Happening Today:
Today | Attorney General-elect Andrea Campbell makes her first official visit to the Attorney General's Office for a tour, to meet with bureau chiefs and staff, and sit down one-on-one with Gov.-elect and current Attorney General Maura Healey to discuss the transition.
11 a.m. | Transportation Secretary Jamey Tesler, Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver and other officials host an event to make an announcement about the Bowker Overpass Bridge Rehabilitation Project.
11 a.m. | Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Boston EMS hold an emergency medical technician recruit academy graduation and promotional ceremony at Faneuil Hall for 19 EMT-Recruits and 18 recently promoted superintendents, deputy superintendents, lieutenants and paramedics.
12 p.m. | Former mayor of Somerville Joe Curtatone receives Tufts University's presidential medal from Tufts President Anthony Monaco for his service to Somerville.
12:30 p.m. | U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu visit Horizons for Homeless Children to highlight how American Rescue Plan Act money is being put to use in the child care sector.
2 p.m. | Companies that hope to offer sports betting in Massachusetts face a deadline to submit an application and non-refundable $200,000 application fee to the Gaming Commission.
happy match day. The World Cup is underway in Qatar and the U.S. men’s national team kicks off their campaign at 2 p.m. against Wales.
And speaking of campaigns, Gov. Charlie Baker in an interview that aired over the weekend breathed life into the idea that he may not be completely done with politics.
Baker jetted off to Dublin on Saturday night and plans to spend the holiday week in Ireland with his family before returning home on Monday, Nov. 28. But before he got on a plane, the governor sat down with WCVB’s Ed Harding and Janet Wu for one final appearance on “On the Record.”
Baker has repeatedly said over the years he has no interest in seeking out the White House, even as his popularity soared. That message didn’t change much Sunday, but it took him a bit to get there.
“I think if I was looking at this point in my career to continue to engage in public service I think Lauren and I and Karyn Polito, the lieutenant governor, and her husband Steve would have run for another term,” Baker said after taking a deep breathe when asked about running for president in 2024.
“I certainly plan to be involved in 2024, but I think the likelihood of me on the ballot in 2024 is pretty small,” Baker said, appearing to leave the window open. When pressed by Wu, however, Baker said, “I think anybody in public life never slams anything completely but I’m certainly not going to be a candidate in 2024. Period.”
Ok, so no Baker vs. Trump vs. DeSantis 2024 grudge match. But when Wu took it a step further and asked if that meant his name would never be on another ballot, Baker said, “No, I’m not going to rule out ever running for anything.”
He wouldn’t be the first governor to serve non-consecutive terms should he decide at some point to seek out his old job. Of course, in cases like Michael Dukakis – who served three-terms – it usually happens when you lose a race somewhere in the middle.
And there’s always Congress. Baker, 66, lives in U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton’s district, and while U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren has said she plans to run for reelection to another six-year term in 2024, 76-year-old U.S. Sen. Ed Markey’s term expires two years later in 2026.
Or maybe he plans to go back to the Swampscott board of selectmen.
Baker also discussed his recent pardons of Gerald Amirault and Cheryl Amirault LeFave, his hopes for tax relief in the next legislative session, immigration and his belief that the MBTA bus system, commuter rail, Green Line and The Ride are all in better shape than when he took office.
In a lightning round, Baker said MassGOP Chairman Jim Lyons should no longer lead the Republican Party in Massachusetts, he does not believe in student debt relief and, yes, he will be relieved to be out of the spotlight.
— Moving target: Disciplined cops often land in other communities
At least a dozen Bay State police officers have landed jobs with new departments after being fired or resigning in the wake of misconduct allegations in other communities in what one expert calls a longtime industry issue. WBUR’s Walter Wuthmann reports the “officer shuffle” casts light on the challenges that remain as the state seeks to finalize a process for certifying police officers.
— Baker issues pardons in controversial Fells Acres case
Gov. Charlie Baker continues to exercise his pardon powers in ways recent predecessors have not, granting a another round late last week that included a commutation request of a man serving a life sentence for murder and six pardons. Two of those pardons were for Gerald Amirault and his sister Cheryl Amirault LeFave, who were convicted nearly 40 years ago in the Fells Acres child sexual abuse case. The Globe’s Matt Stout reports that the Fells Acre convictions were “long dogged by doubts about investigators’ tactics,” and Baker said during his interview with WCVB on Sunday that he factored in “serious questions” raised by judges and other experts who have looked at the case with the “investigatory and the interrogation procedures, policies and practices that were used at the time.”
— Whatever it takes to get those tenants back to the office
From elected officials to small business owners, everyone is looking for ways to lure people back downtown after the pandemic. Commercial property owners, apparently, are no different. The BBJ’s Greg Ryan reports that property owners and managers are spending millions of dollars to upgrade spaces with perks that will lure corporate tenants back to the office, from refaced lobbies and outdoors terraces to basketball courts and golf simulators. This story lands days after Ryan reported that commercial property sales in Greater Boston are slumping.
— Neal sees potential for compromise with GOP on R&D
U.S. Rep. Richard Neal is about to lose what he called “the best job in Congress” when Republicans take over the House in January. But while his chairmanship of the House Ways and Means Committee will be going to the GOP, he said money he helped secure for projects like East-West rail can’t be taken back. Neal addressed the results of the November midterms on Friday, discussing how difficult it will be to work with 2020 election deniers who are now in the majority, as well as areas where he thinks Democrats and Republicans in the House can find common ground. He also blamed New York Democrats for losses in the Empire State after the party overshot with redistricting.
— Meehan: Voters clear they want $$$ spent on higher ed
UMass President Marty Meehan sat down for an interview that aired this weekend with WBZ analyst and MASSterList columnist Jon Keller to discuss the need to keep public higher education affordable and why he believes passage earlier this month of the “millionaire’s tax” is a sign that voters believe more should be spent on the state’s university system. The interview aired just days after Meehan and UMass Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen penned an op/ed for The Boston Globe making the case for why the Biden administration should locate its planned Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health in Massachusetts.
— Healey rounds out transition team
Gov.-elect Maura Healey fleshed out her transition team on Friday, announcing that she would be forming six policy committee focused on issues like transportation, climate, housing and job creation. The structure gives some insight into Healey’s priorities as she prepares to take office, which should come as no surprise to anyone who listened to her talk on the campaign trail. Each team also appears to blend a diverse set of voices who may not always be rowing in the same direction. It’s perhaps a sign that Healey is looking for areas where she can find compromise and make progress quickly, rather than driving a divisive agenda.
— Forging new friendships between the State House and City Hall
On paper, Maura and Michelle look like they could easily become the new Charlie and Marty. Both are progressive, Harvard educated women who shattered ceilings to get where they are. But the Globe’s Emma Platoff and Matt Stout explain why the relationship between the governor-elect and Boston’s mayor may not be as easy or as natural as the one forged between Gov. Baker and former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. For starters? They don’t always agree on policy, including Wu’s belief in rent control as a strategy to address housing costs.
— ACLU tries to bring police surveillance case to Supreme Court
CommonWealth Magazine’ Shira Schoenberg reports that the ACLU is asking the Supreme Court to take up a case that could have reaching impacts on the ability of police to conduct long-term camera surveillance without obtaining a search warrant. The case stems from an investigation into a Springfield woman for drug and firearm crimes.
— Advocates plot post-Baker push on pregnancy crisis centers
Christian Wade of the Salem News reports abortion rights advocates are still fuming at Gov. Charlie Baker for his veto of a $1 million campaign meant to educate the public on the work of pregnancy crisis centers. They are already turning their eyes to Gov.-elect Maura Healey and planning to try again when a fresh Legislature takes office in January.
— Worcester paid $275K to settle bar brawl case
Worcester recently paid $275,000 to settle the lawsuit brought by a city man who faced charges in connection with a melee at a downtown beer garden in 2019 before a video clearing him became public. The officer who filed the false report in the case remains on the job, Brad Petrishen of the Telegram reports.
— Lee health board begins review of PCB dump
The Lee Board of Health has begun to examine whether the plans to truck PCB-contaminated soil to a local landfill from General Electric’s cleanup of the Housatonic River poses a health hazard to residents, even though it’s still not clear the board has the authority to stop the project even if risks are found. Heather Bellow of the Berkshire Eagle has the details on the process that could eventually be decided by the state’s highest court.
MORE HEADLINES:
Metro
Wu announces $60 million affordable housing program, previews push for rent stabilization – GBH News
Massachusetts
Parking concerns scuttle downtown New Bedford opioid clinic — for now – The Standard-Times
National
Gunman kills 5 and injures 25 at LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs – The Washington Post
Democrats’ first leadership shakeup in decades takes shape with no drama — almost – The Hill
How Rick Caruso spent $104M and still lost the LA mayor’s race – Politico