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Today's PLAYBOOK presented by POET

06/13/2017 06:29 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
Listen to the Playbook Audio Briefing http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea84aa334bbb0c04e560eafd26f7dc30d78df519c63450022a4708499c335f62a8844fda0de4407562d1c3d36f6359366a48 ... Subscribe on iTunes http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea842b0596a8616ed20d833106ab14b3c4fb4eb7cd419761e3f29021d0e399beb4385506ad9a5e74ef1769d12a9809c51dd4 ... Visit the online home of Playbook http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea849338626144b0859cf5533bbe4147db906d4610abe6a68b2b32775b043fb0cdbecc67a971ce62c9d4d6e498106133dcc8

Good Tuesday morning. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: As Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell works to craft an Obamacare replacement bill, PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP is having lunch today with 13 senators to "discuss the status" of the process. TRUMP'S DINING PARTNERS: Sens. Rob Portman (Ohio), John Thune (S.D.), Pat Toomey (Pa.), Mike Lee (Utah), Ted Cruz (Texas), Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), John Barrasso (Wyo.), Cory Gardner (Colo.), Tom Cotton (Ark.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Susan Collins (Maine), Joni Ernst (Iowa) and Orrin Hatch (Utah).

-- HEALTH CARE STATUS REPORT: BURGESS EVERETT: "Senate GOP reins in expectations for killing Obamacare: Some Republican lawmakers are growing worried about their tight time frame for overhauling health care": "Senate Republicans are aggressively trying to rein in expectations for their Obamacare repeal effort, wary of blowing a deadline or falling short of 50 votes on a promise that has driven the GOP's political strategy for much of the past decade. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is still aiming for an Obamacare repeal vote in June, though his lieutenants acknowledge that deadline could slip into July. And while GOP leaders want to hold the vote as soon as possible, Republicans
continue to avoid hard deadlines and say factors outside their control could strike.

"'It's like having a baby,' said Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas). 'It's not here yet, but it's coming.' ... A public copy of the bill or the CBO score are not expected until just days before any vote, minimizing the ability of opposition to mobilize, aides said. If a June vote is not possible, Republicans hope to at least to have an agreement on a bill before heading home for the July 4 recess." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea846aba65eb8574a6580ddb1aeefcc05c67bdbc5c1d6198601062f23bf76acd86faf64785d1b9f83a41bc13a840bc0d18ba

PLAYBOOK EXCLUSIVE -- SERGEY KISLYAK TRYING TO REPAIR FRAYED U.S.-RUSSIA RELATIONS: Embattled Russian diplomat Sergey Kislyak played host to Washington insiders and diplomats at the Russian Embassy Monday night, greeting guests one-by-one in a long receiving line at the embassy in honor of Russia Day. Attendees were encouraged to pose for photos with signs that said "I love Russia" and post them on Facebook, Instagram and other social networks.

The frayed U.S.-Russia relationship was clearly on the embassy's mind as they handed out a pamphlet highlighting the two countries' close relationship. On the cover: "As an American, I love Russia - friend of Washington and Lincoln." At the top of the second page, there was this: "As an American, I love Russia because if not for Russia, there may not have been a United States of America."

Russia's top seven reasons for the close U.S.-Russia ties: "1. During the birth of our Nation, Russia supported the Thirteen Colonies in their way of Independence from Britain. 2. Russia helped preserve the Union during the American Civil War. 3. Alaska, California and Hawaii became States of the Union due to friendly US-Russian relations. 4. Russia was our ally in both World Wars 5. Russian International Peace Initiatives are the foundation of the United Nations. 6. Russian Arts and Sciences have enriched the world, and Russian Americans have made great contributions to American culture. 7. Russian President Putin was the first to call American President Bush to offer help and condolences
after the tragedy of 9/11."

SPEAKING OF THOSE CLOSE TIES -- "Russian Breach of 39 States Threatens Future U.S. Elections," by Bloomberg's Michael Riley and Jordan Robertson: "Russian hackers hit election systems in at least 39 states before Donald Trump's election as president, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter, an attack on almost twice as many states as previously reported. The hacks were part of a wave of intrusions in the summer and fall of 2016, details of which were provided by the person and two others familiar with a U.S. investigation of the attacks. Hackers breached a campaign finance database in at least one unidentified state, they said, and tried to alter or delete data from a
voter database in Illinois.

"The scope and sophistication of the attacks so concerned the White House that Obama administration officials for the first time used a dedicated communication channel -- the cyber equivalent of the nuclear 'red phone' -- to signal to the Kremlin that the attacks risked escalating into a broader conflict, according to two of the people. The U.S. also provided detailed documents it considered proof of an act of aggression, which they said met with a chilly Russian response." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea8444313cf66074426d5747038073b1f9ff410ce9d950c25c93b42dbe354dab4db6cf99695a4f36ecb249c0bb51d2307cbc

-- COMING ATTRACTIONS: "Senate deal to boost Russia sanctions seen as imminent," by Elana Schor: "Senators are vetting the language of a bipartisan deal to punish Russia that would allow Congress to disapprove of any attempt by President Donald Trump to ease sanctions on Moscow, Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker said late Monday. Whether the Tennessee Republican's optimism translates into a vote this week remains to be seen, however, with Democrats declining to confirm that a deal is done.

"If the Senate can pass a strong Russia sanctions package, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) could both claim a measure of victory - while also dealing a blow to the White House, which has floated a possible deal to roll back penalties on Vladimir Putin's government in exchange for further cooperation on anti-terrorism efforts." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea843213d3dfd7ca19f2178f666760a45aff0af125c97826a38b43a36470fb703664375f9fcb488d2e3f7dc9d1ec495b5a31

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: THE DAWSEY DOWNLOAD -- "One of President Trump's closest friends spent several hours in the White House Monday and emerged to say on TV that the president may fire Robert Mueller, the special prosecutor, and that it would be a 'significant mistake.' It was an only-in-Trump's White House kind of moment.

"Senior aides said the friend, Chris Ruddy, was only speculating, and said Trump was unlikely to can the former FBI director. One official said Ruddy didn't meet with the president -- but instead spent several hours with senior administration aides. 'I wouldn't take it too seriously,' a White House official said.

"The reality is that Trump has sounded out associates about his concerns over Mueller -- and no one knows what he might do. Trump would be making a big mistake if he tried to fire Mueller, and they don't believe he will, aides said. He has been warned against it 'by almost everyone,' one adviser said. But he is often governed by self-preservation. He hates losing control of situations. He often lashes out when he feels someone could damage him. Plus, surrogates have begun telling him what trouble Mueller could pose. He met several times with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at Bedminster over the weekend.

"So, yes, it seems unlikely Trump will try to fire Mueller. But then again, no one expected him to fire James Comey."

-- SPICER STATEMENT, delivered by email from Sean to reporters: "Mr. Ruddy never spoke to the President regarding this issue. With respect to this subject, only the President or his attorneys are authorized to comment."

-- RUDDY DOUBLES DOWN, in email to us: "Spicer issued a bizarre late night press release that a) doesn't deny my claim the President is considering firing Mueller and b) says I didn't speak to the President about the matter -- when I never claimed to have done so. Memo to Sean: focus your efforts on exposing the flim-flam Russian allegations against POTUS and highlighting his remarkable achievements! Don't waste time trying to undermine one of your few allies."

-- THE STRANGE THING: The White House still won't comment on if, in fact, the president is considering getting rid of Mueller.

BUT, BUT, BUT ... -- "Republicans to Trump: Hands off Mueller," by Austin Wright and Kyle Cheney: "Republican lawmakers have a warning for President Donald Trump: Don't mess with Robert Mueller. Some Trump allies have begun agitating for Trump to fire the man appointed just last month as a special counsel to oversee the Justice Department's investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. ... But that would be a huge mistake, Republican lawmakers said Monday. 'It would be a disaster,' said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) 'There's no reason to fire Mueller. What's he done to be fired?'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea84eb9b77aca975994d579b2168e5c01a756ca76202203f515191d55268de5a3f2ccfb9a5884fdcc92f726a3ca355a1d59d

-- COME ON, NEWT! @ReaganBattalion: "Less than a month ago @newtgingrich hailed Mueller as a 'superb choice' with an 'IMPECCABLE' reputation. Today he says he can't be trusted." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea84403efd30fc6a4b4de7c04010d97f8289450fdfbb787f6d44e9cf4641a070bf8eb79fea0fb578ec32552ac05019cf7c57


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HAPPENING TODAY -- "Sessions to face sharp questions on Russia contacts," by AP's Eric Tucker and Deb Riechmann: "Attorney General Jeff Sessions is preparing for sharp questions from his former Senate colleagues about his role in the firing of James Comey, his Russian contacts during the campaign and his decision to recuse from an investigation into possible ties between Moscow and associates of President Donald Trump. The public testimony Tuesday before the Senate intelligence committee should yield Sessions' most extensive comments to date on questions that have dogged his entire tenure as attorney general and that led him three months ago to step aside from the Russia probe."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea84dbc1e3e01351e7c3185736ae711dd4b7495b8e5e82b01c45be2379b39cd994d2e2397121403724bbd24fa49579b485eb

-- WHAT NOT TO EXPECT: "Sessions won't reveal information about conversations with Trump," by Tara Palmeri and Josh Gerstein: "Jeff Sessions does not plan to reveal information about his private conversations with President Donald Trump during his testimony tomorrow before the Senate Intel Committee, according to sources close to the Attorney General. The sources said the former senator and Trump loyalist is unlikely to talk about any direct conversations with the president. 'I wouldn't expect the attorney general to discuss that,' the source said. It was unclear whether the Attorney General would cite executive privilege as such, or simply say he wants to preserve the confidentiality of
his discussions with Trump." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea84b948e32110522d7a96bfee310363a9a8ff6f06c91ab81cc18a7680f95ef707c82de70aaa18b5449256f784a20a65bdce ... The Sessions hearing is today at 2:30 p.m. in Hart 216.

THE TALKING POINTS ...

-- Johanna Persing, RNC director of media affairs, emailed GOP communicators late Monday with a series of talking points for surrogates ahead of Sessions' hearing. GOP talking points include: Trump has done nothing wrong; Sessions "continues to be open, honest and transparent;" Sessions' meeting with Russian officials is standard practice; and asks surrogates to push for more answers on former Attorney General Loretta Lynch and fired FBI director James Comey's interactions. The email http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea84e554cda25aa3e429bb226d348c86b627e9ae6f19d8f06ad43fb650bcedc680bc46745b0e897449a8d88a811c42b0a867

-- Constance Boozer, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's director of surrogate and media affairs, emailed "friends and allies" Monday afternoon with their own set of talking points ahead of the Sessions hearing. Topline message: Sessions needs to answer several questions and to step down. "The fact that he isn't willing to appear before the Committee with jurisdiction over the Department of Justice, the Judiciary Committee, shows that 'the cloud' of the Russia investigation makes it impossible for him to do the job of Attorney General," Boozer wrote. The email http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea848d8bb0effe4d08a982173381a708b09fbc0868d383822a6bc538a99fa15cceda0e055e66b8ea1c63eaecd53b3bcc210c

WHAT TRUMP WANTS TO BE TALKING ABOUT -- "Trump's White House wants to change the subject: Trump, smarting over coverage of Russia probes, thinks his administration doesn't get enough credit," by Matt Nussbaum and Josh Dawsey: "The White House has been spending more time trying to focus staff on weekly agenda items, two administration officials said. Senior officials have tried to cheer up younger aides by reminding them that 'voters aren't going to make their choices based on some hard-to-understand, he-said, she-said accusation,' one said, adding that the White House believes voters will stand by them if the economy remains strong. ... Trump also inaccurately declared on Monday that he'd
'passed more legislation' than any predecessor besides Franklin D. Roosevelt. Harry Truman passed 55 bills in his first 100 days, while Trump had signed 48 by his 142nd day. Many of those have been to designate buildings or other less noticeable actions." With a Josh Holmes cameo http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea84a928608ff6ab2e88bd27f340f3b07a4866f693946cdb73b8700bfa4a128296f00e0fd3cf03c52d9ad5b607babdff52cf

DEMOCRATS' SILVER LINING -- "Trump hearings hatch Democratic stars," by Gabe Debenedetti: "California Sen. Kamala Harris had the latest star turn last week, with her tough interrogation of Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and National Security Agency Director Adm. Mike Rogers and questioning of former FBI Director James Comey. Before that, it was Minnesota Sen. Al Franken, whose revealing cross-examination of Attorney General Jeff Sessions sparked a boomlet of fresh presidential speculation earlier this year. Virginia Sen. Mark Warner has seen his work on the Senate Intelligence Committee suddenly revive talk of his national prospects, which had faded after he laid the groundwork
roughly a decade ago. ...

"The beneficiaries of the surge in attention aren't limited to members of the key committees on the Trump beat - the Intelligence and Judiciary panels. First-term Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, for example, has been especially active in speaking out about the Russia probes and on immigration, leading to reports that the White House is now eying him as a potential 2020 opponent. Yet it's the former prosecutors Harris, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, and California Rep. Adam Schiff who have been front-and-center in harnessing the party's fury, largely because they've been the ones in the televised spotlight." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea84408fb528f66a5991653dd78ab0dadf5df9b2b566e91040c596b8ca1d61694d215b79f0319ba37b3d835165c9634e99a4

DEPT. OF YA CAN'T MAKE IT UP -- "Former NBA player Dennis Rodman arrives in North Korea," by AP's Eric Talmadge in Pyongyang: "Dennis Rodman, the former NBA bad boy who has palled around with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, flew back to Pyongyang on Tuesday for the first time in Donald Trump's presidency. He said he is 'just trying to open a door' on a mission that he thinks his former 'Celebrity Apprentice' boss would support. Rodman, one of the few people to know both of the nuclear-armed leaders, sported a black T-shirt advertising a marijuana cybercurrency as he talked to reporters briefly before his flight from Beijing to the North Korean capital. Asked if he had spoken to Trump about
his trip, he said, 'Well, I'm pretty sure he's pretty much happy with the fact that I'm over here trying to accomplish something that we both need. ...

"'We are aware of his visit. We wish him well, but we have issued travel warnings to Americans and suggested they not travel to North Korea for their own safety,' U.S. Undersecretary of State Thomas Shannon told reporters after discussing the North Korean missile threat and other issues with Japanese counterparts." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea844a74b844102d2dc6cf8d2c37e61cb397be1064bcc65432887de3fde78c560770f91b46b7df7fc4127ef423f2d870b8f2

THE CABINET MEETING HEARD AROUND THE WORLD ...

-- NYT'S JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS: "Mr. Trump transformed a routine meeting of senior members of his government into a mood-boosting, ego-stroking display of support for himself and his agenda. While the president never explicitly asked to be praised, Mr. Pence set the worshipful tone, and Mr. Trump made it clear he liked what he heard. 'Thank you, Mick,' he told Mick Mulvaney, his budget director. 'Good job,' he told Scott Pruitt, his E.P.A. chief. 'Very good, Daniel,' he said to Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence. ... In a video posted with the tweet, Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the minority leader, sat at a table with young staff members who, at his
prompting, praised his performance on Sunday talk shows and the appearance of his hair. One repeated Mr. Priebus's quotation word for word, prompting the senator and his aides to erupt into laughter." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea8489cca7cdd30a3abb5df75a874a2fc04205fdcd3b3fc42bb0e5b937e7596220cef48bc4d44b4afc20b26d86d94e79e6d1

-- @SenSchumer: "GREAT meeting today with the best staff in the history of the world!!!" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea847f3249d684dcdbf79971d7688a985b24e5fbd3bab31c49fabd5e5300f73e3e7514f81331b5693f3dcfe537727cbe0cb8

HOW IT'S PLAYING -- Reuters: "At Trump's Cabinet meeting, flattery is flavor of the day" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea84900a0360a14e86f7e2e24c2546cb1618fbd857302b81b604ab0138a3be49968103799eddd7ee462182fedf462f4fc5d5 ... AP: "Who loves him more? Trump's cabinet members gush at meeting" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea846ac78f9844e138af69c5196c1e28d03eea441f04546eef546b83e9b2cc8ea0cec9a42256b95a0c373544ff568bb3c049 ... WaPo: "Praise for the chief: Trump's Cabinet tells him it's an 'honor' and 'blessing' to serve" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea8488f676cf2508652113acbaf8dca14874160a4df4a4d703a74c75cba9e6c1994155cf2199709eadc90fa2f9b6515a4d25 ... Full video http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea8481ab06b2aa01cccc41575de0badcfbdbef82f730a3212fa8ceca65efc759b390c90c44b1744f9a8e9f8efc9a2c0d28e4

-- @ChrisLu44 (whose birthday was yesterday): "I ran 16 Cabinet meetings during Obama's 1st term. Our Cabinet was never told to sing Obama's praises. He wanted candid advice not adulation

WELCOME TO WASHINGTON -- "Melania Trump Leaves New York Behind for the White House," by NYT's Maggie Haberman: "Melania Trump will attend a congressional picnic in the final days of June. She will start filling out her roster of aides. She will get her son settled into his new home and, then, in the fall, a new school. And she will turn attention to the range of issues that a first lady has the ability to affect.

"For the first time since President Trump was inaugurated, his wife is living full time in the White House. She and the couple's 11-year-old son, Barron, left Trump Tower in Manhattan behind over the weekend, a transition that the first lady announced on her husband's favorite medium, Twitter, after it was completed. ...

"Mrs. Trump's immediate focus is likely to be inside the White House, where her husband has become increasingly isolated from his party and even his own staff since his abrupt firing of James B. Comey, the director of the F.B.I. 'She is the president's never-ending barometer of reality, and she delivers candor and honesty blended with selfless love for him and his family in equal doses,' said Thomas J. Barrack Jr., a close friend of the Trumps who has known the first lady since 1998." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea84fcf868728090ea70ffacdf979be1b1ab8e6eb553b9f1e3e3c06e96aa1e6288105bf63ea0bd174464a82c46b0f97e4ead

-- WAPO'S KRISSAH THOMPSON: "Five questions about Melania Trump's move to the White House": "Will Melania Trump keep her husband from sending controversial wee-hours tweets? ... Will she build an advocacy program, such as Michelle Obama's 'Let's Move' or Laura Bush's National Book Festival, or undertake any restoration projects in the White House? ... How will Barron Trump's presence change life in the White House? ... Will Melania Trump engage with D.C.'s social scene? ... How will Melania Trump leave her mark on the job?" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea84fbabc5339d06c604c7cc94717aa67d24f76b664e9f42d8e377948d0baa343f08ca46e47792eecfe63d4e1e7137b5206d

-- "Barron Trump's 'The Expert' T-shirt sells out at J. Crew," by The Washington Examiner's Leah DePiero: "The T-shirt Barron Trump wore while exiting Marine One with his parents on Sunday as he and first lady Melania Trump officially moved into the White House has sold out on J. Crew as of Monday. The gray cotton ringer T-shirt with the words 'The Expert' in blue lettering gained attention after 11-year-old Barron paired it with dark jeans and sneakers on Sunday. 'We're sorry. This item has been so popular, it has sold out,' J. Crew's website said of the $29.50 shirt." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea84a8948caa8a24657d8291f710cee849152af597857c0c75e2d4ede77d0abc4b9bf6299697806ca5e0e190d4aeab9221d2

IT'S ALL HAPPENING -- "Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski shopping book - again," by CNN's Oliver Darcy: "Publishers were told to submit offers to Lewandowski's agent, Mel Berger of WME Entertainment, by a Friday deadline ... Berger was expecting to ultimately fetch seven figures for the book deal. It was not clear what Lewandowski's book would be about. A proposal wasn't submitted, likely to avoid details leaking to the public, the source added. Lewandowski previously had an offer from HarperCollins worth $1.2 million, but lost it over concerns about a nondisclosure agreement he signed during the campaign, Politico reported last June. This time around, however, publishers were
told Lewandowski had been able to obtain a waiver of the nondisclosure agreement, one of the sources familiar with the matter said." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea846d89b0b7b691880322cbaf76929f20a83c5dbeaf1303f6902a306b779a3d7518a26abbc5faf95afca49939d8d16602a9

TRUMP'S TUESDAY -- He's meeting with H.R. McMaster, lunching with members of the Senate and then will go to Milwaukee. In Milwaukee he will meet with "Obamacare victims," speak about health care and tour Waukesha County Technical College. He will then hold a roundtable on "workforce development." He'll also speak at a fundraiser for Gov. Scott Walker before returning to D.C.

VIRGINIANS HEAD TO THE POLLS TODAY -- WAPO: "Just tuning in to Virginia governor's race? We'll help you do your homework" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea848c338d2334d4470756691d0b8ec84338f1b2e3755a0736f8ba828e3688cdae7e068aa57b19e1d3f137757004fb113591

THE JUICE ...

--@maggieNYT: "In other non-Mueller news, Ivanka Trump, who excoriated the 'viciousness' of Washington on Fox, made a visit with Conde Nast brass at 1WTC"

-- SPOTTED: FORMER ATTORNEY GENERAL ERIC HOLDER yesterday on the new Delta LAX to DCA flight in Delta One (first class), watching "Eight Days a Week," the Ron Howard documentary about The Beatles.

-- PEACOCK UPDATE: The MSNBC shows "Hardball," "Andrea Mitchell Reports" and "MSNBC Live" with Hallie Jackson have all moved to the NBC studios at 400 North Capitol. Yesterday was the first day in the new studios. They join Greta van Susteren's "For the Record," which has aired from the Capitol Hill location since its inception.

-- THE NRCC disclosed another $833,526 in media spending against Jon Ossoff in Georgia's sixth congressional district.

WARRIORS WIN NBA TITLE -- L.A. TIMES TANIA GANGULI: "'I remember plenty of times throughout my career I continued to just look in the past and look ahead and not stay in the moment,' [MVP Kevin] Durant said. 'In this series I just stayed in the moment. And we did it together. ... You call us a super team, but it's been a lot of super teams that [haven't] worked, and we came together and we continued to just believe in each other and we sacrificed and we're champions now.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea847fd9292d85e18f7ce80bbd32ad67ea94c992954ec15c8614f00530c23b7e0ff9280e6110cb782a969035e86de888f2d7


Playbook Reads


PHOTO DU JOUR: Mourners light candles at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida on June 12. A gunman opened fire at the nightclub one year ago in the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history, killing 49 people. | Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel via AP Photo

NEW BUZZFEED INVESTIGATION (with six bylines) -- "POISON IN THE SYSTEM": "The British government is suppressing explosive intelligence that Alexander Perepilichnyy, a financier who exposed a vast financial crime by Russian government officials, was likely assassinated on the direct orders of Vladimir Putin. Perepilichnyy, who faced repeated threats after fleeing to Britain, was found dead outside his home in Surrey after returning from a mysterious trip to Paris in 2012. Despite an expert detecting signs of a fatal plant poison in his stomach, the British police have insisted there was no evidence of foul play, and Theresa May's government has invoked national security powers to withhold
evidence from the inquest into his cause of death - which is ongoing. But an investigation by BuzzFeed News has now obtained fresh evidence that the authorities have deliberately sidelined, and has uncovered how Perepilichnyy spent his last days in Paris." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea847ceb78e0cf5faac40fa23e834622cde8d52d3f9d53b7ad723cf0eb5069f3e465e406db455928761ea82d441afd311314

MORE MCAULIFFE ON ISAAC DOVERE'S 'OFF MESSAGE' -- THROWING SHADE AT HILLARY -- "We, as a party, need to understand what happened," the Virginia governor told Isaac Dovere in the new Off Message podcast, live today. "My advice would be to Hillary, 'There's enough people that will do that and get that information out.'" McAuliffe says she never asked him to join her PAC. He told Isaac he didn't even know what it was called. Here's the exchange: "What is the name of it?" "Onward Together." "Terrific." "Like 'Stronger Together.'" "Got it," he says. "Very clever." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea84c7e15c846916fa2e9b55d4557341a3f69222fd5dcdf556b904fee03d5a1c0b4ff4408d25aa0ac0e1804af83adaa70417 ... Listen and Subscribe http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea84ad5df4c1dec98bebe11e32bdb9e05dbcbf1bd0a8ba818b25fdb1588f9e6910e65e1bc104b06a0eb59e8369290901e107

WHAT WALL STREET IS READING -- "Goldman's Blankfein, Citi's Corbat Duped by Email Prankster," by WSJ's Liz Hoffman and Telis Demos: "The chief executives of Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Citigroup Inc. are the latest bank bosses to be hooked by an email prankster trolling top Wall Street brass, exposing a low-tech gap in banks' cybersecurity armor. Goldman's Lloyd Blankfein and Citigroup's Michael Corbat, as well as Citigroup consumer-banking chief Stephen Bird, responded over the weekend to emails sent by the anonymous prankster masquerading as top executives at the two banks. The hoaxer ... on Sunday published screenshots of the exchanges on Twitter. ... None of the executives disclosed
sensitive information in responding to the prankster, but the repeated episodes flag concerns about whether banks have done enough to guard against online threats." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea841859852dd33ce4c4f202a7a306ccde4b0056c31f70237932113c7fef132ae6a7698ca0539abf1d3e13c5dd15fab04fb3


****** A message from POET - one of the world's largest ethanol producers: Led by scientists and engineers, POET is a biofuels company built from innovation. POET operates 30 biofuel facilities across eight states & America's first cellulosic biofuel plant. Across the country, we support 40,000 renewable energy jobs producing a cleaner fuel for millions of drivers, every day. Inside the Beltway, we advocate for pro-biofuel policies to remove barriers to consumer fuel choices with a Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) fix, support a strong Renewable Fuel Standard, and open new markets for U.S. exports and trade. We are securing a cleaner future for all of us. We are POET and we're driving innovation,
from the ground up. Learn more here. ******

MEDIAWATCH -- "Facebook Building Feature to Let Users Subscribe to News Publications," by WSJ's Deepa Seetharaman and Lukas Alpert: "Facebook Inc. may soon help its users do something unfamiliar on the platform: pay for news. The social-media giant is building a feature that would allow users to subscribe to publishers directly from the mobile app, according to people familiar with the matter. The feature, long-requested by publishers, is expected to roll out by the end of 2017 ... Facebook [is] leaning toward a metered-payment model, which would allow users to read some articles for free each month before prompting them to pay, three of the people familiar with the matter said."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea8458acfc746ea0627b41933b82192d80a5f49ea59c69376751d3267993eb08b3023f073ddb99de485425d89b82561cfa72

-- L.A. Times national correspondent Nigel Duara is leaving for a role as a correspondent on HBO's "Vice News Tonight." Duara, also an AP alum, will serve as a national correspondent, beginning June 19.

Playbookers
SPOTTED: HHS Secretary Tom Price drinking a beer at the Nationals game last night cheering on the Braves with some other HHSers. ... Dr. Ben Carson yesterday on a Delta Shuttle from DCA to LGA, seated in Delta Comfort+ seat 7D ... Ivanka at LaGuardia yesterday near the gate for the DCA shuttle (with lots of Secret Service with her) ... Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) talking on his cell-phone yesterday afternoon in the Watergate Hotel library ... Ron Brownstein yesterday catching a foul ball at Nationals Park -- Doug Heye's Instapic http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea846d55fa5d6c7f14c927de0613dc60b6b29fb1c8b9fc99f0d53d671782fc2ebf7d10432d0dd338593e683206fc86c66fc8 ... Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.) sitting at the head of a packed table off the lobby of 20 F Street, NW. ...

... Ashton Kutcher and Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) sharing a stage at the 2017 Rotary Convention in Atlanta to discuss the issue of modern day slavery and the current efforts in curbing human sex trafficking around the world. Pics http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea84b3bab0d736f926bc74bf0dd49e4595fe04b5e7a30d77f2da01668334f9e35726d3754dfb0bfa46041b83df504f06a506 ... http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea846ffe4fb035fdfa80b297df358b3493aa2c67f0681c3c94689795102ac386e58d35eee215388f4fccdf47430dd7de6cb0 ... Laurel Strategies CEO Alan Fleischmann having breakfast yesterday morning at the Four Seasons with Stedman Graham.

OUT AND ABOUT -- Ed Cash held his semiannual Bipartisan Homeland Security reception last night at Clyde's in Chinatown. The event brings together the homeland security teams from the Bush, Obama and now Trump Administrations. More than 350 guests attended the event and heard remarks from Secretary John Kelly, former Secretary Michael Chertoff and former Deputy Secretary Ali Mayorkas. Pic of Secretary Kelly addressing attendees http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea84c827bd10417a7e339baeae182671a2c890a14426b7ff9044bda7e6fcf47362fd45d7d53928772207f60c5b713565230e

SPOTTED: Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke, DHS chief of staff Kirstjen Nielsen, White House OMB associate director Kathy Kraninger, Admiral Thad Allen, Chad Sweet, DHS assistant secretary for public affairs Jonathan Hoffman, FEMA deputy administrator Dave Grant, White House Military Office director Dab Kern, DC Homeland Security chief Brian Baker, Rich Serino, Christian Marrone, Will Booher, and many more.

SPOTTED at Dave Weigel's book party last night at Black Cat to celebrate "The Show That Never Ends: The Rise and Fall of Prog Rock" -- $18.32 on Amazon: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea843dd85624fa3accf0dd1977eaea7df4bd2a7f55ce5e1518e162e2060705e0d190c29f20b641519ec229b88ec825adc8a4 Julia Ioffe, Asawin Suebsaeng, Elizabeth Nolan Brown, Wesley Lowery, Olivia Nuzzi, John Hudson, Taylor Lorenz, Ezra Klein, Annie Lowery, Rosie Gray, Carolyn Fiddler, Bob Draper, Paul Kane, Josh Green, Kevin Robillard, Byron Tau, Rebecca Leber, Stephanie Slade, Jesse Walker, Matt Gertz, Peter Suderman, Meghan McArdle, Jim Newell, Tierney Sneed, Brian Beutler, Benjy Sarlin, Hadas Gold, Brendan Karet, Eric Boehm, Igor Bobic, Alyssa Rosenberg, John Tabin, Alex Parker, Eric Michael Garcia, Betsy
Woodruff, Pema Levy, Travis Waldron.

ENGAGED -- Patrick Crowley (of Dayblink Consulting, soon to be getting his MBA at UNC) popped the question on Saturday to AEI senior media associate Meg Cahill. "She gladly said yes to her longtime Notre Dame college sweetheart and AEI's communications team looks forward to celebrating the happy couple when they return on our Dupont Circle rooftop!" After getting engaged, the couple then went on an already planned vacation to Puerto Rico. Pic http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea8411c1a26fab3bd848e0e9ae0cd48e04e070b6fc8bee072a7ef3b75d3192327e74c3b9a91be534d6a8bdeee460630b95af

TRANSITIONS -- Former Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack is joining the board of directors of Feeding America, which is the nation's largest hunger relief organization with 200 food banks serving every state. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea84ef06b5931cc1f5494464154cbd4115c5d596ffabdcf9b3a78d91bb84ac51913686dccd27df730409ad75615ea3f79774 ... Ashley Pratte has been hired to be the director of public affairs at The Herald Group; she most recently has been director of media relations and public affairs at the American Legislative Exchange Council. ... Constance Boozer, formerly of HFA (Brooklyn), is now Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's director of surrogates and media affairs. She got promoted from within the office, where she's been working since November. ...

... Marcel Lettre has joined Lockheed Martin as VP for national security. He previously was under secretary of defense for intelligence and has also worked on the Hill. ... Emily Hecht-McGowan is joining the Biden Foundation's team as policy director for equality. She previously was Family Equality Council's chief policy officer. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea84e8e5a654d196fd9937e0bead2080eccb16843b0fd71f69448b6f019bfbc4a78d7f09cbbcb94ffc9a5d12456f36b04158 ... Ed Murphy, a former researcher for Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner and the RNC, has joined Prospect Strategic Communications as the opposition-research firm's newest partner. Ed will be based in Chicago, while the firm's other two partners, Kris Anderson and Webber Steinhoff, are based in LA and D.C.

BIRTHWEEK (was yesterday): Chris Lu, former deputy secretary of Labor and longtime Obamaworld person who is now at FiscalNote and the Miller Center, turned 51. He celebrated by "cheering on the Nats and toasting birthday-mate George H.W. Bush, whose decency and integrity is sorely missed in the White House right now," per our anonymous birthday tipster ... Michael Pollack, former clerk for Justice Sotomayor and future Cardozo Law professor (hat tip: David Helfenbein) ... (was Saturday): Ayesha Rascoe, White House reporter at Reuters (h/t Roberta Rampton)

BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: WSJ White House reporter Eli Stokols, Politico alum, the pride of Irvine, California and erstwhile Mile High resident. How he's celebrating: "Just going out to dinner with my girlfriend, Elena Schneider. I've been told we're going to Rose's." Read his Playbook Plus Q&A: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a3c77db0a04ea84a21b07238e071ca6c2ff4939c486f6dfc9bba69acf6ae43fc9db56d8a87c25107d0ce9073c11684b384dcc1745a6fef3

BIRTHDAYS: L.A. Times political writer Seema Mehta ... former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is 73 ... Mike Norton, Arkansan, Truman/Marshall Scholar and former Hill intern ... Katie Biber Chen, Romney GC and Bush 43 alum now general counsel at Thumbtack in SF (h/t Sarah Isgur Flores) ... Jimmy Orr ... John Del Cecato, partner at AKPD Message and Media ... Cathy McLaughlin (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) ... Marissa Shorenstein, SVP of the east region at AT&T, one of the youngest senior executives in the company's history (h/t Keri Kohler) ... Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) is 7-0 (h/t James Owens) ... Politico's Margaret McGill ... William Lewallen ... Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) is 8-0 ...
Leslie Hagar Small ... Neil Bernstein ... Bill Mergner, director at AQN Strategies ... Philip Rosenthal ... NBC alum Morgan Pitt, now an events coordinator at Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville ...

... Nicole Gelinas, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor to City Journal ... Ryan Rhodes ... WSJ alum Andrew Grossman, now a student at Wharton ... Jenny Eisen Verdery, yoga instructor and former lobbyist at Intel, celebrating 5-0 at Machu Picchu in Peru (h/t Stewart) ... Charlie Nichols is 15 ... Michelle Lee of WaPo's Fact-Checker blog ... NBC4's Eun Yang ... R. Brian Lewis, a good man from Nebraska ... Jim Fellinger, press secretary at Concerned Veterans for America (h/t Rebecca Coffman) ... Kirtan Mehta ... Lauren Mehta ... Sagar Vachhani ... Alex Marino of Civis Analytics ... Andrew Lavigne ... Judge Neil Cohen ... Sarah Hurwitz ... Margaret Shepard,
managing director of 1776, celebrating in France (h/t Peter Cherukuri) ... Genger Charles ... Patrick G. Cronin ... Michelle Korsmo ... Patrick McGill is 31 ... Bill Buck is 5-0 ... John Eddy, partner at SourceRock Partners ... Jeff Siegel is 4-0 ... Junheng Li ... Rick Weidman is 71 ... Tony Varona ... Neil Bernstein is 51 ... WTOP's Brian Oliger ... artist Christo is 82 ... Siegfried (Siegfried & Roy) is 78 ... Hannah Storm is 55 ... Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are 31 (h/ts AP)

****** A message from POET - one of the world's largest ethanol producers: Led by scientists and engineers, POET is a biofuels company built from innovation. POET operates 30 biofuel facilities across eight states & America's first cellulosic biofuel plant. Across the country, we support 40,000 renewable energy jobs producing a cleaner fuel for millions of drivers, every day. Inside the Beltway, we advocate for pro-biofuel policies to remove barriers to consumer fuel choices with a Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) fix, support a strong Renewable Fuel Standard, and open new markets for U.S. exports and trade. We are securing a cleaner future for all of us. We are POET and we're driving innovation,
from the ground up. Learn more here. ******

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