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Presented by Facebook: POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. | | | | | |  | | By Rachael Bade, Garrett Ross and Eli Okun | | | BREAKING — “AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka dead at 72, sources say,” by Tina Sfondeles and Rebecca Rainey: “RICHARD TRUMKA, president of the powerful AFL-CIO labor organization, has died unexpectedly, two sources told POLITICO. Trumka, 72, had served as president of the federation, which represents more than 12.5 million workers, for more than a decade and has been a close ally of the Biden White House. “Trumka died of what was believed to be a heart attack, a source familiar with the matter said. It was unclear when exactly it occurred though believed to have taken place either Wednesday evening or Thursday morning. Staff at the AFL-CIO were informed of the death on Thursday morning.” HOT ON THE RIGHT: CORI BUSH DEFENDS HER OWN SECURITY FUNDING WHILE BACKING ‘DEFUND THE POLICE’ — Republicans are salivating over a new interview in which Rep. CORI BUSH (D-Mo.) defended spending $70k on private security for herself as a member of Congress — while also saying Democrats should defund the police. “I’m going to make sure I have security,” Bush said in a CBSN interview blowing up on Twitter. “I get to be here to do the work, so suck it up — and defunding the police has to happen. We need to defund the police.” Our sources tell us that the NRCC has already started weaving Bush’s interview into their attack ads on frontline House Democrats. As part of the effort, they released a new video juxtaposing the rise in crime nationwide with Bush’s comments, which they’ll be blasting out this afternoon. “Vote them out. November 8, 2022,” the video reads at the end. “We want to thank Cori Bush for reminding everyone [that] Democrats are the party of Defund the Police,” said NRCC spokesman MICHAEL MCADAMS in a statement. “While violent crime ravages communities, Democrats are spending campaign dollars on private security for themselves.” Most Democrats don’t actually support taking away money for cops — President JOE BIDEN has been pushing back against this narrative for more than a year. But comments like Bush’s have been potent for the GOP in swing districts. The attack comes just after Bush’s standout moment: The former Black Lives Matter organizer’s sleep-in on the Capitol steps was widely credited with forcing the Biden administration to extend the eviction moratorium after it expired last weekend. It also comes as Republicans increasingly use members of the “Squad” — all of whom, Democrats note, are women of color — as political boogeymen in competitive seats. And with the “defund the police” message so politically toxic for Democrats in swing seats, you can expect Republicans to keep highlighting Bush’s remarks. MCCONNELL DOUBLES DOWN — “McConnell vows no GOP help with debt limit hike,” by Caitlin Emma: “Senate Minority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL promised Thursday that Republicans will not support a debt ceiling hike, just as Democrats have signaled they plan to take a path that would require Republican support. “Democrats had talked about including an increase to the nation’s borrowing authority in their $3.5 trillion budget plan, but this week indicated they would forgo the measure in the party-line bill. ‘If our colleagues want to ram through yet another reckless tax and spending spree without our input, if they want all this spending and debt to be their signature legacy, they should leap at the chance to own every bit of it,’ the Kentucky Republican said on the floor.” … WHILE SCHUMER SPEEDS AHEAD — “Bipartisan $550B infrastructure bill nears critical Senate vote,” by Burgess Everett: “Senate Democratic leaders are leaning toward a move to shut off debate on the bipartisan infrastructure bill as soon as Thursday afternoon, likely setting up a crucial vote this weekend on one of President Joe Biden’s top priorities. “Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER may put things in motion as soon as Thursday after the Senate considers more amendments to the bill. though no final decision has been made. He is expected to set a vote to overcome a conservative filibuster as soon as Saturday, when the bill would need the support of at least 10 GOP senators, according to multiple sources in both parties.” … AND GEARS UP FOR VOTE-A-RAMA — “Senators gird for all-nighter ‘on steroids’ to propel $3.5T Democratic plan,” by Caitlin Emma and Jennifer Scholtes — “Dems plot to squeeze health care promises into social spending bill,” by Alice Miranda Ollstein and Rachel Roubein: “Democrats’ $3.5 trillion social spending package marks the party’s last chance before the midterm elections to make good on health care promises they’re counting on to keep control of Congress. All they need is several trillion more dollars. “To squeeze as many of their priorities as possible in a budget resolution that’s expected right after the bipartisan infrastructure package, lawmakers are discussing making some of the new health spending temporary, similar to the two-year boost to Obamacare subsidies they wrapped into Democrats’ coronavirus relief package in March.” — “Senate Dems eye another vote this month on their stalled elections overhaul,” by Marianne LeVine Good Thursday afternoon. | | A message from Facebook: The internet has changed a lot since 1996 - internet regulations should too
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– Reforming Section 230 | | | THE WHITE HOUSE CLEAN IT UP — “Biden Sets U.S. Goal for Clean Cars to Be Half of 2030 Sales,” by Bloomberg’s Ari Natter and Keith Laing: “President Joe Biden plans to call for half of all vehicles sold in the U.S. to be capable of emissions-free driving by the end of the decade, an ambitious goal that automakers say can only be achieved with bigger government investment in charging stations and other infrastructure. “Biden will be joined at the White House Thursday by representatives of Detroit automakers and the United Automobile Workers union as he unveils an executive order establishing the the goal for half of all cars sold to be battery-electric, plug-in hybrid or fuel cell-powered by 2030, according to senior administration officials and a White House fact sheet.” HONG KONG LATEST — “Biden Signs Order Allowing Some Hong Kong Residents to Stay in U.S.,” by WSJ’s Vivian Salama: “President Biden on Thursday signed an order enabling some Hong Kong residents to remain in the U.S. rather than return to the Chinese territory, citing Beijing’s crackdown on political freedom there. Hong Kong residents who qualify for the program will be granted a work permit for 18 months and a reprieve from deportation. … The White House said that it will defer the removal of certain Hong Kong residents in the U.S. to grant them a ‘temporary safe haven’ from Chinese repression.” A TRIBE CALL REQUEST — “Biden told White House chief to seek Harvard legal scholar’s guidance, leading to reversal on evictions,” by WaPo’s Jeff Stein: “After White House legal advisers found he could not extend a national eviction moratorium, President Biden told Chief of Staff RON KLAIN to seek the advice of Harvard law professor emeritus LAURENCE TRIBE about whether an alternative legal basis could be devised for protecting struggling renters across the country, according to a person familiar with the matter. “The private phone call between Klain and Tribe — held Sunday amid a national outcry over the expiring moratorium — set in motion a rapid reversal of the administration’s legal position that it could not extend the eviction ban. Tribe suggested to Klain and White House Counsel DANA REMUS that the administration could impose a new and different moratorium, rather than try to extend the existing ban in potential defiance of a warning from Supreme Court Justice BRETT M. KAVANAUGH, the person said.” — “How Biden’s Supreme Court throwdown could backfire,” by Josh Gerstein VEEP FILES — “Inside a Kamala Harris crisis dinner,” by Axios’ Jonathan Swan: “A group of the Democratic Party's most influential women met for dinner at a home in the nation’s capital last month to game out how to defend Vice President KAMALA HARRIS and her chief of staff, TINA FLOURNOY, against a torrent of bad press. … “The host was KIKI MCLEAN, a Democratic public affairs expert and former adviser to both Clintons. Her guests included Harris confidant MINYON MOORE; two former DNC officials, DONNA BRAZILE and LEAH DAUGHTRY; Biden adviser and leader of his outside group, STEPHANIE CUTTER; former Hillary Clinton spokeswomen and Democratic strategists ADRIENNE ELROD and KAREN FINNEY; and former Obama White House communications director JENNIFER PALMIERI. Nobody from the vice president's office was at the dinner, but Harris is attuned to her outside network of supporters.” PANDEMIC ANOTHER MEMBER TESTS POSITIVE — Rep. RALPH NORMAN (R-S.C.) said today that he has tested positive for the coronavirus and will quarantine for 10 days. Full statement THE VACCINATION EFFORT — White House Covid-19 Response Coordinator JEFF ZIENTS said today that 864,000 vaccinations were recorded in the last 24 hours. — @MegKinnardAP: “NEW: In an interview today, the 1st he's given since his COVID diagnosis, [Sen. LINDSEY GRAHAM] tells me he's ‘much better’ after some ‘pretty tough days.’ He said former President [DONALD] TRUMP calls ‘every day’ to check on him & he's urged Trump to ‘speak up’ and advocate for the vaccine.” — “Moderna says its Covid-19 shot 93% effective six months after second dose,” by Reuters’ Michael Erman: “Moderna Inc said on Thursday its Covid-19 shot was about 93% effective through six months after the second dose, showing hardly any change from the 94% efficacy reported in its original clinical trial. However, it said it still expects booster shots to be necessary ahead of the winter season as antibody levels are expected to wane.” — “Biden aims to vaccinate more kids through sports and PTAs,” by NBC’s Heidi Przybyla: “The Biden administration hopes it can encourage more children to get vaccinated through a network of pediatricians administering back-to-school sports physicals, schools hosting ‘pop-up’ vaccination clinics and pediatricians parachuting into PTA meetings.” ORIGIN STORY — “Intel agencies scour reams of genetic data from Wuhan lab in Covid origins hunt,” by CNN’s Katie Bo Williams, Zachary Cohen and Natasha Bertrand: “U.S. intelligence agencies are digging through a treasure trove of genetic data that could be key to uncovering the origins of the coronavirus — as soon as they can decipher it. This giant catalog of information contains genetic blueprints drawn from virus samples studied at the lab in Wuhan, China which some officials believe may have been the source of the Covid-19 outbreak, multiple people familiar with the matter tell CNN. “It's unclear exactly how or when U.S. intelligence agencies gained access to the information, but the machines involved in creating and processing this kind of genetic data from viruses are typically connected to external cloud-based servers — leaving open the possibility they were hacked, sources said.” | | | | 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. | | | | | ECONOMIC OUTLOOK THE UNEMPLOYMENT PICTURE — “U.S. jobless claims down 14,000 to 385,000 as economy rebounds,” by AP’s Paul Wiseman HOW INFLATION IS PLAYING — “Inflation Is A Big Political Test For President Biden’s Economic Agenda,” by NPR’s Asma Khalid: “The White House has begun to pivot how it's pitching the president's multitrillion-dollar spending plans for programs like universal pre-kindergarten, free community college, better transit and more high-speed internet, arguing that in the long run, these investments will lead to lower prices. … But Republicans are already trying to seize on rising prices by warning people that the country is on the verge of 1970s-style inflation — still a long way off — and are using this fear as a fresh attack on ‘big government’ — something they think has particular political saliency when people are frustrated by their larger grocery bills.” CUOMO ON THE BRINK IMPEACHMENT MOVES FORWARD — “Assembly gives Cuomo 8 days to share additional evidence,” by Bill Mahoney: “The Assembly’s Judiciary Committee is officially warning Gov. ANDREW CUOMO that its impeachment investigation into the governor has almost concluded and is giving him until next Friday to produce any final evidence that he might like to share. … The committee is planning to meet on Monday, when members are expected to start making decisions about what the next steps will be.” POLITICS ROUNDUP 2022 WATCH — “Jessica Cisneros launches primary rematch against Rep. Henry Cuellar,” by Maya King: “Texas immigration attorney JESSICA CISNEROS, one of the most prominent progressive primary challengers of the 2020 election, launched a new campaign to oust incumbent Democratic Rep. HENRY CUELLAR on Thursday. “The 28-year-old came within striking distance of Cuellar when she ran against him during the 2020 Democratic primary, during which she was bolstered by several high-profile progressive figures and Democratic groups, including Sen. ELIZABETH WARREN, Rep. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ and Justice Democrats, the PAC that helped elect Ocasio-Cortez and other challengers from the left. Cisneros fell short by just 3 percentage points in one of the closest congressional primaries of the year.” | | | | 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 . | | | | | POLICY CORNER ON THE LEFT — “Progressives see blueprint for next fights in eviction win,” by AP’s Jonathan Lemire, Josh Boak and Lisa Mascaro TECH TEAM-UP — “U.S. Taps Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Others to Help Fight Ransomware, Cyber Threats,” by WSJ’s Robert McMillan: “The U.S. government is enlisting the help of tech companies, including Amazon.com Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Google, to bolster the country’s critical infrastructure defenses against cyber threats after a string of high-profile attacks. “The Department of Homeland Security, on Thursday, is formally unveiling the initiative called the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative. The effort will initially focus on combating ransomware and cyberattacks on cloud-computing providers, said JEN EASTERLY, director of the DHS’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Ultimately, she said, it aims to improve defense planning and information sharing between government and the private sector.” PLAYBOOKERS STAFFING UP — “White House to tap Chanan Weissman to serve as Jewish liaison,” by Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch MEDIA MOVES — “Sewell Chan is The Texas Tribune’s next editor-in-chief,” Texas Tribune — Daniel Strauss is joining The New Republic as a staff writer. He most recently was a senior political reporter for The Guardian and is a POLITICO alum. Timothy Noah (another POLITICO alum) has been promoted to staff writer. The New Republic’s August issue will feature an exclusive cover story by Mary Trump, writing about the events of Jan. 6 and what she calls, “The Second Big Lie.” TRANSITIONS — Julie Lasseter is now managing director at Horizons Global Solutions. She is a DoD, 2008 Hillary Clinton and Capitol Hill alum. She joins Joby Young, former COS at USDA, and David Lasseter, a former senior official at DOJ and DoD. … Andrea Hitt is now deputy press secretary for the House Republican Conference. She previously was a press assistant for Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.). … Brian McKeon is now senior VP of public policy at the National Confectioners Association. He most recently was at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck and is a Barbara Boxer and Jeanne Shaheen alum. | | | |   | | | | | | | 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 | | | | |  |
