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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. TGIF.
ON THE WAY TO IOWA — Sen. Elizabeth Warren heads to Iowa today, where she'll face voters for the first time as a presidential candidate. She flies to the early-voting state fresh off the heels of being sworn into her second term in the Senate.
Warren will make five stops this weekend : Council Bluffs, Sioux City, Storm Lake, Des Moines and Ankeny (a late addition). Though other 2020 prospects have traveled to Iowa in recent months, Warren held off. Now, she's the first household name Democrat to do so with an exploratory committee in tow, and she's made several key hiresahead of her trip.
"I'm hoping that tomorrow is a good day in Iowa, " Warren said in an Instagram video streamed live from her Washington pied-à-terre last night. "So I've gotta go pack and get on a plane tomorrow and head off to Iowa. This is how we do it — together."
In her live stream, Warren gave a tour of her home, reflected on the day's swearing-in ceremony and then offered a strong pro-union message. In light of the lengthy National Grid lockout which may finally come to an end next week, she said a "terrific" change is happening in Massachusetts where workers stick together.
Ahead of this Iowa trip, Warren has staked out positions on other issues like foreign policy and the Green New Deal. The Senator said she supports pulling troops from Syria in an appearance on MSNBC on Wednesday night, though she criticized the president for lacking a comprehensive plan to do it.
Warren also drew a line on campaign funding when she suggested 2020 Democratic candidates "link arms" and say no to billionaires in the primary, whether they are candidates who self-fund or the wealthy who fuel political action committees. "Let's see where grassroots America is," Warren told Rachel Maddow.
As for a trip to court New Hampshire voters , Warren told State House reporters earlier this week that she hopes to get there soon, though nothing is set in stone yet.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.
TODAY - Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito celebrate their inauguration with events in Springfield and Worcester. Rep. Katherine Clark is a guest on MSNBC's "Meet the Press." Sen. Elizabeth Warren travels to Iowa.
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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YA MEAN CHARLIE BAKER MIGHT ACTUALLY 'DO' SOMETHING OTHER THAN DUCKING, AVOIDING LEADERSHIP, TRAVELING AROUND GLAD HANDING AND FUNDRAISING ?
- "Charlie Baker's second inauguration speech focuses on the practical, not the visionary," by Matt Stout and Victoria McGrane, Boston Globe: "Charlie Baker, the wonkish chief executive who's become known as an adroit, if careful, collaborator in a time of heightened partisanship, took the oath of office Thursday to officially launch his second term as Massachusetts governor. The Swampscott Republican marked the moment with a measured speech detailing the ways he'd delivered on his promise to make state government ' thrifty, hard-working, and creative.'"
- "Tarr proposal would require monitors on gas projects," by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: "Natural gas companies would be required to have experienced technicians on job sites to monitor gas pressure in the lines during work, under a proposal filed Thursday. Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, filed the proposal in response to the gas fires and explosions that ripped through the Merrimack Valley four months ago."
- "HEALEY JOINS LAWSUIT CHALLENGING TEXAS COURT'S ACA RULING," by Katie Lannan, State House News Service:"Attorney General Maura Healey on Thursday joined with 16 of her counterparts from across the country in challenging a Texas ruling that the 2010 Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional, a move Healey said was aimed at protecting families from losing their access to medical care. 'What this ruling would do, if allowed to go forward, would really throw into jeopardy not only millions and millions of Americans' access to health care, but also the effectiveness and the functioning of health care markets generally,' Healey told the News Service."
- "Charlie Baker, Robert DeLeo make passing laws to test stoned drivers a 'priority,'" by Alexi Cohan, Brooks Sutherland and Mary Markos, Boston Herald: "Gov. Charlie Baker and House Speaker Robert DeLeo say passing new laws to target stoned drivers and get them off the road are a 'priority' on Beacon Hill, after long-awaited recommendations for new pot laws were released Thursday. The recommendations from the Special Commission on Operating Under the Influence and Impaired Driving call for mandatory blood and saliva tests of suspected pot-using drivers — under penalty of license suspension."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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- "The New Insiders of Boston Politics," by David Bernstein, Boston Magazine: "The roster of black elected officials is the news that made headlines, but if you dare to be a reckless optimist for just a moment, you can see that signs of change are percolating all over the city, suggesting that this moment could be the start of a new chapter. 'The conversation on diversity, race, and inclusion is everywhere,' says Cheryl Clyburn Crawford, executive director of MassVote, which registers and organizes voters in historically disenfranchised communities. 'I think we are on the verge of something.'"
- "National Grid workers hopeful, relieved by tentative deal," by Katie Johnston, Boston Globe: "National Grid workers don't know all the details of the tentative agreement between their union and the utility company, but they're relieved the six-month lockout may finally be over — and hopeful that their long, stressful standoff hasn't been in vain. Since late June, when National Grid refused to let two United Steelworkers locals come back to work following months of contentious contract negotiations, the 1,250 union members have had their lives turned upside down."
- "'Jail As A Last Resort': Rachael Rollins Defends Plan Not To Prosecute Certain Crimes," Greater Boston, WGBH: "After less than 24 hours officially on the job, Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins has a long to-do list. A day after she was sworn into office — making history as the first woman and first African-American to take on the role of Boston's top prosecutor — she's getting to work. That includes defending her controversial plan not to prosecute certain crimes, including trespassing, shoplifting, larceny under $250, receiving stolen property, and drug possession with intent to distribute."
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| DAY IN COURT |
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- "Gaming Commission facing heat on Wynn probe," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "WITH JUST SIX MONTHS to go before the $2.6 billion Encore Boston Harbor opens, the validity of the Wynn Resorts casino license is still up in the air. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission launched an investigation of Steve Wynn and Wynn Resorts nearly a year ago, after the Wall Street Journal reported that Steve Wynn had engaged in 'a decades-long pattern of sexual misconduct.' The investigation was nearly complete last year, when some additional documents surfaced and were turned over to the commission by Wynn Resorts. Those documents are now part of a court fight in Las Vegas initiated by Steve Wynn, who alleges the materials are covered by attorney-client privilege."
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| WARREN REPORT |
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- "Some N.H. Democrats say they're lukewarm on Warren," by James Pindell, Boston Globe: "Ahead of the 2016 presidential primary, New Hampshire was abuzz about a draft effort to recruit US Senator Elizabeth Warren into the race — replete with on-the-ground staff, a Manchester office, and a "Run Warren Run" petition with hundreds of signatures. But ahead of 2020, many Democratic activists in the first-in-the-nation presidential primary state are expressing skepticism about the Cambridge Democrat's candidacy and outreach in the state."
- "Is she likable enough? We're still asking that?" by Stephanie Ebbert, Boston Globe: "At this time of feminist resistance and a pitched, even prickly awareness of gender disparities, women are pushing back against presumptions and narratives they might have endured just a few years ago. Warren, a scrappy politician who previously turned a scolding from Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell into a feminist mantra on persistence, greeted her detractors head-on, but with the sense of humor that campaign observers say is vital to female candidacies."
- "Don't Underestimate Elizabeth Warren and Her Populist Message," by John Cassidy, The New Yorker: "For those of you who haven't been keeping track, there are (just) thirteen months until the Iowa caucuses. By releasing a campaign video on New Year's Eve and planning a trip to the Hawkeye State this weekend, Elizabeth Warren, the sixty-nine-year-old Democratic senator from Massachusetts, has effectively fired the starting gun in the 2020 Democratic primary, and indicated that she's ready to go the full distance."
- "Control-Freak Warren Could Learn From Swashbuckling McCain," by David S. Bernstein, WGBH News: "There is a curious omission in Elizabeth Warren's 2017 book, 'This Fight Is Our Fight.' It comes—or rather, fails to come—after she reveals that in 2015 she briefly considered running for President in the 2016 cycle but quickly forsook the notion. The impression given is that her White House ambitions are so low, and the grief of a national campaign so great, one brief conversation with her husband while watching TV put the idea to rest."
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| DATELINE D.C. |
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- "Ayanna Pressley is sworn in to Congress, says she will fight for stronger gun laws, a survivors bill of rights," Jacqueline Tempera, MassLive.com: " Ayanna Pressley was sworn in to Congress Thursday, breaking down barriers to become the first person of color to represent Massachusetts in the U.S. House of Representatives. Pressley, who first won her seat on the Boston City Council in 2009, will represent Massachusetts' Seventh Congressional district. This encompasses parts of Boston, Cambridge, Milton and all of Chelsea, Everett, Randolph, and Somerville."
- "Trahan sworn in as 3rd District rep as part of record class of women," by Chris Lisinski, The Lowell Sun: "U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan was sworn into office Thursday -- overseen by once-again House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the only woman ever to hold that role — amid a buzzing, enthusiastic atmosphere, part of a diverse freshman class that looks like no other the House of Representatives has ever seen."
- "Four Boston city councilors attend former colleague Ayanna Pressley's swearing-in," by Sabrina Schnur, Boston Globe:"Boston City Councilors Michelle Wu and Annissa Essaibi-George were in Washington, D.C., on Thursday to see their friend and former City Council colleague Ayanna Pressley sworn in to the new Congress. And their smiles told the whole story. Essaibi-George tweeted a photo of her and Wu beaming outside Pressley's new office, with Wu pointing to the sign on Pressley's new office."
- "US Rep. Richard Neal takes the helm as House Ways and Means Committee chairman," by Shannon Young, Springfield Republican: "As the 116th Congress convened for the first time Thursday, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal officially took over as the Ways and Means Committee's chairman — a powerful position which puts the Springfield Democrat at the forefront of debate on tax, trade and other high-profile issues on Capitol Hill. Neal, who was elected Ways and Means chairman last month, told The Republican that he intends to use his position to enshrine protections for pre-existing health care conditions into federal law, shine a light on GOP-backed tax overhaul changes, address retirement savings shortfalls and push for an infrastructure investment package."
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| TRUMPACHUSETTS |
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- "Trump Tweeted a "1/2020th" Meme Mocking Elizabeth Warren," by Spencer Buell, Boston Magazine: "As Elizabeth Warren's presidential campaign gets off the ground, President Trump is coming after his potential 2020 rival with a meme. In a tweet on Thursday morning, the president tweeted an image showing a mock-up of a 'Warren 2020' campaign logo, except the 2020 has been altered to read '1/2020th" instead.'"
- "Take out the trash: Amid shutdown, park officials ask public to be respectful," by Steve Annear, Boston Globe: "You can come and visit, but please, leave no trace behind. That's the message officials from the Cape Cod National Seashore are trying to convey to the public amid the partial federal government shutdown, in hopes of avoiding problems like trash pileup and discarded human waste that have plagued national sites in other parts of the country."
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| THE CLARK CAUCUS |
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- "Democrats take aim at presidential tax returns, conflicts of interest in new ethics proposal," by Benjamin Siegel, ABC News:"In addition to the tax returns provision, the bill would also require presidential appointees to recuse themselves from any matters involving the president, a president's spouse or any entities in which they hold a "substantial interest." The measure was derived from a proposal from Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and introduced by Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., in the House, according to a section-by-section summary of the proposal obtained by ABC News."
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| MOULTON MATTERS |
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- "Exclusive Poll: Anti-Pelosi Democrats Could Be Vulnerable to Primary Challenges in 2020," by Gideon Resnick, The Daily Beast: "As Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is poised to once again take the gavel as Speaker of the House, there are already indications that the short-lived rebellion against her return could precipitate political consequences in 2020. Progressive organizations are already eying possible Democratic incumbents for primaries both in safer blue districts and based on their participation in an effort to keep Pelosi from becoming speaker again. The central target of that effort is Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA), who led a charge for new leadership in the House."
- "In speakership vote, Rep. Seth Moulton backs Nancy Pelosi," by William J. Dowd, Salem Gazette: "Rep. Seth Moulton's third, two-year term as a member of Congress began Thursday. The Salem Democrat was sworn into office nearly two months after 6th District votes re-elected him in November. He won with 66 percent of the vote, defeating a pair of challengers - Rockport independent Mary J. Charbonneau and Beverly Republican Joseph Schneider."
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| KENNEDY COMPOUND |
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- "Joe Kennedy III got a single vote in the election for House speaker," by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "Rep. Nancy Pelosi recaptured the House speaker's gavel with an overwhelming majority of the Democratic votes in Thursday's speakership election, though a small minority of her party's members did keep their pledge to withhold their support. And one of them cast their vote instead for Rep. Joe Kennedy III, who wasn't even running in the first place."
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| IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN |
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- "What if an offshore wind farm was up and running last winter?" by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "Last year at this time, New England was gripped by a blast of unusually cold weather that went on for 16 days. The prolonged low temperatures increased demand for natural gas for both heating and electricity, which with the region's pipeline constraints led to sharply higher wholesale electricity prices and forced power generators to burn more oil in the brief period than they had in the previous two years combined. Now the operator of the region's power grid, at the request of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, has engaged in a bit of "what if" analysis. What if a wind farm had been operating off the coast last winter?"
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| EYE ON 2020 |
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"The New Hampshire primary is 13 months away. Here's who might run." by James Pindell, Boston Globe: "Attention, voters: There are about 13 months of candidate shopping before the 2020 New Hampshire primary. But it's never too early to start checking who may run for president, as a number of hopefuls have signaled they may soon jump into the race. Indeed, the 2020 presidential race could offer the largest field ever — including Democrats looking to oust President Trump and Republicans eyeing a primary challenge. (Fun fact: Every sitting president who had a primary challenge since 1968 has lost reelection.)"
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "HERE THEY COME!" — Globe: "Dartmouth mandates training on harassment," "REGAINING POWER AND RETAINING IT," "Baker sets out vision for second term." |
| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "Democrats back in charge of Barnstable County board," by Geoff Spillane, Cape Cod Times: "Democrats have regained control of the Barnstable County Board of Regional Commissioners. Moments after being sworn in to a four-year term Wednesday, new commissioner Ronald Bergstrom, of Chatham, was unanimously selected chairman of the three-member board for the coming year. Bergstrom, a Democrat, narrowly defeated incumbent commission Chairman Leo Cakounes, a Republican, in November's election."
- "Forum in Fitchburg next week will call attention to school funding issue," by Scott O'Connell, Telegram & Gazette: "While state leaders laid out agendas this week for tackling the public school funding problem this year, local school officials planned to continue their campaign to secure a comprehensive solution to their districts' fiscal struggles at a forum planned for next Tuesday in Fitchburg. Next week's event, which will assemble representatives from the Worcester, Fitchburg, Leominster and other Central Massachusetts school systems at Fitchburg State University, is one of three public forums the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents is hosting across the state that evening to call attention to their demands for a change to the state funding formula."
MAZEL! - to MassLive.com reporter Gintautas Dumcius, who joins the Boston Business Journal as digital editor later this month.
SPOTTED - At Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito's inaugural celebration at the Museum of Science in Boston ...Framingham Mayor Yvonne Spicer, Norfolk County Sheriff Jerry McDermott, former Supreme Judicial Court Judge Bob Cordy, Baker administration Chief of Staff Kristen Lepore, Denterlein's Peter Howe, state Rep. Tami Gouveia, state Rep.� Maria Robinson,� state Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa and state Rep. Liz Miranda.
- At a Cellucci-Swift reunion party at Filippo Ristorante in the North End... Jane Swift and her three daughters; Jan Cellucci and her daughter Ann; former MWRA Director Fred Laskey; the South Shore Chamber's Peter Forman; Greg Casey; Terry McCourt of Greenberg Traurig, Matt Keswick, Jason Kauppi, Wyndham Lewis, Lars Carlson, Jamie Dunbar and Ann Murphy of O'Neill and Associates; Linnea Walsh of GIC, Dominick Lannister of MassMutual; former Sen. Henri Rauschenbach, former director of the Governor's Highway Safety Bureau Nancy Luther; Martha Chayet; former Mass Turnpike head Matt Amorello; former MBTA head Dan Grabauskas, former Sen. Richard Tisei, former racing commissioner Walter Sullivan.
FANCY - Sen. Eric Lesser unveiled a new website he hopes will work as a "digital town hall" for constituents.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, who is 76; and Jamie Chisholm, director of public affairs for DraftKings,
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes! The Bruins beat the Flames 6-4.
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