Happening Today
Mayors Climate Summit, Senate ‘red flag’ vote, Gaming Commission, Suffolk DA debate
— The final day of the 2018 BIO Convention is held, with U.S. Food and Drug Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb speaking at 9 a.m., among other events, Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, 415 Summer St., Boston.
— Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy and Bank of America vice chairman Anne Finucane speak about climate change to the world’s mayors at the one-day International Mayors Climate Summit hosted at Boston University, Boston University Questrom School of Business, 595 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, 9 a.m.
— Gaming Commission meets with an agenda including Encore Boston Harbor’s quarterly report, a vote on Encore’s workforce development plan, and a vote on the 2018 Community Mitigation Fund grant applications, 101 Federal St. – 12th floor, Boston, 10 a.m.
— Gov. Charlie Baker gives the keynote address at the Massachusetts Association of Realtors’ 33rd Annual Margaret C. Carlson Realtor Day on Beacon Hill, Great Hall, 10:15 a.m.
— The Senate meets in a formal session and is expected to take up the so-called ‘red flag’ gun safety bill, Gardner Auditorium, 11 a.m.
— Boston Mayor Martin Walsh is a guest on ‘Radio Boston,’ WBUR-FM 90.9, 3 p.m.
— Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus hosts an event focused on the state’s female mayors with the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy, featuring Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll, Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, Framingham Mayor Yvonne Spicer and Pittsfield Mayor Linda Tyer, with WCVB reporter Janet Wu moderating, UMass Club, One Beacon St., Boston, 4:30 p.m.
— Candidates running for Suffolk County District Attorney — Evandro Carvalho, Linda Champion, Greg Henning, Michael Maloney, Shannon McAuliffe and Rachael Rollins — will take part in a debate hosted by the ACLU and moderated by WGBH’s Callie Crossley, Hibernian Hall, 184 Dudley St., Roxbury, with doors opening at 6 p.m. and the debate starting at 6:30 p.m.
For more calendar listings, check out State House News Service’s Daily Advances (pay wall – free trial subscriptions available) and MassterList’s Beacon Hill Town Square below.
Today’s Stories
Quite a coincidence indeed: Serial child-rapist arrested for lewd behavior days before his planned release
From Laural Sweet at the Herald: “The release of serial child rapist Wayne W. Chapman is on hold after he was hit with new charges for allegedly exposing himself to prison nurses and was ordered held on no bail. His court-appointed lawyer questioned the charges yesterday. … ‘He was due to get out any day now and now there’s these new charges. It’s quite convenient,’ said attorney Melissa Devore after the wheelchair-bound Chapman was arraigned in Ayer District Court.”
So prison officials only recently noticed his lewd jailhouse behavior? It doesn’t matter to some. Melissa Hanson at MassLive reports that an attorney representing Chapman’s victims says her clients are ‘very pleased’ Chapman won’t be released.
Meanwhile, Gov. Charlie Baker yesterday carried through on his vow to file legislation that seeks to strengthen penalties for child predators like Chapman. His proposal is pretty tough: Life without parole for child rapists. SHNS’s Colin Young and Matt Murphy at Wicked Local have the details.
Chapman wasn’t the first case …
From Christian Wade: “At least 90 ‘dangerous’ sex offenders have been released from prison under a 2008 Supreme Judicial Court ruling that bars the state from keeping them locked up if at least two ‘qualified medical examiners’ determine they’re no longer a threat, according to a review of state data.”
GOP lawmakers find another impeachable offense against judge: He’s pro-immigrants
More judicial system bashing, via Gintautas Dumcius at MassLive: “Massachusetts lawmakers are turning up the pressure in their push to remove Superior Court Judge Timothy Feeley. Feeley made a decision to put a repeat drug dealer back on the street based partly on his immigration status that made him subject to deportation, the lawmakers said.” The Herald’s Brian Dowling has more.
In an editorial, the Globe is blasting recent attacks on Feeley and the judicial system in general: “This rhetorical piling-on, the talk of impeaching one judge and disparaging the system generally, is nothing short of an assault on judicial independence — and the consequences of that can be dire.”
Moderate Democrats, take a bow
We’re paying attention to what’s going on in the rest of the country so you don’t have to. Re: It seems Tuesday’s primary election results across the country, especially in California, were pretty good indeed for Democrats – and specifically for moderate-liberal Democrats, not progressive Democrats, writes columnist Michael Tomasky at the NYT. Meanwhile, the Washington Post confirms Tuesday’s Democratic gains, but warns the biggest mid-term challenge now facing Democrats may be a strong U.S. economy. Now back to all things local. …
Globe throws its hands up in the air, declares it can’t investigate McGrory allegation without help of accuser
Next up: A Pontius Pilot imitation? Anyway, from CommonWealth’s Jack Sullivan: “Lawyers for the Boston Globe said they are trying to determine whether allegations against editor Brian McGrory of sending inappropriate and sexually suggestive text messages are true, but cannot complete their investigation without help from his accuser, former Boston.com editor Hilary Sargent.” The Globe’s Mark Arsenault has more.
Athenahealth’s Bush steps down, Immelt takes charge, sale of company more likely
Speaking of serious allegations: You can’t survive two sexual harassment complaints and allegations of spousal abuse, not in these #MeToo times, and so Jonathan Bush, CEO of Watertown’s Athenahealth and member of the dynastic political Bush clan, has resigned from his post, replaced by former GE chief executive and current Athenahealth chair Jeff Immelt as executive chairman, and now it’s more likely the firm will indeed be sold to a N.Y. hedge fund. Bloomberg News has more.
Rockland’s inappropriate-behavior and counter-inappropriate-behavior drama
OK, one last alleged inappropriate-behavior post. Except this one involves not one but two allegations of inappropriate behavior, in Rockland, of course. From Ed Baker at the Patriot Ledger: “Selectmwoman Deidre Hall said she will take a voluntary leave of absence from the board while an allegation of inappropriate behavior toward her by Town Administrator Allan R. Chiocca is investigated.” He’s the same suspended town administrator who she previously accused of inappropriate behavior. We think we’re starting to get clearer picture of what’s going on in Rockland.
Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump Trump. Everywhere Trump
President Donald Trump has managed to upend the old Tim O’Neill axiom that all politics are local, reports the Globe’s Matt Stout. From local legislative contests in western Massachusetts to the governor’s race statewide, it’s all about Trump and federal policies these days, Stout writes. Could Trump fatigue be far behind?
At mayor’s conference, Walsh may have two goals in mind: Fighting climate change and promoting himself
At today’s International Mayors Climate Summit at Boston University, Mayor Marty Walsh is expected to announced plans to team up with cities across the country to collectively buy renewable energy, reports the Globe’s Milton Valencia. At the same conference, the mayor also has a golden opportunity to increase his “visibility for a potential statewide office bid in the future,” adds the Herald’s Joe Battenfeld.
Mass. courts join 21st century, allow online payments
Innovation comes slowly for some institutions. From Jeaneet DeForge at MassLive: “People who owe fees in criminal cases can now skip a trip to the courthouse and can pay online with ePay, the Massachusetts Trial Court’s new on-line payment system. The ePay system will be rolled out in courts statewide through June 2018. … Currently 75 percent of the 298,000 criminal case payments make in trial courts across the state are made in person by check or cash.” No mention of where the other 25 percent comes from. Pony Express?
Harvard president decries fed regulations on scientific research
From David Abel at the Globe: “Joining other scholars and scientists in denouncing proposed federal regulations on scientific research, Harvard University president Drew Faust this week urged officials at the US Environmental Protection Agency to reject plans to restrict the type of studies regulators could use to craft new policies. In a letter sent Monday to EPA administrator Scott Pruitt, Faust called the proposed regulations “fundamentally flawed.”
Don’t give these school administrators a cigar
CommonWealth’s Jack Sullivan has a good summary of the controversy over administrators at Saugus High School suspending one baseball and six lacrosse players from post-season play for smoking celebratory cigars after their high school graduation. The Globe’s Nestor Ramos says the Saugus decision was just plain “dumb.” Then he goes off on a reefer-madness-like argument about how the cigar incident ultimately leads to the subject of selective and discriminatory enforcement of laws when it comes to drugs.
We’re with CBS Boston’s anti-scold scold Jon Keller on this one: “May I respectfully suggest the focus of an educational bureaucracy ought to be on teaching, and the wrong lesson is being taught here. … Instead of showing understanding and letting these kids off with a warning, Saugus is modeling rigidity and misplaced priorities. I give this lesson plan an ‘F.’”
Berkshire lawmakers: Put down the remote and call your cable company, right now
Cable war has broken out in western Massachusetts. From Mary Serreze at MassLive: “Lawmakers from Berkshire County are asking their constituents to stand up against Charter Communications as yet another Massachusetts news and sports station is pulled from the Spectrum’ cable TV lineup. By the end of the week, Spectrum customers in Berkshire County will no longer have WCVB Channel 5 from Boston.”
There are still long lines at the RMV, governor
The Globe’s Shirley Leung spent a not-so-happy birthday waiting in a long RMV line to renew her driver’s license. “I could live with an hour in line, but 3½ hours? C’mon, I could have flown to Chicago in that amount of time. Where’s our Mr. Fix It governor now?”
Councilors says hell no to unregulated ‘hell house’ centers
From Adam Gaffin at Universal Hub: “City councilors will be looking towards regulations that would stamp out alleged sober homes whose operators prey on residents, rather than help them recover. Councilor Kim Janey (Roxbury) said she was ‘appalled and outraged by the recent arrest of the owner of a Roxbury sober house on charges he gave residents drugs in exchange for sex. She added the facility, built as townhouses, had turned into a ‘hell house.’”
How Mount Ida College’s addiction to student loans contributed its demise
Here’s a short but smart look by Bob Hildreth, president of Boston-based Hildreth Institute, at how Mount Ida College’s reliance on student-loan funds became a vicious circle that led to its collapse, with the school increasing tuition, knowing many students would pay up via government-backed loans, to cover operating expenses – but then raising tuition so high many students opted to go to other schools. The same student-loan gambit is being played out at other smaller colleges, he warns at the BBJ.
Meanwhile, Gintautas Dumcius at MassLive reports that state lawmakers plan to recommend that Mount Ida reimburse its former students. He has the details.
Fidelity Investments: Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, here we come
Boston’s Fidelity Investments has caught the bitcoin/cryptocurrency bug, big time, and it’s now hiring employees to explore how the company can fully mine the digital currency craze, perhaps even starting its own cryptocurrency exchange, reports the BBJ’s Greg Ryan, citing Business Insider (pay wall) for some of his info. Fidelity chief Abby Johnson is a big fan of digital currency, as the Boston Globe has previously reported.
Framingham joins growing list of communities suing drug companies over opioid crisis
The city of Framingham is the latest Massachusetts with plans to legally sue drug manufacturers and distributors over the opioid crisis, saying the companies are responsible for the damage and costs of the epidemic on the city, repors SHNS’s Michael Norton at Wicked Local.
Meanwhile, the mayors from Agawam, Easthampton, Greenfield, North Adams and West Springfield yesterday gathered to explain why they have joined a federal lawsuit that blames the opioid crisis on the pharmaceutical drug industry, reports Conor Berry at MassLive. Easthampton Mayor Nicole LaChapelle said it’s “clear is that the epidemic can be traced back to opioid manufacturers and distributors.”
In Lenox, Airbnb rentals told to get inspected or else
The building inspector in the town of Lenox has issued a cease-and-desist warning to more than 50 property owners who offer rooms for rent on Airbnb, saying those homes need to be inspected as lodging houses or bed-and-breakfasts, Clarence Fanto reports in the Berkshire Eagle. Some recipients of the letter say they were ‘shaken’ by the warning and it appears that an appeal to the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals is on deck.
Faneuil Hall name-change issue goes national
It’s no longer a local story. The New York Times has a piece on how activists are pushing to change the name of Boston’s historic Faneuil Hall, which is named after a former slave trader.
Commission asks for more info in first Long Island bridge face-off
There were no fireworks, but the Quincy Conservation Commission made it clear last night it is going to strenuously review Boston’s proposal to build a new bridge to Long Island. The commission asked engineers representing the city of Boston to provide more information on the viability of existing piers the city hopes to reuse for the new bridge and scheduled a follow-up meeting for Aug. 1.
After walling off the Boston waterfront with glass skyscrapers, city sets its eye on outer-neighborhood development
The Globe’s Joan Vennochi is bemoaning recent city, and state, decisions that have allowed quaint Boston, particularly its waterfront, to be consumed by glass-covered behemoths. Next up for the city: “Work on a series of neighborhood plans aimed at guiding city development from Mattapan to East Boston,” as the Globe’s Tim Logan reports.
It’s official: Third District primary is the state’s most crowded race in 30-plus years
Eleven Democrats have officially locked in spots on the primary ballot for the state’s Third Congressional district, making the race the most crowded in the commonwealth since at least 1986, Chris Lisinsky reports at the Lowell Sun. The Democratic field is also likely historically diverse: Five of the 11 are women, one is gay and another is transgender.
Intelligent Lives: Shattering expectations. Opening minds.
Think College and the Institute for Community Inclusion at UMass Boston are thrilled to announce our partnership on the world premiere of award-winning director Dan Habib’s new film, Intelligent Lives. The film acts as a catalyst to transform the label of intellectual disability from a life sentence of isolation into a life of possibility for the most systematically segregated people in America.
Institute for Community Inclusion
AMPlify 2018: The Employee Advocacy & Engagement Conference in Boston
Learn, Explore & Network AMPlify is the only marketing event addressing the unique challenges associated with leveraging employee and stakeholders in your content and digital marketing strategies. You’ll hear how the leading marketing practitioners are excelling at content and digital marketing in today’s landscape.
Grid Modernization in Massachusetts: Driving Energy Efficiency through Residential Scorecards
Massachusetts’ Baker-Polito Administration recently announced their intention on becoming the first state in the nation to require residential energy scores. The ‘scorecards’ would be made available to potential homebuyers after January 1, 2021 for any 1 to 4 unit homes publicly listed for sale in the state.
Fraunhofer USA Center for Sustainable Energy Systems CSE
Great Decisions – Turkey: A Partner in Crisis
Once a prominent model of democracy in the Middle East, Turkey is, according to many observers, slipping towards autocracy.
10th Annual A&E Summit – Charting the Course for Sustained Success
10th Annual A&E Summit – Charting the Course for Sustained Success Join DGC (DiCicco, Gulman & Company) and a panel of A&E firm leaders for a discussion of industry trends critical to achieving sustained growth and profitability, and preview our annual benchmarking studies.
Boston Cyber Security Conference 2018
2018 Boston Cyber Security Conference This conference qualifies for CPE credits! Passes include a full lunch, entrance into the main conference room and all conference material.
WBA Litigation Conference – Signs of Change: A 40 Year Perspective
The WBA celebrates its 40th anniversary with a litigation conference on June 14. Signs of Change: A 40 Year Perspective features discussions on: civil rights; empowering women to change including recent developments in human trafficking, athlete sexual assault, workplace harassment and assault laws and remedies; women leading big law; the practical realities of litigation; and a judges panel.
The Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts
Boston CIO of the Year ORBIE Awards
Join New England’s Technology Professionals at the Boston CIO of the Year ORBIE Awards. This event will honor chief information officers who have demonstrated excellence in technology leadership.
Today’s Headlines
Metro
How is the Bio-boom changing the community—and culture—of Cambridge – WBUR
As Boston hosts mayors, Walsh to announce renewable energy initiative – Boston Globe
Massachusetts
Developer counters Attlleboro mayor’s pitch for Highland Country Club – Sun Chronicle
Lowell publicly reaches out with cocaine warning – Lowell Sun
Key decisions lie ahead, Berkshire Museum trustees say – Berkshire Eagle
Andover selectman Salafia cleared of violated state ethics rules – Eagle-Tribune
Charlton marijuana farm proponent confronts potential traffic woes – Telegram & Gazette
Nation
Even with shifts in national mood, Democrats get boost in quest for House control – Washington Post
Coal mogul Bob Murray drafted 6 orders on coal, climate for Trump – Energy & Environment News
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