Happening Today
‘Ask the Guv’
Gov. Charlie Baker is scheduled to appear on Boston Public Radio for the program’s monthly “Ask the Guv” segment, WGBH-FM, 89.7, 1:30 p.m.
MBTA Control Board
The MBTA Financial and Management Control Board meets to review plans to improve MBTA customer experience, discuss transit oriented development policy, and review development of commuter rail service pilot program policy, Transportation Board Room, 10 Park Plaza, Boston, 12 p.m.
Christmas tree lighting
Boston Mayor Martin Walsh celebrates the Copley Square Tree Lighting, Copley Square, 138 St. James Avenue, Boston, 5 p.m.
U.S. Surgeon General
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who previously worked at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, delivers a lecture on health issues, Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, 6 p.m.
Today’s Stories
Jill Stein’s revenge
No one is laughing at Jill Stein’s candidacy anymore, not after the Lexington resident and Green Party presidential nominee late last week filed for a recount of votes in Wisconsin, the first of three states where she has promised to contest election results, the Washington Post reports. In turn, Stein’s move has prompted Hillary Clinton’s campaign to say it will participate in Stein’s recount effort in Wisconsin and possibly other states, reports Laura Wagner at WGBH. And, in turn, all of this has led to Donald Trump fuming yesterday that he lost the popular vote because of “millions” of people voting illegally, a completely baseless claim without a shred of evidence to back it up, reports the NYT. And there’s not a shred of evidence of massive voter fraud in New Hampshire, the Globe reports.
Btw: The NYT also reports there’s not a shred of evidence Russian hackers impacted the election outcome in Wisconsin and elsewhere, as some on the left believe. Btw II: Slate’s Daniel Politi provides a list of seven reasons whey Dems shouldn’t help Stein’s recount efforts, though the Clinton camp obviously couldn’t resist.
The one-woman Mitt Romney wrecking crew: Kellyanne Conway
Kellyanne Conway, Donald Trump’s senior adviser and former campaign manager, continued with her anti-Mitt Romney jihad yesterday, once again publicly criticizing the possibility of the former Massachusetts governor becoming the next secretary of state, the Washington Post reports. There are other Republicans who oppose Romney’s appointment as well, as the NYT notes. But it’s Conway leading the charge and you have to wonder: If one of reasons for appointing Romney is to unite the Republican party and yet appointing him would actually divide the party, why appoint him?
From the Globe’s Adrian Walker: “Mitt Romney might be the very last person I thought I’d ever feel sorry for.”
Let the U.S. Attorney name game begin
One thing is for sure: Carmen Ortiz, a Democrat, is out as US attorney in Boston once Donald Trump becomes president. And it’s doubtful a new Trump administration will turn to Gov. Charlie Baker, who refused to endorse Trump for president, for a recommendation for the next US attorney here, reports the Globe’s Milton Valencia. So who will have a local say on an appointment and who are the candidates on any preliminary list? Valencia names the names.
In case you missed it over the long Thanksgiving weekend …
Here’s a quick recap of some of the news you may have missed over the long Thanksgiving weekend:
Legislative staff pay raises — Hundreds of legislative staffers are in line for 6 percent pay raises under a plan announced the day before Thanksgiving by House Speaker Robert DeLeo, the Herald reported. Fiscal watchdogs are not amused.
Growing demand for vocational schools – A new study shows that the demand for vocational schools is soaring in Massachusetts, but the challenge is coming up with enough funding to eliminate a growing student waiting list for the schools, SHNS reported at SouthCoast Today.
Healey for governor? – She may have said she won’t be running for governor in 2018, but many Dems are hoping – and somewhat expecting – that Attorney General Maura Healey will change her mind, the Herald reported.
GOP goes after Setti – Republicans have filed a campaign finance complaint against Newton Mayor Seth Warren, a Democrat who’s eyeing a run for governor in 2018., the Globe reported.
Officials push for Cape rail spur – Some lawmakers are lobbying the state to add a commuter rail spur to the mouth of the Cape Cod Canal, assuming the South Coast rail project is ever built, the Globe reported.
Pot shop openings may be delayed – Lawmakers are engaging in backroom discussions to delay the opening of new retail pot shops until the middle of 2018, or perhaps later, as legislators grapple with the voter-approved legalization of marijuana in Massachusetts, according to a report at Boston.com
Healey sues district attorneys over public records — In an unusual move, Attorney General Maura Healey has filed suit against three district attorneys for refusing to release a list of cases they’ve prosecuted, the Globe reported.
Solving the deadly mystery of Boston’s Great Molasses Flood
With the help of Harvard students, scientists believe they’ve discovered why the Great Molasses Flood of 1919 – in which 21 people died and 150 were injured when millions of gallons of molasses burst from a giant holding tank in Boston’s North End – was so lethal, writes the NYT’s Erin McCann. The short explanation: “When a shipment of molasses newly arrived from the Caribbean met the cold winter air of Massachusetts, the conditions were ripe for a calamity to descend upon the city.” Read it all. They make a convincing case.
Hundreds protest Hampshire College’s removal of the American flag
Veterans groups organized a large demonstration yesterday to protest Hampshire College’s decision to remove the American flag from campus in the wake of Donald Trump’s election, reports Brian Steel at MassLive. Speakers included Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, Springfield City Councilor Kateri Walsh and Westfield state Rep. John Velis, who served in Afghanistan. “Coddling young men and women old enough to serve our country has zero educational value,” Micah Welintokonis, a veteran from Coventry, Conn., said at the rally.
Local business leaders aren’t bemoaning a Trump presidency
The progressive establishment in Massachusetts – and that most definitely includes college presidents, like Hampshire College’s Jonathan Lash – may still be in a state of shock over the election of Donald Trump. But many local business leaders are actually bullish about a Trump presidency, reports Christian Wade at the Eagle Tribune. He explains why.
Maureen Dowd’s brother dances a jig over Trump triumph
Here’s another happy Trump camper: Maureen Dowd’s brother, Kevin, who is given free rein in her column to explain why he’s so happy others are unhappy about Trump’s triumph. Fyi: Maureen was outnumbered, politically speaking, at the Dowd abode on Thanksgiving. It wasn’t just Kevin dancing a jig.
A younger generation of state Dems emerge from election wreckage
Western Mass Politics and Insight notes how down-ballot Democrats didn’t exactly fare well on election day in western Massachusetts. But there were indeed two young standouts who may represent the future of the party: Longmeadow’s Sen. Eric Lesser and Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse. WMPI’s Matt Szafranski explains.
Somerville mayor pushes to ban Pop Warner on city fields
This is most definitely not the Somerville of our youth. From Craig LeMoult at WGBH: “Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone is speaking out on the risks of youth tackle football, telling an HBO program that he wants to ban kids from playing tackle football on city fields. Some in the city’s youth football program have vowed to fight to keep playing.”
Boston police’s social media plan sparks concerns
Civil rights groups say they want the Boston Police Department to detail how it plans to use a new social media monitoring software it is purchasing for $1.4 million, Jack Encarnacao and Kathleen McKiernan of the Herald report. Some groups are concerned that minority groups may be targeted for monitoring while others say the department must be transparent in how it intends to use the technology.
Meanwhile, concerns about police drones in New Bedford
Privacy groups are also raising questions about a plan floated by a New Bedford city councilor that would use drones to patrol high-crime parts of that city, Curt Brown of the Standard-Times reports. The ACLU of Massachusetts supports languishing legislation that would require police departments to obtain a search warrant before deploying drones as investigative tools.
Casinos don’t dent Keno sales
From slots parlors to nearby casinos in New England, Massachusetts gamblers may have more options than ever for placing bets, but they’re also still driving growth in Keno sales, making the Bay State the country’s top outlet for the game, Sean P. Murphy of the Globe reports. Keno brought in $900 million last year for the state and sales are up 20 percent since 2010.
Worcester sees surge in property values back to pre-recession levels
The value of all private property in Worcester surged more than $1 billion this year, the largest single gain in a decade and enough of a boost to help the city restore property values to pre-recession levels, Nick Kotsopolous of the Telegram reports. All told, property in the city—whose downtown is in the midst of a decades-long revitalization plan—is now valued at $12.26 billion, just under the record-high level of $12.7 billion reached in 2008.
In Lawrence, a rapid stadium rebuild just in time for Thanksgiving
Lawrence High School was able to host its Thanksgiving Day football game in Veterans Memorial Stadium, thanks to a private-public partnership that quickly came together in the days after the stadium’s turf was destroyed by a weekend music festival in early October, Keith Eddings of the Eagle-Tribune reports. The city replaced the field in 49 days, with Mayor Daniel Rivera—a onetime quarterback of the high school team—leading the effort and proclaiming the quick fix shows how the city can work to get things done.
Today’s Headlines
Metro
Tracking social media tracking – Boston Herald
Joy, relief and worry in Boston with Castro gone – Boston Globe
Massachusetts
Racial disparity remains in school suspension rates – MetroWest Daily News
Solar farm takes root on former Worcester landfill – Telegram & Gazette
Haverhill’s sign limits may be eased – Eagle-Tribune
Veterans Stadium’s remake miracle a joint effort – Eagle-Tribune
The abiding success of Keno in a casino era – Boston Globe
Maura Healey fights Exxon probe – Boston Herald
Worcester property values jump by $1 billion – Telegram & Gazette
Cleared by evidence mishandling, man demands court fees too – Patriot Ledger
Brockton CFO says Mayor should stop using city money for sympathy flowers – Brockton Enterprise
Idea to use drones raises privacy concerns – Standard-Times
Nation
Democrats look to 2018 governors races for rebuild – Politico
Business ties could shadow Trump on foreign policy – New York Times
Devotion, despair fill teeming Standing Rock camp – Boston Globe
Trump makes baseless claim that millions voted illegally for Clinton – Washington Post
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