| | | | | |  | | By Rachael Bade, Ryan Lizza, Tara Palmeri and Eugene Daniels | Presented by |  | | | | | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | This has the makings of a hugely pivotal day in Washington — and yet the outcomes of today's two major events are entirely predictable. — This morning, House Republicans will likely boot one of their own from leadership for the first time in years, sacrificing Wyoming Rep. LIZ CHENEY at the altar of DONALD TRUMP. — Then, President JOE BIDEN will huddle with the so-called BIG FOUR congressional leaders — Speaker NANCY PELOSI, House Minority Leader KEVIN MCCARTHY, Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER and Senate Minority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL — to talk through "areas of mutual agreement and identify common ground." (Don't count on them finding much.) FIRST UP: THE CHENEY BOOTING — At 9 a.m., the House GOP will gather in the basement of the Capitol and vote on whether to oust Cheney as chair of the Republican Conference over her continued criticism of Trump for spreading lies and conspiracy theories about the outcome of the 2020 election. Here's how it will go down: — Rep. VIRGINIA FOXX (R-N.C.) is expected to offer the motion to remove Cheney. — Members will speak. Cheney is expected to defend herself and call for moral clarity in the party, but will not try to persuade members to allow her to keep her job, according to someone familiar with her plans. — The meeting is expected to go fairly quickly — unlike the last time she faced an ouster, when the GOP Conference debated for about four hours. — Cheney will lose her leadership post with a simple majority vote. McCarthy is expected to have mustered at least that much support — and likely much more. (More on this below) And it appears House Republicans aren't alone. In the latest Morning Consult/POLITICO poll, 50% of Republican voters think Cheney should be removed from her leadership role, while only 18% think she should keep it. Among independent voters, 24% support ousting Cheney, compared to 38% who back her keeping her post. Toplines … Crosstabs SECOND UP: THE BIG FOUR + JOE — For the first time since October 2019, the four most senior congressional leaders will head to the White House to meet with the president. (Their last meeting culminated in the iconic photo of Pelosi standing and pointing her finger at Trump, telling him to back off in his attacks of her.) This meeting will have a different dynamic, to say the least. Biden regularly speaks with Pelosi and Schumer, with whom he has good working relationships. The more interesting dynamic will be between him, McConnell and McCarthy. McConnell and Biden go way back and have a cordial rapport. But McCarthy's relationship with the president has been rather … frosty of late, and that's unlikely to change as he arrives at the White House after dethroning a member of his own leadership team for denouncing Trump's lies that Biden's election victory was illegitimate. The huddle comes as Biden has sought to garner bipartisan support for an infrastructure package — and asked Congress to send him a deal on police reform. Notably, if either happens, the White House will likely strike a deal with rank-and-file members, not the party leadership. That's probably why Biden has prioritized meeting with backbenchers since Inauguration Day. According to NPR's Scott Detrow, the White House legislative affairs team has had more than 500 phone calls or meetings with lawmakers or Hill staff about Biden's jobs plan. And yet he's just now getting around to inviting McConnell and McCarthy to the Oval. Good Wednesday morning, and thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza, Tara Palmeri. | | A message from Amazon: Since 2009:
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Amazon's $15 an hour starting wage helps employees provide for their families and boosts local economies. Learn more. | | | INSIDER VIEWS ON WAPO'S NEW BOSS: CAROL LEONNIG, one of the best reporters at the paper (or any paper), told us that she is very high on SALLY BUZBEE, the executive editor at the AP who will succeed MARTY BARON as WaPo's top editor on June 1: "It's been really heartening today to hear Sally's commitment to continue and expand our investigative and high-impact work, and also to hear today from peers I respect how much they loved working for her at the AP. She's got experience managing a huge operation, a big plus since the Post has grown in size by 75% in the last eight years. It's important to remember, too, there were two internal candidates, STEVEN [GINSBERG] and CAMERON [BARR], who have been judged 'rock stars' as finalists for the top job and I know FRED [RYAN] and everyone else at the Post wants them to play big roles in charting the Post's future too." — Others are taking a more wait-and-see approach. One Postie told us: "The name was a genuine surprise to many on staff. The short list had been gossiped about for months but her name escaped significant speculation both internally and externally. … Despite the surprise, many on staff have been relieved by the breadth of her resume and the spigot of praise from her now-ex colleagues at the AP." "She has emphasized that the Post and the AP are different animals, so we're just going to have to see what aspects of the Post she wants to preserve and what aspects she wants to reform." — But a third group is unimpressed by Buzbee's debut. A longtime Postie gave us a summary of the skeptical camp inside the paper after Buzbee's introductory town hall Tuesday: "She was kind of bland in the town hall. She said she read every Washington Post sports investigative article. That's her passion? When she was asked what Post pieces she liked or wished the AP had had, she was not specific. She seemed not to have an answer for that. She said 'um' and 'uh' a lot. She seemed nervous. She was asked by at least three people about [JEFF] BEZOS and how the Post should cover him, and she was non-specific, though she did say we need 'hard-hitting coverage of Amazon.' … Also, she believes in 'teams and diversity.' "Anyone filling Marty Baron's shoes is going to have a rough ride. It's like replacing TIM RUSSERT. You want to be the person who replaces the person who replaces Marty Baron." — We'll let friend of Playbook SALLY QUINN, whose late husband, BEN BRADLEE, is the standard by which all Post editors are judged, have the last word: "She is absolutely fabulous. I love her. I know her. I've worked with her. I think she is a real leader. She's incredibly smart. She gets it. She's a good person and she has a good sense of humor. She's totally down to earth. There's no spin on her at all. I think she's the right person for the Post at this moment. I think Ben would be ecstatic about it, and so am I. I love Steve Ginsberg and Cameron Barr and I think they are great journalists and would have been terrific editors, but when people get to know Sally they will be really impressed. She has an enormous amount of confidence and an incredible resume. It's exciting to have the first woman editor of the Post. I think it's a brilliant choice and the skeptics are going to be very relieved." — HOW BUZBEE CAN BEAT BARON (AND BAQUET): "Sally Buzbee Can Do What Her Male Predecessors Never Figured Out," by Jack Shafer: "Make it your first priority to shake some of those Bezosbucks loose; a billionaire is a terrible thing to waste. If Bezos can afford a $500 million superyacht, he can afford a Times -sized newsroom. When Bezos bought the Post, he talked of providing the paper with a long 'runway,' and he did. Now you need to convince him to put some jumbo jets on it and let them take flight. If you don't succeed, we'll still wish you well and read your newspaper closely, but you'll become the AP caretaker who let us down." — More coverage: NYT, WSJ, CNN, AP | | A message from Amazon: Amazon saw the need to do more. That's why they raised their starting wage to $15 an hour in 2018 and offer comprehensive benefits to employees, including paid time off, parental leave, and health care. | | | BIDEN'S WEDNESDAY — The president will receive the President's Daily Brief at 9:30 a.m. At 11 a.m., Biden and VP KAMALA HARRIS will meet with congressional leaders in the Oval Office. At 3:30 p.m., Biden will deliver remarks on the Covid-19 vaccination efforts in the South Court Auditorium. — Press secretary JEN PSAKI will brief at noon. THE SENATE is in session. USTR KATHERINE TAI will testify on the administration's trade policy agenda before the Finance Committee at 9:30 a.m. A.G. MERRICK GARLAND and DHS Secretary ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS will testify before the Appropriations Committee at 10 a.m. THE HOUSE will meet at 10 a.m. Former acting Defense Secretary CHRISTOPHER MILLER, former acting A.G. JEFFERY ROSEN and Metropolitan Police Department chief ROBERT CONTEE will testify about Jan. 6 before the Oversight Committee at 10 a.m. Climate envoy JOHN KERRY will testify before the Foreign Affairs Committee at 10 a.m. FAA Administrator STEVE DICKSON will testify before an Appropriations subcommittee at 10:30 a.m. HHS Secretary XAVIER BECERRA will testify on the HHS budget before the Energy and Commerce Committee at 10:30 a.m. | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO WEST WING PLAYBOOK: Add West Wing Playbook to keep up with the power players, latest policy developments and intriguing whispers percolating inside the West Wing and across the highest levels of the Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | | 
PHOTO OF THE DAY: Cars line up for gas in Greensboro, N.C., on Tuesday as the U.S. works to avoid any possible fuel shortage as the result of a pipeline cyberattack. No widespread disruptions have happened yet. | Woody Marshall/News & Record via AP | THE WHITE HOUSE THE VP'S FLIP-FLOP — "Harris once opposed the border closure. As vice president, she supports it," by Anita Kumar: "Months before the election, then-Senator Kamala Harris signed on to a letter with fellow Democrats accusing the Trump administration of violating federal law when it took the drastic step of citing the pandemic to close down the Mexican border. Now … Harris backs the Biden administration's decision to keep the border closed under that very same provision, according to two people familiar with her thinking. "Harris' silence on Title 42 illuminates the binds that she — and the Biden administration writ large — have faced upon taking office. Biden officials are trying to fulfill their campaign promises on immigration but have found that quickly reversing Trump's policies can create an abundance of political headaches and contribute to a host of other problems, including trying to process and house a record number of unaccompanied children crossing the southern border." TACKLING WHITE-SUPREMACIST TERRORISM — "DHS stands up domestic terror intelligence team," by Betsy Woodruff Swan: "The Department of Homeland Security's intelligence arm is setting up a dedicated team to focus on domestic terrorism, two DHS officials told POLITICO. The team will have several full-time personnel. DHS is also renaming and refocusing a separate office that has drawn criticism for its prior work fighting extremism. The moves come as the department is increasing its focus on domestic terrorism and violent threats. "DHS is grappling with the growing threat of domestic terrorism, particularly attacks perpetrated by white supremacists. The Biden administration and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas have made countering the threat a top priority and launched an internal review scrutinizing domestic extremism in the department's ranks. TROUBLE WITHIN THE SECRET SERVICE, TOO — "New book portrays a Secret Service riven by scandal and growing pains," WaPo CONGRESS THAT DREADED MCGAHN CASE — "Biden administration, House Democrats reach agreement in Donald McGahn subpoena lawsuit," WaPo: "The Biden Justice Department and lawyers for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) have reached an agreement about how to handle a congressional subpoena for testimony from former Trump White House counsel DONALD MCGHAN. "The House Judiciary Committee and the Biden administration announced the deal Tuesday in a filing with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The parties told the court they have 'an agreement in principle on an accommodation.' Former president Donald Trump is 'not a party to the agreement,' the filing states." MORE LIZ DRAMA — Late Tuesday night, Cheney spoke on the House floor, laying out her concerns with the direction of the party. On her lapel, she wore a pin given to her by her mother that evokes Gen. GEORGE WASHINGTON'S battle flag (h/t Mel Zanona). And in an apt end to her brief tenure in leadership, she spoke to a near completely empty House chamber. Watch her swan song here … More from Olivia Beavers and Melanie Zanona — NOT GOING AWAY: WaPo reports: "Rather than focusing on whipping votes to save her job as conference chair, the Wyoming Republican this week has been drafting plans for increased travel and media appearances meant to drive home her case that Trump is unfit for a role in the Republican Party or as the nation's leader were he to run in 2024, according to a person briefed on the plans. "She is also considering an expanded political operation that would allow her to endorse and financially support other Republican candidates who share her view of the danger that Trump poses to the Republican Party and the country, the person said." — Latest Rep. ADAM KINZINGER attack on @GOPleader: "Kevin McCarthy (an employee of Donald Trump) may win tomorrow, but history won't be kind. Never has our party gone after it's own leadership like this, but Kevin and STEVE SCALISE made history, because Trump has thin skin. I'd be embarrassed if I was them." — TOP-ED from former Arizona Republican Sen. JEFF FLAKE in WaPo: "In today's Republican Party, there is no greater offense than honesty" — Takeaway from the NYT: "Liz Cheney Embraces Her Downfall, Offering Herself as a Cautionary Tale" THE STEFANIK PUSHBACK GOES PUBLIC — "Stefanik faces first House conservative foe in her push to replace Cheney," by Olivia Beavers: "Rep. CHIP ROY (R-Texas), a member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, sent a memo to every Republican office in the chamber arguing that [Rep. ELISE] STEFANIK should not be serving in leadership. But Roy hardly embraced Cheney's continued presence atop the conference, also asserting that the Wyoming Republican no longer deserves to be conference chair. "Despite multiple Freedom Caucus members privately expressing reluctance — if not outright opposition — to Stefanik over concerns about the New Yorker's past moderate record, Roy is one of only a few House conservatives to take his criticism public. He focused his case against Stefanik on past votes that he contended should disqualify her from leading the conference on messaging." — For situational awareness: McCarthy is expected to announce next steps today for the process to vote on Cheney's successor as conference chair. Originally, he was hoping to do a candidate forum Thursday (though so far, Stefanik is the only one officially running), followed by a vote Friday. But the conservative squawking might delay this into next week. THE GOP'S 'MOVE ON' CAUCUS — "'Let's move on': Congress' other pro-impeachment Republicans stay quiet," by Burgess Everett and Melanie Zanona: "Seventeen congressional Republicans supported the second impeachment of former President Donald Trump. Unlike Liz Cheney, most of them want to move on. … They stand by their anti-Trump votes and oppose Cheney's demotion, but they're focused on strengthening their party's message against Democratic control of Washington." GAETZ-GATE CONTINUES — "4 Women Say Matt Gaetz's Wingman Pressured Them to Have Sex," The Daily Beast: "Twelve women agreed to talk with The Daily Beast about their experiences with [JOEL] GREENBERG and his friends under the condition of anonymity. All of them said it was their understanding that Greenberg — who until his indictment last June served as the elected tax collector for Seminole County, Florida — was paying them at least in part for sex, going as far back as 2013. Ten women told The Daily Beast they felt pressure at one time or another to drink or take drugs as an entree to sex. And all 12 said Greenberg encouraged them to invite friends, either for himself or men he knew. "None of the women The Daily Beast talked to used the phrase 'sexual assault' in their interviews, and the encounters seemed to cover a spectrum of experiences. Some women described platonic encounters where they still got paid. Others relayed that they had consensual sex for money. But some characterized their experiences as a trauma, and four women said Greenberg pressured them them to have sex — with one recounting that she had sex with Greenberg and another woman after being plied with 'an endless supply of drugs.'" | | | | A message from Amazon:   All Amazon employees in the U.S. make at least $15 an hour. | | | POLITICS ROUNDUP MORE PROBLEMS FOR JENNER — "Jenner says she didn't vote in 2020. But records show she did," by Carla Marinucci: "POLITICO reported last month that Jenner did not vote in nearly two-thirds of the elections in which she was eligible since 2000. After Jenner's latest comments to CNN aired Tuesday morning, a representative of the registrar's office reconfirmed to POLITICO that Jenner voted — with documentation. The issue arose when CNN's DANA BASH asked Jenner this week if she had voted for former President Donald Trump in last year's election. Jenner is relying on former Trump aides for campaign strategy, but she had broken with the Republican president in 2018 over his positions on transgender issues." ANNALS OF ACTIVISM — "Black Lives Matter thought they had Washington's ear. Now they feel shut out," by Maya King: "The Biden administration has neither granted [BLM activists] a meeting months after they requested one, nor have any names of activists been listed in White House visitor logs. (Those logs, it should be noted, just cover the first couple of weeks in office.) "Their leaders are absent from police reform discussions on the Hill. And their legislative proposal, the BREATHE Act — which codifies the reallocation of funds from law enforcement to communities of color — has yet to catch on outside of a small circle of progressives in Congress, including Democrats AYANNA PRESSLEY and RASHIDA TLAIB, who have backed it." AMERICA AND THE WORLD CONFLICT MOUNTS IN ISRAEL — "Israel ramps up airstrikes as barrage of rockets from Gaza continues," CNN: "Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians escalated further on Tuesday as Palestinian militants in Gaza fired hundreds of rockets into Israel, which in turn ramped up airstrikes on the coastal enclave, as unrest spread to cities and towns beyond Jerusalem. "As both sides traded airstrikes on Tuesday evening, Israeli Prime Minister BENJAMIN NETANYAHU addressed the nation from Tel Aviv, saying, 'We are in the midst of a significant operation.' Israeli bombing raids across Gaza have killed at least 32 people, including 10 children, according to Palestinian health officials, who also said 203 people have been injured. The Israeli military said it had killed more than 15 militants." — CALLS FOR U.S. ACTION: "Violence in Israel challenges Biden's 'stand back' approach," NYT: "Mr. Biden and his senior advisers have largely accepted that status quo. Determined to shift the focus of American foreign policy to China from the Middle East and seeing no reliable partner in an unstable Israeli government led by an embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has pursued hard-line positions toward the Palestinians, Mr. Biden has issued familiar endorsements of a two-state solution while making little effort to push the parties toward one. "But as spiraling riots, rocket attacks on Tel Aviv and airstrikes on Gaza threaten to escalate into a major conflict, calls are growing in the Democratic Party for Mr. Biden to play a more active role. Some liberals urge him to more firmly challenge Israeli settlement activity, which makes a peaceful resolution with the Palestinians harder to achieve." BEYOND THE BELTWAY NRA BANKRUPTCY CLAIM BLOCKED — "U.S. judge dismisses NRA bankruptcy in victory for New York," Reuters: "The National Rifle Association cannot use bankruptcy to reorganize in gun-friendly Texas, a federal judge in Dallas ruled on Tuesday, handing a defeat to the influential firearms rights group that is facing an effort to dissolve it in New York state. "U.S. Bankruptcy Judge HARLIN HALE'S decision, following a trial over the legitimacy of the NRA's January bankruptcy filing, means the group will remain incorporated in New York. … Hale's dismissal is without prejudice, meaning the NRA can try again to file for bankruptcy, but the judge said the problems identified in its operations could result in the appointment of a trustee to oversee its affairs." MEANWHILE IN ARIZONA — "Arizona Republicans Pass Law Tightening Vote-by-Mail System," WSJ: "Republican lawmakers in Arizona passed a law that creates a new way to remove voters from a list of people who automatically get mail ballots, marking another front in a nationwide fight over voting rules following the 2020 election. GOP Gov. DOUG DUCEY swiftly signed the new measure shortly after it passed the Senate Tuesday, saying it is about election integrity. 'Not a single Arizona voter will lose their right to vote as a result of this new law,' Mr. Ducey said upon signing the legislation." JAN. 6 AND ITS AFTERMATH FORMER SECDEF FEARED KENT STATE REPEAT — "Pentagon chief during Jan. 6 riot defends military response," AP: "President Donald Trump's acting defense secretary during the Jan. 6 Capitol riots plans to tell Congress that he was concerned in the days before the insurrection that sending troops to the building would fan fears of a military coup and could cause a repeat of the deadly Kent State shootings, according to a copy of prepared remarks obtained by The Associated Press. "CHRISTOPHER MILLER'S testimony is aimed at defending the Pentagon's response to the chaos of the day and rebutting broad criticism that military forces were too slow to arrive even as pro-Trump rioters violently breached the building and stormed inside. "He casts himself in his opening statement as a deliberate leader who was determined that the military have only limited involvement, a perspective he says was shaped by criticism of the aggressive response to the civil unrest that roiled American cities months earlier, as well as decades-old episodes that ended in violence." DEEP DIVE — "Grievance, rebellion and burnt bridges: Tracing Josh Hawley's path to the insurrection," WaPo: "Over the course of his rapid rise in politics — from law school professor to state attorney general to his 2018 election to the Senate — [Sen. JOSH] HAWLEY has followed two parallel paths, each reflecting a different political persona. "On one, he has pursued elite privilege, even relative to other senators, commuting to a private high school, attending Stanford University and Yale Law School, clerking at the Supreme Court, and working for a powerful Washington law firm, all while courting liberal professors and establishment Republicans who enabled his ascent. On the other, he has expressed sympathy with some of the country's most far-right, anti-government extremists, demonstrating a willingness to see the world through their grievance-infused prism even after horrific attacks — from Oklahoma City in 1995, when he was 15, to the Capitol attack in 2021." — Gold nugget: "As the two feuded, the senator fired off a Trump-like tweet at the man he once revered: 'I'm told NeverTrumper and ex-Republican GEORGE WILL [is] attacking me again today for talking about working people. Oh George. Don't you have a country club to go to?' Will said in an interview that he found the tweet 'surpassingly dumb.'" MEDIAWATCH A KINDER, GENTLER FOX? — "Fox News Pitches Advertisers a Softer Side With Election Over," Bloomberg: "Fox News executives presented advertisers with what they said would be lighter fare after a tumultuous year of pandemic and presidential politics. The … network emphasized some of its feel-good programming in a presentation to advertisers on Tuesday, pointing to a series called 'America Together,' featuring inspiring stories of local communities accomplishing common goals, and the Patriot Awards, honoring local heroes." | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" TODAY: Power is shifting in Washington and in communities across the country. More people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. The Recast is a twice-weekly newsletter that explores the changing power dynamics in Washington and breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics and policy in America. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country and hear critical new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out, SUBSCRIBE . Thank you to our sponsor, Intel. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | RENT-A-CROWD FOR FAUCI? — Tonight, MSNBC hosts a coronavirus town hall forum with Anthony Fauci. To find a mix of attendees with different vaccination statuses, the outlet hired MediaBarn, a company that specializes in focus groups and surveys. News organizations do not typically pay attendees to take part in live audiences — it's a journalistic no-no. But in the invitation sent out by MediaBarn, the company offered to pay people $100 to attend the event in Alexandria, Va. After we asked MSNBC about this , MediaBarn updated its online invitation with a "correction" stating that they would not be paying audience members, and that it was "incorrectly sent out." Now we'll have to see if they can still fill a room for Fauci. See the invitation form here FIRST IN PLAYBOOK I — Elizabeth Bruenig is leaving the NYT opinion section, where she was an opinion writer, the last-remaining staff person holding that job title. She is heading to The Atlantic, where she'll be a staff writer doing longform on the Ideas team. Bruenig's hire marks the third Times opinion journalist to go to The Atlantic in the last five months. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK II — Building Back Together, the advocacy group founded by allies of Biden, is launching the second ad in a $3 million buy aimed at four key swing states: Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Georgia and Nevada. The new 30-second spot focuses on the administration's infrastructure and jobs plan. Watch the ad here FIRST IN PLAYBOOK III — Warren Bass has been named director of speechwriting and senior advisor to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. He was most recently a senior editor at WSJ, and was director of speechwriting and senior policy adviser for U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice in the Obama administration. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK IV — Adrienne Elrod, Neelum Arya and Eric Schultz will be senior advisers for Propper Daley. They'll all continue their current jobs: Elrod is president of Elrod Strategies and is a Biden and Hillary Clinton campaign alum. Arya is a policy adviser to John Legend's FREEAMERICA campaign. Schultz is also a senior adviser to former President Barack Obama and is an advisory board member at Democracy Docket. PAGE SIX: "Bill Gates hiding out at luxe billionaires' golf club in California," N.Y. Post: "An insider said the 65-year-old billionaire Microsoft founder has been holed up at The Vintage Club in Indian Wells, which bills itself as 'one of the United States' most prestigious and ultra-exclusive private country club communities,' a veritable 712-acre oasis of wealth. … "A source exclusively told Page Six, 'Bill clearly saw this divorce coming for a long time because he's been there for around three months.'" AMBUSHED — Andrew Yang was confronted in Queens over his recent statements in support of Israel. Watch the video SPOTTED: Paul du Quenoy, Judith Miller, Doug Schoen, John Arundel, Adam Weiss, Mrinalini Kumari, Karyn Turk, Mathew Tyrmand, Ruth Katz, Lyda Loudon and Melinda Rockwell at the Colony Hotel in Palm Beach on Thursday for the launch of the Palm Beach Freedom Institute, a 501(c)(3) which aims to cancel out so-called cancel culture. TRUMP ALUMNI — Sylvester Giustino is now senior director of federal and state government relations at the Commercial Vehicle Training Association. He most recently was deputy director of the office of public liaison at the Department of Labor. … Alexa Vance is now comms director for Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.). She previously was a Department of Justice spokesperson, and is a John Ratcliffe alum. TRANSITIONS — John Arundel is now managing director and CEO of Perdicus Communications, a new boutique PR and crisis comms firm in D.C. He previously was associate publisher of Washington Life magazine. … Leigh Chapman is now executive director of Deliver My Vote. She most recently was senior director of the voting rights program at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. … Derek Gianino is now SVP of external affairs at Wells Fargo. He previously was national engagement director at the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. … … Frances Colón, Kelly Kryc and Michael Williams are joining the Center for American Progress' energy and environment team. Colón will be senior director for international climate and previously was CEO and president at Jasperi Consulting. Kryc will be a senior fellow and previously was director of ocean policy at the New England Aquarium. Williams will be a senior fellow and previously was a deputy director at BlueGreen Alliance. … Blue State has added Alia Hassan as EVP and Eric Reif as SVP of paid media. Hassan is rejoining Blue State after being global head of operations and people systems at SecondMuse. Reif most recently was at eStreet Group, and is an Elizabeth Warren alum. WEEKEND WEDDING — Jon Dutko, a Biden White House and transition alum, and Tamar Bardin, who works on global platforms at Stripe, got married Sunday at Jon's parents' home in Chevy Chase, Md. The couple met at a party for Tufts alumni in San Francisco and discovered that they had grown up less than half a mile from one another. Pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Colorado Gov. Jared Polis … Paul Begala (6-0) … CNN's Natasha Bertrand … Joe DeFeo … POLITICO's Alexandra Levine … Patricia Zengerle of Reuters … NPR's Miranda Kennedy … Jonathan Kaplan of the Open Society Foundations … Amanda Christine Miller of PayPal … Kim Dixon … Hardy Spire … Erica Arbetter of Google … Kevin Fox of Rep. Ro Khanna's (D-Calif.) office … Mike Wessel … Derron Parks of Facebook … Charity Wallace … Amanda Schechter of the National Association of Manufacturers … Penny Lee of Invariant … Stan Olshefski … former Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.) … Matthew Hiltzik of Hiltzik Strategies … RealClearPolitics's Philip Wegmann … Rebecca Cantrell … CBS' Elizabeth Campbell … Talley Diggs ... Tom Strong-Grinsell … Josh Cohen of New Heights Communications ... Leigh Szubrowski ... Victoria Lion-Monroe ... Rachel McGreevy ... Alicia Kolar Prevost … author James Rosen … Stephanie Z. Smith … Madison Link Rees of the American Conservation Coalition Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Mike Zapler, deputy editor Zack Stanton and producers Allie Bice, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross. | | A message from Amazon: It's not just Amazon employees who noticed the immediate benefit of increasing their starting wage to at least $15 an hour — a new study from the University of California-Berkeley and Brandeis University found that when Amazon raised its wages, the average hourly wage in the surrounding area rose by 4.7% as other employers followed their lead. Learn more about what else the research found. | | | | | | | 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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