#their dress code just says resort wear its so vague

[cosmicrhetoric]

navigating wedding culture across two separate cultures......

[saltylikecrait]

Code Purple - Finn/Rey Fanfic

For @finnreyfridays; a continuation of my color prompt fics. Finn and Rey go on an undercover mission, posing as a couple, to help get Rey what she needs to fix the lightsaber.

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“This is the place?”

Finn looked down at the coordinates and back up, looking out into space. “Must be.”

The pair stared out at a luxury space station that drifted in the blackness. Pristine silver steel told them just how recent it had been built. It was the latest, state-of-the-art station that occupied this area, taking the place of the station built during the early days of the Empire that came before it. It was considered one of the most romantic spots in the galaxy to vacation at, sought by the wealthy as a prime honeymoon destination or a worthy place to celebrate an anniversary. Unlike most space stations, this one did not have a purpose in research or refueling, its only purpose was for entertaining the rich.

“Are you sure Rose didn’t want to come here?” asked Rey.

Finn thought back to Canto Bight, when he first met Rose and remembered how grumpy she was the entire time. Her anger was aimed specifically at the luxury and the wealth of the casino resort. No, Rose was the last person he wanted to be here with, even if she was his girlfriend. He mentioned that he would have to go on an undercover mission to such a place, and she had zero interest in going anyway.

“No, I’m positive she’d hate it here,” he admitted. “It’s not very enjoyable to go to these kinds of places with her.”

Rey looked surprised. “Really?” she asked. “I thought…” Then she paused. “Wait, Finn. Are you two okay?”

He wasn’t sure what the look on her face meant, it almost seemed to be a combination of emotions and Finn found that he couldn’t read it. It was nice to be alone with Rey for once because with Rose around, he didn’t think Rey acted quite like herself. Here, she was almost back to resembling what he remembered when they first met. She was happy flying the Falcon and to chat away about whatever came to mind. Enthusiasm seemed to radiate from her again. It was nice to see her like this when she had seemed so down for the last couple of months.

But he knew what she meant. Some days, he felt like he was walking on eggshells around Rose and depending what was going on, she sometimes could not be reasoned with. When he mentioned what the mission entailed, Rose grew angrier and angrier and he wasn’t sure if it was just around the type of place he was going to or if Rey had something to do with it. He hated when it was clear there was tension between the two women.

“Well, we’ve got our issues, like every couple,” he observed. “She’s angry at me right now, but I think it’s just because of where we were going to be stationed for this mission.”

Rey looked a little doubtful.

“But that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy ourselves, right?” he asked, smiling widely at her. “You and I have never really gotten to experience this kind of thing.” At least, experiencing it when not obviously being on a mission for the Resistance. Finn was certain that Rey would find something to eat that she would enjoy.

That wasn’t the reason they came here though. Through a contact, Leia had found someone that was willing to do a trade for some Jedi artifacts to help Rey out. Jedi knowledge in exchange for help to an Outer Rim world to hide from the First Order. Finn had reason to suspect why a scholar would be under threat, but he didn’t want to make his thoughts known yet.

If it helped Rey, he wanted to be a part of it. In his coat pocket, he carried a datastick with coordinates to safe transport for the scholar.

“Have you ever done a docking sequence before?” Rey asked.

“Never.”

“Wanna learn?”

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Finn stood outside the ‘fresher door impatiently. He kept glancing at the chronometer by the bed, counting the minutes before they needed to leave if they wanted to get to their appointed meeting on time. Looking in the nearest mirror, he adjusted the tie around his collar, not used to wearing something so formal. He hoped no one noticed that the suit was just a little tight on his arms, a dead giveaway that his clothing was borrowed.

“Rey?” he called in. “Are you about done?”

“Just about,” she called back, cheerfully.

He just had to wait another minute or two before he heard the door slide open. Curiously, he glanced in Rey’s direction and found himself almost at loss for words.

“I- you look nice.”

And she did. The lavender dip-dyed dress was a far cry from her desert and Jedi attire. He was shocked to even see her put her hair up into one bun and do her makeup carefully with a light brushing of sand-colored eyeshadow and brown eyeliner.

No, forget nice. Rey looked beautiful.

“Does anything look weird?” she asked, turning her body back and forth to get a better look at all her angles. “I’ve only practiced one other time before we got here. Connix showed me.”

Finn nodded his head. “You look pretty,” he tried to say this with confidence but instead, he panicked when it came out as almost a whisper. He wondered if it was ok to tell another woman she looked nice if he was dating someone else. Thinking of Rose, Finn shook his head; surely helping Rey decide if she looked presentable wouldn’t be something that would anger his girlfriend. They were working undercover, after all.

“Oh.” Rey’s eyes widened as she walked over to Finn. Reaching out, she adjusted his tie. “It’s crooked.” Then she set about straightening it.

He smiled. “You’re a lifesaver.”

There was something in her smile that made him wonder what she was thinking. It was a soft smile, but the way her corners twitched was like she were trying to prevent herself from making it wider.

“What’s the time?” she asked, breaking their eye contact.

He looked over her shoulder. “About time to go.”

They headed out of their hotel room, heading down the long hallways until they came to a lift. Figuring out where the restaurant was, they went down six floors and traversed through a casino and shopping area.

“Just how big is this place?” Finn wondered out loud in a huff.

“I regret wearing heels,” Rey added, looking down at her feet. The heel of her shoes were not big by the standards around here, maybe a third of their size, but Rey was not used to walking around with her feet at such and angle. “They pinch.”

“Just a bit farther, Rey, promise.”

Luckily, they had already made reservations for this restaurant – “I can’t believe people eat like this,” Rey commented when she looked around the revolving floors that gave a view of the stars and nearest planets – and their table was ready for them. They had time before their contact was supposed to seek them out, so they took the advantage to eat a dinner of their choosing and catch up with each other using vague terms so to not give away their allegiance with the Resistance. By the way Rey talked, anyone would think she was just an adventurous pilot that knew a thing or two about mechanics. Finn hoped that he would just come across as a guy that sold blasters for a living.

They were enjoying a glass of purple wine that had a curious aroma and some soft ice cream topped with jogan fruit when who they believed to be their contact arrived.

Humanoid and strong, this man was Keshiri, made obvious by the purple tone of his skin.

“Dr. Halder?” Rey asked, cautiously as the man sat down near him.

“I went to school for many years to get that title,” he sighed, confirming who he was. “I take it you two are the people I’m looking for?”

“Should be,” Finn says. “Are we making the trade here?”

The man shrugged. “Don’t see why not.” He rummaged through his bag, pulling out a large square object covered with a cloth. “Mine for yours?” he grinned.

Finn held up the datastick, and the two slid their items across the table to exchange them.

“How did you even get this?” Rey wondered.

“Got it out of a museum’s archives.”

Finn looked aghast. “So, wait. Do you mean you stole it?”

But the Keshiri waved him off. “Relax,” he said. “No one’s looking for it. It’s been sitting in a storage box for years.”

Rey looked thoughtful again. “I wonder how it ended up with your people to begin with.”

“Who’s to say?” said Dr. Halder. “The Keshiri share a long history with the Jedi. We might not have been their allies, but we wanted to know all we could about them.” Almost matching Rey’s expression, the man looked out the viewport into open space. “That was a different time. A long time ago.” Then, he stood up. “I wish you both luck. You seem like a nice couple.” He looked at the datastick he held in his hand. “This is the luck I was looking for.”

Then, just as quickly as he appeared, the Keshiri vanished outside the seating area.

Finn and Rey gaped at each other for a moment, before their faces turned into expressions of amusement and they burst into laughter.

“Did he seriously just-?”

“Us?”

“Seriously? Can you imagine-?”

Then, they paused, staring at each other incredulously.

Wait, he wondered. Could he imagine himself with Rey? But… he was with Rose, right? So shouldn’t he not be wondering what it would be like to be with someone else? Or was that normal? Finn would admit that Rey enamored him when they first met, but after Rose kissed him on Crait, he gave himself a shot with her instead. He cared about Rose, but after the initial newness of their relationship had died, Finn found himself wondering if they would work out at all. He learned a lot by being with her, but Rose’s attitude hadn't changed much since they met and she still frustrated him to no end – and certainly not in a good way.

His head hurt thinking about all of this and he wondered if he would get in trouble or hurt Rose’s feelings if she knew what he was thinking right now.

But he noticed that as he was lost in thought, he left Rey in a silence that was becoming awkward. Not knowing what to say, he just began to laugh some more, though he noted that it was feigned.

The awkwardness was broken by the Keishiri backtracking through the restaurant, looking alarmed.

“Code Purple,” he whispered to them before running off.

A different sort of awkwardness overtook Finn. His stomach churned with dread.

“What’s Code Purple?” he asked Rey.

She stood up, looking around nervously. “We’ve got to go.” She grabbed the parcel and slipped it underarm.

“What’s going on?”

“If I think he means what it means – I don’t know if the Resistance uses the term – but we need to get out of here. The First Order might be around.”

Alarmed, Finn looked around and stopped himself. Nodding, he stood up. “Yeah, let’s get out of here.”

They were leaving the restaurant when they heard a gruff, “Hey you two, you gotta pay for that!”

Rey swore under her breath. “You still got that credit stick the General gave us?”

“Yeah,” Finn fished it out of his pocket.

“Great,” she said. “We need to get out of here.”

But that almost was unnecessary because as they approached the front desk to hand over the data stick, a shot rang out and everyone ducked as a blaster bolt projected across the room. The alarm the noise caused made all the diners break into a panic and in the confusion, Finn and Rey were able to get out.

Making a quick glance at where the blaster was fired from, Finn spotted a woman staring in their direction as the chaos exploded around her. In her hand, she held a blaster that Finn recognized as one issued by the First Order to undercover agents. It was smaller than the rifles he was used to, but far easier to conceal.

“We need to get back to the transport,” he urged Rey through the corridor urgently. Another bolt nearly missed them. He knew if he looked behind them, he would see the agent tailing them.

They sprinted down the corridor, back to the hangar where their transport had been stationed. Rey hit the switch to open the door before the pair jumped inside and shut the door hastily behind them.

Running to the pilot’s seat, Rey got the engine up and running, the console lighting up. “Can these things power up any slower?” she yelled at it, as if to try to will it to work faster.

Finn bounced up and down in his seat urgently, only to grip the armrest when a blaster bolt hit the side of the transport. “Hurry!” he urged.

“Does it look like I’m taking my time?” Rey growled.

The transport started to rumble as it skid across the hangar floor. In a few moments, they felt themselves smooth out as they entered space.

With a relieved sigh, Rey slouched in her seat. “Right, so not a relaxing vacation.”

“But we got the book, right?” Finn asked. “Please tell me it’s the right book!”

She still held the parcel against her side, pushed against the edge of the pilot’s seat while she took flight. Reaching down, she removed the cloth that covered it up, revealing an old and untitled leather-bound book. Carefully, she opened the book to a random page, revealing hand-sketched diagrams of lightsaber designs.

Smiling, she whispered. “It’s the right one.”

Now safe to leave his seat, Finn stood up and went to place his hand on the back of her chair, looking down at the book with her. Then, he looked up, gasping and pointing out the viewport.

“Oh,” Rey gasped along with him.

They got to see the nebula, clouds of swirling purple flecked with stars, after all.

[everettwilkinson]

The inside look at JARED — Trump’s obsession with Russia scandal grows — FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: JOSH GREEN’S BANNON book out July 18 — Caygle and Lorenzo wed in Ala. — MUST-READ RICH RUBIN on tax reform

Listen to the Playbook Audio Briefing http://bit.ly/2qukEu9… Subscribe on iTunes http://apple.co/2eX6Eay … Visit the online home of Playbook http://politi.co/2f51Jnf

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — JOSH GREEN’S NEW BOOK: “THE DEVIL’S BARGAIN: Steve Bannon, Donald Trump, and the Storming of the Presidency” — Josh wrote the first big profile of Steve Bannon in a cover story for Bloomberg Businessweek back in Oct. 2015 (https://bloom.bg/2rwU3Ri). On July 18, he’ll release “The Devil’s Bargain,” which chronicles the campaign — and Bannon’s influence — from the inside. The very cool cover http://bit.ly/2reBVL5 … Pre-order on Amazon for $27.00 or $13.99 on Kindle http://amzn.to/2rcLnws

Story Continued Below

Happy Monday and Memorial Day. THE BIG DAY-OFF READ …

— NYT A1, GLENN THRUSH, MAGGIE HABERMAN and SHARON LaFRANIERE, “Jared Kushner’s Role Is Tested as Russia Case Grows”: “In a statement Sunday night, Mr. Trump praised his son-in-law and the work he has done in the White House. ‘Jared is doing a great job for the country,’ he said. ‘I have total confidence in him. He is respected by virtually everyone and is working on programs that will save our country billions of dollars. In addition to that, and perhaps more importantly, he is a very good person.’ … [I]n recent weeks, the Trump-Kushner relationship, the most stable partnership in an often unstable West Wing, is showing unmistakable signs of strain. … It has been duly noted in the White House that Mr. Trump, who feels that he has been ill served by his staff, has increasingly included Mr. Kushner when he dresses down aides and officials, a rarity earlier in his administration and during the campaign.

“The most serious point of contention between the president and his son-in-law … was a video clip this month of Mr. Kushner’s sister Nicole Meyer pitching potential investors in Beijing on a Kushner Companies condominium project in Jersey City. At one point, Ms. Meyer — who remains close to Mr. Kushner — dangled the availability of EB-5 visas to the United States as an enticement for Chinese financiers willing to spend $500,000 or more. For Mr. Trump, Ms. Meyer’s performance violated two major rules: Politically, it undercut his immigration crackdown, and in a personal sense, it smacked of profiteering off Mr. Trump — one of the sins that warrants expulsion from his orbit. In the following days during routine West Wing meetings, the president made several snarky, disparaging comments about Mr. Kushner’s family and the visas that were clearly intended to express his annoyance … Mr. Kushner did not respond, at least not in earshot. …

“[His] unfailing self-regard has not endeared him to the rest of the staff. Resentful Trump staff members have long talked about ‘Jared Island’ to describe the special status occupied by Mr. Kushner, who, in their view, is given license to exercise power and take on a vague portfolio … without suffering the consequences of failure visited by the president on mere hirelings. Adding to the animus is Mr. Kushner’s aloof demeanor and his propensity for avoiding messy aspects of his job that he would simply rather not do — he has told associates he wants nothing to do with the legislative process, for instance. … Mr. Bannon, a onetime Kushner ally turned adversary known for working himself into ill health, has taken to comparing the former real estate executive to ‘the air,’ because he blows in and out of meetings leaving little trace, according to one senior Trump aide.” http://nyti.ms/2sd4bv4

ONE THEME we keep hearing in our conversations with senior White House aides and Capitol Hill stalwarts is “hubris.” Jared Kushner has never served in government and thinks he knows all, one person said to us. Why would the president’s son in law begin complex conversations with Russia before Trump got into office?

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

INSIDE THE WEST WING — HOW TRUMP IS REACTING — “Trump’s obsession over Russia probe deepens: But the president’s senior aides say he has yet to decide on a strategy for confronting the crises,” by Matt Nussbaum, Josh Dawsey and Eliana Johnson with Alex Isenstadt: “President Donald Trump has been aggressively working the phones since returning this weekend from his foreign trip, talking to friends and outside lawyers as he obsesses over the deepening investigations into his aides and Russia. Two White House officials said Trump and some aides including Steve Bannon are becoming increasingly convinced that they are victims of a conspiracy against Trump’s presidency, as evidenced by the number of leaks flowing out of government — that the crusade by the so-called ‘deep state’ is a legitimate threat, not just fodder for right wing defenders. … Senior aides and long-time confidants admitted not knowing who Trump would hire, how safe the jobs of top staff are, what the White House’s agenda is for the coming days, or what — if anything — they can accomplish.” http://politi.co/2qyAH9B

— @HansNichols: “Spotted at the White House: Trump’s personal lawyer Marc Kasowitz meeting with Ivanka at the White House, via @MoshehNBC”

THE LEGISLATIVE REALITY — LEADING WSJ.COM — “GOP’s Proposed Tax Changes Are No Match for Status Quo: Republicans’ boldest ideas for changes are on political life support as plans collide with the tax system’s reality,” by Rich Rubin: “There’s a clear winner in this year’s tax policy debate so far: The status quo.

“Republicans are scouring the tax code, searching for breaks to eliminate to offset the deep rate cuts they desire. But the biggest tax breaks are surviving and the boldest ideas for change are on political life support or already dead. Republican proposals for border-adjusting the corporate tax, ending the business interest deduction and making major changes to individual tax breaks for health and retirement all hit resistance within the GOP. The only big revenue-raising provision with anything close to Republican consensus is repealing the deduction for state and local taxes, and that faces objections from blue-state lawmakers in the party.

“The GOP’s dreams have collided with interest-group lobbying and the tax system’s reality. Politicians all profess to hate the tax code, but they don’t agree on exactly what they hate. Voters gripe about complexity but are wary of losing cherished breaks that are woven into the economy.” http://on.wsj.com/2r40oCc

****** A message from Morgan Stanley: Morgan Stanley helped All Aboard Florida raise capital to bring Brightline, an express railway, to the Sunshine State—potentially cutting travel time across Southern Florida by up to 25-30%1 versus existing options. Investing in infrastructure isn’t just good for people—it can be good for cities. Learn more at morganstanley.com/brightline. ******

TRANSLATING TRUMP: THE PRESIDENT tweeted last night: “The massive TAX CUTS/REFORM that I have submitted is moving along in the process very well, actually ahead of schedule. Big benefits to all!”

— A FEW THINGS TO UNPACK HERE: Tax cuts and reform are two very different things. Tax reform is rewriting the tax code, and perhaps cutting taxes, too. A simple “tax cut” would be much easier to accomplish, but would face stiff resistance from conservatives, who would call it an easy way out. Also: the tax plan that Trump submitted is as dead as can be and IS NOT ahead — or on — any schedule. The House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee have started their own tax reform process, but it is not ahead of any sort of schedule. It is, though, a work in progress.

TRUMP INC. — NYT Business Day cover, “The Coat of Arms Said ‘Integrity.’ Now It Says ‘Trump,’” by Danny Hakim in London: “At the Trump National Golf Club outside Washington, which hosted the Senior P.G.A. Championship this weekend, the president’s coat of arms is everywhere — the sign out front, the pro shop, even the exercise room. The regal emblem, used at President Trump’s golf courses across the United States, sports three lions and two chevrons on a shield, below a gloved hand gripping an arrow. A different coat of arms flies over Mr. Trump’s two golf resorts in Scotland. … Mr. Trump’s American coat of arms belongs to another family. It was granted by British authorities in 1939 to Joseph Edward Davies, the third husband of Marjorie Merriweather Post, the socialite who built the Mar-a-Lago resort that is now Mr. Trump’s cherished getaway. In the United States, the Trump Organization took Mr. Davies’s coat of arms for its own, making one small adjustment — replacing the word ‘Integritas,’ Latin for integrity, with ‘Trump.’” http://nyti.ms/2sdcM0B

OLIVIA NUZZI in NYMag, “‘Is This Even About Seth Rich At All?’”: “The people who knew and loved Seth Rich still sometimes speak of him in the present tense. … They remember his warm, broad smile and his tendency to greet all in his immediate vicinity with a round of high-fives. … They talk about how much fun he was, how he’d always show up to a party, how he’d always volunteer to be the butt of a joke. There was the time he sported a panda suit at work all day, or when a colleague came over to his desk to find him sitting there holding a cup of coffee and wearing a unicorn mask like it was just business casual. … They also speak of a son — one who talked to his parents on the phone nearly every day — a brother, a boyfriend, and a friend. They say he was a thoughtful listener and a kind, solid midwesterner. He liked beer and Husker football, and he was the godfather to a cockapoo puppy named Archie.” http://nym.ag/2s6TDy3

THE OPPOSITION — “Sanders revolution hits a rough patch: Bernie’s supporters struggle to capture the actual levers of power,” by David Siders in Sacramento: “[A] year after Sanders’ presidential run fell short, one thing is missing in the afterglow — a reliable string of victories at the ballot box.

“The losses are piling up. Earlier this month, Democrat Heath Mello, whom Sanders campaigned with, failed to unseat a Republican in Omaha’s race for mayor. Kimberly Ellis, the candidate endorsed by Our Revolution, the successor group to Sanders’ presidential campaign, lost a fiercely contested race for California Democratic Party chair. And on Thursday night, Republican Greg Gianforte bested Rob Quist, another Democrat for whom Sanders campaigned, in a nationally watched House race in Montana. Speaking at a victory party, Gianforte called the election proof ‘Bernie Sanders and Nancy Pelosi can’t call the shots here in Montana.’” http://politi.co/2qrP4kQ

FIRST LOOK — The House GOP is out with a new Memorial Day video featuring veterans in the Republican conference – cameos by: Reps. Brian Babin (Texas), Mark Sanford (S.C.), Jeff Denham (Calif.), Ted Poe (Texas), Barry Loudermilk (Ga.), Larry Bucshon (Ind.). 1-min. video http://bit.ly/2sdccjw

PUTIN IN FRANCE — “Putin visits France, hopes to mend strained ties with West,” by AP’s Vladimir Isachenkov and Sylvie Corbet in Versailles: “On a trip likely to shape Russia-France ties for years to come, Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in France on Monday for talks with newly-elected French President Emmanuel Macron — the candidate he did not back in presidential vote.

“The trip offers the Russian leader a chance to turn the page and try to establish a productive relationship with Macron as the Kremlin struggles to mend its bitter rift with the West. Macron is the first Western leader to speak to Putin after the Group of Seven summit over the weekend, where relations with Russia were a key topic.” http://apne.ws/2rx9MQx

THE PRESIDENT is speaking and laying a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery this morning.

PHOTO DU JOUR: Vice President Mike Pence alongside wife Karen, gives a thumbs up to the Indiana National Guard during pre-race festivities at the 101st running of the Indy 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 28. | Mykal McEldowney/The Indianapolis Star via AP

WHAT THE FIRST FAMILY IS READING — DARREN SAMUELSOHN: “Lara Trump’s controversial pet issue: First-daughter-in-law advocates for beagles, but her partner’s past tactics cause concern”: “President Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law has taken up a pet issue — beagle adoption — that reflects her lifelong interest in animal welfare. One of Lara Trump’s partners, however, is a little problematic. Eric Trump’s wife has publicly aligned with a controversial animal rights group, the Beagle Freedom Project, whose leadership includes a felon who served a six-year sentence in federal prison for harassing and stalking researchers.” http://politi.co/2sduWiN

— FT: “World Bank helps Trump on US infrastructure plans: Critics say bank is currying favour with advice after creation of ‘Ivanka fund,’” by Shawn Donnan: “The World Bank has begun advising the Trump administration on its infrastructure plans, the latest product of a budding relationship between first daughter Ivanka Trump and bank president Jim Yong Kim that is raising eyebrows among bank veterans and governance experts.

“The unusual move grew out of an April 3 White House meeting between Mr. Kim and Ms. Trump to discuss a new $1bn women’s entrepreneurship fund championed by Donald Trump’s eldest daughter that the bank is trying to set up ahead of a G20 summit in Germany in July. At the end of that April meeting Ms. Trump asked whether the World Bank president wanted to meet her father and then led him to the Oval Office. There, according to people briefed on the meeting, the president was huddled with advisers discussing infrastructure plans, prompting Mr. Kim to offer to help.

“Three days later a team of infrastructure experts from the World Bank was sent to New York to meet members of a new presidential council, according to a World Bank spokesman who confirmed the meetings. ‘These conversations continue at an informal level,’ he said.” http://on.ft.com/2rNRv0Z

DEEP DIVE — MARGARET TALBOT in The New Yorker, “The Addicts Next Door: West Virginia has the highest overdose death rate in the country. Locals are fighting to save their neighbors—and their towns—from destruction”: “According to the Charleston Gazette-Mail, between 2007 and 2012 drug wholesalers shipped to West Virginia seven hundred and eighty million pills of hydrocodone (the generic name for Vicodin) and oxycodone (the generic name for OxyContin). That was enough to give each resident four hundred and thirty-three pills.” http://bit.ly/2qyINin

INSIDE HILLARY WORLD — “The Place Where Letters To Hillary Clinton Go,” by BuzzFeed’s Ruby Cramer: “At just 30 years old, Rob Russo has been one of Hillary Clinton’s closest aides for a decade, organizing and drafting her political and personal correspondence. After the election, his job changed as thousands of strangers starting writing to Clinton. Now he’s living through the end of an era, one letter at a time.” http://bzfd.it/2s6dYUh

JOSH ROGIN in WaPo, “Inside the Trump administration’s plans to restart the Ukraine peace process”: “In their Oval Office meeting in March, President Trump told German Chancellor Angela Merkel that the Ukraine crisis was Europe’s responsibility and that the United States wouldn’t get heavily involved, according to two officials briefed on the discussion. Only two months later, the Trump administration is reversing course and planning to re-engage on Ukraine in a significant way. For Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who is leading the behind-the-scenes effort, Ukraine is where Trump’s so-far thwarted plan to improve U.S.-Russian relations can be kick-started. Although still in its early stages, Tillerson’s idea is to restart a version of the peace negotiations that the Obama administration was engaged in last year, hoping that new circumstances and personalities might produce better results.” http://wapo.st/2r3NEMc

****** A message from Morgan Stanley: Morgan Stanley helped raise the capital needed by innovative company All Aboard Florida to enhance Florida’s infrastructure by developing the nation’s first express, intercity rail, Brightline. The train, connecting cities across Southern Florida, is expected to cut down on travel time for residents and tourists, and could potentially add up to hundreds of millions in federal, state and local government tax revenue over the next several years.1 Capital creates better connections for people, communities and cities. Learn more at morganstanley.com/brightline. Capital creates change. ******

ELIOT COHEN in TheAtlantic.com, “What Did Trump Accomplish on His First Foreign Trip? Some firm handshakes, forced smiles, and awkward sword dances. In short, nothing”: “It is proof of how low our standards are for judging Trump’s competence that he got high marks for delivering speeches more or less accurately, if woodenly, from teleprompters and scripts. He did not declare war on Islam. He spent only 15 minutes at Yad Vashem and left a semi-literate note there, but at least said nothing egregiously stupid. He was polite to the Pope. He said that the Germans were ‘bad, very bad’ on trade but admired Egyptian president Sisi’s shoes. His motorcade was not stormed by angry European leftists. But what did he accomplish?” http://theatln.tc/2rwHXYu

— “As Iran and U.S. Leaders Trade Barbs, Big Deals Proceed,” by NYT’s Thomas Erdbrink in Tehran: “President Trump, who has never made a secret of his hostility toward Iran, called recently for a grand regional strategy among Sunni nations to isolate the country. But Tehran received that threat with surprising equanimity because, in practice, the Trump administration has shown a willingness to do business with the country. …

“Tough talk from both sides, but back in Iran, they are awaiting the delivery of a fleet of American-made Boeing airliners, the result of two deals worth $22 billion for the United States company. The most recent contract between the plane maker and the Iranian airline Iran Aseman was signed two months after President Trump was sworn into office.” http://nyti.ms/2s6nE0S

THE GLOBAL POLITICO PODCAST – SUSAN GLASSER, “How the British Election Looks Like America’s”: “Steve Hilton, who served as the Conservatives’ top strategist in the last British general election before falling out with his close friend, May’s predecessor David Cameron, over Brexit. In a new interview for The Global Politico, Hilton says May has not followed through on the ‘political revolution’ that brought Brexit and Trump to the U.S. with a comparable ‘policy revolution’—nor does she seem likely to after a campaign that at times now seems reminiscent of last year’s American contest.” http://politi.co/2sdqlwX … Transcript http://politi.co/2sdJ8bu … Subscribe http://apple.co/2kJ9q1U

PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION — “One D.C. school lost more than a quarter of its teaching staff this year,” by WaPo’s Alejandra Matos: “The vacancies hit hardest in schools that already face numerous academic challenges, according to data The Washington Post obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

“At Ballou High School in Southeast Washington, more than a quarter of the faculty quit after starting work in August. Many of their classrooms now have long-term substitutes. Dwight Harris, 16, an 11th-grader, said his Algebra 2 class has been chaotic since his first teacher left in January. ‘No one is teaching. It’s been like that for months now,’ Harris said. ‘We don’t do anything, so I leave and go to my biology class or English class and go do other work.’

“Most teachers wait until summer to call it quits, but in DCPS a rising number are leaving during the school year. The mid-year resignation rate for DCPS was higher than for some other urban school systems The Post checked. In the D.C. system, 184 of about 4,000 teachers — nearly 5 percent — quit from September to mid-May. That was a 44 percent increase over the 128 teachers who left in the 2013-2014 school year.” http://wapo.st/2qyK8Gb

MOLLY BALL reviews Al Franken’s “Giant of the Senate” for the NYT http://nyti.ms/2qrJsXM

PLAYBOOKERS’ VACATION PIX – Josh and Melissa Sharp spent the week leading into Memorial Day touring the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii and Germany’s Neuschwanstein Castle. Pics http://bit.ly/2qrHXIY … http://bit.ly/2qrve9r… http://bit.ly/2reQkqG … A Playbooker in Monaco attending yesterday’s Grand Prix sends a shot of German Sebastian Vettel’s car in the lead driving for Ferrari, which won for the first time in 16 years http://bit.ly/2qrvmpr … The winning car before the race http://bit.ly/2qrx8H0

… Dr. Tomicah Tillemann, director of Bretton Woods II and Blockchain at the New America Foundation and a former speechwriter and senior advisor to Hillary at State, and his wife Sarah Tillemann, alum of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, write in: “We’ve been with our five little ones reconnecting with the values of sacrifice, service and love of country at the site of the D-Day landings. We walked past a quote from General Mark Clark en route to the grave sites at Omaha Beach: ‘If ever proof were needed that we fought for a cause and not for conquest, it could be found in these cemeteries. Here was our only conquest: all we asked was enough soil in which to bury our gallant dead.’ There is no more powerful reminder of why democracy, decency, and the defense of human rights have always been at the core of America’s greatness and the foundation of our most powerful alliances. Let’s keep it that way…” Pix http://bit.ly/2rclYmL

SPOTTED — Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at The Studio theatre performance last night of “The Father” with Ted Van Griethuysen as a man diagnosed with dementia. The show got a standing ovation and Ginsburg went immediately backstage after the performance. … Secretary of State Rex Tillerson yesterday riding a maroon Harley-Davidson during Rolling Thunder — pic http://bit.ly/2reABb5 … Tony Podesta and Vin Roberti at the amfAR “making AIDS history” fundraiser at the Hotel Du Cap in Cap d’Antibes — pic http://bit.ly/2rxIadQ

WEEKEND WEDDINGS — THE PRIDE OF TAMPA TIES THE KNOT, MARRIES UP –“Heather Caygle, Aaron Lorenzo” — N.Y. Times: “The bride, 29, and groom, 41, cover Congress for Politico. Ms. Caygle [author of Huddle] graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and received a master’s degree in journalism from American University. … Mr. Lorenzo … graduated from Boston University … The couple met in Washington in 2013 while working as reporters at Bloomberg BNA. They had desks next to each other for more than a year before the groom worked up the courage to ask her out.” With pic http://nyti.ms/2s9M2OF

POOL REPORT from Seung Min Kim: The “emotional ceremony … featured personal vows, a touching reading from POLITICO’s Anthony Adragna and a starring role for their corgi/chihuahua mix, Biggie Smalls, who served as ring bearer [pic: http://bit.ly/2quuxrE]. Then it was off to Iron City, where the bride and groom made a grand entrance to the Stevie Wonder classic ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered’ as friends and family — some who traveled from as far away as Canada — cheered the newlyweds on. Other highlights: Heather’s surprise mother-daughter dance for mom Kitty, which left the crowd in tears; an elaborate groom’s cake for Aaron shaped like a grill, and oversized cutout heads of Heather, Aaron and Biggie that the partygoers waved on the dance floor.” Wedding pics http://bit.ly/2r3HueU … http://bit.ly/2rc6U8M … http://bit.ly/2qrH4jV

SPOTTED: A strong showing of Politicos past and present, and their loved ones: Kevin Robillard and Lindy Stevens, Adam Snider and Emma Dumain, Seung Min Kim and Jeff Lee, Lauren Gardner and Patrick Ambrosio, Connor O’Brien, bridesmaid Kate Tummarello, Erin Mershon, Bernie Becker and Adriane Casalotti. Also spotted: Matt Fuller, who has impressive dance moves, and Jonathan Nicholson.

–“Anna Greenberg, Dana Milbank” – Times: “Dr. Greenberg, 48, is a partner in Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, a polling firm in Washington. She graduated cum laude from Cornell and received a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Chicago. … The bride’s father [Stan] is the founding partner at Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research. … Mr. Milbank, 49, is a syndicated columnist with The Washington Post. He graduated cum laude from Yale. … The couple met at a party in Washington in October 2001 and went on a blind date 14 years later, in February 2015.” With pic http://nyti.ms/2qs1Xal

— POOL REPORT, with the subject line “In-town pool report #1 — Milbank/Greenberg nuptials” from Julie Mason: “Two hundred guests sat on folding wooden chairs in the hall [at Eastern Market], warmly lit by overhead string lights, orange-hued footlights and flickering candles under glass. … Male guests wore yarmulkes in dove-grey satin … The couple read the Ketubah, had the blessings and broke the glasses. More than one eye in the room sparkled bright with a tear — one less bachelor in Washington! … In his own remarks to the gathering back inside the hall, now cleared of chairs and set up with a dance floor, Milbank noted the traditional Ketubah set a price on the wife to be paid to her father. Calculating that price to be 100 goats, Milbank presented noted pollster Stan Greenberg with four stuffed goats from a basket as a down payment, promising regular deliveries from Amazon ‘unless and until he says the debt is paid.’” Full pool report http://politi.co/2rx5rNc … Pics — Under the chuppa http://bit.ly/2r42KkG … First dance http://bit.ly/2rNNslo … http://bit.ly/2quxgld

SPOTTED: Juleanna Glover and Christopher Reiter, former Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and Stan Greenberg, Amy Dacey, Katherine Miller, Terence Samuel, Jodi Enda, Tom Toles, Jonathan Karl, Susan Glasser and Peter Baker, Carol Lee, Anu Rangappa, Paul Kane, Neil King Jr. and Shailagh Murray, Jonathan Weisman, Jennifer Steinhauer, Anne Kornblut and Jon Cohen, JoDee Winterhoff, Juliet Eilperin, Eric Liu, Doug Sosnik.

OBAMA ALUMNI — KATIE JOHNSON and NATE RAWLINGS tied the knot last night in Brookline, Massachusetts. POOL REPORT from Ben LaBolt and Kate Bedingfield: It was “a Beantown bash wedding complete with an excursion to a private island in Boston Harbor. Surrounded by friends and family, they married to the sound of bagpipes at All Saints Parish in Brookline then headed down the street for a rollicking reception at Katie’s family home (there remains a debate about the best dance performance to the silent DJ). Katie served as Personal Secretary to President Obama during his first term and as a Counselor in the Office of Management and Budget during the second. Nate, who served as a Captain in the Army in Iraq and Afghanistan, a reporter at Time Magazine and a speechwriter for Vice President Biden [and is also a State alum], is now chief speechwriter at the World Bank. … Revelers celebrated under a tent in Katie’s parents’ backyard, dancing to the wee hours of the night a mere 24 hours after a spirited game of capture the flag brought out both the best and worst of everyone in attendance.”Pics http://bit.ly/2reLZ6Q … http://bit.ly/2rf2IqT

SPOTTED: Joel and Lisa Benenson, Meghan Johnson, Meaghan Burdick, Missy Kurek, Kal Penn, Todd and Lindsey Schulte, Mike O’Neil and Stephanie Sutton, Reid Cherlin and Annie Shacker, Thomas Richards, Ben Finkenbinder, Vinay Reddy, Emily Loeb and Sarah Feldman, David Kieve, Nikki Buffa, Jen Psaki and Greg Mecher, Stephanie Psaki and Adam Frankel, Chris Boutlier, Danielle Gray, Alex Mackler, Jenny Cizner and Jeff Amsel, Jacob Leibenluft, Mackey Dykes and Katie Scharf, Ishan Tharoor, Jenny Urizar.

ENGAGED — Zach Gillan, research director for Congressional Leadership Fund and an alum of the NRSC, got engaged this weekend to Cherie Paquette, producer for FOX News’ “America’s Newsroom” with Bill Hemmer and Martha MacCallum. He proposed at Pippin Hill outside of Charlottesville, and they met in April 2014 at a happy hour for her going away party from the Washington Free Beacon to FOX News. The Daily Beast’s Lachlan Markay gets credit as the matchmaker. Pics http://bit.ly/2sd986Z … http://bit.ly/2rf31BH

–Jason Rodriguez, a political advocacy specialist at the American Nurses Association, got engaged on Saturday to Brittany Grimm, manager of grassroots at the American Bankers Association. They met while they were House Democratic fundraising consultants during the ‘14 cycle. Rodriguez, former national deputy Latino vote director for the Hillary campaign, proposed after she arrived from a flight home after visiting some friends out west. Their dog, Arrow, and Jason were waiting at home with a room filled with candles. Pic http://bit.ly/2rO3qMa … The ring http://bit.ly/2qykJwe

WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Lydia Mulvany, reporter covering agriculture and commodities at Bloomberg, and Riccardo Reatti, VP of strategic initiatives at Zurich Insurance Company in Chicago, early Sunday morning welcomed Valentina, born at 12:30 a.m. Both mom and baby are healthy and happy. Pics http://bit.ly/2ra8V52 … http://bit.ly/2qyCJ9x … http://bit.ly/2rwIFVx

BIRTHDAYS: Matthew Dowd … Jill Hazelbaker, V.P. of comms. and policy at Uber, and a Snapchat and McCain alum … Sandy DeFrees … Pete Seat, executive director of strategic comms and talent development at the Indiana Republican Party (and frequent World Series attender), is 34 … D.C. Examiner managing editor Philip Klein … Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Tex.) is 6-0 … Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) is 63 … Kara Genderson (h/t Dan) … Francesca Chambers, a proud KU alum and White House Correspondent at The Daily Mail (hubby tip: Michael Moroney) … LifeZette’s Jon Conradi is 28 … Susan Osnos, the pride of Lakeside, Michigan (h/t son Evan) … Jacob Kornbluh, Jewish Insider’s tireless NYC-based reporter … Freakonomics’ Steven Levitt is 5-0 (h/ts Max Neuberger) …

… Lee Satterfield, EVP and COO at Meridian International Center … Todd Flournoy … Bri Gillis … Sam Ford … Dayna Geldwert … Kimberly Rawson … Yale Scott … Dan Froomkin …Eugene Gelfgat (h/t Hayley Andrews) … Chris Johnson … Tom Giusto … Danny Maiello … Kathy Lash of Justine’s Ice Cream Parlour in St. Michaels and Ocean City, Maryland (h/ts Jon Haber) … Mary Ryan Douglass … Danny Crouch … Dave Yonkman is 31 … Terence Samuel, deputy managing editor at NPR and a WaPo alum … Alexander Berger … former Time Inc. CEO Ann Moore … Ellen Kurz … Mary Anne Schmitt (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) … Brian McClung … former Century Foundation president Janice Nittoli … Charlie Gerow … Aleen Sirgany … Tulin Daloglu … former baseball commissioner Fay Vincent, also a Hotchkiss grad, is 78 … Annette Bening is 59 … Melissa Etheridge is 56 … NBA player Carmelo Anthony is 33 (h/ts AP)

****** A message from Morgan Stanley: All Aboard Florida wanted to create a faster and easier way to move around Florida. Morgan Stanley helped them raise capital to begin development of the country’s first express, intercity railway to do just that. Not only are the new Brightline trains expected to reduce travel time across Southern Florida by approximately an hour1, but they’re also projected to take up to 3 million vehicles off the road each year, helping to reduce congestion and harmful emissions1. Read more about Morgan Stanley’s work at morganstanley.com/brightline. Capital creates change.

Disclaimer: 1 Based on data provided by All Aboard Florida. For more information visit: http://allaboardflorida.com/projectdetails/aaf-fact-sheet CRC 1737672 03/17 ******

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