Subject: POLITICO Playbook, presented by Delta Air Lines: Trump comes out swinging at NATO summit
From: "Anna Palmer Jake Sherman Daniel Lippman" <[email-masked]>
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Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2018 04:33:03 -0600
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Today's POLITICO Playbook presented by Delta Air Lines 
            
By ANNA PALMER ([email-masked]; @apalmerdc), JAKE SHERMAN ([email-masked]; @JakeSherman) and DANIEL LIPPMAN ([email-masked]; @dlippman)
        
Today's Audio Briefing
                  Driving the Day         
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP mostly dispensed with the niceties this morning in Brussels, and threw verbal bombs at Germany and NATO during his first day in Europe.

AT A MORNING BREAKFAST WITH NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Trump said that Germany is a captive and is "totally controlled" by Russia because it made a "massive oil and gas deal" with Vladimir Putin's country -- an apparent reference to the Nord Stream II pipeline. He essentially said the U.S. is paying to defend Germany, as Germany makes Russia richer. Other presidents have been opposed to this situation, Trump said, but no one has been as forceful about it. Trump mentioned that former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is an executive with the company, hinting that the deal was not totally on the level.

TRUMP ALSO BROUGHT UP what he sees as Germany's skimping out on defense and NATO spending, saying that they could increase their outlays tomorrow if they wanted. He said the whole situation is patently unfair to U.S. taxpayers.

IN THE ROOM: Staunch NATO defenders such as chief of staff John Kelly and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who formerly held a NATO post. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Trump's ambassador to NATO and a former senator from Texas, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo were also in the room. Trump tweeted the video http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=3d23c5820e3e797938a364a88b35e9683967f81dc9e8d977c5150dc7d2b0b58b774c266fb3f9d697ff4d6e79d8cf7296 

READ POLITICO EU'S DAVID HERSZENHORN, who is covering the summit in Brussels for us http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=3d23c5820e3e797944a8295c16deaec8a96e296123a931e62266b51986cb255cb3837437e71dd7d274d6c10f3b99ad33 

WSJ'S REBECCA BALLHAUS in BRUSSELS: "A NATO official said that expectations were very low for the summit, given Mr. Trump's unabashed criticism of Germany. 'The mood ahead of the G-7 was also quite bad and still it ended worse than expected,' the official said." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=3d23c5820e3e79791b70b515b9e0602c4adeeab1550631e6abee15b6ef209a832b937100a97cc346d76f75fd398a0a95 

WSJ'S VALENTINA POP: "Funny @jensstoltenberg. Asked how the breakfast with @realDonaldTrump went, he smiled and said: 'We had excellent orange juice and toast. We had a good breakfast. Paid by the US.' #NATOSummit2018 #germany #bashing"

SPLIT SCREEN ... TWO AMERICAS ... The Senate yesterday overwhelmingly cleared a resolution supporting NATO. It passed 97-2.

SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS told reporters that Trump will have "a pull-aside meeting" with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at 3:15 p.m. and with French President Emmanuel Macron at 4 p.m. "There will be no coverage of either meeting. Sanders said she would brief the pool afterward to read out," according to pooler Julie Davis of the New York Times.

-- CNN'S BARBARA STARR will sit down with Stoltenberg for an exclusive interview that will air on the network later today.

TRUMP and first lady Melania Trump will meet Friday with the Queen of England at Windsor Castle. From the palace: "Her Majesty will welcome the President and the First Lady Melania Trump at the dais in the Quadrangle of the Castle. A Guard of Honour, formed of the Coldstream Guards, will give a Royal Salute and the U.S. national anthem will be played. President Trump will inspect the Guard of Honour before watching the military march past and will then join the Queen for tea with the First Lady."

BREAKING ... KEVIN MCCARTHY RAISES AN ASTOUNDING $12 MILLION IN Q2 ... HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER KEVIN MCCARTHY raised $12,120,531 into his four fundraising committees, a sum that insiders believe is the highest quarterly take by a majority leader. 

MCCARTHY has raised $40 million this cycle, and has raised and contributed $20 million for other House Republicans in events in D.C. and around the country. 

-- WHAT THIS MEANS: Since 2009, the California Republican has been traveling the country, helping raise money and recruit candidates for the GOP. But now, McCarthy is putting together an impressive fundraising resume that will, at some point, make a case for why he thinks he should lead the party. Piling up eight-figure fundraising quarters is a big deal, and usually reserved for the speaker and minority leader. Plus, Republicans will need every last dime of this cash if they want a chance at keeping their majority come this fall. 

NYT'S MIRIAM JORDAN, KATIE BENNER, RON NIXON and CAITLIN DICKERSON on A1 with a PHOENIX dateline: "As Migrant Families Are Reunited, Some Children Don't Recognize Their Mothers": "One mother had waited four months to wrap her arms around her little boy. Another had waited three months to see her little girl again. When the reunions finally happened Tuesday in Phoenix, the mothers were met with cries of rejection from their children.

"'He didn't recognize me,' said Mirce Alba Lopez, 31, of her 3-year-old son, Ederson, her eyes welling up with tears. 'My joy turned temporarily to sadness.' For Milka Pablo, 35, it was no different. Her 3-year-old daughter, Darly, screamed and tried to wiggle free from her mother's embrace.

"The tearful reunions - ordered by a court in California - came as the government said that it would release hundreds of migrant families wearing ankle bracelet monitors into the United States, effectively returning to the 'catch and release' policy that President Trump promised to eliminate.

"Faced with a pair of court orders restricting immigration detentions, federal officials said that they could not hold all of the migrant families who had been apprehended. They said that their hands were tied by dueling requirements to release children from detention after 20 days and also to keep them with their parents or other adult relatives." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=3d23c5820e3e79799fac0e0119d7c7d8ff5d841d9bad90dbfba79f163b0f2ef6e01cb134beaa0d1ba49ff9976850e60b 

Good Wednesday morning. FRUSTRATION BUILDS ... WAYS AND MEANS CHAIRMAN KEVIN BRADY (R-Texas) Tuesday night called for Trump to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping amid an increasingly intense trade war. This statement comes after Trump announced $200 billion in new tariffs on China. Doug Palmer and Adam Behsudi on details of the tariffs, which includes "seafood, minerals, chemicals, and personal care items, such as shampoo and soap ... [and] a number of consumer products such as handbags, luggage, gloves and paper" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=3d23c5820e3e7979c75e00b1a9a99d41f7686dcd9377b950ebedfa1aee0832b24ac7745fc177463b6be20d2a594bd4d5 ... The new tariff list from USTR http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6127258c3d6b3879f5d7538114610b2ce7b7959844870187cdafc02e0c98be4b3517b8ed6846961de8762196c4ed843b 

BRADY: "With this announcement, it's clear the escalating trade dispute with China will go one of two ways - a long, multi-year trade war between the two largest economies in the world that engulfs more and more of the globe, or a deliberate decision by President Trump and President XI to meet and begin crafting an agreement that levels the playing field between China and the U.S. for local farmers, workers and businesses."

****** A message from Delta Air Lines: At Delta, we're committed to donating 1% of our net profits to charitable organizations around the world. Delta contributed over $40 million to charities and nonprofits in 2017, and we look forward to continuing our support for years to come. For more information about Delta, visit www.delta.com. ******

NATASHA KORECKI in CHICAGO: "Pence launches Midwest damage control mission": "Vice President Mike Pence begins a campaign swing through the Midwest on Wednesday designed to fire up the base in three battleground House districts. But there's also a secondary mission: damage control.

"In the face of a trade war that intensified just four days ago, Pence is quietly setting up one-on-one meetings with major Midwestern donors where he is prepared to blunt concerns over an escalating situation that's beginning to wreak havoc on markets, farmers and employers across the region. ...

"The vice-president's trip ... will take him to Kansas City, Cedar Rapids and Chicago, where he'll meet privately with big donors and attend fundraisers for three embattled Republican House incumbents." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6127258c3d6b3879693cea4757400298644aa302c0840c9266b1081e423d2f3693c06f1ab4c9a85f2c93e23741288589 

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK ... COMING ATTRACTIONS ... NEW HOUSE GOP MESSAGE: "BETTER OFF NOW" ... HOUSE REPUBLICAN CONFERENCE CHAIRMAN CATHY MCMORRIS RODGERS of Washington State will unveil a new "messaging theme" at a closed party meeting this morning in the Capitol: "Better Off Now." The 2016 election slogan was "A Better Way." CMR will show a glossy minute-and-half video with Republican lawmakers touting what they see as their achievements of the last two years, making the case that Americans are better off now due to Republican policies. IN THE VIDEO: Speaker Paul Ryan, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise and a bunch of rank-and-file lawmakers. The video  
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6127258c3d6b38797fb6f251c72194e49a6bef2dc1b4e19a4448ddd1ad9a9e11cf210906dac995e27c8cdf7d5be06d40 ... The Better.gop website  http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6127258c3d6b387999d4c7d9fae8dd041a78ff8cab457cd4e892510aa383f719bdc6ec0774b1afafc73132064d776a34 

MEANWHILE ... RACHAEL BADE and JOHN BRESNAHAN: "Jordan steps up defense amid sex abuse firestorm": "Embattled conservative Rep. Jim Jordan is stepping up his efforts to fight accusations that he ignored sexual abuse decades ago, allegations that threaten to tarnish his reputation and undermine his standing in Congress.

"The Ohio Republican's allies - from lawmakers on Capitol Hill to former wrestlers at Ohio State University - have released statements of support or gone on TV defending Jordan's character. He has also hired a conservative-leaning public relations firm to help him deal with the media furor, Shirley & Banister Public Affairs. The group launched a new website Monday: StandWithJimJordan.com.

"'We reached out to Jim as soon as we saw the story,' said Diana Banister, who is leading Shirley & Banister's work for Jordan. 'We reached out to the congressman because he's a friend. He has a situation on his hands, and we wanted to be of help, of counsel, whatever we could do for him.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6127258c3d6b38798ef076f9d9110dcd41325f3fee1e78ae4fd75e11a30268c2f898187a8bc6336837a3b0fc57d0fec9

JOHN HARRIS and MATT NUSSBAUM on BRETT KAVANAUGH... THE CAREERIST -- "If Brett Kavanaugh's swift, steady climb up the American legal ladder clears one more rung, the Supreme Court of the United States will have a majority of justices, five of them, who as young adults previously worked there in intensely coveted positions as clerks.

"It will have seven justices who before joining the Court worked in pivotal chapters of their careers as favored subordinates to powerful figures in Washington, D.C. It will have eight people who served tenures on federal appellate courts. And it will have nine justices - all of them - who took their legal educations at Harvard or Yale. This actually represents no change, since retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy also went to Harvard.

"Kavanaugh's ascension would further ratify a trend that has been building for a generation: The Court has become stocked with careerists.

"A generation of apple-polishers and resume jockeys is one byproduct of the decades-long partisan war over control of the Court. Legal interest groups, such as the conservative Federalist Society, identify like-minded activists and scholars they hope will someday serve on appellate courts and the Supreme Court early in their professional lives. Presidents want to nominate justices who won't offer personal or ideological surprises in the confirmation process or once on the bench." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6127258c3d6b387908b5d1ec19c09eb146f77b64973fb7870f9a341220d4be294b48b6a76c4423c96cbd714c0d31f2be

THE OPPOSITION -- "Kavanaugh's words on presidential probes come back to haunt him," by Darren Samuelsohn: "[I]t's Kavanaugh's more recent writings and comments warning about the dangers of such sprawling probes - including that sitting presidents should not be subjected to criminal investigations - that are already being weaponized by Democrats eager to protect special counsel Robert Mueller's work and sink President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6127258c3d6b387924dbbd6247c09ada3b72e2eb326aa1a48c52b87c0570c163b9a2a0f1f7e40d6de4948d9857d953c4 

-- FIRST IN PLAYBOOK via ELANA SCHOR -- GIFFORDS ADDS DIGITAL TO ANTI-KAVANAUGH PUSH: The gun control group Giffords, founded by former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.) and husband Mark Kelly, is adding nationwide Facebook ads to the grassroots mobilization campaign it launched yesterday against Kavanaugh. 

Kelly, a former astronaut, is featured in the ads urging supporters of gun control to call their senators urging opposition to Kavanaugh, who dissented in 2011 from a decision that found D.C.'s semi-automatic weapons restrictions to be constitutional. "Gabby and I need your help to protect the Supreme Court," Kelly says in the group's new video, calling Kavanaugh "a dangerous choice, vetted and approved by the NRA."

STEVEN SHEPARD: "Poll: Voters oppose abolishing ICE" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6127258c3d6b3879c2c422dbfe0bb34d2147eb53370d3a1760921671eb2cc4d6939e2c0e808b1a7e46e09b7aac18e3d3 

UNDERSTANDING ALEX AZAR -- "How the new face of the migrant crisis got stuck with the job," by Dan Diamond: "The low-key HHS secretary has spent the past three weeks as the chief punching bag for Donald Trump's policy of separating kids at the border, even though his agency didn't set the plan and it's not clear Azar even supports it.

"Azar stepped into the role of explainer-in-chief after Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen's widely panned press conference last month. The HHS secretary was nudged by the White House and also recognized that - with thousands of migrant children in his agency's custody - the sprawling crisis would inevitably land in his lap too. 'He didn't want the job - but no one did,' said an HHS official who works with Azar. 'And he's doing his best, but he stepped into the middle of a s*** storm. It's a tough situation.' ...

"Azar's been berated daily by lawmakers, advocates and cable TV pundits, who say he isn't working hard enough to put families back together. But there's no sign that the president has lost faith in his health secretary - and Azar is working hard to keep it that way, said a former HHS official who remains close to him. 'He wants to be Trump's Mr. Fix-it.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6127258c3d6b38791cf37bef7996260e661bcf275b0037104e17dc4057947e33ee67f91c75d3a2d408d3210ceea0e14a

-- MORE FROM DIAMOND: "Pfizer will roll back drug prices after discussion with Trump": "President Donald Trump today announced Pfizer would lower drug prices, although the pharma giant later clarified it would only temporarily roll back price hikes that went into effect July 1. ... 'The company will return these prices to their pre-July 1 levels as soon as technically possible, and the prices will remain in effect until the earlier of when the president's blueprint goes into effect or the end of the year - whichever is sooner,' Pfizer said. A company spokesperson said Pfizer would not comment further." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ef8f06f436a59aaeef3a484635f9eb1e73cfbbcf4156f173e285505ad118fbb159f139435be299471d5f3fc9e9174ccc

A NEW TWIST -- "Ex-FBI lawyer plans to defy GOP subpoena to testify on anti-Trump texts," by Kyle Cheney: "Lisa Page, the former FBI attorney whose anti-Trump text messages have fueled President Donald Trump's contention that the bureau's Russia investigation is a 'witch hunt' against him, intends to defy a congressional subpoena demanding her testimony on Wednesday, Page's lawyer says.

"Page's attorney, Amy Jeffress, said the House Judiciary Committee - which issued the subpoena on Saturday - failed to provide her with enough detail about the nature of lawmakers' questions and that the FBI had so far refused to provide key documents for her to review. 'As a result, Lisa is not going to appear for an interview at this time,' Jeffress said in a statement." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ef8f06f436a59aae10baee3cdb82c8e02bad91618468b941a961c5577df30ee8e11b1902b21cb2097395e415999822a5

2020 WATCH - "GOP Nears Selection of Charlotte for 2020 Convention," by WSJ's Mike Bender and Valerie Bauerlein: "Republican officials were finalizing details Tuesday on a deal to bring the party's 2020 convention to Charlotte, N.C., making a southern city in a battleground state the site for President Donald Trump's expected nomination for a second term, people familiar with the selection process said. Party officials are also discussing the selection of a convention chairman, with David Bossie and Ronald Kaufman among the top choices, according to people familiar with those talks. ...

"Republicans familiar with the site-selection process said party officials have moved away from Las Vegas as the convention site and settled on North Carolina's most populous city as the top choice. Charlotte, one of the nation's preeminent financial centers, hosted the Democratic convention in 2012, when the party nominated Barack Obama for the second time." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ef8f06f436a59aae7ec4d677631a0d7f4d33f6d2d7ac50f8bc17fb24cfb48489b77b3ed06b3300cacbe6df9ebb189fa8 

THE INVESTIGATIONS ...

-- "Manafort balks at jail move," by Louis Nelson and Josh Gerstein: "[I]n an unexpected turnabout, Manafort's attorneys notified [U.S. District Court Judge T.S.] Ellis on Tuesday afternoon that - despite their repeated laments about his predicament - their client prefers to stay put. 'The concerns underlying the request for a continuance, while specifically noting the substantial distance between Northern Neck Regional Jail and Alexandria, were, at bottom, aimed more at the difficulty of preparing for trial given Mr. Manafort's detention versus his prior status on pretrial release,' Manafort's lawyers wrote.

"'In light of Mr. Manafort's continuing detention and after further reflection, issues of distance and inconvenience must yield to concerns about his safety and, more importantly, the challenges he will face in adjusting to a new place of confinement and the changing circumstances of detention two weeks before trial. With these considerations in mind, Mr. Manafort respectfully asks the Court to permit him to remain in his current place of detention,' the defense team added." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ef8f06f436a59aaecbf925fe1b176ffbc8e9cbb3f17d938051544f2d946a990323946c84523a43f5b940ba8ee778899a

THE JUICE ... 

-- From Morning Score's Zach Montellaro: "Missouri Rising, which is a state chapter of America Rising, is going up with a seven-figure buy for a new ad bashing Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill. "Dishonest, out of touch. McCaskill is out for herself, not for us," the narrator says in the ad. The ad will run for the next two weeks." The ad http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ef8f06f436a59aaee10717b63f521fcdd60b2386ecbd9db3c6e85460e50f6e1195e7aaad6e94c53acfb8fe9f2604de40

          Playbook Reads         

PHOTO DU JOUR: President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are reflected in a mirror as they attend a breakfast meeting with the NATO secretary general and staff at the U.S. chief of mission's residence in Brussels on Wednesday, ahead of the NATO summit. | Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

2018 WATCH -- "Wisconsin Democrats fear another debacle in November," by James Arkin in Portage, Wis.: "Sen. Tammy Baldwin wants everyone to know she could lose. It's an unusual message for any candidate, but the liberal Democrat from Wisconsin is sounding the alarm after Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer effectively declared the first-term senator a favorite to keep her seat in November by leaving her off their lists of top-tier Senate races.

"After their pronouncements, major outside groups in both parties skipped Wisconsin in their initial $120 million of spending planned for this fall - triggering fears among state Democrats that the party will take victory for granted. But there's palpable concern here among Democrats - and Baldwin especially - that Wisconsin is ripe for a repeat of 2016, when Donald Trump carried the state by less than a percentage point and GOP Sen. Ron Johnson surged to a surprise reelection behind a flood of late spending from conservative groups." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ef8f06f436a59aae77570cf3bc70cfce699d279d49d58d93d80bafad3807a8467e157ba8ec9212d9b7fbbbb483f91fbb 

JARED'S TRAVELS - "Mexico's incoming president to meet with Trump son-in-law," by AP's Mark Stevenson in Mexico City: "Leftist President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is enjoying a bit of a honeymoon with U.S. President Donald Trump, and he was effusive Tuesday in praising the U.S. leader's restraint in not bringing up his proposed border wall. Instead of confrontational talk, Lopez Obrador will get a visit by Trump's son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner, and U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo on Friday. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen also will be at the meeting at Lopez Obrador's campaign headquarters." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ef8f06f436a59aae11a1707c65ca0be8b3c47c78d7e5d211a05bde6e63cd54d5e55703f366ead4cea9292ad9d7bd9658

WASHINGTON, INC. - "Mike Flynn's Lawyers Say He Is No Longer Joining Consulting Firm," by WSJ's Julie Bykowicz: "Hours after a new lobbying firm aimed at domestic and global clients announced it was partnering with former national security adviser Mike Flynn, attorneys for the embattled Mr. Flynn said the deal was off and the notice had been released as a result of a "misunderstanding" among the participants in Stonington Global LLC. 'General Flynn has not joined Stonington and did not personally issue any public statement,' Mr. Flynn's attorneys Robert Kelner and Stephen Anthony said in a statement Tuesday. 'He was aware that a statement was being drafted, but he did not intend that it be
 issued at this time.' Mr. Flynn is awaiting sentencing for lying to federal investigators. ...

"Nick Muzin and Joey Allaham told The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday that they had started their firm with Mr. Flynn. They also launched a Stonington website and promotional video Tuesday. 'We cannot comment on General Flynn's considerations about the timing of the announcement, but we have faith in his patriotism and long history of service to our country,' Messrs. Muzin and Allaham said after Mr. Flynn's lawyers issued their statement. 'We look forward to working together.' ...

"Stonington Global will provide consulting and lobbying services for U.S. and foreign clients, Messrs. Muzin and Allaham said in a statement. The firm also will 'help private investors and sovereign-wealth funds develop and execute investment strategies.' Mr. Flynn was to serve as its director of global strategy." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ef8f06f436a59aaed2d35fd0c57aeb67d2948be1335f366f208266153b356e60b0449ebd003c9550203ccabcffac88b6 

****** A message from Delta Air Lines: At Delta Air Lines, we're proud to support the causes that shape our world by giving back to the communities where we live, work, and serve. We're committed to donating 1% of our net profits to key charities and nonprofit organizations as we strive to truly make a difference in D.C. and throughout our global communities. Our goal is to positively impact the world through continued investments in our current partners as well as contributions to our new partners. Our donations support education, promote health and wellness, and salute our armed service members and veterans. We contributed over $40 million in 2017 to charities and nonprofits around the
 world, and we look forward to continuing our support for many years to come. For more information about Delta, visit www.delta.com. ******

MEDIAWATCH -- "Bill Shine's White House Job Isn't Good News For Fox," by BuzzFeed's Steven Perlberg: "[A]ccording to people familiar with the matter, Shine's political ascent has brought renewed stress and paranoia to Fox's executive ranks more than a year after he was forced out of the network amid allegations that he helped cover up the network's culture of sexual harassment. 

"'The media consensus that this closes the circle between Fox and the White House is wrong,' said one Fox News insider. 'Bill was fired under unhappy circumstances and felt thrown under the bus by his prot&eacute;g&eacute;s who did not publicly defend him and now have replaced him.' Fox News executives don't expect any favors from Shine. Instead, the hire has underscored a tense dynamic at the network - not completely uncommon in the TV world - between management and star 'talent,' in this case Hannity, who privately advocated for Shine with Trump." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=485c666e32d9cae98642e16cfabfdb427b6048b7aea74469b0cbf568aee1c285eb7e0ab570aaa1c643f6bae0b7ee0c86 ... Hannity's response, per Morning Media 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=485c666e32d9cae92d7aa75017189669b426e57893ef4fb3ab96ca2758d4bcb4746c6fc02512e0a4d96fa120be4e1d81 

-- "Sinclair's Fox News: The Conservative Broadcaster Plans To Launch A Streaming Service Called STIRR," by BuzzFeed's Steven Perlberg: "The free streaming app, called STIRR, would house a 24/7 TV channel featuring local news and national programming, according to sources familiar with the project and a trademark application. It would also offer a variety of other live and on-demand programming, from TV shows to movies to sports. ... Sinclair, the largest owner of local TV stations in the nation, has long had its sights on creating a national television news platform, but the company has for years denied ambitions to launch a typical cable network rivaling Fox News." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=485c666e32d9cae99666833bfa58dbb0eaecf03e1df1f6362c3e34f2b8d664ad7e75aaf8621c6be9d5e885d025c66b66

-- SUSAN GLASSER has joined CNN as a global affairs analyst.
                  Playbookers         
SPOTTED: Rudy Giuliani entering Del Mar last night ... at Cafe Milano last night: Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, wife Hilary and friends. At a separate table, USTR Bob Lighthizer with commerce chief of staff Wendy Teramoto ... John Boehner enjoying a bottle of wine at Trattoria in Barracks Row last night

OUT AND ABOUT -- SPOTTED at Mary Landrieu and Frank Snellings' book party for her brother Mitch's new book "In the Shadow of Statues: A White Southerner Confronts History" -- $16.18 on Amazon  http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4e3dc1567c9d34312cf42ea81f565ec53cab5013ba95ca1b44532d41031dcf6efafaa403c13b1c9a127e349a268d326c Sens. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and former Sens. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) and John Breaux (D-La.), Steve Ricchetti, Cokie Roberts, Matt Bennett, Donna Brazile, Izzy Klein, Jamal Simmons, Amy Lieu, Jonathan Martin, Ryan Berni, Jim Doyle and Kiki McLean.

-- SPOTTED at a reception hosted by French Ambassador G&eacute;rard Araud celebrating Bastille Day at the residence on Tuesday evening, where a choir sang La Marseillaise and the National Anthem: Christine Lagarde, Wilbur Ross, Kellyanne Conway, Mark Landler and Angela Tung, Margaret Carlson, Craig Gordon, Andrea Mitchell, Francesca Craig, Simond de Galbert, Laurence Haim, Steve Rademaker and Danielle Pletka, Ashley and Ben Chang, Michael Crowley, Susan Glasser and Peter Baker, Tony Powell, John Arundel, Lyndon Boozer, Rusty Powell, Dorothy Kosinski, Bob Orr, Elise Labott, Jamie Rubin, Heidi Crebo-Rediker and Doug Rediker, Melanne and Philip Verveer.

OBAMA ALUMNI - "Mastromonaco exits A+E communications post," by N.Y. Post's Alexandra Steigrad: Alyssa "Mastromonaco was the White House deputy chief of staff for operations under President Barack Obama before serving as chief operating officer at Vice Media. After a two-year stint at the Brooklyn-based media company, Mastromonaco left for A+E, which owns a 15 percent stake in Vice. ... 'I've had a hell of a time at A+E and am so grateful for my friends here, but now is the moment for me to get back in the fight,' Mastromonaco told The Post. 'I believe these are historic times. And I'm ready to help make history again. There's a lot of work to do. But I'm in it to win it. See you on the
 front lines.' Mastromonaco will be leaving to finish her book called 'Gut Feelings,' due out later this year, and to work on reproductive rights issues." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=485c666e32d9cae9d39368115c91962c7652db86a2d6219f97fdfa7ac3e9cd399533931a1240c433ed40d3bb7de0ec8e 

BIRTHWEEK (was yesterday): Edelman's Sarah Jacobson

BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Josh Wachs, founder of social impact consulting firm Wachs Strategies. What he's been reading recently: "'Cousins Maine Lobsters: How One Food Truck Became a Multimillion-dollar Business' [https://amzn.to/2KODFWr] written by two cousins, Jim Tselikis and Sabin Lomac, who pursue their dream of recreating of summers growing up in Maine eating lobster and go on to build a national food truck business selling Maine lobster rolls. Not only fun and entertaining (including great success on 'Shark Tank') but good lessons for those of us who are 'would-be' food entrepreneurs on how to seize your vision and build a brand based on integrity and authenticity." Read his Playbook
 Plus Q&A: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=485c666e32d9cae90a7782fb1a11dfa01c7171413bae80def4a9613537a6f9004e25299caf95f8f42992c5cd9a6ba805 

BIRTHDAYS: Garrett Graff, director of the Aspen Cyber program and contributor to WIRED Magazine, CNN and Longreads, is 37 ... Christopher Maloney, SVP at the Black Rock Group and a Romney alum ... Stephen Goodin (hat tips: Jon Haber) ... Arthur Bushkin ... Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) is 72 ... Jason Recher (h/t Jeff Grappone) ... Emily Benavides, deputy comms director for Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) ... Politico's Sophie Read and Katie Rice ... Olivia Chow is 32 (h/t Morgan Finkelstein) ... Andy Puzder is 68 ... Lindsey Kozberg, Bush 43 alum now practicing LA law at Park and Velayos (h/t Michael Schoenfeld, filing from London, where he's at his daughter Abby's LSE graduation) ... Lindsay Rapkin
 ... Nora Connors ... John Becker ... Kayla Capper ... KayAnn Schoeneman ... Todd DeLorenzo ... Stacy Merrick ... WSJ alum Corey Boles, who now works for an investment management firm, is 41 ... Ari Teman ... Michael Wong ... Georgia Godfrey ...

... Joe Wall of Goldman Sachs (h/ts Leigh Farris, Andrew Williams and Drew Maloney) ... Valery Galasso ... The Daily News' Alyssa Katz ... Stephen Hostelley ... Laurie Goldberg ... Tristan Berne ... Nora Connors ... Creators syndicated columnist Jamie Stiehm ... Ryan Van Grack ... Scott Graves ... Matt Lahr, Cubs diehard and chief of staff for Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) (h/t Tara DiJulio) ... Susy Schultz ... Donna Tappin ... Zach Simon ... Chris Vaeth ... Bruce Greenstein ... Anne Sokolov ... Jim Anderson ... Margaret Cousley Bravo ... Kate Sokolov of Google ... Jenn Connell Kramer ... AMA's Sandy Marks ... Page Gardner ... Paul Johnson ... Mike Wittenwyler ... Gracie Boatwright ... Phillip
 Frank (h/ts Teresa Vilmain)

****** A message from Delta Air Lines: At Delta Air Lines, we're proud to support the causes that shape our world by giving back to the communities where we live, work, and serve. We're committed to donating 1% of our net profits to key charities and nonprofit organizations as we strive to truly make a difference in D.C. and throughout our global communities. 

Our goal is to positively impact the world through continued investments in our current partners as well as contributions to our new partners. Our donations support education, promote health and wellness, and salute our armed service members and veterans. 

We contributed over $40 million in 2017 to charities and nonprofits around the world, and we look forward to continuing our support for many years to come. 

For more information about Delta, visit www.delta.com. ******

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