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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. TGIF!
WARREN BACKERS FLOOD N.H. — Sen. Elizabeth Warren is sending her top Massachusetts surrogates to the Granite State this weekend.
Since Warren entered the presidential race in January — almost a year ago — the campaign has been a marathon. But now, with the New Hampshire primary just 60 days away, it's in the sprint stage. And Warren's momentum has stalled in recent polling. A recent WBUR survey of New Hampshire voters found Warren in fourth place, a dip from her front-runner status several months ago.
A solid New Hampshire performance is integral to every candidate running for the nomination. But for Warren, a candidate from neighboring Massachusetts, the pressure to perform is intense. Also in that boat is Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who outperformed expectations in New Hampshire in 2016, and to a lesser degree former Gov. Deval Patrick, who entered the race late.
Warren gave a high-profile economic speech in at Saint Anselm College in Manchester on Thursday, where she knocked her more moderate rivals in the race. And now her surrogates, nearly all women, are headed to New Hampshire.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley, one of Warren's three campaign co-chairs, will speak on behalf of the campaign today at the New Hampshire Young Democrats Granite Slate Awards. Rep. Katherine Clark will head north to kick off canvasses in Conway, Berlin and Littleton on Saturday. Plus, Warren's husband, Bruce Mann, will kick off canvasses in Concord and Laconia on Saturday with New Hampshire's 2018 gubernatorial nominee, Molly Kelly. On Sunday, Attorney General Maura Healey will host canvass kickoffs in Hampton and Manchester. Rep. Lori Trahan will also head to New Hampshire on Sunday for a canvassing event in Derry.
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 and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito attend a Massachusetts National Guard birthday celebration and officer commissioning ceremony. Baker and Polito sign the state's economic development plan. Rep. Katherine Clark speaks at a New England Council breakfast in Boston. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Rep. Lori Trahan and former state Rep. Juana Matias hold a forum at Lawrence High School.
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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- "Critics say the T needs more money. So why did lawmakers then give it less?" by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: ""Weeks after lawmakers first voted to set aside $50 million for the MBTA, a searing report into the T's safety practices surfaced and appeared to confirm what many legislators and critics have argued: The T needs more money. Then, less than 72 hours later, legislative leaders reached another agreement — that the earmark would now include less money. The seemingly incongruous decision to instead devote $32 million to the T as part of a compromise about how to spend a $1 billion surplus caught some transit advocates off guard Thursday and left Governor Charlie Baker, who first asked for it, promising to make another request in January."
- "Stoughton Rep. Kafka Will Not Run for Re-election," by Katie Lannan, State House News Service: "Rep. Louis Kafka, a Stoughton Democrat who has served in the House since 1991, announced to his constituents Thursday that he does not plan to run for re-election next year. Kafka said the he and his wife Anita have decided to spend more time with their three children and 15 grandchildren, many of whom live abroad. Kafka, who ran unopposed in 2018, holds the post of fourth division chair in Speaker Robert DeLeo's leadership team and is a member of the Rules Committee. His district includes the town of Sharon and portions of Stoughton, Walpole and Mansfield."
- "Baker-linked Super PAC could fuel state Republican schism, pundits say," by Mary Markos, Boston Herald: "A robust new Super PAC with strong ties to Gov. Charlie Baker is raising the prospect of a "parallel Republican party," pundits say, amid an idealogical divide within the MassGOP. "In my opinion, they are creating a de facto parallel Republican party that is capable of financially supporting candidates that have some semblance of electability," political consultant Chip Jones told the Herald — voicing publicly what other Republican operatives and activists told the Herald privately."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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- "Baker, Walsh offer details on 2020 NAACP convention in Seaport," by Max Jungreis, Boston Globe: "Governor Charlie Baker and Mayor Martin J. Walsh on Thursday offered new details on funding and dates for the NAACP National Convention in the Seaport next year. Baker said $200,000 in state money earmarked for the Boston NAACP chapter would go toward the convention. Walsh said he expected that $3.5 million to $4 million would be raised privately to support the event, and that he hoped most of the money would be spent on hiring local businesses, such as vendors and caterers, run by people of color."
- "Bars, police need to work together to protect patrons from 'predators,' officials say," by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: "City officials are urging bar and nightclub owners to be on the lookout for "predators" who are "groping, or 'upskirt' grabbing" young women after a series of high-profile abductions — including one that ended in death — outside nightclubs over the past year. "Going out in Boston should be fun, safe and enjoyable ... but we've seen cases where people are victimized. ... One tragedy is too much to have to deal with. No one should feel unsafe in our city," Mayor Martin Walsh said, standing with Police Commissioner William Gross Thursday to unveil a 31-page set of guidelines for bars and nightclubs."
- "While Others Wait, One Teen In Boston Is Granted Medical Deferred Action," by Shannon Dooling, WBUR: "Months after federal immigration officials reinstated deferred action for medical cases, a family in Boston who feared they'd be removed from the U.S. — even as their son continued to need life-saving treatments — now has clarity. Originally from Honduras, the Sanchez family came to Boston three years ago seeking proper health care for their 16-year-old son, Jonathan, who has cystic fibrosis. About three weeks ago, Jonathan, his mother and father received news that the government had approved their application for so-called medical deferred action."
- "Colliers is picked to market the Hynes, but it could be a tricky assignment," by Jon Chesto, Boston Globe: "The sale of the Hynes Convention Center should be a lucrative deal for Colliers International, the brokerage picked on Thursday to handle the transaction. But it could also become one of the trickiest deals for the company's Boston office to pull off. Yes, we're talking about a 5.8-acre property in the heart of a booming city. But it is by no means a slam dunk — or a blank slate. Getting the Back Bay business community to buy in could be tough: Opinions there seem to range from cautious optimism to outright skepticism about the looming loss of the Hynes and its crowds."
- "'The Gig Academy': What's Driving Union Organizing In The Ivory Tower?" by Kirk Carapezza, WGBH News: "A Harvard spokesperson tells WGBH News administrators are ready to bargain with the students. The two sides are now scheduled to meet next Wednesday. Still, striking graduate students say they are frustrated by what they see as Harvard's lack of urgency to address their concerns. "While we are glad to hear we have a new bargaining session as a result of our organizing, if Harvard were serious about reaching an agreement, they would be at the table today and every day until a contract is signed," said Cherrie Bucknor, a PhD candidate in sociology."
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| PRIMARY SOURCES |
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- "Dates set for state Senate special election," by Geoff Spillane, Cape Cod Times: "A long-stalled agreement has been reached on Beacon Hill for a special election to fill the state Senate seat vacated last month by Viriato "Vinny" deMacedo. The primary election will be held March 3, the same day at the Massachusetts presidential primary, or "Super Tuesday." The general election will be held four weeks later, on March 31. The deadline to submit nomination papers, which require 300 certified signatures, to local registrars is Jan. 21, and the last day to file certified nomination papers with the secretary of state is Jan. 28."
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| DAY IN COURT |
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- "Appeals Court Weighs Whether Boston Marathon Jury Was Biased," by Ally Jarmanning, WBUR: "Was the jury that convicted and sentenced Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to death biased against him? That's the question before three appeals court judges who are now weighing whether the trial judge should have done more to ensure an impartial jury. Lawyers for Tsarnaev and the government made their cases in front of the First Circuit Court of Appeals Thursday. The court could call for a new trial, order a new sentencing phase to the trial — or let the death penalty stand."
- "A court ruling boosts au pairs' pay, but it puts families in a bind," by Katie Johnston, Boston Globe: "Families who count on au pairs to care for their children are scrambling to find a way to pay them significantly more, or find alternative arrangements, in the wake of a federal court ruling that au pairs in Massachusetts are covered by state labor laws. With stipends suddenly rising by as much as $333 a week, some families have decided to withdraw from the program, potentially leaving them with no one to watch their kids, while their au pairs face being sent back to their home countries."
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| WARREN REPORT |
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- "Warren unleashes on Biden and Buttigieg as campaign gets real," by Alex Thompson, POLITICO: "Elizabeth Warren went after Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg in some of the most pointed language of her campaign Thursday, accusing them in a speech of catering to ultra-wealthy donors and being "naive" about about what it will take to achieve real progressive change. "Unlike some candidates for the Democratic nomination, I'm not betting my agenda on the naive hope that if Democrats adopt Republican critiques of progressive policies or make vague calls for unity that somehow the wealthy and well-connected will stand down," Warren said at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College."
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| PATRICK PRIMARY |
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- "Inside Deval Patrick's time at Bain Capital," by Theodoric Meyer, POLITICO: "Before leaving Bain Capital last month to run for president, Patrick dedicated much of his 4½ years at the private equity firm to investing in companies with the potential to help such disadvantaged communities — while also delivering outsize profits to clients. They included a franchise of Planet Fitness gyms located in underserved communities such as the Flint, Mich., suburb of Burton and an outsourcing firm that seeks to bring jobs to small and midsize American cities "overlooked by the digital revolution." But a POLITICO review of the deals Patrick struck show the fund also invested in several companies that have been hit with lawsuits in recent years."
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| MOULTON MATTERS |
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- "Massachusetts Democrats don't buy Trump's argument against their bill to lower prescription drug costs," by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "House Democrats often say they can "walk and chew gum" when it comes to investigating President Donald Trump and advancing their "for the people" legislative agenda. And they're trying to prove it this week. Just two days after unveiling two articles of impeachment against the Republican president, the House passed a bill to tackle an issue with overwhelming public backing that even Trump has called a priority: The cost of prescription drugs."
- "Delegation Weighs In on State Solar Rules Rewrite," by Colin A. Young, State House News Service: "While the Baker administration has an expansion of a solar energy development program under review, the state's Congressional delegation is pressing policymakers to be mindful of its impact on shared community solar projects and the industry's growth generally. In a letter this week to outgoing Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Judith Judson and interim Commissioner Patrick Woodcock, all 11 members of the state's delegation touted the state's Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) incentive program."
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| TRUMPACHUSETTS |
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- "MassGOP Snubs Weld on Mass. Ballot Access," by Matt Murphy, State House News Service: "For almost seven years, Bill Weld carried the flag for Massachusetts Republicans in the governor's office, starting a 16-year reign of GOP chief executives on Beacon Hill that lasted until 2007. The Canton Republican still holds the state's gubernatorial record for largest margin of victory in his 1994 landslide re-election, losing just five towns. And he was the MassGOP's nominee for U.S. Senate in 1996 when he mounted a serious campaign to unseat U.S. Sen. John Kerry. But if Weld is going to appear on the March 3 presidential Republican primary ballot in his home state, it will be no thanks to the political party he once led."
- "John Kerry slams President Donald Trump for mocking Greta Thunberg, says 'childish tweets are his binky,'" by Benjamin Kail, MassLive.com: "John Kerry, former Secretary of State and longtime Massachusetts senator, called President Donald Trump a "baby" on Thursday, joining a chorus of critics slamming the president for mocking tweets targeting environmentalist and Time Person of the Year Greta Thunberg. Trump, who called global warming a hoax, said Time's pick was "ridiculous" and urged Thunberg to work on her "anger management" and see "a good old fashioned movie with a friend." Trump's "war room" team on Thursday also posted a fake Time cover image with the president's head replacing Thunberg's."
- "House Democrats to vote for impeachment," by Christian M. Wade, The Salem News: "The U.S. House of Representatives is expected next week to take the historic step of voting to impeach Republican President Donald Trump, and members of the state's all-Democrat congressional delegation firmly back removing him from office. Next Tuesday the Democratic-led House is scheduled to debate two articles of impeachment introduced by Democrats. They charge Trump with abuse of power for asking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden while withholding federally approved military aid as leverage, and obstruction of Congress for stonewalling the House's investigation ."
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| KENNEDY COMPOUND |
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- "Rep. Kennedy: Nothing Will Stop Trump From Doing Crimes Except Having Him 'Removed,'" by Tommy Christopher, Mediaite: "Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-MA) told SiriusXM host Dean Obeidallah that President Donald Trump will not stop committing impeachable acts unless he is removed from office by the United States Senate. On Tuesday's edition of SiriusXM's The Dean Obeidallah Show, Obeidallah asked Rep. Kennedy if two articles of impeachment are "enough" to deter Trump, "as opposed to four or five that articulate his other wrongdoing from Emoluments to campaign finance to one for bribery?" Kennedy told Obeidallah "I don't think is there is anything that will deter this President from additional wrongdoing as long as he's in office."
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| IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN |
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- "Healey takes on grid operator," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "ATTORNEY GENERAL MAURA HEALEY, backed by the Barr Foundation, is launching a campaign to convince the operator of the regional power grid to embrace renewables and move away from electricity produced using fossil fuels. Healey on Thursday invited Massachusetts residents to watch an explainer video and sign a petition urging the region's grid operator, ISO New England, to adopt new rules for governing the region's wholesale electricity market that would promote greater use of clean energy."
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| MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS |
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- "Cannabis Control Commission amends quarantine; sale of some vapes at marijuana stores allowed to resume," by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: "A day after public health officials lifted Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker's ban on nicotine vapes, the Cannabis Control Commission did the same for certain vape products sold at marijuana stores. The commission amended its quarantine order, allowing the sale of vape products sold by marijuana retailers that have been newly manufactured and tested for contaminants, like vitamin E acetate, beginning at 2 p.m. Thursday, according to a press release on the matter."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "CLUB CLAMPDOWN," — Globe: "So much has been taken, but he's still giving," "Tsarnaev appeal looks at jury bias," "Sliding in N.H., Warren goes on attack." |
| FROM THE 413 |
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- "Western Mass. Food Pantries Expecting Influx After SNAP Changes," by Karen Brown, NEPR: "Food pantries in western Massachusetts are expecting an influx of clients as a result of the Trump Administration's latest cuts to the federal food stamp program known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). In 1996, welfare reform limited food stamps to three months every three years for most adults without dependents who don't work. But many people in high-unemployment areas were exempt from those rules. Starting in April, the Trump Administration will dramatically tighten those exemptions."
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| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "Objections filed to Columbia Gas class action lawsuit," by Bill Kirk, Eagle-Tribune: "Daniel Rivera is known around the area as the mayor of one of the biggest cities in the Merrimack Valley. He's known in his hometown as being a friendly and accessible elected official. But in the case of a class action lawsuit against Columbia Gas, he just wants to be known as Daniel Rivera, of 1 Thomas Road, Lawrence. Rivera's home is in the area affected by the Sept. 13, 2018 gas disaster and, as such, he is automatically a "Class Member" of the lawsuit. What that means is that if Rivera, the mayor of Lawrence, files paperwork with the court and agrees to "opt-in" to any settlement, he will likely get a check for anywhere from $50 for minor damage to his home up to $15,000 for major damage."
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to Boston City Councilor Lydia Edwards and Nancy Jane Fitzpatrick.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? No and no! The 76ers beat the Celtics 115-109. The Lightning beat the Bruins 3-2.
FOR YOUR COMMUTE: THE POLL-AR EXPRESS - On this week's Horse Race podcast, hosts Jennifer Smith and Steve Koczela discuss new polling on the New Hampshire primary. Boston Globe reporter Adam Vaccaro runs through the safety report on the MBTA conducted by an independent panel of experts. MassINC Polling Group Research Director Rich Parr rounds out the show with a look at a regional poll focused on the Transportation Climate Initiative. 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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