| | | | | |  | | By Ryan Lizza, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross | Presented by |  | | | A few new details on this afternoon's climactic Biden-Capito meeting, via press secretary JEN PSAKI: — The president is not expected to present a formal counterproposal. Sen. SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO (R-W.Va.) was the last one to present an offer, so it is seemingly President JOE BIDEN'S turn, but Psaki said, "I wouldn't expect this meeting to be an exchange of paper." — Psaki said it's likely Biden will meet Capito privately without any staff for at least part of the meeting. Both Biden and Capito like that. Capito and other Republicans have been arguing that Biden is more amenable to a deal than his bad-cop staffers, so having one-on-one time is in her interest. Meanwhile, Biden is a big believer in his own powers of persuasion when he's meeting privately with a senator. — For those who interpreted Biden's comments Tuesday calling out Democratic Sens. JOE MANCHIN (W.Va.) and KYRSTEN SINEMA (Ariz.) for sometimes siding with Republicans as an intentional swipe at them — guilty! — Psaki said it was not criticism and played it off as merely "a little bit of commentary on TV punditry." Hmmm. — Meanwhile, in a sign that progressives are pointing to as evidence there will never be a deal — only more delay — Senate Minority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL told reporters in Kentucky that he talked with Capito this morning and "I'm hoping for the best, that we can actually reach a bipartisan agreement on infrastructure." THIS AFTERNOON'S SPEECH — "Beer is latest vaccine incentive for Biden 'month of action,'" AP: "President Joe Biden is announcing a 'month of action' Wednesday to get more shots into arms before the July 4 holiday. … The latest vaccine sweetener, provided by Anheuser-Busch, builds on other incentives like cash giveaways, sports tickets or paid leave, to keep up the pace of Americans getting shots. "The White House said Biden's 'month of action' will continue to use public and private-sector partnerships to encourage Americans to roll up their sleeves, drawing in businesses, social media influencers, colleges, celebrities and community organizations to help spread the word about the benefits of vaccination and to encourage them to get shots." — Previewing Biden's remarks, Psaki said the U.S. has now hit a 63% vaccination rate. — Psaki also announced the White House has launched a low-income water assistance program, encompassing a total of $1.1 billion in funding available via grants. — Newsday's @Laura_Figueroa: "NEW: Biden will announce later today a partnership w/ some of the nation's largest daycare providers to provide free drop-in service for parents who need someone to look after kids while getting vaccinated/recovering my vaccine from today until July 4th." | | A message from the American Beverage Association: At America's beverage companies our plastic bottles are made to be remade. We're carefully designing them to be 100% recyclable, including the caps—so every bottle can become a new one. That means less plastic waste in our environment. Please help us get Every Bottle Back. EveryBottleBack.org | | | SELF-DEPLATFORMING — "Trump blog page shuts down for good," by CNBC's Kevin Breuninger: "The page, 'From the Desk of DONALD J. TRUMP,' has been scrubbed from Trump's website after going live less than a month earlier. It 'will not be returning,' his senior aide JASON MILLER told CNBC. 'It was just auxiliary to the broader efforts we have and are working on,' Miller said in email correspondence." — WaPo adds: "An adviser told The Washington Post's Josh Dawsey that the former president wanted to open a new 'platform' and didn't like that this platform was being mocked and had so few readers." Good Wednesday afternoon. MEASURING THE IMPACT — "Stimulus Checks Substantially Reduced Hardship, Study Shows," by NYT's Jason DeParle: "A new analysis of Census Bureau surveys argues that the two latest rounds of aid significantly improved Americans' ability to buy food and pay household bills and reduced anxiety and depression, with the largest benefits going to the poorest households and those with children. … "Among households with children, reports of food shortages fell 42 percent from January through April. A broader gauge of financial instability fell 43 percent. Among all households, frequent anxiety and depression fell by more than 20 percent. While the economic rebound and other forms of aid no doubt also helped, the largest declines in measures of hardship coincided with the $600 checks that reached most people in January and the $1,400 checks mostly distributed in April." The analysis VALLEY TALK — "Biden allies urge Facebook to review spread of election fraud claims," by Cristiano Lima: "A nonprofit advocacy group with close ties to President Joe Biden on Wednesday joined calls for Facebook to review whether its actions contributed to the spread of unfounded election fraud claims leading up to the Jan. 6 siege on the Capitol. Building Back Together, an outside coalition formed by top Biden allies and campaign advisers, urged Facebook in a letter reviewed by POLITICO to commit to an internal probe of the matter." THE POST-PRIMARY GLOW — "How Cory Booker is wielding newfound Senate power," by Marianne LeVine: "CORY BOOKER can still vividly recall the first time a police officer drew a gun on him. Growing up in suburban New Jersey, he had his share of negative experiences with the police — an unfortunate rite of passage for many Black Americans. But he describes his college years in the wealthy and mostly white Northern California enclave of Palo Alto as the period where 'the fear was at its highest in my life.' … "Thirty years later, the Democrat has those memories in mind as he leads police reform negotiations alongside Sen. TIM SCOTT (R-S.C.) and Rep. KAREN BASS (D-Calif.). It's a daunting task that, if it ends in a workable deal, could help deter police brutality toward people of color after years of tragic killings. It's also a new chapter for the genial 52-year-old, whose presidential run on a message of love and unity ran aground but who now finds himself positioned to wield power with a new audience — his own colleagues." MANCHIN IN THE MIDDLE — "Pressure mounts on Manchin as 'panic' sets in among Democrats over voting rights," by WaPo's Sean Sullivan and Mike DeBonis | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" TODAY: Power is shifting in Washington and in communities across the country. More people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. The Recast is a twice-weekly newsletter that explores the changing power dynamics in Washington and breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics and policy in America. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country and hear critical new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out, SUBSCRIBE . Thank you to our sponsor, Intel. | | | | | 2022 WATCH — "In spotlight of audit, Secretary of State Katie Hobbs announces run for Arizona governor," Arizona Republic: "[KATIE] HOBBS was widely expected to enter the race to succeed Republican Gov. DOUG DUCEY after his second term ends. In launching her campaign, Hobbs sought to cast herself as someone who could 'get the job done' — the theme of her campaign launch video that cuts from news reports about death threats she has received since the last election to national television appearances defending Arizona's election system." Launch video — "Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey to seek re-election, stressing economy and COVID-19 response," Montgomery Advertiser AD WARS — "House GOP targets 5 northeast Democrats potentially vulnerable in 2022 midterms," by Fox News' Paul Steinhauser: "The [five-figure] digital, radio and billboard campaign by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), which was shared first with Fox News on Wednesday, targets Reps. MATT CARTWRIGHT of Pennsylvania (PA-08), JARED GOLDEN of Maine (ME-02), JAHANA HAYES of Connecticut (CT-05), TOM MALINOWSKI of New Jersey (NJ-07) and CHRIS PAPPAS of New Hampshire (NH-01)." NONPROFIT MERGER — The Center for Responsive Politics and the National Institute on Money in Politics are merging to form OpenSecrets, "a new one-stop shop for integrated federal, state and local data on campaign finance, lobbying and more, that is both unprecedented and easy to use." Announcement FOR YOUR RADAR — "Iranian Navy ships could reach the Atlantic by Thursday," by Lara Seligman and Andrew Desiderio DETAILS OF NEXT WEEK'S TRIP — "Kamala Harris prepares to travel to Guatemala and Mexico for first foreign trip as vice president," by CBS' Tim Perry, Ed O'Keefe and Fin Gomez: "Vice President KAMALA HARRIS has spent months getting ready for her first international trip … On June 6, Harris will be meeting with the presidents of the two nations and checking in with organizers on the ground Monday and Tuesday. … "Harris has been preparing for this trip by having conversations with people who know the region and its challenges well: White House officials, members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), private sector entities, foundation leaders and Guatemalan justice leaders." IMMIGRATION FILES — "Under Biden, crossing the U.S. border has become like a lottery for migrants. Timing is everything," by NBC's Julia Ainsley, Didi Martinez and Kenzi Abou-Sabe in McAllen, Texas: "The policy allows the Biden administration to say, 'The border is closed.' But in reality, the border is not closed. … Timing is everything, the merits of an asylum claim often beside the point. On some days here in the Rio Grande Valley, the busiest section of the U.S.-Mexico border, families … are expelled, while on others, single males who've come looking for work are allowed to stay pending their hearings. "The reason, explained Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol Sector Chief BRIAN HASTINGS, is that some enter on days when Mexico cannot take them back. … It has been known that Mexico's capacity issues triggered the release of some families. But NBC News witnessed firsthand how the arbitrary nature of the practice can put vulnerable people in dangerous situations while granting relief to others seemingly for no other reason than they crossed the border at the right time." | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO WEST WING PLAYBOOK: Add West Wing Playbook to keep up with the power players, latest policy developments and intriguing whispers percolating inside the West Wing and across the highest levels of the Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | | KNOWING THE (FUTURE) INVESTIGATORS — "2 Leading Manhattan D.A. Candidates Face the Trump Question," by NYT's Jonah Bromwich, Benjamin Weiser and Maggie Haberman: "Two of the leading candidates in the Democratic primary field, ALVIN BRAGG and TALI FARHADIAN WEINSTEIN, have had past contacts with Mr. Trump's administration — dealings that could become an issue if one of them becomes district attorney. "Mr. Bragg, a former official with the New York attorney general's office, reminds voters frequently that in his former job, he sued Mr. Trump's administration 'more than a hundred times.' Ms. Farhadian Weinstein, who once served as general counsel to the Brooklyn district attorney, has been less vocal about Mr. Trump. She only occasionally notes her involvement in a successful lawsuit against the Trump administration. And she has not spoken publicly about once interviewing with Trump administration officials for a federal judgeship early in his term." KNOWING DEB HAALAND — "The Promise and Pressures of Deb Haaland, the First Native American Cabinet Secretary," by NYT's Elizabeth Williamson in Paraje, N.M.: "It is difficult to overstate the significance to Native people of [Interior Secretary DEB] HAALAND'S role as the first Native American to lead a cabinet agency … "It is also difficult to overstate the pressures and expectations Ms. Haaland faces from her people, who hope she will address 150 years of betrayal by a department officially entrusted with ensuring Native Americans' welfare. … Tribal leaders say Ms. Haaland's fluency in Native issues alone signals progress." BOOK CLUB — "The Conservative Publishing Industry Has a Joe Biden Problem," by The Atlantic's McKay Coppins: "His presidency may be young, but industry insiders have told me in recent weeks that the market for anti-Biden books is ice cold. Authors have little interest in writing them, editors have little interest in publishing them, and—though the hypothesis has yet to be tested—it's widely assumed that readers would have little interest in buying them. In many ways, the dynamic represents a microcosm of the current political moment: Facing a new president whose relative dullness is his superpower, the American right has gone hunting for richer targets to elevate. … "For now, the most successful conservative authors are training their fire on more abstract targets, such as 'wokeness' and 'cancel culture.' … One conservative editor told me that Representative ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ of New York might be the most logical choice, given the right's fear of socialism, but cited a unique challenge in making the congresswoman appear sufficiently menacing: 'It's hard to find a bad picture of her to put on the cover.' Instead, the editor said, the smart money is on Vice President Kamala Harris." TRANSITIONS — Harry Clapsis is now director of government affairs at Ampere Computing. He previously was a manager of government affairs at the Semiconductor Industry Association. … Anna Newby is now senior director for comms at Albright Stonebridge Group. She previously was comms director and managing editor of the foreign policy program at the Brookings Institution. | | | | A message from the American Beverage Association:   Our plastic bottles are made to be remade. Help us get Every Bottle Back. EveryBottleBack.org | | | | | | | 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 | | | | |
