The big SCHOOL question — How to handle COVID-19 in COURT — SALEM calls off HALLOWEEN events

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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.

BACK TO SCHOOL? — The first day of school is right around the corner, and the fast-changing dynamics around the coronavirus pandemic are making the next several weeks hard to predict.

Right now, there’s no one-size-fits-all option for reopening schools. The choices are in-person instruction, an online-only approach, or a hybrid model, where students complete part of their instruction in person and the rest online. Two of the state’s largest teachers unions are calling for remote instruction, while Education Commissioner Jeff Riley is pushing for in-person learning.

Somerville made waves when it announced students would begin the school year withremote learning yesterday. The decision wasn’t entirely a surprise — the city hasdelayed entering Phase 3 of the state’s reopening, which most of Massachusetts began in early July. In the western part of the state, one elementary school isproposing an online model after three employees became ill from Covid-19. In Weston, the superintendentcouldn’t attend a meeting on school reopening last week because she was ill from the virus. Weston is recommending a hybrid model.

The bottom line: There’s a lot of uncertainty. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education raised eyebrows this week when a spokesperson said the department was not formally tracking Covid-19 outbreaks, according to aBoston Herald report. Gov. Charlie Baker said on Tuesday the state is working on a mobile testing program for schools.

Not to mention, Covid-19 cases are slowly rising, according to state data. And if numbers continue to creep upward, Baker could tighten some reopening rules, which may mean a lower cap on gatherings or a return to other restrictions from earlier this year.

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: BURNS, BENNET AND NARAL WEIGH IN — A cast of big-name endorsers are throwing their support behind Democratic candidates ahead of the Sept. 1 primary.

Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns is endorsing Sen. Ed Markey today in his reelection campaign against Rep. Joe Kennedy III. Burns calls Markey a “visionary and prolific legislator” in a newendorsement video. He’ll host a virtualfundraiser for Markey on Aug. 21. Suggested contributions range from $100 to $2,800.

In the crowded race to replace Kennedy, NARAL Pro-Choice America is backing Jesse Mermell, a former aide to Gov. Deval Patrick. The reproductive rights advocacy group pointed to Mermell’s past work at Planned Parenthood and her support of the ROE Act on Beacon Hill as reasons for the endorsement.

State Sen. Cynthia Creem is backing Newton City Councilor Becky Grossman in her bid to replace Kennedy. Creem represents Newton, Brookline and parts of Wellesley, the hometowns of all nine Democrats in the race.

A former presidential candidate is also throwing his support behind a 4th District candidate today. Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet is backing City Year co-founder Alan Khazei. Bennet met Khazei when he was superintendent of schools in Denver a decade ago, he says in a90-second endorsement video.

And Newton City Councilor Jake Auchincloss has nabbed another endorsement from the southern part of the district. Ironworkers Local 37, which represents workers in southeastern Massachusetts, and Cape Cod and the Islands, will announce its support today.

ONE MORE THING TO WATCH — The National Association of Realtors is about to jump into two primary races.

The trade association’s super PAC filed with the FEC yesterday to spend for or against House Ways and Means chair Richard Neal, who is facing a primary challenge from Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse, and Newton City Councilor Becky Grossman, who is running for Congress to replace Rep. Joe Kennedy III. The group reported $71,400 in independent expenditures, mostly on digital ads.

Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: [email protected].

TODAY — Rep. Lori Trahan tours the newly-reopened Concord Museum. Rep. Seth Moulton debates his primary challengers Angus McQuilken and Jamie Belsito. Rep. Ayanna Pressley hosts a listening session on school reopening with students in her district. Rep. Joe Kennedy III visits Worcester Community Healthlink, Inc.

LAUNCHING TODAY: THE FIFTYis a new series from POLITICO that examines the roles mayors and governors are playing amid the pandemic, the economic crisis and a national reckoning on race. The Fifty collects our best reporting on the governors and mayors shaping policy and driving politics, and looks at the people and power players outside of Washington. UP NOW: “The best job in America — or a living nightmare?” by Anna Gronewold and Shia Kapos … Q&A with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

THE LATEST NUMBERS

– Massachusetts reports 9 new coronavirus deaths as COVID-19 cases rise to 438,” by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: “Massachusetts health officials announced another nine coronavirus deaths on Tuesday, bringing the statewide death toll to 8,436. Officials also confirmed 438 new cases of the virus, for a total of at least 111,033 across Massachusetts.”

DATELINE BEACON HILL

– “Baker warns if coronavirus cases go in wrong direction, he could slow down reopening,” by Travis Andersen and Jaclyn Reiss, Boston Globe: “Governor Charlie Baker warned Tuesday that Massachusetts may have to scale back its reopening efforts if positive coronavirus cases continue to creep up. ‘Over the past several days, we’ve seen a modest uptick in the percentage of new positive cases, and we continue to closely monitor and analyze the data to determine the factors that are driving that,’ Baker said during his regular briefing following a tour of the Boston MedFlight facility in Bedford.”

– “Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signs 3-month budget, sends back provisions that would keep funding levels at or above 2020,” by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: “Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed a proposed three-month interim budget into law Tuesday but nixed a portion of the bill that would have required his administration to fund departments and services at least at fiscal 2020 levels.”

– “What would trigger a second lockdown in Mass.? The state still hasn’t laid out clear guidelines,” by Dasia Moore, Boston Globe: “As epidemiologists and doctors continued to sound alarms — some urging a return to more restrictive state guidelines on gatherings and businesses — Baker resisted laying out the state’s standards for reversing course on reopening. The state plan released in May identifies six key indicators guiding reopening, but it does not describe what specific set of conditions would trigger a reversal.”

– “Galvin Says He Is ‘Disappointed’ With Boston’s Census Efforts,” by Jenifer B. McKim, WGBH News: “Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth Bill Galvin on Tuesday said he is ‘disappointed’ by Boston city efforts to count residents for the United States census. While the state has counted about 65 percent of households, Boston’s response rate is just over 53 percent, according to data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau.”

– “Political Notes: Rep. Sarah Peake takes lead on hazard pay,” by Geoff Spillane, Cape Cod Times: “State Rep. Sarah Peake, D-Provincetown, has taken a lead role in advocating for Stop & Shop to reinstate hazard pay for front-line grocery workers during the coronavirus pandemic. Stop & Shop instituted a 10% pay increase in March to recognize and compensate workers for additional risks they take in doing their jobs during a public health crisis, but the extra pay was discontinued July 4.”

– “Ed Commissioner Jeff Riley pushes in-person learning,” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “Massachusetts Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley is strongly urging local schools to open in person this fall, pushing back against state teachers’ unions who are calling for the school year to begin remotely.”

FROM THE HUB

– “Boston City Officials Express Concerns Over University Students Returning To Campus,” by Walter Wuthmann, Jamie Bologna and Carrie Jung, WBUR: “Northeastern and Boston University — the two largest universities in the city — plan to bring thousands of students back to campus in the fall for on-campus instruction. But as coronavirus cases continue to spike in states around the country, those plans are worrying some city officials.

– “Cambridge’s police chief said the city doesn’t get ‘military equipment.’ An inventory says the department has 64 M4 rifles,” by Hanna Krueger, Boston Globe: “In early June, as a wave of Black Lives Matter protests swept the nation and police departments faced renewed scrutiny, the Cambridge police commissioner stood before the City Council and made a declaration: ‘We don’t get military equipment. We don’t have any at all,’ said Branville Bard Jr. ‘We don’t have tanks, we don’t have anything like that.’ The statement set off a firestorm, particularly from City Councilor Quinton Zondervan, who lambasted the commissioner for peddling ‘not factually correct’ statements.”

– “Somerville Public Schools will start fall with all remote learning amid coronavirus,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “Somerville Public Schools will start the school year with all remote learning amid the coronavirus pandemic. Somerville, the state’s most densely populated city and one that has decided against moving into Phase 3 of the Bay State’s coronavirus reopening plan, made the decision on Tuesday to begin the 2020-2021 school year with full remote learning.”

– “Will Massachusetts teachers strike this fall? One local union is sounding an alarm,” by James Vaznis, Boston Globe: “In a sharp rebuke, teacher union leaders in Quincy decided against endorsing the Massachusetts Teachers Association’s resolution to continue with remote learning at the start of the school year, accusing the state’s largest teachers union of potentially orchestrating a strike.”

– “Encore Boston Harbor, closed for nearly four months due to COVID-19, finished second quarter $53.8 million in the red,” by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: “After months of ramping up the Everett casino, Wynn Resorts reported that Encore Boston Harbor finished the second quarter $53.8 million in the red as it remained closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

– “Brigham president had sold more Moderna stock before she resigned from biotech’s board,” by Jonathan Saltzman, Boston Globe: “The head of Brigham and Women’s Hospital sold nearly $2 million worth of Moderna stock in May, just as the institution she led was preparing cost-cutting due to COVID-19, bringing her total earnings from the biotech company to $8.5 million this year.”

– “Employers lose confidence; but see Massachusetts recovery outpacing national economy during COVID-19 pandemic,” by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican: “Business confidence fell in July, four months after the index suffered the largest one-time decline in its history a coronavirus hit followed by a modest spring recovery, Associated Industries of Massachusetts said Tuesday.”

PRIMARY SOURCES

– “Why Is Joe Kennedy Doing This?” by Russell Berman, The Atlantic: “The words tumble out of Joseph Patrick Kennedy III so quickly that the sense of urgency, even an unintended hint of impatience, is impossible to miss. The red-haired representative from Massachusetts—Joe, to just about everybody—is an extremely fast talker. The characteristic might be beyond his control, but it also seems to fit the moment.”

– “Senate candidates address evolving views during criminal justice forum,” by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: “Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Joe Kennedy III showed a few distinct differences in how they approach the major concern of the day– how do you reform a broken criminal justice system? And who gets to have a say? While both lean heavily toward making life easier for prisoners, their visions, – and track records, are not identical.”

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

– “‘We don’t have the capacity, nor should we be enforcing this'; Officials question how Mass. travel order, fines will be carried out,” by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: “Now that Gov. Charlie Baker’s travel order is in effect, out-of-state visitors will face a choice: quarantine until they get cleared by a negative coronavirus test result or face a $500 a day fine — a hefty price to pay for vacationers who might be willing to splurge a little bit during the economic downturn.”

DAY IN COURT

– “What would a new Tsarnaev trial look like, five years later?” by Dugan Arnett, Boston Globe: “For three long months in 2015, victims and their families were forced to endure the trial of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, an emotionally devastating proceeding that concluded with an unremorseful Tsarnaev being sentenced to death for his role in a plot that left three dead and wounded hundreds. Now, they might have to do it all over again.”

– “New coronavirus recommendations for jury trials during pandemic,” by Marie Szaniszlo, Boston Herald: “A committee of the Supreme Judicial Court on Tuesday released recommendations on the resumption of state court jury trials, which have been postponed since March because of the coronavirus pandemic.”

TRUMPACHUSETTS

– “Auchincloss’s vote on Trump impeachment contradicts his campaign claims,” by Stephanie Ebbert, Boston Globe: “To combat criticism that he’s less progressive than his Democratic primary opponents, Jake Auchincloss has been emphasizing his opposition to President Trump. His campaign brochure says he was ‘one of the first Democrats to call for Donald Trump’s impeachment’ and someone who ‘stands out as the leader most ready to fight back against Donald Trump.’ But those claims contradict Auchincloss’s record as a Newton city councilor. On that panel of two dozen local officials, he distinguished himself as one of the few who refused to call for Trump’s impeachment.”

MEANWHILE IN RHODE ISLAND

– “Rhode Islanders must quarantine beginning Friday as coronavirus cases there surge,” by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: “Rhode Island is now considered a high-risk state and anyone traveling to or from the Ocean State will be required to quarantine for two weeks, produce a negative test result or face fines beginning on Friday, state health officials announced.”

ABOVE THE FOLD

— Herald: “VIRTUAL REALITY,” “RHODE RAGE,” — Globe: “Brigham chief had sold more Moderna stock,” “State’s standards for rollback still unclear.”

FROM THE 413

– “Principal recommends remote learning plan,” by Jacquelyn Voghel, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “Last month, officials at New Hingham Regional Elementary School were hopeful that they could safely welcome students back to school for in-person learning this fall. But as COVID-19 cases appear in recently repopulated U.S. schools, and after three New Hingham staff members, one of whom was placed on a ventilator, became ill with the virus, Principal Jesse McMillan is recommending a fully remote learning plan through at least Oct. 1.”

THE LOCAL ANGLE

– “Hermitage nursing home plans to appeal state termination notice,” by Cyrus Moulton, Telegram & Gazette: “The Hermitage HealthCare senior care center will appeal MassHealth’s decision to begin the process of revoking the nursing home’s participation in the state’s Medicaid program, saying the decision ‘surprised and disappointed’ them.”

– “Kingston elects selectwoman active in recall movement,” by Johanna Seltz, Boston Globe: “Voters elected Sheila Marie Vaughn – who was active in the recall movement that led to two selectmen losing their seats in June – to fill another opening on the Board of Selectmen. Vaughn, who is vice chairwoman of the Kingston School Committee, defeated Peter Boncek, 880 to 325, in the Aug 1. special election.”

– “Major Halloween events called off due to COVID-19,” by Dustin Luca, The Salem News: “Official, city-run events tied to Halloween are effectively on hold this year as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to escalate around the country. In an announcement issued Tuesday afternoon, the mayor’s office announced that several of the official, city-run events held in most years have been called off for 2020.”

– “2 more laid off Methuen officers brought back,” by Breanna Edelstein, Eagle-Tribune: “Two of five Methuen police officers at risk of losing their jobs because of shortfalls in the FY2021 budget have been spared layoffs after a City Council vote Monday night. That brings the total to four officers returned to duty through similar financial moves within the budget, according to Mayor Neil Perry.”

MEDIA MATTERS

– “Layoffs reported at NBCUniversal’s Boston stations,” by Don Seiffert, Boston Business Journal: “At least 20 employees at NBC10 Boston and NBC Sports Boston were reportedly laid off Tuesday as part of a nationwide effort to cut costs during the coronavirus pandemic. A spokeswoman for NBCUniversal confirmed that layoffs were occurring in Boston but declined to say how many.”

TRANSITIONS – Tara Spann joins MENTOR as the organization’s first-ever chief people and strategy officer.

– David Todisco is now Rep. Lori Trahan’s digital director and press secretary.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to former ambassador and MA-03 candidate Rufus Gifford, who is 46; Christina Pacheco, deputy state director for Sen. Ed Markey; and Jim Puzzanghera, Boston Globe D.C. bureau chief.

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY – to Casey Liston, who celebrated Tuesday.

NEW EPISODE: THE ENDORSE RACE – On this week’s Horse Race podcast, host Jennifer Smith and guest host Katie Lannan discuss what’s happening on Beacon Hill, and Stephanie Murray weighs in on the race between Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Joe Kennedy III. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud.

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