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Washington — The Senate moved closer to passing a $1 trillion infrastructure package Saturday after lawmakers from both parties came together and voted to clear a key procedural hurdle. More votes will be needed before Senate passage of one of President Biden's top priorities.
In Democratic contests, the moderates strike back
Results from recent elections show that the Democratic Party seems to be firmly bolted in the center of the political dialogue.
www.nbcnews.com
Texas Democrats continue holdout, don’t show for new session
Texas Democrats are still refusing to return to the state Capitol. Most Democrats didn’t show up when Republican Gov.
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Senators push infrastructure bill a step closer to passage
U.S. senators from both parties have hoisted the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package over another procedural hurdle.
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Zuckerberg's cash fuels GOP suspicion and new election rules
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg donated $400 million to help fund election offices as they scrambled to deal with the coronavirus pandemic last year.
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What to know about Florida's anti-riot law and the corresponding legal challenge
Florida's controversial anti-riot law is going to have its day in court.
Taliban takes key northern Afghan cities as battles rage on
Taliban fighters have seized most of the capital of northern Afghanistan’s key Kunduz province, and won a monthlong siege of a neighboring provincial capital.
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U.S. urges Americans in Afghanistan to leave immediately
A security alert urges Americans to leave on commercial flights as Taliban militants are attacking Afghan cities.
www.cbsnews.com
Biden emboldens establishment Democrats with ballot box wins
Almost seven months into the Biden administration, establishment Democrats are feeling emboldened — and winning races around the country.The trend marks a sharp contrast to just a few years ago, wh…
thehill.com
Lyndon Johnson's daughter takes up her father's cause on 56th anniversary of Voting Rights Act
Luci Baines Johnson was 18 when her father signed the act.
www.cbsnews.com
Cuomo follows well-used playbook by scandal-plagued politicians: deny wrongdoing, wait it out
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is laying low ever since releasing a video response denying the allegations of sexual harassment from 11 women illustrated in a state attorney general’s report as the public and political figures, including President Biden, call for his resignation.
Supreme Court decision could set off gerrymandering ‘arms race’
Federal judges will no longer play the role of referee when the intensely partisan, once-per-decade fight over congressional mapmaking gets underway this year.
thehill.com
Mixed bag: Erratic Pandemic Olympics come to a nuanced end
The pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics have officially come to an end. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach has declared the games closed and the Olympic flame has been extinguished.
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California GOP nixes endorsement fight in Newsom recall
California Republicans have sidestepped a potentially nasty fight over endorsing a candidate in the state's upcoming recall election that could remove Democratic Gov.
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GOP chairwoman: Trump ‘still leads the party’
The head of the Republican National Committee (RNC) says in a new interview that former President Trump “still leads the party,” even as the RNC has vowed to remain neutral if Trump run…
thehill.com
Big Tech call center workers face pressure to accept home surveillance
Workers at one of the world’s largest call center companies said additional monitoring would violate the privacy of their families in their homes.
www.nbcnews.com
New York Times: Trump 2020 campaign refunds millions to donors after using aggressive fundraising tactic | CNN Politics
Former President Donald Trump and the Republican Party have refunded nearly $13 million to donors in the first half of the year, after deploying fundraising tactics in the 2020 election that duped donors into giving more money than they intended or believed they were, The New York Times reported.
www.cnn.com
Gavin Newsom tours California area devastated by wildfire damage
California Gov. Gavin Newsom toured the devastation caused by the Dixie Fire in the northern part of the state on Saturday.
GOP senator says he disagrees with DeSantis on mask mandates
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) on Sunday said he disagrees with the order by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) that bans mask mandates in local schools. “I’m a conservative. I think you govern best whe…
thehill.com
Black New Yorkers strike back at city program that seized their properties for developers
The plaintiffs say the program unfairly aided gentrification and pushed Black and Latino residents out of their homes and neighborhoods.
www.nbcnews.com
Senate confirms Carlos Del Toro as Navy secretary
The Senate confirmed Carlos Del Toro as Navy secretary by unanimous consent Saturday evening, making him the second-ever Hispanic Navy secretary.
Former acting AG testifies before panel probing election interference
Former acting Attorney General Jeff Rosen sat for hours of congressional testimony on Saturday, reportedly testifying on former President Trump’s efforts to undermine the results of the 2020 e…
thehill.com
Tokyo Olympics closing ceremony marks end of strangest games on record
The Tokyo Olympics glided to their conclusion in a COVID-emptied stadium Sunday night.
www.cbsnews.com
Hurry up and wait in the Senate on infrastructure
The Senate has moved closer to passing a $1 trillion infrastructure package after lawmakers from both parties voted to clear a key procedural hurdle.
apnews.com
Cuomo likely the latest top New York Democrat felled by sex scandal - Washington Examiner
Details of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's alleged sexual harassment of female staff members and even a female bodyguard would be shocking if they weren't so familiar.But the accusations against Cuomo, detailed in a 168-page investigative report by New York Attorney General Letitia James that...
www.washingtonexaminer.com
'Always working': Biden eyes 1st summer getaway as president
President Joe Biden should be heading out on vacation and a traditional August break from Washington.
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Cuomo's fight to stay in office runs into a wave of Democratic defections
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is running out of time and friends as he stares down the prospect of being the first New York governor impeached in more than 100 years -- with his own party leading the way.
Women send powerful message in Olympic track and field
Over nine days at the near-empty Olympic Stadium, the women of track and field delivered a memorable show.
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Capitol riot: Off-duty Seattle police officers fired over assault
The officers stood by as Donald Trump's supporters stormed the government building, an inquiry says.
www.bbc.com
United States Barely Edges Out China For Most Gold Medals At Tokyo Olympics
For the seventh Olympic games in a row, the United States took home more medals than any country. But in the gold-medal race, they just barely edged China.
www.npr.org
U.S. evacuation of Afghans likely to drag on after American troops leave
The U.S. has evacuated less than one percent of the 80,000 Afghans who've sought visas under a program intended to help ex-interpreters for U.S. troops.
www.nbcnews.com
Pentagon attacker previously targeted couple next door
The man who is accused of stabbing a Pentagon police officer last week before shooting himself with the officer’s gun reportedly targeted a couple that lived next door to him.Austin Lanz, 27, …
thehill.com
Bill Maher: Defunding the police came from 'wokeness' and 'will get people killed'
Comedian Bill Maher slammed “woke” culture and said that defunding the police and ignoring the theory that the coronavirus came from a Chinese lab due to fear of being called racist are examples of how “wokeness” will “get people killed.”
Belarus sees a year of fierce repression after disputed vote
President Alexander Lukashenko has ruled Belarus with an iron fist since taking power in 1994. But when massive protests that began last August presented him with an unprecedented challenge, he responded with exceptional force.
apnews.com
Pennsylvania Democrat fight is battle in Left-versus-centrist war - Washington Examiner
The ascendance of Democratic pragmatists amid the party’s leftward lurch faces a key 2022 test with Rep. Conor Lamb’s entrance into the Pennsylvania Senate race.Lamb’s main competition for the Democratic nomination is John Fetterman. The lieutenant governor embodies the progressive populism, and...
www.washingtonexaminer.com
Success on police reform hinges on funding, not defunding law enforcement
We need to move away from a focus on penalizing officers in favor of enacting smart solutions that align federal law enforcement policies and resources with the realities and expectations of law en…
thehill.com
Warm waters further threaten depleted Maine shrimp fishery
Maine’s long-shuttered shrimp fishing business has a chance to reopen in the coming winter, but the warming of the ocean threatens to keep the industry shut down.
apnews.com
Biden praises Olympians for inspiring Americans with courage
President Joe Biden praised U.S. Olympians for navigating the difficulties of a coronavirus tarnished games with “moral courage” that made Americans’ “hearts swell” with pride.
apnews.com
Oregon fire turns preserve into living lab, testing years of forest management and tribal knowledge
"The use of fire never should have been discontinued," said Craig Bienz, program director for the Sycan Marsh Preserve.
www.nbcnews.com
Refugees find more bodies in river separating Tigray, Sudan
Ethiopian refugees in Sudan say they have found six more bodies floating down the river that separates Ethiopia’s troubled Tigray region from Sudan.
apnews.com
Andrew Cuomo mandated sexual harassment training. Did he take it himself?
The New York governor claimed to take sexual harassment training in 2019, but his signature on an attestation form was signed by an aide.
www.usatoday.com
$1 trillion infrastructure bill awaits final vote after Senate breaks filibuster, shuts down debate | CNN Politics
The Senate voted to break a filibuster Saturday and advance a massive $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package after months of furious negotiations, clearing a major hurdle for President Joe Biden’s agenda even as it will soon face an uncertain future in the House.
www.cnn.com
Key moments from final day of the Olympic Games
Here's what you missed from Day 16 of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Californians hit hard hard with weekend of wildfire fears
Fueled by strong winds and bone-dry vegetation, California's Dixie Fire has grown to become the largest single wildfire in state history.
apnews.com
Hezbollah leader vows retaliation for future Israeli attacks
The leader of the militant Hezbollah says his group will retaliate against any future Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon, a day after his supporters fired a barrage of rockets toward Israel.
apnews.com
Texans QB’s sex assault cases highlight concerns amid #MeToo
Lawyers fighting sexual assault allegations against Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson face a predicament: Defending their client means working to discredit the claims of 22 women who are more likely to be believed four years into the #MeToo movement.
apnews.com
Taliban seize key north Afghan city of Kunduz
The Taliban on Sunday seized the city of Kunduz in northern Afghanistan, marking the third provincial capital that the military organization has taken since it began its campaign in May.As The…
thehill.com
Challenge to Indiana University vaccine mandate reaches Supreme Court | CNN Politics
A lawyer representing Indiana University students asked the Supreme Court Friday to block the school’s vaccine mandate that is set to take effect this fall while the appeals process plays out.
www.cnn.com
Border guards resolve dispute with Canada poised to reopen to Americans
Negotiations between the unions, the border agency and the Treasury Board of Canada dragged on for three years before they hit a stalemate last December.
www.politico.com
Former acting AG Jeffrey Rosen provides 7 hours of testimony before Senate panel investigating election interference
Jeffrey Rosen's testimony, said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, showed how "close the country came to total catastrophe" in the days after the 2020 election.
www.usatoday.com
Fact-checking claim Biden administration is pushing vaccine passport | CNN Politics
Amid confusion over mask mandates, booster shots, and new guidance for those vaccinated, some Republicans have thrown fuel on the fire with false and misleading claims.
www.cnn.com
Democrats spar over how to pass the Pennsylvania test
Conor Lamb's entry into the race on Friday sets the field in a key race for control of the Senate.
www.politico.com
Regulators refuse to step in as workers languish in extreme heat
As climate change turbocharges temperatures, more workers across the country will face stifling conditions with deadly consequences. A POLITICO and E&E News investigation reveals how difficult setting a national standard to protect them could be.
www.politico.com
‘You made me so damn proud’: Biden praises Olympic athletes and extends invite to the White House | CNN Politics
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden met with members of the 2020 US Olympic Team Saturday in a livestreamed virtual reception.
www.cnn.com
Charred buildings, burned cars and an abandoned town: Haunting photos of California wildfire aftermath
Burned cars, incinerated buildings and heavy smoke are left in the aftermath as California's Dixie Fire, now the nation's largest wildfire, rages on.
www.usatoday.com
Gov. Cuomo could face possible misdemeanor: Albany County sheriff
The Albany County sheriff said Andrew Cuomo could face a possible misdemeanor charge during a press conference on a criminal complaint filed earlier this week.
U.S. struggles to unite democratic European allies against China
Allies "see the Americans being confrontational with China, and they don't believe Europe can afford to be quite so confrontational," a former U.K. diplomat says.
www.nbcnews.com
Albany sheriff says he won’t rush or delay Cuomo investigation ‘because of who he is’
An executive assistant, who accused Gov. Andrew Cuomo of groping her and reaching under her blouse, filed a criminal complaint against him.
www.nbcnews.com
The Perseverance Games: Surreal Olympics approach their end
The pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games finally come to a close after an exhausting, enlightening and sometimes enraging run.
apnews.com
Bill Maher says Cuomo can’t stay after scandal: He’s no ‘Donald Trump’
HBO host Bill Maher condemned New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) after numerous sexual harassment claims against Cuomo were detailed this week, arguing the embattled gover…
thehill.com
A massive motorcycle rally rumbles into South Dakota. Attendees should stay outside, health experts say.
Last year's Sturgis Motorcycle Rally went on as the pandemic raged, despite criticism from heath experts. This year's promises to be even bigger.
www.usatoday.com
No home, mentally ill: California case shows system’s flaws
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The big brother Suzette Chaumette remembers was witty and kind, an aspiring historian at the University of California, Berkeley whose promise was derailed by mental illness.
apnews.com
Cuomo's lawyers call AG report unfair. How does that compare to 'Troopergate?'
As the state attorney general, Cuomo led his own probe of then-Gov. Eliot Spitzer.
www.politico.com
The 14 Moments That Swept Us Away At The Tokyo Olympics
NPR's team in Tokyo put together our favorite moments of the Games, where participants showed their athleticism, sportsmanship, and what motivated them to compete.
www.npr.org
Japan has its best Olympic medal haul: 27 gold, 58 overall
Japan had its best Olympic production in every category at the just-completed Tokyo Olympics. Japan won 27 gold medals for a national record.
apnews.com
US rolls to women's hoops gold medal in Bird's last Olympics
Sue Bird capped off her unblemished 17-year Olympics run with a record fifth gold medal. All she and longtime U.S. teammate Diana Taurasi have done on the international stage is win and now stand alone with five gold medals — the first basketball players ever to accomplish that feat — after a 90-75
apnews.com
Fire devours Greek island's forests; residents urged to flee
Pillars of billowing smoke and ash are blocking out the sun above Greece’s second-largest island as a days-old wildfire devours more pristine forests and triggers more evacuations.
apnews.com
CNN’s Jim Acosta on delta variant: ‘Why not call it the DeSantis variant?’
CNN anchor and chief domestic correspondent Jim Acosta on Saturday called out several GOP politicians who have pushed back on mandatory masking and COVID-19 vaccination, suggesting n…
thehill.com
Bobby Bowden, folksy coach of Florida St dynasty, dies at 91
Hall of Fame college football coach Bobby Bowden has died after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Exuding charm and wit, Bowden led Florida State to two national championships and a dozen conference titles during his 34 seasons with the Seminoles.
apnews.com
Lawmaker says Taliban enter north Afghan provincial capital
A provincial lawmaker says Taliban fighters have entered the capital of northern Afghanistan’s Jawzjan province after sweeping through nine of 10 districts in the province.
apnews.com
Analysis: Delta surge drowns out good news as US fights over masks and vaccines | CNN Politics
There’s a lot of good news to bring Americans into the weekend; the US hit the key milestone of vaccinating 50% of the total population, and nearly 60% of the eligible population – those 12 and older – are fully vaccinated.
www.cnn.com
Data shows how rare severe breakthrough Covid infections are
Covid case figures from two dozen states show that the vaccines offer strong protection against severe illness and death.
www.nbcnews.com
Once lagging, Europe catches up to the US in vaccinations
The European Union has caught up to the once-vaunted U.S. coronavirus vaccination effort despite a sluggish start.
apnews.com
US averaging 100,000 new COVID-19 infections a day
The COVID-19 outbreak in the United States has crossed 100,000 new confirmed daily infections. It's a milestone last exceeded during the winter surge and driven by the highly transmissible delta variant and low vaccination rates in the South.
apnews.com
Analysis: Parents and students caught in political skirmishes over mask and vaccine mandates | CNN Politics
The back-to-school season is turning into a frightening one for parents and children as they find themselves in the middle of political skirmishes over mask and vaccine mandates, leaving students’ safety determined more by geography and the political whims of governors than the science that...
www.cnn.com
Sunday shows preview: US grapples with rising COVID-19 cases
Multiple Biden administration officials as well as state and local leaders are set to appear on the Sunday talk shows this weekend.
thehill.com
To shake hands or not? An age-old human gesture now in limbo
As the pandemic took hold, a Kansas City-area meeting and event planning business began hawking “I Shake Hands” stickers to help ease awkward social encounters.
apnews.com
18 percent of migrant families leaving Border Patrol custody positive for Covid
In addition, over 25 percent of migrants recently scheduled for some “expedited” deportation flights tested positive, says a document obtained by NBC News.
www.nbcnews.com
Emergency shelter in Texas border city expands capacity as more COVID-positive migrants released
An emergency shelter set up in the border city of McAllen, Texas for COVID-positive migrants has expanded its capacity to keep up with a torrent of cases.
NIH director: Vaccines should never be political
"We don't need to be polarized about a virus that's killing people," Dr. Francis Collins said.
www.politico.com
Bars, restaurants move to impose vaccine mandates
A growing number of bars and restaurants have imposed vaccine mandates, a new trend after President Biden directed all federal employees to show that they are vaccinated or submit to regular testin…
thehill.com
New guidelines will call for third COVID shot for vulnerable people - Washington Examiner
Biden administration officials are expected to change tack with a recommendation that immunocompromised people receive a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, facing pressure from vaccine experts who argue those patients are still vulnerable to the disease. FAUCI WARNS OF VACCINE-EVADING VARIANT...
www.washingtonexaminer.com
J&J coronavirus vaccine linked to low blood platelet cases: EU regulator
The condition occurs when the number of blood platelets falls because the immune system mistakenly attacks them.
Why scientists are talking about viral load and the delta variant
What sets delta apart, experts say, is how much virus is produced by those who are infected — a measure known as viral load.
www.nbcnews.com
Florida COVID patient shares experience of virus
Yoiris Duran's family had decided against the vaccine, saying they'd heard too many conflicting messages. That's until they were all hospitalized with severe COVID symptoms. (Aug. 7)
www.usatoday.com
Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist's positive COVID test cancels shows
Lynyrd Skynyrd has pulled out of the Pro Football Hall of Fame concert after guitarist Rickey Medlocke tested positive for COVID-19
DeSantis order barring masks in schools faces first legal challenges
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) ban on mask mandates in schools has received its first legal challenges in the form of two lawsuits that were filed on Friday, challenging the execut…
thehill.com
Massachusetts sees renewed efforts to reverse happy hour prohibition
Happy hour has been banned in Massachusetts since 1984, part of an effort to curb drunken driving accidents.
www.nbcnews.com
Poll: Two-thirds of Americans say they’ll put on masks when sick post-pandemic
Two-thirds of Americans say they will continue to wear masks when sick and dress in comfortable clothing more often once the pandemic ends, according to a new poll.The poll, conducted by The Washin…
thehill.com
Radio host urges friends to get vaccinated shortly before dying of COVID-19
A conservative Florida radio host who was vocally critical of the COVID-19 vaccine urged his friends to get the shot after he contracted the virus himself, WPTV reported.
thehill.com
US airlines cancel hundreds of flights | CNN
Check out CNN’s latest weekly news update on pandemic travel. There’s bedlam on US airlines, wildfires in Greece and Turkey, and Canada and Japan are coming down hard on Covid rule-breakers
www.cnn.com
What experts are learning about the Lambda coronavirus variant | CNN
As the coronavirus pandemic continues, infections caused by the Lambda variant have been emerging in the United States, including in Texas, where Houston Methodist Hospital last month reported its first case.
www.cnn.com
The U.S. hasn’t OK’d boosters for those who got the J&J vaccine. But some are getting one anyway.
"It didn’t feel good circumventing the system, so to speak," one person who got an unauthorized booster shot said.
www.nbcnews.com
Florida breaks record for new daily Covid cases for third time this week
Hospitalizations have increased at record-breaking levels for six consecutive days, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
www.nbcnews.com
Some in US getting COVID-19 boosters without FDA approval
An untold number of Americans have managed to get COVID-19 booster shots even though the U.S. government hasn't approved them.
apnews.com
Zimbabwe floods Victoria Falls with vaccines to help tourism
Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls usually teems with tourists who come to marvel at the roaring Zambezi River as it tumbles to the gorge below and sends up a mist that is visible from miles away.
apnews.com
