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Presented by Climate Power: POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. | | | | | |  | | By Garrett Ross and Eli Okun | Presented by |  | | | LATEST FROM THE CLIMATE SUMMIT — “Biden’s climate summit zeroes in on technology to help fight global warming,” Reuters: “‘Nations that work together to invest in a cleaner economy will reap the rewards for their citizens,’ [President JOE BIDEN ] told the virtual summit. … “Underscoring the role for carbon removal technologies to meet global climate goals, [Energy Secretary JENNIFER] GRANHOLM announced a partnership with Canada, Norway, Qatar and Saudi Arabia called the Net Zero Producers Forum. … Granholm also announced a partnership with Denmark … on zeroing out emissions in the global shipping industry.” BIDEN ON THE MOVE — “Biden to make first overseas trip in office to U.K., EU,” AP: “President Joe Biden will embark on his first overseas trip in office in June, the White House is set to announce Friday, with the aim of demonstrating his administration’s commitment to the transatlantic alliance and reengagement with key allies. “Biden will attend the Group of Seven summit in Cornwall, England, set for June 11-13, followed by a visit to Brussels, where he will hold meetings with European Union leadership and attend the June 14 summit of leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. … “In Cornwall, Biden will hold bilateral meetings with British Prime Minister BORIS JOHNSON and other leaders. He will hold additional one-on-one meetings in Brussels with NATO allies.” (This made us recall the time in 2019 that the NYT asked Democratic presidential candidates where they’d take their first international trip. Biden was the only candidate who didn’t participate in the rapid-fire questions; KAMALA HARRIS said she’d visit U.S. troops.) — Press secretary JEN PSAKI’S statement announcing the trip ended with a promise to have “further details to share about this trip soon, including potential additional elements.” That prompted some speculation about whether the summit Biden proposed with Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN might make its way onto the schedule. DANCING WITH THE ONE THAT BRUNG HIM — “Biden will return to Georgia next week to celebrate first 100 days in office,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “The president will headline a drive-in rally on April 29 in metro Atlanta to highlight his administration’s policies since he was sworn into office in January, the White House said. It comes a day after his Wednesday address to a joint session of Congress, his first remarks to both chambers since taking office.” BIDEN’S WEEK AHEAD — Per Psaki, Biden will deliver remarks about the pandemic Tuesday. He’ll have his address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday. It’s the Georgia trip Thursday, and then more travel TBA on Friday. NEW ON THE SUNDAY SHOWS — Harris will be on CNN’s “State of the Union” with DANA BASH. Happy Friday afternoon. | | A message from Climate Power: Clean energy jobs aren’t only the jobs of the future, they're the jobs of right now. And they will be in every state across the country if we invest in America. Let's tackle climate change with millions of good-paying clean energy jobs. | | | RECALL ME MAYBE — “Caitlyn Jenner running for California governor,” by Steven Shepard and Carla Marinucci: “The entrance of a Republican celebrity into California's almost-certain recall election conjured memories of the 2003 contest that propelled ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER into the governor’s office. Democrats immediately began dismissing comparisons, suggesting that Jenner doesn’t have nearly the status Schwarzenegger had at the time. Jenner, however, will give Democratic Gov. GAVIN NEWSOM a challenger with name recognition and wealth in a vast state of 40 million people, where candidates often struggle to connect with voters in large and distinct media markets. … “Jenner, 71, is getting aid from a network of former President DONALD TRUMP’S staffers and consultants. … Axios reported Friday that STEVEN CHEUNG, who served as a senior communications adviser for Trump’s unsuccessful reelection campaign, will also join the Jenner effort.” INFRASTRUCTURE YEAR — “Bipartisan Group Backs Gas-Tax Increase to Fund Infrastructure,” WSJ: “The group of 58 lawmakers, dubbed the Problem Solvers Caucus, proposed indexing gas and diesel taxes to inflation, highway construction costs, fuel-economy standards, or some combination of the three in a report on infrastructure released Friday. The report lays out other possible fee increases, including a vehicle-miles traveled tax that would collect revenue from electric vehicles. … “The White House has repeatedly said it is opposed to raising user fees like the gas tax to pay for infrastructure … The Senate Republicans said their plan wouldn’t include an increase in the gas tax.” — Psaki said Biden would invite several of those Republicans to the White House to discuss. AHEAD OF THE J&J DECISION — “CDC advisory panel says 2 more deaths may be linked to J&J vaccine,” by Erin Banco and Sarah Owermohle: “That brings the total known deaths to three, among nearly 7 million Americans who have received the shot. Seven more people are hospitalized — including four in intensive care — and five have been discharged home, members of the CDC panel’s safety workgroup found Thursday, according to slides posted online.” The slides As the rapid pace of vaccinations starts to settle around 3 million a day thanks to remaining hesitancy among some Americans, JEFF ZIENTS acknowledged in this morning’s Covid-19 briefing that the White House expects numbers to “moderate and fluctuate.” Surgeon General VIVEK MURTHY made a heartfelt pitch to get vaccinated and help others do so: “This is one of those moments where we have to decide who we are as a country. Are we 300 million people who happen to live in the same place? Or are we fellow Americans who recognize we’re stronger when we care for and protect one another?” COVID RELIEF IMPACT — The Education Department announced today it will distribute $800 million to support students experiencing homelessness. The details THE PULLOUT — “U.S. begins to move equipment out of Afghanistan and approves deployment of forces to protect withdrawal operations,” CNN | | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING : The Biden administration is quickly approaching 100 days in office — has it delivered on its early promises? What tactics and strategies are being debated in West Wing offices? What’s really being talked about behind the scenes in negotiations with Congress on the infrastructure plan? Add Transition Playbook to your daily reads for details that you won’t find anywhere else that reveal what’s really happening inside the West Wing and across the executive branch. Track the people, policies and power centers of the Biden administration. Subscribe today. | | | | | AFTERNOON READ — “Why Is Trump Going to War Here?” by POLITICO Magazine’s Michael Kruse in Strongsville, Ohio: “In a normal political world and in a normal political time, a second-generation Cuban-American former NFL player from the Rust Belt with an MBA from Stanford would be considered practically by definition a rising GOP star. But [Rep. ANTHONY] GONZALEZ’S impeachment decision made him a traitor in the eyes of the man who is manifestly the unofficial leader of the party. … “But it’s not that simple, according to more than three dozen interviews with strategists, analysts and current and former elected officials from both parties who know the region well. As battlefields go, Ohio as a whole is more red than purple, and so is the 16th District — but it’s replete as well with warning signs for Trump that his quest for retaliation might succeed only in further tearing the party apart.” 2022 WATCH — “Demings ‘seriously considering’ challenging DeSantis or Rubio,” by Olivia Beavers and Marc Caputo: “‘I’ve received so many calls and texts and emails, and have been stopped when I’m out and about by people who are asking me that very same question. Matter of fact, they think I should run for statewide office and maybe challenge the governor, or challenge Sen. [MARCO] RUBIO next year,’ [Rep. VAL DEMINGS] told POLITICO Thursday. ‘I’m seriously considering a statewide run. And we’ll see what happens.’ “Though Demings didn’t mention [Gov. RON] DESANTIS by name, those familiar with her thinking say she has been increasingly disturbed with his hard-right style of governance, including an anti-protest bill he recently signed into law.” POLL OF THE DAY — “Most Americans support greater scrutiny of police as discrimination concerns persist, Post-ABC poll finds,” WaPo: “A 60 percent majority say the country should do more to hold police accountable for mistreatment of Black people, while 33 percent say the country is doing too much to interfere in how police officers do their job. The poll also finds some skepticism of how President Biden has handled the issue, with 42 percent of Americans saying he is doing ‘too little’ to reform police practices … “[C]oncerns about mistreatment of Black Americans in the criminal justice system have risen across partisan, racial, educational and age groups over the past decade, and particularly since Floyd’s killing on May 25, 2020. The latest poll finds 63 percent of adults overall say Black people and other minorities do not receive equal treatment to White people in the criminal justice system.” The poll results — ON THE OTHER HAND: “Police Groups to Push Back on Probes in Talks with Merrick Garland,” WSJ: “Some law-enforcement leaders said they were caught off guard by news of the [DOJ’s Minneapolis] probe, but that [A.G. MERRICK] GARLAND personally called them shortly after the announcement to let them know he was eager to hear their views. … “Other law-enforcement leaders said they planned to discuss their other priorities, such as federal grant money for matters such as education, training and body cameras. Accompanying Mr. Garland at the early-afternoon meeting, which he called, will be his top two associates, newly confirmed Deputy Attorney General LISA MONACO and Associate Attorney General VANITA GUPTA.” THE NEW GOP — “Ted Cruz maintains ties to right-wing group despite its extremist messaging,” WaPo: “A Washington Post review of True Texas Project’s activities and social media shows that [Sen. TED] CRUZ has continued to embrace the group, even as its nativist rhetoric and divisive tactics have alienated some other conservative elected officials. Cruz’s father, a frequent campaign surrogate for his son, spoke at a meeting of the group shortly after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, at a time when the group’s leadership was defending the pro-Trump mob on social media. … “Cruz’s ongoing ties to TTP contrast with the group’s fraught relationship with much of the Republican establishment in Texas. The group has lashed out at Republicans it perceives as too moderate — including Sen. JOHN CORNYN (Tex.) and Gov. GREG ABBOTT.” | | | | LAUNCHING THIS WEEK - A NEW PLAYBOOK PODCAST : Washington is full of whispers, colorful characters and hard to believe stories that are all too real. Playbook Deep Dive is a new, weekly podcast that pulls back the curtain on the political theater and dives deep into the most compelling, confounding and often shocking stories from the nation’s capital. Featuring the Playbook authors, reporters from across POLITICO’s newsroom, and larger than life personalities with stories that you need to hear for yourself to believe. SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | | COURT WATCH — “Senate committee to take up Biden judicial nominees in preview of potential Supreme Court fight,” WaPo: “The hearing featuring Judge KETANJI BROWN JACKSON , who is up for the influential U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, could be a preview of what she would face if she is eventually nominated for a potential vacancy on the Supreme Court. … The slate of nominees scheduled to appear before senators next week reflects Biden’s promise to emphasize diversity and a wide range of professional experience when picking judges.” WE’RE ALL GETTING BACK ON THE APPS — “Capitol rioter arrested after being turned in by match on online dating app Bumble,” CNN MEDIAWATCH — “NY Times Outcasts Bari Weiss and Andy Mills Teaming Up for New Podcast Venture,” The Daily Beast: “BARI WEISS, the controversial writer who recently departed the paper to launch a Substack newsletter, is close to inking a deal to launch a major podcast project, multiple people with knowledge of the matter told The Daily Beast. “While the well-known former New York Times columnist will be the face of the podcast, Weiss has also enlisted her friend and former colleague ANDY MILLS, a former top Times audio staffer who left the paper in February following years-old allegations of workplace misconduct. The deal is being negotiated by talent agency powerhouse CAA, which represents a number of media figures including Weiss.” — “The hedge fund set to buy Tribune Publishing mismanaged employees’ pensions, federal investigators found,” WaPo — “My next big change: Retirement,” by the Washington Examiner’s FRED BARNES: “As I step down as a full-time columnist at the Washington Examiner — and after more than a half-century in journalism — I’d like to assess today’s wild rush to subject the country to a new wave of massive political change. A major reason for the Examiner’s rise is its biting coverage of President Joe Biden and his unbridled emphasis on massive change.” FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Morgan Vina is now a manager for Deloitte’s executive branch affairs office. She most recently was chief of staff for international security affairs at DOD. TRANSITIONS — Grace Davis will join Alliance Defending Freedom as senior assistant to the president. She currently is press secretary for Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kan.). … Mollie Bowman is now chief of staff and director of special partnerships at the Partnership for American Democracy. She most recently worked on DEI strategy and comms at Deloitte and is a POLITICO alum. BABY NEWS — An early congrats to NBC’s Kristen Welker on her expected bundle. Welker announced today she’s using a surrogate mom to overcome fertility challenges. A long road but we are happy for her! Read Kristen’s letter to her daughter about surrogacy and infertility | | | | A message from Climate Power:   We must meet this urgent moment and do what America does best — BUILD. | | | | | | | 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 | | | | |  |
