| | | |  | | By Ali Bianco and Alec Hernandez | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Eli Okun, Irie Sentner and Makayla Gray Good Sunday morning. This is Ali Bianco and Alec Hernández, co-authoring today’s Playbook. Send us your predictions for the Super Bowl — halftime show or otherwise. FREE WILL: Will Lewis is out as the publisher and CEO of the Washington Post, days after mass layoffs on his watch transformed the news organization. CFO Jeff D’Onofrio will step into Lewis’ roles on an acting basis. In an announcement about his abrupt departure, Lewis seemingly referenced the departures of hundreds of journalists, saying that “difficult decisions have been taken in order to ensure the sustainable future of The Post.” Lewis had long been a controversial figure at the Post, and vitriol against him this week from laid-off Post employees and their allies was intense, as he seemed to have lost the newsroom’s trust. Though Lewis thanked Jeff Bezos in his note, FT’s Christopher Grimes and colleagues report that Lewis’ ouster came from the owner. “Bezos lost patience after the Super Bowl thing,” one newsroom source says, in reference to Lewis’ spotting at Super Bowl celebrations right after spearheading mass layoffs (and not addressing staff about them). Lewis had defended his editorial and business choices as tough moves to shift the Post in a necessary new direction. But others were happy to see him go: “His legacy will be the attempted destruction of a great American journalism institution,” the Washington Post Guild said. “But it’s not too late to save The Post. Jeff Bezos must immediately rescind these layoffs or sell the paper.” Speaking of selling: Status’ Jon Passantino reports that right before the layoffs, a group of rich Washingtonians approached Lewis about the prospect of spinning off and selling the paper’s metro and sports section, or working out an arrangement to save them. He never responded.
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Tonight’s stage may prove to be Bad Bunny’s biggest chance to move the dial. | Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP | HALFTIME INoLVIDABLE: The world is watching for Bad Bunny to make a political statement at the Super Bowl. Democrats are watching closely to figure out how to make their own. Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, the Puerto Rican recording artist known globally by his stage name, has created a pop culture phenomenon that will converge at a historic halftime show performance at the Super Bowl tonight when the New England Patriots play the Seattle Seahawks. And while his invitation triggered a harsh backlash on the right from the president on down, it’s also marking a major inflection point for Hispanic Americans of all backgrounds. Tonight’s stage may prove to be Bad Bunny’s biggest chance to move the dial. There’s an opportunity here, Democrats told your authors, to turn Bad Bunny’s cultural phenomenon into a political one, right as the party is mounting its strongest resistance to President Donald Trump’s sweeping deportation agenda — and with months to go before the midterms to make amends with Latino voters who have left their tent. Former Rep. Luis Gutiérrez (D-Ill.), who is of Puerto Rican descent and whose tenure in the House was marked by his outspokenness for the Latino communities he represented, emphasized that Democrats need to seize this moment to win back Latino support. Democrats “do too little to engage the Latino community, and then they wonder why all these Latinos voted for Trump? Because you didn’t knock on their doors asking to vote for the Democrat. You failed to message us in so many ways,” he said. “They should embrace it.” “It’s such a huge watershed moment,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said of Bad Bunny’s performance. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he used this as a very unifying moment, but also on very resonant and salient grounds to send a message to people.” There are already signs of what’s on the Latino rapper’s mind. “Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say, ‘ICE out,’” Bad Bunny said last Sunday as he accepted the Grammy for Best Música Urbana Album for his record-smashing “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” — just hours before taking home the night’s biggest prize, Album of the Year. “We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens — we are humans, and we are Americans.” Bad Bunny isn’t new to political endeavors. But he has long focused primarily on island politics — he’s a big activist for Puerto Rican independence — and has only occasionally weighed in on mainland issues. In 2024, shortly after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe infamously disparaged Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage” during the pre-show for Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden, Bad Bunny posted an endorsement of Kamala Harris to his tens of millions of Instagram followers. During Bad Bunny’s massive world tour last year, the artist did not schedule any shows on the U.S. mainland, in part due to concerns that ICE would target his concerts for immigration enforcement operations. “It’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about,” he told i-D magazine in a September interview. After the rapper was announced as the halftime performer in September, Corey Lewandowski said there would be ICE enforcement operations at the Super Bowl — seemingly bringing to life some of the concerns that Martínez Ocasio voiced. Local leaders in the Bay Area have said this week that they’ve privately been told no ICE officers will be at the show. DHS has remained more vague publicly about their enforcement plans around the game. DHS did not respond to a request to comment.
| | | | A message from AHIP: 35 Million Seniors Could See Reduced Benefits and Higher Costs. Health plans welcome reforms to strengthen Medicare Advantage. However, a proposal for flat program funding at a time of sharply rising medical costs and high utilization of care will directly impact seniors' coverage. If finalized, this proposal could result in benefit reductions and higher costs for 35 million seniors and people with disabilities when they renew their Medicare Advantage coverage in October 2026. Learn more. | | | | Meanwhile, Republicans this weekend are holding their own halftime performance to make a statement. Turning Point is counterprogramming Bad Bunny’s performance with a made-for-television “All American Halftime Show” featuring Kid Rock. “I think that that part of the country just felt offended,” said Andrew Kolvert, a spokesperson for Turning Point. “There needs to be a counter voice that says, ‘Hey, you know, we love this country. We love the rule of law, we love our troops, we love law enforcement, we love traditional America.’” As for Martínez Ocasio, he’s keeping mum about what to expect from his performance. “It’s going to be a huge party,” he said at a preview event Thursday. “I want to bring to the stage, of course, a lot of my culture. But I really don’t, I don’t want to give any spoilers. It’s going to be fun.” The cultural solidarity that Bad Bunny’s music has fostered could translate into political unity, said Chicago Alderman Michael Rodriguez, who represents the city’s historically Mexican Little Village community. And some of his fellow Democrats are ready to build on the moment. “There’s just no scenario where he is not going to have a message,” Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) said. “There are moments in history that really move a community and solidify them within a political movement. And I think that’s happening right now.” SUNDAY BEST … — Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) on negotiations over immigration enforcement reforms, on “Fox News Sunday”: “I would hope that people in good faith would come together. Let’s negotiate this out. Let’s get these reforms in place. But if there’s not reforms, the idea that we’re going to continue to fund — and I would argue that there is another $10 billion in this bill for ICE — I think most of us are not going to go ahead and say we’re gonna continue to find or increase funding for an agency that seems a little rogue at this point.” — House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on reforms, on CNN’s “State of the Union”: “ICE is completely and totally out of control. They have gone way too far, and the American people want them reined in, because immigration enforcement should be fair, it should be just, and it should be humane. So, dramatic changes are necessary to the manner in which the Department of Homeland Security officers are conducting themselves before any funding bill should move forward.” — Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) on the battle over Trump freezing funds for the Gateway tunnel project, on ABC’s “This Week”: “This is a critical infrastructure project in the Northeast Corridor. It’s also critical for my district … I’ve been fully in support of it. … I have been against freezing the funds. But how did we get here? Chuck Schumer decided last fall to shut the government down for 43 days. … Ultimately, this is a negotiation between the two of them that I think can get done.” — CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz on whether the administration’s anti-vaccine moves are to blame for measles outbreaks, on “State of the Union”: “I don’t believe so. We have advocated for measles vaccines all along. Secretary [Robert F. Kennedy Jr.] has been on the very front of this.” Dana Bash: “Oh, come on.” Oz: “When the first outbreak happened in Texas, he said, ‘Get your vaccines for measles.’ … At CMS, we fund any vaccine you want to take. There will never be a barrier to Americans [getting] access to the measles vaccine.”
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| | | | TOP-EDS: A roundup of the week’s must-read opinion pieces.
- “The Aftermath of Feeding America’s Credibility Into the Woodchipper,” by Jeremy Konyndyk for the NYT
- “Don't discount American democracy's resilience,” by Silver Bulletin’s Nate Silver
- “We Were Top Homeland Security Lawyers. You Can’t Wish Away the Fourth Amendment,” by Stevan Bunnell, Gus Coldebella, Ivan Fong, Kara Lynum, Jonathan Meyer and John Mitnick in the NYT
- “Stop Meeting Students Where They Are,” by Walt Hunter for The Atlantic
- “Why haven’t American elites stood up for Minnesota?” by Daniel Altschuler for The Guardian
- “Jeff Bezos Must Sell the Washington Post,” by Cameron Barr for The Bulwark
- “The Finance Industry Is a Grift. Let’s Start Treating It That Way,” by Oren Cass for the NYT
- “Trump Rages at Bad Bunny — and Accidentally Exposes a Big MAGA Weakness,” by The New Republic’s Greg Sargent
- “It’s the A.I. Economy, Stupid,” by Rob Flaherty in the NYT
9 THINGS FOR YOUR RADAR 1. WHISTLE STOP: We may be getting (some) clarity about that mysterious whistleblower complaint against DNI Tulsi Gabbard. The Guardian’s Cate Brown reports that the complaint accused Gabbard of limiting distribution of intelligence that revealed “an unusual phone call between an individual associated with foreign intelligence and a person close to Donald Trump” last year. The whistleblower’s attorney, Andrew Bakaj, claimed that Gabbard took the NSA intercept straight to chief of staff Susie Wiles and prevented the agency from sharing it further. NYT’s Julian Barnes reports that the intercepted call was between two foreigners talking about someone close to Trump, and that it included discussion of Iran. Obviously, there are many details yet to be revealed. It’s not certain how important the intelligence was — or how truthful the foreign nationals’ talk on the call was. The Times reports that some people who’ve looked at the intelligence “agreed that Ms. Gabbard did not act improperly by restricting distribution of the report.” ODNI said the Guardian article was “false.” And in a lengthy X post, Gabbard accused Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and the press of lying about her actions and undermining national security. “The first time I saw the whistleblower complaint was 2 weeks ago,” she wrote. Warner’s office forcefully replied that this was “an inaccurate attack” from the “unqualified” Gabbard. And Whistleblower Aid rebutted multiple of Gabbard’s claims. 2. NOTABLE QUOTABLE: In a surprise appearance, Don Lemon made stark comments about his arrest and freedom of the press at a Human Rights Campaign dinner last night. The administration has accused Lemon of interfering with congregants’ rights at an immigration protest in a Minnesota church, which he says he was covering as a journalist. “Reporters are attacked as enemies” under Trump, Lemon said. “Facts are dismissed as disloyalty. Questions are treated as threats. And here is the truth that is harder to say: The most dangerous thing to any authority is not rebellion. I go back to that word: It is witness. It is: They’re afraid of the pen, the cameras, the witness. It’s not outrage, but it’s evidence.” Watch his speech here Lemon is scheduled to make his first court appearance in St. Paul on Friday to enter a plea.
| | | | POLITICO Governors Summit Join POLITICO's annual Governors Summit, held alongside the National Governors Association’s Winter Meeting, for a series of forward-looking conversations with governors from across the country about how state leaders are setting the agenda for America’s next chapter. Hear from Gov. Wes Moore (D), Gov. Kevin Stitt (R), and more. Register Now. | | | | | 3. A COMPANY YOU SHOULD KNOW: “‘Amazon of South Korea’ becomes a flashpoint in Trump’s trade talks,” by POLITICO’s Ari Hawkins and Daniel Desrochers: “Relatively few people in the United States use Coupang’s site. … [A] foreign mega-retailer might stand to face the wrath of a protectionist White House with America First economic policies. Yet for the last half-decade, Coupang has pursued an aggressive strategy to align itself with the United States, at times taking on the South Korean government and even complicating trade talks … And now the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers are siding forcefully with Coupang and against the Korean government on matters of digital commerce.” 4. WHAT SCOTT TURNER IS UP TO: “Legal, funding concerns loom over HUD’s relocation to Virginia,” by POLITICO’s Cassandra Dumay: “The Department of Housing and Urban Development has started its long-awaited, multistage relocation of Washington-based staff to Alexandria, Virginia, even as questions swirl over the move’s legality, cost and congressional oversight. … Tensions between HUD and the union have escalated over the move. The department proposed firing a union official last week after she raised concerns about the relocation with senior leadership.” 5. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: A new internal poll for the pro-Ken Paxton Lone Star Liberty PAC finds the Texas AG leading by 8 points in the GOP Senate primary, POLITICO’s Samuel Benson writes in. The survey, conducted by Pulse Decision Science, has Paxton at 34 percent, incumbent John Cornyn at 26 percent and Rep. Wesley Hunt at 18 percent. There hasn’t been much public polling lately in this race, but an Emerson poll last month showed Paxton and Cornyn closer to tied. Meanwhile, top Senate Republicans are still trying to get Trump to endorse Cornyn, CNN’s Manu Raju and Sarah Ferris report. See the new Paxton survey More from the campaign trail: With one week to go, Utah Republicans have a lot of work to do to gather signatures for a ballot initiative to try to reinstate their congressional gerrymander, Samuel reports. The effort has turned acrimonious and chaotic, despite national GOP support. … LA City Council member Nithya Raman announced a last-minute mayoral bid, challenging incumbent Karen Bass, per POLITICO’s Melanie Mason. Raman is a democratic socialist-backed progressive who’s previously worked with Bass, but Bass has come under scrutiny lately for her handling of the wildfires. … Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will endorse Jack Schlossberg for a Manhattan congressional seat, NYT’s Andrew Trunsky scooped. 6. MEDIAWATCH: “Trump Backs Television Broadcaster Nexstar’s Bid for Tegna,” by Bloomberg’s María Paula Mijares Torres: “Trump backed television broadcaster Nexstar Media Group’s proposed $3.5 billion acquisition of Tegna Inc., reversing his earlier opposition to the idea and saying it would be good for competition. … [It] would require the Federal Communications Commission to revoke a rule barring local TV station owners from serving more than 39% of the country. … Brendan Carr, the chairman of the FCC, quickly backed the deal after Trump’s Saturday post.”
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| | | | 7. IMMIGRATION FILES: Tensions remain extremely high in Minnesota amid Trump’s massive immigration crackdown. A large crowd gathered and dozens of protesters were arrested yesterday outside the Whipple Federal Building, where Democratic Rep. Kelly Morrison had alleged bad conditions for detained immigrants, per The Minnesota Star Tribune. DHS said those claims were false. As immigration cases overwhelm the judicial system, ICE’s top lawyer in the state retired this week, NYT’s Ernesto Londoño and Hamed Aleaziz scooped. Reality check: The widespread backlash to Trump’s deportation surge will find its latest expression at a high-profile House Homeland Security Committee hearing Tuesday, when lawmakers can grill leaders of ICE, CBP and USCIS, WaPo’s Kadia Goba previews. It could prove a tough balancing act for moderate GOP Chair Andrew Garbarino (N.Y.). Despite the partial pivot in Minneapolis, the administration is charging ahead with its mass deportation campaign: Stephen Miller “is still running 10 a.m. conference calls six days a week to issue orders and demand updates on the metrics that matter most to him,” The Atlantic’s Nick Miroff reports. 8. FRAUD FILES: “How a $30 Billion Welfare Program Became a ‘Slush Fund’ for States,” by WSJ’s Cameron McWhirter and colleagues: “When the Trump administration targeted billions of dollars in federal welfare funds recently over fraud concerns, it singled out five Democratic-run states. An examination by The Wall Street Journal found that the main federal aid program the administration is seeking to block, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, has long been plagued by poor financial oversight and questionable spending in states led by both Republicans and Democrats.” 9. MIDDLE EAST LATEST: Israel announced that Trump and PM Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Wednesday and talk about the recent negotiations with Iran, per Bloomberg.
| | | | New from POLITICO POLITICO Forecast is a forward-looking global briefing on the forces reshaping politics, policy and power. Drawing on POLITICO’s global reporting, Forecast connects developments across regions and sectors — including major global moments and convenings — to help readers anticipate what comes next.
➡️ Sign up for POLITICO Forecast. | | | | | | | TALK OF THE TOWN | | SPORTS BLINK — VP JD Vance took in the U.S. women’s hockey team’s game against Finland at the Winter Olympics sitting next to Jake Paul yesterday, per the AP. PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION — D.C. announced that there were several possible measles exposures across the city in recent weeks, per NBC4 Washington’s Jordan Young. People with confirmed cases were at the March for Life, Catholic University, Reagan National airport and more. ENGAGED — Molly Martinez, a correspondent for Gray Television, and Jonathan Small, an environmental engineer for Wetlands Studies and Solutions, got engaged Friday at her family’s ski house in West Virginia. They met last April, and on their first date, Jonathan fixed Molly’s shower. Pic … Another pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Reps. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) and John Joyce (R-Pa.) … Georgia AG Chris Carr … American Economic Liberties Project’s Matt Stoller … MS NOW’s Laura Barrón-López … Amos Snead … Vox’s Zack Beauchamp … Will Levi … Caitlin Webber Mazzucca … Hudson Institute’s John Walters and Sarah May Stern … Michael Pillsbury … Scott Bennett … Anduril Industries’ Matthew Haskins … Brian Katulis … Adam Kaplan … John Kartch … Marlene Cooper Vasilic … Mark Corallo … Dy Brown ... Julie Gunlock … Mansie Hough … Jenny Thalheimer Rosenberg … Heather Zichal ... Joe Briggs ... Bill Ruch … former EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson … Ted Koppel … Layla Moughari … Ana Fraisse … NewsNation’s Joe Khalil … POLITICO’s Arnau Busquets Guàrdia 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. Correction: Yesterday’s Playbook misstated the nature of the contributions that the Republican Governors Association received from CoreCivic.
| | | | A message from AHIP: 35 Million Seniors Could See Reduced Benefits and Higher Costs
Health plans welcome reforms to strengthen Medicare Advantage. However, a proposal for flat program funding at a time of sharply rising medical costs and high utilization of care will directly impact seniors' coverage. If finalized, this proposal could result in benefit reductions and higher costs for 35 million seniors and people with disabilities when they renew their Medicare Advantage coverage in October 2026. Learn more. | | | | | | | | 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 | Canada Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | |
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