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Presented by Facebook: POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. | | | | |  | | By Eli Okun | | | | 
The Bidens paid homage to the victims of this weekend's mass shooting in Buffalo, N.Y. | Andrew Harnik/AP Photo | President JOE BIDEN arrived in Buffalo, N.Y., today with consolations for a community reeling from this weekend’s mass shooting — and stark warnings for the country. “The American experiment, the democracy, is in a danger like it hasn’t been in my lifetime,” he said this afternoon. “It’s in a danger this hour. Hate and fear are being given too much oxygen by those who pretend to love America, but who don’t understand America.” Invoking scripture and paying homage to the individual victims, Biden played a familiar role of comforter in chief, having met with victims’ families and local leaders/law enforcement before his remarks. Harkening back to his campaign rhetoric about the soul of the country, he also delivered a “message from deep in our nation’s soul: In America, evil will not win, I promise you. Hate will not prevail. And white supremacy will not have the last word.” Biden declared the massacre an act of domestic terrorism, blaming segments of the media, politics and the internet for promoting the false “replacement theory,” a racist conspiracy theory that holds that white Americans are being “replaced” by non-white immigrants in a scheme led by powerful elites. “And I condemn those who spread the lie for power, political gain and for profit,” he added to applause, his voice rising. Biden called white supremacy “a poison … running through our body politic.” — The policy angle: Biden called for action to get assault weapons off streets and tackle online pathways to radicalization. — More fallout: Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER today sent a letter to RUPERT MURDOCH and Fox News leaders imploring them to “immediately cease the reckless amplification of the so-called ‘Great Replacement’ theory,” per NYT’s Nicholas Confessore. Read the letter — Related news: The suspect in last week’s shooting of three Korean women in Dallas “had been admitted to several mental health facilities because of his delusions about Asian people,” The Dallas Morning News’ Michael Williams, Hojun Choi and Krista Torralva report. THE BIG PRIMARY DAY — Not enough last-minute chaos in the Pennsylvania primaries for you? Leading Democratic gubernatorial candidate and A.G. JOSH SHAPIRO tweeted today that he has (mild) Covid-19, pulling him off the campaign trail on Election Day. — A late poll in the Pennsylvania GOP Senate race from Trafalgar Group, a Republican polling firm, has MEHMET OZ ahead by 1.7 points: Oz was at 28.5%, KATHY BARNETTE at 26.8% and DAVID MCCORMICK at 21.6%. — An Oregon Democratic House primary today provides one of the first big tests of crypto billionaire SAM BANKMAN-FRIED’s Protect Our Future super PAC, Sabrina Rodríguez reports: “A victory for [CARRICK] FLYNN, a first-time candidate, would represent an exercise in political muscle-flexing by the super PAC.” FORMULA FUROR — House Democrats are planning a vote Thursday on new legislation to push $28 million in emergency FDA funding to address the baby formula shortage, per Bloomberg’s Erik Wasson. They’re also aiming to help families using WIC to buy formula with the benefits. — Meanwhile, Nestle is airlifting formula from Europe to the U.S., per Bloomberg. MARK YOUR CALENDARS — Swedish PM MAGDALENA ANDERSSON and Finnish President SAULI NIINISTÖ will come to the White House on Thursday to discuss their applications to join NATO, the White House announced. Good Tuesday afternoon.
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Learn what’s next. | | | ALL POLITICS AD WARS — Democrats’ sudden messaging burst of targeting “MAGA Republicans” will get a big $30 million infusion from MoveOn, which Burgess Everett scoops is launching a new midterm campaign that seeks to contrast Dems with the Trumpist wing of the GOP. “MoveOn is taking a targeted approach, making initial endorsements of a dozen candidates in statewide races and key House battles with plans to roll out more later, after primary races conclude. The group is also planning to bundle $1 million each to a handful of gubernatorial candidates and secretary of state hopefuls.” Related: “Trump waded into GOP primaries. Democrats hope he sticks around,” by NBC’s Shannon Pettypiece and Scott Wong — Somos PAC, a Latino voter mobilization group, is spending $4 million on English and Spanish ads attacking Nevada GOP Senate candidate ADAM LAXALT, Sabrina scoops. THE NEW GOP — The Hispanic Leadership Trust, a new PAC launching today from Reps. MARIO DIAZ-BALART (R-Fla.) and TONY GONZALES (R-Texas), will aim to bolster new Latino Republicans running for Congress, WaPo’s Marianna Sotomayor reports. The party’s answer to Dems’ Bold PAC, the Hispanic Leadership Trust has GOP leaders’ backing and seeks to make a dent in places like Texas, while also pushing the party to be more big-tent and less anti-immigrant. TALES FROM THE CRYPTO — Top cryptocurrency industry leaders have pumped $30 million into political campaigns since the start of the 2020 cycle, and it’s starting to pay off in Washington influence, CNBC’s Brian Schwartz reports. One notable beneficiary: Rep. RITCHIE TORRES (D-N.Y.), who wrote an op-ed promoting crypto in March even as major industry figures were planning a pair of fundraisers for him in April. Torres tells Schwartz that crypto accounted for just 1% of his campaign donations. DEMOCRACY WATCH — Two actual Wisconsin presidential electors are among those today suing the slate of Republican fake electors who tried to vote for DONALD TRUMP in 2020 even though he lost the state. It’s the first time that the swing-state fake electors have faced a lawsuit in any state; this one seeks $2.4 million and their permanent disqualification from the role. More from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 2024 WATCH — NIKKI HALEY will head to Iowa this summer to headline a fundraiser for GOP Rep. RANDY FEENSTRA, per the Des Moines Register’s Brianne Pfannenstiel.
| | | | DON'T MISS DIGITAL FUTURE DAILY - OUR TECHNOLOGY NEWSLETTER, RE-IMAGINED: Technology is always evolving, and our new tech-obsessed newsletter is too! Digital Future Daily unlocks the most important stories determining the future of technology, from Washington to Silicon Valley and innovation power centers around the world. Readers get an in-depth look at how the next wave of tech will reshape civic and political life, including activism, fundraising, lobbying and legislating. Go inside the minds of the biggest tech players, policymakers and regulators to learn how their decisions affect our lives. Don't miss out, subscribe today. | | | | | JAN. 6 AND ITS AFTERMATH COMMITTEE LATEST — Some big questions remain unanswered as the Jan. 6 committee readies for public hearings next month, including how much they should emphasize Trump and potential legal/criminal ramifications, WaPo’s Jackie Alemany and Josh Dawsey report. They write that a “tense discussion” took place last month between Vice Chair LIZ CHENEY (R-Wyo.) and Rep. STEPHANIE MURPHY (D-Fla.) about the committee’s relative focus on Trump vs. “security and intelligence failures,” as Cheney often proves more aggressive than some Dems in wanting to hold Republicans accountable. NEW REVELATION — Then-Assistant Secretary of State ROBERT DESTRO was meeting with Trump allies JOE OLTMANN and MATTHEW DEPERNO , who were pushing election fraud lies, at the same time the Jan. 6 insurrection was unfolding, WaPo’s Rosalind Helderman scoops. (DePerno is now running for Michigan A.G.) TRUMP CARDS IT’S IMPEACHMENT SOMEWHERE — Rep. MARKWAYNE MULLIN (R-Okla.), who’s running for Senate, is introducing a bill this week to “expunge” Trump’s second impeachment in the House, The Daily Beast’s Sam Brodey scoops. WAR IN UKRAINE ON THE GROUND — Russia’s takeover of Mariupol now solidifies its uninterrupted control of hundreds of miles across southern Ukraine. “Even as Russia’s onslaught in eastern Ukraine struggles, the developments in the south underscore how much territory Moscow has captured, and suggest that Ukrainian forces will face steep challenges in attempting to regain it,” writes NYT’s Marc Santora. — New Russian attacks hit Sumy and Chernihiv, per the L.A. Times. AWFUL READ — “War Crimes Watch: Targeting schools, Russia bombs the future,” by AP’s Jason Dearen, Juliet Linderman and Oleksandr Stashevskyi THE PANDEMIC IT’S OFFICIAL — The FDA today authorized a Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine booster shot for kids ages 5 to 11. Next up, a CDC advisory committee will meet Thursday on boosters. More from CNN
| | | | A message from Facebook:   | | | THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TRADE WARS — The Biden administration faces a crucial decision in the next several weeks on whether to keep or lift Trump-era tariffs. Gavin Bade has an interesting look at the myriad political and policy winds buffeting Biden’s decision: Removing tariffs could help reduce inflation. But keeping them would satisfy labor unions and lodge a populist appeal to constituencies Dems are desperate to recapture — and USTR KATHERINE TAI argues it would help her retain leverage over China. KNOWING GINA RAIMONDO — In his final piece for Insider, Adam Wren profiles the Commerce secretary, who’s won praise for effective outreach to Republicans and the tech industry but inspired backlash from progressives. A Bidenesque potential future presidential contender, Raimondo has alienated some in her party for aligning with the pro-business pragmatist wing and co-chairing MICHAEL BLOOMBERG’s 2020 campaign. “But on the stump, she's able to move easily between the corporate boardroom and the union hall,” Wren finds. ABORTION FALLOUT BLUE AMERICA’S RESPONSE — Democratic-led states are trying to brace for a crush of new abortion demand by allowing non-doctors to perform the procedure and ponying up millions to train them, Alice Miranda Ollstein and Megan Messerly report . That’s prompted some pushback not just from anti-abortion advocates but from doctors groups. “Abortion-rights groups and progressive legislators counter that allowing non-physicians to handle the simplest and earliest abortions — particularly those that involve prescribing a pill — would free up the existing small pool of trained doctors to handle more complex procedures that usually occur later in pregnancy.” VALLEY TALK FOLLOWING THE MONEY — Facebook/Meta is behind American Edge, a multimillion-dollar political advocacy group that’s “placing op-eds in regional papers throughout the country, commissioning studies, and collaborating with a surprising array of partners, including minority business associations, conservative think tanks, and former national security officials,” WaPo’s Cat Zakrzewski and Elizabeth Dwoskin report . The goal is to make it appear like grassroots opposition to antitrust moves in Washington, with a focus on competition with China, rather than a coordinated Big Tech effort. AMERICA AND THE WORLD WHAT THEY’RE READING IN MIAMI — The U.S. is letting up on some small sanctions on Venezuela in an effort to restart political negotiations in the country, per AP’s Regina Garcia Cano. “[S]enior U.S. officials said the government will calibrate sanctions based on concrete outcomes at the negotiations and would reimpose them in the event of backsliding in the dialogue process.” CLIMATE FILES — Bloomberg is devoting $242 million to a new clean energy push launching across several developing nations, NYT’s Maggie Astor reports.
| | | | 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. | | | | | MEDIAWATCH FULL-COURT PRESS — NBC’s “Meet the Press” is rolling out a “digital rebrand” in June that entails “rebranding its separate website for the franchise, overhauling its flagship political newsletter and adding a new blog,” Axios’ Sara Fischer reports. The operation will hire about half a dozen new staffers. They’re also moving the “Meet the Press” film festival from D.C. to New York under the Doc NYC umbrella. PLAYBOOKERS IN MEMORIAM — “John Ryder, Memphis attorney and prominent public servant, dies at 72,” by the Memphis Commercial Appeal’s Samuel Hardiman: “Ryder, the former general counsel for the Republican National Committee, helped shape redistricting efforts across the state and the U.S.” BOOK CLUB — Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) is coming out with a new book Nov. 15, titled “Only the Strong: Reversing the Left’s Plot to Sabotage American Power” ($30). MEDIA MOVES — Sherri Dalphonse will be the new editor of Washingtonian, the first woman to hold the job. She currently is the magazine’s executive editor. More … Ruth Reader is now a health care reporter at POLITICO, covering how technology is transforming the health care system. She previously was a reporter at Fast Company. ENGAGED — Jirair Ratevosian, a senior adviser at the State Department and a Barbara Lee alum, and Micheal Ighodaro , a program manager at AVAC, got engaged recently, with rings exchanged on a hike in San Anselmo, Calif. They met while campaigning for Biden during the 2020 Iowa caucuses, and both work in human rights and HIV/AIDS advocacy. They’ll celebrate with an engagement party Sunday evening at District Winery. — Brooks Nentwig, a digital marketing manager, on Friday proposed to Rose Lichtenfels, a global partnerships manager at Google who also runs a photography business (@roseflowr_creative) and is a POLITICO alum. The couple had their first date in Austin and then she agreed to join him and his friends on a backpacking trip to Big Bend a few days later. Two and a half years later, the couple went back to do the same hike, and he proposed on the south rim of the Chisos Mountains on a 22-mile round-trip hike where they camped at the top after his proposal at sunset. Pic … Another pic
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