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Today's POLITICO Playbook presented by BP

07/30/2017 11:43 AM EDT

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

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Driving the Day
Happy Sunday. SPOTTED last night having dinner at one big table at BLT Prime at the Trump hotel: President Donald Trump, Gen. John Kelly, Dina Powell and David McCormick, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Louise Linton, and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Hilary Geary Ross.

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK - TRUMP'S WEEK -- Monday: President Trump is presenting the Medal of Honor. ... Tuesday: He holds a small business event at the White House. ... Friday: Trump visits FEMA headquarters to get a briefing on the hurricane season. This week's theme is the "American dream."

GROUNDHOG DAY -- "As Trump steams, Senate Republicans consider new repeal effort," by Burgess Everett, Josh Dawsey and Rachael Bade: "Senate Republicans' party-line attempts to repeal Obamacare aren't dead just yet - at least not if President Donald Trump has anything to say about it. Trump, increasingly impatient with the long-stalled repeal effort, met with three Senate Republicans about a new plan to roll back the health care law on Friday, signaling some lawmakers -- as well as the president -- are not ready to ditch their seven-year campaign promise.

"The group is trying to write legislation that could get 50 Republican votes, according to multiple administration and Capitol Hill sources. The proposal from Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) would block grant federal health care funding to the states and keep much of Obamacare's tax regime. White House officials also met with House Freedom Caucus chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) to brainstorm how to make the idea palatable to conservatives, according to two sources familiar with the meeting." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1c4db62734a2abfdb6ef5bff88c6f583819b145bd184017533c2b9c0d144ab07163cfbdda49989afdaef5a94a0695eba0269561224814ef7

-- ONE CONSERVATIVE said to us the other day that Obamacare is a tax bill -- even the Supreme Court said so. So keeping the taxes would be akin to keeping the entire law, for many conservatives.

ON THE PRESIDENT'S MIND -- yesterday at 12:19 p.m.: "After seven years of'talking' Repeal & Replace, the people of our great country are still being forced to live with imploding ObamaCare!" ... at 12:27 p.m.: "If a new HealthCare Bill is not approved quickly, BAILOUTS for Insurance Companies and BAILOUTS for Members of Congress will end very soon!" ... at 1:04 p.m.:"U.S. Stock Market up almost 20% since Election!" ...

... at 4:36 p.m.: "Unless the Republican Senators are total quitters, Repeal & Replace is not dead! Demand another vote before voting on any other bill!" ... at 7:15 p.m.: "I love reading about all of the 'geniuses' who were so instrumental in my election success. Problem is, most don't exist. #Fake News! MAGA" ... at 7:29 p.m.: "I am very disappointed in China. Our foolish past leaders have allowed them to make hundreds of billions of dollars a year in trade, yet..." ... at 7:35 p.m.: "...they do NOTHING for us with North Korea, just talk. We will no longer allow this to continue. China could easily solve this problem!" ... at 7:37 a.m.: "Don't give up Republican Senators, the World is
watching: Repeal & Replace...and go to 51 votes (nuke option), get Cross State Lines & more."


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KELLYANNE CONWAY on "FOX NEWS SUNDAY": "He's going to make that decision this week [whether to end cost sharing reduction payments], and that's a decision that only he can make." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1c4db62734a2abfdf3e7debf0a902957ec9ef71c341b1c13add00e4003bc7d15d6737bd223e05757237900e8c24164b4332885c85d9c1b0f

-- A FEW QUICK NOTES: Every permutation of repeal and replace got fewer than 50 votes, so ancillary issues -- like being able to buy insurance across state lines -- is besides the point at this moment. IF TRUMP follows through on his threat to end the employer contribution for members of Congress, that would be a big deal, and could strip lawmakers of one of the only appealing benefits of their job. ALSO: Congress has to fund the government at the end of September and lift the debt ceiling shortly after that. Not passing anything until Obamacare is repealed and replaced is not necessarily a realistic position.

-- @burgessev: "Historically, conservatives use filibuster to block progressive legislation. Take this away and the next D Washington has few limits."

... AND THIS: "Lawsuits could force feds to pay Obamacare insurers," by Paul Demko: "A pending court decision could force the Trump administration to pump billions of dollars into Obamacare insurers, even as the president threatens to let the health care law 'implode.' Health insurers have filed nearly two dozen lawsuits claiming the government owes them payments from a program meant to blunt their losses in the Obamacare marketplaces. That raises the prospect that the Trump administration will have to bankroll a program the GOP has pilloried as an insurer bailout." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1c4db62734a2abfd7e102370d87c4f42c2619e9e44168daffd79a9459df3a01a656814bcb8b026cb1c0b3730027bcb81e3719cf5e35f1cdf


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NEW CBS NEWS NATION TRACKER POLL -- "Six months in, the latest CBS News Nation Tracker study shows President Donald Trump's strongest backers like seeing him fight his chosen opponents: they want the President to call out those he believes disloyal, fight with the mainstream media, and they're the only group among the segments in this study where a majority wants the President to do more tweeting. But what they applaud seems precisely what most others dislike, and that is costing the President potential support, even as many give him credit for an improving economy."

PETER BAKER: "Trump Tries to Regroup as the West Wing Battles Itself": "President Trump enters a new phase of his presidency on Monday with a new chief of staff but an old set of challenges as he seeks to get back on course after enduring one of the worst weeks that any modern occupant of the Oval Office has experienced in his inaugural year in power. With his poll numbers at historic lows, his legislative agenda stalled and his advisers busy plotting against one another, Mr. Trump hoped to regain momentum by pushing out his top aide, Reince Priebus, and installing a retired four-star Marine general, John F. Kelly, to take command. But it is far from certain that the move will be enough to
tame a dysfunctional White House.

"The shake-up followed a week that saw the bombastic, with-me-or-against-me president defied as never before by Washington and its institutions, including Republicans in Congress, his own attorney general, the uniformed military leadership, police officers and even the Boy Scouts. No longer daunted by a president with a Twitter account that he uses like a Gatling gun, members of his own party made clear that they were increasingly willing to stand against him on issues like health care and Russia. The setbacks came against the backdrop of a West Wing at war with itself, egged on by a president who thrives on conflict and chaos. Mr. Kelly, who had been serving as secretary of homeland
security, brings a career of decisive leadership to his new assignment as White House chief of staff. But he confronts multiple power centers among presidential aides, all with independent lines to the man in the Oval Office who resists the discipline and structure favored by generals." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1c4db62734a2abfd8f3ac4fc6519536b4fc975470408083b2a0eef8f062399416827f05955817e0bdb5f3e3902fa161bb45b69f35ebff58e

THE KELLY LOOKAHEADS ...

WAPO'S PHIL RUCKER, BOB COSTA and DAN BALZ: "Trump enlists Kelly to enforce order, but can the 'zoo' be tamed?": "When Kelly made the rounds on Capitol Hill before his nomination hearings in January, he did not know Trump very well and asked people there to share stories about the president-elect. He wanted to know how Trump made decisions. Told that Trump relished competing power centers around him, Kelly grimaced and said nothing. ...

"Trump's transition documents included a lengthy memo about White House structure, based on past administrations. 'They didn't follow the product at all,' said a person with direct knowledge of what transpired as Trump was setting up his administration. 'They did it instinctively ... The president-elect didn't want to say no to anybody.' The result was the White House that now exists, populated by advisers with competing ideologies that reflect an administration that is an amalgam of populist nationalists, hard-line conservatives and establishment Republicans - and a few Democrats. ...

"The environment is poised to change in the Kelly era. The new chief of staff is expected to have full control over the Oval Office and schedule, officials said. Trusted aides such as Hope Hicks, Dan Scavino and Keith Schiller -- as well as senior advisers such as Kushner, Bannon and Conway -- will continue to have casual access to the president." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1c4db62734a2abfd9b70b239c97334abd42e85ef7983c03280a0e88dc4feb1c2bb0836a326d886dd0355df0d201d95251f6a4af47319464d

ANDREW RESTUCCIA, BRYAN BENDER and JOSH DAWSEY: "Kelly's first task: Stabilize the West Wing: The no-nonsense retired Marine Corps general will soon be thrust into the center of the West Wing soap opera": "When he officially becomes chief of staff on Monday, Kelly, a no-nonsense retired Marine Corps general, will be thrust into the center of the West Wing soap opera, where President Donald Trump's policy agenda regularly gets preempted by feuding advisers and headline-grabbing scandals. ... 'I think this is the best and last shot,' said one person close to Kelly. 'This is it.' ...

"Kelly wants to have more of a pecking order among the staff and a more 'traditional' approach, one White House official said. But others in the White House said it's too early to make predictions. 'Everything is up in the air. Anyone who tells you they know anything is lying,' a White House official said. ... Kelly has built relationships with several top White House aides in recent months, including chief strategist Steve Bannon and senior adviser Stephen Miller, who have played a central role in Trump's immigration crackdown.

"Kelly has nonetheless expressed frustration about the White House to friends and associates, complaining about the slow pace of hiring and bristling at having to answer to lower-level aides, according to one person who has spoken to him and another person familiar with the tension. ... Asked to name any similarities between the two men, the person said, 'They're both Catholic, but that's probably about it.' ... Kelly is expected to make his first staff change at the White House on Monday, when he'll bring in Kirstjen Nielsen, his chief of staff at DHS." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1c4db62734a2abfd9771c5d8e4996664f544c866fb055860cc97e9c42b45384857f42c56b2c81eb7a0f5b6119d531e749eab2cfa8b6d4f80

THE NEVER ENDING CAMPAIGN -- "How 2018 became the new 2020," by Gabe Debenedetti: "The 2020 Democratic presidential road show is already underway. And 2018 is beginning to look like the dress rehearsal. Top contenders are making endorsements, picking sides in party primaries and aggressively working the fundraising circuit on behalf of 2018 candidates, all the while building their own name recognition. With many of presidential prospects on the ballot themselves next year, potential challengers to Donald Trump are also stockpiling cash to help run up their re-election margins to burnish their stature for the big election on the horizon.

"The early focus on the midterms is a marked departure from previous practice, and a further acceleration of the presidential campaign cycle. Prior to the 2016 presidential primary season, for example, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders largely stayed off the campaign trail and out of elections until late 2014 - roughly six months before they officially announced their campaigns. But with a historically large presidential field taking shape, more than a dozen prominent Democrats - including governors like Terry McAuliffe and Steve Bullock, and senators like Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren, and Kamala Harris - have recognized the need to distinguish themselves from the crowd. And they are
already working hard to advance their brand while helping to reinvigorate the dilapidated party infrastructure in advance of the midterm elections." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1c4db62734a2abfd4d50ff46f9326f6b38d997fbec4f704c1fc6a5d85a8d39ab44891c409524d23a4e849cf03b6df83d9b39e92a86f6df57


TRUMP is at his Virginia golf resort this morning, per the pool.

-- @markknoller: "By my count, it's his 36th visit to one of his golf clubs, 15th time at the one in Sterling, VA - since taking office."

VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE is in Tallinn, Estonia. Pence chief of staff Nick Ayers alerted staff and reporters on the trip that Jarrod Agen, communications director, had been promoted to deputy chief of staff, according to pooler Ashley Parker of the Washington Post.

IN MOSCOW ... -- "The Kremlin is done betting on Trump and planning how to strike back against U.S. sanctions," by WaPo's Andrew Roth in Moscow: "Regardless of whether the Kremlin believes its own denials of interfering in the 2016 elections, there is one undeniable truth: Russia is now Washington's greatest political foe. Understanding that President Trump is 'tied hand and foot,' as one foreign policy hawk here put it, Moscow is weighing options for retaliation.

"After a dalliance on the Trump train, Russia is once again channeling the ruthless realism that drives its political id, and embracing its role as antihero. 'Okay, you think we're bad guys, we're going to be bad guys, and we'll see whether you like it or not,' said Konstantin Eggert, a television political commentator, describing the Kremlin thinking." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1c4db62734a2abfde600df4451dfaf78b7c80173515041307308dd2ceacff692ec33a715638636619c0d22086494e1cc8ef7f410c992c555

RUSSIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER SERGEI RYABKOV on potential retaliation as because of new U.S. sanctions to ABC'S MARTHA RADDATZ: "If the U.S. side decides to move further towards further deterioration we will answer, we will respond in kind. We will mirror this. ... "I can assure you that different options are on the table and consideration is being given to all sorts of things, both symmetrical or asymmetrical to use a very popular word in the world of diplomacy."

FOR YOUR RADAR -- AP: "U.S. bombers fly over South Korea after North's 2nd ICBM test": "The United States flew two supersonic bombers over the Korean Peninsula on Sunday in a show of force against North Korea following the country's latest intercontinental ballistic missile test. The U.S. also said it conducted a successful test of a missile defense system located in Alaska. The B-1 bombers were escorted by South Korean fighter jets as they performed a low-pass over an air base near the South Korean capital of Seoul before returning to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, the U.S. Pacific Air Forces said in a statement. ...

"'North Korea remains the most urgent threat to regional stability,' said Gen. Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy, Pacific Air Forces commander. "Diplomacy remains the lead. However, we have a responsibility to our allies and our nation to showcase our unwavering commitment while planning for the worst-case scenario.' 'If called upon, we are ready to respond with rapid, lethal, and overwhelming force at a time and place of our choosing,' O'Shaughnessy said." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1c4db62734a2abfd22a32308ea28af056b2dd37c8623bc9c4e72add51300dea9de0f8edb072ec4b043dd291f617591aba5744f1d9f61612a

SUNDAY BEST ...

-- HOUSE MINORITY LEADER NANCY PELOSI defends her leadership to CHRIS WALLACE on "FOX NEWS SUNDAY" -- "I am a master legislator. I know the budget to the nth degree. I know the motivation of people I respect the people who are in Congress. I think this is a great moment for those of us who understand what is at stake with the Affordable Care Act - what our possibilities are in terms of working together with the Republicans as has been our experience in the past. So I feel very confident about the support I have in my caucus. I have never not been opposed within my caucus."


--PELOSI ON JOHN KELLY: "I look forward to working with General Kelly. I've worked with him as Secretary Kelly at the Department of Homeland Security. So I will be speaking with him today. We look forward to working together. It's a very important position - the President's chief of staff to the President of the United States. And it has to be recognized that he is the chief of staff."

-- HHS SECRETARY TOM PRICE talks with CHUCK TODD on NBC'S "MEET THE PRESS: TODD: "So if they come up with a fix that helps, essentially gives some certainty to the insurance companies to go into rural markets, are you then going to implement the Affordable Care Act as it was meant to be, including encouraging people to sign up, encouraging enrollment, encouraging Medicaid expansion?" PRICE: "Well, our, as I said, our responsibility is to follow the law and again we take that responsibility very seriously and we will continue to do so. But remember that the current law right now is failing the American people. As I mentioned, I think, we've got 40 counties across this - 40 counties that will
no longer have any insurance company next year.

"That's not a choice for anybody. You've got a third of the counties right now that only have one insurance company providing coverage. That's not a choice for anybody. You've got premiums that are up, deductibles that are up, people having that insurance card and no care, got insurers fleeing the market. 83 insurance companies fled the health insurance market last year. That's before this administration came in. This system is imploding upon itself and that's what we're trying to care of. That's what the president has said. That's why we need repeal and replace."

-- PRICE to ABC'S MARTHA RADDATZ on "THIS WEEK" -- TRUMP DOESN'T REALLY WANT TO LET OBAMACARE EXPLODE: RADDATZ: "But he says... -- let it -- let Obamacare implode, then deal. What does that mean?" PRICE: "Well, I -- again, I think what that does is punctuate the seriousness with which he understands the American people are having to deal with the current situation."

-- OMB DIRECTOR MICK MULVANEY talks with CNN'S JAKE TAPPER on "STATE OF THE UNION" -- TAPPER: "When General Kelly is sworn in on Monday as White House chief of staff, will all staff members immediately begin reporting to him?" MULVANEY: "I don't know. I answer to the chief of staff. And I will continue to do that. The Office of Management and Budget actually reports directly to the chief of staff. Obviously, we answer to the president, as everybody does in the West Wing. But, as far as I know, my reporting doesn't change, nor do I have any reason for it to change. So, we will continue to do our business at OMB the same way we did last week. I think we're doing some good work, and look
forward to continuing that under General Kelly's leadership."

FUN -- NYT's NEW PODCAST - Per The Times: "[W]e published the first episode of 'The New Washington,' a new limited-run politics podcast that takes you inside Trump's Washington. Each episode of 'The New Washington,' which airs once a week and will run through the fall, features interviews with politicians and Washington insiders, along with insight, analysis and perspective from some of The Times's most intrepid reporters. ... In the introductory episode, Michael Barbaro talks with Carl Hulse about the most interesting and important characters in Washington today and what he's learned from his decades covering these figures -- and sharing a home, and in one case a barber, with them."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1c4db62734a2abfda8c7fec95a087755312f53ec2e6397aa53e13f521978d8514e8e647e7e9da9f16b17f50641d9235863c42d65e9aa4e71


Playbook Reads


PHOTO DU JOUR: President Donald Trump waves to well wishers after dining at Trump International Hotel on July 29 in Washington, DC. | Chris Kleponis/Pool/Getty Images

WAPO'S ROXANNE ROBERTS in REHOBOTH BEACH, DEL. -- "Joe Biden still wants to be president. Can his family endure one last campaign?" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1c4db62734a2abfd0d1d6dccd0884ad58311054c6ae77e549d5fa7a398fb473aff58eeb651534c61d2ce21693baa1dca3d367c65d9a585ea

HOMESTATE POLITICS -- "Lisa Murkowski walked a tightrope in Alaska when she voted 'no' on Obamacare repeal," by the L.A. Times' Kyle Hopkins in Anchorage: "The chairman of the Alaska Republican Party says phones at the state GOP office have been ringing off the hook with Republicans angry or confused by Murkowski's votes. To some moderates, independents and Democrats, she is a folk hero. Supporters planned a 'Stay Strong Lisa' rally on Saturday in Anchorage." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1c4db62734a2abfd7e7619be736567e0d67faac3f8663d640152720c79b9d4442dd7503792d0fa81804355c1c3382d02ed10c68a0888bb9b

ELECTION WATCH -- "Hackers descend on Las Vegas to expose voting machine flaws," by Kevin Collier in Las Vegas: "Election officials and voting machine manufacturers insist that the rites of American democracy are safe from hackers. But people like Carten Schurman need just a few minutes to raise doubts about that claim. Schurman, a professor of computer science at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, used a laptop's Wi-Fi connection Friday to gain access to the type of voting machine that Fairfax County, Virginia, used until just two years ago. Nearby, other would-be hackers took turns trying to poke into a simulated election computer network resembling the one used by Cook County,
Illinois.

"Elsewhere, a gaggle of hackers went to work on a model still used in parts of seven states, as well as all of the state of Nevada. Though the device was supposedly wiped before it was sold by the government at auction, the hackers were able to uncover the results the machine tallied in 2002. They were among the hundreds of cybersecurity experts who descended on 'Voting Village,' one of the most talked-about features of the annual DEF CON hacker conference. In a cramped conference room, they took turns over three days cracking into 10 examples of voting machines and voter registration systems - a reminder, they say, of the risks awaiting upcoming U.S. elections."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1c4db62734a2abfdb7a2064f617693d8408b1727f0bf8c11cb84bc1c43a827d793f850e05cf134e6c51d968601172bd4009cf17c08685ee2

BONUS GREAT WEEKEND READS, curated by Daniel Lippman, filing from the Deutsche Bahn ICE train from Munich to Berlin, where he's attending the American Council of Germany's American-German Young Leaders Conference:

--"Scott Pruitt's Crimes Against Nature," by Jeff Goodell in Rolling Stone: "Trump's EPA chief is gutting the agency, defunding science and serving the fossil-fuel industry." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1c4db62734a2abfdef58cf35f7fe9f4c90e376536388827bb93aeebb00f787978fa4e7224adc0150e9f938836648d870789226f54eec2637

--"Patagonia's Big Business of #Resist," by Abe Streep in Outside Magazine: "The iconic brand has long been the conscience of the outdoor industry, forsaking hefty profits to do the right thing. Now the company is going to war against the Trump administration over protections for public land in a bid to become a serious political player-which happens to be very good for sales." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1c4db62734a2abfda727ff3c9be8902f19335c43452f4ed497cf4e991ee1412d5182c5565a443a9680eabcc4c85b419c1dd7677921ca0b4a (h/t Longreads.com)

--"Strippers, Insane Asylums, Assassination, and Termites: Inside the Insane History of the World's Greatest White House Replica," by The Daily Beast's Will O'Connor in Baton Rouge: "Governor Huey Long was so anxious to get to the White House that he built his own in Baton Rouge. An assassin's bullet cut short Long's ambitions, but his gaudy knock-off survives." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1c4db62734a2abfd4e71186c07b7ca7535eebd15d8bbd34cfa3105a54d6b290c146968116d334163fba66692182db0c990500a41c5ad29dd

--"Slaves of Isis: the long walk of the Yazidi women," by Cathy Otten in The Guardian: "When Isis rounded up Yazidi women and girls in Iraq to use as slaves, the captives drew on their collective memory of past oppressions - and a powerful will to survive." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1c4db62734a2abfd527902f3b661092c08aeb85bce82b41186c33b4c5eb5e548091fa6a9e4114dd04510b41c0390631d7e4ed763f8d868fa

--"Kristin Beck: A Navy SEAL in Transition," by Devin Friedman in the Nov. 2015 issue of GQ: "Back when she was a member of SEAL Team 6-Kristin Beck liked to grow her beard real long. But as disguises go, that was nothing compared with the life she lived as a man. What's it take, and how does it feel, for a paragon of masculinity to travel so far to find her true self?" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1c4db62734a2abfd23dbb0f2b9517291387f63ea20d945bd0821178f31557c70e5854381df040099317f39125f9340bb511ae891f01028e4 (h/t Longform.org)

--"Naked Truths: Who are we without our clothes?" by Jamie Lauren Keiles in Racked -- per Longreads' description: "Keiles spends a week at a naturist camp to learn 'why people get naked.' As she exercises, sun tans, and square dances her way through a week garbed for the most part only in shoes, she gets stripped not only of inhibitions around her own body, but also of notions around naturist intent, learning that most enthusiasts take off their clothes not for sexual reasons, but simply to feel free." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1c4db62734a2abfd63232e04dcdac90618c0b80f8995b221465e1f5eb3002fbd0c42ccdef6c446664b04660c4dbb1655c115f3776a11dfe8

--"Instagram is Pushing Restaurants to be Kitschy, Colorful, and Irresistible to Photographers," by The Verge's Casey Newton: "[S]ome entrepreneurs are taking the idea a step further, designing their physical spaces in the hopes of inspiring the maximum number of photos. They're commissioning neon signs bearing modestly sly double entendres, painting elaborate murals of tropical wildlife, and embedding floor tiles with branded greetings - all in the hopes that their guests will post them." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1c4db62734a2abfd38da2659ee934018cb02b4eb863dfb912394ee44a9e34cee00b5c4d11a9fbe14ac02aa7997c5a9043d76a104cbc3ed25

--"Afghanistan's Young Liberal Elites Challenge the Taliban," by Susanne Koelbl in Der Spiegel: "A young, liberal elite has emerged in Kabul, including many women. It is taking a stand against the Taliban's atrocities in the form of political and artistic initiatives and wants to put an end to Afghanistan's culture of violence." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1c4db62734a2abfd25a739e3b336195fa589ce839a3fa8858edec1bebb145cd313efaf29db4f68966e1a66790f70aa938843eb29b53c9648

--"Tough Talk," by Steve Kolowich in the Chronicle of Higher Ed: "A black philosopher at Texas A&M thought forcing a public discussion about race and violence was his job. Turns out people didn't want to hear it." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1c4db62734a2abfd07ce52e18e464eefedc4458cd8ae24fd0cc786ed75f89fabc16910d2352e9f18654ed0071f9fec353095ae528bca498b (h/t Longreads.com)
Playbookers
SPOTTED: Ed Gillespie at gate 42 at Reagan airport Sunday morning. A "couple folks walked up to wish him well," per our tipster.

HAPPY 28th ANNIVERSARY to Diane and Paul Begala.

WEEKEND WEDDINGS - "Deanna Howes, Peter Spiro" -- N.Y. Times: "Mrs. Spiro, 31, is the communications director at the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, which is in Washington. She graduated from Fordham and received a master's degree in communication from Johns Hopkins. ... Mr. Spiro, 47, is the chief of staff to Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat. The groom graduated from Tulane and received an M.B.A. from Georgetown. ... The bride and groom first met at a political fund-raiser in 2013, and after an encounter at another fund-raiser, several emails and a much longer conversation at an awards dinner, they began dating in 2015." With pic
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1c4db62734a2abfd5c769cb6963e16697c9722a639f2efa48077479442395a63c1ad2d5b79a33485e070fcb48d9fe9d3201463340352523c ... Wedding pic http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1c4db62734a2abfd160f6dcdd8ad763bdca9d69b1a2df8f31cd0679ae42f667c74e691b17e832ce451b728af466d1392b279d61021cdfbaf

SPOTTED: Rep. Ro Khanna, Archbishop of Vilnius Gintaras Grusas, Rev. Michael J. Sheeran S.J., former Amb. to Malta Gary Matthews, former Rep. Tim Bishop (D-N.Y.), ret. Lt. Col. Jim Zumwalt, Heather Purcell, Geo Saba, Kevin Fox, Will McKelvey.

--Conrad Lucas, West Virginia GOP chairman and likely 2018 congressional candidate, last night married LeFlore Barbour, an RNC alum now a strategic partner at Direct Edge. The couple met in 2014 at an RNC meeting, and the wedding was in New Orleans. Pic http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1c4db62734a2abfd7dbd576a922e4408bb5bedc761d457eac8ba818cd85501e10ff01da6b02483c21ceeb84023617cfa7bb7c9bfafb59a6f

SPOTTED: former Miss. Gov. Haley Barbour, Rep. David McKinley (R-W.Va.), Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, RAGA political director Seth Wimer, RNC members Sharon Day, Christine Toretti, Henry Barbour, John Ryder, Vicki Drummond, Jonelle Fulmer, Doyle Webb, Jonathan Barnett, Jeannie Luckey, and Melody Potter, and Austin Barbour, Greg Thomas, Rob Cornelius, Jordan Burgess, Kayla Kessinger, Roger Hanshaw, Riley Moore, Brent Robertson, Katie Hirkman, former WV state Justice John McCuskey, Lane Flynn, Katie Leslie, and Jeppie Barbour.

--"Jamie Farnsworth, Andrew Finn": "Mrs. Finn, 33, is a digital and operations manager for education initiatives at NBC News in New York. [She is also an alum of 'Rock Center' and CBS News.] She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. ... Mr. Finn, 34, is a special counsel in the litigation group at Sullivan & Cromwell, a New York law firm. He also graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, though the couple didn't meet until after both had moved to New York. He received a law degree from New York Law School. ... The couple met in Manhattan in 2015 at a Memorial Day weekend party. They talked about their common background in Wisconsin, and laughed when they exchanged
cellphone numbers, as each had retained a 608 area code from their time in Madison." With pic http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1c4db62734a2abfd67fa5c10b7f757978fe68f5cf231852569058dbb114a6d786a7168d61bc3e33280ec53c9f7aa5696373c04bf2764a78c

OBAMA ALUMNI -- "Casey Pallenik, Bradford Simmons": "The bride, 30 ... is a director of business development for Atlantic Media in Washington. She is also studying for an M.B.A. at Johns Hopkins. Previously, she was a political appointee of the Obama administration, where she served as a staff assistant in the East Wing visitors office, facilitating public tours and large events at the White House. She graduated cum laude from American University. ... The groom, 31, is a foreign affairs officer at the State Department, where he advises on energy security matters in the Asia Pacific. He graduated from Emory University in Atlanta and received a master's degree in international affairs from
George Washington University. ... The couple met in 2007 while studying abroad in Prague." With pic http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1c4db62734a2abfd4a950a081896d7ee199550107952bd39e5f7d7aaee3e41fc9d4d94936d78d831a7b88773db221aef4eea10067a3cde73 ... Wedding pics http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1c4db62734a2abfd61e58cc5d6603821ca8b74568cc3e0fbac6a948ffc0c68ea85ec00892ba777036bad51cf31ae75b87544883f49ee05f7 ... http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1c4db62734a2abfde4556cd6b02fbc1126c44c1c9306dea1d1f9103c650cfd260a72aeb28ea6104e6a467ad751f2865fa377c394ca236203

--SPOTTED: Graham Brookie, Samantha Tubman, Jonny Dach, Leslie Dach, Chelsea Bollinger, Emily Boyle, Mike DelMoro, Will Jennings and Adrienne Watson, Tess Hetzel, Dana Rosensweig, Elizabeth Pan, Julia Duncan, Micah Fergenson, Andrea Richter, Thayer Surette, Josh Volz, Alex Kahl, Rachel Alben, Kelly McCoy and Sid Mahanta.

BIRTHDAYS: Jim Rutenberg ... WSJ's Shane Harris ... Dave Kochel, Jeb and Mitt alum ... Chris Battle ... Carl Lavin ... Medicare is 52 ... Arnold Schwarzenegger is 7-0 ... Anita Hill is 61 ... Trump WH alum Michael Short ... Eleanor Smeal is 78 ... former Rep. Pat Schroeder (D-Colo.) is 77 ... Michelle Bernard ... Mario H. Lopez, president of Hispanic Leadership Fund (hat tip: Joseph Culotta) ... Rebecca Kutler, VP at CNN ... former CFTC Chairman Tim Massad is 61 ... Chelsie Gosk, social media at Airbnb and a New Yorker alum ... Freeman Klopott ... Meredith Simpson ... Megan Rodriguez ... Fran McCarthy (h/t Jon Haber) ... Tony Maciulis is 41 ... Mark Beatty, 270 Strategies founding partner
and 2012 Obama deputy battleground states director. "It's his last bachelor birthday -- he marries the love of his life in less than a month!" (h/t Lynda Tran) ... Ben Marter, comms director for Sen. Durbin ... Candace Randle ... Robert Gottheim ... Brad Jenkins of Funny or Die ... Bill O'Leary, a partner at Heidrick & Struggles, celebrating by playing golf and having dinner with the kids (h/ts Ben Chang) ...

... Suzanne Nossel, executive director of PEN America ... Courtney Asbill ... former Rep. Quico Canseco (R-Tex.) is 68 ... former Rep. Wendell Bailey (R-Mo.) is 77 ... Furhawn Shah ... Kana Smith ... Ines de La Cuetara ... Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) is 51 ... Politico's Tyler Weyant, Alexa Velickovich and Francesca Pigna ... MSNBC's Isaac-Davy Aronson ... Garry Malphrus ... HuffPost's Ashley Alman ... Maggie Easterlin Cutrell ... Kate Harris ... Lindsay Butcher ... Colleen Murray ... Glen Chambers ... Salesforce's Jim Green ... Bonnie Eggers ... Nate Beeler ... Emily Sanders Elam ... Dave Koenig is 58 ... Robert Basmadjian ... Stephen Gallo is 33 ... Paul Dickson ... Wesley Boatwright
is 53 ... George McDowell ... Jonathan Spalter ... Asher Grady (h/ts Teresa Vilmain)


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