“Pence to fight special counsel subpoena on Trump's 2020 election
denial,” by Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein: Former VP Mike Pence “is set
to argue that his former role as president of the Senate — therefore a
member of the legislative branch — shields him from certain Justice
Department demands.

“Pence allies say he is covered by the constitutional provision that
protects congressional officials from legal proceedings related to their
work — language known as the ‘speech or debate’ clause. The clause,
Pence allies say, legally binds federal prosecutors from compelling
Pence to testify about the central components of [Special Counsel Jack
Smith's] investigation.”

And the biggest subplot of the slowest-moving story In Washington — the
partisan standoff over the federal debt ceiling — has so far centered on
whether, absent a deal between President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin
McCarthy, moderate House Republicans might somehow band together with
House Democrats to avoid a catastrophic default.

The speculation has gone far enough to prompt several explainers about
how it all might work — whether through a discharge petition or other
obscure House procedures that could allow a bipartisan coalition to
skirt conservatives’ spending-cut demands.

It’s gone so far, we’re told, that McCarthy has in recent days sent a
message from on high to centrists who have openly toyed with the idea:
You’re killing my leverage with Biden.

Plus, it’s consumer price index day in DC, and once again, the economy
faces an interesting conundrum. Economics reporter Victoria Guida breaks
down what the Fed and the Biden administration are looking for. 

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Raghu Manavalan is the host and senior editor of POLITICO's Playbook
Daily Briefing.
Jenny Ament is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.