POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: WARREN’S checklist — Beacon Hill to study SHUTDOWN — NEAL defends approach on TRUMP TAXES

WARREN’S checklist — Beacon Hill to study SHUTDOWN — NEAL defends approach on TRUMP TAXES

Jan 25, 2019 View in browser   BY STEPHANIE MURRAY GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. TGIF! WARREN'S CHECKLIST — Sen. Elizabeth Warren will check a visit to Nevada off her list today, making her the first top-tier 2020 presidential candidate to visit the four early-voting states that will have a key impact on the Democratic primary next year. Warren will hold an organizing event in Las Vegas later today, fresh off a swing to South Carolina and Puerto Rico. "You get one chance to make a good first impression , and Elizabeth Warren is the first one to make a first impression in all of these key states — and Puerto Rico," political consultant Mary Anne Marsh told me last night. "It's a long race, and they'll have their bad days, too. But as of today, people are still looking at Elizabeth Warren's back because they're following her to the places she's already been." Because she's been the first one to hold events in each of the early-voting states , every 2020 hopeful who follows will be compared to her — and she has drawn large crowds over the last several weeks. Another smart early move: taking a trip to Puerto Rico and calling for an investigation into how President Donald Trump handled hurricane relief. That helps her here in Massachusetts, which has one of the largest Puerto Rican populations outside the island, and could help Warren win over voters in the swing state of Florida, where the community it's estimated upwards of 30,000 people moved in the wake of Hurricane Maria. "Elizabeth Warren has left nothing to chance, and no detail is too small to be addressed," Marsh said. "She really feels like she has a full campaign that is well into spring training, and possibly out of it. Everyone else still has a startup feel to it." The Massachusetts Democrat made another kind of move yesterday, too. Warren touted a plan to establish a wealth tax on the richest Americans in an appearance on MSNBC last night. "One tenth of one percent has about the same wealth as 90 percent of America," Warren said last night. "Forty percent of Americans today can't come up with $400 in an emergency ... That is not an economy that's sustainable and it's not a democracy that's sustainable." The move put some new policy muscle behind the economic populist message that has carried the early stages of her campaign, and helps her shape the conversation around the economy as the primary contest gets underway. It also allowed Warren to turn the spotlight back to her message after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez proposed a much-talked about 70 percent marginal tax rate for the rich. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com. TODAY — Sen. Elizabeth Warren holds an organizing event in Las Vegas. Attorney General Maura Healey is a guest on Boston Public Radio. Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito hold a ceremonial bill signing with state Sen. Patrick O'Connor and state Rep. David DeCoste. Auditor Suzanne Bump visits Berkshire District Attorney Andrea Harrington in Pittsfield for a tour. The Black and Latino Legislative Caucus visits a prison in Concord. DATELINE BEACON HILL - "Education bill would expand state's power to intervene in struggling schools," by Victoria McGrane, Boston Globe:"Governor Charlie Baker's new education proposal would expand the power of the state to intervene in struggling schools, opening up a major front in the coming Beacon Hill debate over how best to revamp the state's troubled school funding formula. Teachers and other education advocates slammed Baker's plan, which includes enabling the commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to withhold some state aid from school districts if the department determines they aren't making necessary changes to improve student performance." - "Massachusetts Senate creates working group on federal government shutdown," by Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican: "The Massachusetts Senate has formed a working group to look at the impacts of the federal government shutdown in Massachusetts and how to help affected residents. The seven-member working group, which includes Democrats and Republicans, will be led by Sen. Jason Lewis, D-Winchester." - "BAKER'S EVOLUTION ON TAXES PROVIDES 'A LITTLE FUN' FOR DeLEO," by Matt Murphy, State House News Service: "House Speaker Robert DeLeo, who for four years has been an ally of Gov. Charlie Baker's on taxes, said he was "having a little fun" with the Republican governor on Thursday after Baker put out a budget this week stuffed with targeted tax hikes, but the speaker did not rule any of them out. Baker, who explained that he's alright with using taxes to 'level the playing field' or regulate a new industry, has proposed a real estate transfer tax increase to pay for climate adaptation and a tax on opioid sales to pay for addiction treatment." - "Mass. Lawmaker Proposes Freezing Sick Time Payouts for Employees Under Investigation," by Ryan Kath, NBC10: "A Massachusetts lawmaker is taking action in the wake of an NBC10 Boston Investigators report, which showed how state troopers caught up in the overtime scandal cashed in on a taxpayer-funded perk on their way out the door. Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, a Gloucester Republican, is proposing freezing payouts for accrued sick time to employees who retire while under criminal or internal investigation." - "Offshore drilling ban sought for state waters," by Christian M. Wade, The Salem News: "Energy companies have no immediate plans to begin searching for oil and natural gas off Massachusetts' coast, but opponents of offshore drilling are hoping to fend off future efforts by denying access to the state's land and waters. A proposal filed in the Legislature would ban drilling for oil or gas in state waters, while prohibiting the lease of state land including tidal or submerged lands for oil or gas exploration, development or production." - "Gov. Baker again targets sick-time accruals for public employees," by Greg Ryan, Boston Business Journal: "For the fourth consecutive year, Gov. Charlie Baker is proposing putting a cap on the hours of sick time that government employees can accrue, in order to limit the large payouts they can receive from the accrued time when they retire. As part of his budget proposal Wednesday, Baker would limit unused sick time to 1,000 hours for executive branch and public higher education workers. If one of those employees has already accrued more than 1,000 hours of sick time, that amount would be frozen in place." - "Charlie Baker vows to veto bill giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants," by Sean Philip Cotter and Mary Markos, Boston Herald: "Gov. Charlie Baker says he'll 'certainly veto' a bill that would let illegal immigrants in Massachusetts get driver's licenses — a proposal critics say would make the Bay State a magnet for fraud. The policy stance came a day after state Sen. Brendan P. Crighton (D-Lynn) and Reps. Tricia Farley-Bouvier (D-Pittsfield) and Christine Barber (D-Somerville) introduced the Work and Family Mobility Act, which would strip the portion of the current law that says people illegally in the country cannot get Massachusetts licenses." FROM THE HUB - "RMV finds workaround for immigrant commercial drivers," by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: "There are thousands of people in Massachusetts like Reyes, who is in this country under a designation called temporary protected status. So a group of unions, immigration advocates, and members of the Baker administration tried to figure out what was going on. What they learned was that a shift to a new form of federally approved driver's license had triggered a new requirement for proving license applicants have a lawful presence in the state. That requirement was blocking people with temporary protected status from renewing their commercial driver's licenses, so the group came up with a work-around that seems to be working." - "Most Students In Massachusetts's No-Interest Loan Program Are in Collection," by Fred Thys, WBUR: "More than half of the college students who borrowed from a Massachusetts loan program are in collection. That's the finding of a report by the Hildreth Institute, a non-profit that aims to replace student debt with grants and scholarships. The Massachusetts No Interest Loan Program allows students to borrow up to $20,000 in interest-free loans. The money has to be repaid within ten years. Most eligible students are low-income." - "Commissioner William Gross Says He Has Felt Unwelcome At The BPD," by Jason Turesky, WGBH News: "Boston Police Commissioner William Gross, Boston's first black commissioner, told Boston Public Radio on Friday that he "absolutely" has felt unwelcome during his tenure at the Boston Police Department. Gross did not offer specifics about his experiences. Gross said that his ability to rise through the ranks despite experiencing prejudice came from his upbringing." - "Unpaid for weeks, fed workers turn to church food pantry," by Yukun Zhang, Dorchester Reporter: "Patsy works for Food and Nutrition Service in the US Department of Agriculture. It's a federal job that she's held for 40 years. On Wednesday, she came to the Holy Tabernacle Church near Grove Hall in Dorchester to get food. Patsy, who does not want her full name to be published, said she's never had to ask for help in her four decades of working for the US government." - "MBTA's parking lot operator sues transit agency," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "THE PRIVATE COMPANY hired to operate the MBTA's 101 parking facilities is suing the transit agency for failing to comply with the terms of the contract, which requires the payment of as much as $2 million a year in bonus compensation for meeting key performance targets. Republic Parking of Chattanooga, Tennessee, said in its lawsuit that the MBTA has refused to even establish the performance targets on which the bonus payments would be made." WARREN REPORT - "Elizabeth Warren to propose new 'wealth tax' on very rich Americans, economist says," by Jeff Stein and Christopher Ingraham, Washington Post: "Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) will propose a new 'wealth tax' on Americans with more than $50 million in assets, according to an economist advising her on the plan, as Democratic leaders vie for increasingly aggressive solutions to the nation's soaring wealth inequality." — "Warren readies plan for tax on 'ultra-millionaires," by Natasha Korecki, POLITICO: "Smacking the ultrawealthy with a new tax burnishes the centerpiece of Warren's 2020 campaign for president: a message about income inequity that she's hammered away at in front of crowds in Iowa and New Hampshire . It also builds on a career centered on the economics of middle-class families, laid out most prominently in her 2003 best-selling book, The Two-Income Trap. TRUMPACHUSETTS - "Neal defends go-slow approach to seeking Trump's tax returns," by Brian Faler, POLITICO: "House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal today defended his go-slow approach to demanding President Donald Trump's tax returns. Under pressure from some liberal groups unhappy he hasn't acted more quickly, Neal (D-Mass.) said: 'You're going to have to, I think, resist the emotion of the moment and make sure your case is carefully documented. This is likely to become the basis of a long and arduous court case,' he told reporters. 'You can't step on your tongue.'" - "US Reps. Jim McGovern, Joe Kennedy call out Commerce secretary for questioning food banks set up for furloughed federal workers," by Shannon Young, Springfield Republican:"Massachusetts congressional lawmakers took aim at U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross Thursday for expressing confusion over why food banks and other supports have been set up for federal employees who have been furloughed or working without pay due to the 34-day government shutdown." - "Boston chefs on board with Jose Andres' nation-wide effort to feed furloughed workers," by Devra First, Boston Globe: "When disaster strikes, chef Jose Andres and his nonprofit World Central Kitchen have been there to feed the hungry: in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, in California after residents lost their homes to wildfires, and most recently in his home city of Washington. But federal workers do not live only in D.C. Now World Central Kitchen is reaching out to chefs across the country, including Boston, in an effort titled #ChefsForFeds." THE CLARK CAUCUS - "Shutdown Is 'A Nightmare,' Katherine Clark Says," by Arjun Singh, WGBH News: "Thirty-four days into the longest running government shutdown in American history, Rep. Katherine Clark has had enough. 'This is a nightmare,' Clark said in an interview with Boston Public Radio Thursday. 'It has quickly moved from just fundamentally wrong — from asking workers to come to work and not be paid, and that ripple effect across our economy — to very real national security threats as this drags on.'" - "House Democrats march to Senate for shutdown votes," by Scott Wong, The Hill: "About 20 House Democrats on Thursday marched across the Capitol onto the Senate floor to urge senators to vote to reopen the government. The visit came as the Senate began voting on two dueling bills aimed at ending the 34-day shutdown, neither of which were expected to pass. House Democrats huddled in the back of the Senate chamber and were visited by senators including Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.)." MOULTON MATTERS - "Zero-interest loans available to furloughed workers," by Ethan Forman, The Salem News: "As the partial government shutdown entered its 34th day on Thursday, Congressman Seth Moulton announced that there was some help on the way for furloughed federal workers. The assistance is in the form of zero-interest loans that will be available through several local financial institutions. More than 800,000 federal workers nationwide face missing a second paycheck Friday as the shutdown is more than a month old." KENNEDY COMPOUND - "Historic photos of Rose Kennedy, Jack, and Ted will grace banners on the Greenway all winter," by Travis Andersen, Boston Globe: "Ask not whom those photos depict — virtually all New Englanders of a certain age will know immediately. Large photographs of Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy and two of her famous sons, former president John F. Kennedy and the late senator Edward M. Kennedy, will adorn the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway in downtown Boston throughout the winter." ABOVE THE FOLD — Herald: "TIGHT," "NOT A PENNY FOR THE BULGERS!" Globe:"Baker's plan expands state power over schools," "A PUSH FOR COMPROMISE," "Warren targets super rich with tax on wealth." MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS - "Rejected marijuana store sues Salem to stop it from allowing competing shop to advance," by Naomi Martin, Boston Globe: "A marijuana company is trying to stop Salem from allowing a competing store to advance toward opening, saying in a lawsuit that the city unfairly rejected its application. The city says it had the right to pass over the firm, Mederi, in picking five cannabis shops out of nine applicants. A judge on Friday will hear Mederi's request for an order stopping the city from entering into its fifth and final contract with a pot retailer. The lawsuit, which observers say is the first of its kind in Massachusetts, could test the limits of local governments' freedom to choose winners and losers in the pot business, a growing industry since recreational sales started in November." ALL ABOARD - "MBTA overtime spending spiked last year," by Matt Rocheleau, Boston Globe: "The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority doled out more overtime pay to workers last year than it has in several years, covering a stretch that includes the record-breaking 2015 snowfall that drove up the agency's labor costs. The T spent $81.9 million on overtime last year, up more than 13 percent from the previous year and nearly 30 percent higher than 2016, 2014, and 2013, the earliest year of data available. Last year's tally was slightly higher than the $80.9 million the authority spent on overtime in 2015." THE LOCAL ANGLE - "Methuen begins layoffs of 50 police officers," by Lisa Kashinsky, Boston Herald: "Local police chiefs worry public safety in the Merrimack Valley could be imperiled as Methuen begins the process of laying off more than half its police force over a contract dispute. Pink slips began going out to 50 Methuen officers on Thursday. Solomon said the drastic reduction to his force would leave just enough officers to work patrols, and is worried Methuen would have to rely on aid from neighboring departments, state police or the Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council." - "Vineyard Wind offers concessions to fishermen, environmentalists," by Mary Ann Bragg, Cape Cod Times:"Vineyard Wind officials are not waiting for federal officials to return to their desks: The company has reached an agreement with environmental groups to protect North Atlantic right whales and has offered Rhode Island fishermen a $6.3 million deal to compensate them for any economic damages they may incur from the wind farm's construction and operations." HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to the Berkshire Eagle's Heather Bellow, who turns 5-0; Laura Simolaris, Boston Globe columnist Adrian Walker and Boston.com's Hayden Bird. 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.   Follow us on Twitter Stephanie Murray @StephMurr_Jour   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook

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MASSterList: DA scramble | Tipping point? | Poor Seamus

MASSterList: DA scramble | Tipping point? | Poor Seamus

MASSterList: Costly protests? | ‘OMG! Stink bomb’ | JOB BOARD MONDAY

MASSterList: Costly protests? | ‘OMG! Stink bomb’ | JOB BOARD MONDAY

MASSterList: The Zen of John Kasich | New front on MA smoking war | City Hall Plaza as playground

 
Friday, March 4, 2016

By George Donnelly (@geodonnelly) and Keith Regan

Today: Budget matters House Speaker Robert DeLeo appears on Boston Herald Radio, 9:00 a.m. Sens. Sal DiDomenico and Patricia Jehlen chair a public hearing of the House and Senate Ways and Means Committees on Gov. Charlie Baker's $39.55 billion budget proposal for the 2017 fiscal year, Gardner Auditorium, 10:00 am. Auditor Suzanne Bump attends the second annual UMass Women into Leadership dinner and reception. UMass Amherst, 1 Campus Center Way, 11th floor, Amherst, 6:00 pm. Last night's insult-fest and the Zen of John Kasich For those who may have missed the Republican debate last night, it may have hit a new presidential debate low as the intensity of attacks against Trump prompted the real estate mogul to fight back with extra ferocity. Some voters want to believe there's a glimmer of hope for the only candidate who refuses to descend into the quagmire, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who earned the "only adult in the room" status last night. As the field shrinks, he increasingly stands out as presidential. But his fresh momentum still makes him a longshot at best. Kasich says he's going to win Ohio, and "If I win Ohio, then we're probably going to go to a convention. It's going to be the most exciting time." Here's a take from the Globe's Matt Viser and a recap from Steve Peoples of the AP. The T overtime bonanza v. fare increase On Monday, the MBTA's fiscal control board will vote to raise fares -- it's practically a foregone conclusion. It's also likely they will take the middle road to approve a 6.7 percent average fare increase, a move that would raise about $33 million. That's only $1 million more than the T spent on overtime for workers who did not work over 40 hours per week in fiscal year 2015 as part of an OT splurge it is trying to rein in. Shira Schoenberg of MassLive reports in an analysis of overtime: "An MBTA audit found that in fiscal year 2015, the MBTA paid $32 million in overtime pay to employees who worked under 40 straight-time hours during the week they received overtime pay." Workers can call in sick, work under 40 hours and still collect OT, as the Herald reported earlier this year. Mayor Marty Walsh said he was OK with a fare increase, noting the T needs the money. "Fare hikes are never positive. They're never popular, but the MBTA needs money. And that's the bottom line," said in a story by the State House News Service's Andy Metzger. http://bit.ly/21LD3zD Trump landslide: Blame Brady? He says a lot of rude things. But why does he keep dragging Tom Brady into the campaign? Donald Trump attributed his success in Massachusetts on Super Tuesday to No. 12 in an interview with the New York Times. "Tom Brady is a great friend of mine. He's a winner and he likes winners. He was very helpful to us in Massachusetts on Tuesday," Trump said. Brady, of course, did not campaign for Trump but has made it clear Trump's a friend. And we've yet to read a plausible explanation on how Trump received almost 50 percent of the Republican vote in Massachusetts. http://bit.ly/1QQ2Y14 OCPF goes meme-crazy  The typically standoffish Office of Campaign and Political Finance has developed a penchant for creating Internet memes, Steve Annear of the Globe reports. In recent weeks, the OCPF has unleashed a stream of memes using instantly recognizable images from popular culture -- think Robin Williams standing atop a classroom desk in "The Dead Poets Society" -- to help liven up its power-dry rules and regulations and drive interest in events it holds to explain them. http://bit.ly/1QXoOWz  Prosecutors: Locked phones hamper cases  Prosecutors in Massachusetts are closely following the Justice Department's legal efforts to force Apple to unlock the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone, saying they could gain valuable information in a range of cases if given a key to break the device's strong encryption, the Herald's Antonio Planas reports. A spokesman of the Essex County DA says investigators believe one locked iPhone may contain video showing part of a murder. http://bit.ly/1QXkEhv  From plaza to playground?  The vast open area outside Boston City Hall could be transformed into a multiple-use interactive space with music venues, a beer garden, an ice rink and "urban beach" -- depending on the season -- and a massive London-style ferris wheel that would afford views across the city, Catherine Carlock of the Boston Business Journal. The city has chosen a subsidiary of Delaware North Corp., owner of TD Garden, to redevelop the site. http://bit.ly/1Qof0l7  Riding instructors could get extra scrutiny The Senate is poised to debate a bill that would require horseback riding instructors and others who work at stables to undergo criminal background checks, Susan Spencer of the Telegram reports. Sen. Michael Moore said the current law has a "massive loophole" considering that riding instructors are often left alone and out of sight with young children. The bill would also lift a current requirement that riding instructors be licensed by the state. http://bit.ly/1UEgaMg New PR firm for Suffolk If you thought the political maneuvering was over at Suffolk University, perhaps you thought wrong. Joe Battenfeld of the Herald reports that the Suffolk Board of Trustees has hired its own PR firm, Rasky Baerlein. The move "was done without approval or input from McKenna and means the cash-strapped Suffolk may end up paying two different PR firms -- one for trustees and one for [Suffolk University President Margaret] McKenna." http://bit.ly/1TdZhbW MGM study: Southwest Connecticut better for casino A study commissioned by MGM, which is developing the downtown Springfield resort casino, says the state of Connecticut would be better off developing a third casino closer to New York City than in Hartford, Conor Berry of MassLive reports. The tribes that operate the two existing gaming destinations in the Nutmeg State plan to partner on a third and have eyed an area just miles from where MGM is setting up shop. http://bit.ly/1RMDk0r  State pulls plug on phony Health Connector site  After months of legal work, the Baker administration has shut down a privately operated Web site that masqueraded as the state's Health Connector portal, Colman Herman of CommonWealth Magazine reports. The site referred people seeking health insurance to private brokers and the state hired Mintz Levin attorneys last summer to get it shuttered, which they recently accomplished by targeting the site's Web hosts. http://bit.ly/1RMDkxp  Bill pushes for making 21 legal smoking age Pharmacies would be banned from selling cigarettes and the smoking age would rise to 21 statewide under a bill recommended by the Joint Committee on Public Health. The bill would apply to e-cigarettes and other "vaporization or aerosolization" tobacco products, according to a story by Katie Lannan of State House News Service. "With this legislation, the commonwealth has a real opportunity to intervene during the early formative years to prevent young people from using tobacco products and becoming addicted to nicotine," said Rep. Kate Hogan of Stow, the House chair of the Public Health Committee. http://bit.ly/21blLJU (paywall) Guv's economic plan: Confidence abounds It seems Gov. Charlie Baker is pretty confident that his $920 million economic development package will get the nod from legislators later this year, even though lawmakers have yet to review the plan. During an investor's call last week about Treasury bond matters, Baker said the plan has been "very favorably received by the Legislature" and will likely be passed by the end of the current session, SHNS's Michael Norton reports. Baker administration officials later said they expect changes and amendments to the plan, but haven't heard major complaints from lawmakers who have been briefed on the details. http://bit.ly/1p4b2p3 (paywall) House of Cards: a review of the plot Season 4 of House of Cards has arrived on Netflix, and for those who don't remember the twists and turns of the last season, here's a review courtesy of the Tampa Bay Times via BostonGlobe.com. http://bit.ly/1TdMV3r Phone trouble: When a reporter draws a laugh I was a punchline at a St. Patrick's Day roast Wednesday. There wasn't a joke, exactly, but I did get some of the biggest laughs of the night -- and read into that however you might like. Gov. Charlie Baker was at the Knights of Columbus in Charlestown telling the crowd how visiting the roast during his 2014 campaign had heartened him at time when he was down in the polls, and I was sitting on the floor in front of the dais halfway into my phone and halfway listening -- typical journalist. "When people treat a stranger, an outsider, somebody they don't know with the kind of warmth that you all showed me as a candidate," Baker said right around the time when I pressed the screen on my phone causing a video I'd shot earlier in the evening to start playing. "Turn off your phone, Andy," Baker demanded as I frantically sought to do just that. "I'm right in the middle of something kind of poignant don't you think? You spoiled my moment." Needless to say, several of the attendees reminded me and my colleagues of the incident when they saw us Thursday and I doubt it will soon fade from their memories. - Andy Metzger, State House News Service Sunday public affairs TV On the Record, WCVB-TV 11:00 am: Guest: John Walsh, the former Chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party. This Week in Business, NECN, 12:30 pm. Guests: I-H-S Global Insight Chief Economist Nariman Behravesh on the latest jobless figures, gas prices & the outlook for the economy; plus, Abiomed CEO Mike Minogue on the Danvers based medical device company which makes the smallest heart pump in the world. CEO Corner, NECN, 8:30 pm. Guest: Steve Hafner, KAYAK CEO and Co-Founder on the on-line travel business. REMEMBER: To send your tips to me at gdonnelly@massterlist.com. Op-eds and other commentary are invited for publication on MASSterList. Subscribe now for free!

TODAY'S TOP STORIES

National headlines  Insults fly during GOP debate - The Boston Globe Security logs of Clinton's e-mail server are said to show no evidence of hacking - The Boston Globe Obama says first family staying in D.C. after he leaves the White House - The Boston Globe State headlines  R.I. House approves Tiverton casino plan, Senate vote expected today Brockton Senator Mike Brady files municipal lobbying bill - News - The Enterprise, Brockton, MA - Brockton, MA Bogus Health Connector website shut down - CommonWealth Magazine Child protection: State Senate to debate criminal checks for horseback riding instructors - News - telegram.com - Worcester, MA Agitated Baker won't discuss Romney speech on Trump To curb tobacco use, committee bill raises smoking age to 21 - The Boston Globe Donald Trump credits Tom Brady for success in Mass. - The Boston Globe DAs: Locked phones hamper local cases MGM-backed study finds southwestern Connecticut to be better location for 3rd casino than Hartford area near MGM Springfield How devout is Massachusetts? - The Boston Globe Mass. campaign finance regulators' office gets hip to memes - The Boston Globe Local headlines  Ex-Brockton mayor Yunits starts $155,000 county job on Cape New Plans For Boston's City Hall Plaza Include Ferris Wheel, Urban Beach And Winter Ice Park Urban Renewal Goes on Trial at City Council Falmouth turbine zoning decision looms large Madden won't seek fifth term in House Outgoing Mashpee schools chief receives $425K payout Quincy's OT, detail pay to city workers up 20 percent Dudley zoning board continues Muslim cemetery hearing to next month Massachusetts Auditor Suzanne Bump: Theft of more than $45K in client funds from West Springfield mental health center due to 'inadequate' oversight and protections