POLITICO NIGHTLY: Covid restrictions the experts would end right now

 

BY MYAH WARD A bar in the French Quarter in New Orleans. | Mario Tama/Getty Images BREAKING THE PLEXIGLASS — The Blue Pause, which began Monday when New Jersey set a date for lifting its school mask mandate, continued today, with announcements that mask mandates in public schools in Denver, as well as the entire states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, would end in the coming weeks. Connecticut, New Jersey and Delaware were already there. New York is keeping masks in schools for now, but announced today that the mandate for businesses ends this week. California is enacting a similar policy. Some public health experts think it’s too soon to celebrate, but most agree that a whole bunch of Covid mitigation measures, many of them introduced in March 2020, seem to have become unnecessarily permanent — from plexiglass barriers in restaurants to the elimination of housekeeping and buffets at hotels to ostentatious “deep cleaning” protocols on airlines. Nightly asked our roster of go-to public health experts what mitigation measures they would end right now, as the U.S. enters a Covid lull. These answers have been edited. “A mitigation measure I would end immediately is restricting visitors to patients who are near end-of-life with Covid-19. We know that many of these patients are actually in the inflammatory state of the disease and are likely at very low risk of transmitting to others around them. It is important that family members get to visit and be near their loved ones. And, if there is any concern the patient could still be contagious (such as may be the case with some who are immunocompromised), family members can be equipped with N95 masks. By keeping family members away from patients who may not be contagious, we are causing unnecessary harm and grief.” — Abraar Karan, infectious disease fellow at Stanford University “I would immediately end the risk averseness of universities. Many universities and colleges have vaccine — and booster — requirements, yet still cling to aggressive masking, social distancing, and testing policies with no off-ramps. College students are low-risk for severe disease and having them fully vaccinated should be sufficient to ensure the resiliency of universities to what will be an ever present virus.” — Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Institute for Health Security “Plexiglass barriers and digital menus should have been dropped a long time ago — we’ve known for more than a year that they’re useless. Outdoor masking is similarly pointless (unless you’re in a very small, crowded area). Although I wouldn’t relax any mitigation measures today, I am looking forward to most of us being able to spend time together without masks, indoors, and to enjoy restaurants without fear of catching Covid, in the weeks to come. I am also looking forward to rapid-testing-before-a-get-together being less necessary (especially for those of us who are vaccinated) in the very near future. “I will continue to use MyCOVIDRisk.app to help me judge the risk of infection, based on local case numbers and vaccination status!” — Megan Ranney, emergency physician and professor at Brown University “I think right now, we have to be cautious because of the uncertainty around the BA.2 sub variant. Although Omicron is decelerating quickly, BA.2 could drag this out for another six weeks or more. So we’re at Omicron and mask ‘Groundhog Day’: If Omicron continues its downward trajectory, then mask restrictions can lift by the new target dates set by many of the governors. But if BA.2 gains a foothold, we’re looking at six or more weeks of Covid winter.” — Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and co-director of the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Keep reading for more ideas for Covid measures that should be scrapped from our panel of experts. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@politico.com. Or contact tonight’s author at mward@politico.com, or on Twitter at @MyahWard.   HAPPENING THURSDAY – A LONG GAME CONVERSATION ON THE CLIMATE CRISIS : Join POLITICO for back-to-back conversations on climate and sustainability action, starting with a panel led by Global Insider author Ryan Heath focused on insights gleaned from our POLITICO/Morning Consult Global Sustainability Poll of citizens from 13 countries on five continents about how their governments should respond to climate change. Following the panel, join a discussion with POLITICO White House Correspondent Laura Barrón-López and Gina McCarthy, White House national climate advisor, about the Biden administration’s climate and sustainability agenda. REGISTER HERE.     “Like masks themselves, there’s no one-size-fits-all for mask mandates and the timing of tightening or loosening requirements. The best practice is to adjust mask mandates and other measures per the burden of cases and hospitalizations in each area. We’re all sick of the virus, but it’s still important to listen, look at the data, and then make decisions accordingly. Although cases are declining fast, cases and hospitalizations are still high in most of the country. If we prematurely lift lifesaving and disease-restraining measures, we will prolong the flood. “The United States is better defended against Covid now than ever in the past two years. We can have the upper hand over the virus as long as we adapt our response and use multilayered and strong defenses, starting with vaccine-based immunity, and strengthened with measures such as masks. Even without mandates, people who are feeling sick, those who are medically vulnerable, and anyone who feels more comfortable doing so should feel free to mask up. No one can know what’s coming next.” — Tom Frieden, former CDC director and president and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, a global public health initiative  “I would immediately end digital menus in restaurants, members of the service industry wearing rubber gloves, and deep cleaning anywhere, as Covid is not spread by fomites and such measures spread unnecessary fear (and are non-scientific). I would also end temperature screening, as Covid can spread when asymptomatic. Because masks provide one-way protection, some states are ending mask mandates now or can go on a hospitalization metric. Non-pharmaceutical interventions were always meant to protect our hospitals. One standardized metric is to drop mask mandates when hospitals in the region are at <80 percent ICU capacity (a marker for severe Covid disease which corresponds to vaccination rates in the region) as can be determined by the HHS hospital utilization website.” — Monica Gandhi, infectious diseases expert at the University of California at San Francisco “Just because cases begin to decline, and we think the virus is abating, does not mean we should let our guard down. That’s not to say we keep all pandemic mitigation measures in place during these periods of ‘lull.’ Instead, we should be strategic, methodical, grounded through the lens of equity and based on local data to make decisions on lifting mitigation measures. We should reevaluate lifting measures like mask mandates based on local context (i.e. hospital capacity, community transmission levels, vaccination rates, access to testing); and remove measures that never really worked in the first place — like plexiglass barriers. Now, it is easy to say we should make data-driven decisions when unfortunately, our data is lagging an upwards of 2 weeks. This also means we should take this time to develop better real-time surveillance systems, so we’re not blinded again if or when cases begin to increase.” — Syra Madad, infectious disease epidemiologist at the Harvard Belfer Center WHAT'D I MISS? — CDC weighs new messaging around transmission and masking: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering updating its guidelines on the metrics states should use when lifting public health measures such as mask mandates, according to four people familiar with the matter . Agency scientists and officials are debating whether to continue to publicly support using transmission data as a marker for whether to ease public health interventions such as masking, particularly in school settings, the people said. CDC staff are weighing whether the agency should use case rates as a metric or whether it should lean more heavily on hospitalization data, particularly information on hospital capacity. In recent days, the CDC has reached out to external doctors, scientists and public health organizations for input, one of the people with knowledge of the discussions said. The U.S. Capitol. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images — Congress strikes broad government funding deal: Congressional leaders reached an agreement to boost military and non-defense budgets, paving the way for a comprehensive deal to fund the government into the fall . The accord is a crucial breakthrough that’s expected to lead to enactment of a 12-bill spending bundle in the next few weeks. Democrats are seeking to finally override the funding levels carried over from the spending package signed into law in the last weeks of Donald Trump’s presidency, while Republicans are fighting for a military budget far above the less than 2 percent increase President Joe Biden requested. — Lawmakers pessimistic about new Iran nuke deal: Top Biden administration officials warned senators today that Iran could produce enough material for a nuclear bomb in as little as two months, bolstering lawmakers’ concerns that the window for a diplomatic solution is rapidly closing. The assessment, delivered in a classified briefing and described by one senator as “sobering and shocking,” comes as Biden’s diplomats are racing to strike a deal with Tehran that would prevent it from acquiring a nuclear weapon. — White House weighing former Obama adviser for senior Treasury job: Jay Shambaugh, who was a key economic adviser in President Barack Obama’s White House, is under consideration to be Treasury under secretary for international affairs, the agency’s top financial diplomat, according to three people familiar with the matter. Shambaugh, who served as a member of the White House Council of Economic Advisers from 2015 to 2017, is a professor of economics and international affairs at George Washington University and a nonresident senior fellow in economic studies at the Brookings Institution. — U.N. postpones space diplomacy talks after Russia asks for more time: United Nations talks scheduled to take place next week to avoid an arms race in space are being postponed after Russia insisted it needs more time to prepare, according to two people briefed on the developments . Expectations have been high that the newly established “open-ended working group” can help fashion international norms that rein in what many see as an unrestrained military competition. The talks could even lay the groundwork for an eventual ban or moratorium on destructive anti-satellite tests, U.S. officials have said.   DON’T MISS CONGRESS MINUTES: Need to follow the action on Capitol Hill blow-by-blow? Check out Minutes, POLITICO’s new platform that delivers the latest exclusives, twists and much more in real time. Get it on your desktop or download the POLITICO mobile app for iOS or Android. CHECK OUT CONGRESS MINUTES HERE.     AROUND THE WORLD NOT JUST IN THE U.S. — U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced today that all remaining coronavirus restrictions in England, including Covid-positive self-isolation requirements, could be lifted in February, Louis Westendarp and Helen Collis write. “Provided the current encouraging trends in the data continue, it is my expectation that we will be able to end the last domestic restrictions — including the legal requirement to self-isolate if you test positive — a full month early,” Johnson said during today’s Prime Minister’s Questions. His comments were met with surprise among scientists and National Health Service leaders. While the data on hospitalizations and deaths is currently trending in the right direction, they warn that things can change very quickly. And above all, they’d like to see the scientific basis for his remarks. The current expiration date for the restrictions is March 24, so on Johnson’s new timetable England could return to pre-pandemic levels of freedom in just over two weeks. Currently, anyone who tests positive for coronavirus should isolate for a minimum of five days. This rule applies to vaccinated as well as unvaccinated people. NIGHTLY NUMBER 34 percent The percentage of Americans who can find Ukraine on a map, according to a new Morning Consult poll . Among those who could locate Ukraine, 58 percent said they would support the most strenuous sanctions package if Moscow invades the country, compared to 41 percent support for voters who could not.  PARTING WORDS Police patrol in Times Square in New York City. | Spencer Platt/Getty Images ‘THEY’RE LOCKING UP MY TOOTHPASTE’ — The Rev. Al Sharpton is calling on New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a former police captain, to address the city’s spike in crime, calling the situation “out of control,”Samuel Benson writes “In fairness to Eric, he’s only been mayor five weeks,” Sharpton said today during an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “But even as a fan of him: Eric, they’re locking up my toothpaste.” Sharpton’s comment referred to reports that New York-area pharmacies and convenience stores have begun to place low-cost items, even toothpaste, in locked cases to prevent theft. Major crime increased 38.5 percent in January, Adams’ first month in office, compared to the same period last year, according to a NYPD report. “I mean, we’re talking about basic stuff here,” Sharpton said. “I’m like, what did I miss that we now have to lock up toothpaste?”   Follow us on Twitter Chris Suellentrop @suellentrop Tyler Weyant @tweyant Renuka Rayasam @renurayasam Myah Ward @myahward   FOLLOW US

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POLITICO NIGHTLY: How to spend our Covid vacation

 

BY JOANNE KENEN A person visits a Covid-19 testing site along a Manhattan street in New York City. | Spencer Platt/Getty Images A LULL, NOT A BYE-BYE — So now what? As Nightly told you last week, we’re probably heading into a pandemic lull. Not today, but soonish. Fewer cases, fewer hospitalizations, fewer deaths. All good. But a lull doesn’t mean an end. And if we want to use the lull wisely to prepare for the next wave — or a future pandemic — we need public health to do a better job communicating to avoid a repeat of the whiplash, anger and distrust that’s worsened division and prolonged the mess we’ve been in. We, the public, also need to do a better job of listening to nuance but admittedly, based on what we’ve seen over the last two years, that’s a tall order. Everyone really wants the pandemic to be over (and for those of you who have decided it already is, let me remind you that Covid was the second leading cause of death in the U.S. in January. Deaths are still running around 2,500 a day). But this virus doesn’t care what we want. So we have to change how we talk about the future, Ashish Jha, the dean of Brown’s School of Public Health, suggested in an interview with Nightly. Right now “living with the virus” is often short-hand for ignoring it. What it should mean, instead, is respecting its cadences and knowing when to dial up and dial down our protective responses. When we can do most of what’s really important to us — and when we need to slow it down. Maybe not another “hot vax summer” but a pretty enjoyable spring. Jha in a recent tweet thread likened virus precautions like masks to rain boots and umbrellas. You don’t need to use all of them when it’s drizzling, but you are way better off having them when it pours. And sometimes it’s going to pour. But public health hasn’t always done a good job of conveying that uncertainty, so some people feel betrayed or manipulated or lied to when the advice changes. That’s when the demonization of “lying” scientists gets ugly. And counterproductive. Jha and other experts also worry that there’s a growing belief out there — a hardening but inaccurate conventional wisdom — that viruses always evolve to get less dangerous. “That’s wrong,” he told Nightly. “They can be more deadly,” he told Nightly. Omicron may have been milder than its predecessors, but it’s possible that son (or daughter or third cousin) of Omicron could be a whole lot worse. Or not. We just don’t know. There’s also too much faith in our acquired immunity, he said. Yes, we have built up a lot through vaccination, natural infection or both. But that immunity, while probably pretty strong right now, is impermanent. It won’t go away entirely — our immune systems are smarter than that. But based on what researchers are seeing to date, it’s likely to wane. “People who think natural infection is their ticket to ride for the rest of this pandemic are looking forward to multiple rounds of infection,” Jha said. More variants — and more surges — are almost certain, Johns Hopkins virologist Andrew Pekosz and his colleague Crystal Watson, an expert on public health risk assessment, told a Bloomberg School of Public Health media briefing this week. But we also have more tools to cope with that: vaccines, first and foremost, but also new medicines, better understanding how to treat people who get sick, and more abundant testing and supplies. So public health officials say the lull is a time to keep preparing: stockpiling tests and drugs and vaccines and supplies. And if we end up not needing them, terrific. As Jha pointed out, we spend a huge amount of time and money stockpiling defense equipment and running strategic planning exercises year after year. If there’s no attack, nobody gets mad or makes death threats against the Pentagon’s equivalent of Anthony Fauci. Having adequate, reliable supplies of those pandemic-fighting tools — which we didn’t have in 2020 — without panicked scrambling will help us manage future outbreaks, said Mandy Cohen, who stepped down a few weeks ago as North Carolina’s top health official. Public health officials should acknowledge, even lean into, the uncertainty. “Talking in absolutes has gotten folks in trouble,” said Cohen, who did something like 150 public briefings during her tenure, with graphs and data that shed light on both the known and the unknown. Not to make hope the strategy. But to have a strategy that enables us to hope. Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@politico.com. Or contact tonight’s author on Twitter at @JoanneKenen.   HAPPENING THURSDAY – A LONG GAME CONVERSATION ON THE CLIMATE CRISIS : Join POLITICO for back-to-back conversations on climate and sustainability action, starting with a panel led by Global Insider author Ryan Heath focused on insights gleaned from our POLITICO/Morning Consult Global Sustainability Poll of citizens from 13 countries on five continents about how their governments should respond to climate change. Following the panel, join a discussion with POLITICO White House Correspondent Laura Barrón-López and Gina McCarthy, White House national climate advisor, about the Biden administration’s climate and sustainability agenda. REGISTER HERE.     WHAT'D I MISS? — Congressional staffers start unionization push with Democrats’ support: Congressional staffers launched an effort today to unionize their workplace as part of a growing reckoning with poor pay and hostile working conditions, encouraged by a groundswell of lawmaker support. The group, dubbed the Congressional Workers Union, said in a statement online it seeks to “unionize the personal offices and committees” throughout Congress. Currently, staffers in personal offices of members and committees can organize but there is not a process in place for them to codify a union or exercise collective bargaining rights. — North Carolina Supreme Court strikes down GOP-drawn congressional map: North Carolina’s state Supreme Court handed Democrats one of their biggest legal victories yet in the fight over redistricting, striking down a GOP-drawn congressional map that could have given Republicans control of 11 of the state’s 14 districts. — Biden gets a good news-bad news job report: The government’s latest employment report defied economic forecasts and gave President Joe Biden a sudden burst of good news: a flood of new jobs, surging wages and more workers participating in the labor force, even as Omicron surged. Yet the stock market tumbled after the numbers were released. That’s because the report was so solid — 467,000 jobs were created in January and the totals were revised upward by more than 700,000 for the previous two months — that it provides more fuel for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates. The Fed’s goal is to bring down inflation, but hiking borrowing costs could also slow economic growth. — Pence rebukes Trump: ‘I had no right to overturn the election’: In a speech to the conservative Federalist Society, former Vice President Mike Pence rebuked his one time boss, Donald Trump, decrying the notion that he could have overturned the election results on the 45th president’s behalf. “Our Founders were deeply suspicious of consolidated power in the nation’s capital and were rightly concerned with foreign interference if presidential elections were decided in the capital,” Pence said. “But there are those in our party who believe that as the presiding officer over the joint session of Congress, I possessed unilateral authority to reject electoral college votes. And I heard this week, President Trump said I had the right to ‘overturn the election’. President Trump is wrong. … I had no right to overturn the election.” — GOP censures Cheney, Kinzinger, moves to pull out of debates: Republican Party officials voted to punish GOP Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for their work on the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection and advanced a rule change that would prohibit candidates from participating in debates organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates. GOP officials took a voice vote to approve censuring Cheney and Kinzinger at the Republican National Committee’s winter meeting in Salt Lake City. On Thursday, members of an RNC subcommittee decided to advance the censure resolution against the pair instead of calling for their expulsion from the party. — Michael Avenatti convicted of stealing from Stormy Daniels: Michael Avenatti was convicted of charges he cheated the porn actor Stormy Daniels out of nearly $300,000 she was supposed to get for writing a book about an alleged tryst with Trump. It was another crushing defeat for the California lawyer, who has faced a host of legal problems after briefly rising to fame as one of Trump’s leading antagonists on cable news early in his administration. — CDC advisers recommend fully approved Moderna Covid vaccine: CDC’s independent vaccine advisory panel voted unanimously today to recommend Moderna’s two-dose Covid-19 vaccine series for all adults, following the FDA’s formal approval of the product. The recommendation sets up CDC Director Rochelle Walensky to give her endorsement and give the U.S. two fully licensed vaccines in its Covid arsenal.   DON’T MISS CONGRESS MINUTES: Need to follow the action on Capitol Hill blow-by-blow? Check out Minutes, POLITICO’s new platform that delivers the latest exclusives, twists and much more in real time. Get it on your desktop or download the POLITICO mobile app for iOS or Android. CHECK OUT CONGRESS MINUTES HERE.     AROUND THE WORLD Fireworks in the shape of the Olympic rings go off over the National Stadium, known as the Bird's Nest, in Beijing, during the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games. | Li Xin - Pool/Getty Images LET A WILD GAMES BEGIN — International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach urged world leaders to “give peace a chance” at the outset of the Winter Games in Beijing — an apparent nod to the ongoing security crisis along Ukraine’s borders and Western criticism of China’s human rights abuses. “In our fragile world — where division, conflict and mistrust are on the rise — we show the world, yes, it is possible to be fierce rivals while at the same time living peacefully and respectfully together,” Bach said in an address at the games’ opening ceremony, which was attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. “In this Olympic spirit of peace,” Bach added, “I appeal to all political authorities across the world: Observe your commitment to this Olympic truth. Give peace a chance.” Bach’s remarks come as tensions continue to escalate in Eastern Europe, where Russia has massed roughly 100,000 troops around Ukraine in a military build-up that has sparked concern in the United States and other NATO nations. NIGHTLY NUMBER 49 The number of states in which new daily cases of Covid are declining. PARTING WORDS The Salt Lake City skyline. | Getty Images PITCH IMPERFECT — Salt Lake City’s pitch this week for the 2024 Republican National Convention seemed to be going well. There were helicopter rides, Wagyu steaks and tours of facilities built for the 2002 Winter Olympics. Then the local TV weatherman took the floor Tuesday at the host committee’s luncheon. After talking about the region’s ideal summer weather and low humidity compared to the three other finalist cities — Milwaukee, Nashville and Pittsburgh — he began showing footage of ping-pong ball-sized hail and flood waters gushing through the city as trash bins floated along. He brought up the tornado of August 1999 — assuring the RNC site selection committee members that only one person died in the event. Some in the audience watched “aghast,” said one member of the committee, which is tasked with selecting the city that will host the party’s next presidential nominating convention. The member, who asked not to be identified, chuckled recounting the presentation — as did three other people present at the luncheon. The Salt Lake City weather pitch wasn’t the only wrinkle in the RNC’s convention city selection process in recent days. Pittsburgh’s prospects suddenly nosedived. Nashville’s odds skyrocketed. A location announcement for the GOP’s summer 2024 convention isn’t expected to come until the RNC summer meeting in August, when the full body will likely vote to affirm the site selection committee’s decision.   Follow us on Twitter Chris Suellentrop @suellentrop Tyler Weyant @tweyant Renuka Rayasam @renurayasam Myah Ward @myahward   FOLLOW US

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POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Who’s been to a Governor’s Council meeting

 

BY LISA KASHINSKY With help from Anne Brandes ATTENDANCE RECORDS — A mayor, two state senators, a state representative and a businessman are running for a job with few official duties besides overseeing the Governor’s Council. Playbook asked the candidates for lieutenant governor: Have you ever been to a Governor’s Council meeting? Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll went to one meeting to support a local judicial nominee during the Patrick administration, per her campaign. She’s also been endorsed by Governor’s Councilor Eileen Duff. State Sen. Adam Hinds and businessman Bret Bero have watched meetings virtually (Bero noted he can’t attend a meeting in person because the State House remains closed to the public). Hinds has also spoken with councilors. State Sen. Eric Lesser’s campaign said he hasn’t attended a meeting but is in “close contact” with Mary Hurley, the governor’s councilor for western Massachusetts, and “follows the work of the Council.” State Rep. Tami Gouveia hasn’t attended a meeting, but has “discussed the role with several governor’s councilors,” according to her campaign. Playbook also asked each campaign for the dates of any meetings each candidate (they're all Democrats) attended and to provide proof of their attendance. None did. What is the Governor’s Council, exactly? It’s an eight-member board elected every two years that primarily vets and votes on judicial nominees and other governor appointees. The board also weighs in on pardons and commutations and certifies election results. Meetings are available on YouTube, and they sometimes get testy. GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Tanisha Sullivan is running for secretary of state. Sullivan, a Brockton-raised attorney and president of the NAACP Boston Branch, said in a launch video that she would strive to protect and expand voting rights, improve state government transparency by ensuring access to public records, and protect Bay Staters from fraud. Playbook reported last week that Sullivan, who’s been active on voting-rights issues, was considering a bid for the seat. “In light of obstructionism that continues to stand in the way of federal action on voting rights, it falls to state leaders to protect and expand the right of every Massachusetts resident to participate in our government, and to show what a truly inclusive, representative democracy looks like,” Sullivan said. "We cannot accept incrementalism.” Secretary of State Bill Galvin still hasn't said whether he'll seek reelection. Republican Rayla Campbell is running for the seat. Of the state's six constitutional officers, three — Galvin, state Treasurer Deb Goldberg and state Attorney General Maura Healey — haven't announced their 2022 intentions. TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and education officials make a testing announcement at 10 a.m. at the State House. Polito makes a grant announcement in Framingham at 8:45 a.m. Rep. Richard Neal makes a bridge funding announcement at 10:45 a.m. in Springfield. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu hosts a media availability at a new Covid testing clinic at 11 a.m. in Roxbury and is on GBH’s “Boston Public Radio” at noon. Tips? Scoops? Still sad about the Pats? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com.   BECOME A GLOBAL INSIDER: The world is more connected than ever. It has never been more essential to identify, unpack and analyze important news, trends and decisions shaping our future — and we’ve got you covered! Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Global Insider author Ryan Heath navigates the global news maze and connects you to power players and events changing our world. Don’t miss out on this influential global community. Subscribe now.     DATELINE BEACON HILL — “Charlie Baker files $5 billion bond bill for workforce development, cybersecurity, public safety,” by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald: “Gov. Charlie Baker filed legislation seeking almost $5 billion for investments in long-term priorities including public safety equipment upgrades, local infrastructure grants and IT modernization.” — From the opinion pages: “Mass. seeks to claw back at least $2.7 billion in jobless benefits it says were incorrectly paid,” by Larry Edelman, Boston Globe: “The Department of Unemployment Assistance made overpayments on about 719,000 claims in 2020-2021. It’s going after recipients even if they weren’t at fault.” VAX-ACHUSETTS — “Boston-area coronavirus wastewater data keeps dropping: ‘I’m cautiously optimistic,’” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “The Boston-area coronavirus wastewater data continues to plunge, sparking a bit of continued optimism from local infectious disease experts that the region could be in store for a rapid decline in COVID-19 cases.” — “As Massachusetts hospitals flounder with COVID surge, Gov. Charlie Baker announces emergency actions,” by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: “Hours after Massachusetts hospitals executives sounded a dire alarm to the public about strained capacity amid the omicron-fueled COVID-19 surge, the Baker administration unveiled a slate of emergency actions to bolster staffing capacity.” — “Physicians call for hospital bed tracking system,” by Christian M. Wade, CNHI/Eagle-Tribune: “As hospitals battle a record surge of COVID-19 infections, physicians are urging the state to create a system to track empty beds in emergency rooms to ease capacity issues.” — “In less vaccinated Western Mass., overwhelmed hospitals, but progress on vaccinations,” by Priyanka Dayal McCluskey, Boston Globe: “The combination of a less protected population and the extremely transmissible Omicron variant means this part of the state is being battered especially hard by the current surge of infections.” — "'The struggle is real': Educators work to keep classrooms open despite COVID surge," by Carrie Jung, WBUR: "Potter Road Elementary School principal Larry Wolpe says the last two weeks have been like one giant game of Tetris. For a brief moment, he thought he had every classroom covered. But that didn't last long." — “Mean customers, panic attacks, and thousands of COVID vaccines: Retail pharmacists struggle with pandemic burden,” by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald: “One retail pharmacist in a grocery store on the South Shore who’d been in his role for almost 25 years has been on leave since September, too scarred by his experience to go back after a mental breakdown.” — “State attorney general's office reviewing complaints against recently shut-down COVID testing sites,” by Sam Turken, GBH News: “The Massachusetts state attorney general’s office says it’s reviewing complaints against testing sites statewide that were recently forced to shut down after operating without a license. The state Department of Public Health on Thursday issued cease and desist letters to three testing sites in Worcester, Needham and Dartmouth — all run by the nationwide Center for COVID Control.” — “For marginalized groups, COVID testing shortages a bigger burden,” by Tiana Woodard, Boston Globe: “A lack of reliable transportation, jobs with little flexibility, and language barriers make the search for tests more grueling in low-income, immigrant, and BIPOC communities, advocates and public health specialists say.” — “Evergrande reneges on multimillion-dollar pledge to Harvard-led COVID project, another stumble in its ties to school,” by Rebecca Ostriker and Deirdre Fernandes, Boston Globe: “A financially troubled Chinese real-estate developer has reneged on a major pledge to Harvard University, leaving a shortfall of millions of dollars for a COVID-19 research effort involving hundreds of experts from academia and industry across Massachusetts.” WU TRAIN — “For new Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, it’s trial by fire,” by Emma Platoff, Boston Globe: “Sworn in two months ago, Wu enjoyed a whiplash two-week transition period followed by a seemingly incessant barrage of new challenges — not least of which has been a resurgent pandemic driving record levels of infections, filling hospital beds, and sending the city’s school system to the brink.” — “‘Cards on the table’: Michelle Wu faces potentially tone-setting few weeks,” by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: “At long-troubled Mass and Cass in the South End, whether an encampment will begin to regrow and how the city will deal with the crowds of people using and dealing drugs still on the streets remain open questions … the highly contagious omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to surge. … [And the] struggle between Wu and first-responder unions [over vaccine policies] will serve as a precursor to what is expected to be a broader fight over the next round of police labor contracts.” WHAT CITY HALL IS READING — “COVID-19 vaccine mandate begins in Boston amid demonstrations by opponents,” by Laura Crimaldi and Andrew Brinker, Boston Globe: “As the city’s new COVID-19 vaccine mandate took effect Saturday, some 500 protesters marched through the Fenway to show their opposition to the policy, and Mayor Michelle Wu spoke out about how early morning demonstrations at her Roslindale home have impacted her neighbors and family. … The protests, [Wu] said, are a byproduct of widespread misinformation that the city seeks to neutralize with its vaccine mandates.” — More: “Boston won’t immediately start enforcement of worker vaccine mandate,” by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald. — “Embattled Boston Police sergeant, founder of anti-vax mandate group spars with police over vaccine passport,” by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: “Embattled Boston Police sergeant and founder of an anti-vaccine mandate group, Shana Cottone, sparred with officers over her refusal to show proof of her vaccination status in a restaurant Saturday as the city’s new vaccination requirements took effect.”   STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.     FROM THE HUB — From the opinion pages: “Sheriff Tompkins still ‘ready to assist’ on Mass. and Cass,” by Shirley Leung, Boston Globe: “[Suffolk County Sheriff Steve] Tompkins outfitted an entire floor of his South Bay campus for what he calls dorm-style living with flat-TV screens, armchairs, a gym, and beds, enough to accommodate 100 people. He has plenty of room … [but since] Tompkins made his offer, the Mass. and Cass unit ― controversial from conception ― has sat empty.” — U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Rachael Rollins told WCVB's "On the Record" that there "may be" a role for the feds in addressing Mass and Cass: "We've seen situations where certainly there's human trafficking, there's drug trafficking there, we know that. It’s important for us to see whether we can bring the full weight and resources of the federal government into the conversation. … Those pharmaceutical companies that are pumping opioids into communities or doctors that are prescribing them, we can be helpful in assisting with things like that.” — “New Suffolk County DA says he'll focus on equity and fairness, no decision yet on seeking election,” by Deborah Becker, WBUR: “[Interim Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden says] there will be some differences between him and his high-profile predecessor Rachael Rollins, who is now the Massachusetts U.S. attorney. For example, the well-known ‘list’ of lower-level crimes that Rollins said the Suffolk DA would not immediately move to prosecute under her leadership. Hayden doesn't plan to have a formal list necessarily, but said reducing the rate of incarceration is important to him.” FEELING '22 — MAYBE GETTING IN: Investor Chris Doughty has been calling around to Republican activists and party officials about a potential run for governor, three people who’ve spoken to him told Playbook on Friday. WBUR’s Anthony Brooks first reported Doughty’s name was floating around GOP circles. The Boston Globe’s Matt Stout has more on the Wrentham businessman. Doughty would be running against former state Rep. Geoff Diehl, who sent out a fundraising email over the weekend reminding supporters that he’s been campaigning since last July and that he “didn’t base my decision on who else might be in the race.” — “Labor unions top PAC fundraising,” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “Organized Labor, always a powerful force in Democratic-dominated Massachusetts, continues to hold sway heading into the 2022 election season — and nowhere is that clearer than in fundraising. The Office of Campaign and Political Finance put out a newsletter Thursday listing the 10 political action committees with the largest bank accounts at the end of 2021, and eight of them were union affiliates.” PARTY POLITICS — “Baker spent $100,000 of campaign cash on MassGOP legal fight,” by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: “Weeks after announcing he won’t seek reelection, [Gov. Charlie] Baker’s campaign paid $100,000 to help fund [Republican activist Nicaela Chinnaswamy’s] sinuous legal fight to secure a seat on the Republican State Committee, the state GOP’s obscure governing body, which Baker has tried for years to seed with like-minded, moderate allies.” DATELINE D.C. — “After a rough first year, CDC director Rochelle Walensky tries to correct course,” by Jess Bidgood and Felice J. Freyer, Boston Globe: “A star physician and scientist from Massachusetts General Hospital, Walensky was chosen by President Biden to take the helm of an agency that had been sidelined in the pandemic fight by the previous administration, with promises to restore its credibility. With an ever-evolving virus still raging, and the country still deeply polarized over the best tools for fighting it, it would not be easy. But Walensky has made a series of stumbles that exacerbated an already difficult task, according to multiple experts.” — More: “Walensky faces CDC burnout as pandemic enters third year,” by Erin Banco, POLITICO. FROM THE 413 — "DA Harrington backs indicted Baltimore prosecutor; likely challenger questions commitment to Berkshire County," by Amanda Burke, Berkshire Eagle: "The top law enforcement official in the Berkshires took to Twitter over the weekend to defend the state’s attorney in Baltimore city, who was recently indicted on federal charges." — “Western Massachusetts needs District Court judges: Governor’s Councilor Mary Hurley signals glut of openings,” by Stephanie Barry, Springfield Republican: “Aspiring judges: polish up your resumes. Governor’s Council member Mary Hurley says this is your moment, particularly if attorneys are interested in District Court positions. Recent retirements and moves to higher courts have cleared a wide runway for judicial opportunities in the four western counties, according to Hurley.” — “UMass Amherst will require high-grade masks, such as N95s or KN95s, or double masks for students, staff during spring semester,” by Will Katcher, MassLive. THE LOCAL ANGLE — MLK DAY: Bay State pols and activists marked Martin Luther King Jr. Day with calls to pass voting rights legislation ahead of a planned Senate effort that's predicted to fail. Sen. Ed Markey , Assistant House Speaker Katherine Clark and Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Jake Auchincloss and Jim McGovern were among those who urged in speeches and tweets to abolish the filibuster to do it. Sen. Elizabeth Warren added her voice to the chorus on CBS’s “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" on Monday night, where she acknowledged "we may not be able to carry this vote," but said if it fails "we get back in the fight." — “Aafia Siddiqui, the jailed terrorist at the center of synagogue hostage crisis, has Massachusetts ties; local Jewish community ‘on high alert’,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “The jailed terrorist at the center of the Texas synagogue hostage horror on Saturday has ties to Massachusetts, where she studied at prestigious institutions before becoming an al-Qaeda operative.” — “Families in Alabama have free, full-day prekindergarten while many Mass. families can only dream of it,” by Naomi Martin and Jenna Russell, Boston Globe: “[W]hile Alabama ranks much lower than Massachusetts on most education metrics, experts say it is serving its children and families far better in at least one important area: prekindergarten.” — “First woman to command USS Constitution takes over on Friday,” by The Associated Press: “Cmdr. Billie J. Farrell is scheduled to become the first woman to lead the crew of the 224-year-old warship known as Old Ironsides during a change-of-command ceremony on Friday.” — “Cambridge appoints Christine Elow as permanent police commissioner,” by William J. Dowd, Wicked Local: “Cambridge has elevated Christine Elow from acting to the permanent police commissioner, appointing the first woman to lead the city’s police department in its 163 years of existence.” — “Gloucester Mayor Greg Verga promises reset of City Hall,” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “Verga has long experience in municipal politics, serving for eight years on the Gloucester School Committee and six on the City Council. He takes office at a challenging time, with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 ravaging the state. Already, Verga said, he is getting vitriolic emails containing Nazi imagery and threats from residents who oppose new city mask regulations.” — “In Brookline, questions abound for the future of its police department,” by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: “The instability at the top of the department is unfurling amid a push by some in town to reimagine its approach to policing, efforts that have badly frayed the relationship between Brookline police and authorities running this town of roughly 63,000 people.” — “Five Lynn officers resign, another fired, following investigation into ‘racially offensive’ texts, drug use,” by John Hilliard, Boston Globe: “Five Lynn police officers have resigned, one was fired, and two suspended following a monthslong investigation into a text exchange that included ‘racially offensive language’ and evidence of drug use by officers, the city’s police department said in a statement.” TRANSITIONS — Samuel Gebru, former director of policy and public affairs at the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts, is now a nonresident senior fellow at Tufts University's Center for State Policy Analysis at Tisch College. — Brittany Buford is Danielle Allen’s gubernatorial campaign manager. — Interim Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden has named Padraic Lydon as his chief of staff and Erika Reis as general counsel. His office said current general counsel Donna Patalano and chief of staff Amanda Teo will leave at the end of the month to pursue other opportunities. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to former Sen. Paul Kirk and David Jacobs, publisher of the Boston Guardian. Happy belated to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, who turned 37 on Friday. 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.   Follow us on Twitter Lisa Kashinsky @lisakashinsky   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters FOLLOW US

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