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Presented by PhRMA: Playbook is POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the day in Washington Sep 13, 2018 View in browser
By Jake Sherman, Anna Palmer and Daniel Lippman

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DRIVING THE DAY
SPOTTED ... IVANKA TRUMP lunching with SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R-MAINE) Wednesday in the Senate Dining Room. Collins, of course, is perpetually in the spotlight -- but nowadays more than ever because she's a critical vote on BRETT KAVANAUGH'S nomination to the Supreme Court. But a source said they were having lunch to discuss the WEEE Act, a women entrepreneurship and empowerment bill, not the nomination that could change the court for decades.

TWO MORE GREAT SPOTTEDS ...

-- HOUSE MAJORITY WHIP STEVE SCALISE (R-LA.) hosted JARED KUSHNER for a dinner at Joe's on 15th Street with House Republicans, including Homeland Security Chairman Mike McCaul (Texas), Ethics Chairwoman Susan Brooks (Ind.), Kay Granger (Texas), Mike Turner (Ohio), Ann Wagner (Mo.), Ted Yoho (Fla.), Vicky Hartzler (Mo.), Steve Chabot (Ohio), John Curtis (Utah), Joe Wilson (S.C.) and Roger Marshall (Kan.).

-- AMAZON CEO and local newspaper owner JEFF BEZOS in the dining room at Joe's at 10 p.m. last night.

ALERT ... THE SENATE passed a package of spending bills last night (military construction/VA, leg branch and energy) -- its first move to avoid a shutdown. THE HOUSE will pass it today. THE WHITE HOUSE says PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP will sign it.

-- THE HOUSE is expected to go out of session this afternoon until Sept. 25, which will give Congress four days to fund the rest of the government. These three bills are the easy ones -- the tough rowing is still ahead.

SCOOP ... DANIEL LIPPMAN and ELIANA JOHNSON: "Trump's FEMA administrator under investigation over use of official cars": "FEMA administrator Brock Long is the target of an ongoing Department of Homeland Security inspector general investigation into whether he misused government vehicles during his commutes to North Carolina from Washington, according to three people familiar with the matter, including current and former administration officials.

"The actions by Long, the U.S. government's lead disaster official as the country braces for Hurricane Florence, have been called into question by the inspector general over whether taxpayers have inappropriately footed the bill for his travel, an issue that has tripped up a number of current and former top Trump administration officials. ... The IG is investigating whether Long misused government resources and personnel on trips back home to Hickory, N.C., on the weekends, said two of the officials. The IG's interest was drawn after one of the vehicles - a black Suburban - was involved in an accident, according to one of the officials.

"Long's routine absences from the office due to frequent six-hour drives between North Carolina and Washington also drew [DHS Secretary Kirstjen] Nielsen's attention, this person said. Nielsen had raised the issue of Long's in-office schedule with him in recent months, this person added. At a meeting in late August, Nielsen confronted Long about his travel, though people familiar with the meeting gave conflicting accounts about whether she took the step of asking him to step down over the issue." POLITICO

Good Thursday morning. The president has no public events scheduled today.

THE LATEST ON FLORENCE ...

-- CAPITAL WEATHER GANG'S EARLY-MORNING UPDATE: "Hurricane Florence set to unleash punishing wind and rain in the Carolinas," by Jason Samenow: "Hurricane Florence, a large and dangerous Category 2 storm, is about a day away from crashing into the coast of the Carolinas, where conditions will begin to rapidly deteriorate Thursday. It marks the beginning of a prolonged assault from wind and water, which - by the time it's over - is likely to bring devastating damage and flooding to millions of people in the Southeast.

"Starting along the coast, winds will accelerate, the rain will intensify and the angry, agitated ocean will surge ashore. Landfall is expected Friday in southeast North Carolina, which may bear the storm's brunt. The storm's surge, the rise in seawater above normally dry land at the coast, could rise a story high. On top of that, a disastrous amount of rain, 20 or maybe even as many as 40 inches will fall." WaPo

-- CHRIS CADELAGO and ANDREW RESTUCCIA: "Trump tries to rewrite history on Maria as Hurricane Florence approaches"

TICK TOCK ... ON NYT BIZDAY FRONT ... JOHN KOBLIN and MIKE GRYNBAUM: "'60 Minutes' Chief Ousted for a Threatening Text as Upheaval at CBS Continues": "Jeff Fager, who was only the second person in 50 years to oversee '60 Minutes,' was fired for sending a text message that threatened the career of a CBS reporter, Jericka Duncan, who was looking into allegations of sexual harassment leveled against him and Mr. Moonves. ...

"It would be hard to overstate Mr. Fager's power inside CBS's news division, where he succeeded the legendary producer Don Hewitt in overseeing '60 Minutes.' Some members of the show's staff were livid on Wednesday during a contentious meeting with Mr. Rhodes at the show's Manhattan office. ...

"By Wednesday afternoon, before the 'Evening News' report aired, more than 60 members of the '60 Minutes' staff - including the building's security guard - had joined Mr. Fager for drinks at P. J. Clarke's by Lincoln Center, the show's regular haunt.

"People were teary-eyed as they showered Mr. Fager with praise and hugs. Several said they were concerned that '60 Minutes' could be dismantled under new leadership. 'Jeff Fager is a wonderful boss,' ['60 Minutes' correspondent Bill] Whitaker said, looking somber on a bar stool. 'So much of the magic of '60 Minutes' is because of him. He treats his staff as adults. He trusts his people.'" NYT ... NYT'S JAMES B. STEWART: "Threats and Deception: Why CBS's Board Turned Against Leslie Moonves"

A message from PhRMA:

As a Medicare Part D Cliff looms for seniors, the program's successful structure is also in jeopardy. Congress can act now to protect seniors from the donut hole suddenly increasing by more than $1,200 and secure the program for the future by fixing changes that undermine its successful competitive structure.

BEN WHITE and NANCY COOK: "The one thing Trump can't sell: A booming economy": "In an alternate universe, President Donald Trump would be heading into the midterms relentlessly touting his stewardship of a strong economy with results that include historically low unemployment, solid economic growth, sky-high enthusiasm among small businesses and shattered records for job openings.

"Instead, the president is repeatedly muddling that message with easily debunked falsehoods or hyperbole about the state of the economy while pressing on with unpopular trade wars that frustrate establishment Republicans and business groups worried about price increases. His undisciplined approach - coupled with his obsessing about the Russia investigation, Hillary Clinton and the 2016 election - is damaging what many Republicans say should have been a political slam dunk for the GOP heading into the fall." POLITICO

THE JOB NOBODY WANTS -- BURGESS EVERETT and ELIANA JOHNSON: "If Sessions is fired, Trump could be stuck with no replacement": "Senate Republicans are in a jam when it comes to Jeff Sessions. While resigned to President Donald Trump firing the attorney general after the election, they suspect that perhaps only a sitting senator could win confirmation as Sessions' replacement - that is, someone they could trust not to interfere with special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. But no one from their ranks seems to want the job." POLITICO

-- SENS. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-S.C.), JOHN CORNYN (R-TEXAS) and MIKE LEE (R-UTAH) all said they aren't interested in the gig.

THE INVESTIGATIONS ... "Giuliani: Trump sees no danger in Manafort plea," by Darren Samuelsohn and Josh Gerstein: "The prospect of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort cutting a plea deal with special counsel Robert Mueller's office to avoid a second criminal trial set to open next week doesn't concern President Donald Trump or his legal team, Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani told POLITICO.

"'We can see a reason why he might want to do that. What's the need for another trial?' Giuliani said in an interview late Wednesday. 'They've got enough to put him in jail. His lawyer is going to argue they shouldn't. The judge should decide this. Not Mueller. I think it's pretty clear if they were going to get anything from him they'd have gotten it already. 'What's the point of further harassing him?'" POLITICO

SCOTUS WATCH -- "New emails show Kavanaugh's involvement in controversial nomination," by Burgess Everett: "In 2006, Brett Kavanaugh told a Senate committee that he wasn't "primarily" involved in shepherding the nomination of controversial circuit court nominee Charles Pickering when Kavanaugh worked in the George W. Bush White House. But emails released Wednesday show that Kavanaugh conducted meetings with Republican senators and was closely engaged in Pickering's nomination.

"Democrats are now arguing that Kavanaugh was not forthright under oath during his confirmation hearings to be a Circuit Court judge more than a decade ago, and are zeroing in on his work on behalf of Pickering. The Mississippi judge faced questions at the time about his record on civil rights and was blocked by the Senate after Bush nominated him." POLITICO

-- JOSH GERSTEIN: "Kavanaugh rebuffs call to open up confidential talks with journalists"

-- WAPO'S SEUNG MIN KIM: "Kavanaugh offers details on Nationals tickets purchases that led to debt": "In explaining the debt to members of the committee, Kavanaugh noted that he is a 'huge sports fan' and said that he bought four season tickets annually from the Nationals' arrival in Washington in 2005 until 2017. He also bought playoff packages in 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2017. He split the tickets with a 'group of old friends' through a 'ticket draft' at his home, Kavanaugh said.

"'Everyone in the group paid me for their tickets based on the cost of the tickets, to the dollar,' Kavanaugh said in the written responses to the Senate Judiciary Committee that were made public Wednesday. 'No one overpaid or underpaid me for tickets. No loans were given in either direction.'" WaPo

FUN READ -- ANNIE KARNI, "Even Ivanka's liberal New York haters like her on Instagram: The first daughter still enjoys a regular stream of little red hearts from prominent Democrats and anti-Trump activists on social media": "Ivanka Trump's ... 'likers' include billionaire hedge fund manager Marc Lasry, a major Democratic donor and a close friend of Bill and Hillary Clinton. Lasry opposes Trump and remains influential in Democratic politics. Yet on Instagram, he has liked some of Ivanka Trump's posts, including a photo of the First Daughter at a town hall in Bucks County, Pa. 'Ivanka and Jared are old friends and I like seeing pictures of her and her kids,' Lasry said. 'It has nothing to do
with politics, but with being friends with someone for a long time.' ...

"[T]hose 'likes' from Democrats have become a point of fascination among those in her old Manhattan social set. 'There is a cocktail party game where everyone opens Ivanka's pictures to see who in their contact list liked a photo,' said one major New York socialite. 'It's always a surprise.'" POLITICO

2018 WATCH -- "Top green group to spend an unprecedented $60 million on 2018 races," by WaPo's Dino Grandoni: "For the 2018 election, green groups are planning to drop more green than ever. The League of Conservation Voters is planning to spend $60 million to help Democrats win back Congress and statehouses nationwide, breaking a record the environmental organization set in two years ago when it spent $45 million." WaPo


THE JUICE ...

-- PLANNED PARENTHOOD named LEANA WEN, an outspoken Trump administration critic, as its sixth president. Wen most recently served as Baltimore City health commissioner. More from Alice Miranda Ollstein

-- SPOTTED: Tom Brady Sr. at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco Tuesday night at an event for Mark Leibovich's "Big Game." Brady is Tom Brady's dad and a Bay Area resident.

JOIN US: JAKE and ANNA will be in Columbus, Ohio, next Thursday for a special Playbook Elections event to discuss how the 2018 midterm elections are shaping up. RSVP
PLAYBOOK READS


PHOTO DU JOUR: Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo celebrates Wednesday night after turning back a liberal primary challenger in her re-election bid. | Elise Amendola/AP Photo

COMING ATTRACTIONS -- "Michelle Obama's 10-city book tour will take her to major arenas," by WaPo's Emily Heil: "Michelle Obama's book tour to promote her memoir, 'Becoming,' won't be taking her to the usual cramped bookstore signings - the former first lady will instead be doing appearances at major arena venues across the country in a tour produced by Live Nation, the event company known for concerts by the likes of Rihanna and Katy Perry. ... The timing - the tour stretches from Nov. 13 to Dec. 17, including a Nov. 17 event at Capital One Arena in Washington - is interestingly apolitical: Obama will be barnstorming across the country just after the midterm elections." WaPo

BORDER TALES -- "Detention of Migrant Children Has Skyrocketed to Highest Levels Ever," by NYT's Caitlin Dickerson: "Even though hundreds of children separated from their families after crossing the border have been released under court order, the overall number of detained migrant children has exploded to the highest ever recorded - a significant counternarrative to the Trump administration's efforts to reduce the number of undocumented families coming to the United States.

"Population levels at federally contracted shelters for migrant children have quietly shot up more than fivefold since last summer, according to data obtained by The New York Times, reaching a total of 12,800 this month. There were 2,400 such children in custody in May 2017." NYT

BREAKING OVERNIGHT ... AP/BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA: "A gunman killed five people, including his wife, before turning the gun on himself as a Kern County sheriff's deputy closed in Wednesday, authorities said. There was no immediate word on what sparked the shootings that took place at a home and a business in Bakersfield, which is some 90 miles ... north of Los Angeles." AP

A message from PhRMA:

As a Medicare Part D Cliff looms for seniors, the program's successful structure is also in jeopardy. Congress can act now to protect seniors from the donut hole suddenly increasing by more than $1,200 and secure the program for the future by fixing changes that undermine its successful competitive structure.

WHAT PRUITT IS UP TO -- "Scott Pruitt, Former E.P.A. Chief, Is in Talks for His Next Job: Coal Consultant," by NYT's Lisa Friedman, Hiroko Tabuchi and Eric Lipton: "Scott Pruitt, the former head of the [EPA] who championed deregulation of the fossil fuel industry, is in discussions to work as a consultant to the Kentucky coal mining tycoon Joseph W. Craft III.

"Mr. Pruitt has remained largely out of the public eye since parting ways with the Trump administration in July under a cloud of ethics investigations into matters including his ties to fossil fuel industry executives with business before the agency. Mr. Craft, the chief executive of Alliance Resource Partners and a major Republican donor, enjoyed a close relationship with the E.P.A. during Mr. Pruitt's tenure.

"Mr. Craft met with Mr. Pruitt at least seven times in Mr. Pruitt's first 14 months at the agency and in December provided him with courtside seats at a University of Kentucky basketball game, a school where Mr. Craft is a prominent supporter. The former E.P.A. chief laid out his plans to develop a new consulting firm in one-on-one discussions with several executives during a Kentucky Coal Association meeting last week, according to industry officials familiar with Mr. Pruitt's appearance and activities there. ...

"Separately on Wednesday, the E.P.A. made public a long-delayed financial disclosure report for Mr. Pruitt covering 2017. ... The 2017 financial disclosure also lists as much as $300,000 in legal fees from two law firms, debts Mr. Pruitt did not have previously, and that likely reflect his need to hire legal assistance after he became the subject of investigations into his oversight and actions at the E.P.A." NYT

2020 WATCH -- "Hickenlooper moves closer to 2020 presidential bid," by David Siders in San Francisco: "Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper is edging closer to a potential run for president, following what he called an 'encouraging' summer mulling a campaign. 'What I saw was an interest ... a genuine interest in terms of what we've done in Colorado,' Hickenlooper told POLITICO late Thursday.

"Hickenlooper, one of several current and former Democratic governors considering running in 2020, said he has not yet made a decision about the race. But in a sign that his political operation is ramping up, he will travel to the Southeast this month to help the campaigns of Democratic gubernatorial candidates Andrew Gillum in Florida and Stacey Abrams in Georgia.

"If he runs, Hickenlooper, a former pub owner and Denver mayor, would start with a relatively low profile. But many other prospective candidates - especially from outside Washington - will face a similar challenge, and Hickenlooper suggested it is not insurmountable." POLITICO

MEDIAWATCH -- Jacob Weisberg (@jacobwe): "After 22 years I'm leaving Slate to launch a new audio company with Malcolm @Gladwell. We'll make Revisionist History, Broken Record, and lots more. Love to friends @slate & @panoply, the best people in digital media. Thanks to @oshy, GHCO and Don Graham for so much support."
PLAYBOOKERS
BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Danielle Burr, head of federal affairs at Uber. How she got her start in her career: "It is the classic tale -- I started answering phones in a congressional office -- and it's been a series of great opportunities since then -- including stops at trade associations, consultancies, House and Senate leadership. All were great stops along my path and collectively they've afforded me experiences that have gotten me to the place I am now, which is pretty great." Playbook Plus Q&A

BIRTHDAYS: Matt Mackowiak is 39 ... Erin Antosh ... Tavis Smiley is 54 ... Jennifer Pflieger ... Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) is 57 (h/t Dave Pasch) ... Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) is 42 ... Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Mo.) is 56 ... Rep. Roger Williams (R-Texas) is 69 ... Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) is 45 ... Michael Weisel ... Katie Connelly, SVP at Benenson Strategy Group ... Todd Thurman ... Jose Morales of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee ... Mark Mellman ... Denise Matyka (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) ... Henry "CJ" Jackson, press secretary/chief spokesman for Patrick Soon-Shiong and his biotech firm Nantworks and an AP and POLITICO alum (h/t Ben Chang) ... Reuters' Ginger Gibson ... FCC
press secretary Tina Pelkey (h/t Neil Grace) ... Alexandra Varipapa ...

... Vivian Schiller, CEO of Civil Media Foundation ... Edelman's Walter Suskind and Thomas Dudley ... Bloomberg's Laura Davison (h/t Katy Summerlin) ... POLITICO's Lindsay Knight and Kaila Crow ... Richard Pollock of The Daily Caller News Foundation ... Donald Garrett ... Kelsey Smith, Leader Pelosi's director of scheduling/advance, is 3-0 (h/t Shana Mansbach) ... Jonathan Singer is 39 ... Casey Dolan, Andrea Mitchell's senior producer ... Ryan Hambleton ... Google's Sanette Tanaka Sloan ... Fred Silverman is 81 ... Kathryn Smith ... Gary Ritterstein ... Robin Denton Meszoly ... James Ferrari ... Bill Wright

A message from PhRMA:

There's lots of talk about how to change Part D to address affordability and predictability for seniors. But there are right ways and wrong ways to do that. The budget change passed in February was the wrong way, removing incentives experts agree are necessary to drive Part D's successful market-based structure, and potentially jeopardizing the program for the future. One right way is for Congress to address the looming Part D Cliff. In 2020, the donut hole will increase by more than $1,200, raising out-of-pocket costs for the most vulnerable seniors with significant health care needs. Congress should act now on both of these issues to protect seniors from a sudden spike in out-of-pocket
costs in Part D, while securing and strengthening the program for the long-term. Learn more.

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