California Today: The Joys of Parks During a Pandemic

Public parks are a lifeline, especially now. Plus, San Francisco will require vaccination for

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story August 13, 2021 By Soumya Karlamangla It's Friday. Some fun history: Public parks, a lifeline for many during the pandemic, were popularized during a different health crisis. Plus, San Francisco will soon require that people be fully vaccinated for most indoor activities. People enjoying an evening in Dolores Park in San Francisco on Thursday.Shelby Knowles for The New York Times On a recent Saturday afternoon, the usually quiet lawn at Barnsdall Art Park in Los Angeles resembled a bustling town square. Couples reclined on the grass. Dogs wove through crowds. A group of friends had pizza delivered directly to the East Hollywood park. Another brought a folding table, set out appetizers and hosted a cocktail party. Over the past year and a half, parks have become a lifeline, places to maintain some normalcy even when, like now, cases of the coronavirus are surging. More than ever, parks are where we go on dates, jog laps, watch stand-up and take our kids to meet up with their classmates. This isn't the first time parks have shone in a public health crisis, Sara Jensen Carr, an architecture professor at Northeastern University, told me: The initial popularization of public parks in the United States was a response to devastating epidemics. With the growth of cities during the Industrial Revolution came outbreaks of yellow fever and cholera, largely due to mosquitoes and contaminated water sources. Yet many believed that these diseases spread through dirty air, Carr said. That prompted a push for dedicated green space that would provide a refuge from overcrowded cities and offer clean air to breathe, she said. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT "The planners and the designers were very much sort of using the language of public health to build parks," said Carr, who recently wrote a book on how disease outbreaks influenced the design of American cities. "The really important thing too were the fact that the parks would bring mental respite to people who were very busy and working in the city." One of the biggest proponents of parks as a form of medicine was Frederick Law Olmsted, a landscape architect and public health officer. Olmsted, whose first child died of cholera, designed Central Park in New York as well as nearly 100 other public parks across the U.S. Though Olmsted and others didn't have data, they knew intuitively that parks were good for people, Carr said. My recent visit to Barnsdall was for a friend's birthday party that had been relocated to the park at the last minute. She had planned to host people in her apartment, but decided against it given the rising coronavirus numbers. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT As the sunlight waned, we watched as more people arrived at the park to meet up with loved ones. The park that evening offered us not just safety from infection but also a sense of community, a rare combination these days. Subscribe Today We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times with this special offer. A proof of vaccination sign is posted at a bar in San Francisco, where city leaders have enacted some of the country's toughest restrictions on the unvaccinated.Haven Daley/Associated Press If you read one story, make it this Starting Aug. 20, San Francisco will bar unvaccinated people from indoor dining, bars, nightclubs, gyms, large concerts, theaters and other events held inside, my colleagues report. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT The rules are similar to those recently announced for New York, except that San Francisco will require patrons to be fully vaccinated while New York requires only a minimum of one dose. The rest of the news CALIFORNIA Chaotic school reopening: As Covid-19 cases rise and state and federal guidelines change, districts are struggling to navigate the reopening of schools. Many families watching the rising infection rates are reconsidering their decisions, Capital and Main reports. Shorter work days: Representative Mark Takano has introduced new legislation that would create a 32-hour workweek for most Americans, The Press-Enterprise reports. New census data: With more than 39 percent of state residents identifying as Hispanic or Latino in the 2020 census, California's Hispanic population is now the largest in the state, outstripping the state's white population, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. NORTHERN CALIFORNIA Increasing restaurant prices: On Wednesday, the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that restaurant prices rose in July, at their steepest pace in more than 40 years, and may continue to rise. In order to stay in business and pay for higher costs, restaurateurs in Sacramento are charging more, The Sacramento Bee reports. CENTRAL CALIFORNIA A childhood shooting: At 15, Tashante McCoy-Ham was shot in the knee in a drive-by shooting in Stockton. Years later, she found out that her close friend had been involved in that shooting. The Trace reports their story. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Sidewalk carts: Sidewalk vending recently became legal in Los Angeles. But to get a health permit to legally hawk goods, sellers need a cart that fits on the sidewalk and meets a daunting set of state and local rules, The Los Angeles Times reports. Maskless L.A.P.D.: The Los Angeles Times reports that L.A.P.D. officers have been ordered to wear masks while on the job, but more than a few cops have been caught ignoring the mandate. Coachella restrictions: People who want to attend the Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals will need to show proof of vaccination, KTLA reports. Teacher shortage: Despite a spree of teacher hiring, L.A. schools are still struggling to fill positions before classes begin Monday. If schools were to open immediately, 479 classrooms would be staffed with substitute teachers. Little gem lettuce salad with garlicky dressing.David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews What we're eating The garlicky, almond dressing makes this little gem salad sing. What we're recommending Bright and bouncy, "On One" by Los Angeles-based singer Joyce Wrice is my song of the summer. Where we're traveling Today's California travel tip comes from Paula Martin, a reader who lives in Ukiah. Paula writes: Montgomery Woods is a majestic redwood grove between inland Ukiah and the Mendocino coast. The grove is approximately a 2-mile hike of beauty and splendor. Getting there on a mountainous road could be a challenge for "city drivers." Less than a mile away is Orr Hot Springs, truly a gem and one of my top 10 places in the world! Tell us about your favorite places to visit in California. Please include your name and where you live, so we can share your tip in the newsletter. Email your suggestions to CAtoday@nytimes.com. And before you go, some good news The Smokehouse, a beloved restaurant in Berkeley, is celebrating 70 years in business. It's the kind of place that die-hard fans love so much that they call from other states to see if ingredients can be shipped to them, Berkeleyside reports. Yet, over the past 15 years, the price of a burger at Smokehouse has risen by just $1. "Is it possible to make almost everyone happy, but never really change? The Smokehouse plans to find out." Thanks for reading. Enjoy your weekend (and your local park). I'll be back Monday. — Soumya P.S. Here's today's Mini Crossword, and a clue: Tennis champ Naomi (5 letters). Steven Moity and Miles McKinley contributed to California Today. You can reach the team at CAtoday@nytimes.com. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for California Today from The New York Times. To stop receiving these emails, unsubscribe or manage your email preferences. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

Joe Biden’s ‘fall of Saigon’

Presented by Amazon: The unofficial guide to official Washington.

Aug 13, 2021 View in browser   By Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza and Tara Palmeri Presented by Listen to today's Daily Briefing DRIVING THE DAY CENSUS WORKING OVERTIME — Zach Montellaro, a POLITICO campaigns reporter and expert in (among other things) redistricting, writes in with a special dispatch today: Thursday brought the Census Bureau's long-delayed release of redistricting data — the granular demographic data that mapmakers across the country will use to redraw political boundaries for the next decade. And while it'll take some more number-crunching before data is ready for prime time, we already have some big takeaways: 1) The country is more diverse: Americans who identify as only white are still the largest racial group in America, but the percentage dipped below 60% of the country's population. And there was a significant increase in the number of Americans who identified as multiracial: 33.8 million Americans, up from 9 million in 2010, with at least some of the change attributed to how the Census Bureau asked questions on race. 2) America is more urban: Metro areas grew by 9% over the last decade, even as more than half of counties saw their populations shrink. New York City remains the nation's largest city (so much for the "why I left New York" think pieces), and for the first time, all 10 of America's largest cities have over 1 million people. 3) We're getting older: The country grew over the last decade, but at a slower rate than in decades past, and we're getting older as a nation. Almost 78% of the country is at least 18 years old. There's 10% more adults than last decade, and a 1.4% decrease in the number of children. (And read into this what you will: The fastest-growing metro area over the last decade was The Villages in Florida. Check out Michael Grunwald's fascinating 2018 story on this topic.) We asked Zach whether the initial numbers are good news for Democrats — as a younger, more diverse and more city-centered population would seem to be. He sounded a note of caution for the party currently in power: "I would say it is probably too early to speculate. Even if generally Democratic demographic groups are growing, and generally Democratic areas of the country are growing, Republicans still control the redistricting process in key states." More coverage: "Census Shows a Nation That Resembles Its Future More Than Its Past," NYT … "Booming Latino populations are helping GOP states like Texas gain new seats in Congress," WaPo … "Census data sets up redistricting fight over growing suburbs," AP … "D.C. only place where share of white population increased last year: Census," The Hill Twitter takes: Dave Wasserman ( @Redistrict): "Early read: based on the strong urban and weaker rural numbers I'm seeing, this is a *much* more favorable Census count than minority advocacy groups/Dems had feared." — @galendruke: "Phoenix overtakes Philadelphia as the fifth largest city in the country, per 2020 Census data. Congrats Phoenix!" — NYT's @Nate_Cohn: "Some notable state data-points: Georgia just 50.1% non-Hispanic white, and probably majority minority by now." Happy Friday. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza, Tara Palmeri. A message from Amazon: The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) ranked Amazon as the No. 1 U.S. company investing in America. For the second year in a row, Amazon placed first on PPI's Investment Heroes list. PPI estimates that Amazon invested $34 billion in American infrastructure in 2020 . Every Amazon job comes with a starting wage of $15/hr and comprehensive benefits for regular, full-time employees. Learn more.   BIDEN'S 'FALL OF SAIGON' — The situation in Afghanistan is getting uglier with each day in the run-up to the U.S. withdrawal — and so is the political fallout for President JOE BIDEN. The coverage overnight was absolutely brutal: "The Taliban captured another three provincial capitals in southern Afghanistan on Friday, including in Helmand, the scene of some of the heaviest fighting in the past two decades, as the insurgents press a lightning offensive that is gradually encircling the capital, Kabul," the AP reported early this morning. WaPo foreign policy affairs columnist David Ignatius summarizes the president's current plight with this historical parallel: "For President Biden, who had hoped for an orderly U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the chaos in Kabul carries echoes of the fall of Saigon in 1975 — precisely the image he wanted to avoid." Here's AP's writeup of the latest on the ground : "Just weeks before the U.S. is scheduled to end its war in Afghanistan, the Biden administration is rushing 3,000 fresh troops to the Kabul airport to help with a partial evacuation of the U.S. Embassy. The move highlights the stunning speed of a Taliban takeover of much of the country … "'This is not abandonment. This is not an evacuation. This is not a wholesale withdrawal,' State Department spokesman NED PRICE said. 'What this is is a reduction in the size of our civilian footprint.'" Indeed, administration officials are taking pains to argue the U.S. is not evacuating. "In a possible sign of the sensitivities involved," WaPo writes, "[Pentagon spokesperson JOHN] KIRBY declined to call the new mission a noncombatant evacuation operation, a term the military generally uses to describe the departure of civilians and nonessential military personnel from a dangerous situation. The term 'NEO' is politically charged, and the Biden administration has sought to avoid using it, two U.S. officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue." But the story goes on to quote an expert who calls the Pentagon explanation pure spin. "'This is, in no uncertain terms, a NEO, which is an operation designed to evacuate U.S. civilian personnel whose lives are threatened by war, civil unrest or natural disaster,' said MARK JACOBSON, a former Pentagon official in the Obama administration. 'There's no cut-out for embassy personnel unless you are trying to make a political point …'" In a NYT op-ed, meanwhile, FREDERICK KAGAN, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, pins the blame squarely on POTUS. "A disastrous Taliban takeover wasn't inevitable," Kagan writes. "President Biden said his hands were tied to a withdrawal given the awful peace deal negotiated between the Trump administration and the Taliban. But there was still a way to pull out American troops while giving our Afghan partners a better chance to hold the gains we made with them over the last two decades. "Mr. Biden chose otherwise. The way he announced the drawdown and eventual departure of American troops — at the start of the fighting season, on a rapid timeline and sans adequate coordination with the Afghan government — has in part gotten us into the current situation." Also worth a read: PAUL MILLER, an Afghanistan War vet and former NSC staffer who teaches at Georgetown's School of Foreign Service, dispels "a few myths taking root" as Afghanistan collapses. A message from Amazon: All Amazon employees earn at least a $15/hr starting wage. Fulltime employees get health insurance from the first day on the job.   VOTE-A-RAMA DRAMA AND THE NATIONAL DEBT — Nobody on Capitol Hill got much sleep this week. The Senate passed its infrastructure bill, stayed up all night in a vote-a-rama and provided foreshadowing for the set of fights yet to come. As Ryan put it this week: "Threat of a government shutdown? Possibility of America defaulting on its loans? Dust off that BlackBerry, fire off a manual RT, and put on some LMFAO. It's feeling very 2011." Ryan and POLITICO's Jennifer Scholtes break down what's ahead for Congress. Listen and subscribe to Playbook Deep Dive BIDEN'S FRIDAY: — 10 a.m.: The president will receive the President's Daily Brief. — 1 p.m.: Biden will depart Wilmington, Del., en route to Camp David. THE SENATE and THE HOUSE are out.   STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president's ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.     PLAYBOOK READS PHOTO OF THE DAY: In Utah, the Salt Lake County Council's decision Thursday to overturn a health official's school mask order prompts celebrations among protesters. | Rick Bowmer/AP Photo CONGRESS INDECISION TIME — Our Burgess Everett checks in with a handful of Republican senators who have yet to decide whether they'll run for reelection next year — a delay that won't be helpful to the GOP if any of them ultimately calls it quits. Topping the list is Wisconsin's RON JOHNSON. "Johnson's decision, in a critical swing state won by President Joe Biden, is one of several inflection points that could reshape the battle for the Senate majority in 2022. … The GOP is already defending five Senate seats opened up by retirements — two in the battlegrounds of Pennsylvania and North Carolina and three in GOP strongholds Ohio, Alabama and Missouri. … "National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair RICK SCOTT (R-Fla.) said he felt confident about retaining all four of his undecided incumbents [Johnson, CHUCK GRASSLEY (R-Iowa), LISA MURKOWSKI (R-Alaska) and JOHN THUNE (R-S.D.)]: 'I'll be surprised if any of them retire.' Other Republicans say that by virtue of math it seems likely someone else heads for the exits." NOT A GOOD LOOK — "Rand Paul's wife bought shares in Covid treatment maker Gilead in early days of virus, the couple's only individual stock purchase in years," by CNBC's Christina Wilkie and Dan Mangan: "Republican Sen. RAND PAUL and his wife had not bought or sold stock in an individual company in at least 10 years when KELLEY PAUL purchased shares of the drug company Gilead Sciences in early 2020. The purchase came early in the novel coronavirus' initial wave through the U.S. — and one day after the first U.S. clinical trial began for Gilead's remdesivir as a treatment for Covid-19. "That purchase and its timing made headlines Wednesday when the Kentucky senator disclosed it for the first time in a mandatory Senate filing — more than 16 months after the legal deadline for reporting it had passed." HILL AIDES CAN NOW MAKE MORE THAN MEMBERS — "Pelosi says the House will raise the maximum annual pay rate for Capitol Hill aides," by NYT's Catie Edmondson: "In a letter to lawmakers, [Speaker NANCY] PELOSI said that House aides could now earn up to $199,300 in an effort to shore up 'the outstanding and diverse talent that we need.' The change marks the first time that a congressional aide can receive a salary greater than a lawmaker: An average member of Congress receives an annual salary of $174,000. "Importantly, if the change is not accompanied by an attendant increase in the budgets congressional offices and committees are given each year to pay their aides, any increases to senior staff salaries could ultimately whittle down the salaries of more junior aides." NO PRESSURE — "Chuck Schumer Has Found a Way to Get It Done. So Far," by NYT's Carl Hulse and Nicholas Fandos: "[Senate Majority Leader CHUCK] SCHUMER is trying to deliver this fall perhaps the most significant government investments in public works and the social safety net since the days when LYNDON B. JOHNSON ran the Senate and served as president. He has zero margin for error and must simultaneously advance legislation to fund the government after Sept. 30 and secure an increase in the federal government's legal borrowing limit. "Saddled with a 50-to-50 Senate that Democrats control only through [VP KAMALA] HARRIS's tiebreaking vote, disaster is always just one defecting Democratic senator away. But Mr. Schumer said he believed Democrats would eventually unite behind a 'transformational' social policy bill, despite glaring disagreements on cost, because their experience over the past eight months — including passing a $1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus package — had shown them that unity was their best legislative weapon." KNOWING LOUISA TERRELL — "Meet Joe Biden's secret weapon: the woman who wrangles with Congress," by The Guardian's Daniel Strauss: "LOUISA TERRELL, White House director of the office of legislative affairs, is the tip of the spear of Biden's team as she fulfills one of the most difficult jobs in a deeply divided political landscape." POLITICS ROUNDUP 2024 WATCH — "Trump Hires Iowa Political Veterans, Signaling Interest in 2024," by Bloomberg's Jennifer Jacobs: "Donald Trump's fundraising committee has hired two political operatives familiar with campaigns in Iowa, the state that typically kicks off the race for the White House, signaling his interest in running in 2024. "An aide with Save America, the leadership political action committee that Trump began after losing the 2020 election, told staff and advisers in a memo Thursday that ERIC BRANSTAD and ALEX LATCHAM are joining as senior advisers." ON CUOMO — "This Is How a Political Dynasty Bites the Dust," a guest essay by Miriam Pawel for NYT: "MARIO CUOMO's very public waffling on his presidential prospects earned him the epithet 'Hamlet on the Hudson.' But at least in this regard, ANDREW CUOMO has indeed outdone his father as the true Shakespearean figure, whose hubris and love of power for power's sake had tragic consequences for so many." KEEPING UP WITH CAITLYN — "Caitlyn Jenner avoids talk of book, TV deals tied to recall," by AP's Michael Blood: "The former Olympian and reality TV personality sidestepped questions about whether she had lined up any lucrative book or TV deals connected to the September recall election that could remove Democratic Gov. GAVIN NEWSOM from office. 'I've never worked so hard for nothing in my life,' Jenner told reporters in Los Angeles' Venice Beach neighborhood, after being asked about inking any money-making side ventures. She then steered around a second question about possible deals." Playbook flashback: "Caitlyn Jenner's reality TV campaign" — "Caitlyn Jenner's back from Australia — and looking for a recall reboot," by Carla Marinucci AND POTUS GETS INVOLVED — "Biden comes to Newsom's recall defense as White House mulls larger role," by Jeremy White   A message from Amazon: Watch what happened when Amazon raised their starting wage to $15/hr.   THE PANDEMIC The latest headlines … "Justice Amy Coney Barrett denies request to block Indiana University's vaccine mandate," CNN … "Supreme Court blocks part of New York's pandemic eviction ban," by Josh Gerstein … "States that had a grip on COVID now seeing a crush of cases," AP BEYOND THE BELTWAY EXCHANGING NOTES — "Wisconsin election probe leader traveled to Arizona," by AP's Scott Bauer: "The leader of an investigation into the 2020 election in Wisconsin traveled to Arizona last week to learn about the audit done there and was attending a symposium on election fraud Thursday in South Dakota headed by MyPillow chief executive MIKE LINDELL. Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice MICHAEL GABLEMAN told AP on Thursday that both visits were about gathering facts for the investigation he is leading." LONE STAR LATEST — "Texas law enforcement sent to round up absent House Democrats, intensifying battle in the lower chamber," by Texas Tribune's Cassandra Pollock: "Texas law enforcement was deputized Thursday to track down Texas House Democrats still missing from the chamber and bring them to the state Capitol in Austin, a process that Speaker DADE PHELAN's office said 'will begin in earnest immediately.' The news came as the Texas Supreme Court cleared the way for their civil arrests after it temporarily blocked Harris County judges' orders protecting 45 Democrats from such a move." ON SECOND THOUGHT — "DeSantis softens school board threats. It will be on them to cut their own pay," by Miami Herald's Ana Ceballos MEDIAWATCH MADDOW'S NEXT MOVE — "Rachel Maddow Seriously Considers Leaving MSNBC," by Daily Beast's Lachlan Cartwright and Max Tani: "According to six people familiar with the situation, RACHEL MADDOW, 48, is seriously considering leaving the network when her contract ends early next year as negotiations drag on and the temptation to take her brand elsewhere or start her own lucrative media company has grown. "Insiders who spoke with The Daily Beast said while the star host has occasionally entertained other offers in the past, she has in recent months increasingly expressed openness to exiting when her deal ends, citing a desire to spend more time with her family and the toll of hosting a nightly program since 2008." COMING SOON — "Thomas Tull Backing TV Adaption of Carol Leonnig's 'Zero Fail,'" by The Hollywood Reporter's Lesley Goldberg: "Former Legendary topper THOMAS TULL, in a competitive situation, has secured the option to adapt the best-seller for the small screen. Tull, Washington Post journalist CAROL LEONNIG and BOBBY COHEN (Now You See Me) will exec produce the potential series. A home for the show and production company have not yet been attached as the project has not yet gone to market." SMALL TOWN WITH OUTSIZE MEDIA PRESENCE — "'Like-minded People Keep Coming': How One New Jersey Town Became A Magnet For The Media Elite," by Vanity Fair's Charlotte Klein: "Welcome to Montclair, where a large swath of The New York Times is working from home and the local paper's advisory board resembles 'the Pulitzer committee,' as one resident put it. Amid such suburban splendor, will they ever want to commute back to the newsroom?" TV TONIGHT — PBS' "Washington Week": Laura Barrón-López, Eva McKend, Jonathan Martin and Ronan Farrow. SUNDAY SO FAR … CBS "Face the Nation": Anthony Fauci … House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) … New York Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul. MSNBC "The Sunday Show": Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) … Ben Jealous … Amy Walter … Brittney Cooper … Matthew Dowd … Joe Walsh … Robin Givhan … Tarana Burke. FOX "Fox News Sunday": NIH Director Francis Collins. Panel: Doug Heye, Julie Pace and Juan Williams. Power Player: Newton Minow. Gray TV "Full Court Press": Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) … Ina Fried. NBC "Meet the Press": Panel: Kristen Soltis Anderson, Peter Baker, Cornell Belcher and Anne Gearan. CNN "Inside Politics": Panel: Margaret Talev, Jeremy Diamond, Lauren Fox, Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Leana Wen and Kimberly Dozier. ABC "This Week": Panel: Donna Brazile, Phil Rucker, Sarah Isgur and Jane Coaston.   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.     PLAYBOOKERS IN MEMORIAM — "Larry Heinzerling, AP executive and bureau chief, dies at 75," by AP's John Daniszewski: "Larry Heinzerling, a 41-year Associated Press news executive and bureau chief who played a key role in winning freedom for hostage Terry Anderson from his Hezbollah abductors in Lebanon, has died after a short illness." TRUMP ALUMNI — Ken Cuccinelli is now senior fellow for immigration and homeland security at the Center for Renewing America. He previously was deputy DHS secretary. TRANSITIONS — Richard Hartnett is now manager of strategic comms at the Chamber of Commerce. He previously was a legislative aide for Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). … Catherine Gabel is now partner manager for government, politics and nonprofits at Facebook. She previously was a principal at Precision Strategies and is a Cory Booker alum. … Musa al-Gharbi is now a senior fellow at the Niskanen Center. He currently is a Paul F. Lazarsfeld fellow in sociology at Columbia University. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen … principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre … Sarah Huckabee Sanders … IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva … Tim Johnson … Jamestown Associates' Larry Weitzner … Jeremy Bash of Beacon Global Strategies … Grace Davis of Alliance Defending Freedom … Bridget Roddy … Isabel Aldunate of OMB … Adam Sharon … GrayRobinson's Chris McCannell … Jim Spiegelman of the Aspen Institute … BuzzFeed's Addy Baird … Cate Hurley of Rep. Adam Schiff's (D-Calif.) office… Douglas Rivlin … Josh Romney … Molly Henneberg … Scott Dziengelski of King & Spalding … Alec Davis ... Gabriel Laizer ... Monique Lyons ... AP's Kelly Daschle ... Alice McKeon … Bloomberg's Joanna Ossinger ... Susan Garraty … Gonzo Gallegos … Lauren Kirshner … Owen Jappen of the American Chemistry Council (3-0) … Kelly Rzendzian … former Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders … BlackRock's Allison Lessne … former Reps. Tom Marino (R-Pa.), Lincoln Díaz-Balart (R-Fla.) and Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.) … Ben Pack … L.A. Times' Margot Roosevelt Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Mike Zapler, deputy editor Zack Stanton and producers Allie Bice, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross. A message from Amazon: It's not just Amazon employees who noticed the immediate benefit of increasing their starting wage to at least $15 an hour — a new study from the University of California-Berkeley and Brandeis University found that when Amazon raised its wages, the average hourly wage in the surrounding area rose by 4.7% as other employers followed their lead. Learn more about what else the research found.     Follow us on Twitter Rachael Bade @rachaelmbade Eugene Daniels @EugeneDaniels2 Ryan Lizza @RyanLizza Tara Palmeri @tarapalmeri   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 political and policy newsletters Follow us

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