| | | | | |  | | By Don Lemon | Presented by |  | | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | Well, this is going to be interesting. As I pointed out to the powers that be at POLITICO, my night job normally includes heaping analysis and criticism of what comes out of Washington, D.C. (which is usually a lot of hypocrisy) and a smidge of what to expect in the day ahead. Hell, by the time I usually wake up and read the morning edition of Playbook, the news cycle has drifted or changed altogether. And by the time I go on the air at night, it often feels like a year has passed. (Perhaps in a few days that won't be the case. Imagine the return of a normal news cycle. Fingers crossed.) But since we're here, let's go with what I know how to do — and what I do every weeknight at 10 p.m. EST on my CNN show, "CNN Tonight with Don Lemon." And that is to give DON'S TAKE: My honest, unflinching, fact-based point of view on what's going on. I'll start by saying now is the time to rethink Playbook — POLITICO's newsletter, and our own personal playbooks. Why? The universe is crying out to us. It is what Atheists may call fate, what Buddhists call destiny and what Jews call kismet — a rare crossroads where good meets bad. We are ushering in a brand-new presidential administration at the very moment the outgoing one is literally trying to burn down the republic on its way out. So, on the day we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King and his unapologetic truth-to-power approach, let me speak candidly and directly to the people who actively read Playbook — lawmakers and the people they employ, journalists and the people who employ us, and other influentials. It's what I like to call: WKWW, "What King Would Want." This new administration was elected to represent all Americans, obviously. But let's be honest about the people who put Joe Biden and Kamala Harris over the finish line: They were and are Black, brown and Asian, with Black women leading the way, like pacers in a marathon. It is high time we (because I am included in these groups) not only have a seat at the table, but lead the discussion and make some of the decisions. Here's why: When our Latino brother and sister journalists wondered aloud and privately in newsrooms why we were giving candidate Donald Trump so much oxygen when he started by calling Mexicans rapists, did we listen to them or did we brush it off as an inability to be objective? When Black journalists in newsrooms all over America questioned Trump's history of racism, from housing to birtherism and more, did you stand up for us or keep quiet? Or did you journalistically appropriate us once we provided cover for you and your organization to finally speak or write the words, "The President of the United States is racist"? I'm sure YAMICHE ALCINDOR's bosses and some of her colleagues flinched when she questioned Trump about his incendiary nationalist language, and he instantly labeled her question racist. JEMELE HILL was suspended and subsequently forced out at ESPN after calling Trump a "white supremacist" and criticizing professional sports owners and managers for their culturally deaf reactions to how players chose to express their First Amendment right to protest. | | | | A message from Blue Cross Blue Shield Association: Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies have committed more than $7 billion to help the nation address the COVID-19 outbreak, by providing premium relief, eliminating patient treatment costs, and enhancing access to telehealth. Learn more. | | | So, in the looking-around-the-corner spirit of Playbook, here's what I'm looking ahead for: For journalists of color, who gets credit, accolades, promotions, raises and awards for holding an administration — as well as their own newsrooms and America — accountable early on? Especially when Black and brown journalists were more likely to be cancelled for speaking out than our white counterparts. I wonder how many journalists of color didn't get hired or promoted because companies just didn't want to deal with that in the age of Trump? We should look to see if politicos and news managers finally recognize that they are not doing Black, Latino and Asians a favor by hiring us — that we should see diversity as not only the morally right thing to do, but as essential to doing our jobs effectively. Just after the Trump-supporting racist attack on the Capitol, a fellow Black journalist and mentor texted me this: "For too long diversity has been something newsrooms embraced as the nice thing to do and the thing to trumpet in glossy pamphlets or on-air promotions that feature Black and Brown journalists who end up having secondary or tertiary roles in actual coverage; if they show up at all. Managers ... spoke about diversity as an extra thing to think about after the core of the newsroom was assembled." But after the Trump presidency, it should be crystal clear that newsroom diversity is essential to tell the stories defining our generations accurately. Much like we regard the expertise of medical doctors, pilots and educators, we must also embrace, lean on and, most importantly, trust journalists who have both experience covering race, and experience living in Black bodies and bodies of color. That includes Playbook. For it to be effective, enlightened and relevant, it should strive daily to reflect the aforementioned values and not fall back on what's easy and comfortable — the promotion of white male patriarchy. | | | | A message from Blue Cross Blue Shield Association:   Taking action to fight the pandemic. See how we're meeting the challenge. | | | Now on to some nuggets from my notebook: IT'S LONELY AT THE TOP — Sources tell me the Trump White House is a ghost town, much more so than any outgoing administration in modern history. They report 90% of the staff is gone, giving the very lame duck president few options for staffers and advisers to conduct business. I'm told, as has been reported, that Nick Luna, Molly Michael, Johnny McEntee and a few others are moving to Florida to staff Trump's post-presidency. NOTHING TO SEE HERE — As for the business that is being conducted, I'm told it's mostly pardon talks, with Pat Cipollone blocking the most egregious ones. But my sources in the White House say Trump's mind is a devil's workshop and he could be plotting without his advisers' knowledge. SPEAKING OF PARDONS — Sources say to look for controversial rapper and recent Trump supporter Lil Wayne to be pardoned in the next day or two. Wayne was arrested in 2019 after an anonymous tip led to his private jet being searched upon landing in Miami. Authorities found a gold-plated, pearl-gripped Glock, ammo, MDMA, heroin, cocaine, painkillers and prescription-strength cough syrup. The drug charges were dropped, but the gun charge could send him to prison as an already convicted felon. PSAKI TALK … I had the pleasure of speaking with incoming White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Sunday night. A few highlights from our chat: — She and her boss know that after years of disinformation coming from the White House briefing room podium, they will have to rebuild trust. Look for them to start on Day One with a briefing right after Biden is inaugurated, and to continue every weekday going forward. — "I don't know what it's like to walk into the White House without there being a national crisis," Psaki told me. In 2009, she started in the Obama White House as a deputy press secretary amid a financial meltdown, with the country shedding hundreds of thousands of jobs a month. This time, the economy's in tatters again, hundreds of thousands of people have died from Covid-19, and D.C. is blanketed with troops to prevent another riot. "It's the same press office [I'm entering], but the weight feels even more intense." — She said Biden's press shop will be the most diverse in history, filled with people "who will be front and center in this administration and future administrations." She's planning to help groom them by giving them ample time in the spotlight with reporters. A QUICK PERSONAL PLUG — Tune in to my show tonight for a personal announcement related to the topic of this Playbook ... Over to the Playbook team … | | | | TRACK FIRST 100 DAYS OF THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION: Track the first 100 Days of the Biden administration. Written for political insiders, this scoop-filled newsletter breaks big news and analyzes the initiatives, people and emerging power centers of the new administration. Subscribe today. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | | 
PHOTO DU JOUR: Increased security forces stand guard around the Capitol on Sunday, Jan. 17. | John Minchillo/AP Photo | REP. JIM CLYBURN (D-S.C.) may be the person most responsible for making Joe Biden president. On Tuesday, Jan. 19, at 2:30 p.m. ET, the new Playbook team will host Clyburn for its first live conversation. Clyburn, lead chair of the Biden Inaugural Committee, knows Biden and his team intimately. He'll discuss the president-elect's agenda, his cabinet picks, impeachment and more. Register here SIREN … AP: "FBI vetting Guard troops in D.C. amid fears of insider attack": "U.S. defense officials say they are worried about an insider attack or other threat from service members involved in securing President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, prompting the FBI to vet all of the 25,000 National Guard troops coming into Washington for the event. … "Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy told The Associated Press on Sunday that officials are conscious of the potential threat, and he warned commanders to be on the lookout for any problems within their ranks as the inauguration approaches. So far, however, he and other leaders say they have seen no evidence of any threats, and officials said the vetting hadn't flagged any issues." BIG FOR THE LEFT — "Biden taps Warren ally Chopra to lead Consumer Bureau," by Tyler Pager, Zachary Warmbrodt, Katy O'Donnell and Leah Nylen: "[Rohit] Chopra, now a member of the Federal Trade Commission, would be returning to helm an agency he helped Warren set up after its establishment by the landmark Dodd-Frank financial reform law of 2010. "The selection of Chopra signals the Biden administration plans to return the CFPB to the more-muscular posture of its early days following three years of Trump administration appointees curbing the agency's reach. … Thanks to a Supreme Court ruling last year, Biden can fire current CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger on Day One. But erasing President Donald Trump's industry-friendly imprint on the bureau, which has pulled back on enforcement and watered down Obama-era rules, may take years." — BIDEN also announced the selection of GARY GENSLER to lead the SEC. CNN: "The nomination of Gensler, a former Goldman Sachs executive turned ferocious advocate for stricter regulation on big banks, is a signal that Biden's team is poised to take a harder line with Wall Street than previous administrations." FIRST IN PLAYBOOK, via HOLLY OTTERBEIN: Pressure is building on the left for President-elect Joe Biden to use his clout to ditch the Senate filibuster. In a memo circulated by Justice Democrats, Sunrise Movement and New Deal Strategies, which was first obtained by POLITICO, the progressive groups argue that Democrats will pay the price in the midterms if they let Republicans "water down" Biden's coronavirus relief plan. They even caution against budget reconciliation — something Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is all for — because it "relegates critical issues" such as civil rights to "second-class status." What about people like Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who is against axing the filibuster? "Biden has the credibility and the political capital to bring along the small number of wavering senators," the organizations write. "Just do it — reform the filibuster and deliver results to the American people." The memo OUT WITH THE OLD — "Biden indicates plans to cancel Keystone XL pipeline permit on first day in office, sources confirm," CBC … BUT, BUT, BUT: "Keystone XL Oil Project Pledges Zero Carbon Emissions," WSJ — "Biden will halt federal executions, other actions on first day in office," by Tyler Pager: "Joe Biden plans to rejoin the World Health Organization, halt federal executions and rescind the ban on transgender individuals serving in the military among a range of other executive actions on his first day in office, according to people familiar with his plans. "Ron Klain, Biden's incoming chief of staff, outlined some of the actions the new administration will take in his first 10 days in a memo to senior staff on Sunday. But a document distributed by the transition team detailed more specific actions Biden will take on Jan. 20." MEDIAWATCH — "Fox Settled a Lawsuit Over Its Lies. But It Insisted on One Unusual Condition," NYT: "On Oct. 12, 2020, Fox News agreed to pay millions of dollars to the family of a murdered Democratic National Committee staff member, implicitly acknowledging what saner minds knew long ago: that the network had repeatedly hyped a false claim that the young staff member, Seth Rich, was involved in leaking D.N.C. emails during the 2016 presidential campaign. (Russian intelligence officers, in fact, had hacked and leaked the emails.) "Fox's decision to settle with the Rich family came just before its marquee hosts, Lou Dobbs and Sean Hannity, were set to be questioned under oath in the case, a potentially embarrassing moment. And Fox paid so much that the network didn't have to apologize for the May 2017 story on FoxNews.com. But there was one curious provision that Fox insisted on: The settlement had to be kept secret for a month — until after the Nov. 3 election. The exhausted plaintiffs agreed." CORONAVIRUS RAGING … The U.S. reported 2,044 Covid-19 deaths and 186,000 new coronavirus cases Sunday. THE 30,000-FOOT VIEW — "One Year, 400,000 Coronavirus Deaths: How the U.S. Guaranteed Its Own Failure," NYT: "Interviews with more than 100 health, political and community leaders around the country and a review of emails and other state government records offer a fuller picture of all that went wrong: The severity of the current outbreak can be traced to the rush to reopen last spring. Many governors moved quickly, sometimes acting over the objections of their advisers. … Science was sidelined at every level of government. … "While the president publicly downplayed the need for masks, White House officials were privately recommending that certain states with worsening outbreaks require face coverings in public spaces. But records show that at least 26 states ignored recommendations from the White House on masks and other health issues." | | | |   | | | INAUGURATION WEEK PHOTOS — "Fortress D.C.," by David Butow: "People have compared Washington right now to the Green Zone in Baghdad, and having been there a few times I can tell you the comparison is apt. But I'm reminded not of how the Green Zone felt months after it had been established, but rather in the first weeks after the invasion. There was an eerie desolation, the shock of transition and violence was still raw, and the future was unknowable." HOW IT'S GOING — "Avowed Trump supporter arrested near Capitol for carrying gun; woman charged with impersonating police," WaPo BEYOND THE BELTWAY — "Heavily fortified statehouses around U.S. see small protests," AP: "Crowds of only a dozen or two demonstrated at some boarded-up, cordoned-off statehouses, while the streets in many other capital cities remained empty. Some protesters said they were there to back President Donald Trump. Others said they had instead come to voice their support for gun rights or decry government overreach." — "What Parler Saw During the Attack on the Capitol," ProPublica: "ProPublica reviewed thousands of videos uploaded publicly to the service that were archived by a programmer before Parler was taken offline by its web host. … Taken together, they provide one of the most comprehensive records of a dark event in American history through the eyes of those who took part." KNOWING THE INSURRECTIONISTS — "FBI investigating whether woman stole laptop from Pelosi's office to sell it to Russia," by Kyle Cheney: "The bizarre claim, which the FBI emphasized remains under investigation, was included in an affidavit describing the criminal case against Riley June Williams, a Pennsylvania woman who was seen in footage of the Jan. 6 insurrection in area of the Capitol near Pelosi's office. And it's not clear if the FBI has been able to apprehend her." — "Cowboys for Trump leader arrested over U.S. Capitol riot," AP WAPO STYLE GOES DEEP — "What does Josh Hawley think he's doing?": "For 20 years Hawley's political fortunes came together neatly: Stanford University, Yale Law School, clerkship for Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., a few years of litigation at a powerhouse D.C. firm, a few years as an admired professor at the University of Missouri School of Law, two years as attorney general of Missouri and two years so far in the U.S. Senate, pampered with chatter about presidential prospects. "As this avowed populist prepared to take a stand in the Senate, he raised his fist in solidarity with pro-Trump protesters who had massed by the Capitol. An hour later, the worst of populism stormed the building, assaulted police officers and parkoured around the seat of the republic in a mockery of the process. … It's a different anger than people reserve for Trump, who seems oblivious to the damage caused by his ego spasms. With Hawley, the backlash from friend and foe is colored by disappointment." BUZZER-BEATER — "N.S.A. Installs Trump Loyalist as Top Lawyer Days Before Biden Takes Office," NYT: "[Michael Ellis] has not been formally sworn in, and it is not clear when that would happen. Mr. Ellis has been accused of having a hand in one of the more contentious legal decisions the Trump administration made: the attempt to stop John R. Bolton, the former national security adviser, from publishing a damning book about the president. "Mr. Ellis's allies had pushed for him to be installed before President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. is inaugurated. While it will be difficult to fire Mr. Ellis under Civil Service rules, the Biden administration could easily reassign him to another, less important post." HOT ON THE RIGHT — "Incoming Biden administration to migrant caravan: Don't come, you won't get in immediately," NBC: "President-elect Joe Biden has promised an end to the strict immigration policies of the Trump administration … But those promises may be put to the test in the new government's first days. If would-be emigrants from Central America perceive that now is the time to travel to the U.S., the southern border could quickly be overwhelmed before systems are put in place to handle the influx. … "An estimated 9,000 Honduran migrants are fleeing food-scarce regions devastated by two hurricanes, drought and economic hardship. On Friday night, about 2,000 members of the caravan pushed past Guatemalan authorities and entered Guatemala without showing documentation or negative COVID screenings, the Associated Press reported. The caravan may arrive at the U.S. border in the coming weeks." KNOWING THE SECOND FAMILY — "Kamala Harris Will Make History. So Will Her 'Big, Blended' Family," NYT … "What's It Like to Have Kamala Harris as 'Momala'? We Asked Her Stepkids," NYT ORAL HISTORY — "Four Years in the Front Row: The country's best female political reporters go on the record about what it was really like covering Trump's America," Elle ... Cameos include: Yamiche Alcindor, Margaret Brennan, Emma Brown, Kaitlan Collins, Kristin Fisher, Weijia Jiang, Andrea Mitchell, Olivia Nuzzi, Abby Phillip, and April Ryan. TRUMP'S MONDAY — The president has nothing on his public schedule. | | | | KEEP UP WITH CONGRESS IN 2021: Tensions remain high on Capitol Hill as we inaugurate a new president this week. How are lawmakers planning to move forward after a tumultuous few weeks? How will a new Senate majority impact the legislative agenda? With so much at stake, our new Huddle author Olivia Beavers brings you the most important news and critical insight from Capitol Hill with assists from POLITICO's deeply sourced Congress team. Subscribe to Huddle, the essential guide to understanding Congress.
| | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Send tips to Eli Okun and Garrett Ross at politicoplaybook@politico.com. IN MEMORIAM — "Sharon Begley, path-breaking science journalist who spun words into gold, dies at 64," Stat: "Over the course of her 43-year-career, at Newsweek, the Wall Street Journal, Reuters, and STAT, from the glory days of print magazines to 2020's Twitter-crazed news cycles, she won more awards and accolades than could fit in an obituary. The accomplishments she was prouder of were making complex ideas accessible to anyone — and beautiful — through her articles and books, and in doing so, training and inspiring generations of science journalists." FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Vanessa Valdivia is now comms director for Sen.-designate Alex Padilla (D-Calif.). She most recently was comms director for Sen. Gary Peters' (D-Mich.) reelect. WEDDING — Daniel Cooper, DSCC Northeast finance director, and Chelsea Rosenberg, a Duke Law student and DCCC research alum, got married Jan. 10 in Durham, N.C. They met while working on Deborah Ross' Senate campaign in North Carolina in 2016. Pic BIRTHWEEK (was Sunday): Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.) turned 67 … Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon (h/t Dina Powell McCormick) BIRTHDAYS: Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) is 78 … Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is 51 … Jonathan Hayes … Brett Horton, COS to House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) … Brian Callanan, general counsel at Treasury … Brandye Hendrickson, deputy director at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials … Kirk Bell … Kelly Kundinger … Ben Jealous, president of People for the American Way, is 48 … Christian Palich, senior adviser to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt … Sandy Cannold, senior EP of CNBC's "The News With Shepard Smith" … Lindsay Monaghan … Yagmur Cosar, comms director at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's Corporate Citizenship Center … Irvin McCullough … Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, contributing writer at National Geographic and contributor to The New Yorker and the NYT Magazine, is 48 … Jeffrey Goodell … National Review's John McCormack … Paul Equale (h/t Jon Haber) … Adam Radman, director of advocacy at Americans for Tax Reform … George Nassar … … Martin O'Malley is 58 … Ryan Taylor, VP at Forbes Tate Partners … Caroline Ross … APCO's Gadi Dechter … Nan Powers Varoga … NBC's Jane Timm … Josh Orton … Charlotte Fox, director of comms at the International Women's Media Foundation, is 37 (h/t Stephanie Fouch) … Anna Morris … Samara Yudof Jones … POLITICO's Evan Gaskin … Kyle Peterson of Boldly Go Philanthropy (h/t Kevin Bohn) … WJLA anchor Dave Lucas … Jonathan Serrie, Fox News correspondent in Atlanta … Phil Chambers … former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-Fla.) is 5-0 … Lionel Barber is 66 … Kara McKee … Ellen Eckert … Beth DeFalco, managing director at Mercury … JoAnne Wasserman … Allie Wright … former Sen. Paul Kirk (D-Mass.) is 83 … former Rep. Mike Michaud (D-Maine) is 66 … Laura (Maloney) Johnsen … David Jacobs … Andrew Sullivan, partner at Hudson Pacific … POLITICO Europe's Constance Dijkstra … George Aldrich … Sarah Riggle … Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen is 77 … former Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is 42 … Matthew Kemeny … Craig Shaffer | | | | 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. | | | | | | | 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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