Happening Today
Memorial Day weekend
No major events have been announced for today, as the state and nation gear up for the long Memorial Day weekend.
Today’s Stories
Reminder to readers: SHNS Coronavirus Tracker available for free
A reminder to our readers as the coronavirus crisis unfolds: The paywalled State House News Service, which produces MASSterList, is making its full Coronavirus Tracker available to the community for free on a daily basis each morning via ML. SHNS Coronavirus Tracker.
The coronavirus numbers: 9 new death, 17,491 total deaths, 215 new cases
MassLive has the latest coronavirus numbers for Massachusetts.
Appeals court: OK, you can fire White now
The firing of suspended BPD commissioner Dennis White is a go again. The Globe’s Danny McDonald reports that a state appeals court judge has cleared the way for Acting Mayor Kim Janey to finally fire the embattled top cop, after a lower court judge ruled Janey could and then couldn’t give White the heave. McDonald explains.
Universal Hub’s Adam Gaffin and CommonWealth’s Michael Jonas have more in the crazy legal and political saga. And the Globe’s Joan Vennochi thinks Janey is doing the right thing by canning White.
Tomorrow’s full reopening: ‘It’s like the end of Prohibition’
Is it really almost over? Yes indeedy. CBS Boston reports on the 10 things you can finally do starting tomorrow, when the state fully reopens the economy (with some mask requirements here and there). CBS Boston reports separately that bar and nightclub owners are especially pumped about the end of pandemic business restrictions. And so are amusement-park owners, as the Globe’s Adam Sennott reports.
And, btw, Senate President Karen Spilka says the legislative wheels are indeed in motion to extend some of the more popular pandemic-era emergency orders in Massachusetts, reports SHNS’s Katie Lannan.
MassDOT: Memorial Day weekend traffic could exceed 2019 levels
How eager are people to resume their normal lives, now that most COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted tomorrow? So eager that MassDOT’s Jonathan Gulliver expects crowded holiday roadways today and through the weekend. Very crowded. Heather Morrison at MassLive has more.
Except for masks, pandemic restrictions will be lifted in schools this fall
The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education last evening alerted school superintendents across the state that A.) In-person learning will be required this fall and B.) COVID-19 restrictions, such as social-distancing rules, will be lifted, though masks will still be required. SHNS’s Katie Lannan and the Globe’s Felicia Gans have more.
The last remaining COVID-19 hotspot: Tisbury?
They once numbered more than 200 communities. But now it’s down to just one community on the state’s “high risk” list for the spread of COVID-19: Tisbury on Martha’s Vineyard. MassLive’s Tanner Stening and the Boston Herald’s Rick Sobey have more.
Bharel stepping down as DPH Commissioner
After what we just went through over the past year, can you blame her? MassLive’s Melissa Hanson reports that state Public Health Commissioner Dr. Monica Bharel plans to step down June 18, after six years running the agency and 15 months dealing with the COVID-19 crisis.
Don’t leave home without it: Cape vaccine card
State Sen. Julian Cyr of Truro and others have some advice for those venturing to the Cape post-reopening: Bring a proof-of-vaccination card just in case. Many businesses may require the card for entry, they say. SHNS’s Katie Lannan and the Globe’s Anissa Gardizy have more.
Auditor Bump’s family firm sued over claims of sexual harassment, pay inequity and Covid compliance
State Auditor Suzanne Bump is being sued by a former employee of her late husband’s Quincy-based substance abuse treatment company, claiming she was the victim of sexual harassment, pay and benefits inequities based on gender and lax Covid-19 protocol compliance, Wheeler Cooperthwaite at the Patriot Ledger reports.
This timing is interesting though probably not relevant to the fact that Bump, who took ownership of the firm after her husband died in 2016, announced this week she would not seek re-election.
Senate approves $47.7B budget. Next up: conference committee
From SHNS’s Matt Murphy: “The Senate unanimously passed a $47.7 billion budget for next year after three days of debate over how best to invest state resources as Massachusetts looks to recover from the hardships of the past year of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
And here are some sidebar headlines about the Senate budget, all from the indispensable SHNS, starting with Katie Lannan’s piece: “Senate Agrees to Spike Three Tax Breaks/ Branches Must Also Settle Film Tax Credit Differences.” And from SHNS’s Chris Lisinski: “New Senate Plan Revives Push for Higher TNC Fees.”
Senate Dems reject GOP’s ‘back-to-work’ bonuses
Considering how much ink and bandwidth have been expended on the issue, we thought we’d point out that a Republican proposal for a $1,200 ‘return to work’ bonus got shot down by Dems during this past week’s Senate budget deliberations, as SHNS’s Michael Norton reports.
SHNS (pay wall — free trial subscription available)
Attitude change: A year after George Floyd’s death, change has indeed come to Beacon Hill
GBH’s Mike Deehan has a good story this morning marking the one-year anniversary of George Flyod’s death – and how it’s changed things on Beacon Hill. Sure, some reforms have been passed. But attitudes in general have also changed, Deehan reports.
Are Baker and Polito about to lose a key state GOP committee fight? Howie certainly hopes so
We usually don’t keep MassterList readers posted on Howie Carr’s latest Baker Derangement Syndrome screed in the Herald. But today he does address the power struggle now under way within the state GOP over control of the party’s executive board – and it looks like conservatives may win this fight.
Fyi: It should be noted that conservatives are trying to do to Baker-Polito today what Baker-Polito tried to do to conservatives five years ago, as the Globe reported back then.
Judge orders Robinhood to follow our Sheriff of Nottingham’s new securities rules
Knowing Bill Galvin, he probably revels in the new nickname. From Bloomberg’s Janelle Lawrence: “Robinhood Markets lost a bid to immediately stop Massachusetts securities regulators from enforcing a new rule that holds brokers accountable to a fiduciary standard of care. Superior Court Judge Kenneth Salinger denied Robinhood’s request for an injunction against the state rule.”
DUA’s mysterious two-sentence caveat: What does it mean?
It’s the Department of Unemployment Assistance’s equivalent of ‘What’s the frequency Kenneth?’ or ‘I buried Paul,’ i.e. a mysterious two-sentence caveat about a “system processing error” that may impact job-claim estimates. The Globe’s Sean Murphy tries – and fails – to get answers from DUA.
Gust of hope: Mayflower Wind strikes Brayton Point deal
From CommonWealth’s Bruce Mohl: “Mayflower Wind, which is planning to bring ashore on Cape Cod the electricity generated by its first wind farm, said on Thursday that it intends to shift the landing point for the power produced by its future wind farms off the coast of Massachusetts to Brayton Point in Somerset.” But there’s a huge multi-year caveat: Mayflower Wind must first win a second state procurement contract.
Is Somerville the latest ‘next Kendall Square’?
We thought Seaport was supposed to be the next Kendall Square. But, no, Somerville is now the latest ‘next Kendall Square,’ reports the BBJ’s Rowan Walrath and Catherine Carlock, who are well aware of many past claims of next-Kendall-Square status.
But wait! It seems a zoning amendment could disrupt Somerville’s bid for next-Kendall-Square status, as Carlock reports separately at the BBJ.
Long shot: Gordon College to ask U.S. Supreme Court to hear discrimination case
Attorneys for Gordon College say the Wenham Christian school will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to hear an appeal of a recent Supreme Judicial Court ruling that found teachers are not exempt from employment discrimination laws, Julie Manganis of the Salem News reports. The college has argued its teachers act as ministers and can be fired at any time.
Who are you? Cape agencies launch outreach to understand newcomers
Welcome, pandemic-fleers. The U.S. Postal Service says Barnstable County had the country’s fourth-highest move-in rate last year as workers freed from the physical workplaces set up shop on the Cape — and now the Cape Cod Commission says it will hire pollsters from UMass Lowell to learn more about the flood of new residents and their future plans, Cynthia McCormick at the Cape Cod Times reports .
Have a great Memorial Day weekend – and see you Tuesday
We’d like to wish all our MassterList readers a wonderful and safe Memorial Day weekend. We’ve all definitely earned it after this past tough year. We’ll be taking the Monday holiday off, but we’ll be back in your inbox next Tuesday morning. See you then.
Sunday public affairs TV: Larry Calderone, Danielle Allen, Andrea Cabral
Keller at Large, WBZ-TV Channel 4, 8:30 a.m. This week’s guest: Larry Calderone, president of the Boston Police Patrolmens Association, who talks with host Jon Keller about police morale and police/community relations one year after George Floyd’s murder and his role in police reforms as a member of the state’s new POST Commission.
This Week in Business, NECN, 10 a.m. Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce CEO Wendy Northcross on the upcoming Cape summer tourism season; Citizens Financial Group chairman and CEO Bruce Van Saun on the pandemic and the overall state of the economy; and the BBJ’s Doug Banks on the top business stories of the week.
On The Record, WCVB-TV Channel 5, 11 a.m. This week’s guest: Danielle Allen, a Harvard professor and Democrat mulling a run for governor, talks with hosts Ed Harding and Janet Wu, followed by a political discussion with analysts Mary Anne Marsh and Rob Gray.
CityLine, WCVB-TV Channel 5, 12 p.m. With host Karen Holmes Ward, this week’s main topic: Controlling cannabis in Massachusetts, featuring Andrea Cabral, CEO of Ascend Wellnes, and CCC commissioner Nurys Camargo.
Glory – Livestream Film History Program
For Memorial Day join us for a special film screening and discussion of “Glory,” starring Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman and Mathew Broderick. Our program will feature a discussion and analysis of “Glory,” including a short overview of the of the Civil War and the United States Colored Troops for historical context, followed by a full screening of the one-hundred and twenty-two minute film.
Washington D.C. History & Culture
Navigating the Culture Wars with Douglas Murray and Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Join Douglas Murray, author of The Madness of Crowds, and feminist activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali as the pair discuss her new book: Prey: Immigration, Islam, and the Erosion of Women’s Rights.
Multilateral Cultural Diplomacy: A Conversation with UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay
In the third installment of the Future of Cultural Diplomacy Series, UNESCO’s Director-General Audrey Azoulay will offer her unique perspective on cultural diplomacy as the leader of one of the world’s largest multilateral agencies focused on education, scientific, and cultural issues.
Biodiversity and Climate Crisis Summit – On the Road to COP26
UN COP 26 will take place in Glasgow in 2021, hosted by the United Nations and the UK Government. This International online event will take us closer to the UN Summit, and it’s about generating a wider dialogue on Climate Action. Net Zero by 2030? Can we make it happen?
United Nations Association Climate and Oceans
Dr. James R. Givens in conversation with Dr. Kim Parker – Fugitive Pedagogy: Carter G. Woodson and the Art of Black Teaching
Join us, the State Library of Massachusetts, the Museum of African American History, and the Black Educators’ Alliance of Massachusetts (BEAM) for an online discussion with Dr. Jarvis R. Givens, author of Fugitive Pedagogy: Carter G. Woodson and the Art of Black Teaching, and BEAM President Dr. Kim Parker. This conversation is part of the Boston Public Library’s Repairing America Series.
Climate Adaptation Forum — Climate Migration: International Pressures, Local Realities
Join the Climate Adaptation Forum for a conversation about migration — both international and internal. Hear from municipalities that are building infrastructure to welcome new residents and from experts at the international scale who are grappling with broad issues of displacement and migration.
Environmental Business Council of New England & the Sustainable Solutions Lab
Crypto Connection 2021
2021 will be known as the year Crypto went mainstream. The flood of institutional investors entering the asset class, the decision by traditional payment companies to offer crypto access and payment options, and the dynamism of listed (public) digital asset companies, futures contracts, and ETFs – all point to a sea change in our understanding and perceived value of cryptocurrency.
President Bill Clinton and James Patterson Discuss The President’s Daughter
President Bill Clinton and author James Patterson’s new thriller, THE PRESIDENT’S DAUGHTER, is a fast-action adventure, a certified nail-biter from the very first page, with details only a former president could write and action only Patterson could dream up. Just imagine the president as a superhero — all the fun without the cape!
Corporate Welcome Reception
MassEcon is proud to welcome new businesses to Massachusetts at our Corporate Welcome Brunch, part of the Annual Corporate Welcome Reception Series! As we were unable to host this event in 2020 due to the onset of the pandemic, we look forward to this event as an opportunity to thank these new companies to Massachusetts for their investments in the Commonwealth in 2019 and later.
Reflections of Alan Turing
Dermot Turing is the author of the acclaimed biography Prof, about the life of his uncle, Alan Turing and X, Y & Z: the Real Story of How Enigma Was Broken. He spent his career in the legal profession after graduating from Cambridge and Oxford, and is a trustee of Bletchley Park. He has extensive knowledge of World War II code-breaking and is a regular presenter at major cryptology events.
Deborah Lipstadt and Rabbi Ed Feinstein: Anti-Semitism Today – What’s Really Going On?
Deborah Lipstadt, Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish and Holocaust Studies at Emory University, is one of the nation’s foremost experts on Holocaust denial and modern anti-Semitism. Rabbi Ed Feinstein is the beloved senior rabbi at Valley Beth Shalom in Encino, California, one of the largest Conservative congregations in the United States.
Jews United for Democracy and Justice and Community Advocates
Anne Frank’s Europe: Before, During & After Her Diary – Livestream Tour
Join us for an online/virtual tour of the places throughout Europe associated with Anne Frank. While the basics of Anne’s life as depicted in her diary are known to many, some of the most noteworthy aspects of this time are not well known.
Washington DC HIstory & Culture
Today’s Headlines
Metro
Boston Police cruiser on guard when Marty Walsh circles back home – Boston Herald
Massachusetts
Complaint: Hadley vaccination policy passed without public input – Daily Hampshire Gazette
Here’s how Fall River Public Schools plan to address learning loss from the pandemic – Herald News
Nation
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