Tom Keane

The Week That Was: Crude Tweets, The Travel Ban Is Back, Lobsters At Logan And More

It was the week when Donald Trump may have finally started enjoying his job.

• A win here, a chance there and a few jabs all around. The Supreme Court resurrected Trump’s travel ban -- albeit with a few adjustments — and it went into effect Thursday. The Senate delayed voting on Obamacare’s repeal but behind-the-scenes dealmaking proceeded apace. CNN forced out three reporters who posted a badly sourced story on the Russian investigation — thereby in effect proving Trump’s “fake news” meme. And former president Barack Obama faced withering criticism that he failed to take meaningful measures to stop Russian interference in the U.S. election — making Trump’s alleged transgressions look far less consequential. In Trumpworld, things are suddenly looking up!
• Rude and lewd. Some Republicans denounced crude comments Trump tweeted about TV host Mika Brzezinski, saying they were “beneath the dignity” of the presidency. Really? After all of the sexist comments he’s made about the likes of Carly Fiorina, Princess Diana, Rosie O’Donnell, Cher, Hillary Clinton and Megyn Kelly? Beneath the dignity of the presidency, maybe. Beneath the dignity of this president, certainly not.
• Don't be evil. The European Union fined Google $2.72 billion for antitrust violations. Finally! It’s been apparent for years that Google is a monopoly. The search engine giant steers folks to its own preferred vendors who are, of course, the ones that pay it most. Others are left in the lurch. So why wasn’t the United States -- basically the inventor of antitrust law back in the late 1800s — doing anything about it? Apparently, when it comes to home-grown companies, we now let them do whatever they want. Which has to make you think: Maybe having another strong economic power out there is a good thing, meaning that Brexit (and Grexit, Frexit, etc.) are bad ideas after all.
• And then there’s evil. Meanwhile, another media giant — Facebook — reports that it’s deleting 66,000 hate-filled posts a week. Is that a lot of people with bad thoughts or just a very prolific few?
• Voyeurs at work. The TSA at Logan posted a picture of a 15-pound lobster it found while screening luggage, infuriating the passenger who was shipping his purchase. What was the TSA agent thinking? Enough of us are already creeped out that inspectors paw through our bags. But they pose for pictures with our stuff too? First come lobsters, then come your nighties. Republican plans to privatize the TSA increasingly look like a good idea.
• Mayor for life. A new poll from Suffolk University and The Boston Globe shows Boston mayor Marty Walsh with a 31-point lead over challenger Tito Jackson. Still, Jackson has a chance. The fall election will be a sleepy affair with low turnout. If Walsh gets complacent, a good ground game by the challenger could drive more of his supporters to the polls, possibly allowing Jackson to close the gap. The only problem: Walsh is not a complacent man.
• Stereotypes. Hooray! Saturday Night Live comedian Michael Che may have called Boston the “most racist city” but it turns out he was wrong! About 52 percent in that same Suffolk and Boston Globe poll said Boston was not racist! Well, at least 52 percent of whites. Turns out, 57 percent of blacks said it was.\
• Having a blast. Independence Day is next week and flashing highway signs are reminding us, once again, that fireworks are prohibited in Massachusetts. Fines, even prison await the transgressor. Can you say, “Nanny State?” Yeah, fireworks injure about 12,000 people annually.  But that pales in comparison to injuries from, say, ladders (724,000 annually), cutlery (819,000) or bicycles (1.4 million). Why not ban them too? Or better, why not legalize fireworks and teach folks how to use them safely?
• Inequality. Warring studies from Seattle disagreed over whether that city’s $15 minimum wage cost jobs. Frankly, it shouldn’t be a surprise that a high minimum wage in one jurisdiction would push jobs into neighboring towns with a lower wage requirement. (And a statewide or national minimum wage would largely fix that.) But in any event, so what? Seattle has a low unemployment rate (it’s just 2.9 percent). Folks are getting jobs anyway — and are getting better compensation to boot. What exactly is the problem with that?
• And finally. “Honey, did you see this new article that couples who argue a lot are actually happier?”

“But we hardly ever argue and we’re happy.”

“I wonder. Maybe we’re not as happy as we could be.”

“That’s ridiculous. Let me see it. Oh, come on. This is in the New York Post. And it’s not a report. It’s just some idiot’s opinion.”

“She’s not an idiot. And the Post is a great newspaper.”

“Not true at all.”

“Is so.”

“Not.”

“I love you.”

 

This column was first published by Cognoscenti on June 30, 2017.

The Week That Was: Dems Defeated, SCOTUS To Hear Gerrymandering Case, David Ortiz Gets A Street And More

It was the week when people started to figure out that maybe this Trump-as-president thing might be more than a passing phase.

• Not so irresistible resistance. Democrats reeled after losing Congressional races in Georgia — the most expensive House race ever — and South Carolina. The hope was that voters hated Trump so much they would flee the GOP altogether. But if Trump is a disease, it appears the infection is localized. The rest of the Republican body is doing just fine.
• Why don’t they love us? The polls had barely closed on Tuesday before the Democratic blame game began. It was Nancy Pelosi’s fault. It was the candidates’ fault. Not left-wing enough. Not centrist enough. Too much money in one election, not enough in another. The answer may be a bit simpler. House races are primarily local events. The problem for Democrats is not the party or the message but rather the voters themselves. And the solution lies in answering this question: How can Democrats turn conservatives into liberals?
• Sigh of relief from 24 Beacon Street. One man who should be thrilled with this week’s elections is Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker. Baker’s never been a fan of the president, but the best shot challengers had against him was tying him to the Trump brand. The results in Georgia and South Carolina suggest that strategy is unlikely to work. Voters will blame Baker if he fails to fix the MBTA. But they’re not going to hold him accountable for the latest tweetstorm from the White House.
• SCOTUS to the rescue? One hope for Democrats — and a possible answer to the hyper-partisanship that dominates national politics — may come from the Supreme Court, which this week agreed to hear a case on whether political gerrymandering is constitutionally permissible. Party-dominated state legislatures draw district lines to keep their own kind in office. Right now, those legislatures are mostly Republican. If the Court says no to gerrymanders, Democrats will benefit in the short term. And in the long run, candidates in the now more-balanced districts would have to appeal to both sides, trading extremism for moderation. Wishing it were so, but here’s betting — on a 5 to 4 vote — that the gerrymander stays.
• Drugspeak. The Associated Press Stylebook — a writing handbook for journalists nationwide — came up with new terms for the folks formerly known as “addicts” or “abusers.” They are now to be known as “people with addictions.” This sounds like political correctness run amok and, in any event, one wonders whether it ever catches on. (Programs such as Addicts Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous, for example, aren’t going to change their names.) Still, one has to admire the intent behind the change. As the prosecutor in the Bella Bond murder trial observed, it’s “primarily heroin that led us all here” — both of the child’s caregivers were regular users. Calling someone an “abuser” stigmatizes addiction as a moral failing. Calling it something that sounds more like a medical issue might have encouraged them to seek treatment — and perhaps have saved a life.
• Surprise! GOP Senate leaders finally released their secret plan for health care reform and it turns out that there were good reasons to keep it hidden. Seen in the light of day, boy, is that thing ugly.
• An uncomfortable juxtaposition. Boston renamed a portion of “Yawkey Way” as “David Ortiz Drive.” Ortiz, of course, is the Afro-Latino slugger who brought the Red Sox three world series championships. Former Sox owner Tom Yawkey, on the other hand, was a notorious racist, so much so that some have argued present-day Boston should simply erase all mention of him. Maybe. But there’s something almost poetic about how the old now segues into the new.
• Off into the sunset. The soap opera called Travis Kalanick appeared to end this week as the Uber founder was forced to resign and the company that is the most valuable privately held business in the world grappled with the fact that it had no leader, no management, an uncertain business model and a host of competitors nipping at its heels. Is there a second season for Travis, à la Steve Jobs? Investors looking at their gains evaporating may eventually think again.
• Awkward. And finally, Florida senator Marco Rubio got a lot of ribbing (some of it amiably self-generated) for a photo of him engaged in a clumsy hug with Ivanka Trump. It raises the question, though: Why do professionals greet folks differently based on gender? There’s a lot to be said for the handshake, equally extended to all. Unless, of course -- kiss, kiss — they’re French.

This column was first published by Cognoscenti on June 23, 2017.

The Week That Was: Sessions Testifies, Tall Ships Arrive, Mass. Marijuana Bill Debated And More

It was the week when Washington, D.C., reeled as months of pent-up angry rhetoric turned into a morning of real-life violence, prompting calls for a new era of moderation, goodwill and cooperation. Hmm. Does it really require a shooting to get people to be kind to each other? And more to the point: How long does this new era last?

• Beltway paralysis. Russia-gate plowed onward. Attorney General Jeff Sessions refused to answer hard questions before the Senate Intelligence Committee and word leaked that special counsel Robert Mueller is now investigating the president for possible obstruction of justice. The upshot? The president’s agenda takes a back seat. Courts have put the kibosh on the travel ban. The repeal of the health care law seems stuck in the Senate. Tax reform is moldering. And the infrastructure plan is going nowhere. Perhaps you think all of this is good, but having driven a bit lately, it wouldn’t bother me if someone would actually start fixing our bridges.
• Panic attack. Tall ships arrive in Boston on Saturday but I don’t know if I'll go. Officials worry the event may be a terrorist target, so I’m thinking maybe I’ll just play softball instead — except that doesn't feel safe anymore, with the shootings in Alexandria, Virginia. Forget it. I’ll just spend the weekend in my apartment except, what about that horrific fire in London? Is no place safe?
• Vive la France. Remember when we mocked the French for being cowardly, corrupt and elitist? Wouldn’t you like to be French now? Just-elected President Emmanuel Macron is the epitome of cool and what he represents — the much-sought-after third way that steers a centrist path between the extremes of left and right — looks set to take control of the government. Be careful America: France is back.
• Unintended consequences. The state of Connecticut sank further into the financial abyss, with Hartford on the brink of filing for bankruptcy. The cause? Businesses and the wealthy are fleeing the state’s onerous regulations, anti-business attitude and high taxes. Meanwhile, Massachusetts politicians this week approved putting on the 2018 ballot a so-called “millionaire’s tax.” Polling suggests it will pass easily. But voters’ glee may be short-lived. Our borders are porous and the wealthy can easily move. Massachusetts might become the next Connecticut. So then does New Hampshire become the next Massachusetts?
• Electoral logic. One of the three major credit rating agencies downgraded the Bay State’s credit to AA (the third highest ranking), largely because the state has failed to replenish its rainy-day fund. Yeah, I know we’re supposed to keep the fund full. But think of this from the point of view of your typical state representative or senator. They win re-election by trumpeting the goodies they got for their districts. Saving money means not spending money — but I bet none of them won many votes by doing that.
• "Lord of the Flies" in Silicon Valley. Kudos to Uber for liberating us from the monopolistic claws of the taxicab industry. But now that it's done that, would anyone be sad to see it go away? The company that founder Travis Kalanick called “Boob-er” is now better known for scandal and incompetence: company sex parties, employee sexual harassment, conspiracies to “get” journalists, secret software to thwart regulation, stealing intellectual property, abuse of its drivers and a steady stream of senior management exits. Indeed, even as its board attempted to respond to the bullying, chauvinistic culture, one male board member mocked the arrival of a new woman director. Lyft — the earnest but unsuccessful also-ran — is now poised to pull ahead.
• Black and white. Bostonians were infuriated when "Saturday Night Live’s" Michael Che in early February said Boston was “the most racist city I’ve ever been to.” Many dismissed it as hyperbole, a reflection of the city’s ugly past but certainly not its present. Then in May some Fenway fans taunted an on-field player with racist epithets and it seemed maybe Che had a point. And this week saw the release of a video featured an (apparently real) white cop vowing that, “Black people have met their match.” Ugh. It’s easy to say incidents like these are rare exceptions, but Boston remains strikingly segregated: Look around the next time you dine out or go to church. Notice how everyone else looks like you?
• High time for high taxes. And finally, the Massachusetts House floated a revision of the voter-passed marijuana law that would more than double taxes on recreational pot from 12 to 28 percent. Medical marijuana, however, would remain untaxed. If the House’s proposal becomes law, my guess is a lot of folks are going to suddenly conclude they’ve got glaucoma.

This column was first published by Cognoscenti on June 16, 2017.

The Week That Was: Comey Testifies, Harvard Draws The Line, Reality Winner Leaks And More

It was the week when the nation breathlessly awaited bombshell testimony from former FBI director James Comey, only to be greeted with something more akin to a firecracker — loud, yes; damaging, perhaps; fatal, no.

• No smoking guns. Comey may someday have a defamation suit against Donald Trump —  the president told “lies, plain and simple” about why the FBI director was fired — but aside from that, Trump escaped the hearings pretty easily. Three takeaways. First, it turns out Trump was telling the truth when he said Comey had assured him he wasn’t personally under investigation. Second, like every politician the world over, Trump expects loyalty — he was just boneheaded enough to say it out loud (although, not surprisingly, his lawyer denies even that). And finally, Trump’s request that Comey just “let this go” when it comes to the investigation of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn may be problematic but it doesn't appear to have been obstruction of justice. Dreams of impeachment may be just that.
• Har-har-harvard. Offensive and bad jokes by 10 incoming freshmen got Harvard so riled up it pulled their acceptance letters. Sides quickly formed. Some decried a university supposedly dedicated to the free exchange of ideas for drawing lines — and so harshly — about what ideas it in fact would tolerate. Others said the kids deserved it. Words indicate character and, let’s face it, the 10 came across as creeps, not the kind of people you’d want representing the World’s Greatest University.
• I love winners — well, except this one. A National Security Agency contractor named Reality Winner leaked a confidential document on Russian election interference and was promptly arrested. One does wonder whether Winner’s fate was sealed at birth. Reality Winner. Seriously? Naming your kid as you would a TV show does not a good future bode. Moreover, even while working on top secret stuff, Winner was apparently posting all over social media about her anti-Trump and anti-government predilections. You do have to think that if Harvard had been in charge (see above) the leaks might never have occurred.
• The man at war with himself. The travel ban saga kicked off in January and has played out like a Netflix series. This week’s episode took a darkly comic turn, as the president sent out a series of tweets decrying his own Justice Department for watering down his executive order — a weakened order that Trump himself had signed. Trump then trashed the political correctness of his own lawyers desperately trying to rationalize away candidate Trump’s anti-Muslim comments, undermining his case in the process. Unlike Netflix, though, there’s no binge watching — we’ll have to wait weeks for the next chapter: The Supreme Court Decides.
• Sibling rivalry. Underscoring the “specialness” of the special relationship between the United States and Great Britain, the president reacted to the terror attack on London Bridge by mocking the mayor of London, blaming the Brits for bringing it on themselves and using the deaths and injuries to domestic political advantage. That’s the way it is with families. With strangers and friends, we’d express sympathy and ask if there’s anything we can do. But those closest to us, we use any excuse to tear them down. That's how it works... right?
• Big bucks for ears. Mass. Eye and Ear announced this week it had received a $20 million grant to conduct research into hearing loss. Twenty-million grunts? No, 20 million dollars. Why are they grunting? Into hearing loss! Eating floss? No, it’s…
• Dr. Huxtable on the stand. The trial of Bill Cosby for sexual assault kicked off Monday with America’s one-time favorite dad entering the courtroom with famous actresses in tow. Their presence makes a statement, of course, but not as powerful a statement made by Cosby’s wife: She was absent.
• You love us! You really love us! And finally, a survey by Deutsche Bank says Boston is the eighth best city on the planet -- and the best in America — in terms of quality of life. Eight factors figured into their decision, including commuter traffic and climate. Really? Have the Germans driven the central artery at rush hour? Did they happen to visit during the winter of 2015 or, heck, any time this spring? And considering Deutsche Bank over the last year has been fined billions of dollars for money laundering, I’d be careful about too enthusiastically patting ourselves on the back.

This column was first published by Cognoscenti on June 9, 2017.

The Week That Was: Au Revoir To Paris, Boston Calling, Gov. Campaign Heats Up And More

It was the week when the president returned from his first overseas trip and things in Washington, D.C. returned to normal — normal in Trump’s world, meaning frenetic.

• Gambling going on in here! People were shocked, shocked when Trump announced Thursday that the United States was withdrawing from the Paris climate accord. Shocked why? Because a politician actually fulfilled a campaign promise? It would have been shocking if the president had announced he had changed his mind, and that the opinions of Europeans and Democrats mattered more than those of his core supporters. Trump may be many things — thin-skinned, sexist, narcissistic, naive. But when it comes to retail politics, he’s not stupid.
• Cleaning house? The long-awaited shake-up of the Trump White House commenced, with the resignation of communications chief Mike Dubke. And then ... nothing. Everyone, from Spicer to Bannon to Conway to Priebus, remains in place. Meanwhile, the White House is in turmoil: The Russia investigation proceeds apace. Fired FBI chief James Comey may give bombshell testimony next week. White House staffers continue leaking and infighting. And Trump’s relationship with Congressional Republicans remains fraught. The one thing we thought we’d get from the “You’re fired” guy was decisiveness. Instead, he appears paralyzed.
• Loose lips. Why is everyone so upset that the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, tried to set up a secret back channel for communications to the Russians? Given the antipathy of the outgoing administration to the incoming one, it’s not unreasonable the Trump folks might avoid using official lines of communication — at least until they were in charge. And talking to people in other countries, especially if you’re president-elect, is no crime (and please, spare me the Logan Act foolishness — as Alan Dershowitz cogently points out, that 1799 law is a piece of unenforceable nonsense). Sure, it could be the back channel effort was an attempt to communicate something nefarious. If so, that’s a problem. But in that case, the issue would be the message, not the medium.
• Sink or swim. Salem city councilors refused to support an ordinance protecting its “sanctuary city” status. Witches? We love them! Immigrants? Not so much. A pox upon the council.
• I dare you. Charlie Baker’s campaign said it intends to raise $30 million for his re-election. It’s an unprecedented, intimidating amount designed to strike fear in the hearts of possible first-tier Democratic contenders already unnerved by the governor’s status as most popular in the nation. If they don’t run — which seems the case — we’re left with second-tier Democrats (such as Newton mayor Setti Warren or Deval Patrick administration official Jay Gonzalez) whose low name recognition and lack of funds likely ensures electoral ignominy. So why would they run? First, you never know — lightning can strike. Second, and more realistically, a well-run losing campaign can establish bona fide candidates for the next time. And on their second try for the job in 2022, Warren and Gonzalez would be able to tell voters one thing first-tier Democrats can’t: They weren’t chicken.
• Unbeating heart of the city. The music festival Boston Calling finished a successful three-day stint on City Hall Plaza, proving once again how important the downtown area is to the cultural life of the city ... oh, I’m sorry. It was held in Allston? Allston?? Isn’t that somewhere next to Cambridge? And doesn’t the festival’s move after four years on the Plaza prove critics right? Gimcrack events like Boston Winter notwithstanding, City Hall Plaza remains an amazing waste of space. Raze it. Build something else.
• Sickening. The trial of Bella Bond’s alleged killer kicked off this week. Bond is the toddler whose body washed up on a beach two years ago. Her mother’s boyfriend is charged with first-degree murder. But as the proceedings commenced, it became quickly apparent this is a he said, she said story, neither credible, each blaming the other. Mom’s already off the hook; she cut a deal with prosecutors to testify. And it’s hard to believe a jury will find guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Both could walk.
• Dentists would approve. And finally, Sugar Heaven in the Back Bay closed suddenly this week. Is this a telling comment about a shopping district increasingly dominated by big chains rather than mom and pop retailers? Or maybe the real story is less about corporate consolidation and more about improving health. According to the USDA, per capita sugar consumption is down, from a high of 89.3 lbs. per person in 1999 to 75.7 lbs. in 2015. Given the health risks of too much sugar, perhaps the only thing “heaven” about the candy store was that it shortened the amount of time to get there.

This column was first published by Cognoscenti on June 2, 2017.