| | |  | BY STEPHANIE MURRAY | GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. NEXT YEAR'S BOSTON RACES BEGIN TAKING SHAPE — At least one Democrat is already eyeing Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu's at-large seat on the council if she runs for mayor in 2021. Wu has neither confirmed nor denied reports that she recently told Boston Mayor Marty Walsh she plans to run for mayor next year. But Walsh's confirmation of a phone call he had with Wu about the 2021 race was enough to spark Jay O'Brien, a Charlestown Democrat, to begin exploring a run for the council. O'Brien is a former State House aide who cited housing and transportation as two key issues facing the city in a phone call last night. It's bound to be a busy year in Boston — City Councilor Julia Mejia reacted to the news of Wu's likely mayoral campaign by predicting a crowded field up and down the ballot. Mejia cautioned that Boston political watchers should wait to see how the contest shapes up before choosing sides. "I predict 5-6 mayoral candidates, 20 At-Large candidates, at least 1-3 for each district and with so many people running we'll have lots of viable options. Wait to see who gets on the ballot, best represents your values then decide who you want to support. Be informed," Mejia wrote in a tweet on Monday. Already running for another seat on the council is Kendra Hicks, a community organizer and activist who is running for incumbent Councilor Matt O'Malley's seat representing West Roxbury and Jamaica Plain, along with parts of Roslindale, Roxbury and Back of the Hill. Hicks is director of radical philanthropy at the nonprofit Resist, according to her website. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: LESSER TO FUNDRAISE WITH 'VEEP' STAR — State Sen. Eric Lesser will hold a virtual fundraiser later this month with David Mandel, show-runner for the HBO political series "Veep" and executive producer of "Seinfeld" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Also on the guest list is actor Timothy Simmons, who played Jonah Ryan in "Veep." Lesser consulted on "Veep" for nearly a decade, drawing on his experiences as a White House aide and President Barack Obama campaign alum. Lesser's role was to help the show’s writers keep things realistic, he told CommonWealth Magazine before the final season aired last year. Suggested contributions range from $50 to $500 for the Sept. 22 fundraiser, according to an invitation. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com. TODAY — Boston Mayor Marty Walsh kicks off the virtual “Mass Voter Table Census Phone Bank” and is a guest on WBZ's “Nightside with Dan Rea.” Former Gov. Bill Weld and former White House Counsel to President Richard Nixon John Dean discuss political courage and transparency in a Zoom forum. Rep. Katherine Clark hosts a Facebook Live with Rep. Andy Levin on protecting workers' rights during the pandemic. | |
| | THE NEW NORM? Sales of medical self-exam kits and diagnostic software are surging among people opting to monitor their vital signs at home during the pandemic. How are medical professionals adjusting to the new norm? The health care system is rapidly changing during the pandemic, and emerging technologies will continue to drive change. Future Pulse spotlights the politics, policies, and technologies driving important change on voters' most personal issue: their health. SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | | |  | THE LATEST NUMBERS |
| – “Massachusetts reports 8 new coronavirus deaths, 168 new COVID cases on Tuesday,” by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: “State health officials announced another eight coronavirus deaths on Tuesday, bringing the statewide death count to 8,933 since the beginning of the pandemic. Officials also confirmed another 168 cases of COVID-19, for a total now of at least 121,214 cases across the state.” | | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
| – “State's unemployment fund operating in red,” by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: “A state fund that pays for jobless benefits will be more than $2.4 billion in the hole by the end of the year, and that will likely mean higher taxes next year for business owners. The Unemployment Trust Fund, which totaled $1.1 billion last year, had a deficit of nearly $750 million as of July 31 amid a tsunami of unemployment claims tied to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the latest data by the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.” – “‘I want this thing to land’: Rep. Russell Holmes is ready to start screaming again over police reform bill,” by Christopher Gavin, Boston.com: “While the annual emptying of the Massachusetts State House amid the hazy, waning days of summer has left the capitol halls quiet, Mattapan state Rep. Russell Holmes expects to make noise this week. Holmes, the ardent advocate for the pending police accountability legislation who pushed to lock down a policy by August, told Boston.com recently he intends to push just as hard to get a bill out of conference committee and onto Gov. Charlie Baker’s desk once lawmakers return after Labor Day.” – “Baker Administration Inflates Its Claim Of Spending With Minority Businesses,” by Paul Singer, GBH News: “Each year, Massachusetts sets a goal for how much money state agencies should spend with non-white vendors, and Baker has increased that goal more than once since taking office in 2015. In 2018, the goal was 7% of each agency's budget; for 2019 Baker raised the goal to 8%. And each year of his tenure, the state has issued a report showing it has exceeded the goal by tens of millions of dollars." – “Car manufacturers pool $25m to fight auto repair ballot question,” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “The national automotive industry is ponying up huge sums of money to defeat a question on the Massachusetts ballot that would give independent auto repair shops the right to access more information about the cars they are repairing. As of August 30, car manufacturers had contributed $25 million to the Coalition for Safe and Secure Data, a ballot committee formed to defeat Question 1 on the November ballot.” – “Massachusetts' protections weren't enough to stop evictions,” by Noemi Arellano-Summer, Anoushka Dalmia, Sophia Brown and Nick McCool, The Howard Center for Investigative Journalism: “Massachusetts had some of the nation's strongest tenant protections during the federal CARES Act's eviction moratorium, with thousands of residential evictions suspended in state court and a block on the filing of most new cases. But a two-month investigation of the federal and state moratoriums by Boston University journalism students, in collaboration with the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, found holes in safeguards against evictions for Massachusetts tenants emerged soon after the laws took effect.” – “Is that apartment real? Healey warns of virtual rental scams,” by Tim Logan, Boston Globe: “With apartment searches going more online and virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic, real estate agents and Massachusetts’ top law enforcement official are warning would-be renters about a costly bait-and-switch. Attorney General Maura Healey said her office is seeing a surge in scams where people advertise apartments they don’t own and rip off a month’s worth of rent, or more, from tenants who are eager to find a place but wary of touring it in person right now.” – “4 states with green light for Mass. travel don’t meet criteria,” Cape Cod Times: “Rhode Island is still on the list of states from which travelers to Massachusetts are required to quarantine or get a coronavirus test because the state doesn’t meet criteria for unrestricted travel. But four states that also apparently fail to meet the criteria have been removed from the list with no explanation from the administration of Gov. Charlie Baker.” | | WHAT CITY HALL IS READING |
| – “For Walsh, Wu, the campaign trail looks close,” by Milton J. Valencia, Boston Globe: “They’re not on the campaign trail quite yet, but if you squint, you can see it. In an afternoon news conference Tuesday amid questions about if and when he intends to announce his reelection campaign for mayor, Martin J. Walsh said he is focused on leading the city through the COVID pandemic and ticked off reassuring numbers showing declines in positive cases and the number of deaths.” – “Should Boston have a stronger civilian oversight board for police? City Council is thinking about it,” by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: “Boston city councilors and local advocates on Tuesday grappled with how to reform the city’s police department, wrestling with the fiscal and public safety implications of police union contracts, and imagining a civilian review board with investigative teeth, including subpoena powers, that exists outside the department.” – “Walsh To Receive Police Reform Report Thursday; Mayor Still Mum On Civilian Review Board,” by Tori Bedford, GBH News: “The Boston Police Task Force will present their recommendations to improve the process of reviewing police misconduct cases to Mayor Marty Walsh on Thursday, the mayor told reporters at a press conference outside City Hall on Tuesday.” | | FROM THE HUB |
| – “Boston lab Orig3n suspends COVID-19 testing after reporting at least 383 false positives in Massachusetts; Lab director failed to give direction, officials say,” by Jackson Cote, MassLive.com: “Boston-based laboratory Orig3n halted its coronavirus testing in Massachusetts last month after reporting hundreds of false positive test results, with officials chalking up the mistakes to a lack of direction and proper documentation at the lab, among other factors. In early August, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health opened an investigation after it became aware of an unusually high positive rate of COVID-19 tests reported by Orig3n Laboratory.” – “Celtics unveil $25 million, 10-year plan to fight racial injustice,” by Gary Washburn, Boston Globe: “The Celtics, a franchise that drafted the first Black player in the NBA and also hired the first Black coach, made another unprecedented move Tuesday with the announcement of a $25 million commitment over the next 10 years to fight racial injustice and focus on social issues in the Black community of Greater Boston.” – “17 Boston school officials paid $762,000 in settlements,” by Colman M. Herman, CommonWealth Magazine: “In an apparent effort to stave off potential lawsuits for wrongful termination or to just cushion departures, Boston Public School officials shelled out $762,000 over a nearly two-year period for settlement agreements with 17 school employees. The 17 cash settlements were paid to 11 administrators, five teachers, and one librarian. Another 50 settlements did not involve any financial payouts.” – “Parent frustration about schools is rising,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “With less than two weeks until school starts, parents from Somerville and Newton say they have yet to get any details on what classes will look like for their children and whether remote learning will be better than it was when schools suddenly shut down last spring amid COVID-19.” – “Boston police honor officers lost to suicide, vow ‘not to add’ more names to memorial wall,” by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: “A soft blue light shrouds the names of 13 officers inscribed on the Boston police suicide memorial wall — a symbolism that Commissioner William Gross said he hopes will raise awareness, end the stigma and ensure ‘we don’t have to add to the wall.’” – “Vaccine CEOs issue safety pledge amid Trump’s quest for pre-election approval,” by Christopher Rowland, The Washington Post: “The chief executives of nine drug companies pledged Tuesday not to seek regulatory approval before the safety and efficacy of their experimental coronavirus vaccines have been established in Phase 3 clinical trials, an extraordinary effort to bolster public faith in a vaccine amid President Trump’s rush to introduce one before Election Day.” | | YOU'VE GOT MAIL |
| – “Galvin Says State Needs More Than $1 Million For A Smooth November Election,” by Matt Murphy, State House News Service: “With the drama of ballot counting in the Fourth Congressional District behind him, Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin called the state's first foray into widespread mail-in voting a ‘great success,’ but said he will need additional funding to ensure that the November election goes off smoothly. | | THE SENATE SHOWDOWN |
| – “Markey, Kennedy praise each other in Democratic unity livestream,” by Jeremy C. Fox, Boston Globe: “Senator Edward J. Markey and Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III appeared together Tuesday in an online unity event organized by the state’s Democratic party, their first joint appearance since Markey defeated Kennedy in the primary a week ago. The legislators exchanged praise before taking aim at defeating President Trump and other Republicans down the ballot in November.”
| | DAY IN COURT |
| – “Mass. SJC Chief Justice Gants suffers heart attack, expects to resume ‘full duties,’” by Travis Andersen, Boston Globe: “Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Ralph D. Gants suffered a heart attack last week, he confirmed Tuesday in a statement. ‘I suffered a heart attack on Friday, September 4,’ Gants said in the statement released by the Mass. Trial Court. ‘I was admitted to the hospital where surgeons inserted 2 stents in the occluded artery, and I expect to be discharged soon. I also expect that I will be able to resume full duties, albeit initially on a limited basis.’” – “Middlesex DA releases more than 400 pages of records on 2011 Eurie Stamps shooting,” by John Hilliard, Boston Globe: “The Middlesex district attorney’s office has released more than 400 pages of records associated with the shooting of Eurie Stamps Sr. by Framingham police in 2011. The release of records follows calls from advocates who said they are demanding justice in Stamps’ shooting.” | | WARREN REPORT |
| – “Virtual New Yorker Festival Will Host Chris Rock and Elizabeth Warren,” by Sarah Bahr, The New York Times: “A little under a month before Americans cast their ballots, they can be a fly on the wall for a conversation between Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The Democratic lawmakers will be interviewed together by The New Yorker’s Andrew Marantz as part of the 21st New Yorker Festival, which will, for the first time, be a mostly virtual affair.” | | IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN |
| – “Machine Gun Range Proposal Has Environmentalists Up In Arms,” by Eve Zuckoff, GBH News: “On a tree-lined street in south Sandwich, everything is quiet. Sprinklers, birds, and the occasional landscaping truck are all that make a noise. But when physician and retired Air Force colonel Jane Ward walks through the neighborhood, she hears the quiet before the storm. Less than a mile away, the Army National Guard is planning to build Massachusetts’ first and only machine gun range.” – “Attleboro Considering Comprehensive Environmental Bill To Curb Plastic And Other Pollutants,” by Hannah Chanatry, WBUR: “The mayor of Attleboro is filing an omnibus-style environmental policy with the goal of curbing plastic use and other pollutants in the city. The ‘Environmental Protection and Prevention’ ordinance would ban the sale of eight different products.” | | ABOVE THE FOLD |
| — Herald: “Who's that unmasked man?" "RENTERS RULE,” — Globe: “Celtics commit $25m to boost Black community," "Vaccine test halted over bad reaction.” | | THE LOCAL ANGLE |
| – “Worcester councilors eye permanent outdoor dining program, if it doesn’t squeeze parking space,” by Nick Kotsopoulos, Telegram & Gazette: “City councilors Tuesday night welcomed the city administration’s efforts to expand outdoor dining options at restaurants on a permanent basis, but they also urged caution so it doesn’t hurt the quality of life in nearby neighborhoods.” – “UTEC hires law firm to probe racism, sexism allegations,” by Alana Melanson, The Lowell Sun: “UTEC, one of the city and state’s best-known nonprofit organizations, has hired a Boston law firm to look into racism, sexism and other allegations set forth in a social media campaign by former employees. According to UTEC board of directors Chairman Scott Mellen, the board has hired attorneys from Todd & Weld LLP to interview the former employees and current staff.” TRANSITIONS – Ava Callender Concepcion joins Waterville Consulting as VP of the firm’s community relations practice. She previously worked as director of government affairs and external partnerships in Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins’ office and is a state Sen. William Brownsberger alum. HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to Michael Greenwald, managing director at Tiedemann Constantia and director at Tiedemann Advisors, who is 37; Andrew Crane, Jason Denoncourt and Daniel Pipes, who is 71. NEW EPISODE: Inside a $6 billion fundraising machine – On this week’s POLITICO Women Rule podcast, ActBlue Executive Director Erin Hill talks about how the tech platform has raised more than $6 billion since 2004 — including around $3 billion in the 2020 cycle alone. Hill also weighs in on how small-dollar donors are changing politics, how the pandemic is changing small-dollar donors, and what all of this could mean for the future of politics. Link. 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. | |
| | BEIJING IS WATCHING, ARE YOU? China has long been a nation of involved and cynical election-watchers, at least when it comes to American presidential campaigns. As the United States races toward Election Day, how do Chinese citizens believe each candidate will affect relations between the two nations? Join the conversation and gain expert insight from informed and influential voices in government, business, law, and tech. China Watcher is as much of a platform as it is a newsletter. Subscribe today. | | | | | | |
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