Good Monday morning. I'm Anna Palmer and welcome to your Politico Playbook audio reefing, sponsored by Postmates.

And I'm Jake Sherman. The NCAA men's basketball championship is tonight. Number three, Michigan is playing number one ranked Villanova at 9.20 p.m. on the East Coast on TBS from San Antonio.

Villanova is a six and a half point favorite. Famous last words, but it's another

recess week in Washington, so it should be pretty slow. Senator Elizabeth Warren has just

returned from a three-country trip to Asia visiting Japan, South Korea, and China. The big story

today is all about escalating trade wars. Megan Cassella reports that China is retaliating with tariffs on 128

U.S. products beginning today. The effort is to counter President Trump's new tariffs on steel and

aluminum. China will impose a 15% tariff increase on goods, including American fruit and nuts,

and add a 25% tariff on pork, recycled aluminum,

and other goods, the government said.

The Washingtonian gets an interview with Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin's wife,

Louise Linton, and asks this question, is DC being too mean to her?

Trump World sees the actress turned cabinet spouse as a victim of the Beltway's

quote, mean girl social set.

Washington disagrees.

The piece dives into Linton defending the black gloves she wore when she joined Mnuchin

at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing for a first look at the money bearing his signature.

Theo Meyer has an in-depth look at the top lobbyist in Trump's orbit, Brian Ballard,

a big Trump fundraiser who has part laid that into a massive Washington operation.

Burgess Everett has the scoop on tensions running high in the Senate, with frustrations boiling

over on both sides about Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's tight grip of control on the chamber.

The AP is out with a piece looking at how Josh Hawley is walking a Trump tightrope in his effort to oust Senator Claire

...