POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: A MODEST march — MARATHON Monday — GOP DONOR fuels Dems

OVERLOOKED:

Videos show Cambridge officer striking black Harvard student

By John HilliardGLOBE CORRESPONDENT  APRIL 15, 2018

Cambridge’s mayor called a video of a police officer repeatedly striking a black Harvard University student while he was pinned to the ground by fellow officers “disturbing” and promised that the findings of an internal probe would be made public.

A MODEST march — MARATHON Monday — GOP DONOR fuels Dems

04/16/2018 07:32 AM EDT

By Stephanie Murray; (stephaniemurray.news@gmail.com; @StephMurr_Jour) and Brent D. Griffiths (bgriffiths@politico.com; @BrentGriffiths)

IT'S MARATHON MONDAY. And we're in for a wet one. Cloudy, windy and rainy with temperatures in the 50s. That's New England for you.

The second annual March for Science drew hundreds to Boston over the weekend - far fewer than the thousands who came out last year to decry President Donald Trump's push to cut funding for some science and environmental groups. Around the world, some 200 cities held marches - about a third of the 600 marches held last year.

Organizers of the nonpartisan march say their focus this year goes beyond rallying - they're looking to pass climate legislation that advances science-based policy in Massachusetts.

But the decline in attendance, in Massachusetts and elsewhere, also makes clear the conversation - and grassroots energy - has shifted to gun control after the Parkland, Fla. shooting. Just last month somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 protesters flooded the streets and crowded Boston Common for the March for Our Lives.


WHY WOULD ANY REASONABLE PERSON OPPOSE THIS?

And that influence is showing up on Beacon Hill. A so-called "red-flag" bill that would let courts temporarily ban at-risk people from having guns was given the green light from committee on Friday. Now, it will move through the Legislature in a state with some of the strictest gun laws in the country. Nearly two dozen other states are considering similar extreme risk protection order laws (also known as gun violence restraining orders) - which the National Rifle Association opposes.

TODAY - The Boston Marathon kicks off at 8:40 a.m. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh marches in the Patriots Day Parade at 9 a.m. Walsh crowns the top male finisher at the Boston Marathon at 10:30 a.m.

A BIG SHOUT-OUT TO THOSE RUNNING THE MARATHON TODAY. BE SURE TO CHEER FOR THESE CHAMPS ON THE RACE ROUTE: Lauren Scribi, Rachel Glazer, state Rep. Angelo Puppolo Jr., Dan Koh, Amy Sennett.

PROGRAMMING NOTE - The Massachusetts Playbook will be in the hands of Stephanie Murray today and Tuesday as I take some time off - so be sure to drop her a line in my absence at stephaniemurray.news@gmail.com.

Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: ldezenski@politico.com.

DATELINE BEACON HILL -

WHY WOULD ANY REASONABLE PERSON OPPOSE THIS?

- "'Red flag' gun bill clears Mass. legislative committee," by Andy Metzger, Boston Globe: "A 19-member legislative committee Friday recommended passage of a bill that would authorize courts to prevent people from owning guns if the people are deemed dangerous. Anti-gun-violence activists, including students and many citizen activists, have recently stepped up their push for the bill, arguing it would provide a safety check to prevent dangerous people from accessing certain deadly weapons."

- "Baker signs justice bill despite 'serious concerns,' by Katie Lannan, State House News Service: "Gov. Charlie Baker on Friday afternoon signed legislation closing the books on a landmark criminal justice system overhaul, and offered up a new bill that he hopes will keep the conversation going. [Baker] filed a bill he said would make changes to aspects of the law that need modification and prevent unintended negative consequences."

- "Baker plan lifts welfare asset cap," by Christian M. Wade, the Salem News: "Gov. Charlie Baker wants to raise the limit on how much welfare recipients may have in a savings account or the value of their car in order to get benefits, but advocates for the poor say the state should scrap the restrictions entirely."

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- "Massachusetts top court rules against Exxon in climate change probe," by Nate Raymond, Reuters: "Massachusetts' top court on Friday rejected Exxon Mobil Corp's bid to block the state's attorney general from obtaining records to investigate whether the company for decades concealed its knowledge of the role fossil fuels play in climate change. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled Attorney General Maura Healey had jurisdiction to seek records to probe whether the oil company's marketing or sale of fossil fuel products violated the state's consumer protection law."

- "Mass. business groups oppose nurses' ballot question," by Margeaux Sippell, Boston Globe: "Four of the state's largest business groups have united in opposition to a proposed ballot initiative that would mandate nurse staffing levels for all Massachusetts hospitals. The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, the Associated Industries of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation and the Massachusetts Business Roundtable warned Thursday that setting strict limits on the number of patients assigned to a nurse at one time would significantly raise health-care costs that would be passed on to patients, through higher insurance rates."

TSONGAS ARENA -

- Boston Marathon 2014 winner Keflezighi endorses MA-3 candidate Dan Koh, from the Koh campaign: "Meb Keflezighi, four-time Olympian and winner of the 2014 Boston Marathon, endorsed Dan Koh in his campaign for Massachusetts' Third Congressional District. Keflezighi, who came to the United States in 1987 as a refugee from Eritrea, announced his support for Koh in a video posted by the Koh campaign. Both Koh and Keflezighi will be running in the Marathon on Monday."

- "Cambodian-American Leaders Endorse Gifford for Congress," from the Gifford campaign: "Rufus Gifford, candidate for Congress in Massachusetts' 3rd congressional district ... welcomed the endorsement of Vesna Nuon, Vice Chair of the Lowell City Council, along with support from a number of other Cambodian-American community leaders."

- "Gifford Announces Fundraising, Field Momentum in First Quarter," from the Gifford campaign: "In the first quarter of 2018, Gifford raised nearly $400,000, bringing his overall total raised to more than $900,000. Since launching his campaign in November 2017, he has received more than 2,000 contributions, and nearly 70 percent of those contributions have been $100 or less. He has also received contributions from two thirds of the 37 cities and towns in the district."

- "Dracut Firefighters Endorse L'Italien in MA-03," from the L'Italien campaign: "The Dracut Firefighters are proud to endorse Barbara because she has gone above and beyond to look out for us and our families," said Dracut Firefighters Local 2586 President Leo McMahon. "Whether it comes to initiatives for better working conditions or to lift up the working class, our members know Barbara has our back. We know firsthand what a fighter she is. Barbara is exactly the type of person we need representing us next in Congress."

DATELINE DC -

THE US ARMED IRAN AND IRAQ WITH WMD TO FIGHT EACH OTHER. 

WMD SMUGGLED THROUGH ISRAEL TO IRAN AND THEY WERE DEPLOYED BY IRAQ IF YOU RECALL. THE US KNEW THE QUANTITY OF WEAPONS SUPPLIED TO SADDAM HUSSEIN WHICH IS WHY INSPECTORS KNEW IRAQ NO LONGER POSSESSED WMD BEFORE THE INVASION. 

THE US HAS BOMBED SYRIA INDISCRIMINATELY KILLING CIVILIANS, CREATING A NATION OF RUBBLE. 

THERE IS NO MILITARY SOLUTION AND IT'S TIME TO PUBLICLY DEBATE THE FAILED US POLICY. 

THANKS TO THOSE WHO ARE SPEAKING OUT! 

- "Mass. congressional delegation calls Syria airstrikes unconstitutional," by WBUR Newsroom: "After the U.S., Britain and France carried out airstrikes in Syria early Saturday, the Massachusetts all-Democratic congressional delegation is criticizing President Trump's decision to take action without congressional authorization."

TRUMPACHUSETTS -

- "American energy dominance means Mass. wind," by Ryan K. Zinke, Boston Globe: "As the secretary of the interior, I am proud to be the chief steward of our nation's lands and offshore holdings. As part of our America First offshore energy strategy, we are proposing a lease sale off Massachusetts for commercial wind energy, totaling nearly 390,000 acres of over-the-horizon offshore areas."

- "White House says it will lift threat to states that have legalized marijuana," by Shannon Young, MassLive.com: "President Donald Trump told a Republican senator [last] week that he will support efforts to shield states that have legalized marijuana from legal threats -- a policy that appears to be at odds with his administration's January push to ramp up federal enforcement. Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, in response to the Justice Department's January memo, said she was committed to implementing the 'will of the voters.'

JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE IS WEALTHY DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY'RE 'SMART.'

NO ONE SHOULD BE SURPRISED BY THE SPINELESS REPUBLICANS ABDICATING THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES, EXPLODING THE DEFICIT, AND SURRENDERING TO WEALTHY CONTRIBUTORS. GLAD HE FINALLY WOKE UP!

- "In the era of Donald Trump, New England's biggest GOP donor is funding Democrats," by Annie Linskey, Boston Globe: "Boston hedge fund billionaire Seth Klarman lavished more than $7 million on Republican candidates and political committees during the Obama administration, using his fortune to help underwrite a GOP takeover of the federal government. But the rise of Donald Trump shocked and dismayed Klarman ... So, in an astonishing flip, Klarman, at one point New England's most generous donor to Republicans, is taking his money elsewhere: He's heaping cash on Democrats."

ISRAEL HAS BEEN SHOOTING, INJURING AND KILLING UNARMED PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS. 
THE REST OF THE WORLD CONDEMNS ISRAEL'S ACTIONS WHILE THE US HAS BEEN SILENT. 
BRAVO TO SENATOR WARREN! 

WARREN REPORT -

- "As most Democrats stay silent, Elizabeth Warren calls on Israel to exercise restraint against Palestinian protesters," by Zaid Jilani, the Intercept: "Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., broke with the political establishment and called on the Israeli government to respect the rights of Palestinian protesters in Gaza in a statement to The Intercept on Wednesday. The statement is a sign that the turning tide of opinions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict within the Democratic Party - which has traditionally been stridently pro-Israel - is trickling up to senior figures in the party."

MOULTON MATTERS -

- "Seth Moulton criticizes Trump pardon and Starbucks arrests in Philadelphia," by Sean Smyth, Boston Globe: "Representative Seth Moulton stepped into the fray of another national controversy Saturday, inserting himself into the controversy after two black men were arrested at a Starbucks shop in Philadelphia. A white man in America can be convicted of obstructing justice and get a Presidential pardon," the Salem Democrat wrote on Twitter. "But if you're black, you get arrested for meeting your friend at a coffee shop."

- Strong Q1 for Moulton, per FEC filings and Team Moulton: "The Salem Democrat raised a total of $2.1 million between his campaign, PAC and victory fund, included in that haul is more than $1 million from a single event in New York. He gave $1.4 million directly to candidates he's endorsed.

THE KENNEDY COMPOUND -

- "Peter Lucas: Joe Kennedy a distant relation to Ted," by Peter Lucas, Boston Herald: "'I've got the perfect campaign slogan for Joe Kennedy when he runs for president,' my companion said. We had just exited the movie theater after having "Chappaquiddick." 'What is it?' I asked. 'I'm not Ted.'"

2020 WATCH -

- "Deval Patrick plans to ramp up his political activity this year," by Michael Levenson, Boston Globe: "Here's the plan, according to Deval Patrick: Focus on Bain Capital this summer. Campaign for Democrats this fall. And then? Patrick has previously acknowledged that running for president in 2020 is 'on my radar screen.'"

ON THE STUMP -

- "In the race for governor, I'm the only true progressive," by Bob Massie, CommonWealth Magazine: " For more than 30 years I have stood up to the corrupting components of corporate power and worked for economic justice at every opportunity. I acquired the skills and experience to stop the rise of unchecked corporate power, the attacks on labor unions, and the destruction of the planet."

- "3 Democratic candidates for governor passionately state their case," by Michael Holtzman, Herald News: "The three Democratic candidates for governor, all living in the Boston area, presented many similar "progressive" priorities that sat well with a receptive audience at a recent Coalition for Social Justice forum at Bristol Community College...After the speaking program, [the moderator] asked the candidates to leave the room while he conducted an informal straw poll of whom they thought responded best. By a show of hands, Massie received the most votes with 22, followed by Gonzalez with 13 and Warren with 10."

WOOD WAR - Herald: "NO JUSTICE," "TWO SWEET!" - Globe: "US ready to punish Russians over Syria," "Expressing themselves, step by step," "The cold cost of saving hair," "Scents and sensibilities: Pot KO's condo community."

THE LOCAL ANGLE -

- "In Boston-area condos and apartments, the smell of pot pits neighbor against neighbor," by Beth Teitell, Boston Globe: "It's a truth known by pot smokers in condos and apartments all over town. In the old days, it was the cops you had to look out for. But now that marijuana is legal, new narcs are walking the beat: Mr. and Mrs. Beasley from Unit 3B."

- "MGM doesn't deny report of interest in Wynn Boston Harbor casino license," by Gintautas Dumcius, MassLive.com: "... MGM is not denying the report in the Wall Street Journal that they've talked to Wynn Resorts about buying the $2.4 billion casino rising just outside Boston. And the report is drawing cautious statements, and not much else, from Springfield political leaders."

- "Betting on the Berkshires," by Tim McKeough, New York Times: "Last year, the total number of single-family home sales in Berkshire County rose to 1,374, the highest number since the organization began tracking sales in 1997. The northern part of the county, though, is in the midst of a significant transformation."

- "Massachusetts town wants UFO memorial moved; witness objects," by Associated Press: "A memorial in a remote corner of Massachusetts that marks a 1969 UFO sighting has been ordered moved, but one man who experienced a close encounter is objecting."

- "Wounded K-9 getting plenty of support," by Patrick Cassidy, Cape Cod Times: "After Yarmouth police K-9 Officer Sean Gannon was shot and killed in a Marstons Mills home last week, his four-legged partner, Nero, was trapped in the attic, alone until his rescue except for the man accused of killing Gannon. Since then, a community of K-9 officers has made sure the 28-month-old Belgian Malinois with gunshot wounds to his head and neck hasn't been alone for a moment."

Mazel! - to Jeremy Goodwin is the new arts and culture reporter at St. Louis Public Radio at St. Louis Public Radio KMWU. Lately, he's been a contributor to the Boston Globe and WBUR's The ARTERY.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to former Massachusetts First Lady Ann Romney and New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick, who is 66.

DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes! The Celtics edged out the Bucks 113-107 in OT, the Red Sox beat the Orioles 3-1 and the Bruins crushed the Leafs 7-3 on Saturday.

POLITICO Space is our new weekly briefing on the policies and personalities shaping the second space age. Sign-up today.

ICYMI - THE LATEST HORSE RACE PODCAST EPISODE: Conventional Wisdom. Former MassGOP chair Jenn Nassour is sharing her "conventional wisdom" with us this week as we get closer to the MassGOP convention. Then The Dorchester Reporter's Jenn Smith returns for the latest on a surprisingly competitive race for Suffolk County DA. Plus, Steve and Lauren talk money. FEC reports for the Senate race are in, and we have updates on the candidates' financial standings. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud

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** A message from Bay State Wind: Massachusetts has the ambition it takes to bring green, reliable offshore wind to New England. Bay State Wind is the clear choice to match that ambition. Only Bay State Wind pairs global offshore wind leadership with a deep understanding of New England's electrical grid. Building a massive, complex project in harsh ocean environments takes the kind of skill that only comes from experience. Only Bay State Wind has the background of building 23 offshore wind farms, with 1,000+ wind turbines around the world. Bay State Wind is the only project ready to build utility scale offshore wind that brings $1 billion of direct investment to the Commonwealth, offering value to customers and making Massachusetts a hub for American offshore wind. And only this partnership can do it on a credible timeline and budget. Bay State Wind is the clear choice for Massachusetts. More at baystatewind.com **

To view online:
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/massachusetts-playbook/2018/04/16/science-politics-marathon-monday-gop-donor-fuels-dems-264511

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