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Today's PLAYBOOK presented by Morgan Stanley

06/03/2017 10:11 AM EDT

By JAKE SHERMAN (sherman@politico.com; @JakeSherman) and ANNA PALMER (anna@politico.com; @apalmerdc) with DANIEL LIPPMAN (daniel@politico.com; @dlippman)
Driving the Day
Good Saturday morning. CONSIDER THIS. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said Friday that the president of the United States never once discussed whether he believed climate change was real as he considered pulling out of the Paris accord. Alex Guillen on Pruitt's victory lap http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d10413ef3dfa8cbe50f149d4f14aae2be8e9139398b02ceeda1d43e3f93d450ac36ab7bab9fca71b92e

THE END-ZONE DANCE -- JOSH DAWSEY, "Trump supporters revel in Paris exit: Bannon's fingerprints on decision to leave climate agreement, a decision supporters say is broadly supported outside Washington": "White House officials, advisers and others close to the president say Bannon's job of convincing Trump is easier because the president has a natural tendency to take the same path as he - and that while Bannon irked the president with his behavior in the West Wing, Trump has never left him ideologically. While the president often crows about Gary Cohn's success at Goldman Sachs, and may talk to his daughter, Ivanka Trump, more than anyone, Trump often gravitates toward the Bannon modus.
Bannon supporters note enthusiastically that the so-called moderates in the West Wing don't have much luck getting their way. It is less about his friendship with Bannon -- who didn't respond to a request for comment -- or his personal opinion of him on any given day, advisers and aides say.

"The combative chief strategist has repeatedly told Trump his base is solid, that liberals will never love him, the large crowds voted for him for a reason - and that he will be rewarded for keeping campaign promises. He reminds him of his populist credo and the large crowds at rallies. ... After the travel ban, Bannon told others he relished seeing the protests on TV. Bannon has told friends he 'doesn't give a s*** about' the Grim Reaper portrayal on 'Saturday Night Live,' in the words of one person who has spoken to him." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d10f497c48f3b5458bbdd974f733f8b27a577b30c65c5c73070184f26cc32ec1de5e7d3f721edd7fc33

QUOTE OF THE DAY from Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in Singapore, via WaPo's Dan Lamothe: "'To quote a British observer [Winston Churchill] of us from some years ago: Bear with us. Once we have exhausted all possible alternatives, the Americans will do the right thing,' Mattis said, drawing some laughter. 'So, we will still be there. And we will be with you.'"

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK - "The Putin Interviews," a four-night special featuring interviews between Oliver Stone and Russian president Vladimir Putin, premieres June 12 at 9 p.m. Showtime gave us an exclusive preview clip of Putin talking about how NATO is "a mere instrument of foreign policy of the U.S." and that Russia has to respond with "countermeasures." "We have to aim our missile systems at facilities that are threatening us." He also recalls one of his last meetings with former President Clinton in Moscow when Putin said that Russia would consider joining NATO. Putin says Clinton told him: "Why not?" 90-second video http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d100b7d3db328f93d3601402f1b894327ecca3ac10be9980e483d2b38cbade3890a5eb2b594b07110b4 ... Trailer
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d10b4aebe7c90f0799d2d6a6827c4c44ab7f2224bac35d94fa9c751613f9d79f565cf92a48365570568 ... Another clip of Putin talking about Edward Snowden http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d1016aa78a6c43cd2284552e5cbfe63f832a20c398d73134f4e8c6a541a042fea4ed34c0bdb895522c8

SIREN -- NEW DYNAMIC -- "America's CEOs fall out of love with Trump," by Ben White and Annie Karni, with a New York dateline: "The relationship between corporate America and Donald Trump's White House has chilled. The regular parades of business titans into the West Wing are gone. A gathering of executives led by Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman initially planned for next week fell apart amid scheduling conflicts. Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Disney CEO Bob Iger quit as outside advisers to President Donald Trump following his rejection of the Paris climate accords. Dozens of other executives also publicly rebuked the White House over the decision, including Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein --
a former colleague of many top administration officials -- used his first-ever tweet to criticize the Paris decision, calling it a 'setback for the environment and for the U.S.'s leadership position in the world.'

"Chief executives and senior corporate lobbyists are also dismayed that the administration's big Capitol Hill agenda -- including repealing Obamacare and passing massive tax cuts -- appears stalled. And the White House is now engaged in a very public fight with itself over how and when to raise the debt limit, a terrifying prospect for Wall Street and the rest of corporate America. Executives also remain puzzled by regular reports of imminent shakeups in the West Wing, including the possible replacement of chief of staff Reince Priebus.

"The result is at least a temporary freeze as CEOs grow skittish about public association with a leader who likes to describe himself as the most business-friendly president to ever sit in the Oval Office. This is especially true for executives at big public companies, who have to take into account how both employees and shareholders will respond to interactions with an unpopular and controversial president." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d10a1d1e572ea49c8bcb070615b9f5195c759a841444f6eef0630dfd54a1cdcf85716f7c1f673120f56

DUH, via WaPo's Sean Sullivan: "Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) sounded a deeply pessimistic note when he told a local television station he believes it's 'unlikely that we will get a health-care deal.' Earlier in the week, Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) said he doubted a bill could pass before the August recess." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d10658d643264f8cb0f3f01ad4a43c2cbfd863eacbaafce5fd4d5967c448e090cf1c36d856627661cd5

MUELLER'S LONG GAME -- "AP sources: Special counsel on Russia probe expanding scope," by Sadie Gurman, Eric Tucker and Jeff Horwitz: "The special counsel investigating possible ties between President Donald Trump's campaign and Russia's government has taken over a separate criminal probe involving former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, and may expand his inquiry to investigate the roles of the attorney general and deputy attorney general in the firing of FBI Director James Comey, The Associated Press has learned.

"Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein told the AP in a separate interview that he would recuse himself from any oversight of special counsel Robert Mueller if he were to become a subject of Mueller's investigation. ... Rosenstein acknowledged that Mueller could expand his inquiry to include Attorney General Jeff Sessions' and Rosenstein's own roles in the decision to fire Comey, who was investigating the Trump campaign." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d102fbb53057d3fa6a4d0abed895e12e27824b481a98d4e3a628f1104b2e3bd866be2588cde0f26ee8a

REPLACING COMEY -- "Trump's continued search for new FBI chief seen as chaotic: sources," by Reuters' Julia Edwards Ainsley: "President Donald Trump is still looking for a new FBI director more than three weeks after he fired James Comey, and sources familiar with the recruiting process say it has been chaotic and that job interviews led by Trump have been brief.

"Three close associates of three contenders for the job ... said the candidates were summoned to the White House for 10- to 20-minute conversations with Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Those conversations, which followed initial interviews at the Justice Department, have been light on questions about substantive issues facing the agency ... Another of the three sources described the process as chaotic and said that in one interview, Trump spoke mostly about himself and seemed distracted." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d10c428f1040552e8a9b1165312f8982e9ec98a82c1fa88f62d5597c91fd78a8f243e7af5e3f0efeafb


****** A message from Morgan Stanley: Morgan Stanley helped All Aboard Florida raise capital to bring Brightline, an express railway, to the Sunshine State-potentially cutting travel time across Southern Florida by up to 25-30%1 versus existing options. Investing in infrastructure isn't just good for people-it can be good for cities. Learn more at morganstanley.com/brightline. ******

KELLYANNE'S HUSBAND -- "Wachtell Lipton Partner George Conway Withdraws From Justice Department Consideration," by Above the Law's David Lat: "On Wednesday evening, George T. Conway III -- leading litigator, longtime partner at Wachtell Lipton, and husband of Kellyanne Conway, senior adviser to President Donald Trump -- sent a letter to the White House withdrawing from consideration to lead the Civil Division of the Department of Justice. Conway, also a finalist for the post of U.S. Solicitor General, emerged as the presumptive pick for assistant attorney general of the Civil Division back in March. Conway shared news of his withdrawal with friends and colleagues earlier this week.'" With
Conway's note to friends http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d100e09ffa6c3538e328a6f664bda7baba5d480de891c238c62a7717ad7c3a0c1217c9729b8650a49be

THE NEW STRATEGY - "Trump officials clamming up about Russia probe," by Matt Nussbaum and Darren Samuelsohn: "The Trump White House appears finally to be heeding its lawyers' advice and clamping down on what it says about the Russia investigation. From the press secretary podium to the cable-news talk shows, President Donald Trump's inner circle this week has mostly avoided responding to mounting questions about the congressional and special counsel probes into allegations the Republican's campaign colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election. White House press aides since Tuesday have been directing all reporters asking about any of the probes to contact the president's New York-based
outside counsel, Marc Kasowitz. But so far, Kasowitz's office hasn't responded to a single inquiry from POLITICO." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d10f8084ea0fda8942a16a376b371d710b15eea5700848dbc3a556a15f4024d4184c19bdf6de7176a26

CHOOSE YOUR NEWS -- WSJ: "Trump Considers Trying to Block Comey's Testimony" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d10a72ec99b5557633691f42c97b486feb44750e52c316de4e674d5fbdf1c273b516aa4f51cd3f004ed ... NYT: "Trump Appears Unlikely to Hinder Comey's Testimony About Russia Inquiry" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d108668992b81723dfaf1d33379614c893038a502b27eec70d36b62e79a5e843cc0e006110803a45db2

NO LOVE LOST HERE -- "Democrats outraged by Trump ban on info requests," by John Bresnahan: "Hill Democrats are outraged by a new Trump administration policy to ignore information requests from members and senators unless they come from committee or subcommittee chairman. They argue it's part of a broader pattern by the White House, designed to make the executive branch less responsive to Congress.

"And they say it effectively locks them out of information necessary for government oversight. From refusing to release White House visitor logs to scrubbing agency websites of health and safety data and refusing to respond to simple media requests on government operations -- or even admitting whether President Donald Trump is playing golf or not -- the Trump administration has made it harder for Democrats and the press to find out what is going on inside the White House and federal agencies.

"This effort is sometimes being aided by Republicans on Capitol Hill, or undertaken at their behest. For instance, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) has asked federal agencies to refuse to comply with Freedom of Information Act requests designed to find out what data his panel is seeking from those agencies. Such FOIA inquiries are routinely made by journalists, lobbyists and political operatives. News organizations have strenuously objected to Hensarling's demand. But the latest initiative by the Trump administration -- backed by a May 1, 2017, opinion drafted by the Office of Legal Counsel of the Justice Department -- has crossed a once unthinkable line,
Democrats argue." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d1032a4511d5aa6127c86431dac10f1633057935704d1f9f4585f23d31cbf4d8b37803069fb60485100

-- THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE of why it is hard to see Democrats coming to the table with Trump and congressional Republicans on any major infrastructure or tax reform package. It could also cause further problems for Trump and GOP leadership when they need Democrats to pass the debt limit and other must-pass bills.

BY THE WAY... -- The DCCC just reported another $640,000 in spending to boost Jon Ossoff in Georgia's sixth district. Election Day is June 20.

CASE IN POINT -- "Dems signal hardball in debt fight," by Burgess Everett: "Democratic leaders may take a hard line against raising the debt ceiling if Republicans seek a tax cut that increases the deficit. The idea is for Democrats to receive a commitment from GOP leaders that their tax reform efforts will be revenue neutral. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told reporters on Friday that her party would be hard-pressed to support a 'clean' debt ceiling lift with no policy attachments if it was merely to help clear the way for Republicans to slash tax rates. ... While the idea does not yet have sign-off from the Senate Democratic Caucus, it has been discussed by Senate Minority
Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and some of his members.

"Schumer suggested the strategy to Pelosi last week, a source familiar with the interaction said. Still, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and the White House have said it is their preference to do deficit neutral tax reform rather than budget-busting standalone tax cuts. It's not clear how Democrats would be able to enforce a tax reform commitment from Republicans as a condition of averting default. But because most bills need 60 votes to pass the Senate and House conservatives are loathe to increase the debt, Democrats do have significant leverage in the months ahead." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d1007238d16dfd04a8316bbf189433ee0276e26d49c04dc88c559c315261a548d618d7d1667dfaf03d2

COMING ATTRACTIONS -- "Supreme Court sets deadline for travel ban filings," by Josh Gerstein: "The Supreme Court is giving the challengers to President Donald Trump's travel ban executive order more than a week to respond to the government's emergency request to let the order take effect. The court announced Friday a deadline of 3 p.m. June 12 to address the Justice Department's filings Thursday night urging the high court to review the legality of the travel ban and to allow it to go into force while the litigation goes forward." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d1081d243aee1e11375f9be3be7845d6a4a2ae882361dec0f7b76dc5588a4338deb84bc1e6ccecd1ddd

KEN VOGEL is joining the D.C. bureau of the N.Y. Times to cover conflict of interest issues, lobbying and money in politics starting June 26th. Per a staff memo from Elisabeth Bumiller: "Ken has broken hundreds of stories on everything from the Koch Brothers to the Tea Party to Corey Lewandowski's lobbying firm. We're thrilled to welcome him." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d1070acffc7464d1ffb82ec432f7e618aa014bb9ce413304cbddd54c72fc8b3c126ecde28b4bbebfe86 Ken is a Politico original, a good colleague and friend. He helped make the place what it is today. We wish him well.

NEW EVENT -- PLAYBOOK UNIVERSITY with D.C. MAYOR MURIEL BOWSER -- Join us TUESDAY EVENING for our inaugural Playbook University event with the mayor of Washington. We'll talk about the changing face of D.C., the city's politics and Washington in the era of Donald Trump. The event is at IN3, the Inclusive Innovation Incubator at 2301 Georgia Avenue, NW. RSVP http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d10007d7e8003b908175fd1f883f7288df3c558c0b5d5f1159d1c50b1180970c0d266e17305058f12ee


Playbook Reads


PHOTO DU JOUR: President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence shake hands with Sheriff Mark Wasylyshyn, from Wood County, Ohio, and other members of law enforcement, before signing a bill in the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House on June 2. | Alex Brandon/AP Photo

HMM -- WAPO -- "Nunes-led House Intelligence Committee asked for 'unmaskings' of Americans," by Adam Entous and Ellen Nakashima: "The Republican-controlled House Intelligence Committee asked U.S. spy agencies late last year to reveal the names of U.S. individuals or organizations contained in classified intelligence on Russia's meddling in the 2016 election, engaging in the same practice that President Trump has accused the Obama administration of abusing, current and former officials said. ... According to a tally by U.S. spy agencies, the House Intelligence Committee requested five to six unmaskings of U.S. organizations or individuals related to Trump or Democratic candidate Hillary
Clinton between June 2016 and January 2017." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d105c7c8a090bb5e664bcdb89bc57789e351315795f609e30c1e85401304ef0c454a9add8ae2c4dccb1

DOJ WATCH -- "Justice Department defends Trump financial disclosure," by Josh Gerstein: "The Justice Department is defending President Donald Trump's personal financial disclosure by arguing that the rules for such forms are so ambiguous that a lawsuit challenging the disclosure must be thrown out. The unusual argument came in response to a suit filed in March arguing that the financial disclosure Trump filed as a candidate last year was incomplete because it failed to indicate which of hundreds of millions of dollars-worth of outstanding loans Trump is actually personally liable for.

"Instead, Trump's form appears to blend his personal debts with those of businesses he has interests in, effectively obscuring which creditors may have the greatest leverage over him. All Trump's debts are covered on a single page of his 104-page disclosure. According to the report, the listed loans exceed $300 million in total. The total amount of the loans is known to be much larger based on other data, but the disclosure form does not require details above $50 million for each loan that exceeds that amount." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d1042879ab21280c7947f25e9c6d6fa0c0baab3b0b1ad4f639d16cba860f706c28a3b7926e4a8969d91

K STREET FILES -- "Insurance companies duck Obamacare repeal fight,"by Paul Demko: "The once-powerful health insurance lobby - the same one that killed Hillarycare a generation ago and helped usher in Obamacare - can't pick a side in the latest battle over America's health care system. ... The result is the lobby has lost influence and is now struggling to mount a unified front against Republican efforts to push through an Obamacare replacement. At the same time, the Trump administration has ignored their pleas to stabilize Obamacare's exchanges in the short term, which could send the wobbly insurance marketplaces crashing before the GOP agrees on a health care plan. ...

"AHIP officials and allies push back strongly against suggestions that the organization has been weakened. They argue that AHIP has picked its battles carefully, enabling the lobbying group to maintain communication with the Trump administration and lawmakers. 'There's a time to be in the fray, and there's a time to be above the fray and to provide nuanced counsel to the policy makers,' said Mark Ganz, CEO of Cambia Health Solutions and the immediate past board chair of AHIP. 'I've been a voice that we need to be thoughtful and nuanced and not add to the noise.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d1085f2f1285bd7bf15d5ed4e7f29575df957a3e1f497e6743d26e817f10032223015bd3dc4042cfb7c


****** A message from Morgan Stanley: Morgan Stanley helped raise the capital needed by innovative company All Aboard Florida to enhance Florida's infrastructure by developing the nation's first express, intercity rail, Brightline. The train, connecting cities across Southern Florida, is expected to cut down on travel time for residents and tourists, and could potentially add up to hundreds of millions in federal, state and local government tax revenue over the next several years.1 Capital creates better connections for people, communities and cities. Learn more at morganstanley.com/brightline. Capital creates change. ******

THE PRESIDENT AND GOD -- "God and the Don: Presidents often turn to faith in times of crisis. That seems unlikely for Trump," by CNN's MJ Lee: "Two days before his presidential inauguration, Donald Trump greeted a pair of visitors at his office in Trump Tower. As a swarm of reporters waited in the gilded lobby, the Rev. Patrick O'Connor, the senior pastor at the First Presbyterian Church in Queens, and the Rev. Scott Black Johnston, the senior pastor of Manhattan's Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, arrived to pray with the next president. ... 'I did very, very well with evangelicals in the polls,' Trump interjected in the middle of the conversation -- previously unreported comments that
were described to me by both pastors. They gently reminded Trump that neither of them was an evangelical. 'Well, what are you then?' Trump asked.

"They explained they were mainline Protestants, the same Christian tradition in which Trump, a self-described Presbyterian, was raised and claims membership. Like many mainline pastors, they told the President-elect, they lead diverse congregations. Trump nodded along, then posed another question to the two men: 'But you're all Christians?' 'Yes, we're all Christians.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d105f4d170fff6761e3ec82eb98a2bcddc339688f33719d85c70d4e650b434358a61d6f44a2aae2b1ee

THE NEW GILDED AGE - "The Doctor Is In. Co-Pay? $40,000," by NYT's Nelson D. Schwartz as part of the paper's occasional series "The Velvet Rope Economy": "'I feel badly that I have the means to jump the line,' said [media entrepreneur John Batelle]. 'But when you have kids, you jump the line. You just do. If you have the money, would you not spend it for that?' ... [J]ust as a virtual velvet rope has risen between the wealthiest Americans and everyone else on airplanes, cruise ships and amusement parks, widening inequality is also transforming how health care is delivered. ... [One VIP medical concierge practice has] annual fees that range from $40,000 to $80,000 (more than 10 times what
conventional concierge practices charge)." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d109e3a07c8b90ffbd3bc5ef174dc76de73c18c5cfcb52ae187e232aa44ee0ebdbc830da5f317171072

MEDIAWATCH -- DAVE JACOBSON, co-founder of Jacobson & Zilber Strategies, a Democratic media and political consulting firm, and John Thomas, president of Thomas Partners Strategies, a Republican media and political consulting firm, have been named as CNN political commentators.

CLICKER - "The nation's cartoonists on the week in politics," edited by Matt Wuerker -- 11 keepers http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d10ba343ec0661792128df1c4ebf6469892fe1b9f9a247df9cb1120bf7f4b3169a0aaa90c3b1271a38d

GREAT WEEKEND READS, curated by Daniel Lippman:

--"The Loneliness of Donald Trump," by Rebecca Solnit in Lit Hub: "On the corrosive privilege of the most mocked man in the world." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d1068a949c039747f1131bea2910369d9e7f44673dfe5d4ef9fceefcf0b8b25d27008add9184b448d0f (h/t Longreads.com)

--"Populism: The Phenomenon" - Bridgewater Daily Observations: "It is one of those phenomena that comes along in a big way about once a lifetime-like pandemics, depressions, or wars. The last time that it existed as a major force in the world was in the 1930s, when most countries became populist. Over the last year, it has again emerged as a major force." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d10d4691f1f8d760665f5fa368ccf2d8c1d5718a8fe3b17cece594648005ec0da151f5c2f80ac808857 (h/t Eliana Johnson)

--"Touching the Void: Making Sense of Russian Jews' Views on Russian News," by Danielle Tcholakian in N.Y. Jewish Life: "Trump won 84 percent of the total Russian vote in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn; swept the Hasidic neighborhoods of Williamsburg, Borough Park and Crown Heights, and the Orthodox neighborhoods of Midwood and Mill Basin; and took more than half of the votes in the Russian areas in Rego Park and Forest Hills, Queens. ... But how is that reconciled with those same immigrants' distaste for Russian President Vladimir Putin"? http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d10e1db07da09ad5b06bb76c252839fa3eb488ba0820b35a48aab2865876426b6063bf422d4497a3714

--"Tour de Raunch," by Christian Lorentzen in Book Forum: "A brief history of sex in American fiction." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d1049ddb40bef6c1aa84f4d6289735b6d7b04d30dae502ca63b1422106dc9f35a7a8e10653e48fbd5e5 (h/t ALDaily.com)

--"The Rise and Fall of Toronto's Classiest Con Man," by Michael Lista in The Walrus: "His cons have been machine-tooled to weaponise the safeguards of due process. He represents himself, but always claims to have a lawyer who can't make his hearings, so he is allowed adjournment after adjournment. He appeals all his evictions and is granted stays. He can fight an endless war of attrition because he's immune to costs. Regan is the superbug produced by our legal hygiene." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d103216864336d0f6647e529642cc7d5a536d4a183a2e74e6528ad35986c474335106a9827381d0f2cc (h/t TheBrowser.com)

--"These 11 People Watch Every Movie, Especially the Gross Bits," by WSJ's Erich Schwartzel: "Hollywood's 'raters' consult parental surveys to decide whether films deserve a 'G,' an 'NC-17,' or something in between; potato chips and 'torture porn.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d1032130343594136b1812705fed679749f2a102afbee9eb6ca8b46dab3d698168ec51f8eef6e1a9653

--"How the World's Most Interesting Man Befriended the World's Most Powerful Man," by Jonathan Goldsmith, author of "Stay Interesting: I Don't Always Tell Stories About My Life, But When I Do They're True and Amazing," in POLITICO Magazine: "A beer commercial icon became an unlikely pal to the president of the United States. It stayed interesting." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d10836c803b08ce0ef93ffa0be8d632dc13c71b3017c6bcfe5c17fa50744c64176d7eb807540c1e5e30 ...$17.61 on Amazon http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d101b97558c5aae880a4348304cfeb09ce0f2e99bafc9dff587af34ac165ce59157aafcb060b772d01b

--"The Ghost of Capablanca," by Brin-Jonathan Butler in Southwest The Magazine: "What Cuba's legendary chess maestro-and the island's enduring love affair with the game-reveals about the country's uncertain future." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d10b34ad178ad609f2068a9e3a94d7ac7c0708d62dd1c2f993eeb2ab2fd69db2f35da1436587b3b4edc (h/t Longform.org)

--"The Holdup: A Mobster, a Family and the Crime That Won't Let Them Go," by NYT's Dan Barry: "He was once a feared member of the New England underworld, a specialist in robbing armored cars. At 80, he was years out of prison. But could his life of crime ever be behind him?" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d10022418fd4d1ff135110ff56df35bc51068030468cac79992d3176b097f0470b15ca3de72700a03ee

--"How the Self-Esteem Craze Took Over America," by Jesse Singal in NY Mag: "And why the hype was irresistible." "I want you to realize you are a wonderful, special person." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d10bd170b3ee0a4ce4e93cccf2db9ccf168f40da50d85c91f953ad73e09bdce24dc4a8004c285fafdc7 (h/t Longform.org)

--"The Curious Case of the Disappearing Nuts," by Peter Vigneron in Outside Magazine: "In California, millions of dollars' worth of almonds, walnuts, and pistachios are disappearing. Farmers are perplexed, the cops are confused, and the crooks are getting richer. We sent Peter Vigneron to the Central Valley to take a crack at the crimes." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d106e3b4ca8b45d70f27b76274d8b22a5bf51e1e446b682a0eba9827f1fc9cf76e1293428db7c9cf850

--"Letter From Tôhoku," by Ramona Bajema in Milken Review: "[F]armers [give] gifts of rice to relatives in Tokyo, later to find out that it had been tossed. Another variation on the theme: eligible young women from Fukushima feel they must conceal their hometown identity because their dates might think they won't be able to bear healthy children. The word 'Fukushima' printed on a food product means that consumer demand will be nil for the foreseeable future." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d10fcbbf9792838fb824e9c523c3d356b5bda205092c7149da6473ea208f7aa275b4dc991b6ced00ac7
Playbookers
SPOTTED: Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) yesterday at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills ... Jim Acosta last night at the rooftop bar of the W Hotel ... Joe Perticone at dinner at Martin's Tavern last night ... Nancy Pelosi on Georgetown's campus last night ... Josh Harder, 5th generation Central Valley Californian running for Congress, in town to meet with supporters at the "Saloon" on U Street yesterday evening ... Donna Brazile and Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) traveling separately Friday on a flight from SFO to DCA ... former Iowa Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin and Iowa gubernatorial candidate Brent Roske on Thursday at new Des Moines hotspot Republic along with new Gov. Kim Reynolds' deputy
chief of staff Tim Albrecht and Jimmy Centers of Cornerstone Public Affairs - pic http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d10dfeda8d3fc3f14460271c9366581ec9a7e00301b1ee37772d32bd6b767b35817bf005aaca9a9467a

HAPPENING TODAY -- GOING BALD: Dave Lugar of Lugar Hellmann Group and Katherine Lugar, CEO of American Hotel & Lodging, are hosting a "Brave the Shave" party to help raise money for pediatric cancer to show support for Olivia Egge, 16, who is battling Osteosarcoma. Lugar first "braved the shave" in 2015 after his niece Caroline passed away from cancer. Lugar and fellow lobbyist Paul Romness will go bald Saturday at a small event which is on the verge of raising $250,000 for St. Baldrick's Foundation.

TRANSITIONS -- Drew Godinich, formerly of 270 Strategies, has joined the DCCC as the western regional press secretary. (h/t Heather Purcell)

BIRTHDAYS: Katie Allbritton is 6. She's celebrating this weekend in Richmond at wedding of Jane Ann Coleman to Robert Daniels (Marco Rubio's former assistant) (hat tips: Robert and Elena) ... Dr. Jill Biden ... Anderson Cooper is 5-0 ... Raul Castro, the president of Cuba, is 86 ... Erick Erickson is 42 ... Ann Stock (h/t Jon Haber) ... Whitney Smith ... Abe Rakov ... Anders Felt, senior associate at Booz Allen Hamilton ... PR pro Eric Schmeltzer is 42 ... WSJ's Michelle Hackman ... Nick Troiano, executive director of the Centrist Project, is 28 ... Terence Grado ... Mike Elk is 31 ... Mark Proctor ... Wyatt Smith, senior director of donor relations at the George W. Bush Foundation ...
Tommy McFly, host of 94.7 Fresh FM's The Tommy Show, is 31 ... Andrew Weinstein, GOP founder of Ridgeback Communications, Gingrich's former spokesman, and #NeverTrump organizer, celebrating by draining the Swamp of much of its alcohol on his newly-refurbished deck with friends and family (h/t Nihal Krishan) ... Jeremy Levin ... Dick Deardon (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) ... Mashable's Sophie Oreck ... Stéphane Blemus ... Politico's Annesha Bhattacharya ... Politico Europe's Bjarke Smith-Meyer ...

... Don Teague ... Kellee Barron-Lanza, researcher extraordinaire and VP of Jackson-Alvarez Group ... Sophia Sokolowski, associate policy analyst at the Biden Institute (h/t Dan Swartz) ... former Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-M.D.) is 91 ... former Rep. Solomon Ortiz (D-Texas) is 79 ... Eric Rosengren, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, is 6-0 (h/t Jewish Insider) ... Dennis Overbye, NYT's "cosmic affairs correspondent," per his Twitter ... Benjamin Cassidy ... Evan Medeiros, Eurasia Group managing director for Asia, former Obama WH point person on Asia in the NSC, and cigar and whiskey aficionado (h/t Ben Chang) ... Bruce Bookhultz ... Gail Pennybacker ... CNN alum Jen Buesinger
... Angie Young, the office "Mom" at Protocol at State, who sends out office-wide emails on 80+ staffers' birthdays (h/t Nick Schmit) ... Joshua Miller ... Jim Kirk ... Chet Rhodes is 56 ... Sean McFate ... Susan Reimer ... Barbara Fitzgerald ... Katherine Amenta ... Zach Zagar ... tennis player Rafael Nadal is 31 (h/t AP)

THE SHOWS by @MattMackowiak, filing from Austin:

-- NBC's "Meet the Press": EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt ... former Secretary of State John Kerry ... former Vice President Al Gore ... Megyn Kelly. Panel: Stephanie Cutter, Michael Gerson, Hugh Hewitt and Heather McGhee

-- ABC's "This Week": EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt ... former Vice President Al Gore ... Susan Rice. Panel: Alex Castellanos, Jonah Goldberg, Jen Psaki and Katrina vanden Heuvel

-- "Fox News Sunday": EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt ... former Vice President Al Gore. Panel: Brit Hume, Julie Pace, Jason Riley and Juan Williams ... "Power Player of the Week" segment featuring 2017 commencement speakers

--CNN's "State of the Union": Al Gore ... U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley ... Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) Panel: Jennifer Granholm, Nina Turner, Ken Cuccinelli and Bill Kristol

-- CBS's "Face the Nation": Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) ... Sen. Susan Collins (R-Me.) ... U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley ... House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) ... NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Panel: Carol Lee, Slate and Jamelle Bouie, Ramesh Ponnuru and Adam Entous

-- Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures": Michael Mukasey ... Mike Huckabee ... Karen Handel and Nigel Farage. Panel: Ed Rollins and Jessica Tarlov

-- Fox News' "MediaBuzz": Townhall.com editor Katie Pavlich ... NPR's Mara Liasson ... Erin McPike ... Carley Shimkus ... Corey Lewandowski ... Gillian Turner ... Terrence Smith

-- CNN's "Inside Politics" with John King: Jennifer Jacobs, Jonathan Martin, Michael Shear and MJ Lee

-- CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS": Rana Foroohar, Richard Haass and Ernest Moniz ... George Osborne ... Yuval Noah Harari

-- CNN's "Reliable Sources": Kaitlan Collins, Olivia Nuzzi and John Gizzi ... Carl Bernstein ... Josh Schwerin ... former Sputnik White House correspondent Andrew Feinberg ... The Baltimore Sun's David Zurawik

-- Univision's "Al Punto": LatinoJustice president Juan Cartagena and Latino Partnerships executive director Alfonso Aguilar ... United We Dream's Julieta Garibay and Adonías Arevalo ... Radio Caracas Television general director Marcel Granier ... Colombian vice president Oscar Naranjo ... singer-songwriter Pepe Aguilar and daughter Angela Aguilar

-- C-SPAN: "The Communicators": Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), questioned by Driven Tech media and telecom reporter Lydia Beyoud ... "Newsmakers": American Enterprise Institute president Arthur Brooks, questioned by USA Today's Susan Page and The Washington Post's Marc Fisher ... "Q&A": Former FCC chief economist and Clemson University's Thomas Hazlett ("The Political Spectrum")

-- Washington Times' "Mack on Politics" weekly politics podcast with Matt Mackowiak (download on iTunes, Google Play, or Stitcher or listen at http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d1099de8f9f627c14439751b74375adbca18b4bcab97aab750b705fbacc56fc2e14b32d6da6da062c9d Texas Public Policy Foundation general counsel and litigation director Robert Henneke.

****** A message from Morgan Stanley: All Aboard Florida wanted to create a faster and easier way to move around Florida. Morgan Stanley helped them raise capital to begin development of the country's first express, intercity railway to do just that. Not only are the new Brightline trains expected to reduce travel time across Southern Florida by approximately an hour1, but they're also projected to take up to 3 million vehicles off the road each year, helping to reduce congestion and harmful emissions1. Read more about Morgan Stanley's work at morganstanley.com/brightline. Capital creates change.

Disclaimer:
1 Based on data provided by All Aboard Florida. For more information visit: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6900d4cefdef7d10559601313132b79b2978b4a5f79c014e562910f1a8b43b72880b884864926900c93adb261525fe47
CRC 1737672 03/17 ******

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