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DAVE WASSERMAN (@Redistrict): “All 50 states + DC now certified: Clinton: 65,844,610 (48.2%) Trump: 62,979,636 (46.1%) Others: 7,804,213 (5.7%)”
Good Wednesday morning. Welcome to the shortest day of the year. SPOTTED: Kellyanne Conway having lunch Tuesday at Michael’s in New York with Juleanna Glover and Michael Wolff. Conway could barely get a bite in for all the well-wishers who stopped by to say hello, including Bob Barnett, Charlie Rose and Jenna Gibson.
BUZZ -- VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN will set up shop at the University of Pennsylvania after he leaves the White House. Biden has hinted that he’s in search of a university to house his staff and his post-government work. (Biden’s spokesperson Meghan Dubyak declined to comment.)
ISRAELI AMBASSADOR RON DERMER used a packed Hanukkah party at his country’s embassy to praise President-elect Donald Trump’s plan to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem -- an action the Palestinians say would mean the end of the peace process. He joked about moving the Israeli Embassy from D.C. to New York if the U.S. didn’t move its diplomatic headquarters to Jerusalem. Every U.S. president has avoided moving the embassy to Jerusalem, saving it for some larger bargain between Israelis and Palestinians. But Trump and his newly appointed ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, have said they’d make it a priority. THE KICKER: Dermer said this in a packed room of not only journalists, but at the top of the speech, he also acknowledged the presence of Chanan Weissman, the Obama administration’s Jewish community liaison. http://politi.co/2hq7Lgf
UPDATE FROM BERLIN -- AP's Geir Moulson in Berlin: "Investigators hunted Wednesday for a Tunisian man whose documents were found in the truck that plowed into a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring 48 others, German media reported. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for Monday's attack on the market next to the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in the center of the capital.
"Soon after, police arrested a Pakistani man found about a kilometer (0.6 miles) from the market who matched witness descriptions of the truck's driver, but they released him the next day, saying they did not have evidence tying him to the attack. Several German media outlets reported Wednesday, without identifying their sources, that authorities were searching for a Tunisian man whose identification documents were found in the cab of the truck. He was named as either Ahmed or Anis A., though he reportedly used various aliases." http://apne.ws/2hqvNHQ
TRUMP TOWER INTRIGUE -- “Wild cards add drama to Trump’s West Wing picks,” by Ken Vogel, Tara Palmeri, Alex Isenstadt and Shane Goldmacher: “Donald Trump’s transition team is planning to announce a number of key senior White House staff appointments imminently, but -- perhaps befitting a president-elect who grew his fame on reality television -- there is suspense around a few big names and positions. One of Trump’s earliest and most loyal staffers -- former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski -- is not expected to be included in the first wave of prime White House jobs, and the fate of another top campaign aide, David Bossie, also is unclear. Meanwhile, a dark-horse candidate with limited government experience -- Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle -- is making a late push in the race for press secretary.
“Among the key appointments that are expected to be announced in the coming days are political director (a post for which sources say former Chris Christie aide Bill Stepien is considered the favorite) and communications director (sources say senior communications adviser Jason Miller is the leading option). Other appointments expected soon include advance director (campaign advance chief George Gigicos is seen as a lock) and body man (sources say campaign trip director John McEntee is likely to get the post). [RNC] chief strategist Sean Spicer is the heavy favorite for the press secretary post.” http://politi.co/2hbsoAy
HILL WATCH -- “Trump posse browbeats Hill Republicans,” by Rachael Bade: “In early December, Rep. Bill Flores made what seemed like an obvious observation to a roomful of conservatives at a conference in Washington. Some of Donald Trump’s proposals, the Texas Republican cautioned, ‘are not going to line up very well with our conservative policies,’ though he quickly added that there was plenty the incoming president and GOP Congress could accomplish together. Little did Flores realize the hell that would soon rain down from Trump’s throng of enforcers … It’s little wonder that Capitol Hill Republicans have papered over their not-insignificant policy differences with Trump, shying away from any statement about the president-elect that might possibly be construed as critical.
“They’re terrified of arousing the ire of their tempestuous new leader — or being labeled a turncoat by his army of followers. It’s a novel form of party message discipline that stems from Trump but doesn’t necessarily require the president-elect to speak or tweet himself. Plenty of others are willing to do it for him. Numerous congressional Republicans have refused since the election to publicly weigh in on any Trump proposal at odds with Republican orthodoxy, from his border wall to his massive infrastructure package. The most common reason, stated repeatedly but always privately: They’re afraid of being attacked by Breitbart or other big-name Trump supporters.” http://politi.co/2i9HLK8
COMING ATTRACTIONS -- “Trump team discussing ‘half-blind’ trust for conflicts of interest: Critics say the plan could allow Trump or members of his administration to continue to draw income from their businesses — and even peek in on how their companies are faring,” by Josh Gerstein: “Donald Trump’s aides are considering a business arrangement that critics say would allow him or his appointees to sidestep conflict-of-interest laws governing the incoming administration and large investments in private-sector business. Aides responsible for setting up ethics firewalls have held discussions with officials at the Office of Government Ethics about establishing what’s known as a ‘discretionary trust,’ according to two sources briefed on the talks.
“Such an arrangement could allow Trump or his family members to reap some of the legal benefits of a blind trust, but could also give them some insight into how the Trump businesses are faring while also allowing Trump and his family to continue to make money from those investments. The sources said it was unclear whether Trump’s aides were exploring the arrangements for the president-elect, for Trump family members or for a series of wealthy individuals nominated for his Cabinet.” http://politi.co/2hqr8Wz
-- “Senate Democrats plan to run Trump playbook against Tillerson,” by WaPo’s Karoun Demirjian: “Democrats do not believe they stand much chance of stopping [Rex] Tillerson from being confirmed. But they plan to press the top diplomat-designate to commit to full divestiture from Exxon and detail how he would pursue a different approach to the world as secretary of state, in what one Senate Democratic aide who requested anonymity to candidly discuss strategy called a ‘very thorough, tough vetting.’ … Already, the minority party is railing against Republicans for refusing to demand Tillerson produce his tax returns. Their frustration stems from Tillerson’s response to a routine question about tax returns on the Foreign Relations Committee’s pre-confirmation hearing questionnaire.
“According to a Senate Democratic aide and a Trump transition team spokesman, Tillerson said he stood ready to provide only ‘tax return information’ for his wife and himself for the previous three years. That means it’s possible Tillerson isn’t willing to provide complete returns. Democrats have demanded that all Trump’s Cabinet nominees release their tax returns — something Trump himself steadfastly refused to do during the campaign because, he said, the returns were under routine audit. Foreign Relations Chair Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) said the GOP would not break with years of precedent to compel Tillerson to turn over his tax returns without good reason, no matter how loud the clamor from Democrats. ‘Unless there was a case where there’s some irregularity that’s known, the committee just does not ask for tax returns,’ Corker said in an interview.” http://wapo.st/2h9eNbr
LOOK FOR DEMOCRATS to push aggressively on the tax return issue for all of Trump’s cabinet picks. At a time where Democrats are still picking up the pieces post-election, focusing on Trump’s billionaire cabinet picks is one area Democrats feel they have a solid message. Not to mention: Almost all of Trump’s nominees are totally unvetted by the public. They will have to file financial disclosure forms, which will lay bare their investments in many cases for the first time.
CABINET WATCH -- “[Rep. Mike] Conaway backs [Susan] Combs for agriculture secretary,” by Jenny Hopkinson and Ian Kullgren: “The latest name to circulate as a possible agriculture secretary has pushed nutrition policies that would please Michelle Obama, backed President-elect Donald Trump’s rivals and written an erotic novel — but she has an important champion from Texas on her side. House Agriculture Chairman Mike Conaway described Susan Combs Tuesday as ‘a stunningly capable woman,’ who ‘has demonstrated her capabilities in Texas by serving both as agriculture commissioner and the even tougher job to get, comptroller.’ ... In a move that no one saw coming, Combs met with Vice President-elect Mike Pence Tuesday in Washington, raising the possibility that she could be a dark-horse candidate for the top job at USDA. Pence is leading the transition effort and the agriculture secretary is one of just three remaining cabinet positions that Trump has yet to name.” http://politi.co/2i9cAhZ
-- CABINET SLOTS STILL UNFILLED: Agriculture, U.S. Trade Representative and Veterans Affairs.
-- NYT A1, “How Rex Tillerson Changed His Tune on Russia and Came to Court Its Rulers,” by Neil MacFarquhar and Andrew E. Kramer: “[A]s Mr. Putin consolidated his control over Russia’s oligarchs, Mr. Tillerson underwent a profound change of outlook. He came to realize that the key to success in Russia, a country deeply important to Exxon’s future, lay in establishing personal relationships with Mr. Putin and his friend and confidant, Igor Sechin, the powerful head of Rosneft, the state oil company. And as Mr. Tillerson and other oil executives pivoted from the private sector to the state oil company, the criticism that they had directed toward the Kremlin dried up. The payoff for Exxon was immense: a $500 billion joint venture in 2011 to drill for oil on the Arctic shelf and the Black Sea and another huge deal to develop shale oil deposits in Siberia. Those projects were shelved in 2014, after the West imposed sanctions on Russia for Mr. Putin’s actions in Crimea and Ukraine.” http://nyti.ms/2hqfbQp
-- “Peter Thiel said to be playing key role in filling health, science posts under Trump,” by Stat News’ Sheila Kaplan: “Peter Thiel, the iconoclastic Silicon Valley mogul who has been advising President-elect Donald Trump on technology policy, has become deeply involved in vetting candidates for other health and science posts in the administration, according to individuals familiar with his role.” http://bit.ly/2ier5ND
CLINTON WORLD -- NYT A19, “Unsealed Documents Outline F.B.I.’s Reasoning in Clinton Case,” by Benjamin Weiser and Adam Goldman: “The F.B.I. told a federal magistrate judge in Manhattan in a sealed affidavit shortly before Election Day that there was probable cause to believe that emails belonging to Huma Abedin, a top aide to Hillary Clinton, contained classified information, according to a redacted copy of the affidavit. The affidavit, which was unsealed on Tuesday along with related materials in Federal District Court, was filed on Oct. 30 in support of the F.B.I.’s request for a warrant to search a laptop containing the emails. The government appears to have based its warrant request on the theory that because Mrs. Clinton and Ms. Abedin had exchanged many classified emails using Mrs. Clinton’s personal server, there was likely to be classified material in the additional emails discovered on the laptop, as well. ...
“David E. Kendall, Mrs. Clinton’s lawyer, said in a statement Tuesday that the unsealed affidavit ‘highlights the extraordinary impropriety of Director Comey’s Oct. 28 letter, publicized two days before the affidavit, which produced devastating but predictable damage politically and which was both legally unauthorized and factually unnecessary.’ He added that what is ‘unassailably clear’ is that ‘as the sole basis for this warrant, the F.B.I. put forward the same evidence the bureau concluded in July was not sufficient to bring a case — the affidavit offered no additional evidence to support any different conclusion.’” http://nyti.ms/2hqgBus
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK -- Ambassador Peter Selfridge, Obama’s U.S. chief of protocol, has left the administration just a few weeks shy of hitting his eight year mark to become German software company SAP’s global head of digital government. Selfridge will report to CEO Bill McDermott.
CORRECTION OF THE DAY: WSJ: “Alexander Hamilton was an American statesman and founding father of the US. An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated he was president.” http://on.wsj.com/2hGXijq
MARK MAZZETTI named NYT’s Washington Investigations Editor – He’ll lead a team of four reporters: Eric Lipton, Matt Apuzzo, Mike Schmidt and Sharon LaFraniere, but also “will at times continue to write as a player-coach,” per a memo from D.C. bureau chief Elisabeth Bumiller. http://politi.co/2h9g6Hm
--GARY FIELDS’ inspirational going-away note to the WSJ’s D.C. bureau colleagues: http://politi.co/2hUk5IX
1600 PENNSYLVANIA — “Researchers race to copy Obamacare data, out of fear Trump will delete it,” by Dan Diamond: “The White House is encouraging researchers to copy government data on Obamacare out of concern that President-elect Donald Trump might hit the delete key … Several dozen independent researchers are racing to download key health care data and documents before Jan. 20. They say they began the effort on their own, and then got a boost from Jeanne Lambrew, the White House’s top health reform official, who also sounded alarms.
“But Republican policy wonks dismissed researchers’ concerns as paranoia. ‘Suppressing data in this era of ‘open everything' is not a good idea and inevitably comes out,’ says Tevi Troy, the head of the American Health Policy Institute and a former HHS official in the George W. Bush administration. ‘From what I know from working in government, I’m skeptical.’” http://politi.co/2hqekzy
-- “Obama restricts offshore drilling in latest poke at Trump,” by Esther Whieldon: “President Barack Obama permanently banned oil and gas drilling in portions of the Arctic and Atlantic oceans on Tuesday in the latest effort to burnish an environmental agenda that has drawn fire from President-elect Donald Trump. Obama has used his final weeks in office to press for new rules on coal mining pollution, offshore drilling and the venting of planet-warming methane — all of which are likely to be challenged or repealed by the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress, who have complained that the president has targeted fossil fuel companies to push his green policies.” http://politi.co/2hZCbqe
ON THE TUBE -- “Bill O’Reilly: ‘The Left Wants Power Taken Away From The White Establishment,’” by HuffPost’s Rebecca Shapiro: “O’Reilly sparked outrage online Tuesday for what he described as the ‘hidden reason’ behind calls to abolish the Electoral College. ‘This is all about race,’ the conservative commentator said on his Fox News show. ‘The left sees white privilege in America as an oppressive force that must be done away with. Therefore white working class voters must be marginalized.’” With video http://huff.to/2hqvsF2
PRESIDENTIAL TWEET RECAP -- @realDonaldTrump at 3:27 p.m.: “Yes, it is true - Carlos Slim, the great businessman from Mexico, called me about getting together for a meeting. We met, HE IS A GREAT GUY!” … at 8:03 a.m. Tuesday: “Bill Clinton stated that I called him after the election. Wrong, he called me (with a very nice congratulations). He ‘doesn’t know much’ …” … “especially how to get people, even with an unlimited budget, out to vote in the vital swing states ( and more). They focused on wrong states.”
INAUGURATION WATCH -- “Trump transition seeks distance from conservation fundraiser,” by Matt Nussbaum: “The Trump transition team released a statement Tuesday seeking to distance Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. from a fundraiser that offered a hunting trip with them — and a photo opportunity with the president-elect — to top donors. An ‘Opening Day’ event with a ‘Camouflage and Cufflinks’ theme offered a multi-day hunting trip with one or both of the Trump sons for donors who gave $500,000 to $1,000,000, with the promise that proceeds would go to support unnamed conservation efforts. ‘The Opening Day event and details that have been reported are merely initial concepts that have not been approved or pursued by the Trump family,’ transition spokeswoman Hope Hicks said in a statement. ‘Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump are avid outdoorsmen and supporters of conservation efforts, which align with the goals of this event, however they are not involved in any capacity.’” http://politi.co/2h0UeLa
-- @EricLiptonNYT: “Eric Trump says his name wrongly included on invite offering access to Dad for $1 million. This suggests otherwise.” http://bit.ly/2hSGi7T
REID’S LEGACY -- “The artist and the senator: One built a desert masterpiece, the other a Nevada legacy,” by LA Times’ Lisa Mascaro: “When Sen. Harry Reid heard about a reclusive artist building a massive land sculpture across desolate acres in the Nevada desert, he knew they should meet. It’s not just that Reid enjoys eccentrics and fighters, which he does. Michael Heizer had found an unusual way to express the majesty — and artistry — of the same lonely Nevada landscape that formed Reid’s childhood, when he would escape the dismal, rugged conditions of tiny Searchlight to play in the desert’s hidden springs and abandoned fortresses … Not surprisingly, the senator orchestrated the preservation of Heizer’s stunning land art, ‘City,’ personally appealing to Obama to use the 1906 Antiquities Act to proclaim the installation and 700,000 surrounding acres protected as a national monument.” http://lat.ms/2hSuXor
FIRST LOOK -- “The Huffington Post and the George Washington University's School of Media and Public Affairs will be hosting a live debate among candidates running for DNC chair. The debate will be held on January 18, 2017 at the Jack Morton Auditorium at GW beginning at 7 p.m. and moderated by HuffPost Editor-in-Chief Lydia Polgreen and D.C. Bureau Chief Ryan Grim. ... The debate will be livestreamed on HuffPost’s Politics’ Facebook Page.”
-- DNC CHAIR WATCH: TOM PEREZ joined Chris Hayes on MSNBC’s “All In” last night to discuss the future of the Democratic Party. Video http://bit.ly/2hU381r
FUN READ -- “A Tangerine Wig and a Tightrope Walk: Alec Baldwin as Donald J. Trump,” by NYT’s Sarah Maslin Nir: “The key to a convincing Mr. Trump, the actor said, are ‘puffs’ — his word for the pregnant pauses in the president-elect’s speech. ... Before the actor’s first appearance, he watched hours of rallies and campaign appearances to mimic Mr. Trump’s style. His Trump is as much censure as impersonation. He does not write the sketches. He is paid $1,400 for each appearance on the show, he said. ... As a result of his widely viewed appearances, his daily life has become a Ping-Pong match between Trump supporters’ revulsion and Trump haters’ adulation: Fans accost him on the street, some in tears.” http://nyti.ms/2hbpHiH
MEDIAWATCH -- “Jersey publishers ‘not slowing down’ in opposition to Christie newspaper ‘revenge bill’,” by Joe Pompeo: “New Jersey publishers will continue their fight against what has become known as Gov. Chris Christie’s newspaper ‘revenge bill,’ emboldened by this week’s failure among lawmakers to rally enough support to bring the controversial legislation to a vote, but ever wary of its potential, they say, to obliterate tens of millions of dollars in annual revenue and hundreds of journalism jobs. ‘We’re not slowing down,’ Rich Vezza, publisher of New Jersey’s largest newspaper, The Star-Ledger, told POLITICO. ‘We’re very concerned. We know we’ve got a governor who is actively pushing this. ... Since day one he’s gone after the press, and I think Bridgegate just pushed him over the edge.’” http://politi.co/2h0MSHn
-- “Brian Williams’ under-the-radar late-night return,” by Poynter’s James Warren: “It could be called the ‘NBC Very, Very Late Nightly News With Brian Williams.’ Instead, it’s ‘The 11th Hour With Brian Williams’ on MSNBC — a new show starring an old face who’s honorably doing what he does well in a humbling environ. … The corporate hierarchy -- meaning Andrew Lack, the NBC News chairman and Williams’ key patron, through thick and thin -- does hope to move Williams to a better slot than 11 p.m. somewhere down the road … But while much of America sleeps, Williams comes long after Rachel Maddow and Chris Matthews, just as he’s adjacent to them in MSNBC ads found in movie theaters amid the recent trailers for ‘Fences’ and ‘Jackie.’ But it’s pure Williams in its retro essence: low-key, serious, not given to self-absorbed questioning or much endemic TV hyperbole, subtly droll, more about the guests than the host. Savvy on bureaucracies and history.” http://bit.ly/2h0Se5y
ROBIN GRADISON to NBC News -- Ken Strickland emails the bureau: “After an extensive search, I’m happy to share that Robin Gradison will join the Washington bureau on January 3rd as Deputy Bureau Chief. ... Over the course of more than two decades with ABC News, Robin has played a key role in the full spectrum of political coverage, from campaigns and elections to the White House and Capitol Hill.”
SNEAK PEEK -- AP's new WH team – per the AP: “At the White House, Julie Pace continues as the chief White House correspondent, covering President-elect Donald Trump’s foreign and domestic policy, analyses and enterprise on major decision and key moments, immigration policy, the presidency and his inner circle. ... Julie Bykowicz will cover Trump’s promise to ‘drain the swamp,’ and examine conflicts, ethics and influence at the White House and Congress, working closely with AP’s investigative team. ... Economics reporter Josh Boak will cover economic policy and the budget, tax reform, trade and infrastructure spending. ...
“Ken Thomas will cover Vice President-elect Mike Pence, trade and labor politics and congressional relations. ... Darlene Superville will cover press access and transparency, Melania Trump, the social calendar, White House traditions in the Trump era and other East Wing activity. ... Jon Lemire, based in New York, will cover Trump in New York City and his New York operations, Trump’s businesses and the link between those and the White House. ... Vivian Salama will cover foreign policy, the future of Guantanamo Bay and Trump’s Supreme Court nominees. ... Catherine Lucey will cover Ivanka Trump, family and child-care policies and Medicare. ... Jill Colvin will cover environmental and climate issues.”
TV TONIGHT – DHS secretary Jeh Johnson has an exclusive exit interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow tonight at 9 p.m.
SPOTTED -- Gen. Michael Flynn (Ret.) on an 8:45 p.m. flight from DCA to Ft. Lauderdale Tuesday night … Billy Bush in Nashville Monday night promoting his new liquor line, Beach Whiskey, up and down neon-light Broadway Street. Billy seemed cheerful, chatted and danced with bar patrons, according to our tipster … Eric Trump and Steve Mnuchin spotted separately last night at the Trump Hotel ... Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) yesterday in khakis and a red fleece jacket at local neighborhood coffee shop Frothy Monkey in the 12th South neighborhood of Nashville. ... Rep. John Delaney sipping coffee at the Salt Lake City airport Delta Sky Club Monday.
OUT AND ABOUT – SPOTTED: Export Import Bank Chairman Fred Hochberg toasting farewell to his deputy chief of staff Matt Bevens at Duplex Diner in Adams Morgan. Bevens is heading to San Diego on Friday before jetting off to Singapore, where he will pursue an MBA from INSEAD, a global business school. Bevens was joined by several of his friends and colleagues from his work in Washington, including his sister Tamara Bevens Hiler, senior policy adviser at Third Way.
OBAMA ALUMNI -- Jacob Leibenluft has joined the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities as a senior adviser for national policy. Leibenluft most recently led Hillary Clinton’s economic policy team during the 2016 campaign. He previously worked at Treasury and the White House for President Barack Obama, including as National Economic Council deputy director. (h/t Ben Weyl of POLITICO’s Budget & Appropriations Brief)
TRANSITIONS -- Rob Flaherty starts today at the Human Rights Campaign as their press secretary for rapid response; he previously was Hillary for America’s deputy digital comms director. ... Mark Warren will join Sen. Thune’s personal office on Jan. 3 as tax and trade counsel. … Andrew Bell has been named chief of staff for Rep.-elect Ted Budd (R-NC); he previously served as his campaign manager, deputy director of advance for the Ben Carson campaign and special assistant to former Speaker Newt Gingrich. http://politi.co/2hGXDTb
SUNDAY SO FAR – “Fox News Sunday”: Newt Gingrich ... Jerry Falwell Jr. Panel: George Will, Julie Pace, Jerry Seib, Ben Domenech.
BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Annie Linskey, national politics reporter for The Boston Globe, celebrating over drinks with a few friends at Bistro Bohem in Shaw – read her Playbook Plus Q&A: http://politi.co/2h9dIR1
BIRTHDAYS: John Coale is 7-0 – he’s celebrating with Greta by going to Haiti where they will be at the Greta Home and Academy where the children from the orphanage (who call him “Papa John”) are throwing him a birthday party (h/t Tammy Haddad) ... Brian Goldsmith, political consultant for Yahoo News (h/t Katie Couric) … Rich Galen ... Joe Gaylord … Jeffrey Katzenberg is 66 ... Phil Donahue is 81 ... Jane Fonda is 79 ... Dave Stroup, pursuing an M.F.A. in creative writing at George Mason and alum of Rising Tide Interactive, DSCC, Mark Warner and Sierra Club … NGA press secretary Elena Waskey (hubby tip: Jason) ... WashPost’s Karen Heller ... Michael Negron, chief of policy in Mayor Emanuel’s office ... Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) is 69 ... Sam LaHood, who manages Asia for the International Republican Institute (h/t Jill Zuckman) ... Politico’s Lindsay McKenna ... Swopa Needlenose ... Julia Mellon, VP at Bliss Integrated Communication ... PwC’s Roz Brooks ...
... Lisa Kountoupes (h/t David Peluso) ... Carl Gray, the pride of Lexington, is 3-0, celebrating in KY for THE biggest game of the year for the state: Kentucky v. Louisville (h/t Jason Rahlan) ... CNN correspondent Kelly Wallace (h/t Kevin Bohn) ... Sarah Bufkin, former Rhodes Scholar and HuffPost alum and now co-founder of Scalawag ... Josh Scheinblum, chief investigative reporter at KCRG in Grand Rapids, Iowa, is 28 ... Alejandra Lopez-Fernandini of the New America Foundation ... Benjamin Sendejas, son of Ray Sendejas and Erika Poethig … Brian Heindl, formerly Sen. Herb Kohl’s legislative director, now Kimberly Clark’s director of gov’t relations … Lesley Russell, ex-senior policy advisor to former Surgeon General Regina Benjamin ... Boston Globe’s Josh Miller, a Roll Call alum … Gary Lee, former OFA and Obama White House staffer, Fulbright fellow, and USC Trojan ... Jessica Brady, press secretary for the Senate Judiciary Committee and a Roll Call and NJ alum … Carl Gray, alum of Hillary for America and the State protocol office … Nicole Hudzinski … Carl Zingale … Sarah Leonard … Sari Bourne (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) ... Beth LaMontagne Hall ... Sally Armbruster, advisor to the Barack Obama Foundation ... Bush 43 WH alum Tracy Young ... D’Ann Grady Lettieri ... actor Samuel L. Jackson is 68 ... Kiefer Sutherland is 5-0 (h/ts AP)