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Politico
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Politico
Courting chaos
STANDOFF — Gov. Maura Healey is urging so-called bar advocates to get back to work while continuing to hash out a deal over their pay rate with the Legislature, as defendants without representation start to have their cases dismissed. It won't be so easy. While the Legislature 'is actively working on this,' Healey said Wednesday, 'they're not there yet in terms of a resolution.' Bar advocates, the private attorneys who represent most of the defendants in Massachusetts who can't afford one on their own, stopped taking cases in late May. Now, thanks to a 2004 court rule, many of those defendants are starting to see their cases dismissed as they wait without representation. 'My hope is that we see a resolution very, very quickly, and in the meantime, I'd like to see lawyers back in court representing defendants,' the governor told reporters. Don't expect that to happen any time soon. Several bar advocates gathered on Zoom to vent their frustration and talk about their next steps on Wednesday evening. The verdict: 'I think the consensus is, why should we?' Jen O'Brien, a bar advocate in Middlesex County, told Playbook. The attorneys are looking for a raise that would put their hourly rate for most cases at $100 an hour, a $35 increase from what they currently make, but one that would still leave them behind states like New Hampshire (where it's $125 an hour) and Maine (where it's $150). Healey said Wednesday that the attorneys didn't bring the issue to her before she filed her budget in January. They say they've been flagging it for lawmakers for months. 'We would like to resolve this, but nobody will sit at the table with us,' O'Brien said. 'Why should we go back and lose our leverage and trust that we can still get the increase?' In the meantime, some lawyers are moving on — picking up immigration cases, or defending indigent defendants in other nearby states. 'If this goes on, I think people aren't even going to be interested in going back,' O'Brien said. GOOD THURSDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. The MassGOP used the dispute to take a shot at Healey on X for allowing pay raises for officials in her office while the work stoppage continues. TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey has no public events. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll speaks at a National Guard ceremony at 10 a.m. in Salem. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Drop me a line: kgarrity@ MORNING MONEY: CAPITAL RISK — POLITICO's flagship financial newsletter has a new Friday edition built for the economic era we're living in: one shaped by political volatility, disruption and a wave of policy decisions with sector-wide consequences. Each week, Morning Money: Capital Risk brings sharp reporting and analysis on how political risk is moving markets and how investors are adapting. Want to know how health care regulation, tariffs, or court rulings could ripple through the economy? Start here. DATELINE BEACON HILL — Police searching for State House vandal by Alison Kuznitz, Colin A. Young and Ella Adams, State House News Service: 'Overnight vandalism at the State House prompted a large police presence Wednesday, including from federal officials, as a stretch of sidewalk in front of the building remained closed to the public for hours. White paint was splattered on the largely decorative front gate and the steps leading up to it, and black spray paint was also visible on the stone structures that form the entryway. Graffiti scrawled on the Bulfinch Entrance pillar appeared to say 'divest.'' FROM THE HUB — With Michelle Wu on vacation, Boston's acting mayor duties are split between two officials by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: 'The Boston City Council president and city clerk are splitting acting mayor duties this week while Mayor Michelle Wu takes a family vacation in Maine. City Clerk Alex Geourntas assumed acting mayor duties for the first half of the week because both the city's mayor and Council president, Ruthzee Louijeune, were out of town, Geourntas told the Herald Wednesday. — Fenway Park workers set to go on strike for series against Los Angeles Dodgers by Esteban Bustillos, GBH News: 'Fenway Park has seen a lot go down in its time. But even America's Most Beloved Ballpark could be in for a first this weekend. Hospitality workers at the ballpark and MGM Music Hall, represented by UNITE HERE Local 26, are poised to strike during the upcoming Red Sox home stand against the Los Angeles Dodgers if negotiations with food service and facilities management company Aramark fail to reach an agreement. The union announced their strike plan on Wednesday.' — Boston will begin fining Republic Services over lack of trash pickup amid worker strike, Wu says by Niki Griswold, The Boston Globe: 'As trash workers enter their fourth week of a strike, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said the city will begin fining waste management company Republic Services for failing to pick up trash. Wu made the announcement in a letter sent to the president of Republic Services Wednesday, in which she said the service disruption as a result of the labor dispute 'is taking an unacceptable toll on Boston's residents, businesses, and neighborhoods.'' YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS COMING SOON — Former President Barack Obama is headlining an August fundraiser in Martha's Vineyard for a Democratic redistricting group that's fighting the GOP-led efforts in Texas and Ohio, POLITICO's Andrew Howard reports. The dinner is in response to Texas Republicans looking to redraw their state's map to tip it in their favor ahead of the midterms. Also attending the event: NDRC chair and former Attorney General Eric Holder and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS — Immigration policy shifts are already costing health workers their jobs in Massachusetts by Sarah Betancourt, GBH News: 'Some health and home care providers in Massachusetts have recently laid off staff because of the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration, according to advocates and employer associations. One service provider reached out to Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts after receiving a Department of Homeland Security notice asking it to verify the employment documents of hundreds of its aides in the United States under a parole program for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans, who recently lost their legal status during an ongoing court battle.' — Fired immigration judges say court system is under attack by Stephanie Brown and Lisa Mullins, WBUR: 'Two judges fired from a Massachusetts immigration court say they see their terminations as part of President Trump's broader attack on the nation's court system. 'The very institutions that glue our society together are melting in front of our eyes. Our institutions are under attack,' said George Pappas, a judge who was fired this month from the Chelmsford Immigration Court.' THE RACE FOR CITY HALL — Quincy changed two polling locations. A candidate for city council is raising concerns by Peter Blandino, The Patriot Ledger: 'Changes to polling locations for the 2025 municipal elections have led a city council candidate to raise concerns over the neutrality of one of the new locations, as well as what she described as lingering community trauma associated with a tragic death that occurred there in 2019. Precinct 5 of Quincy's Ward 6 will now vote at the American Legion's Nickerson Post at 20 Moon Island Road due to construction at the previously designated polling location, the Squantum Elementary School, according to City Clerk Nicole Crispo. … Ward 6 candidate Deborah Riley told The Patriot Ledger that incumbent Ward 6 Councilor Bill Harris, who is a member of the Nickerson Post and works there part-time as a bartender, could benefit on election day from his affiliation with the site.' PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES — Free shuttle will connect business district with MBTA station by Fred Thys, Plymouth Independent: 'Tourists and others will soon be able to catch a free ride on a Ride Circuit vehicle from the Kingston MBTA commuter rail station to Plymouth's downtown and waterfront district – and back – thanks to a $30,000 state grant. The funding will allow the tourism organization See Plymouth to operate a five-passenger electric vehicle to greet passengers at every train arrival and departure from Thursday to Sunday and bring them to the See Plymouth Waterfront Visitor Center on Water Street. Return trips to the T station will depart from Water Street as well.' FROM HARVARD YARD — State Department launches new investigation into Harvard by Nicole Markus, POLITICO: 'The State Department will investigate Harvard University's eligibility to sponsor international students and researchers, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday, the latest attempt by the Trump administration to pressure the Ivy League university.' IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN — Vineyard Wind nears 30% power production by Anastasia E. Lennon, The New Bedford Light: 'As Vineyard Wind has ramped up construction this summer, the project is now sending power from 17 turbines to the Massachusetts grid, up from four in May, according to a quarterly investors report released on Wednesday. It amounts to about 220 megawatts of the 800-megawatt project, or 27% power production, with enough energy to power more than 100,000 Massachusetts homes. Iberdrola, the parent company of Avangrid, one of the project's developers, also said in its new report that the project expects to reach 30% power by the end of July — and 'full COD,' meaning full commercial operation date, by the end of this year.' — Environmental group to challenge waste transfer facilit in New Bedford by Kevin G. Andrade, The New Bedford Light: 'The Conservation Law Foundation announced Wednesday that it intends to file an appeal on the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection's site suitability decision with the agency's Office of Appeals and Dispute Resolution by July 28. It argued that the Board should thus delay the hearing until that process plays out.' FROM THE 413 — Parents decry possible return of Amherst school counselor fired over anti-trans actions by Scott Merzbach, Daily Hampshire Gazette: 'Parents, students and community members are calling on administrators for the Amherst-Pelham Regional Schools and the Regional School Committee to ensure that a middle school counselor, fired in 2023 following alleged anti-trans actions that included repeatedly misgendering students and promoting her religious beliefs, have no contact with children if and when she is reinstated to her role.' THE LOCAL ANGLE — Supporters cheer Worcester councilor at arraignment on charges of interfering with police by Toni Caushi, Telegram & Gazette: 'Supporters cheered outside the Worcester Courthouse for District 5 Councilor Etel Haxhiaj Wednesday, July 23 as the councilor proclaimed her innocence to counts of assault and battery on a police officer and interfering with police in connection with a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement action in May.' HEARD 'ROUND THE BUBBLAH TRANSITIONS — Benchmark Strategies President Patrick Bench has been named to the Board of Advisers of the International Innovation Hub of Boston. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Stacey Monahan.
Politico
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Politico
A decade in New Jersey
Good Thursday morning! It's a milestone day here at POLITICO — the 10th anniversary of New Jersey Playbook. When it officially launched on July 24, 2015, Chris Christie was preparing to run for president, a relative unknown named Phil Murphy was laying the groundwork for governor and — you won't believe this — New Jersey Transit riders had been getting stranded and delayed for days. Playbook has evolved, but it has had one constant. Matt Friedman has been the author from day one, delivering exclusive reporting, sharp insights into New Jersey politics and tons of puns. It is an unmatched length of time to lead a POLITICO newsletter and a rare feat to keep it relevant with increased competition. Thanks to Matt, Playbook is New Jersey's must-read newsletter weekday mornings. But a special thanks goes out to all the political junkies and devoted readers who don't hesitate to send me or Matt a note when it hasn't hit their inbox on time, is missing a birthday or the top simply ticks them off. I also want to acknowledge Ryan Hutchins, who has also been with POLITICO New Jersey from the start, first as bureau chief and now as the company's editorial director of states. He's done his fair share of Playbook duty and been integral to the success of New Jersey's operation. On behalf of the whole New Jersey team, thank you for waking up with Playbook the last 10 years. Here's to many more. FEEDBACK? Reach me at dracioppi@ WHERE'S MURPHY? Traveling to Colorado for the National Governors Association summer meeting. QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'The right to vote is a fundamental aspect of our democracy, one that the FBI and our law enforcement partners strive to protect. Craig Callaway's nefarious plot to hijack mail-in ballots resulted in his arrest and subsequent sentencing, and serves as a reminder to like-minded criminals, voter fraud will not be tolerated in New Jersey,' FBI Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, after Atlantic City council president and operative Craig Callaway was sentenced to two years in prison. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — The AP's Mike Catalini, former Assemblymember Ned Thomson, Ridgewood manager Keith Kazmark. MORNING MONEY: CAPITAL RISK — POLITICO's flagship financial newsletter has a new Friday edition built for the economic era we're living in: one shaped by political volatility, disruption and a wave of policy decisions with sector-wide consequences. Each week, Morning Money: Capital Risk brings sharp reporting and analysis on how political risk is moving markets and how investors are adapting. Want to know how health care regulation, tariffs, or court rulings could ripple through the economy? Start here. WHAT TRENTON MADE JACK AND JIM — Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli formally unveiled his lieutenant governor pick, Morris County Sheriff Jim Gannon, on Wednesday. Gannon's supporters range the political spectrum. He's posed for pictures with conservative radio host Bill Spadea — who ran against Ciattarelli in the GOP primary for governor — and has been supported by Democrats like former Gov. Dick Codey. Ciattarelli was eager to note one erstwhile Gannon supporter: Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill (she represents Morris County in Congress). 'I read a quote this morning from someone that said: 'Thank you, Jim, for all your excellent work and making our community better,'' Ciattarelli said inside a packed bar in Boonton. 'That was Mikie Sherrill.' While lieutenant governor picks are not viewed as attracting votes in November, the selection of Gannon could be viewed as a way to shore up support in Morris County — a longtime GOP stronghold where Democrats have been making inroads. Senate Minority Leader Anthony Bucco, a childhood friend of Gannon who spoke at the launch, said that the sheriff 'has outperformed other Republicans in the district time after time.' The Sherrill campaign — which has not announced a running mate yet — said that the pick showed Republicans on 'defense.' 'Trailing badly in the polls, Ciattarelli is clearly playing defense in Morris County, a traditional GOP stronghold where Mikie has consistently won and overperformed, as New Jersey voters gear up to reject him a third time around,' Sherrill campaign manager Alex Ball said in a statement. Spadea praised Ciattarelli's pick for LG in a statement as 'a solid law enforcement leader' and 'beloved public servant' who 'forces Sherrill to fight on her home turf in Morris County and brings some LEO credibility to the Republican ticket.' — Daniel Han PLATERSON — Supreme Court sides with Platkin in Paterson police takeover, by POLITICO's Dustin Racioppi: The state attorney general can maintain oversight of the Paterson Police Department, New Jersey's Supreme Court ruled Wednesday. The decision is a victory for Attorney General Matt Platkin in the nearly two-year legal battle questioning his authority. His office took control of the city police in March 2023 shortly after officers fatally shot a Paterson man experiencing a mental health episode and after years of misconduct in the department. NORCROSS CASE — Norcross attorneys lambast Platkin's appeal of corruption indictment dismissal, by POLITICO's Madison Fernandez: Attorneys for Democratic power broker George Norcross pushed back against state Attorney General Matt Platkin's appeal of a Superior Court judge's dismissal of a corruption indictment against their client, saying that the indictment's 'allegations are stale, with nothing of consequence happening in almost a decade.' Michael Critchley, one of Norcross' attorneys, acknowledged that their response to the appeal, which was filed on Wednesday, 'seems very similar to the arguments we've made previously' because 'the Attorney General has once again failed to identify a single crime that any Defendant committed.' 'Simply repeating the inaccurate and insufficient claims contained in the original charges, as the Office of the Attorney General did in its lengthy appeal, does not change the simple fact that hard bargaining is not a crime and never has been,' Critchley said in a statement. ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL ORDER — Murphy signs executive order to evaluate megabill impacts, by POLITICO's Madison Fernandez: Gov. Phil Murphy said he is looking to 'mitigate harm' caused by President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act with an executive order that directs state agencies to evaluate the impacts of the federal legislation on their order, which Murphy signed on Wednesday, requires all state agencies to submit a preliminary assessment and recommended legislative measures for the current session by Oct. 1. Non-legislative measures need to be submitted by Nov. 15. … 'The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is a fiscal disaster that fails to deliver for working-class families in New Jersey and across the country,' Murphy said in a statement. 'This law rips away health care from vulnerable children and families, guts food assistance, and raises costs for everyday Americans.' GETTING THE HELL OFF THE BEACH — Assembly considering summer voting session, Greenwald says, by POLITICO's Daniel Han: The state Assembly may reconvene for a rare summer voting session, the chamber's majority leader said. The exact scope of the voting session isn't clear, although it would be expected to address legislation to overhaul the beleaguered State Health Benefits Program. The public workers health insurance program is headed toward insolvency and local governments on the plan face a proposed rate hike of around 37 percent for the upcoming plan year. 'I think there needs to be a short-term fix and a long-term fix,' Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald said of the SHBP in an interview. 'We are scheduling a voting session for the summer, which has really never been done in my career.' — 'NJ public defender's office sues over 'secret' state police DNA database' TRUMP ERA HABBA SAGA — The firing of a veteran prosecutor in New Jersey escalates Trump's war with the courts, by POLITICO's Kyle Cheney and Ry Rivard: The Trump administration opened a new front in its war with the courts this week — and fired a veteran federal prosecutor in the process — in a dramatic tussle over the New Jersey U.S. Attorney's Office. Now it's not clear who is in charge. Federal judges exercised a 160-year-old power to select a temporary prosecutor on Tuesday to lead the office, following President Donald Trump's failure to win quick Senate confirmation for his pick: his former personal lawyer Alina Habba. — 'Who Is Desiree Grace, the Prosecutor Caught Up in a Judicial Crisis?' IMMIGRATION — 'ICE arrests in Pa. and N.J. are surging, including people without criminal records,' by the Philadelphia Inquirer's Joe Yerardi: 'The number of people ICE arrested in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania surged around the time the agency reportedly implemented a 3,000 arrests-a-day quota in late May, according to recently released government data. Arrests doubled from an average of 26 a day since President Donald Trump took office through May 21 to an average of 51 a day between May 22 and June 26 for the three states. At the same time, the proportion of people arrested without a criminal record or pending criminal charges has exploded, up two-thirds since the directive to Immigration and Customs Enforcement was issued.' SAND DOLLARS — 'Federal cutbacks hit NJ beach renewal projects,' By NJ Spotlight News' Brenda Flanagan: 'For the first time in almost 30 years, the flow of sand and dollars for beach renewal at the Jersey Shore has stopped. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' projects in Ocean City, Stone Harbor and Avalon, among others, were cut in 2025 by the Trump administration. Avalon on its own scraped up and moved 40,000 cubic yards of sand to bolster eroded beaches at its northern end, a stopgap paid for with local tax dollars. But Avalon Mayor John McCorristin said Avalon needs 10 times that amount of sand replenishment, at a cost of millions they can't afford without federal aid.' LOCAL WRECKED DIRECTOR — 'Ex-rec director says Bergen County town fired him over objections to summer camp issues,' by Kaitlyn Kanzler: 'Did a complaint about alleged issues at a summer camp hosted by Cresskill, and run by a councilwoman's relative, lead to the firing of the recreation director? He says so. Jason Mitchell was hired as the director of the department of parks and recreation in 2020 and said he was responsible for 'the planning, implementation and management of recreational programs, including summer camps,' and received praise for his performance.' — 'Arango, District 9 GOP congressional hopeful, praise Schillari for leaving Dem Party' — 'As rents surge in Jersey City, mayoral candidates offer diverging plans on affordable housing'
Politico
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Politico
The Epstein bombshell explodes
Presented by With help from Eli Okun, Bethany Irvine and Ali Bianco On today's Playbook Podcast, Adam Wren and Dasha Burns unpack the biggest story in Washington: the WSJ's report that the Justice Department told President Donald Trump in May that his name was among many included in the Jeffrey Epstein files. Good morning. It's Thursday. I'm Adam Wren. Let's get straight to the news. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley will run for Senate in North Carolina with Donald Trump's blessing after the president's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, opted not to seek the seat, Playbook's Dasha Burns scooped this morning. (What will this mean for the leadership of the RNC? Stay tuned to Playbook.) Whatley's entry into the race sets up the prospect of a hugely competitive marquee match-up in a state where Democrats have landed their most prized Senate recruit: Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper plans to launch a bid next week, potentially as early as Monday, per POLITICO's Elena Schneider. In today's Playbook … — Inside the reaction in Trump's orbit as the WSJ's Epstein files revelation rocks Washington. — Jeanine Pirro, Paul Ingrassia and more come in for Senate confirmation hearings this morning. — Trump tours the Federal Reserve as his war on Jerome Powell ramps up. DRIVING THE DAY THE CRISIS IS HERE: Yesterday afternoon, the Wall Street Journal dropped a four-bylined bombshell: Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy AG Todd Blanche briefed Trump in May that his name appeared multiple times in the Epstein files alongside many others. This morning, Trump's 'Epstein files' ordeal has entered a new phase. If it wasn't a crisis already, it is indisputably one now — and it threatens to swallow the news cycle and drastically complicate the GOP's push to enact Trump's agenda. First in Playbook — — How Trump sees it: Trump has ruminated about the Epstein fallout for weeks. 'They're going to accuse me of some funny business,' he said recently in the Oval Office, according to a Republican close to the White House who personally heard the president make these comments. Trump again maintained his distance from Epstein's criminal behavior, but lamented: 'They're going to fuck me anyways.' — How Trump world sees it: Two people close to the White House downplayed the news to Playbook's Dasha Burns last night. 'Everyone has already seen pictures of [Trump and Epstein] together,' said the first. 'None of this reporting is new information.' 'The government has long had these files,' they continued. 'If there was really a 'there' there, it would have come out. The idea that Democrats wouldn't have used this against Trump if there was really something to it is crazy.' Added the second person: Trump 'knows this is nonsense and he didn't do anything wrong. He was actually in a good mood this afternoon.' And yet: If that's true, the White House's handling of the Epstein ordeal so far is mystifying. Why not just let this news come out after Bondi briefed Trump, with his name among hundreds of others? Why tell the WSJ, as comms director Steven Cheung did, that its reporting was 'fake news' if, in fact, it was information known to the White House and is true? Why did Trump deny in an interview weeks ago that Bondi had briefed him on the matter? — How MAGA sees it: We're picking up on another talking point in our conversations with people in the broader MAGA universe: What does Trump's name being 'mentioned' really mean? (To our minds, it's a fair question — and one where seeing the underlying files could be helpful.) 'What is the definition of a 'file'?' far-right activist and MAGA influencer Laura Loomer questioned Playbook last night when we asked for her reaction to the WSJ story. 'If they're making these claims against President Trump, they need to define what a 'file' is. Are they trying to say that a file is somebody's name in an address book? I have over 7,000 contacts in my address book. Some of those people in my address book have committed crimes. Does that mean I'm implicated in their crimes? President Trump is not a pedophile. And I look forward to seeing him sue every journalist and publication that is trying to imply that he is one.' To be clear: At this point, the publicly available information does not point to a crime on Trump's part. But it does suggest a cover-up. Which leads us to one big question: WHAT DID THEY KNOW AND WHEN DID THEY KNOW IT?: (Apologies to the late Sen. Howard Baker.) A tantalizing line 16 paragraphs into the WSJ story notes that 'FBI Director Kash Patel has privately told other government officials that Trump's name appeared in the files, according to people close to the administration.' Just how widely this was disseminated is a question that major news organizations are going to be running down in the hours and days ahead. 'Right now, everyone should be asking whether the highest levels of the federal government — including but not limited to the president, the VP, the AG, the FBI director and possibly even some Republican leaders in Congress, depending on what they knew and when — have been misleading the American public for weeks, if not months,' our POLITICO colleague Ankush Khardori (himself a former federal prosecutor) tells Playbook. To that end, we put out a few lines of inquiry: The VP: We checked in with a spokesperson for Vice President JD Vance about when he learned that Trump's name was in the documents. We did not hear back. The speaker: A spokesperson for House Speaker Mike Johnson did not respond to Playbook's request for comment last night about when Johnson learned Bondi briefed Trump. The AG: Asked about the reporting in the WSJ and NYT, DOJ spokesperson Gates McGavick said this to our colleague Josh Gerstein: 'This is a collection of falsehoods and innuendo designed to push a bullshit narrative and drive clicks.' THE NEXT STEPS … DOJ to meet with Maxwell today: A senior Justice Department official is expected to meet today with Ghislaine Maxwell in Tallahassee, Florida, ABC News reported late last night. Maxwell, Epstein's close associate and confidante, is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking, among other charges. Her brother tells the NY Post that she is readying 'new evidence' ahead of the meeting. But there are substantial doubts about her veracity — voiced by, among others, Speaker Johnson — as well as her potential motives, given that Trump has the power to pardon or commute her sentence. A big surprise on Capitol Hill: Just as the House was taking its last floor vote ahead of August recess, a Republican-led House Oversight subcommittee approved a motion by Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.) to subpoena the DOJ for documents related to Epstein, POLITICO's Hailey Fuchs reports. Three Republicans — Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), Scott Perry (R-Pa.) and Brian Jack (R-Ga.) — joined with Democrats to support it. Of the Democratic-led effort, a person familiar with the Oversight panel tells Playbook that the move is 'indicative of the path we're on … the base is asking for hardball; we're playing hardball.' Meanwhile, Oversight is subpoenaing Maxwell: House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) issued a subpoena yesterday compelling Ghislaine Maxwell's testimony to Congress on Aug. 11, Hailey reports. Oversight Dems have a new subpoena target: Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) said last night that he intends to subpoena the Epstein estate for the book in which Trump purportedly drew a nude woman and made an enigmatic statement wishing his then-friend a happy birthday. The silent treatment from the White House: 'Trump and his aides have settled on silence as a strategy to stamp out criticism' of the Epstein matter, NBC News' Jonathan Allen and colleagues report this morning. 'White House aides have made it clear that no one in the administration is allowed to talk about Epstein without high-level vetting, according to a senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.' Given Trump's longstanding expectation that his aides and administration officials will robustly defend him to the media, this would be a big change — and perhaps a short-lived one. It's unclear if we'll hear from the president himself on the matter today. He signs bills and executive orders at 3 p.m. in the Oval Office, before heading to the Federal Reserve to tour the building amid simmering tensions with Fed Chair Jerome Powell. He may try to turn the page and avoid the Epstein ordeal, but it seems unlikely that such an attempt will be successful. 'Short of a war or some life-changing news event,' a Trump ally told NBC, 'I'm not sure what does the trick.' ON THE HILL NOMINATION ROUNDUP: Three contentious and high-profile nominations are trying to make their way through the Senate today, amid small pockets of GOP pushback. Mike Waltz, who was originally due for a Foreign Relations Committee vote as U.S. ambassador to the U.N., is now facing an uncertain path amid anti-war concerns from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Axios' Hans Nichols and Stef Kight scooped. Judiciary square: Jeanine Pirro may have an easier time getting GOP votes to be U.S. attorney for D.C. at the Judiciary Committee at 10:15 a.m. But there are still questions about Trump loyalist Emil Bove's nomination to a federal judgeship — which Roll Call's Ryan Tarinelli reports could have its next procedural vote as soon as today — as Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) sound skeptical. And Paul Ingrassia, Trump's controversial pick to lead the Office of Special Counsel, could be in for tough questions at his Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs confirmation hearing at 9:30 a.m. More from POLITICO's Inside Congress THE APPROPRIATIONS MARATHON: The Senate Appropriations Committee will mark up its next two bills, Interior-Environment and Transportation-HUD, at 9:30 a.m. But a House Appropriations Committee markup of Commerce-Justice-Science was delayed from today to after the August recess, as the House scrambles to get out of town, POLITICO's Katherine Tully-McManus reports for Pros. For Senate Majority Leader John Thune, the big-picture plan is to pass as many appropriations bills as possible by the Oct. 1 deadline and then likely use a stopgap to cover the others through year's end, he tells POLITICO's Jordain Carney. But Democrats, House conservatives and White House rescissions could all mess with that. Also coming this fall … THE MAGA REVOLUTION TOUR DE FORCE: Some of the most prominent officials urging Trump to fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell — and, in a surprise, Trump himself — will tour the central bank's headquarters today to examine renovation plans that Powell opponents have seized on as a pretext to boot him. Deputy chief of staff James Blair, OMB Director Russell Vought and Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte will be there along with Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), per Semafor, the latest step in a pressure campaign to erode the Fed's independence with an unprecedented ouster. Blair says they want to look through the expensive project. And last night, Trump added a Fed visit to his own schedule, slated for 4 p.m. Full steam ahead: The Powell squeeze is only one plank of Trump's broader project, which continues rolling ahead with few obstacles. Here's all the latest, from just the past day: SCHOOLS: The administration struck a deal with Columbia University, in which the school will pay $221 million to settle civil rights probes and get the vast majority of its federal grants restored, the N.Y. Post's Josh Christenson and Chris Nesi scooped. The pre-K-12 transformation: The Government Accountability Office yet again said the Trump administration had broken the law by impounding funds — this time for Head Start, per the Washington Examiner. … And Education Secretary Linda McMahon told The Daily Signal's Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell that she's talking to congressional Republicans about a piecemeal legislative approach to dismantle the Education Department further. DEMOCRACY: The latest DOJ request for voter registration info has gone to Michigan, CNN's Fredreka Schouten reports, spurring local officials' fears about Trump's false election-fraud conspiracies. Meanwhile, the administration's firing of the new interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey amounts to 'a new front in its war with the courts,' POLITICO's Kyle Cheney and Ry Rivard write. And Trump's renewed threat of legal retribution against Barack Obama and other political enemies reflects an administration stocked with officials who 'often appear willing to follow through on his angriest and most authoritarian impulses,' NYT's Michael Schmidt writes. FOOD: The FDA will attempt to define 'ultra-processed foods,' FDA Commissioner Marty Makary tells Playbook's Dasha Burns in a just-released clip from an upcoming episode of 'The Conversation.' That could have major implications for SNAP benefits, school lunches and other food-related government programs. Subscribe to 'The Conversation' on YouTube, Apple Podcasts or Spotify IMMIGRATION: A federal appeals court upheld a ruling that blocked Trump's attempt to end birthright citizenship, the latest judicial loss for Trump on this issue that is likely headed back to the Supreme Court, per the AP. Meanwhile, a rapid-fire trio of rulings ordered Kilmar Abrego Garcia's release, barred his immigration detention and kept him detained for now, per NBC. FEDERAL WORKFORCE: The Supreme Court's conservatives gave Trump another major shadow-docket win by green-lighting (for now) his firings of Democrats on the independent Consumer Product Safety Commission, despite laws protecting them from politicized ousters, per CBS. GLOBAL HEALTH: Senate reprieve be damned, internal documents show that Trump is planning to shut down PEPFAR and foist responsibility onto other countries in as little as two years, NYT's Stephanie Nolen reports. Advocates warn that abruptly winding down the HIV/AIDS program, which has saved 26 million lives, would kill 'countless people.' CLIMATE: The Energy Department yanked a loan guarantee for a huge electricity transmission line, per the NYT. The White House unveiled a major artificial intelligence policy plan yesterday that envisions huge deregulation to strip away safety guardrails and give companies largely free reign to try to dominate the AI race, per ABC. But but but … Trump's big AI plans would be directly undermined by the loan guarantee cancellation, which will make it harder for the grid to accommodate growing power demands, POLITICO's James Bikales and Kelsey Tamborrino report. VACCINES: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to turn false anti-vaccine conspiracy theories into federal policy: He officially walked back recommendations for flu shots that contain thimerosal over debunked claims about a link to autism, NYT's Apoorva Mandavilli reports. MEDIA: Skydance, which is seeking to take over Paramount, told the FCC that it'll undertake a 'comprehensive review of CBS' and appoint an ombudsman to handle complaints of bias at the network — the latest preemptive capitulation to Trump's attacks on the press, per CNN. BEST OF THE REST TRAIL MIX: This morning, Defend the Vote is endorsing Democrats in four Senate races, backing Rep. Angie Craig in Minnesota, Rep. Chris Pappas in New Hampshire, Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan and Jordan Wood in Maine. … On the GOP side, Rep. Bill Huizenga's decision to forgo a Senate bid followed a meeting where Trump explicitly asked him to clear the way for Mike Rogers, NOTUS' Reese Gorman reports. Race for the states: Obama will lead a fundraiser for the National Democratic Redistricting Committee next month in Martha's Vineyard, POLITICO's Andrew Howard scooped, as Dem fears grow that Republicans will gerrymander their way into another House majority. FOR PETE'S SAKE: 'Hegseth Signal messages came from email classified 'SECRET,' watchdog told,' by WaPo's Dan Lamothe and John Hudson: 'The revelation appears to contradict long-standing claims by the Trump administration that no classified information was divulged in unclassified group chats that critics have called a significant security breach.' TRADING PLACES: In Trump's latest remarks, the president said all the reciprocal tariffs coming Aug. 1 will range from 15 to 50 percent, per Bloomberg — a higher baseline than he'd indicated previously. In a remarkable demonstration of how much Trump has shifted the Overton window, markets rose on the news of a U.S.-Japan deal that will see America impose 15 percent tariffs, NYT's Ana Swanson notes. Grain of salt: Japan providing an extraordinary $550 billion investment fund that Trump can direct was apparently crucial to getting him to agree with Tokyo, Swanson reports. But the agreement raised fears from the auto industry that the U.S. had given away too much and damaged automakers, Bloomberg's Jennifer Dlouhy and Josh Wingrove report. BEZOS BULLETIN: Billionaire Jeff Bezos is thinking about trying to add to his media portfolio by exploring a purchase of CNBC, the N.Y. Post's Alexandra Steigrad scooped. But turmoil continues at Bezos' WaPo: Krissah Thompson, Ann Gerhart, Monica Norton, Mike Semel, Lori Montgomery and Hank Stuever are taking the latest buyout, N.Y. Mag's Charlotte Klein reports, and the opinion section is staring down a more intense ideological funneling than some had expected. FILLING THE SWAMP: 'K Street rakes in record cash thanks to Trump,' by POLITICO's Caitlin Oprysko: 'The first six months of President Donald Trump's term have produced a cash cow of historic magnitude for the lobbying industry, with record-breaking demand for help navigating the administration's constant stream of policy pronouncements — or trying to avoid becoming a pay-for in the GOP's megabill.' A NEW ONE FOR YOUR INBOX: Want to know how health care regulation, tariffs or court rulings could ripple through the economy? POLITICO's flagship financial newsletter has a new Friday edition built for the economic era we're living in. Each week, 'Morning Money: Capital Risk' brings sharp reporting and analysis on how political risk moves markets and how investors are adapting. Sign up here. TALK OF THE TOWN Benjamin Franklin is featured on new 250th-anniversary stamps from the Postal Service. Ro Khanna recorded an episode of Barstool's Macrodosing with @PFTCommenter and Arian Foster. Pete Buttigieg is making another appearance on The Breakfast Club. Russ Vought reportedly billed the CFPB $5 million for his security detail. BOOK CLUB — Joe Biden's upcoming memoir has gone to the Hachette Book Group's Little, Brown & Co., WSJ's Jeffrey Trachtenberg scooped. The price was roughly $10 million, less than Barack and Michelle Obama or Bill Clinton sold their memoirs for. PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION — 'DC Council chair reaches agreement with Commanders on stadium plans,' by News4's Mark Segraves: 'The agreement opens the door for the D.C. Council to vote after it holds public hearings on the stadium buildout on July 28 and 29.' OUT AND ABOUT — SPOTTED at a Coalition for App Fairness happy hour, celebrating the introduction/reintroduction of the App Store Freedom Act and Open App Markets Act, at Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar on Tuesday night: Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.), Corie Wright, Will Cunningham, Avery Gardiner, Christine Bannan, Luther Lowe, Adam Candeub, Aiden Buzzetti, Abbie Sumbrum, J.B. Branch, Collin Anderson, Dylan Irlbeck, Emily Goldman, Emma Salas, Dhruv Kathuria, Doxey Loupassi, Nicole Manley, Will Smith, Shourya Jain and Avanti Joshi. — SPOTTED at a reception hosted by the American Trucking Associations' Women in Motion Council yesterday evening at the Capitol as part of its fly-in: Reps. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), Mike Bost (R-Ill.), Mike Collins (R-Ga.), Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.), Tom Barrett (R-Mich.) and Zach Nunn (R-Iowa). — The Science and Technology Action Committee hosted a reception in Dirksen last night to talk about the importance of science/tech research and development investments, including land-grant university leaders from red states. SPOTTED: Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Reps. Jim Baird (R-Ind.) and Deborah Ross (D-N.C.), Mary Woolley, Sudip Parikh, Keith Yamamoto, Chris Nomura, Isabelle Ferain, Nathan Hartman, Mike Roman and Barbara Bichelmeyer. — N Street Village held an event at Heather McHugh's home last night to support women experiencing homelessness in D.C. SPOTTED: Arielle Elliott, Sara Conrad, Missy Kurek, Hillary Baltimore, Ruth Sorenson, Peter Shields, Jessica Zielke, Monique Frazier, Katreice Banks, Michael Long, Ashley Jones, Kasey Crowley, Jenn Chandler, Terri McCullough, Molly Carey, Lindsey Schulte, David Ochsman, Emily Loeb and Sarah Feldman, Katie Johnson Rawlings, Elizabeth Wise and Jonathan Misk. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — HB Strategies is adding Jay Perron as managing principal and Rachael Taylor as principal on its federal team. Perron most recently was a partner at Prism Group Public Affairs. Taylor most recently was chief of staff to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. — Michael Ahrens is joining FGS Global as managing director in its strategic comms division. He most recently was managing director at Bullpen Strategy Group, and is an RNC and Marco Rubio alum. TRANSITIONS — Danielle Sassoon is now a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. She previously was U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, from which she resigned in protest of Justice Department leadership. … The National Association of Manufacturers is adding Christine Ravold and elevating Joe Murphy as directors of strategic comms. Ravold previously was regional comms manager at Stand Together. Murphy previously was director of rapid response. … Juliette Chandler is now deputy comms director for Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi's (D-Ill.) Senate campaign. She most recently was digital director and press secretary for Rep. Lori Trahan (D-Mass.). … … Acting Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Chair Andrea Lucas has named Sharon Rose as COO, Shannon Royce as chief of staff and Amanda Smith as director of the Office of Communications and Legislative Affairs. Rose previously was senior counsel to the Office of the Solicitor at the Labor Department. Royce is a Trump HHS alum. Smith most recently co-led government affairs comms at Lockheed Martin, and is an RNC alum. … Megan Smith Thorpe is joining the Digital Chamber as comms director. She most recently was at Kraken, and is a Roy Cooper alum. … James Burnham has launched the AI Innovation Council, per the N.Y. Post's Josh Christenson. He previously was a top lawyer at DOGE and is a DOJ alum. BIRTHWEEK (was yesterday): WaPo's Liza Pluto HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Reps. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) … Margo Martin (3-0) … NYT's Zolan Kanno-Youngs … Vox Global's Robert Hoopes … John Brabender of BrabenderCox … POLITICO's Jessica Piper … WSJ's Kim Strassel … Daily Wire's Brent Scher … CNBC's Eamon Javers … Covington & Burling's Christina Coleburn … Hillary Parkinson of Rep. Keith Self's (R-Texas) office … former Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) … Megan Ruane of Rep. Madeleine Dean's (D-Pa.) office … Allie Bedell of Canvass America … Ann Berry (7-0) … WaPo's Veronica Bautista … Chris Bond of AHIP … former Reps. Vin Weber (R-Minn.) and Charlie Crist (D-Fla.) … CBS' Michelle Kessel … David Fuscus … former RNC Chair Marc Racicot … Christianné Allen Hughes … Adriane Casalotti of the National Association of County and City Health Officials … The Sentry's Greg Hittelman … Joel Benenson … Ryan Sims … Agustina Pardal … Pat Oliphant (9-0) … Sara Plana of Sen. Tammy Duckworth's (D-Ill.) office Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@ or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Zack Stanton, deputy editor Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
Politico
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- Politics
- Politico
Playbook PM: Frustration grows inside the White House
Presented by THE CATCH-UP As the Jeffrey Epstein drama continues to drive the news cycle in Washington, the mood inside the White House is quickly souring, Playbook's own Dasha Burns reports in a must-read. 'POTUS is clearly furious,' a person close to the White House told Dasha. 'It's the first time I've seen them sort of paralyzed.' What they'd like to be talking about: 'Trump and his closest allies thought they'd spend the summer taking a well-earned victory lap, having coaxed Congress into passing the megabill, bullied foreign governments into a slew of new trade arrangements, convinced NATO allies to spend billions more on collective defense and pressed world leaders to bow to various other demands from Doha to The Hague.' Instead, they're enveloped in both a public and political crisis over the Epstein affair, which is overshadowing almost everything else in Washington. Trump is 'frustrated with his staff's inability to tamp down conspiracy theories they once spread and by the wall of media coverage that started when Attorney General Pam Bondi released information from the Epstein case that was already in the public domain,' Dasha writes, citing a senior White House official. One White House ally noted that Trump's anger likely stems from his view that the issue is 'a vulnerability' for both Trump and the GOP as a whole. Deepening the pain: 'They're the ones that opened the can of worms on the Epstein conversation,' the ally said. 'No one made them do this, which makes it sting even worse.' Another big factor: The president has upended the traditional dividing lines between the White House and the DOJ. Now, that closeness is 'making it difficult for Trump to distance himself from the furor over the Justice Department's abrupt about-face' that they don't have evidence to continue an Epstein investigation, WaPo's Perry Stein writes. And on Capitol Hill: House lawmakers are smelling the jet fumes as they wrap up their final votes this afternoon before their five-week summer recess. But House Dems are 'hoping to jam Republicans with Jeffrey Epstein-related amendments ahead of a Thursday Appropriations subpanel markup,' Nicholas Wu and Katherine Tully-McManus report. Forcing committee debate on the amendments would 'would put Republicans on record' on the issue — something most have been trying to avoid. Still, House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) told reporters this morning he isn't planning to change the scheduled workday. 'I want to see how things go today,' he said. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) told Axios' Stef Kight this morning that the Trump administration should 'release the damn files' and to put the matter to bed. 'It makes no sense to me,' Tillis said. 'Either it's a nothing burger ... or it's something really disturbing, and that's actually even a more compelling reason to release it.' Even attempts to change the news cycle offer fodder: This morning, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released new documents that, as the Times reports, 'she said undermined the conclusion of intelligence agencies during the Obama administration that Russia favored' Trump in the 2016 election. Following the release, Senate Intel Committee Vice Chair Mark Warner (D-Va.) had this to say: 'It seems as though the Trump administration is willing to declassify anything and everything except the Epstein files.' Good Wednesday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at birvine@ 7 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 1. CLIMATE CORNER: The EPA is considering reversing its scientific determination that greenhouse gas emissions are dangerous to public health — a move that threatens to upend decades of major climate regulations, WaPo's Jake Spring reports. By reversing the 'endangerment finding,' the agency would be able to easily change or undo federal standards on emissions, including regulations on vehicles and various industries. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin noted earlier this year that the agency would reconsider the decades-old finding as a part of the Trump administration's push for deregulation. While the policy change has not been finalized, the latest draft proposal argues the reversal is a matter of legality and the EPA 'does not have the basis to act on climate change under a certain section of the Clean Air Act.' 2. ANYBODY GOT A MAP?: As Texas leads a group of Republican-held states pushing to redraw their congressional maps and pad the GOP's national House majority ahead of 2026, the the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee is urging its own party to rethink its 'failed federal-first strategy,' POLITICO's Natalie Fertig reports.'To have a shot at winning and maintaining a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives moving forward, Democrats must … get serious about winning state legislatures ahead of redistricting,' reads a DLCC memo sent to donors and strategists. 'Not just in the final months of 2030, but starting now.' Where they see opportunity: The DLCC lays out a year-by-year plan for the party to garner more U.S. House seats. The plan begins by picking up state legislative districts in 'Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin in 2026,' Natalie writes. 'Four-year state senate terms beginning in 2027 are key, the memo points out, as are state house and assembly races in 2028, 2029 and 2030.' Says Paul Begala: 'I've watched this party pour $110 million into Jaime Harrison's campaign against [South Carolina Republican Sen.] Lindsey Graham. That was a fool's errand. How many Michigan Senate seats could we have picked up for that?' 3. A GOOD DAY AT THE NRCC, PART I: Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) will seek reelection to the House rather than run for governor, NYT's Nicholas Fandos and Maggie Haberman report. The Trump factor: 'Many Republicans viewed the congressman, who has consistently won in a Democratic-leaning district, as their most viable candidate in a left-leaning state,' Fandos and Haberman write. 'But with Republicans preparing to defend a minuscule House majority, he was under intense pressure from President Trump and congressional allies to run for re-election. The president made his views clear in a private meeting at the White House last week, according to a person familiar with the conversation.' Now what? Lawler's decision to stay in the House has effectively cleared a path for his GOP colleague Rep. Elise Stefanik to secure the GOP nomination to take on Democratic incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul. Stefanik has said she won't formally decide on a bid until after November, POLITICO's Nick Reisman and Emily Ngo write. 4. A GOOD DAY AT THE NRCC, PART II: Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.) will seek reelection to the House instead of seeking the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate, the Detroit News' Melissa Nann Burke scooped. Many Republicans feared that in a wave election, his west Michigan district could flip to Democrats. It's also welcome news for the NRSC, as top Senate Republicans including Majority Leader John Thune and NRSC Chair Tim Scott (R-S.C.) had already lined up to support the Senate bid of former Rep. Mike Rogers. Rogers, who ran for Senate against Elissa Slotkin in 2024, has already made substantial inroads with Trump world, including bringing aboard Chris LaCivita as a senior adviser. 5. UNDER PRESSURE: As the White House and Harvard are locked in a legal battle with billions in federal funding on the line, the Trump administration has opened yet another investigation into the university whether it is in 'compliance with a government-run visa program for international students and professors,' NYT's Michael Bender and Alan Blinder report. Today, Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent a letter to Harvard President Alan Garber giving the school a 'one-week deadline to produce a lengthy list of university records related to the student visa program,' per the Times. 6. THE FIRE THIS TIME: Nearly $10 million in U.S.-funded contraceptives that have been stuck in a Belgian warehouse since the White House froze U.S. aid to foreign countries earlier this year will be burned rather than distributed to poor nations, Reuters' Ammu Kannampilly, Jennifer Rigby and Jonathan Landay report. In doing so, the Trump administration rejected offers from the UN and family planning groups to buy or ship the supplies — which include 'dozens of truckloads' of contraceptive implants, pills and IUDs — to nations in need. 7. RUSSIA-UKRAINE LATEST: Major protests have erupted in Ukraine following President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's signing of a new law limiting his nation's top two anti-corruption organizations, NBC News' Daryna Mayer and Alexander Smith report from Kyiv. The measure gives Zelenskyy's prosecutor general 'sweeping powers over the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office,' per NBC. Critics fear it will 'further enhance the power of his divisive inner circle.' The international angle: The protests are the first major demonstrations in the country since Russia's invasion in 2022, and concerns are ripening among pro-democracy activists that the 'sudden crisis could offer the Kremlin a powerful propaganda tool and threaten not just Ukraine's unity, but also its support from the West at a crucial moment in the war.' TALK OF THE TOWN MEDIA MOVE — Isabelle Khurshudyan is now a senior enterprise reporter/writer at CNN. She previously was Ukraine bureau chief at The Washington Post. TRANSITIONS — Joel Graham is now associate administrator for the Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs at NASA. He previously was a partner at Meeks, Butera and Israel. … Avery Blank is joining Qualcomm's AI legal team as senior legal counsel. She was previously counsel for the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@ or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Zack Stanton, deputy editor Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
Politico
a day ago
- Politics
- Politico
Who is New Jersey's US attorney?
Good Wednesday morning! New Jersey's federal district court judges on Tuesday told interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba to 'fuggedaboudit.' But the Trump administration signaled it may be up for a fight. The federal judges exercised a rarely used law that allows them to pick the state's top federal law enforcement officer, naming prosecutor Desiree Leigh Grace to the post. The move comes as Habba's 120-day interim term ends this week. While it was expected that the federal judges would not pick Habba to remain as U.S. attorney — she has been accused of political prosecutions and was criticized by a judge for her handling of the arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka — the decision has been closely watched. But Habba may not need to start looking for another job yet: Some legal observers view the move to install Grace as setting up a potential showdown between the White House and judiciary, since U.S. attorneys serve at the pleasure of the president. The Trump administration showed they're willing to fight over this. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Tuesday evening that the first assistant United States attorney in New Jersey — Grace's current position — was fired. It's unclear what this really means, though. The Trump administration's position is that Habba's 120-day term as U.S. attorney expires Friday evening. The judge's order says that Grace becomes U.S. attorney as of July 22 or once her term is up, whichever is later. So is Grace still scheduled to be U.S. attorney come Saturday? Is Habba legally still the U.S. attorney right now? As of this newsletter's filing, it's a bit unclear. As noted in last week's Playbook, the Trump administration used a loophole to basically install its preferred U.S. attorney past the 120-day interim period in the Northern District of New York. Read more from me and POLITICO's Ry Rivard here. FEEDBACK? Reach me at Dhan@ WHERE'S MURPHY? No public schedule. QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'Everybody loves moms and babies.' — first lady Tammy Murphy during an event for infant and maternal health. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Michael Muller WHAT TRENTON MADE MATERNAL HEALTH — State breaks ground on multimillion-dollar maternal health center, by POLITICO's Daniel Han: The Murphy administration broke ground on Tuesday on the state's Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center, a legacy project for First Lady Tammy Murphy's infant and maternal health initiatives. The center, based in Trenton, will provide health care services and serve as a research and workforce hub for maternal health. There have been $86.7 million in state and federal funds bookmarked for the project and Gov. Phil Murphy told reporters on Tuesday that construction is expected to last until early 2027. ENERGY PRICES — PJM prices continue to climb, but may not add much to ratepayer pain, by POLITICO's Ry Rivard: The nation's largest power market will see another increase in wholesale electricity prices — but utility customers are unlikely to face the type of dramatic spike next summer like the one they're paying for now. Power prices in PJM Interconnection's latest capacity auction increased by 22 percent to $329 per megawatt day, a level PJM said it expects to translate to a year-over-year increase of a 1.5 to 5 percent in some customers' bills, depending on their state. Consumers in some areas could see a drop in retail rates when they take effect next summer, PJM added. SPEAKING OF IMPORTANT PICKS — Ciattarelli to pick Morris County sheriff as lieutenant gov, by POLITICO's Daniel Han and Madison Fernandez: Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli is expected to announce Morris County Sheriff Jim Gannon as his lieutenant governor pick, two people familiar with the matter told POLITICO. The pick is expected to be announced at Johnnies Tavern in Boonton tomorrow. Boonton is in Rep. Mikie Sherrill's district, Ciattarelli's Democratic opponent this fall. The decision to pick Gannon could give Ciattarelli a key foothold in Morris County, long a GOP stronghold where Democrats have made inroads in recent years. Gannon, however, remains popular and won the election in 2022 unopposed. — NJ Globe: 'Sherrill hasn't consulted Murphy on LG pick, governor says' ACADEMY AWARDS — 'NJ Turnpike board settles dispute over $3.1M that Academy bus subsidiaries owed,' by The Record's Colleen Wilson: 'The New Jersey Turnpike Authority board of directors unanimously approved an agreement with three of Academy's bus companies to resolve a 'long-running' dispute over Academy's non-payment of more than $3.1 million in license agreement payments involving service to Atlantic City and New York City. As part of the agreement, Academy will pay a reduced amount — nearly $2.7 million through monthly installments for 90 months starting August 1. If the Hoboken-based company misses a payment, the entire balance will be immediately due, according to the Turnpike board's documents. Academy is also currently paying off a $20.5 million settlement with NJ Transit to resolve allegations that it defrauded the agency out of more than $15 million for no-show buses on Hudson County routes for at least six years.' $ — 'ELEC gives Sherrill $2.1 million, Ciattarelli $1.6 million in first general election public funds, by The New Jersey Globe's Joey Fox: 'A month and a half after they won their respective gubernatorial primaries, Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair) and former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli (R-Somerville) have received their first publicly financed matching funds of the general election campaign. The New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) announced this afternoon that Sherrill has received $2,085,847 in matching funds, putting her 17% of the way towards the overall $12.5 million cap, while Ciattarelli has received $1,634,757, 13% of the cap. — The Record: 'NJ Transit moved 21K fans after Club World Cup final. Can it handle the 2026 World Cup?' TALKIN' BUSINESS (OR NOT) — 'Sherrill struggling to connect with business community,' by Binje's Tom Bergeron: 'Here are two things that many people believe to be true: Mikie Sherrill is going to win the race to be the next governor. The polling seems to show that. Mikie Sherrill is not connecting with the business community. Her speeches seem to show that. … Speaking to the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey after its annual golf event, Sherrill gave a lackluster 6 minute, 32 second speech that was short on specifics – and passion. … More than that, the speech seemingly lacked an understanding of the serious issues and concerns of a community that has an astonishingly low net worth (less than $20,000 – or more than $500,000 less than white New Jerseyans) and struggles to get a fair rate on auto insurance, let alone a business loan.' — OP-ED: 'Turner and Diegnan: Expanding Access to Eye Care is Smart Move for New Jersey's Seniors and Families' — NJ Advance Media: 'Predatory coaches lurk on youth sports teams. Here's N.J.'s plan to stop them.' TRUMP ERA ICE — Appeals court says New Jersey improperly regulates federal government over immigrant detention centers, by POLITICO's Madison Fernandez: A federal appeals court on Tuesday dealt a blow to New Jersey's law that prohibits immigration detention agreements with the federal government, arguing that it 'interferes with the federal government's core power to enforce immigration laws.' The opinion by U.S. 3rd Circuit Judge Stephanos Bibas is the latest in the long-running battle over the 2021 law, which barred new and extended immigrant detention contracts between federal authorities and state, local and private entities. CoreCivic, a private corrections company that operates a detention center in Elizabeth, sued over the law. A federal judge ruled that the provision of the law concerning private entities was unconstitutional. The state appealed, and the case was heard in May. — NJ PBS faces steep cuts from rescissions package, by POLITICO's Daniel Han: New Jersey's local PBS station is facing steep cuts after congressional Republicans moved to claw back funding that was appropriated for public broadcasting. … A spokesperson for NJ PBS told POLITICO that it receives around 15 percent of its operating budget — nearly $1.5 million — through CPB in the 2026 fiscal year. It also applied for a $200,000 grant for 'Trenton State House multiplatform reporting.' … Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald, who has supported state funds to support local journalism in the state, said in an interview that independent news is 'critically important to our democracy' but noted that the state has to figure out how to prioritize other federal funding cuts. —'Bipartisan group of N.J. lawmakers tells Hegseth not to cut jobs at Picatinny Arsenal,' by the New Jersey Globe's Joey Fox: 'A bipartisan group of 13 New Jersey representatives and senators, encompassing nearly the state's entire congressional delegation, sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll yesterday expressing 'grave concern' over a proposed Army plan that could lead to sizable losses of funding and jobs for Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County.' — Fox News: 'Mandani's agenda is clearly not aligned with the Democratic Party, says [Gottheimer]' — The Record: 'Woman struck and injured by SUV at North Jersey ICE protest vows to fight on' LOCAL ALWAYS A JERSEY CONNECTION — The legendary Ozzy Osbourne died Tuesday, just a couple weeks after Black Sabbath's farewell concert in their native Birmingham, England. A colleague points out that Black Sabbath's first concert in the United States, in 1970, was apparently at the Esby Auditorium 'at the usually sedate Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) in Glassboro.' The godfathers of heavy metal reportedly played a short set that included now-classics like 'War Pigs' and 'Paranoid,' and Ozzy reportedly 'wandered off into a messy pile of tears' in the gym. RIP, Prince of Darkness. — Dustin Racioppi SCHILL-AR-ELL-I — Hudson County Sheriff Schillari switches to Republican prior to his term expiring, by the Hudson County View's John Heinis: 'Hudson County Sheriff Frank Schillari, who was first elected as a Democrat in 2010 and will serve for a record-setting five terms, has just switched to the Republican Party prior to his term expiring at the end of the year after a primary loss to Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis.' EVERYTHING ELSE IN RUTGERS WE TRUST — 'Greg Schiano 'not worrying' about Rutgers' long-running AD search, has 'total faith',' by NJ Advance Media's Brian Fondeca: 'Greg Schiano is not losing sleep over the long-running search for his new boss. The Rutgers football coach has 'not spent a lot of time worrying about' the school's pursuit of its next athletic director, he said Tuesday at Big Ten Media Day. Rutgers has been without a full-time athletic director for more than 11 months. Former athletic director Pat Hobbs resigned amid scandal last August, and the school has had two interim athletic directors since.' BIG PHARMA REPLACED BY LIL PHARMA — 'Rite Aid closing these 33 New Jersey locations amid bankruptcy,' by The Record's Daniel Munoz: 'Pharmaceutical giant Rite Aid will be closing — or has already shuttered — at least 33 locations across New Jersey following its bankruptcy in May, court filings show. The locations span North, Central and South Jersey, as well as the Jersey Shore, according to court documents, after the chain's second bankruptcy since 2023.'
