News: The great school unmasking

Monday, February 28, 2022

The great school unmasking

Feb 28, 2022

MASK ON, MASK OFF — Students and staff can now ditch their masks in many school buildings.

The state closes the chapter on its school mask mandate today, and dozens of districts are making masks optional as they return from vacation week.

But some school leaders cited the break as the reason their students and staff will have to mask up for at least another week or two. Schools will also now have to decide whether to let kids unmask on school buses and vans, after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention dropped that requirement on Friday.

Boston remains the biggest question mark. The state's largest school system is among several districts that have yet to set an end date for their mask mandates.

That could change this week. The Boston Public Health Commission plans to meet Tuesday to discuss the city's mask requirements for schools and businesses. Mayor Michelle Wu said over the weekend that her administration is looking to "set some timelines and parameters" for easing the mask mandates while being "mindful" of how school vacation week could affect transmission.

The city will also be looking at new CDC guidance that says vaccinated and boosted people can forgo face coverings in areas with low to medium Covid-19 risk. Right now, that includes every Massachusetts county.

GOOD MONDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. What happens at CPAC doesn't stay at CPAC.

State Attorney General Maura Healey is fundraising off Geoff Diehl's comment at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Florida that he's "down here at CPAC and not worrying about what's going on in Massachusetts."

"What?" Healey said in a Sunday campaign email. "Geoff Diehl is running to be Governor of Massachusetts, but he's bragging about how he doesn't care what's happening here in our state."

The remark came from Diehl's interview with conservative radio host John Fredericks, in which he talked up his chances in the Republican primary for governor: "We basically are focusing straight on to September at this point," the former GOP state representative said. "That's why I'm down here at CPAC not worrying about what's going on in Massachusetts. I've got a great team of people working there right now to make sure our convention is all set for me with delegates."

Diehl accused Healey of taking his words "out of context." In a statement to Playbook, he also referenced Healey's comment during the 2020 protests over George Floyd's killing that "America is burning, but that's how forests grow" and said "the real question is whether Maura Healey herself is worried about Massachusetts, or is she just trying to push a radical, progressive agenda on our state?"

Healey and Diehl both have primaries to get through. But their recent fundraising emails and social media missives show the Democrat and Republican playing the long game against each other, not their intraparty opponents.

They also weren't the only local pols feuding over the weekend, per this viral exchange between Wu and MassGOP Chair Jim Lyons over masks and Ukraine.

TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito meet with legislative leaders at 2 p.m. at the State House. Polito and administration officials provide an update on efforts to combat human trafficking at 9:30 a.m. at Worcester Public Library. Healey hosts a virtual "convening on Black health and wellness" at 10:30 a.m. and is on GBH's "Boston Public Radio" at 1 p.m. Wu is on WBUR's "Radio Boston" at 3 p.m. Rep. Seth Moulton, Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll and local officials showcase the "Salem Skipper" on-demand transit service at 1 p.m. in Salem. Sen. Ed Markey joins a reelection fundraiser for state Rep. Christine Barber at 7 p.m.

Tips? Scoops? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com. Also, we're aware that some links may be missing from Playbook when we publish. Our engineers are still working on it.

HAPPENING TODAY: A WOMEN RULE INTERVIEW: Join Cecilia Rouse, chair of the Council of Economic Advisors, and Morning Money author Kate Davidson for a conversation exploring President Biden's economic agenda, the administration's plans to tackle financial losses women suffered during the pandemic and what it will take to elevate more women to leadership ranks in the U.S. economy. SUBSCRIBE HERE.

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— "No Russian products in Massachusetts, says new bill," by Flint McColgan, Boston Herald: "'The purchase and/or consumption by any and all consumers and entities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts of any and all product made in Russia is banned henceforth commencing immediately,' is the entirety of the legal text of the bill introduced Friday by state Rep. Patrick Kearney, D-Scituate. … The bill comes as New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu on Saturday signed an executive order instructing the state-run liquor and wine outlets to start removing Russian-made and Russian-branded products from their shelves."

— "Keller @ Large: Gov. Baker Weighs In On Bill That Would Ban Protests Within 100 Yards Of Public Officials' Homes," by Jon Keller, WBZ: "'People ought to have a right to protest, they ought to have a right to have their voice be heard. But I do have a little trouble with this idea, especially when people don't necessarily respect or appreciate the fact that somebody lives on either side of elected officials. We really do put them and their families in a pretty crummy place,' [Gov. Charlie Baker said]."

— "Sweeney Departing After Seven Years at Lottery's Helm," by Colin A. Young, State House News Service (paywall): "Michael Sweeney, who has led the Lottery since 2015, informed Treasurer Deb Goldberg in a letter this week that he intends to resign from his position effective March 8."

— MISSING THE MARK: Two former Holyoke Soldiers' Home leaders say the House "failed miserably" by passing a flawed bill to overhaul oversight of the state-run veterans' facility in Holyoke and another in Chelsea.

In a MassLive op-ed, former Holyoke Soldiers' Home superintendent Paul Barabani and deputy superintendent John Paradis said the bill would "further complicate" an already "muddled" chain of command that contributed to the Holyoke facility's deadly Covid-19 outbreak. Now they're hoping the Senate can provide some "common sense."

VAX-ACHUSETTS

— "As schools remove mask mandates, some students may struggle with transition," by Jenna Russell, Boston Globe: "[W]hile many will leap eagerly into mask-free schools when they return this week from February break, others face a trickier transition, experts said, after two years steeped in warnings about the necessity of masks for health and safety."

— "At long last, employers are rolling out return-to-office plans (again)," by Jon Chesto and Anissa Gardizy, Boston Globe: "This week, a few thousand employees from State Street Corp., Bank of America, and TJX Cos. will be back to the office in hybrid form, commuting a few days a week. Wellington Management, CVS Health, and Putnam Investments will welcome more people back in mid-March, followed by the likes of Point32Health (Tufts/Harvard Pilgrim), Liberty Mutual, and Wayfair later in March or in April."

— "COVID-19 antibody testing not useful for most people," by Marie Szaniszlo, Boston Herald: "A type of COVID-19 test rushed out in the early days of the pandemic, before vaccines became widely available, isn't much use any more for most people, doctors say. … One exception is people whose immune systems are compromised, such as people undergoing chemotherapy, said Dr. Todd Ellerin, head of infectious diseases at South Shore Hospital."

— "Many Mass. hospitals are short-staffed. The culprit may not be a shortage of nurses," by Martha Bebinger, WBUR: " [S]tate numbers show there are more licensed nurses now, in almost every category, than before the pandemic. ... The state's main nurses union says the answer is not because there's an actual shortage of nurses. 'It's a shortage of nurses willing to work under these conditions.'"

FROM THE HUB

— "Boston Public Health Commission board, long quiet, plans Tuesday meeting on coronavirus restrictions," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "The Boston Public Health Commission will meet Tuesday to discuss mask mandates and pandemic-related metrics — not a day too soon, critics say of the board that meets rarely and has had little to do with recent coronavirus decisions by the Wu administration. ... Wu told the Herald as part of a broader interview Friday about her first 100 days in office that Boston's state of emergency order has given the city's top health official — who's a Wu cabinet member — significant executive power."

— "With Wu legal appeal, fight over COVID-19 vaccination for city workers continues," by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: "The battle over Mayor Michelle Wu's attempts to impose a COVID-19 vaccination mandate on Boston's city workforce continued Friday, with city authorities saying they were filing an appeal of a court ruling last week that blocked enforcement of the requirement for a trio of public safety unions."

— "Six weeks after the sweep, some are left behind," by Tori Bedford, GBH News: "GBH News identified 12 people who formerly lived in the [Mass and Cass] encampment who said they have not been offered transitional housing, including Jonathan Pagan, who stood with a group of about 75 people behind police tape blocking off the street on the night of the sweep. With no housing offered, he said in an interview he called 911 and spent that night in the emergency room."

— "Boston couple getting offers as high as $750,000 for parking spot, report says," by Travis Andersen, Boston Globe.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE

— "MIT announces it's cutting ties with graduate research university in Russia following invasion of Ukraine," by Laura Crimaldi, Boston Globe: "The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has announced it's ending its relationship with a private graduate research university in Russia that it helped establish about a decade ago following this week's invasion of Ukraine."

— "Local Ukrainians, supporters call for aid to Ukraine as Russian invasion continues," by Esteban Bustillos, GBH News: "Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in the Boston Public Garden and marched to the State House Sunday afternoon to voice their support for Ukraine and their opposition to Russian president Vladimir Putin and his actions as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues."

— "Romney: 10 years later, Russia remains 'geopolitical foe'," by Kelly Hooper, POLITICO.

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CAMPAIGN ROUNDUP

— "James 'Chip' Harrington running for state Rep. Jake Oliveira's seat in Western Massachusetts," by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: "James 'Chip' Harrington on Friday afternoon launched his campaign for the 7th Hampden district, with the announcement trailing just a day after Aaron Saunders entered the race for the open House seat vacated by state Rep. Jake Oliveira."

BALLOT BATTLES

— "Anticipating fierce opposition campaign, a local movement for 'millionaire's tax' ballot question emerges," by Danny Jin, Berkshire Eagle: "Months ahead of the November elections, Berkshire County Democrats are beginning to spread the word about a ballot question that they see as key to funding the future of education and transportation in the state. The question, known as the Fair Share Amendment, would generate revenue for education and transportation investments through a 4 percent surtax on annual income above $1 million."

DATELINE D.C.

— THERE'S ALWAYS A MASSACHUSETTS CONNECTION: President Joe Biden's SCOTUS pick, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, earned her law degree from Harvard in 1996. She would be the 11th Harvard College alum and 18th Harvard Law grad to serve on the nation's highest court if confirmed, per the Harvard Crimson. She also clerked for two federal judges in Boston: Judge Bruce M. Selya of the First Circuit appeals court; and Judge Patti B. Saris, a former district court chief.

Sen. Ed Markey said on WCVB's "On the Record" that there's "a real chance here for bipartisanship" in Jackson's Senate confirmation. Jackson has cleared that process in bipartisan fashion three times before, twice by voice vote and, last June, with the support of three GOP senators to secure confirmation to the D.C. Circuit Court. It's unclear how they'll vote this time.

Even if Jackson is confirmed, the court would remain tipped toward conservatives. Rep. Ayanna Pressley said in a statement lauding Jackson's selection that "we must keep pushing to expand the court" and "restore its balance and integrity."

— "'He loved every minute of this' — How Biden decided on Ketanji Brown Jackson," by Laura Barrón-López and Christopher Cadelago, POLITICO.

IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

— SEEING GREEN: Sen. Ed Markey also told WCVB that Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a "wake-up call that we now have to act and act swiftly to implement a Green New Deal, implement just a total change, revolution away from oil and gas so that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, Saudi Arabia, Iran and other countries no longer have that source of revenue as a way of them projecting their military, nefarious attitude on the rest of the world."

— "Healey again rejects Brookline anti-fossil fuel bylaws," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "For the second time in less than two years, Attorney General Maura Healey on Friday rejected bylaws approved by the town of Brookline placing restrictions or prohibitions on buildings incorporating fossil fuel infrastructure."

— "The effects of climate change are worse than we thought, an unflinching new UN report finds," by Dharna Noor, Boston Globe: "Extreme heat, sea-level rise, and disasters like storms and wildfires are threatening people and ecosystems, the analysis from the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change shows, and they're leading to cascading consequences like food and water insecurity and increased disease."

KENNEDY COMPOUND

— "A Kennedy's Crusade Against Covid Vaccines Anguishes Family and Friends," by Adam Nagourney, New York Times: "[Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s] rise as the face of the vaccine resistance movement has tested as never before the solidarity of a family that has for decades remained resolute in the face of tragedy and scandal. It has rattled the Hollywood and entertainment circles that he inhabits, while showing how the vaccine debate is upending traditional political alliances."

FROM THE 413

— "Berkshire Gas sees natural gas as part of its plan to meet state climate goals. Some observers disagree," by Danny Jin, Berkshire Eagle: "Asked how it will help meet Massachusetts climate goals, Berkshire Gas said natural gas will remain a key part of its plans. … While the changes being floated continue to rely on burning gas, [concerned observers] wanted the process, which Attorney General Maura Healey requested in June 2020, to look at how companies could shift to a business model built around electrification."

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— "Tensions run high between Porter Square businesses, bikers over bike lane project," by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald: "A Cambridge project to install bike lanes this April along a small strip of one of the city's main thoroughfares, eliminating most metered parking spaces in the process, has sparked tensions between the city's business owners, bikers, local officials and concerned citizens around Porter Square who all have a stake in the game. The business community has banded together, forming a group to sign petitions, disperse flyers around the neighborhood and generally rally against the project."

— "'Sending all my love to trans & LGBTQ+ kids': Massachusetts leaders respond to Texas directive," by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: "Massachusetts officials [last] week extended stalwart support to the LGBTQ+ community as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott directed his state's Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate instances of 'child abuse' tied to youth seeking gender-affirming care."

— "Investigators suspect a link between the Gardner Museum heist and an execution-style murder in Lynn," by Shelley Murphy, Boston Globe: "Some authorities now say they suspect there may be a link between the execution-style murder of [James] Marks — a hustler and convicted bank robber — and one of Boston's most famous unsolved crimes: the 1990 theft of masterpieces valued at more than $500 million from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum."

— "Lynn's new mayor, Jared Nicholson, vows to oversee 'inclusive growth'," by Michael Jonas, CommonWealth Magazine: "When people talk about Lynn as an immigrant-rich city, they don't have Jared Nicholson in mind. The city's new 36-year-old mayor is a fluent Spanish speaker, but he was born just 30 miles west of the coastal community, in the leafy Boston suburb of Sudbury. What he shares with the 37 percent of Lynn residents who are foreign born is a decision to put down stakes in the gateway city and make it their home."

— "Questions persist in case of former Southcoast Health President Keith Hovan," by Anastasia E. Lennon, New Bedford Light: "Weeks after the Southcoast Health board of trustees announced the removal of Keith A. Hovan as president and CEO, key questions remain unanswered about both his employment status and the Rochester Police Department's application for a felony charge against him."

CONGRATS — to Joanne F. Goldstein, director of special projects for the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, on her retirement. Goldstein served as labor and workforce development secretary under the Patrick administration and currently sits on the Legislature's Future of Work Commission.

TRANSITIONS — Jen Curt is joining the Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice as director of government affairs. They previously were a policy adviser for Rep. Ayanna Pressley.

— Erin Tiernan joins MassLive this week. She was previously a state politics reporter for the Boston Herald.

— Thomas Mari , a third-generation Teamsters Local 25 member, has been appointed president/principal officer of Teamsters Local 25. Mari succeeds Sean O'Brien, who will be sworn in as general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters on March 22. Steven South is now secretary-treasurer for Local 25 and Michael Halley is now business agent. Joan Corey is Local 25's new vice president, the first woman to hold the job, and will also serve as an at-large VP under O'Brien.

— Maria Fernandes-Dominique, public affairs director at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, has been appointed to the MassINC board of directors.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to POLITICO's Charlie Mahtesian, Ben Gundersheimer and Li-Dor David. Happy belated to Alan Harvey Guth, who celebrated Sunday.

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