| | | | | |  | | By Jake Sherman and Anna Palmer | Presented by |  | | | | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS, you're going to see an open power struggle between the Congress and the TRUMP administration. THIS ISN'T OVER A SINGLE PIECE OF LEGISLATION or a specific policy, but rather something far more valuable: the access to information and intelligence. THE WHITE HOUSE and the administration have it, and Congress wants it -- and believes it's entitled to it. AT ISSUE: the NYT report about Russians allegedly paying bounties to the Taliban in Afghanistan to kill American soldiers. The administration is hell-bent on holding what it knows tight. They are inviting small groups of Republicans and Democrats to 1600 Pennsylvania for briefings, but, as of now, they are declining leadership- and Congress-wide briefings -- Speaker NANCY PELOSI and Senate Minority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER have called for full chamber debriefs. TRUMP officials tell us they think that such affairs are reserved for more significant events than this, and they insist they will not buckle. OF COURSE, there is no evidence the NYT's reporting is wrong -- its top national security and intelligence reporters are on the case, and other outlets have reported aspects of the same basic story. But intelligence is more art than science, and open to multiple shades of interpretation. AND THE FRONT PAGE of the NYT this morning carries another damaging headline: "Trump Given Brief in February About Possible Russian Bounties" -- more on that below. THE WHITE HOUSE has a series of small gatherings to read more people into the events, as they see them. This morning, at 8 a.m., House Majority Leader STENY HOYER is bringing the following Democratic crew to the White House: House Foreign Affairs Chair ELIOT ENGEL (N.Y.), Intelligence Chair ADAM SCHIFF (Calif.), Armed Services Chair ADAM SMITH (Wash.) and Reps. GREG MEEKS (N.Y.), BRAD SHERMAN (Calif.), MIKIE SHERRILL (N.J.) ABIGAIL SPANBERGER (Va.), ELISSA SLOTKIN (Mich.), RUBEN GALLEGO (Ariz.) and BILL KEATING (Mass.). SENATE REPUBLICANS are also expected at the White House this morning for a briefing. TO GIVE A SENSE of the political import of this issue, HOUSE DEMOCRATS have scheduled a 9:30 a.m. press briefing about their White House meeting. In other words, as soon as they get back to the Hill, they're going to dish. MANY ADMINISTRATIONS see Congress as a nuisance on international affairs and covert missions -- none more so than the TRUMP administration, which has routinely flipped the Hill the bird when it comes to briefings, and has even gone so far as suggesting top Democratic officials might tip off enemies about U.S. military action. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION is 126 DAYS out from Election Day -- and the questions are only going to get sharper and the pressure more acute if lawmakers are learning more from a newspaper than they are from the CIA. NYT, A1: "Trump Got Written Briefing in February on Possible Russian Bounties, Officials Say," by Charlie Savage, Eric Schmitt, Nick Fandos and Adam Goldman: "American officials provided a written briefing in late February to President Trump laying out their conclusion that a Russian military intelligence unit offered and paid bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill U.S. and coalition troops in Afghanistan, two officials familiar with the matter said. "The investigation into the suspected Russian covert operation to incentivize such killings has focused in part on an April 2019 car bombing that killed three Marines as one such potential attack, according to multiple officials familiar with the matter." AP: "AP Sources: White House aware of Russian bounties in 2019," by James LaPorta: "Top officials in the White House were aware in early 2019 of classified intelligence indicating Russia was secretly offering bounties to the Taliban for the deaths of Americans, a full year earlier than has been previously reported, according to U.S. officials with direct knowledge of the intelligence. "The assessment was included in at least one of President Donald Trump's written daily intelligence briefings at the time, according to the officials. Then-national security adviser John Bolton also told colleagues he briefed Trump on the intelligence assessment in March 2019. "The White House did not respond to questions about Trump or other officials' awareness of Russia's provocations in 2019. The White House has said Trump was not — and still has not been — briefed on the intelligence assessments because they have not been fully verified. However, it is rare for intelligence to be confirmed without a shadow of a doubt before it is presented to top officials." THE POLITICS … WAPO'S SEUNG MIN KIM: "Republicans once again face questions about why Trump isn't tougher on Russia" : "[O]n Capitol Hill, Republican senators demanded more information from the administration and called for Russia to be punished if reports from the New York Times, The Washington Post and other media outlets were deemed accurate. The Republicans took a notably tougher public tone than Trump did, although they mostly avoided the question of whether the president should have been aware of the intelligence. … "Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) called the reports 'deeply troubling' and said he wanted the Senate to pass his legislation that would require the State Department to consider naming Russia a state sponsor of terrorism. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who like Gardner is in a tough reelection race this fall, similarly called for the U.S. government to treat Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. … Sen. Todd C. Young (R-Ind.), a former intelligence officer in the Marines, said the Russia-financed bounty effort, if confirmed, 'deserves a strong and immediate response from our government.'" AWOL -- "Republicans have been skipping House Intelligence meetings for months," by Martin Matishak: "Democrats see a boycott motivated by partisan politics. Republicans argue they have legitimate security concerns. "Either way, GOP members of the House Intelligence Committee have skipped all but one of the panel's proceedings, public and private, since before Congress went into its coronavirus-lockdown in early March. And that impasse shows no signs of ending, even as the panel takes up issues like China, Covid-19 and the annual intelligence policy bill. "Democrats see it as yet another manifestation of the toxic partisan split dividing the panel during Donald Trump's presidency, in contrast to the still-bipartisan spirit that prevails on the Senate Intelligence Committee." POLITICO Good Tuesday morning. | | A message from Humana: When Humana member Gwen M. — who is blind and has no family nearby — started running out of her medication and food, Humana helped her get prescriptions and healthy meals delivered right to her door. See how we're supporting members during this health crisis. | | | FRONTS: NYT, lead story, two columns: "ROBERTS IS PIVOTAL AS COURT TOPPLES ABORTION BARRIER" … WSJ goes with: "Supreme Court Strikes Down Abortion Curb" … N.Y. POST … WAPO DRIVING TODAY: House Minority Leader KEVIN MCCARTHY is briefing at 10:30 a.m. after a closed GOP meeting. … ANTHONY FAUCI, ROBERT REDFIELD, BRETT GIROIR and STEPHEN HAHN are testifying in front of Senate HELP at 10:30 a.m. … IRS Commissioner CHARLES RETTIG will testify about tax filing at 10:15 a.m. in front of Senate Finance. … SENATE lunches wrap around 2 p.m. PRIMARIES TODAY … "Hickenlooper, Huntsman and House races: 5 things to watch in Tuesday's primaries," by Ally Mutnick, James Arkin, Steven Shepard and Zach Montellaro THE NYT ED BOARD, WITH A REMINDER FOR THE LEFT: "John Roberts Is No Pro-Choice Hero" WSJ ED BOARD, TO THE RIGHT: "One Man's Supreme Court: The Chief Justice relies on an abortion precedent he dissented from": "On ObamaCare, he defined the insurance mandate as a tax. On the Census, he said the government's logic was 'pretextual.' On immigration this month, he said an Obama order was illegal but he overturned President Trump's repeal order on procedural grounds. Now he relies on an abortion precedent he dissented from by rewriting that precedent. "All of these look like a Justice searching for a legal port, any port, to justify his rulings in a political storm. This will further draw the Court into politics and do even more long-term harm to the judiciary." THE NEWS PAGES … WAPO: "With abortion ruling, Roberts reasserts his role and Supreme Court's independence," by Robert Barnes: "The votes do not mean that Roberts, nominated by President George W. Bush, has had an ideological conversion. But they do serve as a reminder of his 2018 rejoinder to President Trump that 'we do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges.'" ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL -- "Conservative groups see abortion ruling as catalyst for reelecting Trump," by Alice Miranda Ollstein and Meridith McGraw -- "Abortion Rises as a Pivotal Issue for At-Risk Senate Republicans," by NYT's Maggie Astor and Matt Stevens SCOOPLET -- "Publisher's wife played undisclosed role for Melania Trump," by Daniel Lippman and Tina Nguyen: "The owner of the news outlet that published the columns at the center of the Ukraine scandal helped secure an unpaid White House position for his wife — a fact the publication did not disclose to readers. "Jimmy Finkelstein, a wealthy Manhattanite who owns The Hill, was sufficiently involved that he personally discussed his wife's arrangement with White House lawyers. His wife, former CNN producer Pamela Gross, is a longtime friend of Melania Trump, and she volunteered to help the new first lady find her footing in the East Wing. … "The White House never announced Gross' hiring, though she spent around six months advising the first lady. Gross primarily worked from New York, but her arrangement had some trappings of White House employment: She filled out a security clearance questionnaire and was granted a White House email and cellphone, and a temporary access badge for use when she was in Washington." POLITICO CORONAVIRUS RAGING … -- AP: "States reverse openings, require masks amid virus resurgence," by Tamara Lush and Emily Schmall: "Arizona's Republican governor shut down bars, movie theaters, gyms and water parks Monday and leaders in several states ordered residents to wear masks in public in a dramatic course reversal amid an alarming resurgence of coronavirus cases nationwide. "Among those implementing the face-covering orders is the city of Jacksonville, Florida, where mask-averse President Donald Trump plans to accept the Republican nomination in August. Trump has refused to wear a mask during visits to states and businesses that require them. "Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey's order went into effect immediately and for at least 30 days. Ducey also ordered public schools to delay the start of classes until at least Aug. 17. Most Arizona bars and nightclubs opened after the governor's stay-at-home and business closure orders were allowed to expire in mid-May. … Places such as Texas, Florida and California are backtracking, closing beaches and bars in some cases amid a resurgence of the virus." AP -- WSJ: "Regional Coronavirus Surges Force Changes in Plans Elsewhere in the U.S.," by David Hall: "A surge in new coronavirus cases and rising hospitalization rates in states such as California and Texas are jeopardizing reopening plans elsewhere, while other countries are struggling to stop clusters of infections from spreading. "More than 41,000 new coronavirus cases were recorded nationwide Monday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. That was an increase from Sunday, but lower than Friday's record of 45,255. World-wide, confirmed Covid-19 infections exceeded 10.3 million, with more than 505,000 deaths. The U.S. accounts for about a quarter of each figure." -- WAPO: "Millions track the pandemic on Johns Hopkins's dashboard. Those who built it say some miss the real story," by Kyle Swenson: "[E]ven as data has jumped to the forefront of international discussions about the virus, the Johns Hopkins team wrestles with doubts about whether the numbers can truly capture the scope of the pandemic, and whether the public and policymakers are failing to absorb the big picture. They know what they are producing is not a high-resolution snapshot of the pandemic but a constantly shifting Etch a Sketch of the trail of covid-19, the disease caused by the virus. "Case counts are consistently inconsistent. Reporting practices differ from country to country, state to state, even county to county. If authorities fail to contextualize the virus with other factors — such as Zip codes, race or Medicaid usage — the hardest-hit communities can go unseen. "'Numbers in some ways instill this sense of comfort. But then on the other hand, they can be wrong,' said Lauren Gardner, the associate professor at Johns Hopkins's Whiting School of Engineering who has spearheaded the global tracker since Day 1. 'And they can be wrong for lots of different reasons.'" DAN DIAMOND: "Trump's bet on a vaccine could come at a cost": "As coronavirus cases surge to record levels and states backtrack on efforts to reopen their economies, the Trump administration is increasingly pinning its hopes on a vaccine that may never come. "The federal government has poured $10 billion into Operation Warp Speed, the joint health-defense project to accelerate the development of a Covid-19 vaccine. Teams of military and Coast Guard personnel are now stationed at a seventh floor command center in HHS headquarters as the government tries to deliver 300 million vaccine doses by January — a feat that would require shaving years off the normal development process. "But the audacious effort to break speed records on a vaccine comes with a cost. The White House coronavirus task force has dramatically scaled back its meetings, leaving the public awareness effort as a side show rather than the dominant presence it was earlier in the crisis. Scientists inside HHS say they're confused by the rapidly changing organizational structure and the role of the outside consultants now dotting the health department."
| | | | A message from Humana:   Humana is waiving copays for primary care and outpatient behavioral health visits -- including telehealth -- for Medicare Advantage members through 2020. Learn More | | | DOWN BALLOT -- "How Hickenlooper may side-step a challenge from the left," by James Arkin: "John Hickenlooper's resume reads like a target list for the left: a moderate former elected official with a record of working with Republicans. But even a shaky performance down the stretch hasn't knocked him out of pole position in Tuesday's Colorado Senate primary. "The former two-term governor and presidential candidate stumbled in the past month after entering the Senate race as a big Democratic favorite, inviting criticism from some allies and from Andrew Romanoff, his liberal Democratic primary opponent. Hickenlooper had to apologize for insensitive comments about race, and he was also cited for contempt by the state's Independent Ethics Commission, which found he violated state ethics laws as governor. "But instead of turning into the latest progressive beachhead in the party's primary battles, Hickenlooper looks likely to turn back the challenge and advance to the general election, where GOP Sen. Cory Gardner is vulnerable in a critical race for Senate control." POLITICO TRUMP'S TUESDAY -- The president will receive his intel briefing at 3:30 p.m. in the Oval Office. | | | | TODAY AT 1 p.m. EDT - A POLITICO TOWN HALL: AMERICA AT A TIPPING POINT: The killing of George Floyd sparked demonstrations against police brutality and racial injustice around the world. One month later, join POLITICO Live for a town hall to reflect on the past and reckon with what is next to come. Featured guests include Julián Castro, former secretary of HUD and Democratic presidential candidate; Vanita Gupta, president and chief executive of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; Rashad Robinson, civil rights leader and president of Color of Change; and Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | | 
PHOTO DU JOUR: Protesters gather at a shopping mall in Hong Kong to rally against Beijing's national security law with a sign that reads, "Oppose Beijing's national security law, go to streets on July 1," on Tuesday, June 30. | Vincent Yu/AP Photo | PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION -- WAPO: "NAACP, long headquartered in Baltimore, will move to 14th and U Streets in D.C.," by Julie Zauzmer: "The national civil rights organization, which has had its headquarters in Baltimore since 1986, has signed a letter of intent to move into the Frank D. Reeves Center of Municipal Affairs at 14th and U streets NW once the facility is renovated, Bowser (D) said." BEN SCHRECKINGER: "Would Trump abandon Twitter?": "Big Tech is cracking down on Donald Trump, which gives him all the more reason to retreat from its platforms into his own digital ecosystem. "The president's reelection campaign and some of his followers had already been joining and promoting alternative social media sites, much as the president pressures Fox News when it displeases him by calling attention to its upstart conservative rival, One America News Network. That was before the most recent wave of crackdowns on Trump and his supporters by social-media firms seeking to remove content that is deemed offensive, inaccurate or both. "On Monday, the social media platform Reddit shuttered 'The Donald,' a forum for Trump supporters, as part of a larger clampdown against groups that had violated rules against harassment and hate speech. Separately, Twitch, a video streaming platform owned by Amazon, suspended the Trump campaign's channel for rules violations." POLITICO | | | |   | | | SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST'S JEFFIE LAM and KIMMY CHUNG: "Hong Kong national security law unanimously passed by Beijing, expected to become effective on July 1": "Beijing's top legislative body has unanimously passed a sweeping national security law for Hong Kong prohibiting acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces to endanger national security. "The law, approved by the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) on Tuesday, is expected to carry a maximum penalty of life in jail. Sources told the Post the law was approved unanimously by the standing committee's 162 members, within 15 minutes of the meeting starting at 9am. "Only a handful of Hong Kong delegates to the national legislature saw a draft of the law before its passage, a major point of contention, with many in the city decrying the lack of transparency given the legislation's far-reaching consequences." BUSINESS BURST -- "Uber in Talks to Buy Postmates for About $2.6 Billion," by Cara Lombardo: "Uber Technologies Inc. is in discussions to buy Postmates Inc. for about $2.6 billion, according to people familiar with the matter, the latest in a rapid-fire series of moves to consolidate the food-delivery industry. Should a deal come together, it could be announced next week if not sooner, one of the people said. But there is no guarantee it will. "Postmates, which has held discussions with other possible buyers since at least last year, has been simultaneously planning an initial public offering. Just Monday, people familiar with the matter said the closely held meal-delivery startup was preparing in the coming days to make its IPO filing public, which could presage a trading debut later this summer. "A combination would augment Uber's food-delivery arm, Uber Eats, which already has an international footprint and the second-largest market share in the U.S. after DoorDash Inc., according to research from Edison Trends." WSJ MEDIAWATCH -- "Newsonomics: The next 48 hours could determine the fate of two of America's largest newspaper chains," by Nieman Lab's Ken Doctor | | | | 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. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Send tips to Eli Okun and Garrett Ross at politicoplaybook@politico.com. IN MEMORIAM -- "In Memory Of Betsy Rothstein," by The Daily Caller's Tucker Carlson: "Betsy Rothstein passed away Sunday among family following a long battle with cancer. "Betsy was the most honest person I've ever met. She hated lying the way some people hate snakes. She recoiled in horror from lies. She found them repulsive, and the people who told them, contemptible. It sounds funny to say it now, but Betsy went into journalism because she wanted to tell the truth. … Betsy wrote a gossip column because she loved exposing lies. She was a truffle dog for duplicity." … N.Y. Mag's Olivia Nuzzi: "Remembering My Friend Betsy Rothstein" TRANSITIONS -- Michael Tyler will be EVP for public affairs for More Than a Vote, the LeBron James-led political operation. He is a Cory Booker and DNC alum. … Crystal Brown is joining D.C. comms firm Hager Sharp as EVP, leading its education, labor and economy practice. She previously was VP and chief comms officer at Howard University. WELCOME TO THE WORLD -- Melissa Woodruff, a government relations principal at L3Harris Technologies, and Banks Woodruff, senior director of strategic comms at Stand Together, welcomed Leila Marie Woodruff on Friday. Pic -- Eve Kenny, senior director of comms for Comedy Central's "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah," and Max Kessler, senior interaction designer at Google, welcomed Leo Kenny Kessler on June 21. He came in at 8 lbs, 6 oz. Pic … Another pic BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Paul Cheung, director of journalism and technology innovation at the Knight Foundation. What he's been reading: "'Seeing Around Corners' by Rita McGrath because the recent health and social crisis creates an inflection point that can either create new opportunities or devastating consequences. Also rereading 'The State of Asian America: Activism and Resistance in the 1990s' to remind me of the struggles and actions Asian Americans endure in U.S. history. It is not something that was taught in class or commonly discussed in society." Playbook Q&A BIRTHDAYS: The Atlantic's David Frum is 6-0 … Kyle Plotkin, COS for Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), is 38 … Adam Kennedy, VP of CRC Advisors … former IRS Commissioner John Koskinen is 81 … Alina Selyukh, NPR business correspondent … former Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.) is 61 (h/t Tim Griffin) … Brian Stewart, media relations director and comms manager at MoveOn.org … Kara Wheeler, director of political affairs at MetLife … Creative Coalition CEO Robin Bronk … Uber's Evangeline George … Zack Christenson … Dan Judy of North Star Opinion Research … HHS' Ken Callahan is 31 … … John Legittino, co-founder and CEO of Advoc8 … Robyn Shapiro … Ward Carroll of the U.S. Naval Institute … Gregory Beals … Ellie Boldman-Hill Smith … Douglas Waller is 71 … Jessica Levinson, Loyola Law School professor and California political analyst, is 4-0 … Ryan Holeywell … Elizabeth Blackney … Roxanne Conlin is 76 … Alexandra Acker-Lyons, president of AL Advising … Dan Leistikow … Kenzie Bok … Norm Sterzenbach … Rachel Gorlin … Andy Reynolds (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) … Tatiana Kotlyarenko … Jake Stafford … Josefina Carbonell … Dov Hikind is 7-0 … Chevron's Will Cappelletti … Laura Turanchik | | A message from Humana: Humana is committed to improving health outcomes for our members during the coronavirus crisis, and working to connect people to the resources they need.
For example, when Gwen M. — who is blind and has no family nearby — started running out of her medication and food, Humana helped her get prescriptions and healthy meals delivered right to her door.
At Humana, we're experts at helping our members achieve better health and recognize our unique role in supporting them during this unprecedented time. From waiving covered member medical costs for testing and treatment related to coronavirus to expanding access to services like telehealth, Humana is committed to doing all that we can to protect our members' health.
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