| | | | | |  | | By Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman | Presented by |  | | | | | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | BREAKING OVERNIGHT … AP/LONDON: "'Turning point': U.K. giving 1st doses of COVID-19 vaccine": "British health authorities rolled out the first doses of a widely tested and independently reviewed COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday, starting a global immunization program that is expected to gain momentum as more serums win approval. "The first shot was given to Margaret Keenan, who turns 91 next week, at University Hospital Coventry, one of several hospitals around the country that are handling the initial phase of the program on what has been dubbed 'V-Day.' As luck would have it, the second injection went to a man named William Shakespeare, an 81-year-old who hails from Warwickshire, the county where the bard was born." -- WSJ: "FDA Set to Release Analyses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine" NEW … SENATE GOP LEADERSHIP didn't include direct payments in his last couple of coronavirus relief packages -- Republicans were mostly opposed. BUT several sources tell us that Senate Majority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL'S opposition to direct payments is softening. THE WHITE HOUSE, President DONALD TRUMP and House Minority Leader KEVIN MCCARTHY are for direct payments as part of a stimulus deal. The administration is going to push hard for checks, and we're told that if a package comes together, MCCONNELL is not likely to stand in the way -- provided the right mix of policies are included. A tentative plan we heard was for the White House to add direct payments into its counter to MCCONNELL'S offer, if and when that comes together. MCCONNELL spoke Monday afternoon with MCCARTHY, W.H. chief of staff MARK MEADOWS and Treasury Secretary STEVEN MNUCHIN about Covid relief. BURGESS EVERETT scooped Monday that Sen. JOSH HAWLEY (R-Mo.) called on TRUMP to veto any Covid bill that doesn't have direct payments. HAWLEY spoke to TRUMP about the political dynamics on the Hill, and Covid relief. WE HAVE A PRETTY BEARISH VIEW at the moment of the "908 coalition" -- the bipartisan group that's trying to strike a Covid compromise. Not because they're doing anything wrong -- they're not! -- but it's late in the game, and if a package is going to come together, it's likely going to come from the leadership, with elements of that group's work being included. THE LATEST … MARIANNE LEVINE: "Liability reform compromise remains elusive": "As a bipartisan group of lawmakers races to unveil a $908 billion coronavirus relief proposal they hope can pass Congress, Democrats and Republicans remain at odds over how to resolve their differences on a key sticking point: liability reform. "Emerging from a closed-door meeting Monday evening, senators said that they have yet to reach a solution on the matter, but they exchanged competing proposals. The senators are expected to meet again Tuesday. "Sen. John Cornyn described Monday evening's conversation in the Senate's Mansfield Room as a 'robust exchange of ideas' but added 'there's no consensus yet.' The Texas Republican said he suggested removing language related to liability reform and state and local aid, another sticking point, but that his proposal 'went over like a lead balloon.'" -- NYT ED BOARD: "The Stimulus Compromise Is $908 Billion Better Than Nothing" -- WSJ ED BOARD: "Paying for More Covid Relief: Republicans should insist on using the $429 billion in Fed funds." WHAT'S MOST LIKELY AT THIS POINT? Good question. The easiest path would be to renew the Paycheck Protection Program, unemployment insurance and a new round of direct payments. But, as CORNYN said, dropping state and local and liability is not popular. WHAT REPUBLICANS are saying about XAVIER BECERRA (h/t Hill pool) … -- SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R-Texas): "I don't know what his Health and Human Services credentials are. It's not like Alex Azar, who used to be, you know, work for pharma and have a health care background. But we'll take it one step at a time." -- SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R-Maine): "I don't know him at all. I was surprised that it wasn't an individual who had a health care background, but I truly don't know him. I think he was a member of Congress before he was A.G., but our paths just didn't cross." -- SEN. BILL CASSIDY (R-La.): "I don't think he has any experience in health care that I know of. … I'm not going to fight it. It's their call -- [Kathleen] Sebelius didn't have any background in health care. So maybe they're just planning to do all their work in the White House." Good Tuesday morning. 43 DAYS until Inauguration Day. | | A message from Blue Cross Blue Shield Association: The coronavirus pandemic has magnified racial health disparities to deadly proportions. See how Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies are working in local communities to reduce disparities and address social determinants of health. | | | AS YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED in our four years at the driver's seat of the Playbookmobile, we have a bias toward the legislative process. But, of course, we like to drop in and see what's happening in the White House once in a while just to see what's going on. … -- WAPO: "Trump asks Pennsylvania House speaker for help overturning election results, personally intervening in a third state," by Amy Gardner, Josh Dawsey and Rachael Bade: "President Trump called the speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives twice during the past week to make an extraordinary request for help reversing his loss in the state, reflecting a broadening pressure campaign by the president and his allies to try to subvert the 2020 election result. "The calls, confirmed by House Speaker Bryan Cutler's office, make Pennsylvania the third state where Trump has directly attempted to overturn a result since he lost the election to former vice president Joe Biden. He previously reached out to Republicans in Michigan, and on Saturday he pressured Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) in a call to try to replace that state's electors. … "'The president said, "I'm hearing about all these issues in Philadelphia, and these issues with your law,"' said Cutler spokesman Michael Straub, describing the House speaker's two conversations with Trump. '"What can we do to fix it?"' … Cutler told the president that the legislature had no power to overturn the state's chosen slate of electors, Straub said." -- REALITY CHECK: "Trump's options dwindle as safe harbor deadline looms," by Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney: "President Donald Trump's effort to snatch a second term through a series of state and federal court challenges has been flaming out for weeks. Now, the calendar has all but extinguished it." -- NYT: "Trump Administration Passed on Chance to Secure More of Pfizer Vaccine," by Sharon LaFraniere, Katie Thomas and Noah Weiland: "Before Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine was proved highly successful in clinical trials last month, the company offered the Trump administration the chance to lock in supplies beyond the 100 million doses the pharmaceutical maker agreed to sell the government as part of a $1.95 billion deal over the summer. "But the administration, according to people familiar with the talks, never made the deal, a choice that now raises questions about whether the United States allowed other countries to take its place in line." FASCINATING STORY … AXIOS: "Exclusive: Suspected Chinese spy targeted California politicians," by Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian and Zach Dorfman of the Aspen Institute THE NEXT MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION OF OUR LIFETIME … NYT'S JONATHAN MARTIN and ASTEAD HERNDON: "Republicans Make Clear Their Georgia Senate Strategy: Attack Warnock": "When Senator David Perdue of Georgia didn't show up for a debate on Sunday night, he ensured two outcomes: Jon Ossoff, Mr. Perdue's Democratic opponent, would enjoy free airtime unencumbered by attacks from his rival, and the other Senate debate that night would draw far more attention. "Handing Mr. Ossoff an open microphone, Republicans determined, was well worth the bargain. As Georgians prepare to vote in two runoffs next month that will decide control of the Senate, there is little mystery as to which of the two Democratic candidates G.O.P. officials want to elevate as a target as they try to rouse their base: the Rev. Raphael Warnock, who is running against Georgia's other Republican senator, Kelly Loeffler." | | | | A message from Blue Cross Blue Shield Association:   Reducing racial health disparities to help communities get healthier and save lives. See how we're taking action. | | | POLITICO SCOOPS THE SECDEF -- "Biden picks retired general Lloyd Austin to run Pentagon," by Lara Seligman, Tyler Pager, Connor O'Brien and Natasha Bertrand: "President-elect Joe Biden has selected Retired Gen. Lloyd Austin to serve as secretary of defense, according to three people with knowledge of the decision. If confirmed, Austin would be the first Black person to lead the Pentagon. "In picking Austin, Biden has chosen a barrier-breaking former four-star officer who was the first Black general to command an Army division in combat and the first to oversee an entire theater of operations. Austin's announcement could come as soon as Tuesday morning, people familiar with the plans said Monday. "Austin, who also ran U.S. Central Command before retiring in 2016, emerged as a top-tier candidate in recent days after initially being viewed as a longshot for the job. Michèle Flournoy, Obama's former Pentagon policy chief, was initially viewed as the frontrunner, but her name was notably absent from Biden's rollout of key members of his national security team two weeks ago. "Biden had been under growing pressure to nominate a Black person to be his defense secretary in recent weeks. He chose Austin after also considering former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson for the job, several people familiar with the discussions said." -- REMEMBER: Congress will have to pass a law to give AUSTIN a waiver. -- BRYAN BENDER: "Biden's reliance on retired military brass sets off alarm bells" -- TOP-ED … JIM GOLBY, a former adviser to BIDEN and VP MIKE PENCE, in the NYT: "Sorry, Gen. Lloyd Austin. A Recently Retired General Should Not Be Secretary of Defense: After a tumultuous four years, we need civilian leadership and a return to normalcy." WILD STORY -- "Steakhouses, Hill bars and ski trips: GOP carries on amid the pandemic," by Sarah Ferris, Melanie Zanona and Daniel Lippman: "It's not just the White House flouting pandemic rules to mark this town's schmooziest season. Some corners of the GOP, including members of Congress, are refusing to let the coronavirus intrude on their holiday gatherings and in-person fundraisers — whether it's on the slopes of Utah or in the steakhouses of Washington. "Meanwhile, discussions are underway about holding the Conservative Political Action Conference — a massive, yearly affair — in person early next year, according to multiple sources. The event planning comes as the nation is battered by another brutal surge in coronavirus cases, prompting a fresh round of warnings from public health experts to hunker down and avoid group settings, particularly indoors. And it underscores the resistance by many in the GOP, led by President Donald Trump, to adjust to the new normal of the pandemic. "'It's an honor to be invited to the White House for anything. It's special and to see the decorations,' said pro-Trump commentator Harlan Hill. 'I think it's important that we go show that we support the president and that our support hasn't wavered through the election fraud scandal.' He added that the White House is 'taking all appropriate precautions' to keep people safe. "Another person who plans to attend one of the Christmas bashes at the White House added: 'Why wouldn't we? A lot of these things are going to be appropriately scaled and take proper precautions. But it doesn't cancel the season.'" TRUMP'S TUESDAY -- The president will deliver remarks at an Operation Warp Speed vaccine summit at 2 p.m. in the South Court Auditorium. PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE BIDEN and VP-Elect KAMALA HARRIS will separately receive the President's Daily Brief. They will then introduce the nominees and appointees for their health team in Wilmington, Del. The two will also participate in a virtual meeting with civil rights leaders. | | | | JOIN WEDNESDAY - BATTLING INFORMATION CHAOS IN A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS: The extraordinary pace which scientists, doctors, epidemiologists, and hospital staff are working to fully understand the coronavirus can sometimes lead to the wrong information getting published and more accurate information being buried. Join POLITICO for a virtual deep-dive conversation on strategies for improving the flow of accurate and timely findings during a public health crisis. Tune in and hear the executive conversation between POLITICO CEO Patrick Steel and Surescripts CEO Tom Skelton. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | | 
PHOTO DU JOUR: Margaret Keenan, 90, is applauded by staff after becoming the first patient in the U.K. to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at University Hospital in Coventry, England, on Tuesday Dec. 8. | Jacob King/Pool via AP | CALIFORNIA EXPLODING … LAT: "California coronavirus shutdown will last through Christmas as deaths explode past 20,000," by Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II and Sean Greene: "For millions of Californians, the COVID-19 pandemic will provide a most unwelcome gift this Christmas: a wide-ranging shutdown imposed as the state grapples with its most massive and dangerous surge in infections and hospitalizations to date. "Monday provided even more devastating news: More than 20,000 cumulative deaths and more than 34,000 new coronavirus cases reported Monday alone, according to The Times' county-by-county tally of infections. That shatters the previous single-day record, set Friday, when 22,369 coronavirus cases were tallied." -- "D.C. to give $1,200 stimulus payments to some jobless residents as region's virus cases set record," by WaPo's Michael Brice-Saddler and Meagan Flynn PAGE SIX: "Ivanka & Jared buy $30M lot on high-security Miami island": "Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner have splashed out on a $30 million-plus dollar lot of land on Miami's uber-swanky and high-security Indian Creek Island — known as the 'Billionaire's Bunker' — Page Six can exclusively reveal." FIRST IN PLAYBOOK -- NYT reporters CECILIA KANG and SHEERA FRENKEL'S forthcoming Facebook book has a cover and a new title: "AN UGLY TRUTH: INSIDE FACEBOOK'S BATTLE FOR DOMINATION." The book, publishing June 15 from HarperCollins, will be "a detailed insider account of the controversies and crises that have roiled Facebook over the past four years," building off their big 2018 investigation in the paper. Front and back covers … $29.99 on Amazon | | | |   | | | TIKTOK LATEST -- "TikTok Download Ban Is Blocked by Second Judge," by WSJ's Georgia Wells: "A second federal judge has blocked the Trump administration's attempt to ban TikTok downloads in the U.S., underscoring the dwindling legal options the Trump administration has to pursue an outright ban of the popular app. "On Monday, Judge Carl Nichols of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., granted a preliminary injunction that stops the Commerce Department from implementing restrictions on TikTok that would have essentially banned the app in the U.S. Judge Nichols said the government's ban likely overstepped its authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, calling the action arbitrary and capricious. "Judge Nichols's order follows an October decision from a case that TikTok creators brought in Pennsylvania court, arguing that the ban would have deprived them of their income and their ability to express themselves. The judge in that suit, Wendy Beetlestone, blocked the restrictions on Oct. 30." WSJ MEDIAWATCH -- "MSNBC Names Rashida Jones President, Succeeding Phil Griffin," by WSJ's Benjamin Mullin and Joe Flint: "Ms. Jones, who is currently serving as senior vice president for MSNBC News, is succeeding longtime network president Phil Griffin, catapulting her to one of the highest echelons in television news and making her the first Black female executive to run a major general news cable network. "Ms. Jones will officially take over for Mr. Griffin in February, NBCUniversal News Group Chairman Cesar Conde said … The elevation of Ms. Jones, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal, is the first major executive change made by Mr. Conde, who took over the NBCUniversal unit in May. … Mr. Griffin has been at MSNBC News for a quarter-century and has been president of the division since 2008." IN MEMORIAM -- AP: "Chuck Yeager, 1st to break sound barrier, dies at 97": "Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Charles 'Chuck' Yeager, the World War II fighter pilot ace and quintessential test pilot who showed he had the 'right stuff' when in 1947 he became the first person to fly faster than sound, has died." | | | | THIS WEEK - DON'T MISS #MIHealthSummit: POLITICO will feature a special edition Future Pulse newsletter at the Milken Institute Future of Health Summit this week. Go inside one of the most influential gatherings of global health industry leaders and innovators determined to confront and conquer the most transformative health challenges. The pandemic exposed weaknesses across our health systems, particularly in treating our most vulnerable communities. This year's conference focuses on the converging crises of public health, economic insecurity, and social justice. Sign up today for exclusive coverage from December 7–9. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Send tips to Eli Okun and Garrett Ross at politicoplaybook@politico.com. TRANSITIONS -- Janae Brady is now senior director of government affairs at the American Seed Trade Association. She previously was a senior professional staff member for Senate Agriculture Chair Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) … Naureen Chowdhury Fink will be executive director of the Soufan Center. She previously was senior policy adviser on counterterrorism and sanctions at the U.K. Mission to the U.N. … … Paul Blair is now VP of government affairs at Turning Point Brands. He previously was strategic initiatives director at Americans for Tax Reform. … Borden Hoskins is now associate VP of legislative affairs at the Mortgage Bankers Association. He most recently was a legislative assistant for Sen. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.). WELCOME TO THE WORLD -- Christoper Splet, managing director at UNICEPTA, and Frank Hauer, director at HelioCampus, welcomed Max Splet-Hauer on Nov. 29. He came in at 8 lbs, 13 oz. BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: B.R. McConnon, founder, chair and CEO of DDC Public Affairs. A fun fact about him: "I'm a native. Born in D.C. Martin's Tavern first place I went after leaving GU hospital. Seen D.C. grow and change a bunch." Playbook Q&A BIRTHDAYS: Ann Coulter is 59 … Sabrina Siddiqui, WSJ reporter and CNN political analyst … Kerri Kupec, DOJ director of comms and public affairs and counselor to the A.G. … POLITICO's Aaron Kissel, Annie Yu and Danica Stanciu … AP's Pablo Martínez Monsiváis … Debra Saunders, Las Vegas Review-Journal White House correspondent … Judd Legum … Brooke Lorenz, senior comms manager at CBS … Lizzie O'Leary … Rachel Sklar (h/ts Ben Chang) … Marc Burstein, senior executive producer at ABC News … Ginny Badanes, director of strategic projects for cybersecurity and democracy at Microsoft, is 4-0 (h/t Dave Leichtman) … P. Lynn Scarlett … Brie Sachse, managing director and head of external affairs at Siemens … Elyse Perlmutter-Gumbiner, NBC News White House producer … Gen. Joe Dunford … … Stephen Spaulding, senior counsel for public policy and government affairs and senior adviser to the president of Common Cause … former World Bank President Jim Yong Kim is 61 … Nick Colvin … Karen Keller of FP1 Strategies and PLUS Communications … Cayman Clevenger … Jena Baker McNeil … Preston Hill … Steve Bouchard (h/t Jon Haber) … former Rep. Raúl Labrador (R-Idaho) is 53 … Kevin Carski ... BBC's Samantha Granville ... Honey Sharp is 7-0 (h/t son Daniel Lippman) … Sylvester Okere … Courtney Johnson … Luis Rosero … Solange Uwimana … Jen Minton … Anna Miller … Tom Bush … Austin James … Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is 67 … Jackie Gran … Jeff Neubauer … Jasmine Nears … Mary Jean Collins … Joel Gratz (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) … Nancy Balz … Randy Altschuler is 5-0 | | A message from Blue Cross Blue Shield Association: Everyone should have access to health care, no matter who you are or where you live. See how Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies are working to improve health and expand access to quality care. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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