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Presented by Google: Playbook is POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the day in Washington Oct 24, 2018 View in browser
By Jake Sherman, Anna Palmer, Daniel Lippman, Garrett Ross and Eli Okun

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SO FAR TODAY: The Secret Service has announced that it intercepted bombs sent to the OBAMAS and the CLINTONS. CNN in New York was evacuated after an explosive device was sent to its office, addressed to former Obama-era CIA Director JOHN BRENNAN (who is actually an NBC/MSNBC contributor). This comes the day after a bomb was found at GEORGE SOROS' suburban New York home.

-- HILLARY CLINTON, speaking in Florida today: "We are fine thanks to the men and women of the Secret Service who intercepted the package addressed to us long before it made its way to our home. ... We have to do everything we can to bring our country together. We also have to elect candidates who will try to do the same. Who will set goals that will lift up every single Floridian and American."

NYPD COMMISSIONER JAMES O'NEILL said they found what they believe to be a pipe bomb and an envelope containing white powder at CNN.

-- NEW YORK CITY MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO called this "an act of terror."

-- NEW YORK GOV. ANDREW CUOMO said at a news conference that "a device" was sent to his office in Manhattan, and he wouldn't at all be surprised if more devices are sent.

CBS MIAMI reports this on Twitter (@CBSMiami): "#BREAKING: Sunrise Police Department confirms an office building has been evacuated due to suspicious package in the mail. It's the same building where the office of U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz is located."

CNN'S ABBY PHILLIP (@abbydphillip): "BREAKING via @PamelaBrownCNN and @joshscampbell: there was a suspicious package sent to Eric Holder with Debbie Wasserman Schultz' return address. The package had the WRONG address and was sent back to DWS' office."

ABC'S TARA PALMERI (@tarapalmeri): "per @MLevineReports/@AaronKatersky: Sources confirm to ABC News that the public official whose name appeared in the return address of at least one of the packages is Debbie Wasserman Schultz."

-- THE NEW NORMAL? In the last year alone: REP. STEVE SCALISE (R-LA.) was shot and nearly killed. A man was arrested for allegedly threatening to kill two senators. There was a deadly shooting at a Maryland newspaper.

WHITE HOUSE STATEMENT ... SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS: "We condemn the attempted violent attacks recently made against President Obama, President Clinton, Secretary Clinton, and other public figures. These terrorizing acts are despicable, and anyone responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. The United States Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies are investigating and will take all appropriate actions to protect anyone threatened by these cowards."

-- @PressSec: "This is an ongoing situation that President Trump and his admin are monitoring closely. Our condemnation of these dispicable [sic] acts certainly includes threats made to CNN as well as current or former public servants. These cowardly acts are unacceptable and won't be tolerated."

VP MIKE PENCE'S STATEMENT: "We condemn the attempted attacks against former President Obama, the Clintons, CNN, and others. These cowardly actions are despicable and have no place in this Country. Grateful for the swift response of Secret Service, the FBI & local law enforcement. Those responsible will be brought to justice." ... @realDonaldTrump: "I agree wholeheartedly!"

POLITICO'S STORY, which will be updated throughout the day -- "Potential explosives sent to Clintons, Obamas, CNN," by Rebecca Morin

TOP-ED -- ALEXANDER SOROS in the NYT: "The Hate That Is Consuming Us": "[W]ith Donald Trump's presidential campaign, things got worse. ... A genie was let out of the bottle, which may take generations to put back in, and it wasn't confined to the United States. ...

"While the responsibility lies with the individual or individuals who sent these lethal devices to my family home and Mr. Obama's and Ms. Clinton's offices, I cannot see it divorced from the new normal of political demonization that plagues us today." NYT

Good Wednesday afternoon. DAN DIAMOND SCOOP: "Trump tries to blame Democrats as his own administration chips away at Obamacare": "Trump is planning a speech at his health department's Washington headquarters Thursday that could touch on drug pricing, the opioid crisis and patient protections, two individuals tell POLITICO. It would be an unusual venue for a president more comfortable with holding rallies outside Washington than addressing federal workers." POLITICO

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FOR YOUR RADAR -- BRYAN BENDER: "Nuclear fear: Last U.S.-Russia arms pacts could 'simply die'": "A pullout from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty would represent only the second time the U.S. has unilaterally abandoned a Cold War arms control pact. It would leave only one other major treaty in force that limits how many atomic weapons the U.S. and Russia can have at the ready ... Now the odds of New START disappearing too are rising ...

"[Trump's] comments only fueled consternation over the fate of New START, which arms control specialists see as the biggest impediment to the type of atomic arms race that defined much of the Cold War." POLITICO

WHAT'S ON THE PRESIDENT'S MIND -- @realDonaldTrump at 7:52 a.m.: "For those who want and advocate for illegal immigration, just take a good look at what has happened to Europe over the last 5 years. A total mess! They only wish they had that decision to make over again."

... at 7:56 a.m.: "We are a great Sovereign Nation. We have Strong Borders and will never accept people coming into our Country illegally!"

... at 8:45 a.m.: "Republicans will totally protect people with Pre-Existing Conditions, Democrats will not! Vote Republican."

-- FACT CHECK ... NBC: "Evidence says otherwise."

IMMIGRATION FILES -- "DHS, HHS officials blindsided by 'zero tolerance' border policy," by Ted Hesson and Lorraine Woellert: "Officials from the Homeland Security and HHS departments - the two agencies tasked with processing and maintaining custody of separated parents and children - told investigators they took no steps to plan for a spike in family separations because they learned of the new policy only when Attorney General Jeff Sessions rolled it out in April. ...

"The GAO report also found that border officials had ramped up family separations even before Sessions instituted the zero-tolerance policy." POLITICO

STORY OF THE DAY ... WAPO'S NICK MIROFF in Hidalgo County, Texas: "The border is tougher to cross than ever. But there's still one way into America": "The era of mass migration by Mexican laborers streaming into California and the deserts of Arizona is over. ... The migrants coming today are increasingly Central Americans seeking asylum or some form of humanitarian protection ... They know the quickest path to a better life in the United States is now an administrative one - not through mountains or canyons but through the front gates of the country's immigration bureaucracy. ...

"The extraordinary surge of asylum seekers is testing the limits of whom, exactly, the United States is willing to protect, challenging the stone-carved ideal of America as the place that welcomes the tired and poor, 'yearning to breathe free.' It has also presented Trump with one of the most vexing policy challenges of his presidency, and virtually every measure taken so far has made the problem worse." WaPo

THE MIDTERMS ...


-- NYT'S PATRICIA MAZZEI in Marathon, Fla.: "In a Florida Swing District, an 'Inconvenient' Republican Holds On," by NYT's Patricia Mazzei in Marathon, Fla.: "A loss by [GOP Rep. Carlos] Curbelo could be a strong sign of a long-anticipated blue wave rolling across the biggest presidential swing state, and one more hurdle for Republicans hoping to keep control of the House. If he wins, it will most likely be seen not as a credit to the Republicans, but as a sign of the unique appeal of Mr. Curbelo himself. He is a Latino perhaps best known as an evangelist for climate science who, if he succeeds, might have identified a way for Republicans in Democratic-leaning districts to survive in the
Trump era.

"Throughout his re-election campaign, Mr. Curbelo, a two-term incumbent who was also a top Democratic target in 2016, has remained unperturbed. 'Welcome to my world,' he tells other Republicans who find themselves in tight races this year. 'It's better this way. You stay in shape, politically.'" NYT

-- NYT'S ASTEAD HERNDON in Alpharetta, Ga.: "'Democrat. Fighter. Mother.' Lucy McBath Is Redefining Social Justice in Politics": "More than anyone else running for Congress, [Lucy] McBath, the Democratic nominee in a Republican-leaning race, is redefining social justice in politics this year, in large part through her deep personal connection to the Black Lives Matter movement. ...

"Many Democratic candidates across the country, after years of tiptoeing around issues of race out of fear of alienating white voters, are slowly adopting the language of anti-racist activists. It is an attempt to connect more closely with black voters, in particular, whose turnout will be key in several of November's most hotly contested midterm elections. Republicans have poured money into advertisements that lambaste Democrats on that move, casting their evolution as a sign of a corroding culture that's too politically correct." NYT

-- NYT'S CECILIA KANG: "Snapchat Helps Register Over 400,000 Voters": "Much of the activity, the company said, was in key battleground states like Texas, Florida and Georgia. Snapchat, which is popular among teenagers and young adults, pushed people 18 and over to register by adding a button about doing so on each user's profile page. The company also sent video messages to all of those users urging them to register. The users were directed to a nonpartisan voter registration website, TurboVote.org." NYT

-- ANNIE KARNI, "Kellyanne Conway, Sarah Sanders and Ivanka Trump are a hit on the campaign trail"

THE LATEST ON KHASHOGGI ... MARY LEE, "Saudi prince: Khashoggi slaying is a 'heinous crime that cannot be justified'": "'The crime was really painful to all Saudis and I believe it is painful to every human in the world,' [Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman] said Wednesday, sitting on a panel at the Future Investment Initiative summit at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Riyadh. 'It is a heinous crime that cannot be justified.'"

"The crown prince said that his government would cooperate with Turkish officials and warned that some around the globe are trying to use Khashoggi's murder to 'drive a wedge' between Saudi Arabia and Turkey. He said he wanted to 'send a message' to those working [to] pit the two against [one] another: that they would 'not be able to do that as long as there is a King called Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and a crown prince called Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia and a president in Turkey called Recep Tayyip Erdo\u011fan.'" POLITICO

-- AP'S JON GAMBRELL (@jongambrellAP): "NewsAlert: ANKARA, #Turkey (@AP) - Turkish officials: Erdogan discussed probe into journalist's killing with Saudi crown prince in telephone call."

-- "Transcript of President Trump's Interview With The Wall Street Journal": "WSJ: Do you believe [Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman]? Do you believe the denials?

"Mr. Trump: I want to believe him. I really want to believe him." Full transcript of the WSJ interview

-- NAHAL TOOSI on ALI SHIHABI: "How a smooth Saudi operative charms Washington and defends 'the indefensible'": "Even as evidence mounted last week that a Saudi Arabian hit squad had murdered and dismembered his friend, Jamal Khashoggi, Washington operative Ali Shihabi took to Twitter to do what he does best: defend the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

"The global outrage over Khashoggi's murder has forced many Washington lobbyists and public relations pros to cut ties with the Saudi government. But not Shihabi, a Saudi national who may be the country's most effective defender in the U.S. capital. ... The Saudi ambassador left Washington earlier this month and reportedly may not return, but it matters less given that many already consider Shihabi, who is close to the Saudi leadership, to be the kingdom's unofficial envoy." POLITICO

-- REUTERS/GENEVA: "Iran: Riyadh would not have murdered Khashoggi without U.S. protection"

VALLEY TALK -- "Apple's Tim Cook blasts Silicon Valley over privacy issues," by WaPo's Tony Romm: "Apple chief executive Tim Cook on Wednesday warned the world's most powerful regulators that the poor privacy practices of some tech companies, the ills of social media and the erosion of trust in his own industry threaten to undermine 'technology's awesome potential' to address challenges like disease and climate change." WaPo

THE INVESTIGATIONS ... "George Papadopoulos Hopes to Fuel Republicans' Suspicions About the Russia Probe," by The Atlantic's Natasha Bertrand: "On Thursday, [George] Papadopoulos will testify to what he believes was an operation designed by the FBI, in coordination with Britain's intelligence services, to 'infiltrate' and 'sabotage' the Trump campaign. (Congress is in recess, so it is not clear which members will show up and which will send their staff.)

"He plans to detail the interactions he had with at least nine people during the election ... Those include the foreign professor Joseph Mifsud ... Sergei Millian ... and Stefan Halper ... It remains to be seen whether Papadopoulos walks into the hearing armed with theories about double agents and the deep state. But one thing is clear: Papadopoulos will be leaving sympathetic lawmakers with a road map that he hopes they will follow." The Atlantic

2020 WATCH -- ALEX THOMPSON, "Inside Trump's post-Facebook 2020 strategy": "The emerging tech strategy, according to four officials involved in Trump's reelection campaign, will reduce its reliance on Big Tech platforms - which were the dominant messaging channels in 2016 - to get the president's message out. The president's team instead is planning to go around the platforms as much as possible and reach supporters directly, making use of old-school text messaging. ...

"People involved with Trump's reelection campaign see the texting medium - not just sms written messages but mms videos and images, too - as a way to directly and instantly communicate and organize voters without having to rely on media or tech platforms that they suspect of bias. ... [T]he Trump campaign, with its advantage of incumbency and a presidential megaphone, is already further along than any other would-be opponents." POLITICO

-- POLITICO MAGAZINE'S BILL SCHER: "The 15 Races That Will Determine How Democrats Approach 2020"

OUT AND ABOUT -- SPOTTED at the awarding of the LBJ Foundation's D.B. Hardeman Prize to "The Fierce Urgency of Now: Lyndon Johnson, Congress, and the Battle for the Great Society" by Julian Zelizer, presented last night by Tom Daschle ($15.86 on Amazon): David Bonior, James R. Jones, Richard Baker, Chet Edwards, Martin Lancaster, Mike Andrews, Tom O'Donnell, John Lawrence, Peggy Lewis and Lyndon Boozer.

TRANSITIONS -- Rep. Dennis Ross (R-Fla.) will be a distinguished professor of political science at Southeastern University in central Florida, creating a new American Center for Political Leadership. He is retiring from Congress this fall. ... Robert Karem will be a national security adviser to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). He is currently assistant Defense secretary for international security affairs. ... Pat Palmer will be managing director at Purple Strategies. He previously was a partner at VSA Partners in Chicago.

ENGAGED -- Josh Arnold, adviser to the president of Heritage Action, proposed to Genta Minerali with the Fund for American Studies in Lynchburg, Va., on Sunday. The two met last year through a mutual friend. Instapic

WEEKEND WEDDING -- Hannah Hess, communications manager at research firm Rhodium Group and an E&E and Roll Call alum, recently married Peter McCarron, who works in marketing for tech firm HashiCorp. The couple met when they were both cheering among the Screamin' Eagles at a 2014 D.C. United game. They married in Richmond, Va. Pic

WELCOME TO THE WORLD -- Nadia Szold, director of a forthcoming documentary on Larry Flynt's 1984 run for president, and Steven Prince on Saturday morning welcomed Sydney Jerome Prince. Pic ... Another pic


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