By Kelly Garrity and Mia McCarthy

BRIDGING THE GAP — Former Gov. Charlie Baker's efforts to secure federal funding for Cape Cod's aging bridges went nowhere.

But under Gov. Maura Healey's new proposal, the state now stands a chance of securing competitive federal grant funding, Rep. Bill Keating, the Democrat who represents the region, told Playbook.

“It's gone from an application that was dead on arrival to one that I am quite confident will be successful,” Keating said in an interview yesterday.

Healey’s plan, first reported by the Boston Globe, seeks funding for just one of the Cape’s two outmoded bridges, the Sagamore — unlike Baker’s failed attempts to secure billions for both the Sagamore and the Bourne Bridge simultaneously.

Perhaps more importantly, the governor has pledged to devote state funds to the massive infrastructure undertaking. In May, Healey promised to commit up to $700 million to the project long-term, and in June included $262 million to replace the bridges as part of her five-year capital investment plan.

“The other two proposals were dead on arrival, we found out later, because the Commonwealth didn't put any matching funds in,” Keating said. “We went back and did the post-mortem … we found out there was never a chance.”

There are risks to the one-bridge-at-a-time strategy. Construction of both bridges is expected to take several decades, and considering how quickly the cost of the project has jumped in recent years — up from close to $1.4 billion in 2019 to more than $4 billion now — the Bourne Bridge rebuild is likely to see a heftier price tag down the line.

But delaying “would be a huge mistake,” Keating said.

“If you're not starting to garner the funds now, for the initial phases, then you're putting the whole project further away, and the cost will be greater. Not getting this money now would drive the cost up further.”

GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.

Ron DeSantis didn't seize the opportunity to knock former President Donald Trump over his recent indictment in Georgia during a press call with New England media outlets yesterday. But the Florida governor did slam his GOP presidential rival for a different reason:

“I disagree with Donald Trump’s attacks on Gov. Chris Sununu," DeSantis told reporters, many from outlets based in the first-in-the-nation primary state. "I think New Hampshire is the best governed state in New England. I think Chris has done a great job up there and you can see the fact that people flee to New Hampshire, just like people flee to Florida, whether it’s to escape crime, high taxes, you name it."

It's the latest play DeSantis has made recently to ingratiate himself with influential governors in early voting states. Last week, the Super PAC backing the Republican presidential hopeful launched ads highlighting Trump's spats with Sununu and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds.

Sununu has made clear he intends to do whatever he can to stop Trump from winning the GOP nomination, but the popular Republican governor has yet to publicly throw his support behind a Trump alternative — and an endorsement doesn't appear to be imminent. Any announcement likely won't come until November or December, he told POLITICO last month, after he gets a chance to "see what they can do." In the meantime, Sununu is joining the candidates on the trail as they attempt to woo New Hampshire voters.

TODAY — Healey swears in Stephanie Everett as the new Suffolk County Register of Probate and Family Court at 10:30 a.m. at the State House. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll is in Iowa through Friday for the National Lieutenant Governors Association’s Annual Meeting. Senate President Karen Spilka tours damage from recent flooding in North Andover at 10 a.m. and is joined by state Sen. Barry Finegold, Minority Leader Bruce Tarr and local officials in Haverhill to see the community impacted by a sinkhole from the flooding at 11:20 a.m. Secretary of State Bill Galvin makes an announcement on a new state grant program for organizations providing services to survivors of domestic violence in Springfield at noon. Attorney General Andrea Campbell stops by Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi’s annual Summer Cookout in Springfield at 2:30 p.m. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu hosts a press conference about preparations for the first day of the school year at 9 a.m. and delivers remarks at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the renovated Walnut Park Play Area in Roxbury at 1 p.m.

Tips? Scoops? Birthdays? Planning to try the new Dunkin' Spiked drinks? Let us know: [email protected] and [email protected] and @Reporter_Mia and @KellyGarrity3.

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— “Maura Healey silent on level of federal funding Massachusetts needs to combat shelter crisis,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “A week after Gov. Maura Healey made a public plea for federal dollars to help with an emergency shelter crisis partly fueled by an influx of migrants, it is unclear just how much money she wants to flow Massachusetts’ way.”

— “Healey Veto Would Damage Racial Wealth Gap Efforts, Nonprofits Say,” by James Sanna, Banker & Tradesman: “A $1.5 million cut to a state grant program for first-time homebuyer counseling might seem small, but the nonprofit community developers who use the funds say it could gut their work trying to give aspiring homebuyers of color a shot in the ever-more-expensive Massachusetts housing market.”

— “Ballot face-off over gig workers looms,” by Jennifer Smith, Commonwealth Magazine: “Two years ago, Massachusetts braced itself for what was expected to be the most expensive ballot measure campaign in the state’s history. That question, brought by ride-hailing companies to classify their gig workers as independent contractors, was kicked off the ballot by a ruling from the state’s highest court. In just a few weeks, the state should know if the fight and the ad dollars will be back on the horizon. And this time, there could be ballot measures on both sides.”

— “AG Grants $1.5 Mil to Expand Maternal Health Workforce, Access to Care,” by Alison Kuznitz, Statehouse News Service (paywall): “Alarmed by 'devastating statistics' of worsening severe maternal morbidity rates, particularly among Black people during labor and delivery, Attorney General Andrea Campbell announced $1.5 million in grant funding to 11 community organizations and health centers Tuesday in a bid to tamp down on racial disparities.”

— “‘It felt like a win-win-win.’ Boston to launch e-bike delivery program,” by Taylor Dolven, Boston Globe: “Allston is trying to say goodbye to double-parked delivery vehicles and hello to e-bikes with a new city program launching next month. The pilot program will provide deliveries to and from local businesses in Allston with electric cargo bikes for at least a year starting in mid-September, the Boston Transportation Department announced Tuesday, aiming to reduce car pollution and traffic, and free up space on city streets now occupied by delivery cars that often idle near curbs.”

— “‘Hot people and hot places.’ Boston task force eyes targeted approach to gun violence reduction” by Sean Cotter, Boston Globe: “A new city task force aimed at reducing shootings will focus specifically on the people pulling the trigger and the handful of small locations where an outsize amount of street violence happens. ‘It’s focusing on the micro-places and the micro-populations,’ said Isaac Yablo, Mayor Michelle Wu’s senior adviser for community safety. Or to put it more plainly: ‘Hot people and hot places.’”

— “With 10 of Boston’s 18 city-run public pools closed, Michelle Wu addresses high rate of closures,” by Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald: “Mayor Michelle Wu emphasized city efforts to make swimming safe and accessible Tuesday, speaking to the high rate of pool closures frustrating residents and announcing funding to expand the Swim Safe initiative into the school year.”

— “As new school year looms, Wu touts school bus readiness at BPS,” by Adam Reilly, GBH News: “Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said Tuesday, that as the Boston Public Schools prepare to start classes on September 1, the system’s staffing levels are have markedly improved from previous years. ‘I just came from the August Leadership Institute with all of our school leaders and their teams and superintendent and school committee chair this morning,’ Wu said on GBH’s Boston Public Radio. ‘And Superintendent [Mary] Skipper reported that we have 733 bus drivers hired and ready to go, plus another 30 who are [training] right now.’”

— “Super PAC enters District 5 race with a mission: Anyone but Arroyo,” by Gintautas Dumcius, Dorchester Reporter: “Outside political groups, also known as super PACs, played a big role in the 2021 mayoral race, spending millions to boost their chosen candidates while knocking rivals in mailers and on TV. This year’s off-year municipal election, with low turnout expected, has drawn at least one such group that hopes to make a mark in the four-way preliminary for District 5. The group, calling itself ‘Enough is Enough,’ aims to oust incumbent Councillor Ricardo Arroyo, who has held the Hyde Park and Mattapan seat since January 2020.”

— “Know anyone who wants to be chief safety officer at the MBTA?,” by Taylor Dolven, Boston Globe: “The MBTA’s Chief Safety Officer, who has overseen the agency’s most important division for the last three years and helped shepherd the T through nearly unprecedented federal scrutiny after a series of critical safety failures, is leaving, General Manager Phillip Eng announced Tuesday. Chief Safety Officer Ronald Ester’s last day will be August 30, leaving Eng and Governor Maura Healey the daunting task of finding a successor — someone qualified and excited to improve safety at an organization known for its lack of it.”

DON’T MISS POLITICO’S TECH & AI SUMMIT: America’s ability to lead and champion emerging innovations in technology like generative AI will shape our industries, manufacturing base and future economy. Do we have the right policies in place to secure that future? How will the U.S. retain its status as the global tech leader? Join POLITICO on Sept. 27 for our Tech & AI Summit to hear what the public and private sectors need to do to sharpen our competitive edge amidst rising global competitors and rapidly evolving disruptive technologies. REGISTER HERE.

— “Mass. Democrats pressure US Department of Education to curtail legacy admissions,” by Jess Bidgood, Boston Globe: “When the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action for university admissions earlier this summer, Democrats said it was time to take on a different higher education policy: legacy and donor admissions. Now, Massachusetts senators are calling for the Biden administration to crack down. If institutions of higher education can’t consider a student’s race, Democrats argue, they should not be able to consider familial or financial connections, either.”

— “Supporting farmers through extreme weather is a priority, new Mass. rural affairs director says,” by Juliet Shulman-Hall, MassLive: “Anne Gobi, the new director of rural affairs in the Executive Office of Economic Development, wants to make sure farmers are adequately supported in Massachusetts, especially following this year’s extreme weather events including flooding in July. ‘You’ve probably heard that saying ‘nothing runs like a deer’; well nobody works like a farmer. It’s 24/7, 365,’ Gobi said.”

— “This is what Springfield mayoral candidates are saying about gun violence,” by Jonah Snowden, MassLive

 — “Lederman Makes Three Mayoral Candidates on Your TV,” by Western Mass Politics & Insight

— “‘Food is the biggest expense’: Mass. families welcome permanent free school meals for students,” by Emily Piper-Vallillo, WBUR: “Household food insecurity in Massachusetts doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Project Bread, a Boston-based anti-hunger nonprofit. But in the spring of 2020 the federal government stepped in to provide all students with free school meals, which included breakfast and lunch.”

— “After rocky departure from Harvard, prominent disinformation expert Joan Donovan heads to BU,” by Hilary Burns, Boston Globe: “Joan Donovan spent the past four years at Harvard University’s Kennedy School researching how conspiracy theories, social media algorithms, and media manipulation influence public perception and threaten democracy. But last summer, Donovan was informed by school officials that the Technology and Social Change Project, which she directed, would wind down because of an internal policy that requires all research projects to be led by full faculty members. Donovan was not on a tenure track at Harvard.”

— “Poll shows Kelly Ayotte leading New Hampshire governor’s race,” by Steven Porter, Boston Globe: “Former US senator Kelly Ayotte looks like the very early favorite in New Hampshire’s budding 2024 gubernatorial contest, according to an Emerson College poll released Tuesday. The poll shows Ayotte with a big lead over fellow Republican candidate Chuck Morse, and she outperformed each of the Democratic candidates, Cinde Warmington and Joyce Craig, in hypothetical matchups.”

— “Former Texas congressman campaigns in Derry, N.H.,” Katelyn Sahagian, Gloucester Daily Times: “Will Hurd, a former congressman from Texas and self-proclaimed dark horse in the Republican race for president, is touring New Hampshire to try to raise enough money and support to appear on the debate stage in Milwaukee on Aug. 23. Standing at his side was Gov. Chris Sununu, who introduced Hurd to the crowd — whether they were there to see him or not. Sununu has said he would support anyone who is running against former President Donald Trump.”

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Kristen Elechko and Justin (JP) Griffin.

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