| | | | | |  | | By Stephanie Murray | Presented by PhRMA | GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. FEELING '22 — Harvard professor Danielle Allen is mulling a run for governor in 2022. Allen launched an exploratory committee to run for governor as a Democrat on Monday, and she plans to embark on a listening tour around the state for the next several months. Allen, of Cambridge, is a political theorist, author and policy expert, and serves as director of Harvard's Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics. "I'm a true believer that democracies are stronger when elections are competitive, and I think Massachusetts is ready for a new voice in the race. And I am ready to be that voice," Allen told me. Allen, who would be the first Black woman governor in the United States, lays out a few of her early priorities on her website: securing justice, health, supporting democracy and a fair economy. It's still early, and it is not clear whether GOP Gov. Charlie Baker will seek a third term. If he does, a member of his own party is already weighing a primary challenge against him. One question is whether Allen's early move will inspire other Democrats who are eyeing the governor's office to ramp up their campaigns. Attorney General Maura Healey is often mentioned as a potential candidate, Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone has grabbed some recent attention and former state Sen. Ben Downing has been a vocal critic of the governor. KEEP YOUR EYE ON THIS — A handful of cities and towns around Boston are joining together to increase restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh announced his city will move to a modified version of the state's second reopening phase on Wednesday, closing indoor gyms and fitness centers but allowing indoor dining to stay open with restrictions. That's a step further than Gov. Charlie Baker's decision to move the state back to the first step of phase three on Sunday. Communities following Boston include Somerville, Arlington, Brockton and Newton. The Winthrop Board of Health is holding an emergency meeting tonight where it could vote to roll back reopening, which town manager Austin Faison told POLITICO he would support. And Lynn Mayor Tom McGee is moving his city back to phase two on Friday. Plenty of municipal leaders have called for the governor to shut down parts of the state's economy, but Baker has been cautious about more widespread closures, especially without a federal relief package on the way. And without a concerted effort, local officials say isolated roll backs could cause more harm than good. It will be interesting to see whether communities in other parts of the state will band together to implement similar closures. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com. TODAY — Rep. Jim McGovern joins a press conference with the AFL-CIO calling for the passage of the Uyghur Forced Labor Act. Executive Office for Administration and Finance Secretary Michael Heffernan, and Ways and Means Committee chairs state Sen. Michael Rodrigues and state Rep. Aaron Michlewitz host a virtual consensus revenue hearing for fiscal 2022. Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu hosts a virtual fundraiser for her mayoral campaign. | | | | A message from PhRMA: Governor Charlie Baker has a proposal that may affect which medicines patients can access. Learn more. | | | | | | | BIG SCOOPS IN TRANSITION PLAYBOOK: In the runup to Inauguration Day, president-elect Joe Biden's staffing decisions are sending clear-cut signals about his priorities. What do these signals foretell? Transition Playbook is the definitive guide to one of the most consequential transfers of power in American history. Written for political insiders, this scoop-filled newsletter is breaking big news and analyzing the appointments, people and emerging power centers of the new administration. Track the transition and the first 100 days of the incoming administration. Subscribe today. | | | | | |  | THE LATEST NUMBERS | | – "Another 3,572 test positive, 37 die from COVID in Massachusetts as nation surpasses 300,000 deaths Monday," by Benjamin Kail, MassLive.com: "Massachusetts public health officials on Monday reported another 3,572 people tested positive for COVID-19 just as the first vaccines arrived in health care facilities across the state and as the U.S. surpassed 300,000 deaths since the pandemic began. The active statewide case total now stands at 72,883." | | DATELINE BEACON HILL | | – "Massachusetts 11 electors vote in Joe Biden, Kamala Harris," by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: "Eleven Massachusetts electors cast their votes as expected on Monday to affirm Joe Biden as the nation's next president, a formality that took on added importance this year as President Trump continues to contest the outcome of the election." – "State ramps up COVID-19 testing," by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: "The state's coronavirus case count has skyrocketed, reaching levels not seen in the first wave of the outbreak last spring. While the growing number indicates a second surge of the virus, it also reflects the fact the state is testing more people than ever. Amid a surge in demand before and after Thanksgiving, Massachusetts gave more than 100,000 daily tests for the first time." – "Senate bill would to aid crime victims and witnesses with visas," by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: "The state Senate on Monday advanced a bill that would require state agencies and local law enforcement offices to assist immigrants who testify in criminal cases or are victims of human trafficking and domestic violence with documentation they need to pursue visa applications." – "Lawmakers spend big bucks," by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: "House Speaker Robert DeLeo didn't face opposition for reelection this fall, but he still vastly outspent every other lawmaker in the 160-member chamber. The Winthrop Democrat spent $258,847 from Jan. 1 to Nov. 30 — more than double what he raised during that time — according to disclosures filed with the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance." | | FROM THE HUB | | – "First Coronavirus Vaccines Arrive In Mass.," by Elisabeth Harrison, Martha Bebinger, Angus Chen and Carey Goldberg, WBUR: "Nine months after it became one of the first states to be hardest hit by COVID-19, Massachusetts has begun to receive doses of a newly authorized coronavirus vaccine from Pfizer that it is widely hoped will help end the pandemic." – "Boston Closes Museums, Gyms As Coronavirus Cases Rise Again," by Amy Gorel, WBUR: "The city of Boston will take a step back in its reopening plans starting Wednesday, as coronavirus cases continue to rise. Mayor Marty Walsh announced Monday that Boston will move to a 'modified' phase two, step two of its economic reopening plan — and that mayors in cities surrounding Boston soon will order similar restrictions in response to increasing strain on the health care system ." – "Boston Public Schools officials report rise in students missing classes as course failures increase," by Ainslie Cromar, Boston.com: "The coronavirus pandemic forced Boston Public Schools students out of the classroom and onto a computer screen, but nearly a quarter of them did not log into classes on any given day this fall and there was an increase in course failures across all four core subjects, according to school data presented during a Saturday meeting ." – "Two clusters fuel COVID-19 outbreak in Medford, with more than 700 positive tests since Thanksgiving," by Shelley Murphy, Boston Globe: "A patron who was at Raso's that day soon tested positive for coronavirus, and local health officials have linked the popular neighborhood spot to at least 30 cases involving people who had been there around the holiday. The outbreak along with a second cluster traced to a large Thanksgiving gathering at a private home have contributed to Medford's largest surge in infections since the spring: more than 700 new cases since Thanksgiving." – "'They Want To Push Us Out': Mattapan Renters Fear Eviction As New Rail Stops Drive Rent Increases," by Jenifer B. McKim and Stefania Lugli, GBH News: "Annie Gordon lives in a two-bedroom apartment several hundred feet from the Fairmount Line commuter rail that used to pass by her Mattapan neighborhood without stopping. The 69-year-old retiree says she was at first thrilled when the city announced plans to create a train stop nearby, streamlining the once onerous commute to downtown Boston." – "Say 'Ahh': New App Uses Voices As Biomarker To Screen For Illness," by Bob Oakes and Khari Thompson, WBUR: "Picture this: You wake up one morning with a cough and a sore throat. You think you might be getting sick, but you don't know if you should see a doctor. Worse yet, you don't know if you really should see the doc because you're worried about COVID-19." | | CABINET WATCH | | – "California labor secretary in serious contention for Biden Cabinet," by Katy Murphy and Eleanor Mueller, POLITICO: "California's labor secretary began her legal career fighting for Thai garment workers held captive in a Los Angeles sweatshop. Decades later, she's in serious contention to join the Biden administration as secretary of the U.S. Labor Department, according to sources familiar with transition discussions." | | PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES | | – "MBTA Control Board Votes To Scale Back Bus, Train And Ferry Service," by Zeninjor Enwemeka, WBUR: "The MBTA will scale back service on buses, trains and ferries in the new year. The T's Fiscal Management and Control Board voted 3-2 Monday to approve a series of service cuts that will lead to less frequent trains and buses as well as the elimination of most ferry service." | | DAY IN COURT | | – "Jasiel Correia's former chief of staff pleads guilty to 6 counts of extortion, bribery, lying," by Jo C. Goode, Herald News: "Gen Andrade pleaded guilty on Monday for her part in the government corruption case against former Mayor Jasiel Correia II that includes six counts of extortion, bribery and lying to federal investigators. As part of the plea deal, federal prosecutors agreed not to recommend any prison time." | | WARREN REPORT | | – "Read Elizabeth Warren's Scathing Report on 'Corrupt' Prison Audits," by Madison Pauley, Mother Jones: "The organization responsible for accrediting US prisons, jails, and detention centers runs a 'corrupt' process that puts a 'rubber stamp' on dangerous facilities while taking in millions from the private prison industry, according to a scathing report from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), shared exclusively with Mother Jones." | | | |   | | | | | FROM THE DELEGATION | | – "Abigail Spanberger and Ayanna Pressley on the Democratic Rift," The New Yorker: "In November, when the Democratic Party lost seats in the House and a hoped-for victory in the Senate fizzled, centrist Democrats were quick to blame left-leaning progressives. Rhetoric about democratic socialism and defunding the police, they said, had scared away moderate voters, who rejected Donald Trump but voted for Republicans down ballot." – "Reps. Jim McGovern, Ayanna Pressley, Sen. Ed Markey press USDA over reports of food box shortages," by Benjamin Kail, MassLive.com: "Unexpected shortages of food boxes and reduced service from a new U.S. Department of Agriculture contractor have left several Massachusetts food banks and schools scrambling to buy agricultural goods to adequately serve families, according to lawmakers." – "US Rep. Richard Neal touts compromise on 'surprise' medical billing," by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican: "Surprise medical bills — ones sent to people who receive care outside their insurer's network, often without knowing it until later — could be headed to arbitration under bipartisan compromise legislation hashed out last week by U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal and others." – "Katherine Clark's fast rise in the House," by Michael Jonas, CommonWealth Magazine: "In January, Clark will become the fourth highest ranking member of the US House of Representatives when she assumes the post of assistant speaker, a position she won last month in a vote among her Democratic colleagues. That she prevailed over Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, who entered the House three years before Clark, is just another mark of the savvy shown by the Fifth Congressional District congresswoman." | | KENNEDY COMPOUND | | – "Patrick Kennedy pitches himself for Biden 'drug czar,'" by Lev Facher, STAT News: "Patrick Kennedy, the former congressman and mental health care advocate, has launched a public push to serve as the incoming Biden administration's 'drug czar.' He's the highest-profile candidate to join the early jockeying for the post." | | ABOVE THE FOLD | | — Herald: "BARR BOUNCES," "STALLED," — Globe: "Electoral College affirms Biden win," "Roll out, roll back," "2 clusters fuel spike of cases in Medford." | | FROM THE 413 | | – "LaChapelle nods to women with Electoral College vote," by Chris Goudreau, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "When Easthampton Mayor Nicole LaChapelle was casting her ballot for President-elect Joe Biden Monday afternoon along with 10 other Massachusetts electors, she was wearing a piece of jewelry that belonged to three generations of women in her family as a reminder to herself how far women in this country have come in the past century since gaining the right to vote." – "Embattled Williamstown Police chief resigns amid concerns over behavior," by Scott Stafford, The Berkshire Eagle: "Police Chief Kyle Johnson has resigned his post, according to an announcement made at Monday night's remote Select Board meeting. Johnson's last day was Monday. Lt. Michael Ziemba will serve as interim chief until a search concludes." – "Springfield schools seek input on possible return to in-person learning," by Peter Goonan, Springfield Republican: "The School Committee will welcome public input — in six languages — during a remote meeting Tuesday regarding options for bringing students back into the classroom amid the coronavirus pandemic." | | THE LOCAL ANGLE | | – "Massachusetts World War II veteran Margaret Klessens in Bedford becomes first VA patient nationwide to receive COVID vaccine," by Michael Bonner, MassLive.com: "A 96-year-old World War II veteran in Bedford became the first patient at a VA hospital in the country to receive a dose of the coronavirus vaccine on Monday. Margaret Klessens received the first dose of the vaccine at 12:07 p.m on Monday." – "Health providers to 'play offense': UMass Memorial to begin vaccinating its caregivers Thursday," by Cyrus Moulton, Telegram & Gazette: "UMass Memorial Medical Center is expecting to get the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday and will start vaccinating caregivers Thursday morning. 'As our CEO said, 'for the first time during this whole pandemic we have the chance to play offense,' UMass Memorial spokesman Tony Berry said." – "Abington schools to go fully remote until January due to 10 new COVID cases," by Cody Shepard, The Enterprise: "The entire Abington Public Schools district will switch to remote learning as of Tuesday due to many new COVID-19 cases among school community members. Superintendent Peter Schafer said Monday afternoon that 10 coronavirus cases among school community members were identified within the last 72 hours." TRANSITIONS – Dana Hanson is joining the office of Congressman-elect Jake Auchincloss as district director in January. HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to Lynn Mayor Tom McGee, Hannah Sinrich, acting chief of staff and director of political affairs for the Consulate General of Israel to New England; Jule Pattison-Gordon and Christopher D. Matthews. NEW EPISODE: VAX TO THE FUTURE – On this week's Horse Race podcast, hosts Steve Koczela, Jennifer Smith and Stephanie Murray discuss early plans for vaccine distribution in Massachusetts, and speak with Boston Museum of Science President Tim Ritchie about new polling on the coronavirus vaccine. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud . 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. | | | | A message from PhRMA: Government price setting means politicians can arbitrarily decide that some patients and diseases are worth more than others. Through his proposal, Charlie Baker could put government in the way of personal health decisions that should be made by patients and their doctors. Tell Governor Baker: Stop endangering access to innovative treatments and vaccines. Find out more here. | | | | | | | JOIN THURSDAY - CLOSING THE HEALTH CARE GAP: Another Covid-19 outbreak is taking a significant toll on the health of the Latino community. As President-elect Joe Biden prepares to assume office, how will his administration address the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on communities of color, particularly Latinos? Join POLITICO for a virtual conversation on the policy, economic and cultural barriers Latinos confront in accessing quality health care and how the pandemic can create an opportunity to identify solutions. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | 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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