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Presented by JUUL Labs
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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. GO BRUINS!
COMMUTE CHAOS — "Unconscionable," "unacceptable" and "a moral outrage." That's how some elected officials described MBTA service yesterday after a Red Line train derailed — sending the morning commute off the tracks along with it.
A little after 6 a.m. yesterday a Red Line train derailed by the JFK/UMass station. It was the second train derailment in less than a week, and the fourth one this year. A Green Line train had derailed and injured 11 people on Saturday, which officials said was due to an operator issue.
Yesterday's snafu left riders stranded. Some passengers were directed to take the Commuter Rail instead, but many of those trains coming from the suburbs were already packed. Bus service wasn't much more efficient, and Lyft prices surged above $100 during the morning commute.
Yesterday's incident was more than just a derailment . It was a flashpoint in a political battle over how to fix the state's transportation woes, which include aging infrastructure and the worst rush hour traffic in the country. Pretty much everybody agrees there's a problem. There's just no real consensus on how to solve it.
The MBTA malfunctions are happening against a backdrop where some elected officials say the state should allocate more money to the MBTA to fix aging infrastructure and expand services. Others are calling for congestion pricing. Some say the governor's investment plan is the way to go. Regardless of your preference, it is safe to say this latest derailment has brought commuters and transit advocates closer to their boiling point.
"This week's @MBTA derailments are unacceptable. We need answers, solutions & more funding, and we need it now," Boston Mayor Marty Walsh wrote in a tweet. "It is imperative that we have a public transportation system for Boston residents and surrounding communities that is safe and reliable."
WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN FOR + 4 YEARS CHARLIE? YOU PROMISED TO WAVE YOU MAGIC WAND, APPOINT POLITICAL HACKS, PRIVATIZE THE OPERATION AND THINGS WOULD IMPROVE. INSTEAD, YOU LET KEOLIS OFF THE HOOK FOR SHODDY PERFORMANCE, DIRTY AND OVERCROWDED TRAINS AND MUCH ELSE. INCREASED FARES ARE COUNTER PRODUCTIVE AND NOW YOU BLAME 'HISTORY'? SORRY, CHARLIE! THIS IS YOUR FAIL!
But Gov. Charlie Baker pushed back on criticism of existing investments to improve the T, saying the state is heading "in the right direction" and that it can't all be done overnight. In Baker's view, it is going to take time to make costly system upgrades, since the state neglected to invest in infrastructure for decades.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.
TODAY — Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito chairs a meeting of the Governor's Council to Address Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence. Attorney General Maura Healey speaks to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh celebrates the reopening of Noyes Park in East Boston. Walsh holds a public safety press conference ahead of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. Walsh speaks at Curtis Guild Elementary School. The House and Senate meet in a Constitutional Convention.
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A message from JUUL Labs:
Youth vaping is a problem. We're taking action. No youth or non-nicotine user should ever try JUUL products. We've taken a series of actions to greatly reduce youth use of tobacco products, including our own. Learn more about our youth prevention efforts: JUUL.com/youth-prevention
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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- "State leaders agree to a three-month delay for paid-leave taxes," by Jon Chesto, Boston Globe: "Massachusetts employers won't face Paid Leave Armageddon in a few weeks after all. State officials on Tuesday granted anxious business leaders their wish by agreeing to a three-month delay before assessing companies fees for a new paid family and medical leave program. These new taxes were supposed to kick in on July 1. Now, they'll begin in October. The news came via a brief joint statement issued Tuesday night from Beacon Hill's three leaders: Governor Charlie Baker, Karen Spilka, and House Speaker Robert DeLeo. They did not provide much additional detail, other than to note that the postponement should give businesses adequate time to implement the program, and that some minor changes will be made to its design. (The Legislature still needs to vote to adopt the delay.)"
- "Many Beacon Hill Democrats Look To Make Single-Payer A Reality," by Mike Deehan, WGBH News: "As Democrats in Washington work to protect the Affordable Care Act from those who want less government involvement in health care, Democrats in Massachusetts say it's time for the state to play a much bigger role. The Legislature's Health Care Finance Committee heard Tuesday from supporters like Sen. Jaime Eldridge (D-Acton), who thinks health care is a right and likened the state providing care to the way we treat education. Eldridge wants the state to take care of residents "cradle to grave" and admits that such a huge new goal would cost taxpayers in the form of a new payroll tax ."
- "Movie industry pushes to make Massachusetts film tax credit permanent," by Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican:"Supporters of the controversial Massachusetts film tax credit have three years to convince lawmakers to make it permanent. The tax credit, which provides incentives for movie and television companies to film in Massachusetts, is scheduled to sunset at the end of 2022. Already, those in the film industry are lobbying the Legislature to eliminate the sunset date. They say companies will avoid filming multi-year TV series here if they cannot be assured the tax break will continue."
- "Groups on opposite sides of abortion debate rally troops ahead of hearing," by Lisa Kashinsky, Boston Herald: "Groups on both sides of the abortion debate are gearing up for demonstrations at the State House on Monday, as lawmakers hold a hearing on legislation that would expand access to the procedure. The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts on Tuesday put out a call to action asking supporters of "An Act to Remove Obstacles and Expand Abortion Access" — commonly referred to as the "ROE Act" — to pack the Gardner Auditorium for the 1 p.m. Joint Committee on the Judiciary hearing."
- "Charlie Baker pressed to halt Weymouth compressor station," by Mary Markos, Boston Herald: "Advocates, legislators and local officials are calling on Gov. Charlie Baker to put an end to a controversial Weymouth gas facility as his Department of Environmental Protection comes under scrutiny for withholding important air quality data.DEP officials seemed confused in a continued air-quality permit appeal hearing Monday, not directly answering why they withheld over 700 pages of data last month that showed certain toxins above the limits in an already highly polluted area. The decision deadline was extended to July 12."
FRIVOLOUS? WHO'S COMPLAINING? MAYBE THE RECORDS BEING REQUESTED SHOULD BE POSTED ON THE TOWN'S WEB SITES.
- "LAWMAKERS SEEK RELIEF FROM FRIVOLOUS RECORD REQUESTS," by Kaitlyn Budion, State House News Service:"Citizens abuse the open meeting law and public records requests in order to overwhelm and harass local officials, lawmakers said Monday. "Many towns in the Metrowest region have been inundated with hundreds of frivolous open meeting law and public records law complaints which has created disruption in town offices and an unnecessary waste of taxpayer money responding to those complaints," said Rep. David Linsky of Natick. At a public hearing of the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight, Linsky joined Sen. Becca Rausch of Needham and town officials from Natick to advocate for a bill to adjust the requirements in the open meeting and public records request laws."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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- "David Ortiz's Doctor Also Treated Ted Kennedy, Is 'Very Accomplished And Skilled,'" by Callum Borchers, WBUR: "When David Ortiz's wife, Tiffany, made her first public statement since the retired Red Sox slugger was shot in the Dominican Republic, she thanked one doctor, in particular: Larry Ronan. Ronan is the Red Sox's medical director and an internist at Massachusetts General Hospital. According to a team spokeswoman, "he has been helping coordinate David's care at MGH." Ronan is no stranger to life-and-death situations. He was a Sox team doctor in 2006, when pitcher Jon Lester was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a blood cancer."
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| THE OPINION PAGES |
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- "A tuition freeze would hurt a thriving UMass," by Martin T. Meehan, Boston Globe: "Mass is now one of only three public university systems in the country to have all of its undergraduate campuses ranked among the top 200 national universities by U.S. News & World Report. The university has achieved all that with only modest annual tuition increases, even while experiencing a double-digit decline in per student state funding since 2008, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. But now the Legislature is considering Senate budget language that would freeze tuition without funding the university's full budget request. That would effectively upend UMass governance and the fiduciary role of the board of trustees. More than 30 former trustees, appointed by both Democrats and Republicans, have spoken out against it, instead supporting the versions of the budget proposed by Governor Baker and the House."
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| DAY IN COURT |
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- "Federal prison agrees to provide methadone to inmate from Mass." by Felice J. Freyer, Boston Globe: "The Federal Bureau of Prisons has agreed to provide methadone to an inmate throughout her incarceration, in a settlement that the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts called the first of its kind. The ACLU, which sued on behalf of the inmate in March, said it believes the agreement marks the first time an inmate who is not pregnant will receive methadone for addiction treatment while held in a federal prison. The agreement with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, reached June 5, concerns Stephanie DiPierro of Everett, who has used methadone prescribed by her doctor to control her opioid use disorder for about a decade."
- "Former Stanford University sailing coach faces sentencing in college admissions scandal," by John R. Ellement, Boston Globe: "The first person to be sentenced in the "Varsity Blues" college entrance scandal will be the former sailing coach for Stanford University who never directly pocketed any cash and whose efforts to help three students bypass the admissions process ultimately failed. John Vandemoer, who grew up on Cape Cod and started sailing off the shores of Hyannis as a child, pleaded guilty to racketeering and honest fraud services for steering $610,000 into Stanford sailing bank accounts in return for falsely qualifying three students as sailors for admissions."
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| WARREN REPORT |
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- "Democratic Presidential Debates Could Reignite Warren-Biden Bankruptcy Fight," by Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR: "In 2005, bankruptcy was on the rise and had been for years. Lawmakers were pondering why, exactly, that was happening — and what, if anything, they should do about it — when two future presidential rivals squared off over a bankruptcy overhaul bill that would restrict who could write off their personal debts. In one corner, Joe Biden — one of the staunchest Democratic advocates for the bill and a senator from Delaware, home to several large credit card companies. He was also a member of the Judiciary Committee, which was debating the bill. In the other corner, Elizabeth Warren, a Harvard Law professor who had fought against this type of bankruptcy overhaul for years and who was on a panel convened for a hearing over the bill."
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| FROM THE DELEGATION |
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- "Markey: Data Breach Underscores Need For DHS Face Recognition Rules," by Katie Lannan, State House News Service:"U.S. Sen. Ed Markey is calling for the federal government to formalize rules around facial recognition technology, after a data breach at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection exposed images of travelers and vehicles. Markey, in a statement, said the breach "raises serious concerns about the Department of Homeland Security's ability to effectively safeguard the sensitive information it is collecting." "It only underscores the urgent need for the Department of Homeland Security to pause its deployment of facial recognition technology until it has instituted enforceable rules prioritizing cybersecurity and protecting travelers' privacy," he said."
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| TRUMPACHUSETTS |
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- "Most Mass. voters don't like Trump. But nearly half don't support impeachment, poll finds," by Christina Prignano, Boston Globe: "Massachusetts voters really don't like President Trump, but that doesn't mean they want Democrats on Capitol Hill to try to impeach him. Sixty-one perecent of those surveyed in a Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll viewed Trump unfavorably — far more than any of the other politicians included in the question. Just 30 percent held a favorable view of Trump. However, 49 percent of Mass. voters said the House of Representatives should not seriously consider impeaching Trump, according to the survey released Tuesday. Forty-two percent said they were in favor, and 9 percent were undecided. The number of those in favor of impeachment jumped among Democrats: 63 percent said the House should consider impeachment, while 25 percent said it should not."
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Attend the #WellbeingCity Forum in Montréal: Cities are currently home to more than half the global population, a figure that will soar to 70% within the next thirty years. The NewCities' Wellbeing Cities Forum, held in Montreal on June 19-20, brings together senior leaders and urban experts to explore and collaborate on city-led action to improve urban wellbeing. Guest speakers include Professor Saskia Sassen, Daniel Libeskind, and mayors from around the world. Tickets are available via NewCities here.
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| DATELINE D.C. |
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- "Pro-Choice House Lawmakers: Strike Discriminatory Hyde Amendment From Budget," by Ally Boguhn, Rewire.News: "Pro-choice leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a budget amendment last week seeking to remove the Hyde Amendment from a funding bill and expand access to abortion coverage. Though it is unlikely to pass, reproductive health and rights advocates say its introduction is a victory. The amendment would strike Hyde—the anti-choice budget rider passed annually by Congress banning federal funding for abortion care—from the 2020 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) funding bill. The restriction disproportionately affects people of color and those with low incomes, putting abortion care out of reach for many. U.S. Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) introduced the pro-choice amendment."
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| MOULTON MATTERS |
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- "The Kamikaze Candidate: Inside Seth Moulton's Bid for the White House," by Bill Beuttler, Boston Magazine: "What does an early-career politician do in his darkest hour? Well, if you're Seth Moulton, you decide to run for the highest office in the land. Fueled by what he describes as an unwavering desire to serve his country and what others describe as unrelenting ambition, Moulton announced in April that he would add his name to the ever-growing roster of candidates seeking the Democratic presidential nomination. It is unclear where Moulton fits in—or stands out—in a field essentially divided into two camps."
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A message from JUUL Labs:
We're combating the problem of underage vaping by:
Advocating for raising the legal age to purchase our products to 21+ nationwide.
Stopping the sale of non-tobacco and non-menthol based flavored JUULpods to traditional retail stores.
Enhancing our online age verification process.
Strengthening our retail compliance program with over 2,000 secret shopper visits per month.
Shutting down our Facebook and Instagram accounts and working to remove inappropriate social media content generated by others on those platforms.
And investing in new technologies to further prevent youth use.
JUUL.com/youth-prevention |
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "BUCKLE UP!" — Globe: "Ortiz remains in ICU as sescond suspect is arrested," "Another derailment sends MBTA looking for answers," "Biden, Trump hit Iowa trail, each other." |
| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "RESTORATIVE RUCKUS," by Laura Kisels, DigBoston: ""It's time we forget about 'restraint,' 'measured responses,' 'procedural justice,' 'de-escalation,' 'stigma-reduction,' and other feel-good BS ... Let's meet violence with violence and get the job done." These words weren't tweeted by a random Twitter troll. Rather, they were published by a lieutenant at the Arlington Police Department last October as part of a series of columns published in the Sentinel, an official statewide trade publication of the Massachusetts Police Association. And there was more."
- "Former employee says discrimination allegations at Brockton bakery not surprising," by Josie Albertson-Grove, Brockton Enterprise: "When Frank Simpson heard a former employee accused White's Bakery of discrimination, he said he was not surprised. The Brockton bakery is being sued by the state attorney general's office for harassment of and discrimination against a former employee, Arthur Haynes, on the basis of his race and disability. The complaint filed by the attorney general's office claims bakery supervisors mocked Haynes' speech impediment and frequently used the N-word. The bakery became a "racially hostile work environment," the complaint says. When Simpson heard about Haynes' suit, he said he wanted to tell his stories about working in the bakery. " I don't think this guy should stand alone, that's why I'm sticking my nose in here," Simpson said."
- "Session focuses on needs of aging LGBT community," by Cynthia McCormick, Cape Cod Times: "Members of the state LGBT Aging Commission told Cape residents Tuesday that it's time for elder service agencies to put out a rainbow-colored welcome mat for people belonging to a long-marginalized group. During a listening session at the Barnstable Senior Center, Lisa Krinsky, a social worker and director of the LGBT Aging Project, said approximately 65,000 Massachusetts residents over the age of 60 identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Krinsky said those numbers will continue to grow as baby boomers age and become more open about issues of sexual orientation and gender identification ."
TRANSITIONS - Ligris + Associates founder Kosta Ligris will step down as CEO and managing partner of the firm to pursue new ventures in the property technology space. Ligris Chief Development Officer Nikolaos Ligris and Chief Operating Officer Christos Vioreswill become co-managing partners to lead day-to-day operations. Kosta Ligris will remain a board member and adviser.
- John McLafferty was appointed equal employment opportunity officer for the state House.
REMEMBERING JAMES KING ... per his obit: "Jim was a man of many talents, adventures, and years of public service. He worked on over 100 political campaigns throughout the country and the world, and he was considered one of the first and best political advance men in the country. He traveled extensively and met with many world leaders, but he never took them, or himself, too seriously." Link.
SPOTTED: at Lesley University's alumni weekend in Cambridge ... Rep. Ayanna Pressley spoke in honor of her chief of staff Sarah Groh, a Lesley alumna, who received an award from the university.
MAZEL! to Boston law firm Davis, Malm & D'Agostine, P.C., which celebrates its 40th anniversary.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to Campbell Curry-Ledbetter, a Rep. Joe Kennedy III alum; and Boston Business Journal reporter Allison DeAngelis.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? No! The Rangers beat the Red Sox 9-5.
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