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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.
EXCLUSIVE: MERMELL'S NEW ENDORSEMENTS — Jesse Mermell is rolling out eight new endorsements for her congressional campaign to fill Rep. Joe Kennedy III's seat today. Mermell, who lives in Brookline, is the former president of the Alliance for Business Leadership and was a close aide to former Gov. Deval Patrick.
Mermell has already been endorsed by Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Diane Patrick, the former first lady of Massachusetts, and Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera, among others.
Mermell's new endorsements come from five local officials and three members of the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee. She's backed by Easton Select Board Chair Dottie Fulginiti, Brookline Select Board Member Heather Hamilton, Hopkinton Select Board Member Irfan Nasrullah, Needham School Committee Member Sue Neckes, and Mansfield Select Board Vice Chair Michael Trowbridge, along with committee members Joe Kaplan of Mansfield, Walter McDonough of Needham and Marilyn Powers of Attleboro.
Mermell's new endorsements come a few days after she announced her $351,000 fundraising haul in the last quarter of the year. That puts her behind Newton City Councilor Jake Auchincloss, who raised more than $609,000 in the same quarter. We're up to almost a million dollars raised in the 4th District contest — and the other four candidates haven't even released their fundraising totals yet.
But money isn't everything. Just look at Rep. Lori Trahan and Pressley, who won congressional seats in 2018. Both raised less money than their competitors. Still, being able to raise campaign cash and nab local endorsements are useful indicators of a candidate's strength, especially in a crowded congressional primary when we don't have other data to size up the race, like polls.
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. State Reps. Mike Connolly, Dylan Fernandes and Liz Malia speak at a press conference on real estate transfer fee bills with Boston City Councilor Lydia Edwards and Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone at the State House.
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POLITICO TECH AT CES - This week we are bringing a special edition of the POLITICO Tech newsletter to CES 2020 . Written by Nancy Scola and Cristiano Lima, the newsletter will take you inside the largest and most influential technology event on the planet, featuring every major and emerging industry in the technology ecosystem gathered together in one place. The newsletter runs from Jan. 6 - 10 and will focus on the public policy related aspects of the gathering. Sign up today to receive exclusive coverage of the Summit.
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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- "State employees filed more than 100 sexual harassment complaints in 3 years; in #MeToo era, this center was created to investigate cases," by Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican: "When an MBTA bridge person working a night shift reported that his colleagues were harassing him for being gay, one of his coworkers was demoted — but the bullying continued. The demoted worker, meanwhile, allegedly returned to the job site and threatened the victim. Records show the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, an independent state agency that investigates such complaints, found the MBTA improperly allowed the men to work near each other and may have allowed the victim's complaint to affect his job prospects."
- "Upcoming tax debate awkward for GOP," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "As the House prepares to debate new funding sources for transportation, Massachusetts Republicans find themselves in an awkward situation. They generally oppose raising taxes, particularly the gas tax, but the party's top elected official, Gov. Charlie Baker, is leading the charge for an 11-state transportation climate initiative that would place a price on the carbon contained in automobile fuels and have an impact similar to raising the gas tax."
- "Broker-Dealer Rule Triggers Clash on Beacon Hill," by Katie Lannan, State House News Service: "A proposal aimed at protecting investors encountered pushback Tuesday from financial services firms and trade groups who argued the changes would instead reduce choice and access for consumers, particularly those with low or moderate incomes. Secretary of State William Galvin last June proposed a regulation that would apply a fiduciary conduct standard to broker-dealers, agents and investment advisers in interactions with their customers and clients."
- "RMV scandal helped fuel hike in state payroll," by Hillary Chabot, Boston Herald: "A horrific scandal at the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles is behind a $21.8 million increase in payroll spending at the state's transportation department last year, an agency official said Tuesday. A deadly motor vehicle collision last summer exposed an RMV records keeping gaffe that left many cited drivers on the road, even though out of state violations meant their licenses should be yanked. The RMV hired 15 new full-time employees — including a Deputy Registrar of Safety and a Chief Compliance Officer, said Massachusetts Department of Transportation spokeswoman Jacquelyn Goddard."
- "Massachusetts state payroll grows to $7.4 billion," by Matt Rocheleau, Boston Globe: "The Massachusetts state payroll climbed to $7.4 billion last year, an increase of 3.4 percent over the previous year, according to new data from the state comptroller's office. The number of state workers earning six figures grew by more than 10 percent from 2018, according to the data. Last year, about 18,680 people took home $100,000 or more, up from 16,940 the previous year. About 960 employees took home at least $200,000, including 17 who made a half-million dollars or more."
- "Fishermen, wind farm developers at odds," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "A GROUP REPRESENTING New England fishing interests on Tuesday called for special travel lanes through offshore wind farms proposed off the coast of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, putting the fishermen at odds with wind farm developers who want to retain as much space as possible for their turbines. The Responsible Offshore Development Alliance called for the creation of six travel lanes, each one four nautical miles in width, through the entire lease area off the coast of the two states."
- "Health officials warn of nasty flu season," by Christian M. Wade, Newburyport Daily News: "Health officials say this flu season is shaping up to be one of the worst in decades as the number of confirmed cases continues to climb. At least 2,900 confirmed cases of influenza have been reported in Massachusetts so far this winter, compared with about 700 during the same period in 2018-19, according to the state Department of Public Health, which publishes weekly updates."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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- "Walsh calls for big boost in school spending," by Michael Jonas, CommonWealth Magazine: "BUOYED BY FLUSH city coffers and a new law promising more state education aid down the road, Mayor Marty Walsh said he will commit $100 million in new annual city spending to the Boston Public Schools. The announcement came during Walsh's annual State of the City speech, delivered Tuesday night at Symphony Hall, and marks the first time the mayor has made a multiyear budget commitment of that size. His plan calls for the $100 million increase to be phased in over three years, with priority in the first year given to schools that have been chronically underperforming."
- "Walsh Presents $500M Housing Plan — But Will Need State Support To Fund It," by Isaiah Thompson, WGBH News: "In his annual State of the City address Tuesday, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh called for new investments, including a major influx of new revenue, to bolster, expand and create new housing initiatives. Walsh said he wants to more than quadruple spending on housing — a new investment of some $500 million over five years. Those investments, he said, will allow the city to create and preserve thousands of units of affordable housing around the city, as well as create, for the first time in the city's history, a city-funded rent voucher program to directly help vulnerable renters pay for housing ."
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| PATRICK PRIMARY |
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- "Deval Patrick Hopes for an Unlikely Surge, but for Many, 'It's Awfully Late,'" by Stephanie Saul, The New York Times: "Deval Patrick was eyeing the mug of bacon, the signature menu item at the Red Arrow Diner, a greasy spoon across the street from his presidential campaign's new state headquarters. As Mr. Patrick placed his order Saturday afternoon, another customer, Roger LaVault, recognized him as the former two-term governor of nearby Massachusetts. "I like the guy," said Mr. LaVault, a Manchester resident who works for a gene therapy company, calling Mr. Patrick "personable" and "honest. Then came the bad news for the candidate's White House aspirations: Mr. LaVault said he did not know Mr. Patrick was in the race."
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| ALL ABOARD |
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- "A New Orange Line Train Just Tiptoed Back onto the Tracks," by Spencer Buell, Boston Magazine: "The MBTA is ever-so-gingerly reintroducing one of the two brand new Orange Line trains into service on Tuesday, the first time either has been seen in more than a month. As you may recall, the new trains were pulled from the tracks after T staff noticed an "uncommon noise" emanating from the new cars, which is the last thing you want when you've got a total of 152 identical copies of it heading to the city by 2022. In a statement, the T said it believes it's been able to fix whatever was causing the concerning sound, and is thus ready to try out the new trains on the tracks again."
- "Worcester City Council signals support for fare-free bus service," by Steven H. Foskett Jr., Telegram & Gazette: The City Council Tuesday night signaled support for a deeper exploration into the feasibility of a fare-free public transportation system. Councilors supported an order from at-large City Councilor Gary Rosen to request that public hearings on the idea be held through the city through the council's Public Service and Transportation Committee. Residents and local transit advocates at the meeting said moving to a fare-free system would help address a host of issues, including accessibility, equity, environmental justice, and traffic congestion."
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| DAY IN COURT |
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- "Compressor station opponents buoyed by Virginia ruling," by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service: "Opponents of a natural gas project under construction in Weymouth were optimistic Tuesday that a court ruling vacating a permit for a similar facility in Virginia could serve as a helpful precedent. In a ruling issued on Tuesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit said Virginia's State Air Pollution Control Board did not sufficiently consider the consequences a proposed natural gas compressor station would have on the predominantly African-American community near its site."
- "Former Mass. State Police Lt. David Wilson, who admitted to OT abuse in federal court, may take plea deal in state case," by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: "Former Massachusetts State Police Lt. David Wilson, who pleaded guilty to a federal charge related to the state police overtime abuse case, is considering pleading guilty to state charges against him in the fraud investigation. Wilson, who pleaded guilty to an embezzlement charge in the federal case against him, has denied the state charges for months. His attorney, Leonardo Angiulo, argued that the case should be dismissed in part because Wilson would be penalized twice for the same crime."
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| WARREN REPORT |
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- "Warren deploys Castro in bid to get her mojo back," by Alex Thompson, POLITICO: "With an unusual flurry of national media appearances and the rollout of her highest profile endorsement to date — former presidential candidate Julián Castro — Elizabeth Warren is trying to give her campaign a jolt in the final weeks before the Iowa caucuses. For most of her presidential run, the Massachusetts senator had spurned Beltway-centric Sunday shows, mostly stayed away from the cable news circuit, and only occasionally went on national TV shows. But as her polling and fundraising has dipped in recent weeks, Warren has embarked on an energetic media tour."
- "Warren takes shot at Biden with new bankruptcy plan," by Katy O'Donnell, POLITICO: "Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) wants to make it easier for Americans to go through bankruptcy, unveiling a plan Tuesday that she cast as a way to reverse the damage wrought by a 2005 law championed by her presidential rival Joe Biden. That law, which imposed new requirements on filing for personal bankruptcy and limited the kinds of debts that can be forgiven, "made the 2008 financial crisis significantly worse," Warren wrote in a Medium post announcing her plan."
- "Can Elizabeth Warren's Selfie-Taking, Plan-For-That Campaign Win Her the Nomination?" by Nathan Heller, Vogue: "SINCE WARREN stepped into the public eye as chair of a congressional oversight panel monitoring the government bailout in 2008, her profile has grown with a vigor unusual for somebody who spent most of her career outside government life—a sign, to some, that she tapped into a change within the Democratic Party. Warren, along with Sanders, is seen to represent a new, change-oriented force that's based on opposition to big money and, in her case, scrupulously laid-out programs for reform."
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| FROM THE DELEGATION |
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| TRUMPACHUSETTS |
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- "'A Legacy For Our Entire World': MFA Fires Back At Trump's Threat To Iran's Cultural Sites," by Christian Burno, WBUR: "The Museum of Fine Arts is firing back at President Trump after he threatened to strike Iranian cultural sites if the country retaliates for the U.S.'s killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani last week. "The preservation of antiquities and cultural sites should not be endangered by any U.S. administration," said Matthew Teitelbaum, the MFA's director, in a statement Monday. The MFA highlighted the Iranian art in its special exhibitions and collection, which contains five millennia of Iranian art. On Instagram, the museum posted a photo of a blue, ceramic, double-shelled ewer from early 46th century Iran ."
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| KENNEDY COMPOUND |
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- "Rep. Joe Kennedy: After Iran Missile Strikes, We Must Repeal Authorization For Military Force In Middle East," by Victoria Bedford and Kaitlyn Locke, WGBH News: "U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III called for a repeal on Tuesday night of the authorization for use of military force that has been in place since September of 2001 and has been used to justify military actions across the Middle East. Kennedy's comments came after news broke that Iran launched about a dozen surface-to-air missiles against at least two U.S. military bases in Iraq a few days after U.S. forces targeted and killed one of Iran's top military commanders, Gen. Qassam Soleimani."
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| IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN |
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- "Natick developing tool to fight climate change," by Henry Schwan, MetroWest Daily News: "A Natick official says her town's effort to measure greenhouse gas emissions could eventually be used throughout Massachusetts to fight climate change. The goal of developing the so-called "Community Greenhouse Gas Inventory Tool" is to paint an accurate picture of emissions in town, according to Jillian Wilson Martin, Natick's sustainability coordinator. Martin stressed the tool covers only those emissions that originate in Natick, including from homes, businesses and cars."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "IRAN STRIKES BACK," "THUG RAP," — Globe: "Iran hits back at US, attacks bases," "Red Sox face probe of possible video sign-stealing in '18." |
| FROM THE 413 |
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- "'We're singing, not recruiting': PV Gay Men's Chorus says diocese barred them from concert," by Jacquelyn Voghel, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "The Pioneer Valley Gay Men's Chorus is speaking out after they say the Diocese of Springfield barred the group from performing at a holiday concert at St. Theresa's of Lisieux Parish last month. When the chorus was invited to participate in the church's "Lessons and Carols" concert, its members were somewhat apprehensive due to the Catholic Church being "not as progressive as some of the other churches," said chorus member George Yeramian. But ultimately, the chorus, which formed 26 years ago, was excited to participate and spent weeks preparing for the Dec. 15 show."
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| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "A wave of diversity changes the look of local councils," by Stephanie Ebbert, Boston Globe: "In the 127 years that Everett has been a city, its residents had elected four councilors who were not white. This week alone, they added three more people of color. Monday marked the inauguration of the city's first black female councilor (Gerly Adrien), the first Latina (Stephanie Martins), and the first Asian-American (Jimmy Tri Le). Everett, which previously had an all-white council governing a very diverse city, was not unique in breaking new ground in this season of newly seated municipal governments."
- "Early voting set for week before Super Tuesday," by Bill Kirk, Eagle-Tribune: "Anyone in the city looking to beat the crowds to the polls during the March 3 presidential primaries can vote early during the prior week. The City Council unanimously approved the dates and times for early voting Tuesday night. City Clerk Bill Maloney said that state law required early voting from Feb. 24-28. The big question for councilors was when the "polls" would be open. In fact, the early voting will take place inside the City Council chambers on the first floor of City Hall."
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| MEDIA MATTERS |
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- "WGBH opening news bureau in downtown Worcester as part of expansion," by Noah R. Bombard, MassLive.com: "Boston-based WGBH, the largest producer of PBS content for TV and the web, is expanding to Central Massachusetts. The public broadcasting company announced today it will open a news bureau in downtown Worcester in space previously occupied by the Telegram & Gazette. The new space, which is expected to open in the spring, will house a fully-equipped broadcast studio, the organization said in a news release."
- "Salem News moving to Danvers," by Paul Leighton, The Salem News: "The Salem News is moving out of its longtime home in Beverly and heading to a new location in Danvers. The newspaper will move into its new office suite at 300 Rosewood Drive in Danvers on Sunday, according to Karen Andreas, regional publisher of North of Boston Media Group. The Salem News has been located at 32 Dunham Road in Beverly since merging with the former Beverly Times in 1995."
SPOTTED: a question on Jeopardy last night with a Massachusetts connection. Tweet. (h/t SHNS reporter Katie Lannan)
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY - to MA Public Health Department Chief of Staff Jen Barrelle, who celebrated Monday.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to Alexis Picheny.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes! The Bruins beat the Predators 6-2.
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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