“Trouble is brewing over vaccine supplies in Europe. Italy has blocked the export of 250,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses to Australia, citing European Union measures put in place after the company warned of delays in supply shipment to the bloc. Now, France may follow suit and block more vaccine exports in order to meet domestic demand. In Tanzania, Turkmenistan and North Korea, a different threat grows. These countries have shared little or no Covid-19 data with the World Health Organization, which WHO says prevents experts from assessing public need and could cause a problem when it comes to international spread. In the US, leaders and businesses are pushing back against a wave of eased Covid-19 restrictions, saying protection like masks is still essential.” Read more at CNN
“Federal investigators are examining records of communications between members of Congress and the pro-Trump mob that attacked the US Capitol, as the investigation moves closer to exploring whether lawmakers wittingly or unwittingly helped the insurrectionists, according to a US official briefed on the matter.
The data gathered so far includes indications of contact with lawmakers in the days around January 6, as well as communications between alleged rioters discussing their associations with members of Congress, the official said.
DC National Guard commander says 'unusual' Pentagon restrictions slowed response to Capitol riot
The existence of such communications doesn't necessarily indicate wrongdoing by lawmakers and investigators aren't yet targeting members of Congress in the investigation, the official noted. Should investigators find probable cause that lawmakers or their staffs possibly aided the insurrectionists, they could seek warrants to obtain the content of the communications. There's no indication they've taken such a step at this point.” Read more at CNN
“The Senate debate on the Covid-19 relief bill, termed the American Recovery Plan, will start in earnest today after some theatrics yesterday on the Senate floor. GOP Sen. Ron Johnson forced Senate clerks to read the 628-page bill aloud, a pit stop that took hours, and now Republicans will set about trying to peel off Democratic votes in a process known as “vote-a-rama.” Basically, each amendment to the bill gets introduced and debated for a few minutes, then members get 10 minutes to vote. It’s part of Democrats' plan to get the bill passed quickly, but Republicans are hoping to divide Dems on parts of the bill along the way. Regardless, Democrats are looking to pass it this weekend with their narrow Senate majority. Want to know what you stand to gain from the bill? Here’s a rundown of offerings for various situations.” Read more at CNN
“The Senate adjourned at 2:05 a.m. after Republicans insisted clerks spend 10 hours, 44 minutes (3:20 p.m. to 2:04 a.m.) reading the 628-page COVID bill.” Read more at Axios
“It’s shaping up to be the most significant question about the new Democratic Senate: If forced to choose between the protection of voting rights and the protection of the filibuster, what will Democrats do?
They are now almost certain to face that decision.
Republican legislators in dozens of states are trying to make voting more difficult, mostly because they believe that lower voter turnout helps their party win elections. (They say it’s to stop voter fraud, but widespread fraud doesn’t exist.) The Supreme Court, with six Republican appointees among the nine justices, has generally allowed those restrictions to stand.
‘I don’t say this lightly,’ Michael McDonald, a political scientist at the University of Florida, recently wrote. ‘We are witnessing the greatest roll back of voting rights in this country since the Jim Crow era.’
‘Their best opportunity’
The only meaningful way for Democrats to respond is through federal legislation, like the voting-rights bill that the House passed on Wednesday. Among other things, it would require states to register many eligible voters automatically; allow others to register on Election Day; hold at least 15 days of early voting; expand voting by mail; and allow people with completed criminal sentences to vote. The bill also requires more disclosure of campaign donations and restricts partisan gerrymandering.
But the bill seems to have no chance of winning the 60 votes in the Senate needed to overcome a filibuster. The Senate is divided 50-50 between the two parties (including two independents, who usually vote with Democrats). The bill will pass only if all 50 Senate Democrats agree to scrap or alter the filibuster, as they have the power to do.
‘Proponents of eliminating the filibuster have said all along that their best opportunity to do so would come on a civil-rights bill, and this is the modern version,’ Carl Hulse, The Times’s chief Washington correspondent, told me.
As Carl explained: ‘They intend to ratchet up the pressure on Democratic holdouts to overturning the filibuster by saying Republicans are using undemocratic means to hold up urgent protections for our democratic system. The votes still aren’t there, but opponents of the filibuster believe they are gaining ground.’
The swing votes include Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, two of the most moderate Democratic senators, who have both expressed support for the filibuster.
Status quo? Not an option.
The stakes involve both small-d democratic principles and partisan power. If the Senate does not pass a voting-rights bill, large numbers of Americans may find voting so difficult that they are effectively disenfranchised. And Republicans may enjoy a large built-in advantage for years to come, preventing Democrats from holding power and passing laws on climate change, Medicare, taxes, the minimum wage and more.
‘If we don’t pass a redistricting reform, our chance of keeping the House is very low,’ David Shor, a Democratic strategist, told New York magazine.
Shor noted that gerrymandering has already helped create a situation in which Democrats don’t just need to win the national popular vote to hold House control; they need to win it by more than three percentage points. He also argued that a fight over voting rights and gerrymandering would benefit the party politically in the 2022 campaign.
There does not appear to be a compromise path on this issue. Democrats can overhaul the filibuster — and, by extension, transform the Senate, ushering in an uncertain era in which both parties would be able to pass more of the legislation they favor. Or Democrats can effectively surrender on voting rights. It’s one or the other.” Read more at New York Times
“The Biden administration is urging the Supreme Court to dismiss pending cases concerning ‘sanctuary cities,’ which limit cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. The filing is yet another push to change positions held by the Trump administration, which fought a long battle against sanctuary cities. Lower courts had been divided over a Trump-era policy that directed the Justice Department to withhold federal money from jurisdictions over cooperation with immigration enforcement. An appeals court eventually ruled the administration could indeed withhold such funds from seven states, as well as New York City. There are three cases like this on the Supreme Court’s docket, and the Justice Department says it’s come to an agreement with all parties involved.” Read more at CNN
“Six weeks into his presidency, President Biden is staring down a mounting crisis at the border that could be just as bad as the ones faced by Presidents Obama and Trump, if not worse, Axios' Stef Kight reports.
Why it matters: Immigration is an issue that can consume a presidency. It's intensely and poisonously partisan. It's complicated. And the lives and welfare of vulnerable children hang in the balance.
The latest: In an attempt at a solution, the Biden administration now plans to release parents and children within 72 hours of arriving in the U.S. — "a new policy that already is being carried out along the Texas border," the N.Y. Times reports (subscription).
The backstory: Biden came into office sounding a warmer, more welcoming policy that would treat migrants humanely. Desperate people took notice.
And Biden reversed Trump’s COVID-era policy of turning away unaccompanied children — the very group that is now surging.
What's happening: Shelters are overflowing. Border crossings are rising. Border Patrol facilities are overwhelmed. And the new administration is taking fire from both the left and right.
What we're watching: There are still roughly three months left of what is usually the peak season for migrants coming to the U.S.-Mexico border.” Read more at Axios
“China’s political elite are gathered for a summit this week in Beijing, and Hong Kong’s future is in the balance. During the opening of twin meetings of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Committee and the National People's Congress, the NPC spokesperson said recent unrest in Hong Kong ‘showed that the electoral system needs to be improved’ to ensure ‘patriots govern.’ Proposed changes include expanding the Election Committee, a Beijing-dominated body that chooses Hong Kong's leader. That will likely dilute the influence of any pro-democracy members and hand over almost all nomination and election power to Beijing. The imposition of a national security law and loyalty oaths for Hong Kong officials has caused widespread turmoil in the self-governing city. Last weekend, 47 pro-democracy activists were charged under that new law.” Read more at CNN
“Americans who are highly motivated to get vaccinated are traveling across state lines after hearing about larger vaccine supplies or loopholes in sign-up systems, Axios' Marisa Fernandez reports.
Reports of wealthy couples taking private jets to Florida to get vaccinated have made national news. But Wendy Parmet of Northeastern University said the problem is broader: People are gaming the system because of the lack of transparency and trust.
States like Tennessee that allocate doses by county population, rather than risk groups, forced essential workers to travel to rural counties with excess supply.
Immunocompromised Louisiana residents traveled to Mississippi, where the state was prioritizing their illness.
The influx of ‘winter visitors’ in Arizona caused Gov. Doug Ducey to request more shots.
In the few states tracking out-of-state vaccinations, tens of thousands have been given shots.
30,000 peoplehave traveled to Ohio to be vaccinated.
In Florida, it's more than 82,000, not including part-time residents.” Read more at Axios
“Top aides to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo were alarmed: A report written by state health officials had just landed, and it included a count of how many nursing home residents in New York had died in the pandemic.
The number — more than 9,000 by that point in June — was not public, and the governor’s most senior aides wanted to keep it that way. They rewrote the report to take it out, according to interviews and documents reviewed by The New York Times.
The extraordinary intervention, which came just as Mr. Cuomo was starting to write a book on his pandemic achievements, was the earliest act yet known in what critics have called a monthslong effort by the governor and his aides to obscure the full scope of nursing home deaths.
After the state attorney general revealed earlier this year that thousands of deaths of nursing home residents had been undercounted, Mr. Cuomo finally released the complete data, saying he had withheld it out of concern that the Trump administration might pursue a politically motivated inquiry into the state’s handling of the outbreak in nursing homes.” Read more in New York Times
“The UN's high commissioner for human rights says war crimes may have been committed in Ethiopia’s Tigray region after details were revealed about a massacre last year in the town of Dengelat. Witnesses told CNN that Eritrean soldiers opened fire during a religious festival, claiming the lives of priests, women, entire families and more than 20 Sunday school children. (Eritrea is a neighboring country and an ally of the Ethiopian government.) Amnesty International has also claimed that Eritrean forces killed hundreds of unarmed civilians in the city of Axum in November through indiscriminate shelling and extrajudicial killings in what the organization said could amount to a crime against humanity. Eritrea's government has denied involvement in the atrocities reported by Amnesty but hasn't responded to CNN's request for comment on the Dengelat massacre. Thousands of civilians are believed to have been killed since Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched a military operation against leaders in the Tigray region.” Read more at CNN
“An internal investigation at Louisiana State University found that former football coach Les Miles was caught texting female students on a burner cell phone, driving them alone to his house and to a separate off-campus apartment he rented, and making sexual advances toward them.” Read more at USA Today
“West Virginia has no plans to lift its mask mandate, Gov. Jim Justice (R) told CNN.” Read more at Axios.
Representative Deb Haaland's nomination to lead the Department of the Interior moved to the full Senate. SARAH SILBIGER/BLOOMBERG
“WASHINGTON — A key Senate committee on Thursday approved the nomination of New Mexico Representative Deb Haaland to be interior secretary, clearing the way for a Senate vote that is likely to make her the first Native American to lead a Cabinet agency.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved Haaland’s nomination, 11-9, sending it to the Senate floor. Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski was the lone Republican to support Haaland, who won unanimous backing from committee Democrats.
Murkowski, a former chair of the committee, said she had ‘some real misgivings’ about Haaland, because of her support for policies that Murkowski said could impede Alaska’s reliance on oil and other fossil fuels. But the senator said she would place her ‘trust’ in Haaland’s word that she would work with her and other Alaskans to support the state.” Read more at Boston Globe
“When adjusted for inflation, the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour is at its lowest level in more than a decade and sits at nearly the equivalent level as in 1954. The height of the minimum wage's buying power was in 1968, when it was set at $1.58 an hour, or nearly $12 an hour in today’s dollars. That is still nearly $3 less than the $15 an hour proposal supported by some Democrats. In 1968, minimum-wage workers paid less for pretty much every type of living expense: food, healthcare, entertainment and big-ticket purchases. Buying a McDonald’s Big Mac in 1968 would have required about 18 minutes of minimum-wage work. Today it would require 30.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“Oil soars | Saudi Arabia’s decision to keep a tight grip on oil supplies at yesterday’s meeting of the OPEC+ alliance of producers sent prices briefly above $65 a barrel. The kingdom is betting that the glory days of U.S. shale, which transformed the global energy map in the last decade, are never coming back.” Read more at Bloomberg
“0.6% — The percentage of professional athletes, out of 789 surveyed who tested positive for Covid-19, who were found to have symptoms suggestive of inflammatory heart disease. When leagues like the NBA, NFL and MLB considered resuming play over the last year, a key question was how prevalent heart damage might be among athletes who contracted the virus. The early answer? It's rare.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“202% — The projected federal debt level relative to U.S. gross domestic product by 2051, according to a report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The forecast doesn't take into account the proposed $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid bill making its way through Congress.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“The House Republican campaign arm is offering donors copies of "The Cat in the Hat," trying to capitalize on a new front in the culture war, Lachlan Markay writes in Axios Sneak Peek.
Why it matters: The gimmicky offer shows how potent appeals to "cancel culture" can be for grassroots Republicans, even in a pandemic.
The National Republican Congressional Committee is sending the books to donors who give $25.” Read more at Axios
“A new basketball league backed by a sports media company is entering the intensifying debate over whether student-athletes should be paid, by starting a venture offering high school basketball players $100,000 salaries to skip college.
The league, Overtime Elite, formed under the auspices of the sports media company Overtime, would compete directly with the N.C.A.A. for the nation’s top high school boys by employing about 30 of them, who would circumvent the behemoth of college sports.
Overtime will offer each athlete, some as young as 16, a minimum of $100,000 annually, as well as a signing bonus and a small number of shares in Overtime’s larger business. The company will also provide health and disability insurance, and set aside $100,000 in college scholarship money for each player — in case any decide not to pursue basketball professionally.
The trade-off is major: The players who accept the deal will forfeit their ability to play high school or college basketball.” Read more at New York Times
“YouTube has removed five channels run by Myanmar’s military for violating its community guidelines and terms of service.
The company said Friday that it terminated channels of broadcasters Myawaddy Media, MRTV, WD Online Broadcasting, MWD Variety and MWD Myanmar. The decision follows a Feb. 1 military coup that ousted the country’s elected government, provoking massive public protests.” Read more at AP
“Lives Lived: Henry Goldrich was the longtime owner of Manny’s Music, the Midtown Manhattan store favored by Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and other musicians searching for equipment. He died at 88.” Read more at New York Times
“CLEAR, the digital identity used in airports, is joining forces with CommonPass, a health app that lets you securely access vaccination records and COVID test results, Axios' Erica Pandey writes.
The result is an app that'll tell planes you're cleared to fly, arenas you're cleared to watch the ball game, and casinos you're cleared to head to the slots.
‘This is about helping people get back to what they love,’ CLEAR CEO Caryn Seidman-Becker tells Axios. Read more at Axios
“The Economist's ‘glass-ceiling index,’ ranking conditions for working women across 29 countries, found Nordic countries at the top, and the U.S. at No. 18.
‘America received poor marks on parental leave and political representation,’ The Economist reports (subscription). ‘But it has a high share of women in management (41%) and on company boards (28%).’
Other metrics: GMAT exams taken by women, and child-care costs.” Read more at Axios
Photos: Knopf via AP; AP
“Billie Jean King has a memoir coming Aug. 17 that she calls a journey to her ‘authentic self,’ AP's Hillel Italie reports.
‘All In: An Autobiography,’ from Knopf, will cover her groundbreaking tennis career, including 39 Grand Slam titles and her defeat of Bobby Riggs in the famous ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match in 1973.
King, 77, will write about her activism on behalf of women in tennis and beyond, and such private struggles as an eating disorder and acknowledging her sexual identity.” Read more at Axios