POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: WARREN returns to her Netroots -- PRIMARY rifts -- Horse racing is legal again

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WARREN returns to her Netroots -- PRIMARY rifts -- Horse racing is legal again
08/03/2018 07:00 AM EDT
By Lauren Dezenski (ldezenski@politico.com; @laurendezenski) and Brent D. Griffiths (bgriffiths@politico.com; @BrentGriffiths)

TGIF, MASSACHUSETTS. What a week.

WARREN RETURNS TO HER NETROOTS - Sen. Elizabeth Warren heads to Netroots Nation today, a weekend-long conference convening thousands of liberal activists from around the country. This year it's in New Orleans, with fellow attendees including would-be 2020 contenders Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.).

Warren made waves at last year's confab after calling on Democrats to turn leftward, saying the party must have a "backbone" in its support of an agenda that includes unionization, universal pre-K, debt-free college, breaking up monopolies, equal pay, comprehensive immigration reform, and more.

"We're not going back to the days of being lukewarm on choice," Warren said at last year's conference in Atlanta. "We're not going back to the days when universal health care was something Democrats talked about on the campaign trail but were too chicken to fight for after they got elected."

It's not yet clear what Warren will specifically touch on today, though it will likely receive even more attention than last year given the increasing buzz around her presidential prospects. The senator appears in the Friday afternoon keynote panel that includes a discussion of the women of color strategists shaking up American politics, also featuring Harris.

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

TODAY - Welcome to a true summer Friday. The governor released no schedule, the state House and Senate have wrapped formal sessions, and construction on the Comm. Ave. bridge continues. If you happen to be in/around the State House, the only real activity looks bloody (thanks to the Red Cross blood drive from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.)

ON THE STUMP -
- "Democratic rifts rattle Massachusetts primary," by Stephanie Murray, POLITICO: "Massachusetts Rep. Michael Capuano, 66, faces his toughest primary competitor since winning his seat 20 years ago. His fellow Democrat, Rep. Richard Neal, 69, is getting an energetic challenge for the first time in years. With 34 days left to go before the Sept. 4 primary, a generational rift is rattling the dominant party in one of the nation's bluest states, providing a revealing local look at a divide that's also beginning to reorder national Democratic politics."

- "Tahirah Amatul-Wadud challenges US Rep. Richard Neal to debate before voters," by Shannon Young, MassLive.com: "With just weeks left before Massachusetts' Democratic primary, the Springfield attorney challenging U.S. Rep. Richard Neal called on the longtime incumbent Thursday to square-off in a debate before 1st Congressional District voters. Tahirah Amatul-Wadud, who is looking to unseat the fellow Springfield Democrat in the Sept. 4 election, said she'd like to take on her opponent in town hall-style debates before any such events move behind closed television studio doors."

- "Tito Jackson endorses Rachael Rollins for Suffolk DA," by Jamie Halper, Boston Globe: "Former Boston city councilor and mayoral candidate Tito Jackson threw his support behind Suffolk district attorney candidate Rachael Rollins Thursday, calling her a 'friend' and touting her managerial experience and focus on criminal justice reform."

- "Progressive Dems try to catch some of Ocasio-Cortez's lightning in a bottle," by Christopher Wilson, Yahoo News: "On a sweltering July Saturday in this city a few miles west of Boston, Ayanna Pressley is making a pitch for change. She's speaking to a mix of prospective voters and volunteers ready to canvass the neighborhood, echoing a case that is being made by insurgent Democratic candidates across the country: The fight against President Trump is important, but there is also an urgent need to change the status quo of the Democratic Party."

- "Rep. Capuano Says He Voted For Trump's Impeachment 'Before I Even Knew There Was A Challenger,'" by Tori Bedford, WGBH: "Rep. Michael Capuano says the Republican-led Congress is leaving congressional Democrats in the dark on the ongoing Russia collusion probe. Capuano, a Democrat, told WGBH News he thinks congress should have more of a say in the ongoing investigation."

- "DA candidates tackle diversity, inequities in Boston Bar forum," by Jennifer Smith, Dorchester Reporter:"Five candidates vying for the Suffolk County District Attorney seat participated in a forum hosted by the Boston Bar association last week, with much of the emphasis on systemic inequities in prosecution and lack of diversity in the DA's office itself. Four of them— Evandro Carvalho, Greg Henning, Shannon McAuliffe, and Rachael Rollins — will be on the Sept. 4 ballot for the Democratic primary."

- "State Rep. Solomon Goldstein-Rose will not run for re-election," by Shira Schoenberg, MassLive.com: "State Rep. Solomon Goldstein-Rose, an independent from Amherst, will not run for a second term. Goldstein-Rose emailed supporters on Thursday that he will instead endorse Democrat Mindy Domb for his seat."

Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund Endorses New Round of Candidates to Beacon Hill, from PPAF - "The Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts (PPAF) endorsed its latest slate of candidates for the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the state Senate who will prioritize access to sexual and reproductive health care and defend the health, rights, and freedoms of all Massachusetts residents. Endorsed candidates in the Massachusetts House of Representatives: Lindsay Sabadosa of Northampton for the 1st Hampshire District, Tami Gouveia of Concord for the 14th Middlesex District, Erika Johnson of Wilmington for the 19th Middlesex District, Kathleen LaNatra of Kingston for the 12th Plymouth District, Christopher Hendricks of New Bedford for the 11th Bristol District, Matthew Crescenzo of Saugus for the 9th Essex District, Brian Hamlin of Norfolk for the 9th Norfolk District. And the Massachusetts State Senate: Diana DiZoglio of Methuen for the 1st Essex District, John Drinkwater of Lowell for the 1st Middlesex District, Chelsea Kline of Northampton for the Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester District."

DATELINE BEACON HILL -
- "Gov. Charlie Baker: Budget delays may have affected other legislative bills," by Shira Schoenberg, MassLive.com: "Gov. Charlie Baker on Wednesday said he thinks the lateness of the state budget was part of what led to the inability of lawmakers to agree on major bills related to health care and education funding."

- "Massachusetts reauthorizes horse racing after legislative snafu banned it," by Shira Schoenberg, MassLive.com: "Massachusetts lawmakers on Thursday scrambled to re-legalize horse racing in the state after it was temporarily banned because of a legislative snafu. Gov. Charlie Baker signed a bill extending the legality of horse racing to July 31, 2019, almost immediately after he received it from the Legislature."


AMAZON PAYS NO TAXES, CHEATS THEIR WORKERS OUT OF WORKERS COMPENSATION WHEN THEY'RE INJURED, HAS NO COMMUNITY COMMITMENTS, 
AND NO COST ANALYSIS IS DONE WHEN THEY BRING LOW WAGE JOBS TO COMMUNITIES. 

CHARLIE BAKER DID MUCH THE SAME WITH GE. 

HOW MUCH MORE WILL CHARLIE BAKER GIVE AWAY? 

- "Baker fails to get bigger tax breaks for projects like Amazon's HQ2," by Greg Ryan, Boston Business Journal: "Lawmakers declined to include proposed changes to a state tax-credit program in the economic development bill that passed early Wednesday morning."

- "Why We May Never Know What Killed The Education Funding Bill," by Kathleen McNerney, WBUR: "The state's public records laws and legislative tradition may make it very difficult to find out why the bipartisan-supported effort to retool the state's 25-year-old education funding formula fell apart Tuesday night. The Legislature is exempted from the state's public records law, which means that any documentation of the discussion among conference committee members is not required to be made public. And, conference committee members have traditionally not discussed details of these negotiations in public."

- "We must have judicial accountability in Massachusetts (Guest viewpoint)," by Sen. Anne Gobi, Sen. Ryan Fattman, Chief Steven Wojnar, and Jennie Caissie, MassLive.com: "Our Constitutional Republic is founded upon the idea that government is of the people, by the people and for the people, not above the people. No one serving in elected or appointed office should be above this standard, including those in our judicial branch. In the wake of recent tragedies and loss of innocent lives, we believe it is time for meaningful, bipartisan reform in judicial accountability in Massachusetts."

THE TSONGAS ARENA -
- "Rufus Gifford says he's donating a contribution from CBS head accused of sexual harassment," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "Rufus Gifford, the Third District congressional candidate whose father sits on the CBS Corp. board, said Thursday he's donating thousands of dollars that the company's embattled chief executive, Leslie Moonves, gave his campaign, after several women accused Moonves of sexual harassment."


THE WARREN REPORT -
- "Elizabeth Warren, Democrats seek probe of reported Air Force One tours for Mar-a-Lago members," by Shannon Young, MassLive.com: "U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and other chamber Democrats urged defense officials this week to look into reports that members of President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club were given private tours of Air Force One. The senators, in a Wednesday letter sent to U.S. Defense Department Inspector General Glenn Fine and Air Force Inspector General Stayce Harris, requested reviews of when and how individuals have been provided tours or other access to the presidential plane since Trump took office in January 2017."

- "Sen. Elizabeth Warren Is Hopeful About SCOTUS Fight," by Lindsey McGinnis, NEPR: "Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren has acknowledged that Democrats face an uphill battle opposing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, but said they've won similar fights in the past."

WOOD WAR — Herald: "ALARM OVER EBOLA STUDY," "MONSTER NIGHT" — Globe: "TSA says zero threats caught by 'Quiet Skies,'" "Can office parks be cool?" "Russian saboteurs still target ballots, top officials admit," "Surprised by scooters, cities move to set rules," "Body cameras here to stay."

THE LOCAL ANGLE -
- "MGM Strikes Gambling Deal With Pro Basketball. Will Massachusetts Play Along?" by Heather Brandon, NEPR: "MGM Resorts has announced a gambling partnership with the NBA and WNBA. But don't look for betting on basketball at MGM's new Springfield casino anytime soon. Even with its pro basketball deal in place, MGM has no plans yet for sports betting at Springfield casino scheduled to open this month."

- "Entrench Or Retreat? That Is The Question On Plum Island," by Simón Rios, WBUR: "Up and down the coast of Massachusetts, communities are becoming increasingly familiar with the havoc of coastal storms. But now, with sea levels expected to increase between 2 and 11 feet by the end of the century, experts say some residential areas will have to consider retreat."

- "Boston to phase in 400 body cameras after test finds benefits," by Milton J. Valencia, Boston Globe: "Mayor Martin J. Walsh said Thursday that the city will begin a full-scale police body camera program, two years after officers were pushed into a yearlong pilot of the technology."

TSA WASTED MONEY ON SURVEILLANCE!

- "TSA says 'Quiet Skies' surveillance snared zero threats," by Jana Winter, Boston Globe: "Federal air marshals have closely monitored about 5,000 US citizens on domestic flights in recent months under the controversial "Quiet Skies" program, but none were deemed so suspicious that they required further scrutiny, according to three people with direct knowledge of a congressional briefing held Thursday with the Transportation Security Administration."

- "A black Smith College student was eating her lunch when an employee called police," by Emily Williams, Boston Globe: "The rising sophomore at Smith College was quietly eating her lunch in a campus common room when a police officer approached her Tuesday afternoon. A college employee had called police to report someone who "seemed out of place" in a Smith building that was being used for a summer program. But when campus police arrived, they found a Smith student, taking a break from her campus job."

- "Everett's first female firefighter dies from cancer," by Jeremy C. Fox, Boston Globe: "Everett firefighters are mourning the loss of a trailblazer. Susan Pipitone, the department's first and only active-duty female firefighter, died Wednesday after battling cancer for more than a year, Chief Tony Carli said Thursday."

- "Do you realize how cute you were driving? Police stop tot," by The Associated Press: " A 1-year-old motorist has been pulled over for driving without a license — but he got off with a "cuteness warning." Police in the Boston suburb of Malden say they staged the traffic stop Tuesday afternoon after spotting Grayson Salerno driving a red toy Mercedes convertible along a sidewalk."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Worthington state Rep. Stephen Kulik, Walpole state Sen. James Timilty, WBZ radio news anchor Nichole Davis, and Patriots QB Tom Brady, who turns 41 today.

HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND — to Dorchester Reporter founder and Boston Irish Reporter publisher Ed Forry and Health Leads strategic communications associate Katie Dillon, who celebrates on Saturday and Sunday birthday-ers Cambridge Rep. Marjorie Decker and nonprofit and association management consultant Kate Plourd Johnson, who both celebrate Saturday.

DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? — Yes! The Sox crushed the Yankees 15-7.

FRESH OUT OF THE GATE - THE LATEST EPISODE OF THE HORSE RACE: In the last minute scramble of legislation, the state appears to have made horse racing illegal, which means Lauren and Steve are off to the glue factory. But first, they speak with The Springfield Republican's Shira Schoenberg about the chaotic end of the Legislature's formal session, and what did and didn't fall through the cracks. Then former state senator Ben Downing returns to analyze the legislative process that led to the messy end of session, and we continue our tour de commonwealth with CommonWealth Magazine's Michael Jonas on the race for Middlesex District Attorney. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud

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