| | | | |  | | By Lisa Kashinsky | With help from Kelly Garrity EYES EMOJI — Jake Auchincloss isn’t running for Senate (this cycle). And he seems to be on a glide path to reelection next year. So why is the second-term representative, well, everywhere? Auchincloss maintains a relatively aggressive schedule of cable TV appearances, typically focused on foreign policy. Earlier this month, he ran statements and op-eds in the New Hampshire Union Leader and the Iowa Starting Line targeting fellow veteran and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for being “tough on Disney and soft on [Vladimir] Putin.” And on Tuesday he’s taking on another GOP presidential contender, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, by joining liberal super PAC VoteVets to deliver a preemptive rebuttal to her planned foreign policy speech on China. Simply put: Auchincloss is doing Joe Biden’s dirty work for him. And he’s not the only one. Democrats are starting to do battle with the Republican presidential hopefuls. And in doing so they’re letting Biden stay above the fray. Now, Auchincloss isn’t on Biden’s national campaign advisory board like Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Gov. Maura Healey. But he’s long been one of the president’s staunchest defenders — even if Biden butchers his name. And his latest efforts appear to have tacit sign-off from top national Democrats: the Democratic National Committee is helping to spread the word about the VoteVets call. Auchincloss is on a course not unlike the one charted by his predecessor in the 4th Congressional District. Joe Kennedy III started off keeping a lower profile. But he delivered the Democratic rebuttal to then-President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address in 2018 amid talk of him running for higher office. If and when Auchincloss wants to move up, he’ll likely face the same problem Kennedy did. A Senate seat is unlikely to open up here until at least 2030. And Auchincloss isn’t the only delegation member waiting for one of the state’s two septuagenarian senators to step aside. Plus, he could still face a primary challenger in his district down the line. And so Auchincloss is biding his time by supporting Biden — and building a national profile with party leaders and donors that he can cash in on in a future race.
|  President Joe Biden speaks about climate change and clean energy at Brayton Power Station, Wednesday, July 20, 2022, in Somerset, Mass., with officials including Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.). | AP | GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Tomorrow marks one year since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. In that time, Massachusetts has expanded access to abortion, bolstered protections for patients and providers and stood up a legal hotline. The Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts says it has helped “hundreds of patients” navigate logistical and financial barriers to access abortion care, whether they’re in rural parts of this blue state or in red states where reproductive rights are restricted. And, on the heels of a new lawsuit accusing a so-called crisis pregnancy center in Worcester of deceptive advertising, Reproductive Equity Now is launching a public awareness campaign on abortion access. The group will hold organizing events in Gateway Cities, historically underserved communities and “abortion deserts” — areas of the state without clinics — starting in July. The abortion-rights fight also continues on Beacon Hill, where lawmakers will hear arguments Monday over legislation that would shield people’s cell phone location data. Reproductive-rights groups are pushing the bill as a way to safeguard abortion-seekers — one of 11 pieces of legislation they’re backing this session. Antiabortion activists are supporting their own slate of bills — though those are far less likely to go anywhere. Senate President Karen Spilka said in a statement to Playbook that her chamber is “having ongoing discussions about how to best protect our residents, including through potential legislation.” Meanwhile, at the federal level, Rep. Ayanna Pressley has new legislation to expand abortion access. And House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark will join colleagues at 9:30 a.m. to highlight the party's efforts to force a vote on the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would codify abortion. Both bills face uphill battles in the Republican-controlled House. TODAY — Healey has no public events. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll attends a Coalition for a Resilient and Inclusive Waterfront walking port tour in Charlestown at 1:30 p.m. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu speaks at a Boston Fire Department cadet ceremony at 10 a.m. at Florian Hall. THIS WEEKEND — Treasurer Deb Goldberg is on WBZ’s “Keller @ Large” at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. Veterans Secretary Jon Santiago is on WCVB’s “On the Record” at 11 a.m. Sunday. Sen. Elizabeth Warren holds a town hall at Holyoke Community College at 1 p.m. Sunday. Tips? Scoops? Email us: lkashinsky@politico.com and kgarrity@politico.com.
| | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | | |  | DATELINE BEACON HILL | | — “FBI raided Fitchburg home of one-time congressional candidate, former state senator Dean Tran,” by Samantha J. Gross, Boston Globe: “The FBI searched the Fitchburg home of former state Senator and one-time congressional candidate Dean Tran on Thursday to search for evidence in connection with an ongoing federal investigation. … The search comes as Tran, a Republican, faces six charges in a separate case related to a 2019 incident in which he allegedly stole a gun from an elderly constituent and misled investigators about what happened.” — “Healey administration grapples with record high opioid deaths,” by Jennifer Smith, CommonWealth Magazine: “There were 2,357 confirmed and estimated fatal opioid-related overdoses in Massachusetts last year, or 33.5 deaths per 100,000 residents, according to the Department of Public Health. The figure marks a 2.5 percent increase from 2021 and a 9 percent jump from 2016’s pre-pandemic peak, which itself capped a startling rise in deaths over the prior five years. Populations of color and rural areas have seen the largest jumps in opioid overdose deaths.” — “Report: In-state tuition plan would benefit colleges,” by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: “The report by the Massachusetts Tax Foundation suggests expanding access to in-state tuition rates to undocumented students could generate $2.6 to $3.5 million a year in new revenue for community colleges, state universities, and the University of Massachusetts five-campus system.” — “Massachusetts law allowing state to keep foreclosed home sale profits unconstitutional, AGs office says,” by Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald. — “Pharmacists may be able to prescribe hormonal birth control if this Mass. bill passes,” by Juliet Schulman-Hall, MassLive. — “'We need 10 times that.' Housing shortages on Cape emphasized in Healey visit,” by Denise Coffey, the Cape Cod Times.
| | FROM THE HUB | | — “Boston city councilor who oversaw police cuts should resign as budget chief, BPD union head says,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “The head of Boston’s largest police union is calling for the resignation of the City Council’s budget committee chair, following her ‘cowardly’ attempt to blame the mayor for a controversial proposal that would cut millions from the police budget.”
| | THE RACE FOR CITY HALL | | — “Khrystian King Will Run For Mayor Of Worcester In 2023,” by Neal McNamara, Patch: “Worcester At-Large Councilor Khrystian King capped months of speculation Wednesday announcing he will run for mayor in 2023, challenging longtime City Hall colleague Joseph Petty Jr. for the leadership post. King joined the city council in 2016, becoming the first Black man to be elected as a councilor. The Quinsigamond Village resident will be vying for a fifth term on council in 2023. If King wins his bid for mayor, he would be the first person of color to serve as mayor of Worcester.”
| | PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES | | — “Traffic Snarls Forecast During Summertime Tunnel Closure,” by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service (paywall): "Although the highway administrator said the window is 'the best time of year to be doing this' because it typically has the lowest traffic volumes, officials expect the travel impacts will be substantial on virtually all motorists in and around the city.” — “Section of Green Line B branch will close for 12 days in July to replace track, make repairs,” by Travis Andersen, Boston Globe.
| | IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN | | — “Gina McCarthy’s next act,” by Robin Bravender, E&E News: “She’s advising private equity firms on their climate- and sustainability-focused investments. She’s doing a climate fellowship at her alma mater, Tufts University; working with former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg on climate; and co-chairing a group coordinating climate policies between the United States and India.” — “EPA sued for failure to act on state’s air pollution plans,” by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune.
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don’t miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY. | | | | | | | FROM THE 413 | | — “Amherst Regional School Committee pledges action on anti-trans probe,” by Scott Merzbach, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “The Amherst Regional School Committee sought to reassure the school community Tuesday that it intends to act on the results of ongoing investigations, including a Title IX complaint, into the alleged mistreatment of trans and nonbinary students at the middle school once those investigations are completed.” — “White supremacist banners and signs from Patriot Front appear up and down Berkshire County,” by Scott Stafford, Berkshire Eagle: “Hanging signs and banners like the ones found recently in the Berkshires is a requirement of belonging to the Patriot Front and a way to recruit new members, according to Morgan Moon, investigative researcher with the Anti-Defamation League.”
| | THE LOCAL ANGLE | | — “Health care leaders talk challenges, successes from Martha's Vineyard migrant response,” by Sarah Betancourt, GBH News: “As migrants continue to arrive in Massachusetts, medical professionals and policymakers are reviewing how health services stepped in to help them — beginning with the unexpected arrival of 50 people on Martha’s Vineyard last September.” — “693 confirmed cases and 5 deaths in a week. See the latest COVID-19 data from Mass.,” by the Boston Globe. — “For Boston Fed chief Susan M. Collins, the goal is to have no one fretting about inflation,” by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican. — “Marblehead to make serious cuts in staff after failure of tax override,” by Michael McHugh, The Salem News.
| | MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE | | — DESANTIS DRAMA: A major Republican women’s group in New Hampshire is “disappointed” in Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for counterprogramming their Tuesday luncheon with Donald Trump with an event of his own — or are they? The New Hampshire Federation of Republican Women blasted out a statement yesterday dinging DeSantis for scheduling a campaign event in Hollis at the same time as their sold-out “Lilac Luncheon” in Concord, and asking him to change it. But a few hours later, the group’s public relations chair put out her own statement saying she wasn’t consulted on the salvo and was resigning her post over it. Another member tweeted that she was resigning from the group. It’s a fraught and intriguing backdrop against which the two Florida men and leading Republican presidential contenders will campaign in the first-in-the-nation primary state on Tuesday. — “The budget removes limits on campaign donations. Not all are thrilled,” by Ethan DeWitt, New Hampshire Bulletin.
| | HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH | | TRANSITIONS — POLITICO and The Block alum Stephanie Murray has joined The Messenger as a politics reporter. — Victoria McGrane has been named metro politics editor for the Boston Globe, coordinating 2024 primary coverage in New Hampshire. — Jason Laughlin will join the Boston Globe from the Philadelphia Inquirer to cover HHS. — Linda Stout is now executive director of sister organizations the Solidago Foundation and See Forward Fund. — Outgoing Boston School Committee member Lorena Lopez joins EdVestors as VP for advancement and external relations. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Samuel O. Thier and Naomi Alson. HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND — to Jon Latino, Peter Cutrumbes, former MassGOP Chair Kirsten Hughes, Roger Fisk, principal of New Day Strategy; Thomas Doane Perry III, Jonathan Yuan, Ed Palleschi, undersecretary for the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation; Baker administration alum John Alvarez, Katherine Marie Kulik and Morgan Smith, who celebrate Saturday; and to Sunday birthday-ers Eddie Rupia, Avital Mintz-Morgenthau, Seth Nadeau, Jeremy Bearer-Friend and Annie Schreiber of Kilpatrick Strategists Co. 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 | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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