Endorsement UPROAR roils House race — New virus RULES for BARS begin — MARKEY and KENNEDY to DEBATE tonight

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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.

SCOOP: LECKEY REFUSES ENDORSEMENT FROM BOSTON SOCIALISTS — The Boston chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America was weighing whether to rescind its endorsement of Ihssane Leckey, one of the nine Democrats running to replace Rep. Joe Kennedy III in the House.

But Leckey beat them to the punch. The former Wall Street regulator told the group she no longer accepts its endorsement in a letter last night, which was obtained by POLITICO.

The Democratic Socialists had planned to debate whether to rescind the endorsement via Zoom on Aug. 15. The move came after the group received a letter from a group of former Leckey campaign staffers that alleged the candidate mistreated her staff. The document also raised concerns about Leckey’s choice to pour $850,000 of her own money into the campaign, and suggested some staff were underpaid. Among the staffers speaking out is Leckey’s former finance director, Rachel Craig, who has previously been critical of the candidate’s self-funding.

“The [Coordinating Committee] believes these allegations are concerning enough to warrant serious deliberation by the membership about continuing to endorse Ihssane Leckey for Congress,” the Boston DSA told its members in an email last week.

Leckey took issue with the allegations, the way the chapter handled the letter, and the debate process around rescinding the endorsement. The Boston chapter of the socialist group did not respond to a request for comment, and the endorsement was removed from Leckey’s campaign website.

“You chose to circulate a letter filled with anti-immigrant and sexist smears to Boston DSA’s entire membership,” Leckey wrote. “I cannot be associated with an organization that is not committed to anti-racism and inclusivity. I therefore can no longer accept the endorsement of Boston DSA.”

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: SUPER PAC HITS MORSE ON SCHOOLS — American Working Families, the super PAC airing attack ads against Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse, is out with a new TV spot this morning.

The ad knocks “no show Alex Morse” for his record on Holyoke’s public school system, which was taken over by the state during his tenure as mayor. Morse is challenging Rep. Richard Neal in a Democratic primary. The PAC has spent more than $180,000 in ads against him, according to FEC data.

It’s been a tense few days for Morse, who is facing allegations of inappropriate behavior by college Democrats. The mayor denies any wrongdoing and has pledged to stay in the race. The ad.

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: COUNCILOR BREADON SUPPORTS MARKEY — Ed Markey has picked up an endorsement from a member of the Boston City Council this morning in his primary race against Rep. Joe Kennedy III.

Councilor Liz Breadon is supporting the incumbent and cheered Markey as an “environmental champion” in her endorsement.

“Ed Markey is an environmental champion, a crusader for net neutrality, and a steadfast ally to marginalized communities,” Breadon said in a statement. Other members of the council who have endorsed Markey are Kenzie Bok, Annissa Essaibi-George and Ricardo Arroyo. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh is also backing the Malden Democrat.

SAFE SEAT SCRAMBLE — My colleague Zach Montellaro writes in his Morning Score newsletter: “The super PAC arm of VoteVets, the Democratic group focused on veterans, is transferring $223,000 to the super PAC Experienced Leadership Matters PAC, which is backing Jake Auchincloss in the open, crowded Democratic primary to succeed Rep. Joe Kennedy in the blue MA-04. VoteVets had previously endorsed Auchincloss.” Subscribe to Weekly Score.

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TODAY — Rep. Katherine Clark is a guest on WBUR’s “Radio Boston,” and hosts a Facebook livestream with Rep. Karen Bass on their new bill “The Protecting the Health and Wellness of Babies and Pregnant Women in Custody Act. Rep. Richard Neal meets with Holyoke Health Center CEO Jay Breines. Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Joe Kennedy III debate on WBZ.

THE LATEST NUMBERS

– “Massachusetts reports 5 new coronavirus deaths, 214 cases,” by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: “Massachusetts health officials announced another five coronavirus deaths on Monday, bringing the statewide total to 8,519. Officials also confirmed another 214 cases of the virus, for a total of at least 112,673 cases across the Commonwealth. That’s based on 11,276 new molecular tests reported on Monday.”

DATELINE BEACON HILL

– “Black State House staffers report productive talks with Legislators following letter demanding change,” by Chris Lisinski State House News Service: “A coalition of Black State House staffers has had ‘productive’ conversations with the offices of legislative leaders in the week-plus since unveiling a list of demands aimed at improving culture in the building, members said.”

– “Bars and restaurants react to Gov. Baker’s new COVID-19 restaurant rules,” by Erin Kuschner, Boston.com: “After a new pandemic-related safety standard was issued last week, restaurant and bar owners are left wondering whether they’ll have to close again. On Friday, Gov. Charlie Baker announced new COVID-19 gathering and restaurant rules, including a rule that alcoholic beverages will only be served at restaurants if accompanied by food prepared on-site. The new measure goes into effect on Tuesday, and is in response to a recent uptick in COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts.”

– “Massachusetts lawmakers weigh legislation to suspend MCAS for four years amid coronavirus pandemic,” by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: “State lawmakers are weighing legislation that would effectively suspend the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, or MCAS, for four years and create a commission that would study the testing regime and recommend changes.”

– “Surprise! July state tax revenues increase,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “State officials are scratching their heads in astonishment over the July tax revenue numbers released last week. Even though the state’s unemployment rate is in the stratosphere and many businesses are struggling to survive, the Department of Revenue reported that tax revenues in July were actually $88 million higher than they were in July 2019 – prior to COVID-19 and the economic devastation it brought with it.”

FROM THE HUB

– “With COVID-19 infection rates below 1% in most Massachusetts towns, many parents wonder why can’t schools open full time?” by James Vaznis, Boston Globe: “All summer long, Jennifer Infurna, a Winchester mother of incoming second- and third-graders, carefully watched COVID-19 infection rates in her town hover well below the state average. Just last week, state data showed the 14-day infection rate was only one-tenth of 1 percent.”

– “As September Looms, Some Of State’s Largest Districts Won’t Return In Person,” by Max Larkin, WBUR: “As a statewide deadline nears, school administrators across Massachusetts are deciding how to restart learning in a fall still overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic. State officials — including Gov. Charlie Baker and Commissioner Jeff Riley of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education — have repeatedly recommended that districts invite as many students as possible back into school buildings this fall.”

– “What is a ‘hybrid’ education plan?” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “Huge numbers of Massachusetts students this fall will be returning to school on a ‘hybrid’ plan – some mix of in-person and remote learning. Like so much of the post-pandemic lexicon, no one until this summer had heard of a ‘hybrid’ model of schooling and no school had yet developed one. So what exactly is a hybrid model? The answer depends on the district.”

– “Who’s Gonna Take the Weight: Mo Cowan and Being Black in America,” by Mo Cowan and Parnia Zahedi, Boston Magazine: “You may think you know something about me, but I want you to really know who I am. I am an executive at a Fortune 500 company. I am a former U.S. senator and chief of staff to Governor Deval Patrick. I have been a partner at a major law firm, CEO of a consulting group, and served on several corporate boards. I am a husband and a father to two sons. But who I am really is a Black man in America.”

– “Tufts stands firm on fall reopening after pushback from Somerville, Medford,” by Jeremy C. Fox, Boston Globe: “Tufts University stood firm Monday on its plan to reopen for on-campus classes in the fall, insisting that its testing and quarantine protocols are sufficient to keep students safe from the coronavirus, as mayors of the two communities the school straddles asked it to reconsider.”

PRIMARY SOURCES

– “Heading into final stretch, Markey-Kennedy race looks to be a dead heat,” by Victoria McGrane, Boston Globe: “John Walsh started hearing from the naysayers soon after he signed on to be Senator Edward J. Markey’s campaign manager for his reelection bid last summer. Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III was already too far ahead in the polls. Markey wouldn’t be able to match Kennedy’s fund-raising juggernaut.”

– “Springfield City Councilor Malo Brown switches endorsement, backs Rep. Joe Kennedy III over Sen. Ed Markey,” by Benjamin Kail, MassLive.com: “Springfield City Councilor Malo Brown on Monday announced that he has switched his endorsement in the U.S. Senate race in Massachusetts from Sen. Ed Markey to Rep. Joe Kennedy III. Brown previously backed Markey, who has four decades of experience in the House and Senate.”

– FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: “Nicholas Burns, Former U.S. Under Secretary of State, Endorses Dr. Natalia Linos in Massachusetts’ 4th Congressional District,” from the Linos campaign: “Today, Ambassador R. Nicholas Burns announced his endorsement of Dr. Natalia Linos in her bid to represent Massachusetts’ 4th Congressional District. Amb. Burns served as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs from 2005 to 2008, former U.S. Ambassador to NATO from 2001 to 2005, and U.S. Ambassador to Greece from 1997-2001.”

– FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: “Mermell Endorsed by State Rep. Denise Garlick, Chief Sponsor of Medicare for All, 17 Other MA-04 Leaders,” from the Mermell campaign: “Jesse Mermell today continued to build on her momentum as the strongest progressive candidate in the race to succeed Congressman Joe Kennedy by earning the endorsement of State Representative Denise Garlick (D-Needham) and 17 other local leaders from Hopkinton, Sharon, Attleboro and Brookline.”

– FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: “International Longshoremen’s Association Endorses Jake Auchincloss for Congress,” from the Auchincloss campaign: “The International Longshoremen’s Association, AFL-CIO has endorsed Jake Auchincloss for Massachusetts’ 4th Congressional seat. The Association is the largest union of maritime workers in North America, representing upwards of 65,000 longshoremen across the country.”

– “Progressives Backing Alex Morse Are Mostly Silent On Misconduct Charges,” by Daniel Marans, HuffPost: “Many progressive groups and individuals backing Holyoke, Massachusetts, Mayor Alex Morse’s primary challenge against Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.) have yet to comment on allegations of inappropriate behavior that surfaced against Morse on Friday night. The Working Families Party, Indivisible, IfNotNow, Our Revolution, the Massachusetts Nurses Association and Justice Democrats, which recently began an independent TV ad campaign on his behalf, have all stayed silent about the accusations.”

– “In WAMC Interview, Morse Addresses Misconduct Allegations, Congressional Primary,” Josh Landes, WAMC: “In an exclusive interview with WAMC Monday evening, Holyoke, Massachusetts Mayor and Democratic congressional primary candidate Alex Morse responded to questions about alleged misconduct with students from his time teaching at UMass Amherst.”

– “4th District Dem Becky Grossman targets drug prices in new TV ad,” by Ted Nesi, WPRI: “Democrat Becky Grossman, a leading candidate in the crowded race to succeed Congressman Joe Kennedy III, is going on the air with a new TV ad that assails the high cost of prescription drugs. It’s the second spot from Grossman, a Newton city councilor whose family has been prominent in Massachusetts politics for years, after an initial ad focused on gun control.”

– “Auchincloss apologizes for past controversial comments,” by Stephanie Ebbert, Boston Globe: “Ten days after winning the endorsement of The Boston Globe editorial board, Fourth Congressional District candidate Jake Auchincloss submitted to an unprecedented public vetting on Monday in which he explained and apologized for controversial past comments and social media posts.”

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

– “The COVID-19 Risks You May Take, And Create, While Traveling,” by Martha Bebinger, WBUR: “Travel is a growing challenge in efforts to contain the coronavirus. Take the case of a man with COVID-19 symptoms who boards a flight to Massachusetts after a work trip to North Carolina. He doesn’t want to ride out a serious illness in a hotel room. A woman from the Boston area develops a sore throat, her first sign of COVID-19, as she and five companions drive north from Florida, dropping off three passengers in New Jersey.”

DAY IN COURT

– “‘I’m not social distancing, that is so stupid’; Accused human trafficker wants release from prison due to COVID concerns,” by Scott J. Croteau, MassLive.com: “A Boston man facing numerous human trafficking charges in federal court wants to be released from pre-trial detention claiming he has medical conditions that make him susceptible to COVID-19, but prosecutors contend he was caught on a jail recording saying he wasn’t social distancing.”

MARKEYCHUSETTS

– “Sen. Ed Markey tells Sen. Ted Cruz to ’get real’ after Cruz mocks push for $2K monthly COVID stimulus,” by Benjamin Kail, MassLive.com: “As congressional leaders and Trump administration officials lock horns over COVID-19 stimulus proposals, Sens. Ed Markey and Ted Cruz found themselves in a Twitter dustup over a Markey-backed proposal to cut $2,000 monthly checks to Americans as they endure the pandemic.”

IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

– “Environmental group hoists banner over iconic Citgo sign,” by Jeremy C. Fox and Stephanie Purifoy, Boston Globe: “An environmental group unfurled a large banner reading ‘Climate Justice Now’ across the iconic Citgo sign in Kenmore Square as the Red Sox began playing the Tampa Bay Rays in Fenway Park on Monday night.”

ABOVE THE FOLD

— Herald: “LEADER OF THE PACK,” “CLASS ACTION,” — Globe: “From medical revolution to revolving door,” “Markey, Kennedy election a dead heat.”

TRUMPACHUSETTS

– “What will Trump’s new executive order mean for unemployed workers in Mass.? Confusion reigns,” by Adam Vaccaro, Boston Globe: “Massachusetts officials declined to say Monday whether they would accept new funding from the federal government that could boost unemployment benefits by $400 a week, as states scrambled to understand the controversial maneuver President Trump announced over the weekend.”

FROM THE 413

– “Coronavirus deaths in Springfield show high numbers for minorities, long-term care residents,” by Peter Goonan, Springfield Republican: “The latest numbers for coronavirus deaths in Springfield on Monday continued to show high numbers for minorities and long-term care residents, officials said. Since March, when the coronavirus pandemic began, a total of 130 Springfield residents have died from COVID-19, including three deaths reported in the past week, said Health Commissioner Helen R. Caulton-Harris.”

TRANSITIONS – Laura Oggeri is joining MASCO, the Medical, Academic, and Scientific Community Organization, as vice president of communications and public affairs after nearly six years in Boston Mayor Marty Walsh’s office.

– Will Rasky joins the New Hampshire Democratic Party as rapid response director. Link.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to state Sen. Jamie Eldridge, Dan Wolf, founder and CEO of Cape Air, who is 63; and MassLive reporter Steph Solis.

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