POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: NEW INTERNAL POLL in Boston mayor’s race — Ed board to MULL MASKS — HEALEY says BAKER’s vax mandate ‘absolutely legal’

 

BY LISA KASHINSKY SCOOP: NEW INTERNAL POLL IN BOSTON MAYOR’S RACE — City Councilor Michelle Wu is leading the Boston mayor’s race by a sizable margin, with Acting Boston Mayor Kim Janey and City Councilor Annissa Essaibi George tied for second place, according to an internal polling memo from Essaibi George’s campaign reviewed by POLITICO. Wu is at 27% in the poll, which was conducted for Essaibi George's team by Change Research from Aug. 16-21. Janey and Essaibi George were tied at 15%, followed by City Councilor Andrea Campbell at 10% and former city economic development chief John Barros at 5%. Nearly a quarter of those surveyed remain undecided with just three weeks left until the preliminary election. Change Research surveyed 600 registered voters and the poll's margin of error was +/- 3.9%, Essaibi George’s campaign confirmed. Essaibi George’s campaign wrote in its memo that the current survey slightly oversampled progressive and liberal voters compared to the team's previous internal polls, and slightly undersampled moderate and conservative voters. “For this reason, we believe that Michelle’s numbers here are slightly inflated and Annissa’s are actually higher in reality,” campaign manager Cam Charbonnier wrote. Janey is down 9% from the campaign’s poll in July, in which she was in first place, according to the memo. Charbonnier posits that the acting mayor is losing support to Wu, not Campbell, who he wrote “is not making gains.” Look back at the last public poll in the race, the Suffolk/Boston Globe survey from late June, for some context: Wu led with 23%, followed by Janey with 22%, Essaibi George with 14%, Campbell with 11% and Barros with 2%. State Rep. Jon Santiago was still in the race at that point and got 5%. Take this all with a grain of salt. The internal memo didn’t include the poll's crosstabs, which the campaign declined to release, so there’s plenty of information left unknown. But it offers a snapshot — at least through the lens of Essaibi George’s campaign — of a race that’s been publicly devoid of such data for almost two months. And it may give Boston’s political class, which has been hankering for a poll, at least some indication of where the field stands after a particularly contentious few weeks in which the candidates clashed over vaccine and mask mandates and Janey and Essaibi George weathered bouts of bad press. One takeaway from the limited information: A sizable chunk of voters are still undecided. As they make up their minds, it could lead to more fluctuations in the field ahead of the Sept. 14 preliminary election, from which two candidates will advance. All five major candidates are up on the air now, which could also move the needle. But for now it appears Wu still has a decent shot at one of the top spots. It also looks like Emerson College is polling in the mayor's race, according to screenshots of links to the survey from two sources. Emerson pollsters didn't respond last night. GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: lkashinsky@politico.com. TODAY — GOP MA09 congressional candidate Jesse Brown hosts a press call with an Afghan National Army veteran in hiding from the Taliban at 9 a.m. Sen. Ed Markey talks infrastructure and visits the Herring River restoration project in Wellfleet at 1 p.m. and tours Coast Guard Beach in Eastham at 2:15 p.m. Sen. Elizabeth Warren hosts a meet-and-greet in Newburyport at 6 p.m. at the Custom House Maritime Museum. Boston mayoral and city council candidates join local community groups and MIT researchers for the launch of “Real Talk for Change” a project that aims connect the "under-heard" with decision-makers through “facilitated listening” conversations, 11 a.m., Madison Park High School. Barros participates in a conversation with Boston Alphas at Fort Hill Bar & Grill at 2:30 p.m. Campbell is a guest on Politica Entre Amigos at 7 p.m.   JOIN TODAY FOR A PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW WITH REP. DAN CRENSHAW: As the Biden administration grapples with the fallout from the withdrawal from Afghanistan, Playbook co-authors Rachael Bade and Eugene Daniels will dissect the latest with Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), a former Navy SEAL who deployed five times overseas, including in Afghanistan. Crenshaw will discuss the precarious situation, drawing from his own experience, and detail what he thinks should happen in the coming days, weeks, and months. REGISTER HERE.     THE LATEST NUMBERS – “Massachusetts coronavirus cases spike 3,335 over the weekend, hospitalizations keep climbing,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “The daily average of cases is now 1,013, which compares to the record-low daily average of 64 cases in late June. The 3,335 new cases over the weekend was 339 more infections than last weekend’s report.” DATELINE BEACON HILL – “Campus Surveys To Launch Higher Ed Racial Equity Plan,” by Katie Lannan, State House News Service (paywall): “State higher education officials are working to develop a 10-year strategic plan setting racial equity goals and objectives, with a survey of students, faculty and staff across public colleges and universities coming this fall as an early step in the process.” – Boston City Councilor Lydia Edwards isn’t officially running for state Senate yet, but she’s already dropping literature for her likely campaign. Edwards plans to run for the 1st Suffolk and Middlesex seat if state Sen. Joe Boncore leaves for MassBio as expected. Literature started popping up in parts of East Boston, where Edwards lives, over the weekend, per a source. Eastie is also home to one of Edwards’ potential competitors in the race, state Rep. Adrian Madaro. The district spans parts of Boston and Cambridge as well as Revere and Winthrop. Revere School Committee member Anthony D'Ambrosio is also running in the not-yet-declared special election. VAX-ACHUSETTS – “Massachusetts students might be required to wear masks in September. Here’s what to know,” by Felicia Gans, Boston Globe: “The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education is slated to vote Tuesday to determine whether Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley should have the authority to issue the mandate.” – “Union demands may reshape Baker’s COVID vaccine mandate,” by Felice J. Freyer, Boston Globe: “When Governor Charlie Baker on Thursday announced that 42,000 state workers would be required to get COVID-19 vaccines, their union leaders reacted with strong but widely divergent opinions. Human service workers enthusiastically embraced the new rule. Correctional officers and others threatened legal action to block it. But ultimately, the battle over vaccine mandates will be waged at the bargaining table, with unions on both sides of the divide seeking similar provisions.” – “AG Maura Healey Upholds Baker's Vaccine Mandate: 'It's Absolutely Legal In My View',” by Zoe Mathews: “Attorney General Maura Healey upheld Gov. Charlie Baker’s decision to require proof of vaccination for state workers in an appearance on Boston Public Radio Monday. Baker’s announcement last week — requiring vaccination for all executive department employees — has already garnered threats of legal action from correctional officers and other groups. ‘It’s the right move,’ Healey said. ‘In terms of legality, it’s absolutely legal in my view.’” – “After full FDA approval for Pfizer COVID vaccine, Massachusetts lawmakers remind residents ‘we have a way out’ of pandemic,” by Benjamin Kail, MassLive.com: “Members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation jumped at the opportunity to urge Americans to roll up their sleeves for a COVID-19 vaccine after the Food and Drug Administration’s full approval of the Pfizer shot for anyone 16 and older on Monday.” – “A Harvard professor predicted COVID disinformation on the web. Here’s what may be coming next,” by Pranshu Verma, Boston Globe: “[Joan Donovan] was one of the first researchers to predict medical disinformation would upend the fight against COVID. … Now, she has a broader warning: If Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other social media companies don’t change their algorithms, any number of recent lies spreading online could take hold in the next few months and threaten the national discourse around the pandemic recovery, climate change, and racial inequality.” THE RACE FOR CITY HALL – FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Boston state Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, the House Ways and Means Chair, has endorsed Ruthzee Louijeune for Boston City Council at-large. “Ruthzee’s work and life experience make her uniquely qualified to be a City Councilor At-Large. Her energy and fresh perspective make her ready to get to work on day one," Michlewitz said in a statement through the campaign. – “Ruthzee Louijeune releases TV ad, in rare move for a Boston city council candidate,” by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: “In a rare move for a Boston city council candidate, the campaign for at-large hopeful Ruthzee Louijeune has released a television ad that will air in the 3-week run-up to the Sept. 14 preliminary election, a move that could help her break through to voters in a race that has been largely overshadowed by the high-profile mayoral contest.” – FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: “I’ve never let my blindness define me, but it has shaped who I am as a person.” That’s the message behind Boston City Council at-large candidate Alex Gray’s new digital ads launching today in a buy that extends across Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, per his campaign. The long version of the video opens in near-darkness — “you are seeing exactly what I see,” says Gray, who would be the first blind city councilor in Boston’s history if elected — before turning to more traditional political ad fare. Joe Sabia, a friend from Gray’s Boston College days and a video producer and celebrity interviewer who launched Vogue’s popular “73 Questions With” series, volunteered to create the ads. – Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkins has endorsed Angelina “Angie” Camacho for Boston City Council District 7, per her campaign, saying in a statement that Camacho “is a powerful advocate for economic empowerment and well-paying, sustainable employment; truly affordable housing; social and economic justice; and a renewed focus on quality education — all things that not only play a critical role in the prevention of incarceration and recidivism, but the health and safety of our communities as a whole.” BALLOT BATTLES – “Healey says her lawsuit against Uber and Lyft ‘has nothing to do with’ pending decision on tech-backed ballot question,” by Emma Platoff, Boston Globe: “By the end of this month, the office of Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey must determine the constitutionality of a proposed ballot question that would allow Uber, Lyft, Instacart and DoorDash to continue classifying their drivers and deliverers as independent contractors, not employees, while granting the workers some new benefits … their colleagues elsewhere in the agency are busy suing some of the very same companies, saying they are violating state law by denying workers benefits to which they are entitled. But those are ‘separate analyses that can be done independent and separately,’ Healey said Monday morning during an appearance on GBH News’ ‘Boston Public Radio.’” FEELING '22 – NEW THIS MORNING: Haverhill state Rep. Andy Vargas is running for the 1st Essex District state Senate seat being vacated by Methuen state Sen. Diana DiZoglio, who’s running for state auditor. Vargas is launching his campaign with a slew of local endorsements, including from Democratic state Reps. Christina Minicucci of North Andover, Third Division Chair Frank Moran of Lawrence, Tram Nguyen of Andover and state Sen. Barry Finegold of Andover. Other Beacon Hill endorsements include Democratic state Sens. Brendan Crighton of Lynn, Julian Cyr of Truro, Adam Gomez of Springfield and Assistant Senate Majority Leader Sal DiDomenico of Everett. Some first in Playbook details: Vargas’s campaign advisors include fundraiser Annie Schreiber; Liberty Square Group president Scott Ferson; Danny O’Halloran, who managed Vargas’s 2015 city council campaign; political strategist Luisa Peña Lyons; direct mail and messaging strategist Sean Sinclair and Felix Gomez of Vessel Vision Productions. DAY IN COURT – “Lawyers On Both Sides Recommend Sanctions For 3 Ex-Assistant AGs In Drug Lab Scandal,” by Deborah Becker, WBUR: “Lawyers for Kris Foster, Anne Kaczmarek and John Verner recommended their clients face some sanctions for their roles in the highly-publicized scandal, including public reprimands or even short-term suspensions of their law licenses.” – “Civil rights suit filed against Tisbury PD alleging gender, sexual orientation discrimination,” by Jessica Hill, Cape Cod Times: “A Westwood woman, who applied unsuccessfully for a position with the Tisbury Police Department, filed a federal lawsuit last month alleging the town of Tisbury and others discriminated against her because of her gender and sexual orientation.” PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES – “50 years of Red Line 'changed and saved' Quincy,” by Joe Difazio, Patriot Ledger: “The railway laid the foundation for Quincy's recent housing boom and helped save the city from stagnation.” FROM THE DELEGATION – Rep. Jim McGovern set off a short-lived stir yesterday when he attempted to “wax philosophical” during a House Rules Committee meeting but instead seemed to hint at his retirement, saying: “I don’t know how many more years I’m going to be doing this, but the bottom line is whatever time I have here, I want to fight for those who struggle." After some eyes emojis on Twitter and some frantic texts from his staff, McGovern quickly set the record straight. “To your disappointment,” he joked to his colleagues. “I’m going nowhere and I intend to be chairman of this committee for a very, very long time.” McGovern’s 2nd Congressional District is likely to change during redistricting, but there’s no shortage of Democrats who might run to replace him when the time comes. For what it's worth, GOP Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito currently lives in the district, as does former Democratic Lt. Gov. Tim Murray. MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS – “'Pot City': Could Taunton become a hothouse for weed delivery?” by Chris Helms, Taunton Daily Gazette: “Taunton may be becoming a hothouse for marijuana delivery companies like Blazin' D's. It makes sense, given three advantages the Silver City enjoys: easy access to major roads, solid infrastructure for warehouses and short distances to customers in Boston, Providence and on the Cape. The city is already home to the state's first recreational marijuana delivery company, Freshly Baked.” THE LOCAL ELECTIONS ROUNDUP – “Meet the candidates for mayor: Six battling for Gloucester's executive office,” by Taylor Ann Bradford, Gloucester Times: “The city clerk confirmed that six Gloucester residents have made their way onto this September's preliminary election ballot for mayor: Francisco Sclafani, Greg Verga, John Harvey Jr., Brian Pollard, Robert Russell, and incumbent Sefatia Romeo Theken.” – “Agawam businessman Charles Alvanos makes mayoral bid official, will challenge incumbent Mayor William Sapelli,” by Stephanie Barry, MassLive.com: “Retired U.S. Marine and financial planner Charles Alvanos never met a battle he didn’t like, and now he’s made his bid for the mayor’s seat official. Alvanos, 73, of Anvil Street, made a formal announcement on Monday following unofficial verbal overtures to run for the seat over the past few months.” THE LOCAL ANGLE – “‘We see ourselves as the reflections of other people there’: Local Afghans ache as chaos engulfs nation,” by Ivy Scott and Tonya Alanez, Boston Globe: “A Boston neurosurgeon procuring medical supplies for Afghanistan amid memories of his own harried escape decades ago. The Duxbury founder of a girls’ school losing sleep as she prays for the continued safety of her staff and students. And a Newton architect marshaling funds for refugees from the torn land.” – “UMass Memorial Health buys former Beaumont Nursing Center property for $23.5M to expand Worcester presence, bolster capacity amid bed shortage,” by Benjamin Kail, MassLive.com: “UMass Memorial Health is expanding its footprint with the $23.5 million purchase of a Worcester property that could bolster capacity by up to six dozen beds amid a shortage hitting the region.” – “Three tornadoes touch down in Massachusetts, weather service says,” by Martin Finucane and Amanda Kaufman, Boston Globe: “The tornadoes were reported in Marlborough, Stow, and Bolton, and they left fallen trees and power outages in their paths. No injuries have been reported from any of the incidents.” – “Boston Dynamics’s humanoid robot Atlas mastered a parkour track. But like a human, it took plenty of practice,” by Mia McCarthy, Boston.com. – IN MEMORIAM: "Jimmy Hayes, former Bruin and Boston College hockey champion, dies at 31," by Matt Porter and John R. Ellement, Boston Globe. MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE – “New Hampshire Town Loses $2.3M in Taxpayer Money to Cyberattack,” by Marc Fortier, NBC10 Boston: "'It pains us to inform the residents and taxpayers of Peterborough that, like so many other towns and cities, we have fallen victim to an internet-based crime that has defrauded our taxpayers of $2.3m,' Select Board Chairman Tyler Ward and Town Administrator Nicole MacStay said in a press release posted to Facebook." TRANSITIONS – Paul Hernandez, an Aspen Rising President’s Fellow and vice president for academic and student affairs at Mount Wachusett Community College in Massachusetts, has joined Achieving the Dream as a senior advisor to President Karen A. Stout. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY – to all who celebrate Gumdrop Day. Five years ago today, Massachusetts met #mapoliwithanimals star Gumdrop, the pitbull-type puppy who became the (adorable) face of the pet protection bill that allows first responders and civilians to break a car window to rescue an animal from extreme temperatures. Gumdrop fan Katie Lannan of State House News Service has more. HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to Lawrence Bacow, Emily Cherniack and Sarah Heinonen. 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.   SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" TODAY: Power is shifting in Washington and in communities across the country. More people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. The Recast is a twice-weekly newsletter that explores the changing power dynamics in Washington and breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics and policy in America. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country and hear critical new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out, SUBSCRIBE . Thank you to our sponsor, Intel.       Follow us on Twitter Lisa Kashinsky @lisakashinsky   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters FOLLOW US

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POLITICO NIGHTLY: The long end of the 9/11 wars

BY MYAH WARD A member of the Afghan security forces walks in the Bagram air base after the American military departed, in Parwan province north of Kabul. | AP Photo/Rahmat Gul THE LAST-MILE PROBLEM IN AFGHANISTAN — Today was the first time the Pentagon put a number on the progress of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, after President Joe Biden’s May announcement of the decision to pull the troops. The U.S. military has officially completed 90 percent of its withdrawal from Afghanistan, the U.S. Central Command said today. The White House said the final drawdown will be completed by the end of August. The political ramifications of the end of America’s first post-9/11 war are hard to predict. The Taliban is taking hold again in Afghanistan, bolstered by the U.S. military’s exit. And Russian President Vladimir Putin could interfere with the Biden administration’s post-withdrawal agenda, Defense reporter Lara Seligman reported today. Nightly chatted with Lara over Slack about what today’s progress report means, and what to watch for in the coming weeks as the Biden administration completes the withdrawal. You had an interesting tweet, pointing out that the 90 percent figure raises the question about why the last 10 percent is going to take until the end of August. Why the long timeline? A few reasons: 1) They don’t want to announce that the withdrawal has already effectively been completed for fear that the Taliban will use that news as an excuse to launch an even stronger offensive. 2) They want to keep some contractors around as long as possible to help out the Afghans, for instance those currently helping with maintenance for the Afghan air force. Experts fear the security forces may collapse without the support of these contractors. 3) It also gives the administration more time to finalize plans to relocate thousands of Afghans who helped the U.S. military as interpreters, etc., and are awaiting their special immigrant visas. These Afghans are in danger of being killed by the Taliban after the U.S. officially leaves. 4) Keeping the commander around and at least the illusion of a U.S. military presence is, if nothing else, a morale boost for the Afghan security forces. 5) It also gives them more time to hammer out the details of how to provide security at Kabul international airport, which is now the main gateway for diplomats and humanitarian aid workers into Afghanistan. The Biden administration is trying to work out a deal with the Turks right now to keep up to 1,000 troops there to provide security. What do we know about what’s happening on the ground with the Taliban, as U.S. forces continue to leave the region? How are the Afghan security forces holding up? Not well. According to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, which tracks the conflict closely, in the last six days alone the Taliban has taken control of 10 percent of the country, most of it in critical northern areas. That means that overall the Taliban now controls 188 of the country’s 407 districts and contests another 135. We are seeing the Afghan security forces surrender many of their bases without a fight. What are experts saying the scenarios are for how this will play out over the course of the summer, once the U.S. completes its withdrawal? I saw one of your sources warned Afghanistan is “at risk of complete collapse.” Yes, some intelligence reports indicate that the government in Kabul could fall to the Taliban in as little as six months to two years after the U.S. withdraws. One of my sources says Kabul is secure as long as the morale of the Afghan National Security Forces holds — but if that breaks the country could fall quickly. And the reports about the Afghans surrendering without a fight, and others that some soldiers have fled to Tajikistan, are not encouraging. As you’ve reported, the U.S. is still trying to keep an eye on Afghanistan — potentially from a Central Asian country. Why is Russia an obstacle to this? In a nutshell, Russia has significant economic and military influence in all the neighboring countries the U.S. is looking at to potentially host U.S. troops — namely the “stan” countries like Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan. Twenty years ago, these countries were concerned about the terrorist threat emanating from Afghanistan and were happy to help out — the U.S. used to have bases in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. But now the threat has diminished, and the relationship between Washington and Moscow is at an all-time low. Moscow will not look kindly on U.S. boots on the ground in the Central Asian states, which it considers its own area of operations. And these countries basically require at least tacit approval from Russia because they are heavily dependent on Moscow for economic support and military aid. So if Putin refuses to give this approval, what’s left for the Biden admin to do to help ensure Kabul doesn’t fall? The military insists we can still maintain overwatch in Afghanistan to keep the Taliban in check and hunt down any terrorist cells that crop up from far-away bases in the Middle East and ships in the Persian Gulf. But experts say this plan is not realistic — it’s a nine-hour flight from Qatar to Afghanistan, and not at all clear that this is feasible for the unmanned aircraft the Pentagon plans to rely on for surveillance. Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. The White House has alerted tonight that first lady Jill Biden will be attending the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday in Orlando. Unsure if her native Philly spelling of water (w-o-o-d-e-r) would pass muster with judges. Reach out with news, tips and ideas for us at mward@politico.com, or on Twitter at @MyahWard.   SUBSCRIBE TO WEST WING PLAYBOOK: Add West Wing Playbook to keep up with the power players, latest policy developments and intriguing whispers percolating inside the West Wing and across the highest levels of the Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.     WHAT'D I MISS? — Adams edges out Garcia, wins NYC mayoral primary: Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams held on to his lead through an initial count of absentee ballots in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary, edging out runner-up Kathryn Garcia by roughly 8,400 votes, according to results released by the city Board of Elections today. — Pentagon cancels massive JEDI cloud contract: The Pentagon canceled its JEDI cloud contract today, ending a chapter in the department’s yearslong quest to stitch together classified networks that saw a public battle between tech giants and accusations that former President Donald Trump sullied the process. The decision to cancel the contract and head in a new direction comes a year after a federal court ruled that the Pentagon stop work on the contract, which went to Microsoft in 2019. The court last year sided with former bidder Amazon, which argued in a 2019 lawsuit that it lost the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure, or JEDI, contract to Microsoft because Trump derided the company and its founder, Jeff Bezos. — Germany arrests suspected double agent accused of spying for China: German authorities arrested a former spy for Germany’s secret service on suspicions that he conducted “intelligence agent activities” for China, the federal prosecutor’s office said today. According to a press release from the prosecutor’s office, the man — named only as Klaus L. — allegedly supplied the Chinese secret service with information for almost a decade, starting in 2010. — Key player in Gaetz probe seeks sentencing delay so he can keep cooperating with feds: A key figure in the ongoing federal sex-crime investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetz is seeking to delay his sentencing as he continues to cooperate with prosecutors. Joel Greenberg, a former Seminole County tax collector who in May pleaded guilty to sex trafficking and corruption-related charges, requested in a motion filed today a delay in his sentencing, which is scheduled for August 19. Prosecutors are not opposing the motion, court records show. He faces a minimum of 12 years in prison. — Biden faces ‘moment of reckoning’ over sprawling Russian cyber assault: The cyberattack on IT management software maker Kaseya, which may have affected as many as 1,500 companies whose vendors were using Kaseya’s product, prompted emergency meetings over the weekend between the FBI, DHS’ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and other agencies, as officials scrambled to assess the scale of the damage. AROUND THE WORLD FRANCE READY TO GET LAX ON TAX — France is ready to make a binding promise to the U.S. to remove a national tax on digital giants as soon as a new global taxation deal is in force, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said today, Giorgio Leali writes. But he hinted the international deal would have no impact on the EU’s plans for a separate digital levy, due to be published July 20 but under heavy fire from Washington. “I am prepared to make a formal, legally binding, commitment in the draft budget law to indicate to our American friends that the day the OECD tax is implemented, the national tax ... disappears,” Le Maire told reporters. His pledge comes ahead of a meeting of finance ministers from the G-20 in Venice later this week, at which the club of rich countries is expected to agree on new international rules to tax large companies. Last week, 130 countries reached a first technical agreement at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The U.S. has made clear that in exchange for the global deal, it expected European countries to withdraw any individual digital tax initiatives.   SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" TODAY: Power is shifting in Washington and in communities across the country. More people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. The Recast is a twice-weekly newsletter that explores the changing power dynamics in Washington and breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics and policy in America. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country and hear critical new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out, SUBSCRIBE . Thank you to our sponsor, Intel.     NIGHTLY NUMBER 94 percent The efficacy of the BioNTech/Pfizer Covid-19 vaccinations in preventing hospitalizations, the Israeli health ministry announced late Monday , according to Ynet news. From June 6 to July 2, the vaccine demonstrated 64 percent efficacy at preventing cases. PARTING WORDS CHAMPAGNE WISHES, CAVIAR SCHEMES — As geopolitical food fights go, Putin’s assault on French Champagne might well be described as Extra Brut. The Russian president signed a law on Friday that will ban foreign sparkling wine producers from using the term “Champagne” — even those produced in France's famed, wine-growing region from which the name originates, Sarah Anne Aarup writes. Only Russian-made shampanskoe wines will be able to use the term. The move was viewed as a major affront in France, which has strict rules to protect the name and reputation of its beloved bubbly, and the country's main Champagne industry group called on Monday for all producers to halt exports to Russia “until further notice.” “The people of Champagne are calling on French and European diplomacy to try to have this unacceptable law modified,” reads the statement from the Champagne Committee's co-presidents, Maxime Toubart and Jean-Marie Barillère. “Preventing the people of Champagne from using the name Champagne (in Cyrillic) is scandalous; it’s our common heritage and the apple of our eye.” Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here.   Follow us on Twitter Renuka Rayasam @renurayasam Chris Suellentrop @suellentrop Tyler Weyant @tweyant Myah Ward @myahward   FOLLOW US

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