| | |  | BY STEPHANIE MURRAY | GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. I spent all of yesterday thinking it was Wednesday. So... TGIF! GLOBE AT CENTER OF CONGRESSIONAL SAGA — After chugging along for about a year, the race to replace Rep. Joe Kennedy III is exploding. And in an old-school twist, the region's largest newspaper is at the center of the controversy. Kennedy gave up his House seat last fall to run against Sen. Ed Markey in a Democratic primary. That created a rare opportunity in the 4th Congressional district, which stretches from the suburbs of Boston down to Fall River. There are nine Democrats running for the open seat in the Sept. 1 primary, and getting attention from voters during a pandemic has been no small feat. The race started drawing extra attention last Friday, when the Boston Globe editorial board endorsed Newton City Councilor Jake Auchincloss. The paper quickly faced criticism for backing the Marine veteran who was previously registered as a Republican. His opponents have seized on his past views, including viewing the Confederate flag as a free speech issue, for an old Facebook post about burning the Quran and his reluctance to vote for a Newton City Council resolution calling for President Donald Trump's impeachment. Responding to criticism, the Boston Globe announced it would hold a question-and-answer session with Auchincloss on Monday to address reader concerns. Editorial page editor Bina Venkataraman quickly squashed speculation that the paper might rescind the endorsement. "We do not revoke endorsements. But I am not above adding context for our readers and voters when warranted as we are doing here," Venkataraman wrote in a tweet announcing the plan, adding that she plans to do a post-mortem on the endorsement process after the election. Then on Thursday, things got more dramatic when columnist Shirley Leung issued her own version of an endorsement under the headline: "Why I think Jesse Mermell, not Jake Auchincloss, is the right choice for Congress." Mermell is a former aide to Gov. Deval Patrick, and led the Alliance for Business Leadership before running for Congress. Leung is not a member of the Globe's editorial board. Political watchers like to say newspaper endorsements don't matter like they used to. In some ways, that's true, and papers have been adapting. The New York Times made its process more public and endorsed two candidates in the presidential primary this year, while the Globe opted to stay out of the New Hampshire primary altogether. When the Globe editorial board weighed in on behalf of Sen. Elizabeth Warren before Super Tuesday, she came in third place in her home state a week later. But the Globe's endorsement process has gotten more attention this summer than it has in a while. Remember when Kennedy's campaign manager penned a scathing email about the board's endorsement of Sen. Ed Markey last week? FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: MORE LAWMAKERS BACK MARKEY — Sen. Ed Markey’s reelection campaign is announcing several new endorsements this morning from state lawmakers and city councilors. Three of the newest state legislators — Sen. Susan Moran, Rep. Carol Doherty and Rep. Danillo Sena — are backing the incumbent lawmaker. The trio won special elections this spring. Markey's campaign says he now has the backing of 28 current and former state senators, and 106 current and former state representatives. Markey also received endorsements from Pittsfield City Councilor Helen Moon, and former councilors John Krol and Kathy Amuso, after he toured the western part of the state on a bus tour last week. Western Mass has been a flashpoint of the Senate campaign. Primary challenger Rep. Joe Kennedy III pressed Markey on his presence there at a June debate. More broadly, Markey’s travel records show he spends less time in the Bay State than his colleagues. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com. TODAY — Rep. Richard Neal visit Holyoke Community College to announce a federal grant. Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse visits the Brien Center in Pittsfield. Congressional candidate Dr. Natalia Linos hosts a conversation with Ambassador R. Nicholas Burns. | |
| | TUNE OUT THE NOISE AND TUNE INTO THE NEWS: It's getting tougher to keep up with so much going on in the world around us. From the latest on the 2020 election to updates on the race for a vaccine and an economy fighting its way back, POLITICO Dispatch is our short, daily podcast that cuts through the daily clutter and keeps you up to speed on the day's essential news. SUBSCRIBE TODAY. | | | | | |  | THE LATEST NUMBERS |
| – “Massachusetts reports 32 new coronavirus deaths, 162 cases,” by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: “Massachusetts health officials announced another 32 coronavirus deaths on Thursday, bringing the statewide death count to 8,470. Officials also confirmed another 162 cases of the virus, for a total now of at least 111,533.” | | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
| – “July tax revenues offer some hope,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “State revenue collections in July helped narrow the deficit for fiscal 2020 and provided some stability heading into fiscal 2021. The Massachusetts Department of Revenue reported on Thursday that it collected nearly $4.5 billion in taxes in July, of which nearly $2.2 billion will be apportioned to fiscal 2021 (which began July 1) and $2.3 billion to fiscal 2020 (which ended June 30).” – “Under any in-person school plan, buses are a problem,” by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: “As school districts finalize their reopening plans for the start of the school year, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that schools will need to find more buses at some point, even when they consider hybrid reopening plans. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education required districts to develop three reopening models: in-person schooling, a hybrid model blending in-person and remote learning, and a fully remote model.” | | WHAT CITY HALL IS READING |
| – “Joe Biden taps Marty Walsh to lead N.H. economic roundtable, fueling Cabinet speculation,” by Lisa Kashisnky and Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: “Joe Biden’s campaign is tapping longtime pal Boston Mayor Martin Walsh to lead an economic roundtable with New Hampshire business owners, fueling speculation he’s in the mix for a potential Cabinet post. ‘The mayor would be an excellent pick for President Biden’s Cabinet,’ Democratic strategist Scott Ferson said.” | | FROM THE HUB |
| – “Deborah Birx says Boston is among cities that need to ‘get on top’ of COVID-19 uptick,” by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: “Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House’s coronavirus response coordinator, says Boston is among the cities that need to ‘get on top of’ small but concerning increases in local COVID-19 cases.” – “Area Moving Companies Implement New Safety Precautions, Not Seeing Decline In Demand,” by Hannah Chanatry, WBUR: “As Boston's biggest moving day of the year looms in mere weeks, many moving companies in Massachusetts say they are just as busy this month as they have been in previous years, despite the pandemic. But Sept. 1 may look a bit different this year as companies adapt to keep employees and customers safe.” – “Big Mass. Study Finds You Could Be Symptom-Free But Still Carry High Load Of Coronavirus,” by Carey Goldberg, NEPM: “Many people who have no symptoms can still carry very high levels of the coronavirus and potentially spread it, according to preliminary research from the Broad Institute in Cambridge that was based on mass testing in Massachusetts nursing homes.” – “Dismantling Systemic Racism Starts In Schools, Educators Say,” by Cristina Quinn, WGBH News: “In June, when the Black Lives Matter protests first broke out in cities across the country, something clicked. The protests kept spreading, radiating through suburbs, hopping oceans and crossing borders. There was an undeniable momentum — one that teacher Joana Chacon and her colleagues wanted to seize.” – “At Harvard, other elite colleges, more students deferring their first year,” by Laura Krantz and Deirdre Fernandes, Boston Globe: “Facing perhaps the most uncertain year of college life in recent history, droves of first-year students at top-tier schools are choosing to defer their admission for a year. Twenty percent of Harvard first-year students are opting to defer their admission, the school announced Thursday, as students decide to take a gap year rather than start their elite education online amid the COVID-19 pandemic .” – “Edward M. Kennedy Institute launches national Just Vote campaign, with help from MLK’s son,” by Jon Chesto, Boston Globe: “The Edward M. Kennedy Institute had been working on an exhibit focused on voting — the history, the process — when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The nonprofit institute still hasn’t reopened its doors to the public. Like so many other businesses and institutions, it was forced to pivot to a virtual plan. But the voting initiative has become far more ambitious in scope as a result.” – ““Mass. hotel accused of hosting 300-person wedding, despite warnings,” by Greg Ryan, Boston Business Journal: “A Massachusetts hotel hosted back-to-back events last weekend that far exceeded the state’s 100-person capacity limit on outdoor events during the pandemic, despite multiple warnings from government officials tipped off to the plans, according to complaints received by state and local officials.” | | PRIMARY SOURCES |
| – “How Markey And Kennedy Are Working For Workers,” by Callum Borchers, WBUR: “When the Democratic primary between Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Joe Kennedy began, Massachusetts boasted one of the strongest economies in the country. Now, the candidates find themselves representing the state with the nation's highest unemployment rate. Roughly 1 million people in Massachusetts remain out of work, according federal data released Thursday.” – “Some ponder Kennedy's sincerity in homeless visit,” by Danny Jin, The Berkshire Eagle: “Publicity stunt, or a way to shine light on an often overlooked issue? The visit by U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III to a homeless encampment at Springside Park this week sparked a debate in local political circles. While some say a visit from someone as high profile as Kennedy, who is challenging U.S. Sen. Ed Markey in a Sept. 1 primary, can only bring more attention to the issue of homelessness in Pittsfield, others see it as just another campaign stop for the cameras.” – “Stephen Lynch is running on his unique ‘perspective.’ So is his primary challenger.” by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: “Rep. Stephen Lynch says it’s ‘very difficult’ to convey the scope and nuances of one’s record in a debate-style format. However, this week, for the first time in the 2020 election cycle, the Massachusetts congressman had to do his best.” | | DAY IN COURT |
| – “Sex offender just set free by Mass. Bail Fund is charged with new rape,” by Andrea Estes, Boston Globe: “Three weeks after being freed from the jail where he was being held on rape charges, Level 3 sex offender Shawn McClinton faced new allegations Thursday that he kidnapped, beat, and raped a woman he met walking along a Quincy street. The new charges against McClinton, 39, sparked immediate criticism of the Massachusetts Bail Fund, the group that posted the $15,000 bail to set him free.” | | PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES |
| – “Yes, you can believe your eyes: State data suggest that traffic is rising toward pre-pandemic levels,” by Martin Finucane, Boston Globe: “An unearthly quiet fell on the state’s highways and byways during the height of the coronavirus surge in Massachusetts. The only thing missing was the tumbleweeds. Now things are heading back to normal, according to traffic data from the state.” | | WARREN REPORT |
| – “The nation is facing a housing crisis. But private equity firms just see dollar signs.” by Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Carroll Fife: “The nation is facing an accelerating housing crisis. Too many people had no stable housing before the pandemic hit, and covid-19 has made the problem even worse. Renters who were already facing an affordable housing shortage (with many spending more than half of their income on rent) now have no federal rental assistance or federal protection from eviction.” | | MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE |
| – “N.H. Questions Massachusetts Income Tax Collection During Pandemic,” by Todd Bookman, NHPR: “The New Hampshire Attorney General is reviewing whether the Massachusetts Department of Revenue is violating either state or federal law as it seeks to collect income taxes from residents of other states during the pandemic.” | | MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS |
| – “Marijuana delivery model seen as unworkable,” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “Home delivery is set to become the newest part of the state’s cannabis industry, once the commission finalizes the rules and begins issuing licenses. But many of those eager to get into the business say the home delivery rules as currently drafted won’t work.” – “Mass. regulators fine Revolutionary Clinics $120,000 for selling tainted marijuana vapes,” by Dan Adams, Boston Globe: “A Fitchburg marijuana company, Revolutionary Clinics, will pay Massachusetts $120,000 to settle charges it sold vaporizers containing excessive levels of ethanol to six other dispensaries, several of which then sold dozens of the tainted devices to consumers. The Cannabis Control Commission voted unanimously Thursday to approve the fine and impose a four-month probation for the company over various violations related to the wholesale vape transactions, which occurred from December 2018 to early 2019.” | | ABOVE THE FOLD |
| — Herald: “FLORIDA VIBES," "'APPALLING,'” — Globe: “More districts plan to go remote-only," "Many opt to delay 1st year at elite colleges.” | | FROM THE 413 |
| – “UMass Amherst reverses plan for fall; most students not invited back to campus,” by Deirdre Fernandes, Boston Globe: “The University of Massachusetts Amherst announced Thursday night that students were no longer invited to return to campus if they had only online classes, a significant change to its fall plans aimed at drastically reducing the population in the dormitories and surrounding town as coronavirus infections rise.” – “How to fix the left-behind places,” by Daniel Oppenheimer, Boston Globe: “‘Is the world on fire?’ I ask Richie Neal. Richard ‘Richie’ Neal is the longtime US Representative for Massachusetts’ First District, a big swath of the western part of the state that stretches up to Vermont in the north, down to Connecticut in the south, and all the way west to New York. Since 2018, he has also been chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, one of the most powerful legislative positions in the country.” – “‘Demand has far outstripped the access,’ First day of free COVID testing in Western Mass. was fully booked within two hours,” by Douglas Hook, MassLive.com: “Demand for coronavirus testing has been huge, according to Tapestry Health. In just two hours after posting online, the non-profit had filled all its allotted reservations at sites in Agawam and Springfield.” | | THE LOCAL ANGLE |
| – “Travel order increases demand on Cape Cod virus testing sites,” by Cynthia McCormick, Cape Cod Times: “On a sunny summer morning when other visitors were heading to the beach, Eliot Chatfield, of San Francisco, shared the parking lot at CareWell Urgent Care with dozens of people waiting hours for a rapid response test for COVID-19. ... A negative test result for the disease caused by the new coronavirus would also free him from the restrictions of the Massachusetts travel order that went into effect Saturday.” – “Merrow Manufacturing announces 200 new jobs,” by Jo C. Goode, Herald News: “U.S. Senate candidate Congressman Joe Kennedy III was on hand Thursday at Merrow Manufacturing as owner Charlie Merrow announced the creation of 200 new jobs and a $1 million in capital improvements as the company steps up its manufacturing of personal protection equipment. Kennedy was in Fall River on the campaign trail, challenging incumbent U.S. Sen. Ed Markey.” | | MEDIA MATTERS |
| – “COVID Radio: Local stations strategize how to be socially distant while staying socially relevant,” by Craig S. Semon, Telegram & Gazette: “Like everything else, radio, the staple of the morning commute, your number one place for last-minute snow cancellations and the first thing many sleepy heads hear when their clock radio goes off, has been affected by the recent pandemic.” HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to former special counsel Robert Mueller, who is 76; Scott Stossel, national editor of The Atlantic; Megan Costello, Aissa Renee Canchola, CC Leslie, and Lyndsey Wajert, a recent Boston University School of Law grad. HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND – to Vinay Mehra, former president and CFO of the Boston Globe, who celebrates Saturday. NEW EPISODE: A 4th To Be Reckoned With – On this week’s Horse Race podcast, hosts Steve Koczela, Jennifer Smith and Stephanie Murray discuss Covid-19, new polling in the Democratic primary, and interview 4th Congressional District candidate Ben Sigel. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud. 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. | |
| | POLITICO'S "FUTURE PULSE" - THE COLLISION OF HEALTH CARE AND TECHNOLOGY : As the United States remains stuck in a screening crisis, a worldwide competition has been launched to find the top Covid-19 rapid testing solutions. The contest aims to find a system with a painless sample and quick turnaround for results. When will a breakthrough come? From Congress and the White House, to state legislatures and Silicon Valley, Future Pulse spotlights the politics, policies and technologies driving long-term change on the most personal issue for voters: Their health. SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | | | |
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