News: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: PRESIDENT BIDEN’s Covid plans — New LAWMAKERS to WATCH

Thursday, January 21, 2021

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: PRESIDENT BIDEN’s Covid plans — New LAWMAKERS to WATCH — What an ACTING MAYOR can do

Jan 21, 2021

GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.

BIDEN'S BOOSTER SHOT — The Covid-19 vaccine rollout in Massachusetts has been pretty slow compared to other states. Can President Joe Biden speed it up?

The new president made a big promise: 100 million vaccinations in the first 100 days of his term. But before he took office, Biden expressed concern that his Covid team won't meet that goal, my POLITICO colleagues report. That's partially due to the chaotic nature of President Donald Trump's vaccine rollout, which Biden inherited when he took office yesterday.

Biden has an ambitious plan to speed up vaccinations, which hinges on Congress passing a large Covid-19 spending package. Biden is proposing new vaccination sites to make the shot more accessible for communities of color, and a billion-dollar ad campaign.

In the Bay State, Gov. Charlie Baker has described the rollout as "bumpy." The pace here can also be described as slower than more than half the country. The vaccine distribution plan is in phase one, which includes health care workers providing Covid-19 care, long term care facilities, first responders and congregate care settings.

Massachusetts ranks 29th for vaccine distribution in the United States, when sorted by percentage of the population that has received a first dose, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Just over 4 percent of the state's population has received a first dose, and .6% of the population has completed the vaccination process. Just in New England, Massachusetts has vaccinated a lower percentage of residents than its neighbors. A word of caution: Officials here have warned there can be significant lags in the vaccine data.

Ranked by number of people vaccinated , Massachusetts is behind 14 states, and has vaccinated 288,200 people, according to the CDC. Massachusetts ranks behind states including Texas, California and Florida. The state also releases a weekly report with vaccination data separate from the CDC, which comes out on Thursdays.

There's also been some concern about whether Beacon Hill has a handle on the vaccine plan. Shortly after he was elected to the speakership, House Speaker Ron Mariano told WCVB in a widely shared video clip that he had "no idea" how the vaccine rollout was going because his term had just begun, but would look into it if necessary.

The pace of vaccination could pick up soon. The Department of Public Health just expanded the list of health care providers who can administer the vaccine, the State House News Service reports. And mass vaccination sites are ramping up at Gillette Stadium and Fenway Park. The vaccine will also be available at CVS and Walgreens stores, Baker announced this week.

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

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THE LATEST NUMBERS

– "Massachusetts reports 3,987 new COVID cases, 78 deaths on Wednesday as average age of those hospitalized drops to 71," by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: "State health officials confirmed another 3,987 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the number of active statewide cases to 90,154. Wednesday's case total is based on 82,567 new molecular tests, according to the Department of Public Health."

DATELINE BEACON HILL

– "Five new lawmakers to watch on Beacon Hill," by Matt Stout and Victoria McGrane, Boston Globe: "Massachusetts's new class of state lawmakers arrived at a moment like none other on Beacon Hill: amid a pandemic, on the heels of a historic leadership change in the House, and with work still bleeding over from the last legislative session. But they've already splashed into the Massachusetts political scene, scoring surprising — and in some cases, historic — victories to earn their spots in the State House."

– "Baker goes silent on foreign-trained docs," by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: "In early April, amid the first COVID-19 surge and an emerging shortage of health care workers, Gov. Charlie Baker signed an executive order allowing foreign-trained medical doctors to gain full licensure here in Massachusetts. This came after a slew of legislators and immigration advocates appealed to his administration to utilize that workforce."

– "Voters hold Beacon Hill in high esteem," by Steve Koczela, CommonWealth Magazine: "Politics is not all toxic. Here in Massachusetts, voters hold political leaders in very high regard. The state Legislature has climbed to 65 percent approval in a poll we released last week, the highest we have seen in our polling going back over a decade. Gov. Charlie Baker sports a 73 percent approval rating and has been in the 70s and 80s for most of his term. Taken together, we have what may be the most popular governor and the most popular legislature in the country."

WHAT CITY HALL IS READING

– "Mayor-to-be Janey's focus: 'Seamless transition,'" by Bill Forry, Dorchester News: "While there are plenty of unanswered questions about what the next 10 months hold for Boston City Hall, there is one certainty: City Council President Kim Janey will be the next mayor of Boston for at least a few months— and possibly longer. Janey will take control of the Mayor's Office the minute that Mayor Walsh submits his letter of resignation to City Clerk Maureen Feeney, the former city councillor from Dorchester who is next in line of succession."

– "What would Kim Janey's powers as 'acting mayor' of Boston be?" by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "City Council President Kim Janey wouldn't have the powers of a full mayor if Mayor Martin Walsh leaves and she steps up in an acting capacity — but the interim position is still a powerful and influential job, and city attorneys are looking at the 1993 acting mayorship of Thomas Menino as a guide."

FROM THE HUB

– "Massachusetts Confirms Second Case Of UK Virus Variant," The Associated Press: "A second case of the more infectious coronavirus variant first found in the United Kingdom has been confirmed in Massachusetts, state health officials said Wednesday. The second case was confirmed Tuesday by a state laboratory and is a man in his 20s from Worcester County, a spokesperson for the state Department of Public Health said in an email."

– "Biden's great immigration undoing, by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: "Hundreds of thousands of Massachusetts immigrants could be impacted by President Biden's immigration overhaul, which includes a massive bill sent to Congress on Wednesday that was accompanied by a series of executive orders."

– "Protesters In Boston On Inauguration Day Promise 'No Honeymoon' For Biden Administration," by Max Larkin and Shannon Dooling, WBUR: "Boston Common hosted a number of protests and counter-protests during the four years of the Trump administration. And on Wednesday evening, dozens of people gathered once more at the Parkman Bandstand to mark Trump's exit, in anger and relief, and to ask the new administration for urgent change."

– "As Feds Change Rules For Reporting Jail Deaths, Sheriffs Face Less Accountability," by Beth Healy, WBUR: "Tracking deaths in Massachusetts jails and prisons has long been difficult, with details of fatalities kept secret from the public, and often from family members, too. Last year, the federal government changed the way it counts deaths in custody — a move that's received little notice in a chaotic period marked by a global pandemic and political unrest."

– "BPS students question in-school instruction push," by Morgan C. Mullings, Bay State Banner: "The Boston Teachers Union have come to yet another agreement with the Boston School Committee on how to reopen schools in 2021, and Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius and Boston Teachers Union President Jessica Tang have both expressed that they want students back in school as soon as it is safe."

– "State Street to cut 1,200 jobs as no-layoff pledge expires," by Greg Ryan, Boston Business Journal: "State Street Corp. plans to eliminate approximately 1,200 jobs this year, mostly in middle management, another cost-cutting move after it reduced its global real estate footprint by about 1 million square feet, an executive said Tuesday."

– "Cardinal O'Malley urges President Biden to help 'forgotten and vulnerable,'" by Travis Andersen, Boston Globe: "The leader of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston on Wednesday said he hoped newly inaugurated President Biden and Vice President Harris will enact policies that help the 'forgotten and vulnerable' as the nation looks to a new administration in the White House. Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley made his thoughts known in a written statement."

– "Domestic violence homicides decline during pandemic," by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: "There was a significant drop in domestic violence–related homicides in Massachusetts in 2020, according to a new state report, but some worry that there may be a dark underside to what would normally be regarded as unalloyed good news."

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

– "Baker appointee 'mourns' transportation vetoes," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "Monica Tibbits-Nutt, who serves on the boards of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the MBTA's Fiscal and Management Control Board, said in a long series of tweets that the $16.5 billion bond bill that became law last week contained much to like. But she said the governor's vetoes of a congestion pricing commission, higher fees on Uber and Lyft rides, means-tested fares, and a grant program for transportation management associations were disappointing."

DAY IN COURT

– "Latanowich to be tried on Cape, change of venue denied," by Ethan Genter, Cape Cod Times: "The trial for the man accused of killing Yarmouth police Sgt. Sean Gannon will be held in Barnstable Superior Court, a judge ruled last week. Thomas Latanowich is facing a murder charge for allegedly shooting Gannon and his K-9 partner, Nero, while the officer was serving an arrest warrant for Latanowich in Marstons Mills in 2018."

AS SEEN ON TV

– Rep. Jake Auchincloss said he's supporting a waiver that would allow Lloyd Austin to serve as the next Secretary of Defense, during an interview on MSNBC this morning: "I'm going to vote in favor of the waiver, but I don't think my colleagues are wrong to have serious concerns about granting these waivers. ... But Joe Biden's not Donald Trump. Donald Trump got a waiver because he needed adult supervision in the national command authority. Joe Biden's going to get a waiver because we're facing a series of cascading crises. America has said they need Joe Biden to help steer this ship, and Joe Biden has said he needs Lloyd Austin to help him do that," Auchincloss said.

TRUMPACHUSETTS

– "A man busted for smuggling pot, another for illegal donations to Mitt Romney campaign: 4 people with New England ties given pardons, clemency from Donald Trump," by Jackson Cote and Benjamin Kail, MassLive.com: "On his last day in office, President Donald Trump announced more than 140 pardons and commuted sentences for dozens of current and former felons, several of whom have connections to New England."

DATELINE D.C.

– "Amid presidents and pop stars, poet Amanda Gorman grabs the spotlight at inauguration," by Hanna Krueger and Diti Kohli, Boston Globe: "If Amanda Gorman, 22, has it her way, her knockout poetry performance on the steps of the Capitol on Wednesday won't be the last time she appears at a presidential inauguration. She plans on taking the oath of office herself ."

– "Biden's inauguration met with praise, optimism," by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: "Elected officials from Massachusetts reacted with a mix of praise and optimism as Democrat Joe Biden was sworn in Wednesday as the nation's 46th president during a scaled-down ceremony at the U.S. Capitol."

– Neal: Biden's inauguration underscores America's 'durable' institutions," by Danny Jin, The Berkshire Eagle: "President Joe Biden's inauguration served, for U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, as a reminder of 'how durable American institutions are.' Neal, D-Springfield, looked on Wednesday as Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were sworn in outside the U.S. Capitol, two weeks after a violent mob invaded that building in an attempt to delay certification of November's presidential election results."

– "McGovern gets good view of 'awe-inspiring' inauguration of Biden," by Brad Petrishen, Telegram & Gazette: "Worcester Congressman James P. McGovern and his wife, Lisa, had a close-up view Wednesday as President Joseph R. Biden Jr. was sworn in at a Capitol building that looked far different than it did under siege exactly two weeks prior."

– "'There's No Comparison': Mass. Congressional Delegation Describes An Inauguration Like No Other," by Callum Borchers, WBUR: "Members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation had front row seats to an inauguration unlike any other Wednesday. Kind of. Some of those seats were farther from the president's podium than usual because of the pandemic and security concerns."

– Mass. National Guard Troops Feel 'Tremendous Pride' In Providing Security For Inauguration," by Lisa Mullins and Lynn Jolicoeur, WBUR: "Among the approximately 26,000 National Guard troops who helped secure Washington, D.C. for the inauguration are 500 from Massachusetts. Lt. Col. Tom Clark of Dartmouth is commanding the Massachusetts National Guard contingent."

ABOVE THE FOLD

— Herald: "JOE'S TURN," — Globe: "Democracy has prevailed.'"

FROM THE 413

– "County jails vaccinate some staff, inmates next in line," by Greta Jochem, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "Staff at the Hampshire, Hampden and Franklin county jails have begun to get vaccinated against COVID-19, and jail officials said they plan to offer vaccinations to inmates this week."

THE LOCAL ANGLE

– "Amid COVID-19, city borders complicate some responses," by Alex LaSalvia, Boston Globe: "Without the state creating regional guidance, Newton and its neighboring cities and towns have been left to interpret coronavirus regulations on their own, said Newton City Councilor Alicia Bowman. This has led to inconsistencies between communities with school reopenings, outdoor seating at restaurants, and other concerns amid the pandemic."

– "Medford schools create racial equity task force," by Andrew Stanton, Boston Globe: "Medford Public Schools has created a racial equity task force that is exploring a district-wide equity audit after discussions on race the district held last summer, the school district announced Wednesday. Superintendent Dr. Marice Edouard-Vincent announced the task force during a school committee meeting on Jan. 7, Medford Public Schools said in a statement."

– "All Framingham Public Schools staff expected to return to school buildings on Feb. 1," by Zane Razzaq, MetroWest Daily News: "All Framingham Public Schools staff are expected to report and work from school buildings on Feb. 1, as the district makes steps towards its hybrid model. Those who have an approved ADA accommodation are exempt."

– "In Provincetown, a quiet but joyous Inauguration Day," by Mary Ann Bragg, Wicked Local: "If you were looking for obvious signs of either celebration or dismay during the presidential inauguration around noon Thursday, they were hard to come by — until about 1 p.m. After the ceremony in Washington, D.C., had ended, lunches consumed and home television sets turned off, celebrants began to turn out near Town Hall on Commercial Street."

– "Locals hopeful as Biden touts unity, recovery for nation," by Jenna Manto and Mary Whitfill, The Patriot Ledger: "South Shore residents and the nation tuned in Wednesday to hear the first words of a new president who promised swift action against the spread of COVID-19, relief for the middle class and to unite a country that has fallen deep into social and political division."

– "Attleboro area officials see hope in new president's inauguration," by Tom Reilly, Sun Chronicle: "After an unnerving two weeks — not to mention a tumultuous four years — one local political observer had a simple hope for President Joe Biden's inauguration on Wednesday — that it should be 'incredibly unmemorable.'"

TRANSITIONS – FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Quentin Palfrey, 2018 candidate for lieutenant governor, was sworn in by the Biden Administration on Wednesday as acting general counsel of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to Jeremy Jacobs and Diego Sanchez, a Massachusetts Democratic State Committee member and Barney Frank alum.

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