Axios

President Trump intends to nominate John Gibbs to run the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), according to two sources with direct knowledge of the decision, which remains closely held.

Why it matters: OPM is the HR department for the federal government's civil service. The agency has become a focus of the White House's efforts to install and reward Trump loyalists across the government.

President Trump and his top advisers are trying to rebrand Joe Biden as a danger to America — with some aides admitting privately that the "Sleepy Joe" nickname will never gin up the visceral reaction they exploited against "Crooked Hillary" Clinton.

Driving the news: The emerging strategy is to claim Biden's mental faculties are diminished and say he can't rein in protesters' most controversial excesses, including toppling a Ulysses S. Grant statue, looting stores, burning buildings and vandalizing St. John's Church.

The Biden campaign plans to focus its messages this week on "the difference between what Joe Biden called for and what Donald Trump did at crucial inflection points" since the pandemic arrived in America, according to a Biden adviser.

What we're hearing: Expect the Biden campaign to use footage of Trump golfing, holding rallies, complaining about being mistreated by the media and saying he wanted testing slowed down.

A choir of more than 100 people performed without masks at an event featuring Vice President Mike Pence at First Baptist Church in Texas on Sunday, CNN reports.

Why it matters: A May study from the CDC warned about the danger of "superspreader" events after 87% of a 122-person choir in Washington state tested positive for the coronavirus. "The act of singing, itself, might have contributed to transmission through emission of aerosols, which is affected by loudness of vocalization," the report found.

The recent wave of Black Lives Matter protests and June's Pride Month celebrations are highlighting racism within the LGBTQ+ community, specifically toward Black transgender people.

Driving the news: Cities across the U.S., including Philadelphia, New York City and Providence, Rhode Island, have hosted "Black Trans Lives Matter" rallies this June. The demonstrations have called attention to the deaths of Black trans individuals, including 38-year-old Tony McDade, killed by Tallahassee, Florida, police just two days after George Floyd was killed.

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, urged President Trump on CNN Sunday to wear a face mask "when it's appropriate" to help end the political debate over wearing masks during the coronavirus pandemic.

Why it matters: Studies show that wearing masks can help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, but efforts to encourage mask wearing have been complicated by political partisanship and distrust in public health advice.

Vice President Mike Pence told CBS News' "Face the Nation" on Sunday that he won't say the words "Black lives matter" because he believes the leadership of the BLM movement is pushing a "radical-left agenda."

Why it matters: 67% of the American public say they support the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of mass protests over George Floyd's killing, with 38% of U.S. adults saying they strongly support it, according to Pew. Yet the words "Black lives matter" have remained politically sensitive for many Republicans, who instead choose to use the phrase "all lives matter."

No president in our lifetime has enjoyed a more mesmerizing, seemingly unbendable hold on his political base than Donald Trump. He shifts their views on big topics like the FBI or Vladimir Putin and retains their support regardless of what he says or does.

Why it matters: This connection is turning fast into a liability for Trump and the entire GOP because the president and his mostly white, mostly male base are on the opposite side of most Americans on the epic topics of our day — wearing masks, combating the coronavirus, and condemning racial inequality and police brutality.

President Trump tweeted, "Thank you to the great people of The Villages" on Sunday morning in response to a video of protesters verbally clashing with Trump supporters — including one man who yelled "white power" while passing in a golf cart.

The latest: Trump appeared to have deleted the tweet around 11am ET Sunday, about three hours after posting it. White House spokesperson Judd Deere said in a statement: “President Trump is a big fan of The Villages. He did not hear the one statement made on the video. What he did see was tremendous enthusiasm from his many supporters.”

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) said on ABC's "This Week" Sunday that President Trump is on track to lose against former Vice President Joe Biden in November "if he doesn't change course both in terms of the substance of what he's discussing and the way that he approaches the American people."

Driving the news: Both state and national polls in recent weeks have shown Biden gaining a commanding lead against Trump. At a Fox News town hall last week, Trump told Sean Hannity that Biden "is going to be president because some people don’t love me, maybe" — an apparent acknowledgment of the dire state of his re-election campaign.

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday that President Trump's retweet of a video featuring an apparent supporter yelling "white power" at protesters is "indefensible."

Why it matters: Scott is the only Black Republican in the Senate and is the architect of the Senate GOP's police reform bill, which has been fully endorsed by the White House.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday that a national mandate to wear face masks in public is "definitely long overdue," and she urged President Trump to set an example by wearing one. "Real men wear masks," she added.

Why it matters: Guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends but does not require people to wear masks in public — despite massive spikes in new coronavirus cases around the United States.

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) tweeted on Sunday morning that the Trump administration must provide answers about media reports that U.S. intelligence found that a Russian military spy unit secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Why it matters: Cheney, the chair of the House Republican Conference, is the highest-ranking GOP figure in Congress to question the White House on the explosive reports of Russian bounties, which — if true — would mark a major escalation in U.S.-Russian relations.

Multiple groups led by Native American activists plan to protest President Trump’s July 3 Independence Day celebration at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, AP reports.

Why it matters: Activists believe the monument is a desecration of land stolen from Native Americans used to celebrate leaders who were hostile to Indigenous people.

Four men have been charged with destruction of federal property for allegedly trying to tear down the Andrew Jackson statue outside the White House this week, the Department of Justice said in a statement on Saturday night.

Driving the news: The announcement came hours after President Trump retweeted images of 15 people the U.S. Park Police said they and the FBI Washington Field Office's Violent Crimes Task Force were seeking to identify for "vandalizing" the statue and "other related crimes."

More congressional Republicans are advocating for face coverings and rigorous testing for the novel coronavirus, per the Wall Street Journal.

Why it matters: Cases are surging in several Republican-led states — notably in Florida, Arizona and Texas, and scientific evidence shows face coverings can help control the spread of COVID-19.