| | | | | |  | | By Jake Sherman, Anna Palmer, Garrett Ross and Eli Okun | Presented by |  | | | PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP is heading to Atlanta on Wednesday, and he's going to be touching down into one of the biggest internecine fights of the year: Rep. DOUG COLLINS (R-Ga.) versus Sen. KELLY LOEFFLER (R-Ga.) for her seat in the Senate. NEW … COLLINS' CAMPAIGN has a new internal poll that shows him up 9 POINTS over LOEFFLER in the jungle general election, and up 19 POINTS among Republican voters. The polling memo THERE'S BEEN SOME UNEASE IN THE WHITE HOUSE about how to handle the LOEFFLER versus COLLINS race. LOEFFLER has the support of the NRSC, but COLLINS -- a longtime defender of the president -- has worried some institutional Republicans as he's catapulted to the front of the field. LOEFFLER, of course, spent time discussing her stock trades, and an FBI investigation, which was later dismissed. TRUMP will be with both candidates Wednesday, sources tell us. Both candidates were invited on AF1 -- LOEFFLER is flying with the president, and COLLINS, who was already scheduled to attend other events in the state, will meet TRUMP in Georgia. PAGING MARTHA MCSALLY … MARK KELLY raised $12.8 million in the second quarter of 2020, and has an absolutely stunning $24 MILLION in the bank. (h/t James Arkin) REP. MORGAN GRIFFITH (R-Va.) tweeted that he tested positive for Covid-19 over the weekend. He said he doesn't have "significant symptoms" and is now self-isolating. The statement -- HERE'S A VIDEO of Griffith with his House Freedom Caucus colleagues five days ago. He is wearing a mask for part of the event, and no mask for other portions. SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM in SOUTH CAROLINA today, via CBS' ALAN HE: "We don't have a Dr. Fauci problem. We need to be focusing on doing things that get us to where we need to go. So I have all the respect in the world for Dr. Fauci. I think any effort to undermine him is not going to be productive, quite frankly. … Getting in a contest with Dr. Fauci about whether he was right or wrong doesn't move the ball forward because here we are as here's where we are as a nation. The infection rate is going up." VICE SCOOP: "Bari Weiss Is Leaving the New York Times," by Laura Wagner … Weiss' resignation letter Good Tuesday afternoon. MITCH MCCONNELL SPEAKS … WSJ'S SIOBHAN HUGHES: "Sen. Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) said he sees little sign that racial minorities are contending with voter suppression and defended the current role of police in society, signaling limits to how far Republicans will go in response to demands for change touched off by the killing of George Floyd in the custody of the Minneapolis police. "'You know, you can either look at the situation with despair, or say well, yes, there are still problems but it is dramatically better in almost every measurable way since it was in the 1960s,' the Senate majority leader, 78 years old, said about racism in America. … "'There's very little tangible evidence of this whole voter-suppression nonsense that the Democrats are promoting,' Mr. McConnell said. 'My prediction is African-American voters will turn out in as large a percentage as whites, if not more so, all across the country.'" | | | | A message from The National Association of REALTORS®: The National Association of REALTORS'® 1.4 million members are proud to follow a Code of Ethics that sets a higher standard for fairness in housing than any law. Backed by a culture of accountability, it extends to our work on Capitol Hill, where we advocate for meaningful change. Learn More. | | | IT'S ALWAYS FUN to see how much money retired pols have in their coffers -- and what they do with it. TODAY: Former Sen. BOB CORKER (R-Tenn.) filed his report, and he has $5.4 million on hand. He didn't give any donations and just spent money on keeping up his operation. … Former Rep. DAVE CAMP (R-Mich.) -- now a lobbyist -- has $2 million. He gave $25,000 to the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, and donations to a smattering of Michigan Republicans. AUSTIN MAYOR STEVE ADLER joined us for a virtual Playbook Interview this morning, where he criticized Texas Gov. GREG ABBOTT for his previous refusal to mandate masks. ADLER: "The governor effectively prevented us from mandating masking, which I think was a really big mistake." More from Quint Forgey BECAUSE 2020 -- "Squirrel tests positive for bubonic plague in United States," via WHDH Boston FLORIDA NUMBERS, via MATT DIXON: More than 9,000 newly confirmed Covid-19 cases in Florida -- a 15% positivity rate -- and 132 deaths. BEYOND THE BELTWAY … KANSAS CITY STAR: "Told to wear a mask at Kansas City area BBQ restaurant, man in MAGA hat flashes a gun," by Sarah Ritter: "Arlo Kinsey was working behind the carryout counter at RJ's Bob-Be-Que Shack in Mission last week when a middle-aged man dressed in a red Make America Great Again hat — and no mask — walked through the door. "'I asked him if he could wear a mask, since it's what Gov. Kelly told us to do,' said Kinsey … The man said he had an exemption to the mask order: He then lifted up his shirt, revealing a gun in a holster on his hip." THE UNEMPLOYMENT PICTURE -- "White House signals openness to unemployment compromise as crucial deadline looms for 30 million Americans," by WaPo's Jeff Stein, Andrew Van Dam and Eli Rosenberg: "Senior Trump administration officials have begun signaling their willingness to approve a narrow extension of the enhanced unemployment benefits helping tens of millions of jobless Americans hurt by the coronavirus pandemic. In less than two weeks, the federal program that provides a $600-per-week increase to unemployment benefits will expire. ... "One potential compromise discussed by Republican lawmakers would involve cutting the unemployment benefit from $600 per week to between $200 and $400 per week and making up at least part of the difference by sending another round of $1,200 stimulus payments, these people said." WaPo | | | | HAPPENING THURSDAY AT 9 a.m. EDT – REBOOTING THE AMERICAN WORKFORCE : Join POLITICO for a virtual discussion exploring how recovery efforts have affected different sectors of the American workforce and what measures lawmakers need to implement to help Americans get back to work. Featuring a keynote conversation with Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), the chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, the program also includes a panel discussion with Neil Bradley, executive vice president and chief policy officer at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Marianne Wanamaker, associate professor of economics at the University of Tennessee and former chief domestic economist for President Donald Trump's White House Council of Economic Advisors. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | HUNT FOR A VACCINE -- "Global vaccine plan may allow rich countries to buy more," by AP's Maria Cheng in London: "Politicians and public health leaders have publicly committed to equitably sharing any coronavirus vaccine that works, but the top global initiative to make that happen may allow rich countries to reinforce their own stockpiles while making fewer doses available for poor ones. "Activists warn that without stronger attempts to hold political, pharmaceutical and health leaders accountable, vaccines will be hoarded by rich countries in an unseemly race to inoculate their populations first. After the recent uproar over the United States purchasing a large amount of a new COVID-19 drug, some predict an even more disturbing scenario if a successful vaccine is developed. ... While no country can afford to buy doses of every potential vaccine candidate, many poor ones can't afford to place such speculative bets at all." AP -- WAPO: "Decades of research on an HIV vaccine boosts the bid for one against coronavirus," by Carolyn Johnson and Lenny Bernstein: "Thirty-six years later, there still is no HIV vaccine. But instead of a cautionary tale of scientific hubris, that unsuccessful effort is leading to even greater confidence in the search for a coronavirus vaccine, from some of the same researchers who have spent their careers seeking a cure for AIDS. "Those decades of research into HIV have taught scientists an enormous amount about the immune system, honed vaccine technologies now being repurposed against the coronavirus and created a worldwide infrastructure of clinical trial networks that can be pivoted from HIV to the pathogen that causes the disease covid-19." WaPo SCOOP -- "Warren, Pressley demand action from HHS on coronavirus' impact on minority communities," by Maya King and Laura Barrón-López: "Warren and Pressley assert missing reports on racial disparities, legally required under the Affordable Care Act, have contributed to a poor federal coronavirus response. … The lawmakers also asked for updated reports from HHS' six subcommittees and the agency as a whole with updates on what the administration has done to alleviate racial health disparities over the last five years, as required under the terms of the Affordable Care Act." POLITICO … The letter AP: "U.S. carries out the 1st federal execution in nearly 2 decades," by Michael Balsamo in Terre Haute, Ind.: "The execution of Daniel Lewis Lee came over the objection of the victims' relatives and following days of legal wrangling and delays. Lee, 47, of Yukon, Oklahoma, professed his innocence just before he was executed at the federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana. … "The developments are likely to add a new front to the national conversation about criminal justice reform in the lead-up to the 2020 elections. The execution of Lee, who died at 8:07 a.m. EDT, went off after a series of legal volleys that ended when the Supreme Court stepped in early Tuesday in a 5-4 ruling and allowed it to move forward." AP VIDEO INVESTIGATION -- "Partially blinded by police: Eight people suffered severe eye injuries at protests across the country on May 30. In three instances, video evidence undermines official accounts of what happened," by WaPo's Meg Kelly, Joyce Sohyun Lee and Jon Swaine THE NEW COLD WAR -- "China Threatens to Sanction Lockheed Martin Over Taiwan Arms Deal," by WSJ's Chun Han Wong in Hong Kong: "China said it plans to sanction Lockheed Martin Corp. over its role in a $620 million U.S. arms package for Taiwan, Beijing's latest retaliatory gesture amid growing pressure from Washington. "Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian announced the move as a response to the Trump administration's decision last week to approve an upgrade package for Taiwan's Patriot surface-to-air missiles. … Mr. Zhao didn't give details about the sanctions." WSJ RYAN MCCRIMMON: "'Here's your check': Trump's massive payouts to farmers will be hard to pull back": "Government payments to farmers have surged to historic levels under President Donald Trump as the Agriculture Department floods the industry with cash to stem the financial losses from Trump's tariff fights and the coronavirus pandemic. "But as agriculture grows more reliant on unprecedented taxpayer support, farm policy experts and watchdog groups warn the subsidies are growing too big and too fast, with no strings attached and little oversight from Congress — and that Washington could have a difficult time shutting off the spigot." POLITICO | | | | TRANSLATING GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH : For the next three months, our Global Translations newsletter, sponsored by Bank of America, will feature a spotlight focus on global public health. This week, Ryan Heath examines mounting criticism of the World Health Organization, and what Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is doing to fight back. Stay on top of emerging global news and trends that you might otherwise miss. Subscribe to our Global Translations newsletter today. | | | | | CASH DASH -- "Wisconsin Democratic Party raises $10M as battle for the state heats up," by Zach Montellaro CLIMATE FILES -- "G.A.O.: Trump Boosts Deregulation by Undervaluing Cost of Climate Change," by NYT's Lisa Friedman: "A federal report expected to be released Tuesday found the Trump administration set a rock-bottom price on the damages done by greenhouse gas emissions, enabling the government to justify the costs of repealing or weakening dozens of climate change regulations. "The report by the Government Accountability Office, Congress's nonpartisan investigative arm, said the Trump administration estimated the harm that global warming will cause future generations to be seven times lower than previous federal estimates. Reducing that metric, known as the "social cost of carbon," has helped the administration massage cost-benefit analyses, particularly for rules that allow power plants and automobiles to emit more planet-warming carbon dioxide." NYT HMM -- "Pay for play? Heritage's cozy ties with foreign arms maker raises eyebrows," by Eli Clifton for Responsible Statecraft: "The conservative Heritage Foundation has consistently fought international treaties banning weapons that pose an outsized threat to civilians in the war zone. This would include anti-personnel landmines, cluster munitions, and 'killer robots' — as well as regulations that would enforce arms embargoes on human rights offenders. And yet, Heritage fails to disclose a possible financial incentive for taking these positions. "Heritage received at least $5.8 million from the Hanwha Group between 2007 and 2015, according to the organization's annual reports reviewed by Responsible Statecraft. Between 2010 and 2014, Hanwha — a South Korean conglomerate that has produced landmine and autonomous weapons systems — contributed a minimum of $1 million per year, making Hanwa one of the Heritage Foundation's biggest donors. ... Heritage did not provide a conflict of interest policy, when requested, but the spokesperson was adamant that the foundation refuses 'to engage in contract research,' and 'takes no money from government — whether federal, state, local, tribal, or foreign — for any research activity or any other purpose.'" HUAWEI OR THE HIGHWAY -- "Boris Johnson follows Washington's lead on Huawei," by Laurens Cerulus and Emilio Casalicchio: "A relentless campaign by Washington to get Huawei out of Europe paid off on Tuesday, when the U.K. government announced an all-out ban on the Chinese telecom giant's 5G gear. British Secretary of State for Digital Oliver Dowden told lawmakers the government decided to ban the purchase of new 5G equipment from Huawei from January onward and to force operators to rip out existing Huawei kit from their 5G networks by 2027. ... "The decision marks a significant departure from Prime Minister Boris Johnson's previous stance on Huawei — one that underscores the influence of U.S. security policy as London eyes a trade deal with Washington and rethinks its approach to China on everything from human rights to trade relations." The decision FOR YOUR RADAR -- "The E.U. court ruling that could blow up digital trade — and U.S. surveillance," by Vincent Manancourt: "In a ruling this week, the bloc's top court is set to decide on the legality of instruments used to ferry data from the EU around the world — and possibly a data protection deal with Washington known as Privacy Shield too. "If the Luxembourg-based court rules that the instruments, known as Standard Contractual Clauses, are illegal, or that Privacy Shield is beyond repair, the effects will be immediate and far-reaching. Hundreds of billions of euros in digital trade will fall into legal limbo, and the long-running legal dispute — grounded in fears about U.S. surveillance — could balloon into a geopolitical crisis." POLITICO MEDIAWATCH -- Ashley Gold is now a tech policy reporter for Axios. She previously was a Washington reporter for The Information, and is a POLITICO alum. … Oma Seddiq is now a politics fellow at Business Insider. She previously was a digital producer for POLITICO. TRANSITIONS -- Myra Dandridge is joining the National Automobile Dealers Association as its first executive director of external affairs and public policy. She most recently was founder and president of the Arym Group, and is a Congressional Black Caucus and National Association of Broadcasters alum. … Cindy Otis is now VP of analysis at Alethea Group, a startup that counters disinformation. She most recently was director of analysis for threat investigations at Nisos Group, and is a former CIA analyst and intelligence briefer. … … Matt Hayden is now senior adviser to the director of DHS' Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. He previously was deputy assistant secretary of the private sector office at DHS. That role is now held by Drew Teitelbaum, who came from Treasury and was previously at the NSC. BONUS BIRTHDAY: Tony Hanagan, floor assistant for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (h/t Liz Johnson) | | | | A message from The National Association of REALTORS®:   Look for the R to know you have an ally in the fight for fair housing. 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 | | | | |
