Happy Labor Day! There are just 64 days until Election Day, and we hope everyone is enjoying their last bits of summer before D.C. kicks into high gear. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are both in Ohio courting voters while Capitol Hill aides and K Streeters are begrudgingly prepping for Congress to (FINALLY) return Tuesday from its extended August recess.
TOP TALKER -- “Intelligence community investigating covert Russian influence operations in the United States,” by WashPost’s Dana Priest, Ellen Nakashima and Tom Hamburger: “U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies are probing what they see as a broad covert Russian operation in the United States to sow public distrust in the upcoming presidential election and in U.S. political institutions, intelligence and congressional officials said. The aim is to understand the scope and intent of the Russian campaign, which incorporates cyber-tools to hack systems used in the political process, enhancing Russia’s ability to spread disinformation. ... The Kremlin’s intent may not be to sway the election in one direction or another, officials said, but to cause chaos and provide propaganda fodder to attack U.S. democracy-building policies around the world, particularly in the countries of the former Soviet Union. ... After Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) ended a secure, 30-minute phone briefing by a top intelligence official recently, he was ‘deeply shaken,’ according to an aide who was with Reid when he left the secure room at the FBI’s Las Vegas headquarters.” http://wapo.st/2cm9Mbd
WHAT TRUMP TOWER IS READING -- NYT A1, “Young Blacks Voice Skepticism on Hillary Clinton, Worrying Democrats,” by Jonathan Martin: “Young African-Americans, like all voters their age, are typically far harder to drive to the polls than middle-aged and older Americans. Yet with just over two months until Election Day, many Democrats are expressing alarm at the lack of enthusiasm, and in some cases outright resistance, some black millennials feel toward Mrs. Clinton. Their skepticism is rooted in a deep discomfort with the political establishment that they believe the 68-year-old former first lady and secretary of state represents. They share a lingering mistrust of Mrs. Clinton and her husband over criminal justice issues. They are demanding more from politicians as part of a new, confrontational wave of black activism that has arisen in response to police killings of unarmed African-Americans.” http://nyti.ms/2c60zWD
ABC’s David Muir -- the anchor of “World News Tonight” -- scored Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine joint interview. Muir will sit down with Clinton and Kaine in Ohio. It will air Tuesday on a special edition of the evening news. Early excerpts will air on “Good Morning America.”
G20 WATCH -- “Obama, Putin, agree to continue seeking deal on Syria,” by AP’s Kathleen Hennessey in Hangzhou, China: “President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday failed to force a breakthrough in negotiations over a cease-fire for Syria, but agreed to keep looking for a path to provide humanitarian relief to thousands of besieged civilians in the civil war-ravaged country. After a 90-minute huddle on the sidelines of an economic summit, the two leaders directed their top diplomats to return to talks quickly, likely later this week, according to a senior administration official who briefed reporters on the meeting … The official said the U.S. was eager to find an agreement quickly, mindful of the deteriorating conditions around the besieged city of Aleppo. But U.S. was wary of enter a deal that would not be effective.” http://apne.ws/2bYmRrM
-- “North Korea fires three ballistic missiles as G20 leaders meet in China,” by Reuters’ Ju-min Park in Seoul: “The missiles were fired from a region south of the capital Pyongyang just after noon local time (0300 GMT) and flew about 1,000 km (600 miles), hitting Japan's air defense identification zone, the South’s Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. ‘We are still analyzing details but this is a grave threat to our nation’s security, and we express deep concern,’ the Japan Defence Ministry said in a statement.” http://reut.rs/2c5PlAH
FOR THE RECORD -- Anna made a mistake in Sunday’s Playbook by writing NBC’s Chuck Todd was the first Sunday show host to interview all presidential and VP candidates. Chuck was the first network host to interview all four, but CNN’s Jake Tapper was actually the first host to sit down with all the candidates. We apologize for the error, and want to thank our eagle-eyed Playbook readers for keeping us honest.
On that note, we’ve been at the helm of Playbook for nearly two months. We’d love to hear what you like, hate, and how we can improve. We appreciate any and all feedback as we make sure that we are serving the Playbook community to the very best of our ability. Please email: anna@politico.com, jake@politico.com and daniel@politico.com. We look forward to hearing from you!
HAPPENING TODAY: Donald Trump and Mike Pence are holding a roundtable in Cleveland with union leaders, and later they will attend a fair in Youngstown, Ohio. Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine will campaign with labor leaders in Cleveland. Clinton will also participate in the “49th Annual Salute to Labor” in Hampton, Illinois. Kaine and Vice President Joe Biden will also make a stop in Pittsburgh for a Labor Day parade. Former President Bill Clinton will be in Detroit and Cincinnati for Labor Day-related events.
BULLETIN – “Obama says he understands Kaepernick’s protest” -- AP/Hangzhou, China: “President Barack Obama says the NFL quarterback who is refusing to stand for the national anthem is the latest in a long line of professional athletes who have exercised their constitutional right to make a statement about social issues. The president was asked at a news conference Monday about Colin Kaepernick’s protest gesture. Obama said he has no doubt that the San Francisco 49ers player is sincere and ‘cares about some real, legitimate issues.’ Kaepernick has been heavily criticized since starting his silent protest. He’s said it’s not an anti-American gesture but a means to bring attention to racial injustice.” http://apne.ws/2bZqBHS
-- Obama gets his staircase for Air Force One in China -- per pooler Mark Landler of the NYT: “At 815, his news conference complete, President Obama left the JW Marriott Hotel in Hangzhou for the airport. After another motorcade ride on deserted streets, past garishly-lighted office buildings, empty apartment towers, gaudy stadiums, and endless ribbons of highway, the president arrived at the airport. Air Force One, it should be noted, was equipped with a full-sized staircase, emblazoned with the name Hangzhou International Airport and snappy blue lighting under the railing.” Pic of the staircase and the frenzied scene (with a Susan Rice cameo) http://bit.ly/2bNZcIC
--“Obama’s drama-free departure comes after a tense arrival days ago in Hangzhou ... [where] Obama was forced to walk down a no-frills ramp at the back of his plane, rather than the usual red-carpeted staircase near the front entrance.” http://politi.co/2bYBmf6
POST PRESIDENCY -- “Lucrative Book Deals Might Finance the Obamas’ Post-White House Life,” by Gardiner Harris in a NYT “White House Letter” on A10: “After he is out of the White House, President Obama has said that he wants to become a venture capitalist, own part of an N.B.A. franchise and avoid taking off his shoes during security screenings at commercial airports. All of those goals, serious or not, might soon be achievable if Mr. Obama and his wife, Michelle, sign post-presidency book contracts for what literary agents and major publishers say could amount to $20 million to $45 million — more than enough to pay the estimated $22,000 monthly rent for the nine-bedroom home they will occupy in the Kalorama neighborhood of Washington and foot the bill for flights on private jets. (Mr. Obama has said he would like to avoid commercial flights once he surrenders Air Force One.) ... Other agents suggested similar numbers, but publishers — who are the ones who actually sign authors’ checks — balked at such lofty evaluations, with several saying Mr. Obama is unlikely to earn more than $12 million and Mrs. Obama $10 million.” http://nyti.ms/2csNV4X
THE MOST IMPORTANT STORY IN SUNDAY’S PAPERS – “Flooding of Coast, Caused by Global Warming, Has Already Begun,” by NYT’s Justin Gillis: “For decades, as the global warming created by human emissions caused land ice to melt and ocean water to expand, scientists warned that the accelerating rise of the sea would eventually imperil the United States’ coastline. Now, those warnings are no longer theoretical: The inundation of the coast has begun. The sea has crept up to the point that a high tide and a brisk wind are all it takes to send water pouring into streets and homes. Federal scientists have documented a sharp jump in this nuisance flooding — often called ‘sunny-day flooding’ — along both the East Coast and the Gulf Coast in recent years. The sea is now so near the brim in many places that they believe the problem is likely to worsen quickly. Shifts in the Pacific Ocean mean that the West Coast, partly spared over the past two decades, may be hit hard, too. ...
“The gridlock in Washington means the United States lacks not only a broad national policy on sea-level rise, it has something close to the opposite: The federal government spends billions of taxpayer dollars in ways that add to the risks, by subsidizing local governments and homeowners who build in imperiled locations along the coast. As the problem worsens, experts are warning that national security is on the line. Naval bases, in particular, are threatened; they can hardly be moved away from the ocean, yet much of their land is at risk of disappearing within this century.” http://nyti.ms/2c1Fbio
TOP TWEETS -- @jayrosen_nyu: “Kurtz: ‘What do you do if they make assertions that you know to be untrue?’ Chris Wallace: ‘That’s not my job.’” http://bit.ly/2c1HyBK … James Poniewozik (@poniewozik): “If only there were a profession whose role was to ascertain and spread true information”
PLAYBOOK IN-BOX – From “Donald J. Trump” <contact@gopteam.gop> with the subject line, “Show the world your zip code is #1”: “For the zip code with the highest campaign contribution total as of September 24th – 45 days to Election Day – I will hold a VERY special Team Trump rally in your community. And you’ll be one of the FIRST to receive an exclusive invitation.”
--A Trump Facebook ad: “Donate $38 or more by 1pm today and claim your spot on the Trump Board of Directors. Members of our Board of Directors will get special campaign updates and invitations. Hurry, donate now before offer ends!” http://bit.ly/2csQ1lp
HOT VIDEO – “Wife of Trump Doctor Abruptly Shuts Down CNN Interview: ‘I’m Gonna Call the Police’” http://bit.ly/2bNOQNO
--In his upcoming “Labor Day Look at Politics,” veteran Republican operative Bruce Mehlman says that U.S. elections are “nasty, brutish & very long” … “it’s been 532 days since Ted Cruz first announced for President, and we still have 64 days remaining ... but that makes our elections 6 times longer than Mexico’s, 16 times longer than Germany’s and 49 times longer than Japan’s last (snap) election.” http://bit.ly/2c4KRdt
FUN READ -- “Pete Wells Has His Knives Out: How the New York Times critic writes the reviews that make and break restaurants,” by The New Yorker’s Ian Parker: “His friend Jeff Gordinier ... had spoken with me about Wells’s chances of remaining anonymous by referring to a famous contractual demand made by Van Halen: concert promoters were asked to supply the band with a backstage bowl of M&M’s, with the brown ones removed. David Lee Roth, Van Halen’s lead singer, has said that the request was not whimsical. It helped to show whether a contract had been carefully read and, therefore, whether the band’s complex, and potentially dangerous, technical requirements were likely to have been met. Gordinier said that an ambitious New York restaurant’s ability to spot Pete Wells is a similar indicator of thoroughness ...
“A while ago, he happened to sit next to Jimmy Fallon, the host of the ‘Tonight Show,’ at the counter of a sushi restaurant in the Village. Both men were recognized. As Wells recalled it, Fallon ‘got the overt treatment’: ‘big smiles and “Thank you for coming in”’ and perhaps an extra dish or two. Wells’s experience was that ‘every dish of mine was an object of attention and worry before it got to me’—he often has a slower meal than other diners do, because dishes get done again and again until they are deemed exemplary. As usual, his water glass ‘was always being topped up.’ But it was ‘as if none of this were happening.’ ... In his current role, he’d probably leave the room if someone like [celebrity chef David] Chang turned up at the same cocktail party. ‘The danger is getting friendly with people you should feel free to destroy,’ he said.” http://bit.ly/2chb1tv
WORLD WATCH -- “She was the youngest woman in Afghanistan’s Parliament. He was an aide to President Karzai. So what are they doing in Omaha?” by Omaha World-Herald’s Matthew Hansen: “Until recently she worked at a Home Depot checkout counter, scanning west Omahans’ purchases of paint and mulch, another smiling employee wearing an orange apron and a name tag that identified her only by an easy-to-pronounce nickname: G. But there seemed something different about this employee, a few teenage co-workers noticed, something curious about her accent, the way she talked and moved. She seemed poised. Self-assured. G seemed … regal. So they started asking questions, as teenagers do. They crowded around her checkout counter during a break and asked: How long have you been here? What did you do before you worked at Home Depot? Where did you come from, G? She smiled and paused, buying time, calibrating her answer, as good politicians do.
“She did not tell them that she is the youngest woman ever elected to Afghanistan’s Parliament, or how that election made her both famous and a target. She did not tell them about the death threats delivered to her husband, Feroz, a onetime aide to Afghan President Hamid Karzai. She didn’t mention the car bomb, or the day someone tried to kidnap the baby. It is hard to explain how she and Feroz went from Kabul’s young political power couple to hiding out in Turkey to her standing behind this cash register at a west Omaha Home Depot, so G thought about it, and decided not to try.” http://bit.ly/2bRtZY2
TV TONIGHT – “Tonight, CNN will air back-to-back, in-depth documentaries profiling [Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump]. ‘Unfinished Business: The Essential Hillary Clinton’ will air at 8 p.m. ET followed by ‘All Business: The Essential Donald Trump’ at 10 p.m. ET. The two extensive, two-hour CNN Special Reports go beyond the campaign trail and political rhetoric to get to the heart and soul of the two people vying for the presidency of the United States. Hosted by justice correspondent Pamela Brown and chief political analyst Gloria Borger respectively, the documentaries feature interviews with nearly 60 people including Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton, Donald Trump, Jr., Ivanka Trump and Eric Trump.”
BACKSTORY – “A Short History of The Times’s Shortest Story,” by Daniel Victor in Times Insider: “‘No.’ That one word was the entirety of an article [“When I’m Mistakenly Put on an Email Chain, Should I Hit ‘Reply All’ Asking to be Removed?”] I wrote that was published online Thursday and in print editions on Friday. I haven’t scoured The Times’s archives, but I feel comfortable calling it the shortest article in the history of The New York Times.” http://nyti.ms/2ctaZ0K
SPOTTED: Martha Raddatz “taking break from show prep to shop at Whole Foods Clarendon Saturday” (h/t @jenmoire) … CNN’s Wolf Blitzer having dinner outside at Redwood in downtown Bethesda … Jackie Kucinich, Matt Dornic, and Kyle Volpe celebrating Jared Allen’s birthday last night at the pizza place All Purpose on 9th Street. Annie Linskey was at a nearby table. Pic http://bit.ly/2c6dlED
WELCOME TO THE WORLD -- @NoahCRothman, Commentary’s assistant online editor and a Mediate and Hot Air alum, and wife Jaryn, a consultant for a health care firm, tweet: “There’s a new kid in town. Elias Murphy Rothman.” Elias joins Jace Arnold Rothman, turning 2 on Sept. 30. Pic http://bit.ly/2bRAwCf
WEEKEND WEDDINGS -- Jonah Platt and Courtney Galiano were married at Saddlerock Ranch in Malibu, California, on Sunday evening. Jonah just finished a stint playing Fiyero in “Wicked” on Broadway. Courtney was a finalist on “So You Think You Can Dance,” and appears on “Hit the Floor.” Most importantly, they’re Jake’s cousins. NYT wedding announcement http://nyti.ms/2bQWAQg … Pic of the nuptials: http://bit.ly/2csV5mV
--Christina Mulka to Brad Carroll -- Pool report from Scott Mulhauser: “Friends and family gathered on the South Side of Chicago this weekend to celebrate the wedding of Christina Mulka and Brad Carroll. After a lovely ceremony at Old Saint Mary's Church, the revelry continued at Baderbrau, Chicago’s newest brewery. Amidst Sweet Home Chicago, the ‘Mulka Polka,’ and a Christmas ‘Carroll’-based conga line, the guests danced deep into the night to the epic 13-piece Becca Kaufman Orchestra, featuring Christina’s elementary school music teacher, Mr. Boggs. Mulka, a longtime Durbin staffer and recent Georgetown Business School grad, and Brad, a Stabenow/FEMA/Commerce/Obama White House/Ex-Im Bank alum and current Ford Motor Company spox, recently relocated to Detroit, much to DC’s chagrin.” Pic http://bit.ly/2bRFnDr
SPOTTED: the legendary Mr. Boggs plus Lexi and Mark Barrett, Kara Carscaden, Amy Chapman, Brent Colburn, Kate Kochman, Tom Kotaric, James Kvaal, Regan LaChapelle, Jonathan Lamy, Meredith Shiner, Josh Zembik and four who proudly helped introduce the pair: Max Gleischman, Scott Mulhauser, Rachel Racusen and Kendra Barkoff. There was also a strong showing by current and former Durbin staffers: Reema Dodin, MJ Kenny, Maria McElwain, Ben Garmisa, Claire and Trevor Reuschel, Brad Middleton, Sally Brown-Shaklee, Dena Morris, Corey Tellez, Erin Collinson, Cynthia Bajjalieh, Beth and Trevor Vandell and Chris and Carolyn Layloff.
--“Allison Bormel, Aaron Ament” – Times: “The bride, 29 ... works in Washington as the senior strategic communications adviser at [USAID]. Until February of this year, she was the communications director for Representative Eric Swalwell, Democrat of California. ... The groom, 35, is the chief of staff for the Office of the General Counsel at the Department of Education in Washington.” With pic http://nyti.ms/2bNzALI
OBAMA ALUMNI -- “Susanna Fried, David Cohen” -- Times: “The bride, 26, works in New York as an associate director of development at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. She graduated from Cornell. ... The groom, also 26, is studying for a law degree at N.Y.U. He graduated from Washington University in St. Louis. Until June 2014, he was an assistant director in the Office of Cabinet Affairs at the White House. ... The groom’s father [Robert] is ... a former president of [AIPIAC] and is now the chairman of its board. The couple met as 14-year-olds at Blue Star Camps, a Jewish sleep-away camp in Hendersonville, N.C.” With pic http://nyti.ms/2ce4VeP
BIRTHWEEK (was yesterday): Jocelyn Pickford
BIRTHDAYS: April Ryan, WH correspondent and Washington bureau chief for American Urban Radio Networks … Brian Wolff, EVP for public policy and external affairs at Edison Electric Institute, is 48 … Holly Rosenkrantz … Sean McNabb (h/t Courto) ... former Fed chair Paul Volcker is 89 ... former Sen. John Danforth is 8-0 ... Clay Risen, senior staff editor at the NYT op-ed page ... Anne Marie Hoffman, RNC’s director of finance events, celebrating with her husband and newborn (h/t Sean Spicer) ... Ted Greenberg ... Matthew Vail, a George W. Bush and Rick Scott alum ... David Fauvre, counsel at Arnold & Porter, is 4-0 (h/t Baltimore) ... CBS News transportation correspondent Kris Van Cleave ... CBS News producer Catherine Reynolds ... Hamilton Fish, publisher of The New Republic, is 65 ... Hans Riemer … New Hampshire uber-activist Mike Castaldo … Dale Neugebauer, COS to Rep. Issa ... Katie Weiss, Rep. Issa’s scheduler (h/t Kurt Bardella) … journalist Stephanie Green ... Abby McIntyre … Noam Lee, DGA’s national finance director … NPR alum Anita Huslin, now an investigator with Quinlan Partners … ABC7’s Bonnie Wood … Aaron Lorenzo, a Congress reporter at Bloomberg BNA and the pride of Tampa (h/t Heather Caygle) ...
… Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) is 8-0 ... Rep. Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH) is 6-0 ... Rob Lehman, Sen. Portman’s former COS now co-chair of WilmerHale’s legislative and public policy shop (h/t Devin O’Malley) ... Terri Hasdorff, VP of gov’t affairs at Convoy of Hope ... Matthew Allen, LC for Rep. DeGette, is 25 ... Courtney Neale of Rep. Mark Pocan’s office ... Francis Nelms of Rep. Brendan Boyle’s office ... Jason Spear, LA for Rep. Norton ... Erin Reif, senior policy adviser for national security for Sen. Alexander ... Enrique Padron of Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart’s office, is 43 ... Annie Nguyen, LA for Rep. Lowenthal ... former Rep. Frank Riggs (R-Calif.) is 66 ... former Rep. Ric Keller (R-Fla.) is 52 (h/ts Legistorm) ... John Burmaster ... Jessica Mejia (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) ... Anne Marie Frawley ... Kum Kang ... Ed Talbot is 55 ... Cheche Mozingo is 77 ... Bob Newhart is 87 ... Raquel Welch is 76 ... movie director Werner Herzog is 74 ... “Cathy” cartoonist Cathy Guisewite (GYZ’-wyt) is 66 ... Michael Keaton is 65 ... Debbie Turner-Larson (Marta in “The Sound of Music”) is 6-0 ... Dweezil Zappa is 47 ... Olympic gold medal figure skater Kim Yu-na is 26 ... actor Skandar Keynes is 25 (h/ts AP)