SHOOTING FALLOUT THIS IS AMERICA — Mayors are coming to terms with a grim reality: “Prepping for massacres has become a standard part of leading an American city,” writes NYT’s Mitch Smith . That was one of the topics of discussion at the U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in Reno, Nev., this weekend. “The meeting … exposed a paradox of American mayoralty: When mass violence happens, mayors are the ones who must deliver the grim details, console their cities and field questions about how the gunman might have been stopped. But while big city mayors often have authority over police departments and social service programs, which can help prevent gun violence, they say they are largely powerless to enact the gun control measures that many of them say would be needed to prevent more tragedies.” TOP-ED — WILL HURD writes for NYT Opinion: “I’m a Republican Who Represented Uvalde in Congress. I Want More Than Thoughts and Prayers”: “Careful, well-designed policy may not win headlines or make good fodder for campaign spots. But we know that it can save lives. And we know that real legislative solutions can pass in Washington.” INTERESTING READ — “Can journalists and grieving communities coexist in tragedy?” by AP’s David Bauder THE ECONOMY SURVEY SAYS — WSJ has some fresh polling on Americans’ views of their own country, and the findings are pretty bleak. The topline: “Americans are deeply pessimistic about the U.S. economy and view the nation as sharply divided over its most important values,” Janet Adamy writes. The deets: “Some 83% of respondents described the state of the economy as poor or not so good. More than one-third, or 35%, said they aren’t satisfied at all with their financial situation. That was the highest level of dissatisfaction since NORC began asking the question every few years starting in 1972 as part of the General Social Survey, though the poll’s 4-point margin of error means that new figures may not differ significantly from prior high and low points. Just over one quarter of respondents, 27%, said they have a good chance of improving their standard of living — a 20-point drop from last year — while just under half of respondents, 46%, said they don’t.” POLICY CORNER CLIMATE FILES — “Biden moves to ease trade turmoil threatening his solar energy ambitions,” by Kelsey Tamborrino THE PANDEMIC A STAGGERING NUMBER — “The U.S. has wasted over 82 million Covid vaccine doses,” by NBC’s Joshua Eaton THE OFFICIAL RESPONSE — Rachael Levy has a report from inside the Biden administration about how officials are viewing the ongoing Covid numbers, including details that some in the admin “in recent months privately discussed how many daily Covid-19 deaths it would take to declare the virus tamed. … The discussions, which took place across the administration, and have not been previously disclosed, involved a scenario in which 200 or fewer Americans die per day, a target kicked around before officials ultimately decided not to incorporate it into pandemic planning, according to the people. … “The sensitive nature of the conversations and the decision not to bring any hard number to the most senior members of the coronavirus task force or top Biden officials demonstrates the longstanding struggle to articulate when the country has controlled a pandemic that has already killed more than 1 million Americans and is still claiming nearly 300 lives every day.” JUDICIARY SQUARE SCOTUS WATCH — “Supreme Court Backs Southwest Baggage Worker on Arbitration in Pay Dispute Case,” by Bloomberg’s Greg Stohr WAR IN UKRAINE — “U.S. Moves to Seize Two Planes Owned by Russian Oligarch Roman Abramovich,” by WSJ’s Aruna Viswanatha PLAYBOOKERS OUT AND ABOUT — The Ford’s Theatre Society celebrated its annual gala performance on Sunday night, where House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) and Clive Davis were awarded the Lincoln Medal, with performances by Phylicia Rashad, Sam Palladio, Nova Payton and more. Clyburn was praised for his leadership across the aisle while Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who presented the award to Davis, emphasized the importance of the arts to uplift and inspire, telling the crowd that “you can never dance too much.” SPOTTED: Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Sandy Cornyn, John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) and Robin Hickenlooper, Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Susan Blumenthal Markey and Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Ritu Khanna, Michael Turner (R-Ohio), Elaine Chao, Allison Russell, Telly Leung, Michael McElroy, Sheikh Salem Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Rima Al-Sabah. MEDIAWATCH — Gabrielle Brown is joining Fox Corporation as chief investor relations officer. She previously was a managing director at UBS. — Steve Scully is launching “The Briefing with Steve Scully” on SiriusXM’s P.O.T.U.S. channel. Scully is senior VP at the Bipartisan Policy Center and the show will “take listeners inside the stories and conversations that are shaping the day in the nation’s capital.” It will air weekdays from 12-2 p.m. Eastern time starting today. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Tamara Smith is joining PLUS Communications as a public affairs partner. She most recently was group VP for partnerships and strategy at Spectrum Networks and is an Obama and George W. Bush FCC alum. TRANSITIONS — Jelena McWilliams, Elad Roisman and Jennifer Leete are joining Cravath, Swaine & Moore’s newly opened D.C. office. McWilliams will be a managing partner and previously was chair of the FDIC. Roisman will be a resident in the corporate department and previously was a commissioner and acting chair at the SEC. Leete will be a resident in the litigation department and previously was associate director of enforcement at the SEC. … … Laynee Buckels is joining Rep. Randy Weber’s (R-Texas) office as comms director. She previously was Press Secretary for Rep. Barry Moore (R-Ala.). … Samantha Seitz is now media relations manager at White & Case. She most recently was manager for North America PR at Boston Consulting Group. … Katie Glenn is now state policy director at Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. She previously was government affairs counsel at Americans United for Life. WEDDINGS — Liza White, PAC director at the National Shooting Sports Foundation, and Scotty Weir, project director at Superior Mechanical Services, got married in Palm Beach, Fla., on May 28. The two met at a Christmas party in 2017 hosted by one of Liza’s childhood friends. Pic — Mireille Olivo, senior initiative operations manager for economic progress at Stand Together, and Elliott Fox, managing director for healthcare at Stand Together, got married on Saturday at St. Thomas Aquinas Church with a reception at Hazy Mountain Winery in Charlottesville, Va. The couple met at an Americans for Tax Reform coalition meeting. Pic, via Remy Photos WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Lauren Claffey Tomlinson, president of Claffey Communications and a Saxby Chambliss alum, and Brock Tomlinson, VP and investment officer for the Mid Atlantic for Prologis, recently welcomed Henry Wallace Tomlinson, who joins big sister Kennedy. Pic … Another pic BONUS BIRTHDAY: Rolling Stone’s Waiss Aramesh
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