| | | |  | | By Bethany Irvine and Rachel Umansky-Castro | | Presented by |  | | |
|  | THE CATCH-UP | | DEVELOPING: After President Donald Trump declared earlier this month the U.S. was in an “armed conflict” against international drug cartels, the president posted on Truth Social today that the Pentagon “ordered a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel” off the coast of Venezuela. “Intelligence confirmed the vessel was trafficking narcotics, was associated with illicit narcoterrorist networks, and was transiting along a known [domestic terrorist organization] route. The strike was conducted in International Waters, and six male narcoterrorists aboard the vessel were killed in the strike,” Trump wrote. More from Reuters MUST READ: “Leaked messages expose Young Republicans’ racist chat,” by POLITICO’s Jason Beeferman and Emily Ngo: “Leaders of Young Republican groups throughout the country worried what would happen if their Telegram chat ever got leaked, but they kept typing anyway. They referred to Black people as monkeys and “the watermelon people” and mused about putting their political opponents in gas chambers. They talked about raping their enemies and driving them to suicide and lauded Republicans who they believed support slavery.” The messages are “part of a trove of Telegram chats — obtained by POLITICO and spanning more than seven months of messages among Young Republican leaders in New York, Kansas, Arizona and Vermont. The chat offers an unfiltered look at how a new generation of GOP activists talk when they think no one is listening.”
| 
The U.S. Capitol building is seen on the 14th day of a government shutdown. | AP | TWO WEEKS NOTICE: The government shutdown is in its 14th day, and still with no resolution in sight. Now, more federal workers may soon be shown the exits after the White House’s budget office threatened another wave of continued layoffs. “OMB is making every preparation to batten down the hatches and ride out the Democrats’ intransigence. Pay the troops, pay law enforcement, continue the RIFs, and wait,” the Office of Management and Budget account on X wrote this morning. The impact: The warning comes after Trump’s promises of around 4,000 cuts across seven government agencies — with layoffs kicking off Friday and over the holiday weekend. Among them were mass layoffs at the Internal Revenue Service and the Center for Disease Control. On a call organized by CDC advocates, officials say they believe more than 1,000 of their staff were laid off over the weekend, with about half of those later rehired, per The Bulwark’s Sam Stein. “All told, one person on the call says after all cuts this year: ‘a quarter of CDC is gone.’” GOP leaders on Capitol Hill are also refusing to budge. Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters at a news conference earlier today that Republicans aren’t budging despite the absence of constructive negotiations, and continued to accuse Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of prioritizing political gain over the well-being of Americans and federal workers. “It’s very obvious this government shutdown is plainly and simply an exercise in image rehabilitation” for Schumer, Johnson said. The speaker added that Schumer wants to strike a “backroom deal” that includes Democrats’ demands over health care subsidies and other issues. GOP leaders also warned the shutdown could lead to potential flight cancellations and messy airline travel ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday as the shutdown ticks on, POLITICO’s Meredith Lee Hill reports. “Airports will be flooded with flight cancellations and delays amid the busiest time to travel all year, and the list goes on and on,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer told reporters. Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) also lambasted her Democratic colleagues for the shutdown's impact on federal workers, noting that “400,000 federal workers will receive partial paychecks,” today. “This will be the last paycheck that these federal workers receive until Democrats grow a spine and reopen the federal government,” Foxx said. THE MAINE PROBLEM: Meanwhile, one of the most vocal critics of Trump and OMB Director Russ Vought’s federal overhaul, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) is facing a potentially pivotal midterms challenge following Democratic Gov. Janet Mills’ entry into the race today. As expected, Mills officially announced her Senate bid this morning, joining a slew of Democrats vying for Collins’ seat, per POLITICO’s Andrew Howard. Democrats view it as one of their top pickup opportunities in 2026, and Mills was said to have been handpicked by Schumer as a top candidate for the job. And Mills’ bid has already ramped up the stakes for both parties: The Cook Political Report regraded the Maine Senate race today from “Lean Republican” to a “Toss-up,” as did Sabato’s Crystal Ball. The race against Collins also comes as moderate GOP voices on Capitol Hill are dwindling. The Maine lawmaker has at times pushed back against Trump and the White House, and a new GOP scorecard released today by the Institute for Legislative Analysis lists Collins among the top five Republicans in Congress who are least-aligned with the White House’s legislative agenda. An analysis of Collins’ record in Congress shows that she is only 56.34% aligned with Trump, followed closely by Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) at 55.71 percent and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) at 55.07 percent, and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) at 51.37% percent. The most aligned Republicans? Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) takes the top slot at 97.27 percent, followed by Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) at 97.1 percent and Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) at 97.01 percent, and Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas) at 96.96 percent and Josh Brecheen (R-Okla.) at 96.43 percent. Good Tuesday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop us a line at: birvine@politico.com and rumansky-castro@politico.com
| | | | A message from Evernorth Health Services: Controversy around GLP-1s and how much pharmaceutical companies want Americans to pay for them continues to rise. Which is why we offer a benefit that ensures members pay no more than $200/month out of pocket for certain GLP-1s for weight loss. That's not a middleman. That's an advocate.
See how Express Scripts Pharmacy Benefit Services is advocating to make GLP-1s more affordable for millions here. | | | | | | 8 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW | | | 
People observe buildings that were destroyed during the Israeli ground and air operations in the northern of Gaza Strip as they visit a sightseeing area in southern Israel today. | AP | 1. MIDDLE EAST LATEST: With Trump back in D.C. following his Middle East trip to tout the ceasefire, Israeli forces continued to delay aid to Gaza today while “while re-emergent Hamas fighters demonstrated their grip by executing men in the street,” Reuters’ Nidal Al-Mughrabi and Maayan Lubell report. Hamas’ “highly public return” today “demonstrates the hurdles to progressing from the initial ceasefire - phase one of Trump's plan - to a permanent settlement that would prevent a new eruption of fighting.” And Israeli officials “accused Hamas of violating the new cease-fire deal by failing to immediately return the remains of many of the former captives still in Gaza,” NYT’s Liam Stack and Aaron Boxerman report. Back in Washington: Lawmakers continue to sing Trump’s praises on Capitol Hill. Johnson announced during his news conference today that he is working with Israeli leaders to nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2026 for facilitating the ceasefire. Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) also told reporters it was a “glorious day,” lauding Trump for bringing “peace in the Middle East.” 2. TRADING SPACES: A new analysis from the International Monetary Fund shows that the global economy is performing better than predicted despite Trump’s sweeping tariffs — though it will likely slow over the next two years. In its latest World Economic Outlook report, the IMF maintains that the world economy is slightly stronger than economists predicted, per WaPo’s David Lynch. Still, the data does not fully encapsulate the delay of several of Trump’s tariff deadlines and could sit higher than predicted “because businesses raced to stock up on goods before tariffs took effect,” NYT’s Alan Rappeport reports. The U.S. outlook: The IMF also upgraded its predictions for the U.S. economy, noting that the nation’s economic growth is now likely to slow to 1.9 percent this year, “better than the 1.7% the IMF projected in July but down from 2.4% growth recorded in 2024. Next year, the IMF sees 2% U.S. growth,” per WSJ’s Matt Grossman. The new data comes as Trump prepares to meet with Argentinian President Javier Milei this afternoon to discuss the White House’s potential financial rescue deal amid Argentina’s unfolding currency crisis, which is likely to loom heavily over the IMF and World Bank’s annual summit this week, POLITICO’s Michael Stratford reports. 3. SCOTUS WATCH: The Supreme Court this morning “rejected an appeal from conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and left in place the $1.4 billion judgment against him over his description of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting as a hoax staged by crisis actors,” AP’s Mark Sherman reports. “The justices did not comment on their order, which they issued without even asking the families of the Sandy Hook victims to respond to Jones’ appeal.” 4. ANYBODY HAVE A MAP?: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries met with members of the Illinois congressional delegation via Zoom yesterday as the state stares down a potential redistricting battle that some fear could undermine majority-Black districts, POLITICO’s Shia Kapos reports. “No maps were shown to the group but some versions of boundaries have been shared during individual conversations.” Though Jeffries reportedly thinks both Illinois and Maryland could pick up Democratic seats, so far leaders in the Illinois state delegation have demurred on a redraw. “But it could come up in caucus meetings today when lawmakers return for a legislative session.” California dreamin’: “Obama stars in ad backing Newsom’s redistricting measure,” by POLITICO’s Melanie Mason: Former President Barack Obama, “who consistently ranks as the party’s most popular figure, stars in the newest ad for Proposition 50, as [California Gov. Gavin] Newsom and his allies work to juice Democratic turnout ahead of next month’s special election.”
| | | | Washington is obsessing about shutdown negotiations — and POLITICO is tracking every move.
Inside Congress covers how lawmakers are navigating the politics, policies, and power plays driving the debate.
➡️ Sign up for Inside Congress
West Wing Playbook follows how the administration is managing the fallout — and how it’s reshaping life inside the federal government.
➡️ Sign up for West Wing Playbook | | | | | 5. IMMIGRATION FILES: ICE is facing backlash for using full-body restraint suits called the WRAP during deportations, with detainees and advocates calling the practice inhumane, AP’s Jason Dearen and colleagues report. “The AP identified multiple examples of ICE using the black-and-yellow full-body restraint device, the WRAP, in deportations. Its use was described to the AP by five people who said they were restrained in the device, sometimes for hours, on ICE deportation flights dating to 2020. And witnesses and family members in four countries told the AP about its use on at least seven other people this year.” More details: “The AP found ICE has used the device despite internal concerns voiced in a 2023 report by the civil rights division of its parent agency, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in part due to reports of deaths involving use of the WRAP by local law enforcement. And the AP has identified a dozen fatal cases in the last decade where local police or jailers around the U.S. used the WRAP and autopsies determined ‘restraint’ played a role in the death.” Related read: “How ICE Is Rethinking its Raids,” by POLITICO Magazine’s Riya Misra: “ICE used to arrest the ‘worst first.’ Under the new Trump administration, the agency is following a different playbook, says a former ICE chief.” 6. POLITICAL VIOLENCE WATCH: A Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty to multiple charges stemming from the fire that was set at Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s mansion while he and his family were asleep in April, including “terrorism, 22 counts of arson, aggravated arson, burglary, aggravated assault of Shapiro, 21 counts of reckless endangerment and loitering,” AP’s Mark Scolforo reports. “Under a plea deal, [Cody] Balmer was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison, far less than he could have faced if the case had gone to trial.” 7. IN THE HOT SEAT: Katie Porter, the prior frontrunner in the California gubernatorial race, is facing a PR crisis in the wake of viral videos showing tense exchanges with a staffer and a reporter, POLITICO’s Dustin Gardiner reports. “POLITICO approached more than a dozen current and former Democratic lawmakers from California for comment on the videos and their interactions with Porter from her years in the House. The vast majority declined to comment — let alone defend Porter.” A former House colleague from California said Porter is “apparently the smartest person in every single room, and she’s not afraid to make you know it.” 8. PENTAGON SHIFTS GEARS: “Pentagon retreats from climate fight even as heat and storms slam troops,” by Floodlight News’ Ames Alexander: “For decades, the Pentagon viewed climate change as a national security threat — not for environmental reasons, but because it undermined operations and readiness… Now the Trump administration is dismantling that approach. Pentagon leaders have cut climate research funding and abandoned adaptation plans. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has dismissed global warming concerns as ‘climate change crap.’”
| | | | Introducing Global Security: POLITICO’s weekly briefing on the policies, regulatory battles and industrial shifts shaping defense and security across continents. We connect what happens in Washington, Brussels and beyond to what gets funded, what gets built and who benefits. Subscribe now to access the free preview edition. | | | | | | | TALK OF THE TOWN | | TRANSITIONS — Chris Toppings will be co-head of government affairs at The American Investment Council. He previously worked for Senate Majority Leader John Thune. … Valerie Bradley will be chief data science and innovation officer at Impact Research. She previously worked on Kamala Harris' presidential campaign. WEDDING — Annie Clark, SVP at ROKK Solutions and a Susan Collins alum, and Brian Simonsen, a congressional affairs specialist at ATF, got married on Oct. 8 in Ravello, Italy, on the Amalfi Coast. They met in D.C. and had their first date at Denson Liquor Bar. Pic … Another pic WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Matt Seaholm, president and CEO at the Plastics Industry Association, and Amy Seaholm, welcomed their first child Mia Sorella on Friday. Pic … 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 deputy editor Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
| | | | A message from Evernorth Health Services: Lowering costs. Improving patient access. Supporting long-term health. Express Scripts Pharmacy Benefit Services is making it all possible through better GLP-1 benefits. Benefits delivering better care for millions by ensuring members pay no more than $200/month out of pocket for certain GLP-1s for weight loss. And it's not just their patients who are benefiting from this first-of-its-kind offer. They're helping to lower costs for health plans, unions, government agencies, public sector organizations, and more. Savings that allow them to expand access to more patients without breaking their budgets. That's not a middleman. That's an advocate.
See how Express Scripts Pharmacy Benefit Services is advocating to make GLP-1s more affordable for millions here. | | | | | | | | Follow us on X | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | |
![Pieces Shaping the Season [Shop New Arrivals] Our newest arrivals are bold, sculptural, textured – designed to set trends, not follow them.](https://d3k81ch9hvuctc.cloudfront.net/company/M6eCHw/images/5c30a2b4-a933-4c2e-87de-4290759d4bc9.png "Pieces Shaping the Season [Shop New Arrivals] Our newest arrivals are bold, sculptural, textured – designed to set trends, not follow them.")
