Subject: POLITICO Playbook, presented by PhRMA: From FANTASY to DECISION TIME for White House on guns
From: "Anna Palmer Jake Sherman Daniel Lippman" <[email-masked]>
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Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2018 05:27:26 -0600
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Today's POLITICO Playbook presented by PhRMA 
            
By ANNA PALMER ([email-masked]; @apalmerdc), JAKE SHERMAN ([email-masked]; @JakeSherman) and DANIEL LIPPMAN ([email-masked]; @dlippman)
        
Listen to today's Audio Briefing | Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Visit the online home of Playbook
                  Driving the Day         
AP: SHELDON ADELSON is offering to foot the bill for the new embassy in Jerusalem, and the Trump administration is considering the offer. JOSH LEDERMAN: "Lawyers at the State Department are looking into the legality of accepting private donations to cover some or all of the embassy costs, the administration officials said. 

"The discussions are occurring as the new embassy clears its final bureaucratic hurdles. On Thursday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson ended weeks of delay by signing off on a security plan for moving the embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city, according to the officials, who weren't authorized to discuss the issue publicly and demanded anonymity.

"In one possible scenario, the administration would solicit contributions not only from Adelson but potentially from other donors in the evangelical and American Jewish communities, too. One official said Adelson ... had offered to pay the difference between the total cost - expected to run into the hundreds of millions of dollars - and what the administration is able to raise. ...

"The State Department said it had 'nothing to announce' about the Jerusalem embassy move and would not 'get ahead of any decisions by the secretary.' 'We have no confirmation or details about this hypothetical proposal,' the State Department said." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d4bb935e4a09680436591c3c410254c8d3bcb8e467f41cf76e831a527b93fece0c407a654d9620e532c4655c21137cab 

Happy Friday. THE NRA'S TOUGH SPOT ... After the Newtown massacre, THE NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION privately said the school shooting was an isolated incident. Gun lobby insiders say they effectively mitigated any gun control legislation because they were able to push that it was an anomaly to allies on the Hill. With 18 mass shootings this year alone that argument will no longer be effective. 

THE GUN LOBBY is in a tricky place. They believe the CNN town hall has provided a visual that the masses in this country want changes to the gun laws of this country. They believe this is false, despite polling that shows a movement in this direction. Seeing Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), a long-time ally, change his position under public pressure has many nervous that he is just the first Republican willing to make concessions on the issue. 

WHAT TO WATCH -- Look for them to support, or at least not try to stop, legislation to ban bump stocks and close mental health loopholes. Raising the age limit for purchasing the AR-15 would be a lot tougher for them to swallow. Still, they realize that their biggest advantage has been winning elections. The stakes have never been higher for the NRA than in the 2018 midterm elections. And the president of the United States has publicly said the NRA wants to cut some sort of gun-control deal, so they'll need to find some safe ground.

... THE WHITE HOUSE HAS A CHALLENGE TOO. They need to come to some sort of conclusion about what they want to do, what they will support and what can become law. Since the shooting in Florida, PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP has floated everything from changing the age for purchasing some weapons to finding military veterans -- some of whom have won sharpshooting contests -- and arming them in the classroom. 

... THEY'RE IN THE FANTASY PHASE AT THE MOMENT because arming teachers is extraordinarily unlikely to happen. Giving teachers the mandate to carry guns in the classroom would bring up a whole host of questions that seem incredibly difficult to answer. First of all, the president says the teachers he'd seek to arm are 20-year military veterans who are comfortable handling weapons. We have to imagine, among the 3.2 million public school teachers, relatively few of them are military veterans who are proficient with guns, and eager to carry them in the classroom. Plus, who pays for the weapons, regulates the program, etc. etc.

PLUS, show us a pathway to get to 218 votes in the House, and 60 votes in the Senate. Spoiler alert: it doesn't exist.

JOSH HOLMES, a former chief of staff to Mitch McConnell, advocated on Twitter yesterday for securing schools: @holmesjosh: "Serious question: if you can provide secure access at every government building across the country, why can't we do it at public schools?" Something like this would be massively expensive, but expect this idea to pick up steam.

NOTE: THE HOUSE has canceled Wednesday and Thursday votes due to plans to have Billy Graham lie in honor in the Capitol. The chamber will be in session Monday night and Tuesday. The Senate hasn't changed its plans.

INSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE -- "'We're going to take action': Inside Trump's shifting stance on gun rights," by WaPo's Ashley Parker and Phil Rucker. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d4bb935e4a096804eaf4b1be8d6d8819d9567d39faa21fbf51fae34c082b9eab62d7ceabb17814ce4649e46a5c1b91ca

DEMOCRATIC POLLSTER AND STRATEGIST DOUG SOSNIK speaks to CHARLIE MAHTESIAN, JOHN HARRIS and NANCY COOK: Intro from Harris: "In his latest analysis -- which coincides with the National Governors Association's arrival Friday for its annual Washington meeting -- Sosnik argues that the long-term future of American politics hinges on a roster of gubernatorial and legislative races in key states. 

"A combination of Donald Trump's unpopularity and significant demographic shifts in once-solid Republican suburbs has given Democrats an opportunity-more perishable than many observers realize-to reverse a 'lost decade' after their disastrous performance in 2010 elections. Republicans currently control both the governor's mansion and state legislature in 26 states, while Democrats do the same in only 8 states. The GOP used that power to draw congressional districts to its advantage after the 2010 census, and Democrats should have an overwhelming focus on reversing this dynamic after the 2020 census. ... 

"Doug Sosnik: [In] the last three midterm elections, there was a repudiation of how the public had voted in the previous presidential elections. And the question is, is it going to be a good year for Democrats, is it going to be a great year for Democrats, or can this be another tsunami kind of election? And I think the signals right now are mixed." The conversation and Sosnik's famous slides http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d4bb935e4a096804a77c46a589a6313b5bb86a4c8303b9e009d540ae2e642acae17b25ea8984f72520cce2b1cb6442a8

****** A message from PhRMA: New report from Express Scripts shows spending on medicines grew just 1.5 percent in 2017, which is the smallest increase since the company began tracking spending 25 years ago. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06eb77d881f5129dd788d77f5ab01dc079072ff0bd0824852f897c9d653f8fb4a12a69f87b63ab7bdf85788a8a23eb7 ******

SIREN -- GABE DEBENEDETTI on FORMER HOUSE BUDGET CHAIRMAN JOHN KASICH -- "Kasich's team gears up for possible 2020 bid": "John Kasich's inner circle is gearing up for a possible presidential run in 2020 - actively weighing the prospect of a Republican primary challenge to President Donald Trump against the feasibility of a long-shot general election campaign as an independent.

"And there's one consideration driving their thinking perhaps more than any other: what some of his advisers consider the very real, maybe even likely, possibility that Trump doesn't run again - by choice or not - or that the president becomes so politically hobbled by late next year that the political landscape fundamentally shifts in Kasich's favor. That's one reason Kasich has yet to decide whether to pursue an independent bid or a primary challenge. ... 

"None of this is to say Kasich is a go for 2020. But his activity has undergone a marked shift from just a few months ago, when Kasich and his allies repeatedly denied any interest whatsoever in the White House, even as he embarked on a book tour." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d4bb935e4a096804e5e30791e66557e6f2d58db62a22c7fef7d1858f4ffb59ba87fb312e9596c18406ee09e16022c798

HAPPENING TODAY -- NEW SANCTIONS ... "Trump administration to target North Korea with new sanctions on Friday," by Reuters' Steve Holland: "The Trump administration plans to announce on Friday what is being billed as the largest package of sanctions yet against North Korea to increase pressure on Pyongyang for its nuclear and ballistic missile tests, a senior administration official said. President Donald Trump is expected to talk about the new sanctions during a mid-morning speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference, and the Treasury Department will get into the details later in the day."  http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d4bb935e4a096804c8c618104c213144689ecbb09971a363513a3b8cc752de69625fed727c9e487a75764d106e807106

SCOOP -- "Mattis expected to back allowing transgender troops to stay in the military," by WaPo's Dan Lamothe, Anne Gearan and Josh Dawsey: "Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is expected to propose to President Trump that transgender members of the U.S. military be allowed to continue serving despite the president's call last summer for a ban on all transgender service members, according to two U.S. officials with knowledge of the issue. The defense secretary was scheduled to brief the president Wednesday, but the meeting was postponed and will occur soon, officials said."  http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d4bb935e4a096804c0bf8575b8431e421cf0e510173c192b2df6b84a801d0c816292307e91b9039183d643e2b6ae7ebc

ELANA SCHOR: "Gillibrand urges Senate to take up harassment policy overhaul": "Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is urging her chamber's leaders to follow the House in taking up a bipartisan overhaul of its rules for policing workplace misconduct. The New York Democrat made a simple push on Friday, asking that her Capitol Hill harassment reform proposal get a stand-alone vote or be included in next month's must-pass government spending bill.

"'Something must be done. The House has acted, now it is time for the Senate to do its part,' Gillibrand wrote to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) in a letter obtained by POLITICO." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d4bb935e4a096804f7b34f3fabe07b66295cd8eb462b2583c008c783000887a9cc7a39ef1580e64f7fa105569b59e50e

THE MUELLER REPORT ... 

-- "Sources: Mueller probe stymies Kushner security clearance," by CNN's Shimon Prokupecz, Jeremy Diamond and Dana Bash: "Jared Kushner has been unable to obtain a full security clearance in part because of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, is unlikely to obtain the full clearance as long as the special counsel's probe is ongoing, one of the sources said. Kushner's application for a top-level security clearance has been held up for over a year in part because it cannot be completed while the special counsel's team continues to probe Kushner's contacts with
 Russians and his financial dealings with foreigners."  http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d4bb935e4a09680464272bca4c57a2d86763c11404414ceed6b4e6eca4c2eb74dc6b96f3a9dd8f80735e14105aca165c

-- "Gates formally retains veteran DC lawyer," by ABC News' Matthew Mosk and John Santucci: "Former Trump campaign aide Richard Gates has formally brought veteran Washington attorney Thomas Green into his case, according to an order of appearance filed late Thursday, a signal of potential movement in the special counsel case against him. Special Counsel Robert Mueller filed a raft of new charges against Gates and his longtime partner, Paul Manafort, just hours earlier. A former D.C. federal prosecutor himself, Green has represented a long succession of high profile political clients in well-known political scandals, such as Iran Contra and the Keating Five."  
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d4bb935e4a0968043261d2ac872e76d9d50e770c5b4960e81a2fb7a2e96d362c656b4815d39a927ebc801315bb3a14a0
 
-- "Mueller adds new tax, bank fraud charges against Manafort, Gates," by Josh Gerstein: "Special counsel Robert Mueller turned up the pressure on former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and aide Rick Gates, as a federal grand jury returned a new indictment Thursday charging the two men with tax and bank fraud. The new 32-count indictment returned by a grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia comes after Mueller separately charged the pair in Washington last year with money laundering and failing to register as foreign agents for their work related to Ukraine. 

 "The new indictment accuses Manafort and Gates of dramatically understating their income on federal tax returns filed from 2010 through 2014. The pair is also accused of bank fraud totaling more than $20 million tied to three loans Manafort applied for in connection with various homes he owns. In all, Manafort and Gates laundered more than $30 million in income, chiefly from their Ukraine work, the new indictment alleges. ... Some of the alleged bank fraud appears to have overlapped in time with the Trump campaign. ... Green has a reputation for negotiating plea deals in high-profile cases, but [former federal prosecutor Patrick] Cotter said he believes that if a plea deal with Gates was
 imminent, prosecutors would not have pulled the trigger on the new indictment." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06eb77d881f51295e4ce8ca9ea14342b4c6d36d546bc0ac68e1aede6f72028e4451aad99c5104943848583d59a4534d

INTERESTING DATA POINT ... "Over 30 Percent Of Applicants Want To Go To Law School Because Of Trump," by Above the Law's Kathryn Rubino: "Kaplan Test Prep conducted a survey of over 500 pre-law students and the results confirm the suspicions of many in the industry: the Trump Bump is real. Thirty-two percent of respondents said politics were a motivating factor in deciding to apply. The comments offered show that changes in policy by the Trump administration have prompted some to consider a career in the law."  http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06eb77d881f5129a5214eb6e887ce3ddf596cdd962cfd52c97d32d3d35fe94caf3e6e6332d9c1206bffc3d7ecd2ec98 

GOP RISING STAR GREITENS' FALL, CONT. -- STL POST DISPATCH: "Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens indicted for felony invasion of privacy," by Kevin McDermott and Robert Patrick: "Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens, who was swept into office in 2016 with a vow to clean up a corrupt state government, was indicted and booked Thursday on a felony invasion of privacy charge for allegedly taking and transmitting a non-consensual photo of his partly-nude lover shortly before that campaign started. ... 

"About 3:45 p.m., on the first floor of the Carnahan Courthouse in downtown St. Louis, a Post-Dispatch reporter saw Greitens being led down a hallway by several St. Louis city deputies. Officials later confirmed Greitens had been taken into custody and then booked at the St. Louis Justice Center. ... 

"Greitens, a Republican, declared his innocence in a written statement, and alleged the indictment is a 'misguided political decision' by a 'reckless liberal prosecutor.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06eb77d881f51296983622129a971d400d294d8efb8dedb9e8d88417774561d9c1d15f92f835a24d353d02276f0814a 

TRUMP'S FRIDAY -- The president is heading to CPAC this morning and will deliver a speech at the conservative conference. In the afternoon, he and the First Lady will greet Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his wife. Trump will meet and have a working lunch with Turnbull before holding a joint press conference. Trump will also meet with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

SUNDAY SO FAR - CBS' "Face the Nation": Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy. Political panel: Rachael Bade, David Nakamura, Reihan Salam and Shawna Thomas

-- NBC's "Meet the Press": Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.). Panel: David Brody, Helene Cooper, Josh Earnest, and Danielle Pletka

-- "Fox News Sunday": Florida Gov. Rick Scott ... Andrew Pollack, father of school shooting victim Meadow Pollack and Delaney Tarr, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School senior ... Panel: Karl Rove, Jonathan Swan, Kim Strassel, Donna Edwards. Power Player: Ray Stanford, Dinosaur Hunter

-- ABC's "This Week": Dana Loesch ... Ohio Gov. John Kasich ... Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper. Panel: Jonathan Karl, Cokie Roberts, Lanhee Chen, Julie Pace, Jorge Ramos

--CNN's "State of the Union": Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) 

-- CNN's "Inside Politics," hosted by John King: Margaret Talev, John McCormack, Julie Hirschfeld Davis, Sahil Kapur

          Playbook Reads         

PHOTO DU JOUR: A man shows his Trump yarmulke prior to the opening of CPAC 2018 on Feb. 22 National Harbor, Maryland. | Alex Wong/Getty Images

TEXAS TRIBUNE'S ABBY LIVINGSTON: "In rare move, national Democrats come out against primary candidate Laura Moser in bid for Culberson's seat": "The [DCCC] posted negative research on Moser, a Houston journalist vying among six other Democrats in the March 6 primary to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. John Culberson. 

"Democrats locally and nationally have worried that Moser is too liberal to carry a race that has emerged in recent months as one of the most competitive races in the country. The DCCC posting, which features the kind of research that is often reserved for Republicans, notes that Moser only recently moved back to her hometown of Houston and that much of her campaign fundraising money has gone to her husband's political consulting firm. It also calls her a 'Washington insider.'

"'Voters in Houston have organized for over a year to hold Rep. Culberson accountable and win this Clinton district,' [DCCC's Meredith] Kelly said. Then, referring to a 2014 Washingtonian magazine piece in which Moser wrote that she would rather have a tooth pulled without anesthesia than move to Paris, Texas, Kelly added: 'Unfortunately, Laura Moser's outright disgust for life in Texas disqualifies her as a general election candidate, and would rob voters of their opportunity to flip Texas' 7th in November.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06eb77d881f51295d93accc02fbc6fecf1da4331f45dd474eb8a25cdd20c33fd1c904bdb1c2dc5395af8f19316423cb 

FROM THE WHITE HOUSE TO WALL STREET -- "Dina Powell, Former Trump Adviser, Weighs Return to Goldman Sachs," by WSJ's Liz Hoffman: "Dina Powell, who until recently served as a top national-security adviser in the White House, is talking to Goldman Sachs about returning to the firm, according to people familiar with the matter.

"Ms. Powell spent a decade at Goldman before joining the Trump administration last year, and in recent weeks has discussed coming back ... Ms. Powell is discussing a position that would apply her foreign-policy experience to Goldman's operations and global client relationships, including sovereign-wealth funds and multinational companies, the people said. Executives have discussed giving Ms. Powell a seat on its powerful management committee, a collection of about 30 executives from different parts of the firm."  http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06eb77d881f5129d469dd3e5f1712881bcf19ef81d85c39adebfb10c1e524ce998dff27cabf28e6a4dcd313f6e00bef

HMM -- "Scott Walker wants to save Obamacare in Wisconsin," by Rachana Pradhan: "Wisconsin's Scott Walker, one of the nation's most militantly anti-Obamacare governors, is making strengthening the health care law a key plank of his reelection platform as Republicans fret over potential losses in November. Walker wants to prop up his Obamacare market with a $200 million program that would compensate health insurers for high-cost patients so they don't hike premiums for everyone. He also would enshrine Obamacare protections for people with pre-existing conditions.

"It's a startling turnabout for a chief executive who has repeatedly called for repealing and replacing the health law. But it could prove smart politics in a swing state where a Democrat recently flipped a seat in a state Senate district that Donald Trump carried by 17 points - a result Walker called a 'wake-up call' for state Republicans.

"Walker sought to get out in front of a potential issue by blaming Washington - and, of course, Obamacare - for individual coverage premiums that rose an average of 36 percent this year." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06eb77d881f51293fb1a43e80a11a99b1a23ce3e4c421aff43ae9a98c5cf618fc8e15795a2b5d8cc0f50c14b9e96d15

****** A message from PhRMA: Middlemen, like PBMs and insurers, have been shifting more of the costs of your health care to you for years - with deductibles increasing 300% since 2006. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06eb77d881f5129dd788d77f5ab01dc079072ff0bd0824852f897c9d653f8fb4a12a69f87b63ab7bdf85788a8a23eb7 ******

THE ADMINISTRATION ... "U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Will Remove 'Nation of Immigrants' From Mission Statement," by the Intercept's Ryan Devereaux: "The lead U.S. agency tasked with granting citizenship to would-be Americans is making a major change to its mission statement, removing a passage that describes the United States as a nation of immigrants. In an email sent to staff members Thursday and shared with The Intercept, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director L. Francis Cissna announced the agency's new mission statement." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06eb77d881f5129f660521425098dc76aea895d813040f588f77d55a5014a820a5bca2c6f9dedd68a0f83ec3aa309d5 

-- "Ryan move to replace election agency leader stirs outcry," by Eric Geller: "House Speaker Paul Ryan faced Democratic criticism Thursday after choosing not to renew the term of a federal agency head who has helped lead the charge on securing elections from hackers. 

"Matthew Masterson, chairman of the Election Assistance Commission, will depart once the Senate confirms a successor, three people familiar with the situation told POLITICO. His four-year term as a commissioner expired in December, but he has stayed while Ryan contemplated whom to recommend to President Donald Trump as a nominee for the seat. Ryan has decided that Masterson won't be on the list. Another commissioner was already scheduled to take the chairman's slot on Saturday, but Masterson could have remained as a commissioner if he were renominated."  http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06eb77d881f512925edacf69c5525b9f218a859408ef287427ad6a26f81632216f93d183dc7f7eafed6a29d65836076

BERNIE 2.0? -- "Bernie Sanders' Son Wants to Run for Congress. Not Everyone is on Board," by Vice's Alex Thompson: "Levi Sanders, Sen. Bernie Sanders only biological child, told VICE News that he is actively considering running for Congress in New Hampshire's 1st District, an open seat expected to be one of the most contested in the country in 2018.... 'The basic difference is that I'm a vegetarian and he's not,' Levi said of his father, adding that despite their policy similarities he would run his own campaign. Levi said he has talked to his dad about the race but declined to elaborate.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06eb77d881f51297a07051b9ba28eceb72b6447844757e32a464052eb47d6178066fbc1a534dde9f12d582cce10f63d

                  Playbookers         
SPOTTED: former VP Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden walking into Masseria last night to join other Biden Cancer Initiative board members for dinner ... former Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and Steve Clemons at the Fairmont Hotel's Juniper restaurant.

OUT AND ABOUT -- Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe and former First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe hosted a reception last night for supporters of the Democratic Governors Association at their home in McLean. SPOTTED (along with a number of governors): Joyce Aboussie, Don and Olwen Pongrace, Al Dwoskin, Glen Fukushima, Elizabeth Bagley, David Frederick and Sophie Lynn, Richard Sullivan, Josh Wachs, Mack McLarty and Peter O'Keefe.

OBAMA ALUMNI -- @brhodes: "Some news: I have a book coming out on June 12th: 'The World As It Is: A Memoir of the Obama White House' - my story of going to work for Barack Obama's campaign at 29 and walking out the door of the White House on the last day."  http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06eb77d881f5129bd6a584d2e81a981f307d0313cc43a24bbcb09bf979635e9594fcf098d73159c981657f6612129af

WEDDING -- Jordan Karem, special assistant to President Donald Trump and trip director, married Bianca Ktenas, a press assistant at the Department of Energy. Pool report: "They married at Waimanalo Beach in Oahu, Hawaii at a ceremony attended by family and friends. Karem previously served as press wrangler for Vice President Mike Pence during the 2016 campaign. They met in Washington, D.C. through Jordan's cousin." Pic http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06eb77d881f51296164c6c55b878aafbce00648c0e25da971f1fa4f398217b0b719fee70fe51bcc9fc9ec685ca6e3c5

ENGAGED -- Amanda Faulkner, a senior public policy analyst at Google DC, on Monday got engaged to Ben Khouri, press secretary for Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.). Pool report: "Ben proposed in front of the Dupont Circle apartment where Amanda was living when they started dating. The couple then took both sets of parents to dinner at Rose's Luxury, and met up with friends later that night at Rebellion. Ben and Amanda first met on July 4th, 2014, at a party hosted by mutual Kentucky friends." Pics http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06eb77d881f5129df273505e87cc4424b6b3a4fa66390cbe0c5c3313e3362e6e0cafe17134f83adc4fca6f142885bb4 ... http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06eb77d881f5129af99ac892ba16c6d6db2582b613ba5ee0508f315c65fbbfec246de4e442569900261b70f933b66b8 (Photo credit: Hunter Hawkins)

BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: S.E. Cupp, host of HLN's "SE Cupp Unfiltered". How she got her start in the media: "I was snapped for a feature in the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune at 7 years old and the seed was planted. I had won a local gymnastics competition. And that's not the truth. I've been a writer for as long as I remember. Writers gotta write. I'm lucky to call it my career." Read her Playbook Plus Q&A: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06eb77d881f51292683327fde3abc0c5bb4ce469ba945bd1d1b8eed4d42b5a17596f64c9af08ad02c23fa192cd7bb5b 

BIRTHDAYS: Frank Luntz is 56 ... Jim Manley ... Michael Dell is 53 ... Lois Romano, "celebrating with fam at Le Dip" (hat tips: Jeff Solnet and Kristen Holmes) ... Jennifer Epstein, White House reporter for Bloomberg News ... Marissa Mitrovich ... Texas Tribune reporter Patrick Svitek is 26 ... Courtney Matson, principal at BroadBranch Advisors ... Rebecca Chalif, head of comms at the Lean In Foundation (h/t Lily Adams) ... Ellie Cohen (h/ts Carla Frank and Anna Epstein) ... Neil Levesque, executive director of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College (h/t Jeff Grappone) ... Tommy Mattocks ... former de Blasio COS and DNC COO Amanda Howe ... Daniel Goetzel is 31 ...
 Gidon Feen ... BBC's Martine Croxall ... Joe Berkofsky, CEO at NYC-based Puder PR ... Rep. Kenny Marchant (R-Texas) is 67 ... Nicole Sexton, president and CEO of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (h/t birthday boy Arjun Mody) ... NRF's Ana Serafin Smith ... Flynn Chapman, project consultant at APCO Worldwide (h/t Jerri Ann Henry) ... Chris Martin, who handles Northeast regional press for the NRCC, is 28 (h/t girlfriend Jennifer Krantz) ... Leah Clapman, PBS NewsHour's managing editor for education (h/t Nick Massella) ... 

... Erenia Michell of Fox News ... Tom Pino, senior media buyer at GMMB, "hits his Larry Bird year" (h/t MacKenzie Miller) ... Gayle Smith, president and CEO of the ONE Campaign and former USAID administrator ... Benjamin Sternfield Baum, director of admissions at St. John's College in Annapolis ... Gary Karr, group director at WeissComm Group ... The Hill's Molly Hooper ... Dan Blair ... Derek Khanna of Boston Consulting Group ... Mike Nixon ... Marie McGrory ... Nikki McArthur, associate at Jones Day ... AT Johnston ... Business Insider's Reuben Ingber is 3-0 ... Jill Hudson ... Anna Chapman ... Lorin Meeks-Harris ... Bernie Robinson, partner at the Livingston Group ... Arjun Mody,
 principal at S-3 Group ... Dana Bohan, director at FTI Consulting ... Bernard Craighead ... Dwayne Marshall ... Natalia Arno ... Jake Decker ... Patrick Velliky, director of congressional affairs at Anthem ... Nate Goddard ... Zaina Shaath ... Charles Sweeney ... Colleen Loritz (h/ts Teresa Vilmain)

****** A message from PhRMA: While spending on medicines grew just 1.5 percent in 2017, unfortunately it doesn't feel that way for patients. More than one-third of a medicine's list price is often rebated back to middlemen, like insurers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). These discounts and rebates create savings of more than $100 billion, but insurers don't always share these savings with patients. Patients share the costs. They should share the savings. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06eb77d881f5129dd788d77f5ab01dc079072ff0bd0824852f897c9d653f8fb4a12a69f87b63ab7bdf85788a8a23eb7 ******

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