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Today's Playbook Power Briefing presented by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

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


NEW, FROM THE ADMINISTRATION... "Trump Administration to Rescind Obama Guidelines on Race in College Admissions," by WSJ's Michelle Hackman: "The Trump administration is planning to rescind Tuesday a set of Obama-era policies that encourage the use of race in college admissions to promote diverse educational settings, according to two people familiar with the plans.

"The guidelines, issued jointly by the Obama Justice and Education departments, laid out legal recommendations for schools looking to use race as an admissions factor to boost diversity at their schools. Trump administration officials plan to argue that the documents, published in 2011 and 2016, go beyond Supreme Court precedent on the issue and mislead schools to believe that legal forms of affirmative action are simpler to achieve than what the law allows. ... Administration officials didn't immediately respond to requests for comment." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=bb8f108741b78e9708af5ce0d0dc57310a374825e63f276199fc4c3b0e394cfab5c1f391ca158777168ad9936aac42c4

NBC NEWS: "Powerful GOP Rep. Jim Jordan accused of turning blind eye to sexual abuse as Ohio State wrestling coach: 'At the end of the day, he is absolutely lying if he says he doesn't know what was going on,' a former Ohio State wrestler said," by Corey Siemaszko: "Rep. Jim Jordan, the powerful Republican congressman from Ohio, is being accused by former wrestlers he coached more than two decades ago at Ohio State University of failing to stop the team doctor from molesting them and other students.

"The university announced in April that it was investigating accusations that Dr. Richard Strauss, who died in 2005, abused team members when he was the team doctor from the mid-1970s to late 1990s.

"Jordan, who was assistant wrestling coach at the university from 1986 to 1994, has repeatedly said he knew nothing of the abuse until former students began speaking out this spring. His denials, however, have been met with skepticism and anger from some former members of the wrestling team.

"Three former wrestlers told NBC News that it was common knowledge that Strauss showered regularly with the students and inappropriately touched them during appointments, and said it would have been impossible for Jordan to be unaware; one wrestler said he told Jordan directly about the abuse. ...

"After NBC News reached out to Jordan, the congressman's spokesman repeated the denial. 'Congressman Jordan never saw any abuse, never heard about any abuse, and never had any abuse reported to him during his time as a coach at Ohio State,' his spokesman, Ian Fury, said in an email to NBC News." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=bb8f108741b78e97ce53b40c5d4a177df92ec69df4ec930fb0996eed30b947d96fbbc049b08ad489e1dd7f406b81b2cc

-- JORDAN is widely seen as angling for the speakership, or another slot in leadership.

****** A message from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Trade works. Tariffs don't. Tariffs raise costs and reduce exports. All of which means fewer jobs. See how hard your state will be hit at www.TheWrongApproach.com. ******

CHANGES AT MAIN JUSTICE ... NPR'S CARRIE JOHNSON: "Top Justice Department Lawyer Resigns, Latest To Step Down": "Scott Schools, a top aide to the deputy attorney general, is planning to leave the Justice Department, according to two people familiar with his decision.

"The job title for Schools - associate deputy attorney general - belied his importance as a strategic counselor and repository of institutional memory and ethics at the DOJ. Schools has played a critical, if behind-the-scenes, role in some of the most important and sensitive issues in the building." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=bb8f108741b78e972ec9f4c7fc147e3a039fd2f2304794c188cb35a57af05f88bab66f89bb5d11b716dba868d6d8271d

THE PRESIDENT has now ordered flags flown at half staff to remember those killed in Annapolis.

"As a mark of solemn respect for the victims of the terrible act of violence perpetrated on June 28, 2018, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, July 3, 2018.

"I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations." The order http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d9c3efac1e11bd0e413d102fc1523dcfdce97bf0e0b99adbb2321571bfcd8df98faeefebe74fdd50d5e2c6da130bd9de

ALI WATKINS REASSIGNED, per NYT's Mike Grynbaum: "Ali Watkins, the New York Times reporter whose email and phone records were secretly seized by the Trump administration, will be transferred out of the newspaper's Washington bureau and reassigned to a new beat in New York, The Times said on Tuesday.

"Ms. Watkins, 26, had been the subject of an internal review by The Times after revelations that she had a three-year affair with a high-ranking aide on the Senate Intelligence Committee, which she covered for several news organizations before joining The Times in December. ...

"Ms. Watkins, who had been covering federal law enforcement at The Times, will be assigned a mentor and moved to a new beat in New York 'for a fresh start,' the paper's executive editor, Dean Baquet, wrote in a memo to the newsroom.

"'We hold our journalists and their work to the highest standards,' Mr. Baquet wrote. 'We are giving Ali an opportunity to show that she can live up to them. I believe she can.' He added: 'I also believe that The Times must be a humane place that can allow for second chances when there are mitigating circumstances.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d9c3efac1e11bd0e3ea6d7b35484b7cd4b29b5d810e18f0fdf3528d0f3808a1a156972c6faa29a1a1a30cdbbe1e43fd8

Good Tuesday afternoon. Playbook PM is taking a break tomorrow for July 4. Playbook will be in your inbox, per usual, and the afternoon edition will return Thursday.

FOR JMART'S STAMP OF APPROVAL ... WAPO: "The 11 best barbecue joints in the D.C. area in 2018" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d9c3efac1e11bd0eea1035ba9877d544954a9b8f9abb6e8d17e1f228814c3db39692f602f95a90591fd890ab03a84363

WHAT'S ON THE PRESIDENT'S MIND -- @realDonaldTrump at 8:03 a.m.: "Just out that the Obama Administration granted citizenship, during the terrible Iran Deal negotiation, to 2,500 Iranians - including to government officials. How big (and bad) is that?"

... at 10 a.m.: "Now that Harley-Davidson is moving part of its operation out of the U.S., my Administration is working with other Motor Cycle companies who want to move into the U.S. Harley customers are not happy with their move - sales are down 7% in 2017. The U.S. is where the Action is!"

... at 10:18 a.m.: "Wow! The NSA has deleted 685 million phone calls and text messages. Privacy violations? They blame technical irregularities. Such a disgrace. The Witch Hunt continues!"

AP'S ZEKE MILLER and ERIC TUCKER: "Leonard Leo: Unassuming figure with big voice on high court": "Leonard Leo had barely finished briefing Senate Republicans about the just-concluded Supreme Court term when he heard the news that Justice Anthony Kennedy was retiring as he drove back to his office. The longtime executive vice president of the conservative Federalist Society may have been caught off guard, but he was hardly unprepared.

"A career of promoting conservative legal thinking has made Leo one of the nation's most influential voices as he guides President Donald Trump's efforts to reshape the federal judiciary. As the president prepares to pick a new justice for the high court, he is choosing from a list largely curated by Leo. The president also is leaning on a network of validators that Leo has nurtured to promote the selection, and is set to rely on the longtime operative's political muscle to help get his pick confirmed.

"Within minutes of Kennedy's retirement announcement, the outside adviser to Trump began putting into action a carefully considered plan to ensure a strong conservative voice will replace Kennedy, a pick of Ronald Reagan's who had come to be the court's swing vote and often voted with its liberal wing. Hours later, Leo was on the phone with the president, reviewing once more the 25 names on Trump's list and the smaller grouping of six or seven who make up the president's top contenders." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d9c3efac1e11bd0e5b346f34597e627ebd001d83021061946fd45b513515e996b81b745a6f1388c0fc57e6f1eb7538ae

PRUITT'S PROBLEMS ... "Whistleblower: EPA's Pruitt kept secret calendar to hide meetings," by CNN's Scott Bronstein, Curt Devine and Drew Griffin: "EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and his aides have kept 'secret' calendars and schedules to overtly hide controversial meetings or calls with industry representatives and others, according to a former EPA official who is expected to soon testify before Congress. A review of EPA documents by CNN found discrepancies between Pruitt's official calendar and other records.

"EPA staffers met routinely in Pruitt's office to 'scrub,' alter or remove from Pruitt's official calendar numerous records because they might 'look bad,' according to Kevin Chmielewski, Pruitt's former deputy chief of staff for operations, who attended the meetings." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d9c3efac1e11bd0ef9d2aa0a28ca88b5224006be94bac6f8e498ae7246b3702a56b09637ee15cfa89840596b0307d6e6

2020 WATCH -- "Booker seeks distance as corporate donations become potent campaign issue," by New Jersey Playbooker Matt Friedman: "Sen. Cory Booker's February vow not to take corporate PAC contributions is suddenly looking prescient in the wake of powerful incumbent Rep. Joe Crowley's primary election defeat last week - an outcome that suggests Booker's instincts were right about his party's wariness of big money.

"While there were many factors that contributed to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's stunning victory over Crowley (D-N.Y.), she made refusing to take corporate contributions a big part of her campaign. ... Booker, by all appearances, is laying the groundwork for a presidential run in 2020, when he is also up for reelection to the Senate. He's accepted millions from Wall Street and other corporate interests in the past, taking the no-corporate-PAC money vow for the first time this year.

"The question, however, is whether Democratic primary voters will believe he is genuine about limiting his cash flow from Wall Street and Silicon Valley when his rise has been fueled by millions in contributions from those industries." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d9c3efac1e11bd0e3664b0bacf460888198fbbdfb3d2d6f2090de3b3f11b6e82e4fb48fb7ab5d87375d1300257b3c455

FACT CHECK -- "Trump say his border wall is under construction. It's not," by NBC's Jane C. Timm: "When the crowd at President Donald Trump's South Carolina campaign rally last week started up the now-familiar chant of 'Build that wall, build that wall,' he stopped to chastise them. 'It's not "build that wall" anymore, it's, "Continue building that wall,"' he said. 'Because we're building it.'

"But that's not true. While some new fencing has been built along the U.S.-Mexico border in the past year, it's not the concrete barrier Trump vowed because of the strings Congress put on the cash. ... Trump ordered eight prototypes for his wall built in the desert outside San Diego. He toured them in March, declaring the prototypes superior to existing fencing. ...

"The same month, legislators passed a spending bill that included $1.6 billion in border barrier funding. That's the money Trump has touted at recent rallies as a 'down payment' on his wall. But by law, the money can only be used for the construction or repair of existing fencing designs." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d9c3efac1e11bd0e9b03f885d769a5a418891fcdd4448181fdfe3de4e3bb144babb35d7793d7ba9c0c4048ec455a14a4

SUMMER READ ... NYT'S TRIP GABRIEL in Mount Pleasant, Iowa: "An ICE Raid Leaves an Iowa Town Divided Along Faith Lines: The detention of 32 workers at a concrete plant opened fissures among the town's churches and secular leaders, and brought an abstract national issue painfully close to home." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d9c3efac1e11bd0e4ed4abc8fd812e7947330462885f25167f9bf3c0c5fe909ab0be08ce78785e84773ce32af8c4ac1e

SEXUAL HARASSMENT FILES -- INDIANAPOLIS STAR: "Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill faces call for resignation amid groping allegations," by Tony Cook: "The leader of the Indiana Democratic Party called Tuesday on Republican Attorney General Curtis Hill to resign in the wake of allegations that he inappropriately touched four women at a bar in March.

"While Hill has denied the allegations, the leader of his own state party is emphasizing that the GOP has zero tolerance for sexual harassment and that actions like those alleged 'have no place in public life or anywhere else.' ...

"The allegations against Hill were documented in an eight-page memo prepared by an outside law firm at the request of legislative leaders who were concerned about liability. The memo describes interviews that legislative leaders or their attorneys conducted with six women who attended a celebration at AJ's Lounge, just south of Downtown, to celebrate the end of the legislative session in March." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d9c3efac1e11bd0e5db93676edae737a2aacf793943d86dfcf5549ebdddf24bdaef537b5a011b721c1fdffe5753f8251

UPDATE -- "Ex-Dem IT staffer slammed by Trump pleads guilty to bank fraud," by John Bresnahan: "Imran Awan - the former House Democratic IT consultant at the center of conservative conspiracy theories that were even promoted by President Donald Trump - pleaded guilty on Tuesday to one felony count of federal bank fraud. Criminal charges against his wife, Hina Alvi, will be dropped as part of the plea deal between Awan and the Justice Department. Awan's attorney and DOJ agreed to a recommendation of probation for Awan, although that will not be final until U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan sentences him on Aug. 21.

"Despite an extensive investigation by federal agents, Awan and Alvi were not found to have any ties to a foreign intelligence agency targeting Congress or to be involved in a criminal ring that stole equipment from Democratic lawmakers. There had been numerous stories in conservative publications over the past two years suggesting Awan, Alvi and other family members who worked with his IT firm engaged in a host of potentially illegal activities. But no such charges were ever filed against him or his family members, the Justice Department acknowledged in the plea agreement." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d9c3efac1e11bd0e8ab137bb9fc478992f5c11ad5b4f29b69a7c13a9a73a5586ee7f2915aed300a0e808cfe8b832ac1b

FOR YOUR RADAR -- "Iran issues oil warning as UAE says production can rise," by AP's Nasser Karimi in Tehran and Jon Gambrell in Dubai: "Iran issued a new warning over Mideast oil supplies as the United Arab Emirates said on Tuesday it could increase its own production, the latest remarks to follow President Donald Trump's demand for lower global energy prices.

"A recent decision by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to increase the cartel's own production by 1 million barrels a day has yet to tamp down prices. That's led to higher prices at gasoline pumps in the United States as it heads toward midterm elections for Congress. ... The U.S. pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal in May and initially said it wanted allies to stop buying Iranian crude entirely. The State Department said Monday it would examine waivers on a 'case-by-case basis' as it re-imposes sanctions." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=cfe4206ba876606e6048d6167c7e42f73434ae209d67e2b9d5d62a0fc8ef378160803e5db8a6ede4639dd4c65fb02077

-- BLOOMBERG'S JESSICA SUMMERS: "Oil Surges Above $75 in New York as Supply Outages Outpace OPEC": "Crude soared above $75 a barrel in New York for the first time since 2014 on signs global supply outages outweigh OPEC's pledged production rise.

"Futures in New York jumped as much as 1.7 percent. Even as U.S. President Donald Trump -- facing sky-high retail gasoline prices ahead of midterm elections -- pushes Saudi Arabia to boost output more than it planned, outages around the world from Libya to Canada and Venezuela are keeping prices elevated. U.S. crude stockpiles, already the lowest since January, are expected to tighten further." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=cfe4206ba876606ed261c4ea114deb7647baa83700fc130e2216e75b5e5cd3654be9af500e2b71160c056266814835a7

DATA DU JOUR -- GALLUP: "Small Majority in U.S. Say the Country's Best Days Are Ahead": "Fifty-five percent of U.S. adults believe the United States' best days are 'ahead of us,' while 41% say they are 'behind us.' Americans are more optimistic about the country's future than they were the last time Gallup polled on the question, in December 2012, when Americans were nearly evenly split in their views." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=cfe4206ba876606ed23fa59cc7f38b91fe1ed2ab35af04cc158ac5722b1bf8cfd7d13a192099cf8f69361520bd99ffb6

CLICKER -- ROB ROGERS in The Nib: "I Was Fired For Criticizing Trump": "I was basically my own editor for 25 years at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. And then the publisher decided he didn't like what he saw." Cartoon http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=cfe4206ba876606e613d859751556d54fdde446ad17440fda04533a438510ae32c3ecce7bd6201c39d5a8770721bf5db

MEDIAWATCH -- EZRA KLEIN is writing a book about how Americans' political identities have changed and strengthened over time. His publisher is Simon & Schuster, and there is no release date yet.

-- Chrissie Thompson is joining USA Today as an editor on the paper's national desk and will be based in Spokane, Washington. She most recently was Columbus, Ohio, bureau chief for the Cincinnati Enquirer.

- Mary Snow is joining Quinnipiac University Poll as a polling analyst. She is an alum of CNN, Bloomberg and ABC News.

TRANSITION -- Meghan Milloy will be doing a Bosch Foundation fellowship in Germany for the next year. She most recently was director of financial services policy at American Action Forum.

ENGAGED -- William Gray, founder of FloorCharts and deputy communications director at Issue One, proposed to Jenn Sherman, health press secretary for the House Energy and Commerce Committee. "They met during the 2012 VP debate held at William's alma mater, Centre College, while William worked at C-SPAN and Jennifer worked for Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), whose district includes Centre College." Pics http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5f08541afd0786c7958deea2b7e7d7e07cc83c450d48064598893cb222eeba3ed45e4d43c07b027603596dbcdaa84141 http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=cfe4206ba876606e40a97f4826b77616f1285176730ec5fb4cf7c94b7fe110d547d1a0546b06598acffcecf2cc1902fc

-- BUSH ALUMNI: Chris Edwards, a Bush 43 WH alum and CEO of Edward Marc Chocolatier, proposed to longtime partner Albert Fonticiella, VP of corporate development and real estate for the Edwards family's chocolate business based in Pittsburgh. The couple got engaged on the Amalfi coast of Italy. Instapics http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=cfe4206ba876606ebb78cc1eda768fade519a3b0a4dfa22a5d2510790ac534cbfa1589b5986456f4a6639b6da5ac1d81

WEEKEND WEDDING -- KRISTINA PETERSON, Congressional reporter for the Wall Street Journal, recently married ISAAC BAKER, partner at AKPD Message and Media and an Obama 2012 and Treasury alum, at Woodlawn Farm in Ridge, Maryland, with a "very healthy" attendance from the WSJ's politics and Hill team. The couple met on Hinge. Pic http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=cfe4206ba876606e9c89ab33f28b52b65c01584ebe5b258737fe2ea1eeaa71142d5b1b21630c35af9c43ef5ad35e0891

-- Jim Baird, managing director of ReThink Media and alum of the Stimson Center, married Tabitha Kidwell, a doctoral candidate in applied linguistics and language education at the University of Maryland. The wedding took place in their hometown of Columbus, Ohio. Pic http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=cfe4206ba876606e0fb60c06bd17f8a339cc4d9b2521a47ce9df1bb7085d5fefc688868d7904e86cdbefe7d8bf1e5b06

WELCOME TO THE WORLD - Emily Katz, senior director of government affairs at Express Scripts and a Barbara Boxer and Diana DeGette alum, and Dennis Potter, government affairs adviser at K&L Gates and a Phil Gramm alum, welcomed Naomi Elena Potter. Pic http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=cfe4206ba876606e4f6e2e6ef31d920f0c4a62e1abf3e400d97aeeb590930d98a8eb894276b41ccd4419092787534e7a

BONUS BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Lara Sisselman, senior comms adviser at the Ohio Democratic Party, celebrating with friends and her boyfriend. A trend she thinks deserves more attention: "There's a restaurant in Columbus that I recently read about in Politico Magazine [https://politi.co/2tQcMH4] that employs and supports former inmates. I was really glad to see it, because we don't talk enough in this country about programs to help former inmates get back on their feet. Employing and assisting former inmates reduces recidivism rates, saves our communities money, and can go a long way toward helping people re-enter society and live successful, fulfilling lives." Q&A:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e3ecf1e152405ce4022d36ac99004b67cbba5872a7e27050d6d192cd5cbf23b22ed4b6dfeb67acadfd5b9e17ebf11fb5


****** A message from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Tariffs imposed by the United States are nothing more than a tax increase on American consumers and businesses, including manufacturers, farmers, and technology companies. Here's a breakdown of the states and industries hardest hit by retaliatory tariffs on American exports. www.TheWrongApproach.com. ******

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