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By Anna Palmer, Jake Sherman, Daniel Lippman and Eli Okun

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A FEW EXCLUSIVE NUGGETS FOR YOU ...

HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS CHAIRMAN MARK MEADOWS, a staunch ally of the president, tells us that he's had DEMOCRATS reach out to his office about investigating the anonymous op-ed. He wouldn't say which ones. But the piece is already the subject of intense Hill chatter.

-- MEADOWS TELLS US ... "We're evaluating options on how to get to the truth of what happened here, mainly in the interest of protecting national security. We've had congressional Democrats reach out to our office about this issue as well -- and while we may disagree politically, what many of us do agree on is that efforts within the White House to anonymously sabotage a duly elected president is an act of cowardice and does not serve American taxpayers well."

CHARLES BARKLEY is coming to Washington. The NBA Hall of Famer is headlining a fundraiser for ALABAMA DEMOCRATIC SEN. DOUG JONES, "Dunking with Doug and Sir Charles," on Sept. 25 at Sfoglina downtown (the old Casa Luca on 11th Street NW). Cost to attend: $2,500 for the sit-down dinner, or up to $1,000 for the cocktail reception. Barkley himself has toyed with running for public office.

NANCY PELOSI with a helpful notice at the top of her press conference today in the Capitol: EIGHT LEGISLATIVE DAYS until the government runs out of funding.

-- PELOSI TO TRUMP ... TAKE THAT, POTUS! The House minority leader said PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP "hijacked the term [drain the swamp] and betrayed the mission." It was the House Democrats' message in 2006.

SPEAKER PAUL RYAN said he has a "very good agreement" with the president that they'll keep the government funded.

-- DOES CONGRESS HAVE A ROLE IN INVESTIGATING WHO WROTE THE NYT OP-ED? "Not that I know of." Ryan said the author is "living in dishonesty."

WAPO'S JOSH ROGIN: "The White House is discussing potential replacements for Jim Mattis": "Many officials inside the White House and around the administration had already expected that Mattis would leave his post sometime over the next few months, completing a respectably long two-year stint at the helm of the Defense Department. ... No decisions have been made. ...

"At the top of the list is retired four-star Army Gen. Jack Keane. ... Other names under discussion inside the White House include Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ala.), Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), former Treasury Department official David McCormick and former senator Jim Talent of Missouri." WaPo

-- WILL THEY REPLACE MATTIS? Who knows. But Rogin is good, so people are clearly talking about it.

SCOTUS WATCH -- "Leaked Documents From Kavanaugh's Time in White House Discuss Abortion and Affirmative Action," by NYT's Charlie Savage: "As a White House lawyer in the Bush administration, Judge Brett Kavanaugh challenged the accuracy of deeming the Supreme Court's landmark Roe v. Wade abortion rights decision to be "settled law of the land," according to a secret email obtained by The New York Times. ...

"Judge Kavanaugh was considering a draft opinion piece ... It stated that 'it is widely accepted by legal scholars across the board that Roe v. Wade and its progeny are the settled law of the land.' Judge Kavanaugh proposed deleting that line, writing: 'I am not sure that all legal scholars refer to Roe as the settled law of the land at the Supreme Court level since Court can always overrule its precedent, and three current Justices on the Court would do so.' ... Still, his email stops short of saying whether he personally believed that the abortion rights precedent should be considered a settled legal issue." NYT

SIREN -- "Partisan brawl erupts over 'confidential' Kavanaugh docs," by Elana Schor: "After Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said he would release a confidential email on racial profiling he had referred to while questioning Kavanaugh on Wednesday night -- describing the gesture as 'civil disobedience' and an '"I am Spartacus" moment' - three more Democrats echoed his sentiment.

"Even after Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) openly jabbed Booker as more concerned with his own 2020 ambitions than the chamber's rules, saying that 'running for president is no excuse for violating the rules,' Democrats linked arms in promising to break the confidentiality of the documents." POLITICO

Good Thursday afternoon. MORE OP-ED FALLOUT -- PENCE, POMPEO, COATS, NIELSEN ... "Trump officials race to deny they authored 'resistance' op-ed," by Caitlin Oprysko: POLITICO ... Other denials: Jim Mattis, Ben Carson, Jeff Sessions, Steven Mnuchin, Nikki Haley, Ajit Pai, FTC Chairman Joe Simons. Melania Trump said the author is "sabotaging" the country.

-- SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS weighs in: "The media's wild obsession with the identity of the anonymous coward is recklessly tarnishing the reputation of thousands of great Americans who proudly serve our country and work for President Trump.

"Stop. If you want to know who this gutless loser is, call the opinion desk of the failing NYT at 212-556-1234, and ask them. They are the only ones complicit in this deceitful act. We stand united together and fully support our President Donald J. Trump."

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SPOTTED: Ivanka Trump in first class on the 10 a.m. American Airlines shuttle to New York ... Matt Schlapp and Dan Schneider; Gina Adams and Reggie Love, all separately, on the 8 a.m. Acela from D.C. to New York.

ON THE BORDER ... "Trump administration to circumvent court limits on detention of child migrants," by WaPo's Nick Miroff and Maria Sacchetti: "The Trump administration said Thursday it is preparing to circumvent limits on the government's ability to hold minors in immigration jails by withdrawing from the Flores Settlement Agreement, the federal consent decree that has shaped detention standards for underage migrants since 1997.

"The maneuver is almost certain to land the administration back in court ... The changes proposed by the administration would allow U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to expand its family detention facilities in order to keep parents and children together in custody for lengthier periods." WaPo

SIREN -- DAVE WASSERMAN (@Redistrict): "More bad headlines for House Rs = two rating changes at @CookPolitical today: #IA01: Rep. Rod Blum (R) - Toss Up to Lean D. #VA02: Rep. Scott Taylor (R) - Lean R to Toss Up."

HEADLINES THE PRESIDENT WILL LIKE -- "Kim Jong-un Says He Wants Denuclearization Before Trump's Current Term Ends," by NYT's Choe Sang-Hun in Seoul: "Expressing frustration over what he called Washington's failure to negotiate in good faith, Mr. Kim told the [South Korean] envoy, Chung Eui-yong, that he still had confidence in Mr. Trump. He said he had never spoken badly of the American leader, even to his closest aides, since the two met in Singapore on June 12, according to Mr. Chung. ...

"Mr. Chung said Mr. Kim had voiced frustration that his commitment to nuclear disarmament ... was not taken seriously by much of the world. Mr. Kim said that while North Korea had already taken important steps toward denuclearization, Washington was not doing enough in return, Mr. Chung said." NYT

ABC's MIKE LEVINE: "DOJ to announce charges against North Koreans for Sony hack, Wannacry attack"

WHAT'S ON TRUMP'S MIND -- @realDonaldTrump at 6:58 a.m.: "Kim Jong Un of North Korea proclaims 'unwavering faith in President Trump.' Thank you to Chairman Kim. We will get it done together!"

... at 7:19 a.m.: "The Deep State and the Left, and their vehicle, the Fake News Media, are going Crazy -- & they don't know what to do. The Economy is booming like never before, Jobs are at Historic Highs, soon TWO Supreme Court Justices & maybe Declassification to find Additional Corruption. Wow!"

... at 7:31 a.m.: "Cosumer [sic] confidence highest in 18 years, Atlanta Fed forecasts 4.7 GDP, manufacturing jobs highest in many years. 'It's the story of the Trump Administration, the Economic Success, that's unnerving his detractors.' @MariaBartiromo"

2018 WATCH -- "The reinvention of Bob Hugin: Amid anger over drug prices, a former pharma CEO makes a run for the Senate," by Stat's Damian Garde in Rutherford, New Jersey: "Revlimid, Celgene's banner cancer drug, costs nearly twice as much today as it did in 2010, the result of repeated price increases. On the eve of Hugin's retirement, Celgene paid $280 million to settle charges that it defrauded Medicare to boost profits. At a time of widespread foment over drug prices, can a pharma CEO get elected to the U.S. Senate? ...

"Hugin's wealth has turned the New Jersey Senate race into a surprisingly tight and immediately vicious campaign, one that doubles as a referendum on the drug industry's place in the American psyche. While Hugin runs as a business leader devoted to winning a war on cancer, Menendez insists he's a pantomime villain of pharmaceutical greed. But Menendez has his own issues." Stat

-- STEVEN SHEPARD in Wilmington, Delaware, and JAMES ARKIN: "Liberal insurgency targets Delaware senator next": "[Kerri Evelyn] Harris, a 38-year-old Air Force veteran, has slammed [Sen. Tom] Carper for a voting record that she says is too friendly toward banks and pharmaceutical companies, and too hostile toward the environment. But, most of all, Harris - a biracial lesbian who is trying to be the first successful primary challenger of a Democratic senator since 2010 - says Carper and other political leaders are out of touch with everyday Delawareans. ...

"But Carper says he isn't going to be caught flat-footed by Harris' challenge." POLITICO

-- WSJ'S KRISTINA PETERSON in Lakeville, Ohio: "Kevin McCarthy Hits Trail to Campaign for GOP, Speakership": "Never known as a policy expert, Mr. McCarthy has long relied on his political intuition, but he will face twin challenges this fall: keeping the House GOP majority and getting elected as its speaker." WSJ

THE STEP BACK -- "Inside the makeover of the Democratic Party," by AP's Bill Barrow and Juana Summers: "With just a few primaries remaining before the decisive midterm elections in November, voters have dramatically reshaped the Democratic Party to become younger, more diverse and unquestionably liberal. ... For now, Democratic leaders are embracing the enthusiasm of their base - even as it's unclear where it will lead." AP

K FILE -- "Republican congressman had lengthy dinner with extremist anti-Muslim politician during London trip," by CNN's Andrew Kaczynski and Christopher Massie: "Republican Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona attended an hours-long dinner in London in July with an extremist Belgian politician who has a history of inflammatory and racist comments." CNN

YIKES -- "Company using foreign workers botches U.S. Senate campaign finance records," by the Center for Public Integrity's Rosie Cima: "Unlike those running for the presidency and U.S. House, U.S. Senate candidates don't file campaign finance reports electronically - they file on paper, which must then be converted to electronic documents in a process that involves two government agencies, three private companies and countless low-paid workers, many of them overseas, and some who may be hostile toward U.S. interests.

"A bureaucratic Rube Goldberg machine, this document conversion process often spits out bogus, yet official public records that mislead the public and obscure who's funding U.S. Senate campaigns ... A Center for Public Integrity investigation found errors in more than 5,900 candidate disclosures representing over $70 million, all of them traceable to the U.S. government's conversion of paper into electronic data.

"The government appears closer than ever to passing a law to reform this system: A provision that would finally make Senate e-filing a reality is part of a spending bill now wending its way through Congress. But similar provisions have consistently faltered." CPI

ROLL CALL's KATHERINE TULLY-MCMANUS: "House and Senate Interns Set to Receive Pay in Legislative Branch Spending Package"

THE INVESTIGATIONS -- "Putin's 'Friend' Had Early Access to Trump's Infamous Pro-Russia Speech," by The Daily Beast's Betsy Woodruff: "[Dimitri] Simes' proximity to the speech shows that a person Vladimir Putin once called a 'friend and colleague' had an early view into the crafting of a speech that would have historic significance for American foreign policy. Democrats on the House intelligence committee tried to investigate Simes' relationship to Trump's campaign, but Republican committee chairman Devin Nunes blocked their efforts. ...

"The pictures demonstrate that significant changes were made from the speech's detailed outline to its final version-including the removal of lines condemning bigotry, praising legal immigration, and disparaging Russia." The Daily Beast

OPIOID FILES -- "The United States Is Turning To China For Help Fighting The Opioid Epidemic," by BuzzFeed's Emily Tamkin: "U.S. officials say that, while China publicly denies that it's the source of fentanyl, privately, U.S. and Chinese diplomats and law enforcement officials are cooperating to fight the opioid crisis." BuzzFeed

THE GUARDIAN's JON SWAINE: "Trump inauguration crowd photos were edited after he intervened": "A government photographer edited official pictures of Donald Trump's inauguration to make the crowd appear bigger following a personal intervention from the president, according to newly released documents. ... The detail was revealed in investigative reports released to the Guardian under the Freedom of Information Act." The Guardian

GREAT AFTERNOON READ ... FIRST PERSON: ELAINA PLOTT in October's Atlantic, "The Bullet in My Arm: I grew up in a gun-loving town in Alabama. My grandfather's store sells firearms. But only after I was shot did I begin to understand America's complicated relationship with guns." The Atlantic

ON THE WORLD STAGE -- "The Buck Stops Here: Europe Seeks Alternative to U.S.-Dominated Financial System," by Foreign Policy's Keith Johnson: "In a sign of how serious the breach between Europe and the United States is during the Trump era, senior officials in France and Germany are increasingly planning ways to sidestep U.S. financial dominance and the global sanctions power that goes with it. ... [T]he kind of evasive maneuvers usually employed by rogue states are being embraced by key U.S. allies-a sign that the country once relied upon to be the anchor of stability in the global system is now seen as an agent of volatility." FP

HMM ... "Latest Zinke calendars stripped of most details about his meetings," by CNN's Sara Ganim, Gregory Wallace and Ellie Kaufman: CNN

REMEMBERING RICH DEVOS -- "Amway co-founder and West Michigan philanthropist Rich DeVos has died at age 92": "DeVos and his lifetime business partner Jay Van Andel started Amway in their Ada basements. The small family firm grew into an international direct sales giant with annual sales now exceeding $8 billion." WZZM

COMING ATTRACTIONS -- WOMEN RULE is hosting a screening of the HBO documentary "The Sentence" on Sept. 13. ANNA will interview the first-time filmmaker Rudy Valdez and his sister Cindy Shank, a mother of three who received a 15-year mandatory sentence. SEN. MIKE LEE (R-UTAH) will also be on hand to give remarks about sentencing reform. RSVP

SPOTTED at the Brew Across America Beer Festival last night in Eastern Market: Reps. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) (who won the 2018 Brew Democracy Cup), Ken Buck (R-Colo.), Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.), Katherine Clarke (D-Mass.), John Katko (R-N.Y.), Steve Knight (R-Calif.), Annie Kuster (D-N.H.), Ted Yoho (R-Fla.) and Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.), Sens. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), MC Tommy McFly, judges Carrie Budoff Brown, Josh Dawsey, Peter Doocy, Carl Hulse, Kasie Hunt, Paul Kane, Lachlan Markay, Jim McGreevy, Nycci Nellis, Fritz Brogan and Bill Catron.

MEDIAWATCH -- "Signal Boost," a SiriusXM show hosted by former Hillary Clinton aides Zerlina Maxwell and Jess McIntosh, is transitioning from weekly to daily beginning Monday. Guests next week include House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Chelsea Clinton.

TRANSITIONS -- Ashley Chang will lead strategic communications for Renewvia Energy. She previously was executive director and head of strategic communications for corporate responsibility at JPMorgan Chase. ... Brian McKeon is now adviser for foreign policy and Melanie Fonder Kaye is now communications director at the Biden Foundation. McKeon is an Obama White House and Pentagon alum, and Fonder Kaye was most recently founder and CEO of MFK Strategies.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD -- Carmen Paun, reporter for POLITICO Europe, and Paul Dejesus welcomed Vlad. Pic

-- OBAMA ALUMNI -- Caroline Berson, director of stakeholder engagement and external affairs at PepsiCo and an Obama NSC, DNI and Treasury alum, and Sol Black, program manager in the office of weapons removal and abatement at the State Department, on Monday welcomed Abigail Wells Black. Pic

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