| | | | | |  | | By Anna Palmer, Jake Sherman, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross | Presented by |  | | | ANOTHER CAMPAIGN began for JOE BIDEN this morning. NOT HIS PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN, which he launched a year ago this week, or the primary campaign he successfully slogged through over the last three months. THIS IS A CAMPAIGN OF A THOROUGHLY MODERN VARIETY: litigating a decades-old allegation for which there are likely no corroborating witnesses on either side, or hard evidence to convict him or exonerate him. And the jury is an American public that has presided over many public trials about allegations of sexual impropriety in the past few years, and is typically split about who to believe. BIDEN'S ANSWER about whether he assaulted TARA READE -- delivered on MSNBC's "MORNING JOE" this morning -- seemed absolutely Shermanesque: "No. It is not true. I'm saying unequivocally it never, never happened and it didn't. It never happened." IT'S AN ANSWER THAT SEEMED DESIGNED to put the issue to rest. But in 2020, it will do nothing like that. BIDEN'S detractors -- Republicans and Democrats alike -- found plenty to poke at to keep this story alive. FIRST, in saying that he would ask the National Archives to release any complaint made by READE, BIDEN said "he's confident there's nothing" but added, "no one ever brought it to the attention of me 27 years ago" -- leaving open a sliver of a possibility that there's some complaint there that he may not know about. "NO ONE THAT I'M AWARE OF ... in my Senate office at the time is aware of any such ... complaint," BIDEN said during a one-on-one interview with MIKA BRZEZINSKI. "And so I'm not worried about it at all. If there is a complaint, that's where it would be, that's where it would be filed, and if it's there, put it out, but I've never seen it, no one has, that I'm aware." SECOND is the befuddling mischief-making about BIDEN'S University of Delaware archive. BIDEN bequeathed his Senate papers to UD, which is cataloguing them ahead of a projected 2021 opening. TEAM BIDEN curated the papers, which they say include speeches, policy papers and communications with leaders. BIDEN himself said personnel records are simply not housed there. Yet, in that, BIDEN'S opponents have something else to latch onto: that somewhere deep in those boxes in Newark, the former VP has something to hide. IN FACT, BIDEN did suggest he didn't want his political opponents to take out of context some of the policy positions he has taken, or things he has said in his career. AND THIS WEEKEND, READE is likely to give a television interview in the next few days, as BEN SMITH reported in the NYT on Thursday. Good Friday afternoon. | | A message from Blue Cross Blue Shield Association: Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies are working to meet the needs of the healthcare system at this critical time. From family physicians to community clinics and large hospitals, we're providing resources to ensure those on the frontlines are protected and supported during this pandemic, and remain strong beyond it. | | | STATE OF THE ART ... WSJ'S MIKE BENDER and KEN THOMAS: "Trump Makes Push for Seniors as Coronavirus Crisis Erodes Support": "The Trump campaign tested the effectiveness of the Democratic ads last week, the first time the campaign has done so in either of Mr. Trump's two races, according to a person familiar with the results. However, the data indicated that Mr. Trump's drop was more directly related to his performance at the nightly task force briefings that he has since curtailed, according to the person. ... "The campaign has ordered red, Trump-branded face masks for supporters, according to people familiar with the matter. Campaign officials have discussed giving away the masks at events or in return for donations, one of the people said." TROUBLE FOR THE GOP IN THE SOUTH ... ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION: "Internal GOP poll points to troubling signs for Georgia Republicans," by Greg Bluestein: "Voters are evenly split on Trump, but [Gov. Brian] Kemp's disapproval rating (52%) outweigh his approval rating (43%). [Sen. Kelly] Loeffler is deeper underwater after grappling with an uproar over her stock transactions during the pandemic, with an approval of 20% and disapproval of 47%. [Rep. Doug] Collins' approval rating is about 10 percentage points higher than his disapproval." NEW ... HOUSE JUDICIARY has asked Amazon CEO JEFF BEZOS to testify. The letter HOUSE MINORITY WHIP STEVE SCALISE (R-La.) held a whip call this morning with chef Emeril Lagasse and National Restaurant Association CEO Marvin Irby to discuss the reopening of restaurants. NAMED AND SHAMED -- "Public companies received $1 billion in stimulus funds meant for small businesses," by WaPo's Jonathan O'Connell, Steven Rich and Peter Whoriskey: "Nearly 300 public companies have reported receiving money from the fund, called the Paycheck Protection Program, according to the data compiled by The Post. Recipients include 43 companies with more than 500 workers, the maximum typically allowed by the program. Several other recipients were prosperous enough to pay executives $2 million or more. ... "As of Thursday, public companies had reported returning more than $125 million, according to a Post analysis of filings." WaPo ... The data SHOT ... L.A. TIMES: "Elite private schools are receiving federal loans — including one attended by Secretary Mnuchin's children," by Daniel Miller, Howard Blume and Paloma Esquivel CHASER ... @stevenmnuchin1: "It has come to our attention that some private schools with significant endowments have taken #PPP loans. They should return them. @SBAgov #CARESAct #PPPLoans" MEANWHILE -- "For Many Small Businesses, U.S. Coronavirus Aid Falls Short," by WSJ's Yuka Hayashi: "The federal government's $660 billion aid program for small businesses coping with the coronavirus pandemic threatens to leave hundreds of thousands of companies struggling to survive because of its limits on nonpayroll expenses. "The Paycheck Protection Program requires that 75% of the funds go for employee salaries, and no more than 25% on rent, mortgage interest and utility payments. That is proving to be a deal breaker for many small businesses with modest payrolls and high rent costs, such as restaurants, salons and shops in urban areas including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago." WSJ | | | | MONDAY - A VIRTUAL PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW WITH HOUSE GOP LEADER KEVIN MCCARTHY: How is the minority party in the House planning to navigate the next steps in the response to the coronavirus pandemic? In an election year, is it possible to avoid the anticipated partisan battles over additional relief measures and other legislative priories? Join Playbook co-authors Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman on Monday at 10 a.m. EDT for a virtual discussion with House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) about his efforts to try to get the House to return to Washington, what's next for economic relief legislation, and how mail-in voting could impact the 2020 election. Have questions? Submit yours by tweeting it to @POLITICOLive using #AskPOLITICO. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | WHAT JARED IS UP TO -- "Trump Hails Kushner's PPE Airlift, But Details of Sales Are Secret," by Bloomberg's Josh Wingrove, Daniel Flatley, and Shira Stein: "Kushner's 'Project Airbridge' provides transportation via FedEx Corp. and others for supplies that medical distributors, including McKesson Corp. and Cardinal Health Inc., buy from overseas manufacturers, mainly in China. Once a supplier's goods arrive in the U.S., the companies must sell half the order in government-designated hotspots. They sell the rest as they see fit. ... "The program has won praise from some states ... Other governors and lawmakers have raised questions, saying they have no visibility into how supplies are distributed and the government has only limited power to direct it. The program appears to run largely outside the standard federal channels for competitive bidding, disclosure and transparency." Bloomberg FOR YOUR RADAR -- "U.S. Probes University of Texas Links to Chinese Lab Scrutinized Over Coronavirus," by WSJ's Kate O'Keeffe: "The Education Department has asked the University of Texas System to provide documentation of its dealings with the Chinese laboratory U.S. officials are investigating as a potential source of the coronavirus pandemic. "The request for records of gifts or contracts from the Wuhan Institute of Virology and its researcher Shi Zhengli, known for her work on bats, is part of a broader department investigation into possible faulty financial disclosures of foreign money by the Texas group of universities. The Education Department's letter ... also asks the UT System to share documents regarding potential ties to the ruling Chinese Communist Party and some two dozen Chinese universities and companies, including Huawei Technologies Co. and a unit of China National Petroleum Corp." WSJ ... The letter FRIDAY NEWS DUMP -- "CDC eyes tracking coronavirus through human waste," by Betsy Woodruff Swan, Daniel Lippman and Annie Snider: "The U.S. has struggled to keep pace with other advanced countries on coronavirus testing, and now is considering tracking the spread of the virus through sewage systems as a way to predict where the next hotspot may be. "Jay Butler, the deputy director for infectious diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, raised the intriguing possibility on Monday in a conference call with private sector representatives, according to audio of the call reviewed by POLITICO. ... 'There is not a lot of evidence of transmission through stools,' he said. ... But, he continued, the virus can sometimes be present in human waste — and that may be a feature, not a bug. ... "While wastewater surveillance has been used for years in developing countries to detect outbreaks of polio, in the U.S., it has been used more recently to track opioid use within communities. A spokesperson for the CDC confirmed that the agency is eyeing wastewater as part of its response to the pandemic, though it is not yet doing so." POLITICO BIG, STRUCTURAL CHANGE -- "Democrats push for federal control during medical supply shortage," by Heather Caygle: "Rep. Anthony Brown (D-Md.) is leading the effort with a bill that would give the Federal Emergency Management Agency control over supplying medical equipment to states — from ventilators and X-ray machines to masks and gloves — during this and future pandemics. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is sponsoring a companion bill in the Senate. ... "The bill is one of multiple pieces of legislation introduced by Democrats in recent days that would centralize at least some parts of the supply and delivery of medical supplies during an emergency. ... But it's unclear how much Republicans would be interested, if at all, given GOP lawmakers are loath to support any additional federal control over states." POLITICO | | | | WHAT DOES SUSTAINABILITY MEAN TO YOU? In the midst of a global pandemic, sustainability is quickly evolving. What will a business and policy agenda look like as we work to fight off coronavirus? How can we restart the economy while addressing long-term challenges like climate change and workers' rights? The Long Game newsletter answers these complex questions and more with insightful interviews and analysis of sustainability issues across all industries. Subscribe today. | | | | | NOT-SO-INSTACART -- "For Most Food Stamp Users, Online Shopping Isn't an Option," by NYT's Tara Siegel Bernard: "Texas and several other states have recently signed up for a pilot program that would expand that access. Congress authorized the pilot program six years ago, but it got off the ground only last year — and advocates for low-income Americans say it could have made a bigger difference during the pandemic if the government and other stakeholders had moved faster. ... "Some stores are using a workaround that doesn't require coordinating with the government: allowing SNAP recipients to place orders online and then swipe their benefit cards when they pick up their groceries. ... But that's possible only if a store's system is already set up to allow customers to place an order and pay later. Stores that require online payment for delivery or pickup can do so for SNAP recipients only if their state is part of the pilot program set up by the Agriculture Department." NYT VALLEY TALK -- "How the virus could boomerang on Facebook, Google and Amazon," by Steven Overly and Leah Nylen: "The coronavirus's economic wreckage is poised to boost the dominance of tech giants like Facebook, Google and Amazon — and their risks of an antitrust collision with Washington. "The pandemic has hit the biggest tech companies too, of course, with both Google and Facebook reporting this week that their digital ad revenue plunged as the economy began shutting down in March. But their smaller tech rivals are suffering far worse — as are the ad-dependent media companies that have shed tens of thousands of jobs and the vast numbers of brick-and-mortar retailers that may never reopen. The result is a looming economic imbalance that could provide even more fuel for antitrust hawks from both parties." AMY'S NEXT MOVE ... "Klobuchar launches campaign to aid Senate, House Dems in 2020," by Elena Schneider: "Two months after ending her presidential campaign and amid vice presidential speculation, the Minnesota Democrat is launching a new effort to help direct money and campaign help to down-ballot Democrats. The endeavor — called the Win Big Project, a play on one of Klobuchar's 2020 campaign slogans — started on Friday by endorsing a slate of a dozen House and Senate candidates." POLITICO WAPO: "Israeli bank fined nearly $1 billion in U.S. tax evasion, money laundering cases," by Steve Hendrix: "Israel's largest bank will pay more than $900 million after admitting it helped U.S. customers evade taxes in illegal offshore accounts and, separately, that it laundered money as part of a bribery scheme in the ranks of international soccer, U.S. prosecutors said Thursday. "Bank Hapoalim and its Swiss subsidiary pleaded guilty to aiding U.S. customers in setting up accounts under false names and avoiding U.S. reporting requirements for more than a decade, prosecutors said in a release, helping them evade taxes on more than $7.6 billion in deposits." WaPo SPOTTED at a virtual party for former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright's new book, "Hell and Other Destinations" ( $20.99 on Amazon), hosted by Dan and Aviva Rosenthal on Thursday night: John and Mary Podesta, Tony Blinken, Carol Browner, David and Katie Leavy, Nicole Elkon, Indian Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Bob Barnett and Jeremy Bash. | | | |   | | | | | | | 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 | | | | |
