| | | | |  | | By Eli Okun | | Presented by |  | | | |  | THE CATCH-UP | | | DEPT. OF HEADLINES TO RUIN YOUR DAY — “As bird flu spreads in cows, fractured U.S. response has echoes of early covid,” by WaPo’s Lena Sun and Rachel Roubein MEGATREND — “US fertility rate dropped to lowest in a century as births dipped in 2023,” by CNN’s Deidre McPhillips
|  Chief Justice John Roberts and others raised the possibility that the Supreme Court could send the Donald Trump immunity question back to a lower court. | J. Scott Applewhite, File/AP Photo | SCOTUS WATCH — The Supreme Court today took up the explosive question of how far DONALD TRUMP’s presidential immunity from criminal prosecution extends — a complex legal question surrounding the aftermath of the 2020 election whose resolution could shake the 2024 election. Notably, Chief Justice JOHN ROBERTS and Justices NEIL GORSUCH and BRETT KAVANAUGH raised the possibility that SCOTUS could send the matter back to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals for further analysis. If Roberts and Kavanaugh, two of the typical swing votes within the conservative supermajority, go that route, it could doom special counsel JACK SMITH’s federal election subversion trial to be delayed until after the election (or forever, if Trump wins). Another possible avenue for delays: Justice AMY CONEY BARRETT, often another swing vote, seemed interested in creating a test for presidential defense to prosecution that would fall short of absolute immunity — which could also go back to lower courts for further litigation. The heart of the questioning during much of today’s oral arguments centered on the distinctions between Trump’s official actions as president and his personal, private conduct, Kyle Cheney reports. Multiple conservative justices were searching for a way to declare that presidents do have at least some immunity for their official actions — and shrink the scope of the charges against Trump. Liberal justices torched Trump attorney JOHN SAUER’s arguments, asking about whether presidents could be immune from ordering assassinations or military coups. But conservatives worried about hypotheticals in which presidents would be hamstrung by a lack of immunity and subject to political persecution. “[O]ne of the main points of discussion turned on the question of which situation would be worse,” writes NYT’s Alan Feuer: “a world in which presidents, shorn of any legal protections against prosecution, were ceaselessly pursued in the courts by their rivals in a never-ending cycle of political retribution, or allowing presidents to be unbounded by criminal law and permitted to do whatever they wanted with impunity.” In Manhattan: Today’s Supreme Court arguments heightened the probability that Trump’s ongoing criminal hush money trial could be the only time he faces a jury. And in NYC today, lead witness DAVID PECKER revealed more details about his efforts to help Trump during the 2016 election as publisher of the National Enquirer. Pecker testified that he paid KAREN McDOUGAL in order to bury her allegations of an affair with Trump, protect him politically and influence the election — a key piece of prosecutors’ argument that they were involved in an illegal conspiracy. It was part of the tabloid’s infamous “catch and kill” scheme, buying someone’s story to keep them quiet and never publish it. Pecker said he was in touch with Trump about the McDougal story during that time (and that ABC, pursuing it separately, offered her a “Dancing with the Stars” spot if she gave them the story). He also dove into his failed attempt to get Trump to reimburse him for the McDougal payoff, and the time that he made DYLAN HOWARD take down a negative Radar Online story about Trump. Follow live updates from our colleagues, and read their chat about what it’s really like inside the trial This afternoon, Pecker has finally started to get into the STORMY DANIELS story, which is the real nub of the trial. He testified that he didn’t want to buy and bury the porn star’s allegation of an affair but encouraged Trump to do so himself. Pecker also said Trump’s worries about affairs becoming public were not about concerns for his family. Meanwhile, we’re still waiting for judge JUAN MERCHAN to issue his decision on whether Trump has violated his gag order in the case. Prosecutors argued that the former president had done so four more times this week by talking about the jury, criticizing MICHAEL COHEN and commenting on Pecker. Good Thursday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at eokun@politico.com.
| | | | A message from TSMC: TSMC’s 30th annual North America Technology Symposium, brings together some of the world’s greatest minds, to learn about the company’s latest innovations in advanced technologies for chip processes, packaging and design. These breakthroughs will drive the next generation of AI, high-powered computing, automotive, mobile applications, and digital consumer electronics. | | | | | 7 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW | | |  A slowdown in economic growth reflects in part lower federal government spending and lower consumer spending on goods. | Charlie Riedel/AP Photo | 1. GO SLOW: The economy unexpectedly hit a major slowdown in the first quarter of the year, as GDP growth dropped from an annualized 3.4 percent to 1.6 percent, adjusted for inflation. That’s a bit of a mixed bag: 1.6 percent is still solid growth for the U.S., and the economy continues to look fairly strong overall, not near a recession. But the number — way below economists’ predictions of 2.4 or 2.5 percent, and accompanied by stubbornly high prices — also reveals that the Fed’s attempt to achieve a soft landing of falling inflation and economic growth could be trickier than it seemed just a few months ago. Stock markets declined on the news. The slowdown reflects in part lower federal government spending after a pandemic-era surge and lower consumer spending on goods, especially cars. Exports slowed as well, and business behavior remained cautious. Today’s data also showed the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation outpacing expectations slightly in March. But Americans kept spending steadily on services and health care last quarter. “The big question now is what this report suggests will happen going forward. The worst-case scenario for [President JOE] BIDEN would be for the economy to continue to slow while inflation stays elevated — a phenomenon known as stagflation,” Victoria Guida writes. “Based on Thursday’s snapshot of the economy, that looks like a possibility. … But the jobs market has remained robust, and spending and investment, the underlying engines of growth, are still strong.” 2. POWER PLAY: The Biden administration took one of its most aggressive climate actions yet today with the release of new regulations aimed at clamping down on dangerous emissions from coal and natural gas plants, per CNN’s Ella Nilsen and Jen Christensen. The EPA rules will force these power plants to remove nearly all their emissions within the next eight years — and may in effect force all the country’s coal plants to close in the next couple of decades, because the industry says it can’t meet the requirements, NYT’s Coral Davenport and Lisa Friedman report. The EPA estimates that they’ll prevent 1.4 billion metric tons of pollution over the next couple of decades. The rules will also tackle mercury, wastewater and ash. But, but, but: Republicans are sure to sue and could get the Supreme Court to overturn the rules, which could also be dashed by a future GOP administration. Not just coal: The Energy Department also announced new moves today to accelerate the approvals process for transmission lines, which is meant to aid overtaxed electric grids that will be essential for the transition to clean energy, per NYT’s Brad Plumer. That could make a significant impact out west in particular. Still, DOE will cover only federal lands, and experts say Congress might need to step in for wider-ranging reforms. Up next: New guidance on sustainable aviation fuel is expected to drop Tuesday, Reuters’ Jarrett Renshaw and Stephanie Kelly scooped. 3. WHAT CHUCK SCHUMER IS READING: “Biden is giving $6 billion to Micron for a semiconductor project in upstate New York,” by NPR’s Susan Davis: “Biden travels to Syracuse, N.Y. on Thursday to tout $6.1 billion in federal grants for Micron Technology that supporters say could bring an economic revival to the region and dramatically boost domestic U.S. semiconductor chip production to compete with China. … The White House is also announcing the creation of new ‘workforce hubs’ designed to find and train future workers to support chip factories … Those workforce hubs will be in Syracuse, as well as Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Detroit.”
| | | | THE GOLD STANDARD OF POLICY REPORTING & INTELLIGENCE: POLITICO has more than 500 journalists delivering unrivaled reporting and illuminating the policy and regulatory landscape for those who need to know what’s next. Throughout the election and the legislative and regulatory pushes that will follow, POLITICO Pro is indispensable to those who need to make informed decisions fast. The Pro platform dives deeper into critical and quickly evolving sectors and industries—finance, defense, technology, healthcare, energy—equipping policymakers and those who shape legislation and regulation with essential news and intelligence from the world’s best politics and policy journalists.
Our newsroom is deeper, more experienced, and better sourced than any other—with teams embedded in the world’s most active legislative and regulatory power centers. From Brussels to Washington, New York to London, Sacramento to Paris, we bring subscribers inside the conversations that determine policy outcomes and the future of industries, providing insight that cannot be found anywhere else. Get the premier news and policy intelligence service, SUBSCRIBE TO POLITICO PRO TODAY. | | | | | 4. MIDDLE EAST LATEST: The U.S. effort to build a floating pier to get humanitarian aid into Gaza by sea could start as soon as this weekend, WSJ’s Nancy Youssef and Omar Abdel-Baqui report. That process could take two weeks or longer. U.S. officials hope it will help provide more assistance to desperate Palestinians, though aid deliveries by land will continue as well. The U.S. and 17 other countries today sent a letter imploring Hamas to take the deal for a cease-fire and release of all Israeli hostages, per Reuters’ Steve Holland and Doina Chiacu. Hamas responded negatively, saying it was on the U.S. to get Israel to stop bombing. But a Hamas leader did tell AP’s Abby Sewell that the group would agree to stop fighting for at least five years and become a political party if Israel agreed to a two-state solution with pre-1967 borders. Though Israel is unlikely to go for that, the comments amounted to “a significant concession” from Hamas. In the U.S., public support for Israel is falling: Bloomberg’s latest polling finds that the share of registered voters in seven swing states who back sending aid to Israel has dropped from 62% in November to 51%. 6. PRIMARY COLORS: As she faces a major financial deficit in the Maryland Democratic Senate primary, ANGELA ALSOBROOKS is pushing a “message that she is uniquely qualified to deliver for Marylanders because she understands what they need from their government — because she can relate,” The 19th’s Mel Leonor Barclay reports. “Alsobrooks’ candidacy is also meaningful for Maryland’s congressional delegation, which right now is made up only of men; the state has never elected a person of color to the Senate. In Alsobrooks, the Senate would gain the voice of a mother a decade younger than the Senate average, and a local government official who won’t be among the roughly-two thirds of senators who are millionaires.” Dropping today: Alsobrooks released a pair of new ads featuring a murderers’ row of elected Maryland Democrats. One, with Rep. KWEISI MFUME and Baltimore County Executive JOHNNY OLSZEWSKI, is aimed at the Baltimore market; another, with Reps. STENY HOYER and GLENN IVEY, is aimed at D.C.-area voters. Gov. WES MOORE and Sen. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN appear in both. 6. AD IT UP: “Biden 2024 campaign makes new digital ad push to court Nikki Haley voters,” by NBC 10 Philadelphia’s Lauren Mayk: “The Biden campaign is making a six-figure digital ad buy to target [NIKKI] HALEY voters in the Keystone State … With the new data from the primary, the Biden campaign sees an opportunity to appeal to Republicans in Pennsylvania.” 7. BEYOND THE BELTWAY: “With New Salt and Sugar Limits, School Cafeterias Are ‘Cringing,’” by NYT’s Julie Creswell in Haleyville, Alabama: “Many parents and nutritionists applauded stricter federal regulations, but food companies say the changes could increase costs and waste.”
| | | | POLITICO IS BACK AT THE 2024 MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE: POLITICO will again be your eyes and ears at the 27th Annual Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles from May 5-8 with exclusive, daily, reporting in our Global Playbook newsletter. Suzanne Lynch will be on the ground covering the biggest moments, behind-the-scenes buzz and on-stage insights from global leaders in health, finance, tech, philanthropy and beyond. Get a front-row seat to where the most interesting minds and top global leaders confront the world’s most pressing and complex challenges — subscribe today. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Kim Kardashian will be at the White House today for a criminal justice event with Kamala Harris. Jeff Gunter used campaign funds to gear up at Boot Barn for a Western-themed campaign ad. Sherrod Brown is trumpeting an under-the-radar win on fentanyl legislation. Mitch McConnell wants a big increase in military spending. Joe Biden met with Abigail, a 4-year-old who was held hostage by Hamas. SPOTTED: Ralph Fiennes dining at Le Diplomate yesterday. OUT AND ABOUT — Melissa Moss and Susan Brophy organized a fundraiser for the Biden Victory Fund yesterday at Moss and Jonathan Silver’s home in Georgetown, which featured George Conway and raised $1.4 million. SPOTTED: Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Evan Ryan, Gerry McGowan, Suzy George and Nate Tibbits, Capricia Marshall, Kay Kendall and Jack Davies, Karen Skelton, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Rufus Gifford, Denise Grant and Frank Raines, Missy Owens, Ali Rubin, Christine Varney, Michael Paese, Ernie Jarvis, Philip Dufour, Emily Lenzner, Liz Schrayer and Bob Barnett. — SPOTTED at a party for Beth Solomon’s new book, “Georgetown Dish” ($10.84), at Gloria Dittus’ home Tuesday: Cathy Merrill, Billy Martin, Jack Evans, Stuart Holliday, Susan Tolson, Marc Silverstein, Kevin Chaffee, Howard Mortman, Christine Baratta, Kay Kendall, Kathy O’Hearn, Adean King, Judy Thomas, and Christina Sevilla and Steve Rochlin. — SPOTTED at SHRM’s “Toast to Civility” happy hour reception yesterday: Natalie Allison, Bill Bay, Mona Dexter, Kevin Corke, Rob Crilly, Jeff Dubner, Andrew Feinberg, Emily Hawkins, Amber Hewitt, Darnell Lee, Daniel Lippman, Yvette Maldonado, Nia-Malika Henderson, Suzanne Malveaux, Tom O’Brien, Allie Raffa, Gary Shapiro, Betty Thompson, Marquis Thorpe, Andy Vargas, Dionne Wallace Oakley and Emily Wilkins. MEDIA MOVE — Suzi Watford is joining WaPo as chief strategy officer. She previously was chief growth officer at SiriusXM. TRANSITION — Adrienne Elrod is joining the Biden campaign as a senior adviser and spokesperson, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s Alex Thomas reports. She most recently has been president of Elrod Strategies and director of external and government affairs for Commerce’s CHIPS program office, and is a Biden 2020 alum. WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Joe Goetz, principal and managing director at Patriot Fundraising Group, and Jillian Goetz, a speech-language pathologist at Fairfax County Public Schools, welcomed Shay Patricia yesterday. 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 Playbook Daily Briefing producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
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