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Presented by Instagram: POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. | | | | |  | | By Eli Okun | | | EYES ON TENNESSEE — VP KAMALA HARRIS is traveling to Nashville today to meet with ousted Tennessee Democratic state Reps. JUSTIN PEARSON and JUSTIN JONES, as their expulsion snowballs into a national political firestorm, per USA Today’s Joey Garrison and Sandy Mazza. Harris will call for gun control policies, talk with youth activists and meet with the extant Tennessee Democratic caucus, including state Rep. GLORIA JOHNSON.
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The March jobs report includes indications of easing inflationary pressures that should be mostly welcome news to Fed Chair Jerome Powell. | Luis Magana/AP Photo | JOBS DAY — After a financially tumultuous March, the Fed’s path forward looked less clear than ever. But today’s jobs report offered some reassuring signs that the economy could still achieve the difficult “soft landing” — in which inflation finally lets up but the economy doesn’t tip into recession. The U.S. added 236,000 jobs last month, a softening from February but still a solid pace of expansion in the labor market, as unemployment ticked down to a historically low 3.5%. Job growth has managed to hold fairly steady for many months now even as it cools, to the surprise of many experts. That has kept the broader economy afloat. Two striking statistics that reflect economic strength: The unemployment rate for Black people dropped to 5%, the lowest level ever recorded in more than 50 years of data collection. And the percentage of 25- to 54-year-olds who are working rose to 80.7%, the highest mark in 22 years. At the same time, there were indications of easing inflationary pressures that should be welcome news to Fed Chair JEROME POWELL. Year-over-year hourly wage growth, a key contributor to inflation, dropped from 4.6% to 4.2%, and nearly a half-million Americans joined the labor force to start looking for work, which should continue the wage trend. Of course, plenty of potential peril remains. High prices are still making life difficult for many Americans, and it’s taking a lot longer to tame the economy than some policymakers anticipated. On the flip side, recession still looms as a possibility as high interest rates take their toll. The construction sector lost jobs last month for the first time since January 2022, and manufacturing slowed as well. And last month’s banking crisis raised the prospect that other systemic jolts could lie ahead. The March jobs report data doesn’t reflect any effects from that turmoil yet. Details from WaPo The big question on wages: How much is higher pay contributing to inflation, and how much will it need to slow for prices to tumble back to 2% growth? NYT’s Talmon Joseph Smith digs into the economic debate, as “influential voices on Wall Street and in Washington are arguing over whether workers’ earnings growth — which, on average, has already slowed — will need to let up further if inflation is to ease to a rate that policymakers find tolerable.” How it feels: More Americans say the U.S. economy is good now than they have in a year, CNN’s Ariel Edwards-Levy reports from new polling. And yet, it’s only 29%, reflecting just how far Americans’ views on the economy have yet to climb. Fully half the country says their personal financial situation is worse than a year ago. And there’s broad pessimism about what’s to come. LOOMER LOOMING — DONALD TRUMP is planning to hire LAURA LOOMER, a notorious far-right, anti-Muslim provocateur, for a role on his campaign or super PAC, NYT’s Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan report. But some aides are raising concerns that she’s too fringe and will inspire a backlash. “It’s a shame that he’s surrounded by some people that run to a publication that is notorious for attacking him in order to try to cut me at the knees,” Loomer tells the Times, “instead of being loyal to President Trump and respecting their confidentiality agreements.” Happy Friday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at eokun@politico.com.
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Explore 30+ tools. | | | ALL POLITICS MORE FROM NASHVILLE — Just 30 minutes after the Tennessee state legislature expelled Jones and Pearson, the Congressional Black Caucus held an emergency Zoom meeting to offer their support, WaPo’s María Luisa Paúl reports: “[Rep. STEVEN] HORSFORD [D-Nev.] said the group is working on a ‘multipronged approach’ to help Pearson and Jones return to their positions. While he declined to provide specifics, he said the Congressional Black Caucus would use all the resources it could ‘to make sure they have the support they need, legally and otherwise.’” — Jones said on CNN this morning that he will aim to return to the state House, as the Nashville body in charge of filling the vacancy vows to send him back. “I will go back because … it’s worth whatever sacrifice that we have to give, whether it’s being expelled, whether it’s being in a hostile environment.” RUN IT BACK — Democrats’ strategy for keeping abortion at the forefront of their political campaigns has an unlikely inspiration: KARL ROVE. CNN’s Isaac Dovere reports that Rove’s successful strategy of juicing conservative turnout in 2004 by getting same-sex marriage bans on the ballot is the blueprint for efforts to put abortion rights directly to voters now. They’re hoping the ballot initiatives will win over swing voters and get Democrats to the polls “by tapping into what they think is a more widely resonant argument about bringing people together to push back on government overreach and stripping them of their rights.” MUSIC TO DEMOCRATS’ EARS — A new AP/NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll finds that big majorities of Americans oppose cuts or price hikes for Social Security (79%) and Medicare (67%), but they like the idea of taxing the wealthy to help shore up Medicare (58%), AP’s Amanda Seitz and Hannah Fingerhut report. The prospect of raising taxes on those making over $400,000 annually is “about the only change to the entitlement programs that most Americans say they would support” — even as experts warn about solvency concerns in the not-too-distant future. AD WARS — A Republican Governors Association affiliate has booked its first TV ad of the cycle: It’ll take on Democratic incumbent ANDY BESHEAR in Kentucky starting Wednesday. WHERE ARE THEY NOW — Two failed Democratic candidates from last year’s Wisconsin Senate race got new roles today: Former Lt. Gov. MANDELA BARNES has been named president of Power to the Polls Wisconsin, a voting rights organization. And ALEX LASRY, currently SVP for the Milwaukee Bucks, is joining the Democratic Governors Association in the volunteer position of co-treasurer, NBC’s Natasha Korecki scoops.
| | | | GO INSIDE THE 2023 MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE: POLITICO is proud to partner with the Milken Institute to produce a special edition "Global Insider" newsletter featuring exclusive coverage, insider nuggets and unparalleled insights from the 2023 Global Conference, which will convene leaders in health, finance, politics, philanthropy and entertainment from April 30-May 3. This year’s theme, Advancing a Thriving World, will challenge and inspire attendees to lean into building an optimistic coalition capable of tackling the issues and inequities we collectively face. Don’t miss a thing — subscribe today for a front row seat. | | | | | CONGRESS REPUBLICANS IN DISARRAY — House Republicans are facing a steep learning curve with their narrow majority, CNN’s Melanie Zanona and Annie Grayer report. It’s been a challenge just to unify the conference enough to pass messaging bills that stand no chance of being signed into law. And that has some Republicans worried about what will happen when they have to fund the government (or face shutdown) and lift the debt ceiling (or face default). “[T]he anxiety over the challenges ahead was palpable in interviews with over two dozen Republican members for this story,” they report. And some of the more moderate members aren’t happy with the conference’s focus so far: Rep. NANCY MACE (R-S.C.): “I’ve been very disappointed with what we’re doing right now.” Rep. TONY GONZALES (R-Texas): “I don’t have time to sit around all day long and drink scotch and bullsh*t about bills that have no chance of passing into law.” JUDICIARY SQUARE THOMAS RESPONDS — After a day of intense scrutiny, Justice CLARENCE THOMAS put out a statement today responding to ProPublica’s big story about his relationship with GOP donor HARLAN CROW. “Early in my tenure at the Court, I sought guidance from my colleagues and others in the judiciary, and was advised that this sort of personal hospitality from close personal friends, who did not have business before the Court, was not reportable,” Thomas said in part. “These guidelines are now being changed, as the committee of the Judicial Conference responsible for financial disclosure for the entire federal judiciary just this past month announced new guidance. And, it is, of course, my intent to follow this guidance in the future.” WAR IN UKRAINE THE FOG OF INFORMATION WAR — Both Ukrainian officials and Russian pro-war bloggers cast some doubts today on the veracity of U.S. and NATO plans for the war that leaked online, NYT’s Michael Schwirtz, Ivan Nechepurenko, Helene Cooper, Eric Schmitt and Matthew Mpoke Bigg report. Each side framed the disclosure as “part of a disinformation effort by the other, timed to influence a possible offensive by Kyiv’s forces this spring.” A top Ukrainian adviser said the plans contained lots of “fictional information,” but it still amounted to a serious U.S. intelligence breach.
| | | | A message from Instagram:   | | | AMERICA AND THE WORLD EVAN GERSHKOVICH LATEST — The WSJ reporter detained in Russia today was officially accused of spying, a charge widely denounced as baseless. Gershkovich entered his formal denial of the charge. More from Reuters — In an uncommon joint statement, Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER and Minority Leader MITCH McCONNELL denounced his Russian, WSJ’s Siobhan Hughes reports. They labeled the allegations against Gershkovich “fabricated,” called on Russia to release him and stated that “journalism is not a crime.” PLAYING OFFENSE — “Biden Administration Weighs Action Against Russian Cybersecurity Firm,” WSJ’s John McKinnon and Dustin Volz scoop: President JOE “BIDEN’s Commerce Department is weighing an enforcement action under its online-security rules against Kaspersky Lab … The action — if it materializes — could become a test case for the Commerce Department’s growing role in policing threats online, according to some [sources], who said the U.S. might deploy the same online-security rules against Chinese-controlled technologies, possibly including TikTok.” 2024 WATCH HE’S RUNNING — Biden is telling associates privately that he’s definitely running for reelection, CNN’s Kevin Liptak, MJ Lee and Jeff Zeleny report in a big look at the campaign-in-waiting. But the timing of his announcement is still TBD and could drag out until the summer. NO LOVE IN THIS CLUB — “The GOP Civil War That’s Already Making 2024 Awkward,” by The Daily Beast’s Sam Brodey, Jake Lahut and Roger Sollenberger: “Behind the scenes, the Club [for Growth] has been pressuring members of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus … to not endorse Trump for president, according to a source who has spoken to multiple caucus members and their aides. Another Republican operative confirmed that account. … Club For Growth PAC president DAVID McINTOSH said it was ‘absolutely false.’” BEYOND THE BELTWAY STATE OF PLAY IN S.C. — “South Carolina Democrats, Stung by String of Losses, Clash Over Next Leader,” by NYT’s Maya King: “[A] once-in-a-generation campaign for state party chair has been brought to life, complete with the kind of glad-handing, fund-raising and mudslinging more often encountered in a congressional primary. … [CHRISTALE] SPAIN is widely viewed as the front-runner. But the same résumé that brought [Rep. JIM] CLYBURN to her camp has been fodder for some of her biggest critics, who say the party needs a major overhaul, not a return to the status quo they believe she would represent.” DOUG BURGUM’S BIG DECISION — “Eight bills targeting transgender rights in North Dakota on governor’s desk,” by WaPo’s Kimberly Kindy BUT NO REAL SUSPENSE IN KANSAS — Republican state legislators in Kansas passed a similar bill to block gender transition-related medical care for children early today. But with a Democrat in the governor’s mansion, it’s not likely to become law: LAURA KELLY is expected to veto, and the GOP doesn’t have the votes to override, AP’s John Hanna reports from Topeka. Kansas Republicans also passed a bill “to require providers to tell patients that a medication abortion can be ‘reversed’ once it’s started,” Hanna reports. It’s a bit less clear here whether Republicans would have the votes to override a Kelly veto.
| | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | | VALLEY TALK INTO THE METAVERSE — While Meta has told campaigns that they will review AI-generated images on their platforms using independent fact-checkers, the company’s approach may mean political candidates, officeholders and parties would be exempt from the process, WaPo’s Isaac Stanley-Becker reports. PLAYBOOKERS OUT AND ABOUT — SPOTTED at a party last night for Neil King Jr.’s new book, “American Ramble: A Walk of Memory and Renewal” ($26), at the offices of King & Spalding: VA Secretary Denis McDonough, Shailagh Murray, Adam Entous, Greg Jaffe, Michael Hirsh, John Harwood, Kevin Madden, Josh Dawsey, John McKinnon, Evan Perez, Paul Richter, Peter Mirijanian, David Wessel, Linda Douglass, Nick Timiraos, Peter Nicholas, David Espo, Glenn Simpson, Eric Schultz, Doug Heye, Mark Leibovich, Elisabeth Bumiller, Al Hunt, Doug and Heidi Rediker, Jane Mayer, Bill Hamilton, Maureen Dowd, Helene Cooper, Matt Kaminski, Claire Shipman and Marcus Brauchli. MEDIA MOVE — Darren Samuelsohn will be senior editor for The Messenger. He previously was Washington bureau chief at Insider, and is a POLITICO alum. WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Stefanie Rinehart, VP at CRD Associates, and Jonathan Rinehart, partner at Integral Insights, welcomed Camille Garner Rinehart on Tuesday. She joins big sister Claudette. Pic — Kirby Miller, director of federal government affairs at the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, and Bruce Miller, senior director of legislative strategy at BSA|The Software Alliance, welcomed Cecilia Jane Miller on Monday. She joins big sister Piper. Pic Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com or text us at 202-556-3307. Playbook couldn’t happen without our editor Mike DeBonis, deputy editor Zack Stanton and producers Setota Hailemariam and Bethany Irvine.
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