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Today's POLITICO Playbook presented by Starbucks

06/22/2017 06:35 AM EDT

By ANNA PALMER (anna@politico.com; @apalmerdc), JAKE SHERMAN (sherman@politico.com; @JakeSherman) and DANIEL LIPPMAN (daniel@politico.com; @dlippman)

Listen to the Playbook Audio Briefing | Subscribe on iTunes | Visit the online home of Playbook
Driving the Day
Good Thursday morning. SPOTTED -- IVANKA TRUMP dining alone with Alibaba's Jack Ma at Fiola Mare Wednesday night.

THE NEW NORM -- @jdawsey1: "No camera or recording allowed [today] at White House briefing with spokeswoman Sarah Sanders, per advisory."

-- COMPARE AND CONTRAST: On Capitol Hill, GOP leaders brief reporters multiple times a week on camera and take dozens of questions. Reporters are allowed to approach any lawmaker in the hallway at any time. The White House, on the other hand, is making it extraordinarily difficult for reporters to do their job.

BUZZ -- ALWAYS BE SELLING: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has started to meet with industry groups to preview the GOP health care bill. The bill is expected to be posted this morning at 11 a.m.

-- WAPO got a draft copy of the bill: The bill will "curtail federal Medicaid funding, repeal taxes on the wealthy and eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood..." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deeb02374748f274d63d0bb30070e936be91a662d845d8006ee2ea036fa9b3cc9c8f1e00ccaad461f896347d634979e0a098

-- "What's in the Senate's secret Obamacare repeal bill," by Jen Haberkorn: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deeba8a2572a61bab87262c0e5dcc330e8f43a4a24a9362779fac0af808858b354bc1606d79a636c44f04b53f784ed7b0527

THE REALITY -- "Health bill could show limits of Trump's Senate sway," by Josh Dawsey, Burgess Everett, Tara Palmeri and Eliana Johnson: "President Donald Trump is starting to whip votes for the Senate health bill, but he could find his influence there is more limited than in the House of Representatives, where he cajoled, cursed and wooed members to vote for his top campaign promise. Aides to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell were set to brief White House staffers Wednesday evening on the details of the bill they've been writing in secret, before it is expected to be made public Thursday. The president is expected to endorse their plan to repeal Obamacare. But even with Trump's help,
the bill faces a perilous path in the Senate.

"Trump called Sen. Rand Paul Tuesday to see if he could be convinced to back the bill. Paul said he gave Trump no guarantees he'd vote for the bill, which he described as too much like Obamacare. 'We might have to play golf again,' Paul told POLITICO as he recounted their conversation. 'If it doesn't work for Alaska, it doesn't make any difference who's calling me,' said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), preemptively dismissing any attempt by Trump to twist her arm; she said he hasn't reached out yet. Murkowski and Paul are two of the senators who are most skeptical of the health legislation, though they have different complaints." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deeb2bf286ca8ae419f5ec9c50e1cdc70619b0d030e66d27f8cf7e73cbe2be0855ec8b95e0ae103da43f456f19b7a9083c34

THINGS COULD GET TRICKY FAST -- "How the GOP could go nuclear on Obamacare repeal," by Seung Min Kim: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deebced4e5acfbc73d0c78196761e7734f6f0783149c340e654ba0eb75e9e29d53fa55eb68f03289b1756852d5134159042f

THE BAD NEWS BABES beat the members of Congress 2-1 in the Congressional Women's Softball Game. A report from the scene from Playbook's producer Zach Montellaro: "The biggest moment of the night was when Crystal Griner, one of the Capitol Police officers injured in last week's shooting, threw out the first pitch after just being released from the hospital (video from third base coach Frank Thorp http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deeb4c36e567c0f46ed90330afd2185d5276a6fe84d3ea2f946c405e51e5d24422b1de633cda2a135cf547d2ca43651d1428 The game raised over $300,000 for the Young Survival Coalition, a charity that supports young women diagnosed with breast cancer.

"Crowds filled up the Watkins Recreation Center, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) brought a particularly large cheering section (The rosters http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deeb41833f0fde91b12c565b0a9ef94329efd66e1e8ed1c83142eb525544cff98d7a35acf63467438d16b30b98fc2b5063a9 Retiring Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) got a special acknowledgment from the game announcers Andrea Mitchell, Dana Bash and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), who ran a funny running commentary all night. The two journalists joked that this was the one time they didn't have to be impartial towards Congress.

"Speaker Paul Ryan came onto the field before the game to wish both teams well. Despite a couple of injuries on the basepaths, everyone was in a light mood. SPOTTED: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Cali.) and House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), and Reps. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.), Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) and Diane Black (R-Tenn.). Kellyanne Conway made an appearance from the White House."

PICS -- The two teams http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deeb03a1ac787d41d3a66c4b74371c8940e863218fdf8893605cd438c90afd049aaba01da098f9f1c01a4aa3e1e8a64febff ... The lawmakers with team photographers http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deeba14e104ae6d960a9329b0ddab27286a0e93833f083108849688f7214984d2cb212c3c352c74845486e935586b465c754 ... The press team http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deebabd01b11413a1242eb8f3ae82c146a386479dddd763621378ae2188106091591fb873b4a96f894eec2c150f0f871cf7f ... Ryan talking with the press team http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deebadd387c9a6fb7b1b42312edacd034251b4474cd007994f9e68f8b17a4f18e179ade64aff6266d557eb66f1a03cb2becd ... First base coach Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-Colo.) high-fiving Gillibrand http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deeb179f56cc6e82b45799460ea71b2804021309cc47eb88ce4adb978d558bce4dfdfdea4aa6bc706831ef842608cad11c62

ABOUT LAST NIGHT -- "Trump speaks of promises kept, victories to come," by Matt Nussbaum: "President Donald Trump, buoyed by a pair of special election wins for House Republicans on Tuesday, celebrated Wednesday at a campaign rally Cedar Rapids, Iowa, before a raucous and adoring crowd. He defended his administration, castigated the press, mocked Democrats, boasted of his achievements so far and praised his supporters.

"In remarks that stretched for over an hour, Trump -- appearing relaxed and at ease -- even floated a twist to his signature policy idea, one that he had only previously offered to lawmakers at the White House. Perhaps the great Southern border wall that was a foundation of his campaign could be a 'solar wall,' he suggested, adding that way it might pay for itself. 'Pretty good imagination,' Trump said of himself, after floating the idea to the crowd.

"He also defended the wealth of some of his highest aides, including top economic adviser Gary Cohn and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. 'In those particular positions, I just don't want a poor person,' Trump said, in what appeared to be an off-the-cuff line. And, to the crowd's delight, Trump heaped praise upon his supporters. 'We have the hardest working, the smartest people, the toughest people,' Trump said. 'They're very lucky that our people don't protest, believe me, they're very lucky.' ... [F]or old time's sake, he even blasted his general election opponent, Hillary Clinton, announcing that no one knew what she stood for on Election Day other than that she was against him. Some in
the crowd began to chant, 'Lock her up!' 'Who cares?' Trump responded to the chant." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deebe46cca1ca83665d7e025ee55cab4e46b31bfd392a630440fab3309595c410cd27b4621b206ddc56a7f272355fe7637ea

-- GREAT LINES FROM NYT'S MAGGIE HABERMAN: "Free from his handlers for roughly 70 minutes, Mr. Trump described his administration as he wished it to be: one in which he had made historic governing accomplishments and been stymied solely by the 'resistance.' ...

"'And the president frequently embellished details during his speech, or told outright falsehoods. He tried to catch himself at one point, saying, 'I have to be a little careful, because they'll say, 'He lied!' But he nonetheless plowed ahead, including misstating whether the Paris climate agreement, from which he plans to withdraw the United States, is binding. While doing so, he also prompted the audience to name the agreement themselves. 'P... p... p,' he said. 'Like hell it's nonbinding!' thundered Mr. Trump, who in fact called the accord nonbinding in his Rose Garden speech announcing the withdrawal this month." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deeb87352b8c656bbf720949ca69ed5984d65d978eab7ae5e786623b2189f017dfe6db841507346def15725cb37953934fef

-- DES MOINES REGISTER FRONT PAGE: "Trump rides high after GOP wins: President pledges support for agriculture ahead of raucous Cedar Rapids rally" A1 PDF http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deeb25b557251ac73b589cd4c52e7afbc3cdad990d129993bb07f9f1ce0aeb8ba8c07f9282c167266bacf69c4e94c823a573 ... Jason Noble's story http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deeb78b426fb65df2f000ab0646eef065fe837054291d7fb45b67b5661ab00bc9e2235d53917f1ff9653df5ebeddb5dca1b5

-- @BraddJaffy: "NBC's @alivitali confirms President Trump will hold his first re-election fundraiser at his own Washington D.C. hotel"

TIME'S NEW COVER featuring Robert Mueller -- "The Lie Detector: Someone's Not Telling the Truth": http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deeb6bf2511f10374dbc532d73b397b1d3b1ec17b84ec5f1ec62f1812eb798157a14f8f828b1468e646b45a2d04282405d01


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STAKING HIS TURF -- "Grassley embraces oversight role in Trump-Russia probe," by Seung Min Kim and Josh Gerstein: "In an interview with POLITICO Wednesday in his Capitol office, [Chuck] Grassley was the most definitive yet that his committee's probe will examine issues of obstruction of justice. 'I don't want to say for sure. But I don't know how you can avoid it,' Grassley said regarding questions of obstruction of justice in his investigation. 'Because the FBI was investigating it before there was a special counsel.' The Iowa senator, who took charge of the Judiciary panel two years ago, has been hammering out the parameters of an investigation with Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on
probing Comey's dismissal, as well as potential political interference at the Justice Department under the Obama administration. ... He's undaunted by the thought of provoking Trump: 'I can't look at whether the president is a Republican or a Democrat. My constitutional responsibility of oversight stays the same.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deeb9847fa2f853130d6757ff1aae5f6621970a94d62733b1dc56882d7a67850d4ca2846f19d8c849f09036c909a0378f24f

THE AFTERMATH -- "Pelosi faces growing doubts among Dems after Georgia loss: There's a lot of grumbling by rank-and-file members, but no leadership change is imminent," by John Bresnahan, Heather Caygle and Kyle Cheney: "House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and other top Democrats put a brave face on Wednesday morning after a disappointing loss in the Georgia special election, yet there is no disguising the unhappiness in the party ranks. There is no challenge to Pelosi's leadership, and none is going to happen at this point, said numerous Democrats. But it's clear frustration is growing with the longtime Democratic leader following the extensive losses Democrats have suffered over the past
half-decade.

"And the fact that Republicans spent millions of dollars on TV ads tying Democratic hopeful Jon Ossoff to Pelosi - and the brand of progressive policies she represents - shows that she will once again be an issue for Democratic challengers in the very districts that the party needs to win to make her speaker again. Some Democrats want to replace Pelosi atop their caucus, as they have since last November's poor showing at the polls; they say there is no way to get back in the majority with her as their leader. And others who backed her in last year's leadership challenge have now flipped their stance." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deeb7d1f435a2ec961955e9a0f0753f09c57d2d060fa758da6483be72ca268e437447bd8544187deea2cd6dcf264045d6978

-- "Democrats Seethe After Georgia Loss: 'Our Brand Is Worse Than Trump'," by NYT's Alex Burns and Jonathan Martin: "[T]he most acute and widely expressed concerns were economic. Speaking after a meeting of the Democratic caucus on Wednesday morning, Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York said the party was preparing to be 'aggressively focused on job creation and economic growth.' And Representative Jim Himes of Connecticut, who represents an affluent district near New York City, said Democrats must do more to compete with what he described as expansive and unrealistic promises by President Trump. 'It's not enough to say, 'I want jobs,'' Mr. Himes said. 'You need more than that,
particularly when you're competing with a guy who is telling fantasies.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deeb7984772d359327b404f3c457b77cc12b4100097f7cd812e6d81427695b4eddee55b553999dc6383beb107b2c17f7eecd

EVEN IN LANGLEY! - "A Bunch Of CIA Staff Got Fired For Stealing Snacks From Vending Machines," by BuzzFeed's Jason Leopold and David Mack: "Several CIA contractors were kicked out of the agency for stealing more than $3,000 in snacks from vending machines, according to official documents newly obtained by BuzzFeed News. The thefts took place starting in the fall of 2012 and continued through March 2013, according to a declassified Office of Inspector General report from October 2013." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deebfab69600a25285a84f47aae01c46255d5512e7a6849c10b3a6f343c0e9dde3e6c148c3b99645bf04bf44b1769dc1a516

--TRUMP'S THURSDAY: Trump will participate in the American Leadership in Emerging Technology event in the morning. He is also expected to meet with the International Olympic Committee. In the evening, Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will host the Congressional Picnic.

THE JUICE ...

-- FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Cornell Belcher is joining NBC News and MSNBC as a political contributor. He was the first minority lead pollster for a national party, when he was pollster for the DNC under former chairman Howard Dean and worked on the Obama campaign polling teams.

-- SAVE MY CARE, in a five figure buy, is upping the ante on its opposition to the GOP health care bill sending two mailers to tens of thousands of voters in five states which have Republican senators: Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Jeff Flake (Ariz.), Susan Collins (Maine), Dean Heller (Nev.) and Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.). Some of the text of one of the mailer: "Senate Republicans are keeping a secret. Because they know you'll hate it. It's a 'health care' repeal plan that will cut coverage and raise costs." Last week, Save My Care launched TV and rural radio ads in targeted Senate states. See the two mailers http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deeb626eace1263f6cad24c7d2618885e84c7748ee624df9728088fb4312da6fd3647831fc8fa04d5b6c678e091e27e4ecf2 ...
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deeb58957c1dd0429296d91a9213bb5bfcb66ac3d264af193d8673720eb8df6559f4679653430a3a06450a1b09e357cb4b52

-- MARK SCOTT to POLITICO Europe -- MATT KAMINSKI emails the staff: "We're thrilled to share some news this morning about our digital future: Mark Scott is POLITICO's new Chief Technology Correspondent. ... As the European Technology Correspondent for the New York Times, his professional home the past six years, Mark filed memorable stories on fake news, Europe's Google and privacy wars and the Apple-Ireland tax case. ... He'll continue to be based in London but will spend a lot of time in Brussels, other EU capitals and the U.S."

-- "In the Trump era, Obama nostalgia is a booming industry," by L.A. Times' Mike Memoli: "Pat Cunnane spent six years in the White House helping to promote Barack Obama's message. From the outside, he still does: On Tuesday, Cunnane became the latest Obama alumnus to land a contract for a book on his experiences....

"Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, has signed on to publish Cunnane's recollections of his coming of age, starting at 22 years old, in the White House press office, a book tentatively called 'West Winging It: An Unpresidential Memoir.' 'For six years, working in the Obama White House was all I knew. When that came to an end a few months ago, let's just say I didn't take it well,' Cunnane said." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deebb07f8d1e00a334cbdfbd998af55d166ff44fc21ef53b704ff3ad2148285240315b82653cc05fdca67af81b1e2a027dcd


Playbook Reads


PHOTO DU JOUR: Capitol Police officer Crystal Griner, who was injured in last week's shooting at the Republican baseball practice, throws out the first pitch in the Congressional Women's Softball at Watkins Recreation Center on June 21. | Tom Williams / CQ Roll Call via AP Photo

MATT NUSSBAUM and JOSH DAWSEY -- "Priebus keeps tight grip on the RNC: The chief of staff is staying deeply involved in RNC matters, despite having his hands full in the West Wing": "Priebus, who led the RNC from 2011 until he assumed the White House job earlier this year, has so far given little autonomy to his successor, Ronna Romney McDaniel, with one senior Republican operative close to the White House saying Priebus' control over the RNC is 'total and complete.'

"Priebus wants to be continually updated on fundraising numbers, potential candidates for office and polling numbers, according to one strategist with knowledge of the RNC. He repeatedly asked RNC officials about their strategy and plan for the Georgia special election and often gave input. Republicans won a narrow victory in the deep red district." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deeb261e99ce9d8eafdb5a55863250ad3409ced905b000a359e46cab0592133206fe214fdee5758980f11e6939db10648efb

AU REVOIR -- "White House shows no sign of reopening Paris talks: Three weeks after Trump announced he's pulling the U.S. out of the climate accord, everyone is waiting for the White House to move forward," by Andrew Restuccia: "Three weeks after President Donald Trump pledged to pull the United States out of the Paris climate agreement and negotiate a better deal, foreign allies and U.S. officials alike remain perplexed about the White House's plans going forward.

"Two U.S. officials told POLITICO that senior White House aides, who are prioritizing health care legislation and increasingly preoccupied by the expanding Russia probe, have had very few internal conversations about the administration's Paris strategy since Trump's announcement. One official said the administration likely won't begin mapping out its next moves until after the July G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deebc4e8d2c12c159981a8bdab2bb3574793ca9dc02d6c3f3cb05a852d8d788082cc6a571f821130bf1646518ff7c05fa219

DRAIN THE SWAMP! -- "Trump appointee is a Saudi government lobbyist," by the Center for Public Integrity's Carrie Levine: "One of President Donald Trump's newest appointees is a registered agent of Saudi Arabia earning hundreds of thousands of dollars to lobby on the kingdom's behalf, according to U.S. Department of Justice records reviewed by the Center for Public Integrity. Since January, the Saudi Arabian foreign ministry has paid longtime Republican lobbyist Richard Hohlt about $430,000 in exchange for 'advice on legislative and public affairs strategies.' Trump's decision to appoint a registered foreign agent to the President's Commission on White House Fellowships clashes with the
president's vow to clean up Washington and limit the influence of special interests." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deeb0ea6f8ec16d566c33b4b282552b777a37ed3223a2cc8ce0f1066606ed1efedd0020902a45d6c86693d67a418abe9c90d

WHAT KENT KNUTSON IS READING -- "North Dakota's last Democrat?," by Burgess Everett in Wahpeton, N.D.: "Heidi Heitkamp still remembers the first time she led the Senate in the Pledge of Allegiance after her surprising win in 2012. How hard it was to get the words out. 'I can't get through it because I'm too emotional,' she recalls to dozens of gangly teenagers graduating from the American Legion's Boys State program. 'How could a middle-aged, kind of a chubby woman, be standing in the United States Senate?' The 61-year-old Heitkamp survived a brutal bout with cancer amid a failed 2000 campaign for governor, then ran for the Senate 12 years later in a Republican-dominated state. And now she
is staring down an exceedingly difficult reelection campaign in a state where President Donald Trump is beloved." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deebde69fc2cd20e152998f78529845e4413f67c21e49a5545d719b25ca3254de169f97a7292a6c54e9f37da00af9b86815d


****** A message from Starbucks: At Starbucks, we're always looking to create new opportunities for our workforce. Over the next five years, we'll create 68,000 new jobs and open more than 3,400 stores across the country. Also included: 100 new Military Family stores operated by veterans and military spouses to help bridge the civilian-military divide: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deeb38cbed956fa773cbc8529136644bcc15721c86371a14153ac398a5391ad60f7978b4013426172d571603d9e7351ee65c ******

VALLEY TALK - "How Uber Backers Orchestrated Kalanick's Ouster as CEO," by WSJ's Greg Bensinger and Maureen Farrell: "Mr. Kalanick was in Chicago on Tuesday to interview a candidate for his top deputy position when he received unexpected news about his future, according to people familiar with the matter. Matt Cohler and Peter Fenton, two partners at venture-capital firm Benchmark, one of Uber's biggest investors, flew out to Chicago to confront Mr. Kalanick, presenting him with a letter signed by five major shareholders. The letter demanded the 40-year-old CEO immediately resign after a series of scandals consumed the company, these people said. ... Mr. Kalanick ... is expected to remain
an influential presence at the ride-hailing company: He will keep a seat on Uber's board of directors and he retains control of a majority of Uber's voting shares." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deebcae638dbde0a357b096d2d0fe11158cda2c37844715fd74708b5a5d15203547997b1d37cd7f2bd720ca24b8086018045

MEDIAWATCH -- THE CRAZIEST MEDIA STORY IN A WHILE - "Wall Street Journal fires correspondent over ethics conflict," by AP's Jeff Horwitz, Jon Gambrell and Jack Gillum: "The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday fired its highly regarded chief foreign affairs correspondent after evidence emerged of his involvement in prospective commercial deals - including one involving arms sales to foreign governments - with an international businessman who was one of his key sources. The reporter, Jay Solomon, was offered a 10 percent stake in a fledgling company, Denx LLC, by Farhad Azima, an Iranian-born aviation magnate who has ferried weapons for the CIA. ... During the course of its investigation, the AP
obtained emails and text messages between Azima and Solomon, as well as an operating agreement for Denx dated March 2015, which listed an apparent stake for Solomon. ...

"'I clearly made mistakes in my reporting and entered into a world I didn't understand.' Solomon told the AP on Wednesday. ... In an April 2015 email, Azima wrote to Solomon about a proposal for a $725 million air-operations, surveillance and reconnaissance support contract with the United Arab Emirates that would allow planes to spy on activity inside nearby Iran. Solomon was supposed to ferry the proposal to UAE government representatives at a lunch the following day, the email said. 'We all wish best of luck to Jay on his first defense sale,' Azima wrote to Solomon [and two other colleagues]. ... In October 2014, Solomon wrote to Azima in a text message: 'Our business opportunities are
so promising.' ... The emails show Solomon's relationship with Azima began professionally, as the reporter cultivated the businessman as a source of information about Iranian money in a Georgian hotel deal and other matters." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deeb784d1f02bda9f705c17a9199fc187172807626ffd46921a43f20ce2e2934cdbc41ea4f981e6cde6e3d9e21c1458dbc19 ... Read some of the source docs http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deeb01843565d7ae0ac2d550914c6eb53123bc75e06dc50bf99c91a2bee10ed7ae3478f3863d4ede8a09f498cbe892b95ecc

-- THE AP INVESTIGATION OF AZIMA: 'Worth killing over': How a plane mogul dodged U.S. scrutiny" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deeb651f23a1a40cd72ce3d1e96fafdfb796bd907b51a1d8286be355817390cf07ba1a30ccc47e9aba585f1aaff2c8a6978e

--HADAS GOLD: "Washington Bureau Chief Paul Beckett made the announcement [that Solomon was fired] to staff during a hastily called meeting on Wednesday after meeting with senior editors in New York the day before. ... Beckett took no questions and asked any staffers who knew anything about the situation to come forward, according to multiple sources." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deeb4a9b8e59b72a0c779376b622ee74957644c7b9789a0b2ec20de7250a415032e08f3d6753b58803cb4aaa5bbd3f0362b9

-- "How The Guardian Lost America," by BuzzFeed's Steven Perlberg: "The Guardian's US newsroom didn't become the voice of the Bernie left during the election. It didn't break huge campaign scoops. Years after winning a Pulitzer for the Edward Snowden story, Guardian US has slashed costs, leaving employees stewing about mismanagement, infighting, a sexual harassment allegation, and unrealistic business expectations." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deeb7ac85ba1b56c37f08d8c7fe3688d7731c327504bdae26aa5df157be80c6f0fc381fc2d09d3a4515d8dc1077f1f269498

Playbookers
SUNDAY SO FAR - "Fox News Sunday": Brit Hume is filling in for Chris Wallace: Mike Needham, Jennifer Griffin, Josh Holmes, Bob Woodward

SPOTTED: OMB Director Mick Mulvaney last night at Barcelona ... Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse dining at Bistro Cacao ... former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz dining alfresco at The Bombay Club ... Ben Carson yesterday at "Home Runs for Horton's Kids" at Nats Park -- 14 second video http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deeb638ccf9a1298e81856ea940b515bc6c13bceb570ab4bbbb5305d62c3dfd45df206e8227ab393d0657824dbfa363da66f Sean Spicer was also seen taking batting practice later in the evening ... Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) sitting at the bar at Hank's Oyster Bar by himself post-softball game, nibbling on a salad ... Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) and Nikki Haley, hanging out separately, at Le Diplomate.

BOOK PARTY CIRCUIT -- GEORGE LITTLE and the Brunswick Group held a book party last night for Garrett Graff's new book "Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government's Secret Plan to Save Itself--While the Rest of Us Die". In a Q&A with George, Garrett told the crowd that one of his inspirations to write the book was because one of his former Washingtonian colleagues several years ago showed him a government badge he had found in a parking lot that had exact directions to a doomsday bunker in West Virginia. Garrett was intrigued so he followed the directions on Google Maps and discovered that even Google didn't know exactly what was there. $15.49 on Amazon
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deeb5908f85e4cec35dee9bbdc2f568343c49d51e5b890030bd8711aa9224719cd3d6c24664f2bd521de0faf8b1b6190f12d ... Pic of Garrett and George http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deebf552ba7618e3d0b834d36bf2eca9902bb8672897bdf75fa6ed0abc12cef4062dfe8a866a0d2ada798b35349cfc543c70 SPOTTED: Brian Hale, Mike Krempasky, Sam Feist, Peter Earnest, Marc Ross, Steve Heuser, Deborah Solomon, Evan Perez, Neil Irwin, Tal Kopan, Laura Jarrett, Del Wilber, Marc Raimondi, Jim Sciutto, Kevin Baron, Kate McCarroll.

OUT AND ABOUT -- Gloria Dittus of Story Partners and Suzanne Clark of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce co-hosted a dinner Wednesday night in honor of IFA Chairman Shelly Sun, founder and CEO of BrightStar Care, bringing together trade association reps, think tankers, lawmakers and political consultants to talk about labor and business policies. SPOTTED: Robert Cresanti, Matt Haller, Aric Newhouse, Brent Parton, Peter Schaumber, Chrissy Harbin, Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), Marty and Donna Davis, Marcus Peacock, Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.), Steven Law, Reem Alou and Jade West.

SPOTTED at the Innovation House last night for an event hosted by Mav PAC, with special guest Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa): Mav PAC national co-chairs Fritz Brogan and Morgan Ortagus, and D.C. board members Garrett Marquis, Chris May, James Fitzella, Robert Flock, and Sarah Curran. Also spotted: Dan Green, Charles McCray, Drew Aldridge, Elizabeth Rojas Levi and John Stanford.

SPOTTED last night at Tosca: a contingent from the Harry S. Truman Library talking about the importance of NATO with Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, President Truman's grandson Clifton Truman Daniel and Husch Blackwell partner Adam Sachs.

OUT AND ABOUT IN NYC -- SPOTTED at a Club for Growth event last night at the Harvard Club: Florida Gov. Rick Scott, David McIntosh, Art Laffer, and Larry Kudlow (all hosts), Shannon Bream, Alice Stewart, James Taranto, Jake Novak, Charlie Gasparino and David Asman.

TRANSITIONS -- Ferguson & Associates has hired veteran conservative Bob Thompson as regional VP of the mid-Atlantic and DC. From 1999 to last year, Bob was the administrator of The Weyrich Lunch, "a weekly coalition meeting of conservative, pro-family, economic, national security, and foreign affairs organizations and leaders." ... Tom Brandt has started as the new communications director for Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.). He previously worked in comms for Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-Kan.), and Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.).

BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Washington Post Live executive producer Michael Falcone, who joined the Post in May after more than six years at ABC News. Read his Playbook Plus Q&A: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deebcd3f2c94a963056409883f214196ea789717f4ae6735bf3d2b05a17d8e839e26450c45dcf339314e732b3510a57fe4d5

BIRTHDAYS: Brit Hume is 74 (hat tip: James Rosen) ... VA Secretary David Shulkin is 58 ... Mary Jo Scarborough of Pensacola ... Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is 68 ... Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) is 84 ... environmental activist Erin Brockovich is 57 ... AP White House reporter Jill Colvin (hubby tip: Jeremy Herb) ... GOP fundraiser Dana Harris ... Justice Clarence Thomas is 69 ... Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) is 57 ... ICANN's Carlos Reyes is 28 ... Megan Chan, WaPo's director of digital operations ... Kirk Whitworth ... James VandeHei is 13 ... Zach Stewart ... L.A. Times alum Andrew Malcolm, now national politics columnist for McClatchy ... Derek Hunter ... Bryan Jung ...
Politico Europe alum Antoine Rolin ... Robert Sinners, special assistant at GSA ...

... Pia Carusone ... Pat Griffin, former Senate Secretary for the Democrats and proud grandfather (h/t Arjun Mody) ... Alisa Robbins Doctoroff, immediate past president of the UJA - Federation of New York, is 59 ... Andy Rubin, founder and CEO of tech incubator Playground Global, is 55 (h/ts Jewish Insider) ... Lauren Weiner, a principal at Precision Strategies (h/t Tom Zigo) ... Katie Byerly with Albright Stonebridge Group (h/t Robert Cogan) ... Politico's Kaitlyn Burton and Adrienne Hurst ... Bonny-Kate Ralston ... Chris Hofmann ... CBS News alum Jackie Adams ... CAP energy maven Luke Bassett ... Fox News' Brian Doherty ... Lori Kelley ... Kristie Robinson ... Zach Stewart (h/t Teresa
Vilmain) ... Kyle Taylor is 36 ... John Romero ... Mike Moodian is 4-0 ... Mike Carter-Conneen ... Dustin Olson ... actress Prunella Scales ("Fawlty Towers") is 85 ... Kris Kristofferson is 81 ... Meryl Streep is 68 ... author Dan Brown is 53 ... Mary Lynn Rajskub of "24" fame is 46 ... Carson Daly is 44 (h/ts AP)

****** A message from Starbucks: At Starbucks, we're always looking to create new opportunities for our workforce. Over the next five years, we'll create 68,000 new jobs and open more than 3,400 stores across the country. Also included: 100 new Military Family stores operated by veterans and military spouses to help bridge the civilian-military divide: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs 770d005505deeb38cbed956fa773cbc8529136644bcc15721c86371a14153ac398a5391ad60f7978b4013426172d571603d9e7351ee65c ******

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