News : POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: WHO gets the VACCINE? — High court is BAKER’S BENCH

Monday, November 30, 2020

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: WHO gets the VACCINE? — High court is BAKER’S BENCH — ROLLINS steers clear of MAYORAL RACE

Nov 30, 2020

Presented by the American Heart Association

GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Happy Monday, and welcome back! I'm having leftover apple pie for breakfast.

ROLLINS NOT TAKING SIDES IN MAYORAL RACE — Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins isn't picking sides in Boston's upcoming mayoral race yet, saying "we have a lot to see" before she gets officially involved.

Rollins was an honorary co-chair of a recent women's fundraiser for Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, but said her participation shouldn't be taken as an endorsement. Rollins made the comments during an interview on WBZ's "Keller @ Large" which aired Sunday.

City Councilors Andrea Campbell and Michelle Wu launched mayoral campaigns in September. Walsh hasn't announced any plans, but his comments during a press conference last week seemed to indicate he will seek a third term. And speaking of fundraising, today is the final day of the month for campaigns to raise money. Boston mayoral candidates file their finance reports on a monthly basis.

"I have not endorsed in this race yet. I'm going to be watching very, very closely to see who enters. This is very early in this process. We've got to see whether the mayor — Has he even officially announced that he wants to be mayor of the city of Boston yet?" Rollins said, in reference to speculation that Walsh could join President-elect Joe Biden's administration. "We've got to see whether he goes to the Biden campaign. We have to see who else gets in this race."

"There are three people I know and respect. Andrea Campbell endorsed me when I was a nobody, and the mayor and I have a good relationship right now, and I've worked with Councilor Wu. We have a lot to see before I get involved officially in this matter," Rollins continued.

Asked whether she'd consider a run for higher office herself, Rollins said she's "sticking exactly where I am" as district attorney for now. And Rollins pointed out that she has been in touch with Biden's transition team on criminal justice issues.

"Right now, I am focused on the people of Suffolk County and making sure we are as safe as possible during this holiday season," Rollins said. "I have been in touch with the Biden-Harris transition team with respect to criminal justice issues … I'm doing a lot of work to make sure they understand, at the local level, the importance of DAs."

Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.

TODAY — Former acting Gov. Jane Swift is a guest on WBUR.

A message from the American Heart Association:

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THE LATEST NUMBERS

– "Mass. reports 2,501 new confirmed coronavirus cases, 46 new deaths," by John Hilliard, Boston Globe: "The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Massachusetts rose by 2,501 Sunday, bringing the state's total to 217,163. The death toll from confirmed cases increased by 46 to 10,487, the Department of Public Health reported. The state reported 43,709 people were estimated to have active cases of COVID-19 as of Sunday, up 1,160 from 42,549 reported Saturday."

– "81 Massachusetts cities and towns at high risk for coronavirus, full effects of Thanksgiving likely not known until Christmas," by Lisa Kashinsky, Boston Herald: "Nearly a quarter of Massachusetts' 351 cities and towns are now at high risk for coronavirus transmission — with the rising number of "red" zone communities coming as health officials say they're 'hunkering down' for a surge in cases and hospitalizations after Thanksgiving."

DATELINE BEACON HILL

– "COVID-19 impact from Thanksgiving travel and gatherings could be 'precursor' for upcoming holidays," by John Hilliard and Gal Tziperman Lotan, Boston Globe: "Fallout from Thanksgiving travel and festivities could intensify challenges Massachusetts will face as it continues to battle the pandemic through the December holidays, when officials will be navigating more uncertain terrain amid soaring numbers of cases. While more indications emerge that people are chafing under pandemic restrictions, those measures are vital to curb the spread and ease pressure on the state's health care system, officials said."

– "Who gets first COVID-19 vaccines? Massachusetts officials finalizing who will be first in line," by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: "With national experts finalizing their recommendations of who gets the first COVID-19 vaccines, physicians and community leaders on the Massachusetts COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Group see frontline health care workers, first responders and older adults in congregate housing and with underlying health conditions as some of the first recipients."

– "'We are going to do big things because of it.' New racial equity fund gives out first $1m to nonprofits," by Shirley Leung, Boston Globe: "Elevated Thought, a Lawrence nonprofit that uses art to drive social justice, will finally be able to hire a youth organizer. Brockton Interfaith Community can now afford to bring on another staffer, while Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services can offset the cost of running a remote learning center for low-income families in Springfield."

– "She hastened her own death — a deliberate decision in accordance with the law, in the face of a terminal illness. Will the option be available in Massachusetts?" by Mark Arsenault, Boston Globe: "The program has a lot of names, such as 'assisted dying' and 'doctor-assisted death.' Opponents refer to it as 'physician-assisted suicide,' a term supporters believe is loaded and pejorative. Whatever it is called, for terminally ill people in Massachusetts and most other states, the option does not exist. That means that across the country, or just down the road over a state line, choices at the end of life depend on where you live."

FROM THE HUB

– "From campus, a lesson in controlling the virus," by Deirdre Fernandes, Boston Globe: "The return of tens of thousands of college students to Massachusetts from all corners of the US and world, once feared as a super-spreading provocation, has instead proved to be one of the few successes of the pandemic, thanks to an extensive testing system that could serve as a model for the rest of society."

– "Child Care Providers Find Ways To Get More Coronavirus Testing On Their Own," by Kathleen McNerney, WBUR: "As more people get COVID-19 across the state, it's inevitable that cases will pop up in preschools and child care, despite health precautions such as wearing masks and rigorous cleaning. That's what happened at Nurtury, which operates six centers and supports 130 family child care providers in Greater Boston."

– "Boston Resiliency Fund Distributes Another $1.75 Million In Grants," The Associated Press: "The Boston Resiliency Fund created in response to the coronavirus pandemic has made another $1.75 million in grants to 17 nonprofits that serve the community, Mayor Marty Walsh said in a statement Friday. Of those organizations, 70% are led by a person of color and 76% are led by a woman."

– "Out-of-pocket COVID-19 test costs piling up," by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: "Over the last two months, Aaron Zannini has faced a COVID crunch – waiting hours in line for four precautionary coronavirus tests at Carewell Urgent Care centers in Cambridge and Somerville that ended up costing him a total of $640. Zannini is part of a growing group of people who aren't symptomatic but want a test because they're traveling for the holidays, returning from college, or just want to reassure grandma and grandpa."

– "A rash of police shootings in Massachusetts this month leaves two dead, two wounded," by Laura Crimaldi, Boston Globe: "Massachusetts police shot four suspects — killing two — in a single 10-day span this month, a rate many times the usual in a state where the FBI recorded only nine police shootings for all of 2019. The confrontations — in Lynn, Winchester, Everett, and Malden — were unrelated except for these details: All four men who were shot had been treated for mental illness, court records and interviews show, ranging from bipolar disorder to depression. At least three had a history of drug abuse as well."

– "Not easy being young during COVID," by Steve Koczela and Libby Gormley, CommonWealth Magazine: "We've known for as long as COVID-19 has been in our collective headspace that the illness is most threatening to older people. But when it comes to financial and mental health, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic fall most heavily on young people."

ALL ABOARD

– "As the virus surges, traffic and MBTA ridership are stalling again," by Adam Vaccaro, Boston Globe: "Is Massachusetts slowing down again? After travel in the state bottomed during the spring coronavirus lockdown, traffic and transit ridership slowly but steadily increased throughout the summer. People still moved a lot less than in 2019, but driving, subway ridership, and bus trips were all mostly on the upswing for several months."

CABINET WATCH

– "Who will fill out Biden's cabinet? Here's what we know so far." The New York Times: "President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. moved quickly last week to name the first two members of his cabinet, picking one of his closest confidants to be the nation's top diplomat and choosing an immigrant to lead the Department of Homeland Security, a first. But as he fills out the rest of his team, the task will become more complicated."

AS SEEN ON TV

– University of Massachusetts President Marty Meehan, a former member of Congress, on whether he ever misses being in Washington, D.C. during an interview on WCVB's "On the Record" which aired Sunday: "Not one moment. Look, I have my hands full doing what I'm doing. I have kept my relationships that I have in Washington. I'm excited, I've known Joe Biden a long time. I'm excited, you know, he's the first president to attend a public university since Lyndon Baines Johnson, so I'm looking for great things. His wife is a community college teacher, so I'm excited that this administration will make a commitment to public higher education, a stronger commitment than what we've had in the past. But no, I don't miss it." Link .

DAY IN COURT

– "With history-making high court, Baker shows an embrace of lived experience, not 'activist judges,'" by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "The Supreme Judicial Court built by Governor Charlie Baker will be unlike any high bench before it, crafted with unprecedented diversity and an impressive breadth of experience. But philosophically, it could hew closely to its architect. Afforded a historic opportunity to name all seven of the court's justices, Baker has prioritized collegiality and life and legal experiences over Ivy League credentials and hardened ideology in his four-plus years of picking nominees."

– "State high court rules for Attleboro mobile home tenants in rent dispute," by David Linton, Sun Chronicle: "A group of tenants at the Oakhill mobile home park on Oakhill Avenue has won a long legal battle over a rent hike that went all the way to the state's highest court. The Supreme Judicial Court on Tuesday ruled Hometown Communities of America Inc., the owners of the park, could not charge additional rent for tenants who purchased their homes after Hometown bought the 1003 Oakhill Ave. park in 2006."

MARKEYCHUSETTS

– "'They Speak To My Soul': A Senator's Signature Sneakers," by Quincy Walters, WBUR: "They've been the subjects of blurbs in publications like Vanity Fair. A tweet of him wearing them went viral. The sneakers mean something to him and to his constituents. Markey's had the shoes since 1981. But it's only this past election where they've garnered attention, particularly after he's made them a symbol for one of the biggest legislative crusades of his political life: The Green New Deal."

MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS

– "Cannabis retailers vow to fight marijuana delivery regulations poised for passage Monday," by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: "Massachusetts cannabis retailers have vowed a fight over controversial new marijuana delivery rules that regulators are expected to pass on Monday, which prioritize minority applicants and would enable courier companies to buy and sell marijuana wholesale without a brick-and-mortar business."

– "Black market may be marijuana legalization's biggest challenge," by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: "State-licensed marijuana stores began opening across Massachusetts two years ago, but it is difficult to say whether legalization has been a success or a failure because the bulk of cannabis sales continue to take place illegally. An estimated 68 percent of Massachusetts marijuana sales this year have taken place outside of the state-regulated market, according to an analysis done for CommonWealth by cannabis market research firm BDSA."

– "Two sons of Boston were arrested for marijuana. Now they plan to open Hyde Park's first legal cannabis shop," by Dan Adams, Boston Globe: "When former Boston firefighter Sean Berte returned to Roslindale after leaving federal prison in 2010, the neighborhood he grew up in somehow didn't feel like home anymore. It had been eight months — a seemingly modest sentence for growing marijuana at his family's second home in Maine. But it was more than enough time to saddle him with plenty of baggage he didn't come in with."

– "This Massachusetts HIV survivor wants to expand medical cannabis discounts for financially disadvantaged people with HIV/AIDS to Western, Central Mass." by Melissa Hanson, MassLive.com: "By World AIDS Day 2021, Frank Shaw hopes to see the expansion of medical cannabis discounts for people with HIV and AIDS, who also face financial hardships, reach the Massachusetts Islands, Central Massachusetts and the Berkshires."

ABOVE THE FOLD

— Herald: "FOLK HERO," "POT WHEELS," — Globe : "For some, equity fund a game changer," "US may face surge upon surge, says Fauci," "Moms, interrupted."

FROM THE 413

– "Chicopee increasing coronavirus restrictions after 3 weeks at 'high risk,'" by Dave Canton, Springfield Republican: "The city will enforce stricter coronavirus restrictions starting Monday, the mayor's office announced. Chicopee had been operating under Step 2 of Phase III of the state's pandemic reopening plan, but will return to Step 1."

THE LOCAL ANGLE

– "Neera Tanden, Biden's reported choice for federal budget chief, has roots in Bedford," by Abigail Feldman, Boston Globe: "President-elect Joe Biden is poised to tap Neera Tanden to serve as his director of the Office of Management and Budget, national media reported on Sunday. If nominated and approved by the Senate, Tanden would one of America's top financial policy makers, responsible for writing a federal budget that meets the goals of the new administration."

– "Retail Behemoth Amazon May Be Coming To The Site of A Defunct Worcester Mall," by Aaron Schachter, GBH News: "A site plan filed with the city of Worcester's Planning Board suggests that an Amazon distribution center may soon be moving into a parcel of land along I-190, and close to I-290, that once housed the Greendale Mall. The newest proposal filed this week calls for the demolition of the more than 300,000-square-foot mall, and the construction of a 121,212-square-foot warehouse and distribution center on the site."

– "State prison in Shirley has highest number of cases of any DOC facility," by Jon Winkler, Nashoba Valley Voice: "The state Department of Correction medium-security prison here this week notched the highest number of COVID-19 cases of any DOC facility across the commonwealth. As of Tuesday, MCI-Shirley's medium-security facility had reported 142 cases of coronavirus in its inmate population."

– "Route 6 exit signs' days are numbered on Cape Cod," by Ethan Genter, Cape Cod Times: "Have you ever been driving down Route 6 and found yourself wondering, 'Hey, how far away is the Rhode Island border?' If so, your lucky day is here. Next month, the state — in order to comply with a federal mandate — will be renumbering the exits on Route 6 to reflect the number of miles to the state line and the beginning of Route 6 in Massachusetts."

– "Relief fund set up for families displaced by Thanksgiving Day fire on Washburn Street in New Bedford," Standard-Times: "The city of New Bedford along with community partners including the Inter-Church Council of Greater New Bedford have established a relief fund for the families displaced by a fire that destroyed three homes on Washburn Street on Thanksgiving Day."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to Ben Josephson and Larry Summers.

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