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Presented by Amazon: POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. | | | | | |  | | By Eli Okun and Garrett Ross | Presented by |  | | | STORY OF THE DAY — “Former lobbyist accuses Rep. Tom Reed, a potential Cuomo challenger, of sexual misconduct,” WaPo: “Nicolette Davis said she was 25, on her first networking trip as a junior lobbyist for an insurance company, when she felt the 45-year-old congressman’s hand on her back. She and other lobbyists had gathered at an Irish pub in Minneapolis after a day of ice fishing, Davis told The Washington Post, and Rep. Tom Reed (R-N.Y) was seated to her left. ‘A drunk congressman is rubbing my back,’ she texted a friend and co-worker at Aflac that evening in 2017, adding later, ‘HELP HELP.’ “Reed, his hand outside her blouse, briefly fumbled with her bra before unhooking it by pinching the clasp, Davis told The Post. He moved his hand to her thigh, inching upward, she said. Frozen in fear, she said, she asked the person sitting to her right for help. He obliged by pulling the congressman away from the table and out of the restaurant, Davis said. Reed declined to be interviewed for this story. In response to a detailed list of questions, he said in a statement provided by his office: ‘This account of my actions is not accurate.’” IT’S OFFICIAL — “CDC relaxes distance requirements in schools from 6 to 3 feet,” NBC: “The recommendations come with a few caveats. Masks remain mandatory, and teachers and other adult school staff must still adhere to the 6 feet guidelines. The change comes amid a massive push to get kids back in the classroom, from lawmakers to parents. … For elementary school students, the CDC now recommends a physical distance of 3 feet. “The same rules apply to middle and high school students, unless they live in an area where Covid-19 is spreading at a high rate, in which case distances of 6 feet should be maintained. And for all students, no matter the rate of community spread, distances of 6 feet should still be followed in settings where masks cannot be worn, such as lunchtime.” — ERIN BANCO reports : “Friday’s announcement follows weeks of internal discussions within the CDC and among senior health officials in the Biden administration about whether there was enough evidence to support the change.” CDC Director ROCHELLE WALENSKY said at today’s White House Covid-19 briefing that if schools use several layers of prevention, “we have seen data demonstrating that this is safe, even in areas of high community spread.” JEFF ZIENTS also touted money for testing and mitigation strategies in schools from the new Covid relief law. The CDC says its decision was based on science, but there are political ramifications as well. If the new guidance helps open schools more fully and more quickly around the country, it could help Democrats undercut a burgeoning message from Republicans, who were hoping to use school closures as a wedge issue to win back moderate parents. — But the change also drew some quick skepticism from teachers unions. RANDI WEINGARTEN noted on CNN that many schools still lack good ventilation or universal mask-wearing: “We’re reserving judgment … because we have to see the studies. … I just hope this is not a rush.” LEANA WEN in the same segment said she was surprised the CDC guidance wasn’t stronger in saying that frequent testing, ventilation or teacher vaccinations are essential: “I’m not sure that the data are sufficient to say that this is safe.” Happy Friday afternoon. Who’s your pick for March Madness? Biggest upset? Let Garrett know: gross@politico.com. (I’ve got Illinois on the men’s side and Maryland in the women’s tourney.) | | A message from Amazon: "Amazon has allowed me to live a comfortable life.” When Luv-Luv joined Amazon, she was just looking for a job - any job - with health care. What she found was so much more. Thanks to Amazon’s starting wage of at least $15 an hour and comprehensive benefits she’s able to live life on her own terms.
Watch her story here. | | | LATEST IN GEORGIA — Authorities have released the names of the rest of the victims in this week’s shootings. The full list: Delaina Ashley Yaun, 33; Paul Andre Michels, 54; Xiaojie Tan, 49; Daoyou Feng, 44; Soon C. Park, 74; Hyun Jung (Kim) Grant, 51; Suncha Kim, 69; and Yong A. Yue, 63. USA Today remembrance of Tan … The Guardian on Yaun and Michels … The Daily Beast on Grant — The White House this morning put out a statement urging Congress to pass the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act. THE WEEK AHEAD — “Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Jacksonville on Monday,” Palm Beach Post SLIP-UP — President JOE BIDEN tripped and stumbled while walking up the stairs to Air Force One this morning. Video … Kate Bedingfield says he’s fine WHERE THERE’S SMOKE … The Daily Beast lit up Twitter on Thursday night with this scoop: “Dozens of young White House staffers have been suspended, asked to resign, or placed in a remote work program due to past marijuana use, frustrating staffers who were pleased by initial indications from the Biden administration that recreational use of cannabis would not be immediately disqualifying.” — Press secretary JEN PSAKI tweeted in response this morning: “We announced a few weeks ago that the White House had worked with the security service to update the policies to ensure that past marijuana use wouldn’t automatically disqualify staff from serving in the White House. … As a result, more people will serve who would not have in the past with the same level of recent drug use. The bottom line is this: of the hundreds of people hired, only five people who had started working at the White House are no longer employed as a result of this policy.” (Of course, this does not actually contradict the Daily Beast reporting.) A CLOSE KAHL — “Collins opposes top Pentagon nominee, narrowing confirmation path,” by Burgess Everett: “[Sen. Susan] Collins’ position likely means [Colin] Kahl’s nomination will hinge on Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who remains undecided. If Manchin supports Kahl, the former Obama administration official may require Vice President Kamala Harris to cast her first tie-breaking vote on a nominee in the evenly divided Senate. … “Though Kahl is the latest of several Biden nominees to take heat for past antagonistic tweets, Collins also cited ‘significant concerns’ about his policy views in the Middle East.” CUOMO LATEST — “Gov. Andrew Cuomo Aides, Retaliation Accusations Are Part of Investigation,” WSJ: “The New York state investigation into whether Gov. Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women is also looking at whether his top officials enabled the behavior, how the administration handled the complaints, and whether it took steps to intimidate his accusers.” — DEEP DIVE: “How Cuomo put a political loyalist in charge of New York’s vaccine rollout,” WaPo | | | | JOIN THE CONVERSATION, SUBSCRIBE TO “THE RECAST”: Power dynamics are shifting in Washington, and more people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that all politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. “The Recast” is a new twice-weekly newsletter that breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics, policy and power in America. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country, and hear from new voices that challenge business as usual. Don’t miss out on this new newsletter, SUBSCRIBE NOW. Thank you to our sponsor, Intel. | | | | | GOING NOWHERE FAST — “‘God no’: GOP immigration allies disappear as crisis mounts,” by Burgess Everett: “[B]eyond [Sen. Lindsey] Graham, it’s not even clear the narrow DREAM Act he and Durbin so recently reintroduced could get a single Republican vote in the Senate — a big problem for Democrats who just pushed the immigration legislation through the House on Thursday. “And that’s a microcosm of a larger problem for the Senate and President Joe Biden’s agenda: Though there’s a bipartisan group searching for a way to break the chamber's gridlock, few Senate Republicans are leaping to help Biden … Several GOP senators remain interested in helping the Dreamer population of undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children, but they’re increasingly reluctant to do so amid a wave of cross-border migration.” TWO STORIES TODAY that illustrate the tensions roiling the new GOP — and the choices facing its traditional/corporate backers: — THE NEW VOTING RESTRICTIONS: “In Restricting Early Voting, the Right Sees a New ‘Center of Gravity,’” NYT: “Passing new restrictions on voting — in particular, tougher limits on early voting and vote-by-mail — is now at the heart of the right’s strategy to keep donors and voters engaged as Mr. Trump fades from public view and leaves a void in the Republican Party that no other figure or issue has filled. In recent weeks, many of the most prominent and well-organized groups that power the G.O.P.’s vast voter turnout efforts have directed their resources toward a campaign to restrict when and how people can vote … “Just as notable as the brand-name conservative groups that are raising money off Mr. Trump’s revisionism — Susan B. Anthony List, the Heritage Foundation, the Family Research Council, Tea Party Patriots — are some of the heavy hitters that are sitting this fight out. Americans for Prosperity, the political organization funded by the Koch fortune, is not supporting the efforts to pass more ballot access laws, nor are other groups in the multimillion-dollar Koch political network.” — JAN. 6 FALLOUT: “Congressional fundraisers lobby corporations that suspended political donations following Capitol riot,” CNBC: “The NRCC recently put together a list of corporate donation policies, which fundraisers expect to use as a tool to coax companies into giving again … People and groups with ties to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., have been actively reaching out to corporations to get them to start giving again … “Democratic fundraisers are urging companies to get back to giving by citing their determination to oust the Republican lawmakers who encouraged and espoused the false election narrative that triggered the Jan. 6 rally and riot. Republican fundraisers, on the other hand, have warned donors about Democrats’ intention to raise the corporate tax rate.” | | | | TUNE IN TO GLOBAL TRANSLATIONS: Our Global Translations podcast, presented by Citi, examines the long-term costs of the short-term thinking that drives many political and business decisions. The world has long been beset by big problems that defy political boundaries, and these issues have exploded over the past year amid a global pandemic. This podcast helps to identify and understand the impediments to smart policymaking. Subscribe and start listening today. | | | | | THE INVESTIGATIONS — “Trump’s chief of staff could face scrutiny in Georgia criminal probe,” Reuters THE TANDEN REPLACEMENT — “Black lawmakers ready another Shalanda Young push as Biden slow walks OMB nominee,” by Laura Barrón-López: “Congressional Democrats are keeping the pressure on President Joe Biden to nominate Shalanda Young to lead the Office of Management and Budget. But more than two weeks after their first pick withdrew, the White House has not given lawmakers, or anyone else, an indication of how it is leaning. “So far, both sides publicly say there is no tension over the delay. But the deliberate pace is in part a result of White House frustration with the ongoing pressure campaign from lawmakers and outside groups to nominate Young. The administration is still considering other names for the top job at the agency … And if the considerations drag on much longer, they could end up hearing an earful from those lawmakers in Young’s corner.” RECALL ME MAYBE — “Newsom changes up his comms staff with recall looming,” by Carla Marinucci ON THE WORLD STAGE — “Austin meets with India’s Modi as U.S.-China summit gets off to rocky start,” by Lara Seligman in New Delhi BUSINESS BURST — “China to Restrict Tesla Use by Military and State Personnel,” WSJ: “People familiar with the effort cite concerns Tesla cars could be source of national security leaks” SCOTUS WATCH — “A farmer’s feud with workers union leads to high-stakes Supreme Court showdown,” WaPo: “A pending Supreme Court case that pits union rights against property rights began on a cold October morning in 2015 on a California strawberry plant farm near the Oregon border. … [D]epending on how broadly the Supreme Court rules in the case it will consider Monday, it could have national implications for all sorts of instances in which the government authorizes entry onto a person’s property.” ICYMI — WATCH: A nine-step guide to getting Trump’s endorsement, with TARA: | 
| IN MEMORIAM — “Stephen Brown, editor in chief of POLITICO Europe, is dead at 57,” POLITICO: “Stephen Brown, the editor in chief of POLITICO Europe and a former news correspondent who reported widely from Europe and South America for Reuters for more than a quarter-century, died Thursday in Brussels. He was 57. Brown’s death, from a heart attack, was announced to the staff during an emergency videoconference by the company’s chief executive officer, Shéhérazade Semsar-de Boisséson. “Speaking through tears, she described him as a tireless and boundlessly enthusiastic collaborator always eager to tackle their next project, and who was deeply committed to POLITICO’s journalism and to his family. … Other colleagues on the call described him as ‘the man at the center’ and ‘the beating heart of the newsroom,’ who was fiercely protective of his editors and reporters, and a steadfast defender of their work.” Staff note from Matt Kaminski AFTERNOON SNACK — MICHELLE OBAMA and JIMMY FALLON crashed random Zoom calls on “The Tonight Show” on Thursday night. Watch TRANSITION — Stephen Worley will be campaign manager for Mobile, Ala., Mayor Sandy Stimpson’s reelect. He currently is senior director of comms at the International Franchise Association, and is a Capitol Hill alum. | | | | A message from Amazon:   Luv-Luv says her co-workers are like family to her. | | | | | | | 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 | | | | |  |
