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Presented by Facebook: POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. | | | | | |  | | By Ryan Lizza, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross | | | SIREN — CNN’s Jim Sciutto and Tim Lister, quoting a defense official, report “a very specific threat stream” has the Biden administration deeply concerned about planned attacks against crowds at the Kabul airport. — From the report: “The U.S. believes ISIS-K, which is a sworn enemy of the Taliban, wants to create mayhem at the airport and has intelligence streams suggesting it is capable and planning to carry out multiple attacks, according to the official.” — Administration leaks about specific terrorist threats at the airport have increased as President JOE BIDEN has highlighted the need to complete the evacuation mission and remove all American military personnel by Tuesday. Meanwhile, our @laraseligman notes, “Two sources tell me and @alexbward that the Taliban has been attacking people trying to get through Abbey gate at Kabul airport. One person says a minor was stabbed there earlier.” The White House announced today that 19,000 people were evacuated from Kabul over the 24-hour period ending at 3 a.m. EDT. The Pentagon announced that it conducted another mission after dark to get fewer than 20 Americans who were stranded around Kabul back to the airport. More … — Speaker NANCY PELOSI offered a qualified endorsement of Biden’s Aug. 31 pullout deadline, straddling a line between not breaking with Biden and respecting the views of some House Democrats who want Biden to stay in Afghanistan to continue evacuation efforts beyond next week. Pelosi: “The judgment about leaving is [a] judgment that the president has made. And he has to balance the equities of what is the threat to our military and the people at the airport versus the advantage of staying. And that’s kind of what he said yesterday. … I can’t go into what happened as a caucus yesterday, but one impression that one might take of people coming out … is that people really wanted to encourage the president to stay longer. But he has to, as I say, weigh the equities of the danger versus the advantage, and I trust his judgment.” Because apparently it wasn’t obvious to some members of Congress, she also made it clear that they shouldn’t fly into Kabul. “This is deadly serious,” she said. “We do not want members to go.” — House Minority Leader KEVIN MCCARTHY said he would have kept American troops in Afghanistan and retained Bagram Air Base. He, too, said he’d advised members not to go to Afghanistan themselves. — Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN’s news conference has been pushed to 2:30 p.m. White House press secretary JEN PSAKI’s has been pushed to 3 p.m. Good Wednesday afternoon. | | A message from Facebook: Internet regulations are as outdated as dial-up.
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- Reforming Section 230 | | | MORE ON THE TALIBAN TAKEOVER SOBERING FOR THE U.S. — “How Mexico Helped The Times Get Its Journalists Out of Afghanistan,” by NYT’s Ben Smith: “The arrival of the 24 families [in Mexico City] was the latest stop in a harrowing escape from Kabul. And Mexico’s role in the rescue of journalists from The Times and, if all goes as planned, The Wall Street Journal offers a disorienting glimpse of the state of the American government as two of the country’s most powerful news organizations frantically sought help far from Washington. “Mexican officials, unlike their counterparts in the United States, were able to cut through the red tape of their immigration system to quickly provide documents that, in turn, allowed the Afghans to fly from Kabul’s embattled airport to Doha, Qatar. The documents promised that the Afghans would receive temporary humanitarian protection in Mexico … [Foreign Minister MARCELO] EBRARD was at home around 5 p.m. on Aug. 12, when he got a message on WhatsApp from AZAM AHMED, a former chief of The Times’s Kabul and Mexico bureaus.” THE MAD RUSH TO GET OUT — “In Kabul, Private Rescue Efforts Grow Desperate as Time to Evacuate Afghans Runs Out,” by WSJ’s Dion Nissenbaum: “A disparate group of American veterans, military contractors, aid workers and former spies is scrambling to get as many people out of Afghanistan as they can.” — EYEBROW-RAISING DETAIL: “ERIK PRINCE, the American defense contractor, said he is offering people seats on a chartered plane out of Kabul for $6,500 per person. … Chartered planes are flying out of Kabul with hundreds of empty seats.” Photos from one such empty plane WHAT’S NEXT IN WASHINGTON — “‘Food fight’: Lawmakers jockey for $6 billion in funding after Afghan military's collapse,” by Connor O’Brien, Lee Hudson and Paul McLeary: “House Armed Services Chair ADAM SMITH (D-Wash.) and [ranking member MIKE] ROGERS have started discussions on how to handle the money, though a plan will have to be hammered out when the committee considers its version of the National Defense Authorization Act next week. … Lawmakers will likely use some of the funding to beef up U.S. counterterrorism operations in the region.” JAN. 6 AND ITS AFTERMATH SO IT BEGINS — “Jan. 6 investigators include Trump White House in first document requests,” by Nicholas Wu and Betsy Woodruff Swan: “The committee, chaired by Rep. BENNIE THOMPSON (D-Miss.), announced that it plans to seek records from the executive branch related to the attack and its run-up — including ‘communications within and among the White House and Executive Branch agencies’ on and before Jan. 6. … “The select panel is also seeking records relating to attempts to place politically loyal personnel in positions across the government after the election; the planning, organization and response to Jan. 6 and earlier; and attempts to overturn the rule of law and overturn the 2020 election.” The sweeping letter to the National Archives THE STEP BACK — NBC Washington’s Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews): “Per Justice Dept court filing, ‘The FBI estimates that there are approximately 750,000 investigative memoranda and attachments in its files associated with the Capitol Breach investigation.’ Largest criminal investigation in US history.” | | | | 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. | | | | | THE DEMOCRATS’ BUDGET Pelosi took a brief victory lap at her presser this morning over House Dems’ agreement Tuesday to advance their $3.5 trillion budget. “I always had confidence,” she said. “I never doubted that the president’s budget would prevail. … Our values keep the House Democrats together.” She also continued to downplay leadership’s concessions to their rebellious moderates, describing the changes as just a clarification that would move the infrastructure vote a few days earlier. CLIMATE IMPACT — “Budget Puts Biden Climate Goals in Reach, Democratic Study Says,” Bloomberg: “In a letter to colleagues, Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER said the legislation, if enacted, would represent the most significant investment in fighting climate change in history … According to the analysis, two programs proposed in the Senate’s budget blueprint — a Clean Electricity Payment Program designed to compel utilities to produce electricity using emissions-free power sources and a package of tax incentives designed to foster the adoption of more clean energy and zero-emission vehicles — would achieve two-thirds of the total emissions reductions in the budget resolution and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act combined.” POLICY CORNER STATISTIC OF THE DAY — “Since December, Congress has appropriated a total of $46.6 billion to help tenants who were behind on their rent. As of July 31, just $4.7 billion had been distributed to landlords and tenants,” the WSJ reports. — HuffPost: “At least 50 cities and counties still haven’t sent out a single penny.” WHAT JAY POWELL IS UP TO — “The Pandemic Is Testing the Federal Reserve’s New Policy Plan,” by NYT’s Jeanna Smialek: “Investors initially expected [Fed Chair JEROME] POWELL to use Friday’s remarks at the Jackson Hole conference to lay out the Fed’s plan for ‘tapering’ — or slowing down — a large-scale bond buying program it has been using to support the economy. … But after minutes from the central bank’s July meeting suggested that the discussion remained far from resolved, and as the Delta variant pushes coronavirus infections higher and threatens the economic outlook, few now anticipate a clear announcement.” CRYPTIC ON CRYPTO — “Cryptocurrency advocates find Treasury’s Yellen to be a tough sell,” by WaPo’s Jeff Stein: “Cryptocurrency supporters and investors have hoped for some sort of validation by the federal government that stops short of enhanced scrutiny, and [Treasury Secretary JANET] YELLEN appears to stand in their way. An initial wariness of Yellen has quickly morphed into outright hostility. … The policies Yellen decides on will shape the future of trillions of dollars.” CONGRESS READ IT AND WEEP — “Matt Gaetz Failed to Properly Disclose His Abysmal Book Sales,” by The Daily Beast’s Roger Sollenberger: “When The Daily Beast inquired about the omission last week, a [Rep. MATT] GAETZ spokesperson said the office needed ‘additional documentation’ from the publisher and was ‘in the process of receiving that information and amending the Congressman’s financial disclosure.’ Sure enough, an amended financial disclosure was filed three days after The Daily Beast reached out … [E]ven at the low end of $10 a pop, Gaetz would have sold fewer than 6,000 copies of Firebrand across several months.” | | | |   | | | PANDEMIC STONEWALLING — “Experts on WHO team say search for COVID origins has stalled,” by AP’s Maria Cheng: “The international scientists dispatched to China by the World Health Organization to find out where the coronavirus came from said Wednesday the search has stalled and warned that the window of opportunity for solving the mystery is ‘closing fast.’ … They noted among other things that Chinese officials are still reluctant to share some raw data, citing concerns over patient confidentiality.” Further reading: The WHO experts wrote a new piece for “Nature” warning that the “window is closing for key scientific studies.” THESE FOLKS KNOW FROM MANDATES — “Pentagon: U.S. troops must get their COVID-19 vaccines ASAP,” by AP’s Lolita Baldor: “The memo [today], which was obtained by The Associated Press, does not dictate a specific timeline for completing the vaccinations. But it says the military services will have to report regularly on their progress. A senior defense official said that [Secretary Lloyd] Austin has made it clear to the services that he expects them to move quickly, and that this will be completed in weeks not months.” THE DEVIL WE DON’T KNOW — “Holes in reporting of breakthrough Covid cases hamper CDC response,” by Erin Banco: “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is using outdated and unreliable data on coronavirus breakthrough infections to help make major decisions, such as who gets booster shots, according to three officials with direct knowledge of the situation. … The resulting data is often aggregated, inaccurate and omits critical details for teasing out trends, such as which vaccine a person received and whether they have been fully vaccinated, a dozen state officials said. The gaps in this crucial data stream raise questions about the Biden administration’s ability to spot and respond to changes in the virus’s behavior … or vaccines’ performance.” MAKING IT OFFICIAL — AP/Albany, N.Y.: “Gov. KATHY HOCHUL acknowledges nearly 12,000 more COVID-19 fatalities in NY than publicized by Cuomo administration.” BEYOND THE BELTWAY TIMEOUT FOR EVERYONE — “It’s governors vs. the White House this school year. And no one is winning,” by Juan Perez Jr., Daniel Payne and Mackenzie Mays: “The White House is facing two currents of public opinion as Biden prepares to address school reopening with Education Secretary MIGUEL CARDONA in the coming days. Majorities of adults tend to favor mask and vaccine mandates for students and teachers, but polls show hard partisan divides continue to color how the public prefers to keep kids safe. “Governors’ varied approaches to Covid-19 safety protocols this school year reflect those same fractures over what it means to trust the science. Republican state executives increasingly see the fight against masking kids as one of their best chances to show off their political power — and beat Biden on the national stage.” AFTERNOON READ — “‘I Did Not Know It Was a Man’: The Surreal Story of How a Deadly Crash Upended South Dakota Politics,” by Tom Kludt in Vanity Fair: “As South Dakota Attorney General JASON RAVNSBORG goes to trial, he has refused calls to step down over a fatal car accident that has confounded residents, split Republicans, and left a grieving family divided in its pursuit of justice.” | | | | 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 . | | | | | AMERICA AND THE WORLD CAN’T MAKE IT UP — “Harris, in Vietnam, gets a dose of China’s challenge to the U.S.,” by WaPo’s Shibani Mahtani: “[VP KAMALA] HARRIS was en route Wednesday to announce, among other things, a donation of 1 million coronavirus vaccine doses to the pandemic-hit country. But a three-hour delay in her schedule handed China a window of opportunity. “Beijing quickly sent its envoy in Hanoi to meet with Vietnam’s prime minister and pledged a donation of 2 million vaccine doses, undercutting the subsequent U.S. announcement.” — MORE FROM THE TRIP: C-SPAN has video of Harris laying flowers at the memorial in Hanoi where JOHN MCCAIN was shot down. Watch here MEDIAWATCH FOR YOUR RADAR — “Former Top Producer of ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’ Accused of Sexual Assault in Lawsuit,” by WSJ’s Joe Flint: “An ABC News staffer filed a lawsuit Wednesday against MICHAEL CORN, the former top producer of ‘Good Morning America,’ alleging he sexually assaulted her and fostered a toxic work environment. … The suit also alleges that former ABC News producer JILL MCCLAIN was sexually assaulted by Mr. Corn when the two worked at ABC’s ‘World News Tonight’ roughly a decade ago. Ms. McClain isn’t a plaintiff in the suit, but is supporting [KIRSTYN] CRAWFORD’s case … “Mr. Corn left the company in April. … In a statement, Mr. Corn wrote that he vehemently denies any allegation that he engaged in improper sexual contact with another woman. Mr. Corn called Ms. Crawford and Ms. McClain’s allegations fabrications. He said he will be defending himself ‘vigorously.’ … Mr. Corn, as senior executive producer of ‘Good Morning America,’ was one of the most powerful people in television news.” NO APOLOGIES? — “Man Photographed as Baby on ‘Nevermind’ Cover Sues Nirvana, Alleging Child Pornography,” Variety PLAYBOOKERS FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Kaylin Dines is now comms director for Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.). She most recently was press secretary for Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio). ENGAGED — Marlena Baldacci, national media relations manager at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and a CNN alum, and Dan Abdinoor, senior machine learning engineering manager at Spotify, got engaged Saturday. He proposed at home on their two-year anniversary. The couple met on Hinge, where she sent the first message. Pics WEEKEND WEDDING — Tanveer Kathawalla, founder of Pioneer 1890, and Renee Rinehart, a postdoc at George Mason University, got married Saturday at Virginia House in Richmond, Va. They met at a Harvard Kennedy School Halloween party (she was the dancing girl emoji, he was Maverick from “Top Gun.”) Pic BONUS BIRTHDAY: John Lin of the Senate Commerce Committee (33) | | | | Sponsored Survey SHARE YOUR OPINION: Please take a short, 3-question survey about one of our advertising partners. | | | | | | | 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 | | | | |  |
