POLITICO NIGHTLY: How Biden wants to build Obamacare back better

 

BY JOANNE KENEN With help from Tyler Weyant SHOPPING AT THE GAP — If the Democrats finally enact their Build Back Better social spending program, several million low-income Americans who have been frozen out of health coverage for years will be able to get heavily-subsided, zero-premium health insurance on Obamacare — as early as January. The catch: Someone has to tell them that. And it’s probably not going to be the dozen states that froze them out in the first place. Pedestrians walk past the Leading Insurance Agency, which offers plans under the Affordable Care Act, in Miami. | Joe Raedle/Getty Images Back in 2012, the Supreme Court made a hugely consequential change to the Affordable Care Act. It let states opt out of the Medicaid expansion provision in the law that covered millions of low-income people, including many working poor. Most states did eventually expand Medicaid. But a dozen are still embracing the Supreme Court’s option, even as much of the U.S. moved past the Obamacare wars. President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better bill bypasses those holdout states, creating a very Medicaid-like option within the Obamacare markets. Obamacare was supposed to have been a giant leap toward universal coverage — the biggest since the creation of Medicare and Medicaid themselves in 1965. But excluding poor, disproportionately minority Americans in some states while subsidizing middle class people was a bizarre and inequitable setback. “This is the single biggest proposal being discussed right now to expand coverage and improve racial health equity,” said Larry Levitt, executive vice president of the Kaiser Family Foundation. And given that it can be started within weeks — well before next November’s congressional election, while much of the $1.7 trillion bill will take years to unspool — it’s also politically important to Democrats, he said. Yet a legislative solution wouldn’t automatically translate into a real world solution. Outreach would be needed — and this is a hard-to-reach population. And it’s challenging to get this message through. People in the Medicaid gap are not necessarily well connected to the health system, not necessarily familiar with the daunting intricacies of signing up for health insurance, and not necessarily tracking every labyrinthine twist of the prolonged BBB negotiations. They live in states that opposed — and still oppose — the Affordable Care Act and left it largely to the federal government to implement. And they have heard, year after year, that Obamacare coverage is a big fat unaffordable mess. Any public relations campaign that can bust through all that is challenging. After all, millions of Americans, a notch or two higher on the income ladder, aren’t signed up even though they’ve been told for years they are eligible for deeply subsidized health coverage. “This provision is vitally important to repair a big crack in the pavement that’s been there since the Supreme Court ruling,” said Joan Alkers, executive director of the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown. But at the same time, she said, “There is a steep educational challenge.” So, assuming the BBB passes with the Medicaid fix in it, someone will have to get the message out. Three of the states — North Carolina, Wisconsin and Kansas — have Democratic governors who would likely cheerlead for enrollment, without any help from their Republican legislatures. But outreach would also require the federal government, community organizations, churches, celebrities and sports icons, doctors, nurses, pharmacies, hospitals. Julie Morita, executive vice president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, pointed out that when Donald Trump took office in 2017, one of the first things he did was slash enrollment outreach and assistance for Obamacare. Community groups and pro-ACA states stepped up, and they can do that again now. “You need a coordinated effort,” Morita said. In addition, the BBB includes $15 million for outreach for 2022, more in later years. And while the immediate target for this fix is the 2 to 4 million in the Medicaid gap, another 15 million people or so could also be facing an end to their Medicaid coverage come next April, if an end to a special pandemic rule makes it into the final BBB package, Alkers pointed out. These are people whose income may have crept above the Medicaid limit, but states were temporarily banned from disenrolling them during the pandemic Public Health Emergency. If that special status ends, they could also benefit from any outreach and sign-up assistance that could transition them into subsidized coverage in the Obamacare markets, either the new Medicaid-like option or if their income is a little higher, another subsidized health plan. But it will take sustained effort. One more thing: The Medicaid fix itself only lasts through 2025. After that, it would be up to a future Congress and quite possibly a future president to decide whether to keep it, change it, or let it expire, possibly creating a new Medigap all over again. Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. A programming note: We’ll be off for Thanksgiving this Thursday and Friday, but we’ll be back and better than ever on Monday, Nov. 29. Until then, here’s hoping for a healthy and restful holiday. Reach out with news, tips and turkey prep advice at nightly@politico.com. Or contact tonight’s author on Twitter at @JoanneKenen.   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.     AROUND THE NATION A worker carries cut Christmas trees at Noble Mountain Tree Farm in Salem, Ore. | Nathan Howard/Getty Images OMG TANNENBAUM — Nightly’s Tyler Weyant emails: If you plan on getting a live Christmas tree this weekend, keep in mind that your tree was planted in a different world, maybe some time of year in 2014. TikTok was still two years away from launching in China. Most Americans would have thought of beer when you referenced corona. And Taylor Swift was on top of the Billboard charts. OK, maybe not everything has changed. The seven to 10 years it takes the average Christmas tree to grow is part of what makes it a tough industry. Like any farming, tree planters cannot foresee supply cost increases, weather killing crops, and other speedbumps. And whether you’re headed to the farm, or buying an artificial tree, there is one certainty for everyone in the here and now: Your Christmas tree will cost more. There’s nothing Joe Biden and Jerome Powell can do about that right now. Companies like Balsam Hill, which sells medium- and high-end artificial trees, have reported they will increase prices on average by 20 percent , with some trees selling for more than $1,000, thanks to quadrupled inbound shipping costs. As for live trees, Tim O’Connor, the executive director of trade group the National Christmas Tree Association, projects about a 10 percent increase in cost this year. But that might go even higher, depending on where you buy. “We know their costs are going up, particularly the trucking,” O’Connor said. “Trucking is going to be significantly higher.” Yet one word you won’t hear from those in the Christmas tree business is shortage. There are no trees stuck on container ships in the Suez Canal. “Despite recent headlines, the majority of U.S. consumers will be able to find the perfect Christmas tree for their home this year,” Jami Warner, executive director of artificial tree trade group the American Christmas Tree Association, wrote Nightly in an email. “However, this is not the year to find a tree last-minute, or to wait for a retailer sale.” Instead, the word I kept hearing to describe this market was “tight.” “The supply of trees is tight. It has been since 2015,” O’Connor said. “But you’ll see a lot of media stories talking about a shortage of Christmas trees. And that’s not what’s happening.” Weather can also harm the trees in all sorts of ways: In Oregon, Christmas trees are taking up 24 percent less acreage thanks to wildfires and dry summers. Joncie Underwood, co-owner and partner of Pine Valley Christmas Trees in Elkton, Md., said they lost 50 percent of their trees one year because of too much rain. In Elkton, birthplace of this year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, Underwood has increased prices, thanks to shipping and supply costs and wage increases. But she agreed about not using the s-word. “The country has never run out of trees,” Underwood said. “You may not find the tree that you want at your usual choose-and-cut farm, but you can go to a retail lot and I’m sure that you’re going to get a tree at a retail lot.”   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.     ASK THE AUDIENCE Nightly asked you: Is there something you really want or need to buy, whether for the holiday season or just an everyday item, that you’ve noticed is far more expensive or seemingly impossible to get? Your select, lightly edited responses are below: “I had been putting off buying an artificial Christmas tree until we bought our first home. Now that the time has come, the sticker shock is alarming. I had budgeted for a couple hundred for a tree, but most of the trees that are highly rated are $500 to $1,000. That’s not a purchase we can justify with a mortgage and daycare costs. We just hope the prices will come down next year.” — Amira Warman, director of customer engagement, New Market, Md. “Cans of Minute Maid Zero Sugar Lemonade. My husband can’t drink anything carbonated or caffeinated and shouldn’t be drinking sugary drinks. This is his go-to. But we’re lucky to find it once out of every 10 trips to the supermarket. It will show up as available on the website, but I can guarantee that when we pull up with the car they won’t have it. The issue has to be the cans, because he can still find the 52-ounce plastic bottles.” — Ann Fisher, retired, Marquette, Mich. “A new dishwasher. Bosch-branded dishwashers in anything other than stainless are on a six-month backorder. My wife and I opted to repair rather than replace.” — Matthew Chen, public affairs, Oakton, Va. “I was thinking of buying a friend a Xmas gift of pure maple syrup. I perused choices on my Kroger app and, ~boing~ sticker shock! They had selections above $100 and one at $320. I’m looking for a different gift idea.” — Jonathan Barber, retired, Grand Blanc Township, Mich. “Nope. Ordered a 65” TV and wall mount. Got mount in 2 days, TV in 5. Surprisingly great deals.” — Jeanne Newport, retired, Neshkoro, Wis. “Tennis balls! Impossible to find in many box stores or sports stores here in California.” — Harry McKone, retired, Palm Springs, Calif. WHAT'D I MISS? A woman wears buttons featuring Ahmaud Arbery and John Lewis outside the Glynn County Courthouse in Brunswick, Ga. | Sean Rayford/Getty Images — All three defendants guilty on murder charges in Arbery case: The three men on trial in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery were convicted today by a Georgia jury on murder charges, closing a case that became a fixture of debates about racial injustice in America . The three men convicted in Arbery’s death are Greg and Travis McMichael, a father and son who chased after Arbery in February of 2020 in a pickup truck after they saw him running through their neighborhood, and their neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan, who recorded cellphone footage of Travis McMichael shooting Arbery. — Supreme Court to consider GOP lawmakers’ right to defend North Carolina voter ID law: The Supreme Court has agreed to take up a fight over whether Republican state legislators are entitled to defend North Carolina’s voter identification law in court. The North Carolinian state legislators claim that their state’s Democratic attorney general is unlikely to offer a defense of the law robust enough to preserve it. — U.S. jobless claims plunge to 199,000, lowest in 52 years: The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits plummeted last week to the lowest level in more than half a century, another sign that the U.S. job market is rebounding rapidly from last year’s coronavirus recession. Jobless claims dropped by 71,000 to 199,000, the lowest since mid-November 1969. The drop was much bigger than economists expected. — Biden picks Capitol Hill favorite to run his budget office: Biden announced today that he will nominate Shalanda Young to be director of the Office of Management and Budget , along with Nani Coloretti as deputy director. If confirmed, Young would be the first Black woman to serve in the post, and Coloretti would be one of the highest-ranking Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians to lead in the federal government, positioning two women of color to head the White House budget office. Young will continue to serve as acting director of the office until she is confirmed. NIGHTLY NUMBER 99.6 percent The federal vaccine requirement compliance rate for the Transportation Department, the highest of any agency. The White House announcement touts that 92 percent of federal employees received at least one Covid-19 vaccination dose by the Nov. 22 deadline to get the shot, adding that the deadline “wasn’t an end point.” PARTING WORDS Passengers board a train bound for Boston on the day before Thanksgiving at Union Station in Washington, D.C. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images BOOST OF CAUTION — Joanne writes: As I went about my business reporting on the pandemic over the last 10 days or so, I’ve been asking health experts about how they were dipping a toe into normalcy. Not about their Thanksgiving plans necessarily, but how they were responding to this tenuous moment, when things seemed to be getting better after the peak of Delta, but are now worsening again. Everyone I spoke to was still quite cautious. Not as isolated and apprehensive as last year — they’re vaccinated, and many are boosted. But cautious, with good reason. We all knew we could have another spike as cold weather pushed us inside in the north, and as people traveled for Thanksgiving. But the spike began even before the turkey got dumped in the brine. Everyone I spoke to was trying to keep their lives in balance. They’re grateful for the power of these vaccines, but they know there is still some risk of a breakthrough infection. They know the mental health value of living a somewhat more normal life, even if “normal” includes masks where mandated or warranted. And they recognize that the virus ebbs and flows. Outbreaks are still ferocious in some parts of the country, while relatively tame in others. And that it could all change, yet again. “I trust the vaccine (fully vaccinated & boosted),” Georges Benjamin, the executive director of the American Public Health Association, emailed me. “I have resumed most normal activities in a careful manner: eating out, traveling to indoor meetings (where others are vaccinated and/or tested for Covid), wearing a mask as appropriate and still frequent hand hygiene.” With his family members — including age-eligible grandchildren — all vaccinated, he said his “personal bubble is as safe as I can make it.” Benjamin said he recognizes the real risk of breakthrough infection but weighs that against what he called “the negative societal impact of remaining sequestered.” Andy Slavitt, the former White House senior Covid adviser, told me: “I’m maximizing my life while staying safe. I’m favoring places that require vaccinations and people who are vaccinated. I’m traveling safely and going to outdoor ball games.” He regretfully decided to skip a cousin’s wedding “because they’re not taking what I consider to be common sense precautions.” Morita at the RWJ Foundation said she spends a lot of time with her parents and her in-laws, all in their 80s and 90s. So her family is still taking it slowly. They rarely go to restaurants. They avoid large indoor events. But they are having 13 people (vaccinated, mostly boosted) around their Thanksgiving table. My own personal geography says a lot about the fickleness of the moment. I live in Montgomery County, Md., not far from the D.C. border. Montgomery lifted mask mandates, while D.C. kept them. Now Montgomery reinstated them, while D.C. has lifted them. This week, one side of the street is “substantial” transmission; the other is “moderate.” Next week, like so much about this novel coronavirus, it could all change again. Joanne Kenen, a former POLITICO health care editor and a contributing POLITICO writer, is the Commonwealth Fund Journalist in Residence at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.   Follow us on Twitter Chris Suellentrop @suellentrop Tyler Weyant @tweyant Renuka Rayasam @renurayasam Myah Ward @myahward   FOLLOW US

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MASSACHUSETTS: Heads-up on 2022 ballot initiatives

 

Friends – Around the country, we see nonstop attacks on voting rights and abortion access that grow bolder every year. The same is true here in Massachusetts – but here and elsewhere, the ACLU is on it. Today, anti-civil liberties groups proposed ballot initiatives to roll back the progress we've made on access to abortion care and access to the polls. The ACLU has been tracking and preparing for these initiatives for some time because we know it's crucial to stay one step ahead of our opponents. One proposed question would roll back certain provisions of the ROE Act, a critical abortion access bill we passed last year. Another question would introduce strict voter ID laws that everyone knows are designed – not to address any real problems – but to disenfranchise Black and brown voters. Here's the good news: these questions aren't on the ballot yet; supporters still need to gather enough signatures to put the issue before voters. And in the meantime, we're pursuing multiple strategies to defend against these attacks on voting rights and abortion access. As a multi-issue organization, the ACLU is uniquely positioned to fight back and win – in the courts, the legislature, and our communities – against anti-abortion and anti-democracy activists who are trying to deny our freedom to make decisions about our health, our families, and our futures. It will take all of us to keep up this fight in the coming year – but together, we'll keep our Commonwealth moving forward, not backward. In solidarity, Carol Rose Pronouns: She, her, hers Executive Director, ACLU of Massachusetts ACLU of Massachusetts 11 Congress Street Boston, MA 02110

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: VAX MANDATES make for MAYORAL RIFT — Eviction REVERSAL — BAKER knocks OBAMA's big bash

 

BY LISA KASHINSKY Presented by The Massachusetts Coalition for Independent Work VACCINE MANDATES MAKE FOR MAYORAL RIFT — With the coronavirus resurging, Boston Acting Mayor Kim Janey is increasingly finding herself at odds with her mayoral rivals and Democratic leaders up through the president himself over how best to get people vaccinated and stop the Delta variant’s spread. Janey faced scrutiny last week for not requiring city workers to get vaccinated or get weekly Covid-19 tests after Boston City Council President Pro Tempore Matt O’Malley implemented such a policy for in-person council employees, and leaders in California and New York City did the same for their government workers. Now she’s resisting requiring residents to show proof of vaccination to dine indoors or work out at gyms — a policy New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday for his city — and invoking slavery and birtherism in the process. “We know that those types of things are difficult to enforce when it comes to vaccines,” Janey told reporters Tuesday morning in comments first reported by the Boston Herald. “There’s a long history in this country of people needing to show their papers — whether we’re talking about this from the standpoint of, you know, as a way to, after, during slavery, post-slavery, as recent as, you know, what the immigrant population has to go through here. “We heard Trump with the birth certificate nonsense,” she continued, in reference to former President Donald Trump’s repeated questioning of former President Barack Obama’s birthplace. “Here, we want to make sure that we are not doing anything that would further create a barrier for residents of Boston or disproportionately impact BIPOC communities.” Janey’s comments raised eyebrows, and she soon tweeted that she was merely trying to point out “several hurdles facing communities of color with lower vaccination rates.” Even after President Joe Biden expressed support later in the day for New York City’s new mandate, Janey remained a holdout. “Requiring vaccines wherever we go, we know that will have a disproportionate impact on poor families in particular, in communities of color,” Janey, the first Black person to serve as the city’s top executive, said during an evening event. Three of Janey’s mayoral rivals, City Councilors Michelle Wu, Annissa Essaibi George and Andrea Campbell, all support requiring proof of vaccination for various indoor activities and instituting a vaccine mandate for city employees. Another competitor, former city economic development chief John Barros, also supports vaccine requirements for city workers, and his campaign said a New York City-style policy is on the table if cases continue to rise. Campbell took the strongest tone in her statement, declaring that Janey’s “rhetoric is dangerous.” “Showing proof of vaccination is not slavery or birtherism. There is already too much misinformation directed at our residents about this pandemic, particularly Black and brown residents,” said Campbell, who is also Black. “It is incumbent upon us as leaders, particularly those of us who are Black, not to give these conspiracies any more oxygen.” GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Ballot initiatives are trickling into the state attorney general’s office ahead of today’s 5 p.m. deadline. But getting the requisite 10 signatures for submission is the easy part. If the initiatives clear the AG office’s certification process, next comes the real heavy lifting — more signatures, potential action from the Legislature, possible legal battles and costly campaigns. One of the biggest battles is over how to classify and provide benefits for Uber, Lyft and DoorDash drivers; the industry-backed Massachusetts Coalition for Independent Work should be filing its ballot question to keep gig workers as independent contractors later today. It’s the latest chapter in the gig-worker debate, after a similar initiative in California last year, and is already being tracked by the national media as a harbinger of battles to come. The state GOP-backed push for a voter identification law could also get swept up in the larger national battle over access to the ballot box. Keep an eye on this webpage for updates today as the rest of the ballot initiative petitions come in. TODAY — Janey hosts the second 2021 Neighborhood Coffee Hour at 10:30 a.m., Billings Field, West Roxbury, and attends the reopening of Fóumami, an Asian-owned eatery in the Financial District, at 12:15 p.m. State Rep. Bud Williams hosts a virtual “Creating Generational Wealth: An Economic Recovery Roundtable Discussion” featuring Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy, NAACP Boston Branch President Tanisha Sullivan, and Springfield Church of God in Christ Bishop Talbert W. Swan II at 12:30 p.m. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: lkashinsky@politico.com. THE LATEST NUMBERS – “Despite COVID delta rise, only 0.18% of vaccinated people have tested positive in Massachusetts, data shows,” by Noah R. Bombard, MassLive.com: “Despite a rise in COVID cases in the commonwealth, spurred by the delta variant, data from the state showed today that only 0.18% of vaccinated Massachusetts residents have tested positive for the virus. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported 833 new COVID cases on Tuesday, a level that continues to be elevated as the more highly contagious delta variant spreads. Two more deaths were reported and hospitalizations have continued to climb and are now at 226.”   A message from The Massachusetts Coalition for Independent Work: 83% of app-based drivers in Massachusetts want to remain independent — while accessing expanded benefits. The Massachusetts Coalition for Independent Work is dedicated to securing flexibility, providing new benefits and guaranteeing an earnings floor for app-based drivers. Learn more, and join our advocacy for independent workers.   DATELINE BEACON HILL – “Official at center of 25 Investigates public records request ousted from Medical Examiner’s Office,” by Ted Daniel and Patricia Alulema, Boston 25 News: “A spokesperson for the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security [EOPSS], which oversees the OCME, confirmed to 25 Investigates that Chief Administrative Officer Lisa Riccobene 'is no longer employed at OCME.' 25 Investigates requested emails related to purchases made by Riccobene on her state-issued computer as well as communications between her and a male co-worker after anonymous tips to our newsroom indicated that she was engaging in questionable and possibly ‘unethical behavior.’ The emails obtained on Friday show Riccobene made a series of luxury purchases on company time. Most of the items were gifts for male co-worker nearly 30 years younger than her.” – “Lawmakers Seek Automatic Seal For Eviction Records,” by Mike Deehan, GBH News: “Boston City Councillor Lydia Edwards and dozens of lawmakers want to make it easier for Massachusetts renters to seal court records pertaining to eviction proceedings, arguing that a ‘Scarlet E’ after an eviction can prevent future leases and lead to homelessness. Proponents say a bill before the Legislature would seal eviction cases between when they are filed and when an allegation is proven against a tenant. It would also seal all eviction records after three years and make it illegal for a landlord to use a sealed court record in determining a lease. Cases that result in a judgment against the tenant or which result in actual eviction would remain publicly available.” – “Ombudsman position at Correction Dept. still unfilled,” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “As the Covid-19 pandemic spread through the prison system, lawmakers inserted an item into last year’s budget bill creating a new position of ombudsman at the Department of Correction. … Gov. Charlie Baker signed the budget in December 2020. But eight months later, the ombudsman still hasn’t been hired. When lawmakers passed language in this year’s budget to reauthorize the ombudsman for this year, Baker used his veto power to try to limit the ombudsman’s authority.” – “Report finds LGBTQ youth face ‘significant threat’ in DCF system,” by Kate Lusignan, Boston Globe: “The state’s child welfare agency is failing to protect LGBTQ children and young adults from violence and abuse, according to a new report by the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth.” VAX-ACHUSETTS – "Charlie Baker says Barack Obama’s big 60th birthday party on Martha’s Vineyard is 'not a good idea,'" by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker says he didn’t get an invitation to former president Barack Obama’s celebrity-studded 60th birthday party on Martha’s Vineyard this weekend. But if he did, the Republican governor says he 'would have declined,' citing reservations about the party — which will reportedly include close to 700 guests and staff — amid concerns about the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant of COVID-19." – "Baker digs in on mask-wearing in schools: 'I don’t think you can apply a national standard' to Massachusetts," by Felicia Gans, Boston Globe: "Despite persistent calls from teachers unions this week for widespread mask-wearing in schools, Governor Charlie Baker dug in Tuesday, emphasizing he wants the decision to remain in local hands. While saying the state will strongly recommend masks for unvaccinated students and staff this fall, he said school districts should decide what is best for their staff and students. " – "Map: CDC indoor mask guidance now applies to 12 Mass. counties," by Amanda Kaufman, Boston Globe.   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 – "Groups Urge Janey To Withdraw Downtown Harbor Plan," by Michael Norton, State House News Service (paywall): "Cautioning against efforts to 'privatize the shoreline and forfeit opportunities for waterfront parks and open space,' seven environmental protection groups are calling on Boston Mayor Kim Janey to withdraw the city's downtown waterfront harbor plan from a state rulemaking process, saying it departs from regulations intended to protect public access and rights." – "'We Will Watch Your Dog': Boston Landlords, Politicians Seek Ways To Lure Workers Back To City," by Callum Borchers, WBUR: "Roxana Chiu, who manages shared office space in Boston, says the prime location in Back Bay used to be enough to attract prospective tenants. But since the pandemic, Chiu found she needs to offer new enticements. That includes a bike locker, an indoor garden and a renovated kitchen. She's gone so far as letting people bring their dogs to work." THE RACE FOR CITY HALL – "John Barros: 'I Believe I Have [Walsh's] Vote' For Mayor," by Zoe Mathews, GBH News: “John Barros, Boston mayoral candidate and the city's former chief of economic development, called into Boston Public Radio on Tuesday to make his pitch for the top executive seat in the city. … 'I have asked [Labor Secretary Marty Walsh] for his vote. I believe I have his vote, but I'll let you ask him first,' Barros said." (Walsh said Monday he won’t be endorsing in the race, but does plan to vote.) – "Andrea Campbell: The Boston.com interview," by Christopher Gavin, Nik DeCosta-Klipa, and Zipporah Osei, Boston.com: "The question of how twins born in Boston could have such different life outcomes propels [City Councilor Andrea] Campbell, who says her lived experience spans 'almost every inequity you can think of.' That, coupled with her track record on the council, sets her apart from the four other candidates in a diverse field, all vying to become Boston’s next mayor, she says." – FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Suffolk County Register of Deeds Stephen Murphy , a former Boston City Council president, and state Rep. Adrian Madaro are endorsing Jon Spillane for Boston City Council at-large, per his campaign. "Jon understands what it is to grow up in Boston. He is a housing expert. He understands the budget. He will hit the ground running," Murphy said in a statement. BALLOT BATTLES – "Industry-backed group files ballot question to classify gig workers as independent contractors," by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald: "The Massachusetts Coalition for Independent Work, backed by gig economy apps like Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart and Postmates, are pushing voters to classify its workers as independent contractors rather than employees. … Drivers at Tuesday's press conference argued they would lose the ability to attend family gatherings or tend to loved ones if they were to become employees, while still receiving some benefits including an $18 earnings floor and mileage reimbursement for 'engaged time' … Advocates from the opposing Coalition to Protect Workers' Rights, which counts among its ranks the ACLU of Massachusetts and Massachusetts AFL-CIO, representing unions, have slammed the ballot measure as being deceptive to voters."   A message from The Massachusetts Coalition for Independent Work:     FEELING '22 – "PLOSS ORGANIZES RUN FOR GOVERNOR," by Tréa Lavery, Lynn Item: "Conservative internet personality and former radio host Dianna Ploss filed papers with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) Monday organizing a candidate's committee to run for governor. … Ploss lost her talk radio show on WSMN in Nashua, N.H. in July 2020 after posting a video of herself demanding that a Spanish-speaking landscaping crew speak English." DATELINE D.C. – "Biden extends eviction moratorium another two months, including in most of Mass.," by Tim Logan, Boston Globe: "Amid intense pressure from progressive members of Congress, the Biden administration on Tuesday renewed a federal ban on evictions for renters at risk of losing their housing, with most of Massachusetts covered by the new order. Citing the quick spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention late Tuesday announced a new 60-day federal moratorium on evictions in counties where the cases are again at elevated levels. Currently, that includes all of Massachusetts, except for Franklin and Hampshire Counties." THE NATIONAL TAKE – "Baker on Gov. Cuomo after AG probe: 'I don’t see how he can continue to do his job,'" by Julia Taliesin, Boston.com: "'If the news coverage, which is extraordinary, is — and I would assume that it is — an accurate representation of the report itself, then I don’t see how he can continue to do his job,' [Gov. Charlie] Baker said. " – "Biden joins barrage of new calls for Cuomo to resign," by Erin Durkin, POLITICO. PARTY POLITICS Massachusetts GOP Chair Jim Lyons is directing party members to investigate whether some of their peers violated the state party’s bylaws, marking the latest chapter in the Republicans' intraparty drama. Lyons sent an email to state committee members on Monday establishing a six-person committee (which includes some of his allies) to look into whether certain party members violated bylaws relating to political activities and residency requirements. The latter is directed at Lindsay Valanzola, a state committeewoman from Wales, who is facing questions about her residency from some of her colleagues because, she said, she frequently travels to Nashville, Tenn., for work. "It’s disheartening someone is going to take that and call into question my residency simply for a witch hunt," Valanzola said. Others named in the letter could not be reached for comment. Lyons said the committee is going to look into the alleged bylaw violations and "see what happens." Some state party members expressed frustration and exhaustion with the continued infighting.   SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" TODAY: Power is shifting in Washington and in communities across the country. More people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. The Recast is a twice-weekly newsletter that explores the changing power dynamics in Washington and breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics and policy in America. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country and hear critical new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out, SUBSCRIBE . Thank you to our sponsor, Intel.     DAY IN COURT – "Worcester’s former top housing official found guilty of conspiring to steal federal funds," by Brad Petrishen, Worcester Telegram & Gazette: "A federal jury Tuesday convicted Worcester's former top housing official of conspiring with a developer to steal federal funds earmarked for a Main South affordable housing project a decade ago. Jacklyn M. Sutcivni, who served as chief of staff for economic development under former City Manager Michael V. O'Brien, was convicted of all four counts she faced..." IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN – "Environmental justice designation coming under scrutiny," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "Earlier this year, when the Legislature passed a sweeping climate change bill containing language defining an environmental justice, or EJ community, advocates said the measure was needed to protect areas of the state with high populations of people of color, low-income residents, and other marginalized groups that face disproportionate environmental burdens. But as the definition is being applied, the number of EJ communities is turning out to be larger than expected. According to a state analysis of Census data, close to 200 of the state’s 351 cities and towns contain some EJ neighborhoods. " THE LOCAL ELECTIONS ROUNDUP – "City Councilor Colin LePage to run for mayor; preliminary election a possibility," by Mike LaBella, Eagle-Tribune: "[Haverhill] could see its first mayoral preliminary election in over a decade now that City Councilor Colin LePage has announced a run for the top office. LePage will face incumbent Mayor James Fiorentini, who is seeking a record 10th term in office, and political newcomer Guy Cooper, a Haverhill police officer."   A message from The Massachusetts Coalition for Independent Work: The Massachusetts Coalition for Independent Work is dedicated to securing flexibility in scheduling, providing new benefits — including healthcare stipends, paid sick time, paid family & medical leave and occupational accident insurance — and guaranteeing an earnings floor for all app-based drivers in Massachusetts. We're banding together with drivers, community partners and elected officials to protect the flexibility and independence that drivers value, while expanding their benefits. Learn more, and join our advocacy for independent workers.   THE LOCAL ANGLE – "'Unarmed response teams' may be coming to a Massachusetts city near you, and soon," by Arianna MacNeill, Boston.com: “It’s been more than a year since George Floyd was killed while being taken into custody by police in Minnesota, and renewed calls for racial justice sparked protests across the country. And since then, some communities in Massachusetts have been having discussions around the issue, have worked toward police reform, and are considering unarmed response teams to handle non-violent calls." – "Worcester is looking for a mental health provider to establish a mental health community crisis response model," by Melissa Hanson, MassLive.com: "The city of Worcester wants to establish a mental health community crisis response model to help people in the community who are in need of immediate intervention and support." – "MNA says mediator ended talks between St. Vincent nurses and hospital," by Cyrus Moulton, Worcester Telegram & Gazette: "Hospital and union officials traded blame for the end of negotiations Tuesday, with nurses saying the federal mediator ended negotiations after the hospital refused an offer to elevate talks, and the hospital saying the union cancelled talks. The strike remains unresolved.” MEDIA MATTERS – "'There's Work To Do': Diversity Data Shows GBH Has An 80% White Workforce," by Arun Rath, Matt Baskin and Hannah Reale, GBH News: "GBH's workforce is 80% white, according to data released by the organization in July. The 863 employees span departments such as TV, radio, digital news, event planning, human resources and more. Racial diversity is lower among the executive team, which is 89% white, higher among content producers and higher among advisory and fiduciary boards." TRANSITIONS – Jonathan Carvalho will end his run as deputy chief of staff and press secretary to New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell on Friday to join Dewey Square Group as a senior associate. HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to former President Barack Obama, who is 60; Dorchester Reporter founder and Boston Irish Reporter publisher Ed Forry; Jordan Maynard of Gov. Charlie Baker’s office, and Jennifer Clark. Happy belated to Melissa Doris, assistant clerk magistrate at Suffolk Superior Court, who celebrated Monday. 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  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters FOLLOW US

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