Happening Today
Today | Massachusetts Gaming Commission is due to report September gaming revenues at Plainridge Park Casino, MGM Springfield, and Encore Boston Harbor.
9 a.m. | New England Council hosts U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern for a virtual “Capitol Hill Report” that offers business leaders a chance to hear from and ask questions of the high-ranking House Democrat from Worcester.
9:30 a.m. | Gov. Charlie Baker is scheduled to give congratulatory remarks during Association for Behavioral Health Care’s annual Salute to Excellence event, along with Senate President Karen Spilka, House Speaker Ronald Mariano, and Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders.
10 a.m. | Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities Committee holds virtual hearing on 17 bills, including financial literacy bills from Treasurer Deb Goldberg and Rep. Daniel Hunt and legislation from Rep. William Pignatelli and Sen. Becca Rausch that would establish a bill of rights for people experiencing homelessness.
1 p.m. | Special Joint Committee on Redistricting holds virtual hearing to accept public comments on their proposed revisions to House and Senate district maps.
8:07 p.m. | Red Sox and Astros face off in the first game of the American League Championship Series at Houston’s Minute Maid Park.
Today’s Stories
It’s almost the weekend
Only two more weeks until Halloween. Welcome to Friday. You’re hopefully only one work shift away from the weekend and just over 12 hours away from the first game of the Red Sox-Astros ALCS.
The short week on Beacon Hill didn’t stem the flow of news as headlines jumped from the number of suspended city of Boston employees to new draft redistricting maps, clean energy and the Boston mayoral debate.
If you can reach all the way back to Tuesday, you’ll recall that the Legislature unveiled draft maps that were framed as ones designed to increased diversity in state politics. The House increased the number of districts with majority-minority populations by 13, while the Senate showed off two new non-white majority districts.
Here’s an update: State House News Service’s Chris Lisinski dove into proposed changes for Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Ronald Mariano’s districts. Findings: map makers went light on changes.
Speaking of light, the much anticipated Boston mayoral debate on Wednesday night was devoid of any high stakes clashes save for a few moments where City Councilor Annissa Essaibi George went after rival Councilor Michelle Wu. CommonWealth’s Michael Jonas reported that it was a mostly civil affair.
(In case you haven’t been keeping track, there are only 18 days until the election.)
Back on the hill, there was a lot of talk about money. Gov. Charlie Baker proposed a sweeping $750 million bill focused on clean energy investments and changing procurement requirements for offshore wind. Boston Herald’s Erin Tiernan has more details on the clean energy bill.
That was unveiled a day before lawmakers sent the governor a $303 million supplemental budget to close out the books on fiscal year 2021. Boston Business Journal’s Greg Ryan and Steph Solis wrote about what the spending bill did and did not include.
Also on the docket for today: individual schools can lift mask mandates for vaccinated students and staff after submitting an attestation form to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education showing they have a vaccination rate of 80 percent or higher.
But to tie off our week, we get to sit down in front of the T.V. (or maybe you made the trip down south) to watch the Red Sox hopefully pummel through the Houston Astros. Boston Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy had an interesting piece yesterday morning revisiting both teams’ “scandalous recent history.”
There’s a lack of transparency among newly public companies
Newly public companies don’t seem to be as forthcoming on board and leadership transparency as opposed to their more established counterparts. Boston Business Journal’s Grant Welker and Lucia Maffei report that roughly half of the local companies that went public this year didn’t respond or decline to provide specific data about the number of women and people of color in upper management positions or on boards of directors.
More from Welker and Maffei: “A total of 14 companies out of 30 either did not respond to the Business Journal’s questions or declined to comment. Two others sent statements that did not contain the answers to the questions. The remaining companies disclosed varying degrees of information about the diversity of their boards and executive teams.”
Settlement in federal lawsuit would change Worcester’s school committee elections
There’s a settlement. The city of Worcester and a coalition of Hispanic and Black voters settled a lawsuit claiming the city’s at-large process of electing people to the School Committee dilutes votes from communities of color. Telegram & Gazette’s Steven H. Foskett Jr. reports that plaintiffs and the city requested a federal judge approve a settlement that would end the legal battle and create a path toward a new at-large system.
Targeted: First-termer Auchincloss draws GOP challenger
Newton businesswoman Emily Burns says she’ll challenge first-term U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss in the state’s 4th Congressional district, George Rhodes of the Sun Chronicle reports. Burns is a registered Liberterian but will run as a Republican and position herself as an outsider against Auchincloss, who claimed the seat that was left vacant when then-U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III made a bid for the Senate.
Running: Dennis Select Board Chair eyes open House seat
Dennis Select Board Chair Chris Flanagan will seek the 1st Barnstable District state representative seat that is being vacated by Rep. Timothy Whelan, who intends to run for sheriff. Asad Jung of the Cape Cod Times reports Flanagan is a onetime staffer to both John Kerry and Mo Cowan when they served in the U.S. Senate.
MGH president addresses upcoming vaccine mandate for employees
There’s several vaccine mandate deadlines for employees coming up, including one at Massachusetts General Hospital slated for today. MGH President Dr. David Brown went on WBUR’s “Radio Boston” yesterday and said “it is out goal to fire no one.” About 800 employees at the hospital still aren’t vaccinated and run the risk of suspension or job loss. Here’s the writeup of the interview from WBUR’s Jack Mitchell, Amanda Beland, and Tiziana Dearing.
Free guy: Correia asks judge to let him stay out of prison during appeal process
He’s free and wants to stay that way. Former Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia asked a judge to allow him to remain free while he appeals his federal conviction on extortion and wire fraud charges, Dan Medeiros of the Herald News reports. Correia is currently due to report to prison on Dec. 3.
Advocates frame parole bill as a chance at freedom
The legislative proposal: a chance at freedom. GBH News’ Mike Deehan reports that a bill backed by the Legislature’s Criminal Justice Reform Caucus would allow for parole after 25 years in prison and if passed, would apply retroactively to prisoners who already served the required time.
UMass Amherst SGA considers placing RAs in frat houses
After complaints of sexual assualts at frat parties at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, students are now discussing the placement of resident assistants in off-campus Gree Life houses. MassLive’s Will Katcher reports that the university’s Student Government Association talked over the matter at a meeting Wednesday night.
Harvard endowment grows to $53.2 billion
That’s a lot of money. Harvard University’s endowment grew to $53.2 billion after the institution reported a 33.6 percent return. Boston Globe’s Laura Krantz reports that the university ended the most recent fiscal year with $283 million surplus, an improvement over the $10 million deficit it found itself in last year.
Land of the swift-footed lizard
They gave it a roar of approval. The House passed a bill Thursday that would name the Podokesaurus holyokensis as the official state dinosaur of Massachusetts. State House News Service’s Chris Van Buskirk reports that the dinosaur lived roughly 185 million to 195 million years ago and its bones were initially found in 1910 near Mount Holyoke College by Mignon Talbot, the first woman to name and describe a dinosaur. More details via WBUR.
State House News Service via WBUR
Old house on the block: Neighbors want historic status for NKOTB house
They’re going step-by-step. Seth Daniel of the Dorchester Reporter tracks the progress of a group of residents who want the Boston Landmarks Commission to grant special status to the home where two members of the New Kids on the Block boy band were raised. The Salvation Army, which bought the home from the Knight family in 1996, has put the 1880 home back on the market.
Sunday Public Affairs: U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch, Annissa Essaibi George, and more
Keller at Large, WBZ-TV Ch. 4, 8:30 a.m. Congressman Stephen Lynch discusses the status of the infrastructure bills, what it means to Massachusetts if they fail, and the fallout from the January 6 insurrection.
This Week in Business, NECN, Sunday, 10 a.m. This week’s topic: The impact of supply chain bottlenecks on the auto industry with DCD Automotive holdings president Chris Dagasse; Greater Boston Chamber CEO Jim Rooney on how businesses are evolving their back to work plans; and Shirley Leung of The Boston Globe on Gov. Charlie Baker’s push for a clean energy investment fund.
On The Record, WCVB-TV Ch. 5, Sunday, 11 a.m. Guest: Boston mayoral candidate Annissa Essaibi George talks with hosts Ed Harding and Janet Wu followed by a roundtable discussion with political analysts Mary Anne Marsh and Rob Gray.
CityLine, WCVB-TV, Ch. 5 Sunday 12 p.m., This week’s topic: Chinese-American World War II veterans and their families from across New England were honored in Boston with the Congressional Gold Medal at a ceremony at Faneuil Hall. Major General William Chen of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance Boston and Melvin Jee, the son of one of the soldiers honored, tell us why this acknowledgement is so important.
Today’s Headlines
Metro
Coast Guard readying North End base for larger, faster cutters – Universal Hub
Boston’s first new firehouse in nearly four decades opens its doors in Roxbury – Boston Globe
Massachusetts
Salem leaders seek to lift e-bike ban – Salem News
Mass. DPH reports 1st drop in Taunton COVID cases since late August – Taunton Gazette
Attleboro mayoral debate was more of a calm conversation – Sun Chronicle
Nation
Jan. 6 investigators move to hold Bannon in contempt – Politico
Meet the people getting paid $10,000 for moving to West Virginia – Washington Post
State-level carbon tax climate agreement struggling to get off the ground – New York Post
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