Happening Today
Health Policy Commission, film tax credit, mayoral forum
— Health Policy Commission holds virtual meetings of its Market Oversight and Transparency and Care Delivery Transformation committees, with staff presenting information on the commission’s upcoming 2020 Cost Trends Report, 9:30 a.m.
— Film workers and business owners tied to the industry hold a press conference to discuss what organizers describe as the ‘potential loss of thousands of jobs’ if Senate-backed changes to the state’s film production tax credit become law, 10 a.m.
— State Administration and Regulatory Oversight Committee holds a hearing on bills related to maintaining COVID-19 provisions beyond the June 15 end of the state of emergency, mostly related to virtual public meetings, 10:30 a.m.
— Second half of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board’s Boston mayoral candidate forum features mayoral candidates Annissa Essaibi George, Michelle Wu and Jon Santiago, who present their platforms and answer questions from attendees, 12 p.m.
— U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley and the Environmental League of Massachusetts hold press conference to highlight opportunities for clean energy jobs and economic growth in East Boston and surrounding neighborhoods, 3 p.m.
For the most comprehensive list of calendar items, check out State House News Service’s Daily Advances (pay wall – free trial subscriptions available), as well as MassterList’s Beacon Hill Town Square below.
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: 12 new deaths, 17,520 total deaths, 179 new cases
MassLive has the latest coronavirus numbers for Massachusetts.
Battle lines: Lawmakers and Baker tussle over who can spend $5.3B in federal pandemic aid
The Baker administration says it doesn’t need legislative approval to unilaterally spend some of the $5.3 billion in federal relief funds flowing into Massachusetts coffers. House Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka beg to differ – and they’ve drafted legislation to put the fed money into a “segregated fund” to be later appropriated with legislative input. SHNS’s Colin Young, the Herald’s Erin Tiernan and the Globe’s Matt Stout have more on the showdown between Republican Gov. Charlie Baker and Democratic leaders on Beacon Hill.
Lucky for Life: Lottery prizes for those who get vaccinated?
The state’s coronavirus case numbers may be falling to new lows, the result of a successful vaccine rollout, as the Herald’s Rick Sobey reports. But there’s still millions of people in Massachusetts who haven’t been vaccinated yet and so … why not offer special Lottery prizes as an incentive to get shots?
Treasurer Deb Goldberg’s office is apparently looking into the lottery option that other states have tried, reports the Globe’s Martin Finucane. The Baker administration doesn’t sound too thrilled about the idea.
SJC justices sound skeptical about mandatory COVID testing in jails
It’s always hard to tell which way judges might go in a case. But some SJC justice sure sounded skeptical yesterday about claims county jails have been showing “deliberate indifference to prisoners by failing to provide regular COVID-19 testing,” as CommonWealth’s Shira Schoenberg. Why the skepticism? Because the same prisoners are being offered vaccinations to prevent COVID-19 in the first place. Next case?
Now White says: Walsh knew
It’s not just William Gross saying former Mayor Marty Walsh knew. Embattled BPD commissioner Dennis White also says Walsh knew about his domestic-assault charges before White was appointed Boston’s top cop – and he says he spoke repeatedly with Walsh about the allegations. CommonWealth’s Michael Jonas and the Globe’s Andrew Ryan and Danny McDonald have the latest dramatic twist in the ongoing saga to oust White as commissioner.
White’s comments came on the eve of his termination hearing today. GBH’s Saraya Wintersmith has more.
SJC: Anything you text can and will be used against you after you hit send
The alleged drug dealer apparently thought his text messages were safe from prying eyes. From Universal Hub: “The Supreme Judicial Court ruled (Tuesday) that a man’s text messages can be used against him in a criminal case because they were recovered from another man’s phone.”
LGBTQ rebels convince mayoral candidates to switch forums
The ongoing feud within the LGBTQ community spilled into the open again yesterday. From the Globe’s Stephanie Ebbert: “Frustrated LGBTQ activists who have been unsuccessfully pushing Boston Pride to diversify its board upended a planned mayoral debate by persuading three leading contenders to abandon the forum for their own.”
Meanwhile, GOP committee member says God meant for men and women to have children, not gay couples
It seems Deborah Martell, who represents Lowell on the Republican state committee, doesn’t agree with gay couples adopting children. And she let one gay GOP congressional candidate and dad know it in no uncertain biblical terms – and now she’s being criticized by Gov. Charlie Baker and other Republicans, though not the party’s chairman, as the Globe’s Emma Platoff reports.
Unleashing the tuition debt collectors …
If withholding college transcripts doesn’t work, there’s always the tried-and-true method of unleashing debt collectors on students who owe public colleges money, as WGBH’s Kirk Carapezza reports. We’re talking nearly 12,000 students with debt-collectors on their trail.
Hemp advocate to lawmakers: ‘I’m calling you today from the Gates of Hell’
The BBJ’s Jessica Bartlett reports on a digital hearing yesterday in which the president of the Massachusetts Grower Advocacy Council opened his testimony “cloaked in shadow and surrounded by flames, thanks to an exotic video-call background.” The fire-and-brimstone message: Hemp farmers are going through regulatory hell in Massachusetts.
In other very loosely-related cannabis news, from SHNS’s Colin Young: “Indoor Cannabis Grow Centers Draining Electricity.” And we might as well stick this one in here too, also via SHNS: “State Launches Marijuana Delivery License Application.”
DEP chief: Broader monitoring of PFAS chemicals needed
They’re going deeper to the source. From SHNS’s Chris Lisinski: “Massachusetts regulators may need to expand PFAS monitoring into waste disposal, landfill and the atmosphere amid concerns about potential health risks from the chemicals, the head of the state Department of Environmental Protection said Tuesday.”
It’s apparently just about everywhere, not just drinking water.
SHNS (pay wall — free trial subscription available)
No fanfare: Dempsey quietly files for auditor
SHNS’s Chris Lisinski reports that transportation advocate Chris Dempsey quietly, without any announcement, filed campaign finance paperwork late last week in what’s expected to be a crowded race to succeed state Auditor Suzanne Bump, who has announced she won’t be running for re-election.
Harvard’s Allston project gets boost from NBA All-Stars
The BBJ’s Catherine Carlock reports that Tishman Speyer, which has been hired by Harvard to develop a 14-acre site in Allston, has tapped a group of black and Latino professionals – including four NBA All-Stars – to invest in the university’s new ‘Enterprise Research Campus’ in Allston. No past or present members of the Celtics mentioned.
Amtrak’s vision: Rail service to Springfield, Manchester and beyond
It must be true. It’s in Amtrak’s 15-year ‘corridor vision’ plan, i.e. new Boston-to-Springfield and Boston-to-Manchester, N.H. rail service. MassLive’s Benjamin Kail has more on the still far-from-reality proposals.
Four candidates, two towns, one campaign … and success
They may have come up with a new campaign model. CommonWealth’s Bruce Mohl reports on what looks like a novel move by multiple like-minded candidates in municipal elections in Milton and Needham to pool their “resources, staff, and voting lists in a bid to broaden their name recognition and their base of support.” And it worked.
Natick condemns Confederate flag display at Memorial Day service
They’re upset in Natick. And they should be over one man’s determination to prominently wave a Confederate flag at a Memorial Day event over the holiday weekend. You know, the same Memorial Day that was originally started to honor Union soldiers who died fighting pro-slavery Confederates in the U.S. Civil War. Henry Schwam at MetroWest Daily News has more.
Eversource gets into ship building. Yes, Eversource
The Globe’s Jon Chesto reports how Eversource Energy, best known as the utility that gets electricity into your home, is now into ship building. One ship, to be exact, and one big enough to carry huge wind turbines to planned wind farms off the coasts of Martha’s Vineyard and Long Island.
Revved up: Rick Green hopes to be more than thorn in Baker’s side
Steve Brown of WBUR catches up with auto parts magnate Rick Green, founder of the Mass Fiscal Alliance, as he pushes to make the state’s Republican party more conservative and more relevant all at once. The conversation includes fresh speculation about a primary challenge to Baker from Green ally Geoff Diehl.
Right move? Embattled Fall River School Superintendent announces resignation
Fall River School Superintendent Matthew Malone, who has been locked in a standoff with the city council after a scathing report on his leadership style, says he will resign as of Nov. 1, a decision that brought cheers from the mayor and other elected officials who say it’s time to move on already, even though moving on is still months away. Audrey Cooney at the Herald-News has more.
Earful: Warren hears of post-pandemic labor shortage
Back to pandemic-related news: A half dozen North Shore business owners told U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren that finding enough workers remains their biggest worry as they emerge from the pandemic, with several taking aim at federal unemployment bonuses that some have argued are making it easier for employees to stay on the sidelines, Dustin Luca at the Salem News reports.
Long rebound ahead: Tourism officials express optimism but preach patience
We all know the Cape is back. But regional tourism officials elsewhere around the state are also expressing optimism after the Memorial Day weekend kicked off summer with rolled back pandemic restrictions. Still, some say it could be 2024 before the state’s hospitality industry fully recovers, Christian Wade at the Eagle-Tribune reports.
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
Another Boston police officer pleads guilty to OT fraud, U.S. Attorney says – Boston Herald
Pavement Coffeehouse Employees Move To Unionize; Would Be First Union Café In Mass. – WGBH
Massachusetts
More than 75 apply for Springfield city clerk job – MassLive
Swastika found carved into chair at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School – MetroWest Daily News
Fall River police officer suspended for Facebook post after Derek Chauvin verdict – Herald News
Nation
Biden Suspends Drilling Leases in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge – New York Times
Democrat Melanie Stansbury wins US House race in New Mexico – Fox News
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