POLITICO: Republicans hold the Senate in stunner

Senate Republicans staged their own startling upset by keeping their majority intact. | POLITICO Illustration / Getty

Republicans hold the Senate in stunner

GOP candidates notched a string of swing-state wins despite an awful map.

By JOHN BRESNAHAN

 

11/09/16

Republicans have clinched a dramatic, unexpected victory in the battle for the Senate.

With GOP presidential Donald Trump moving toward a stunning win, Senate Republicans staged their own startling upset by keeping their majority intact, despite a political landscape that strongly favored Democrats.

Tuesday's outcome for Senate Republicans may only be slightly less momentous for the GOP than Trump's looming victory. It gives them control of the Supreme Court for years to come, a huge issue for the conservative base. When combined with a favorable map in 2018, Republicans could be on the verge of building a majority that could last well the into next decade. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) could go down as one of the most successful Republican leaders in years, while Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will leave office with his hopes of a Democratic majority crushed by his arch-rivals Trump and McConnell.

It was not the night Democrats had dreamed of for two years.

With GOP incumbents scoring huge victories in North Carolina, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Florida, while holding a big lead in Missouri, Republicans are set to begin the 115th Congress with a majority.

And Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Pat Toomey has surged ahead of Democrat Katie McGinty in by 25,000 votes, another surprising outcome.

New Hampshire may be closest race of all, with both sides saying the race between incumbent GOP Sen. Kelly Ayotte and Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan was a true cliffhanger. A call in that race may not come Tuesday, with a recount looming ever more likely. Democrats say they surpassed 2012 turnout in Durham, a key county. The University of New Hampshire is located there. Ayotte leads by less than a half-percentage point with more than four-fifths of precincts counted.

Arizona GOP Sen. John McCain also won, fending off a challenge by Democratic Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick.

Tonight's outcome for Senate Republicans may only be slightly less momentous for the GOP than Trump's looming victory. The lone Democratic pickup of the night so far is in Illinois, where Democratic Rep. Tammy Duckworth defeated Republican Sen. Mark Kirk in the solidly blue state.

In Nevada, Reid was able to keep his Senate seat in the Democratic column, throwing the full weight of his vaunted political machine behind former state Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto against GOP Rep. Joe Heck. Cortez Masto's win was one of few bright spots of the night for Democrats.

But Duckworth and Cortez Masto's feats weren't nearly enough to offset a dismal night for Senate Democrats.

In Indiana, former Democratic Evan Bayh was thumped by GOP Rep. Todd Young, costing the Democrats a major pickup opportunity. It also marked the end of a political dynasty that had dominated Indiana Democratic politics for decades.

The GOP's success extended to the House, as the party headed off steep losses and ensured Republicans will have full control of Capitol Hill. Democrats had hoped to pick up a dozen seats or more, yet those gains failed to materialize as voters energized by Trump's candidacy turned out in force to reward Republicans up and down the ballot.

Senate Republicans always knew 2016 would be a tough cycle. They were defending 24 seats versus only 10 for Democrats. Democrats snared some strong recruits, getting their favored candidates in Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Florida, among other states.

Many of the tight races were also in presidential battleground states, further complicating the Senate outlook. And Republicans were of two minds about Trump: His unorthodox campaign could bring a wave of new voters to the polls and buoy endangered Senate Republicans, or his lack of a real campaign organization could prove to be a huge drag for them.

No one imagined how big of a boon Trump would be.

After Trump's erratic debate performances and the airing of the “Access Hollywood” video, some Democrats openly mused about picking up as many as nine seats.

Yet Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton presented her own set of huge challenges for other Democratic candidates and incumbents.

To the dismay of Senate Democrats, Clinton chose to present Trump as outside the GOP mainstream instead of a natural outgrowth of the party’s trends over the last decade. This gave Republican candidates and incumbents an opportunity to put distance between themselves and Trump, which many gladly did. The Clinton campaign only reversed its position and tried to tie Trump more closely to down-ballot Republicans later in the race.

The scandal over Clinton’s private email server as secretary of State was also a blessing for Senate Republicans. In July, FBI Director James Comey said neither Clinton or her top aides would be indicted over their handling of classified materials, but he called Clinton “extremely careless.” It became a rallying cry for Senate Republicans.

Then, with just 11 days to go in the race, Comey dropped another political bombshell: the Clinton email probe would be reopened after the discovery of hundreds of thousands of new emails on former Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner’s (N.Y.) laptop. Weiner is married to top Clinton aide Huma Abedin, and he is under criminal investigation himself for allegedly sending sexually inappropriate messages to a teenager. While Comey later said no new evidence had been found, the damage had been done. Republicans believed that Comey might have saved the Senate for them.

Both sides caught some breaks as well. In Ohio, former Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland proved to be a weak challenger, allowing incumbent GOP Sen. Rob Portman to skate to reelection. In Florida, Sen. Marco Rubio’s decision to run despite promising to retire during his presidential campaign was a big plus for Republicans. He easily defeated Democratic Rep. Patrick Murphy.

In Indiana, Bayh jumped into the race after being heavily recruited by presumptive Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. Despite having $10 million in the bank, Bayh proved to be a lackluster candidate, dogged by the disclosure of his internal Senate calendars, which showed him job-hunting in 2010 even before his term was up. He was dragged down by stories questioning his residency and lobbying career.

There's been one constant theme in Senate races this cycle: money, money, and ever more money. For the first time ever, more money was spent on the Senate races than the presidential campaign, which shocked even party insiders.

Candidates, the national parties, and outside groups have spent more than $800 million on TV ads in the battleground states alone. That doesn’t count tens of millions more in get-out-the-vote efforts, direct mail, data, staff salaries, and myriad other expenses.

The Pennsylvania Senate race, featuring incumbent GOP Sen. Patrick Toomey against Democrat Katie McGinty, will shatter all records as the most expensive Senate race in history. Combined spending by the two candidates and outside groups topped $120 million several weeks ago. New Hampshire’s fight between Ayotte drew almost $100 million, while the Nevada race eclipsed $80 million.

One long-running mystery was solved in Pennsylvania: After long refusing to say how he would vote in the presidential race, Toomey announced Tuesday evening he had voted for Trump. Toomey was clinging to a small lead with 98 percent of precincts reporting.

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/senate-2016-election-results-control-230926?lo=ap_a2

This & that.....FBI Director James Comey: Partisanship, Gossip & Unprofessionalism

Emails in Anthony Weiner Inquiry Jolt Hillary Clinton’s Campaign

By ADAM GOLDMAN and ALAN RAPPEPORT

The F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, told Congress that the emails “appear to be pertinent” to the investigation of Mrs. Clinton’s use of a private server.

WASHINGTON — The presidential campaign was rocked on Friday after federal law enforcement officials said that emails pertinent to the closed investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private email server were discovered on a computer belonging to Anthony D. Weiner, the estranged husband of a top Clinton aide.

In a letter to Congress, the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, said the emails had surfaced in an unrelated case, which law enforcement officials said was an F.B.I. investigation into illicit text messages from Mr. Weiner to a 15-year-old girl in North Carolina. Mr. Weiner, a former Democratic congressman from New York, is married to Huma Abedin, the top aide.

Mr. Comey's letter said that the F.B.I. would review the emails to determine if they improperly contained classified information, which is tightly controlled by the government. Senior law enforcement officials said that it was unclear if any of the emails were from Mrs. Clinton’s private server. And while Mr. Comey said in his letter that the emails “appear to be pertinent,” the F.B.I. had not yet examined them.

By the end of a day that brought stinging criticism of Mr. Comey from both Democrats and Republicans, he appeared on the defensive, saying in an internal email to bureau employees that he had felt obligated to inform Congress, and “we don’t know the significance of this newly discovered collection of emails.’’

The new development in the saga over Mrs. Clinton’s handling of classified information came months after the F.B.I. closed the investigation without charging Mrs. Clinton. The announcement, less than two weeks before the election, left Mrs. Clinton’s team furious and scrambling for explanations while bolstering the spirits of Donald J. Trump after a wave of controversies and Republican defections had led many to write him off.

“We are calling on the F.B.I. to release all the information that it has,” Mrs. Clinton said adamantly in an evening news conference that took issue with Mr. Comey for making the disclosure so close to the election. “Let’s get it out.”

Mr. Trump was ebullient. “Perhaps, finally, justice will be done,” he declared at a campaign rally in New Hampshire.

A senior law enforcement official said that tens of thousands of emails belonging to Ms. Abedin were on Mr. Weiner’s laptop, which the F.B.I. had obtained as part of its investigation into Mr. Weiner. About a month ago, a person familiar with the investigation said, F.B.I. agents seized the laptop as well as Mr. Weiner’s iPad and cellphone.

Mr. Comey said in his letter to Congress that he did not know how long it would take to review the emails. Law enforcement officials said they did not know whether any were duplicates of emails discovered in the earlier investigation.

Mr. Trump has fallen behind Mrs. Clinton in most national polls and in many key states. Polls have been tightening in recent days, however, as Republicans have started returning to their party roots during the final stretch of the race.

An emboldened Mr. Trump seized on the F.B.I. action on Friday at his rally in New Hampshire. To cheers of “lock her up” from his supporters, Mr. Trump said: “Hillary Clinton’s corruption is on a scale we have never seen before. We must not let her take her criminal scheme into the Oval Office.”

After deriding the F.B.I. for weeks as inept and corrupt, Mr. Trump went on to praise the law enforcement agency.

“I have great respect for the fact that the F.B.I. and the D.O.J. are now willing to have the courage to right the horrible mistake that they made,” Mr. Trump said, referring also to the Department of Justice. “This was a grave miscarriage of justice that the American people fully understand. It is everybody’s hope that it is about to be corrected.”

The Clinton campaign called on Mr. Comey to provide information beyond what was put forth in the letter.

“Director Comey’s letter refers to emails that have come to light in an unrelated case, but we have no idea what those emails are and the director himself notes they may not even be significant,” said John D. Podesta, the chairman of Mrs. Clinton’s campaign.

He added: “It is extraordinary that we would see something like this just 11 days out from a presidential election.”

Asked in an interview on CNN about Ms. Abedin’s involvement, Brian Fallon, a spokesman for Mrs. Clinton, demurred.

“The facts of the matter is stuff that is unknown to us,” Mr. Fallon said.

The “October surprise” confounded leading Democrats who suddenly found themselves on the defensive.

“This is particularly troubling since so many questions are unanswered,” said Senator Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California. “It’s unclear whether these emails have already been reviewed or if Secretary Clinton sent or received them. In fact, we don’t even know if the F.B.I. has these emails in its possession.”

Donna Brazile, the interim chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, demanded more information from Mr. Comey about his next steps and expressed concern about the agency interfering with the election.

“The F.B.I. has a solemn obligation to remain neutral in political matters — even the faintest appearance of using the agency’s power to influence our election is deeply troubling,” Ms. Brazile said.

For Republicans who have struggled to defend Mr. Trump amid his comments about women and conspiracy theories about a rigged election, the opportunity to revisit a controversy that has dogged Mrs. Clinton was a welcome gift.

The Republican National Committee cheered the new attention on Mrs. Clinton’s emails as a potential turning point in the race.

“The F.B.I.’s decision to reopen their criminal investigation into Hillary Clinton’s secret email server just 11 days before the election shows how serious this discovery must be,” said Reince Priebus, the Republican committee chairman, arguing that the Democratic nominee should be disqualified from seeking the presidency. “This stunning development raises serious questions about what records may not have been turned over and why, and whether they show intent to violate the law.”

Speaker Paul D. Ryan, who has been critical of Mr. Trump, assailed Mrs. Clinton and said that she should no longer be allowed to receive classified briefings.

“Hillary Clinton has nobody but herself to blame,” Mr. Ryan said in an emailed statement. “She was entrusted with some of our nation’s most important secrets, and she betrayed that trust by carelessly mishandling highly classified information.”

After defending her email practices for months, Mrs. Clinton sought to put the issue behind her this year, eventually apologizing and acknowledging that using a private server was a mistake. During the presidential debates with Mr. Trump, she tried to avoid the subject and accused Mr. Trump of putting national security at risk by inviting Russian hackers to meddle in the election.

Mrs. Clinton and her staff expressed relief in July when Mr. Comey announced that the F.B.I. had closed the investigation after determining that no one should face criminal charges. But he did criticize Mrs. Clinton and her aides for what he termed the “extremely careless” handling of sensitive information, leaving an opportunity for Republicans to continue hammering her for bad judgment.

The involvement of Ms. Abedin and Mr. Weiner in Mrs. Clinton’s case was an unforeseen twist. Several weeks ago, top Justice Department officials decided that prosecutors in Manhattan would handle Mr. Weiner’s case. After seizing the devices, investigators have been combing them for information.

It remained unclear whether Mr. Comey would reveal more about the contents of the newly discovered emails. In his memo to the F.B.I. staff, it was evident that he is keenly aware of the fraught political backdrop that he faces.

“We don’t ordinarily tell Congress about ongoing investigations, but here I feel an obligation to do so given that I testified repeatedly in recent months that our investigation was completed,” Mr. Comey wrote. “I also think it would be misleading to the American people were we not to supplement the record.”

Ms. Abedin separated from Mr. Weiner in August after it emerged that he was exchanging lewd messages with a woman on social media. Such behavior had destroyed his congressional career and his 2013 mayoral campaign.

Mr. Trump has pointed to Mrs. Clinton’s association with the couple as an example of her bad judgment.

“I only worry for the country in that Hillary Clinton was careless and negligent in allowing Weiner to have such close proximity to highly classified information,” Mr. Trump said in August. “Who knows what he learned and who he told?”

Correction: October 28, 2016 

An earlier version of this article incorrectly reported when the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, announced that the bureau had closed its investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email use. It was in July, not September.

Michael S. Schmidt, Matt Apuzzo and William K. Rashbaum contributed reporting from New York.

A version of this article appears in print on October 29, 2016, on page A1 of the New York edition with the headline: New Emails Jolt Clinton Campaign in Races’s Last Days. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/29/us/politics/fbi-hillary-clinton-email.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=span-ab-top-region&region=top-news&WT_nav=top-news&_r=1

 The Other 98%'s photo.

The Other 98%

Yep.

 Occupy Democrats's photo.

Occupy Democrats

Absolutely.

Save Main St's photo.

Save Main St

For the sake of our survival, we must push to remove the demand for oil. What do you think?

#NoDAPL

MASSterList: Closing the gap | Investigating ‘Weiner’ | Zombie scare hits Boston

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By Jay Fitzgerald and Keith Regan 11/03/2016 Closing the gap | Investigating ‘Weiner’ | Zombie scare hits Boston

Happening Today

Student debt summit   American Student Assistance convenes the second and final day of its national student debt summit, Revere Hotel, 200 Stuart St., Boston, 8:45 p.m.

Highway detour   MassDOT Highway Division District 6 director Walter Heller and other officials discuss the upcoming detour Friday evening through early Monday morning of north- and southbound traffic off Route 128 / I-95 in Needham, Highland Avenue South onto Route 128 South, Needham, 9:30 a.m.

Energy partnership   Boston Mayor Martin Walsh and Boston Housing Authority Administrator William McGonagle are scheduled to speak at a celebration of an energy partnership between the city's affordable housing and energy companies, Thomas Johnson Community Center, 68 Annunciation Rd., Boston, 9:30 a.m.

Door-to-door in Barnstable   Gov. Charlie Baker goes door-to-door in Barnstable to campaign for GOP candidates, including state representative candidate Will Crocker, Barnstable, 10 a.m.

Healey and health-care officials on pot legalization   Attorney General Maura Healey, the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association, Massachusetts Medical Society, American Nurses Association of Massachusetts and the No on 4 campaign hold a press conference to discuss the impact of legalizing marijuana, State House steps, 10:30 a.m.

Kennedy on the air   U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy III is a scheduled guest on Boston Public Radio, WGBH-FM 89.7, 1:30 p.m.

Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab   Mayor Walsh offers remarks at the opening of the new Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab, 127 Western Ave., Allston, 3 p.m.

14th Middlesex debate   The three candidates seeking the House seat that represents Concord and parts of Acton, Carlisle and Chelmsford square off in a debate at Chelmsford's Old Town Hall, 1 North Rd., Chelmsford, 6 p.m.

Marijuana debate   Sen. Jason Lewis and Rep. David Rogers will debate the merits of the ballot Question 4 that would legalize adult marijuana use, Lexington Community Center, 39 Marrett Road., Lexington, 7 p.m. Today's News   Poll: Trump closes the gap in New Hampshire   A new WBUR poll shows that Donald Trump has caught up to and has technically pulled slightly ahead of Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire, a state that only a few weeks ago looked relatively safe for the Dem presidential nominee. Because Trump holds a mere 1-point lead, the race is considered a statistical dead heat, reports WBUR’s Anthony Brooks, who adds: “The poll is consistent with a number of surveys across the country that suggest the presidential race has tightened considerably.” No kidding. And we presume it reflects the FBI-email controversy now swirling around Clinton. Meanwhile, Republican U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte leads her Democratic challenger, Gov. Maggie Hassan, by 6 points in N.H, one of the key states that could determine which party will control the U.S. Senate, Brooks writes. WBUR     How close is the race in N.H.? Obama to hit Granite State on Monday   The day before next Tuesday’s big election, President Obama plans to hit the campaign trail in New Hampshire “in a last ditch effort to rally support for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton,” reports Shannon Young at MassLive. Clinton’s campaign site says the president will also be stumping for U.S. Senate candidate Maggie Hassan and other Dems. Meanwhile, Donald Trump is doubling down in New Hampshire, adding two last-minute rallies in the state, one tomorrow and one on election eve, reports the Herald’s Chris Cassidy. “New Hampshire is completely up for grabs,” said Steve Duprey, the state’s Republican National Committeeman.     Lawsuit seeks to extend voter registration closer to election day   The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit in Suffolk Superior Court, demanding that people be allowed to register to vote closer to election day, reports Jonathan Cain at WBUR. “The group's director of racial justice Rahsaan Hall says the current registration — 20 days before Election Day — is arbitrary and has exemptions,” Cain writes. WBUR     Zombie stoner scare hits Boston   Some Boston officials are now presuming Question 4 will pass next week – and they’re in a semi-panic mode over it. From the Herald’s Dan Atkinson: “Fearing a ‘zombie zone’ of pot shops clustered together similar to Boston’s notorious former Combat Zone of strip joints, city officials are scrambling to devise a plan to spread out the 50 recreational weed emporiums the law would allow in the city should Question 4 pass next week.” Other cities and towns – including Worcester, Cambridge, Quincy, New Bedford, Lawrence and Newton – also better be prepared, based on an accompanying Herald chart that shows the minimum number of pot shops that could go into each community. Note: In its story, the Herald appears to be test marketing future ‘a-pot-alypse’ headlines. Boston Herald Dan Kennedy uses investigative journalism’s greatest tool – a glass of wine – for research into ‘Weiner’   Dan Kennedy admits he was wrong, and his WGBH colleagues were right, about whether Anthony Weiner would somehow impact the presidential campaign – just as Weiner and wife Huma have so unmistakably done in recent days. So Dan grabbed a glass of wine and Halloween candy, sat down and watched the must-see ‘Weiner’ documentary to make sense of how this improbable couple could very well influence who will be the next president of the United States of America. We won’t divulge what Dan’s painstaking investigation found, but you gotta check out ‘Weiner,’ ideally with a glass of wine or perhaps something a little stronger. You may need it. WGBH     Ten greatest political films   Speaking of political films, the Associated Press’s Jake Coyle, writing at the Globe, compiles his list of ten of the best political movies, with ‘Weiner’ rightly right up there. Some of his other choices are logical, some not so logical. One of our all-time favorite political flicks, ‘Primary Colors,’ still relevant because of Hillary Clinton’s prominent involvement in this year’s election, oddly doesn’t even appear on Coyle’s honorable-mentions list. Boston Globe     Of all people, suburban voters could decide Question 2   So how contentious is the charter school issue in Massachusetts? So contentious that Question 2, which would lift the cap on charter schools in the state, is a hot issue even in suburban towns that have no charter schools, want no charter schools, need no charter schools and usually don’t care about charter schools, reports Tonya Mosley at WBUR. WBUR     That’s it? A dozen gun protesters?   After all the sound and fury leading up to yesterday’s judicial nomination hearing for Christopher Barry-Smith, a grand total of “about a dozen people” showed up for a Gun Owners' Action League rally at the State House, reports Shira Schoenberg at MassLive. We’re sure there are logical explanations for the small turnout. But yesterday’s Indian Summer-like weather can’t be blamed, that’s for sure. MassLive One sound takeaway from Putnam CEO’s analysis of the election   Robert Reynolds, chief executive of Boston’s Putnam Investments, freely admits he’s a Republican and so most of the views he shared at yesterday’s Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce event reflect that admitted bias. But the BBJ’s Kelly O’Brien caught a real nugget from Bob’s speech yesterday: “What’s surprising to me is that it’s taken so long for us to see the angry anti-establishment insurgencies we’ve seen this year in both parties,” Reynolds said. “Culturally, slow growth raises racial, ethnic and class tensions and causes demagogues from the left and right to blame scapegoats.” Anyone care to argue? BBJ     Here’s one way to view Cambridge politics: 98.8 percent for Hillary   From Bill Whelan at Wicked Local: “Cambridge residents contributed $1,670,514 to the two major party candidates for president this election cycle with 98.8 percent of those donations going to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.” Fyi, the dollar tally: $1,650,903 for Clinton, $19,611 for Trump. Wicked Local     T tech honcho retains Bridj stake   MBTA Chief Technology Officer David Block-Schachter continues to hold a 1-3 percent stake in private transit provider Bridj, the very company now in talks with the T to provide late-night bus services in Boston. Kyle Scott Clauss of Boston Magazine reports that the stake, acquired when Block-Schachter helped found the startup, was disclosed in an ethics filing earlier this year. A T spokesman says he will have “no role whatsoever” in reviewing the proposal Bridj put forward for late-night service.  Boston magazine     Legislators slam commuter rail service   In a letter to state Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack, 14 state lawmakers – including Sen. Thomas McGee, co-chair of the transportation committee – lament the poor quality of commuter rail service and blast state officials for not being transparent enough about fines, or lack thereof, against Keolis Commuter Services, the Globe’s Nicole Dungca reports. Boston Globe Sheriff candidates dig deep into their own pockets   The four candidates still in the race to succeed Frank Cousins as Sheriff of Essex County have spent a total of nearly $50,000 of their own money on their campaigns, Paul Leighton reports in the Gloucester Times. Independent candidate Mark Archer is the most heavily invested—putting up just under $30,000 of his own cash against less than $6,000 from outside donors. Meanwhile, down south in Plymouth County, the Democratic challenger for sheriff has been outspent four-to-one by the incumbent he hopes to unseat. Neal Simpson of the Patriot Ledger reports that Sheriff Joseph McDonald has spent $220,000 this year, compared to less than $50,000 for challenger Scott Vecchi, who has personally ponied up $13,000 for his campaign.      Goldberg: Lottery’s future is online and on the line, literally   Treasurer Deborah Goldberg has formally asked lawmakers to clear the way for the Massachusetts State Lottery to offer online games, a move she says is critical for the lottery to keep the money flowing into state coffers, Dan Adams of the Globe reports. Golberg’s  ‘iLottery’ bill would give her broad authority to craft online and smart phone games with some restrictions, such as age verification, and includes the sale of prepaid cards to help cushion the blow to convenience store owners who will likely lose sales with the introduction of online games. Boston Globe     Wynn wants local food flavor in his casino   Casino developer Steve Wynn says he will try a new approach at his Wynn Boston Harbor casino in Everett, inviting “substantial local personalities” in the local food and beverage scene to partner with him to create offerings inside the resort, Bruce Mohl reports in CommonWealth Magazine.  “We’ve been able to interest some very substantial local personalities with various forms of food and beverage and we’re in the process of making room for them to join in so the facility is very local-oriented,” Wynn said during a conference call with analysts and investors.  CommonWealth     Another footwear company makes the trek to Boston   Reebok, the Canton footwear and apparel company owned by Adidas AG, is following in the footsteps of Converse and New Balance in setting up its headquarters in Boston, reports the Globe’s Jon Chesto. About 700 Reebok employees will be shifted from Canton to Boston, but Chesto notes that 300 people who now work in corporate positions for Adidas in Canton will either be asked to move out of state or lose their jobs.  Boston Globe Today's Headlines   Metro   Pizza shop gets Boston’s first restaurant letter grade - Boston Globe Wynn wants to partner with locals - CommonWealth Magazine Postcards for voters found in Cambridge trash can - Boston Globe Pols seeking plan to disperse rec marijuana shops - Boston Herald Plan calls for closure of Mattahunt - Boston Herald Boston thirsty for 15 liquor licenses - Boston Herald   Massachusetts   ACLU sues over Mass. voter registrations - Boston Globe With ‘criminal element’ listening, Springfield police will scramble radio communications - MassLive MBTA is trying to plan for 2040 - CommonWealth Magazine Mayor’s task force wants Worcester control over tax policy - Telegram & Gazette Dudley selectmen urge Islamic Society to resume cemetery negotiations - Telegram & Gazette Sheriff candidates using own cash to boost campaigns - Gloucester Times Charter question divides suburbs—even those with no charter schools - WBUR Commentary: Baker's Blank-Ballot Bet — Will Neutrality In The Presidential Race Pay Off? - WBUR Mass. still most innovative economy in the U.S., according to think tank - Boston Business Journal An angry Gumby takes down Trump in Easton—really - Brockton Enterprise Baker’s pro-Question 2 efforts in Lowell met with opposition - Lowell Sun Birthplace of ‘Robert’s Rules’ will be buttoned up for winter - Standard-Times Treasurer pushes pan to create ‘iLottery’ - Boston Globe   Nation   Obama faults FBI chief for disclosure on email case - New York Times A Trump tower goes bust in Canada - Politico Poll: ‘Shy Trump’ voters are a mirage - Politico Why Jill Stein deserves to be a 2016 footnote - Huffington Post WBUR Poll: Trump edges ahead of Clinton in NH - WBUR