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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. TGIF
KEEPING UP WITH KENNEDY — I caught up with Rep. Joe Kennedy ahead of his trip this weekend to Texas, where he'll stump for Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke against Sen. Ted Cruz.
Kennedy is one of several members of the state's congressional delegation who are lending a hand to out-of-state candidates ahead of the midterms. Rep. Katherine Clark just returned from Texas and heads up to Maine on Saturday, and congressional candidate Ayanna Pressley just got back from a trip to Georgia with Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
Kennedy has attended O'Rourke events before, but Saturday's rallies are set to be O'Rourke's largest yet in the Rio Grande Valley.
"I think our country is ready for people that are willing to .. view politics differently. They want a U.S. Senate that's going to work for everybody, not just as small segment of their voter base," Kennedy told me over the phone Thursday night. O'Rourke is trailing Cruz by 9 points in one recent poll, but Kennedy's not putting much stock in the polls.
"I don't think anybody has any idea what the polls are on that race or anywhere else for that matter, particularly that one where we're seeing a younger candidate that is inspiring hundreds of thousands, millions of people across that state. We saw plenty of polls that were wrong back here in Massachusetts on Election Day. I don't think anybody, if you're following at all that race closely, you don't have a whole lot of confidence in polls," Kennedy said. "No matter who is on top."
Speaking of surprises, Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia was arrested Thursday morning for allegedly spending most of the money invested in his startup app on a Mercedes, adult entertainment and dating services, among other things, according to MassLive.com. Fall River is in Kennedy's district, and the congressman said he hopes the issue gets resolved quickly.
"These are very serious allegations and charges and the mayor has to answer for them. It's not a good day for the city of Fall River, no question," Kennedy said. For his part, Correia said he's innocent and chalked it up to "not my best Thursday," partially because it was pouring rain.
CHARLIE BAKER ENDORSED BY INDICTED FELON!
Gov. Charlie Baker quickly wiped Correia's endorsement from the list of mayors who support him, saying the charges are serious and should be pursued.
"I'm glad that I wasn't endorsed by him," Baker's Democratic challenger Jay Gonzalez told reporters after an energy and environment forum Thursday.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.
TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker attends groundbreakings in Lynn and Salem. Lt. Gov Karyn Polito attends a Pathways for Change gala in Worcester. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Reps. Katherine Clark and Niki Tsongas talk Kavanaugh and the midterms on a panel with Congressional candidates Ayanna Pressley and Lori Trahan.
Sen. Ed Markey holds a press conference on the Merrimack Valley gas explosions. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Police Commissioner William Gross talk about recent violence in Roxbury.
House Speaker Robert DeLeo celebrates the inauguration of Suffolk University President Marisa Kelly along with Walsh and Supreme Judicial Court Justice Elspeth Cypher. Attorney General Maura Healey speaks at the NEADS "Get Dressed Give Back" event.
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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- "What does the nurse staffing ballot question mean for Massachusetts' struggling mental health system?" by Shira Schoenberg, MassLive.com: "Kate Maffa's children, now 20 and 14, have struggled with mental health problems for years, including anxiety, depression and rage. When her children were hospitalized at Franciscan Children's Hospital in Boston, Maffa said nurses were vital to her children's daily care. But Maffa does not think more nurses were necessary. 'I felt that in that environment, the team approach, having more nurses wouldn't necessarily benefit the children because each member of the team had a separate purpose,' Maffa said."
DAY LATE CHARLIE BAKER! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN FOR 4 YEARS? CHARLIE BAKER NEVER ACTS UNTIL SOMEONE ASKS? THIS ISN'T LEADERSHIP!
- "BAKER, GONZALEZ BOTH INTERESTED IN PROPERTY TAX RELIEF FOR SENIORS," by Colin A. Young, State House News Service: "Debates often serve to help voters differentiate between two candidates, but Tuesday night's tilt between Charlie Baker and Jay Gonzalez revealed at least one more policy area on which the Republican incumbent and Democratic challenger agree. Prompted by a question from a voter, both candidates agreed there is a need for property tax relief for senior citizens across the Bay State and each said this week they would consider making local programs that allow seniors to defer property tax payments a statewide policy if elected in November."
IF YOU'VE BEEN A PATIENT IN A FOR PROFIT HOSPITAL, YOU KNOW HOW GROSSLY UNDERSTAFFED THEY ARE. THEY FAIL TO REPLACE STAFF THAT LEAVE, OTHER STAFF WORK DOUBLE SHIFTS....THEIR FOCUS IS ON THE BOTTOM LINE, NOT PATIENT CARE! MANY OF THE NEW HIRES ARE UNQUALIFIED, LACK THE SKILLS....IT'S DISASTROUS FOR PATIENT CARE!
- "Chandler Voting Yes on Question 1," from Sen. Harriette Chandler's office: "'Patient safety is of the utmost personal importance to me, and now is the time for Massachusetts to take a stand for improved healthcare. I support safe patient limits and that's why I will be voting yes on Question 1.' State Senator Harriette L. Chandler (D-Worcester)."
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| ON THE STUMP |
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- "Nancy Pelosi to fundraise for Lori Trahan in Concord," by Chris Lisinski, Lowell Sun: "The Oct. 16 event will be hosted by Rufus Gifford, the former U.S. ambassador to Denmark, who was one of Trahan's opponents in the 10-way Democratic primary. 'Primaries have winners and losers,' Gifford said in his tweet. 'Those of us who don't come out on top need to dust ourselves off and do all we can for the sake of our Democracy.'
CHARLIE BAKER TOOK OFFICE WITH BOSTON'S PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN CRISIS THAT SHUT DOWN THE CITY. CHARLIE BAKER MADE GREAT PROMISES.....THE MBTA IS STILL A DISASTER WITH CHARLIE BAKER'S POLITICAL HACKS IN CHARGE - FARES RAISED, SERVICES CUT - BOSTON IS GRIDLOCKED DUE TO LACK OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
- "In dual forums, Baker, Gonzalez stake their positions on environment," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "Governor Charlie Baker vowed that, if reelected, he'll deliver a 'much better" MBTA built on a multiyear, $8 billion investment plan, with a promise to find more resources if needed. His Democratic challenger, Jay Gonzalez, said if he's successful on Nov. 6, revamping public transportation, including a commitment to expansion, will be a top priority. And it's 'going to take money' — more than Baker's investing, he said. The contrast was just one of several the two delivered Thursday in a pair of forums, where questions ricocheted between transportation, gas pipelines, climate resiliency, and some of the state's most pressing energy and environmental issues."
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| DAY IN COURT |
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- "'Not my best Thursday;' Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia says he did 'nothing wrong' outside federal court in Boston," by Jacqueline Tempera, MassLive.com: "Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia said he did "nothing wrong" as he left federal court in Boston Thursday afternoon, following his early morning arrest on charges that he defrauded investors in his company to fuel his 'lavish lifestyle.' The 26-year-old mayor, who pleaded not guilty to nine counts of wire fraud and four counts of filing false taxes Thursday, emerged from the courthouse with a smile and a message."
- "3rd State Police trooper pleads guilty in federal bogus OT case," by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: "A third Massachusetts State Police trooper has pleaded guilty in federal court to embezzlement in connection with overtime abuse at the agency, prosecutors said. Gary Herman pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds, the US Attorney's Office for Massachusetts said in a statement. Herman is the third trooper to plead guilty as a result of the ongoing federal probe into overtime fraud at the agency. Three more troopers have been charged in connection with that investigation."
- "'We will go after you;' U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling warns of alleged corrupt politicians following indictment of Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia," by Jacqueline Tempera, MassLive.com:"As he explained charges against Jasiel Correia, the 26-year-old mayor of Fall River under indictment for allegedly defrauding investors, U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts had a message for other potentially corrupt politicians. 'If you are an elected official and you commit some kind of fraud we will go after you, even if the dollars involved might be a little less than what we would usually go for in a fraud case,' Andrew Lelling said."
- "Indictment shows Correia knew of FBI probe despite denying knowledge on campaign trail," by Tim White, WPRI: "Running for re-election last fall, Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia was adamant: he knew nothing of an FBI investigation into his app company, SnoOwl, other than rumors spread by his political enemies. During a debate in the WPRI 12 studios between Correia and his Democratic primary challenger, City Councilor Linda Pereira, the incumbent mayor was asked if he knew there was an ongoing FBI probe. ... But a timeline from federal investigators suggests otherwise."
- "Thousands More Cases To Be Dismissed In Amherst Drug Lab Scandal, SJC Rules," by Ally Jarmanning, WBUR: "Thousands of drug cases tied to a state-run Amherst drug lab will be dismissed, and the state attorney general's office will bear the costs, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled Thursday. The decision is the result of the court's finding that prosecutors withheld evidence about a state chemist's wrongdoing. Already, 7,500 cases linked to the same lab have been ordered dismissed by the SJC since April, after former state drug lab chemist Sonja Farak admitted to stealing and using drugs while working inside the lab."
- "Globe sues for records from thousands of closed-door hearings in state's 'secret courts,'" by Todd Wallack, Boston Globe: "The Boston Globe is asking the state's highest court to give the public access to the files from thousands of private hearings where clerks dismissed cases even after finding there was enough evidence to issue criminal charges. A Spotlight report last month, 'Inside our secret courts,' discovered that Massachusetts clerk magistrates, meeting behind closed doors in district and municipal courts, declined to issue criminal charges in nearly 62,000 cases in 2016 and 2017."
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| WARREN REPORT |
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- "Trump shouldn't underestimate Elizabeth Warren as a 2020 opponent (and it's not why you think)," by Colin Reed, Fox News:"As President Trump sharpens his attacks on potential 2020 Democratic challengers, he has elevated Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts to the top of the heap with his frequent barbs. Axios reported recently that Trump believes Warren will emerge as the Democratic presidential nominee two years from now - and his advisers are telling him that would be a good thing. Having worked on the opposing campaign when Warren was elected to the Senate in 2012, I've heard those same arguments underestimating her before. The arguments were wrong then. They could be off-base now as well."
- "John Kelly Called Elizabeth Warren An 'Impolite Arrogant Woman' In An Email," by Jason Leopold, BuzzFeed News: "White House chief of staff John Kelly called Sen. Elizabeth Warren an 'impolite arrogant woman' in a private email he exchanged last year with his top aide following a telephone conversation with the Massachusetts Democrat about the Trump administration's travel ban. 'Absolutely most insulting conversation I have ever had with anyone,' Kelly, then serving as the secretary of homeland security, wrote to Kevin Carroll, who was then his senior counselor at the Department of Homeland Security, in an email from Feb. 8, 2017. 'What an impolite arrogant woman. She immediately began insulting our people accusing them of not following the court order, insulting and abusive behavior towards those covered by the pause, blah blah blah.'" Warren's response via Twitter.
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| FROM THE HUB |
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"Owners of hotels hit by Boston strike enjoy hefty profits," by John Chesto, Boston Globe: "The union that went on strike at seven Boston hotels faces a convenient target: Marriott International, the world's largest hotel company. Unite Here, represented in Boston by Local 26, knows Marriott earned some $1.4 billion in net income from its global empire in 2017, its first full year with the Starwood hotel group in its fold. But Maryland-based Marriott isn't the only company raking it in from the Boston hotels. The actual owners of these Marriott-managed properties get a big piece, too.
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| KENNEDY COMPOUND |
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- "Rep. Joe Kennedy: Ted Cruz's Unpopularity Is 'The One Unifier In Washington,'" by Tori Bedford, WGBH News: "Rep. Joe Kennedy will be hitting the campaign trail for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke, who is running in Texas against Republican incumbent Ted Cruz. O'Rourke will appear with Kennedy at the McAllen Convention Center on Oct. 13 for what is expected to be O'Rourke's largest Rio Grande Valley event, but it's not Kennedy's first time campaigning for the candidate — Kennedy previously appeared with O'Rourke at events in Houston and West Texas, and even took a turn driving 'the Beto Bus' on the campaign."
- "It's not 'McCarthyism' to demand Harvard Law School sever ties with Brett Kavanaugh," by Jessica Lynn Corsi and Lauren Birchfield Kennedy: "When we decided to pen an alumni letter to Harvard Law School asking them to rescind Justice Brett Kavanaugh's appointment as a lecturer, we had realistic expectations concerning what we were likely to hear — or, rather, not hear — in response. What we did not expect, however, was for our efforts to be likened to McCarthyism or dismissed as the work of an angry mob. As Harvard continues to stay mum on the Kavanaugh issue, alumni and currently enrolled students remain disappointed by the school's refusal to provide a clear and public response. Today, we continue to speak out, particularly in the face of efforts to mischaracterize, misrepresent, and minimize our campaign."
- From Robert F. Kennedy, Jr: "This is Boston's former U.S. Attorney, Mike Sullivan under George W. Bush (2001-2009). Mike ran, briefly, against my Uncle Teddy as a Republican in the 2000 U.S. Senate race in Massachusetts. He's now a beloved private attorney in Boston working with me on some Pharma cases. Mike told me he recently ran into my nephew Congressman Joe Kennedy III at an American Airlines gate at DC National. Both of them had scored upgrades based on lofty frequent flyer miles. So Mike was surprised to see Joe walk through the business class section to sit in the Economy seats astern. Mike overheard the woman in the seat in front of him say: 'That nice boy gave me his first class ticket so I could sit with you!'"
ABOVE THE FOLD — Herald: "The West Wing," "CHURCH EXPANDS ABUSE PROBE", "THE RISE AND FALL OF BAKER BROMANCE," — Globe: "Fall River mayor arrested on fraud charges," "NTSB points to utility in blasts," "Scenes from a Friday night."
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| THE LOWELL CONNECTOR |
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- "NTSB report: Overpressurized gas lines caused Lawrence-area explosions, fires," by Milton J. Valencia and Travis Andersen, Boston Globe: "The Sept. 13 gas fires and explosions that rocked the Merrimack Valley occurred after a construction crew failed to remove a gas pressure sensor from an old pipeline it was replacing, causing the pressure levels to drop and outside regulators to continue to pump — and increase — gas into the system at elevated levels, according to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board. The increased pressure overwhelmed the aging gas line system in Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover, setting off fires and explosions that damaged 121 structures, killed one person in a home explosion, and left two dozen injured, according to the preliminary report."
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| TRUMPACHUSETTS |
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- In Springfield, Massachusetts, bracing for uncertainty from Trump's trade policies," by Adam Reilly, PRI's The World: "When you pull up to the CRRC MA plant in Springfield, Massachusetts, the first thing you notice is the size: it's a gargantuan gray edifice sprawled over 200,000 square feet in what was once a vacant lot. Step inside, and you see that just a fraction of the space is currently in use — though the activity there is intense. On a recent weekday, a group of CRRC MA workers were building six subway cars for Boston's transportation, fitting the interiors and underbellies with parts riders never see."
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Julia Leja, associate director of major giving at Boston College; Coleen Elstermeyer, deputy executive director of the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission, David Oleksak of Rep. Bill Keating's office; and Meghan Aldridge, chief of staff to Boston's CFO.
TRANSITIONS — Save the Harbor/Save the Bay President and Chief Executive Officer Patty Foley retires at the end of the year.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? - Yes! The Bruins beat the Oilers 4-1.
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