| | | | | |  | | By Ryan Lizza, Eugene Daniels, Tara Palmeri and Rachael Bade | Presented by Facebook | | | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | At 1:15 p.m. in the East Room, President JOE BIDEN will take the lectern in front of 25 journalists. Among the reporters scheduled to be at the president's first formal press conference, one that comes later than any recent president, are: CNN's KAITLAN COLLINS, CBS' NANCY CORDES, TheGrio's APRIL RYAN, RealClearPolitics' PHILIP WEGMANN, POLITICO's ANITA KUMAR and NYT's ANNIE KARNI. Speaking of Karni, we reached out to about 20 White House reporters to get a sense of what's on the press corps' mind going into the event, and she was one of the few brave souls to attach her name to her comments. "I think there are plenty of important topics we haven't heard from him directly about," Karni told Playbook. "Immigration and the border, how he feels about unity when Republicans are set on depriving him of any successes; real questions about how he gets anything else done without ending the filibuster; what kind of political capital is he willing to spend on gun control; even a better sense of his day to day." By this time in a new administration, there are some sore spots between the White House and the briefing room reporters. Karni gave this rundown of the relationship: "So far, I find the team responsive. We have registered our complaints about them providing people to us on background with quote approval, which they overuse. "[But] overall, it's definitely a more functional operation than it was in the previous administration. I don't know if I'd call it a honeymoon, but there haven't been any blowups since [TJ] Ducklo left." She added, "This issue about the press being allowed to document HHS facilities at the border is their first real live test of transparency." CNN's PHIL MATTINGLY, taking the high road, said he wants to hear more from the president about foreign policy — from U.S.-China relations to Russian election meddling, Iran, North Korea and more. "At this point anything in that space should break new ground," Mattingly told us. Ryan, meanwhile, said Biden needs to provide "hope, optimism [and] concrete short-term and long-term approaches to issues the American people want answered." The president has a lot riding on it, she said, while predicting the session will stretch an hour or more. Other reporters shared thoughts on condition of anonymity. One TV reporter, noting Biden's age, wants the president to answer definitively whether he will seek a second term. "He is likely to punt," this person acknowledged. "But Vice President Kamala Harris and Democrats across town would surely be eager to hear the true answer of when he will make a determination about 2024." Another said the onus is on Biden "to articulate a specific, actionable plan for passing voting rights legislation. If he's not able to do that while Democrats maintain control of the House and Senate, it will be seen as a generational failure." There's also quite a bit of interest in how Biden will handle a certain Fox News reporter. "I'm obsessed with whether the president will call on Fox News' PETER DOOCY, who tormented Biden during the campaign with constant questions about his son Hunter," said a print reporter. "Does Biden want to enter the Fox thunderdome, or does he play it safe with the milder networks?" A TV reporter made the case that the gaffe-prone Biden has been kept from holding a formal press conference because the White House is worried about what he might say. "I assume there's a reason they've waited this long," this person said. "It's his natural inclination to talk to us. They are [holding] him back. And there's a reason for that. But they are not going to be able to control him on Thursday. For a comms team and for a chief of staff who have the tightest ship going right now, there is probably a lot of anxiety." | | A message from Facebook: It's time to update internet regulations
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See how we're making progress on key issues and why we support updated regulations to set clear rules for addressing today's toughest challenges. | | | TRAINING DAYS — "Three-ring binders and 14-point font: How Biden preps for a news conference," CNN: "Biden has been getting ready for days to face the White House press corps, according to multiple people, who all conclude he recognizes the bright spotlight it will garner. Biden has talked his strategy through with several members of his inner circle and even held an informal practice session earlier this week." — And here's Anita's preview story: "Biden discovers there is no way to script the presidency" SPEAKING OF HUNTER — "Sources: Secret Service inserted itself into case of Hunter Biden's gun," by Tara Palmeri and Ben Schreckinger: "On Oct. 23, 2018, President Joe Biden's son, Hunter, and daughter in law Hallie were involved in a bizarre incident in which Hallie took Hunter's gun and threw it in a trash can behind a grocery store, only to return later to find it gone. Delaware police began investigating, concerned that the trash can was across from a high school and that the missing gun could be used in a crime, according to law enforcement officials and a copy of the police report obtained by POLITICO. "But a curious thing happened at the time: Secret Service agents approached the owner of the store where Hunter bought the gun and asked to take the paperwork involving the sale, according to two people, one of whom has firsthand knowledge of the episode and the other was briefed by a Secret Service agent after the fact. The gun store owner refused to supply the paperwork, suspecting that the Secret Service officers wanted to hide Hunter's ownership of the missing gun in case it were to be involved in a crime, the two people said. The owner, Ron Palmieri, later turned over the papers to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, which oversees federal gun laws. "The Secret Service says it has no record of its agents investigating the incident, and Joe Biden, who was not under protection at the time, said through a spokesperson he has no knowledge of any Secret Service involvement. Days later, the gun was returned by an older man who regularly rummages through the [grocery] store's trash to collect recyclable items, according to people familiar with the situation. "The incident did not result in charges or arrests. But the alleged involvement of the Secret Service remains a mystery. One law enforcement official said that at the time of the incident, individual Secret Service agents at the agency's offices in Wilmington, Del., and Philadelphia kept an informal hand in maintaining the former vice president's security. The person cited an instance in 2019 when the Wilmington office of the Secret Service called the Delaware State Police to arrange security for a public appearance by Biden." Good Thursday morning. Got a news tip? A document to share? Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza, Tara Palmeri. | | | |   | | | BIDEN'S THURSDAY — The president will receive the President's Daily Brief at 9:30 a.m. He'll hold his big press conference at 1:15 p.m. And he'll meet virtually with the European Council during its summit at 3:45 p.m. — Harris will take part in a virtual White House Passover celebration with second gentleman DOUG EMHOFF at 5:50 p.m. THE SENATE: The Judiciary Committee will vote at 10 a.m. on the nominations of LISA MONACO for deputy A.G. and VANITA GUPTA for associate A.G. THE HOUSE is out today. Transportation Secretary PETE BUTTIGIEG will testify before the Transportation Committee at 11 a.m. about infrastructure. Facebook CEO MARK ZUCKERBERG, Google CEO SUNDAR PICHAI and Twitter CEO JACK DORSEY will testify before an Energy and Commerce subcommittee at noon about misinformation. VA Secretary DENIS MCDONOUGH will testify before the Veterans' Affairs Committee at 2 p.m. Speaker NANCY PELOSI will hold her weekly presser at 2 p.m. via teleconference. HAPPENING TONIGHT — The LBJ Presidential Library is hosting a conversation with House Majority Whip JIM CLYBURN (D-S.C.), streaming at 8 p.m. Details | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" TO JOIN AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION : Power dynamics are shifting in Washington and across the country, and more people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that all politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. "The Recast" is a new twice-weekly newsletter that breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics, policy, and power in America. Get fresh insights, scoops, and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country, and hear from new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out on this new newsletter, SUBSCRIBE NOW . Thank you to our sponsor, Intel. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | | 
PHOTO OF THE DAY: Megan Rapinoe pretends to call on journalists in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on Wednesday, March 24, during a visit for Equal Pay Day. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images | THE WHITE HOUSE GOOD LUCK WITH THAT — The press has been wondering since she was nominated what Harris' portfolio as VP would be. Well, we finally have an answer (though aides say this is a focus, not her only one) — and her issue is as big as it is intractable: immigration. On one hand, it has stumped multiple administrations. But if she can somehow engineer a breakthrough … "Harris' main focus, a senior administration official told reporters earlier Wednesday, will be two-pronged: working to slow the flow of 'irregular migrants' by addressing 'the root causes' that prompt them to leave their home countries as well as strengthening relationships with Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries where the bulk of the migrants arriving at the U.S. border come from," Eugene reports. "The role puts Harris front-and-center at one of the most politically risky issues … [A]ides made clear that Harris would not be owning the entire immigration portfolio for the administration and would be instead focused on long-term efforts in Central America." ON THAT TOPIC, HOPE FOR HARRIS? — "Finally a breakthrough: Senate actually talking immigration," by Sabrina Rodríguez, Burgess Everett and Marianne LeVine: "As Senate Republicans continued to torch the Biden administration over its handling of the border situation this week, a funny thing happened: A bipartisan group of senators met to discuss immigration reform. … "The meeting came as senators from both parties acknowledged that a path forward on a comprehensive immigration bill is unlikely, particularly with the surge of migrants arriving at the border. And while Democrats have long pushed for legislation to offer permanent legal protections to undocumented immigrants brought to this country as children, Republicans are making it clear that they won't support anything without additional border security." GROUNDBREAKING CONFIRMATION — "A first: U.S. Senate confirms transgender doctor for key post," AP: "Transgender-rights activists have hailed [Rachel] Levine's appointment as a historic breakthrough. Few trans people have ever held high-level offices at the federal or state level." POLITICS ROUNDUP A SURPRISING MOVE — "Kristi Noem Angers Her Base With Transgender Sports Ban Veto," N.Y. Mag: "Noem suddenly stumbled in her path along the far-right side of the political highway. After saying she was 'excited' to sign a bill banning the participation of transgender girls and women in female sports leagues — a favorite right-wing cause this year — she changed her mind, issuing a 'style and form' veto that allowed her to rewrite the legislation to exclude college sports and change some of the enforcement provisions. She was immediately accused of caving to pressure from the NCAA, which opposes such bans under its inclusion policies, and Amazon, which has its own LGBTQ policies and had a major new facility planned for South Dakota." 2022 WATCH — "Is This The Moment Josh Shapiro Has Been Waiting For?" Philadelphia Magazine: "Shapiro was a cool anti-Trumpian spokesman, going on CNN and other outlets to explain things well for the non-expert, striking just the right note of controlled moral outrage. That national exposure will certainly help with fund-raising as Shapiro runs for governor next year. Ed Rendell says that Shapiro's nomination for governor has grown from likely to certain barring any major negative press or unforeseen circumstances — that there's no one in a position to threaten him, including on the far left. 'It would cost $15 million to mount a challenge to Josh,' says the ex-governor. 'No one has that.'" EXCLUSIVE ACCESS — "Andrew Cuomo's family members were given special access to covid testing, according to people familiar with the arrangement," WaPo: "As the coronavirus pandemic swept through New York early last year, Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration arranged for his family members and other well-connected figures to have special access to state-administered coronavirus tests, dispatching a top state doctor and other state health officials to their homes, according to three people with direct knowledge of the effort. "As part of the program, a state lab immediately processed the results of those who were tested, the people said, even as average New Yorkers were struggling to get tested in the early days of the pandemic due to a scarcity of resources. Initially, the lab was only capable of running several hundred tests a day for a state with 19 million residents.The use of state resources to benefit people close to the governor raises serious ethical questions, experts said. New York law prohibits state officials from using their position to secure privileges for themselves or others." | | A message from Facebook: Facebook supports updated internet regulations
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See how we're taking action and why we support updated regulations to address today's challenges —protecting privacy, fighting misinformation, reforming Section 230, and more. | | | CONGRESS MAJORITY LEADER MANCHIN GOES BIG — Just about every word JOE MANCHIN utters is critical listening right now — especially when he weighs in on a topic as important as infrastructure. NBC has the details on what the West Virginia senator had to say about the topic of Biden's next big legislative push: "He said there should be 'tax adjustments' to former President Donald Trump's 2017 tax law to boost revenues, including by raising the corporate rate from the current 21 percent to at least 25 percent. … He also suggested an 'infrastructure bank' paid for with revenues, potentially a value-added tax, that would be used for 'rebuilding America.' … "Notably, Manchin said the Republican resistance to higher taxes was not a 'reasonable' position in an infrastructure negotiation. 'Where do they think it's going to come from?' he asked. 'How are you going to fix America?'" FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: More than a dozen gun control advocacy groups representing survivors of mass shootings, young people and communities of color affected by gun violence are demanding a meeting with Biden in the wake of recent mass shootings. In a letter sent to Biden today, the groups urge him to issue executive actions, set aside money and craft a strategy to engage Congress as part of his plan to curtail gun violence. The groups — which include Brady, March for our Lives and Heartland Alliance — are asking Biden to unveil his proposal by the time he delivers his joint address to Congress, which has yet to be scheduled. (h/t Laura Barrón-López) THE CAMPAIGN TO TAKE DOWN THE FILIBUSTER — "'They are, in effect, supporting racism' — Black leaders ramp up filibuster pressure on Senate Democrats," by Zach Montellaro and Eugene Daniels: "In a half-dozen interviews, top officials framed the choice as existential for a party that depends on Black and brown voters — and they are planning pressure campaigns both privately and publicly to make that clear. "Rev. Al Sharpton, the civil rights leader and former presidential candidate, said in an interview that he and others have begun talks to hold town halls and rallies in the home states of senators like Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), who have said they opposed scrapping the filibuster." AMERICA AND THE WORLD COONS ON THE MOVE — "Biden's closest Senate ally emerges as a shadow secretary of state," by Andrew Desiderio: "Chris Coons was flying back from Ethiopia to Washington this week when a staffer showed him a revealing picture on the plane's radar: His aircraft and Secretary of State Antony Blinken's were about to cross paths over the Atlantic Ocean. … He's a senior Foreign Relations Committee member, but it's highly unusual for a senator who doesn't chair a panel to travel internationally on the president's behalf. "Coons rejects the idea that he is supplanting Blinken. Still, he is embracing the identity that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) described as a 'force multiplier' for the president." TRUMP CARDS — "Hospital Exec Resigns After Holding Vax Event at Trump Tower in Chicago," Block Club Chicago: "Loretto Hospital's Board of Trustees accepted the resignation of Chief Operating Officer Dr. Anosh Ahmed in a unanimous vote Wednesday, according to a news release. Ahmed's resignation came just hours after Block Club reported ineligible people who work at a steakhouse frequented by Ahmed were vaccinated early. "Ahmed was heavily criticized after Block Club reported Loretto held a vaccination event at Trump Tower and after Ahmed told people he vaccinated millionaire Eric Trump. Ahmed — who later said he was joking about vaccinating Trump — owns a condo in Trump Tower and has told people he's friends with Trump, who wouldn't have been eligible for a vaccine in Chicago." | | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING : The Biden administration is more than halfway through its first 100 days and is now facing a growing crisis at the border and escalating violence against Asian Americans, while navigating the pandemic and ongoing economic challenges. Add Transition Playbook to your daily reads to find out what actions are being considered, as well the internal state of play inside the West Wing and across the administration. Track the people, policies, and emerging power centers of the Biden administration. Don't miss out. Subscribe today. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Six prominent Democratic operatives — Robert Gibbs, Maura Keefe, Cornell Belcher, Greg Pinelo, Nick Clemons and Jim Jordan — have launched a new political consulting firm, Resonate. Gibbs, who will remain a senior counsel at Bully Pulpit Interactive Interactive, is a former Obama White House press secretary and McDonald's alum. Keefe previously was chief of staff to Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and senior political adviser on her campaigns. Belcher is a pollster who worked for both Obama campaigns and a founder of Brilliant Corners. Pinelo is co-founder of Blue Amp Strategies, an outside contributor to the Biden campaign ad team and a GMMB and Obama alum. Clemons previously worked for Rep. Joe Kennedy (D-Mass.) and is a New Hampshire Dem veteran. Jordan has run his own firm in recent years and is a former John Kerry campaign manager. Resonate's site CNN'S BRIAN STELTER SCOOPS that PRINCE HARRY is joining the Aspen Institute's new Commission on Information Disorder: "Harry, 14 other commissioners and three co-chairs will conduct a six-month study on the state of American misinformation and disinformation." MEDIAWATCH — "HuffPost Set to Announce Danielle Belton as New Editor in Chief After Yearlong Vacancy," The Daily Beast: "Belton [is] the current editor-in-chief at The Root—G/O Media's Black-focused news and culture outlet." — Lyndsey Layton will be deputy editor for policy on the NYT's climate desk. She most recently was deputy editor on WaPo's climate and environment team. Announcement … Tara Copp will join Defense One as senior correspondent covering the Pentagon and the services. She currently is a national military/veterans reporter at McClatchy. WHITE HOUSE ARRIVAL LOUNGE — Subhan Cheema is now strategic comms adviser on the White House Covid-19 response team. He most recently was on the Biden campaign in North Carolina, and is a Pramila Jayapal, Richard Blumenthal and Obama HHS alum. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Anatol Lieven is joining the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft as senior research fellow on Russia and Europe. He currently is a professor at Georgetown University in Qatar and an author of several books on Russia. — Kylin McCardle is now senior manager for financial services public policy at Amazon Web Services. She most recently was director for consumer regulatory policy and affairs at Citi, and is a House Financial Services and Richard Lugar alum. TRANSITIONS — Kelly Villwock will be program director at College to Congress. She most recently has been at Teach for America. … Julia Lawless is now senior manager for policy comms at Amazon. She most recently was managing director for strategic comms at the Financial Services Forum, and is a Senate Finance alum. ENGAGED — Paige Hill, senior regional comms director at the White House, and Colby Woodis, director of alumni talent initiatives for Teach for America's Nashville-Chattanooga region, got engaged in Rehoboth Beach this weekend. They met working on Karl Dean's 2018 Tennessee gubernatorial campaign. Pic … Another pic — Matt Ford, a staff writer at The New Republic, and Jillian Rucker, a cybersecurity analyst at CISA, got engaged at Great Falls Park in Virginia on Saturday. They met through a mutual friend and started dating in spring 2019. Pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Bari Weiss (37) … Sofia Kinzinger … AP's Steven Sloan … Nick Kalman of Fox News … CAP's Daniella Gibbs Léger … Aaron David Miller (72) … Arthur Allen … Katey McCutcheon of Sunshine Sachs … Marneé Banks of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership … NYT's Felice Belman … Rachael Baitel … Emily Schillinger of the American Investment Council … Sarah Badawi, director of outreach for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) … Anna Brower … Grant Dubler, LD for Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) … Lauren Aronson of Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas … PBS' Pete Van Vleet … Amazon's Andrew Okuyiga … Facebook's Stina Skewes-Cox … Patrick Bailey … Laura Rusu … Nina Kiersted … Gloria Pan … Anthony Garrett … Lauryl Dodson Jackson … Nick Kimball … Chas Danner … Sarah Eyman … Kristin Nicholson … Traci Siegel … Naftali Bennett … Christopher Hale (32) … Joe Chelak … Chris Whipple (68) … Michael Ortiz of Sequoia Capital Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com. 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