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Presented by Facebook: POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. | | | | | |  | | By Eli Okun and Garrett Ross | | | Is this the end for New York Gov. ANDREW CUOMO? New York A.G. TISH JAMES unveiled the results of her office’s investigation into sexual harassment claims against the governor this morning in a 168-page report . And they’re damning: Investigators concluded Cuomo did sexually harass multiple women, thereby breaking federal and state laws. In addition to confirming previous reporting on several of the claims, the report includes new allegations from a state trooper on his security detail who said Cuomo harassed her. In finding the women’s allegations credible, James and her investigators immediately plunged Cuomo into not only political but potentially legal peril — although James noted that it’s a civil report that “does not have any criminal consequences.” — IMPEACHMENT WATCH: State Assembly Speaker CARL HEASTIE put out a statement that called the details “gut-wrenching” and concluded, “We will have more to say in the very near future.” More from Anna Gronewold in Albany — Reminder: President JOE BIDEN said in March that Cuomo should step down if the investigation bore out the claims against him. Democratic members of Congress were already calling on him to resign this morning minutes after James’ announcement. — Happening shortly: Cuomo announced he’ll respond at 1 p.m. SIREN — “House Dem campaign chief warns the majority at risk without message reboot,” by Sarah Ferris and Heather Caygle: “During a closed-door lunch last week with some of his most vulnerable incumbents, House Democrats’ campaign chief delivered a blunt warning: If the midterms were held now, they would lose the majority. … [N]ew polling … showed Democrats falling behind Republicans by a half-dozen points on a generic ballot in battleground districts. “[SEAN PATRICK] MALONEY advised the party to course-correct ahead of 2022 by doing more to promote President Joe Biden’s agenda, which remains popular with swing voters. … [O]nly 42 percent of people trusted Democrats on the economy — even as key pieces of the party’s agenda, such as the expansion of the child tax credit, remain hugely popular. … The DCCC’s survey also revealed serious weak spots for GOP candidates, including extremism tied to Jan. 6 and vaccines.” Related: McClatchy’s Alex Roarty on Dems’ plans to message their “middle-class tax cut” during recess DEVELOPING — “Pentagon is currently on lockdown following report of shooting on bus platform outside,” CNN Good Tuesday afternoon. | | A message from Facebook: The internet has changed a lot since 1996 - internet regulations should too
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– Reforming Section 230 | | | PANDEMIC AZAR’S OP-ED — POLITICO’s health care editor-at-large, Joanne Kenen, writes in: ALEX AZAR, who was DONALD TRUMP’s HHS secretary when the coronavirus broke out, has some regrets. He regrets that Trump himself didn’t get vaccinated on national TV, signaling the shots’ safety and value. He regrets that the pandemic — and vaccination — got so political. And he regrets that he and others in the White House and HHS — under both Trump and Biden — didn’t do a better job explaining that the “speed” in Operation Warp Speed, which Azar helped oversee, referred to broader testing and rapid manufacturing, not shortcuts in the science. Azar’s critics — and he has accumulated plenty — may point out that he served a president who stifled science, downplayed risk and politicized a deadly disease. But his bottom line in a NYT op-ed today — that it’s past time for Republican leaders and “trusted voices on the right” to cut out the politics and shout from the rooftops that vaccines are safe and necessary — is, in Azar’s words, “a message for all Americans.” Delta is tearing through the country. And it’s hitting Trump’s own unvaccinated loyalists disproportionately hard. PAGING MURIEL BOWSER — NYT’s Emma Fitzsimmons: “Mayor BILL DE BLASIO plans to announce Tuesday morning that New York City will require proof of vaccination for people participating in indoor activities, including at restaurants, gyms and performances … Mr. de Blasio has been reluctant to reinstate an indoor mask mandate like those in some other large urban areas.” TODAY’S WHITE HOUSE EVENT — “Biden to announce U.S. has delivered more than 100 million Covid shots abroad,” NBC MESSAGING MASSAGING — “White House back-channeling with networks on Covid coverage,” by Chris Cadelago: “The White House began holding a series of briefings Monday and into Tuesday with all the major TV networks — including Fox News — as well as other newsroom leaders about their recent Covid coverage … [T]he briefings are being led in part by VIVEK MURTHY … “[T]hey are also occurring at a moment of concern across the administration over news reports and headlines that they view as far too narrowly focused on vaccinated people contracting the virus. … This past weekend, they huddled with TV producers and reporters in the lead-up to the Sunday shows … There are some indications that the administration’s efforts to frame coverage around the need for vaccinations is working.” DATA DISSENSION — “CDC’s Covid-19 Mask Mandate Clouded by Flawed Data,” by WSJ’s Robbie Whelan and Jared Hopkins: “Inside the CDC, some officials disagree with the agency’s conclusion that vaccinated people who become infected may spread the virus as readily as the unvaccinated, and argue that more testing needs to be done, including tests that measure how infectious virus particles are … “Some scientists say that the Provincetown study isn’t reliable enough to be the primary driver of a public health policy change. … The CDC’s challenge extends beyond the Covid-19 crisis. The agency often relies on samples to determine the extent of disease outbreaks or vaccination levels, and some public-health experts say its ability to collect comprehensive data in real-time is lacking.” THE NEW EPICENTER — “11,515 patients: Florida again breaks record for COVID-19 hospitalizations,” AP/10 Tampa Bay | | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | | CONGRESS JAN. 6 AFTERMATH — The Senate unanimously moved this morning to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the U.S. Capitol Police and others who defended the Capitol during the insurrection. TWITTER EXCHANGE OF THE DAY — @AndrewDesiderio: “Just watched BERNIE SANDERS literally sprint through the Senate subway to catch an elevator, put his fingers between the doors as they were about to shut, and walk inside — where an astonished TED CRUZ was cracking up.” … @tedcruz: “True. When he stuck his foot in the closing door, I told him, ‘I’ve said your bill is gonna cost an arm & a leg, but I didn’t mean it literally….’” POLITICS ROUNDUP CLIP AND SAVE — The best place to watch results for tonight’s two Ohio congressional special election primaries is this page from our colleagues at POLITICO, where you can watch data roll in from both parties’ internecine battles in real time. 2022 WATCH — “Ann Wagner running for re-election to Missouri’s 2nd congressional district,” by The Missouri Times’ Kaitlyn Schallhorn: “After much speculation about a potential U.S. Senate bid, Congresswoman ANN WAGNER has decided to defend her 2nd congressional seat in 2022.” THE POLITICAL WORKFORCE — “D.N.C. Staff to Join Union, in a Milestone for Labor,” by NYT’s Lisa Lerer: “[It’s] the first time a national party organization will have a unionized work force … Roughly 150 employees at the committee will join the Service Employees International Union Local 500 … They agreed to unionize through what is known as a card-check system.” TRUMP CARDS DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I SPEND — “Trump raised millions but spent none of it on audits and GOP candidates,” by Meridith McGraw: “A review of election filings from Make America Great Again PAC, Save America PAC, and the Save America Joint Fundraising Committee show that not a single penny was transferred or contributed from those Trump-affiliated entities to GOP candidates or committees involved in the midterm elections. Nor did Trump’s various groups write a check to support the audit in Arizona.” POLICY CORNER FED FILES — “Biden Fed Pick Pits Powell Against Liberal Push for Regulation,” by Bloomberg’s Steven Dennis and Saleha Mohsin: “President Joe Biden has a tough decision in choosing the next Federal Reserve chair: Play it safe by giving JEROME POWELL a second term or take a chance on a liberal like LAEL BRAINARD … Either path offers speed bumps for the White House. “Powell would likely sail to Senate confirmation, giving the Biden administration a significant bipartisan win. Financial markets would likely remain calm … A liberal nominee, like Fed Governor Brainard … would likely keep Democratic senators like ELIZABETH WARREN and Banking Chair SHERROD BROWN happy. Yet it would presage a bruising confirmation fight, potentially even a 50-50 vote.” WHAT TOM VILSACK IS READING — “Biden’s big attempt at equity in agriculture hits dead end,” by Josh Gerstein and Ximena Bustillo: “A string of legal defeats for a groundbreaking program to forgive the debts of minority farmers is presenting the Biden administration with a stark choice. It can continue the fight and risk further setbacks or give up and disappoint activists and lawmakers who have championed the cause. … “So far, three different judges have issued preliminary injunctions blocking the program nationwide as litigation proceeds. … DOJ rarely gives up without a fight in such cases, but legal experts say the Biden administration’s best move at the moment might be to huddle with congressional allies and come up with a program more likely to pass muster. Otherwise, they say, there’s a danger of provoking court rulings that might undermine other programs aimed at remedying past discrimination.” | | | | Be a Policy Pro. POLITICO Pro has a free policy resource center filled with our best practices on building relationships with state and federal representatives, demonstrating ROI, and influencing policy through digital storytelling. Read our free guides today . | | | | | BEYOND THE BELTWAY SOME-DRAMA OBAMA — “‘It’s Been Hard Opposing Barack Obama,’” by Shia Kapos in Chicago: “Five years ago, President BARACK OBAMA and First Lady MICHELLE OBAMA chose the idyllic location, near the couple’s old home in the nearby Hyde Park neighborhood, as the future site of the Obama Presidential Center … [C]onstruction crews are prepared to start preliminary work as soon as August 15 … But it’s not clear that timeline will unfold as planned. Last week, local activists took another step forward in their years-long fight against the project, hoping to stop construction and force a change in location.” MEDIAWATCH NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN — “AP appoints Daisy Veerasingham as agency’s president and CEO,” by AP’s David Bauder: “The Associated Press appointed DAISY VEERASINGHAM, its executive vice president and chief operating officer, as the news cooperative’s president and CEO on Tuesday, setting her up to replace the retiring GARY PRUITT at the beginning of next year. “She will become the first woman, first person of color and first person from outside of the United States to lead the AP in its 175-year history. Veerasingham, 51, is a first-generation Briton of Sri Lankan descent. … She’ll be tasked with continuing to diversify income sources. … Veerasingham said she’s determined to maintain the AP as a source of fact-based, nonpartisan journalism, and to fight for freedom of the press and access to information.” WATCH THE THRONE — “New York Times insiders increasingly believe Joseph Kahn will succeed Dean Baquet as executive editor,” by Insider’s Steven Perlberg: “[L]ately, the rumor mill has settled back on [JOSEPH] KAHN, 56, as the most likely choice … Colleagues describe him as bright and calm. He was one of the top editors involved in an internal report aimed at making The Times a more inclusive workplace, and he is said to be plugged into the business side of the paper … “A former international editor, Kahn has been the heir apparent since he was appointed as managing editor in 2016. … Kahn’s selection as executive editor would show a kind of continuity and would most likely be uncontroversial, since it’s the expected outcome. … Another big question is the timing of [DEAN] BAQUET’s exit. He will pass the paper’s mandatory retirement age of 65 in September next year, but he has not indicated when he will retire.” PLAYBOOKERS TRANSITIONS — The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum has named several new members of its senior leadership team: Randy Bunnao as chief comms officer, Yvonne Hsu as chief policy and government affairs officer, Isra Pananon as chief of staff, Valeri Chow Tao as chief administrative officer and Jennifer Wang as chief strategic partnerships and research officer. BONUS BIRTHDAYS: Joe Ramallo of Sen. Bill Cassidy’s (R-La.) office … Jay Caruso of the Washington Examiner Magazine | | | |   | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |  |
