| | |  | BY LISA KASHINSKY | CHAOS IN AFGHANISTAN — Afghanistan’s government collapsed on Sunday as Taliban fighters swept into Kabul. Republicans were quick to point fingers at President Joe Biden as U.S. troops scrambled to evacuate diplomats and news channels flashed images of helicopters landing at the U.S. embassy in Kabul side-by-side with a similar image of the helicopter evacuation of the American embassy in Saigon, Vietnam, in 1975. But Rep. Jake Auchincloss, who commanded a platoon in Afghanistan, says “if people are looking for a place to direct their anger, you should be angry at the national security establishment of the last two decades here in the United States that failed to tell the truth about this war, and in Afghanistan that took the opportunity of a lifetime to build a nation and instead devolved into incompetence and corruption.” Auchincloss took to Biden’s defense on a day when several of his Republican colleagues who are Afghanistan and U.S. military veterans were sharply critical of the president and few Democrats rushed to his aid. Rep. Seth Moulton, an Iraq veteran, blasted the “disaster” in Afghanistan as “avoidable." In a lengthy statement, Moulton said "for months, I have been calling on the Administration to evacuate our allies immediately" while also blaming the Trump administration for set[ting] in motion” current events. Sen. Ed Markey expressed “concern for the welfare of Americans + Afghans alike” in a tweet that also decried "endless wars," while other Democrats in the Massachusetts delegation laid low on the issue, keeping their social media feeds focused elsewhere. “Some of the loneliest decisions that presidents make are national security and military decisions and President Biden is experiencing that right now. But I am standing with him,” Auchincloss said. Here’s more from our conversation, edited for length: How are you feeling watching the events in Afghanistan? As a veteran, it’s gut-wrenching. … As a member of Congress, I’m committed to doing what’s right for the country and President Biden is doing what’s right for the United States. He is the first commander in chief since 9/11 to tell the hard truth to the American people and to the Afghan government in Kabul, which is that you cannot win a counterinsurgency without a political partner. … We had no partner. Did the Biden administration underestimate how fast the Taliban were going to resurge? One of the scenarios presented to the president was a complete Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. He and the intelligence community and the military understood that this was one possible outcome. But he made the tough decision, because he recognized that if we stayed for six months, if we stayed for 20 years, we would win every battle, we would keep the wolves at bay and then when we left as ultimately we were going to have to, things would unravel. What are the consequences of this takeover? We need to focus on 1) defending Americans who are currently in country 2) maintaining an over-the-horizon counterterrorism capability so we can neutralize any threats to the U.S. homeland and 3) continuing to evacuate allied Afghans or other special-risk personnel like advocates for women’s and girls’ rights or journalists who might face reprisal from the Taliban. GOOD MONDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: lkashinsky@politico.com. TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and administration officials announce the latest Skills Capital Grants, 9:30 a.m., Peabody HS. Boston Acting Mayor Kim Janey hosts a Neighborhood Coffee Hour on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall at 10:30 a.m., joins a Chinatown Community Land Trust event at noon and offers remarks at the Boston Parks and Recreation Department's Roslindale Movie Night at 7:45 p.m. Boston mayoral candidate John Barros announces his plan to rebuild Boston’s outdated schools, 11:30 a.m., Dearborn STEM Academy. Rep. Ayanna Pressley hosts White House National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy and local climate advocates for a roundtable on Environmental Justice in East Boston at 1 p.m. Boston mayoral candidates participate in a Boston Food Access Council forum at 6 p.m. | |
| | INTRODUCING OTTAWA PLAYBOOK : Join the growing community of Politicos — from lawmakers and leaders to pollsters, staffers, strategists and lobbyists — working to shape Canada’s future. Every day, our reporting team pulls back the curtain to shed light on what’s really driving the agenda on Parliament Hill, the true players who are shaping politics and policy across Canada, and the impact it all has on the world. Don’t miss out on your daily look inside Canadian politics and power. Subscribe to Ottawa Playbook today. | | | | | |  | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
| – “Some state workers get $2,000 bonus for pandemic work,” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “Amid a public debate over whether to award ‘premium pay’ to public employees who worked in person during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Baker administration quietly inked deals to give thousands of state employees $2,000 bonuses for their work. The agreements were reached under the radar and with no announcement, despite recent comments by Gov. Charlie Baker that consideration of such bonus pay should be part of a public discussion.” – "Vermont, Rhode Island decriminalized a lifesaving opioid treatment. Should Massachusetts?" by Francesca Paris, Berkshire Eagle: "In June, Vermont became the first state to decriminalize possession of a limited amount of buprenorphine as a policy specifically intended to target the opioid epidemic. Rhode Island followed suit in July. But, in Massachusetts, which has implemented many of the same opioid-related policies as neighboring New England states, the idea of removing criminal penalties for buprenorphine has yet to gain a foothold." – “Legislation moving through Statehouse might address racist covenants hidden in Williamstown property deeds,” by Scott Stafford, Berkshire Eagle: “...Kashia Pieprzak and her husband, Matthew Gold, were excited to close the sale on their new house, in what was then the Colonial Village subdivision off Main Street. Then they were informed that the deed to their new property had a covenant restriction that prohibited people of color from living there. … While such covenants no longer can be enforced, they can’t be legally expunged from perpetual documents such as deeds. ... That could change with legislation introduced recently by state Rep. John Barrett III, D-North Adams.” | | VAX-ACHUSETTS |
| – “All of Massachusetts now considered high or substantial risk for COVID spread, meeting CDC’s mask threshold,” by Melissa Hanson, MassLive.com: “Suffolk, Essex, Bristol, Plymouth, Hampden, Dukes and Nantucket counties are labeled as high risk. Barnstable, Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, Middlesex, Norfolk and Worcester counties are labeled as substantial risk. ” | | FROM THE HUB |
| – “Boston’s Mass and Cass Task Force ‘useless,’ members say as some plan parallel effort,” by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: “The city-run Mass and Cass Task Force has essentially ground to a halt, members say, with some calling it a ‘100% useless’ operation that’s suffering from a lack of leadership from Boston City Hall. Now multiple members are recreating a once-active working group as a separate effort to try to make headway with the increasingly dire situation at Methadone Mile.” – “In wake of George Floyd’s murder, ‘Officer Manny’ helps Boston police and the community heal,” by Marie Szaniszlo, Boston Herald: “After George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police in May 2020 led to protests and calls to defund police in cities across the nation, the tether between the Boston Police Department and the community seemed fragile enough to snap at any moment. Yet Youth Service Officer Emmanuel ‘Manny’ Dambreville had an idea: What if he could build a bridge between the two, beginning with the people he knew best? If he could convince kids that most police officers weren’t like the ones who killed Floyd or stood by and watched, that bridge, he felt, would only grow stronger as they grew older.” | | THE RACE FOR CITY HALL |
| – FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: City Councilor Michelle Wu has been endorsed by state Reps. Natalie Higgins of Leominster, Vanna Howard of Lowell, Maria Robinson of Framingham and Andy Vargas of Haverhill in her bid for Boston mayor, per her campaign. “I’m thrilled that our broad and diverse coalition grows today with leaders at the State House representing regional partners and gateway cities who have each broken barriers to reshape what’s possible in our communities,” Wu said. Wu is also being endorsed by dozens of Jamaica Plain residents including former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jay Gonzalez. – FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Boston City Councilor Julia Mejia is endorsing Carla B. Monteiro, forming an alliance in the crowded race for the council’s four at-large seats. “All too often, candidates with meaningful community ties and impressive stories of strength can be overlooked by the establishment in favor of those with stronger political or financial connections,” Mejia said in a statement. “We are choosing to disrupt this narrative.” The two will host door-knocking kickoffs this weekend in Uphams Corner and Jamaica Plain. More first in Playbook endorsements in the at-large council race: – Ruthzee Louijeune has been endorsed by former state Rep. Charlotte Golar Richie, per her campaign. “Ruthzee is advocating for needed reforms and public participation in policy-setting and decision-making throughout City Hall,” Golar Richie said in a statement. – David Halbert has been endorsed by IBEW Local 103, UNITE HERE Local 26 and Bricklayers & Allied Craftsmen Local 3, per his campaign. Halbert "will go to bat for workers as Boston begins to reopen,” Carlos Aramayo, president of UNITE HERE Local 26, said in a statement. – Alex Gray has been endorsed by IBEW Local 103, per his campaign. – “A bureaucratic double standard for Boston’s acting mayor,” by Andrew Ryan, Boston Globe: “Three of Janey’s fellow mayoral candidates took flak last month in a Globe report for failures to register rental apartments with the city, as required of all landlords. The acting mayor was guilty of the same bureaucratic sin, but unlike her rivals, Janey was spared a similar fate. That’s because Janey’s administration allowed her to clean up her misdeed at the same time it released records showing the failings of her fellow candidates and their spouses, the Globe has found. And it’s not the first time the Janey administration has taken steps beneficial to her campaign by shielding records from public scrutiny, drawing the ire of those who are also vying for the mayor’s office.” – “John Barros says city shouldn’t be afraid to use eminent domain to tackle development issues,” by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: “Eminent domain. It’s a two-word concept that’s put a twitch in the eyelid of many a landowner — or, if you’re mayoral candidate John Barros, it’s a crucial community-building tool, and one the city needs to employ more in an effort to combat the housing shortage and make sure there’s homes attainable for everyone in the area.” – “Ayanna Pressley declines to endorse a candidate for Boston mayor,” by Marie Szaniszlo, Boston Herald: “‘As a resident of Boston and as someone who has had the distinct honor and privilege of serving with a number of those who are running and to call them friends, right now, I’m just watching and observing and celebrating the caliber of talent and historic and diverse representation of this field,’ Pressley told reporters at her new Hyde Park office.” – “Boston mayoral candidates target key neighborhoods, ‘super voters’ as race heats up,” by Milton J. Valencia, Stephanie Ebbert and Meghan E. Irons, Boston Globe. – “OTR: Boston mayoral candidate Michelle Wu on why she supports vaccine passports,” by Ed Harding and Janet Wu, WCVB. | | CENSUS CHRONICLES |
| – “At community hearing, calls for a Black-majority state Senate district,” by Emma Platoff, Boston Globe: “Black people represent 6.5 percent of Massachusetts’ population, but hold zero of the state Senate’s 40 seats. With new data from the 2020 US Census now in hand, advocates are looking to this year’s redistricting cycle to change that, pushing for new state Senate maps that will empower Boston’s Black communities to elect candidates of color who will fight for their needs. … [Rep. Ayanna Pressley said] she supports state lawmakers’ efforts to draw majority-minority districts, including the creation of a majority-Black state Senate district in Boston.” – “Boston is losing Black population, new census data show, even as it could soon elect its first Black mayor,” by Meghan E. Irons and Sahar Fatima, Boston Globe. | | PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES |
| – “On the T’s Green Line, another serious crash and questions about the lack of safety technology,” by Laura Crimaldi and Elizabeth Koh, Boston Globe: “In 2009, the MBTA had been told it could prevent [a collision like the July 30 crash] with safety technology, but after 12 years of studies, experimentation, and a series of other crashes, the equipment still hasn’t been installed, making the Green Line the only part of the transit system without the extra protection.” | | DAY IN COURT |
| – “Mass. Gov. Claims Immunity From Suit By Fired Agency Head,” by Law360: “Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said Friday he's immune from a federal court lawsuit claiming the former chief of the state's Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing was wrongly fired after an old photo surfaced of his fraternity brothers allegedly doing a Nazi salute. The governor, along with Massachusetts Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders and other administration officials, cited Eleventh Amendment protections in asking U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani to toss former Commissioner Steven Florio's April 21 complaint.” – “These New Englanders were charged in the Capitol riot — where do their cases stand?” by Hadley Barndollar, USA Today Network: “More than six months after pro-Trump rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol and broke into the Senate chamber, the cases of 12 New Englanders arrested are moving through federal court, and at least one person has pleaded guilty.” | | IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN |
| – “Climate change is bringing higher heat to Boston, more so in some neighborhoods than others. We went to see for ourselves,” by David Abel, Boston Globe: “[Globe reporters] found that the afternoon temperatures were highest — 97 degrees — in Roxbury and East Boston; they were 2 degrees cooler in Brookline and in the Fields Corner neighborhood of Dorchester. They were the lowest in the leafy meadows of Franklin Park, at 93 degrees." | | FROM THE 413 |
| – “‘Situation under control’: Springfield DYS security turned police away after deadly attack by juvenile on counselor,” by Stephanie Barry, Springfield Republican: “As social worker James Hillman lay unconscious and without a pulse after an assault by a disgruntled juvenile at a state Department of Youth Services lockup, city police were initially turned away at the door, city reports show.” – “Northampton school board gets first look at ‘hate symbols’ policy,” by Brian Steele, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “The School Committee will consider implementing an ‘anti-bias and symbols of hate’ policy that bans the display of swastikas and nooses on school grounds and at any school-related function. The policy would also establish a new procedure to report incidents of discrimination or hate symbols.” | | THE LOCAL ANGLE |
| – ‘We are heartbroken in the diaspora’: Greater Boston’s Haitian community responds to deadly quake,” by John Hilliard, Boston Globe: “The region’s Haitian community grappled with a mix of shock and grief Saturday following news of a powerful earthquake that devastated the country and left many waiting for word on the fate of loved ones caught in the disaster. … Ruthzee Louijeune, an attorney and a Boston City Council candidate, described the worry she felt Saturday before her family was able to contact loved ones in Haiti to make sure they were OK.” – “'Can't Really Do Much From Here': Heartbreak Fills Community Around Boston With Ties To Afghanistan,” by Esteban Bustillos, GBH News: “[Mustafa Kamal] still has plenty of family back in Afghanistan. But trying to reach them during one of the most tumultuous periods in recent history in the country as the Taliban sweeps back into power following a withdrawal of U.S. forces has become a struggle.” – “Dighton-Rehoboth school board member won't apologize for comparing potential virus restrictions to Holocaust,” by George W. Rhodes, The Sun Chronicle: “A Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School Committee member who came under fire for comments comparing potential government coronavirus restrictions to aspects of the Holocaust won’t be apologizing or resigning.” | | MEDIA MATTERS |
| – “‘Beat The Press’ canceled after 22 years, GBH confirms,” by Travis Andersen, Boston Globe: “‘Beat The Press,’ the popular local news program hosted by Emily Rooney on GBH News, has been canceled after a 22-year run … ‘Beat The Press’ had been on a summer hiatus, following a controversy that erupted in April over on-air comments made by Rooney that she later apologized for.” | | WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD BE READING |
| – “THE TAKING OF CELL 15: A look at secrecy, assaults, and accountability inside Massachusetts’ maximum security prison,” by Mark Arsenault, Matt Rocheleau, and Patricia Wen, Boston Globe: “There are few openings to try to break through to the truth, but there was one — in Cell 15. The Spotlight Team, after months of investigation, was able to compile an account of what happened there, examining available records, obtaining cellblock video and photos, as well as sound files recorded as the cell was entered and its occupants rousted, and finding key players willing to risk being interviewed and quoted by name. What emerges is a chilling picture, bristling with hard questions about the proper limits of prison administration, about a wave of alleged assaults and abuses, about regulations unenforced, and about the rights of those confined to prison..." – “Inside America’s Covid-reporting breakdown,” by Erin Banco, POLITICO: “The CDC relies on states to identify and monitor viral outbreaks that, if uncontrolled, can kill thousands of people. But the coronavirus exposed a patchwork system in which state officials struggled to control the spread of Covid-19 because their outdated surveillance systems did not allow them to collect and analyze data in real-time, according to a six-month POLITICO investigation..." HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to Kristen Elechko. Happy belated to Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn, who celebrated Friday, and to Mary Elizabeth Taylor and Gabe Mulley. DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS – Fall River is split between two congressional districts, not New Bedford. Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com. | |
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