Happening Today
‘Road to Opportunity,’ Bankruptcy hearing, and more
— A Fall River forum will discuss the findings from the recent MassBudget report on poverty called “Obstacles on the Road to Opportunity: Finding a Way Forward Together,” with U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy III, state Rep. Patricia Haddad, and representatives from the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center and UMass Dartmouth expected to attend, Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, UMass Dartmouth, 151 Martine Street, Fall River, 9 a.m.
— A federal bankruptcy court hears oral arguments based on briefs filed by dozens of state attorneys general, including Mass. Attorney General Maura Healey, opposing Purdue Pharma’s request to stop the lawsuits against the company and the Sackler family, White Plains Courthouse, Courtroom 118, 300 Quarropas St., White Plains, New York, 10 a.m.
— Treasurer Deborah Goldberg attends a dedication ceremony for Sunita L. Williams Elementary School, 585 Central Ave., Needham, 10 a.m.
— Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Stewardship Council meets to receive updates from DCR officials, DCR Water Supply Protection Headquarters, 180 Beaman St., West Boylston, 10:30 a.m.
— U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley attends a housing-related event, 34 Washington Street, Brighton, 11 a.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
Revolt: Doctors and hospitals buck at new surgery and medical regulations
This ultimately ties back to Globe Spotlight Team’s series on simultaneous surgeries at hospitals, fyi. From the Globe’s Jonathan Saltzman: “Three months after the state medical board voted to tighten regulations on how doctors practice medicine, the rules are facing stiff resistance from Massachusetts hospitals and physicians, and it’s unclear to what extent they are being obeyed.”
The regulations are described by medical experts “as among the most-far reaching in the country,” as Saltzman writes.
‘Cha-ching!’: Liss-Riordan loans herself another $2M for Senate campaign
It’s a non-collateral loan, we assume. From the Globe’s Matt Stout: “Shannon Liss-Riordan, a Brookline labor attorney running in the closely watched Senate primary, gave her campaign another $2 million last month, pumping up her war chest against Senator Edward J. Markey and Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III. The sum pushes to $3 million the amount she has loaned her campaign since launching it in May.”
Btw, this is interesting, via Shira Schoenberg at MassLive: “Ed Markey’s campaign hires Cristina Aguilera, former campaign manager for Rep. Nika Elugardo.” Btw, II: Geoff Spillane at the Cape Cod Times reports that during a campaign swing on Thursday, Markey formally endorsed a local town council candidate–an unusual go-local move to say the least.
Neal: See? My opponent can’t even raise $1 million dollars!
Speaking of money in federal campaigns, Michelle Williams at MassLive reports that Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse raised $217,000 in the first quarter of his congressional race against incumbent Richard Neal. Not a bad sum for an insurgent, though Morse’s fundraising is still dwarfed by Neal’s past hauls.
Still, Neal’s campaign says Morse previously bragged he would raise $1 million in 2019 – and a spokesman says falling short of that goal is a sign of a faltering campaign. SHNS’s Michael Norton (pay wall) has more.
Discrimination complaint filed against Greenway over maintenance contract
This dispute has escalated fast. From the Globe’s Brian MacQuarrie: “The Dorchester nonprofit that lost its contract after maintaining the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway for 10 years filed a state complaint Thursday alleging that the Greenway and its executive director discriminated against the nonprofit and its disabled workers.” The Herald’s Lisa Kashinsky has more on the battle between the non-profit and Greenway folks.
Local conservatives: Can we please have a vote on any ‘tax-like’ carbon pricing plan?
SHNS’s Matt Murphy reports that the conservative Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance is calling on Republican Gov. Charlie Baker to seek legislative approval for any future carbon pricing plan that the administration insists isn’t really a tax, even though motorists would pay for the emissions program at the pump. Meanwhile, the Herald’s Howie Carr is on the warpath against the pending Transportation and Climate Initiative agreement.
Fyi: We happen to think some sort of carbon tax, as it used to be openly called before they replaced “tax” with “pricing,” is probably necessary at this point in order to substantially cut carbon emissions. But let’s face it: It’s a tax. OK?
SHNS (pay wall — free trial subscription available)
Target: Elizabeth Warren
Now that she’s the front-runner in the Democratic presidential race, based on recent polls, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren can expect to be the target of increasing political attacks from the right, such as the recent mini-furor over her long-ago teaching post in New Jersey, reports the Globe’s Jess Bidgood.
Meanwhile, the New York Times is attacking the Warren attackers. The analysis piece makes some good points. But is it our imagination that it reads more like an angry partisan/ideological screed than news analysis? Anyway, Charlie Warzel at the NYT believes Warren will soon have another foe to confront: Mark Zuckerberg’s algorithms.
Finally, Warren has already proven she’s pretty damn good at come-back lines, but she outdid herself at the CNN Equality Town Hall event the other night, when asked about the marriage between a man and a woman. The NYT has the comeback details.
Impeachment poll numbers: So are Republicans abandoning ship or not?
A Washington Post-Schar School poll released earlier this week clearly showed a surprising number of Republicans beginning to break in favor of impeachment proceedings against President Trump. And a new Fox News survey also shows ominous polling trends for the president. But then a new NPR/PBSNewsHour/Marist poll shows GOP voters standing firmly against impeachment.
We do know this: President Trump sure is mad at FoxNews for daring to tout its negative findings, as the Herald’s Lisa Kashinsky reports. Meanwhile, the Globe’s Scot Lehigh says it’s critical for Democrats to start dotting every ‘i’ and crossing every ‘t’ when it comes to impeachment proceedings, starting with taking an official vote to launch an impeachment inquiry.
Wanted: Arrest warrants in Massachusetts pile up
Another RMV-like records backlog? Sort of. From Christian Wade at the Salem News: “Nearly 400,000 people are wanted by Massachusetts courts for offenses dating back half a century, as the state’s backlog of outstanding arrest warrants continues to grow. There were 390,383 outstanding warrants last year, some originally issued by state courts as far back as 1970, according to data obtained from the state Executive Office of the Trial Court.”
The Celts’ Enes Kanter: I will not be silenced over Turkey
In a Globe opinion piece, new Boston Celtics forward Enes Kanter proclaims he won’t be intimidated by supporters of Turkey strongman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whose government, Kanter clams, has launched a harassment campaign against him in America. “As they increase the pressure, I raise my voice. I won’t be deterred. They’re wasting their time.”
Judge: Fall River council can’t boot Correia from office
A superior court judge has ruled against the Fall River city council in its bid to remove indicted Mayor Jasiel Correia from office, saying the removal process spelled out in the city’s charter is meant for cases in which a pol has been convicted of a crime, Amanda Burke and Jo C Goode report at the Herald News.
DPU investigating National Grid’s management
This is indeed unusual. From SHNS’s Matt Murphy: “State utility regulators have ordered a broad investigation into the management of National Grid in a rare move born of concerns that one of the state’s largest electricity providers failed to communicate about the potential for severe delays in solar power installations.” DUP is questioning other aspects of the utility’s management, including its handling of an electric vehicle program and cybersecurity plans.
SHNS (pay wall — free trial subscription available)
Former lawmaker a free man after early prison release
He’s back. Former Dartmouth selectman and state representative John George Jr., who was convicted in 2015 of embezzling state funds from the local transit authority, has been released from prison a few months early, Jennette Barnes reports at the Standard-Times. George, who officials say also hid some $2.5 million in cash from investigators, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison and was originally due to be released next January.
Bill McGonagle, RIP
A true public servant has passed away. From Callum Borchers at WBUR: “Bill McGonagle, who was born into public housing and rose from janitor to the top of the Boston Housing Authority, has died. He was 67. McGonagle ran the Boston Housing Authority for a decade and spent a total of 40 years at the agency before retiring this summer.”
The Globe’s Kevin Cullen calls McGonagle “one of the finest public servants the city of Boston ever produced.”
Inspector General’s steps in to oversee Merit Rating Board
It’s official: The state’s inspector general’s office will now be the temporary overseer of the alleged overseers of the state’s dangerous-drivers records, i.e. the Merit Rating Board, the RMV unit at the center of the current records-keeping scandal at the agency. The Herald’s Mary Markos and MassLive’s Tanner Stening have the details.
Btw: Steph Solisat MassLive reports that the rating board hasn’t met regularly since 2011. Btw, II: SHNS (pay wall) reports that the board is still in the hunt for a permanent board chief.
Berkshire buzz: As Wayfair opens, PIttsfield paves way for aerospace venture
The city of Pittsfield celebrated its biggest economic development win in recent memory with the grand opening yesterday of e-commerce giant Wayfair’s call center, which will eventually employ as many as 300 people, Amanda Drane reports at the Berkshire Eagle. Wayfair co-founder and CEO Niraj Shah, who grew up in the city, cut the ribbon on the project in front of Gov. Charlie Baker and other pols.
Later in the day, the city council was already looking ahead to the next major project, giving its endorsement to Mayor Linda Tyer’s plan to give a tax incentive package to a company that wants to build an aerospace test chamber in a local business park.
Lottery announces record $1.1 billion in profits
From Patrick Johnson at MassLive: “The Massachusetts Lottery set records in fiscal 2019 with sales exceeding $5 billion and net profit surpassing $1 billion, according to officials.” This is obviously great news. But not necessary great news for Treasurer Deborah Goldberg’s push for online lottery games.
Broadband funding: No more hanging outside the town library to pick up Wi-Fi signals
Gov. Charlie Baker yesterday announced $5 million in funding for “last-mile” rural broadband connections – and some towns sure could use the connections. Citing a town selectman, Jim Kinney at MassLive reports how on most evenings people sit in parked cars outside the Blandford Memorial Library, trying to pick up decent Wi-Fi or other internet services. They apparently include kids doing homework.
Remembering Christa McAuliffe with a new coin
Caitlyn Kelleher at MetroWest Daily News reports that a new commemorative $1 coin featuring Framingham’s Christa McAuliffe will be released in 2021 to mark the 35th anniversary of the tragic Challenger space-shuttle disaster. McAuliffe, a New Hampshire school teacher, was among those who perished in the Challenger explosion.
Chemical warfare device may help in the fight against fentanyl
Martha Bebinger reports the Boston Public Health Commission is testing out a device known as “MX908,” described as a mass spectrometer initially marketed to the military and hazmat crews fighting bioterrorism or explosions — and now the detection device may soon be deployed in the fight against fentanyl.
Natural Park Service: We didn’t kick out anti-Trump spewing festival organizers
Ah, a Salem political mystery just prior to Halloween. From the Herald’s Stefan Geller: “Officials with the National Park Service said Thursday that the founder of Salem Horror Fest mischaracterized the reasons why the festival would no longer be airing films at the city’s visitor center, denying that they gave him an ultimatum to either delete the group’s anti-Trump social media posts or leave.”
Sunday public affairs TV: Katherine Clark, Lydia Edwards and more
Keller at Large, WBZ-TV Channel 4, 8:30 a.m. This week’s guest: U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, who discusses impeachment and the second anniversary of the #MeToo movement.
This Week in Business, NECN, 10 a.m. Shirley Leung of the Boston Globe and Doug Banks of the Boston Business Journal cover the week’s business developments in transportation, housing, WeWork, and business confidence.
CEO Corner, NECN, 10:30 a.m. Co-founder Johannes Fruehauf and two biotech startup representatives talk about LabCentral and its growth plans.
DC Dialogue, NECN, 11:30 a.m. Jim Brett of the New England Council and Peter Howe talk with Rep. Katherine Clark about the Syria attack on Turkey, the impeachment process, presidential politics and top policy issues including gun control.
On The Record, WCVB-TV Channel 5, 11 a.m. This week’s guest: Boston City Councilor Lydia Edwards, who talks with hosts Ed Harding and Janet Wu, followed by a political roundtable discussion with Democratic political analyst Mary Anne Marsh and state Rep. Hannah Kane, a Republican.
CityLine, WCVB-TV Channel 5, 12 p.m. With host Karen Holmes Ward, this week’s main topic: Landmarks Renewed.
Forever at Home – An Evening to Celebrate and Support Boston Senior Home Care
Boston Senior Home Care’s Annual Fundraiser will be held at the beautiful Mandarin Oriental in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood on October 16, 2019. This annual event raises about $175,000 each year for BSHC thanks to our sponsors, donors and attendees. The event is a fun night filled with music from Boston’s own Rich DiMare, delicious food and drink, and amazing auction items to bid on!
Race in the Public Dialogue: History, Free Speech and Civil Rights
Panelists will focus on the history of free speech and civil rights in the context of academia and the university campus.
Museum of African American History
Boston Speakers Series: Zanny Minton Beddoes
Named one of the “Most Powerful Women in the World” by Forbes, Beddoes is the first female editor-in-chief of The Economist, a post she has held since 2015. Prior to her 25-year tenure with The Economist, she was an economist at the International Monetary Fund.
2019 Financial Experience Design Conference
FXD, a one-and-a-half-day conference, is a select gathering of more than 150 executives, experts, visionaries, and progressive thinkers from across the insurance, banking, wealth management, and fintech industries.
Revolutionize – Presented by Aging2.0 Boston & Age Friendly Foundation
The Boston Chapter of Aging 2.0, together with the Age Friendly Foundation, is pleased to announce “Revolutionize”. Join us on October 25, 2019 at the Seaport Hotel in Boston for our inaugural conference. Let’s revolutionize our approach to aging by promoting creative collaborations among the varied sectors engaged in aging services.
Aging2.0 Boston & Age Friendly Foundation
The Good Fight, ADL’s Forum on Confronting Anti-Semitism
Join the Boston community for an informative and hands-on day dedicating to combating anti-Semitism. This one-day forum will include presentations by leading experts on anti-Semitism and skill building workshops for adults, students, and families. Participants will leave with an actionable toolkit for confronting anti-Semitism.
WorldBoston 10th Annual Consuls Reception
The Consuls Reception convenes the 60-member local Consular Corps and some 200 leaders from business, government, academia, and the arts for a lively evening of networking, hors d’oeuvres, and drinks – all against the sparkling backdrop of Boston Harbor by night. Ambassador Susan E. Rice, the former National Security Advisor and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, will provide remarks.
Today’s Headlines
Metro
Pressley endorses four women for at-large City Council – Dorchester Reporter
Seaport may be hot, but not for bank branches – Boston Business Journal
Massachusetts
Boiler brouhaha blows up again in Attleboro – Sun Chronicle
Hundreds attend Blandford meeting on Pike exit – MassLive
Nation
Trump administration and allies pummeled with subpoenas – New York Times
Parkland and Sante Fe schools disclose devastating after-effects of shootings – Politico
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