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FOCUS: Trump's Going to Manipulate the Government to Stay in Power

10 September 19

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We are way behind where we should be at this point in the month. Really because only a precious few of you are donating. The rest are not but can.

Now would be a great time.

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10 September 19

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TRYING TO SAVE RSN WITH TEN DOLLAR BILLS - We literally have people trying to save RSN with ten dollar donations. It is wonderful and very inspiring. Sadly it is not moving the progress bar much yet. A few larger donations really help put some wind in the sails. Each and all matter greatly. / Marc Ash, Founder Reader Supported News

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FOCUS: Trump's Going to Manipulate the Government to Stay in Power

Jeff Hauser, The Daily Beast
Hauser writes: "The president has given us ample signs that he will use the powers of the presidency in ways previously unimaginable. How come Democrats seem so relaxed about it?"
READ MORE

Trump Fires John Bolton in Final Break After Months of Internal Policy Division
Philip Ewing, NPR
Ewing writes: "President Trump has fired national security adviser John Bolton, the lifelong proponent of American hard power, after months of division between the men over the direction of foreign and national security policy."
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Trump says Iraq War vet Dan McCready is soft on military issues.

We’d say Dan McCready is in the fight of a lifetime, but since the progressive Marine is an Iraq War veteran we know that’s not the case.

That said, the NRCC just dumped another $500,000 into the race and the president - yes, Trump who sought five deferments - is saying that Dan is soft on military issues… Dan’s service overseas be damned.

So Dan needs our help. He is working hard to bank votes right now and he can’t do it alone.

Can you split a $10 contribution between Dan McCready’s campaign and VoteVets’ work to elect him in next week’s special election? This is so important.

Winning this race would not only put a progressive Marine veteran in office — one who will stand up to Trump — but it will set the tone for the rest of the 2020 cycle. This is a big one.

So thanks for chipping in.

Jon Soltz
Iraq War Veteran and Chairman
VoteVets

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the war monger cult is back, at it again... shouldn't trust

Humanity First

Red-tape voter suppression: How new, draconian voter registration rules undermine voting rights 

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BROOKINGS.EDU

Red-tape voter suppression: How new, draconian 
voter registration rules undermine voting rights

Red-tape voter suppression: How new, draconian voter registration rules undermine voting rights

Vanessa Williamson and Jackson GodeTuesday, June 11, 2019

In Tennessee, a draconian new law aims to penalize groups engaging in voter registration campaigns. Civil rights advocates have rightly compared the legislation to the racist voter suppression policies of the Jim Crow era and are contesting the law’s constitutionality. Having experienced the effects of similar legislation in the field, we can say with confidence that if the Tennessee law is allowed to stand, it will undermine voter registration efforts and keep eligible voters off the rolls.

In 2018, in Dallas, Texas, and Cleveland, Ohio, our team conducted a randomized controlled trial of a new policy idea: offering voter registration to people when they file their income tax returns at Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites. The experiment was a success: the program doubled voter registration rates among the initially unregistered.

A less encouraging finding was the sheer disparity between our two test states. Each year, millions of Americans register to vote or update their voter registration thanks to the tireless efforts of civil society organizations that run voter registration tables, go door-to-door with voter registration forms, or otherwise remind potential voters to get registered in time to vote. But running a voter registration campaign that would be uncontroversial in other states is extremely difficult in Texas, because Texas has some of the most severe limits on voter registration of any state in the nation. It takes a simple procedure and makes it needlessly bureaucratic and extremely intimidating to both voters and volunteers, while doing absolutely nothing to make voter registration more secure.

When a tax filer came into a Cleveland VITA site, they were met by an intake volunteer and presented with a voter registration form along with their standard IRS paperwork. If an individual wished to register, they would then complete the voter registration form and return it to the intake volunteer, who mailed the registration forms to the county within ten business days. No intimidation, no penalties, no additional burden on VITA intake staff.

Now, here’s how a similar voter registration drive works in Texas:

To collect a voter registration form in Texas, you must be a “Volunteer Deputy Registrar,” or VDR. A VDR must be a U.S. citizen, meaning that legal, longtime residents cannot do voter registration in the state. In immigrant communities, this immensely reduces the pool of people who can assist in a voter registration drive.

Moreover, VDRs must receive special training from the county, and their certification to register voters only applies to residents of the county in which they are trained. Texas has an astonishing 254 counties. A VDR who completed their training in Fort Worth, which resides in Tarrant County, cannot register voters in Dallas, less than 30 minutes away. If a Dallas resident were to be in Fort Worth and come across a voter registration table, the VDR trained in Fort Worth could not accept their voter registration form. If we had been trying to run an experiment in multiple counties, it would have required an immense additional investment in volunteer recruitment and training for every county in which we wished to work—luckily, we happened to work in only one county.

Just taking the VDR class is a hurdle. For our experimental work, we were lucky that Dallas County makes these courses accessible. In other counties, voting rights expert Ari Berman reports, the training to become a VDR “typically occurs once a month, sometimes less.” And one’s status as a VDR expires “on December 31st of every even-numbered year,” meaning VDRs must recertify for every federal election.

Texas voter registration forms require only your name, address, date of birth, and an identification number, either from your Texas ID or the last four digits of your social security number. Check a box that you are a U.S. citizen and will be 18 on or before Election Day, affirm that you are a resident and not precluded from voting because of your criminal history or mental incapacity, sign and date, and you are ready to vote.

Or you would be, but Texas adds additional hoops and hurdles to the registration process. Each time a VDR receives a completed registration form, they must return a signed receipt to the applicant—plus send duplicates to the county. All completed forms must be submitted to the county by hand (not by mail) by 5pm on the fifth day (not the fifth business day) after the date they are received. Each VDR is issued materials including a certificate of appointment, handbook, applications, and a receipt book, all of which must be accounted for and returned no later than the second day after their two-year appointment is terminated. VDRs are also barred from photocopying the information on the voter registration form, even just the names and addresses—adding an extra obstacle for registration campaigns that would want to follow up with newly registered voters to remind them to turn out on Election Day.

An additional challenge is the lack of clarity about these time-consuming and irksome procedures. It took several phone calls, for instance, to get in touch with an official who could answer definitively whether the five-day submission deadline included the day of collection or started the following day. We also had to clarify arcane details like this: while weekend days count towards the five-day deadline, if the fifth day falls on a weekend, a VDR actually has until Monday to submit the voter registration form.

To be clear, these procedures do nothing to assure the security of the registration process. The training explicitly notes that VDRs “may not determine if the applicant is actually qualified to register to vote.” It is red tape, pure and simple. But it is red tape accompanied by bolded warnings like this: “Failure to deliver an application in a timely manner is a criminal offense.” Fearing lawsuits, some national voter registration groups have opted not to work in Texas at all.

What did all this bureaucratic nonsense mean for our experiment? First, the duplicate forms made voter registration too much of a burden to combine with the intake procedure at the tax preparation sites. So instead, we had to bring in additional volunteers to offer voter registration and ensure that they were trained as VDRs.

The hurdles to becoming a VDR make it more difficult to find language-appropriate registrars. This likely reduced the effectiveness of the experiment for Spanish speakers. Nearly half of the Filer Voter participants in Texas signed our Spanish consent form; however, the results of the experiment showed that the program was over three times more effective at registering those who signed in English.

And because the forms had to be delivered by hand to the county, rather than dropped in the mail, we had to develop a carpool system to collect and deliver the forms within the allotted five days. Finally, if we wanted to confirm our findings by repeating the experiment, as all good scientists would, every one of the VDRs who participated in Texas in 2018 would have to be recertified if they wished to collect voter registration forms in 2020.

We knew going into the experiment that Texas was going to be a “hard case” for our registration idea. In fact, a number of voter registration organizations suggested we pilot our program elsewhere. But there is little point testing a policy only in the venues where it is most likely to succeed. So, we invested heavily in our Texas experiment, including hiring local voting procedure experts to guide the project.

In the end, we did successfully register voters in Texas, though at a much lower rate than in Ohio. In Ohio, the Filer Voter program increased registration among the initially unregistered by 9.7 percentage points while in Texas there was only a 3.6 point increase. To be fair, we can’t say how much of the difference is due to the Texas laws; the Dallas population likely also had a higher percentage of non-citizens than Cleveland did. But what is clear is that registering voters in Texas was astronomically more difficult, and no more secure, than in Ohio.

The new law passed in Tennessee does not impose precisely the same requirements on voter registration groups as Texas, but the outlines are similar. For example, organizers in Tennessee who fail to follow the new rules could face extremely stiff penalties: fines of up to $10,000 and close to a year in jail.

It does not actually require new data or direct personal experience to predict the impact of these laws, because voter suppression has a long and terrible history in the United States. There is no reason that the United States should, in the 21st Century, be debating the basic procedures of democracy. But since this debate is occurring, we should be very clear. Based on our experience in Texas, it is obvious that these new rules in Tennessee will intimidate civic organizations and keep eligible voters away from the polls. It is anti-democratic, unjust and of a piece with America’s most shameful political traditions.

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POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: How BAKER sees 2020 — WARREN plays offense — What the WAYLAND MOMS are up to

How BAKER sees 2020 — WARREN plays offense — What the WAYLAND MOMS are up to

Apr 29, 2019 View in browser   BY STEPHANIE MURRAY GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. HOW BAKER SEES 2020 — Does Bill Weld have a shot against President Donald Trump? What about Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan's chances? Gov. Charlie Baker didn't take the bait during an appearance on WCVB's " On the Record" that aired yesterday. "I think it's way too early to prognosticate on that stuff," Baker said. Weld, the two-term Massachusetts GOP governor and former Libertarian Party vp nominee, officially launched his 2020 presidential campaign earlier this month and has been wall-to-wall on cable news ever since. Still, President Donald Trump is sitting on a $30 million fundraising haul just from the first quarter of the year, he's polling well with his base and the economy is humming. Hogan is another Baker ally who is getting serious about jumping in the primary. The 2020 race came up "a little bit" when Baker and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan met for lunch last week, ahead of Hogan's trip to speak at Politics & Eggs, a must-stop for those thinking about a presidential run in New Hampshire. Baker wouldn't say whether he thinks Hogan or Weld has a better shot at Trump, but made it pretty clear either would be a better pick than the current president and leader of the GOP. "They both proved something that's important in today's political environment, which is they could serve as Republican governors in states that are basically blue and be popular and get stuff done," Baker said. "I really do believe, as somebody who basically tries to work out of a similar playbook, that's a playbook most people in this country appreciate and would like to see more of." Hogan snapped a photo with could-be competitor Weld at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington, D.C. over the weekend. If Hogan gets in, he'd be the second Republican to challenge Trump. So should more people get into the 2020 contest? "I'm a big believer that public debate is a good thing but people's decisions whether or not to get into races are personal," Baker said. 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 meets with Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Robert DeLeo. Attorney General Maura Healey speaks at the National Cyber Crime Conference in Norwood.Boston Mayor Marty Walsh attends the Harvard Allston Partnership Fund Awards Ceremony. Rep. Lori Trahan unveils a bill to clean up the Merrimack River at the Lowell Regional Wastewater Utility. The Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure hears testimony. DATELINE BEACON HILL - "House Progressives get some action on budget priorities," by Andy Metzger, CommonWealth Magazine: "THE HOUSE'S 58-member Progressive Caucus scored some modest victories in its three priorities for the fiscal 2020 budget bill this week. The House ramped up funding in the three spending areas prioritized by the liberal caucus to more than $26 million above what Gov. Charlie Baker included in his budget proposal. Those priorities, which the caucus set in March, call for increased funding for civil legal aid, early educators' salaries, and parks and recreation." - "Legislation seeks to make roads safer for 'vulnerable' users in Mass." Associated Press: "Reducing deaths and injuries among pedestrians and bicyclists is the primary goal of a traffic safety bill advancing on Beacon Hill. The legislation approved in the state Senate this past week would require motorists to pass "vulnerable road users" at a safe distance. Vulnerable road users would include pedestrians, cyclists and skateboarders, along with road crews, utility workers and first responders." - "In Washington, Juul Vows to Curb Youth Vaping. Its Lobbying in States Runs Counter to That Pledge." by Sheila Kaplan, New York Times: "Most of Juul's state lobbyists work for well-connected firms run by ex-governors, former state lawmakers and big political donors, public records show. Some are in-house, based in the growing number of offices the company is opening around the country. The company's latest star hire is Martha Coakley, the former attorney general of Massachusetts. (The state's current attorney general, Maura Healey, is investigating whether Juul intentionally targeted its vaping products to minors.) In a series of interviews, Lindsay Andrews, a spokeswoman for Juul, said the lobbyists were primarily focused on raising the minimum age for buying e-cigarette and traditional tobacco products to 21 from 18, or in a few states, 19. More than 400 local governments and 14 states have already done so, eight of the states this year. But in numerous states, the proposals that Juul publicly supports, known as Tobacco 21, or T21, contain measures that public health experts consider poison pills." - "Bill would freeze tuition and fees at public colleges and universities in Massachusetts for 5 years," by Michelle Williams, MassLive.com: "State lawmakers are set to hear a plan that would boost state funding for public colleges and universities while freezing tuition and fees for the next five years. Dubbed the "Cherish Act" by its supporters, the bill scheduled for a hearing Tuesday before the Legislature's Higher Education Committee aims to increase spending by about $500 million a year. Advocates say it would reverse what they view as a pattern of chronic underfunding of state schools." - "Marchers urge driver's licenses for immigrants," by Dusty Christensen, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "Immigrant activists and their supporters, including many from the Pioneer Valley, are marching on the Statehouse to demand that state lawmakers pass a bill that would allow undocumented immigrants to apply for driver's licenses. In a state with limited public transportation options, the marchers say that the inability of qualified non-citizens to obtain driver's licenses puts them at increased risk for deportation. They're pressing for the passage of the Work and Family Mobility Act, which has been stuck in committee since it was introduced at the beginning of the year." FROM THE HUB - "Top federal prosecutor in Mass. is now on the hot seat," by Maria Cramer and Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "When President Trump first nominated Andrew Lelling to be Massachusetts' US attorney in 2017, even liberal-leaning judges and criminal defense lawyers described the prosecutor as judicious and fair. Now, some are using different descriptions: overzealous, grandstanding, and politically motivated. Lelling's indictment this week of a sitting state court judge on charges she allowed an undocumented immigrant to elude federal authorities has thrust the fast-rising prosecutor into the country's heated immigration debate and put him at the center of another dispute about prosecutorial overreach." - "On Boston superintendent pick, mayor's view looms large," by Michael Jonas, CommonWealth Magazine: "THE THREE FINALISTS for the Boston school superintendent position each faced six-and-half hours of public questioning this week. Each candidate spent a long day going before panels made up of community leaders, teachers and principals, students, and the seven-member School Committee, which will make the pick in a vote expected to come next week. It was all part of a process aimed at giving the community wide exposure to the finalists - and at allowing a range of voices to question those hoping to lead the district's 125 schools." - "For some Craft Beer Cellar franchisees, it's a bitter taste after jumping in," by Janelle Nanos, Boston Globe: "For nearly a decade, the Craft Beer Cellar in Belmont has been a beer lover's paradise. Its founders, Suzanne Schalow and Kate Baker, placed a shrewd bet on craft beer just as it hit the mainstream and set about creating the country's first national chain of specialty beer stores. They now boast 30 locations across the country. "Our trinity," Schalow said, is "amazing beer, hospitality, and education." But that early business acumen hasn't translated into success for many of the franchise owners who were persuaded to buy into their brand. A number of franchisees say they raised money from friends and family, gave up a job, or sold a house to cover the costs of opening their own stores — only to now find themselves facing mounting financial pressures that may cause them to fail." - "Walsh: Charging Residents For Parking 'Isn't Fair,'" by Amanda McGowan, WGBH News: "Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu's proposal to introduce a residential parking fee has a high-profile skeptic: Mayor Marty Walsh. Walsh told Boston Public Radio Friday that he doesn't believe Wu's plan — which she hopes will reduce congestion and traffic-related pollution in the city — is "fair." "Charging somebody who lives in the city of Boston, who pays taxes in the city of Boston, who owns a home in the city of Boston or rents in the city of Boston," Walsh said, "charging them for a parking sticker to park on their street, I just don't feel is fair." Walsh's wide-ranging interview with Boston Public Radio also touched on other topics, including the search for a new Boston Public Schools superintendent." - "Charlie Baker encourages Wentworth graduates to find value in failure," by Sophia Eppolito, Boston Globe: "Governor Charlie Baker urged Wentworth Institute of Technology graduates Sunday to never forget the importance of optimism, especially in moments of hardship. As he recounted tough times in his own life, Baker told the 377 graduates, their families, and guests gathered under a large white tent at Wentworth's Quad that "it is okay to fail." Baker said he was "hurt" when he lost his first run for governor against former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick in 2010. But, he said, his perspective of the race shifted once he realized the value of failure." - "In The Wake Of Recent Attacks, Boston's Jewish And Muslim Communities Connect In Solidarity," by Tori Bedford, WGBH News: "On Massachusetts' third annual Open Mosque Day on Sunday, 18 mosques across the commonwealth opened their doors to the larger public as members answered questions and gave their neighbors a chance to get to know their local Muslim community. After prayer and a video presentation, Kashif Syed, who represents the outreach team at the Islamic Society of Boston in Cambridge, opened the floor for questions." - "Supporters say 'next logical move' for Marie Izquierdo is BPS superintendent," by Meghan E. Irons, Boston Globe: "In Miami, where Spanish is ubiquitous, bilingual education is considered untouchable. So it was perhaps unsurprising that when Miami-Dade County Public Schools began redesigning the district's foreign language programming for elementary students, members of the public revolted. The district was phasing out shorter, traditional bilingual classes in favor of more rigorous programming where, for instance, Spanish could be taught in math, science, or social studies classes. But critics called the effort elitist, saying it would create a two-tier bilingual education system that would mostly benefit native Spanish speakers. Opposition to the plan was so fierce, the district postponed it." THE OPINION PAGES - "It's time to limit campaign war chests," by Rachel Adele Dec, CommonWealth Magazine: "AN AVERAGE MASSACHUSETTS House of Representatives candidate spends $20,000 to $30,000 to win election, but House Speaker Robert DeLeo maintains nearly $700,000 in his campaign accounts. A successful Massachusetts Senate election can average closer to $50,000 per candidate, but Sen. Harriette Chandler of Worcester and Sen. Bruce Tarr of Gloucester have over $200,000 and $400,000 in their accounts, respectively. What is going on here?" DAY IN COURT - "Judge blocks rules aimed at clinics," by Christian M. Wade, The Salem News: "A federal judge has blocked new rules that would have withheld funding from health centers that provide or refer patients to abortion services. The ruling Thursday by U.S. District Court Judge Stanley Bastian in Washington granted a preliminary injunction in cases brought by the state and abortion rights groups. The federal rules, which were set to go into effect on May 3, would have prohibited federal dollars for providers that perform or promote abortion as a method of family planning." - "Jurors To Resume Lengthy Deliberations In Opioid Bribes Case," Associated Press: "Jurors will head back to court to continue deliberating in the case against a wealthy drug company founder accused of directing a scheme to bribe doctors to prescribe a powerful opioid. Jurors will begin their 12th day of deliberations on Monday in the case against Insys Therapeutics Founder John Kapoor and four other former executives of the Chandler, Arizona-based company." WARREN REPORT - "Warren puts Bernie on defense," by Holly Otterbein and Alex Thompson, POLITICO: "The battle between Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren for the Democratic left is ratcheting up. Unlike in 2016, when Sanders didn't have to sweat his left flank, Warren has managed to steal the spotlight from him on several issues. At times, she's simply been the first to roll out a detailed policy proposal on an issue she and Sanders agree on. At others, she's gone where Sanders has been unwilling to, like proposing to eliminate the filibuster and Electoral College." - "'The queen of policy': Warren builds campaign around detailed plans, but is that what Iowa caucusgoers want?" by Kim Norvell, Des Moines Register: "Iowans across the state are telling Sen. Elizabeth Warren about their struggles affording health care, paying student loan debt, or finding quality child care at a reasonable price. "I've got a plan for that," she often replies, before launching into why it's a problem, her plan to fix it, and how she will pay for it. The Massachusetts senator has created a policy-rich campaign focused on "rewriting the basic rules in our economy" that she says favors the wealthy and leaves behind working families." TRUMPACHUSETTS - "Neal Says Request For Trump's Tax Returns Is About Policy, Not Politics," by Arjun Singh, WGBH News: "As the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Congressman Richard Neal says he has the jurisdiction to audit anyone's tax returns — including those of President Donald Trump. Neal put in a request for Trump's tax returns between 2013-2018 on Apr. 3, arguing that his committee needed to conduct oversight of the Internal Revenue Service's policy of auditing the taxes of sitting presidents. Democrats have been keen to review Trump's taxes, and on the campaign trail several candidates have accused the president of dishonesty for refusing to release them. Neal, however, says his request is strictly about policy, not politics." MOULTON MATTERS - "Moulton urges Biden to apologize to Anita Hill," by Maya Parthasarathy, POLITICO: "Democratic presidential contender Seth Moulton on Sunday urged fellow candidate Joe Biden to apologize to Anita Hill for his role in Clarence Thomas' confirmation hearings for the Supreme Court. "I think she was treated terribly," the Massachusetts congressman said of Hill. 'Joe Biden is a mentor and a friend of mine; he's a great American. Everybody makes mistakes — I do think that was a mistake, though, and I do think he should apologize.'" - "Seth Moulton, an Iraq War veteran, says Trump 'is not a patriot,'" Associated Press: "Seth Moulton, an Iraq War veteran who is running for president, said President Trump ''is not a patriot.'' Moulton, a Democrat who represents Massachusetts' 6th District north of Boston, said Sunday on CNN's ''State of the Union'' that Trump's doctor lied to get him out of serving in the Vietnam War. Moulton said twice of Trump, ''He's not a patriot.'' Moulton said the president ''used his father's connections to get a doctor to lie about bone spurs, so he could stay home.'' The president has never served in the military. He obtained several deferments to avoid going to Vietnam, including one attained with a physician's letter stating that he suffered from bone spurs in his feet." ABOVE THE FOLD — Herald: "VIGILANT," — Globe: "For Sanders, a charm defensive," "Building trades targeting addiction." FROM THE 413 - "Students file lawsuit to stop UMass Israel, Palestine panel," by Scott Merzbach, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "A group of University of Massachusetts Amherst students is seeking an emergency preliminary injunction in Suffolk Superior Court to stop an event titled "Israel, Free Speech, and the Battle for Palestinian Human Rights" from being held on campus on May 4, contending that it is anti-Semitic. The lawsuit, filed this week by Concord attorney Karen Hurvitz on behalf of three students who are identified only as John Doe 1, 2 and 3, will be heard in Suffolk Superior Court at 2 p.m. Monday." THE LOCAL ANGLE - "In Wayland, suburban dog-walking moms target sex trafficking," by Stephanie Ebbert, Boston Globe: "With a fire crackling in the living room and a handmade birthday poster on the wall, eight suburban moms gathered around the kitchen table of a restored farmhouse, hatching a plan of attack. Their goal was nothing short of audacious: They would put an end to sex trafficking at massage parlors in Massachusetts. Eight days earlier, in the wake of allegations at Florida day spas and revelations about similar businesses closer to home, one of the women, who goes by Pat, had begun looking more skeptically at the spas in her pastoral town." - "State senator to file 'Mini's Bill' in honor of Shana Warner," by Mary Whitfill, Patriot Ledger: "In the eight months since she was found shot, stabbed and run over on the side of Route 3A, Shana "Mini" Warner has inspired an ongoing roadside memorial, a motorcycle run and a group of advocates who have vowed to break the silence that often cloaks domestic violence. Now her memory could be honored with legislation as well. "Mini's Bill," also called "An Act to Prevent Domestic Violence," is expected to be filed at the state house by state Sen. Patrick O'Connor in the coming days. The bill seeks to provide "aggressive protection" for anyone facing domestic violence, his office said." - "Farms are falling, but more 'young producers' in region," by Matthew Tota, Telegram & Gazette: "Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released the results of the 2017 Census of Agriculture, a massive catalogue of data on American farms and farmers. For Massachusetts, the federal survey found that the number of farm operations in the state had fallen to 7,241 in 2017, down from 7,755 in 2012, as the amount of farming acres shrank to 491,653 in 2017, from 523,517 acres in 2012. Amid the gloom, though, Mr. Amato highlighted at least one bright point: The survey found the state has about 1,238 farmers under the age of 35 who farm nearly 73,400 acres." TRANSITIONS - Paul Bologna is leaving his role as digital director to Attorney General Maura Healey. Tweet. SPOTTED: At the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington, D.C. over the weekend ... former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld and the Daily Beast's Betsy Woodruff. Pic. HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to former candidate for lieutenant governor Quentin Palfrey, Karen Dynan and Lauren Janes, former aide to Sen. Ted Kennedy. DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes and no! The Celtics beat the Bucks 112-90. The Rays beat the Red Sox 5-2. 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 View all our politics and policy newsletters FOLLOW US

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