Latest news with #Dasha
Politico
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Politico
A big, beautiful week
Presented by With help from Eli Okun, Bethany Irvine and Ali Bianco On the Playbook Podcast this morning, Jack and Dasha discuss the political fallout from the 'big, beautiful bill,' the latest legal dispute over Trump's immigration crackdown … and why it's surprisingly easy to get drunk up a mountain. Tune in. Good Monday morning from Colorado, where Playbook has been camped out at the Aspen Ideas Festival all weekend long. (It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it.) This is Jack Blanchard. ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH: This newsletter comes to you from an elevation of 8,000 feet, where your intrepid author — along with ace Playbook correspondent Dasha Burns and POLITICO legend Jonathan Martin — have been chairing discussion panels, political interviews and beer-soaked bar room chats at the beautiful Aspen Meadows resort. Dasha's jaw-dropping debate on the future of warfare — featuring retired Gen. David Petraeus, among others — is very much worth your time if you fancy a glimpse of the dystopian future ahead. Video here TikTok you don't stop: Your author's discussion on political TikTok was another eye-opener — at least for pre-Gen Z politicos (like myself) who haven't yet fully immersed themselves in this brave new world. 'Woke teen' sensation Dean Withers — he's actually now 20 — discussed the viral appeal of his political debate videos, which rack up tens of millions of views online; Gen Z podcaster extraordinaire Brad Polumbo picked through the pros and cons of TikTok as information source; Conservateur founder Jayme Franklin put up a strident defense of Gen Z's ability to separate fact from fiction. The whole event is genuinely enlightening if you feel you're less plugged in to next-gen politics than you should be ... Watch back here SPOTTED milling with the crowds at Aspen this week: Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) … Maryland Gov. Wes Moore … John Dickerson … Australian Ambassador Kevin Rudd … Kathleen Sebelius … Sophie Grégoire Trudeau … Ehud Olmert … Charlie Dent … Julie Pace … Gillian Tett … Sylvia Burwell … NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya … Jake Sullivan … Zanny Minton Beddoes … plus a marmet, coyote, some friendly deer, and even — a little further up the mountain — a couple of bears. In today's Playbook … — Vote-a-rama in the Senate as the 'big, beautiful bill' enters its final week. Probably. — CACO? Canada backs down over Trump trade ultimatum. — Another big day in court as Trump's deportation plan hits the Fifth Circuit. DRIVING THE DAY 'RAMA DRAMA: Donald Trump's flagship legislation is — surely? — entering its final, chaotic home stretch this morning as the Senate begins the vote-a-rama process. Democrats will begin laying down amendments at 9 a.m. at the start of another long day on the Senate floor, with proceedings expected to stretch into the evening and perhaps beyond. But the White House remains confident the 'big, beautiful bill' is very much on track and will be back before House Republicans by Wednesday for further votes. Trump wants it on his desk and ready to sign before the July Fourth fireworks on Friday night. Daddy's happy: 'ONE GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL is moving along nicely!' Trump wrote on Truth Social early this morning. Thom's bomb: It follows a dramatic weekend of pleas, threats and late-night deals — all in Washington's finest traditions, of course — which saw Trump take a huge step toward passage of his bill, and which culminated in yesterday's stunning announcement from rebel Republican Sen. Thom Tillis that he will not be seeking reelection in North Carolina. That came after a barrage of anger and abuse was directed his way by Trump and the MAGA faithful over his decision to vote against the bill on Saturday night. Tillis unleashed: Tillis' looming departure has instantly injected some fresh buzz into the political conversation in D.C; not least because we now have a second GOP senator (alongside Mitch McConnell) who clearly now gives — to be crude — no shits at all what Trump thinks. Witness Tillis' performance on the Senate floor last night, shredding Trump's flagship legislation before the eyes of the world and even suggesting the president has been duped. The next 18 months in Tillis world may be quite a lot of fun. Equally: His decision to not even try and take on the might of MAGA in a 2026 primary is yet another illustration of the incredible power Trump holds over his party — and serves as a useful warning to any wavering GOP holdouts about what's headed their way if they don't fall into line. Meanwhile in North Carolina … An almighty midterm struggle now awaits. An open seat in a purple state suddenly looks like one of the most interesting Senate races of 2026, especially if each side can nail down one of the high-profile candidates being touted around. For the GOP, none would carry more notoriety than Lara Trump, the president's daughter-in-law, whom Dasha reports is 'taking a serious look' at the seat. There are loads more interesting names in the mix too, the most eye-catching being NRCC Chair Richard Hudson — a guy who's really meant to be focused on getting Republican House members reelected right now. Yikes. And in the blue corner … Dems are still praying that Roy Cooper agrees to enter the fray, believing the former governor's powerful name recognition and local popularity could flip North Carolina blue for the first time in more than a decade. Regardless of candidates, the Cook Report has already flipped its analysis of the seat to 'toss-up' in the wake of Tillis' departure. The Dems, of course, need to flip several tough-looking Republican seats to stand any chance of winning back the Senate. Full story on the race for North Carolina here via POLITICO's Lisa Kashinsky and colleagues. Back to the bill: The bitter internal rows over policy that have beset this legislation from the outset are still rumbling on, even as it reaches its climax — POLITICO's Inside Congress newsletter has a useful rundown of the latest sticking points. Today's big battles include a last-minute push for extra Medicaid cuts led by Sen Rick Scott (R-Fla.) — essentially repealing Barack Obama's expansion of Medicaid for new entrants from 2031 — which has the crucial backing of Senate Majority Leader John Thune. We'll also see a bid to double bailout funds for rural hospitals led by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). As ever, a tweak in either direction risks upsetting either GOP moderates or fiscal hawks — particularly within the House GOP conference, which is readying itself for another tough round of voting from 9 a.m. Wednesday. The House Freedom Caucus on one side, and a bunch of Medicaid moderates on the other, are already making grumpy noises about the changes the Senate has made … Expect plenty more infighting in the days ahead. But let's face it … As far as this meekest of all Congresses is concerned, what Donald Trump wants, Donald Trump ultimately gets. It's hard to see any other outcome than the passage of this bill in the coming days. Looking further ahead … There's a dawning realization on the Hill that the procedural tricks being deployed by GOP leaders to get this thing done may someday come back to bite them. The Republicans' use of the so-called current policy baseline — an accounting trick by which temporary tax cuts are made permanent without any apparent cost in the budget — could in theory be used in equally imaginative ways by a future Dem trifecta to enact high-cost policies like Medicare For All via reconciliation, as NBC's Sahil Kapur notes here. Big question: Could that specter be enough to trigger GOP fiscal hawks to actually block the ruse today? Either way, it plays into a bigger picture of a massive expansion of ruling-party powers under Trump 2.0 that may one day benefit the Dems. The Supreme Court judgment on Friday that federal courts cannot so easily block executive actions looks like another prime example … You can almost hear Future President AOC (or whomever) bowing down in gratitude for that one. TRUMP VS. THE WORLD ELBOWS DOWN: Trump is certainly on a bit of a roll at the moment — as his press secretary Karoline Leavitt will no doubt be keen to tell us in her 1 p.m. press briefing — and last night he notched up another significant win when Canada backed down in the latest trade dispute. ICYMI on Friday, Trump said he was abandoning ongoing talks with Canada over PM Mark Carney's refusal to nix a Digital Services Tax that was poised to clobber big U.S. tech firms like Amazon, Apple and Meta. CACO CARNEY? But at the eleventh hour last night — shortly before the tax was due to come into effect — Carney said he was dropping the whole thing in order to resume trade talks with the U.S. It follows a phone call between Trump and Carney yesterday afternoon in which they agreed to resume working towards a deal by July 21, AP reports. Talking trade: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will be on Bloomberg TV and Radio at 9:30 a.m., and we'll likely hear from the president himself either on Truth Social or at an executive order signing session at 2.30 p.m. Away from Canada, other countries are still plodding toward Trump's July 9 deadline — and one reason talks with India and other countries have dragged out is that the U.S. is driving too hard a bargain, POLITICO's Daniel Desrochers and Megan Messerly report. The 'all-sticks-and-no-carrot approach' has made it too hard for foreign governments to swallow deals they can't sell to their electorates, they reckon. SPEAKING OF STICKS AND CARROTS: Trump's promise of talks with Iran this week appears to be dead. Trump posted on social media this morning — in a message randomly aimed at Democratic Sen. Chris Coons — that he is 'not offering Iran ANYTHING … nor am I even talking to them since we totally OBLITERATED their Nuclear Facilities.' So that's that. Lordy, there are tapes: But the debate about the extent of the success of the U.S. air strikes is set to continue, despite the White House's aggressive pushback. WaPo's John Hudson and Warren Strobel scooped yesterday that preliminary U.S. intelligence captured Iranian officials saying the damage wasn't as bad as they'd feared. Leavitt said the Post was 'shameful' for reporting on the intercepted communications. The forgotten conflicts: The Israel-Iran war has distracted from the fact that devastating conflicts are still raging in Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan (which has perhaps the highest death toll by some estimates, but has gotten scant attention in D.C.). Ukraine said it suffered the biggest air attack by Russia this weekend since Moscow invaded three years ago — just the latest sign President Vladimir Putin has zero interest in making peace. In the Middle East: Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer will be in D.C. today to meet with U.S. officials as the administration ramps up pressure on Israel to reach a ceasefire in Gaza. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that the attacks on Iran had opened up more space to rescue hostages held by Hamas — 'a potentially significant change' in his rhetoric, CNN's Oren Liebermann and Tamar Michaelis report. Palestinian officials said Israel had killed scores more people over the weekend. JUDICIARY SQUARE SCOTUS WATCH: More announcements are expected from the Supreme Court at 9:30 a.m., as the justices tee up more cases for the fall. (See the list of cases already lined up for the post-summer period here). And though the court has wrapped up its traditional-docket decisions for the term, observers — including thousands of federal employees — are still waiting on some high-profile emergency appeals. They include whether the Trump administration can proceed with more sweeping layoffs across the government, and further clarification on a previous SCOTUS ruling about deporting immigrants to third-party countries. Today's big hearing: Then at 3 p.m. ET, attention will shift to New Orleans for a crucial appellate court hearing on Trump's use of the 18th century Alien Enemies Act to disappear Venezuelans into a Salvadoran megaprison without due process. After months of back and forth in the courts on the matter, this 'is likely to be the decisive legal battle,' NYT's Alan Feuer previews. That's because the case is probably headed for the Supreme Court to consider the substance of the issue in full for the first time. Today's appeals panel is made up of judges picked by Trump, Joe Biden and George W. Bush. Speaking of immigration: It looks like Trump may head to Florida tomorrow for the opening of a new migrant detention center dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz,' The Palm Beach Post's Antonio Fins reports. The controversial Everglades facility is already the subject of environmental lawsuits, and opponents have warned that its conditions will be inhumane and unaccountable. It's part of the administration's effort to turbocharge mass deportations — and Florida's eagerness to help. Related read: 'Kristi Noem Secretly Took a Cut of Political Donations,' by ProPublica's Justin Elliott and colleagues: 'In 2023, while Kristi Noem was governor of South Dakota, she supplemented her income by secretly accepting a cut of the money she raised for a nonprofit that promotes her political career, tax records show … She did not include the income from the dark money group on her disclosure form [to be DHS secretary], which experts called a likely violation of federal ethics requirements.' Noem's lawyer claimed that she 'fully complied with the letter and the spirit of the law' but didn't answer specifics about the $80,000 payment. BEST OF THE REST FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Purple seat summer: The DNC is partnering with the DCCC and ASDC for a summer organizing campaign across 35 battleground districts, trying to resuscitate the party's brand and build volunteer momentum, per POLITICO's Shia Kapos. Notably, the DNC will hold its own voter registration drives rather than farm them out to other groups. And the Dems are focusing on making inroads in hyper-local, nonpolitical spaces like concerts, book clubs, sports arenas — and on social media. More from the wilderness: Ranked-choice results released tomorrow could make official Zohran Mamdani's victory in the NYC Democratic mayoral primary — despite House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' refusal to endorse him yet. But Dems are already poring over the numbers. NYT's Emma Fitzsimmons and colleagues dig into Mamdani's most shocking achievement: actually turning out new and younger voters. (Check out their chart that shows 18- to 34-year-olds outpacing every other age group in the election, in a sea change from the 2021 primary.) What not to do: In New Jersey, Sean Spiller's use of $40 million in teachers union money to earn just fifth place in the Democratic gubernatorial primary has the union's influence now coming under question in Trenton, POLITICO's Daniel Han and Madison Fernandez report. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — The resistance: Though Trump has succeeded in firing many Democratic officials at independent federal agencies, some are still hanging on in spite of his efforts, POLITICO's Hassan Ali Kanu reports. They're the exceptions, not the rule — and Trump will likely win in the end — but their refusal to obey 'could end up shaping how courts view crucial, pending questions about the hiring-and-firing powers of the presidency.' PRIMARY COLORS: The White House is eyeing Kentucky state Sen. Aaron Reed as a potential primary challenger to Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), POLITICO's Lisa Kashinsky and colleagues report. … A new poll by co/efficient finds Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) way out ahead of Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), 64 percent to 8 percent, in an Empire State GOP gubernatorial primary, the NY Post's Carl Campanile scooped. BLEEDING CUTS: ''When is cancer political?' Medical researchers, patients decry Trump admin's layoffs, budget cuts,' by CBS' Ted Koppel TALK OF THE TOWN OUT AND ABOUT — SPOTTED at the annual Future Summit, which brought together Gen Z and millennial state legislators of both parties from Wednesday to yesterday in D.C.: Carly Fiorina, Judy Woodruff, Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Derek Kilmer, Nicole Bibbins Sedaca, Layla Zaidane, Reed Howard, Steven Olikara, Aaron Parnas, Kenny Malone, Simon Greer and Rachel Janfaza. THE BRITISH ARE COMING: Upstart alt-right British TV channel GB News is opening a Washington bureau and offering its services free-to-air in the U.S. for the first time. The MAGA-friendly channel has shaken up Britain's round-the-clock news scene over recent years, offering a stridently conservative take on current affairs … while frequently stretching the boundaries of what's permitted under strict U.K. impartiality laws. TRANSITIONS — Pam Jenkins is now CEO of Shatterproof, a nonprofit focused on the addiction crisis. She previously was chief public health officer and chief public affairs officer at Weber Shandwick. … Shin Inouye is joining Democracy Forward as comms director. He previously was deputy assistant secretary in the office of communications and outreach at the Education Department. … JLK Political Strategies has added Shawn Kakwani as digital media manager, Jacklyn Washington as director of media services and Aubrey Cardona as director of operations. WEDDING — Christine Chun, deputy weekend editor on the national desk at the NYT, and Philip Rosenstein, senior content strategist at Gauntlet, got married May 31 at the New York Botanical Garden. They met working at Law360. Pic by Cly by Chung BIRTHWEEK (was yesterday): Nick Gulino HAPPY BIRTHDAY: The Atlantic's David Frum … Ken Callahan … Blake Nanney of the American Cleaning Institute … Robyn Shapiro … Kyle Plotkin … former Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.) … Dan Leistikow … Dan Judy of North Star Opinion Research … Paul Cheung … Advoc8's John Legittino … Kara Adame … former IRS Commissioner John Koskinen … Zack Christenson … Eve Sparks of Rep. Jeff Crank's (R-Colo.) office … Robert Mohn … Adam Kennedy … Ward Carroll … Alexandra Acker-Lyons … Norm Sterzenbach … Rachel Gorlin … Verdis' Mills Forni … Stephanie Miliano of Pursuit Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@ or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Zack Stanton, deputy editor Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
Time of India
30-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
How to know if a Dasha is helping or testing you
I stand at a crossroads, my future veiled in a swirling nebula. Three paths stretch before me, each shaped by planetary dashas, whispering of different destinies. Dasha is one of the most powerful tools for understanding the timing of life events. A Dasha is a planetary period—ranging from months to years—when a specific planet becomes the primary influence over your life. But how can you tell if your current Dasha is supporting you or testing you? What is a Dasha? The most common system used is the Vimshottari Dasha, which divides your life into planetary periods based on your Moon Nakshatra (birth star). Each Dasha planet brings its own lessons, opportunities, and challenges. For example: Jupiter Dasha (16 years) may bring growth, wisdom, or guidance. Saturn Dasha (19 years) may bring hard work, discipline, or delays. Venus Dasha (20 years) may bring love, comfort, or creativity. Signs that a Dasha Is helping you: Life moves forward smoothly. You get support from people, money, or opportunities. Your mental and emotional state is calm and focused. Plans progress without excessive resistance. You feel 'in flow' with your purpose or path. This usually happens when: The Dasha planet is well-placed in your birth chart. It owns or aspects benefic houses (like 1st, 5th, 9th, 10th). by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo It's in good dignity (exalted or in its own sign). It's supported by friendly or strong planets. Signs that a Dasha Is testing you: Delays, blocks, or repeated failures. Mental confusion, emotional heaviness. Unexpected endings or responsibilities. Health issues or strained relationships. Feeling stuck or lost without clear reason. This happens when: The Dasha planet is weak, afflicted, or malefic. It's placed in challenging houses (6th, 8th, 12th). It's conjunct or aspected by Rahu, Ketu, or Saturn in a tough way. The planet's nature doesn't align with your Lagna (Ascendant). Tips to Work Through a Tough Dasha: Accept the lesson. Every Dasha has a purpose. Perform simple remedies like chanting, charity, or fasting based on the planet. Maintain consistency—Saturn Dasha especially rewards effort over time. Trust the cycle. No Dasha is permanent; a new one will bring fresh energy. Your Dasha is like the current chapter of your life story. Some chapters are smooth and joyful, others are filled with growth through challenge. Understanding which planet is in charge helps you respond wisely, rather than react blindly. Discover everything about astrology at the Times of India , including daily horoscopes for Aries , Taurus , Gemini , Cancer , Leo , Virgo , Libra , Scorpio , Sagittarius , Capricorn , Aquarius , and Pisces .
Politico
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Politico
Can the GOP megabill hold together?
Presented by With help from Eli Okun, Bethany Irvine and Ali Bianco Good afternoon. It's Zack Stanton in your Sunday inbox. Get in touch. DISPATCH FROM ASPEN: My Playbook colleagues Jack Blanchard and Dasha Burns are out in Aspen this weekend along with POLITICO's own Jonathan Martin for the annual Aspen Ideas Festival, where they're moderating panels on everything from diplomacy — with Australian Ambassador Kevin Rudd — to the future of warfare and Ukraine. Jack's conversation last night with social media influencers and content creators Dean Withers, Brad Polumbo and Jayme Franklin focused on how TikTok and Gen Z are changing the political landscape — and it was standing-room only for the full hour. Watch it back here The vibe: Jack is blinking in wonder on his first trip to the Rockies. JMart is holding court, because of course he is. And Dasha is feeling the whiplash, flying in straight off a whirlwind week at the NATO summit. Do tune in to tomorrow's Playbook Podcast, which Jack and Dasha will be recording live from the beautiful Rocky Mountains. DRIVING THE DAY RECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES: The Republican megabill that forms the crux of President Donald Trump's legislative agenda is inching closer to passage. Last night, 51 Senate Republicans voted to clear a procedural hurdle and allow consideration of the bill to move forward. Right now, the chamber floor is mostly empty, save for the clerks, who are roughly 13 hours into a marathon session reading aloud the 940-page bill. They're likely to finish some time before 4 p.m. today. Then, the Senate will start voting on amendments to the package as Majority Leader John Thune eyes a Monday passage for the megabill. Welcome to the vote-a-rama: 'Democrats are expected to try and put Republicans on the record on issues that could resonate in the midterms, including tax cuts for the wealthy, Medicaid cuts, and changes to food assistance for the poor, or SNAP,' as POLITICO's Katherine Tully-McManus and Nicholas Wu write. In doing so, 'Democrats could try to break the all-time record of 44 amendments set in 2008.' 'But Democrats aren't the only ones who could squeeze Republicans,' they continue. 'Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who has vocally opposed the Medicaid cuts, plans to offer amendments, including to raise income taxes on the wealthiest Americans to pre-2017 levels.' At this 11th hour, the megabill is effectively duct-taped together. And the compromises and homestate concessions — the 2025 version of the 'Cornhusker Kickback' could perhaps be called the 'Blubber Bonus,' seeing as it benefits Alaskan whaling captains — leadership made to get to this point also risk the whole thing falling apart. Some of the key things we're watching … Will Republicans gut a key part of Obamacare? GOP leaders spent the bulk of yesterday trying to win over holdouts in the Senate. One of those conservatives, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), 'said they won a promise of an amendment vote related to the expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act,' POLITICO's Jordain Carney reports. 'Their proposal would end the 90 percent federal cost-share for new enrollees under that arrangement, Johnson said — gutting a key feature of the law known as Obamacare.' Will Trump go along with that? 'Thune declined to comment on the concessions, but Johnson suggested Thune and Trump will support the amendment,' Jordain writes. Republican moderates are not keen on the idea, and if it somehow makes it through the Senate, its inclusion could imperil its chances of passage in the House. The cost of the tax cuts has ballooned: 'The cost of Senate Republicans' tax cuts has grown to $4.45 trillion, congressional forecasters said Saturday night,' POLITICO's Brian Faler reports — that's a $200 billion increase from their earlier draft of the plan. 'The growing price tag could be a problem for some Republicans, especially in the House where many lawmakers have been adamant that their tax cuts cost no more than $4 trillion, unless they find more spending cuts.' The Senate bill drastically increases the deficits: You're going to hear a lot of spin over the next 24 hours that the Senate bill will reduce budget deficits by $500 billion. That's true, according to a Congressional Budget Office report released last night — 'but only if you first assume that all the expiring tax cuts are extended permanently and have no cost,' as WSJ's Richard Rubin and colleagues write. 'On an apples-to-apples basis with the House bill, the Senate bill would likely increase deficits by about $3.3 trillion, up from $2.4 billion for the House version.' That could be a bridge too far for the House Freedom Caucus. So, where are the savings? In the red tape, as NYT's Margot Sanger-Katz and Emily Badger report: 'Instead of explicitly reducing benefits, Republicans would make them harder to get and to keep. The effect, analysts say, is the same, with millions fewer Americans receiving assistance. By including dozens of changes to dates, deadlines, document requirements and rules, Republicans have turned paperwork into one of the bill's crucial policy-making tools, yielding hundreds of billions of dollars in savings to help offset their signature tax cuts.' The megabill now taxes solar and wind projects: 'Senate Republicans stepped up their attacks on U.S. solar and wind energy projects by quietly adding a provision to their megabill that would penalize future developments with a new tax,' POLITICO's Kelsey Tamborino and colleagues write. 'The new excise tax is another blow to the fastest-growing sources of power production in the United States, and would be a massive setback to the wind and solar energy industries since it would apply even to projects not receiving any credits.' Among those angry about it: Elon Musk. 'The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country!' he tweeted last night in regards to the renewable energy changes. 'Utterly insane and destructive. It gives handouts to industries of the past while severely damaging industries of the future.' He later added that the 'bill is political suicide for the Republican Party.' But Trump wants this bill to pass. Yesterday, he met senators at his golf club in northern Virginia, and followed that up by lobbying senators over the phone late into the night, Playbook is reliably told. Will he get it on his desk by this Friday? 'I mean I can't tell you that,' Trump said this morning on Fox News' 'Sunday Morning Futures.' 'I'd like to say yes, but the problem is if we're two days late or five days late, everybody says, 'oh, you had a tremendous failure.' Whatever it is, as long as we have it. It's very important.' One key question: Presuming this gets through the Senate, will Trump's support for it be enough to get House Republicans to swallow a bill that many of them are trashing in private? There are some real doubts. Yesterday, House Republicans held a 15-minute call during which a 'frustrated' Speaker Mike Johnson 'urged his members to keep their powder dry and refrain from weighing in publicly on the Senate's version of the bill, as so much of it is in flux — which means no posts on X,' CNN's Sarah Ferris and colleagues report. 'At least one Republican, Rep. David Valadao of California, posted publicly that he opposed the Senate bill because of changes to Medicaid. And another Republican who is closely watching the Medicaid provisions, Rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey, told CNN: 'I don't like it. We had hit a sweet spot with our bill.'' The view from the Senate Democrats: 'This bill is a real piece of shit it and it would be excellent if that's all anyone talked about for the next few days,' posted Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii). 'Super interested in your think piece about the NYC mayor's race but let's get to that after we try to stop the biggest wealth transfer in American history.' Speaking of … The smartest 30,000-foot analysis we've read on Zohran Mamdani's victory over Andrew Cuomo in NYC's Democratic mayoral primary comes from this insightful conversation between NYT's Ezra Klein and MSNBC's Chris Hayes on how the attention economy has fundamentally changed our politics in a way many longtime pols and Washington operators don't fully appreciate. (And which, frankly, can make it hard for nuanced policy discussion to take place.) Someone who does get it: Alex Bruesewitz. He's the media adviser behind Trump's campaign-season podcast blitz and MAGA world's constant online trolling as a way to steamroll through the news cycle. In this morning's episode of 'The Conversation,' Bruesewitz talks about that strategy with Playbook's Dasha Burns. More on YouTube … Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify SUNDAY BEST … — President Donald Trump spoke with Maria Bartiromo on Fox News' 'Sunday Morning Futures.' On finding the leakers of the initial intel assessment of the Iran strikes: 'They could find out if they wanted. They could find out easily. You go up and tell the reporter, national security — who gave it? You have to do that. I suspect we'll be doing things like that.' On a replacement for Jerome Powell: '[R]eporters ask me, do you have other names? Yeah, I do. Anybody but Powell. He's a bad person.' On who should be subpoenaed to testify on former President Joe Biden: 'I would say [former deputy Attorney General] Lisa [Monaco] … who was a big supporter of Andrew Weissmann.' On extending the July 9 tariff deadline: 'I don't think I'll need to.' On TikTok: 'We have a buyer for TikTok, by the way. I think I'll need probably China approval. I think President Xi [Jinping] will probably do it …. I'll tell you [the buyer] in about two weeks.' — Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for NYC mayor whom Jeffries said he has not endorsed, on ABC's 'This Week': 'We don't really know each other well. Our districts don't overlap. I have never had a substantive conversation with him. And so that's the next step in terms of this process, to be able to sit down, which we agreed to do, in central Brooklyn … 'Globalizing the Intifada,' by way of example, is not an acceptable phrasing. He's going to have to clarify his position on that as he moves forward.' — Zohran Mamdani's response on 'globalize the intifada' on NBC's 'Meet the Press': 'That's not language that I used. The language that I used and the language that I will continue to use to lead the city is that which speaks clearly to my intent, which is an intent grounded in a belief in universal human rights. … What I think I need to show is the ability to not only talk about something but to tackle it and to make clear that there's no room for antisemitism in this city.' — Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, on the damages from U.S. strikes and Iran's capacity to rebuild, on CBS' 'Face the Nation': 'The capacities they have are there. They can have, you know, in a matter of months, I would say, a few cascades of centrifuges spinning and producing enriched uranium, or less than that. … So if they so wish, they will be able to start doing this again.' TOP-EDS: A roundup of the week's must-read opinion pieces. 9 THINGS FOR YOUR RADAR 1. LOOMING CUTS: The mood for federal workers at the State Department is grim as we round the corner to Secretary of State Marco Rubio's July 1 timetable for thousands of layoffs — but they've still been clocking overtime helping Americans fleeing conflict in the Middle East, WaPo's Adam Taylor and colleagues report. More from Rubio on 'The Conversation with Dasha Burns' Next on the chopping block: the nation's only federal after-school program, which the White House budget proposal would ax as it consolidates funding for the Department of Education, WaPo's Terell Wright writes. Real-world impact: Community centers serving LGBTQ+ seniors at risk of poverty are running on empty as Trump's funding cuts have cost the centers millions of dollars, with organizers from one center telling NYT's Liam Stack that 'it feels like the dominoes could fall.' … After DOGE cut — and then restarted — contracts with a nonprofit that supplies food for starving children worldwide, 200,000 boxes of food are still sitting in Rhode Island due to the backlog, per the Boston Globe's Tal Kopan. … In Sudan, 'disease and famine are spreading unchecked' after cuts to USAID, WaPo's Katharine Houreld writes. 2. IMMIGRATION FILES: 'The Trump administration has agreed to release from prison a three-time felon and spare him from deportation in exchange for his cooperation in the federal prosecution of Kilmar Abrego García,' WaPo's Maria Sacchetti scooped. 'Jose Ramon Hernandez Reyes, 38, has been convicted of smuggling migrants and illegally reentering the United States after having been deported. He also pleaded guilty to 'deadly conduct' in the Texas incident, and is now the government's star witness in its case against Abrego.' More immigration reads: DHS and DOGE are building a searchable nationwide citizenship database, designed to be used by state and local officials to ensure only citizens are voting, NPR's Jude Joffe-Block and Miles Parks scooped. … Meanwhile, more advocates are sounding the alarm on conditions in detention centers, with NYT's Miriam Jordan and Jazmine Ulloa reporting how immigrants are sleeping on floors as ICE is in overcapacity. 3. ABOUT LAST NIGHT: James Walkinshaw, the former chief of staff to the late Rep. Gerry Connolly, won the Democratic nomination in yesterday's special election to fill Connolly's seat in northern Virginia, NBC's Dylan Ebs reports. Walkinshaw, who carried 59 percent of the vote, will face off in September against Republican nominee Stewart Whitson as a clear favorite to win in the deep-blue district. 4. ON THE DOCKET: Chief Justice John Roberts gave a rare public interview yesterday and didn't talk about Friday's blockbuster rulings — but he did denounce the growing threats against judges, calling it 'totally unacceptable,' NYT's Abbie VanSickle reports. He warned against political rhetoric that implies that 'a judge who's doing his or her job is part of the problem.' SCOTUS watch: SCOTUS' ruling on students opting out of LGBTQ+ material in schools is the latest win for the parental rights crowd. WSJ's Matt Barnum reports on how the movement has put parents at the forefront of legal challenges to public education. … Despite fielding insults for months being insufficiently supportive of Trump's agenda, Justice Amy Coney Barrett is back in MAGA's good graces for the time being after writing the opinion on nationwide injunctions that will boost Trump's agenda, per NBC's Lawrence Hurley. … Next up for consideration are a handful of cases on trans athletes in sports, CNN's Devan Cole and John Fritze write. The high court could set oral arguments for next term or punt back down to the lower courts as soon as tomorrow. 5. LIVE FROM NEW YORK: Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani headed to Harlem this weekend to make his case to Black voters, as he works to make headway after a stark reality was revealed in Tuesday's primary: '[Andrew] Cuomo dominated in precincts where at least 70 percent of residents were Black, more than doubling Mr. Mamdani's support, 59 percent to 26 percent,' NYT's Benjamin Oreskes reports. How Cuomo collapsed: CNN's Edward-Isaac Dovere has the inside story on how Cuomo's campaign flopped. Among its failures was an inability to get the former governor to 'apologize for Covid-19 nursing home deaths or the accusations that he harassed women while governor.' Among his aides, some 'blame themselves for not confronting him to do more to make amends. [Longtime aide longtime aide Melissa] DeRosa, who most people involved thought was best positioned to reach Cuomo, does not. In fact, she told CNN, before asking to speak off the record, 'I didn't really work on the campaign.'' (POLITICO's Sally Goldenberg notes on X: 'She was repeatedly described to [Nick Reisman] and me as the de facto campaign manager.') The role of TikTok: 'How Social Media Videos Fueled Zohran Mamdani's Success,' by NYT's Dodai Stewart: 'As a millennial politician, Zohran Mamdani is a digital native … He is also the son of an Oscar-nominated filmmaker, with a sharp eye for aesthetics and moving images. … Before long, Mr. Mamdani, a 33-year-old assemblyman, was not just a politician. He was a vibe. He was a meme.' 6. CRUNCH TIME FOR TRADE DEALS: Trade talks with India and Taiwan are moving forward ahead of the July 9 tariff deadline. Taiwan has made 'constructive progress' in its second round of talks, per Bloomberg, and India's trade team stayed an extra day in D.C. to negotiate an interim deal, Bloomberg's Shruti Srivastava reports. As the deadline approaches, some experts and analysts see the global economy at a 'pivotal moment' of uncertainty, per Reuters' Marc Jones. Coming attractions: On Tuesday, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is set to speak on a panel at the European Central Bank's annual retreat in Portugal, where he'll be joined by economic leaders from the EU, Japan, South Korea and the UK. Front and center will be the whiplash from Trump's tariffs and fluctuating oil prices due to conflicts in the Middle East, Bloomberg's Craig Stirling reports. 7. MIDDLE EAST LATEST: Overnight, Trump took to Truth Social calling yet again for a deal to end the Israel-Hamas war. But this morning, Israel ordered evacuations in northern Gaza, urging Palestinian residents to move south as military operations prepare to escalate, Reuters' Nidal Al-Mughrabi reports. … Earlier yesterday, Trump raged against Israel's prosecution of PM Benjamin Netanyahu and threatened U.S. aid if the trial isn't canceled. 'This is an unprecedented threat in the U.S.-Israeli relations,' Axios' Barak Ravid wrote. Meanwhile, Iran is throwing cold water on the idea that the Trump-brokered ceasefire with Israel will hold, with armed forces chief of staff Abdolrahim Mousavi saying today that they have 'serious doubts about the enemy's commitment to its obligations' and that they're prepared to strike back if 'aggression is repeated,' per Bloomberg's Arsalan Shahla. 8. BIG LAW VS. TRUMP: 'Inside the fallout at Paul, Weiss after the firm's deal with Trump,' by POLITICO's Daniel Barnes: 'After [Brad] Karp made a deal with Trump, at least 10 partners in the litigation department have resigned from the firm … A group of the departing partners have joined together to start their own firm where they will continue to represent tech giants like Meta and Google … Being the first firm to fold meant Paul, Weiss secured a better deal than those who came later, but it also turned the firm into a lightning rod for anger at Big Law's failure to stand up to Trump.' 9. HUSH HUSH: 'The first rule in Trump's Washington: Don't write anything down,' by WaPo's Hannah Natanson: 'A creeping culture of secrecy is overtaking personnel and budget decisions, casual social interactions, and everything in between, according to interviews with more than 40 employees across two dozen agencies … No one wants to put anything in writing anymore, federal workers said … Trump's own political appointees are also resistant to writing things down, worried that their agency's deliberations will appear in news coverage and inspire a hunt for leakers.' TALK OF THE TOWN Dan Abrams is preparing to launch a new restaurant in NYC called 'Danny's.' PLAYBOOK METRO — Every bus route in D.C. looks a bit different as of today, as WMATA's sweeping bus route redesign takes effect after two years of development. The routes are all being renamed, some of the routes are different and some stops have been retired, per Washingtonian's handy guide by Katie Doran. Here's DC's new bus map IN MEMORIAM — 'Longtime State Department spokesman, diplomat Richard Boucher, dies at 73,' by AP's Matthew Lee: 'Boucher had been the face of U.S. foreign policy at the State Department podium across administrations throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, beginning in the George H.W. Bush presidency and continuing through Bill Clinton's and George W. Bush's terms in office. Boucher served as the spokesman for secretaries of state James Baker, Madeleine Albright, Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice.' WELCOME TO THE WORLD — James Braid, director of legislative affairs for the White House, and Melissa Braid, director of public affairs at the Federal Highway Administration and an alum of Senate Commerce, DHS and Interior, recently welcomed Victoria Rose Braid. She joins big brother Derek. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Playbook's own Garrett Ross … Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) … Hanna Trudo … Ropes & Gray's Amish Shah … Laura Rozen … White House's Robin Colwell and Marie Policastro … Josh Meyer … CNN's Evan Pérez … Carl Forti … former Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) … Ben Jarrett … Hal Brewster of Freshfields … Christina Pearson … Don Verrilli of Munger, Tolles & Olson … Max Virkus … Christian Marrone of Standard Industries … Jordan Davis … Roku's Kaya Singleton … Katie Zirkelbach … Vijay Menon of Sen. Josh Hawley's (R-Mo.) office … Owen Kilmer … Kia's Christopher Wenk … Emily Spain … MSNBC's Kenny Reilly … Tony Salters … POLITICO's Caitlin Bugas Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@ or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Zack Stanton, deputy Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
Time of India
26-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Planning a Wedding? Don't Do Anything Until You Read This
I observe astrological charts with my partner under a breathtaking nightscape, exploring our cosmic connection and shared future. 3 in 4 couples deal with difficulties in the first few years of marriage in the fast-paced world of today, when ambition, stress, and ever shifting lifestyles shape modern relationships. These range from emotional disconnection and communication breakdown to incompatibility and instability. Many couples fight to maintain long-term peace in spite of love and good intentions. Survey Reveals Widespread Ignorance of Astrological Marriage Planning Covering 30,000 married couples, a national study by NumroVani revealed shockingly low knowledge of the deeper components of astrological marriage preparation. The results showed that 82.8% of participants knew nothing about important elements such Dasha matching, planet-to--planet Kundali analysis, customized Muhurat choice, and the Vastu alignment of wedding locations and post-marriage living spaces. Rather than tailored astrological study, most judgments were based on outside considerations such availability, trends, or aesthetics. By comparison, the study revealed that among couples that rigorously followed astrological advice including tailored matchmaking and geographical alignment over 95% stayed together and reported stable, satisfying relationships. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo The findings highlight a crucial fact: although ignorance of astrological ideas might lead to avoidable conflict, alignment with them greatly boosts the chances of long-term married peace. This is where Astrology, Numerology, Vastu and other occult wisdom offers a disciplined, time-tested framework to make sure every phase of married life from selecting the correct partner to designing a caring living environment is in line with cosmic intelligence. Kundali Milan – Establishing Foundational Compatibility Beyond simple compatibility tests, Kundali Milan comes first in the astrological framework. By means of thorough chart analysis, this procedure methodically assesses emotional, mental, spiritual, and bodily alignment. Although Gun Milan and other conventional scoring methods could act as a first filter, more exact conclusions come from deeper assessments including planetary overlays and life cycle alignment. Important components of this stage include the study of the mutual exchange of energy, comparison of individual planetary effects, and alignment of life phases ( Dashas ). Not only compatibility but also resonance a synergy that can help long-term cooperation in many spheres of life. Every person's birth chart is different, hence this technique has to be tailored for every pair to show their different dynamics. Wedding Muhurat – Aligning the Union with Time The next phase in the framework deals with time once compatibility is verified. Choosing a Shubh Muhurat, or lucky time for marriage, guarantees that the couple joins the marriage at a period of planetary Favor and active encouragement. This is a customized study based on charts of both persons, present cosmic influences, and the energetic qualities of particular dates and periods rather than a set formula. From the very beginning, a well-timed union encourages emotional stability, mutual understanding, and general harmony. This stage of the framework emphasizes the need of matching the main changes of life with universal rhythms a strategy that gives the marital structure, clarity, and spiritual support. Wedding Venue – Structuring the Energy of the Space The third element is on the lively surroundings of the event. Modern weddings vary widely in their spatial and dynamic qualities, however they usually take place in hotels, banquet halls, or other location. This section of the framework finds combinations supporting the couple's combined astrological profile using directional astrology and spatial energy mapping. Guiding Vastu concepts, the orientation, layout, and general flow of the venue greatly influence how energy is gathered and anchored during the event. Considered as energy variables rather than aesthetic preferences, are design decisions, spatial layouts, and directional alignments. Since no two charts are the same, venue-related selections also need to be tailored to ensure the surroundings improve the emotional and spiritual tone of the marriage. Bedroom Design – Supporting Post-Marital Harmony The last level of the framework deals with the design of the married living area, especially the bedroom. Considered the center of the couple's post-marriage life, this area shapes emotional connection, communication, and general welfare. This phase entails determining the ideal direction, layout, and energetic orientation of the room by use of astrology and Vastu taken in concert. The particular planetary influences in every couple's combined chart define color schemes, materials, and spatial configurations rather than any set prescription. Designed as part of a greater astrological framework, the bedroom becomes more than just a room; it becomes an energetic basis for love, trust, and personal development.. Personalization Is Key Every person has a unique astrological imprint shaped by the date, time, and location of birth; when two people get married, their combined energies create a unique union that cannot be generalized. Every element of the framework from Kundali Milan to Muhurat choice to venue alignment to space design must be tailored especially as per the date of birth and names of both parties. Without this degree of personalization, the findings stay surface-level and might not be able to deal with more fundamental energy dynamics This article is written by, Sidhharrth S Kumaar, Registered Pharmacist, Astro Numerologist, Life & Relationship Coach, Vaastu Expert, IKS Expert, I Ching Expert, Energy Healer, Music Therapist, Author of 'Think like a Sage Lead like a CEO' series and Chief Astro Strategy Officer (CASO), NumroVani. Discover everything about astrology at the Times of India , including daily horoscopes for Aries , Taurus , Gemini , Cancer , Leo , Virgo , Libra , Scorpio , Sagittarius , Capricorn , Aquarius , and Pisces .
Politico
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Politico
The LA standoff Trump wanted
Presented by With help from Eli Okun and Bethany Irvine On today's podcast, Dasha and I discuss the mood inside the White House after a fourth night of protests in Los Angeles … and why Pete Hegseth may be looking forward to his first House committee grilling as secretary of Defense this morning. Good Tuesday morning. This is Jack Blanchard. EYES-EMOJI SPOTTED: John Fetterman, the not-uncontroversial Democratic senator for Pennsylvania, dining in D.C.'s top MAGA hangout Butterworth's on Monday evening. Fetterman was joined by Breitbart's Matt Boyle, plus — for a good 20 minutes or so — Steve Bannon. Now that's a conversation Playbook would have liked to overhear. In today's Playbook … — Why Trump thinks he's winning the standoff in LA. — Hegseth hits the Hill for his first committee grilling as secretary of Defense. — No sign of peace for Ukraine, as Putin unleashes hell on Kyiv. DRIVING THE DAY CALIFORNIA SCHEMING: Last week's news cycle — driven by Elon Musk's jaw-dropping X posts — was deeply uncomfortable for the White House. This week's focus on law and order and immigration in California feels very different indeed. Whatever your take on Donald Trump's decision to send in the National Guard — plus, as of last night, 700 Marines — to help quell anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles, the view from those close to the president is clear: This is a huge political opportunity, they believe, and Trump has seized it with both hands. 'We couldn't script this any better,' one gleeful person close to the White House tells my Playbook colleague Dasha Burns. 'Democrats are again on the '20' side of an 80-20 issue. … It's the same thing that won [Trump] the election.' In the eyes of the White House, Trump already had a clear mandate from voters for the mass deportation effort that was driving those ICE raids in LA. And aides believe the chaotic scenes that followed — masked protesters pelting police with rocks, setting fire to cars and waving Mexican flags on abandoned freeways — will only bolster public support for Trump's hard-line approach. Indeed, every time a Dem speaks out against the president's actions in LA, the White House is happier still. And guess who's the ultimate foil? Enter California Gov. Gavin Newsom. 'Newsom is playing the part,' the same gleeful person tells Dasha. An administration official separately made the same point, highlighting the 'jarring contrast' between Trump's approach and the 'Dem posture on immigration,' and claiming that the party is 'fine with [protesters] burning the city down.' Obviously, that's not the case. But Trump's aides believe that's how the past few days will have been received across much of America. And the aforementioned Fetterman, at least, sees the same danger. 'This is anarchy and true chaos,' the Pennsylvania Democrat wrote on X last night. 'My party loses the moral high ground when we refuse to condemn setting cars on fire, destroying buildings, and assaulting law enforcement.' In defense of Newsom … The governor has condemned all those things, repeatedly. But it's also true that the central message Newsom has projected (and has sought to project) since Saturday has been steely-eyed opposition to Trump. The WSJ editorial board is predictably unimpressed, warning Newsom's stance 'won't sit well with most Americans.' Which may or may not be true: But Newsom's audience is not 'most Americans.' He is speaking for a state that voted almost 60-40 for Kamala Harris last November. And he's speaking to a Democratic base that will choose the party's candidate for president in 2028. Newsom said Trump is speaking like an 'authoritarian,' in an exclusive interview with POLITICO's Melanie Mason and Christopher Cadelago. 'There's no working with the president,' Newsom told MSNBC on Monday night, in comments that sounded suspiciously aimed at potential 2028 rivals like Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. 'There's only working for him. And I will never work for Donald Trump.' The truth is … Everyone is playing politics here. How Dems see it: All of which will enrage millions of liberally minded people across America, who believe the president himself triggered this unrest with heavy-handed ICE raids on everyday workplaces, and then ratcheted up the tension with an unnecessary show of military force. (The WSJ has a great piece out this morning on how the raids came at the urging of White House aide Stephen Miller, himself a native of southern California.) Dems also scoff at Trump's law-and-order credentials, given what happened on Jan. 6, 2021, and the pardons that followed. The flip side: Those close to Trump insist his chief motivation is to avoid a reprise of the civic unrest that followed the killing of George Floyd in 2020, when the president's draconian instincts were blunted by the aides and military officials around him. 'He's been through this before,' the administration official tells Dasha. 'If you don't take it seriously early, it will get out of hand.' The person close to the White House adds that Trump's show of force is also about 'sending a message to other governors and other states: Don't let your cities burn down, because this will happen to you.' More where that came from: Trump was — literally — doubling down last night, sending another 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles to follow the original 2,000 sent on Saturday. And the battalion of 700 Marines deployed on Monday were due to arrive late last night, despite public consternation from the LAPD. Newsom accused Trump of 'trying to provoke chaos.' But on the ground, the clashes between protesters and law enforcement in LA last night seemed much more limited than at the weekend. This thing could yet just fizzle out. But there's still more: The San Francisco Chronicle's Matthias Gafni and colleagues have obtained a weekend letter from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, asking him to direct the military to detain or arrest 'lawbreakers' during their deployment. She also asked Hegseth for 'drone surveillance support,' as well as weapons and logistics assistance, the Chronicle said. Speak of the devil: Into this stormy fray steps Hegseth himself, who at 9:30 a.m. will make his first appearance before a House committee since his epic Senate confirmation hearings at the start of the year. Expect questions to fly about the wisdom — and legality — of sending troops to LA, and what exactly the military's role is meant to be. Naturally, you can expect the pugnacious Hegseth to lean into the conflict. Off-topic: Things may get a little stickier for Hegseth if Dems decide to grill him on some of the other controversial moments that have dogged his four-and-a-half months at the Pentagon. His conduct around Signalgate, for example — both the sharing of attack plans in Yemen and his subsequent denials that the information was classified. Or perhaps the general sense of chaos around the Pentagon since he took charge, with numerous key staff getting fired. It could be a lengthy session. And when all that wraps up … Hegseth will join Trump at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, North Carolina, for a celebration of the Army's 250th birthday. Trump is due to speak at 4 p.m. Expect the situation in Los Angeles to be front of both men's minds. WAR AND PEACE SO MUCH FOR PEACE ON 'DAY ONE': Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered another blow to Trump's dwindling hopes for peace with a second intense night of bombing on Ukraine's cities. Putin deployed more than 300 drones and missiles against Kyiv and Odesa over a five-hour period, ABC's Jason Volack and David Brennan report, and the images and footage coming out this morning are bleak. 'Russian missile and Shahed strikes drown out the efforts of the United States and others around the world to force Russia into peace,' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X. The damage: Reuters reports that the attack damaged a maternity ward in Odesa. Bloomberg adds that in Kyiv, 'a fleet of Russian drones struck apartment buildings, a business center, a drug store and a warehouse, causing blazes in several districts.' It comes just a day after Russia launched the largest drone attack of its three-year-long war against Ukraine, AP's Illia Novikov and Hanna Arhirova report. This will be the backdrop to this weekend's annual G7 leaders' summit hosted by Canada, and which both Trump and Zelenskyy will attend. You can expect Trump to face pressure from allies across the board to take a far harsher line with Putin. Also on the G7 agenda: Trump's ongoing negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program, with a sixth round of talks expected either Friday or Sunday, per Axios' Barak Ravid. White House aides remain optimistic a deal could be close. But but but: But an influential group of GOP hawks has launched a behind-the-scenes lobbying offensive pressing Trump to not only back off his administration's quest for a nuclear deal with Iran, but also to greenlight an attack on Tehran by Israel, POLITICO's Rachael Bade and Felicia Schwartz report this morning. Making his mark: 'During a private lunch with the president at the White House last Wednesday, conservative talk show host Mark Levin told Trump that Iran was days away from building a nuclear weapon,' Rachael and Felicia write, 'an argument Trump's own intelligence team has told the president is not accurate … Levin urged Trump to allow the Israeli government to strike Iranian nuclear sites.' Inside track: Levin has beef with Trump's 'everything envoy' Steve Witkoff, they report. Media mogul Rupert Murdoch is also said to be unimpressed and privately briefing against Witkoff and his strategy. Aides close to Trump are mounting a frantic rearguard effort. MEANWHILE ON THE HILL RECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES: With the GOP megabill's July 4 deadline now just three-and-a-half weeks away, House Republicans are trying to trim the package of any measures they believe the Senate parliamentarian will rule are impermissible via the reconciliation process. House Republican leaders expect to receive a report on the bill's potential problem areas this morning, ahead of a crunch Rules Committee meeting at 2 p.m. POLITICO's Meredith Lee Hill, Jordain Carney and Jennifer Scholtes have the details. More changes: Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee are still eyeing their own changes to the megabill, of course — pitting them against House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith and, potentially, against the White House too, our colleagues with POLITICO's Inside Congress newsletter report this morning. Any tax provisions deemed insufficiently 'pro-growth' — including Trump's promises of no taxes on tips or overtime — could be in the firing line. Senators to watch include Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.). About that July 4 deadline: Speaker Mike Johnson remains confident that Congress will get the bill passed by then. But Trump, who was seated next to him at a White House event yesterday afternoon, sounded more ambivalent. 'If it takes a little longer, that's OK,' the president said. More from POLITICO's Gregory Svirnovskiy On the way out: Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.) said yesterday he plans to resign from Congress for a private-sector job offer after the House votes again on the GOP megabill, POLITICO's Hailey Fuchs reports. The Homeland Security chair's looming departure tees up a potential intra-party battle for his committee perch, and Reps. Michael Guest (R-Miss.) and Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.) have both expressed interest in the role on a long-term basis, per WSJ's Olivia Beavers. BEST OF THE REST ENERGY SUMMIT TODAY: White House officials, congressional leaders and energy experts will explore the strategic choices shaping America's energy future under the Trump administration at POLITICO's Energy Summit. Key speakers include Jarrod Agen, deputy assistant to the president and executive director of the National Energy Dominance Council; Sens. John Curtis (R-Utah) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.); Reps. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) and Bob Latta (R-Ohio); Jennifer Granholm, Neil Chatterjee and more. The summit kicks off at 8 a.m. More details here … Watch live here ICYMI: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced yesterday in a WSJ op-ed that he will be 'retiring' all 17 members of the CDC's vaccine advisory panel. 'The committee has been plagued with persistent conflicts of interest and has become little more than a rubber stamp for any vaccine,' Kennedy wrote. Roughly two hours after the op-ed posted, committee members received termination notices, POLITICO's Sophie Gardner reports. What about his promise to Cassidy? During his raucous confirmation process, Kennedy promised Senate HELP Chair Bill Cassidy (R-La.) that he would not make changes to the vaccine advisory committee. After yesterday's announcement, Cassidy took to X, writing: 'I've just spoken with Secretary Kennedy, and I'll continue to talk with him to ensure' that the panel isn't packed with vaccine skeptics. Asked by CNN's Manu Raju whether he regretted voting for Kennedy's confirmation, Cassidy demurred. TRADING SPACES: Officials from Washington and China are continuing their trade talks in London today in an effort to preserve the tenuous truce negotiated last month. Though Beijing's rare earth minerals and its related exports were predicted to be the main focus of discussion, experts say 'Beijing is unlikely to give up its strategic grip over the essential minerals,' CNN's John Liu reports. Still, leaders in Washington remain optimistic, with Trump telling reporters yesterday that he was 'only getting good reports' from London, per Reuters. MUSEUM WARS: The Smithsonian is insisting that it — and not the president — retains power over personnel decisions, a move that challenges Trump's assertion that he has the ability to fire directors within the museum system, NYT's Robin Pogrebin and colleagues report. Trump recently announced that he was firing Kim Sajet, the director of the National Portrait Gallery, whom he alleged was 'a highly partisan person.' DEEP IN THE HEART: With the chances of a 2026 Democratic takeover of the House looking very real, the White House is pushing Texas to redraw its congressional maps to create 'four or five' additional Republican seats in an effort to up the party's majority nationally, NYT's J. David Goodman and Shane Goldmacher report. The pressure from the administration has 'unnerved some Texas Republicans, who worry that reworking the boundaries of Texas House seats to turn Democratic districts red by adding reliably Republican voters from neighboring Republican districts could backfire.' In a 20-minute 'emergency' meeting last night, 'congressional Republicans from Texas professed little interest in redrawing their districts,' which were last updated in 2021. Even so, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and other state officials have 'discussed the possibility,' and there's speculation in Austin that a special session of the state legislature will be called in July. TALK OF THE TOWN Maggie Haberman told Vanity Fair's Natalie Korach that she's found sourcing more difficult in Trump's second term. 'I have been astonished at the number of people who are no longer willing to speak because they just don't think that it does anything to help their sense of anxiety about their lives.' YOUR NEXT MORNING LISTEN: Playbook's own Dasha Burns joined Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller in the latest episode of Seven Letter's 'CONTROL' podcast to discuss Elon Musk's rise and fall in Trump world. Listen here OUT AND ABOUT — The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition convened more than 400 state leaders at the Marriott Marquis for its 2025 Impact Forum yesterday, where it launched a new report 'Economic Security is National Security.' SPOTTED: Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.), Laura Richardson, Keith Alexander, Mark Green, Brian Cavanaugh, Josh Rogin, Arrow Augerot, Liz Schrayer, Chris Clement, John Murphy and Sean Callahan. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Jason Mulvihill will be president and CEO of the Association for Consumer Debt Relief. He previously was president of Capitol Asset Strategies. TRANSITIONS — Kevin McKinley will be state lead for government affairs at Andreessen Horowitz. He previously was director of state legislation at Meta. … David Shapiro will be executive director of the MacArthur Justice Center. He currently is executive director of the Chicago Lawyers' Committee. … Michael Atleson is joining DLA Piper as of counsel. He previously was a senior staff attorney at the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. … … Cara Duckworth is now SVP of comms at USTelecom – The Broadband Association. She previously was chief corporate comms officer at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. … James Laverty is now comms director for Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.). He previously was producer for 'The Will Cain Show' on FOX News. WEEKEND WEDDINGS — Clare Lattanze, comms director for Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and Jacob Eskin, VP of insurance sales at Dye & Eskin, got married Saturday at the Riggs Hotel. Pic — Darbin Wofford, deputy director of health care at Third Way, and Araceli Castillo, a senior onboarding specialist at Goodshuffle, got married in Dallas on Friday. They met at Texas State University, where they both studied political science and adopted their dog, Loki. Pic, courtesy of Caitlin Wood Photography HAPPY BIRTHDAY: CNN's Jeff Zeleny … Carlos Elizondo … NBC's Shannon Pettypiece, Kate Snow and Sarah DeCaro … NPR's Ayesha Rascoe … WSJ's Corinne Ramey … ABC's Ellie Kaufman … Joe Trippi … James Rockas of ACLJ Action … Jeff Greenfield … Stef Weiss … Michael Daniels … Jennifer Donnelly of the Aspen Institute ... Edelman's Matthew Streit … BPI's David O'Brien … Thomas Showalter ... Al Mottur … Matt Jansen of Rep. Melanie Stansbury's (D-N.M.) office … Paula Burris of the American Association for Justice … former Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-Kan.) … Sasha Obama … former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) … Alex Goldman … former Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal … Kylie Bohman … former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer … Ben DeMarzo … J.D. Grom … POLITICO's William Shabazz-Smith Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@ or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Zack Stanton, deputy editor Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath. Corrections: Yesterday's Playbook misidentified GOP Sen. Mike Crapo's home state. It is Idaho. It also misspelled Sang Yi's name.
