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Presented by ExxonMobil: Playbook is POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the day in Washington Aug 21, 2018 View in browser
By Anna Palmer, Jake Sherman, Daniel Lippman and Eli Okun

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MANAFORT TRIAL ALERT ... CNN'S JEREMY HERB (@jeremyherb): "NEW from @kpolantz: Jury has asked: 'If we cannot come to a consensus for a single count, how can we fill in the verdict sheet?'"

SIREN ... "Ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen discussing plea deal with prosecutors," by NBC's Sarah Fitzpatrick, Joe Valiquette, Jonathan Dienst and Tom Winter: "Those sources stress no deal has been reached but do say the potential deal could be reached as early as today." NBC

PBS' LISA DESJARDINS (@LisaDNews): "NEW BREAKING: Sen. Collins just said Kavanaugh told her he agrees w Roberts' take on Roe V Wade - that it is settled law."

FUN DETAILS FROM NEW FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE REPORTS ...

-- SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TEXAS) accepted $7,021 worth of Houston Rockets and Houston Astros tickets in 2017. All were from Robert Marling, a Houston businessman. (Cruz's wife accepted one $675 ticket to the Astros). He also accepted "pro bono legal advice on a personal matter" from D.C. attorney Charles J. Cooper -- that was worth $5,000.

-- SEN. MARK WARNER (D-VA.) accepted a one-way "flight on a charter plane from Gypsum, CO to West Tisbury, MA." West Tisbury is on Martha's Vineyard. That flight was on July 3, 2017, was from Steve Case and was worth $21,490.88. He also accepted a Martha's Vineyard-to-Dulles flight from John L. Davies worth $6,943.50. SEN. CLAIRE MCCASKILL (D-MO.) also flew him from St. Louis to D.C. on May 8, 2017, for $3,234.59.

-- REP. JOHN DELANEY (D-MD.), a Democratic candidate for president, has an American Express Black Card.

BIG NEWS OF THE DAY ... "Trump issues rollback of Obama's biggest climate rule," by Alex Guillén: "The Trump administration rolled out its proposal for gutting former President Barack Obama's most sweeping climate change regulation Tuesday - a move that could also block any future Democratic president from trying to put it back together.

"The proposal from the EPA goes to the core of the criticisms that the coal industry and conservatives lodged against Obama's 2015 regulation ... The replacement from President Donald Trump's EPA would give states far more leeway to meet more modest climate goals - or even to opt of the program entirely.

"But the new rule's biggest impact could come from the inevitable lawsuits that environmental groups and Democratic-leaning states will file against Trump's proposal. If they lose, the result could be a court decision enshrining the Trump administration's hobbled approach to climate regulation ... At the very least, experts say, the proposal from Trump's regulators would mean years of delay in curbing one of the world's most dire problems - the greenhouse gas pollution that causes climate change." POLITICO

-- "E.P.A.'s New Coal Pollution Rules Will Lead to More Deaths, Agency's Numbers Show," by NYT's Lisa Friedman: NYT

NOT WHAT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS SAYING ... "No indication NKorea nuclear activities stopped: UN's IAEA," by AFP's Julia Zappei: "'The continuation and further development of the DPRK's nuclear programme and related statements by the DPRK are a cause for grave concern,' said a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), referring to North Korea's official name." AFP

-- "U.S. Treasury Sanctions Russian Firms for Allegedly Helping North Korea," by WSJ's Ian Talley: WSJ

Good Tuesday afternoon. MEDIAWATCH -- Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, CNBC's chief international correspondent and co-anchor of "Power Lunch," is joining the board of financial services company Beneficient. She will remain a CNBC contributor and guest host.

-- NPR is launching "The Politics Show from NPR," a nine-week hourlong show, ahead of the midterms. Hosts Scott Detrow, Tamara Keith and Asma Khalid will talk to voters and officials across the country.

HOT JOB -- The Los Angeles Times is looking for a New York-based reporter. The posting

Presented by ExxonMobil:

Natural gas has become more important than ever. That's because it's fueling an American manufacturing revival and creating jobs while lowering emissions. And ExxonMobil is one of the world's largest providers. EnergyFactor.com

ZACH WARMBRODT: "Warren proposes sweeping crackdown on lobbying": "The proposed lobbying overhaul ... is the latest in a series of ambitious policy proposals that the Massachusetts Democrat has been floating, fueling speculation that she's gearing up for a 2020 presidential run. The bill would would ban elected officials from lobbying for life, restrict stock ownership by lawmakers and Cabinet secretaries and try to stop Americans from lobbying on behalf of foreign governments and companies." POLITICO

TRADE WARS -- "Trump Auto Tariff Timetable Likely to Slip Amid Europe, Nafta Talks," by WSJ's Jacob M. Schlesinger: "[I]n an interview Monday with The Wall Street Journal, [Wilbur] Ross said it is now 'not clear the [auto imports] report will be out at the end of the month.' He said the delay was 'in view of the negotiations' ongoing with the European Commission, Mexico, and Canada.

"Mr. Ross also suggested that it was taking longer than anticipated to sift through the reams of material submitted by auto makers in the U.S. and around the world opposed to the prospect of new tariffs pushing up the costs to consumers and disrupting global supply chains." WSJ

ON THE PRESIDENT'S MIND -- @realDonaldTrump at 6:38 a.m.: "A Blue Wave means Crime and Open Borders. A Red Wave means Safety and Strength!"

... at 6:55 a.m.: "Even James Clapper has admonished John Brennan for having gone totally off the rails. Maybe Clapper is being nice to me so he doesn't lose his Security Clearance for lying to Congress!"

... at 7:10 a.m.: "Fake News, of which there is soooo much (this time the very tired New Yorker) falsely reported that I was going to take the extraordinary step of denying Intelligence Briefings to President Obama. Never discussed or thought of!"

... at 7:41 a.m.: "I am sorry to have to reiterate that there are serious and unpleasant consequences to crossing the Border into the United States ILLEGALLY! If there were no serious consequences, our country would be overrun with people trying to get in, and our system could not handle it!"

... at 7:57 a.m.: "Big Rally tonight in West Virginia. Patrick Morrisey is running a GREAT race for U.S. Senate. I have done so much for West Virginia, against all odds, and having Patrick, a real fighter, by my side, would make things so much easier. See you later. CLEAN COAL!!!!"

... at 10:15 a.m.: "Bill DeBlasio, the high taxing Mayor of NYC, just stole my campaign slogan: PROMISES MADE PROMISES KEPT! That's not at all nice. No imagination! @foxandfriends"

... at 10:56 a.m.: "To the incredible people of the Great State of Wyoming: Go VOTE TODAY for Foster Friess -- He will be a fantastic Governor! Strong on Crime, Borders & 2nd Amendment. Loves our Military & our Vets. He has my complete and total Endorsement!"

THE INVESTIGATIONS ... "Author of Trump-Russia dossier wins libel case in U.S. court," by The Guardian's Luke Harding: "The former MI6 officer Christopher Steele has won a legal battle in the United States against three Russian oligarchs who sued him over allegations made in his famous dossier about the Trump campaign and its links with Moscow.

"The oligarchs - Mikhail Fridman, Petr Aven and German Khan - claimed that Steele and his intelligence firm Orbis defamed them in the dossier ... On Monday, a judge in the district of Columbia, Anthony C. Epstein, upheld a motion by Steele to have the oligarchs' case thrown out." The Guardian

IN FOGGY BOTTOM -- "Cambridge Analytica parent hired by State Department to target terrorist propaganda," by Pratheek Rebala for the Center for Public Integrity and Time: "The $500,000, no-bid contract was awarded for 'target audience research' to counteract terrorist propaganda ...

"It hired SCL to develop a communication strategy that could reduce the 'volume, credibility and effectiveness of ISIS recruitment propaganda.' The Global Engagement Center was also looking to 'identify interventions' that would decrease the likelihood that potential recruits would join the Islamic State, al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations abroad, documents show." CPI

MORE ON THE NAZI DEPORTATION -- "Merkel bows to Trump demand on Nazi guard," by POLITICO Europe's Matthew Karnitschnig: "President Donald Trump, who grew up in the New York borough of Queens, where Palij has lived for nearly seven decades, instructed Richard Grenell, his ambassador to Germany, to make resolving the case a priority. ...

"The deportation comes at a time of deep tension between Berlin and Washington over a range of issues, from trade to defense spending to Germany's support for Russia's Nord Stream pipeline project. That Angela Merkel's government agreed to take Palij despite its longstanding reservations is in part a reflection of Berlin's eagerness to improve relations with its most important strategic ally." POLITICO

WHAT THE LEFT SHOULD READ ... "Why 'Medicare for all' is playing poorly in Democratic primaries," by Paul Demko: "Many Democratic candidates who made that a centerpiece of their campaigns in key districts this year lost their primaries, in some cases getting clobbered by rivals who offered vaguer health care plans or backed a more incremental approach. ...

"Staying out of the single-payer debate, party strategists say, could help Democrats in the general election, when they'll have to appeal to moderates skeptical of government-run health care." POLITICO

2018 WATCH -- QUITE THE LEDE ... "Levi Sanders Is Not His Father. He Keeps Telling That to Voters," by NYT's Sydney Ember in Laconia, New Hampshire: "That Sanders fellow was shouting again. Earlier in the evening at a campaign forum here, he had yelled, unprompted, about Medicare for all. During his introductory statement, he had bellowed about dentures.

"Now, as the audience groaned at his attacks on other candidates, he snapped. 'Excuse me! Excuse me!' he thundered. 'I'm here to talk, O.K.?' The moderator threatened to turn his microphone off. And then Levi Sanders - the son of the Vermont senator this neighboring state knows well - shouted some more." NYT

-- "Text campaigns are changing American politics - and nobody's ready," by Vice's Alex Thompson: "The tech behind texting is old, of course, but new peer-to-peer platforms are enabling political campaigns to text tens of millions of people without asking permission first, a change from past text message advertising campaigns. Largely free of government regulation, texts could also be the next pipeline for unaccountable money to flow into American politics, much like social media advertising in 2016. ...

"But ready or not, peer-to-peer texting is set to explode this fall as campaigns, political action groups, grassroots groups, and party organizations are expected to send well over 100 million text messages in the 2018 midterm cycle. ... Campaigns say the key advantage with texts is simple: People read them." Vice

-- "I'm a Woman in a Battleground State. Here's What Politicians Don't Understand About Me: Glamour spoke to women in Arizona, Missouri, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Florida about the issues that will decide their vote ahead of the 2018 midterm elections," by Mattie Kahn: Glamour

-- HEATHER CAYGLE: "Lawmakers ditch town halls: 'They want to avoid those gotcha moments'": "So far, the August recess is quiet. Very quiet. And lawmakers on both sides of the aisle seem to prefer it that way.

"Members have scheduled only about 180 in-person events this recess, a nearly 70 percent decrease from the same time last year, according to data tracked by Legistorm." POLITICO

-- "Ten big Silicon Valley money players behind this November's U.S. midterm elections," by Recode's Teddy Schleifer: Recode

USA TODAY'S ELIZA COLLINS: "In Donald Trump era, a GOP leader looks to recast his party's image with black voters": "[Mark] Walker, an affable former pastor, represents a North Carolina district that is one-fifth African-American. He is championing criminal justice reform and funding for historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), issues that are high priorities for many African-American voters. ...

"But Walker's quest is an uphill battle given the antipathy toward Trump among black voters and the fact that they overwhelming identify as Democrats." USA Today

WAPO'S SPENCER HSU: "Ex-congressional IT staffer set to be sentenced, after prosecutors debunk conspiracy theories": "Imran Awan pleaded guilty July 3 to a felony over the loan application, which was not related to his work on Capitol Hill. In court filings at his plea, federal prosecutors debunked allegations promulgated on right-leaning news sites and fanned by President Trump on Twitter suggesting Awan was a Pakistani operative who secretly accessed computer files with cover from House Democrats. Prosecutors seek no jail time for Awan." WaPo

YIKES -- VALLEY TALK ... "Facebook Fueled Anti-Refugee Attacks in Germany, New Research Suggests," by NYT's Amanda Taub and Max Fisher in Altena, Germany: "Wherever per-person Facebook use rose to one standard deviation above the national average, attacks on refugees increased by about 50 percent." NYT

AP'S MICHAEL R. BLOOD and MICHAEL BALSAMO: "FBI probes computer hacks in California House campaigns": "A law enforcement official told The Associated Press the FBI looked into hacks involving David Min in the 45th Congressional District and Hans Keirstead in the adjacent 48th District. ... The investigations so far have not turned up evidence the two candidates in Orange County were political targets." AP

AFTERNOON READ -- "Brussels, city of spies: Growing role of EU has made Belgian capital prime target for spooks," by Lili Bayer: "[A] former senior Belgian intelligence official [said] that there are now more agents operating in Brussels than in the years before the fall of the Berlin Wall. ...

"Diplomats in Brussels assume they are being monitored every day. ... 'In the residence, they wouldn't even sweep ... there are so many people in and out, there is no way to prevent it, you just have to assume at all times that the Russians and Chinese are listening to you,' [former U.S. Ambassador to Belgium Howard] Gutman said, adding that he would jokingly yell 'good night!' up at his bedroom ceiling before going to sleep." POLITICO Europe

2020 WATCH -- "The Complicated Politics Of Kamala Harris's First Book," by BuzzFeed's Molly Hensley-Clancy: "Nearly a decade after it was published in 2009, Smart on Crime fits a moment in which the public is demanding legal investigations of government corruption and justice for the victims of sexual abuse. It also cuts wildly against many progressives' broad rethinking of the criminal justice system when it comes to racial bias, police presence, and more." BuzzFeed

@yashar: "In-Box: 'FOX & Friends co-host Ainsley Earhardt will present an exclusive interview with President Donald Trump this Thursday, August 23rd on FOX & Friends.'"

DATA DU JOUR -- Gallup is out with a new poll looking at Americans' perceptions of prominent foreign leaders. Justin Trudeau, Theresa May, Angela Merkel and Benjamin Netanyahu are all viewed more favorably than unfavorably, while Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un are deeply underwater -- 13-76 and 6-84, respectively. Twenty-seven percent of Republicans view Putin favorably, compared to 4 percent of Democrats. The results

-- "Two-Thirds of Russians Believe in Broad Anti-Russia Conspiracy, Poll Says": The Moscow Times

FOR YOUR RADAR -- "U.S. inmates stage nationwide prison labor strike over 'modern slavery,'" by The Guardian's Ed Pilkington in New York: "On Tuesday, America's vast army of incarcerated men and women - at 2.3m of them they form by far the largest imprisoned population in the world - will brace itself for what has the potential to be the largest prison strike in US history.

"Nineteen days of peaceful protest are planned across the nation, organised largely by prisoners themselves." The Guardian

FIRST PERSON -- "I Just Hacked a State Election. I'm 17. And I'm Not Even a Very Good Hacker," by River O'Connor in POLITICO Magazine: "I didn't quite know what to expect when I started the competition, but I know it shouldn't have been that easy. Someone with my skills wouldn't have stood a chance against a professionally protected website. Anyone with a Wi-Fi-enabled device could theoretically have done what I did to the mock election database.

"Unfortunately, the people who have the power to do something about this issue are in denial. But that doesn't change the facts on the ground." POLITICO Magazine

SPOTTED: South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson at DCA. "He was in a suit and standing by himself with no baggage of any kind, awaiting an UberX," per our tipster.

WHITE HOUSE DEPARTURE LOUNGE -- ARI SCHAFFER has left the White House, where he was associate director of research in the communications shop. He started Monday at the Commerce Department as special adviser for communications.

STATE DEPT. ARRIVAL LOUNGE -- SUSAN PHALEN is now head of external affairs for the undersecretary for arms control and international security. She was previously director of external affairs at FEMA.

WEEKEND WEDDINGS -- Andrew Feldman, principal of firm Feldman Strategies and a John Delaney alum, married Megan Salzman, communications and outreach manager at First Five Years Fund, in a wedding at Kings Family Vineyard, outside of Charlottesville, Va. Pic

-- Martina Egerer, director of political events for the ICBA (Independent Community Bankers Association), married Mike Dashner, an analyst with BAE Systems and a Steve Chabot alum, in a wedding in the Tuscan hills in Borgo Petrognano. Pic

WELCOME TO THE WORLD - Mark Malone, director of operations for Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and a John Fleming alum, and Ivy Malone, senior congressional analyst for Dynetics, welcomed Major Williams Malone. He weighed 9 lbs 9 oz and measured 21 inches. Pic

-- Danielle Rodman Shoolbraid, an associate at Brunswick Group, and Sean Shoolbraid, who's starting soon as an associate attorney at the law firm Finazzo Cossolini, welcomed baby Eli who came in at 8 lb 14 oz and 22.25". He joins big brother William. Pic ... Another pic

Presented by ExxonMobil:

Natural gas has a growing role in the world's energy mix. The energy generated from natural gas is fueling an American manufacturing revival and creating jobs, which helps drive economic prosperity. And as one of the world's largest providers of natural gas, ExxonMobil is committed to its responsible discovery and delivery. Visit the Energy Factor to learn more about the importance of natural gas energy in our world. EnergyFactor.com

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