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IMPENDING CAR CRASH from The Atlantic’s Michigan-based @TimAlberta: “The chip shortage could fairly be described as a crisis — millions of willing consumers unable to buy, thousands of dealerships going broke because they have no inventory, hundreds of plants slowing or stopping new vehicle production. It’s a huge news story — and hugely undercovered.”

WSJ’s Asa Fitch: “Intel Corp. Chief Executive PAT GELSINGER sees the global semiconductor shortage potentially stretching into 2023, adding a leading industry voice to the growing view that the chip-supply disruptions hitting companies and consumers won’t wane soon. The world-wide shortage has fueled rising prices for some consumer gadgets. Meanwhile, the auto industry has been particularly hard-hit as the lack of a key component causes production delays.”

TWO INJURED IN SHOOTING AT 14TH AND RIGGS — HuffPost’s IGOR BOBIC live-tweets from the scene … WUSA9 story

SITTING PRETTY — No matter what happens to BIF, PETE BUTTIGIEG has already won.

The Iowa caucus winner-turned-Transportation secretary has redefined the backwater Cabinet position where Democrats typically plant their obligatory Republican senior official and vice versa (e.g. Obama/LaHood, Bush/Mineta). Buttigieg has assumed celebrity status in D.C., a mainstay of Playbook “spotteds”: In the past six months we’ve seen him riding his bike to work, hanging with Rep. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-N.Y.) at the dog park, waiting in line for ice cream, sitting next to President JOE BIDEN in the Oval Office and beamed into our living rooms giving off warm fuzzies about a pretty non-ideological issue: infrastructure.

It’s a posting that has never led to the presidency, yet some say Buttigieg has positioned himself well by taking the gig, right when fixing roads and bridges is the issue. There are other Cabinet secretaries on Biden’s infrastructure sales team, such as Energy’s JENNIFER GRANHOLM, Commerce’s GINA RAIMONDO, HUD’s MARCIA FUDGE and Labor’s MARTY WALSH. But it’s Buttigieg who’s been on late-night TV not once, but twice — not to mention appearing on “The View” and hopping aboard an Amtrak for a “Today” show soft-focus feature. Back in April, he sat next to Biden in the armed seat typically designated for the VP (KAMALA HARRIS was in North Carolina promoting manufacturing that day).

Biden seems happy to share the infrastructure glory with Buttigieg, whom he’s compared to his late son Beau.

“Pete as a point person makes sense, given Biden’s style, temperamentally and ideologically attempting to explain things in a common-sense way, not looking for an outlandish viral moment and trying to appeal to a cross section of Americans,” said Rep. BRENDAN BOYLE (D-Pa.).

Buttigieg, in short, has gotten all the upside and none of the dirty work. He’s building valuable relationships with members of both parties around the country as he sells the infrastructure package, without the haggling and arm-twisting to get it passed.

“There’s no blood on his hands,” said a senior Republican Senate official. “Because who on Earth is going to blame Pete Buttigieg if this thing falls apart? They’re going to blame Congress and Biden.”

People who know Buttigieg say he’s taken to the role in part because he’s a good communicator, but also because he’s a wonk about infrastructure.

“There was a lot of consternation among the Twitterati about what his qualifications were for the role,” said JENNIFER HOLDSWORTH, who advised his failed campaign for DNC chair in 2017 and served as a fundraiser for his presidential bid. “I was lucky enough to see him do his mayoral duties in South Bend [Ind.]. There was not a bigger nerd in the Midwest when it came to filling potholes.”

If there’s anything negative to say about Buttigieg at this point, it’s that he’s peaking early — once infrastructure is over, he’s back to being a run-of-the-mill Cabinet member.

But he can worry about that later. It’s hard not to compare Buttigieg’s current station — owning a legislative priority that will likely succeed — to the burden Harris bears as the administration’s point person on two of the most intractable issues on the docket: voting rights and immigration.

“The really tough things,” said one senior Democratic aide, were “put on Kamala’s plate.”

Happy Friday, and thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza, Tara Palmeri.

INSIDE BIDEN’S CUBA SLOW-WALK: Cuba’s sweeping protests — and sweeping crackdown — are historic. But the situation is a political hot potato for Biden, whose sanction orders came nearly two weeks after the unrest began. His go-it-slow approach has emboldened Republicans, while Florida Democrats fear the president could blow an opportunity to reorient U.S.-Cuba policy and improve the party’s political chances in a former swing state. Our colleagues Sabrina Rodríguez and Marc Caputo unpack the political minefield with Tara. Listen and subscribe to Playbook Deep Dive

BIDEN’S FRIDAY:

— 10 a.m.: The president will receive the President’s Daily Brief.

— Noon: Biden and Harris will have lunch together.

— 7:45 p.m.: Biden will participate in a campaign event for Virginia gubernatorial candidate TERRY MCAULIFFE at Lubber Run Park in Arlington, Va.

— 8:45 p.m.: Biden will leave the White House en route to Wilmington, Del., where he is scheduled to arrive at 9:40 p.m.

Press secretary JEN PSAKI will brief at 12:30 p.m.

THE SENATE and THE HOUSE are out.

First lady JILL BIDEN and MARIKO SUGA participated in a bilateral engagement at Akasaka Palace at 9 p.m. EDT Thursday. The first lady met virtually with members of the USA Olympic team at 10:30 p.m. EDT Thursday. She met EMPEROR NARUHITO of Japan at the Imperial Palace at 1:30 a.m. EDT. Biden will attend the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony as head of the U.S. delegation at 7 a.m. EDT.

WHITE HOUSE

FILIBUSTER WATCH — “Democrats’ Divide on Voting Rights Widens as Biden Faces Pressure,” by NYT’s Katie Rogers and Nick Corasaniti: “Biden, a veteran of the Senate who for decades has believed in negotiating on the particulars of voting rights legislation, has faced calls to push Democratic senators to eliminate the filibuster, which would allow the two major voting bills proposed by the party to pass with a simple majority. The president and his advisers have repeatedly pointed out that he does not have the votes within his own party to pass federal voting legislation, and does not have the power to unilaterally roll back the filibuster even if he supported doing so.

“But voting rights groups say that Mr. Biden is not expending sufficient political capital or using the full force of his bully pulpit to persuade Congress. They point to the contrast between his soaring language — ‘Jim Crow on steroids,’ he has called the G.O.P. voting laws — and his opposition to abolishing the Senate filibuster.”

POLITICS ROUNDUP

UNSEATING CHENEY — “Inside Trump’s intense search for a Cheney challenger,” by Alex Isenstadt and Ally Mutnick: “[DONALD] TRUMP’s top political advisers have been holding quiet talks over the last several months with the primary challengers looking to take down his most prominent Republican nemesis: Wyoming Rep. LIZ CHENEY.

“During phone calls and Zoom chats, the Trump advisers have pressed the candidates on their fundraising capabilities, their policy positions and the overall strength of their campaign organizations. The goal: to determine whether they have what it takes to unseat Cheney, the influential daughter of a former vice president, who served as the No. 3 House Republican until colleagues ousted her in the spring.

“The talks will escalate next week, when Trump meets with two challengers at his Bedminster, N.J., golf club: state Rep. CHUCK GRAY and attorney DARIN SMITH. Trump’s son, DON, JR., who earlier this year visited Wyoming to speak out against Cheney for supporting his father’s impeachment, is expected to be present at the meetings.”

KNOWING STEVEN LAW — “Mitch McConnell’s outside man, Steven Law, plays the long game,” by McClatchy’s David Catanese: “Sitting inside a downtown D.C. cafe during one of several conversations, Law offered up a straightforward lesson that’s prescient decades later in the current battle over electoral reforms: ‘Writing the rules of the games in campaigns and elections ... can shift the playing field.’

“Perhaps more than any single operative in Republican politics over the past decade, Law has altered the modern political playing field by collecting enormous sums of money to deploy against Democratic candidates and prop up Republicans. … What makes Law different is his longevity and affability. … [E]ven operatives who convey they’ve disagreed with Law at a given moment over the years, acknowledge they just plain like the guy.”

QUITE THE SALES PITCH — “U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson: ‘I may not be the best candidate’ for 2022,” by Wisconsin State Journal’s Riley Vetterkind: “In an interview this week, Sen. RON JOHNSON, (R-Wisc.), said he ‘may not be the best candidate’ for the 2022 U.S. Senate race, an indication his reelection bid is not exactly preordained despite the fact he raised $1.2 million in the second quarter of the year, more than his Democratic challengers and double his first-quarter take.”

STEELE-ING FOR A RUN — “Steele Creates Exploratory Committee for Possible Gubernatorial Bid,” by Maryland Matters’ Josh Kurtz: “MICHAEL S. STEELE, the former lieutenant governor and one-time chairman of the Republican National Committee, has created an exploratory committee ahead of a possible run for governor in 2022.

“JIM DORNAN, a veteran national Republican strategist who was campaign manager for ELLEN R. SAUERBREY during her 1998 run for governor in Maryland, is leading Steele’s exploratory effort. He said Steele expects to decide whether to run sometime between Labor Day and Thanksgiving. Steele’s entry into the gubernatorial race would shake up the GOP field, with Gov. LARRY HOGAN JR. (R) term-limited in 2022.”

POTUS HITS THE TRAIL — “Biden quickly moves to avoid the down ballot carnage that plagued Obama,” by Chris Cadelago and Zach Montellaro: “Biden’s return to the campaign trail for a rally Friday in Northern Virginia comes as Democrats in the state furiously try to yoke McAuliffe’s Republican opponent, the hedge-fund multimillionaire GLENN YOUNGKIN, to former President Donald Trump.

“But there are far bigger stakes for the White House. Biden, a self-described party guy, is keen on avoiding the down-ballot carnage that took place under presidents Trump and BARACK OBAMA before him. And so, as Biden’s aides and allies put it, he’s tending to the store early.”

— Harper’s Andrew Cockburn on Sen. JOE MANCHIN and why the governor of West Virginia is a gnat

CONGRESS

JAN. 6 COMMITTEE LATEST — “‘Deadly serious’: Pelosi goes to war with GOP over Jan. 6,” by Heather Caygle: “Pelosi has some unfinished business with Donald Trump. The volatile former president and Pelosi foe is long gone from the White House but still haunts Capitol Hill. And as much as some in her party might want to move on from Trump, the speaker has made overseeing an investigation of the deadliest attack on the Capitol in two centuries into a core mission this year — putting her squarely in the path of the former president who Democrats say played a central role in the insurrection.

“Her GOP opponents are warning that Pelosi’s close involvement in the select committee on Jan. 6 exposes its efforts to politicization and failure. But the California Democrat and her allies insist it’s the best way to prevent a repeat of the deadly day when thousands of rioters stormed the Capitol bent on overturning a democratic election and threatened to kill members of Congress.”

MORE HEADLINES — “House GOP leaders show little appetite for punishing Cheney over January 6 flap,” CNN … “Democrats rally around Pelosi as GOP threatens payback for snub in Jan. 6 probe,” WaPo

INFECTIONS ON CAPITOL HILL — “Another Vaccinated Staffer On The Hill Tested Positive For COVID-19, As Fear Is Spreading In Washington,” by BuzzFeed’s Kadia Goba: “COVID-19 infections are resurfacing in Congress, after weeks of semi-normal life in the Capitol following a vaccination push. … Rep. KAI KAHELE’s office confirmed that a member of his staff contracted COVID-19 after being vaccinated. The new infections come as multiple states are experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases, driven by the more contagious Delta variant.”

AMERICA AND THE WORLD

THE FOREVER WAR NO MORE — “U.S., Iraq to Agree That Combat Troops Should Leave by End of 2021,” by WSJ’s Michael Gordon: “Top Iraqi and U.S. officials plan to issue a statement calling for U.S. combat troops to leave Iraq by year-end, both nations’ officials said, but would reaffirm the need for a U.S. military presence to help Iraqi forces in their fight against Islamic State.

“‘We don’t need any more fighters because we have those,’ Iraqi Foreign Minister FUAD HUSSEIN told The Wall Street Journal. ‘What do we need? We need cooperation in the field of intelligence. We need help with training. We need troops to help us in the air.’ The statement is to be issued in connection with Prime Minister MUSTAFA AL-KADHIMI’s visit to Washington on Monday, when he will meet with President Biden.”

MEDIAWATCH

WHOA — “Washington Post reporter Felicia Sonmez files suit against the newspaper and top editors, alleging discrimination over past coverage ban,” by WaPo’s Jeremy Barr

STAYING STRONG — “Well-Known Reporter Turns to Fitness to Fight Rare, Aggressive Cancer,” by South Carolina Public Radio’s Victoria Hansen on the AP’s MEG KINNARD

TV TONIGHT — PBS’ “Washington Week”: Carol Leonnig, Phil Rucker, Eva McKend and Yasmeen Abutaleb.

SUNDAY SO FAR …

• ABC

  “This Week”: Speaker Nancy Pelosi … Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio). Panel: Chris Christie, Rahm Emanuel, Donna Brazile and Margaret Hoover. … The launch of “One Nation Under Fire,” a new project chronicling a week of gun violence in America.

• FOX

  “Fox News Sunday”: Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) … Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) … Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.). Panel: Jason Riley, Catherine Lucey and Juan Williams. Power Player: Bryan Cranston.

• MSNBC

  “The Sunday Show”: Debbie Mucarsel-Powell … Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) … Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) … Texas state Rep. Jarvis Johnson … Mandy Patinkin … Kathryn Grody … Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.).

• Gray TV

  “Full Court Press”: Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson … Jeanne Marrazzo.

• CBS

  “Face the Nation”: Jerome Adams … Scott Gottlieb … Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker.

• CNN

  “Inside Politics”: Panel: Seung Min Kim, Melanie Zanona, Asma Khalid, Lisa Lerer and Jonathan Reiner.

BRUCE GIVES PROPS TO CAITLYN: Turns out six-time Emmy-award winning comedian Bruce Vilanch of “Hollywood Squares” fame is a “faithful reader” of Playbook. After we reported last week that Caitlyn Jenner hired a film crew to document her run for California governor to possibly sell after as a documentary or reality show, Vilanch wrote to us that Jenner isn’t the first.

“You reminded me yesterday of a dinner party I attended some years ago for Clay Aiken, an American Idol loser who was running for office in one of the Carolinas. [North Carolina],” Vilanch wrote. “He came to Hollywood to meet and greet and raise money. But we didn’t know that’s what the dinner, at a private home in the Hills, was for. Shortly after I arrived, a crew from the BBC showed up — they were doing a documentary on Clay’s run. And we were all pictured as supporters. I signed the release. There may have been a martini involved. Or more than one. In any event, I’m blurry on whether he even qualified in whichever state it was. [North Carolina, he did.] Maybe he did and legit lost. [Indeed.] ... I’ve never seen the doc, if the beeb ever aired it. What Jenner is doing is already light years more sophisticated. She isn’t, but the scheme is. I’ve known [Jenner] for years. And in fact, when she transitioned, I told her that I could now reveal my big secret. I changed my name from Caitlyn to Bruce.”

SPOTTED at Michael Hardaway’s bipartisan dinner group at Cafe Milano on Thursday night: Ashley Etienne, Michael Steele, Zoë Oreck, Amy Isbell and Jason Rosenstock. The dinner, which met in person for the first time since the pandemic, occasionally features lawmakers — with the only rule being that you can’t talk politics. The backstory

SPOTTED at a policymaker breakfast at The Dubliner on Thursday morning featuring Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), “An Ugly Truth” author Cecilia Kang and the News Media Alliance’s David Chavern: Marc Lanoue, Slade Bond, Danielle Coffey, Susan Goldberg, Lauren Edmonds, Emily Birnbaum, Zach Graves, Matt Hoekstra, Eric Rosen, Luther Lowe, Josh Randle, Phillip Berenbroick, Amanda Lewis, Joe Van Wye, Char Stanberry, Shawn Donilon, Jack Smedile and Adam Wadsworth.

NEW — The Independent Women’s Forum announced its summer 2021 class of fellows: Baishali Bomjan, Maria Chaplia, Christina Crenshaw, Gabriella Hoffman, Jennifer Kabbany, Meaghan Mobbs, Jean Morrow, Abby Nobel, Maya Noronha, Marilyn Quigley, Jennifer Stefano and Hannah Zakaria. The announcement

MEDIAWATCH — Adrienne Green is joining the NYT Magazine as deputy editor for special projects. She is currently a features editor at New York magazine. The announcement

STAFFING UP — YJ Fischer is now director of the Office of International Affairs at the SEC. She most recently was global head of YouTube product policy at Google and is an Obama State Department alum.

TRANSITIONS — Hannah Aiken is now legislative director for Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.). She most recently was senior legislative assistant for Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.). … Wesley Whistle will be legislative assistant for Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), focused on education and workforce issues. He most recently has been senior adviser for policy and strategy at New America. … Shanna Wilson is now a VP at Levick. She previously was a VP at Ein Communications.

ENGAGED — Elizabeth Hale, who starts next week as health advocacy manager at Woodberry Associates, and Peter Simpson, an accountant at Sol Systems, got engaged Wednesday at his parents’ home in the couple’s hometown of Homewood, Ala. The two met in middle school and went to one homecoming dance together — but didn’t date then — and ended up reconnecting in 2020 while at home during the pandemic. Pic … Another pic

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) … Stephanie Grisham … Fritz Brogan of the Mission Group and Maverick PAC … MSNBC PR’s Liza Pluto … Dean Aguillen of Ogilvy Government Relations … Eric Werwa … David Brock of Media Matters for America and American Bridge 21st Century … Jennifer Darling of PwC, the pride of Evanston, Ill. (41) … Matt Jeanneret of the American Road and Transportation Builders Association … Mary Crane of Targeted Victory … Will Mesinger of Seven Letter … Alex Pareene … DOT’s Aaron Moore … POLITICO’s Lisa Kashinsky … Melissa Brown … Judy Lichtman … Finsbury Glover Hering’s Craig James and Josh Gross … Alexandra Booze ... Edelman’s Courtney Gray Haupt ... Itai Grinberg ... Marshall Schraibman ... Sarah Obenour ... Tracie Pough ... Fay Hartog-Levin … Connor McAllister of Sen. Steve Daines’ (R-Mont.) office … Monica Lewinsky … former Justice Anthony Kennedy … former Rep. John Hall (D-N.Y.) … Lithuanian PM Saulius Skvernelis … Carolyn Vadino

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