{"id":512,"date":"2026-07-05T23:17:57","date_gmt":"2026-07-05T18:17:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=512"},"modified":"2026-07-05T23:17:57","modified_gmt":"2026-07-05T18:17:57","slug":"the-dem-primary-on-ice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=512","title":{"rendered":"The Dem primary on ICE"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><i>With help from Eli Okun and Irie Sentner<\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>Good Sunday morning.<\/b> This is <b>Ali Bianco<\/b>, in the driver\u2019s seat today. Sending all my thoughts to the families in Venezuela\u2019s capital, many of whom may still be searching for their relatives after last week\u2019s earthquakes. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.politico.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#28494a4149464b4768584744415c414b47064b4745\" target=\"_blank\">Get in touch<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><b>Immigration is the central issue defining <\/b>the Democratic primary for one of the most competitive toss-up districts in the country this week \u2014 a race that could provide a window into how immigration politics will animate the midterms.<\/p>\n<p><b>The Tuesday primary in Colorado\u2019s 8th District<\/b> between <b>Manny Rutinel <\/b>and <b>Shannon Bird <\/b>is the biggest test case yet of whether channeling the explosion of anger from the Democratic base over the Trump administration\u2019s sweeping ICE actions will translate to votes in a district Democrats are targeting as a prime flip opportunity to unseat GOP Rep. <b>Gabe Evans<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p><b>Immigration is not always <\/b>a top five issue for voters, but it does have an outsized importance for Latinos, one of the swingiest voting blocs this cycle. Recent <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/_alibianco\/status\/2069414223717794212?s=20\" target=\"_blank\">polling of Latino voters nationwide from Equis Research shows<\/a> immigration peaking as a major concern \u2014 coming within four points of the economy \u2014 in February following the killings of <b>Ren\u00e9e Good<\/b> and <b>Alex Pretti<\/b> at the hands of immigration enforcement officers in Minnesota. By March, immigration dropped and was overtaken by concerns over the war with Iran.<\/p>\n<p><b>Yet in Colorado\u2019s 8th<\/b> \u2014 which is 40 percent Latino, with an influential base of Mexican American working class voters \u2014 immigration remains salient among the electorate. Past support for ICE has emerged as a bitter dividing line between Rutinel and Bird.<\/p>\n<p><b>Rutinel<\/b> <b>for months has slammed Bird<\/b> for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/newsletters\/playbook-pm\/2026\/03\/12\/ice-faultlines-split-dem-primaries-00825718\" target=\"_blank\">vote she took as a state representative in 2025<\/a> \u2014 where in committee she was the lone Democrat to oppose advancing an immigration proposal that Rutinel co-sponsored to limit state and local cooperation with ICE. Bird missed the final vote, citing a family emergency, and the bill ultimately passed and was signed into law.<\/p>\n<p><b>The episode is the centerpiece <\/b>of a blitz of <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MannyRutinel\/status\/2057099451689251112\" target=\"_blank\">attack ads<\/a> Rutinel has deployed against Bird to the tune of <a href=\"https:\/\/punchbowl.news\/article\/campaigns\/rutinel-bird-ice\/\" target=\"_blank\">tens of thousands of dollars<\/a>. Rutinel accuses her of siding with Trump and allowing ICE to raid schools and hospitals. Bird said she voted \u201cno\u201d over concerns of employees getting hefty fines under the legislation if their bosses cooperated with ICE, and she called the ads \u201can utter fabrication\u201d in an interview.<\/p>\n<p><b>But if Rutinel wins on Tuesday,<\/b> three national Democratic operatives who spoke to Playbook said it will come down to Bird\u2019s ICE vote. \u201cThat was the nail in the coffin for her,\u201d one Dem operative who backs Rutinel said.<\/p>\n<p><b>ICE\u2019s actions have echoed beyond Colorado<\/b>, and Democrats have felt the pressure from their base to show resistance. Videos of ICE agents in masks conducting raids in immigrant epicenters set off a national outrage at the start of 2026 and relit a fire under Democrats to campaign on immigration \u2014 an issue they lost badly on in 2024. Despite Trump dominating the issue for the GOP for years, polling numbers earlier this year have shown Trump\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/trumps-immigration-approval-hits-new-low-according-reutersipsos-poll-2026-02-17\/\" target=\"_blank\">approval on immigration cratering<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><b>\u201cI think a lot of folks feel <\/b>like they\u2019ve been lied to,\u201d Rutinel told Playbook in an interview. \u201cThis is clearly not about safety. It\u2019s about cruelty and control.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>Candidates like Brad Lander <\/b>in New York\u2019s 10th District grabbed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/06\/17\/ice-agents-detain-nyc-comptroller-in-chaotic-scene-00410584\" target=\"_blank\">national headlines<\/a> after being arrested by ICE last year. Calls to reform ICE fueled an immigration funding standoff in Congress that saw DHS shut down for a record 76 days. And Democratic incumbents like Rep. <b>Adriano Espaillat<\/b> have been felled in part by attacks for being too soft on ICE. The Minnesota Democratic Senate primary between Rep. <b>Angie Craig<\/b> and Lt. Gov. <b>Peggy Flanagan<\/b> is poised to be the next flashpoint over past immigration votes.<\/p>\n<p><b>It echoes everywhere,<\/b> Bird told Playbook, from farmers to small business workers. She recalled \u201chearing how their own employees have been targeted, and small businesses having their foot traffic into their stores and restaurants be decreased,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"story-related cl-l db \">\n<div class=\"intext-ad intext-ad--presented  \" style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">\n<p class=\"intext-ad__caption\" style=\"color:#000000\">A message from Amazon:<\/p>\n<div class=\"intext-ad__copy-styles0\">\n<p>Nadine used free skills training to go from packing boxes in an Amazon fulfillment center to building satellites for Amazon Leo. <\/p>\n<p><b>\u201cAmazon paid for all of it and gave me a leg up. They gave me accommodations and my own computer for the first time ever,\u201d she said.<\/b> <\/p>\n<p>More than 700,000 Amazon employees like Nadine have used free skills training to launch new careers. <\/p>\n<p><a style=\"color:#007BC7; text-decoration:underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/ad.doubleclick.net\/ddm\/clk\/644191560;450795006;h;gdpr=${GDPR};gdpr_consent=${GDPR_CONSENT_755}\" target=\"_blank\">Read her story.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p><b>It\u2019s also clear <\/b>in the dueling candidates\u2019 campaign strategies that there\u2019s little daylight on policy between Rutinel and Bird. Both emphasized in interviews the need to hold the administration accountable, implement reforms on the agency, support Dreamers and bolster border security.<\/p>\n<p><b>But the torrent of spending <\/b>Rutinel has flooded the airwaves with on Bird\u2019s vote attempts to set them clearly apart. Bird has hit back with what she called a record of defending immigrants, from being the first to publish a plan to overhaul the enforcement agency, establishing a legal defense fund and co-sponsoring bills to end arrests at courthouses.<\/p>\n<p><b>\u201cWhat the district really wants<\/b> is somebody who is there to be a problem solver, and that\u2019s the track record that I bring,\u201d Bird told Playbook. She believes voters \u201chave seen those ads as being over the top.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>Yet Democratic operatives <\/b>are convinced Rutinel\u2019s attacks are landing in part because of Rutinel\u2019s own ties to immigration \u2014 as the son of a single Latina immigrant. Voters will believe Rutinel a lot more given his personal history, the Dem operatives said.<\/p>\n<p><b>\u201cI think Democratic primary voters<\/b> across the district to this day \u2014 including Latinos, but not only Latinos \u2014 they resonate with that message because it\u2019s about who they can trust to stand up to Trump,\u201d Rutinel told Playbook.<\/p>\n<p><b>The winner on Tuesday <\/b>will ultimately face off against Evans in what\u2019s bound to be a nailbiter. Trump has managed to push the district four points towards the GOP since 2012, but Evans carried it in 2024 by just under 2,500 votes. While the cost of living is likely to dominate the general election, operatives still expect either winning candidate to tie Evans to Trump\u2019s mass deportation agenda.<\/p>\n<p><b>And with the Supreme Court<\/b> expected to rule on Trump\u2019s crusade to end birthright citizenship this week, the issue is likely to get a renewed focus not just in Colorado, but nationally.<\/p>\n<p><b>\u201cOut of touch Democrats <\/b>Manny Rutinel and Shannon Bird have done nothing but race to the far left, fight amongst themselves, and throw cash out the window throughout their messy primary,\u201d NRCC spokesperson <b>Zach Bannon <\/b>said in a statement. \u201cWhoever escapes will be a bruised and broke liberal who will be rejected by Colorado voters this November.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>SUNDAY BEST \u2026<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>\u2014 Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.)<\/b> on Trump\u2019s relationship with the legislative branch, and the GOP\u2019s priorities looking to the midterms, on CBS\u2019 \u201cFace the Nation\u201d: \u201cSometimes he acts as if Congress is merely an appendage, and, frankly, sometimes Congress acts like it\u2019s an appendage. \u2026 If I were president, I would be focused on those people that they have, my people, our people, us at the kitchen table. How do you make their life better? And that\u2019s what I think the president should be focused on.\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/06\/28\/bill-cassidy-president-trump-appendage-00979256\" target=\"_blank\"><b><i>More from POLITICO\u2019s Cheyanne Daniels<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>\u2014 Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.)<\/b> on the Trump administration\u2019s efforts on the war in Iran, on NBC\u2019s \u201cMeet the Press\u201d: \u201cI don\u2019t think the war is over. I think there\u2019s a d\u00e9tente going on right now \u2026 So I\u2019m asking America to hang in there. This is a d\u00e9tente. This is a cease fire. And yeah, they broke the cease fire. We have to answer that as well. They only understand strength.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>\u2014 Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.)<\/b> on Trump\u2019s push for the Senate to pass the SAVE America Act, on CNN\u2019s \u201cState of the Union\u201d: \u201cWhy do I over the next four months have to try to pursue the impossible task of implementing a bill that simply can\u2019t be implemented in that time frame? Why are we doing more things to undermine our confidence in elections, rather than getting the strong message out that will win for Republicans this year? \u2026 Let\u2019s not mess with that between now and November.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b><i>On the pending nomination of Todd Blanche to be AG:<\/i> <\/b>\u201cI\u2019ve got a positive predisposition towards Blanche &#8230; But if there\u2019s even a whiff of a lack of independence, then that could influence my vote.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"story-related cl-l db \">  <\/aside>\n<p><span style=\"color:#b70000;font-weight:bold;font-family:sans-serif;\"><b>9 THINGS FOR YOUR RADAR<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>1. 2026 WATCH:<\/b> Trump saw his preferred candidate cross the finish line last night in Louisiana, as Rep. <b>Julia Letlow <\/b>clinched the Republican nomination in the runoff for Senate, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/06\/27\/letlow-wins-louisiana-senate-primary-trump-00979200\" target=\"_blank\">POLITICO\u2019s Liz Crampton reports<\/a>. It\u2019s a win for Trump after shooting and missing in the Iowa and Georgia gubernatorial races, and it sets a clear path for another Trump ally to join him in Washington, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/06\/28\/trump-maga-louisiana-senate-victory-00979205\" target=\"_blank\">Liz writes<\/a>: \u201cWith Trump\u2019s backing, Letlow overcame a late surge from rival <b>John Fleming<\/b>, the hardline conservative state treasurer who was also trying to rally the MAGA base behind him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>Coming attractions:<\/b> Progressives fresh off their victories in New York are now looking to Colorado\u2019s 1st District, where democratic socialist <b>Melat Kiros<\/b> is challenging incumbent Rep. <b>Diana DeGette<\/b>, who has served 15 terms, for the blue Denver seat, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/06\/28\/politics\/melat-kiros-democratic-socialist-colorado-diana-degette\" target=\"_blank\">CNN\u2019s Arit John writes<\/a>. It\u2019s the next primary day playing out a trend we\u2019re seen across the country: Democrats are still figuring out what kind of candidate can win them out of the wilderness, while Republicans go all in on Trump, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/06\/28\/gop-democrats-battlegrounds-trump-2028-00976940\" target=\"_blank\">Liz and POLITICO\u2019s Erin Doherty report<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><b>2. WAR REPORT:<\/b> Iran launched a fresh round of attacks this morning against Bahrain and Kuwait, responding to U.S. airstrikes this weekend in a back-and-forth that is rattling the shaky ceasefire and threatening to derail negotiations, <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/iran-us-israel-war-hormuz-strait-june-28-2026-1132d316545db2cddb3928b6e7840f51\" target=\"_blank\">AP\u2019s Jon Gambrell And Melanie Lidman report<\/a>. Trump accused Iran of violating the agreement and threatened to \u201ccomplete the job.\u201d But Iran is saber-rattling over the Strait of Hormuz, as it looks to gain complete control over the international waterway. Complicating the peace deal further are tensions over Hezbollah in Lebanon, with Trump now pushing Syria to take the lead in combatting, <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/lebanon-syria-trump-israel-hezbollah-war-1de06c560491e9e74d7f4febe195fd31\" target=\"_blank\">per AP<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><b>3. <\/b><span style=\"color:#b70000;font-weight:bold;font-family:sans-serif;\"><b>THE POLITICO POLL<\/b><\/span><b>: <\/b>The latest installment of the POLITICO Poll captures the ranging divisions of opinion on what \u201cMAHA\u201d actually is, as the movement grows fractured ahead of the midterms, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/06\/28\/poll-maha-health-fractures-kennedy-00972253\" target=\"_blank\">POLITICO\u2019s Jessie Blaeser writes<\/a>. \u201cSome people who support the MAHA movement disagree on some of its major principles. Meanwhile, others who say they\u2019re outside of the movement express views in line with its greatest supporters.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>The TL;DR:<\/b> Under one third of Americans identify as part of \u201cMAHA,\u201d and those that do disproportionately support Trump, a trend <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/04\/06\/poll-maha-beliefs-rfk-trump-00856922\" target=\"_blank\">that\u2019s held for months<\/a>. But there\u2019s people who support MAHA but don\u2019t think they\u2019re actively part of the health-focused movement, and the majority of those Americans did not vote for Trump. Vaccine skepticism remains the biggest division, with 65 percent of MAHA supporting reducing vaccines, while 20 percent are neutral and 14 percent do not support it. Pesticides and artificial dyes are the biggest point in common, with MAHA largely wanting it out of foods.<\/p>\n<p><b>4. IN THE COURTS:<\/b> The sizing of the Supreme Court\u2019s police force protecting the justices is ballooning, with officials aiming to double its size as substantial threats of political violence continue against the judicial branch. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/magazine\/2026\/06\/28\/supreme-court-justices-security-police-00969784?utm_content=topic\/politics&amp;utm_source=flipboard\" target=\"_blank\">POLITICO\u2019s Josh Gerstein writes a sweeping look<\/a> at the high court\u2019s push that would see the justices flanked by increased security details, armoured cars and careful protocols that one former court staffer says the justices are \u201cresigned to the need\u201d for.<\/p>\n<p><b>Bending the law: <\/b>The Trump administration laid the foundation behind the scenes for the obscure Merit Systems Protection Board, which oversees federal worker firings, to allow Trump to essentially erase protections for federal workers and make challenges to any dismissals all the more difficult, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/06\/28\/us\/politics\/trump-firings-workers-merit-systems-protection-board.html\" target=\"_blank\">NYT\u2019s Jonah Bromwich and colleagues report<\/a>. \u201cThe story of how the ruling came about illustrates the intense effort by the Trump White House to advance its theory of the unitary executive, the belief among many conservatives that the president has sweeping authority over the entire executive branch,\u201d they write.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"story-related cl-l db \">  <\/aside>\n<p><b>5. ICE ICE BABY:<\/b> Trump announced yesterday that he\u2019s tapping <b>Lance Schroyer<\/b>, a former state trooper from Oklahoma, to be the next director of ICE, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/06\/27\/trump-oklahoma-ice-00979135\" target=\"_blank\">POLITICO\u2019s Ben Johansen and Eric Bazail-Eimil report<\/a>. The pick of Schroyer, a longtime Oklahoma law enforcement officer, was praised by DHS Secretary <b>Markwayne Mullin<\/b>. But with an official nomination, Schroyer now heads to the Senate for confirmation \u2014 and ICE hasn\u2019t had a Senate-confirmed director since the Obama administration.<\/p>\n<p><b>6. BRAVE NEW WORLD: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/magazine\/2026\/06\/28\/raimondo-holcomb-q-a-00977932\" target=\"_blank\"><b>\u201cThe AI Politics of 2028 Are Starting Now,\u201d<\/b><\/a> by POLITICO\u2019s Alexander Burns: \u201c[<b>Gina Raimondo<\/b>] ruled out running for president in 2028 and teamed up with <b>Eric Holcomb<\/b>, the former Republican governor of Indiana, to launch a massively funded nonprofit to help workers meet the age of AI. \u2026 Raimondo and Holcomb said they would step away from frontline politics to build RAISE US. Yet if they succeed, they could soon wield a different kind of power \u2026 That is in part because they are collaborating with potential presidential candidates, including Arkansas Gov. <b>Sarah Huckabee Sanders<\/b> and Maryland Gov. <b>Wes Moore<\/b> \u2014 rising stars on the right and left who could have an outsized impact on how voters view AI.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>7. VENEZUELA LATEST: <\/b>The U.S. is sending another nine-figure aid package to Caracas as the country searches for survivors of last week\u2019s deadly earthquakes, with nearly 1,500 confirmed dead, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/2026\/06\/27\/us-send-additional-monetary-aid-earthquake-stricken-venezuela\/\" target=\"_blank\">per WaPo<\/a>. More U.S. search-and-rescue teams have also been deployed, but the missions have faced complications landing due to significant damage to Venezuela\u2019s biggest airport. Opposition leader <b>Mar\u00eda Corina Machado<\/b> is planning to return as soon as possible, but U.S. officials are worried her return might set her in conflict with Venezuela\u2019s acting leader <b>Delcy Rodriguez <\/b>and distract from rescue efforts, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2026-06-28\/venezuela-s-machado-plans-quick-return-amid-quake-response?embedded-checkout=true\" target=\"_blank\">per Bloomberg\u2019s Andreina Itriago and Eric Martin<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><b>8. SOUTH OF THE BORDER: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/06\/27\/world\/americas\/mexican-officials-us-informants.html\" target=\"_blank\"><b>\u201cMexican Officials Have Become Informants for the Trump Administration,\u201d<\/b><\/a> by NYT\u2019s Steve Fisher and colleagues: \u201cAt least a dozen elected officials in Mexico \u2014 including governors and members of Congress, many from the governing party \u2014 have reached out to discuss sharing information about fellow politicians \u2026 Mexican politicians aiding U.S. investigations into their colleagues is a deeply worrying sign for Mexico\u2019s dominant political party and its leader, [<b>Claudia Sheinbaum<\/b>]. It signals that U.S. corruption investigations are gaining speed, just as Ms. Sheinbaum has made opposing them a central bet of her presidency.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>9. TRADING SPACES:<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/economy\/trade\/trump-tariffs-trade-jamieson-greer-27459a88\" target=\"_blank\"><b>\u201cInside Jamieson Greer\u2019s Quiet Ascent as Trump\u2019s Trade Architect,\u201d<\/b><\/a> by WSJ\u2019s Gavin Bade: \u201c[<b>Jamieson Greer<\/b>] has taken on a heightened role on Trump\u2019s trade team in recent months after he was seen in Washington as more of a supporting character early in the administration. In nominating [<b>Howard Lutnick<\/b>] to lead the Commerce Department, Trump said he would have \u2018direct responsibility\u2019 over Greer\u2019s office \u2026 Greer now takes a leading role in talks not only with India and other Asian nations, but also in the renegotiation of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement this summer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>THE VIBES IN THE DISTRICT \u2014 <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/dc-md-va\/2026\/06\/28\/america-250-celebrations-bring-tourism-bump-dc\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>\u201cD.C. is about to get a big tourism bump from America 250,\u201d<\/b><\/a> by WaPo\u2019s Sophia Solano: \u201cDays out from America\u2019s 250th birthday, some Washingtonians are getting ready for a spike in tourism expected to increase traffic, book out hotels and boost local business. Others are making escape plans.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>SPOTTED: Tammy Haddad<\/b> sitting outside Kemo Sabe in Aspen yesterday.<\/p>\n<p><b>OUT AND ABOUT \u2014 Kathy \u2018Coach\u2019 Kemper<\/b> hosted a farewell pickleball round robin at the Congressional Country Club yesterday for the Luxembourg Ambassador and Institute for Education Blockchain Web 3 Diplomatic Steward, <b>Nicole Bintner-Bakshian<\/b>, followed by lunch on the tennis clubhouse terrace. <b>SPOTTED:<\/b> <b>Labib Tazwar Rahman<\/b>, Icelandic Ambassador <b>Svanhildur H\u00f3lm Valsd\u00f3ttir <\/b>and <b>Logi Bergmann Ei\u00f0sson<\/b>,<b> Victor Shiblie, Kyra Bakshian, R. David Edelman,<\/b> Luxembourgish Ambassador <b>Nicole Bintner-Bakshian<\/b>,<b> Shanel Fields, Geo Saba, <\/b>Omani Ambassador <b>Talal Al Rahbi, Joanne Ke Edelman, Ruth Berry<\/b> and Finnish Ambassador <b>Leena-Kaisa Mikkola<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p><b>WELCOME TO THE WORLD \u2014 Max Becker<\/b>, SVP at Smith-Free Group, and <b>Alyssa Anderson Becker<\/b>, chief of staff for Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, welcomed Jeffrey Maxwell on June 19.<\/p>\n<p><b>HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Elon Musk<\/b> \u2026 <b>Ziad Ojakli<\/b> \u2026 POLITICO\u2019s<b> Scott Waldman<\/b> and <b>Amelia Davidson <\/b>\u2026 CNN\u2019s <b>Eli Reyes<\/b> \u2026 <b>Alex Keeney<\/b> \u2026 <b>Erin McPike<\/b> \u2026 <b>Richard Walters <\/b>of the White House \u2026 <b>Carolyn Coda<\/b> of Invariant \u2026 <b>Paul Bonicelli <\/b>\u2026 <b>Allison Aprahamian<\/b> of Senate Foreign Relations \u2026 <b>Megan Bloomgren<\/b> \u2026 <b>Bill Hulse<\/b> of MassMutual \u2026 <b>Pete Nonis<\/b> \u2026 <b>Kate Mills <\/b>of Monument Advocacy \u2026 <b>Rob Tappan<\/b> \u2026 Al-Monitor\u2019s <b>Elizabeth Hagedorn <\/b>\u2026 <b>Bill Greener III<\/b> \u2026 former Defense Secretary <b>Leon Panetta<\/b> \u2026 <b>Jesse Holland <\/b>\u2026 former Reps. <b>Jane Harman<\/b> (D-Calif.) and <b>Donna Edwards<\/b> (D-Md.) \u2026 <b>Marc Kasowitz<\/b> \u2026 <b>Laura Tyson<\/b> \u2026 <b>Yaffa Fredrick<\/b><\/p>\n<p><i>Did someone forward this email to you? <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/subscribe\/playbook\" target=\"_blank\"><i>Sign up here.<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n<p><i>Send Playbookers tips to <\/i><a href=\"http:\/\/www.politico.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#a9d9c5c8d0cbc6c6c2e9d9c6c5c0ddc0cac687cac6c4\" target=\"_blank\"><i><span class=\"__cf_email__\" data-cfemail=\"39495558405b56565279495655504d505a56175a5654\">[email\u00a0protected]<\/span><\/i><\/a><i> or <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/signal.me\/#eu\/Y_J-vxijzCPSLbXEtVrVH0ZLVZVBqr8iBbfikL2lBrl5QgVVODxM47rLk6iFu6EM\" target=\"_blank\"><i>text us on Signal here<\/i><\/a><i>. Playbook couldn\u2019t happen without our editor <\/i><b><i>Giuseppe Macri<\/i><\/b><i> and deputy editor <\/i><b><i>Garrett Ross<\/i><\/b><i>.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>Correction: <\/b>Yesterday\u2019s Playbook misstated the year that Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar dropped out of the Democratic presidential primary race. It was 2020.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"story-related cl-l db \">\n<div class=\"intext-ad intext-ad--presented  \" style=\"background-color:#FFFFFF\">\n<p class=\"intext-ad__caption\" style=\"color:#000000\">A message from Amazon:<\/p>\n<div class=\"intext-ad__copy-styles3\">\n<p><b>More than 700,000 Amazon employees globally have used free skills training to launch new careers.<\/b> <\/p>\n<p>Nadine used Amazon Career Choice to become a satellite technician, turning a job working nights in an Amazon fulfillment center into a new career. <\/p>\n<p><a style=\"color:#007BC7; text-decoration:underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/ad.doubleclick.net\/ddm\/clk\/644163507;450794955;t;gdpr=${GDPR};gdpr_consent=${GDPR_CONSENT_755}\" target=\"_blank\">See the impact.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<ul class=\"twitter-authors\">\n<div class=\"twitter-authors__content\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.politico.com\/hosted\/icon_x_gray.png\" class=\"twitter-authors__icon\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With help from Eli Okun and Irie Sentner Good Sunday morning. This is Ali Bianco, in the driver\u2019s seat today. Sending all my thoughts to the families in Venezuela\u2019s capital, many of whom may still be searching for their relatives after last week\u2019s earthquakes. Get in touch. Immigration is the central issue defining the Democratic&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":513,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static.politico.com\/3d\/ee\/f4d549cf4e548af6712990ce5b9e\/politico-cms-shared-graphic-1120x629.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-512","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-political-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/512","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=512"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/512\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/513"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=512"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=512"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=512"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}