Biden shifts onus for pandemic onto the unvaccinated as he readies federal worker vaccine requirement – CNN
Biden shifts onus for pandemic onto the unvaccinated as he readies federal worker vaccine requirement – CNN

Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/29/politics/biden-pandemic-unvaccinated/index.html

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A Tsunami Warning Has Been Issued For Parts Of Alaska After An 8.2 Quake – NPR
A Tsunami Warning Has Been Issued For Parts Of Alaska After An 8.2 Quake – NPR

PERRYVILLE, Alaska — A tsunami warning was issued for parts of Alaska after a large earthquake struck the peninsula.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was magnitude 8.2 and hit 56 miles (91 kilometers) east southeast of Perryville, Alaska at about 8:15 p.m. Wednesday. The quake was about 29 miles (46 kilometers) below the surface of the ocean, according to USGS.

The US National Tsunami Warning Center issued warnings for South Alaska and the Alaska Peninsula, from Hinchinbrook Entrance, 90 miles (144.84 kilometers) east of Seward, to Unimak Pass, and for the Aleutian Islands, from Unimak Pass, 80 miles (128.75 kilometers) northeast of Unalaska, to Samalga Pass, Alaska, which is 30 miles (48.28 kilometers) southwest of Nikolski.

A tsunami warning issued for Hawaii has been canceled.

Two other earthquakes with preliminary magnitudes of 6.2 and 5.6 occurred in the same area within a half hour of the first one, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a notice that the potential threat to Guam and American Samoa was still under investigation.

“Based on all available data a tsunami may have been generated by this earthquake that could be destructive on coastal areas even far from the epicenter,” PTWC said.

Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake should have been widely felt by almost everyone in the area of the epicenter. It might have caused light to moderate damage.

Moderate shaking probably occurred in Perryville, Chignik Lake and Sandpoint.

Source Article from https://www.npr.org/2021/07/29/1022114398/a-tsunami-warning-has-been-issued-for-parts-of-alaska-after-8-2-quake-hits-penin

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Reducing Climate Pollution Saves Lives, Study Finds – NPR
Reducing Climate Pollution Saves Lives, Study Finds – NPR

A wind farm in Wyoming generates electricity for a region that used to be more dependent on coal-fired power plants. A new study finds that millions of lives could be saved this century by rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Matt Young/AP


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Matt Young/AP

A wind farm in Wyoming generates electricity for a region that used to be more dependent on coal-fired power plants. A new study finds that millions of lives could be saved this century by rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Matt Young/AP

Cutting greenhouse gas emissions quickly would save tens of millions of lives worldwide, a new study finds. It’s the latest indication that climate change is deadly to humans, and that the benefits of transitioning to a cleaner economy could be profound.

In recent years, the connection between a hotter planet and human death and disease has become clearer, thanks to a series of research papers. A study published in 2021 found that about a third of heat-related deaths worldwide can be directly attributed to human-caused climate change. A 2020 Lancet report warned that climate change is the biggest global public health threat of the century.

But those findings have not been factored into one of the three major computer models that scientists, economists and the federal government use to calculate the societal costs of carbon emissions. That means economists and policymakers may be underestimating the cost of climate change to human life.

“One key takeaway is that there are a significant number of lives that can be saved by reducing emissions,” says R. Daniel Bressler, a Ph.D. candidate at Columbia University who is the author of the new study, published Thursday in the journal Nature Communications.

When he factored in the latest mortality research, Bressler found that about 74 million lives could be saved this century if humans cut greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050, compared with a scenario in which the Earth experiences a catastrophic 4 degrees Celsius (about 7 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming by the end of the century.

He hopes the findings will be helpful to a federal working group currently reassessing how the government calculates the costs and benefits of climate policies. Since 2010, the federal government has calculated the “social cost of carbon” — a dollar amount that represents the cost associated with emitting 1 metric ton of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Those costs include changes to agricultural productivity, energy use, species extinction, sea level rise and human health.

The social cost of carbon informs trillions of dollars of federal policy, including regulations about vehicle tailpipe emissions, power plants and appliance efficiency standards.

“There have been over 100 U.S. government regulations where the social cost of carbon was used,” says Maureen Cropper, a climate economist at the University of Maryland, who co-chaired a 2017 National Academies of Sciences committee on the social cost of carbon.

At least 11 states also use the social cost of carbon to inform decisions about their power grids, efficiency regulations and other climate policies, Cropper says, and Canada based its own cost number on the original U.S. calculations.

Having an accurate cost number is especially important at a time when Congress and state governments are considering major infrastructure investments, Bressler says.

“Imagine you’re looking at the cost-benefit analysis of building a new power plant,” Bressler says. “You’re trying to compare a coal plant to a wind farm. And that coal-fired power plant is producing a lot more carbon dioxide emissions. How do we think about the costs associated with that?”

It depends on whom you ask. Under the Obama administration, the cost associated with emitting carbon was calculated to be at least seven times higher than under the Trump administration, mostly because the latter purposely ignored the effects of U.S. emissions on the rest of the world.

President Biden reinstated the Obama-era cost number and directed a federal working group to reexamine the calculation to make sure it includes the most up-to-date research about the costs of climate change. A new cost number is expected in early 2022.

Source Article from https://www.npr.org/2021/07/29/1021247014/cutting-carbon-pollution-quickly-would-save-millions-of-lives-study-finds

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D.C. officer who had a heart attack during Capitol riot received vulgar, threatening voice mail for testifying – The Washington Post
D.C. officer who had a heart attack during Capitol riot received vulgar, threatening voice mail for testifying – The Washington Post

The interview with Lemon aired hours after Fanone testified before the House select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, which resulted in the deaths of one Capitol Police officer and four others. Fanone, who suffered a heart attack, concussion and traumatic brain injury, was dragged down the Capitol steps, beaten and Tasered until he shouted that he had children, inspiring a few in the crowd to protect him and pull him back up the stairs to other officers.

Source Article from https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/07/29/michael-fanone-threatening-voicemail/

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Civilian deaths, Taliban attacks rising as full U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan looms, report says – NBC News
Civilian deaths, Taliban attacks rising as full U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan looms, report says – NBC News
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Bipartisan infrastructure bill clears Senate test vote as Trump slams ‘terrible deal’ – New York Post
Bipartisan infrastructure bill clears Senate test vote as Trump slams ‘terrible deal’ – New York Post

The Senate voted Wednesday to begin debate on a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package just hours after negotiators from both parties announced they had reached agreement on the key points of the bill.

Lawmakers voted 67-32 to end the filibuster on a motion to proceed to the measure, with 17 Republicans joining all 50 Democrats to vote to begin debate.

Wednesday’s vote is likely to begin several days of attempts by senators from both parties to amend the bill before expected votes to end debate — which requires 60 ‘yes’ votes — and final passage early next week.

The announcement that an agreement had been reached earlier Wednesday was panned by former President Donald Trump, who called the package a “terrible deal.”

“Hard to believe our Senate Republicans are dealing with the Radical Left Democrats in making a so-called bipartisan bill on ‘infrastructure,’ with our negotiators headed up by SUPER RINO Mitt Romney,” raged the 45th president in an emailed statement.

“This will be a victory for the Biden Administration and Democrats, and will be heavily used in the 2022 election. It is a loser for the USA, a terrible deal, and makes the Republicans look weak, foolish, and dumb. It shouldn’t be done.”

The Biden administration trumpeted the bill, which includes $550 billion in new spending on public works projects, as “the largest federal investment in public transit ever” and “the largest federal investment in passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak.”

Former President Trump spoke out against the infrastructure package that the Senate voted to begin debating.
Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Key provisions of the measure include $110 billion for roads and bridges, $66 billion for passenger and freight rail, $65 billion for broadband internet, more than $50 billion for water infrastructure, $25 billion for airports, and $7.5 billion for electric vehicle charging stations. It also provides $73 billion for “clean energy transmission … including by building thousands of miles of new, resilient transmission lines to facilitate the expansion of renewable energy,” and $21 billion toward environmental remediation, which the White House called “the largest investment in addressing the legacy pollution that harms the public health of communities and neighborhoods in American history.”

Republican negotiators have touted the bill to their colleagues by noting that it would be paid for in part by tapping $205 billion in unspent COVID-19 relief aid and $53 billion in unemployment insurance aid that more than two dozen Republican-run states have declined. It also relies on economic growth to bring in $56 billion.

Former President Trump took aim at Sen. Mitt Romney who he called a “SUPER RINO.”
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

However, Trump said the package “sets an easy glidepath for Dems to then get beyond what anyone thought was possible in future legislation. It will be a continued destruction of our Country.

“Our Borders are horrible, crime is at an all time high, taxes and inflation are going way up, the economy is going way down, and now this,” he concluded. “Don’t do it Republicans—Patriots will never forget! If this deal happens, lots of primaries will be coming your way!”

Trump has repeatedly implored Republicans to walk away from negotiations, saying Monday that they should “wait until after we get proper election results in 2022 or otherwise, and regain a strong negotiating stance.”

Wednesday’s vote is likely to begin several days of attempts to amend the bill by senators from both parties. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has signaled that he is willing to delay the start of the August recess, due to begin Aug. 9, to complete work on both the infrastructure bill and a larger budget resolution.

“My goal remains to pass both the bipartisan infrastructure bill and a budget resolution during this work period. Both,” Schumer said after Wednesday’s vote. “It might take some long nights. It might eat into our weekends. But we are going to get the job done, and we are on track.”

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema said that she wouldn’t support the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill.
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

However, Democrats will likely need to pare back the size of the budget resolution after Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) announced earlier Wednesday that she would not support it at a price tag of $3.5 trillion. With the Senate split 50-50, Democrats must keep Sinema and her fellow moderate, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, on their side if they want to pass the resolution without Republican support through the parliamentary tactic of reconciliation.

A further complication arises in the form of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) who has said she will not consider the bipartisan bill until the larger reconciliation package is passed.

With Post wires

Source Article from https://nypost.com/2021/07/28/trump-slams-terrible-infrastructure-deal-as-senate-clears-first-test-vote/

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Some people in Missouri are getting vaccinated against Covid-19 in secret for fear of backlash from loved ones who oppose the vaccines, doctor says – CNN
Some people in Missouri are getting vaccinated against Covid-19 in secret for fear of backlash from loved ones who oppose the vaccines, doctor says – CNN

By Aya Elamroussi, CNN

Updated 3:46 AM ET, Thu July 29, 2021

Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/29/health/vaccines-in-secret-missouri/index.html

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8.2-Magnitude Earthquake Off Alaska Prompts Tsunami Warning – The New York Times
8.2-Magnitude Earthquake Off Alaska Prompts Tsunami Warning – The New York Times

Just before midnight local time, a buoy near Sand Point measured a rise in water level of about six inches. Another near Old Harbor on Kodiak Island measured just over eight inches.

A tsunami watch was also briefly issued for Hawaii and canceled a little over an hour later, Gov. David Ige said on Twitter.

In Kodiak, where the earthquake could be felt, tsunami sirens blared and people began moving to higher ground.

Perryville, Alaska, with a population of 113, is 57 miles northwest of the quake’s epicenter, the United States Geological Survey said. Anchorage, with a population of nearly 300,000, was about 500 miles north northeast.

Since 1990, there have been 17 earthquakes of 8.2 magnitude or higher, according to U.S.G.S. data.

Source Article from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/29/us/alaska-earthquake-tsunami-warning.html

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Australia’s Sydney posts record daily rise in COVID-19 cases, seeks military help – Reuters
Australia’s Sydney posts record daily rise in COVID-19 cases, seeks military help – Reuters

SYDNEY, July 29 (Reuters) – Australia’s biggest city Sydney posted a record one-day rise in local COVID-19 cases on Thursday and warned the outbreak would get worse, as authorities sought military help to enforce a lockdown of 6 million people poised to enter its sixth week.

Australia has struggled to contain an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant in and around Sydney in recent weeks, which threatens to push the country’s A$2 trillion ($1.5 trillion) economy into its second recession in as many years.

Despite an extended lockdown of Sydney, the state capital, New South Wales recorded 239 locally acquired cases in the past 24 hours, the biggest daily rise since the pandemic begun.

“We can only assume that things are likely to get worse before they get better given the quantity of people infectious in the community,” New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney.

Berejiklian said one more person had died from COVID-19, taking the death toll from the current outbreak to 13 and the overall national total to 921.

With little sign that recent restrictions are reducing case numbers, Berejiklian said new curbs would be imposed on the southwestern and western areas of Sydney where the majority of COVID-19 cases are being found.

More than two million residents in eight Sydney hotspots will now be forced to wear masks outdoors and must stay within 5 km (3 miles) of their homes.

With even tighter restrictions set to begin on Friday, New South Wales Police said it had asked for 300 military personnel to help enforce lockdown orders.

“With an increase in enforcement activity over the coming week, I have now made a formal request to the prime minister for (Australian Defence Force) personnel to assist with that operation,” New South Wales Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said in an emailed statement.

It was not clear what the military personnel would be doing if deployed, but neighbouring Victoria state used a similar number of troops to assist with running testing centres and checking to see whether people under strict stay at home orders were abiding by the requests.

Representatives for Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Minister for Defence Peter Dutton did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Berejiklian on Wednesday extended the Sydney lockdown by another month, but allowed the majority of construction projects to resume as long as workers do not come into contact with residents.

The restrictions are likely to take a heavy economic toll, with New South Wales accounting for more than a third of Australia’s economy.

Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said he expected the national economy to shrink in the September quarter but the ability to avoid a technical recession would depend on whether New South Wales can avoid a longer lockdown.

“With respect to the December quarter, that does depend to a large extent how successful New South Wales, our largest state economy, is in getting on top of this virus,” Frydenberg told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

Berejiklian has said restrictions need to remain as too few people in Sydney are vaccinated amid tight supplies of Pfizer (PFE.N) vaccines, which Canberra had hoped to inoculate everyone under 60 years old.

All adults in Sydney have now been urged to seek an AstraZeneca (AZN.L) vaccine. But citing rare blood clots, many are reluctant and would prefer to wait several months when Australia is expected to receive additional Pfizer supplies.

Only about 17% of people above 16 years fully vaccinated in New South Wales.

More than 2,800 cases have been detected so far, with 182 people hospitalised. Fifty-four are in intensive care, 22 of whom require ventilation. Two new deaths were recorded, taking the total number of deaths in the latest outbreak to 13.

The outbreak in Sydney leaves many with little to do but watch the Olympics, and Australian athletes said they hoped they could provide a little bit of joy with their performances.

“Just extremely grateful and happy that we maybe sparked some joy in some people’s living rooms or something for people to celebrate in the time of lockdown,” Spencer Turrin, Australian Rower and Gold Medallist in the Men’s Four at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics told reporters in Tokyo.

($1 = 1.3561 Australian dollars)

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Source Article from https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australia-pm-says-vaccinations-alone-will-not-end-sydneys-covid-19-lockdown-2021-07-28/

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Postal workers union bristles at Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate – Fox News
Postal workers union bristles at Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate – Fox News
Video

Workers may be out of a job if they refuse the COVID vaccine

Fox News correspondent David Lee Miller has the latest on employers enforcing vaccine mandates on ‘America’s Newsroom’

The influential American Postal Workers Union on Wednesday said, at this point, it opposes a coronavirus vaccine mandate from the Biden administration but encouraged workers to voluntarily take the jabs. 

“While the APWU leadership continues to encourage postal workers to voluntarily get vaccinated, it is not the role of the federal government to mandate vaccinations for the employees we represent,” the union said in a statement obtained by Fox News. 

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The union did not immediately respond to an after-hours email from Fox News. The union said in the statement that the safety of its workers is “of paramount importance” but “at this time the APWU opposes the mandating of COVID-19 vaccinations.”

The Food and Drug Administration in December approved the Emergency Use Authorization for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. But there is a distinction between the EUA and full FDA approval. President Biden said at a recent CNN town hall that he believes the full FDA approval should be granted by the fall. A full FDA approval means that companies and government bodies will have a firmer legal footing to mandate the jabs.

Biden said he is considering requiring all federal employees to be vaccinated. 

“That’s under consideration right now but if you’re not vaccinated you’re not nearly as smart as I thought you were,” Biden said Wednesday. “We have a pandemic because of the unvaccinated, and they’re sowing enormous confusion.”

Richard Trumka, the president of the AFL-CIO, told C-SPAN that the union supports vaccine mandates, according to Reuters.

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“If you come back in and you’re are not vaccinated, everybody in that workplace is jeopardized,” Trumka said.

Reuters, citing a source familiar with the matter, reported that Biden is expected Thursday to announce that about two million civilian federal workers “will need to be vaccinated or face testing, social distancing, mask requirements and limits on travel.” 

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Source Article from https://www.foxnews.com/politics/postal-workers-union-bristles-at-bidens-covid-19-vaccine-mandate

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Kinzinger says ‘a lot’ of Republicans have privately conveyed support for his January 6 stance – CNN
Kinzinger says ‘a lot’ of Republicans have privately conveyed support for his January 6 stance – CNN

By Paul LeBlanc, CNN

Updated 8:57 PM ET, Wed July 28, 2021

Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/28/politics/adam-kinzinger-republicans-january-6-cnntv/index.html

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Here are the 17 Republican senators who voted to advance the $1 trillion infrastructure bill – CNN
Here are the 17 Republican senators who voted to advance the $1 trillion infrastructure bill – CNN

By Ali Zaslav and Devan Cole, CNN

Updated 9:11 PM ET, Wed July 28, 2021

Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/28/politics/republicans-voted-for-infrastructure-package-debate/index.html

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Biden Plans to Say Civilian Federal Workers Must be Vaccinated or Face Testing – The New York Times
Biden Plans to Say Civilian Federal Workers Must be Vaccinated or Face Testing – The New York Times
Patrons in Grand Central Market in Los Angeles wore masks on Tuesday. California’s Department of Public Health recommended on Wednesday that people wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status.Credit…Alex Welsh for The New York Times

The new guidance about mask-wearing that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued on Tuesday is not legally binding, leaving it up to state and local officials to decide whether and how to implement it. And that in turn depends greatly on local politics.

The C.D.C.’s recommendation that all adults in areas where the coronavirus is spreading rapidly go back to wearing masks indoors, even if they are fully vaccinated, was met with a sharp backlash in some areas, especially from political leaders in Republican-leaning states where mask mandates have been banned.

Officials in some states took the new guidance and swiftly ran with it. Others decided to take a wait-and-see approach.

In New Jersey, where eight of 21 counties meet the C.D.C.’s threshold, Gov. Philip D. Murphy, a Democrat, “strongly recommended” that all residents wear masks in indoor settings where the risk of spread may be high. In California, the public health department recommended residents wear masks in indoor public spaces, regardless of vaccination status. The moves came a day after the officials in Illinois joined the C.D.C. in recommending face coverings, and after Nevada issued a mask mandate.

Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, said that even though current vaccines are effective, including the highly contagious Delta variant, “we are still seeing the virus rapidly spread among the unvaccinated,” increasing the risk for everyone.

Gov. Steve Sisolak, a Democrat of Nevada, went further, reinstating a mask mandate set to take effect on Friday for all residents in indoor public spaces in counties with high rates of transmission, including Clark County, home to Las Vegas.

In Washington State, Gov. Jay Inslee urged all residents on Wednesday to follow the C.D.C.’s new mask guidance, but did not issue a mandate.

Other jurisdictions, including Delaware, the District of Columbia, and New York, were among the jurisdictions saying that said they would review the C.D.C.’s guidance before making any decisions. While all of New York City currently exceeds the coronavirus transmission threshold that the C.D.C. set to determine where indoor masking is needed, Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a news conference on Wednesday that the city was still evaluating the guidance and the research and data that underpinned it.

And several Republican governors just said no, including Greg Abbott of Texas, Doug Ducey of Arizona, Pete Ricketts of Nebraska, Kim Reynolds of Iowa, and Brian Kemp of Georgia. Conservatives in those states have often cast public health measures as an attack on freedom.

“I’m concerned that this guidance will be used as a vehicle to mandate masks in states and schools across the country, something I do not support,” Ms. Reynolds said in a statement.

Mr. Abbott, who signed an executive order in May preventing local governments from requiring masks, said that wearing a face covering was a matter of personal responsibility.

“Every Texan has the right to choose whether they will wear a mask or have their children wear masks,” Mr. Abbott wrote in a tweet.

Meanwhile, Apple said it will start requiring employees and customers to wear masks regardless of their vaccination status in certain stores across the country in accordance with the new C.D.C. guidelines.

C.D.C. officials also called on Tuesday for universal masking for teachers, staff, students and visitors in schools, regardless of vaccination status and transmission rates of the virus. Some school districts in Alabama and Georgia did not wait for state governments to weigh in, and immediately instituted their own mask requirements. Mr. Inslee of Washington said his state would retain its school mask mandate for students and staff.

In Florida, where new case reports have surged nearly tenfold over the last month to an average of more than 10,000 a day, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, a Republican, issued a statement encouraging parents in his state to decide what’s best for their children when it comes to masking.

The governor did not address the new guidance about vaccinated adults at a news conference in Milton, Fla., on Wednesday. Florida never had a statewide mask mandate.

Mayor Daniella Levine Cava of Miami-Dade County, Fla., said at a news conference on Wednesday that masks would be required for employees and visitors at all indoor county facilities.

“I have pledged from the beginning that if we see a spike in the positivity rates that we would take all the necessary steps to protect the community, including making updated recommendations,” she said.

Other jurisdictions, like Los Angeles County and St. Louis County, Mo., had reinstated mask mandates even before the C.D.C.’s announcement.

But in a sign of the political challenges some local officials face, the St. Louis County Council voted on Tuesday evening to repeal the order. The move came a day after Attorney General Eric Schmitt of Missouri, a Republican, filed a lawsuit seeking to halt implementation of the county mandate, which is still in effect in the city of St. Louis.

On Wednesday, Mr. Schmitt wrote on Twitter that he plans to sue Kansas City, Mo., as well, following an announcement by Mayor Quinton Lucas that he would reimpose a mask mandate.

In Georgia, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms of Atlanta on Wednesday issued a mask mandate in indoor public spaces, even after Gov. Kemp said he opposed them.

“Georgia is not moving backwards,” he said on Twitter.

The Biden administration asked White House staffers on Tuesday to wear masks indoors, and the Office of Management and Budget detailed new mask rules for federal agencies. In an email obtained by The New York Times, the agency said, “In areas of substantial or high community transmission, agencies must require all federal employees, on-site contractors, and visitors, regardless of vaccination status, to wear a mask inside of federal buildings.”

Alan Rappeport and Michael Gold contributed reporting.

Source Article from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/28/us/politics/biden-vaccine-mandate-federal-workers.html

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Texas loss alarms Trump advisers worried about party clout – POLITICO
Texas loss alarms Trump advisers worried about party clout – POLITICO

Advisers worry that a second embarrassing loss would raise questions about the power of Trump’s endorsement — his most prized political commodity, which candidates from Ohio to Wyoming are scrambling to earn before next year’s midterms. More broadly, losses could undermine his standing in the Republican Party, where his popularity and influence has protected Trump’s relevance even as a former president barred from his social media megaphones.

Some in the former president’s orbit worry that he’s been too prolific in endorsing candidates running in contested primaries, potentially diminishing their overall power. Trump — who as president frequently bragged about his near-perfect record in endorsing in Republican primaries — rarely endorsed during 2020 nomination contests, and he occasionally got burned when he did, lashing out at those who urged him to back a losing candidate in a North Carolina primary. This time, Trump is getting involved early in an array of primaries, including those for Alabama and North Carolina Senate.

“A loss is a loss, and for someone who touts himself as the ultimate winner, putting your thumb on the scale and then losing tarnishes that brand within the party,” said Doug Heye, a former top Republican National Committee official.

Trump advisers say they first became alarmed about their prospects in Texas around a week ago, when they quietly commissioned a survey through the former president’s leadership political action committee showing Republican Jake Ellzey with a 15-point lead over Wright. The Trump team mobilized, with a pair of Trump-aligned groups, Make America Great Again Action and Citizens United Political Victory Fund, purchasing last-minute airtime. Other Trump allies sent word through the former president’s network that Wright could be in trouble.

But allies of Wright — the widow of the late Rep. Ron Wright, whose death in February from complications related to Covid-19 left his seat vacant — pushed back on that idea and reassured the former president’s team that she was in solid shape, pointing to another survey showing her ahead.

That did little to allay the fears of Trump lieutenants, some of whom had warned him against getting involved in a race pitting Republican candidates against one another. (Wright and Ellzey finished first and second in the all-party primary in May, locking Democrats out of the special election.) Some had advocated for Ellzey, a 51-year-old state legislator from the Dallas area.

Others vented about the growing influence of McIntosh, whose organization forcefully opposed Trump during the 2016 primary but has since become one of his closest allies. McIntosh, a conservative former Indiana congressman, speaks frequently with Trump and also proved influential in encouraging Trump to endorse another Republican primary candidate, North Carolina Senate hopeful Ted Budd, early in his multi-way primary.

And others disagreed with how the Club for Growth was waging its Texas campaign. The organization focused its efforts on promoting Trump’s endorsement of Wright. While touting Trump’s support proved valuable in helping Wright advance from the crowded May 1 special election, it proved less effective during the all-party runoff race by encouraging moderate Republicans and Democrats to turn out for Ellzey.

Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, an Ellzey backer who served as energy secretary in the Trump cabinet, attacked the Club for Growth on Wednesday, saying it had “fed” the former president “a bill of goods” by encouraging him to get behind Wright.

Some Republicans, however, pin partial blame for Wright’s loss on Trump. While the former president sent out statements reiterating his support for Wright and hosted a late tele-rally for her, he did little to help her build her campaign war chest — something he could have done using his vast small donor network. Recently released finance reports showed Ellzey significantly outraising Wright.

“This result shows Trump must be all-in in endorsements. He didn’t raise money or show up in district,” said Texas-based Republican strategist Matt Mackowiak, who also faulted Wright for waging a flawed campaign.

Focus is now turning to next Tuesday’s special primary for a vacant Columbus, Ohio-area congressional seat, which is also shaping up to be complicated. Mike Carey, a Trump-endorsed former lobbyist, has found himself at a steep spending disadvantage, thanks in part to an unexpected figure: Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul. Paul, long regarded as a Trump ally, is backing a rival candidate, former state legislator Ron Hood, and a Paul-aligned super PAC has hit the airwaves with an aggressive TV advertising blitz.

Paul’s move has infuriated Trump and his allies, some of whom have been reaching out to people in the senator’s orbit — to no avail. During the final week of the contest, the pro-Paul Protect Freedom PAC is set to spend nearly $130,000 on the airwaves, about three times as much as Carey’s campaign. Former GOP Rep. Steve Stivers, who resigned from the seat to take over as president of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, is also spending heavily from his old campaign account to boost a candidate, state Rep. Jeff LaRe.

Another Trump ally, Debbie Meadows, the wife of former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows, had earlier announced her backing of another Carey rival, church official Ruth Edmonds. But Meadows appears to have since backed off and is no longer promoting her endorsement.

In a scenario reminiscent of what unfolded in Texas, the former president’s lieutenants are rushing to Carey’s aid. Make America Great America PAC, the principal pro-Trump super PAC helmed by former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, has made a last-minute decision to spend $300,000 bolstering Carey during the final week of the contest. Trump himself released a statement Tuesday praising Carey and knocking his rivals for “saying” they have Trump’s endorsement “when in actuality, I don’t know them, and don’t even know who they are.”

A Republican strategist familiar with internal polling data said it shows a contest between Carey and Hood. Predicting the outcome may be difficult: Like the Texas race, the Ohio primary is taking place in the dead of summer, when turnout is all but certain to be low.

But those close to Trump acknowledge the stakes are higher for the former president. Unlike the Texas election, where voters from both parties were allowed to vote, the Ohio contest is a Republican primary. Trump allies say that means it will be a purer test of his ability to shape GOP nomination contests. At the same time, they argue that the more conservative nature of the race increases the odds that Trump’s endorsed candidate will be successful.

Some Republicans contend that Tuesday’s loss highlights a trend in Trump’s post-presidency: His endorsement doesn’t carry as much weight as when he was in office. After being kicked off social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, Trump has been forced to promote his endorsement largely through email blasts. It is then up to the candidates and their allies to get the word out about his support.

In Wright’s case, even after a big spending effort to make sure that people knew about Trump’s endorsement, only about two-thirds of voters knew that she had the former president’s support by the end of the race, according to a person familiar with the figures.

Others say the outcome illustrates why Republican candidates need to do more than vie for Trump’s endorsement. While the former president’s support can help influence Republican primary voters, they argue, it’s up to candidates to sell the party faithful on other reasons why they’re the best option — especially in a world where most Republicans are portraying themselves as Trump Republicans.

“Trump’s endorsement is significant, but it does not automatically determine who will win a primary,” Heye said. “Trump-backed candidates have lost before, and they’ll lose again.”

Source Article from https://www.politico.com/news/2021/07/28/texas-loss-trump-republican-party-clout-501347

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The FDA Extends The Expiration Date On Johnson & Johnson’s COVID Vaccine To 6 Months – NPR
The FDA Extends The Expiration Date On Johnson & Johnson’s COVID Vaccine To 6 Months – NPR

Federal regulators have approved a longer shelf life for the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.

Damian Dovarganes/AP


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Damian Dovarganes/AP

Federal regulators have approved a longer shelf life for the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.

Damian Dovarganes/AP

WASHINGTON — Federal health regulators on Wednesday again extended the expiration dates on Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine, providing health workers with six more weeks to use millions of doses of the shot.

The Food and Drug Administration said in a letter to J&J that the shots remain safe and effective for at least six months when properly stored and refrigerated. It’s the second time the FDA has extended the shelf life on the vaccines since June, when the agency said they could be used for up to 4 1/2 months. When first authorized in February, the FDA said the vaccines could be stored for three months at normal refrigeration levels.

Health authorities in many states had recently warned that they could be forced to throw out thousands of doses of the one-shot vaccine without an extension.

The change gives health providers more time to use remaining shots sitting at pharmacies, hospitals and clinics. After plateauing earlier this summer, vaccination rates have begun climbing again as the contagious delta variant surges across many parts of the country.

Vaccine expiration dates are based on information from drugmakers on how long the shots stay at the right strength. J&J previously stated that it continues to conduct stability testing with the aim of further extending the shelf life of the shots.

The FDA has been reviewing expiration dates on all three U.S.-authorized vaccines as companies have continued to test batches in the months since the shots first rolled out. Vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, authorized in December, have a six-month shelf life.

J&J’s vaccine was highly anticipated because of its one-and-done formulation and easy-to-ship refrigeration.

But rival drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna, which started shipping shots months earlier, have already supplied more than enough doses to vaccinate all eligible Americans. More than 150 million Americans have been fully vaccinated with the companies’ two-dose shots. By comparison, just 13 million Americans have been vaccinated with the J&J shot.

Use of J&J’s vaccine has been hurt by several rare potential side effects. Earlier this month, U.S. health regulators added a new warning to the vaccine about links to a potentially dangerous neurological reaction called Guillain-Barré syndrome.

That followed a pause in the use of the shot in April after it was linked to a rare blood clot disorder. In both cases, government health advisers said the overall benefits of the shot still greatly outweigh the risks.

Source Article from https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/07/28/1021992894/fda-extends-expiration-date-johnson-johnson-covid-vaccine-6-months

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Senate votes to advance bipartisan infrastructure bill as Democrats forge ahead with ambitious economic agenda – CNBC
Senate votes to advance bipartisan infrastructure bill as Democrats forge ahead with ambitious economic agenda – CNBC

The Senate voted Wednesday to advance a bipartisan infrastructure plan, a critical step toward Democrats passing their sweeping economic agenda.

Senators voted 67-32 to push the bill forward; 17 Republicans and all 50 Democrats voted yes.

The vote opens the process to debate and amend the proposal, which would put $550 billion into transportation, broadband and utilities. While senators who backed the procedural motion could oppose a final package, Wednesday’s vote bodes well for its chances of passage.

The deal came together earlier in the day after Democratic and Republican negotiators resolved disputes over transit and broadband funding, among other issues. The plan was trimmed from the $579 billion in new spending senators and the White House agreed to last month — a sum many Democrats considered paltry.

Supporters of the bill have hailed it as a needed investment that will boost the economy as the U.S. tries to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic. Democrats still face a range of pitfalls as they try to get the bipartisan bill and their separate $3.5 trillion spending package to President Joe Biden‘s desk in the coming months.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., will have to keep all 50 members of his caucus and at least 10 Republicans on board to ensure the infrastructure plan passes. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., will need to win progressive support for the smaller-than-desired bill in a narrowly divided chamber.

A second, separate $3.5 trillion plan to invest in child care, paid leave, education and measures to curb climate change could pose more problems. Every Democrat in the Senate will need to support the package to pass it without Republican votes.

Some Democrats, such as Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, have signaled they want a smaller final budget reconciliation bill. Sinema was the lead Democratic negotiator on the bipartisan bill.

Attempts to appease centrists could alienate liberals who worry the bipartisan infrastructure bill fails to do enough to address climate change or strengthen the social safety net.

Schumer aims to pass both the bipartisan bill and the budget resolution that sets up the reconciliation process before the Senate leaves for its recess next month. The Senate will have to rush to pass both measures on Schumer’s timeline in an institution not known for speed.

Pelosi has insisted she will not bring the infrastructure bill or budget measure to the House floor until the Senate passes both of them.

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Source Article from https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/28/infrastructure-vote-senate-advances-bipartisan-bill.html

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Migrant child coronavirus outbreak: Whistleblowers say they were told to downplay infections at Fort Bliss – Fox News
Migrant child coronavirus outbreak: Whistleblowers say they were told to downplay infections at Fort Bliss – Fox News
Video

Homan: 166,000 immigrants have been released into the US

Former Acting ICE Director Tom Homan claims that DHS is underreporting border apprehensions

Two federal whistleblowers are alleging that Department of Health and Human Services instructed them to downplay a coronavirus outbreak amongst migrant children being housed at a facility in Fort Bliss, Texas, earlier this year, according to a complaint filed Wednesday. 

The complaint, which was sent to four Congressional committees and government watchdogs, was filed by the nonprofit Government Accountability Project on behalf of Arthur Pearlstein and Lauren Reinhold – who they say are “career federal civil servants” and “whistleblowers” who “served as volunteer detailees at the Fort Bliss Emergency Intake Site from April through June 2021.” 

“COVID was widespread among children and eventually spread to many employees. Hundreds of children contracted COVID in the overcrowded conditions,” the complaint says. “Adequate masks were not consistently provided to children, nor was their use consistently enforced.” 

ABBOTT ORDERS TEXAS NATIONAL GUARD TO ASSIST WITH ARRESTS AT US-MEXICO BORDER 

The complaint added that “regularly, when detailees reached the end of their term, a sheet was passed around with detailed instructions from the HHS Public Affairs Office on how, when asked, to make everything sound positive about the Fort Bliss experience and to play down anything negative.” 

The complaint also said “every effort was made to downplay the degree of COVID infection at the site, and the size of the outbreak was deliberately kept under wraps.” 

“At a ‘town hall’ meeting with detailees, a senior U.S. Public Health Service manager was asked and refused to say how many were infected because “if that graph [of infections] is going to The Washington Post every day, it’s the only thing we’ll be dealing with and politics will take over, perception will take over, and we’re about reality, not perception,’” it claimed. 

The manager at the Fort Bliss site reportedly “also dismissed a detailee’s concern that the children in the COVID tents were wearing basic disposable masks instead of N95 masks. 

“The manager said N95 masks were unnecessary for the infected – even though uninfected detailees were working with the infected children,” the complaint said. 

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The Government Accountability Project says “Pearlstein was primarily assigned to work on two teams while at Fort Bliss: performing clinical assessments on the Clinical Assessment Team; and working with small groups and individual children on the Mental Health/Wellness team,” while Reinhold “worked in the girls’ tent for the first half of her detail; and, during the second half, was on the Call Center Team, and worked in all tents.” 

Fox News has reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services for comment. 

Source Article from https://www.foxnews.com/us/fort-bliss-coronavirus-outbreak-whistleblower-complaint

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Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas reinstates indoor mask mandate – KMBC Kansas City
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas reinstates indoor mask mandate – KMBC Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. —

Masks are back in Kansas City, Missouri.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas officially introduced a new indoor mask mandate for the city on Wednesday, less than two months after the original order expired at the end of May.

The new mandate for Kansas City comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its mask guidance on Tuesday to recommend that fully vaccinated people wear masks indoors when in areas with “substantial” and “high” transmission of COVID-19.

Several states — including Missouri, Mississippi and Alabama — have “high transmission” in nearly every county, according to CDC data. Every county in the KMBC 9 viewing area falls into the “high transmission” area.

“Since COVID-19 first entered our community, Kansas City has followed the guidance issued by our nation’s leading scientific experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and locally by our own Health Department and regional health care leaders,” Lucas said. “With a 15% increase in hospitalizations over the past week and a full vaccination rate of just 39 percent in Kansas City, the CDC and our own Health Department have issued recommendations that all persons — regardless of vaccination status — begin masking in all places of indoor public accommodation.

“As such, Kansas Citians will need to begin masking in all indoor public places on Monday to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community and throughout Missouri.”

The indoor mask order will be in effect for all persons aged five and older, regardless of vaccination status in places of public accommodation, effective at 12:01 a.m. on Aug. 2 through at least 12:01 a.m. on Aug. 28.

Leaders of the CORE 4 – which is made up of KCMO, Jackson County, Wyandotte and Johnson County – met in a regularly scheduled call Wednesday and discussed reimplementing restrictions.

However, no new guidelines were released.

“In this meeting, there was concern expressed for the level of COVID-19 transmissions in our communities and the health and safety of our residents,” CORE 4 said in a news release. “These neighboring jurisdictions shared input, concerns and initial reaction to the revised guidance issued by the CDC yesterday. The public and media can expect to receive updates from the individual jurisdictions in the coming days.”

Health leaders in Kansas City have been suggesting for weeks a mandate could be coming with the delta variant and most say they support the move.

“I am fully in support of the recommendation of people being masked up indoors,” said Dr. Angela Myers, who leads the infectious disease division at Kansas City’s Children’s Mercy Hospital.

The new mandate comes as Missouri’s urban areas of Kansas City and St. Louis are seeing a big uptick in cases in hospitalizations that began in rural areas of the state, especially in southwestern Missouri.

The delta variant of the virus is believed to be responsible for much of the spread in Missouri, especially in the southwestern and northern parts of the state. Officials also cite low vaccination rates, especially in rural areas.

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt said Tuesday he is filing a lawsuit against Kansas City‘s mask mandate.

“This mask mandate is about politics and control, not science,” he said. “You are not subjects but citizens of what has been the freest country in the world and I will always fight for you.”

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson also criticized the decision by the CDC to suggest a return to masking. He called the CDC’s decision “disappointing and concerning.”

“It’s disappointing because it is inconsistent with the overwhelming evidence surrounding the efficacy of the vaccines and their proven results, and it only serves to disrupt the increases we are seeing in vaccine uptake,” Parson said.

“This self-inflicted setback encourages skepticism and vaccine hesitancy at a time when the goal is to prevent serious illnesses and deaths from COVID-19 through vaccination.

“It’s concerning because the nation’s top public health agency appears to be cowering to the political pressures of those who only want to force mandates and shutdowns, which only further prolong the recovery we as a nation are working towards. This decision only promotes fear and further division among our citizens.”

Source Article from https://www.kmbc.com/article/kansas-city-mayor-quinton-lucas-introduces-new-indoor-mask-mandate-covid-19-coronavirus/37156921

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Jake Ellzey defeats Susan Wright in runoff election for Texas’ 6th congressional district, AP projects – CBS News
Jake Ellzey defeats Susan Wright in runoff election for Texas’ 6th congressional district, AP projects – CBS News

Texas State Representative Jake Ellzey has won the special election runoff in Texas’ 6th district, The Associated Press projects. Ellzey will succeed the late Congressman Ron Wright, who died in February from COVID-19 complications.

Ellzey narrowly lost to Ron Wright in the 2018 GOP primary for the same seat. This time around, he was endorsed by Texas Congressman Dan Crenshaw and the former Texas Governor Rick Perry. Ellzey won over Wright’s widow, Susan Wright, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

Ellzey and Susan Wright were the top two vote getters in late April and advanced to a runoff, locking out any Democratic candidates in the open primary.

Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott said in a statement, “Jake will be a strong and effective leader for the people of North Texas and he will fight tirelessly for their values in Washington. I look forward to working alongside Jake as we keep Texas the greatest state in the nation.”

This marks the first time that a candidate Mr. Trump endorsed has lost an election since the former president left office. The loss comes from a candidate who aggressively played up their ties to Mr. Trump as the race picked up.

The former president held a tele-rally for Susan Wright on Monday and made a last minute $100,000 donation in support of her the weekend before the election. 

“We had a successful little bout a couple of months ago and Susan came out along with somebody else and we did knock out the Democrat,” Mr. Trump said. “You have my total endorsement. I am so proud of it.”

Club for Growth, a conservative group supporting Susan Wright, spent close to $1 million overall in this race, and tried to paint Ellzey as “anti-Trump.” They tied him in an advertisement to “anti-Trump” Republican Bill Kristol, who donated to Ellzey’s campaign. Crenshaw pushed back on that rhetoric in a video supporting Ellzey.

“He’s always supported President Trump… they’re saying that because he got a donation from a never-Trumper. He can’t control that. What is he supposed to do? Just return money?” Crenshaw said.

Ellzey was the top fundraiser throughout both the primary and the runoff, and his win keeps a district in the changing Dallas suburbs in Republican hands. The district has been trending further away from Republicans during Mr. Trump’s tenure. Mitt Romney won the seat by 17% during his 2012 run, while Mr. Trump won by 3% in 2020. 

With this vacancy filled, House Republicans are now just six seats away from a majority. Both parties will move towards filling their other vacancies in Ohio next week, with primaries in the historically Democratic 11th district and reliably Republican 15th district. Mr. Trump has endorsed lobbyist Mike Carey in that race.

Source Article from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jake-ellzey-texas-congress-runoff-6th-district-susan-wright/

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Antony Blinken calls mass executions by Taliban ‘deeply troubling’ – New York Post
Antony Blinken calls mass executions by Taliban ‘deeply troubling’ – New York Post

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that executions of government officials and residents by the Taliban are “deeply troubling” as fighters belonging to the militant group sweep across Afghanistan amid the withdrawal of American forces.

“What we’re seeing on the ground in the last week is the Taliban making advances on district centers, challenging some provincial capitals,” Blinken said during a news conference in New Delhi after meeting with government officials. 

“We’ve also seen these reports of atrocities committed by the Taliban in areas that it’s taken over that are deeply, deeply troubling, and certainly do not speak well to the Taliban’s intentions for the country as a whole,” Blinken said.

He said the US is committed to support the Afghan government, including the country’s security forces, and the diplomatic efforts seeking a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

But he predicted the Taliban’s actions could isolate Afghanistan among the world’s nations.

“An Afghanistan that does not respect the rights of its people, an Afghanistan that commits atrocities against its own people, would become a pariah state. The Taliban says that it seeks international recognition, that it wants international support for Afghanistan,” Blinken said.

“Presumably it wants its leaders to be able to travel freely in the world, sanctions lifted, et cetera. Well, taking over the country by force and abusing the rights of its people is not the path to achieve those objectives,” he continued.  

Human Rights Watch accused the Taliban of detaining hundreds of people when they took control of some districts near Kandahar and executed some of the residents, government officials and members of the police and army.

The international rights group said Taliban fighters have taken members of Afghanistan’s security forces from their homes and killed an unknown number of them.  

In one case, it said, the Taliban executed a man who previously worked with the police, in plain view of his family.

Internally displaced Afghan families upon their arrival from the outskirts of Kandahar, who fled due to the ongoing battle between Taliban fighters and Afghan security forces, July 27, 2021.
JAVED TANVEER/AFP via Getty Images

“There are grave concerns that Taliban forces in Kandahar may commit further atrocities to retaliate against the government and security forces,” Patricia Gossman, associate Asia director at Human Rights Watch​, said in a report​.

“Taliban leaders have denied responsibility for any abuses, but growing evidence of expulsions, arbitrary detentions, and killings in areas under their control are raising fears among the population,” she said.

President Biden announced in April that the US military would pull out of Afghanistan by Sept. 11, but earlier this month accelerated the deadline to complete the withdrawal by Aug. 31.

​​Some lawmakers warned the president that pulling US troops from the war-torn country would leave the Afghan army at the mercy of the Taliban — and he would be responsible for what happened next. ​

“When we fully withdraw, the devastation and the killings and women … fleeing across the border into Pakistan, President Biden is going to own these ugly images,” Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas)​, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said ​earlier this month. 

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said Biden was leaving Afghanistan ripe for a Taliban takeover.  

“It is not in America’s interest for the Taliban to take over Afghanistan. If the Taliban take over part of Afghanistan, I fear that al Qaeda and ISIS will re-emerge and we will be paving a way for another 9/11,” Graham said.

President Biden accelerated the deadline to complete the withdrawal of the US military from Afghanistan by Aug. 31.
Afghan Ministry of Defense Press Office via AP, File

A United Nations report said a record number of women and children were killed or wounded in Afghanistan in the first six months of 2021.

The country recorded a 47 percent increase in the number of casualties in the first half of this year, compared to last year — with 1,659 civilians killed and 3,254 wounded, according to the report.

Blinken, during the Wednesday presser, said the US will remain “engaged” in Afghanistan even as the US military packs up.

“We have not only a strong embassy there, but also important programs that continue to support Afghanistan economically, through development assistance, through security assistance. That remains. And we are very much engaged in the diplomacy of working to bring the parties together at the table for a peaceful resolution of the conflict​,” he said. 

Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with a delegation of high-level Taliban officials in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin for talks — as the two sides try to warm ties ahead of the US pullout.

Wang said the US drawdown​ ​“reveals the failure of America’s policies and offers the Afghan people an important opportunity to stabilize and develop their own country.”

A readout from the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Wang expects the Taliban to “play an important role in the process of peaceful reconciliation and reconstruction in Afghanistan.”

With Post wires

Source Article from https://nypost.com/2021/07/28/blinken-calls-executions-by-the-taliban-deeply-troubling/

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GOP senators say they’ve reached agreement on "major issues" in infrastructure bill – CBS News
GOP senators say they’ve reached agreement on "major issues" in infrastructure bill – CBS News

Washington — Five Republican senators negotiating the bipartisan infrastructure framework said Wednesday they have reached an agreement on the “major issues” of the bill with Senate Democrats and the White House, potentially capping weeks of talks that at times appeared on the brink of collapse.

Senator Rob Portman of Ohio, who has been leading negotiations for Republicans, announced the breakthrough after meeting with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and four other Republican senators. A vote to advance the measure would require 60 votes, meaning 10 Republicans would have to join all Democrats in voting to begin debate. 

“We look forward to moving ahead and having the opportunity to have a healthy debate here in the chamber,” Portman told reporters. The Ohio Republican added that the text of the legislation still needed to be finalized.

The proposal, which is expected to include $550 billion in new spending, would prioritize funding for physical infrastructure, such as roads, bridges and broadband internet. 

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell meets with Senators Mitt Romney, Susan Collins, Rob Portman, Bill Cassidy and Lisa Murkowski gather in McConnell’s office at the Capitol on Wednesday, July 28, 2021.

Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images


With word of the brokered deal, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he planned to hold a procedural vote on advancing the measure Wednesday evening, bringing the upper chamber one step closer to approving one of President Biden’s key domestic priorities.

“Tonight, I’m intending to call a vote to move to proceed with the bipartisan infrastructure bill,” Schumer said Wednesday afternoon. “I believe we have the votes for that.” 

Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, the lead negotiator for Democrats, told reporters she expects the measure to move forward Wednesday evening. She said she briefed Mr. Biden of the plans Tuesday and spoke with the president again Wednesday.

“We’re very excited to have a deal,” she said. 

During a visit to Pennsylvania, Mr. Biden said he feels “confident” about the bipartisan deal.

“You may have heard that in Washington now, just on the phone, looks like they’ve reached a bipartisan agreement on infrastructure, a fancy word for bridges, roads, transit systems, high-speed internet, clean drinking water,” Mr. Biden told the crowd at an event touting American manufacturing. “And I’m working with Republicans and Democrats to get this done because while there’s a lot we don’t agree on, I believe that we should be able to work together on the few things we do agree on.”

Negotiations appeared to be in danger of collapsing earlier this week after Democratic negotiators sent a “global offer” to Republicans seeking to resolve some outstanding issues. That offer was rebuffed by Republican negotiators. 

Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, a member of the bipartisan negotiating group, said she plans to vote to advance to debate over the bipartisan infrastructure package.

“I think that there is a strong solid number of folks on both sides of the aisle that want to get onto an infrastructure package,” Murkowski told reporters Wednesday.

The Alaska Republican told reporters after announcing the agreement that it shows bipartisanship is still possible in the nation’s capital.

“This is also important to demonstrate that Republicans and Democrats can come together for the really hard stuff to negotiate in good faith and to broker an agreement that is not going to work just for Republicans or Democrats,” she said. “It is going to work for the country. So, it has been a long effort and there will still be a long effort going forward.”

The core group of senators negotiating the package, which includes five Democrats and five Republicans, agreed to a framework with President Biden over a month ago. In the weeks since Mr. Biden and the bipartisan group announced that agreement, White House officials and the bipartisan group met to hash out details on how to pay for the proposal. In the last few days, the group worked to resolve issues regarding the nation’s public transit system and broadband infrastructure.

Last week, Schumer called an earlier procedural vote to begin debate over the bill, but Senate Republicans blocked the measure, saying they would not begin debate without the final legislative text. 

The Democratic leader has insisted that the Senate must pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill and a $3.5 trillion budget resolution, which would start the reconciliation process on a separate package, before the Senate recesses in August. The budget resolution is a blueprint for Democrats to pass a major portion of Mr. Biden’s agenda without Republican support, and it is expected to include funding to combat climate change, expand Medicare and potentially reform the nation’s immigration system. 

While the White House has stressed it wants to see both pieces of legislation proceed through Congress on dual tracks, Sinema appeared to complicate those efforts Wednesday, as she told the Arizona Republic she does not support the $3.5 trillion price tag for the more sweeping measure.

Under the procedure, legislation can pass the Senate with a simple majority. But with Democrats holding 50 seats there, the White House needs the backing of all Democratic senators for it to clear the upper chamber.

Sinema said in a written statement to the Arizona Republic that while she supports beginning the budget reconciliation process, “I do not support a bill that costs $3.5 trillion — and in the coming months, I will work in good faith to develop this legislation with my colleagues and the administration to strengthen Arizona’s economy and help Arizona’s everyday families get ahead.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said during a press conference she is “rooting” for the bipartisan infrastructure bill to succeed, but reiterated she would not bring the measure to a vote on the House floor until the more sweeping $3.5 trillion measure passes the Senate.

Pelosi declined to commit to approving the Senate’s proposal without changing.

“I can’t commit to passing something that I don’t even know what it is yet. But I’m hoping for the best,” she said.

Source Article from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/infrastructure-bill-senate-vote-tonight-schumer/

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