Subject: POLITICO Playbook, presented by Morgan Stanley: Census will add controversial question on citizenship status … Two more lawyers turn Trump down … POLITICO’s new home page
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Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2018 04:29:29 -0600
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Today's POLITICO Playbook presented by Morgan Stanley 
            
By JAKE SHERMAN ([email-masked]; @JakeSherman), ANNA PALMER ([email-masked]; @apalmerdc) 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         
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK -- JAY SOLOMON, the former chief foreign correspondent for the Wall Street Journal who was fired last year for what the paper considered an unethical relationship with a source, is now a senior director in APCO Worldwide's global solutions practice. He remains a visiting fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. For more on the incident, here is an AP story  http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=74bd598aa5e709ec14440d608535a3c93127fc0f5c5fde25212ba8fa4cbb4e113c094375f60b95801f292bde7f059007 ... And here is an essay by Jay giving his version of the events http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=74bd598aa5e709ec4bbc3124a9c4f8d95c5336bd05b88e15dc25203790f2f15eb365748e3c5f31500da64b2d797cd6ae 

WHAT THE SENATE IS BUZZING ABOUT ... In the last few days, people close to PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP have signaled that VA SECRETARY DAVID SHULKIN might be on his way out. There are several names bouncing around -- but Senate insiders are predicting a bruising confirmation battle for many of them. For example, Fox News personality Pete Hegseth would likely be a tough squeeze in the middle of an election year. And former Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) -- the chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee before he retired -- has lobbied the administration on behalf of the Qatari government, the Viettel Group -- Vietnam's major mobile company -- and a host of veterans-related concerns. 

... SPEAKING OF CONFIRMATIONS, Elana Schor and Burgess Everett: "The CIA is starting to share a bit of the covert past of Gina Haspel. But a lot more transparency may be required if the agency veteran is to become its next director.

"Senators who hold the keys to her confirmation are asking the CIA to provide more details on Haspel's role in using brutal interrogation tactics against detainees during the George W. Bush administration. Those requests, made by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and three Democrats on the intelligence committee, have so far been met with silence by the nation's spymasters.

"And in a chamber divided 51-49, with Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) already opposed to Haspel, the degree that the agency tries to tackle McCain's concerns could prove make-or-break for the nominee." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=74bd598aa5e709ecbe4c230213f6d501532501037dce3630e6a07104c607b19d32f1a3d4d25168b8b26cc95c76a3d98e 

BIG NEWS ... BRENT GRIFFITHS and ANDREW RESTUCCIA: "Census to add controversial question on citizenship status": "The 2020 U.S. Census will include a controversial question about citizenship status, the Commerce Department announced Monday night, a move that sparked outrage from Congressional Democrats, civil rights groups and liberal state attorneys general. 

"A spokeswoman for California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said the state will be suing the administration immediately. Before the announcement, Becerra and California Secretary of State Alex Padilla wrote in an op-ed that including a citizenship question would be 'illegal.' 'The Trump administration is threatening to derail the integrity of the census by seeking to add a question relating to citizenship to the 2020 census questionnaire,' the pair wrote in an op-ed in the San Francisco Chronicle. 

"'Innocuous at first blush, its effect would be truly insidious. It would discourage noncitizens and their citizen family members from responding to the census, resulting in a less accurate population count.' Eric Holder, who served as attorney general under President Barack Obama, also threatened to sue." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=74bd598aa5e709eca776deca6c2d9879880f0a53c1cc7a91025870f3f342096228b367d249f9ab567084365a3f02df83

CNN: "Mark Zuckerberg won't appear before UK lawmakers": "Facebook said in a letter to lawmakers dated Monday that it would make two senior executives -- but not Zuckerberg -- available to testify in the UK after Easter." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=74bd598aa5e709ec18c6c9769776f02cebd30fc09c6ee5c188d555b0ef9da3092e2e88d74c268493082ac32eea787e71 

-- HEADS UP: Zuck, this probably won't work in Washington. You'll probably need to come to at least one House and one Senate hearing. 

A QUICK SMILE ... GEORGE W. BUSH dancing at his nephew Pierce Bush's wedding http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=74bd598aa5e709ec1dfca0065d0b6b382f5a667b1e4575c633cb092a7c04b9651372081cd2824aee3536708517120df8 

Good Tuesday morning. EDITOR'S NOTE FROM CARRIE BUDOFF BROWN on the new POLITICO homepage: "[W]e're thrilled to unveil a new home page that is lighter, cleaner and better for showcasing the rich array of journalism we now produce. It reflects the more rounded news organization we are today: Scoops and fast-twitch reporting remain core to our DNA, but we know our readers also value high-impact investigations, must-read briefings, visual stories and infographics, video news packages and explainers, audio interviews and podcasts. ...

"This latest refresh is an effort to better serve our core audience of die-hards. Among the ways the new POLITICO home page will do that: - Better mobile experience ... More flexible layout for desktop ... Quick Pops: Readers will discover that the latest developments and the buzziest items are easier to find. ... POLITICO Magazine: We'll bring some of our best journalism to the top of your page and also provide a carousel of Magazine stories every day. - Highlighting more of our best stuff: ... There's always more: You'll always find the rest of the top headlines in The Feed. ... Better ad experience." Carrie's full editor's note http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=74bd598aa5e709ec43317faa00dbb92e8c903fefeb6bf1ceba4362bd39d9cfbb048b561fa5903d2a119de618ba041e2a ...
 Check out the new site http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=74bd598aa5e709ec8f4ce27496ba67a33125cba093e491787d42cf463c4d688d1c0f4e09b701f179ce96967ee5f41bf8

THANKS BUT NO THANKS -- "2 more attorneys turn down Trump," by Darren Samuelsohn: "A pair of veteran white collar lawyers have turned down President Donald Trump's offer to help lead his defense in the Russia probe, marking another setback for a legal team that's seen its numbers dwindle over the last week while it prepares for a potentially critical interview between the president and special counsel Robert Mueller.

"The law firm Winston & Strawn said Monday night that two of its partners - former federal prosecutors Tom Buchanan and Dan Webb - were approached by Trump but declined the job 'due to business conflicts.'

"'However they consider the opportunity to represent the president to be the highest honor and they sincerely regret that they cannot do so,' the law firm said. 'They wish the president the best and believe he has excellent representation in Ty Cobb and Jay Sekulow.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=74bd598aa5e709ec3931af67e6bb0c4d9fc41fab27518dfd23695697327c362f7b7a75b4d7ee228c1701212e01318b3b

WAPO'S BOB COSTA: "Larry Kudlow asks Gary Cohn's National Economic Council staff to stay on": "'It's a terrific staff and I've asked everyone to stay on,' Kudlow said Monday in an interview with The Washington Post. 'I've met with all of them and they're great.' Kudlow praised Shahira Knight, the NEC's deputy director for domestic policy, and Everett Eissenstat, who works on international issues, among others, as 'truly talented.' Additional hires are possible, Kudlow added, but he does not foresee major staff changes."  http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=74bd598aa5e709ec2317d2cdd00b0edea2b469072029a2a12d9e30715f103f5ea4f7e5e8edc98a66d1942a02d379f3c2

SCOOP - WHITE HOUSE DEPARTURE LOUNGE -- "Shulkin critic leaves White House to return to VA," by Lorraine Woellert: "Darin Selnick, a White House adviser and a top critic of Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin, has left the Domestic Policy Council and will return to a post at the VA. Selnick announced the news on Friday in an email obtained by POLITICO. He will be replaced by Drew Trojanowski, a legislative aide to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). ... 

"Selnick was pushed out of the agency last year after butting heads with Shulkin over privatization of veterans health services. At the White House, he began holding policy meetings without informing the VA secretary. Shulkin later told a confidant that moving Selnick out of the VA was his 'biggest mistake' because he did even more damage from the White House. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=74bd598aa5e709ec778a63e4bb4cd5decbabf2baf7d981fc73ad9df7c25202ca8ef4843f8ec213d06e8cb3d2837d1b1f

****** A message from Morgan Stanley: The long-anticipated return of volatility has arrived, shaking markets out of a relative calm. How bumpy will it get? An examination of past market sell-offs could help frame what happens next. Read more from Morgan Stanley. ******

MAGGIE HABERMAN SCOOP -- "Trump Talks of Bringing Back Rob Porter, Aide Accused of Spousal Abuse": "President Trump has stayed in touch with Rob Porter, the former White House staff secretary who stepped down after allegations that he had abused his two former wives came to light, according to three people familiar with the conversations, and has told some advisers he hopes Mr. Porter returns to work in the West Wing. 

"The president's calls with Mr. Porter have increased in the last few weeks, as the number of people he is close to in the White House has dwindled because of the large number of staff departures, the people familiar with the calls said. In Mr. Trump's orbit, few people are ever permanently exiled.

"He often sees aides who are subject to public criticism as extensions of himself, coming under fire because critics want to attack him, and he has described the Porter situation in those terms to some people, those briefed on the discussions said. The president has told the advisers he has talked with that he knows he probably cannot bring Mr. Porter back. But he has made clear that he misses the staff structure that Mr. Porter had helped build and implement ... Mr. Porter also served as a de facto deputy chief of staff for policy, playing a key role on issues like tariffs, and Mr. Trump spent as much as two hours a day with him."  http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=74bd598aa5e709ec9395d8b04c3653d9ed6eadbea7a93ee1ecbc14e3b1f15acd3f2da412228fcc85af3fcf624212e674

ON STORMY ... 

-- "'Not in a punch-back mode': Why Trump has been largely silent on Stormy Daniels," by WaPo's Ashley Parker, Phil Rucker and Josh Dawsey: "[P]rivately, the president has lobbed sharp attacks at Daniels and her media tour, calling her allegations a 'hoax' and asking confidants if the episode is hurting his poll numbers. The president even has griped to several people that Daniels is not the type of woman he finds attractive. Trump -- who was among the estimated 22 million Americans who watched the Daniels interview that aired Sunday night -- asked staff in the White House if they, too, had watched and wondered what they thought of it ... The president said that he personally did not think
 Daniels appeared credible."  http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=74bd598aa5e709ecf3628461738c9e3752a99ea5f0bdcbda5160852b1165ef27dde77b9230c6bb704d4aebb1266499bc

-- "Trump Can't Stop Tweeting, but Goes Silent on Stormy Daniels," by NYT's Mike Shear and Maggie Haberman: "After 61 weeks in the White House, President Trump has found two people he won't attack on Twitter: Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal. The verbose commander in chief has posted more than 2,900 times on Twitter since taking office ... But he has been uncharacteristically silent in recent days -- to the relief of his advisers -- as a pornographic film star and a Playboy model described intimate details of sexual encounters with Mr. Trump. ... Inside the White House, Mr. Trump is eager to defend himself against allegations that he insists are false, those close to him say. And he is
 growing increasingly frustrated with breathless, wall-to-wall news media coverage of the salacious details from the two women." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=74bd598aa5e709ecf149e84318dca4042e115f80a6c31dbf295b582418e7141dc19c54b3ee1f26e88fbc1f870a3e7510 

-- "Stormy Daniels sues Trump lawyer, says he defamed her, broke campaign finance law," by NBC News' Sarah Fitzpatrick and Tracy Connor: "The amended complaint alleges that Trump and Cohen 'aggressively sought to silence Ms. Clifford as part of an effort to avoid her telling the truth, thus helping to ensure he won the Presidential Election.' It goes on to say, 'the Hush Agreement was entered with the illegal aim, design, and purpose of circumventing federal campaign finance law.' 

"In essence, the suit argues that the agreement was meant to keep a lid on information that could damage Trump at the polls and thus functioned as an unreported in-kind campaign contribution way beyond the limit for individual donors. 'Defendants plainly intended to prevent American voters from hearing Plaintiff [Clifford] speak about Mr. Trump,' the suit says."  http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=74bd598aa5e709ec9e492778ffbd38e2e7b0baed11b83cd1773e636181d727099b604d41862b40b2dddeaab237e349ba

WALL STREET JOURNAL EDITORIAL -- "The Tale of Stormy Donald: His willful self-indulgence catches up to President Trump": "Every sentient voter in 2016 understood that Donald Trump had a bad history with women. He survived politically because his opponent had spent 20 years denying or apologizing for even worse behavior by her husband. But mistakes of character tend to catch up with everyone, and that's what is now happening with President Trump and his many women. ... 

"It's impossible to predict how all of this will play out politically. Many Trump partisans will refuse to believe it or claim it's irrelevant. But our guess is that at the margin this contributes to a growing public belief that Mr. Trump's personal flaws are undermining his chances for a successful Presidency." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=74bd598aa5e709ecf6e4768ba9c385378f8c115265074dbb93fa129859908f707a4ea1d5a5f9f74fdb434d48094e5ddf 

THE BIG-PICTURE POLITICAL IMPACT ... 

-- NYT's ALEX BURNS and JONATHAN MARTIN: "While Republicans have been bracing for months for a punishing election in November, they are increasingly alarmed that their losses may be even worse than feared because the midterm campaign appears destined to turn more on the behavior of the man in the White House than any other in decades.

"As much as gun control, immigration, the sweeping tax overhaul and other issues are mobilizing voters on the left and the right, the seamy sex allegations and Mr. Trump's erratic style could end up alienating crucial blocs of suburban voters and politically moderate women who might be drawn to some Republican policies but find the president's purported sex antics to be reprehensible." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=74bd598aa5e709ec68df70e7b7176102c88cfab58f948f40e34707396d33eb86e4aa1e482b02c294030d3eccba1cf137 

-- KARI LYDERSEN and MICHAEL SCHERER in WAPO: "Control of the U.S. House will be decided in America's next political battleground of aboveground pools, bike trails, and oversized Tudor and Victorian houses full of working professionals like Karrie Sullivan, a Republican voter who cast her primary ballot last week for a Democrat.

"In a suburb outside of Chicago, Sullivan is determined to replace her congressman, six-term Rep. Peter J. Roskam (R), whom she has supported in the past. His sin, she said, was his affiliation with President Trump. 'Just the lack of respect for women, the authoritarianism, it's too much,' said Sullivan, 47, a digital consultant. 'As a professional woman, it's very difficult for me to reconcile.' ... In Illinois' 6th Congressional District, 62,990 people voted Democratic last week for seven candidates, up from just 8,615 in the 2014 primary." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=74bd598aa5e709ec6c14616498e054adcf17ecfa37e7ffaf797c212cb4fe890fd0dc6bb71737f575807c693fca1eb604 

THE INVESTIGATIONS ... 

-- "White House Probes Loans to Kushner's Business," by WSJ's Byron Tau and Erica Orden: "White House attorneys are examining whether two loans totaling more than $500 million to Jared Kushner's family business may have violated any criminal laws or federal ethics regulations, according to a letter from a federal ethics agency made public Monday. The Office of Government Ethics told a Democratic lawmaker in the letter that the White House is probing whether a $184 million loan from the real-estate arm of Apollo Global Management LLC and a $325 million loan from Citigroup Inc. may have run afoul of the rules and laws governing the conduct of federal employees."  
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=74bd598aa5e709ec7baa2a385baa7c246dd7aeeb8f09232ec8d45868dcb1f465654288161596ff3e7e50ca5fdd4ad8a8

"GOP Fundraiser Sues Qatar Over Stolen Emails," by WSJ's Aruna Viswanatha and Rebecca Ballhaus: "Republican fundraiser Elliott Broidy sued Qatar on Monday, accusing the Middle East emirate of trying to discredit him by stealing and leaking emails that detailed his contacts with the Trump administration and Persian Gulf rival, the United Arab Emirates. ... According to Mr. Broidy's lawsuit, Qatar's representatives identified him as an impediment to their plan to improve the country's standing in Washington, and developed an effort to discredit him. The lawsuit is filed against the state of Qatar and one of the country's Washington-based lobbyists, Nick Muzin, of Stonington Strategies." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=74bd598aa5e709ecdc48fbd2687a6a1948c9294e5737b590793b2a5e18d0087eba32ac6ef1d435bad8a2d09c61d28418

-- QATAR's RESPONSE - from Jassim Al-Thani, media attach&eacute; for the State of Qatar in Washington, D.C.: "Mr. Broidy's lawsuit is a transparent attempt to divert attention from U.S. media reports about his activities. His lawsuit is without merit or fact. It is Mr. Broidy, not Qatar, who orchestrated nefarious activities designed to influence Congress and American foreign policy. It does not matter how many venues Mr. Broidy publishes his false accusations in, they will not become truth."

DEPT. OF PUSHING BACK AGAINST THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ... 

-- GINA McCARTHY and JANET McCABE in the NYT, "Scott Pruitt's Attack on Science Would Paralyze the E.P.A.": "Scott Pruitt ... said in an interview published in The Daily Caller last week that he would no longer allow the agency to use studies that include nonpublic scientific data to develop rules to safeguard public health and prevent pollution. Opponents of the agency and of mainstream climate science call these studies 'secret science.' But that's simply not true. Peer review ensures that the analytic methodologies underlying studies funded by the agency are sound. Some of those studies, particularly those that determine the effects of exposure to chemicals and pollution on health, rely
 on medical records that by law are confidential because of patient privacy policies." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=74bd598aa5e709ec3a6d7006db1ad428207e7df47b57d3fc1b0309de6e7f7891ca6efabb8f1a47f26676880b0f02e126 

-- "U.S. Experts Say Why Trump Should Support Iran Deal," by NYT's Rick Gladstone: "The Iran nuclear accord, assailed by President Trump and his revamped retinue of advisers, received a strong endorsement Monday from a bipartisan group of more than 100 national security veterans, who said the United States gains nothing by scrapping it. The group [includes] 50 retired military officers and at least four former American ambassadors to Israel ... They included the determination by United Nations inspectors that the accord is working; the importance of preserving close relations with major European allies, which all support the accord; and the possibility of reaching a nuclear agreement with
 North Korea, which might not negotiate if it believes that the United States abrogates international pledges." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=74bd598aa5e709ecb7cea9439a87667ab6885819bfcce8e737ebebabe51ccd209574848821c4247e4358ec7a7e594662

NOW HIRING! -- WASHINGTON, INC.: "Facebook in Hiring Spree for Washington Lobbyists Amid Scandal," by Bloomberg's Naomi Nix, Billy House and Bill Allison: "As a chorus of calls mounts for answers about its data practices, Facebook is looking to hire at least 11 people for policy-related positions in Washington, according to its website. The company started hiring new lobbyists last fall after revelations Russians exploited its platform to help elect President Donald Trump. ... Among the hires Facebook is seeking to make are privacy and public policy managers, a government outreach manager, associate general counsel positions, and a couple of policy managers to help draft positions on tech
 and video policy issues." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=74bd598aa5e709ec4a321223c7acd5213bf1be1735969a0b11fcaa7b232db9a3a26b2b231d28e8784933c03b09162734 

BIZARRE STORY DU JOUR -- "'The speaker is not resigning:' Ryan's office dismisses GOP lawmaker's rumor," by WaPo's Paul Kane: "A backbench Republican sparked the latest round of speculation Monday about Speaker Paul D. Ryan's future by suggesting other GOP lawmakers were bracing for the Wisconsin Republican to resign from office this spring. The suggestion, offered as 'rumor mill' by Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.), drew an immediate dismissal from Ryan's office.

"'The speaker is not resigning,' AshLee Strong, Ryan's spokeswoman, said in a statement. Amodei is not particularly close to the speaker, who has a small inner circle of advisers and who makes decisions about his political future with an even smaller round of confidants and family. ... 

"'The rumor mill is that Paul Ryan is getting ready to resign in the next 30 to 60 days and that Steve Scalise will be the new Speaker,' Amodei said Monday on 'Nevada Newsmakers,' a weekly news show. Scalise, who was seriously injured when he was shot at a congressional baseball practice last June, currently serves as majority whip, the No. 3 post in leadership. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is Ryan's top deputy." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=74bd598aa5e709ec76595811b10b0f627913af0167492373744e06296ecb7d2378c264929fc4d2a0e21b480377f46178 

-- THERE ARE MANY REASONS this riff from Amodei was a bit ridiculous, not least because it was predicated on the idea that Scalise would waltz into the speakership with Kevin McCarthy's OK. 

2020 WATCH -- ISAAC DOVERE interviews PETE BUTTIGIEG in Topeka, Kansas in the latest "Off Message" podcast: "Pete Buttigieg's PAC is investing money here -- but also in Georgia, Arizona, Michigan and Colorado. And Iowa, per an announcement coming Tuesday. Next month, he'll campaign in Ohio.

"It's not happenstance. Nor is keeping on Lis Smith, the hard-charging political operative who makes sure he's constantly in the news. Or keeping up with Obama strategist David Axelrod, who recommended he hire Smith in the first place for the Democratic National Committee chair race that put him on Democrats' radar last year. Or quietly building relationships over dinners and drinks with big-name Democrats, or courting national reporters, or wooing donors for his PAC, or digging in on political advertising research.

"Buttigieg is getting closer to a presidential race. And serious people are telling the South Bend, Indiana mayor, who'd be the first major presidential candidate who's either openly gay or an Afghanistan veteran or a millennial, to take it seriously." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=74bd598aa5e709ec597f464309d0a050fe5bb2738d537f0b260cb01fe9998aefc18e974d3e7b3e5cc221d4939880eab5 

TRUMP'S TUESDAY -- The president will sign a proclamation for "Education and Sharing Day" this afternoon. He will then meet with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. In the evening, Trump will have dinner with supporters at a private residence in D.C.

PLAYBOOK POOL UPDATE -- DOWN TO FOUR: THE FINAL FOUR begins Friday in San Antonio, with matchups between Loyola-Chicago and Michigan, and Villanova and Kansas. Taras Stratelak of Rimforest, California, has a four-point lead over Chris Linsmayer of Denver. Rich Levesque, of Trenton, New Jersey, and Chad Kreikemeier of D.C. are in the hunt. 

-- ON OUR VIP BOARD: Seema Mehta, political reporter for the Los Angeles Times leads the way, and Rachel Adler, a talent agent from CAA, and lobbyist Brian Ballard of Florida are close behind. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.), Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza, and Republican attorney Charlie Spies are also near the top of the board- but Adler and Pascrell are among the many to have picked Virginia to win the championship, all but eliminating their chances of winning. 

YOU'RE INVITED ... Join us for our first Playbook University in North Carolina with GOV. ROY COOPER on THURSDAY at Penn Pavilion at Duke University. Doors open at 11:45 a.m. RSVP http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=74bd598aa5e709eca12a268335e9f895e238406a9767ca67452dd78789c35fb85c80e1b15d9856124ce8d9378f95af0e

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PHOTO DU JOUR: Former President Jimmy Carter greets guests as he signs copies of his new book "Faith: A Journey For All" at a book signing event on March 26 in New York City. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images

ANOTHER SPECIAL ELECTION DISASTER FOR THE GOP? ... ELENA SCHNEIDER and ALEX ISENSTADT: "GOP scrambles to avert another election dumpster fire": "Two weeks after the party's stunning defeat in a conservative district in southwestern Pennsylvania, Republicans are funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars into Arizona's 8th district, which President Donald Trump won by over 20 percentage points in 2016.

"The [NRCC] on Monday launched a coordinated, $170,000 TV buy with the campaign of candidate Debbie Lesko, according to a source familiar with the purchase. The Congressional Leadership Fund, a deep-pocketed GOP super PAC, is planning to spend around $100,000 on a phone and digital effort aimed at turning out conservative voters. Early voting starts on Wednesday.

"The [RNC], meanwhile, is spending around $280,000 on a field operation to bolster Lesko. She's running to replace former GOP Rep. Trent Franks, an eight-term congressman who resigned from his seat last year after reports that he pressed female aides to serve as a surrogate mother. Trump's political team is also considering a range of options for getting involved in the race." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=74bd598aa5e709eced52cc722240fa0425ec30f66c31e4ab9abede2d926905f2e9f19ea9e0b99bc967aa95c96248683f 

PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION -- "Suspicious Packages Found at Several Military Installations in D.C. Area" -- NBC Washington: "The FBI is investigating suspicious packages with apparent explosive components at several U.S. military installations and intelligence facilities in the Washington, D.C., area Monday, a law enforcement official said. The National Defense University at Fort McNair in D.C. received a suspicious package about 8:30 a.m., and the building was evacuated. 

"The package tested positive for black powder, which can be used to make explosives ... An X-ray showed what appeared to be GPS and a fuse. ... Suspicious packages were sent to two sites at Fort Belvoir in Virginia Monday afternoon: The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and another defense university. One contained liquid in a vial and a circuit board." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=74bd598aa5e709ec9b9b23498b4b165a48a80c9df1d9f8bdc69e3a5f3054d85c5a2bf2e47351d2880c2a7dcc7efcd3ba

****** A message from Morgan Stanley: Volatility is back, shaking markets out of a relative calm. How bumpy will it get? An examination of past market sell-offs could help frame what happens next. Read more from Morgan Stanley. ******

MEDIAWATCH -- "Trump's Publisher Pal Puts Saudi Propaganda Magazine in U.S. Supermarkets," by the Daily Beast's Spencer Ackerman: "A nearly 100-page magazine published by Donald Trump's allies at American Media Inc. is providing a different kind of celebrity gossip than the American supermarket shopper is used to seeing. It's selling America on a fellow Trump ally, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. ... 

"Greeting MBS on newsstands is a high-quality glossy advertisement for MBS, The New Kingdom. It retails for $13.99, has no ads and its 200,000 copies can be found in venues ranging from U.S. airports to WalMart, Safeway and Kroger's - raising questions about the magazine's financing and its origins."  http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=74bd598aa5e709ec87d562dda6311606d0bc9202806594b2cfb2ad60a5a45c1ec27c63bfe70e4a37e6ba8ab0de99c935

JESSICA YELLIN, formerly of CNN, is publishing her first novel, per Page Six: "When asked if anyone at CNN or other networks had inspired Natalie Savage or her other characters, Yellin coyly explained, 'I'll just say this is a work of fiction.' The book -- which gives insight into how news networks operate and what life is like for a female reporter -- is due for release next year. But given that it touches on many themes relevant to today, we only hope the publishers will decide to release it sooner." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=74bd598aa5e709ecb8f9e1fba4b0855490d600d6a8907467c3f2aa930d93c01be0ccc2fc6679aea2f659456f59da0230

REMEMBERING LINDA BROWN -- Topeka Capital-Journal's Tim Hrenchir: "Linda Brown, who as a little girl in Topeka was at the center of the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision that ended school segregation in the United States, has died at age 76. ... Linda Brown's father, Oliver Brown, became the lead plaintiff in the Brown v. Board case after attempting to enroll her in 1951 in the all-white Sumner Elementary School near the family's home in Topeka. He was rebuffed and told his daughter had to attend the all-black Monroe School, about two miles from their home. The Topeka school district maintained 18 elementary schools for white children and four for black children." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=74bd598aa5e709ec1b6ece3dcf37fe99ce0b7b73e7c3e2c7abab80e6c9f89e6f45bc99cd2c1effd9cf21ec3745bbcb7d

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BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: MSNBC correspondent Jacob Soboroff is 35. How he got his start in TV: "I was an advance guy for Mayor Bloomberg when in college at NYU. That job gave me the tools to do what I do today: listen to people and soak up every last piece of information possible and, then, turn around and share it with the 'boss.' Then, the 'boss' was Mike Bloomberg. Today, it's our viewers. That was my start. My first real job in television was at AMC right around the time that 'Mad Men' started, and I was doing red carpet interviews at movie premieres. It turns out that trying to wrangle super famous people -- who don't want to talk with you -- was the best training I could have ever gotten
 for chasing down politicians on the floor of the 2016 conventions." Read his Playbook Plus Q&A: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=74bd598aa5e709ec71774606b737edfd95fe83fd13a528dfcb9ae704b383d3c360b6408e6ef2f26ac5f5dfe75a7fe13f 

BIRTHDAYS: Brad Rateike, director of cabinet comms at the White House (hat tips: Lindsay Walters and Judd Deere) ... Joel Johnson, a managing director at Glover Park Group ... Natalie Buchanan, member services and coalition director for House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) ... Sally Kohn, author of "The Opposite of Hate: A Field Guide to Repairing Our Humanity" ... Peter Wallace, senior managing director at Blackstone, is 43 ... Steve Atkiss, Bush 43 CBP chief of staff and deputy director of White House advance (h/t Ed Cash) ... Meredith Artley, editor in chief and SVP of CNN Digital worldwide ... Rachel Semmel, director of media relations at District Media Group ... Frank Sadler
 ... Liz Johnson, assistant director of public affairs at ICE (h/ts Brianna Puccini and Jeff Grappone) ... former Rep. Susan Molinari (R-N.Y.), who is now at Google (h/t Mistique Cano) ... Alberto Martinez, EVP for public affairs of Targeted Victory and former COS for Sen. Rubio (h/t Zac Moffatt) ... Politico's Stephanie Beasley and Alexandra Glorioso ... Rep. Tom Garrett (R-Va.) is 46 ... Jonathan Beam is 32 ... Billy Moore, partner at Vianovo ... Ilya Aspis ... Caren Street ... David Mitrani ... William Fine ... 

... Niki Christoff, SVP for strategy and gov't relations at Salesforce, celebrating in Paris (h/t Tammy Haddad) ... Mark Bergman is 36 ... Lauren Dikis, Cory Booker's finance director ... Politico alum Elizabeth Kaplan ... Morgan Manousos, journalist at "Inside Edition" ...Edelman's Erin Schwille ... Katie Johnson, former OMB lawyer and personal secretary for President Obama ... Laura Driscoll of Sen. Gillibrand's office (h/ts David Molina and Mallory Howe) ... Quentin Aries ... J.B. Jennings, minority leader of the Maryland State Senate ... Vlad Gutman ... Mac Schneider ... Alex Aragon ... Anne Marie Gunther ... Allison Bumgardner ... Bush alum Betsy Martin ... John Pomfret is 59 ... Wilma
 Vilmain ... Liz Martinez Baldick ... Scott Giles ... Sean Kelly ... Rachel Shapiro, state/local media manager for the Manhattan Institute ... Julie Hendricks-Atkins ... Sarah Fenn ... Butch Ekstrom ... Tam Jetter Sonnen ... Gina McClernon Twining ... Lane Bailey, CEO at Advocom Group.

****** A message from Morgan Stanley: The long-anticipated return of volatility has arrived, shaking markets out of a relative calm. How bumpy will it get? An examination of past market sell-offs could help frame what happens next. Morgan Stanley analysts are tracking measures of volatility closely for signals. In previous sell-offs within this bull market (and since 2009, there have been a few), volatility tends to peak before stocks ultimately find a bottom. This happened in August 2011, August 2015, June 2016, and over time, it will become clear whether this pattern could apply again today. The takeaway for investors? Sharp declines often set up better-than-average 12-month returns. But
 investors need to be ready to weather increased volatility, and choppy markets, in the immediate aftermath. These lessons seem especially relevant considering how excessively calm financial markets have been in recent months. Read more from Morgan Stanley. ******

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