#also it was lovely to hear John Mahoney again

[ennaih]

Every Film I Watch In 2023:

129. Atlantis: Milo's Return (2003)

[placetobenation]

As many of you are aware, WWE Network is pretty packed with all sorts of content. And as you may also know, we here at Place to Be Nation love long term, in depth projects. So, as part of this initiative, members of the PTBN Staff are choosing programs that coincide with this week in history and after watching each program, they will share their thoughts, notes and recommendations with our readers. So, settle in and enjoy this epic ride through wrestling history!

Show: ECW One Night Stand 2006

Best Segment:

Dave Hall: Paul Heyman’s welcome. This event did not need to rely on many segments, and the small segments were very frustrating (see later on), however Paul Heyman proved again why he is one of the best on the microphone ever. From pumping his product to putting over his talent to putting himself over, Heyman was funny and intense all at the same time. A really enjoyable opening little segment.

Calum McDougall: Tazz vs Jerry Lawler was a great way to start the reboot of ECW, with an all-time legend from the original ECW making light work of the King who has always been outspoken against the Land of Extreme. This was quintessential WWE vs ECW match up and kicks off the show with a definitive win for ECW.

Jacob Williams: Mick Foley has developed a bit of a reputation in recent years for being a bit too self serious in his appearances, so it was fun to see him showing his trademark cheesy sense of humor in his pre-match promo. From his praise of the Stephanie and bragging about selling out (Madison Square Garden, that is!), his prodding of the bloodthirsty ECW faithful for cheap heat was very entertaining.

Steve Riddle: To me, it’s a toss up between two promos and one is the opening promo by Paul as he was beaming with pride about ECW being back, and you could tell that he was hoping to see the brand return to the prominence it once had. The other highlight was JBL’s awesome promo as he runs down the ECW brand, even bringing up what happened last year when he roughed up the Blue Meanie. He also takes time to mention that he is taking Tazz’s spot on Smackdown in the commentary team, and Tazz gets a great jab in that JBL and Michael Cole will be the blind leading the blind. I also couldn’t help but chuckle when JBL called the fans out on their “You Suck Dick” chant and asked who’s the fruit booty now.

Best Match:

Dave Hall: The FBI vs. Tajiri & Super Crazy: While not the most high-profile match, all four guys worked their asses off to try and steal the show, and in my opinion they managed to have the best in-ring match. Super Crazy and Little Guido/Nunzio seemed to thrive with having been shed of the “comedy shackles”, and they were outstanding. The match was fast-paced, intense, momentum shifting and really enjoyable. It surprised me that it was this good.

Calum McDougall: My favorite match on this show has always been Dreamer/Funk/Beulah vs. Edge/Foley/Lita. From the pre-match promos to the brutality and carnage that happened between the bell. It was absolutely superb and it was everything you could hope for in an ECW rules match. You get Funk being his crazy old man best, Dreamer and Foley doing what they excel at, and to cap it off you get Edge finish the match in the most Edge way possible. Outstanding from all involved.

Jacob Williams: The intergender tag match was just a violent, absurd spectacle that fit perfectly on this type of show with its perfect mix of sports entertainment nonsense and ECW insanity. They pushed the violence enough to pull me into the match without quite going completely over the edge (no pun intended). Funk charging back to the ring bandaged was an awesome moment, as his eye cut looked legit and scary. The shot of him crying “My eyeeeeeeee!” while blood pours onto the mat is still burned in my brain. Everyone played their role well, and in a match they could have easily could have broken down and lost momentum, they kept it moving forward by connecting all the wild moments. It was exhausting in the best possible way. Credit to all involved for making this somehow work.

Steve Riddle: As great as the six-person tag was, my pick for match of the night was easily Cena vs. RVD for the WWE Championship. This was a huge moment for RVD and for the revival of ECW as he cashes in his Money in the Bank briefcase here, and the crowd is ready to gut Cena when he comes out and of course we have the great sequence of Cena trying to toss the shirt into the crowd only for them to repeatedly toss it back. I of course would be remiss by not mentioning the iconic “If Cena Wins, We Riot” sign, and I wonder if many were hoping Cena would win just to see if the fans would riot. The match is tremendous as both guys had great chemistry and Cena got to a point where he was almost trolling the fans and loving it, and he really carried the match as RVD did seem to be coasting a bit which seems weird given this was pretty much a gift for him. I will never not chuckle hearing the fans thank Edge when he puts Cena through the table even though a few minutes ago, they were dying to see Edge bloodied in the six-person tag. While the ending was a bit bizarre with Paul counting the three, it was a great moment for RVD to finally see him reach the brass ring and clearly be positioned as the top dog on ECW.C

Most Cringeworthy Moment:

Dave Hall: Chairs Shots and Kendo Sticks: Looking back on this event, in light of the recent changes to wrestling (and other sports) around concussions and head injuries, was very difficult. The chair shots direct to the head in both the Terry Funk & Tommy Dreamer vs. Edge & Mick Foley match, as well as the very stiff chair shots in the Balls Mahoney vs. Masato Tanaka match, were very difficult to watch. The ones in the second match seemed especially unnecessary. Throw on top of that the unprotected Singapore Cane shots on Eugene from Sandman, which were vicious, and I found it a little difficult to wonder why this was ever allowed to occur on a wrestling card. Thankfully it was not in every match

Calum McDougall: I don’t mind the violence at all in the six-man, it’s my favorite match on the show because of the carnage as I’ve said, but I wince any time there’s fire involved. So much can go wrong and its stupidly dangerous, and then you see that Foley’s clothes were on fire before he goes into the barbed wire board. I don’t care how much you plan or how many precautions you take, fire is too much for me. Mick Foley’s pre-match promo was absolute comedy gold, which Tazz couldn’t even help but laugh at. Stephanie McMahon is the ultimate cheap heat in front of an ECW crowd. #LongLiveTheAlliance

Jacob Williams: Plenty of candidates for this category. You almost have to separate it into “bad taste” cringe and “concern for the wellbeing of the wrestlers” cringe. Luckily, the Eugene caning segment has a little from column A and a little from column B. The entire premise of the Eugene character and how he’s portrayed can be off-putting, so seeing him brutally caned was uncomfortable.

Steve Riddle: There were a couple of choices here with one seeing 60-something year old Terry Funk doing the things he was doing, and it was a bit sad seeing it and also sent chills down my spine. The other main choice was seeing Sandman beat the piss out of Eugene with the Singapore cane which makes you cringe a bit. We could also be here all day talking about the vicious shots these guys were taking as 2006 was the peak of garbage wrestling in the WWE.

Funniest Line/Moment: 

Dave Hall: The crowd’s response when John Cena threw his t-shirt into the crowd is still hilarious to see, even when you know it is coming. The t-Shirt was thrown back to the ring on at least five or six occasions, and you can see fans spitting on it before throwing it back. It was funny the first time, and funny this time.

Calum McDougall: Mick Foley’s pre-match promo was absolute comedy gold, which Tazz couldn’t even help but laugh at. The Stephanie McMahon is the ultimate cheap heat in front of an ECW crowd. #LongLiveTheAlliance

Jacob Williams: This show had more one liners than a evening with D’Amato, so this was a tough choice. I think I cracked most for Foley shouting out the Invasion, but I’ll give an honorable mention to Tazz saying that the ECW fans were startled by pyro because they weren’t use to seeing it.

Steve Riddle: Mick Foley was the MVP of this night as he busted out two great lines, first swerving the fans saying that he sold out by admitting that he sold out Madison Square Garden. But that is topped when he puts over the greatest owner in ECW history, Stephanie McMahon which was so awesome. Long Live the Alliance, Long Live the Alliance!!!C

Highlights:

Dave Hall: This card was full of highlights. Rob Van Dam’s title win over John Cena was a fantastic crowning moment. It was just a shame he ruined it just a week or so later. Sabu and Rey Mysterio put on a great match (apart from the terrible finish), in which Rey learned from his mistakes the previous year and won over the crowd. The tag team match mentioned earlier was exceptional, and Angle and Orton had a great battle. There was great work by Orton and Cena in response to the crowd, and Funk, Dreamer, Edge and Foley put on an ECW classic hardcore match. But in the end it was the crowd that really stole the show. They were amazing. I had forgotten how hot they were throughout the night, with their chants dominating both the commentary and action at times. The crowd made the main event a truly memorable experience

Calum McDougall: Randy Orton coming out to Burn in My Light was a highlight right out of the gate, I’ve always preferred that theme to Voices and Legend Killer Orton from this time was awesome. JBL’s anti-ECW rant was excellent; he was on top form at this time too. But overall the crowd was hot from start to finish, and it built to a frenzy for the WWE Title match. Much like the War Games we did a few weeks back, that had that big fight feel that is difficult to come by these days, and the soccer-like crowd who you thought would actually riot if Cena won were a huge part of that. I’ve got to give a shout out to Cena playing the guy behind enemy lines heel role to perfection on this night.

Jacob Williams: As expected, the crowd was seismic throughout the night , which most benefited the main event. It reminded me of a rabid home playoff crowd, and the WWE guys were trying to survive. Tazz and Styles did a great job on commentary of being lighthearted and fun without taking away from the big moments and angles. Cena really elevated his performance in the moment and fed off the crowd, really playing the role of a situational heel perfectly for this show. King and Tazz was a nice quick way to fire up the crowd. Orton and Angle each played their roles perfectly to put on a great match. Orton demanding two refs help him to the back was killer heel work. Throughout the entire show, the wrestlers matched what worked for this unique event, and it gave the whole show an organic, refreshing feel.B

Steve Riddle: Paul’s opening promo was tremendous as usual and he was at his peak during this run; It was cool to see back-to-back shows at the Hammerstein Ballroom; Perfectly fine having Tazz squash Lawler to finally shut him up and it was cool seeing Joey get involved as well; Funny how one year ago Angle was tearing up ECW as part of the WWE Invaders, and now one year later he comes here as ECW’s new stud and the crowd embraces him; Angle/Orton was a solid match and on any other night might have been the best match on the card; As good as the tag match was, it would’ve been cool to see one more Three-Way Dance with Guido, Tajiri, and Crazy; The double Tarantula spot was really cool; Rey/Sabu is a pretty cool matchup on paper and they put on a pretty great match; I loved Rey with the big robe as he almost had a Rocky Balboa-like vibe going; Lita and Edge were at their sleaze best on this night; It was pretty cool seeing Beulah get involved even though she didn’t do anything for most of the match; That 6-person tag was so violent and kudos to everyone going all out even though it was a bit uncomfortable seeing Funk at his age doing this stuff; Only Edge could make his pin on Beulah look legit; The crowd was incredible all night and they hit the complete crescendo during the main event between Cena and RVD

Lowlights:

Dave Hall: Not too many. Tazz vs Lawler was so short, it felt very irrelevant. Balls Mahoney and Masato Tanaka’s match was a big let down. I was also a little disappointed in the commentary. Joey Styles and Tazz seemed a little lacklustre, and while they tried hard, they just didn’t have the chemistry to truly rise to the occasion. But the end of the Sabu vs. Rey Mysterio match was truly aweful. The “medic”’, who was never seen before, or after, ended the match with both men “hurt”, and then the very next match we see total brutality and bleeding, and this moron is nowhere to be seen. Rey and Sabu had worked hard, and Rey had even softened the crowd towards him, and then the ending is just horrible

Calum McDougall: “The following contest is scheduled for one fall and it will be contested under Extreme Rules”… the first sign that this wouldn’t be as faithful a representation of the original ECW as everyone might have thought. I hated the finish to the Sabu/Mysterio match that followed, the match was really starting to hit full throttle and it just abruptly finished after a spot that’s no worse than any have taken before, especially Sabu! Other than that, the chair shots in the Balls Mahoney/Masato Tanaka match were unnecessary and difficult to watch. I don’t mind chair shots normally, but given the knowledge of concussions we have now, I was praying them to let up a bit.

Jacob Williams: There was no reason for Tanaka to have his skull crushed by a chair, especially for a filler match. I get that they were in a tough spot for a finish for Rey and Sabu, but the stoppage really didn’t feel earned for an ECW show, and that was compounded by 60+ year old Terry Funk refusing to quit after having his eye sliced up. I might get caned by ECW fans for this, but I didn’t feel RVD rose to the occasion the way Cena did in the main event. The finish was sketchy too, with one too many steps to get RVD the win, deflating the crowd just a bit for the big moment. Obviously it was still a great match, but part of me thinks it could have been more of an all-timer given the crowd and atmosphere.

Steve Riddle: Lawler couldn’t be bothered to get a legit crown as the one he had looked like the cheapest thing ever; Pyro does not belong in ECW; The F.B.I. is nothing without Big Sal E. Graziano; It’s too bad Angle and Show were such a mess in their personal lives at this point because they were getting booked so strong at this point; As great as the match was, the ending to Rey/Sabu was so bad as Rey could’ve used a clean win and Sabu didn’t need to win; Tanaka/Mahoney felt like a complete throwaway match and seeing Tanaka take a nasty chair shot felt totally out of place; Poor Nick Dinsmore, he had so much potential and now he’s reading poems about ECW only to get caned by Sandman; I thought that Styles and Tazz would have better chemistry than they did though maybe it will grow over time once the TV show started.C

Wild Card Baby!

Dave Hall: If you didn’t know already, this is Vince’s show: While the show really captured the essence of ECW and tried to prepare the new audience for the “relaunch”, Vince had to remind us on several occasions that WWE talent is better than the ECW originals. Big Show came out to destroy everyone in the tag team match, JBL abuses the fans and ECW, and no one comes out to deal with him, Edge gets to denigrate Beulah. Only Sandman got to stand tall, and that was because Eugene was still a low level character. The only “ECW”guys that got to stand tall were those who had made a name for themselves in WWE for several years (Kurt Angle, Rob Van Dam). I felt it detracted from the event at times.

Calum McDougall: Gone So Soon?: A special shout out goes to Super Crazy, Tajiri, Terry Funk, Beulah and Masato Tanaka who were all extremely prominent and kept strong through the whole show, but who would never show up on ECW on Sci-Fi following this night. Funk and Beulah aside, they could’ve really done with talent of the level of the other guys. Super Crazy was even a contracted wrestler but was left to be fodder on Raw and Heat when he could’ve done something good on ECW.

Jacob Williams: ECW Deep Cut: At one point Styles references an infamous match between Beulah and Bill Alfonso where Alfonso had to have a transfusion due to blood lost. If you haven’t seen it like me, check it out.

Steve Riddle: Surprise Doppelganger Appearance: During JBL’s promo in the balcony, if you look behind him there is a fan wearing a Rey Mysterio mask and with the facial hair, I could’ve sworn that was the real Rey Mysterio.C

Final Thoughts:

Dave Hall: This card was outstanding from start to finish. The opener was there to put Tazz over, the tag match was awesome, both title matches were great, and the hardcore tag match was amazing. The only match that was a bot of a letdown was the Balls Mahoney vs. Masato Tanaka match, and it was not offensive. To me this cannot get full marks due to the horrible finish of the Sabu vs. Rey match, and the way Big Show and JBL were allowed to do what they did. But overall this was great, with a truly perfect main event. 9/10

Calum McDougall: My first thought when I turned the show on was how hot and excited the crowd was that ECW was back. Unfortunately, after such a high to begin the only way was down, and boy did it go down. But one this night, the ECW brand was back with a bang! 9/10

Jacob Williams: A fun, entertaining show with nothing truly terrible and a killer crowd that would probably be more of a classic if the two big championship matches would have delivered just a bit more. 8/10

Steve Riddle: Overall, this was a really fun show with a completely different atmosphere compared to last year. One Night Stand 2005 was more of an epilogue to the original ECW while this year’s show was the kickoff to the revival of ECW. It is kind of sad knowing what would happen to ECW in the coming months and how it became something completely different than what it was supposed to be, but that doesn’t take away how awesome this show was. There were a lot of great moments on this show and seeing RVD win the WWE Title was one of the year’s best moments, and there was not a lot to complain about aside from Mahoney/Tanaka being completely useless. While this show didn’t quite reach the same status that One Night Stand 2005 did, this was still a great show and one of the highlights of 2006. 9/10

[everettwilkinson]

Tweets pour out as Trump returns to DC — INSIDE THE WEST WING: POLITICO, WaPo and NYT on WH intrigue — FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Trump’s week — ANDREW KACZYNSKI’s wedding

FROM THE VATICAN at 7:30 this morning — @Pontifex: “I encourage everyone to engage in constructive forms of communication that reject prejudice towards others and foster hope and trust today.”

HE’S BACK!! — @realDonaldTrump at 8:10 a.m.: “Just returned from Europe. Trip was a great success for America. Hard work but big results!” … at 8:33 a.m.: “It is my opinion that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies made up by the #FakeNews media.” … at 8:34 a.m.: “Whenever you see the words ‘sources say’ in the fake news media, and they don’t mention names….” at 8:45 a.m.: “….it is very possible that those sources don’t exist but are made up by fake news writers. #FakeNews is the enemy!” … at 8:45 a.m.: “Does anyone notice how the Montana Congressional race was such a big deal to Dems & Fake News until the Republican won? V was poorly covered” … at10:43 a.m.: “British Prime Minister May was very angry that the info the U.K. gave to U.S. about Manchester was leaked. Gave me full details!”

Story Continued Below

— BY THE WAY … — Trump’s White House asks for permission to speak without attribution to reporters all the time. Also, just days ago, Trump said he wanted his administration to find the leakers. Now he’s saying that leaks “coming out of the White House” are fake. Which one is it?

— @anniekarni: “I’ve been told a factor in the lack of tweeting abroad overall was the presence of Melania Trump.” Note: Melania is supposed to move into the White House sometime next month.

**SUBSCRIBE to Playbook: http://politi.co/2lQswbh

A QUICK SUNDAY BEST — TRUMP “WIDE OPEN” ON PARIS ACCORDS — DEFENSE SECRETARY JAMES MATTIS to JOHN DICKERSON on CBS’ “FACE THE NATION” — DICKERSON: “Let me ask you about the Paris climate accords. The president is going to make a decision on those. Tell me about the national security role of climate change.” MATTIS:“You know, we’ve – we’ve obviously got a discussion going on about our policy in this regard. And I was sitting in on some of the discussions in Brussels, by the way, where climate change came up, and the president was open, he was curious about why others were in the position they were in – his counterparts in other nations – and I’m quite certain the president is wide open on this issue as he takes in the pros and cons of that accord.”

Good Sunday morning. JUST WONDERING…. Will President Trump head to his golf club in Virginia today to take in the final round of the Senior PGA Championship? We hear it’s a possibility.

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — THE PRESIDENT’S WEEK — The only items listed on the president’s schedule so far are remarks at Arlington tomorrow for Memorial Day, meetings with Rex Tillerson and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Wednesday and a travel day Thursday (Trump recently canceled a rally in Iowa, but the travel day still remains on his schedule). Lots of free time — as of now.

INSIDE THE WEST WING — Expect more rallies to try to jumpstart Trump’s legislative agenda. Expect more loyalists in the West Wing. Expect to see an effort to woo high-profile D.C. lawyers. BUT, BUT, BUT … — The old crew — people like Corey Lewandowski — were sidelined for a reason. Nationwide rallies do not always spark legislative action. Just ask Barack Obama how his rallies worked out for his legislative agenda. And big-time D.C. scandal lawyers will probably tell Trump to do all sorts of things he doesn’t want to do, like stop tweeting whatever comes to mind, dump some advisers and normalize White House operations.

WE HEAR — That the White House has told people on Capitol Hill that Jared Kushner is willing to cooperate extensively with any investigation.

SO MUCH AWESOME PALACE INTRIGUE … WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW —

— ANNIE KARNI and JOSH DAWSEY with TARA PALMERI, “Russia scandal casts uncertainty over Kushner’s future role: Trump’s son-in-law, who’s long been above White House infighting, now has to defend his position in the West Wing”: “Internally at the White House, according to multiple sources, there is a feeling of resentment among people about Kushner’s special status as a family member, and a feeling that it’s about time for him to have a turn under the gun. There is also a sense of uncertainty about how long Kushner and Ivanka Trump – who associates say likes, but doesn’t love, Washington – are planning to stick it out. Some have noted that they rent their Kalorama mansion, which allows them to keep their options of moving back to Manhattan more open. …

“Two associates who have spoken to Kushner in recent weeks described him as ‘unhappy’ and ‘miserable,’ in part because he has not been able to make the changes he wants to under his father-in-law. Kushner, the source said, has recently seemed resigned to the fact that the internal dysfunction that has defined the first months of Trump’s administration is unlikely to pass. ‘He’s still trying to tell people it will improve but he seems like he was trying to convince himself,’ the source said.” http://politi.co/2qrU2d8

– WAPO A1, JOHN WAGNER, BOB COSTA and ASHLEY PARKER, “Trump considers major changes amid escalating Russia crisis” (print headline: “Trump may retool his staff”): “White House officials … are trying to find ways to revive Trump’s stalled policy agenda in Congress and to more broadly overhaul the way the White House communicates with the public. That includes proposals for more travel and campaign-style rallies nationwide so that Trump can speak directly to his supporters …

“[T]he beefed-up operation could include the return of some of Trump’s more combative campaign aides, including Corey Lewandowski, who was fired as campaign manager nearly a year ago, and David N. Bossie, who was deputy campaign manager and made his name in politics by investigating Bill and Hillary Clinton for two decades. Both men have been part of ongoing discussions about how to build a war room that have been led in part by chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon. …

“Other Trump players who have drifted from his orbit in recent months, such as Sam Nunberg, are also being courted to play more active roles, either officially joining the White House or in an outside capacity, working through confidants of the president. ‘Go to the mattresses,’ a line from the film ‘The Godfather’ about turning to tough mercenaries during troubled times, has circulated among Trump’s friends [The scene http://bit.ly/2qwn3nq] … Underscoring the uncertainty of what lies ahead, some Trump associates said there have been conversations about dispatching Priebus to serve as ambassador to Greece — his mother is of Greek descent — as a face-saving way to remove him from the White House. A White House spokeswoman strongly denied that possibility Saturday. …

“On Thursday, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and Eric’s wife, Lara Trump,participated in a two-hour meeting at the RNC headquarters in Washington. … RNC spokesman Ryan Mahoney … said the RNC is increasing its efforts to bolster Trump. … At a recent breakfast in Washington with Ruddy, Lewandowski and Alexandra Preate, a close ally of Bannon, the trio discussed whether Lewandowski and Nunberg could put aside their differences to again rally behind Trump.” http://wapo.st/2r9qnH0

— NYT A1, MAGGIE HABERMAN, GLENN THRUSH and JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS: “Trump Returns to Crisis Over Kushner as White House Tries to Contain It” (print headline: “President Faces Growing Crisis On Russia Ties”): “The White House canceled a presidential trip to Iowa in the coming days and was putting together a damage-control plan to expand the president’s legal team, reorganize his communications staff and wall off a scandal that has jeopardized his agenda and now threatens to engulf his family. Mr. Trump’s private legal team, led by his New York lawyer, Marc E. Kasowitz, was preparing to meet in Washington to face new questions about contacts between Mr. Kushner and representatives of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. Mr. Trump may meet with Mr. Kasowitz as early as Sunday, and aides have recruited a series of prominent Washington lawyers with experience in political investigations for Mr. Trump to interview in hopes that they might join the legal team.

“Mr. Kushner … has no plans to step down from his role as senior adviser or to reduce his duties, according to people close to him. Still, there are signs that he is tiring of the nonstop combat and the damage to his reputation. He has told friends that he and his wife, Ivanka Trump, have made no long-term commitment to remain by Mr. Trump’s side, saying they would review every six months whether to return to private life in New York. …

“The president, who has more than 30 million followers on Twitter, has been told by his lawyers to limit his posts. Each one, they argue privately, could be used as evidence in a legal case against him, and the president went through his entire overseas trip without posting a single incendiary message.

“Among those most adamant about limiting Mr. Trump’s access to the news media was Mr. Kushner, who has been critical internally of the White House press operation and has sought to marginalize Mr. Spicer, whom he views as too undisciplined to control the president’s message. Mr. Kushner has also favored creating a rapid-response team to counter reports like the ones that emerged on Friday.” http://nyti.ms/2r9pSwz

–WAPO A1, “A high-stakes gamble: How Jared Kushner reacted to previous crises,” by Michael Kranish and Jonathan O’Connell in New York. http://wapo.st/2r9j1Dy

****** A message from the Coalition for Affordable Prescription Drugs (CAPD): One in two Americans rely on their employers for health care benefits including affordable access to prescription drugs. That’s why employers are partnering with PBMs to provide access to effective medications at the most affordable price and improve health outcomes. Learn more at www.affordableprescriptiondrugs.org. ******

WHAT PEOPLE IN THE KNOW ARE SAYING — The interesting — and unpredictable — element of the Jared saga is what happens when he has to testify on Capitol Hill. He’ll be put under oath, either in a private setting or public setting, and be forced to testify about his contacts with the Russians. One slip up could land him in hot water. ALSO: As we get closer to 2018 — and midterm elections — this chaotic environment will become less tenable for Republicans.

BULLETIN from AP at 9:25 a.m.: “BROOKHAVEN, Mississippi (AP) – Police say eight people are dead, including deputy sheriff, after shooting in Mississippi; suspect in custody.”

REAX AFTER THE G7 — Via AFP/Frankfurt am Main: “Europe ‘must take its fate into its own hands’ faced with a western alliance divided by Brexit and Donald Trump’s presidency, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Sunday.

“‘The times in which we could completely depend on others are on the way out. I’ve experienced that in the last few days,’ Merkel told a crowd at an election rally in Munich, southern Germany. ‘We Europeans truly have to take our fate into our own hands,’ she added. While Germany and Europe would strive to remain on good terms with America and Britain, ‘we have to fight for our own destiny’, Merkel went on.” http://bit.ly/2rc7qWj

MORE SUNDAY BEST — CHUCK TODD speaks with DHS SECRETARY JOHN KELLY on NBC’S “MEET THE PRESS” — TODD: “Before I get to the stuff that is in your portfolio, I do want to ask about Jared Kushner, the Washington Post report, the president’s son-in-law, about this idea of setting up a backchannel communication while he was a private citizen before the president took the oath. Can you add much to this story and to what the White House has said?” KELLY: “I can’t. I know Jared. He’s a great guy, decent guy. His number one, number one interest, really, is the nation so you know there’s a lot of different ways to communicate, backchannel, publicly with other countries. I don’t see any big issue here relative to Jared. … I think any time you can open lines of communication with anyone, whether they’re good friends or not so good friends, is a smart thing to do.” …

— TODD: “Do you plan — you call — you believe it’s treason, to leak some of this stuff, you believe that’s treason?” KELLY: “I do believe it is. I believe when you leak the kind of information that seems to be routinely leaked – high, high level of classification — you are telling the –” TODD: “And what was leaked on this Manchester bombing you believe maybe even meets the treason standard?” KELLY: “I think it’s darn close to treason.”

CHRIS WALLACE also spoke with DHS SECRETARY JOHN KELLY on“FOX NEWS SUNDAY” (via Cristiano Lima) — “While not confirming reports that Kushner discussed with Russian officials how to create secret back channels of communication that escaped potential U.S. monitoring, Kelly said that any attempts to strengthen dialogue with Russia were a positive.

“‘I don’t know if it is true or not, I know it’s being reported in the press,’ Kelly said on ‘Fox News Sunday,’ before being told by anchor Chris Wallace that the network had confirmed that the discussion between Kushner and Russian officials had taken place. ‘I think that any channel of communication back or otherwise, with a country like Russia is a good thing,’ he said. ‘It doesn’t bother me.’”

— SCARY, from Mattis on CBS’s “Face the Nation”: DICKERSON: “Help people understand what a conflict with North Korea would be like and how it would be different?” MATTIS: “A conflict in North Korea, John, would be probably the worst kind of fighting in most people’s lifetimes. Why do I say this? The North Korean regime has hundreds of artillery cannons and rocket launchers within range of one of the most densely populated cities on earth, which is the capital of South Korea. We are working with the international community to deal with this issue. This regime is a threat to the region, to Japan, to South Korea. And in the event of war, they would bring danger to China and to Russia as well. But the bottom line is it would be a catastrophic war if this turns into a combat if we’re not able to resolve this situation through diplomatic means.”

MARTHA RADDATZ spoke to REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-Calif.) on ABC’S “THIS WEEK” — Schiff on the Kushner-Russia back channel: “If these reports are accurate, right after that campaign, after that intervention, to have the president’s son-in-law, a key player within the Trump Organization trying to establish a back channel with the Russians through a Russian diplomatic facility, you have to ask, well, who are they hiding the conversations from? … I think we need to get to the bottom of these allegations. But I do think there ought to be a review of his security clearance to find out whether he was truthful, whether he was candid. If not then there’s no way he can maintain that kind of a clearance.”

DANA BASH talks to SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-N.J.) on CNN’S “STATE OF THE UNION” — BASH: “In the meantime, while there’s an investigation, should Jared Kushner’s security clearance be revoked or at least suspended?”BOOKER: “Well, again, I think we need to first get to the bottom of it. He needs to answer for what was happening at the time. It raises very serious concerns for me and that could be a potential outcome that I seek, but I want to understand, at least hear from, Jared Kushner as well as the administration about what was exactly going on there.” Flashback, 7/16/13 “Trump to host fundraiser for Booker” http://politi.co/2ruw5q3 (Ivanka and Jared bundled tens of thousands of dollars for Booker.)

THE JUICE …

— SPOTTED IN ASPEN: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) yesterday in the hot tub at the St. Regis spa.

PHOTO DU JOUR: President Donald Trump shakes hands as he arrives to speak to U.S. military troops and their families at Naval Air Station Sigonella on May 27 in Sigonella, Italy. | Evan Vucci/AP Photo

COOL NEW FEATURE — “Inside Trump’s war on regulations: The push to block, rewrite and delay scores of Obama-era rules may be the administration’s biggest untold success,” by Andrew Restuccia and Nancy Cook with help from seven Politico Pro colleagues: “The president’s aides say the goal is ‘systemic’ change. … Trump is … setting bureaucratic wheels in motion that could eventually ax or revise hundreds of regulations as agencies reorient themselves toward unwinding red tape and granting speedier approvals to projects. … If successful, these efforts could represent the most far-reaching rollback of federal regulations since Ronald Reagan’s presidency, especially if Trump’s proposed budget cuts make it hard for a future Democratic president to reaccelerate the rule-making apparatus.” With an interactive look at the fate of regulations across industries http://politi.co/2qrQw2N

THE GRADUATION CIRCUIT — “Defense Secretary Mattis at West Point graduation: ‘We Americans are not made of cotton candy’” – AP via Army Times: “He spoke on a sun-drenched day at the military academy’s football stadium in New York’s Hudson Valley, but spoke of ‘storm clouds gathering’ around the world. ‘Our enemies are watching,’ he said. ‘By your commitment, you will prove the enemy wrong. Dead wrong.’ He drew loud cheers when he added: ‘We Americans are not made of cotton candy.’” http://bit.ly/2rL8gKa

BOMBSHELL — “New accuser sues Dennis Hastert, alleging sexual abuse,”by the Chicago Tribune’s Marwa Eltagouri: “Less than three months before Dennis Hastert’s scheduled release from prison, a new accuser has come forward with allegations saying he was sodomized by Hastert decades ago, according to a lawsuit filed in Kendall County on Friday. …

“The new accuser, referred to in the lawsuit as Illinois resident ‘Richard Doe,’ is seeking $50,000 in damages from Hastert and Yorkville Community Unit School District 115 for charges including battery, negligent infliction of emotional distress and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

“The accuser said that during the spring or summer of 1973 or 1974, he stopped by the Game Farm Building, now the Yorkville High School parking lot, to use the bathroom after riding his bike along Game Farm Road. He was 9 or 10 at the time, in fourth grade, the lawsuit alleges. The accuser entered the bathroom and, while sitting on the toilet in a stall, heard a male voice mutter something outside the stall door, according to the lawsuit. The stall door opened, and he alleges he was sodomized.” http://trib.in/2r9tsXK

REMEMBERING JIM BUNNING – David Cohen: “Jim Bunning, the only person ever elected both to the U.S. Senate and the Baseball Hall of Fame, died late Friday. He was 85 and, according to his family, died of complications from a stroke suffered last year. Bunning, a blunt, conservative Republican who spent a combined 24 years representing Kentucky in the House and Senate, weathered several close elections to earn his place in both institutions. Sometimes, his two professions seemed to go together perfectly.

“‘I have been booed by 60,000 fans at Yankee Stadium standing alone at the pitcher’s mound, so I have never really cared if I stood alone here in Congress as long as I stood by my beliefs and my values,’ he said in his farewell Senate speech in December 2010. ‘I have also thought that being able to throw a curve ball never was a bad skill for a politician to have.’” http://politi.co/2qw7rQW

— FLASHBACK, per C-SPAN: The moment on March 5, 1996, when then-Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Ill.) informed the House that their colleague Jim Bunning got into the Baseball Hall of Fame and gave him a standing ovation: http://cs.pn/2qoU2Pi (h/t Howard Mortman)

REMEMBERING GREGG ALLMAN — Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Melissa Ruggieri: “A seminal voice of Southern rock is gone. Gregg Allman, leader of The Allman Brothers Band, died Saturday at his home in Savannah from complications due to liver cancer. He was 69.

“‘It’s a sad passing,’ said Peter Conlon, president of Live Nation Atlanta, who knew and worked with Allman for decades. ‘It’s not only the end of Gregg Allman, but between him and Butch (Trucks) gone, the end of The Allman Brothers.’” http://on-ajc.com/2rL7tca … Some essential contemporary Allman Bros videos (compiled by Jake): http://bit.ly/2rLvlwd … http://bit.ly/2r9XR8g… http://bit.ly/2rbXxaU

****** A message from the Coalition for Affordable Prescription Drugs (CAPD): As list prices for brand drugs continue to rise, employers are partnering with PBMs to keep drug costs under control. In fact, every dollar an employer invests in a PBM service returns six dollars in savings. Learn more at www.affordableprescriptiondrugs.org. ******

OBAMA ABROAD — “Close Personal Friends Prince Harry and Barack Obama Hung Out at Kensington Palace: The visit comes a little over a year since the Obamas’ last visit” — Vanity Fair: http://bit.ly/2rL8MrP … @David_Cameron: “Great to catch up with my good friend @BarackObama today.” Pic http://bit.ly/2r95An6

BONUS GREAT HOLIDAY WEEKEND READS, curated by Daniel Lippman:

–“Writer Evan Ratliff Tried to Vanish: Here’s What Happened” – November 2009 in Wired: “The premise is simple: I will try to vanish for a month and start over under a new identity. … Wired offered a $5,000 bounty — $3,000 of which would come out of my own pocket — to anyone who could locate me between August 15 and September 15, say the password ‘fluke,’ and take my picture.” http://bit.ly/2r8yiX0

–“The Advantage Of Being A Little Underemployed,” by Morgan Housel in Collaborative Fund: “Tell your boss you found a trick that will make you more creative and productive, and they ask what you’re waiting for. Tell them that your trick is taking a 90-minute walk in the middle of the day, and the answer will be no, you need to work. Another way to put this is that a lot of workers have thought jobs, without much time to think.” http://bit.ly/2r4ZiEV

–“How a Small Town Is Standing Up to Fracking,” by Justin Nobel in Rolling Stone: “Grant Township, Pennsylvania, population 741, has became the front line of a radical new environmental movement – and they’re not backing down.”http://rol.st/2qrKkXF

–“The ACLU’s Radical Plan to Fight Jeff Sessions,” by Ben Wofford in Politico Magazine: “I went canvassing with ex-convicts that are trying to make their case for criminal justice reform.” http://politi.co/2r4NT86

–“Andy Slavitt can’t stop: How a health care wonk became a rabble-rouser,”by Stat’s Eric Boodman: “From 2015 to early 2017, he had been the head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the government agency that administers President Obama’s Affordable Care Act and that provides health insurance for children, the elderly, the disabled, those on low incomes. … [Now he] has become one of the strongest voices in the fight against the dismantling of the Affordable Care Act.” http://bit.ly/2r1jx7W

–“U.S. Veterans Use Greek Tragedy to Tell Us About War,” by NYT’s Bruce Headlam: “The ancient Greeks didn’t go to the theater just to be entertained. Aristotle believed that audiences saw themselves reflected in tragic characters and that the very act of watching a character’s downfall helped purge them of emotions like pity and fear, a process he called catharsis or, roughly, ‘purification.’ More than 2,500 years later, a young classics major named Bryan Doerries … [started] a project he calls Theater of War, which has now staged more than 400 performances [of Sophocles] for veterans across the country.” http://nyti.ms/2rLeE46

–“Playing the Shell Game in the Mediterranean”: “Malta poses as a model member of the European Union, but it makes its living off of large European companies seeking to avoid higher tax rates back home. Der Spiegel went to the island nation to investigate, and found a lot of empty offices and empty words.” http://bit.ly/2r4VIKZ (h/t TheBrowser.com)

–“Kafka in Vegas,” by ProPublica’s Megan Rose, also published in Vanity Fair: “Fred Steese served more than 20 years in prison for the murder of a Vegas showman even though evidence in the prosecution’s files proved he didn’t do it. But when the truth came to light, he was offered a confounding deal known as an Alford plea. If he took it he could go free, but he’d remain a convicted killer.” http://bit.ly/2rYUaC6

–“Norman Lear: The Comedy Godfather of Television,” by Michael Paterniti in GQ: “Before TV was a thing (and before it was prefaced by words like ‘premium’ and ‘peak’), Norman Lear had been pushing the boundaries of the small screen for decades. The revolutionary writer and producer who tapped into the hot-to-the-touch culture wars of the ’70s with shows like All in the Family, The Jeffersons, and Sanford and Son, is back now, at 94 years young, and may just be the only one out there capable of explaining our times to us.” http://bit.ly/2rpFsag (h/t Longform.org)

–“There Aren’t Enough Slaughterhouses to Support the Farm-to-Table Economy,” by Deena Shanker in Bloomberg Businessweek: “Sellers of high-end pork, beef, and chicken agree: there simply aren’t enough facilities to humanely and safely kill their animals.” https://bloom.bg/2r6gWdd (h/t Longreads.com)

–“Dress Up: What We Lost in the Casual Revolution,” by G. Bruce Boyer in First Things – per ALDaily.com’s description: “It used to be simple: dark suit, white shirt, discreet tie, black oxfords. Then came ‘casual Fridays’ — and all we lost by dressing down…” http://bit.ly/2rHytta

–“Crushing on Crushers,” by Theodore Dalrymple in City Journal: “Why do intellectuals fall in love with dictators and totalitarians?” http://bit.ly/2rpIj35

–“For 40 Years, This Russian Family Was Cut Off From All Human Contact, Unaware of World War II,” by Mike Dash in Smithsonian Magazine: “In 1978, Soviet geologists prospecting in the wilds of Siberia discovered a family of six, lost in the taiga.” http://bit.ly/2rzCk8F

–“The Poisoned Generation,” by Vann R. Newkirk II in The Atlantic: “When the blood came back, [Casey] Billieson found out that both of her children were poisoned and likely had been for years. She called the lawyer who’d left his card with her. That phone call began a legal war of attrition that spanned more than two decades, three presidents, and one of the most devastating natural disasters in American history.” http://theatln.tc/2rYUsce

SPOTTED: Mika and Joe yesterday going for a run in Georgetown, on 33rd and N streets … John King yesterday at Nats Park on Star Wars day as the Nats beat the San Diego Padres, 3-0.

WEEKEND WEDDINGS – ANDREW KACZYNSKI, reporter at CNN’s KFile and a BuzzFeed alum, on Friday married RACHEL LOUISE ENSIGN, a banking reporter at the Wall Street Journal. Pool report: “It was decidedly non-scene! Lots of family and old friends … [celebrating a] wonderful evening at Prospect Park boathouse. The bride and groom were married by the groom’s older brother, Steve. There was a reading of a passage from ‘All the King’s Men’ and a reading of the poem ‘Ithaka.’ A live band played throughout the evening. … They met in intern group housing in D.C.” in 2010. Wedding pics by Jocelyn Voo of Everly Studios http://bit.ly/2rLkv9x … http://bit.ly/2qs2IAc … http://bit.ly/2rbVjIA … Pic of the KFile crew http://bit.ly/2qpq25O SPOTTED: Nathan McDermott, Christopher Massie, Kyle Blaine, Matt Dornic, McKay Coppins, Miriam Gottfried, Lindsay Gellman

OBAMA ALUMNI — “Eleanor Blume, Samuel Houshower” — N.Y. Times: “The bride and groom both received law degrees from the University of California, Berkeley, where they met. Ms. Blume, 31, is a special assistant attorney general in California, working on the executive team in San Francisco. She graduated from Wellesley College. … Mr. Houshower, 36, is a legal consultant in San Francisco for nonprofit organizations. From 2010 to 2016, he was an associate counsel to President Barack Obama. He graduated with an associate degree from Deep Springs College in California and with a bachelor’s degree from Harvard.” With pic http://nyti.ms/2sa1IS3

HILLARY ALUMNI — “Diana Padilla, Eduardo Cisneros”: “Mrs. Cisneros, 32, is the press secretary for Representative Raúl M. Grijalva, Democrat of Arizona. She graduated from California State University, Fullerton, and received a master’s degree in business management from EADA Business School in Barcelona, Spain. … Mr. Cisneros, 33, is a health care program coordinator for the Service Employees International Union in Washington. During the 2016 presidential campaign, he served as a national regional political director for Hillary for America in Brooklyn. He graduated from California State University, Long Beach, and received a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Chicago. … The couple met in 2013 at an inaugural ball given by the California Democratic Party in Washington.” http://nyti.ms/2qw063y

— “Coral Davenport, David Higgins”: “Ms. Davenport, 41, is a correspondent for The New York Times, covering energy and climate change policy from the newspaper’s Washington bureau. She graduated from Smith College. … The bride is the great-great-great maternal granddaughter of Matthew Fontaine Maury, the astronomer, meteorologist and oceanographer who is known as the Pathfinder of the Seas. Mr. Higgins, 39, is an intelligence analyst at the Energy Department in Washington, where he focuses on foreign nuclear weapons programs. He graduated magna cum laude from James Madison University and received a master’s degree in international affairs from Georgetown. … The couple met in 2005 at a party in Washington at a house from which Mr. Higgins had just moved out and which Ms. Davenport was about to move in. He helped her move in, carrying her boxes and assembling her Ikea furniture.” With pic http://nyti.ms/2qw0Wxp

–“Johanna Barr, Joseph Pikowski”: “The bride, 29, is a staff editor at The New York Times. She graduated cum laude from Skidmore College and received a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia. … The groom, 28, is a technical solutions manager in Manhattan at Criteo, a global advertising technology company, where he oversees clients’ digital advertising campaigns. He graduated cum laude from Tufts. … The couple met in 2008 during a study abroad program at the British American Drama Academy in London.” With pic http://nyti.ms/2ru6mxP

–“Allison Bernstein, Andrew Garin”: “The couple both graduated from Brown, magna cum laude. They met in 2005 as high school seniors while waiting for a flight to an event for prospective Brown students. The bride, 30, works in Providence, R.I., as the deputy communications director for Gov. Gina M. Raimondo. … The groom, 29, studies labor and public economics as a doctoral candidate at Harvard. … The groom’s father [Geoff Garin] is the president of Hart Research Associates, a strategic public opinion firm in Washington.” With pic http://nyti.ms/2r1fKaI

–“Alexandra Kennedy, Peter Haviland-Eduah”: “The bride, 29, works in Baltimore at Under Armour, the footwear and apparel company, where she is the chief of staff to the chief information officer and executive vice president for global operations. She graduated from Princeton. … The groom, 29, is a senior consultant in the Arlington, Va., office of Deloitte, the professional services firm; he works on projects contracted by the federal government. He is a former aide to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Democrat of New York. He graduated from Union College and received a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Michigan.” With pic http://nyti.ms/2rLmeM1

–Christopher Carofine, an SEC communications aide and a Hill GOP alum, on Saturday married Katherine Clubb, a teacher in Fairfax. The couple met in 2014 and Chris proposed on the banks of the Potomac in Old Town, one of their favorite spots and where they hold court most weekends. Their wedding was at Fort Belvoir Officers’ Club in Virginia. Pics http://bit.ly/2qvRPN8 … http://bit.ly/2qp3VfV

TRANSITIONS — Sam Frizell, who covered the 2016 campaign and was on the Hill for Time Magazine, has left the magazine and is headed to law school at Yale. … Vicki Ballagh, formerly a director at the Incite Agency, is joining Airbnb as the communications manager for the office of trust and risk management, an office led by Nick Shapiro, the global head of the office who is the former CIA deputy chief of staff. … John Weber has joined EMILY’s List as comms assistant. He formerly was a press intern for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

DEBORAH SPRIGGS, who spent “40 years, 1 month and 19 days” working for the House is retiring. “It has been an extraordinarily rewarding experience I will never forget. I have been so fortunate to have worked for so many great Members of Congress including the first female Speaker of the House and to work with so many talented and dedicated professional staff. It has truly been a privilege, working in a Member’s personal office, two exclusive Committees (Rules & Appropriations), Leadership and becoming Deputy Clerk; I could not have asked for a better career path.”

BIRTHDAYS: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is 46 … Katharine Weymouth, former Washington Post publisher and CEO … Rudy Giuliani is 74 … Pelosi alum Diane Dewhirst … Andy Stone, policy comms. manager at Facebook … Elisabeth Hasselbeck is 4-0 … BBC’s Tim Willcox is 54 … Dan Janison of Newsday … WSJ editor Carrie Melago … Ry Triplette of Franklin Square Group … Uber’s Josh Gold … former Rep. Aaron Schock (R-Ill.) is 36 … Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) is 68 … Rep. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) and former Rep. Scott Rigell (R-Va.) are both 57 … former Rep. Tom Petri (R-Wis.) is 77 … Lauren Mandelker … Graham Miller … Natalie Yezbick, press assistant for Sen. John Cornyn – her office celebrated with cake on Friday … Isabella Moschen … Politico’s Joseph Kennedy … Giulia Melucci, VP of PR at Harper’s … Coleen Jose … Tamara Draut, VP of policy and research for Demos and author of “Sleeping Giant” (hat tip: Kelley McCormick) … Jonathan Jones is 51 (h/t Pete Madigan) …

… Jessica Anderson, associate director at OMB, is 3-0, celebrating by having their budget out the door (hubby tip: Brandt Anderson, a great Chinook pilot) … Adam Collins, comms director for Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who celebrated by seeing the Cleveland Indians play the Kansas City Royals yesterday (pic http://bit.ly/2rL16pk), is 35 … Christopher Downing … Alan Khazei is 56 (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) … Julie Hershey Carr, a principal at Kountoupes Denham (h/t David Peluso) … David Lobl … Matthew Pritzker is 35 … Adam Daniel Pearl, son of Daniel Pearl, is 15 (h/ts Jewish Insider) … Jim Snyder … Andrea Wuebker … Texas Tribune editor in chief Emily Ramshaw … Jon Black … Harry Weinstein … Marty Kramer … Joe Paulsen … Ryan Graham … Christy Harvey Felling … Omid Memarian … Adelle Nazarian, politics and national security reporter at Breitbart and a Fox News alum … Tim Dowling is 32 … Ron Jacobi of Bryan Cave … Peter Cobus … Robert Walter Harleston is 58 … Carey Mulligan is 32 (h/t AP)

****** A message from the Coalition for Affordable Prescription Drugs (CAPD): One in two Americans rely on their employers to provide health care benefits. So, employers partner with PBMs to provide access to effective medications at the most affordable price. PBMs drive savings in part by using clinical expertise to identify generic alternatives that achieve the same health outcomes for a lower price. With generics accounting for 89 percent of prescriptions filled in 2015, but only 27 percent of drug costs, that represents a savings of $227 billion across the U.S. health care system in just one year. Learn more at www.affordableprescriptiondrugs.org. ******

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