| | | | | |  | | By Eli Okun | | | |  President Joe Biden sounded bullish on Ukraine’s chances of beating back the Russian invasion and ultimately making its way to a negotiated settlement. | Susan Walsh/AP Photo | In the same Finnish presidential palace where DONALD TRUMP five years ago infamously sided with Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN’s denial that Russia had interfered in a U.S. election, President JOE BIDEN today sent Moscow a very different message. Coming off a successful NATO summit and standing beside Finnish President SAULI NIINISTÖ, Biden sounded bullish on Ukraine’s chances of beating back the Russian invasion and ultimately making its way to a negotiated settlement. “Putin’s already lost the war,” Biden declared. “There is no possibility of him winning.” Citing struggles with resources and capacity, Biden said he doesn’t think Russia could keep up the fight, even a stalemate, forever: “I think that there is going to be a circumstance where eventually, President Putin is going to decide it’s not in the interest of Russia — economically, politically or otherwise — to continue this war. But I can’t predict exactly how that happens.” With NATO adding Finland and likely Sweden soon, Biden also addressed the delicate question of Ukraine’s accession — calling it a matter of when, not if. Defense Secretary LLOYD AUSTIN echoed that message in a sitdown with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer in Lithuania today, saying there’s “no doubt” that Ukraine will finally join once the war is over. “We heard just about every country in the room say as much,” Austin said, adding caveats that Ukraine still has work to do on judicial reforms, military capabilities and more. Other notable Biden comments in Helsinki:
- On EVAN GERSHKOVICH’s ongoing detention in Russia: “I’m serious about prisoner exchange. … And that process is underway.”
- On the worst-case scenario in Ukraine: “I don’t think there’s any real prospect … of Putin using nuclear weapons.”
- On Sen. TOMMY TUBERVILLE’s (R-Ala.) blockade of DOD nominees: “I’d be willing to talk to him if I thought there was any possibility he would change his ridiculous position he has. He’s jeopardizing U.S. security. … I expect the Republican Party to stand up, stand up and do something.” (Tuberville responded to CNN’s Manu Raju: “That doesn’t sound like anybody that wants to sit down and visit and work the problem out.”)
MORE CONSEQUENTIAL THAN EVER — The FDA today for the first time approved a birth control pill to be sold over the counter, clearing the path for women to buy the hormonal drug Opill without a prescription. That could amount to a significant expansion of access to contraception across the country. It’s a move decades in the making, but the Biden administration stepped up its efforts to improve access to birth control in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision allowing severe new abortion restrictions. Perrigo, the manufacturer, will determine the timetable for when it becomes available to consumers. More from CNN GERRYMANDER JUNCTION — New York Democrats landed a victory today from an appellate court in Albany, which said mapmakers and the state legislature could redraw congressional district lines ahead of next year’s elections, Bill Mahoney reports. This legal battle is far from over: Republicans are expected to appeal to the state’s top court, which will have the final say. But an ultimate win would allow Democrats to execute a gerrymander and potentially flip multiple seats that went to the GOP last year when a red wave crashed in the state. Good Thursday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at eokun@politico.com.
| | | | A message from The Coalition to Protect America's Regional Airports: Regional airports are critical sources of connectivity, jobs, and economic development in the smaller communities they serve. Yet Delta-backed efforts to change the DCA slot and perimeter rules are recklessly threatening those airports’ ability to connect to and through our nation’s capital, which in turn threatens their ability to deliver these economic benefits. Join CPARA and its 130+ members to stop these efforts at www.protectregionalairports.com. | | | CONGRESS PLAYING DEFENSE — On the Hill, the big drama today is the House’s consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act, including dozens of controversial amendments. The highest-profile vote will center on unwinding a DOD policy to reimburse service members’ travel to receive abortions, and the margin is so tight that House GOP leaders don’t know what to predict, Connor O’Brien, Katherine Tully-McManus, Olivia Beavers and Sarah Ferris report. If the abortion amendment in particular passes, the NDAA could lose almost every Democratic vote, throwing its passage into doubt. There are some early signs of GOP moderate revolt: Rep. NICK LaLOTA, a front-line Armed Services member, tweeted today that any amendments that could tank the NDAA should be taken up separately. But Speaker KEVIN McCARTHY is “working intensely to avoid possible conservative defections,” including meeting with Freedom Caucus members today, per our colleagues. Meanwhile: Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER said he wanted to spin up a list of NDAA amendments alongside Minority Leader MITCH McCONNELL this weekend, including bills on China competition and the U.S.-U.K.-Australia submarine deal. ALL POLITICS ONE TO WATCH — The League of United Latin American Citizens, the influential Latino civil rights organization that plays a key role in turning out the Hispanic vote for Democrats, has been riven by infighting that threatens to distract from its mission, NYT’s Jazmine Ulloa reports. The conflict has its roots in a long-standing debate over Puerto Rican statehood — and more specifically whether president DOMINGO GARCIA is pushing out prominent Puerto Rican members. Tensions could come to a head at a national convention next month, as the group considers an amendment that would limit its members to the 50 states and D.C. It’s already turned into a legal fight, too. CASH DASH — The House GOP-aligned Congressional Leadership Fund and American Action Network announced that they’ve raised $35 million across the first two quarters of the year, way more than their previous off-year record of $21.6 million in 2021. CLF has nearly $18 million on hand. — Rep. RUBEN GALLEGO’s (D-Ariz.) Senate campaign pulled in $3.1 million last quarter, drawing heavily from small-dollar donors, per the Arizona Republic’s Ronald Hansen. — More Q2 fundraising numbers in notable House races: Rep. MICHELLE STEEL (R-Calif.) raised $1.1 million. … Rep. JOHN JAMES (R-Mich.) raised $1.1 million. … Rep. JUAN CISCOMANI (R-Ariz.) raised $815,000. … Rep. ZACH NUNN (R-Iowa) raised $729,000. … Rep. ASHLEY HINSON (R-Iowa) raised $690,000. LOOK WHO’S BACK — Republican NICK BEGICH announced he’s running again for Alaska’s House seat against Democratic incumbent MARY PELTOLA. “I can’t sit back, and simply watch what is happening to our state and country,” he tweeted. THAT WAS FAST — Just days after Democrat HILL HARPER entered the Michigan Senate race, he’s already facing questions of carpetbagging in a new story from The Daily Beast’s Ursula Perano. Harper says he’s lived in the state for seven years, but it’s hard to determine whether his primary residence has been there, in California or in Washington state — and as of this spring, his son attended school in Seattle. (Perano reports that he’ll switch to a Michigan school in the fall.) At Harper’s coffee shop in Detroit, employees say they rarely saw him until recently. PRIMARY COLORS — Roselle Park, N.J., Mayor JOE SIGNORELLO III has abandoned plans to primary Democratic Sen. BOB MENENDEZ and is instead jumping into the House race to take on Republican Rep. TOM KEAN JR., NJ.com’s Brent Johnson reports. SURVEY SAYS — “Americans Still Value Immigration, but Have Concerns,” by Gallup’s Lydia Saad: “Two-thirds of Americans consider immigration a good thing for the country, while 27% consider it a bad thing.”
| | | | ATTENTION PLAYBOOKERS! You need to keep up with the latest political news and nuggets, so here’s a juicy tip: You need to add California Playbook to your daily reading. We have a new team at the helm who are eager to take you inside the political arena in California, from Sacramento and Los Angeles to Silicon Valley and throughout the Golden State! Get the latest exclusive news and buzzy scoops from the fourth largest economy in the world sent straight to your inbox. SUBSCRIBE TODAY. | | | | | TRUMP CARDS THE INVESTIGATIONS — “Arizona escalates probe into alleged efforts to swing election for Trump,” by WaPo’s Yvonne Wingett Sanchez in Phoenix: “Arizona Attorney General KRIS MAYES (D) assigned a team of prosecutors to the case in May, and investigators have contacted many of the pro-Trump electors and their lawyers.” THE WHITE HOUSE THE ANSWER IS BLOWIN’ IN THE WIND — As was expected, the Secret Service’s investigation into cocaine found at the White House did not manage to turn up a suspect, CNN’s Jeremy Diamond scooped. The probe involved visitor logs and surveillance cameras, but the Secret Service couldn’t pinpoint when the baggie was dropped at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., let alone by whom. One source tells Diamond that it most likely came from a visitor. 2024 WATCH WATCHING LIKE A HAWKEYE — Iowa’s new six-week abortion ban is a key litmus test for the Republican presidential field, the Des Moines Register’s Brianne Pfannenstiel and Stephen Gruber-Miller report. MIKE PENCE, no surprise, has been a prominent supporter: His Advancing American Freedom nonprofit actively spent money to help it pass. VIVEK RAMASWAMY and Sen. TIM SCOTT (R-S.C.) were also vocal in celebrating the passage. But Trump and Florida Gov. RON DeSANTIS made much quieter shows of support. The issue will be front and center at the Family Leader Summit this weekend. BIG MONEY — VP KAMALA HARRIS’ campaign fundraiser today in NYC will be hosted by CHARLES MYERS and PHIL MUNGER, Bloomberg’s Akayla Gardner scooped. Munger is the son of WARREN BUFFETT’s billionaire partner CHARLES MUNGER. HARRIS ON THE ROAD — “Kamala Harris plans tour energizing key Democratic groups in coming weeks,” by NBC’s Mike Memoli: “Each of the stops are considered part of her official White House portfolio … But each also plays into the Biden re-election effort’s strategy to use the relatively early period of the 2024 election cycle to focus on energizing key pillars of the Democratic Party.” THE SUAREZ SCRUTINY CONTINUES — In the latest series of questions about Miami Mayor FRANCIS SUAREZ’s financial dealings, the Miami Herald’s Sarah Blaskey, Tess Riski and Joey Flechas report that Suarez and his wife got a roughly $34,000 viewing experience of the Miami Grand Prix paid for by KEN GRIFFIN. (The local paper has an ongoing series called “Mayor for Hire.”) The billionaire CEO is Florida’s richest person, and his Citadel has plenty of development projects in the works in Miami. “After a reporter told him the mayor’s acceptance of such largess would likely violate Florida ethics laws, [a] spokesperson pivoted a week later and said Suarez covered the cost of the events,” the Herald reports, though Suarez didn’t provide proof.
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don’t miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY. | | | | | AMERICA AND THE WORLD DANCE OF THE SUPERPOWERS — The long-awaited Biden administration restrictions on U.S. investment in Chinese tech companies threatens to upend the very tentative diplomatic steps toward detente the two countries have made lately, NYT’s Alan Rappeport and Ana Swanson report. Treasury Secretary JANET YELLEN discussed the restrictions during her recent visit to China, and her department has tried to limit their scope. But the U.S. is still waiting to finalize and/or announce the policy, which could inflame China anew and “be the first test of the new channels of communication that the world’s two largest economies are trying to restore.” BEYOND THE BELTWAY HEADS UP — A jury decided today that Pittsburgh synagogue mass shooter ROBERT BOWERS is eligible for the death penalty. More from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette SURPRISING DYNAMIC — “A red state boosted public health funding by 1,500 percent. This is how they did it,” by Megan Messerly: “Indiana may offer a conservative model for improving fragile and beleaguered public health systems and countering the growing opposition to them that’s dominating the discourse. … [Gov. ERIC] HOLCOMB knows the proposal put him on a political limb, but said the pandemic exposed the need to address the state’s historically poor public health metrics.” PLAYBOOKERS BOOK CLUB — Cassidy Hutchinson is writing a book, “Enough,” that will be released Sept. 26 from Simon & Schuster, AP’s Hillel Italie reports. The former Trump White House staffer whose high-profile Jan. 6 testimony riveted the nation was represented by Robert Barnett; the book is billed as an “account of her extraordinary experiences as an idealistic young woman thrust into the middle of a national crisis.” OUT AND ABOUT — Horton’s Kids celebrated its 15th annual Home Runs for Horton’s Kids last night at Nationals Park. SPOTTED: Reps. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) and Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.), Jason Tuber and Adrienne Wojciechowski. MEDIA MOVES — POLITICO is elevating Julia Marsh to editorial director for California and Debra Kahn to California policy editor as we expand our coverage of the biggest state in the nation. TRANSITIONS — WestExec Advisors has added retired Rear Adm. Lorin Selby as a principal and Eric Green as a senior adviser. Selby most recently was chief of naval research. Green most recently was special assistant to the president and senior director for Russia and Central Asia on the NSC. … Austin Clark is now press and staff assistant for Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.). He most recently was a legislative director in the Georgia state House. … Danielle Alvarez is now director of public affairs for Florida Crystals Corp. She most recently was comms director for the RNC and is a Ron DeSantis and Rick Scott alum. Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com or text us at 202-556-3307. Playbook couldn’t happen without our editor Mike DeBonis, deputy editor Zack Stanton and producers Setota Hailemariam and Bethany Irvine. Correction: Tuesday’s Playbook PM misgendered Kristian Andersen. He is a man.
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