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Presented by Amazon: POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. | | | | | |  | | By Ryan Lizza, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross | | | BREAKING — “Census shows U.S. is diversifying, white population shrinking,” AP TWITTER IS REAL LIFE? — The White House had GAIL, “a mom, business owner, and Type 1 diabetic,” take over their Twitter account this morning to call for action on prescription drug prices. President JOE BIDEN was scheduled to deliver remarks about this at 11:15 a.m., but he hasn’t started yet. THERE’S A LOT OF BLEAK NEWS out there this afternoon. 1. In Afghanistan, the Taliban are making more gains. The latest: — CNN: “Taliban capture the strategic city of Ghazni, leaving Afghan capital Kabul increasingly isolated” — AP/Kabul: “Witnesses say Afghanistan’s third-largest city, Herat, falls to Taliban; militants hold 11 of 34 provincial capitals.” — NYT: “U.S. Asks Taliban to Spare Its Embassy in Coming Fight for Kabul” — NBC: “Potential Al Qaeda resurgence in Afghanistan worries U.S. officials” — Retired Lt. Gen. H.R. MCMASTER, in an interview at the Wilson Center: “The narrative was: ‘We failed in Afghanistan because Afghanistan wasn’t Denmark.’ … Was it still a violent place? Heck yes. … [But] was it worth it, with that relatively small effort, to prevent what’s happening now? I’d say the answer to that has to be: ‘Hell yes, it was.’” Full interview — 2 p.m. announcement … Reuters’ @idreesali114: “State Department expected to announce removal of significant number of employees from embassy in Kabul, later today. Officials tell Reuters the military will temporarily send in troops to help with the evacuation.” Take some time to read the latest excerpt in WaPo’s “Afghanistan Papers” series. Craig Whitlock’s “The grand illusion: Hiding the truth about the Afghanistan war’s ‘conclusion’” looks back at BARACK OBAMA’s handling of the war, and documents “the most egregious deceptions and lies that U.S. leaders spread during two decades of warfare.” 2. If it seems like the current efforts to beat back the pandemic are an enormous muddle, it’s because they are. — The federal government is still a patchwork when it comes to vaccine rules. HHS is now just the third federal agency to require vaccinations, Forbes notes. — The American Federation of Teachers has backed off from endorsing a vaccine mandate and “instead opted to encourage union workers to negotiate potential mandates with local governments and school systems,” reports Juan Perez Jr. Meanwhile, the National Education Association endorsed a vaccine mandate, per a press release. — It’s never a good sign when the head of the CDC plays comms cleanup, as ROCHELLE WALENSKY does in this WSJ profile from Sarah Toy and Sabrina Siddiqui. “I am really struggling with how to communicate to people who are worried about politics,” she tells the Journal, “and I just want them to continue to be at their family’s dinner table.” — Where do we go from here? Read The Atlantic’s Ed Yong on “How the Pandemic Now Ends.” | | A message from Amazon: The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) ranked Amazon as the No. 1 U.S. company investing in America. For the second year in a row, Amazon placed first on PPI’s Investment Heroes list. PPI estimates that Amazon invested $34 billion in American infrastructure in 2020 . Every Amazon job comes with a starting wage of $15/hr and comprehensive benefits for regular, full-time employees. Learn more. | | | 3. The drip drip of reporting about what actually happened within the Justice Department in Washington and out in the states after the election continues. — Today’s big scoop is from Betsy Woodruff Swan and Nicholas Wu, who report on the drama inside the DOJ as career officials were pressured to investigate bogus allegations of fraud. — You know where MARY TRUMP stands on her uncle, but her long TNR cover story, “Donald’s Plot Against America,” is still well worth reading. And if all of that has you depressed, here’s some dessert: — “The 11 best staff Twitter accounts on Capitol Hill, featuring the snarkiest, chartiest, and foodiest commentary around,” by Insider’s Warren Rojas and Robin Bravender — Quote of the day, from second daughter ELLA EMHOFF, in a new interview with Vanity Fair’s Britt Hennemuth, featuring photos by Quil Lemons: “My dad asks me very often, ‘So have you reconsidered law school?’ And I keep saying, ‘DOUG, not happening. I’m going to leave it to you, and I will be the artist.’” Good Thursday afternoon. THE ECONOMY WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE IS TOUTING — “U.S. jobless claims near pandemic low as economy strengthens,” AP: “The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell for a third straight time last week, the latest sign that employers are laying off fewer people as they struggle to fill a record number of open jobs and meet a surge in consumer demand. Thursday’s report from the Labor Department showed that jobless claims fell to 375,000 from 387,000 the previous week. … “A total of about 12 million people are receiving unemployment benefits, down sharply from the previous week’s figure of nearly 13 million. … So far at least, there has been little sign that the delta variant has depressed hiring or prompted layoffs. … But credit card spending on airline tickets has fallen 20% from a mid-July peak … And after returning to pre-pandemic levels for much of June and July, restaurant traffic dropped about 10% below that level in the past week.” INFRASTRUCTURE YEAR CLIMATE FILES — “Bill Gates Pledges $1.5 Billion for Infrastructure Bill’s New Climate Projects,” by WSJ’s Timothy Puko: “A roughly $1 trillion infrastructure bill passed by the Senate this week would give the Energy Department $25 billion for demonstration projects funded through public-private partnerships … [BILL] GATES, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, said a fund run by his Breakthrough Energy could spend the money over three years on projects aimed at slowing the greenhouse-gas emissions that cause climate change. “The Breakthrough projects, which would have to compete with other applicants for the funds, could include emissions-free fuel for planes and technology to suck carbon-dioxide out of the air. … Breakthrough will likely shift funding for the biggest projects to Europe and Asia instead if the package doesn’t become law, he added.” THE POLITICS OF PASSAGE — “Biden allies warn: Pass his agenda or lose women voters,” by Laura Barrón-López: “The Center for American Progress is pressing Democratic lawmakers to keep the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package as close to its original blueprint as possible, arguing that it’s vital for helping women workers hit hard by the pandemic. Simply passing an infrastructure bill, the group warns, would create a massive divergence in the economic recovery along gender lines.” The memo | | | | 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 STOP US IF YOU’VE HEARD THIS BEFORE — “Dems plot last-ditch voting rights push as midterm clock ticks,” by Heather Caygle, Marianne LeVine and Sarah Ferris: “They may end up hitting their base with a huge letdown. The House will return to Washington later this month to vote on updated legislation to restore key provisions of the Voting Rights Act … [A] small group of Democratic senators are closing in on a compromise on [a] separate but related set of more immediate voting reforms they think could unify the party … “But for either effort to bear real fruit, a huge shift would have to take place — one that some in the party fear could be impossible: Convincing Sens. JOE MANCHIN (W.Va.), KYRSTEN SINEMA (Ariz.) and other Democratic moderates to back a change to Senate rules. … While publicly it seems that little has happened since a failed Senate vote in June, furious negotiations have continued behind the scenes to prepare a package of voting reforms.” POLITICS ROUNDUP THE POST-CUOMO LANDSCAPE — Incoming New York Gov. KATHY HOCHUL said on the “Today” show this morning that she will run for a full term next year. — And our colleagues Nick Niedzwiadek and Anna Groneworld in Albany take a look at how the sudden shift from ANDREW CUOMO to Hochul “will dramatically alter the 2022 race for governor, potentially forestalling runs by many rising Democrats who had grown interested in taking out the scandal-scarred Cuomo. … Progressives are looking to potential gubernatorial bids from women such as Sen. ALESSANDRA BIAGGI (D-Westchester), popular Democrats from the state’s Congressional delegation — or even Attorney General TISH JAMES.” — “Cuomo Has $18 Million in Campaign Cash. What Can He Do With It?” by NYT’s J. David Goodman: “[H]is huge stock of campaign funds — the most money retained by a departing New York politician in recent memory — affords him a range of possibilities, including the chance to attempt an eventual comeback or to play a role in the state’s political life by donating to other candidates.” WHAT THE LEFT IS READING — “The Sunrise Movement’s Members Of Color Say The Group ‘Tokenized’ And ‘Used’ Them For Years,” by BuzzFeed’s Zahra Hirji and Ryan Brooks: “That's according to a series of internal memos and letters, signed by at least 100 young climate activists and obtained by BuzzFeed News. The activists said they were overworked and underpaid; warned that the group was unable to attract or retain members of color, especially Black ones; bemoaned the lack of diversity among Sunrise leaders; and demanded resources to build up support in communities of color.” BEYOND THE BELTWAY THE NEW VOTING RESTRICTIONS — “Texas Senate outlasts 15-hour filibuster by Sen. Carol Alvarado to pass GOP voting restrictions bill,” Texas Tribune: “[T]he Senate voted to advance the measure on a 18-11 party-line vote. … The Senate’s vote dispatches the bill over to the House where it will stall until the chamber regains a quorum.” AT THE BORDER — “In Texas, a Quarantine Camp for Migrants With Covid-19,” by NYT’s Miriam Jordan in Mission: “By this week, at least 1,000 migrants were housed at the teeming camp, erected by the nearby city of McAllen as an emergency measure to contain the spread of the virus beyond the southwestern border. About 1,000 others are quarantined elsewhere in the Rio Grande Valley … Yet the prevalence of the virus among migrants thus far has been no greater than among the U.S. population overall.” HATE WATCH — “More than 9,000 anti-Asian incidents since pandemic began,” by AP’s Terry Tang: “The frequency of anti-Asian incidents — from taunts to outright assaults — reported in the United States so far this year seems poised to surpass last year despite months of political and social activism, according to a new report [from Stop AAPI Hate] released Thursday.” | | | | 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 . | | | | | VALLEY TALK HOT ON THE RIGHT — “Rumble, a YouTube rival popular with conservatives, will pay creators who ‘challenge the status quo,’” by WaPo’s Drew Harwell: “The Toronto-based upstart Rumble said Thursday it has struck deals with former U.S. Rep. TULSI GABBARD, the journalist firebrand GLENN GREENWALD and others who had committed to posting their videos first to the site. “Rumble has emerged over the last year as one of the most prominent video sites for right-wing viewers and provocateurs, and it is seeking to bolster its image as a new online home for those who claim they’ve been censored by Big Tech. The site bans racism and hate speech but has contrasted itself with the Google-owned YouTube by refusing to remove ‘medical misinformation,’ including those casting doubt on vaccines … Rumble has grown from 1 million active users last summer to roughly 30 million.” MEDIAWATCH THE CATCH-AND-KILLER — “A Tabloid Ally of Trump and Weinstein Reboots Himself,” by NYT’s Rachel Abrams: “In late May, the luxury brand Ferragamo threw a launch party to celebrate the Grazia Gazette: The Hamptons — the latest free publication in one of the country’s wealthiest enclaves. Most guests did not know that they were also celebrating a comeback. “Grazia’s American operation, Grazia USA, is run by DYLAN HOWARD, the disgraced National Enquirer editor who played a key role in suppressing stories about DONALD TRUMP’s affairs during his presidential campaign, helped HARVEY WEINSTEIN dig up dirt on his accusers and, in JEFF BEZOS’s telling, threatened the Amazon owner with blackmail. … He is trying to raise money to ‘buy the entire Grazia brand worldwide,’ according to a copy of his financing proposal reviewed by The New York Times.” BECAUSE THE TIMES ISN’T FLUSH ENOUGH! — “The New York Times wants readers to pay for newsletters,” by NYT’s Katie Robertson: “The Times, which has produced free newsletters for 20 years, now has about 50 newsletters, which are read by 15 million people each week. Eleven of those will become -only, alongside seven new newsletters.” HOLLYWOODLAND — “Andre Braugher Cast as New York Times Editor Dean Baquet in Weinstein Investigation Film ‘She Said,’” by Variety’s Matt Donnelly PLAYBOOKERS FIRST LADY FILES — “Dr. Jill Biden Shares the Most Rewarding Part About Being a Teacher for Over Three Decades,” by Good Housekeeping’s Kayla Keegan MEDIA MOVE — Josh Keating is joining the forthcoming new D.C. publication from Laura McGann and Mark Bauman as global security reporter. He most recently has been senior editor at Slate. TRANSITIONS — Amanda Kasper is joining Ervin Graves Strategy Group as a VP in the government relations practice. She previously was senior adviser to the EPA administrator. … Peggy Clark has been named CEO for the International Center for Research on Women. She most recently was executive director for the Aspen Global Innovators Group. | | | | A message from Amazon:   Amazon supports increasing the federal minimum wage to $15/hr. | | | | | | | 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 | | | | |  |
