| Happening Today |
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| ‘Save the Lottery’ rally; dystopia talk |
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— State Rep. Keiko Orrall, a Republican running for state treasurer, joins concerned Braintree citizens for a "Save the Lottery" rally outside the Massachusetts Lottery headquarters. Orrall has been critical of her opponent, Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, over the Lottery's planned move from Braintree to Dorchester and reports Tuesday that the Lottery now will vacate its current Braintree location entirely. Lottery HQ, 60 Columbian St., Braintree, 7:30 a.m.
— Treasurer Deborah Goldberg’s busy week continues when she chairs a meeting of the Mass. State Retirement Board. MSRB headquarters, One Winter St., 8th floor, Boston. 10 a.m.
— The Environment Massachusetts Research and Policy Center plans to release a letter signed by 30 sports-related local businesses and organizations asking Boston's sports teams to commit to a goal of 100 percent renewable energy. Organizers say climate change “could threaten our winter and summer sports traditions.” Warrior Ice Arena, 90 Guest St., Boston, 10 a.m.
— Both branches of the state legislature meet in informal sessions starting at 11 a.m.
— WGBH State House reporter (and MassterList creator) Mike Deehan hosts a Facebook Live conversation about the rise of dystopian fiction and how current events and politics influence its popularity. Deehan moderates a discussion among Harvard Kennedy School senior lecturer Christopher Robichaud, Boston Public Library young adults librarian Veronica Koven-Matasy, and writer and Boston University lecturer Joelle Renstrom. Facebook Live, 2 p.m.
— Gov. Charlie Baker participates in the grand opening of the CloudHealth office, 100 Summer St., 20th Floor, Boston, 4 p.m.
— Many of the candidates on the ballot in Tuesday’s primary election will be on the trail today. Rep. Juana Matias, a Lawrence Democrat running for Congress in the Third District, greets voters at the commuter rail station in Lowell, the first stop of the day on a "Countdown to Change" tour she launched Wednesday. Sen. Barbara L'Italien, an Andover Democrat running for Congress in the Third District, plans to hold a get-out-the-vote rally with representatives of labor unions that have endorsed her. Bread and Roses, Campagnone Common, Lawrence, 5 p.m.
— Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli, who is running unopposed, holds a summer celebration and re-election kickoff. Country Club of Pittsfield, 5:30 p.m.
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| Today's News |
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| Deval aides launch PAC, but insist focus is 2018 |
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Close aides to former Gov. Deval Patrick have launched a new political action committee, stoking speculation of a 2020 presidential run even though the aides insist the goal of the fundraising group is to advance Democratic candidates in this year’s midterms.
While some journalists were eager to cite the move as proof positive Patrick is in for the chance to take on President Trump in two years, former Patrick Chief of Staff Doug Rubin tells Brian Dowling of the Herald the potential candidate wasn’t even aware the PAC was being created.
Gintautus Dumcius of MassLive notes The Reason to Believe PAC bears the same name as Patrick’s 2011 book about his career and reports that John Walsh, Patrick's former gubernatorial campaign manager and the former chair of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, is listed as the organization’s treasurer. |
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| Will independent voters be Tuesday’s X-factor? |
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The number of independent voters continues to climb in the state, reaching its highest point in 70 years and setting up the voters who used to be called un-enrolled to cast their votes on any of the three primary election ballots available on Tuesday as a possible X favor, Joshua Miller and Matt Stout report in the Globe.
Will left-leaning independents stay in their lane and vote for their favorite Democrat even if he or she is unopposed or cross over and try to boost who they see as the weakest general election candidate (think: the U.S. Senate race). Or will GOP-favoring independents use their ballots to throw races with large numbers of candidates (hello, U.S. Third Congressional District) into further turmoil?
That’s a lot of questions, but fortunately we’ll have all the answers in a few short days.
Boston Globe |
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| Here come the election crib sheets |
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Panicking yet about those races you haven’t been able to follow as closely as you’d like. Fortunately, the state’s journalists have you covered, with handy crib-sheet style primers starting to appear just in time for harried voters who may have forgotten that summer this year ends with an election.
At the Patriot-Ledger, Joe DiFazio focuses on the three-way race for the GOP Senate nod, noting that the Republicans have sought out different paths as they try to navigate the policy positions of both Gov. Charlie Baker and President Donald Trump.
Out at the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Dusty Christensen seeks to sum up the progressive challenge that civil rights attorney Tahira Amatul-Wadud is waging against longtime incumbent U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, who has been representing the state’s 1st Congressional district for nearly three decades.
Up in Lowell, meanwhile, the country’s only Cambodian-American legislator—Rady Mom— is facing a challenge from inside his own community, Ted Siefer reports in CommonWealth Magazine. Mom sought a late-campaign boost this week with a visit to the district by House Speaker Robert DeLeo. |
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| L’Italien promises to impeach … Clarence Thomas |
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Barbara L’Italien is grabbing national headlines again late in the Third Congressional District campaign. This time, L’Italien is saying that if elected she will push for the impeachment of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, citing past accusations of sexual harassment. Victor Morton of the Washington Times reports that the state Senator would also call for hearings into President Trump’s sexual harassment allegations.
Washington Times |
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| WooSox stadium’s new future neighbor: A pot shop |
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The Worcester Planning Board has approved the city’s first special permit for a recreational marijuana business—for a pot shop in the same Canal District where a $100 million minor league baseball stadium is planned. Nick Kotsopolous of the Telegram reports that Good Chemistry of Mass. Inc., wants to add a recreational shop to the medical marijuana dispensary it already operates. It will now need a license from the Cannabis Control Commission.
Incidentally, the Globe’s Joan Venocchi believes Rhode Island taxpayers should be thanking, not blaming Gov. Gina Raimondo for the impending PawSox departure. “Raimondo sought a reasonable balance between ruling out any public subsidy and giving away so much that the public assumes all the risk. That seems like a good place for a governor to be,” she writes.
Telegram & Gazette |
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| Records show Mass. Cultural Council staffers spend on high-end hotels |
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We’re not sure how the Massachusetts Cultural Council got itself in the sights of the journalists at the Boston Herald, but we do know they’re hitting the target on a regular basis this week. It started with car leases and other perks that have been curtailed in other parts of state government and now Joe Dwinell reports on the upscale hotel tastes of staffers. The MCC dropped $17,500 on hotel stays in a one-year period that ended in May, much of it at boutique-style digs that cost as much as $500 a night.
Boston Herald |
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| Lawmakers grow frustrated at Cannabis Control Commission |
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Two lawmakers who wrote the state’s marijuana law apparently are peeved at the state’s newly minted Cannabis Control Commission.The CCC contends it does not have the authority to review host community agreements struck between pot businesses and cities and towns. The commission is asking lawmakers who wrote the pot bill to amend it and given them the authority they believe they lack.
But Rep. Mark Cusack, House chair of the Marijuana Policy Committee and Sen. Patricia Jehlen, the Marijuana Policy Committee’s Senate co-chair, contend no changes are needed, SHNS’s Colin A. Young reports via CommonWealth magazine.
Rather, the lawmakers contend the CCC not only has the authority under the marijuana bill right to review the host agreements as part of the licensing agreements for pot businesses, but that the fledgling regulator needs to step up to the plate and start doing its job.“I think this has less to do with ambiguity than it does reading comprehension,” Cusack said. “Simply put, it is part of the licensing requirements.”
Ouch!
Meanwhile, the Boston Business Journal has added to the chorus of voices calling for host community wheeling and dealing to be reined in, saying "too many communities who claim to be open to recreational marijuana are putting up barriers to minorities and low-income residents getting a piece of that business by demanding high up-front fees."
CommonWealth Magazine |
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| Mass newspapers dodge a bullet |
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Local newspapers won’t face a big hike in newsprint costs after a decision by the federal trade officials to nix the Trump Administration’s proposed tariff on Canadian newsprint.
The decision was hailed by U.S. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts) and U.S. Rep Richard Neal (D-Springfield), both of whom had lobbied hard against the tariff, Shannon Young of MassLive reports. Markey argued the tariff would have “eviscerated” local newspapers, with an especially heavy impact on Massachusetts papers, which rely on Canadian newsprint.
MassLive |
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| Desperate for workers, Cape businesses turn to cultural exchange program |
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The Trump Administration’s cutback on H-2B worker visas have left Cape restaurants, shops and other businesses that depend on seasonal workers in a major jam.
So employers on the Cape have turned to the J-1 cultural exchange visa program to bring in overseas college students in to cook, clean and staff the cash registers.
But some worry the program has strayed from its original purpose, with foreign exchange students complaining of long hours and drudgery.
Sarah Tan of WCAI, the Cape’s NPR station has the details via the WGBH website.
WGBH |
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| Framingham residents want city to address downtown crime |
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Residents and business owners in Framingham’s downtown are pressing community leaders to address a problem that predates the town’s conversion to a city: Loitering and other crime that they say is driving down the quality of life. Zane Razzaq of the MetroWest Daily News reports that police leadership pinned much of the blame for the issues on the opioid crisis and said enforcement alone won’t solve the problem
MetroWest Daily News |
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| MGM off to a strong start in Springfield |
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MGM Springfield says 150,000 people visited the resort casino in its first three days of operation, a number it says exceeded its own expectations, Peter Goonan reports at MassLive. President Michael Mathis said going forward he expects 15,000 to visit the casino daily.
MassLive |
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| More winners means lower profit at lottery |
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Treasurer Deb Goldberg said shrinking profit margins at the Mass. State Lottery underscore the need to modernize its product lineup and roll out more online games. Colin Young of State House News Service reports the Lottery saw sales rise more than 4 percent in July compared to the year before while net profit dropped by $13 million, continuing a trend that began last year. Lottery officials cited increased payouts to winners for the dip.
State House News Service (paywall) |
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| T trims Alewife parking fee hike amid repair work |
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Call it the falling ceiling discount. The MBTA says it will shave $1 off its planned parking fee increase at the Alewife garage, citing the ongoing repair project begun after parts of the ceiling began falling on vehicles, Bruce Mohl reports at CommonWealth Magazine.
The $1 reduction may not seem like much, but Mohl notes that it throws a wrench into the complex plan the T unveiled this summer to use pricing to direct more traffic to lesser-used stations and combined with an earlier decision to reduce fee increases at garages in Quincy at the request of that city’s mayor, could dent the agency’s ability to balance its operating budget.
CommonWealth Magazine |
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| Dorchester living rooms become political solons |
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From Jennifer Smith of the Dorchester Reporter comes the latest proof of just how local all politics are. Smith writes about the many small-scale political gatherings taking place in homes across the neighborhood, with celebrities-turned-pols such as Jimmy Tingle as well as more traditional candidates grabbing opportunities to talk to as few as 10 voters at once.
Dorchester Reporter |
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| Globe’s Wu photo choice draws candidate backlash |
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The Boston Globe’s decision to use a photo of Congressional candidate Brianna Wu taken during her Gamergate days drew a strong rebuke from the candidate, John Bonazzo of The Observer reports. Wu said the decision undermines what she calls “an extreme effort to dress professionally.”
The Observer |
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| Candidates of color see strong fundraising run |
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The PAC launch could be coming at a perfect time. As David Bernstein writes at WGBH, candidates of color are raking in the fundraising dough across local and state races, continuing a long upward trajectory for such candidates.
WGBH |
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| Today's Headlines |
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| Metro |
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| Massachusetts |
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| Nation |
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| Beacon Hill Town Square |
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| Aug. 31, 8 a.m. |
| 14th World Summit on Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia Care Research and Awareness |
| Hosted by: New York Events List |
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| It is a great pleasure to welcome you to Boston, Massachusetts, USA on behalf of Organizing Committee for the 14th World summit on Alzheimer’s disease, Dementia Care Research and Awareness scheduled on August 31–September 01 2018. More Information |
| Share on TwitterShare on Facebook |
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| Sept. 6, 5:30 p.m. |
| Corporate Citizenship Awards 2018 |
| Hosted by: Boston Business Journal |
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| We look forward to seeing you on September 6th for the Boston Business Journal's 13th annual event to recognize Massachusetts' most philanthropic companies! More Information |
| Share on TwitterShare on Facebook |
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| Sept. 7, 7:30 p.m. |
| A Night of Music to Benefit Katie McBrine for State Senate |
| Hosted by: Committee to Elect Katie McBrine |
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| Come out for a Night of Music to benefit the campaign to elect Katie McBrine to the State Senate. Kingsley Flood and Eddie Japan will perform at the River Club in Scituate on September 7, 2018, beginning at 7:30PM. Tickets available now! More Information |
| Share on TwitterShare on Facebook |
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| Sept. 12, 8 a.m. |
| 2018 State of the Region Address - North Shore Chamber |
| Hosted by: North Shore Chamber of Commerce, Inc. |
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| Join us September 12th at our Annual State of the Region Breakfast. The State of the Region Breakfast connects chamber members and business professionals with information about important regional issues, while providing direct access to elected officials. More Information |
| Share on TwitterShare on Facebook |
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| Sept. 12, 7 p.m. |
| Harvard Alum Stuart Eizenstat will discuss "President Carter: The White House Years" |
| Hosted by: The Coop Event Series...Authors, Coop Kids & More! |
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| The definitive history of the Carter Administration from the man who participated in its surprising number of accomplishments―drawing on his extensive and never-before-seen notes.Stuart Eizenstat was at Jimmy Carter’s side from his political rise in Georgia through four years in the White House, where he served as Chief Domestic Policy Adviser. More Information |
| Share on TwitterShare on Facebook |
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| Jobs |
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Reach MASSterList's 16,000 Beacon Hill connected and policy-minded subscribers with your job postings. Have a friend interested in one of these positions? Forward the newsletter to them! Contact David Art at dart@massterlist.com or call 617-992-8253 for more information. |
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| Recent postings to the MASSterList Job Board: |
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