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Presented by Kroger and Albertsons Companies: POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. | | | | |  | | By Garrett Ross | | | |  Protesters shout slogans during a protest against China's strict Covid measures in Beijing on Monday, Nov. 28. | Kevin Frayer/Getty Images | As citizens across China revolt against the country’s “zero Covid” policy, the White House issued a statement this morning about the growing protests, per NBC’s Rebecca Shabad and Monica Alba . “‘We’ve long said everyone has the right to peacefully protest, in the United States and around the world,’ a White House National Security Council spokesperson said in a statement. ‘This includes in the [People's Republic of China.]’ “‘Zero COVID is not a policy we are pursuing here,’ the spokesperson said. ‘And as we’ve said, we think it’s going to be very difficult for the People’s Republic of China to be able to contain this virus through their zero COVID strategy.’” On the ground: “A Protest? A Vigil? In Beijing, Anxious Crowds Are Unsure How Far to Go,” by NYT’s Vivian Wang in Beijing: “In a country where dissent is quickly smothered, and most people have never had the chance to protest, many were unsure what to ask for, let alone what could actually happen. The only sure thing seemed to be a sense of urgency — that this was a rare moment that had to be seized.” — “This Is What It Was Like Inside Shanghai’s Extraordinary Protests,” by Bloomberg’s Allen Wan: “I’ve never seen so many police gathered in one spot in China.” CLICKER — Merriam-Webster’s 2022 Word of the Year: “Gaslighting” “In this age of misinformation — of ‘fake news,’ conspiracy theories, Twitter trolls,and deepfakes — gaslighting has emerged as a word for our time,” they write.
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The White House Christmas decorations. | Patrick Semansky/AP Photo | DECKING THE HALLS OF POWER — “‘We the People’ is the White House’s theme for the holidays,” by AP’s Darlene Superville: “The decorations include more than 83,000 twinkling lights on trees, garlands, wreaths and other displays, 77 Christmas trees and 25 wreaths on the exterior of the executive mansion. A copy of the Declaration of Independence is on display in the library, while the always-show-stopping gingerbread White House includes a sugar cookie replica of Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, where the Constitution and Declaration of Independence were signed.” THE PERSISTENT PANDEMIC — “Covid deaths skew older, reviving questions about ‘acceptable loss,’” by WaPo’s Ariana Eunjung Cha and Dan Keating: “While older Americans have consistently been the worst hit during the crisis, as evident in the scores of early nursing home deaths, that trend has become more pronounced. Today, nearly 9 in 10 covid deaths are in people 65 or older — the highest rate ever, according to a Washington Post analysis of CDC data. “Some epidemiologists and demographers predict the trend of older, sicker and poorer people dying at disproportionate rates will continue, raising hard questions about the trade-offs Americans are making in pursuit of normalcy — and at whose expense.” BUFFALO SHOOTER PLEADS GUILTY — “Gunman charged in Tops mass shooting pleads guilty to 15 counts,” by the Buffalo News’ Aaron Besecker and Maki Becker Good Monday afternoon.
| | | | A message from Kroger and Albertsons Companies: Kroger’s merger with Albertsons Cos. will establish a national footprint to serve more of America with fresh, affordable food. The combined company will provide customers nationwide with an even more seamless and personalized shopping experience to help them save on products they love. Kroger plans to build on its long track record of investments that benefit customers by investing $500 million to lower prices and $1.3 billion to improve the customer experience. | | | CONGRESS KNOWING JOHN FETTERMAN — “Pennsylvania campaign wildcard Fetterman turns to governing,” by AP’s Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pa.: “The 6-foot-8 [JOHN] FETTERMAN will tower over the currently tallest senator, Republican TOM COTTON of Arkansas by 3 inches. And he might be the most tattooed senator (if not the only tattooed senator). He may break some things: He can be aggressively progressive, campaigning hard on a pledge to rid the Senate of the filibuster rule. He also might become the Senate’s biggest media attraction: He’s plainspoken and, especially on social media, has a wicked wit.” Side note: If you’re a senator with an unknown tattoo, let us know ! YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND IN ME — “Energy Companies Expect More Friends in Washington as Republicans Take Over House,” by WSJ’s Phred Dvorak in Houston and Katy Stech Ferek in Washington: “House Republicans, who gained a slim majority in the midterm elections, are expected to support measures aimed at boosting domestic oil-and-gas production, which they have framed as a matter of national security following supply strains triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.” THE WHITE HOUSE FOR YOUR RADAR — “Biden boosts U.S. effort to stem sexual violence in war zones,” by AP’s Hope Yen: “President Joe Biden is strengthening U.S. policy aimed at stemming sexual violence in war conflict zones, elevating the problem — increasingly documented in Ukraine and elsewhere — to the level of a possible serious human rights abuse that triggers sanctions and other actions against foreign perpetrators. Biden on Monday signed a presidential memorandum that seeks to combat the use of rape by both foreign governments and individuals as a weapon of war.” MORE MIDTERMS FALLOUT DEADLINE DAY — Today is the deadline for Arizona counties to report the official results of the midterm elections. The Arizona Republic has all the latest on the ground
| | | | POLITICO APP USERS: UPGRADE YOUR APP BY DECEMBER 19! We recently upgraded the POLITICO app with a fresh look and improved features for easier access to POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Starting December 19, users will no longer have access to the previous version of the app. Update your app today to stay on top of essential political news, insights, and analysis from the best journalists in the business. UPDATE iOS APP – UPDATE ANDROID APP . | | | | | 2024 WATCH ONTO THE NEXT ONE — AP’s Michelle Price has a setup piece looking at the state of the 2024 map for Democrats fresh off a better-than-expected showing this year: “The party enters the next cycle defending 23 seats, including two held by independents who caucus with Democrats. That’s compared with just 10 seats that Republicans hope to keep in their column. “Adding to the potential hurdles is that some 2024 contests are in states that have become increasingly hostile to Democrats, including Montana, Ohio and West Virginia. Other Democratic-held seats are in some of the same hotly contested states that were at the center of this year’s midterms, such as Pennsylvania, Arizona and Nevada. And while Democrats carried each of those races, they did so at great cost and with sometimes narrow margins.” JUDICIARY SQUARE RACIAL RECKONING — “Racial discrimination by Veterans Affairs spans decades, lawsuit says,” by WaPo’s Alex Horton: “The U.S. government has discriminated against ‘countless’ Black military veterans dating back decades, rejecting service-connected disability claims disproportionately compared to White applicants, and blocking access to housing and education benefits that helped fuel the rise of America’s middle class after World War II, a lawsuit filed Monday claims.” JAN. 6 AND ITS AFTERMATH WHO’S TALKING — “Former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway meeting with January 6 committee,” by CNN’s Annie Grayer and Sara Murray: “KELLYANNE CONWAY, who served in the White House as a senior adviser to former President Donald Trump, is meeting with the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, insurrection in person on Monday, according to a source familiar with the meeting. CNN has reached out to Conway for comment. She did not answer questions upon entering the interview room. The committee has not publicly subpoenaed Conway and it is unclear if Conway is voluntarily appearing before the panel.” TRUMP CARDS GARLAND’S CHALLENGE — “Turning Point for Garland as Justice Dept. Grapples With Trump Inquiries,” by NYT’s Glenn Thrush: “In studying how to proceed, [Attorney General MERRICK] GARLAND has tried to steer clear of issuing the unusual public statements favored by the former F.B.I. director JAMES B. COMEY during the investigation of HILLARY CLINTON’s emails, believing that those actions, and political meddling during the Trump administration, violated department protocols. “The department’s leaders have, however, tried to counter Mr. Trump’s claims that they are engaged in a partisan witch hunt intended to destroy him. Top officials, led by Deputy Attorney General LISA O. MONACO, have leveraged Mr. Trump’s court challenges in the investigation into his handling of sensitive government documents as an opportunity to broadcast previously hidden details, while adhering to department policy.”
| | | | LISTEN TO POLITICO'S ENERGY PODCAST: Check out our daily five-minute brief on the latest energy and environmental politics and policy news. Don't miss out on the must-know stories, candid insights, and analysis from POLITICO's energy team. Listen today . | | | | | AMERICA AND THE WORLD HEADS UP — The five outlets that published reports in conjunction with Wikileaks in 2010 are out today with a joint open letter calling for the U.S. government to suspend its prosecution of Wikileaks founder JULIAN ASSANGE. The editors and publishers of the NYT, The Guardian, Le Monde, Der Spiegel and El País write in an open letter that while the publications have criticized Assange’s conduct in the past, they write now to “express our grave concerns” over the continued pursuit of legal action against Assange. The Australian native has been held in the U.K. since 2019 fighting extradition by the U.S. “This indictment sets a dangerous precedent, and threatens to undermine America’s First Amendment and the freedom of the press,” the letter reads. “Holding governments accountable is part of the core mission of a free press in a democracy. Obtaining and disclosing sensitive information when necessary in the public interest is a core part of the daily work of journalists. If that work is criminalised, our public discourse and our democracies are made significantly weaker.” Read the letter WAR IN UKRAINE THE VIEW IN WASHINGTON — “U.S. weighs sending 100-mile strike weapon to Ukraine,” by Reuters’ Mike Stone: “The Pentagon is considering a Boeing proposal to supply Ukraine with cheap, small precision bombs fitted onto abundantly available rockets, allowing Kyiv to strike far behind Russian lines as the West struggles to meet demand for more arms.” THE VIEW IN MOSCOW — “Russia Denies Reports That It Will Withdraw from Embattled Nuclear Plant,” NYT THE VIEW IN LVIV — “Surgeons work by flashlight as Ukraine power grid battered,” by AP’s Yuras Karmanau, Sam Mednick and Dasha Litvinova POLICY CORNER THE REAL-WORLD IMPACT — “How Student-Loan Debt, or Not Having It, Shapes Lives,” by WSJ’s Joe Pinsker: “Research from the Federal Reserve found that, between 2005 and 2014, there was a link between rising student debt and the reduced share of young adults who own a home. Carrying student debt is also associated with being less likely to start a small business, according to research from the Philadelphia Fed, and with being more likely to delay having children, according to researchers at Ohio State University.” CRYPTO CRASH CONTINUES — “BlockFi Files for Bankruptcy as Latest Crypto Casualty,” by WSJ’s Alexander Gladstone PLAYBOOKERS MEDIA MOVES — CNN has announced a round of promotions: Phil Mattingly is now chief White House correspondent, MJ Lee is now senior White House correspondent and Priscilla Alvarez is now a White House reporter. The announcement TRANSITION — Jordan Vivian is now director of advocacy at FIGS. He previously was associate director of government relations at AACOM.
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