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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.
SCOOP: MARKEY'S CAMPAIGN SHAKE UP — Sen. Ed Markey is reshuffling the staff on his reelection campaign. Two aides have left the campaign, and Markey is announcing two new hires. The moves come at the end of the year, just before the competition to defend his seat from two Democratic challengers becomes more intense.
Cristina Aguilera, who was Markey's statewide organizing director, is taking a new gig as partnerships director at the digital fundraising platform ActBlue. And Mara Dolan , who served as Markey campaign as senior communications adviser, is stepping back to focus on other projects. Dolan had joined to help establish the campaign's communications operation, Markey campaign manager John Walsh said.
Additionally, Chelsie Ouellette, who had been partially involved with the Markey campaign as part of her role at the progressive consulting firm Field First, is now national organizing director on former Gov. Deval Patrick's presidential campaign.
Stepping in as Markey's organizing director is Rory Clark, who worked on Markey's 2013 campaign for Senate and as a regional director his Boston office. Clark has also worked on former Patrick's gubernatorial campaign.
And Joe Thibodeau is also joining the Markey campaign as deputy organizing director. Thibodeau is a veteran of the crowded primary to replace Rep. Niki Tsongas in 2018. He served as director of community development for Rep. Lori Trahan, and was Trahan's field director during the 2018 general election. Prior to that, Thibodeau was district director for former state Sen. Barbara L'Italien.
FOR YOUR RADAR — I'm moderating a talk with 2020 presidential candidate Sen. Michael Bennet at the Kennedy Institute on Wednesday morning. I hope you'll join us or tune into the livestream. Find details here.
TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker, Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse and state Rep. Aaron Vega make a MassWorks announcement in Holyoke. Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, Marlborough Mayor Arthur Vigeant and state Sen. Paul Feeney make a grant announcement in Marlborough. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh speaks at the 41st annual golden wedding anniversary celebration in the Back Bay. Rep. Katherine Clark is a guest on CNN's "New Day" to discuss the articles of impeachment being announced later in the morning.
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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- "Safety 'is not the priority' at the MBTA, panel finds," by Matt Stout and Adam Vaccaro, Boston Globe: "The MBTA's intense focus on tightening its day-to-day budget while speeding the pace of long-needed projects under Governor Charlie Baker has been detrimental to the operations of the agency and has helped foster a culture in which "safety is not the priority," according to a withering report released Monday. The findings, delivered by a panel of experts hired by the Fiscal and Management Control Board, which oversees the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, describe an agency struggling with generational problems, such as constant turnover in its upper ranks, and hamstrung by its own decisions."
- "T changes course on fare system upgrade," by Andy Metzger, CommonWealth Magazine: "HAVING MISCALCULATED THE needs of its riders and the capabilities of its vendor, the MBTA has adopted a new approach to overhauling its fare collection system that will take longer to complete, cost more, but result in a better and more reliable product, officials say. Rather than the all-at-once, make-or-break transition dubbed a "big bang" under the old schedule, the T will instead gradually phase-in a series of upgrades to ultimately achieve the goal of a smoother, more flexible fare-collection operation that eliminates on-board cash. The launch had been slated for next year with the implementation to be completed by 2022, but under the new plan, the phase-in will stretch into 2024."
- "A Salem city councilor is calling out Charlie Baker over the state of the MBTA," by Nik DeCosta-Klipa Boston.com: "Christine Madore wants Gov. Charlie Baker to experience what her commute was like this week. Madore, a Salem city councilor, says she takes public transit on a daily basis, taking the commuter rail and Orange Line to her urban planning job in downtown Boston. But after delays and crowded trains made her and coworkers an hour late to a meeting Wednesday morning, Madore felt compelled to use her "small soapbox" to vent — and issue a challenge to Baker."
- "Lawmakers want to toughen HIV testing rules," by Christian M. Wade, The Salem News: "Lawmakers want to mandate HIV tests in cases where first responders might have been infected, but the effort faces pushback from those who say the changes are based on fear and misinformation about how the disease is spread. Several proposals scheduled to be heard by the Legislature's Joint Committee on Public Health on Tuesday would require HIV antibody or antigen tests for anyone — even against their will — suspected of infecting someone else by exposing them to blood, semen or other bodily fluids."
- "Supp Still Hung Up as New Deadline Nears," by Michael P. Norton, State House News Service: "There was no apparent breakthrough over the weekend on prolonged state budget talks and the branches remain apart with just over 48 hours remaining before Comptroller Andrew Maylor takes matters into his own hands. Legislative leaders have not settled differences that have caused Maylor to warn he'll just sweep more than $1 billion in surplus revenues into the rainy day account at 3 p.m. Wednesday unless legislators agree to a closeout budget before then."
- "$1.8M granted to 20 Massachusetts school districts for 'teacher diversification,'" by Jim Russell, Springfield Republican: "Gov. Charlie Baker on Thursday announced $1.8 million in grants for 20 school districts, including Amherst, Holyoke and Springfield, to support the administration's Teacher Diversification Pilot Program. Holyoke received the largest share of the funds, $367,283. The program "is designed to support local school district efforts to strengthen and diversify existing teacher recruitment and retention programs," according to the state."
- "MADD names Whelan legislator of the year," by Geoff Spillane, Cape Cod Times: "State Rep. Timothy Whelan, R-Brewster, has been named a 2019 legislator of the year by the group Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Whelan has collaborated with MADD to advance several pieces of roadway safety legislation, including H.1580 — "An Act further strengthening public safety through interlock devices." The legislation would permit a driver charged with OUI to install an interlock device so they can drive again."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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- "Boston activist wins City Council race by a single vote after recount," by Milton J. Valencia, Boston Globe: "That cliche that every vote counts, it's true. In a city of nearly 700,000 residents, last month's at-large Boston City Council race was decided by a single vote Monday night in a nail-biting recount that is likely to be challenged in court. Julia Mejia, a first-time candidate for office, won the city's fourth and final at-large seat, beating Alejandra St. Guillen 22,492 votes to 22,491 votes. Mejia welled up with tears as the Boston Election Commission announced the result, narrowing her initial eight-vote win down to one. St. Guillen had left just before the vote tally was announced to pick up her young child, after several hours of legal wrangling over disputed ballots. Her team said she is reviewing the tally and her options, including whether to challenge the outcome in state court."
- "Walsh, Zakim submit changes to immigrant Trust Act," by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: "BOSTON MAYOR MARTY WALSH and City Councilor Josh Zakim submitted legislation on Monday to strengthen a city ordinance that bars city police from cooperating in most cases with federal immigration authorities to detain immigrants who are in the country illegally. The amendments to the city's Trust Act would make clear that police are not to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in civil matters, though they can work with immigration agencies in cases involving serious crimes."
- "Compromise plan may give Boston a 2 percent tax on larger real estate sales," by Tim Logan, Boston Globe: "Big-dollar real estate sales in Boston could face a tax that would raise hundreds of millions of dollars for city housing programs, under a plan set to get its first vote this week. The City Council on Wednesday will consider a measure to allow a tax of up to 2 percent on real estate transactions of $2 million or more — including homes and apartment and office buildings. It has the support of Mayor Martin J. Walsh, and with his signature would head to the state Legislature for a vote."
- "Hundreds of scholars protest Harvard's decision to deny tenure to Latinx studies professor," by Deirdre Fernandes, Boston Globe: "Harvard professor Lorgia García Peña has been described as a brilliant ethnic studies scholar and an excellent teacher by her colleagues and her students. But she was relatively unknown until a week ago, when Harvard's administrators denied her tenure. Now, the once obscure professor of romance languages and literatures has become a cause celebre, inspiring student protests, letters of support from hundreds of academics across the country, and a petition urging the university to reverse course signed by thousands of students, professors, and alumni. García Peña's case has become a rallying cry for Harvard students and alumni who have been pushing the university to establish an ethnic studies department for nearly 50 years and are frustrated by the slow progress."
- "Report: Tech Is A Boon For Boston, But Not For Everyone," by Adrian Ma, WBUR: "Boston and a handful of other cities are sucking up a disproportionate share of jobs in the nation's "innovation industries," and that trend is not good for the country, according to the authors of a new report. The Brookings Institution report defines innovation industries as those with an intense focus on research and development, and a significant need for science, technology, math and engineering talent. The report's authors estimate that between 2005 to 2017, over 90% of new innovation industry jobs came from just five "superstar metro areas": San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, San Diego and Boston."
- "Mass. biotech and technology companies are scrambling to fill open jobs," by Scott Kirsner, Boston Globe: "A state unemployment rate of 2.9 percent doesn't quite capture how tight the job market is in Massachusetts. "I've never seen anything like it — and I was in the tech industry during the boom of the late 1990s," says Chris Robinson, the chief talent officer at Third Rock Ventures, a Boston firm that provides capital to biotech companies. "And this is much greater than that one, as far as companies' need and the lack of people with the right skills." So what are fast-growing tech and biotech companies doing to fill open jobs in the waning days of 2019?"
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| PRIMARY SOURCES |
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- "Deval Patrick Said His Record Of Fixing Problems Other Candidates Only "Have Plans For" Is Resonating In New Hampshire," by Darren Sands, BuzzFeed News: "Deval Patrick is offering a blunt defense of his record as his rationale for entering the race for president, saying that as a two-term governor, he's already proved his ability to deliver on "a lot of the stuff" that other candidates in the race only "have plans for." "A lot of the stuff that voters say they're interested in, and that candidates have plans for, I've already done. So for me it's not about having a plan or ambition — it's about having results. In New Hampshire, folks know what I'm talking about. Those proof points are familiar to them and people are open to it," Patrick told BuzzFeed News in an interview in Washington, DC. "It is something I bring to the race that the other very capable candidates don't." Patrick has said that he doesn't see any part of his campaign's approach or its message as a "critique" of other candidates."
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| WARREN REPORT |
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- "Buttigieg and Warren come clean in tangle over transparency," by Elena Schneider and Daniel Strauss, POLITICO: "McKinsey and Company will allow Pete Buttigieg to disclose the clients he served at the management consulting firm a decade ago, the latest development in a week-long battle over transparency as Buttigieg and Elizabeth Warren scrap for position in the Democratic presidential primary. Buttigieg has faced weeks of criticism from rival campaigns and Democratic activists over his employment at McKinsey and his closed-door fundraisers with wealthy donors, particularly from Warren, who has banned in-person fundraisers on her campaign as part of an anti-corruption platform. But Buttigieg has fired back by criticizing Warren for not releasing her tax returns during years that covered her corporate legal work."
- "Elizabeth Warren's New Ad Reminds Voters Of Her Alliance With Obama," by Kevin Robillard, HuffPost: "Former Vice President Joe Biden isn't the only Democratic presidential candidate who can put former President Barack Obama in his ads. One of Sen. Elizabeth Warren's newest ads in Iowa features footage of Obama announcing that she would help lead the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in the wake of the Great Recession. Images from the Sept. 17, 2010, event appear as Warren describes her role in launching that agency."
- "Memo from 1990s pollution case shows Elizabeth Warren in action as corporate consultant," by Annie Linskey and Matt Viser, The Washington Post: "The memo from then-Professor Elizabeth Warren was written on Harvard Law School letterhead, a symbol of gravitas for a scholar renowned as a champion for consumers victimized by predatory banks and other big businesses. But on this occasion, Warren was not arguing on behalf of vulnerable families, nor was she offering the sort of stinging rebuke of corporate greed that would later define her political career. Rather, Warren was representing a large development company that was trying to avoid having to clean up a toxic waste site."
- "Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey join the fight to save Minor League Baseball," by Michael Silverman, Boston Globe: " Massachusetts Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey have entered the escalating fray over Major League Baseball's proposal to strip the Lowell Spinners and 41 other minor-league teams of their major-league affiliation. In a sharply worded letter delivered to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred late last week, Warren and Markey depicted the contraction plan as "a slap in the face to Lowell, and to communities across the country." Warren, who is running for president, and Markey minced few words on the harmful impact the overhaul would have not only in Lowell but also in the Merrimack Valley, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and even Southern New Hampshire."
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| TRUMPACHUSETTS |
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- "Weld: Trump Has Committed Impeachable Offenses 'Way Worse Than Nixon,'" WGBH News: "Former Massachusetts Governor and Republican presidential candidate Bill Weld told WGBH News Morning Edition Host Joe Mathieu Monday that Trump has committed impeachable offenses "way worse than Nixon" and should be removed from office. "I'm a longtime federal prosecutor. ... I've never seen such evidence in an obstruction case," Weld said."
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| KENNEDY COMPOUND |
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- "Joe Kennedy calls on Medicare chief to resign after reports of jewelry claim, PR contracts," by Dan Diamond, POLITICO: "Rep. Joe Kennedy (D-Mass.) Monday became the first lawmaker to call on the official overseeing Medicare, Medicaid and Obamacare to resign over POLITICO reports he said reveal "a gross misuse of public funds." Kennedy called on Seema Verma, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, to step down after POLITICO this weekend reported she had asked taxpayers to cover the cost of $47,000 in stolen jewelry and other goods that were swiped during a work trip. Kennedy had also clashed with Verma during a congressional hearing this fall over her steering of more than $2 million toward public relations contractors, some of whom worked to burnish Verma's personal brand."
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| MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS |
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- "Massachusetts medical marijuana customers are buying cheap, good weed — in Maine," by Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican: "Ingrid Martinez is terminally ill and undergoing chemotherapy. Medical marijuana helps her alleviate her nausea and pain. Martinez, 50, a Lowell resident who worked in medical coding before she got sick, travels to Maine every three weeks or so to buy marijuana. Although she has a Massachusetts medical marijuana card, she said marijuana costs too much in the Bay State. Martinez had to stop using marijuana at one point because she could not afford it."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "ICE BUCKET HERO," — Globe: "From challenged to challenger, he raised hopes on ALS," "Harvard faces fire on tenure process."" |
| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "'There's no question at all that Christopher Roy is a hero;' fallen Worcester firefighter remembered 1 year after Lowell Street blaze," by Melissa Hanson, MassLive.com: "Perseverance. That's the word emblazoned on a memorial that will stand outside the Webster Square Fire Station in Worcester. That word represents a lesson, something the fire department can learn from the life and legacy of Firefighter Christopher Roy, Chief Michael Lavoie said Monday night at a ceremony marking the one-year anniversary of Roy's ultimate sacrifice. Roy was killed a year ago fighting a blaze that broke out at 5-7 Lowell St."
- "Neighbors want more asbestos testing at compressor site," by Jessica Trufant, The Patriot Ledger: "Residents fighting the construction of a natural-gas compressor station on the banks of the Fore River want excavation of contaminated fill at the site halted until regulators order more testing for asbestos, a microscopic mineral fiber known to cause cancer. Weymouth resident, Margaret Bellafiore, says a firm hired to evaluate contamination on the site did not adequately test bricks that were dumped on the property years ago after being removed from an incinerator across the street. She recently called on state Department of Environmental Protection regulators to block the excavation of fill at the compressor station site until more testing is complete."
REMEMBERING PETE FRATES ... from the AP: "Pete Frates, a former college baseball player whose determined battle with Lou Gehrig's disease helped inspire the ALS ice bucket challenge that has raised more than $200 million worldwide, died Monday. He was 34. Frates died peacefully, surrounded by his family, they said in a statement." Link.
WELCOME TO THE WORLD - Boston City Council President Andrea Campbell welcomed her son, Aiden Ronald Scheier, on Sunday. Tweet.
TRANSITIONS - Dave Garriepy has joined Tremont Strategies Group as vice president of government relations. He previously was director of state-federal relations for Gov. Charlie Baker.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to David Todisco, digital press assistant to Rep. Lori Trahan; and Jasper Craven.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes and no! The Celtics beat the Cavaliers 110-88. The Senators beat the Bruins 5-2.
FOR YOUR COMMUTE: THE FOURTH AWAKENS - On this week's Horse Race podcast, hosts Steve Koczela and Stephanie Murray discuss the ongoing spat between Senate candidates Sen. Ed Markey, Rep. Joe Kennedy III and Shannon Liss Rior-dan over taking a People's Pledge. Candidate for congress Jesse Mermell talks about why she is running to replace Kennedy, her time as president of the Alliance for Business Leadership and her role in former Gov. Deval Patrick's administration. Another congressional candidate, Ihssane Leckey, talks about her vision for the 4th Congressional District, her time as a Wall Street regulator and whether the district is ready for a Democratic socialist as a representative. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud.
Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you're promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com.
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