famous and cash-flush opponent in the 2020 Senate primary, the Massachusetts senator has come out breathing fire in
the early days of his re-election bid. He's campaigning
more like a scrappy long shot than an incumbent at the
tail end of a long congressional career.
It's a version of Markey that voters are
unfamiliar with — most of the elections he's won
since 1976 have been blowouts.
"I've known Ed Markey for a long time. When he
gets his Irish up, this is the Ed Markey you're
going to see," said Larry DiCara, a former
Boston city councilor who volunteered on
Markey's 1976 congressional campaign.
"I suspect Joe has been surprised at how many
people are sticking with Eddie. This is not going
to be one of those steamroller situations as people
may have suggested before."
Early polling put Markey behind Kennedy by
14 percentage points in a match-up, leading
some pols to privately speculate Markey might
retire rather than risk losing his seat. The
opposite has occurred.
Michael Goldman, a political consultant who advised Kennedy's father and grew up with Markey in Malden,
said Markey's forceful approach is a necessity.
FOR YOUR RADAR — I'm moderating a forum for
Boston City Council at-large candidates in
Dorchester on Tuesday night. We'll get started at
7 p.m. at Florian Hall. Join us! Details 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 attends a groundbreaking
for the North Quincy MBTA Station development project.
Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and House Speaker Robert DeLeo visit MassRobotics in Boston.
IBEW Local 103 endorses Rep. Joe Kennedy III in
Dorchester. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh attends a
Cabo Verde investment forum, speaks at a Charlestown Chamber of Commerce lunch and attends a
groundbreaking for Garvey Park.
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NOMINATIONS WANTED: There's just one week left
to submit your nominee for the 2019 Women Rule
"Women of Impact." Tell us about the women you
see on the front lines, moving the needle and
changing the game in their respective fields.
We are looking for women bringing their bold
visions to life—whether they're running for office,
leading a business, or championing a cause.
We'll honor them at the Women Rule summit in
December in Washington, D.C.
NOMINATE A WOMAN OF IMPACT HERE.
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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- "As promised help for DCF lags, top lawmaker
launches unusual oversight," by Kay Lazar, Boston Globe: "Abused and neglected children awaiting
foster placement are more likely to be playing
in licensed day care centers, rather than
crawling around grimy office floors at the
Department of Children and Families. And
frazzled families now have more social workers
to help them navigate the department's byzantine foster system. But nearly five months after
Governor Charlie Baker's administration
pledged to upgrade the state's troubled foster
care system, some serious problems remain.
Social workers are still scrambling many
nights to find children emergency foster
placements, relying on a chaotic, often
paper-based system for tracking kids."
- "Stun gun sales increasing in Massachusetts,"
by Christian M. Wade, Newburyport News: "Massachusetts residents are
increasingly arming themselves with electronic weapons following a court ruling last year that legalized the non-lethal devices. More than 1,500 electronic Tasers and stun guns have been sold by gun dealers in Massachusetts since July 2018,
according to the state Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. Last year, state lawmakers legalized stun guns by adding them to a list of regulated weapons, which means owners still must
get a state firearms license to own one.
The changes, tucked into a "red flag" bill signed
by Gov. Charlie Baker, came in response to a 2018 Supreme Judicial Court ruling that the state's ban on stun guns was unconstitutional."
- "Shock, Anger and Sadness as Vape Shops Face Looming Bans," by Tom Moroney and Donald Moore, Bloomberg: "More than 300 operators of vaping shops
across Massachusetts are reeling in the wake of a state
order that they immediately cease operations for four
months as U.S. health officials rush to determine the
cause of a lung ailment that's killed 12 people and
sickened 805 others. "It's a mix of shock and anger and sadness," said John Nathan, president of the New England Vapor Technology Association. Governor Charlie Baker's
emergency decree last week was the most aggressive
action yet taken by officials seeking to contain the illness
and a nationwide surge in the use of nicotine and
marijuana vaporizers by minors."
- "New rules on vaccine exemptions sought," by
Christian M. Wade, The Salem News: "Democrats
on Beacon Hill are pushing for tighter immunization
rules that would require state health officials to sign off
on all exemptions for schoolchildren. A proposal filed
by Rep. Paul Donato, D-Medford, and Sen. Becca Rausch,
D-Needham, would require the state Department of
Public Health to set standards for medical and religious exemptions to vaccines required of children attending
public and private schools, and take over the processing
of applications to opt out."
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| WHAT CITY HALL IS READING |
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- "Boston's zoning board is rife with conflicts," by
Milton J. Valencia and Tim Logan, Boston Globe:
"From the outset, the proposal for a six-unit
condo development on a small lot on Bailey
Street in Dorchester ran into neighborhood opposition, leading to a swift rejection from
the Zoning Board of Appeal in late 2015.
So the developers scaled back, opting to
renovate instead of demolish the house on the
site, and build a two-unit town home behind it. Neighbors thought it was still too much for the
lot, but the developers had their consultant,
Craig Galvin, a well-connected local real
estate broker, lobby residents. Less than three
years later, in June 2018, the project was
back before the zoning board."
- RELATED: "City councilor aims to revamp
Boston zoning board," by Tim Logan, Boston Globe: "With federal investigators probing
Boston's Zoning Board of Appeal and Mayor
Martin J. Walsh considering changes, a City
Council member is pushing to overhaul the
board. Councilor Lydia Edwards plans to file legislation on Monday that would reshape
the seven-member board, which rules on
zoning changes for small and mid-size
buildings, and bar people who work in real
estate and development from serving on it.
The goal, Edwards said, is to eliminate
potential conflicts of interest. In early
September, longtime city staffer John Lynch
admitted taking $50,000 to help a developer
influence a ZBA vote in 2017. He has resigned
and agreed to plead guilty to federal charges."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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- "August Orange Line Fire Sparked By Detached
Sign, MBTA Concludes," by Saraya Wintersmith,
WGBH News: "The fire that burned on the
tracks of the Orange Line last month was
sparked by a detached safety sign, according
to an internal investigation by the MBTA.
The track fire occurred on Aug. 23 during a
Friday afternoon rush as a northbound train
passed between the Wellington and Malden
Center stations. Passengers were evacuated
from the train, and full service resumed about
four hours after the incident. No major injuries
were reported. "At that time, one warning
sign made contact with both the third rail,
and a 'contact shoe,'" Joe Pesaturo,
spokesperson for the MBTA, said in a
statement to WGBH News."
- "Harvard president apologizes for reference to
freeing of slaves in discussing fund-raising effort,"
by Deirdre Fernandes, Boston Globe: "Harvard
president Larry Bacow apologized Saturday for
comments he made last week comparing the 13th
Amendment, which freed the slaves, to the university's relationship with wealthy donors. Bacow said he
understands that his comments may have "unsettled"
some Harvard staff members. "I regret that these
comments caused offense," Bacow said in an internal
e-mail. "That certainly was not my intent." Bacow had suggested Tuesday that just as the 13th Amendment
banned the ownership of African-Americans, Harvard's individual schools could no longer "own" their specific
wealthy graduates, according to those who attended the meeting at the Sanders Theater on campus."
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| ALL ABOARD |
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- "Four Trips to Make the Most of the $10 Commuter
Rail Weekend Pass," by Miles Howard, Boston Magazine: "From day trips to weekend getaways,
our biweekly Traveler newsletter shows you the
best of New England and beyond. Picture this.
It's 9 a.m. Your head rests against the window as
the landscape sails by in a blur of autumn colors,
and the conductor announces that your stop is
close. This might sound like a fantasy for Boston commuters reeling from recent MBTA snafus, but actually, this nirvana of public transportation can
be yours. For only ten bucks, the weekend
commuter rail pass lets you take as many rides
as you want along the entire commuter rail
network on Saturdays and Sundays."
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| WARREN REPORT |
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- "Elizabeth Warren loves selfies. 'That is the heart of democracy, right?'" by Zoe Greenberg, Boston Globe: "For her supporters, the most electrifying part of Senator Elizabeth Warren's recent town hall was not her entrance onto the stage — arms waving, music blasting — nor her speech, peppered with jokes and plans, nor the lottery to ask her questions. Instead, the climax of the event was a line. A very, very long line. "I'll stay as long as you want, and I'll do selfies," Warren said at the beginning of the rally, as the crowd of 900 students and others at Keene State College whooped. "That is the heart of democracy, right?" she added, chuckling. And in 2019, perhaps it is."
- "A cold call from someone she never met changed Elizabeth Warren's life. It was Harry Reid." by Alex Seitz-Wald, NBC News: "Elizabeth Warren was a professor at Harvard Law School, preparing barbecue and peach cobbler for a group of students expected at her home. The phone rang. The owner of the faint voice on the other end of the line was well known, but they had never met. "Who?" Warren asked. "Harry Reid," he replied. "Majority leader, U.S. Senate." That was November 2008, when the economy was imploding, and Reid was offering her a spot on a new commission overseeing the Wall Street bailout Congress had just approved. Would she take it? he asked."
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| TRUMPACHUSETTS |
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- "Trump aide offers no guidance on Vineyard Wind," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "A TRUMP ADMINISTRATION official attending a conference in Boston on Friday repeatedly refused to say when the agency's review of the Vineyard Wind project would be completed. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management put the offshore wind farm on hold indefinitely in early August while it tries to gain a better understanding of the cumulative impact of the many East Coast wind farm projects currently in the pipeline. With the project in danger of being canceled if the delay lasts too long, James Bennett, the renewable energy program manager at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, gave no indication of when the agency's review will be completed."
- "Ayanna Pressley says nation is ready to impeach Trump," by Jeremy C. Fox, Boston Globe: "US Representative Ayanna Pressley says that after more than two and a half years of controversies, scandals, and allegations of wrongdoing, the American public is ready to see Congress impeach President Trump. "This is about the American people, and I think that political will from the American people has moved to this," the Dorchester Democrat told host Joy Reid in an interview televised Saturday on MSNBC's "AM Joy." "We hear it at town halls, in faith houses, at grocery stores," she continued."
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| IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN |
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- "7 things we learned researching climate change on Cape Cod," by Nestor Ramos, Boston Globe: "The Globe spent several months this summer criss-crossing Cape Cod to learn how the effects of climate change are being felt, and what it would mean for the future of the area. In short, we found that climate change is already threatening the Cape in tangible ways, accelerating natural processes like erosion and sea level rise. Here are some of the most striking things we learned."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "NO MORE CONDO$," — Globe: "Critics see troubling relationships at ZBA," "Promised upgrades don't fix all DCF issues," "Warren campaign capitalizes on selfie savoir faire." |
| FROM THE 413 |
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- "To impeach or not to impeach? That's the question, Valley residents answer," by Michael Connors, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "It's a possibility that has been hashed out in both our nation's highest offices and during family dinner conversations across the country — and now the wheels are turning. This week, House Democrats opened a formal impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-California, announced Tuesday the start of a process that has been successful against a U.S. president only twice before in history. The catalyst this time? A whistleblower complaint accusing President Trump of seeking to enlist the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, to aid in investigating the family of a political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden."
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| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "Service Restored To Most Lawrence Customers Impacted By Friday's Gas Leak," by Fausto Menard, WBUR: "Columbia Gas says as of 9 p.m. Saturday gas service has been restored to all but about 15 properties in Lawrence following Friday morning's gas leak that led to the evacuation of more than 100 people. At the peak of the situation, approximately 150 homes and businesses had their gas service disconnected. Friday's leak came exactly one year and 2 weeks after a series of gas explosions and fires in the Merrimack Valley that left one person dead. No one was hurt in this latest incident and officials say there were no reported fires or explosions."
- "The shortcut stops here: Towns fight speeding traffic on side streets," by John Laidler, Boston Globe: "When the new school year began, out-of-town drivers accustomed to cutting through neighborhood streets in north Medford to escape rush hour traffic discovered that option was no longer available. In a bid to curtail the problem of speeding cars jeopardizing the safety of children traveling to school in the morning, the city initiated a pilot program to ban cut-through traffic by nonresidents on 10 side streets during weekday mornings, using signs that say "DO NOT ENTER " and "residents only." Though it may be the first municipality in the area to specifically target out-of-town motorists, Medford is not alone in taking aim at cut-through traffic."
- "Attorney General probing Dracut purchases," by Amaris Castillo, The Lowell Sun: "Attorney General Maura Healey is reviewing a decision by Town Manager James Duggan to select a Hooksett, N.H. firm to construct a security fence around the police department despite receiving a quote from a local firm that would have done the job for several thousand dollars less. The fence contract is just one of several municipal jobs that have put Duggan at loggerheads with Selectman Joseph DiRocco Jr., while drawing scrutiny from the state. The procurement controversy spilled into the open during a recent meeting of the Board of Selectmen, during which DiRocco put Duggan on the defensive."
- "Whitey Bulger's girlfriend now lives in Hingham," The Associated Press: "The longtime girlfriend of the late Boston gangster James "Whitey" Bulger now lives with his relatives in an affluent suburb. Catherine Greig, 68, formerly of Quincy, lives in a home in Hingham owned by a daughter and son-in-law of Bulger's brother, William Bulger, the former president of the Massachusetts Senate. Greig is serving the last year of an eight-year sentence in home confinement for helping Whitey Bulger evade capture for 16 years. The sentence ends in July. The 89-year-old Bulger was killed in prison last October."
FOR YOUR COMMUTE: THE 100TH LAP - On this week's Horse Race, we celebrate the 100th episode of the podcast with a special episode. Congressional candidate Jamie Belsito talks about her primary challenge to Rep. Seth Moulton, and Katie Lannan of the State House News Service breaks down the big education funding bill that has emerged on Beacon Hill. And last but not least, Horse Race co-founder and former host Lauren Dezenski talks about her role at CNN and reminisces about the podcast. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud.
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY - to Saturday birthday-ers Nadia Szold (h/t proud brother Daniel Lippman); Rep. Seth Moulton spokesman Matt Corridoni who turned 3-0; and Calley Means. And to state Rep. Tommy Vitolo and Cassie Moreno, communications director for Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu, who both celebrated Sunday.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to Greg Mecher, Arielle Picheny Dufour, Phillip Martin and Paul Guercio.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes and yes! The Patriots beat the Bills 16-10. The Red Sox beat the Orioles 5-4.
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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THE TOP 2020 ISSUE - Health care is the number one issue for many voters heading into 2020. We will bring a special edition of the POLITICO Pulse newsletter to the Milken Institute Future of Health Summit in Washington, D.C. from October 28 - 30. Dan Diamond will take you inside one of the most influential gatherings of health industry leaders and innovators as they tackle today's pressing health challenges—from rising costs to accessibility. Sign up today to receive exclusive coverage of the Summit.
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