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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Stay warm out there!
MOULTON'S STAFF SWITCH — A few days before he heads to the early voting state of New Hampshire, Rep. Seth Moulton is making a staff change.
Moulton's press secretary, Matt Corridoni, told me Wednesday he's moving onto the political side of Moulton's team full-time. Corridoni previously split his duties between the congressman's House office and the political side of his operation.
Tim Biba will handle communications for Moulton's House office, Corridoni said. Biba comes from the office of Washington Democrat Rep. Derek Kilmer and has previously worked for the Clinton Foundation and former Rep. Bill Owens, according to his LinkedIn page.
The move comes just days before Moulton's scheduled speech at an event hosted by the Bedford Democratic Committee in New Hampshire on Saturday, a move that's sparking speculation as to whether he will run for president in 2020.
But for now, Corridoni said his own move isn't indicative of any Moulton presidential ambitions. Instead, Corridoni said it will allow him to manage press for Moulton's Serve America PAC and Moulton's non-official press, which includes traveling for veteran and next generation candidates. Corridoni has worked for Moulton since May 2017.
KENNEDY'S STEP UP — Rep. Joe Kennedy III was named vice chairman of the House Energy and Commerce panel's Oversight and Investigations subcommittee yesterday, which places him in a position to challenge many of the Trump administration policies he's been most vocal about as a lawmaker.
Investigations into family separations at the southern border, efforts to erode the Affordable Care Act and enforcement of environmental protections will run through the committee, Kennedy's office said. The Massachusetts Democrat has been actively raising money for people seeking asylum at the southern border via his email list, and hit $250,000 in donations earlier this month.
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 and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito announce grants and a college housing pilot with Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders and Commissioner of Higher Education Carlos Santiago in Framingham. The Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institution holds a policy forum. Rep. Richard Neal makes a defense funding announcement at Westover Air Reserve Base. The state Senate considers rules in formal session. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh speaks at a New England Council breakfast. Rep. Katherine Clark is a guest on "Greater Boston."
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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— "Rules debate spirited, but almost nothing changes," by Andy Metzger, CommonWealth Magazine: " AN INFLUX OF NEW MEMBERS is changing the atmosphere of the House chamber, but in the first deliberations of the 2019-2020 session on Wednesday, Speaker Robert DeLeo and his Democratic backers made sure the chamber's rules remained the same. In the debate over a set of rules to govern the chamber, dissenting Democrats and Republicans pitched a range of different proposals with a general theme of extending the opportunities for review and public input on legislation. But the proposals were shot down by the majority Democrats who described those efforts as well-meaning but ill-advised measures that would jam up the legislative process."
— "Bio folks cool to Baker drug proposal," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "GOV. CHARLIE BAKER'S proposal to rein in the cost of high-priced drug treatments got a cool reception on Wednesday at a MassBio policy breakfast, but most industry officials didn't appear to have their own ready-made alternative. In his fiscal 2020 budget proposal, Baker sought legislative permission to demand additional rebates from the manufacturers of very high-priced drugs - and if that effort fails to reach a satisfactory result to refer the manufacturers to the Health Policy Commission for hearings and possibly to Attorney General Maura Healey for prosecution under state consumer protection laws ."
— "POLITICS CHANGING AROUND IMMIGRATION BILL, SUPPORTERS SAY," by Matt Murphy, State House News Service:"The concerns over immigration enforcement in Massachusetts haven't changed, but advocates and progressive Democrats on Beacon Hill are hoping that the politics may have. Immigrant advocacy groups assembled at the State House on Wednesday to begin to lobby House and Senate lawmakers in support of the newest version of the Safe Communities Act, a controversial piece of legislation that would bar local police and court officials from helping to enforce federal immigration law."
DAY LATE CHARLIE! CHARLIE IS SO BUSY FUNDRAISING AND GLAD HANDING, THERE'S NO OVERSIGHT OF HIS POLITICAL HACKS. UNLESS THE MEDIA REPORTS IT, CHARLIE IGNORES IT.
— "Gov. Baker urges MassHousing to get in line with spending," by Joe Dwinell and Mary Markos, Boston Herald: Gov. Charlie Baker is urging the embattled MassHousing agency to adopt strict administration guidelines to cut down on the cost of lobster dinners and pricey junkets to Las Vegas. The appeal, made by Baker on Wednesday at a State House veterans' association luncheon, follows a series of Herald stories highlighting the lavish travel and dinner habits of the agency tasked with developing affordable housing in the state ."
— WHERE'S MY INVITE: "Governor Baker may fly down to Atlanta to watch the Super Bowl in person," by Matt Murphy, State House News Service: "With the New England Patriots set to compete for another Super Bowl championship Sunday, Governor Charlie Baker said Wednesday he's thinking about taking in the big game in person. 'I may be in Atlanta. I've been talking to some of my friends about whether we can get down there or not,' Baker told reporters."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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— "Somerville is suing opioid makers and distributors, alleging negligence and fraud," by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe:"Somerville has become the latest Massachusetts community to turn to the courts in its fight against the state's opioid crisis. The city filed a lawsuit in Middlesex Superior Court on Wednesday against 19 opioid manufacturers and distributors, alleging negligence and fraud, according to a statement from Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone's office."
— "On a frigid night, volunteers canvas Boston for the annual homeless census," by Danny McDonald and Andrew Stanton, Boston Globe: "With temperatures in the single digits, more than 300 volunteers fanned out across Boston Wednesday night for the city's annual homeless census. The census records information about all homeless people in Boston, including those who are living on the street, in emergency shelters, domestic violence programs transitional housing, and in specialized programs serving homeless youth and veterans, according to a statement from Mayor Martin J. Walsh's office."
— "JFK Library reopens after 'stressful' government shutdown," by Daniel Sheehan, Dorchester Reporter: "The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum reopened Tuesday after being closed since December 22 due to the government shutdown. With federal funding cut off, the the Columbia Point facility saw its programming and activities suspended for over a month, while the building remained vacant and its staff went furloughed without pay. Library Director Alan Price said he was excited to be back open, but acknowledged the hardships enacted upon his employees by the shutdown."
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| DAY IN COURT |
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— "SJC to hear Globe request for court criminal records in secretive hearings," by Todd Wallack, Boston Globe: "The Boston Globe's lawsuit to open up the records of thousands of closed-door criminal court hearings is expected to be heard by the Massachusetts high court this spring. Justice David A. Lowy, who heard initial arguments in the case in late December, decided to refer the Globe's lawsuit to the full panel of Supreme Judicial Court judges in a written ruling this week. Lowy said oral arguments should be scheduled for sometime in April."
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| WARREN REPORT |
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— "Top Democrats introduce bill to prevent U.S. from striking first with nuclear weapons," by Paul Sonne, Washington Post:"Legislation introduced by Democratic lawmakers in the House and Senate on Wednesday would bar the United States from using a nuclear weapon unless attacked with one first, demonstrating growing momentum for anti-nuclear sentiments on the left in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a 2020 presidential contender, and Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, introduced the No First Use Act in their respective chambers to codify in law what they said 'most Americans already believe — that the United States should never initiate a nuclear war.'"
— "Warren Faults 'Capitalism Without Rules' in Pushing Wealth Tax," by Sahil Kapur and Joe Weisenthal, Bloomberg: "Democratic presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren said 'capitalism without rules is theft' and defended her wealth-tax proposal as a way to raise revenue and bolster opportunity for ordinary Americans. 'I believe in capitalism. I see the wealth that can be produced, but let's be really clear,' the Massachusetts senator said Wednesday in an interview with Bloomberg TV. 'Encouraging companies to build their business models on cheating people — that's not capitalism.'"
— "Warren in the cross-hairs — where she wants to be," by Michael Jonas, CommonWealth Magazine: "FIRST HOWARD SCHULTZ called her tax-the-rich plan 'ridiculous' in an NPR interview Tuesday morning. Michael Bloomberg piled on later in the day in New Hampshire, saying it would set the country on the road toward the chaos of Venezuela. For Elizabeth Warren, who famously claimed to have laid the intellectual foundation for the Occupy Wall Street movement, sweeter words could not have been spoken. The Massachusetts senator has made her bones by positioning herself as the watchdog ready to take on the millionaires and billionaires who write all the rules. Having two billionaire would-be competitors for the White House come after her, then, is just the sort of attention Warren wants."
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| DATELINE D.C. |
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— "Romney to speak before closed-door meeting of drug industry CEOs," by Nicholas Florko, STAT: "Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) plans to deliver an address to a closed meeting of the drug industry's powerful lobbying group on Thursday, a clear sign of the industry's interest in courting the newly minted lawmaker. Romney's plans to speak at the upcoming board meeting of PhRMA — to be attended by CEOs from major drug makers like Merck, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson — were described to STAT by three drug lobbyists. He is scheduled to appear for 30 minutes."
— "K Street women seek closer ties to female lawmakers," by Kate Ackley, Roll Call: "The 131 female lawmakers on Capitol Hill have inspired a new collaboration on K Street that swaps in girl power for the ol' boys club. A collection of female lobbyists and organizations is launching a new bipartisan effort, called 131 & Counting, to fete the unprecedented number of women serving in the House and Senate (including four nonvoting delegates), to build connections with them, and to encourage more women to run for office."
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| 2020 WATCH |
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— "Former Mass. Gov. William Weld to announce possible run for president," WCVB: "William Weld, the former Republican governor of Massachusetts who was the Libertarian Party's nominee for vice president in 2016, is mulling a run for president and could make an announcement about a possible presidential run as soon as Thursday. Sources tell NewsCenter 5 he has taken a leave of absence from his law firm and it is unclear whether he is announcing the run or announcing the formation of an exploratory committee."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "SUPER BOWL SPECIAL INSIDE!" "JAILHOUSE JUSTICE," — Globe: "To some, a less-than-super Bowl buildup," "Trump blasts top intelligence officials," "HISTORIC COLD ACROSS MIDWEST."
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| ALL ABOARD |
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— "Violent crime on MBTA dropped 5 percent in 2018, remains at 'historic lows,'" Travis Andersen, Boston Globe: "Violent crime in 2018 on the MBTA declined from the previous year, and such crimes have remained at 'historic lows' over the last three years, thanks to the 'dedication of the men and women' on the Transit Police force, Superintendent Richard Sullivan said Wednesday. In a phone interview, Sullivan said the T has seen a 22 percent decline in part one crimes from 2016 to 2018. Part one crimes include homicide, rape, assault to rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, auto theft, and arson."
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| FROM THE 413 |
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— "Smith College adopts new policies after authorities were called on a black student," by Deirdre Fernandes, Boston Globe:"Smith College has adopted new campus policing guidelines aimed at reducing clashes between school officials and minority students after an employee called authorities on a black sophomore who was relaxing in a common area last summer. The revised policies require dispatchers to gather more information about the caller and the allegedly suspicious person to determine that a police response is warranted and to reduce racial profiling."
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| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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— "Cape schools stand to take hit in education funding," by Cynthia McCormick, Cape Cod Times: "Preliminary estimates from the state Department of Revenue show charter school tuition reimbursement declining in every school district on the Cape except Mashpee. Projections show Sandwich would stand to lose the most. Charter tuition reimbursement would decline from $491,884 this fiscal year to $235,925 next year, according to Gov. Charlie Baker's $42.7B budget proposal."
— "Settlement reached in sexual harassment case against Fall River seafood plant," by Jeremy C. Fox, Boston Globe: "More than five years after the alleged workplace misconduct against Fuentes Herrera and several co-workers began, a federal judge on Wednesday approved a $675,000 settlement in a federal lawsuit against Atlantic Capes and BJ's Service Co., a New Bedford staffing firm. Each will each provide half that sum."
— MEANWHILE IN VERMONT: "Higher education struggles are hitting Vermont hard," by Laura Krantz, Boston Globe: "Green Mountain College and the other higher education institutions sprinkled across Vermont have felt as permanent as the mountains and valleys they stand on, but that ground is shifting quickly. Higher education is the third- largest industry in Vermont, yet the state faces a particularly acute version of the challenges that threaten the industry nationwide. It has the most colleges per capita yet one of the fastest-declining high school populations in the country — offering a sobering look at what might be in store for the rest of the nation."
— REMEMBERING JACQUELINE STEINER - per her obit: "When Jacqueline Steiner wrote most of the lyrics in 1949 for what is popularly known as 'Charlie on the MTA,' she considered it a 'toss-off, an occasional song that would soon be forgotten' — a fate much like what befell poor Charlie, who was trapped forever on the subway. Instead, it became one of the best-known Boston songs — rivaled only by such anthems as 'Dirty Water' — and the namesake of the modern-day MBTA's CharlieCard. Ms. Steiner was 94 when she died of pneumonia Friday in Norwalk, Conn., where she had lived since 1980." Link.
TRANSITIONS — Eleanor Anaclerio is now senior account manager for ThinkArgus, a creative agency in Boston. She previously was senior account manager at POLITICO Pro.
— Lauren Young is digital campaign manager of Freedom For All Americans, an LGBTQ advocacy group. Young was deputy campaign manager for MA3 candidate Alexandra Chandler.
— Robert W. Iuliano, a senior vice president at Harvard, has been named president of Gettysburg College.
SPOTTED: At WBUR's ribbon cutting for CitySpace at the Lavine Broadcast Center last night ... Charlie Kravetz, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine, Paul and Patty Gannon, Gary Nicksa, Timothy Mansfield, Jon and Margot Davis, Bill Collatos, Fredi and Howard Stevenson, Corey and Anya Thomas, Liz and Phil Gross.
SPOTTED: Barney Frank at LGA. pic.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to Kathi Reinstein, director of policy & legislative affairs for Treasurer Deb Goldberg; Eleanor Anaclerio and Bob Norris.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes! The Celtics beat the Hornets 126-94.
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