MASSterList: Polls away | Moulton’s higher ambitions | Annie Dookhan Redux

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By Jay Fitzgerald and Keith Regan 09/14/2016 Polls away | Moulton’s higher ambitions | Annie Dookhan Redux

Happening Today

Governor’s Council   The Governor's Council holds a hearing on the nomination of Superior Court Judge James Lemire to the Appeals Court, Council Chamber, Room 360, 10:30 a.m.

New housing partnership   Gov. Charlie Baker joins with state and local officials to announce a new housing partnership in Chelsea and Somerville, Innes Apartments, corner of Central Avenue and Willow Street, Chelsea, 12 p.m.

Freedom Trail restoration   Boston Mayor Martin Walsh offers remarks at an event celebrating extensive restorations and improvements made to the Freedom Trail, Granary Burying Ground, Tremont Street, Boston, 12:30 p.m.

Rosenberg interview   Senate President Stanley Rosenberg is scheduled for his monthly interview on Boston Public Radio at 1:30 p.m.

South Coast rail hearing   The Department of Transportation and MBTA hold another public meeting to discuss the South Coast Rail project to restore passenger rail service between New Bedford and Boston, Bristol Community College, Building G, Commonwealth College Center, Faculty Lounge, 777 Elsbree St., Fall River, 6:30 p.m.

Accountability site goes live   Comptroller Thomas Shack today launches CTHRU, a new website designed to make government data more accessible to the public. Today's News   Special health-care commission is off to unhealthy start   WGBH’s Adam Reilly reports how the state’s new Special Commission on Provider Price Variation seemed to be getting off to a smooth start – until Partners Healthcare’s chief executive, Dr. David Torchiana, spoke out at the commission’s first meeting. Torchiana objected to the basic premise suggested by others about the problems associated with health-care pricing discrepancies, saying the commission’s “fact base” is “incomplete and non-representative of the issue that we’re called upon to address.” So right from the start, the head of the state’s most powerful and prestigious health-care provider served notice that Partners is most definitely going to be protecting its turf, inch by inch, fact by fact. WGBH     Warren’s high-profile Trump bashing not resonating with everyone   First, it should be noted that U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren has a very solid approval rating among constituents in Massachusetts, at 57 percent, according to a summer poll that was released yesterday by Morning Consult, reports SHNS’s Sam Doran at New Boston Post. But she also gets a solid 33 percent disapproval rating from other Massachusetts residents and ranks at number 25 of all U.S. senators in terms of home-state approval ratings. Of New England's 12 senators, Warren ranked eighth in her approval rating. Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey had a 52 percent approval in his home state and a 20 percent disapproval rating. New Boston Post     Poll: Clinton up 26 points in Mass.   Hillary Clinton leads Donald Trump by 26 points among likely Massachusetts voters, a WBUR/MassInc poll finds. Clinton earns the support of 54 percent of voters, compared to 28 percent for Trump, 9 percent for Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson (whose running mate is former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld) and 4 percent for Green Party hopeful and Lexington resident Jill Stein. The same poll finds Gov. Charlie Baker maintaining sky-high approval numbers (62 percent favorable) and that more than half of those polled believe he deserves a second term. WBUR     Moulton angling for Clinton cabinet post?   With his recent high-profile pronouncements on the Islamic State and other foreign policy issues, U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton is stoking rumors about his potential ambitions for higher office, reports the Herald’s Kimberly Atkins: “Moulton’s willingness to challenge even those within his own party — a reputation which began with his successful bid to unseat longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. John Tierney — has spurred speculation that he may seek a role in Clinton’s administration should she win in November.” Boston Herald Rosenberg ‘very partial’ to Kerrigan replacing McGee   Senate President Stan Rosenberg appears to have a favorite candidate to replace state Sen. Tom McGee as the Democratic State Committee chairman. Rosenberg said yesterday he is "very partial" to Steve Kerrigan, the lieutenant governor nominee in 2014 who ran the Democratic National Convention in 2012 and who announced his candidacy for the party post on Monday, a day after McGee said he would not seek re-election, reports Andy Metzger at State House News Service (pay wall). "The field isn't set yet, and I think we should give time so that the field can get set before locking in on any particular position,” said Rosenberg. “(But) I have to say that I am very partial to Steve. I've worked closely with him. I think he's very, very good.” Other potential candidates include former Fitchburg Mayor Lisa Wong, Gloucester Governor's Councilor Eileen Duff, Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkins and Democratic National Committee members Dave O'Brien, of Concord, and Gus Bickford, of Westford. WGBH’s Mike Deehan has a full run down on all the candidates – and even the non-candidates.     Braintree’s very own Annie Dookhan problem   Hundreds of criminal cases may be tainted as a result of an emerging evidence-room scandal within the Braintree police department. An officer in charge of the evidence room committed suicide earlier this year after he learned of a planned audit of his office – an audit that ultimately revealed missing drugs, guns and money, reports the Globe’s Andrea Estes and Jim O’Sullivan. And now Norfolk District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey is looking at the possibility of numerous cases being tainted. “We won’t and don’t use tampered evidence. It’s that simple,” Morrissey told the Globe. “We play by the rules, as painful as it is to let some of these people go.” His office has already begun dropping cases tied to the department, WCVB TV is reporting. As the Globe rightly notes, the case “invites comparisons to the mishandling of drug samples by former state chemist Annie Dookhan. Her widespread tampering with drug evidence forced the dismissal of thousands of cases and the closure of the state forensic lab where she worked.” But let’s not forget good old Sonja Farak, the drug-fueled former chemist at a state crime lab whose antics will also wreak havoc with many cases. What is it about evidence-room and crime-lab technicians these days? Remember the Wall Street Journal dictum: Three examples make a trend.     Meanwhile, Gloucester’s police chief is put on leave   And in other local police department news: Gloucester police Chief Leonard Campanello, who has gained national attention for his department’s treatment-focused approach to battling the opioid crisis, has been placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation, WCVB is reporting. Gloucester Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken announced the action without elaboration. Last year, the department launched its “ANGEL” program, in which any addict who walks into the Gloucester Police Department with the remainder of their drug equipment or drugs and asks for help would not be charged with any crime, WCVB notes. WCVB (video)     Boston puts addiction help a call away   Addicts in Boston seeking help can now use the city’s 311 hotline to social services agencies offering recovery help, WBUR reports. Operators at the hotline—which has traditionally been used to report potholes and other issues—will be connected with professionals at the Boston Public Health Commission’s addiction services agency. “A lot of families... don’t know who they should call or when they should call—they’re desperate,” Mayor Marty Walsh said at the launch of the service. WBUR     Glenn Beck cuts his potential losses, settles suit with Boston student   Conservative talk show host Glenn Beck has settled a defamation lawsuit with a Saudi national who was studying in Boston at the time of the Boston Marathon bombings, Josh Gerstein of Politico reports. Last month, the judge in the case ordered Beck to reveal his sources for his claims that Abdulrahman Alharbi was the money man who bankrolled the attacks at the finish line of the iconic race. Details of the lawsuit settlement were not disclosed. Politico Boston mulls bag ban with statewide implications   A Boston City Council subcommittee held its first public meeting on a possible plastic bag ban and environmentalists say if the city joins the 30-plus communities that already prohibit them, a statewide ban would likely be close behind, Dan Atkinson of the Herald reports. Boston could become a tipping point that makes a single, statewide standard more palatable to retailers and others who have opposed earlier ban bids. Boston Herald     Judge orders Worcester to build hotel footbridge   Slamming the city for more than a decade of foot dragging, a Superior Court judge is ordering Worcester to build an elevated pedestrian walkway to a downtown hotel, something the city said it would do under a 2003 agreement, Cyrus Moutlon of the Telegram reports. The city has twice started the process of bidding the project—which would connect the Hilton Garden Inn to several other downtown locations—only to run into bids substantially higher than it expected. The project is now expected to cost $10 million. Telegram     Let’s hope self-driving cars aren’t your typical Massholes   Boston has signed a deal to test self-driving cars on city streets, perhaps starting within months, under a program by the World Economic Forum to assess the promise of autonomous vehicles and develop policies for the technology, the Herald’s Jordan Graham reports. “If this technology is going to yield benefits for the consumer, we want to make sure it works in the city of Boston,” said Chris Osgood, the city’s chief of streets. It will be a bit strange seeing self-driving cars whirring about the city, but we can take solace in knowing this: They can’t possibly be as dangerous and obnoxious as the average Boston motorist. Boston Herald     Liberty Mutual Insurance jumps into … lawn mowing and house cleaning?   Boston-based Liberty Mutual’s investment arm is helping to launch a local company called All Set, a startup that’s being described as “Uber for home service providers,” though it seems more like a variation of Angie’s List. BostInno’s Dylan Martin has more on the venture: “Turns out, All Set was actually developed at Solaria Labs, Liberty Mutual’s startup incubator that opened WeWork’s South Station location back in January, according to Liberty Mutual spokesman Glenn Greenberg. And it's actually the first startup created within Solaria Labs, where All Set is still based, to go to market. All Set's CEO is Erin Breslin, a former product manager for Amazon in Seattle, and she helped develop All Set originally as a Liberty Mutual employee.” BostInno Today's Headlines   Metro   Chipotle settles with sickened diners - Boston Magazine Plastic bag ban in Boston could carry statewide - Boston Herald Hood to pour housing on ex-dairy Boston site - Boston Herald City Hotline Now Connects Bostonians With Addiction Recovery Services - WBUR GE picks five teams to tackle Boston’s opioid crisis - Boston Business Journal   Massachusetts   Shaquille O'Neal bows out of performing as DJ at The Big E opening night party - MassLive Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz proposes $1 per hour parking meter fee - MassLive Judge orders Worcester to build footbridge for downtown hotel - Telegram & Gazette Charter debate focuses on funding, equity issues - Boston Globe Out of state bigwigs back charters - Boston Herald Worcester begins buying water to alleviate droughts conditions - Telegram & Gazette Protestors ordered to stay away from State House - Cape Cod Times Taunton officials speak out against Middleboro rail option at MassDOT hearing - Taunton Gazette WBUR Poll: Clinton Is Trouncing Trump In Mass. - WBUR Amazon.com is delivering itself to Fall River this week - Standard-Times Sites food trucks can operate broadened in Lowell - Lowell Sun   Nation   Glenn Beck reaches settlement with Saudi student over Boston Marathon accusations - Politico Record rise in incomes could boost Clinton - Politico Trump unveils plan to lower child-care costs - Washington Post Colin Powell Calls Trump A “National Disgrace” In Personal Emails - BuzzFeed News The Trump Organization's Secretive Global Financial Web - Newsweek

MASSterList: ‘Damaged goods’ | Defunding GOP money machine | Pension grab

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By Jay Fitzgerald and Keith Regan 05/20/2016 ‘Damaged goods’ | Defunding GOP money machine | Pension grab

Happening Today

Airline bag fees   U.S. Senator Edward Markey joins Massport CEO Thomas Glynn and John Breyault of the National Consumers League for a press conference calling on airlines to suspend checked bag fees this summer in an effort to help alleviate long security checkpoint lines at airports, Terminal E Arrival level, Boston Logan International Airport, 11 a.m.

‘Ask the Mayor’   Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, whose administration is now engulfed in controversy over yesterday’s indictment of his tourism chief, is a scheduled guest on Boston Public Radio where he'll speak to co-hosts Jim Braude and Margery Eagan on their "Ask the Mayor" segment, WGBH-FM 89.7, noon.

‘Bay State Business Link’   Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo and Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce CEO Jim Rooney host the inaugural Bay State Business Link, a partnership between DeLeo's office and the chamber to spur business-to-business collaboration across all regions of the state, Springfield Technical Community College, Scibelli Hall, 10 a.m. Today's News   Marty ‘Damaged Goods’ Walsh   Poor Marty Walsh. Pundits barely had time to read the indictment of Kenneth Brissette -- Walsh’s director of tourism, sports, and entertainment who was charged yesterday with “union-related extortion” – before pronouncing that Walsh’s re-election prospects were now in serious jeopardy. The Herald’s Joe Battenfeld: “Mayor Martin J. Walsh has gone from unbeatable incumbent to damaged goods in just months, a shockingly quick descent that’s left him politically exposed a year before he faces voters. And it could get worse.” Meanwhile, the Herald’s Howie Carr is referring to Walsh as “Mayor One-and-Done.” We have to admit we were among those whose initial reaction to Brissette’s arrest and indictment was: “Extortion in the exchange for what?” The warnings of civil liberties attorney Harvey Silverglate – who has repeatedly complained of fed overreach in prosecuting people for what many would consider normal political behavior – did jump to mind. No matter, since the more you read about the case, such as Adrian Walker’s column in the Globe this morning, the more you realize that Walsh himself is probably the target of the feds. Walker: “This isn’t just an indictment of Brissette. It is an indictment of the way this administration does business, and the way it — perhaps illegally — protects its allies in labor.” In other words: Walsh is damaged goods.     Common Cause going after GOP fundraising machine   Common Cause and other reformers are pushing new legislation that takes direct aim at the Massachusetts Republican Party’s collection of huge amounts of money under federal campaign rules, effectively dodging more strict state-mandated limits, the Globe’s Frank Phillips reports. The main thrust of the legislation is to reverse a recent decision by the Office of Campaign and Political Finance that found Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito weren’t violating a 1998 state law that bans state political figures from using federally raised donations. Boston Globe     Baker appears to be in trance-like denial over Weld’s VP bid   Gov. Charlie Baker was expressing skepticism yesterday that former Gov. William Weld will really and truly take the plunge and run as vice president on the Libertarian party ticket, even though Weld indeed has announced he’s running, Tori Bedford of WGBH reports. Baker declined to say if he’d cast a vote for his former boss. “I’ve been assuming for awhile, at this point, that I’m probably not going to be voting at that level for anybody.” WGBH Romney rules out third-party bid   With the earth-shaking news that one former Massachusetts governor was jumping into the presidential race (Bill Weld, as the Libertarian Party’s vice presidential candidate), we missed the news that former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has officially ruled out a third-party presidential bid and has stopped recruiting others to attempt their own third-party quest, as reported by New Boston Post’s Blake Neff. New Boston Post     Marzilli seeks pension boost because voters terminated his job   Former Sen. Jim Marzilli is seeking a $12,000-a-year boost to his pension, saying he is entitled to a Termination Retirement Allowance because he lost his 2008 re-election bid after being arrested on sexual misconduct charges, Laurel Sweet and Matt Stout of the Herald report. Marzilli said his staff submitted a resignation letter without his knowledge and argues that he is entitled to the extra pay because he was in the end terminated from his job by voters. Boston Herald     The Issue That Won’t Go Away: Solar caps   The issue that many legislators would prefer to go away isn’t going away: A month after Gov. Charlie Baker signed a bill raising the cap on solar net metering—following five months of legislative wrangling—some in the industry are already saying the cap needs to be lifted yet again, Bruce Mohl of CommonWealth Magazine reports. The higher cap on private solar projects is already bumping up against the limit in National Grid territory, Mohl reports. CommonWealth     Stodgy old GM goes after Zipcar in Boston   General Motors Co. is set to launch its car-sharing startup Maven in Boston later this year, competing directly with Boston-based Zipcar Inc. and other firms, the Boston Business Journal’s Sara Castellanos reports. Maven, which allows users to find and rent cars through a mobile app by the hour or by the day, is already available in New York City, Chicago and Ann Arbor, Michigan. "We think Boston is a really strong city for car sharing and we know the appetite was big, and there are a lot of players in the space, but we think Maven offers a little more refined experience,” said Annalisa Bluhm, manager for Urban Mobility Communications at GM. BBJ     Meanwhile, stodgy old Liberty Mutual jumps into venture capital   What’s going on with all these old-line companies jumping into cutting-edge businesses in Boston? Next up: Boston’s Liberty Mutual, the giant insurance company, has launched a new venture capital arm, with a $150 million fund to invest in early-stage, tech-service hybrid companies, reports BostoInno’s Olivia Vanni. In January, Liberty Mutual also announced it was starting an incubator, Solaria Labs, that would occupy space in WeWork’s South Station location. BostInno McGovern: ‘This Congress is just too damn chicken to do its job’   U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern is still trying to prod Congress into officially authorizing the current military action in the Middle East. He recently posted his latest House floor speech over at BlueMassGroup. An excerpt: “I guess this Congress is just too damn chicken to do its job when it comes to war and we’re going to kick the can into the 115th Congress. Every single member of this House should be ashamed. Our collective silence – our collective indifference – is dismissive of our Constitutional responsibility. This chamber is guilty of moral cowardice. I urge my colleagues to show some backbone and demand that the Majority Leadership of this House carry out its constitutional duty to debate and vote on an AUMF for Iraq and Syria.” BlueMassGroup     Lowell clinic turns away addicts due to lack of counselors   A Lowell opioid-addiction treatment clinic says it has closed admission to new patients because it can’t find enough counselors to match demand, Todd Feathers of the Lowell Sun reports. The ratio of patients to counselors at the Habit OPCO clinic is as high as 95 to 1, while an ideal level is 75 to 1.  Lowell Sun     MGM prez feels the buzz as project advances   MGM Springfield President Mike Mathis says he feels excitement building in the city now that work has begun in earnest on the $950 million downtown resort casino project expected to open in the fall of 2018, Peter Goonan of MassLive reports. “I think there is a sense this is coming to life,” Mathis said after meeting with about 50 downtown residents. “It's nice to have that energy back." MassLive     Sunday public affairs TV   On The Record, WCVB TV Channel 5, 11 a.m. Guest is Dr. Tommy Chang, Boston School Superintendent Matter of Fact with Fernando Espuelas, WCVB TV, 11:30 a.m. Guests include U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), who will discuss trade agreements, tax policy, and efforts to promote renewable energy, and Politico reporter Hadas Gold, who discusses the campaign of Bernie Sanders and other presidential candidates. CityLine, WCVB TV Channel 5, 12 p.m. Discussion of opioid crisis with DPH Commissioner Monica Bharel M.D. This Week in Business, NECN, 12:30 p.m. Tom Hopcroft, Mass Technology Leadership Council CEO, and Bobbie Carlton, founder of Innovation Women, talk about the state’s tech sector; Barbara Erickson, president & CEO of The Trustees, talks about the organization and its plans for the summer season. CEO Corner, NECN, 8:30 p.m. Clayton Spencer, the president of Bates College, talks about the school, its mission and the importance of a liberal arts education. Today's Headlines   Metro   What the indictment of Boston’s top tourism official means for the Walsh administration - WBUR Ken Brissette’s arrest puts Marty Walsh on the defensive - Boston Herald Union chief says he had no knowledge of alleged wrongdoing - Boston Globe City official arraigned on extortion charge, released on bond - Boston Globe   Massachusetts   Bill pushed by Common Cause would rein in GOP fund-raising - Boston Globe Disgraced ex-solon Jim Marzilli says he deserves pension bonus - Boston Herald Crash sparks call for tighter marijuana regs - Boston Herald MGM president Mike Mathis said he hears the excitement as casino project moves forward - MassLive Worcester police promote first African-American captain, new deputy chief - MassLive Gov. Charlie Baker: Investigation into trooper’s death raises questions about marijuana legalization - MassLive Worcester city manager seeks emergency crackdown on illegal use dirt bikes - Telegram & Gazette Solar cap clamor resurfacing already - CommonWealth Magazine Gov. Baker unconvinced by talk of Weld VP run - WGBH State economy on ‘precarious footing’ - Worcester Business Journal Lowell opioid clinic forced to turn away addicts - Lowell Sun   Nation   House GOP defeats gay rights measure, prompting shouts of ‘shame’ - Boston Globe Trump rehashed ‘rape’ allegation against Bill Clinton - Boston Globe Congress, White House strike rescue deal for Puerto Rico - Boston Globe