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Today's Playbook Power Briefing presented by PhRMA

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


Good Friday afternoon. SPOTTED -- SAM NUNBERG and his lawyer Patrick Brackley Thursday afternoon at Capitol Grille after meeting with special counsel Robert Mueller's team. Nunberg, who was in good spirits, declined to talk about what he discussed with them. ... SEN. MARK WARNER (D-VA.) at gate 35X this morning at DCA, wearing "dad jeans" and Allbirds, according to our tipster.

RICK GATES SET TO PLEAD GUILTY TO TWO CHARGES -- Josh Gerstein: "Former Trump campaign aide Rick Gates is set to plead guilty Friday to conspiracy and false statement charges brought by special counsel Robert Mueller's office, according to a newly unsealed court filing.

"A new set of charges prepared for Gates' plea indicates he plans to admit to taking part in a conspiracy to hide tens of millions of dollars he and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort obtained for their lobbying and consulting work related to Ukraine. Gates also appears set to acknowledge that, during a debriefing with the FBI earlier this month, he lied about the pair's Ukraine-related work." The plea hearing is at 2 p.m. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=56c38a5022e583b558936c9d69a20250e28b462e41ce00d918653c07bf0e6100ab0ea5c10d8b9e893358c4d26003207c ... The new filing http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=56c38a5022e583b551c041de1df216284aba0832da87609c59feb2d3b38b4afb30f4a9989a34cd15d058722231a24aec

-- NYT's Mark Mazzetti and Maggie Haberman, who broke that Gates was planning to plead guilty this morning: "The plea deal could be a significant development in the investigation -- a sign that Mr. Gates plans to offer incriminating information against his longtime associate and the former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, or other members of the Trump campaign in exchange for a lighter punishment. ... It was unclear exactly what Mr. Gates might have to offer the special counsel's team, whether about Mr. Manafort or about other members of the Trump campaign." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=56c38a5022e583b5966d6ff5fd2925b6c00df237c5c74c950cf4a5d692e050818595c273ef07a33d3000102f090ba655

-- ABC News' John Santucci and Matthew Mosk: "In [a] letter obtained by ABC News, Gates writes to family and friends 'despite my initial desire to vigorously defend myself, I have had a change of heart,' Gates explained. 'The reality of how long this legal process will likely take, the cost, and the circus-like atmosphere of an anticipated trial are too much. I will better serve my family moving forward by exiting this process.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=56c38a5022e583b5d3043b2249e605126b0f6f5edaf22fce8bf46e874232a6daec1c6d2d1d862310694bfbea48cba796

TRUMP TAKES CPAC -- "Trump at CPAC: Armed teacher 'would have shot the hell out of' Florida gunman," by Cristiano Lima: "President Donald Trump reiterated his call for more teachers and education officials to be armed in the wake of the deadly Florida shooting on Friday, arguing at an annual conservative political summit that 'a teacher would have shot the hell out of' the gunman if the school permitted concealed carry. ...

"Trump decried the inaction of a local sheriff's deputy, who resigned Thursday after surveillance footage revealed he failed to intervene during the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School despite being the only armed official on-hand when the massacre began." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=56c38a5022e583b56cbea57095e45b3917cb7bdf590d696f46f400f4bff72994de7b2840c2879ba5748e72f75727ea2f

-- TRUMP went after SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-Ariz.) for his vote on healthcare: "Except for one senator, who came into a room at 3:00 in the morning and went like that, we would have had health care too," he said, imitating McCain's dramatic thumbs-down on the floor the night of the vote. "I don't want to be controversial so I won't use his name, okay? What a mess." Last month, McCain's daughter MEGHAN MCCAIN told Anna on an episode of the "Women Rule" podcast that the president had called her and that she didn't think he would mock her father again. Through a spokesperson, she declined to comment today. Anna's interview with Meghan McCain http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=56c38a5022e583b52ce4b71d8c0ced78864d9f2ac771d306543daf0e64ee818ea8e6509f0845106c23e84452b62dff6d

PAGING THE WHITE HOUSE -- "Despite Trump prediction, NRA says it won't back raising age limit on assault-style guns," by Cristiano Lima: "A spokeswoman said Friday the National Rifle Association will not support efforts to raise the age limit on who can purchase assault-style guns, casting doubt on President Donald Trump's forecast that the group 'will back' the push. 'Raising the age is not going to solve psychosis,' spokeswoman Dana Loesch told CNN on Friday when asked about the NRA's stance on the measure." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=56c38a5022e583b57552cf17975874f49e8726edf70c7131638a62c67eb1069edcc8a937c0c9adbf2213e6ec36d05472

PAGING THE NRA -- "Scott, Florida GOP move to raise gun-buying age to 21," by POLITICO Florida's Arek Sarkissian and Matt Dixon: "Florida Gov. Rick Scott proposed raising the age limit to 21 for most gun purchases in Florida as Florida House Republicans moved ahead with a plan to allow school personnel to carry guns and to impose select gun-control measures. It was a striking end to a week that's seen Florida, a bastion of support for gun rights, at the center of the national gun debate following a mass shooting last week that left 17 people dead at a high school in the state.

"In a late morning press conference, Scott proposed a $500 million spending package to address school safety and mental health. He said he does not support arming teachers, proposing training school guards instead. People with military training would be exempted from the 21-year-old age requirement for purchasing firearms.

"The House bill, obtained by POLITICO, was assembled in response to Florida's worst school shooting. It would allow trained school employees to become armed 'marshals,' double the number of school resource officers, beef up mental health services and institute some gun-control measures. The proposal, set to be unveiled this afternoon, would also raise the age limit to buy a rifle from 18 to 21. It would require a three-day waiting period for purchases of all types of firearms." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=56c38a5022e583b56a89637e9fd25a9970993c3df323a9a3e44206f614157f6b4d98147571771ace6c4bcec63126e3b2

-- AT THE POLITICO STATE SOLUTIONS CONFERENCE -- "Gov. Rick Snyder: 'I don't think having more guns is a good thing'," by Maggie Severns: "Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder on Friday called for possibly restricting assault rifles or enacting 'red flag' legislation to prevent school shootings, saying he's had personal experience watching young people die in a shooting and hopes to work with lawmakers to enact new laws.

"'I don't think having more guns is a good thing,' Snyder said during the POLITICO State Solutions Conference in Washington. 'We need to have a thoughtful dialogue.' ... Snyder, a moderate Republican who is prevented from seeking a third term as governor, professed the country is in 'a very polarizing situation' on guns. He praised local lawmakers who are embarking on a 'listening tour' of their state and said he'd like to work with the Michigan congressional delegation on some sort of 'federal-state' solution." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=56c38a5022e583b5d71b3639019ab884786f6d7fefe32ebe0db99c2e409dff05033af9d670010abd6f59f45239b0b83e

THE LATEST IN FLORIDA -- "Slain student's parent could chair investigative panel into school shooting's botched response," by Florida Playbooker Marc Caputo: "A special Florida legislative investigative committee, says state House Speaker Richard Corcoran, will investigate the shocking revelation by law enforcement authorities late Thursday that an armed school officer on duty at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School did not try to stop the gunman who slaughtered 17 people in the worst school shooting in the state's history.

"Corcoran said the House plans to include the provision for the committee -- which could be chaired by an as-yet-unnamed parent of one of the murdered students -- in a package of gun and school safety legislation." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=56c38a5022e583b564867ed5457dbec81b92d51bc56794a87e463c34103b3c03603cc0747d602c6ea774a43db45208f3

****** A message from PhRMA: Middlemen, like PBMs and insurers, have been shifting more of the costs of your health care to you for years - with deductibles increasing 300% since 2006. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1e54dd4bcf00e514c3df71f8eb267de2fc6405feb25a7dacdaaced190ffc4600f95413571c218d21d68158bc3bf7ac4d ******

DEEP DIVE -- "The Unchecked Influence of NRA Lobbyist Marion Hammer," by Mike Spies in The New Yorker: "According to court documents filed by the N.R.A. in 2016, the group has roughly three hundred thousand members in Florida. They are a politically active voting bloc with whom Hammer frequently communicates through e-mail. Using supercharged, provocative language, she keeps her followers apprised of who has been 'loyal' to the Second Amendment and who has committed unforgivable 'betrayals.' 'If you're with Marion ninety-five per cent of the time, you're a damn traitor,' Matt Gaetz said. Gaetz said that one of her e-mails 'packs more political punch than a hundred thousand TV buys from any
other special interest in the state.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=56c38a5022e583b514abb92a56dd9bf330bfcf2c2b7ab17edc9293709f31b84a8737bb769b053451c8b5c59741b2be7b

HUH? -- "The first rule of seeing Barack Obama in Boston is don't talk about seeing Barack Obama in Boston," by The Boston Globe's Steve Annear: "The former president will be at a sports analytics conference hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Friday. But if you're not actually an attendee at the event, don't expect to hear much about what Obama shares. ... Officials managing the 12th annual MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center have put strict rules in place that extend beyond barring the media from divulging Obama's insights. ...

"During Obama's panel, photography; video recording; streaming; and social media-posting, including on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and other platforms will not be permitted - 'without exception,' the warning explains." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=56c38a5022e583b5f61e17d30a3c6c7ffc028bc51957e2068264c91051389321a0bb1f36da39139d8e847b6b45ad1b56

ON THE WORLD STAGE -- "Myanmar bulldozes what is left of Rohingya Muslim villages," by the AP's Todd Pitman and Esther Htusan: "First, their villages were burned to the ground. Now, Myanmar's government is using bulldozers to literally erase them from the earth -- in a vast operation rights groups say is destroying crucial evidence of mass atrocities against the nation's ethnic Rohingya Muslim minority." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=56c38a5022e583b5b28605946aaa57e4aaaccd6911203b99a3555eafab51d6b13a9c9d0f0051c6a7e4384cec7ccb8f0a

SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT MOON JAE-IN at a ceremony welcoming the American delegation for the closing ceremony of the Olympics, which includes Ivanka Trump and Sarah Huckabee Sanders, per pooler Anna Fifield of WaPo: "He welcomed her and thanked President Trump for sending VP Pence to the opening and Ivanka Trump to the closing. Said that whenever he talked to Trump on the phone, the president always asked if ticket sales were high. Everyone laughed. ... 'I also believe that such developments [between North and South Korea] are thanks to President Trump's strong support for inter-Korean dialogue and I would like to express my deep appreciation on this point as well,' Moon said."

HARASSMENT FILES -- "A Progressive Firm Fired A Partner For Allegedly Assaulting A Female Staffer. Soon She Was Gone, Too," by Molly Redden in HuffPost: "Revolution [Messaging] forced out a female employee in early 2016, just two months after one of the company's partners -- her supervisor -- had been accused of physically assaulting her at a company holiday function, several people with knowledge of the incident said. The firm had quickly fired the partner. But multiple Revolution employees worried that the woman's departure was retaliatory -- and symptomatic of a workplace in which some women and people of color felt overlooked or marginalized.

"By mid-February of that year, employees at the Washington, D.C., firm were circulating a draft letter to management demanding to know whether the woman had been forced out as an act of retaliation. ... Revolution disputes the former staffers' description of the firm and of the circumstances of the former employee's departure. A company spokeswoman, Moira Muntz, defended its handling of the alleged assault and denied that it fired the female employee in retaliation -- or that it forced her out at all." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=56c38a5022e583b5ee8b279d8ba8f275214486b553a06f8e887d2ed49b2dc171caf62cf78de8696d03d93886cd27e345

REMEMBER THE AF1 DUSTUP? -- "White House, Boeing In Final Stages of New Air Force One Deal," by Defense News' Marcus Weisgerber: "President Donald Trump and Boeing are in the final stages of negotiating a multibillion-dollar deal for two new Air Force One airplanes, according to three people with knowledge of the discussions.

"Trump met with Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg at the White House on Tuesday to try to close stalled negotiations between the Air Force -- which is responsible for buying the planes -- and the aerospace firm, the sources said. ... Trump and Muilenburg on Tuesday were able to break the gridlock that had stymied lower-level negotiations, the sources said. Although the deal has not been completely finalized, an announcement is anticipated soon." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=56c38a5022e583b57010327ec09b6344619042b3e30a9a6a45beb16b9302e93b1d41ce09ccc0260736118ddeae120b1c

CONGRATS! -- National Review's CHARLES C.W. COOKE -- "My American Dream": "This morning, at 8 a.m., I did something I've wanted to do for as long as I can remember: I became an American. ... I decided that I wanted to be an American on my first visit here at age three. Sure, at that point it wasn't quite clear to me whether there was an America outside of Walt Disney World. But on subsequent visits, of which there were many, I discovered that there really was, and that it was a giant, rambunctious, beautiful place. Since then, I've never wavered in my ambition to be of it." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=56c38a5022e583b5000bb0f00eb1486037665490601966a43a54c7c80baf154eb7692dcb91369f96e88744d8ebfe0cc8

GREITENS' FREE FALL, CONTINUED -- The Kansas City Star's @lindsaywise: "Gov @EricGreitens 'no longer intends to serve' on the Executive Committee of the Republican Governors Association. 'We look forward to a quick resolution of this issue. Our thoughts & prayers are with Governor Greitens and his family'".

TV TONIGHT -- WASHINGTON WEEK -- Bob Costa has NYT's Julie Hirschfeld Davis, WaPo's Michael Scherer and Axios' Jim VandeHei on this week's on PBS at 8 p.m.

SPORTS BLINK -- "Federal documents detail sweeping potential NCAA violations involving high-profile players, schools," by Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde and Pete Thamel: "While three criminal cases tied to the investigation may take years to play out, the documents viewed by Yahoo revealed the extent of the potential NCAA ramifications from the case. The documents show an underground recruiting operation that could create NCAA rules issues - both current and retroactive -- for at least 20 Division I basketball programs and more than 25 players.

"The documents tie some of the biggest names and programs in the sport to activity that appears to violate the NCAA's amateurism rules. This could end up casting a pall over the NCAA tournament because of eligibility issues. (NCAA officials declined a request for comment.) There's potential impermissible benefits and preferential treatment for players and families of players at Duke, North Carolina, Texas, Kentucky, Michigan State, USC, Alabama and a host of other schools." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=56c38a5022e583b57bd057dcc7ad5e7995e08444fce41565f5691466ee8942551b841f5343e013e9a0c1538de68bdc6a

MEDIAWATCH -- Congrats to California Playbooker CARLA MARINUCCI for being named the number one digital influencer in media covering the state legislature by Randle Communications. Incoming POLITICO White House reporter Chris Cadelago was number five. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=56c38a5022e583b57d27f7d293e1f41f40ce9ceed157ba1e072024dee5ec655e28d151f214828ac380f67f4de266fa3f

-- "Gothamist Lives, Thanks to a Boost From Public Radio," by Wired's Issie Lapowsky: "Now, a consortium of public radio stations, including WNYC in New York, WAMU in Washington DC, and KPCC in Southern California, has banded together to bring some of those sites back from the dead. The three stations are acquiring the assets of Gothamist and some of its associated sites, including LAist, DCist, and DNAInfo. The deal was spearheaded by Gothamist founders Jake Dobkin and Jen Chung, and is being funded by two anonymous donors who have contributed an undisclosed sum to acquire the brands." WAMU plans on hiring a three-person staff for DCist and begin publishing by spring
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=56c38a5022e583b50f9667788209a29949bd3dc83db2567ff94a677a3f4c6c608a1449a9a6f42393472623dec3b7e6b1

-- Rebecca Shabad is joining NBC News Digital as a congressional reporter on March 5. She's currently a reporter for CBS News.

SPOTTED: David Corn last night at Rosa Mexicano on National Margarita Day

SPOTTED at the Google CPAC party last night: Matt Schlapp, Morton Blackwell, former Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-Kan.), Rick Tyler, Chris Wilson, Jim Martin, Benny Johnson, Manny Rosales, Chris Bedford, Vince Coglianese, Eric Lieberman, Melissa Brown, James Braid, Charlie Nash, Lucas Nolan, Charlie Spiering, Susan Molinari, Nick Pearson, Riva Sciuto, Greg Mueller, Wayne Brough, Martin Gillespie, Deneen and Tom Borelli, Mike Thompson, Matt Vadum and Max Pappas.

SPOTTED at a dinner last night hosted by French Ambassador Gérard Araud and Kathleen Biden in honor of the DC Volunteer Lawyers Project: Adrienne Arsht, Jay Carney and Claire Shipman, Joe Lockhart and Giovanna Gray Lockhart, David Gregory and Beth Wilkinson and Linda Potter.

TRANSITIONS -- Anthony Mercurio is joining Forward Majority as finance director. He was previously Everytown for Gun Safety's fundraising manager and worked on the Clinton national finance team. ... Jonathan Foltz has started at DHS as a senior legislative adviser in the office of legislative affairs. He previously was legislative director for Sen. Luther Strange (R-Ala.) and is a Dan Coats alum. ... Michael Deich has joined the Laura and John Arnold Foundation as the executive vice president for policy and advocacy. He was acting deputy director of the OMB during the Obama administration.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD -- Rebecca Mond, senior director of federal government affairs at the Toy Association, and her fiancé, Robert Sims, records manager at K&L Gates, welcomed son Paxton Robert Mond Sims. He joins his big sister, Teagan, who is 3 and a half years old. Pic http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=56c38a5022e583b52dca3d59438bb0167a8f7a630710c85aab3efaf695c95587f4cc6ec7bfe8455a815e8395ab6d485c

-- OBAMA ALUMNI: Miguel Solis, an Obama 2008 campaign alum and now president of the Latino Center for Leadership Development and a Dallas School Board member, and Dr. Jacqueline Solis, a pediatrician, on Thursday welcomed Olivia Rene Solis. Pic http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=56c38a5022e583b5e315870f4e02d7636146829c31118b225e1f88ad008cb06ec5345331a6ad598dbf19922593b6132c

ENGAGED -- Danny Ricchetti, L.A. for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, proposed last week to Emily Reeder, a 2017 UVA Law grad clerking on the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. The two met in 2013 while taking an undergraduate Arab foreign policy seminar at the College of William & Mary. Pic http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=56c38a5022e583b51944b8c779a60d8345f49d85ca3b3825d1253dc175133640f11fbe1be4f4b094eaca25f2d3a784a3


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