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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.
PROGRAMMING NOTE: Massachusetts Playbook will not publish on Monday, Feb. 18. I'll be back in your inbox Tuesday, Feb. 19. Have a lovely long weekend.
WARNING from NYC — New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio ripped into Amazon for ditching New York City with no warning during his visit to the Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge last night.
De Blasio told reporters was "flabbergasted" when an Amazon executive called him earlier in the day to tell him the company was yanking plans to develop a headquarters in Long Island City, Queens. The public announcement came within the hour.
"There wasn't a shred of dialogue. Out of nowhere they just took their ball and went home," he said. "I think it was a huge mistake and they have to be held accountable for their own decisions."
As of now, Amazon said it has no plans to start up an HQ search 2.0. But if things were to change, de Blasio offered a warning to other cities courting Amazon: "A corporation thinks it has the right to do this to 8.6 million people," de Blasio said. "If they could do it to us, other cities should be worried they could do it to them."
Last week, Gov. Charlie Baker said he'd be open to talking with Amazon if the tech behemoth pulled out of New York, according to a Boston Business Journal report, and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said the company hadn't reached out. But that was all before Amazon's big, dramatic breakup with New York City on Valentine's Day.
But speaking of big corporate plans that aren't what they seem, General Electric is giving back the more than $87 million in state incentives the conglomerate used to secure a headquarters in Boston, and selling what would have been its Fort Point HQ. The company is staying in the city, but it's pumping the brakes on its would-be footprint and ambitions.
Read the full story from Sally Goldenberg and me here.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.
TODAY - House Speaker Robert DeLeo speaks at Salem State University. Former Gov. William Weld speaks at Politics & Eggs in Bedford, N.H. State Rep. Mike Connolly talks affordable housing in Cambridge. State Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa and state Sen. Jo Comerford hold a town hall in Northampton. Rep. Jim McGovern is a guest on WGBH's Morning Edition.
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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- "Michlewitz, Rodrigues tapped to lead State House's powerful budget committees," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo and Senate President Karen E. Spilka unveiled their leadership teams Thursday, shuffling in two new chairmen to lead the State House's powerful budget committees just weeks before the the state spending debate begins. Representative Aaron Michlewitz, a former State House aide who rose through the House hierarchy to handle thorny legislation around ride-sharing and short-term rentals, will take over the House Ways & Means Committee. Senator Michael J. Rodrigues, a 23-year Beacon Hill veteran, will assume the post in the Senate, where he last year led a closely watched ethics investigation into the Senate's former leader."
- "Chang-Diaz reassigned; post left vacant for McMurtry," by Andy Metzger and Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine:"SENATE PRESIDENT KAREN SPILKA on Thursday reassigned Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz on the eve of a major education debate, while House Speaker Robert DeLeo kept the chairmanship of the tourism committee vacant pending the outcome of an investigation into Rep. Paul McMurty for allegedly grabbing the backside of a fellow lawmaker. Chang-Diaz of Jamaica Plain had been the Senate chair of the Legislature's Education Committee, but Spilka on Thursday moved her out of that position and named her chair of two committees focused on marijuana and children, families, and persons with disabilities."
- "PRESSING ISSUES AWAIT NEW AND RETURNING COMMITTEE LEADERS," by Colin A. Young and Chris Lisinski, State House News Service: "Now that the House and Senate have ratified committee assignments for the new two-year legislative session, it's time for lawmakers to get down to the work that awaits them. Some committees will break new ground on issues this session, while others are expected to start off by trying to come to a resolution on issues that were debated at length last session. The legislators appointed Thursday to serve as chairs of committees will wield influence over the legislation before their panels and will aim to control the flow of bills to the House or Senate floors."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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- "GE to sell Fort Point HQ, give back $87m to state," by Jon Chesto, Boston Globe: "General Electric says it will reimburse the state for the massive incentive package that helped convince the company to move its headquarters here from Connecticut, as it looks to sell its future Fort Point headquarters property and scales back its ambitions. The board of MassDevelopment — a quasi-public agency that owns part of the property — approved a plan on Thursday to jointly market the 2.7-acre site with GE. The sale proceeds will reimburse the agency for the $87.4 million in state money that has been used to acquire and prepare the Fort Point parcel."
- "UMass officials: Bayside deal means 'whole new day' for Dot campus," by Jennifer Smith and Bill Forry, Dorchester Reporter:"The infusion of more than $200 million in funds generated by the lease of Bayside to a private development team will be a game-changer for the Dorchester campus that has struggled with creeping debt and a crumbling foundation, according to UMass Boston's interim Chancellor Katherine Newman."
- "A single comment made Mayor Walsh rethink supervised injection sites," by Nestor Ramos, Boston Globe: "Mayor Martin J. Walsh knows more than most about addiction. He got sober more than 20 years ago — alcohol, not drugs — and has stayed that way thanks to what some simply call the program: Going to meetings, working the 12 steps, taking sobriety one day at a time. And so the notion of the city providing places for people to inject illegal drugs acquired outside the facility under the watchful eye of medical professionals, places known as supervised injection facilities, made the mayor recoil. This wasn't abstinence; if anything, it sounded like the opposite of the ethos that transformed his life."
- "Even With Smaller School, Roxbury Prep Building Plans Still Divisive," by Max Larkin, WBUR: "There's no truce yet in the war over 361 Belgrade Ave. That's the site on the West Roxbury/Roslindale border where Roxbury Prep hopes to build a new school to house its high school students who are currently split across two ad hoc campuses. Roxbury Prep — a charter school serving almost exclusively students of color — has done years of outreach to persuade skeptical neighbors that a new school would benefit their community."
- "Metco aims for fairer admissions process," by James Vaznis, Boston Globe: "For decades, a voluntary desegregation program that places Boston students in suburban schools has operated pretty much the same way: on a first-come, first-served basis, creating a frenzy among parents desperate to secure a stellar education for their children. Now, Metco leaders are proposing a radical change to the application process in an effort to bring more fairness and transparency to bear: They want to limit the acceptance of applications to the months of October, November, and December preceding the next school year and use a randomized system of selecting applications for referral to suburban districts."
- "Outside the Box: Jesse Mermell is one active activist," by Jim Morrison, Boston Business Journal: "Jesse Mermell is president of the Alliance for Business Leadership, a nonprofit organization representing about 200 local business leaders who 'believe that social responsibility and the sustainable growth of the Massachusetts economy go hand in hand.' She's also well-known for her activity in Democratic politics and the local and state levels."
- "Mayor Marty Walsh won't rule out run for governor," by Brooks Sutherland, Boston Herald: "Mayor Martin J. Walsh isn't ruling out a run for governor, telling the Herald 'when the time is right; he'll make his decision about his political future. 'I'm not ruling anything out,' Walsh said when asked about a possible run for the Corner Office. 'This is a great job. I love my job. It's a hard job,' Walsh said of his post as mayor. 'When the time is right, I'll make my decision.'"
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| WARREN REPORT |
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- "Legal And Economic Experts Break Down Elizabeth Warren's Wealth Tax," by Arjun Singh, WGBH News: "Is the United States becoming more unequal? According to data from researchers at the University of Oxford, income inequality in the U.S. has steadily been rising, and in 2018 the gap between the top 10 percent of earners and the bottom 10 percent reached its widest margin since the Great Depression. As the 2020 presidential cycle kicks off, several candidates have signaled they plan to tackle income inequality. Sen. Elizabeth Warren proposed a 'wealth tax' on households with assets of $50 million and more last month. If passed, Warren's tax could raise $2.3 trillion over a decade, and fund many of the social programs she's campaigning on, such as universal healthcare — which would require an initial down payment of $1.1 trillion."
- "Elizabeth Warren Slams Trump's DHS for Gutting Election Protection Squads," by Erin Banco, The Daily Beast: "Leading Democrats—including presidential candidate and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren—slammed the Department of Homeland Security Thursday for dramatically downsizing two task forces assigned to securing U.S. elections. The Daily Beast reported Wednesday that many of the people assigned to the two task forces under DHS' Cyber Security and Infrastructure Agency have been reassigned to other offices within the department. The task forces were assembled in response to Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election."
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| DATELINE D.C. |
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- "Pressley rejects border compromise, slams ICE as 'abusive,'" by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley joined other young Democratic firebrands to slam ICE as 'abusive' in an announcement Thursday rejecting a bipartisan compromise to keep the government open. Pressley, who represents much of Boston, teamed up with U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib to release a statement reading, 'This Administration continues to threaten the dignity and humanity of our immigrant population.'"
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| IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN |
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- "Schumer slams 'stunt' Green New Deal vote as moderates fret," by Anthony Adragna, POLITICO: "Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats would not be intimidated by the 'cynical stunt' of voting on the Green New Deal resolution, even as moderate members of his caucus distanced themselves from the sweeping climate change goals. Schumer's clap back comes on the heels of McConnell saying his chamber would vote on the ambitious Green New Deal resolution floated by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.). That move is expected to show internal divisions within the Democratic caucus about how to tackle climate change with some lawmakers recoiling at the resolution's aim of decarbonizing the U.S. economy within a decade."
- MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE: "Supporters Say Seabrook Nuke Protects Climate; Critics Worry About Cracks In The Concrete," by Annie Ropeik, NHPR: "Federal regulators still appear poised to re-license Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant, despite requests to delay. A Nuclear Regulatory Commission hearing on the issue Wednesday night was packed with industry workers and residents from New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The NRC called the hearing after backlash over their announcement in January that they planned to re-license the plant."
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| MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS |
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- "Somerville Attempts To Draw In Minority Pot Shop Owners," by Aaron Schachter, WGBH News: "When it comes to equity in Massachusetts' fledgling recreational marijuana industry, one Massachusetts city is taking extra steps to level the playing field. Somerville passed an ordinance requiring that 50 percent of recreational marijuana licenses go to black and Latino applicants. The application process for those groups looking for recreational marijuana licenses opened this week. But due to the lingering effects of past and continuing inequities, advocates say finding black and Latino entrepreneurs to join the legal marijuana economy hasn't been easy."
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| EYE ON 2020 |
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- "Martha Coakley is raising money for Kamala Harris in Boston," by Matt Stout and Victoria McGrane, Boston Globe: "Former Massachusetts attorney general Martha Coakley is among the hosts of a Boston fund-raiser Tuesday for presidential hopeful Kamala Harris, according to a copy of the invitation obtained by the Globe. Harris, a senator from California, is set to arrive in Boston after making her first trip to New Hampshire since announcing her candidacy on Jan. 20. Georgia Murray, the Boston philanthropist, and her husband, Mark Maloney, are hosting the evening reception at their South End home, where invitees are asked to donate from $1,000 to $2,800 to Harris's campaign, according to the invitation."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "HONORING HIS SERVICE," "THAT'S WALL, FOLKS," — Globe: "Trump shifts from shutdown to emergency," "UMass leases out Bayside Expo area," "A SOLEMN ANNIVERSARY," "Shrinking GE will sell off Fort Point site." |
| FROM THE 413 |
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- "Holyoke utility, citing pipeline constraints, halts natural gas hookups," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine:"SUPPORTERS OF BUILDING another natural gas pipeline into the region have been quiet for some time, but they resurfaced on Thursday after discovering a municipal utility in Holyoke had declared a moratorium on new natural gas hookups last month. Holyoke Gas & Electric announced on January 28 that pipeline capacity constraints were preventing access to new supplies of natural gas, requiring the imposition of a moratorium on news natural gas connections."
- "Hampshire College announces layoffs coming Tuesday," by Scott Merzbach, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "An initial round of layoffs at Hampshire College will be announced Tuesday as the college prepares to become a smaller institution and continues its search for a strategic partner to help sustain the liberal arts school for the long term. President Miriam 'Mim' Nelson sent a letter to college employees Wednesday informing them that in less than a week 'supervisors and Human Resources will have private conversations with staff members whose positions are being eliminated, and will give those staff members 60 days notice at that time.'"
- "Rep. Joe Wagner is sole WMass lawmaker appointed to House or Senate leadership," by Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican: "Rep. Joseph Wagner, D-Chicopee, will be the only Western Massachusetts lawmaker to hold a key position in Massachusetts House and Senate leadership this session. House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, appointed Wagner to be assistant majority leader, making Wagner the sole member of the Western Massachusetts delegation to be appointed to any of the nine top positions that make up the Democratic leadership in either the House or Senate. Democrats hold a supermajority in both bodies."
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| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "Strangers, 500 strong, pay last respects to D-Day veteran," by Jessica Heslam, Boston Herald: "D-Day veteran James McCue died a hero. About 500 strangers made sure of it. Rooney, who lost his legs when a roadside bomb exploded in Iraq in 2007, wheeled himself over and placed one hand on the casket and gave McCue a final salute. He was among the crowd of people who came to Bellevue Cemetery in Lawrence to honor a man they had never met."
TRANSITIONS - Emma R. Murphy joins The Lowell Sun as a reporter. Murphy currently reports for the Brookline TAB. Tweet.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to Adm. Jim Stavridis, operating executive at the Carlyle Group and chairman of the board of counselors at McLarty Associates, who turns 64; Nicole Bardasz, field director for Rep. Tram Nguyen (h/t John Walsh); Lowell City Manager and former state Sen. Eileen Donoghue, Law360 reporter, and ESPN and WEEI Radio sportscaster Chris Villani; Shaynah Barnes of Rep. Stephen Lynch's office; Shaynah Barnes, and Robert Swan, a Ted Kennedy alum.
HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND - to First Lady Lauren Baker.
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