| | | |  | | By Eli Okun | | Presented by |  | | | |  | THE CATCH-UP | | | 
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said a Russia sanctions bill may come up for a vote in the coming weeks. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP | TO RUSSIA, WITH LOVE: Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-S.C.) bipartisan Russia sanctions bill may finally be gathering more momentum — even as Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to forge right ahead in attacking Ukraine regardless. Heading for the Senate floor? Majority Leader John Thune said today that Congress has made “substantial progress” on the bill from Graham and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), which would impose heavy new penalties on the Russian economy to try to strengthen Ukraine’s position and negotiating hand. Thune said the Senate could pass it as soon as this work period, which ends Aug. 1, per POLITICO’s Jordain Carney. The Trump question: The legislation already has backing from the vast majority of senators, and in the House, Speaker Mike Johnson said again today that he supports more Russia sanctions, Jordain and Mia McCarthy report. “We have to send [Putin] a message,” Johnson said. Thune’s holdup has centered on the question of President Donald Trump’s support, and Graham said he’s changed the bill to give Trump more flexibility to act. Trump, who told voters he would end the war by the first day of his presidency, has grown increasingly fed up with Putin, this week castigating the Kremlin’s “bullshit” and “meaningless” niceties. But but but: Putin has heard Trump’s growing frustration with him. He’s factored in the possibility of additional U.S. pressure. And he is pressing forward with newly aggressive attacks on Ukraine anyway, “convinced that Russia’s battlefield superiority is growing, and that Ukraine’s defenses may collapse in the coming months,” NYT’s Anton Troianovski and Paul Sonne report. Analysts and sources close to the Kremlin tell them that Putin is willing to jettison a better relationship with Trump to bend Ukraine to his will and extract maximum concessions from Kyiv and NATO — without offering his own. “Mr. Putin has been prepared for Mr. Trump’s patience to snap,” the Times writes. “He has understood … that Mr. Trump could eventually implement new sanctions.” But even if Trump does pull the trigger on the sanctions bill — and even as he restarted the flow of defensive weapons — the U.S. and Europe seem unlikely to increase military aid significantly enough to alter the battle lines much. Instead, the legislation would aim to bolster the West’s leverage for a ceasefire deal. On the ground: The congressional shift comes as the Ukrainian military said Russia launched its single-largest attack of drones on Ukraine last night, per the NYT. MORE FROM THE SENATE: As the Russia sanctions bill bubbles up, there’s a lot more on the chamber’s plate — including next week’s big fight over the White House’s rescissions package for foreign aid and public broadcasting money. Thune will have a new member of his whip team for upcoming votes: Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) is replacing Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Semafor’s Burgess Everett scooped. Nominations roundup: The Senate HELP Committee advanced Susan Monarez’s nomination as CDC director on a party-line vote, per POLITICO’s Sophie Gardner. … Later today, the Senate will vote to confirm Bryan Bedford as FAA administrator and Scott Kupor as Office of Personnel Management director. … At Neil Jacobs’ confirmation hearing to be NOAA administrator, Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) warned that the government’s hiring freeze was hurting meteorology, per POLITICO’s Ben Johansen. Good Wednesday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at eokun@politico.com.
| | | | A message from American Beverage: No spin. No judgments. Just the facts from the experts.
When it comes to what your family eats and drinks, you decide. That's why America's beverage companies have launched GoodToKnowFacts.org – a new website that puts easy-to-understand details about the ingredients in our beverages right in your hands, all in one place. For over 140 ingredients, you can find common uses, alternative names and safety assessments from food safety authorities at GoodToKnowFacts.org. | | | | | | 7 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW | | 1. TRADING PLACES: Trump’s tariff letters kept coming this morning, with a new round of threats directed at Algeria, Brunei, Iraq, Libya, Moldova and the Philippines. Each country was told it’ll face 25 percent or 30 percent tariffs come Aug. 1, unless agreements are reached before then. More from CNBC 2. SCHOOL DAZE: The Trump administration again escalated its crackdown on Harvard, with DHS sending the university a subpoena for information on its international students and immigration compliance, The Crimson’s Dhruv Patel and Grace Yoon report. The Education Department and HHS also called the school’s accreditation into question, warning that its handling of campus antisemitism may not meet anti-discrimination standards. “We tried to do things the easy way with Harvard,” DHS’ Tricia McLaughlin threatened. “Now, through their refusal to cooperate, we have to do things the hard way.” Chilling effect: The administration’s threats and arrests of international students across the country have led many to self-censor their speech on social media for fear of retribution, WaPo’s Sammy Westfall reports. Many people seeking student visas have scrubbed accounts of anything at all political or liberal, not just the pro-Palestinian expression that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has targeted, and unfollowed accounts in a similar vein. 3. X MARKS THE SPOT: “Linda Yaccarino resigns as CEO of X,” by POLITICO’s Aaron Pellish: “‘After two incredible years, I’ve decided to step down as CEO of X,’ she wrote. … Yaccarino praised the company and [owner Elon Musk] in her post, and touted the features the company unveiled under her watch — including xAI. xAI is the engine behind its chatbot, Grok, which posted antisemitic content on X on Tuesday. But Yaccarino’s resignation was unrelated to the Grok incident, according to a person familiar with her departure.”
| | | | Playbook, the unofficial guide to official Washington, isn’t just a newsletter — it’s a podcast, too. With new co-hosts who bring unmatched Trump world reporting and analysis, The Playbook Podcast dives deeper into the power plays shaping Washington. Get the insider edge—start listening now. | | | | | 4. TRAIL MIX: The New Jersey governor’s race is ramping up as a Democratic Governors Association-affiliated super PAC sinks $20 million into ads, NBC’s Bridget Bowman scooped. That’s a big early investment for Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s campaign. … One state over, a new Slingshot Strategies poll finds Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani with an early but not huge lead in the NYC mayoral race, leading a fractured four-way field with 35 percent to Andrew Cuomo’s 25 percent. Incumbent Eric Adams is in fourth. 2026 watch: Mamdani’s Democratic Socialist allies want to keep the left’s momentum going in more NYC Democratic primaries next year, CNN’s Isaac Dovere reports. Some are eyeing challenges to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Reps. Yvette Clarke, Dan Goldman, Jerry Nadler and Ritchie Torres. Many establishment Democrats are affronted by the idea, with Jeffries’ team dismissing the Democratic Socialists as “Team Gentrification.” … In Wisconsin, manufacturing executive Bill Berrien became the latest Republican to enter the gubernatorial race, likening himself to Trump and touting his Navy SEAL service, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Molly Beck. Look who’s back: Former Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.) is running for mayor of Orange County, Florida, which includes Orlando. 2028 watch: Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) is going to Iowa for events next month. 5. PLEADING THE FIFTH: Former Joe Biden doctor Kevin O’Connor showed up on the Hill today, but he declined to testify. O’Connor cited doctor-patient privilege and the Fifth Amendment in appearing before the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into Biden’s mental faculties, per POLITICO’s Hailey Fuchs and Kyle Cheney. 6. WHOOPS: After CNN reported on Paul Ingrassia’s “history of racist rhetoric and ties to a Holocaust denier,” the Trump administration said the nominee to be head of the Office of Special Counsel had support from multiple Jewish groups. So CNN’s Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck asked the groups — and found that the majority actually didn’t support Ingrassia or had never heard of him. Only one expressed support, and that was after the executive director first said otherwise. 7. THE COMING STORM: “Trump appointees have ties to companies that stand to benefit from privatizing weather forecasts,” by AP’s Brian Slodysko and Michael Biesecker: “What’s drawn less attention is how the downsizing [of the National Weather Service and NOAA] appears to be part of an effort to privatize the work of such agencies. In several instances, the companies poised to step into the void have deep ties to people tapped by Trump to run weather-related agencies. Privatization would diminish a central role the federal government has played in weather forecasting since the 1800s, which experts say poses a particular harm for those facing financial strain who may not be able to afford commercial weather data.”
| | | | A message from American Beverage:  
America's beverage companies are making it easier than ever to find transparent information about the ingredients in your favorite beverages. Learn more at GoodToKnowFacts.org. | | | | | | TALK OF THE TOWN | | Donald Trump is reportedly planning to visit his Scottish golf courses this month or next. Susie Wiles said Elon Musk “almost … had a sort of fatherly fixation with Donald Trump.” Greg LeMond received the Congressional Gold Medal. TRANSITIONS — Brian McCormack is joining Sen. Bill Hagerty’s (R-Tenn.) office as chief of staff, per Semafor. He previously was chief of staff at the NSC. Adam Telle, Hagerty’s current chief, has been nominated as an assistant secretary of the Army. … Krysta Juris has launched Two Lights Strategies, a government relations and public affairs firm. She previously was chief of staff to Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.). … … Joe Ellis is now a VP at the BGR Group. He previously was chief of staff to Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio). … CGCN is adding Kathryn Johnson as creative director, Elizabeth Pedrotti as a senior associate on the strategic comms team, Mathilde Sharman as VP on the strategic comms team and Majeda Abu-Alghanam as EVP of advocacy. WEDDINGS — Ernie Apreza, who most recently was a special assistant and press secretary to former VP Kamala Harris, and Kyle Labarry, a compliance program manager, got married Saturday at Lord Hill Farms in Snohomish, Washington. They met in Seattle after connecting online in the fall of 2015. Pic … Another pic … SPOTTED: Natalie Montelongo, Kirsten Allen, Rachel Palermo, Anatole Jenkins, Han Nguyen, Kristin Lynch, Adrian Saenz, Nathaly Arriola Maurice, Emmy Ruiz, Vanessa Valdivia, Chris Meagher, Yash Mori, Alana Mounce and Howard Ou. — Denise Gitsham, a NewsNation contributor and founder of Vitamin D Public Relations, and Jeff Hasselman, a crypto executive and CEO of 926 Ventures, got married Monday at San Francisco City Hall. Greg Hendricks officiated. The couple met on Bumble. Pic, via Wurzbach Fisher Photography … Another pic Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn’t happen without our editor Zack Stanton, deputy editor Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
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