Scoop: Emhoff to visit Germany and Poland with antisemitism envoy

• It's also a sign of how seriously the Biden administration is taking the rise in antisemitism and that it perceives it as a global problem.
• Emhoff, the first Jewish spouse of a president or vice president, has made combating antisemitism a signature issue — calling out an "epidemic of hate" last month at a White House roundtable focused on domestic incidents.

What to watch: Emhoff and Lipstadt are expected to visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial in Poland around International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan. 27.

Between the lines: Biden officials have been increasingly alarmed by the uptick in antisemitic rhetoric, including hateful comments from Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West.

What they're saying: "We do not have any travel announcements to make at this time," a White House official said. "The Second Gentleman will continue to engage on antisemitism issues."

The big picture: Emhoff, an entertainment and media lawyer, has been bolstering his policy portfolio, drawing on expertise from past pro bono work, Axios’ Sophia Cai has reported.

• He stopped practicing when his wife took office but teaches a course at Georgetown University Law Center.
• Last month, Emhoff, who keeps an office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, kicked off a roundtable discussion with Attorney General Merrick Garland on how the federal government can make it easier for economically disadvantaged people to receive legal aid.
• From the moment Biden picked Harris in the summer of 2020, Biden political aides began working on how to put him to political use. He frequently serves as a surrogate for his wife.