A Briton is among scores of people missing following the collapse of a 12-storey building in Miami, authorities have confirmed, amid reports that a British mother, her husband and daughter are unaccounted for.
Relatives of 38-year-old Bhavna Patel, a British and US citizen, told Sky News that she, Vishal Patel, 42, and one-year-old Aishani Patel are among more than 150 people who authorities in Florida have said are yet to be found.
“We are supporting the family of a British woman following the residential building collapse in Miami and our consulate in Miami is in contact with the local authorities conducting the search and rescue operation,” the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said on Friday.
The Foreign Office minister for the Americas, Wendy Morton, said: “Truly tragic images from Miami. British consulate staff are in contact with the local authorities. Our thoughts are with friends and family of those who have died or still missing, and also the rescuers doing everything they can at the scene.”
Four people are known to have been killed and 11 injuries were reported following the collapse of much of the Champlain Towers South building in the Surfside area of Miami.
Several people have been pulled from the rubble and there have been reports of noises emanating from it. But local authorities have said they expect the death toll to increase as the rescue workers continue their searches.
Search and rescue teams worked through the night, encountering rainstorms and small fires in the rubble, hoping to detect sounds coming from survivors. The crews, which include 130 firefighters working in teams, are approaching the pile from above and below as they search for signs of life.
The lawsuit comes days after congressional Republicans blocked the most ambitious federal voting rights legislation in a generation, dealing a blow to Democrats’ efforts to preserve voting rights. President Biden and Democratic leaders pledged to continue working to steer federal voting rights legislation into law.
“This lawsuit is the first of many steps were are taking to ensure that all eligible voters can cast a vote, that all lawful votes are counted and that every voter has access to accurate information,” Mr. Garland said, calling on Congress to give the department more tools to ensure voting rights.
The Justice Department lawsuit accuses the Georgia law of effectively discriminating against nonwhite voters and seeks to show that Georgia lawmakers intended to do so.
The Georgia law ushered in a raft of new restrictions to voting access and dramatically altered the balance of power over election administration. The law followed an election that saw Georgia, a once reliably red state, turn blue for the first time in decades in the presidential race, followed by two quick successive Senate seats flipping from Republican to Democratic.
Georgia was the epicenter of former President Donald J. Trump’s monthslong effort to overturn the election results. He seized on numerous false conspiracy theories about the Georgia election, and continued to claim that it was rife with fraud despite three separate recounts and audits — including one conducted entirely by hand — reaffirming the results.
Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill, in an order, wrote that Chauvin’s lawyer Eric Nelson had failed to show that Cahill committed errors that deprived Chauvin of a fair trial or that prosecutors engaged in misconduct.
Cahill also rejected a request by the defense for a hearing on possible misconduct by jurors, saying Chauvin’s lawyer failed to establish that a juror gave false testimony during jury selection.
Prosecutors have asked Cahill to sentence Chauvin to 30 years in prison.
That is a decade less than the maximum possible sentence he faces on the charge of second-degree murder, the most serious of the three counts on which he was convicted by a jury on April 20 after trial.
Jurors also convicted Chauvin of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Chauvin’s lawyer is asking the judge to sentence the 45-year-old white ex-police officer to probation, with time served in jail since last year.
The presumptive sentence for Chauvin under Minnesota’s sentencing guidelines is 12½ years.
Chauvin held his knee on or near Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes, as the 46-year-old was prone on the ground, while detaining him on suspicion of using a counterfeit bill for a purchase, as three other Minneapolis cops stood by.
The shocking video of Floyd’s death, which was widely disseminated by news media and on social media, led to a wave of large protests across the nation against police brutality and systemic racism.
The vice president heads to the border Friday as migrants continue to come to the southern border.
The White House continue to work on processing migrants that were forced to stay in Mexico.
Harris was tasked with diplomatic efforts to address migration from the Northern Triangle.
The VP has been pressured for months by Republicans and some Democrats to go to the border.
WASHINGTON – Vice President Kamala Harris landed in El Paso Friday after facing pressure for months to visit the United States’ southern border after being tasked with addressing the root causes of migration from Central America that is contributing to record-level apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Harris, who has maintained her focus is on diplomatic relations in Central America and Mexico, rather than the situation at the border, has been working on diplomatic efforts to stem migration from the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.
Speaking with reporters on Friday, Harris said that it was always the plan to visit the border.
“The reality of it is that we have to deal with causes, and we have to deal with the effects,” Harris told reporters after deplaning from Air Force 2. “So being in Guatemala, being in Mexico, talking with Mexico as a partner, frankly, on this issue, was about addressing the causes, and then coming to the border… is about looking at the effects of what we have seen happening in Central America.”
Harris is being accompanied on the trip by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who has been helping with negotiations on immigration legislation on Capitol Hill, and Democratic Rep. Veronica Escobar, who represents parts of El Paso.
After arriving Friday morning, Harris toured a central processing facility run by Customs and Border Protection, and was greeted by Gloria Chavez, chief patrol agent of the El Paso Sector as well as other border patrol officials. During her tour, Harris spoke with CBP officials working at the facility. At one point, she stood over the shoulder of a border patrol agent as he walked her through his work on the computer.
CBP officials described new technology that is being used to quickly process migrants and cut down on work for border patrol agents. The officials also explained to Harris how a working group that was created by Mayorkas has helped streamline the process. The officials said they hoped to work with the Department of Justice to get immigration judges into their system to ease the process of giving migrants court dates.
“You guys have made incredible advances and success in just the last couple of months,” Harris told the CBP officials.
Harris also met with a group of five young girls ages 9 to 16, the vice president’s office said. The girls, who were from Central America, drew pictures for the vice president.
Harris made an unannounced trip to the Paso del Norte port of entry, where she toured the facility. At one point, Harris was in an area that held unaccompanied children. A border patrol agent showed photos of how overcrowded the area was in 2016. Harris asked the agent “when did things improve,” to which the agent said in 2018 and even more in 2019.
Mayorkas told reporters aboard Air Force 2 that he recommended the vice president visit El Paso “because it is one of the busiest sectors” across the border “and it provides the vice president with an opportunity to see the full array” of challenges facing the Department of Homeland Security.
Harris’ visit comes days before former President Donald Trump will be heading to the border with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. A group of pro-Trump protesters held signs outside the CBP facility, protesting the vice president’s visit.
“When you talk about addressing the root causes of migration, all of the entirety of the immigration work of the administration is connected. What’s happening at the border is directly connected to what’s happening in Central America,” Sanders told reporters in a call Thursday evening.
She said Harris’ trip will help “inform” a strategy on the root causes of migrant that the administration will release “in the coming weeks.”
The Biden administration has faced a large increase of migrants coming to the U.S.-Mexico border. In May, CBP had 180,034 encounters with migrants at the border, the highest number in at least two decades. The majority of migrants were turned away under Title 42, a Trump-era measure that allows migrants to be expelled to stop the spread of COVID-19, and some of the encounters were by individuals who have repeatedly tried to cross the border.
CBP had 22,219 encounters with migrants at the border in the El Paso region in May, according to data from CBP.
Harris in March was tasked with focusing on the diplomatic efforts to address the root causes of migration from the Northern Triangle countries. As part of that role, Harris earlier this month made her first trip abroad to Guatemala and Mexico, where she met with Guatemala President Alejandro Giammattei and Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
The vice president for months has been pressured by Republicans and some Democrats on Capitol Hill to go to the border, arguing she needs to witness the toll the increase in migrants is taking on border towns and facilities.
During an interview conducted during her trip in Guatemala, Harris was criticized after she said “I haven’t been to Europe” either when responding to why she hadn’t been to the border yet.
“I don’t know why she engaged in this self-inflicted wound,” Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., told USA TODAY. “It seems to me she should have gone down immediately. Better late than never.”
Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., told USA TODAY she’s glad Harris is going to the border, saying it adds a “new dimension” to her diplomatic mission she began with the Northern Triangle countries.
Experts say the trip could inform immigration policy
Some experts, activists and politicians believe Harris’ visit to the border may help shape critical policies to address root causes from the Northern Triangle region, as well as showcase where the Biden administration stands on how they process and hold migrants. However, others said the bulk of Harris’ work to address root causes will happen abroad diplomatically, rather than domestically.
“I think there’s nothing like being there in person, and having the chance to speak with people, to better understand the concerns and issues, and then be able to craft policy and prioritize the issues,” said Lucy Bassett, associate professor of practice of public policy at the University of Virginia, who has also researched migrant children and families at the border.
Aside from controlling the flow of migrants, the Biden administration faces pressure to end Title 42. Bassett noted that Harris’ trip could impact when the policy will end.
The White House is also continuing to work on processing migrants that were forced to stay in Mexico as they await court hearings due to a Trump policy called the Migrant Protection Protocols. The White House is also facing criticism over some of the emergency influx care facilities housing unaccompanied children.
At Fort Bliss, which is located near El Paso, sources told the El Paso Times, part of the USA TODAY Network, that there are dangerous and distressing conditions at the emergency shelter there.
Bassett said “the root causes are so complex,” and that Harris’ visit to the border could benefit her on better understanding what happens to migrants once they arrive in the United States after fleeing from their home countries.
“I think by having been in Central America and now getting to our border, she’ll see in person what happens to the people who have fled due to those root causes, and what kind of U.S. infrastructure has to respond,” Bassett said.
Bassett said she believes addressing migration is a “two pronged approach,” encompassing the root causes and “providing people who do cross our border with the right kind of services and support.”
“It’s not just we have to deal with the root causes … that will take so much time to change that in the meantime we also need to improve the systems, whether that’s having enough Border Patrol and judges, and improving the speed with which we can safely identify guardians and family members for unaccompanied kids,” Bassett said.
Eric Hershberg, director of the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies at American University, said he doesn’t believe Harris had to go visit the border because it’s not part of her role in addressing the reasons why people are coming from Central America.
“El Paso has nothing to do with the root causes of migration, so I don’t see what the connection would be between this trip, and the administration’s efforts to address the root causes,” Hershberg said, adding that “the border is the focus of quite a bit of criticism from the administration’s opponents domestically, who are trying to make the argument that there is an out of control crisis.”
Hershberg said while Harris cannot address root causes at the border, she will likely be looking at where at migrants are processed and held.
“The question of whether the administrative capacity of DHS and HHS, which had been eroded by the previous administration, whether those administrative capacities have been sufficiently rebuilt to handle his flow of people, that’s something that you can learn about by going to the border,” he said, adding it’s important that Mayorkas is accompanying the vice president to the border.
“The fact that the vice president is on a trip with the secretary of DHS signals the degree to which the administration takes seriously this question of its ability in partnership with nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations that work with and supplement the efforts of the federal government,” Hershberg said. “That’s an important message.”
Washington, Oregon and Idaho could all experience their hottest June weather on record, according to the National Weather Service, seeing temperatures of at least 113 or 114 degrees. As heat surges north of the border, British Columbia and Alberta are also predicted to experience record-setting heat, and Canada’s highest temperature observed of 113 degrees may fall.
SURFSIDE, Fla — Miami Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine said 159 people remain unaccounted for, with four people confirmed dead, after a southern Florida building collapse.
More than a day after the wing of Champlain Tower South suddenly collapsed in the middle of the night, rescue crews continued to dig through piles of rubble and twisted metal more than 30 feet high Friday morning with the unlikely hope of finding at least one survivor.
The 12-story residential condo in beachside town of Surfside, about 6 miles north of Miami Beach, collapsed around 1:03 a.m. Thursday. Officials said the collapse affected 55 out of the building’s 136 units.
As of Thursday evening, officials said 102 people were identified and declared safe. Rescuers pulled at least 35 people from the wreckage in the first hours after the collapse, including a young boy pulled from the rubble.
Mayor Charles Burkett said the building “literally pancaked” during a press conference. Officials have not pinpointed a definitive cause for the collapse, but at this point, there is no evidence to indicate that it was a result of foul play, Miami Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told “Good Morning America.”
President Joe Biden approved a Florida emergency declaration early Friday. FEMA was authorized to identify, mobilize and provide equipment and resources to alleviate the impacts of the emergency, a White House statement read.
Rubble hangs from a partially collapsed building in Surfside north of Miami Beach, on June 24, 2021.
Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images
What we know about the missing
A massive search and rescue operation was launched before dawn and crews are still carefully combing through the wreckage and remaining structure in hopes of finding survivors.
A Miami-Dade county official told ABC News it’s been difficult to determine how many people were in the collapsed section of the building, partly due to the fact that there isn’t an on-scene management company that keeps track. The condominium is a mix of full-time residents, seasonal residents, renters and short-term visitors, so authorities have been relying largely on neighbors and word of mouth.
The Champlain Towers South drew a considerable amount of foreigners, according to Sen. Marco Rubio, R-FL.
The Paraguayan president’s sister-in-law and her family are among the missing, the country’s foreign ministry confirmed. The first lady’s sister Sophia Lopez Moreira, her husband Luis Pettengill, their three unidentified children and nanny Lady Luna Villalba were in the building at the time of the collapse, officials said.
Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela and Paraguay all reported foreign nationals lived in the building.
Raide Jadallah, an assistant Miami-Dade County fire chief, said that while listening devices placed on and in the wreckage had picked up no voices, they had detected possible banging noises, giving rescuers hope some are alive. Rescuers were tunneling into the wreckage from below, going through the building’s underground parking garage.
The official told ABC News that there’s real concern about the structural integrity of the remaining building, particularly from dangling wires and portions of concrete. Fires have flared up throughout the day, adding to the danger for the search and rescue teams, the official said.
Many people remained at the reunification center set up near the collapse site early Friday morning, awaiting results of DNA swabs that could help identify victims.
Investigation into the collapse
The cause of the Champlain Tower South collapse was unknown. The Miami-Dade Police Department is leading an investigation into the incident.
The seaside condo development was built in 1981 in the southeast corner of Surfside. It had a few two-bedroom units currently on the market, with asking prices of $600,000 to $700,000.
Surfside Commissioner Nelly Velasquez told ABC News that the building was up for its 40-year recertification.
The Champlain Towers South Condo Association was preparing to start a new construction project to make updates and the condominium had been through extensive inspections, according to Kenneth Direktor, a lawyer for the association. Direktor said that he hadn’t been warned of any structural issues with the building or about the land it was built on. He said there was water damage to the complex, but that is common for oceanfront properties and wouldn’t have caused the collapse.
“Nothing like this has ever been seen, at least not in the 40 years I’ve been doing this,” Direktor told ABC News.
ABC Owned Television Stations and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
MUTUALLY ASSURED DESTRUCTION — President JOE BIDEN, Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER and Speaker NANCY PELOSI unveiled a rather daring new strategy Thursday for getting the president’s agenda passed.
The gist is this: If Biden’s proposal for “family infrastructure” and climate change doesn’t pass, then neither will the bipartisan infrastructure deal that senators just struck. Think of this as a Plan B after Sens. JOE MANCHIN (D-W.Va.) and KYRSTEN SINEMA (D-Ariz.) refused to promise they’ll support Part 2, Democrats’ multitrillion-dollar reconciliation package.
But the Biden-Schumer-Pelosi playbook also has the makings of a serious legislative cluster — and high drama over whether Democrats can actually pull this off — this summer and possibly into the fall.
Here’s your new timeline, according to Hill sources, and bear with us for a bit of procedural wonkery:
1) The Senate will turn the bipartisan agreement into legislative text in the coming days so it can pass it out of the chamber in July. The House will likely have its own version. But instead of conferencing and approving a combined bill for Biden’s signature before the August recess, leaders will put infrastructure on ice until the Democrats-only bill catches up.
2) Schumer and Pelosi plan to have both their chambers pass their respective budget resolutions before the August recess, enabling Democrats to unlock the fast-tracking reconciliation tool.
3) That budget will include instructions for each committee to tackle everything from corporate tax hikes to climate change, education, paid family leave and the like — in other words, everything Democrats want that’s not included in the bipartisan infrastructure package. The panels will work over the August recess to draft the massive reconciliation bill, which Sen. BERNIE SANDERS (I-Vt.) hopes will top $6 trillion.
4) When lawmakers return in September from the August recess, they’ll have a few weeks to clear both bills at the same time. The new deadline for getting both to Biden’s desk, per Democratic leaders, is Sept. 30, when a bunch of surface transportation programs expire.
Now, the pitfalls: First off, getting all Democrats to agree on a budget resolution in July is going to be hellish for Schumer and Pelosi. They have virtually no wiggle room due to their slim majorities, and their conferences are divided over how big this Democrats-only bill should be. Expect more Manchin and Sinema flexing.
Then there’s the question of Republicans. How do Senate Republicans who struck this deal take the news that their plan will be put on hold for more than two months — and may or may not even pass depending on whether Manchin and Sinema decide to support the larger reconciliation bill?
PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW: GRAHAM IS OUT — We caught up with Sen. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-S.C.) on Thursday night as he was boarding a plane to California. Graham, you may remember, is one of the 11 Republicans who signed onto the original bipartisan infrastructure framework, which seemed to prove that there were enough Republicans to overcome a filibuster.
Notably, there were only five of those Republicans at the White House on Thursday. This deal is dead without at least five more.
After hearing what Biden said about linking the small bipartisan bill to the big reconciliation bill, Graham told us … he’s out.
“If he’s gonna tie them together, he can forget it!” Graham said. “I’m not doing that. That’s extortion! I’m not going to do that. The Dems are being told you can’t get your bipartisan work product passed unless you sign on to what the left wants, and I’m not playing that game.”
Graham said the five Republicans negotiating the deal never told him about the linkage strategy and he does not believe that they were aware of it. “Most Republicans could not have known that,” he said. “There’s no way. You look like a fucking idiot now.” He added, “I don’t mind bipartisanship, but I’m not going to do a suicide mission.”
Graham often changes his mind, so Republicans close to the negotiations may take his comments with a grain of salt. But at the same time, Republicans who want this deal to happen believe Biden created a massive problem that could put the entire deal in jeopardy.
“The president’s comments did real damage here,” said a senior GOP aide. “It is astonishing that he could endorse this bipartisan framework in one breath and then announce he will hold it hostage in the next.”
MCCONNELL CONCURS: Minority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL made the same point on the Senate floor, accusing Democratic leaders of “pulling the rug out from under their bipartisan negotiators” with the new interconnected strategy.
DON’T MISS:Burgess Everett and Marianne LeVine have a good tick-tock on how the group of 20 centrist Democrats and Republicans defied expectations and no shortage of cynicism to strike a deal. The secret to their success? Positive vibes and a lot of wine. Natasha Korecki and Laura Barrón-López, meanwhile, look at what a coup this is for Biden, assuming the deal holds up: “The longtime creature of the Senate who has boasted endlessly about his mastery of the art of compromise now [has] proof that this seemingly antiquated form of governance could work.”
DEPT OF NOT GIVING A … Sinemawas fundraisinglast weekin Manhattan, where we heard she received a tongue-lashing by a major Democratic donor. The warning was specifically about playing ball with Democratic leadership on the infrastructure bill and her broadergo-it-alone brand. “They gave her a lot of pushback, they said she’s in the majority, make it work, don’t undermine it,” a source familiar with the sit-downsaid. Sinema clearly didn’t pay heed. Days later, she doubled down on preserving the filibuster in a WaPo op-ed. Wonder if she was wearing her “F— Off” ring when she wrote it.
JOIN US — Biden’s ability to deliver on his massive infrastructure package could prove critical in maintaining momentum early into his administration. ANITA DUNN, a senior White House adviser to Biden, will join Ryan at 10 a.m. on July 2. The topics will cover Biden’s legislative agenda, including getting the infrastructure plan through Congress, the latest on efforts to get 70% of U.S. adults vaccinated against Covid-19, the road to full economic recovery and preparation for the White House’s first big public event on Independence Day. Register here to watch live
‘THIS IS A CLUSTERF—’ … MATTHEW CAULFIELD was a college senior when he was given a seemingly simple assignment that would torment him for years: How big, precisely, was the U.S. elections industry? Caulfield resolved to do what apparently no one had done before: contact every last living election clerk in the U.S. to find out what they paid for their voting machines. Eugene and reporter Ben Wofford dive into the mysterious world of voting technology companies and the voting rights debate happening right now in Congress. “This is a — can I say ‘clusterf—’?” Ben says. “It’s complex enough that there is probably not going to be some easy federal solution.”Listen and subscribe to Playbook Deep Dive …More from Ben for POLITICO Mag
BIDEN’S FRIDAY:
— 9:50 a.m.: The president will receive the President’s Daily Brief.
— 1:30 p.m.: Biden will sign into law H.R. 49, to designate the National Pulse Memorial, with first lady JILL BIDEN also in attendance in the South Court Auditorium.
— 2 p.m.: The president and Transportation Secretary PETE BUTTIGIEG will deliver remarks to commemorate LGBTQ+ Pride Month in the East Room. The first lady will also attend.
— 3:30 p.m.: Biden will welcome Afghan President MOHAMMAD ASHRAF GHANI and ABDULLAH ABDULLAH, chair of the High Council for National Reconciliation of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, to the White House.
— 5:10 p.m.: Biden will depart the White House en route to Camp David.
Press secretary JEN PSAKI will brief at 12:15 p.m.
KAMALA HARRIS’ FRIDAY:
— 6 a.m.: The vice president will depart for El Paso, Texas.
— 10:35 a.m. EDT: Harris will tour the El Paso Border Patrol Station.
— 12:25 p.m. EDT: Harris will meet with advocates from faith-based NGOs and shelter and legal service providers.
— 1:35 p.m. EDT: The VP will deliver remarks to the press and answer a “few questions.”
— 2:30 p.m. EDT: Harris will depart en route to Los Angeles, where she will remain overnight.
THE SENATE is out.
THE HOUSE will meet at 9 a.m.,with first and last votes expected between 10:15 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. Minority Leader KEVIN MCCARTHY will hold his weekly presser at 11:30 a.m.
PLAYBOOK READS
TRACKING THE VEEP
CURTAIN RAISER ON HARRIS’ TRIP — “Harris looks to shift the narrative at the southern border,” by Eugene Daniels, Anita Kumar and Melanie Zanona: “The Biden administration is insisting that Vice President Kamala Harris’ trip to the U.S.-Mexico border today is not about politics.
“But the politics of immigration are unavoidable as Harris tours a U.S. Customs Border Patrol central processing facility, receives a briefing and meets with immigration advocates in El Paso, Texas. And allies and fellow Democrats agree the trip was absolutely necessary to put weeks of bruising Republican criticism on the issue behind her — and to serve as a counterpoint to former President DONALD TRUMP’S visit to a different part of the border next week. …
“[SYMONE] SANDERS batted down questions on the timing of the trip, saying it was scheduled today because the timing ‘made sense’ for Harris and folks on the ground. ‘This administration does not take their cues from Republican criticism, nor from the former president of the United States of America,’ Sanders said.”
DEPT. OF BAD TIMING — “Two top travel officials for Kamala Harris are departing, just as a rush of touring begins,” by NYT’s Annie Karni and Katie Rogers: “KARLY SATKOWIAK, the director of advance, and GABRIELLE DEFRANCESCHI, the deputy director of advance, have both told the vice president’s office they plan to leave in the coming weeks, according to three sources familiar with their plans. A spokeswoman for Ms. Harris said the departures were long planned and that both women are currently engaged with finding their replacements.
“Advance workers are an integral part of the vice president’s team, responsible for planning all of her trips. Ms. Satkowiak and Ms. DeFranceschi put together the teams that survey venues for Ms. Harris to visit, and negotiate with local officials to get the venues camera-ready. … The departures come as the administration has put out a broad call for ‘advance associates’ to help Ms. Harris and her husband, DOUGLAS EMHOFF, with a big push of vaccine-related travel in the summer months. The vice president’s office, according to a person familiar with its hiring, is currently short on travel support staff.”
2024 WATCH
NO APOLOGIES — “Pence, Diverging From Trump, Says He Was ‘Proud’ to Certify Election,”by NYT’s Annie Karni and Maggie Haberman: “Former Vice President MIKE PENCE on Thursday night made his most forceful attempt yet to separate himself from his former boss, Donald J. Trump, on the issue of certifying the 2020 election results. Speaking at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., Mr. Pence defended the constitutionally mandated role he played in certifying the Electoral College vote on Jan. 6 …
“‘I will always be proud that we did our part on that tragic day to reconvene the Congress and fulfilled our duty under the Constitution and the laws of the United States,’ Mr. Pence said … ‘The truth is, there is almost no idea more un-American than the notion that any one person could choose the American president.’
“It was the furthest that Mr. Pence, a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2024, has gone yet in defending his role that day or distancing himself from Mr. Trump, to whom he ingratiated himself during their four years together in office.”
“Haley praises Trump in Iowa speech laced with 2024 intrigue,”by Alex Isenstadt: “The potential 2024 presidential candidate [NIKKI HALEY] lavished praise on Trump during an evening appearance before the Iowa Republican Party’s Lincoln Dinner, a major party gathering in the all-important, first-in-the-nation caucus state. … Haley also offered a preview of how she may distinguish herself in a 2024 presidential contest: as a Republican with a diverse background. The former ambassador called herself ‘the proud daughter of Indian immigrants’ and said that growing up she was ‘a brown girl in a black-and-white world.’”
THE TRUMP CARD — “What Donald Trump wants as he emerges back on the trail,”by Meridith McGraw and James Arkin: “On Saturday, Trump will hold a Make America Great Again rally outside of Cleveland, Ohio in support of longtime aide turned Republican congressional candidate MAX MILLER, who is vying for the seat currently held by Rep. ANTHONY GONZALEZ, a Cleveland native who voted for the second impeachment of Trump … [He’s] increasingly eager to push the falsehoods that his reelection was deprived of him through nefarious attempts to doctor the vote. …
“There has been discussion among Trump aides ahead of Saturday’s rally about notallowing candidates backstage to take photos with the former president for fear that those images could later be used to falsely imply they received his endorsement. Trump aides have been increasingly aggressive about pushing back on efforts from candidates to suggest they have Trump’s backing when they don’t.”
THE TRUMP INTELLIGENCE AGENCY — “They Seemed Like Democratic Activists. They Were Secretly Conservative Spies,” by NYT’s Mark Mazzetti and Adam Goldman: “Large donations to the Democratic National Committee — $10,000 each — had bought BEAU MAIER and SOFIA LAROCCA tickets to the debate. During a cocktail reception beforehand, they worked the room of party officials, rainbow donkey pins affixed to their lapels.
“In fact, much about them was a lie. Mr. Maier and Ms. LaRocca were part of an undercover operation by conservatives to infiltrate progressive groups, political campaigns and the offices of Democratic as well as moderate Republican elected officials during the 2020 election cycle, according to interviews and documents.
“Using large campaign donations and cover stories, the operatives aimed to gather dirt that could sabotage the reputations of people and organizations considered threats to a hard-right agenda advanced by President Donald J. Trump.”
VALLEY TALK
“App Taps Unwitting Users Abroad to Gather Open-Source Intelligence,”by WSJ’s Byron Tau: “San Francisco-based Premise Data Corp. pays users, many of them in the developing world, to complete basic tasks for small payments. Typical assignments involve snapping photos, filling out surveys or doing other basic data collection or observational reporting such as counting ATMs or reporting on the price of consumer goods like food.
“About half of the company’s clients are private businesses seeking commercial information, Premise says. That can involve assignments like gathering market information on the footprint of competitors, scouting locations and other basic, public observational tasks. Premise in recent years has also started working with the U.S. military and foreign governments, marketing the capability of its flexible, global, gig-based workforce to do basic reconnaissance and gauge public opinion.”
TV TONIGHT — PBS’ “Washington Week”: Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Eva McKend, Mike Memoli and Jake Sherman.
SUNDAY SO FAR …
“This Week”: Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) … Minnesota A.G. Keith Ellison. Panel: Donna Brazile, Yvette Simpson, Sarah Isgur and Ramesh Ponnuru.
“Full Court Press”: Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) … House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.).
“Fox News Sunday”: Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) … Kansas City, Mo., Mayor Quinton Lucas. Panel: Dana Perino, Jonathan Swan and Mo Elleithee. Power Player: Marc Polymeropoulos.
“Face the Nation”: Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) … Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson … Scott Gottlieb … Sasha Issenberg.
“The Sunday Show”: Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) … Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) … Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) … Matthew Dowd … Sophia Nelson.
“Inside Politics”: Panel: Molly Ball, Seung Min Kim, Phil Mattingly, Brittany Shepherd and Jonathan Reiner.
“Meet the Press”: Panel: Yamiche Alcindor, Andrea Mitchell and Danielle Pletka.
PLAYBOOKERS
DESANTIS RISING AND RAISING — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was spotted in D.C. on Wednesday at the Oceanaire in Penn Quarter meeting with potential donors. One left the room with the impression that “he’s definitely running” for president. DeSantis’ office said “the Governor has said repeatedly he’s focused on serving Floridians in the here and now.” We’ve heard that one before. Also, spotted at the donor confab was Rep. MARIA SALAZAR (R-Fla). We’ve noticed some Trump-friendly blue checks pitting the two against each other in non-scientific Twitter polls.
BIG CAT TALK: “Tiger King’s” Carole Baskin warned guests at “The Conservation Game” premiere Thursday that believe it or not, there are more Joe Exotics out there. And that’s why the conservation queen is pushing for Congress to pass the Big Cat Public Safety Act to end the private ownership of big cats. The bill was reintroduced this year by Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), who was in the audience. Baskin remarked to the moderator, Steve Clemons, that thanks to the Netflix hit documentary that exposed the big cat breeding phenomenon, the number of bad players breeding cats has dwindled from 60 to six or seven. Also at the event at the Eaton D.C. hotel: Carole’s husband Howard, director Mike Webber, activist Tim Harrison, Guy Cecil, Jason Osborne, Pam Stevens, Kimball Stroud and David White, Virginia Coyne, Tricia Enright, Holly Kinnamon, Adam Parkhomenko, Rick Barron, Meghan Johnson, Kitty Block and Sara Amundson.
SPOTTED at Cafe Milano for lunch Thursday: Judy Woodruff with Bob Barnett … NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.
SPOTTED at Erick Sanchez’s “return to summer” social at Ivy and Coney: Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), Neil Grace, Nikki Schwab, Christian Datoc, Meghan Milloy, Jim Abbey, Phil Beshara, Olivia Petersen, Scott Tranter, Mark LeMunyon, Michael Julian, Jason and Yegi Rezaian, Mark McDevitt, Anne Sokolov, Randy Jones, Katie Dolan, Allison Cunningham, Brendan Kownacki and Jessica James Golden.
WHITE HOUSE ARRIVAL LOUNGE — Jerry Sheehan is now assistant director for scientific integrity and data access at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. He most recently was deputy director of the National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health.
STAFFING UP — The White House announced several new nominations, including Bathsheba Nell Crocker as U.S. representative to the Office of the U.N. and Other International Organizations in Geneva, Claire Pierangelo as U.S. ambassador to Madagascar and the Comoros, Julia Gordon as Federal Housing Administration commissioner and Dave Uejio as assistant HUD secretary for fair housing and equal opportunity.
TRANSITIONS — Brian Kaveney is joining Allison+Partners as VP of global reputation risk and public affairs. He previously was comms director for former Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.). … Kevin Gerson will be director of public affairs for SKDK. He currently is comms director for Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.).
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Justice Sonia Sotomayor … CNN’s Betsy Klein … Alan McQuinn … Narrative Strategies’ Patrick O’Connor … Annika Christensen … John Randall of BCW Global … Abbie Sorrendino … Dan Spinelli of Mother Jones … Danielle Doheny … Matt Felling of Sen. Angus King’s (I-Maine) office … Bryan Bernys … FT’s Patrick Temple-West … Josh Lahey of Lot Sixteen … Tita Thompson Freeman … Dan Meyers of APCO Worldwide … Ryan Long … Trice Jacobson of the Charles Koch Institute … Taylor Haulsee … Bully Pulpit Interactive’s Scott Zumwalt … Keri Rice … Ned Monroe of the Vinyl Institute (6-0) … former Reps. Leonard Lance (R-N.J.) and Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-Mich.) … Corbett Daly … Kamran Daravi … John Fisher of NBC News PR … Kathleen Shannon … POLITICO’s Hank Hoffman … Jackie Bradford
Send Playbookers tips to [email protected]. Playbook couldn’t happen without our editor Mike Zapler, deputy editor Zack Stanton and producers Allie Bice, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross.
Demonstrators gather outside Cup Foods in April to celebrate the murder conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
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Demonstrators gather outside Cup Foods in April to celebrate the murder conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
John Minchillo/AP
A Minnesota judge will sentence Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd — a punishment that is being closely watched, with prosecutors requesting a 30-year sentence.
In April, a jury found the former Minneapolis police officer, who is white, guilty of murdering Floyd, who was Black, last year. The killing triggered massive protests against racial injustice and also prompted reviews of the police use of force — including how much the law should protect officers when someone dies in their custody.
Chauvin was seen on video pressing his knee onto Floyd’s neck for 9 minutes and 29 secondsas Floyd lay facedown on the asphalt outside a convenience store with his hands cuffed behind his back. The police had been called to the store after Floyd allegedly used a counterfeit $20 bill to pay for cigarettes.
The guilty verdict against Chauvin was hailed as a civil rights victory. His prison sentence is now being awaited as a possible affirmation of that victory.
Chauvin has been jailed since his guilty verdict. He will be in court for Friday’s sentencing hearing, wearing a suit rather than a prisoner’s uniform by a special order of the court.
Under Minnesota law, people sentenced to prison become eligible to be considered for parole after serving two-thirds of their sentence, as long as they’ve had no disciplinary problems while in custody.
Lawyers are arguing over aggravating factors
Minnesota guidelines called for Chauvin to be sentenced to around 12 1/2 years for second-degree unintentional murder, given his lack of prior criminal history. But state prosecutors have pushed for a 30-year term, saying Chauvin “acted with particular cruelty,” among other aggravating factors in the case.
The prosecution also cited Chauvin’s abuse of a position of authority and Floyd’s killing in front of children and other witnesses, saying his punishment requires an “upward departure” from the guidelines. Judge Peter Cahill agreed, saying that aggravating factors had been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Eric Nelson, Chauvin’s defense attorney, is asking for Chauvin to be sentenced to probation along with time already served, saying that Chauvin, 45, would likely be a target in prison. He also says that with the support of his family and friends, Chauvin still has the potential to be a positive influence on his community.
Chauvin was found guilty of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. But he’s being punished only for the most serious charge: second-degree murder while committing a felony. In Minnesota, a person convicted of multiple crimes that happened at the same time is typically only sentenced for the most severe charge.
The state’s maximum prison term for second-degree unintentional murder is 40 years,although the sentencing guidelines for second-degree unintentional murder largely taper off at 24 years.
Chauvin also faces federal charges
Former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin listens to verdicts at his trial in April for the 2020 death of George Floyd at the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis. Chauvin was convicted of murder and manslaughter charges in state court and is scheduled to be sentenced June 25.
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Former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin listens to verdicts at his trial in April for the 2020 death of George Floyd at the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis. Chauvin was convicted of murder and manslaughter charges in state court and is scheduled to be sentenced June 25.
Court TV via AP
Weeks after Chauvin was found guilty of murdering Floyd, the Justice Department announced federal criminal charges against him and three of his fellow former officers over Floyd’s death.
A federal grand jury indicted the four on charges of violating Floyd’s civil rights, with Chauvin accused of using excessive force and ignoring the medical emergency that ended in Floyd’s death.
The other former officers — J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao — are also accused of not getting immediate medical help for Floyd, with Kueng and Thao facing an addition charge of failing to intervene and showing “deliberate indifference” to Floyd’s predicament.
The grand jury also indicted Chauvin over an arrest he made in 2017, in which he allegedly used a neck restraint and beat a teenager with a flashlight.
No trial date has been announced for the federal charges.
The three other former officers were already facing a state trial in August, on charges of aiding and abetting. But that trial has now been postponed until March of 2022.
All four of the Minneapolis officers involved in Floyd’s death were fired days after the incident.
Police killings rarely result in criminal charges
Floyd’s murder and other high-profile cases, such as the police killing of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Ky., have put intense scrutiny on the police use of deadly force against Black people, particularly by white officers.
An NPR investigation from early this year found that police officers in the U.S. shot and killed at least 135unarmedBlack men and women since 2015, and that at least 75% of the officers were white.
Law enforcement officers in the U.S. killed 1,099 people in 2019 — by far the most in any wealthy democracy in both raw numbers and per capita, according to the Prison Policy Initiative.
Those killings result in only a small number of officers being charged with a crime each year, and convictions of police on murder charges are very rare.
Last year brought a spike in the number of officers who died on duty, but as in most years, traffic incidents accounted for the largest share of those deaths.
Chauvin case propelled calls to change policing in the U.S.
The uproar over Floyd’s death has helped change how some police departments train officers to use force, particularly chokeholds or carotid restraint holds.
But as NPR reported last summer, bans on neck restraints have been mostly ineffective or unenforced. Chauvin’s actions against Floyd, for instance, were described by Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo as violating the department’s policies on the use of force, as well de-escalation and rendering aid.
Advocates of police reform also say it’s time to limit or revoke qualified immunity — a legal doctrine established by the Supreme Court in 1967 that has been used to shield officers from facing liability for egregious actions while on-duty.
“The people pushing for this change say the Supreme Court has tightened qualified immunity so much in recent decades that it’s become nearly impossible for courts to recognize even blatant examples of police misconduct as illegal,” NPR’s Martin Kaste reported last year. “But police see things very differently. For them, qualified immunity has become a necessary safe harbor in a fast-paced, often dangerous job.”
Qualified immunity’s critics range from far-left activists to the libertarian Cato Institute.
A federal judge joined the critics last year, saying that while an officer in a case before him was protected by the doctrine, qualified immunity should be tossed into “the dustbin of history.”
People line up in their cars to get tested for COVID-19 at a pop-up testing clinic at Bondi Beach in Sydney on Friday. Parts of Sydney will go into lockdown late Friday because of a growing coronavirus outbreak in Australia’s largest city.
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People line up in their cars to get tested for COVID-19 at a pop-up testing clinic at Bondi Beach in Sydney on Friday. Parts of Sydney will go into lockdown late Friday because of a growing coronavirus outbreak in Australia’s largest city.
Dean Lewins/AP
An increase of coronavirus infections around the world is forcing somegovernments to reimplement lockdown measures to control the spread of the virus.
From Australia to Israel and around Europe, health officials announced new restrictions ahead of the weekend as they report clusters of outbreaks and try to mitigate further transmissions. These decisions come as the more transmissible delta variant of the coronavirus becomes the dominant strain in several countries.
The picture looks very different in the U.S., where many places are still reopening despite warnings from health officials.
Restrictions in Hawaii for vaccinated travelers, for example, will be lifted next month even though the immunization rate currently remains under the state’s goals.
Hawaii Gov. David Ige had previously said Hawaii would lift these travel restrictions when the state reached 60% vaccination levels. The figure went from 53% June 4 to 57% as of June 21, but Ige said the state will reach its goal by July 8.
That same day, the state plans toend its pre-travel COVID-19 testing requirement for visitors from the mainland U.S. who are fully vaccinated. Travelers would still need to submit their vaccine card to the state government’s Safe Travels website.
“I know that this change has been widely anticipated and it will make it easier for residents to return home and for visitors to come and enjoy our islands,” Ige said.
Parts of Sydney go into weeklong lockdown
Authorities in Australia’s New South Wales region announced Friday that due to an evolving COVID-19 outbreak in the region, restrictions on nonessential travel will be in place until July 2.
People living in the city of Sydney, Waverley, Randwick, Canada Bay, Inner West, Bayside and Woollahra can’t travel outside metropolitan Sydney for nonessential reasons, the government announced.
People line up in their cars to get tested for COVID-19 at a pop-up testing clinic at Bondi Beach in Sydney on Friday. Parts of Sydney will go into lockdown late Friday after a coronavirus outbreak in Australia’s largest city continued to grow.
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People line up in their cars to get tested for COVID-19 at a pop-up testing clinic at Bondi Beach in Sydney on Friday. Parts of Sydney will go into lockdown late Friday after a coronavirus outbreak in Australia’s largest city continued to grow.
Dean Lewins/AP
“This is in order for us to ensure that this doesn’t take a hold for weeks and weeks, and we believe this is a proportionate response to the risk,” said Gladys Berejiklian, the premier of New South Wales state.
Residents across greater Sydney were advised to limit unnecessary activity, avoid large gatherings in coming days and comply with the current restrictions.
New South Wales Health announced Friday that the outbreak first detected last week has resulted in at least 65 people getting infected.
This latest outbreak is being blamed on a Sydney airport limousine driver who wasn’t vaccinated, didn’t wear a mask and is suspected to have been infected while transporting a foreign air crew, according to The Associated Press.
Israel masks up indoors
In Israel, the government will require residents to wear masks indoors again after first canceling the mandate a week ago. The country will also postpone plans to allow certain international visitors into the country.
The country was lauded for vaccinating large swaths of its population and returning largely to normal in May. But Thursday, more than 180 people tested positive for the coronavirus — the fourth day in which infections exceeded 100.
Israel reimplemented some of its coronavirus restrictions, despite a successful vaccination campaign, due to new cases of COVID-19.
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Israel reimplemented some of its coronavirus restrictions, despite a successful vaccination campaign, due to new cases of COVID-19.
Oded Balilty/AP
Health officials are urging that masks be worn in large events held in the open air. Government health officials say the delta variant is the culprit.
And travelers looking to go to Israel will have to wait a little longer to visit.
The country is postponing the date vaccinated tourists can enter from July 1 to at least Aug. 1. Authorized tour groups may still enter the country, the government said.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced a national campaign to vaccinate people age 12 and under. He also urged residents not to travel abroad if they don’t have to.
“We are in a fight against time between the progression of the disease and the process of vaccination,” Minister Mariana Vieira da Silva said at a news conference Thursday.
A woman wearing a face mask walks past a church in Lisbon’s Chiado neighborhood on Thursday. The Portuguese government is returning to some lockdown measures due to a surge in cases linked to the COVID-19 delta variant.
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A woman wearing a face mask walks past a church in Lisbon’s Chiado neighborhood on Thursday. The Portuguese government is returning to some lockdown measures due to a surge in cases linked to the COVID-19 delta variant.
Armando Franca/AP
New restrictions include capacity limitations for restaurants and cafes, and mandated closing times for 3:30 p.m. on weekends. Event venues will be allowed to have just 25% capacity, down from the previous 50%.
Weekend travel in and out of Lisbon is banned unless visitors can show a negative coronavirus test. Each of these policies will be reviewed weekly, according to the Portuguese government.
Communications between Miami-Dade first responders reveal the level-headed reaction as rescuers raced to the site of a collapsed high-rise apartment building in the coastal Florida community of Surfside.
Communications between Miami-Dade first responders reveal the level-headed reaction as rescuers raced to the site of a collapsed high-rise apartment building in the coastal Florida community of Surfside.
The recordings detailed communications between dispatchers, hazmat units, firefighters and emergency medical responders who rushed to assess the damage and free as many survivors as they could from the crumbled Champlain Towers South building.
One firefighter reported arriving “at the rubble pile” with an engine and another vehicle.
This photo taken from video provided by ReliableNewsMedia, a firefighter fist bumps a survivor, after being pulled from the rubble of the Champlain Towers South Condo after the multistory building partially collapsed in Surfside, Fla., early Thursday. (ReliableNewsMedia via AP)
“We’re gonna need some backboards,” he says. “We’ve got two [victims] over here we’re gonna need to extricate.”
A different responder made a similar request.
“You’re gonna have to have all units bring all of their equipment up and stage it,” one responder said. “We’re also gonna need runners – we’ve got multiple patients we’re bringing off this pile.”
Another called for backup quickly after arriving at another side of the scene.
“I need two units with backboards to come to the south side… they’ve got two victims on this side,” a member of the Hazmat group said at one point.
This photo taken from video provided by ReliableNewsMedia, firefighters rescue a survivor from the rubble of the Champlain Towers South Condo after the multistory building partially collapsed in Surfside, Fla., early Thursday. (ReliableNewsMedia via AP)
At another point, responders were ordered to evacuate the area of 88th Street and Collins Avenue, adjacent to the collapsed building, to make room for arriving police.
Minutes later, a rescuer said that same area was where they expected to pull out the most survivors.
Dozens of units from neighboring counties also aided the response, according to the recordings.
Many were eager to help when they arrived, asking where they were needed.
At least one person died and 99 remained unaccounted for as of Thursday evening, and responders had pulled out at least 37 survivors.
Gov. Ron DeSantis warned that officials were “bracing for some bad news” based on the scale of the damage, even as he praised first responders for their bravery.
Fire rescue personnel set up outside the Champlain Towers South Condo after the multistory building partially collapsed Thursday in Surfside, Fla. (David Santiago /Miami Herald via AP)
“They were on that scene before we knew whether there would be more collapse,” he said. “We didn’t know whether the building had any structural integrity, and they were shepherding people to safety, and they absolutely saved people’s lives. We really appreciate all that they have done and they are continuing to do.”
State and local officials have declared emergencies and rescue efforts were still underway more than 16 hours after the early morning collapse.
During an early evening news conference, investigators said rescuers had heard “banging” sounds from within the rubble that could be signs of life.
Portions of the building that remained intact were evacuated and labeled uninhabitable.
The 12-story condo building had been built in 1981. It was part of a complex with two sister high rises, for a total of 342 housing units. More than 130 of them were in Champlain Towers South, which is the one that tumbled down.
Apartments inside ranged from one- to three-bedroom units and cost between $600,000 and $900,000, according to recent real estate listings.
A South Florida-based home insurance inspector told the Miami Herald she visited the building in February 2020 to inspect impact windows and doors for a client. She said the building was made of reinforced concrete and should not have collapsed the way it did, the Herald reported.
In the East Room of the White House on Thursday, Biden declared “we have a deal” after a 30-minute meeting with the group of senators earlier in the day..
An initial round of negotiations with Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., the lead GOP negotiator who is seen as closely aligned with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., fell through early June over disagreements about how to finance the package and what counted as infrastructure.
The new bipartisan coalition, spearheaded by Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., includes 11 Republicans, nine Democrats and one independent. The coalition included a number of moderate dealmakers in the Senate.
Bipartisan nature doesn’t mean all Democrats support deal
“Mitt Romney’s never broken his word to me. The senators from Alaska and Maine, they’ve never broken their words to me,” Biden said in remarks about the package. “I trust them when they say, ‘This is a deal, I’ll stick to the deal.'”
The coalition represents a geographically diverse set of senators with lawmakers from every part of the country coming to support the bill. Both senators from Arizona, represented by two Democrats, and North Carolina, represented by two Republicans, supported the bills, the only states that had unified Senate delegations.
The deal the group reached has come under criticism from some progressive Democrats, who argue the deal would not adequately address the country’s infrastructure needs.
Sens. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., made clear earlier this month they could not support an infrastructure package that didn’t address climate change unless it was coupled with another package that did tackle climate.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who chairs the Senate Budget Committee and has proposed a $6 trillion infrastructure package of his own, has also stressed that a bipartisan deal cannot be passed without it being coupled to another package.
“There cannot be one without the other,” Sanders told the New York Times on Tuesday.
Most Republicans remain skeptical of the White House deal brokered with their 11 colleagues. Portman, the Ohio Republican, told reporters on Capitol Hill on Thursday before their meeting with Biden that McConnell “remains open-minded, and he’s listening.”
The Kentucky Republican himself, who oversaw parts of the GOP’s initial negotiations with Biden, hasn’t said whether he will direct his caucus to support the bill.
On Thursday, Biden was firm in acknowledging that the deal is only “one half” of his administration’s economic agenda, with other measures targeting family policy and climate change likely to come after the infrastructure deal.
“My party is divided, but my party is also rational,” he said of Democrats’ desire to pass a bipartisan infrastructure package and then a larger bill likely to be enacted through budget reconciliation, a process the parties often used to bypass the Senate filibuster and thus opposition input.
The president then added that “if this (bipartisan deal) is the only thing that comes to me, I’m not signing it,” a clear sign that the bipartisan effort was not a compromise on the administration’s ambitions.
HOUSTON – Five Fort Bend County residents were confirmed with the Delta variant of the coronavirus on Wednesday, county health authorities said.
Fort Bend County Health and Human Services authorities said three of these people had received only one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and one had not been vaccinated at all prior to the start of symptoms. The vaccination status of the fifth person has not been determined. Although symptoms were present, no one was hospitalized.
“These cases underscore the importance of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19, especially with the Delta variant becoming more prevalent in the U.S.,” Dr. Jacquelyn Minter, director of FBCHHS, said via a news release on Thursday. “Current research shows that two doses of the mRNA vaccines are over 80 percent effective against the Delta variant. The best protection that we have against this disease is to be fully vaccinated. If you are not fully vaccinated, we encourage you to wear your mask and to maintain a physical distance from others while in public.”
FBCHHS is asking everyone to use this information as a reminder to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Vaccines are readily available at no cost throughout Fort Bend and surrounding counties. Full protection is present two weeks after the second dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or two weeks after a single dose of the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
As an encouragement for residents to get their COVID-19 vaccine, the Sugar Land Skeeters Organization has provided free tickets for those persons who get their vaccine from a FBCHHS vaccination site or event this weekend.
Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what’s clicking on Foxnews.com.
President Biden on Thursday touted a new major bipartisan spending deal but warned he wouldn’t sign the roughly $1 trillion in roads, bridges and broadband investments unless Congress passes a separate bill on human infrastructure filled with Democratic priorities on expanding the social safety net.
“If this (bipartisan deal) is the only one that comes to me, I’m not signing it,” Biden said at the White House. “It’s in tandem.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have said the narrow bipartisan bill on traditional infrastructure must be paired with a sweeping new spending bill that could reach $6 trillion in order to secure the necessary votes for passage. Biden backed their approach Thursday by saying he won’t sign one into law without the other.
President Joe Biden arrives to speak about infrastructure negotiations, in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, June 24, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) (AP)
“I’m not just signing the bipartisan bill and forgetting about the rest that I proposed,” Biden said, noting the human infrastructure part is “equally important” to the physical infrastructure proposals.
Biden signaled both bills are needed to get support from his Democratic Party, which holds very slim majorities in the House and Senate.
“My party is divided, but my party’s also rational,” Biden said.
Biden’s remarks came at the White House after he signed off on a $953 billion infrastructure plan after meeting with five Democrats and five Republicans who hammered out the agreement in the Senate. The deal achieves a top priority for Biden’s political agenda: signaling to the American public that he can build bridges and find consensus with Republicans.
Biden joined the jubilant group of senators earlier Thursday outside the White House, where they declared bipartisanship wasn’t dead.
“America works,” Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said at the White House. “The Senate works, and we can work together.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., accused Biden of undermining the good-faith bipartisan deal that he endorsed earlier in the day with the senators by later threatening to veto it if Congress didn’t also approve Democrats’ plan for “runaway spending.” He accused Biden of “caving” to the left-wing base of his party in a matter of hours.
“Caving completely in less than two hours – that’s not the way to show you’re serious about getting a bipartisan outcome,” McConnell said. “I hope our colleagues can recover and get their good faith efforts back on track.”
Forging a deal on infrastructure has been very elusive in recent years. During the Trump administration, “infrastructure week” had become a long-running joke because every time the White House wanted to focus squarely on roads and bridges, former President Donald Trump appeared to derail the messaging with a newsy tweet or comment.
President Joe Biden, with a bipartisan group of senators, speaks Thursday June 24, 2021, outside the White House in Washington. Biden invited members of the group of 21 Republican and Democratic senators to discuss the infrastructure plan. From left are, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Biden, Sen, Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz, Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) (AP)
So, Biden and the senators Thursday were happy to celebrate some actual movement on pent-up projects.
“It’s infrastructure week!” tweeted Louisiana GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy, who was part of the bipartisan group of senators.
“Sure is,” responded White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
The road ahead will be challenging.
The bipartisan deal needs to collect support from progressive senators who think the package is way too narrow, and progressives need to lock in votes for their forthcoming bigger spending bill from moderates.
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., already expressed doubt earlier Thursday about backing the Democrats’ human infrastructure plan that’s expected to include an expansion of child care support, Medicare eligibility and green energy priorities. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is leading that effort and has targeted spending of upwards of $6 trillion.
Biden acknowledged there’s much work ahead to make both bills a reality, but he touted his long experience in the Senate and said he expects both bills to pass Congress before the end of the fiscal year, which is Sept. 30.
“I’m not going to rest until both get to my desk,” Biden said.
Dominion in the lawsuits argues separately that Giuliani, Lindell and Powell had each harmed its reputation by spreading dozens of false and misleading claims about the company and its role in the contest between Trump and President Joe Biden.
Sibley in April filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that Dominion’s claims for relief were not brought in accordance with proper procedural standards of the court.
That argument differed from one brought by Powell’s lawyers, who argued in part that “no reasonable person” would believe that her false claims and conspiracy theories about the 2020 election were “truly statements of fact.”
Dominion, which operated voting machines in numerous states during the 2020 election cycle, is requesting roughly $1.3 billion in damages in each of those cases. Dominion has also sued Fox News for $1.6 billion, accusing the network of falsely claiming that it had rigged the election. Fox has moved to dismiss that case.
At the start of the hearing, Dominion lawyer Thomas Clare introduced CEO Poulos, who was sitting at the counsel table.
Clare was followed by Andrew Parker of the MyPillow legal team, who noted that Dershowitz, described as “a part of the MyPillow legal team,” was attending by phone.
Parker said that Dershowitz was unable to appear in person “because he was unable to travel due to surgery.”
Lindell himself was present for the hearing, according to his lawyer Douglas Daniels, who explicitly introduced him to Nichols. “I would like to introduce to the court, Mr. Mike Lindell,” the CEO’s lawyer said.
Sibley followed, telling the judge, “It’s just me.”
After him, Powell attorney Howard Kleinhendler said during his introduction, “I’d also like to point out to the court that Ms. Powell is here.”
This is developing news. Please check back for updates.
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