| | | | |  | | By Eli Okun | Presented by Kidney Care Access Coalition | |  | THE CATCH-UP | | NEW CNN/SSRS POLL — VP KAMALA HARRIS and DONALD TRUMP are tied nationally at 47 percent apiece. SIRENS — “Freedom Caucus leader says North Carolina should consider giving Trump its electors before votes are counted,” by Kyle Cheney: “Rep. ANDY HARRIS said the damage caused by Hurricane Helene in pro-Trump counties would justify the extraordinary maneuver.” … “Trump says Jack Smith should be ‘thrown out of the country,’” by Emmy Martin
|  Will Lewis says WaPo's non-endorsement is not a “tacit endorsement of one candidate.” | Alex Brandon/AP Photo | WILL LEWIS GOES THERE — The new WaPo publisher and CEO announced that the editorial board won’t endorse in the presidential election, following a similar move from the L.A. Times. Lewis wrote that the newspaper will stop endorsing in presidential races henceforth, returning to its pre-1976 policy. Leaning heavily on the newspaper’s 20th-century comments about endorsements, Lewis wrote that the move amounted to “a statement in support of our readers’ ability to make up their own minds on this. … Most of all, our job as the newspaper of the capital city of the most important country in the world is to be independent.” Lewis insisted that the non-endorsement was neither a “tacit endorsement of one candidate” nor “an abdication of responsibility.” But his announcement this morning unleashed shock and concern in the newsroom, NPR’s David Folkenflik reports. And legendary former executive editor MARTY BARON was unsparing on X: “This is cowardice, with democracy as its casualty. @realdonaldtrump will see this as an invitation to further intimidate owner @jeffbezos (and others). Disturbing spinelessness at an institution famed for courage.” Lewis’ statement raises a few questions: Why take a stand on principle now, 11 days before the election, rather than months ago? Why is the paper continuing to endorse in other races, such as recent nods for EUGENE VINDMAN and ANGELA ALSOBROOKS ? And what will the fallout be for a publisher intent on rebuilding WaPo’s digital subscription base, in light of what happened in Los Angeles in recent days, where scores of Times subscriptions have reportedly been canceled and multiple staffers have resigned in protest of PATRICK SOON-SHIONG? One explanation might be that the decision was not in Lewis’ hands — but in those of Post owner JEFF BEZOS, who has business interests with the federal government that could be threatened under a second Trump administration (and already were in the first). Folkenflik reports that editorial page editor DAVID SHIPLEY implied the order came down from Bezos. “A second billionaire vetoes a presumptive Harris endorsement,” Ben Smith chimed in. Full disclosure: Your PM author participated in a summer internship with the WaPo ed board, under a different owner and editor, in 2010. HACK ATTACK — The mainstream media has steered clear, but more of the Iranian-hacked documents from the Trump campaign are going public thanks to Democratic operative DAVID WHEELER, whose American Muckrakers PAC has been posting the leaked materials, Reuters’ Christopher Bing, Raphael Satter and Gram Slattery scooped . The apparent ongoing Iranian election meddling, which the country denies, has turned up documents showing the Trump campaign’s conversations with a variety of allies and advisers. Docs posted by Muckrakers include discussions about ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR., MARK ROBINSON’s scandals and Rep. ANNA PAULINA LUNA’s (R-Fla.) personal life, per Reuters. MUSK/PUTIN FALLOUT — NASA Administrator BILL NELSON told Semafor’s Burgess Everett that if ELON MUSK really has been speaking with Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN — as was reported last night by the WSJ — NASA and the Pentagon would be concerned. “I think it should be investigated,” he said. RATINGS ROUNDUP — The Cook Political Report shifted Rep. MIKE LAWLER’s (R-N.Y.) reelection bid from toss-up to leaning Republican. Happy Friday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at eokun@politico.com.
| | | | A message from Kidney Care Access Coalition: Today, dialysis patients can be forced off the health coverage that works best for them – even impacting coverage for their spouse and kids.
The Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act (S. 5018 and H.R. 6860) is a bipartisan and bicameral bill that will restore protections for dialysis patients and ensure that these patients and their families have a choice in their coverage.
The time for Congress to act is now.
https://www.kidneycareaccess.org/ | | | | | 7 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW | | |  If Donald Trump wins the election, the U.S. could chart a very different path on bank regulations, Obamacare subsidies and more. | Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images | 1. THE ELECTION’S ECONOMIC STAKES: A wide range of industries and markets could see very different policy effects depending on which party controls Washington next year. And though the average swing voter may not be focused on these details, a few new stories are handy guides that spell out the stakes: Banking: Democrats would likely force big banks to comply with strict new regulations around holding capital, while Republicans would soften and/or postpone them, Bloomberg’s Mark Niquette details in a breakdown of this issue and the next several. Health care: Democrats would extend Affordable Care Act subsidies for health insurers, while Republicans are less keen on them. Dropping the subsidies could lead to nearly 4 million fewer people getting Obamacare. Energy and climate: Republicans, who have increasingly made a boogeyman of electric vehicles, might water down or end tax credits to buy them, while Democrats would maintain them. Republicans would bolster oil, natural gas and coal and target offshore wind energy, while Dems would look to keep turbocharging clean energy. Retail: Huge new tariffs promised by Trump could upend this sector by yanking prices way higher for made-in-China goods, while Harris would impose fewer changes. Mortgages: Republicans hope to privatize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, while Democrats worry that doing so would push mortgage prices higher, AP’s R.J. Rico reports. Bond markets: Trump’s tariffs and tax cuts are forecast to explode the national debt; Harris’ would also increase it, but not as much. The effects could rattle through bond markets, where Treasury yields have surged of late in part on expectations of a Trump win, NYT’s Talmon Joseph Smith and Joe Rennison report. Closer to home … Trump’s personal finances have a lot riding on the election too, WSJ’s Peter Grant reports. Truth Social parent company Trump Media & Technology Group could soar or collapse depending on whether he wins, and his $4 billion stake in the company has lately kept the billionaire among the ranks of the world’s wealthiest people. 2. DEMOCRACY WATCH: A major new NYT Magazine story from Jim Rutenberg details the ways that the U.S. could face a crisis in certifying the election, as skeptical local officials in the grip of misinformation about fraud could stymie the process. Across key counties in four swing states, he finds that the “big lie” of 2020 has morphed into an “election integrity” movement, with true believers installed across local boards who have “a deeply held” — and baseless — “belief that a grand conspiracy was underway.” They feel called by “a patriotic duty” to block certification if they see election fraud, with GOP lawyers preparing to fight hard to back them. Rutenberg cites CLETA MITCHELL as a key figure in this push. The story dovetails with reporting across a number of other fronts: NBC’s Lawrence Hurley, Katherine Doyle and Vaughn Hillyard detail how the RNC has emerged as the key group fighting for Trump in court this year. … NBC’s Brandy Zadrozny reports that fears about non-citizens voting, of which there’s no widespread evidence, have become the “big lie 2.0.” … CNN’s Sara Murray and Jeremy Herb report that GOP poll watchers motivated by the “election integrity” effort are raising worries among election workers about potential disruption. … In Erie, Pennsylvania, CNN’s Majlie de Puy Kamp, Danny Freeman and Sarah Boxer examine how false voter fraud claims targeted a nunnery. And from Scottsdale, Arizona, John Sakellariadis reports that swatting via fake 911 calls has emerged as a new concern for election workers.
| | | | A message from Kidney Care Access Coalition:   The Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act will right a wrong and ensure dialysis patients and their families aren’t forced off their health insurance. https://www.kidneycareaccess.org/ | | | 3. HOW THE IRA MIGHT BE SAVED: “Trump hates Biden’s climate law. His allies are making money from it,” by Reuters’ Valerie Volcovici and Gram Slattery: “[A]t least seven of Trump’s close allies and fundraisers, or the firms they run, hold hundreds of millions of dollars-worth of stakes in companies that are significant beneficiaries of the tax breaks embedded in the Inflation Reduction Act … They include Trump’s son-in-law JARED KUSHNER; his former ambassador to China and continued ally TERRY BRANSTAD; and companies run by informal energy advisor and oil mogul HAROLD HAMM and powerful booster HOWARD LUTNICK.” 4. TODAY IN BEDWETTING: Leading Democratic staffers, including inside Harris’ campaign, tell Axios’ Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei that they’re increasingly freaking out about a potential loss. It’s largely a gut feeling, largely based on the fact that none of Harris’ many announcements or big moments or big money (or Trump’s stumbles) have budged the polls. Dems are very worried about Nevada and Pennsylvania. They “fear she has made too many different cases against Trump, and still hasn’t fully revealed herself to voters.” Confidence is high for Republicans, who today nabbed a Trump endorsement from the N.Y. Post, after it opposed him for president as recently as 2022. And Democratic fears are everywhere: WSJ’s Aaron Zitner and Ken Thomas note that Harris has been fundamentally unable to separate herself from Biden in voters’ eyes. NOTUS’ Tinashe Chingarande reports that many Arab Americans are voting JILL STEIN in protest even though they think Trump will be substantively worse for them than Harris. And progressives are freaking out that Harris’ recent overtures to Republicans could alienate her base and depress turnout, AP’s Steve Peoples reports. On the flip side: From the Harris-LIZ CHENEY tour, The Atlantic’s Elaine Godfrey reports on Dem hopes that a “quiet groundswell” of voters will be motivated to break with Trump for the high ideals of bipartisanship, morality and democracy. And Rep. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-N.Y.) has emerged as an effective envoy to young progressives who aren’t high on Harris, NYT’s Nicholas Fandos reports. 5. FEEL THE BERN: “Why Bernie Sanders is running,” by WaPo’s Dan Diamond: “No — not like that. The Vermont senator is striding up the stairs — two at a time — as he hustles between congressional hearings. … What emerged [from 20 months of following BERNIE SANDERS]: a more pragmatic Sanders than the iconoclast who identifies as an independent but upended the Democratic Party with his two presidential runs … Not everyone agrees that this is a good development. … But for Sanders the fight remains the same.” 6. WHAT RESIST LIBERALS ARE READING: “How Trump talks: Abrupt shifts, profane insults, confusing sentences,” by WaPo’s Isaac Arnsdorf and Josh Dawsey: “Trump’s recent public appearances have been strikingly erratic, coarse and often confusing, even for a politician with a history of ad-libbing in three consecutive presidential runs, a Washington Post review of dozens of speeches, interviews and other public appearances shows. His speeches have gotten longer and more repetitive compared with those of past campaigns. He promotes falsehoods and theories that are so far removed from reality or appear wholly made up that they are often baffling to anyone not steeped in MAGA media or internet memes.” 7. 2026 WATCH: The margins on this year’s Senate map are especially important because it could be hard for either party to hold onto its majority in two years, Semafor’s Burgess Everett reports. Whoever’s in the White House could face a voter backlash, and both parties have at least a handful of opportunities: Democrats are eyeing Maine, North Carolina and even Kentucky, while Republicans are keen to wrest a Georgia seat back.
| | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Bernie Moreno is blocking trackers from recording his audio. Stacey Abrams is no longer the face of blue Georgia. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — ABC’s “This Week” is launching an hourlong special edition around the election, “This Week Live,” that’s streaming on ABC News Live for the next few Fridays. The first episode, today at 4 p.m., will feature anchor Jon Karl, guests Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a new poll and more. OUT AND ABOUT — Tony Blair celebrated his new book, “On Leadership: Lessons for the 21st Century” ($32), and the work of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change at the St. Regis Hotel last night, with Tom Friedman interviewing Blair and remarks from Sanna Marin, Ajay Banga and Ryan Hall. SPOTTED: British Ambassador Karen Pierce, José Andrés, Bob Barnett, David Miliband, David Millstone, Harry Rhoads, Barbara Humpton, Michael Chertoff, Stewart McLaurin, Arun Gupta, Didem Nisanci, Melanne Verveer , North Macedonian Ambassador Zoran Popov, Slovenian Ambassador Iztok Mirošič, Jason Furman, Anita McBride, Mark Ein and Teresa Carlson. — SPOTTED at a reception for the launch of the new Congressional Staff Association on AI, hosted by global tech trade association ITI last night: Margaret McCarthy, Mike Flynn, Alexandra Seymour, Grace Brightbill, Alex Scheuer, Joel Gardner, Kasey O’Connor, Pat Pelletier, Lauren Watt, Robert Yeakel, Kenny LaSalle, Robert Hoffman, Aleeke Spence, Evan Viau, Charlie Moskowitz, Drew Wayne and Paul Redifer. — SPOTTED at a luncheon yesterday celebrating U.N. Day, the 79th anniversary of the U.N. Charter coming into force, in the East Room of Union Station, where guests dined on sustainable sesame seared tuna: Catherine Russell, John Hewko, Princess Marie of Denmark, Peter Yeo, Rachel Bowen Pittman, David Ohana, María Isabel Salvador, Haitian Ambassador Louis Harold Joseph and Mozambican Ambassador Alfredo Nuvunga. TRANSITION — Christopher Semenas is now director for public affairs at L’Oréal. He most recently was senior manager for federal policy and government relations at Pfizer. 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. | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
