| | | | | |  | | By Jake Sherman, Anna Palmer, Garrett Ross and Eli Okun | Presented by |  | | | SPOTTED: Trey Gowdy and Joe Lieberman at the White House this morning. They were near the West Wing. BULLETIN: ANTHONY FAUCI told a Senate committee this morning that he would not be surprised to see 100,000 cases in the U.S. per day if coronavirus trends don't change. More from the hearing via Brianna Ehley NEW … YOU SHOULD NOT BE SURPRISED to see HOUSE DEMOCRATS push for further sanctions on Russia in the coming days and weeks, in the wake of reports that the nation's intelligence services paid bounties to the Taliban to kill U.S. soldiers. HOUSE DEMOCRATS attended a White House briefing this morning with top officials: COS MARK MEADOWS, DNI JOHN RATCLIFFE, national security adviser ROBERT O'BRIEN, NSC counsel JOHN EISENBURG, and NSC officials THOMAS WILLIAMS and MICHAEL ELLIS. But that did little to quell anger over being blindsided by the intelligence, which was first reported in the NYT. HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER STENY HOYER is continuing his calls for a full congressional briefing by the "intelligence community" -- which sources tell us is referring to CIA Director GINA HASPEL. And the push for tough Russia sanctions is gaining currency in high-level Dem circles. MORE, from HEATHER CAYGLE, KYLE CHENEY and SARAH FERRIS: "Dems say no 'substantive information' at White House briefing on Russian bounties": "Senior House Democrats left a White House briefing on Russian bounties disappointed on Tuesday, saying they were given 'no substantive information' about allegations that the Kremlin paid Taliban militants to kill U.S. troops — and that President Donald Trump sat on the information for months. "House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), who led a group of nearly a dozen Democrats to the White House early Tuesday, said Congress still needs to hear from the heads of various Intelligence agencies — not White House officials — on the stunning allegations. The Trump administration officials tasked with briefing the Democrats, Hoyer said, expressed their opinion of the allegations but didn't share the underlying evidence. "'What we need is a briefing by the Intelligence community to give us their assessment of the credibility of this information,' Hoyer told reporters in a press conference in the Capitol after the briefing. 'We did not receive any new substantive information about the intelligence.' "House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), who also attended, echoed Hoyer's concerns. Schiff said he's seeking an in-person briefing from the intel community as well as documentation. 'The right people to give the briefing really were not in the room,' Schiff said." POLITICO JAMES ARKIN: "McGrath wins Kentucky Senate primary": "Amy McGrath has fended off Charles Booker to clinch the Democratic nomination for Senate in Kentucky, setting up an expensive showdown with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in November. "Booker, who was down in the polls and way behind in fundraising in the months leading up to last week's primary, surged in the final weeks, fueled by national and local progressive endorsements and the protests against racial injustice in his hometown of Louisville. "But McGrath, a former Marine fighter pilot making her second run for federal office, prevailed — mostly on the strength of the absentee ballots cast in the weeks leading up to the primary that were tallied on Tuesday." POLITICO | | A message from Humana: At Humana, we're experts in helping our members achieve better health and recognize our unique role in supporting their health during this crisis. That's why Humana is waiving covered member medical costs for treatments related to coronavirus and expanding access to telehealth services.
Learn more here. | | | ELAINA PLOTT goes deep on JEFF SESSIONS and the ALABAMA SENATE RACE in the NYT MAGAZINE: "The Fall of Jeff Sessions, and What Came After": "[S]hortly after leaving the Justice Department, Sessions entered talks to join the law firm Maynard Cooper & Gale, which was founded in Birmingham, Ala. With a longtime friend of Sessions's pulling for him on the inside, the deal seemed all but done. But ultimately, the firm's leadership decided against bringing him in, the news of which was broken to Sessions over dinner at Charlie Palmer's in Washington. 'People at Maynard obviously respect Jeff,' said one person with direct knowledge of the decision, speaking on the condition of anonymity. 'But I don't think, given the manner in which he left' the Justice Department, 'he could make the business case for how the work would follow.' … "'[I] have to confess, you know,' [Trent] Lott recalled, 'without being asked, I said, "Let me just say right here at the beginning: I hope that you will not think about running again for the Senate. It's just not what it used to be."' … "The mantra was: 'Back to the men and women in blue,' Sessions told me. 'The police had been demoralized. There was all the Obama — there's a riot, and he has a beer at the White House with some criminal, to listen to him. Wasn't having a beer with the police officers. So we said, "We're on your side. We've got your back, you got our thanks.''' (Asked whether this was a confused reference to the meeting Obama had with the scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr., who had been wrongfully arrested entering his own home, and the police officer involved in the arrest, a Sessions spokesman declined to elaborate.)" Good Tuesday afternoon. SCOTUS WATCH -- "Supreme Court hands victory to DeVos in decision on aid to religious schools," by Nicole Gaudiano: "In a huge win for backers of school choice including Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, the Supreme Court on Tuesday sided with three Montana families who asked the court to declare that excluding religious schools from student aid programs is unconstitutional. "The case, which has drawn intense interest from the Trump administration, could have major implications for the use of public dollars to pay for religious schools. Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue looked at whether the Montana Supreme Court violated the U.S. Constitution when it struck down a tax-credit scholarship program that allowed students to attend private schools, including religious schools." POLITICO ... The decision OK THEN! … NBC: "S. Dakota Gov. Noem says 'we will not be social distancing' at July 3 celebration with Trump at Mount Rushmore," by Rebecca Shabad THE WORLD REOPENING -- "E.U. Formalizes Reopening, Barring Travelers From U.S.," by NYT's Matina Stevis-Gridneff in Brussels: "The European Union will open its borders to visitors from 15 countries as of Wednesday, but not to travelers from the United States, Brazil or Russia, putting into effect a complex policy that has sought to balance health concerns with politics, diplomacy and the desperate need for tourism revenue. "The list of nations that European Union countries have approved includes Australia, Canada and New Zealand, while travelers from China will be permitted if China reciprocates. The plan was drawn up based on health criteria, and European Union officials went to great lengths to appear apolitical in their choices, but the decision to leave the United States off the list — lumping travelers from there in with those from Brazil and Russia — was a high-profile rebuke of the Trump administration's handling of the coronavirus crisis." NYT HUNT FOR A VACCINE -- "FDA to Issue Guidance on Covid-19 Vaccine Approval," by WSJ's Thomas Burton: "The Food and Drug Administration plans to release guidance Tuesday outlining its conditions for approving a Covid-19 vaccine, including a requirement that any vaccine be at least 50% more effective than a placebo in preventing the disease. The FDA said that no vaccine would be approved unless a vaccine company had "clearly demonstrated" proof of a vaccine's safety and effectiveness through a clinical study, according to a summary of the guidance viewed by The Wall Street Journal. "According to the summary, the FDA also said a vaccine wouldn't be approved simply if it leads to antibodies in the bloodstream of patients, on grounds that it is not known what level of antibodies will confer protection to patients. The FDA said it would also require a vaccine maker to conduct further monitoring of safety after any approval and recommended that people getting the vaccine be followed for a year after treatment." WSJ WHAT'S LEFT OF THE PPP -- "Paycheck Protection Program nears end with $130 billion left unused, and lawmakers eye next steps," by WaPo's Jonathan O'Connell, Erica Werner and Aaron Gregg: "With the deadline to apply for the Paycheck Protection Program coming just before midnight Tuesday night, Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) are leading a group considering how best to use the remaining funds to help small businesses as they begin to reopen. "Rubio is working on legislation that would create new programs to expand uses for the funds, such as allowing chambers of commerce to apply as well as directing more money to certain businesses that prove they were affected by the pandemic. According to a draft copy of the bill that was obtained by The Washington Post, the legislation would also set aside $25 billion for businesses with fewer than 10 employees and formally prevent hotel or restaurant chains from receiving more than $2 million total." WaPo | | | | POLITICO Magazine Justice Reform: The Prison Conditions Issue, presented by Verizon: The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the difference between "inside" and the rest of society. With crowding, inadequate funding and inconsistent medical care, prisons have become hotbeds of the outbreak ― with a heavy cost also paid on the outside. POLITICO Magazine's second Justice Reform package looks at movements to improve prisons and how the epidemic has affected them. READ THE FULL ISSUE. | | | | | THE COVID IMPACT -- "Drive-up U.S. citizenship eases backlog, but new threat looms," by AP's Ben Fox and Mike Householder in Detroit: "A 60-year-old U.K. citizen drove into a Detroit parking garage on a recent afternoon, lowered the window of her SUV to swear an oath, and left as a newly minted American. It took less than 30 minutes. ... Similar drive-thru ceremonies are being held around the country, but perhaps for not much longer. "U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services says a budget crisis could force the agency to furlough nearly three-quarters of its workforce, severely curtailing operations as tens of thousands of people wait to become citizens. That could have potential political consequences, especially in states such as Michigan and Florida where the number of newly naturalized Americans already exceeds the narrow margin of victory for President Donald Trump in 2016." AP SWAMP READ … NBCLX'S NOAH PRANSKY: "A nine-month NBCLX investigation, which included the review of thousands of Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) filings, revealed more than 50 former members of the House and Senate who have worked for foreign interests in just the last five years. "That includes more than a dozen who leveraged their elected positions into jobs lobbying for controversial countries, such as Russia, Saudi Arabia, and China. Some of the former Congressmembers even advocated positions that seemed to contradict public stances they took while representing the American public." NBCLX THE NEW COLD WAR … NYT: "A New Superpower Competition Between Beijing and Washington: China's Nuclear Buildup," by David Sanger and William Broad: "When negotiators from the United States and Russia met in Vienna last week to discuss renewing the last major nuclear arms control treaty that still exists between the two countries, American officials surprised their counterparts with a classified briefing on new and threatening nuclear capabilities — not Russia's, but China's. "The intelligence had not yet been made public in the United States, or even shared widely with Congress. But it was part of an effort to get the Russians on board with President Trump's determination to prod China to participate in New START, a treaty it has never joined. Along the way, the administration is portraying the small but increasingly potent Chinese nuclear arsenal — still only one-fifth the size of those fielded by the United States or Russia — as the new threat that Mr. Trump and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia should confront together." NYT HONG KONG LATEST -- "Business Embraces Hong Kong's Security Law. The Money Helps," by NYT's Alexandra Stevenson in Hong Kong: "Beijing twisted some arms to win that support, hinting that it could use its huge clout to punish any global company or local tycoon who crosses it. But China has also won over some business hearts and minds — and a big new inflow of Chinese money into the territory has helped it make its case. "The money, totaling billions of dollars in new stock offerings and property deals by blue-chip Chinese companies in the past few weeks alone, have bolstered perceptions in the business world that Hong Kong will remain a deeply profitable place to do business for years to come. Some business leaders and bankers even endorse Beijing's argument that the new law will help Hong Kong's status as a business hub by helping the police crack down on sometimes violent antigovernment protests." NYT | | | | BROKEN GOVERNANCE AND GLOBAL LEADERSHIP: Broken social contracts and damaged economies make 2020 perhaps the best opportunity in decades to rethink governing. But the window for change is opening just as faith in democracy seems to be declining. How will this dynamic play out on the world stage? Our Global Translations newsletter, presented by Bank of America, layers global news, trends and decisions with contextual analysis from the world's sharpest minds. For a unique perspective that you cannot find anywhere else, SUBSCRIBE TODAY | | | | | HOLLY OTTERBEIN: "Ocasio-Cortez raises AIPAC ire over effort to tie Israel aid to annexation": "A dozen Democratic lawmakers have signed onto a hotly debated letter spearheaded by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that calls for placing conditions on aid to Israel if it moves forward with plans to unilaterally annex parts of the West Bank, according to a copy obtained by POLITICO. "The letter, parts of which were previously leaked to the media, was condemned Monday by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee as harmful to America's interests before the statement or its signers were finalized. … Along with Ocasio-Cortez, Tlaib, McCollum and Jayapal, the letter was signed by Reps. Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, Raul Grijalva, André Carson, Nydia Velázquez, Bobby Rush, Jesús "Chuy" Garcia, and Danny Davis, as well as Sen. Bernie Sanders." POLITICO BEYOND THE BELTWAY -- "Thousands of U.S. judges who broke laws or oaths remained on the bench," by Reuters' Michael Berens and John Shiffman in Montgomery, Ala.: "Judges have made racist statements, lied to state officials and forced defendants to languish in jail without a lawyer – and then returned to the bench, sometimes with little more than a rebuke from the state agencies overseeing their conduct. ... "In the first comprehensive accounting of judicial misconduct nationally, Reuters reviewed 1,509 cases from the last dozen years – 2008 through 2019 – in which judges resigned, retired or were publicly disciplined following accusations of misconduct. In addition, reporters identified another 3,613 cases from 2008 through 2018 in which states disciplined wayward judges but kept hidden from the public key details of their offenses – including the identities of the judges themselves. All told, 9 of every 10 judges were allowed to return to the bench after they were sanctioned for misconduct, Reuters determined." Reuters STAFFING UP -- "Joe Biden Ramps Up in Michigan," by WSJ's Joshua Jamerson: "The former vice president's campaign said Eric Hyers would serve as Michigan state director. Mr. Hyers was the campaign manager for Democrat Andy Beshear's successful 2019 bid to unseat Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, a Republican." TRANSITIONS -- Wesley Coopersmith is joining Sen. Kelly Loeffler's (R-Ga.) office as legislative director. He most recently has been deputy director of government relations at Heritage Action. … Kabir Thatte will be director of advance for Jaime Harrison's Senate campaign in South Carolina. He previously was senior advance lead for Pete Buttigieg's campaign, and is an Obama alum. … Wally Hsueh is now VP for international affairs on FedEx's government and regulatory affairs team. He previously was deputy chief of staff for Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.). | | | | A message from Humana:   From waiving member medical costs to expanding access to telehealth services, Humana is committed to protecting our members. Learn More | | | | | | | 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 | | | | |
