Happening Today
Legislative hearings, governors summit, and more
— Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities Committee reviews a number of bills, including ‘public diaper benefits’ legislation, Room B-1, 10 a.m.
— Health Care Financing Committee reviews 31 bills dealing with health agency operations and oversight, including legislation that would prohibit state funds from going to Planned Parenthood, Room A-1, 10:30 a.m.
— Municipalities and Regional Government Committee takes testimony on local and zoning bills, including bills that would curb the so-called ‘Dover Amendment,’ a state law exempting educational and religious institutions from many local zoning regulations, Gardner Auditorium, 11 a.m.
— Gov. Charlie Baker, Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo and Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont meet to discuss regional policy issues, Eastern Connecticut State University, Science Building, 83 Windham Street, Windham, Conn., 12 p.m.
— Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins is a guest on ‘Boston Public Radio,’ WGBH-FM 89.7, 12 p.m.
— Committee on Public Health accepts testimony on tobacco-related bills, including legislation that would ban the sale of flavored tobacco products, like some of the most popular Juul pods, Hearing Room A-2, 1 p.m.
— Gov. Charlie Baker joins Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Kathleen Theoharides, Sen. Michael Moore, Rep. Paul Frost and Millbury Board of Selectmen Chairman Jon Adams to participate in the Millbury Armory Infrastructure Project MVP Action Grant Announcement, Upper Town Common (corner of Main Street and Elm Street), 18 Main Street, Millbury, 3:30 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
DeLeo signals budget impasse could last into August
This is going to disrupt summer vacation-plan scheduling for a lot people, that’s for sure. House Speaker Robert DeLeo yesterday indicated that negotiators are nowhere close to reaching a budget compromise and said the governor, as a precaution, should file another temporary stop-gap spending bill to keep state government running through August, reports SHNS’s Matt Murphy (pay wall) and the Globe’s Matt Stout have more.
The nature and depth of the disputes aren’t quite clear. One also can’t help wondering whether the August threat is a negotiating ploy.
Encore flexes its muscles: Everett casino’s impressive first-week numbers
First, the numbers, from SHNS’s Colin Young (pay wall): “In the first eight days that Encore Boston Harbor was open, gamblers wagered more than $93.5 million on the slot machines alone at the Everett casino and the Wynn Resorts operation counted $16.79 million in total revenue, or more than $2 million a day.” And that amounts to an impressive tax-collection haul for the state.
Now for the “tale of two casinos” analysis, from the Globe’s Jon Chesto: “This was a strong start for Wynn and another worrying month for MGM (Springfield).)
Lawsuit claims Encore Boston illegally withholding blackjack and slot winnings
That was fast. From Michael Bonner at MassLive: “A class action lawsuit filed Monday in Middlesex County Superior Court claims that Encore Boston Harbor withheld money to patrons who reported winnings in blackjack and at the slot machines, violating state gaming rules and regulations.”
‘Shameful and racist’: Local reactions to Trump’s ‘go home’ rants
WBUR’s Benjamin Swasey and MassLive’s Jacqueline Tempera report on the reactions of Gov. Charlie Baker and Mayor Marty Walsh, respectively, to President Trump’s escalating “go home” attacks on U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley and other female congressional members of color. The conclusions of both Baker and Walsh: The president’s comments are both “shameful” and “racist.” Period.
Pressley herself is calling the president a “Twitter thug” and urging people “to not take the bait” he’s hurling at the public. Alyssa Vaughn at Boston Magazine has the details. The NYT and the Washington Post have more on the “go home” furor.
History quiz: Is this the most overt display of racial politics by a president in modern times?
The NYT takes a historical look at President Trump’s “go home” rants and concludes: “When it comes to race, Mr. Trump plays with fire like no other president in a century.”
Does anyone care to argue this point? We can’t think of similar overt incidences. LBJ? Nixon? In private, yes, they talked in racist and/or anti-Semitic terms. We have the tapes. But so openly? The Globe’s Zoe Greenberg has a similar story on the history of race in American politics.
But here’s the thing: Is the president’s strategy working?
The Herald’s Hillary Chabot writes that progressives, and others, can gnash their teeth all they want about the racist nature of President Trump’s “go home” attacks on progressive members of the “squad.” But she quotes Dem political consultant David Axelrod as saying the president is also following a “cold, hard strategy” of trying to paint all Democrats as far-left progressives who “hate” America. And that’s why Trump was openly crowing yesterday, Chabot writes. It’s a good column. Read it.
The Warren Watch: Of fundraising and past legal work for Dow Chemical
Here’s a couple of stories of note related to U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s bid for president. First, the NYT reports that Warren and four other Dem candidates are now clearly the frontrunners both in terms of poll numbers and fundraising. The top fundraiser among the five? It’s not the person you may think.
Second, the Washington Post dives into a long ago breast-implant case that Warren handled while practicing law. It involved Dow Chemical – and Warren’s work for the giant company.
Rich and famous stars on Warren’s donor list
OK, a few more details about Warren’s fundraising. Bottom line: They like her. They really like her. A-list Hollywood stars and executives at some of the Internet companies she has said have grown too powerful are among those who are pouring cash into Elizabeth Warren’s presidential campaign coffers, Michael Stratford t Politico reports. Amy Schumer, Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds are among those who helped Warren rank third among the Democratic hopefuls in second-quarter fundraising, despite her pledge to avoid big-donor events.
State to Rockland: Release the findings from sex-scandal investigation
The Patriot Ledger’s Mary Whitfil reports via Wicked Local that Secretary of State William Galvin’s office is siding with the paper’s demand that Rockland officials release the findings of an investigation into the steamy sex scandal that engulfed several town leaders and rocked the town in general.
Don’t forget: This is also the 50th anniversary of Chappaquiddick
As the media gears up to cover the upcoming 50th anniversary of the first man to walk on the moon, the Globe’s Joan Vennochi notes that the 50th anniversary of the Chappaquiddick tragedy is also approaching, an event that ultimately doomed Ted Kennedy’s dream of becoming president and that displayed how “privilege” worked so many years ago.
In defense of ‘horserace’ political coverage …
We missed this one from the other day at WGBH, i.e. David Bernstein’s defense of “horserace” coverage of politics by the media, as opposed to Dan Kennedy’s recent criticism of “horserace” coverage of politics by the media.
Brewers vs. distributors: The battle over lifetime contracts
One is tempted to compare the seemingly never-ending brewers-versus-distributors battle on Beacon Hill to the old Hatfield-McCoy feud. But Shira Schoenberg of MassLive does a nice job cutting to the core of this issue: Whether brewers should effectively be tied for life to one distributor, as called for under an “unusual law” here in Massachusetts. Schoenberg explains the current law that clearly favors distributors.
Round II: Baker and prison-reform advocates are now battling over medical parole rules
A pattern is forming here. The Baker administration and advocates are once again battling over regulations tied to new state prison-reform laws. After a recent skirmish over solitary-confinement rules within state correctional facilities, advocates are now complaining that DOC officials are undercutting a year-old state law allowing medical parole for incapacitated or terminally ill inmates, reports the Globe’s Gal Tziperman Lotan.
Holyoke mayor sure sounds like he’s going to challenge Neal
Jim Kinney at MassLive reports that Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse is still technically weighing whether he’ll launch a Democratic challenge to U.S. Rep. Richard Neal. But Morse sure looks, walks and sounds like he’s already made up his mind, Kinney reports, i.e. he’s running.
Gerry Callahan’s departure from ‘EEI: It’s like losing Archie Bunker
The Globe’s Chad Finn diplomatically avoids slamming longtime radio host Gerry Callahan’s style of mixing sports and politics on his morning-drive shows. But Finn makes clear that Callahan’s departure from WEEI last week definitely marked an end of a radio era in Boston.
Baker: Building boom ‘not an excuse’ for elevator inspection backlog
Gov. Charlie Baker suggested yesterday that the current building boom in the Boston area may explain the huge backlog of uninspected elevators across the state – but then he quickly added that a building boom is no excuse for not taking action. The BBJ’s Greg Ryan explains.
Worcester home healthcare firm settles wage-theft case
From Brian Lee at the Telegram: “A home health care company and its owner agreed to pay $162,000 in restitution and penalties to settle allegations they violated state wage laws, according to the office of Attorney General Maura Healey. Pinnacle Home Healthcare Services Inc. and owner Pauline Mwangi were cited for failing to pay wages in a timely manner to home health care aides.”
The Spacey effect: DA tells police to get receipts for evidence
Blame the missing cell phone. Cape and Island District Attorney Michael O’Keefe is asking state police detectives assigned to his office to get receipts for any evidence they turn back over to victims, a move that comes just weeks after an apparently missing the mobile phone has threatened to derail the prosecution of actor Kevin Spacey on sexual assault charges lodged against him in Nantucket, Wheeler Cowperthwaite at the Cape Cod Times reports.
Evaluating Creative: How to Get the Best from Your Creative Team- Professional Development
This full day workshop will focus on best practices for evaluating creative; why, when and how to evaluate creative work (and how not to!), comparing work against your brief, asking the right questions, giving productive feedback, and understanding and valuing team members roles.
Masters of Scale Live Podcast Event
Join the first-ever live recording of the Masters of Scale podcast! Host Reid Hoffman will lead a captivating conversation with a legendary founder (and some special guests) in an evening full of illuminating stories, hard-won truths and high-level insight on growing a business.
CFO of the Year Awards Luncheon
Don’t miss your chance to meet & learn from Boston’s top CFOs at the 11th annual CFO of the Year Awards!
YoungDemsRead Book Club: The Fifth Risk
Join #YoungDemsRead in reading “The Fifth Risk” by Michael Lewis in July Meet new friends in Boston and discuss this spellbinding piece.
Greater Boston Young Democrats
Today’s Headlines
Metro
Parents are furious after a Boston sports camp apparently imploded – Boston Magazine
Brockton gives final farewell to Mayor Carpenter before private burial – Brockton Enterprise
Massachusetts
Residents gets Holden to drop excise tax on animals – Telegram & Gazette
Missing: Doors of Warren police humvee – Telegram & Gazette
Nation
Amazon workers strike on Prime Day – The Hill
How Universal Basic Income changed one New Hampshire family’s life – WGBH
How to Contact MASSterList
Send tips to Matt Murphy: Editor@MASSterList.com. For advertising inquiries and job board postings, please contact Dylan Rossiter: Publisher@MASSterList.com or (857) 370-1156. Follow @MASSterList on Twitter.