Larry Elder (R) told reporters that he believes “there might very well be shenanigans” in the election to recall California Gov. Gavin Newsom, continuing the baseless GOP effort to undermine elections by suggesting wrongdoing, CNN reports.
It’s Go Time On Infrastructure
“The fight over President Biden’s $3.5 trillion spending package begins for real on Capitol Hill at 10am Thursday as the first of several committees starts hashing out details of the mammoth infrastructure proposal,” Axios reports.
“The legislative marathon comes amid Democrats’ internal squabbling that underscores just how tough it could be for Biden to get something across the finish line.”
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Capitol Police Brace for Political Violence Next Week
“Law enforcement officials are bracing for potential clashes and unrest during an upcoming right-wing rally in Washington, DC, as violent rhetoric surrounding the September 18 event has increased online and counter protests are being planned for the same day,” CNN reports.
Judge Allows Mask Mandates In Florida Schools
A Florida judge cleared the way for school districts to implement mask mandates while Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) issues an appeal to his decision, WFLA reports.
The U.S. Got Almost Everything Wrong After 9/11
Garret Graff: “As we approach the 20th anniversary of 9/11 on Saturday, I cannot escape this sad conclusion: The United States—as both a government and a nation—got nearly everything about our response wrong, on the big issues and the little ones.”
“The GWOT yielded two crucial triumphs: The core al-Qaeda group never again attacked the American homeland, and bin Laden, its leader, was hunted down and killed in a stunningly successful secret mission a decade after the attacks. But the U.S. defined its goals far more expansively, and by almost any other measure, the War on Terror has weakened the nation—leaving Americans more afraid, less free, more morally compromised, and more alone in the world.”
“A day that initially created an unparalleled sense of unity among Americans has become the backdrop for ever-widening political polarization.”
Extra Bonus Quote of the Day
“For God’s sakes a livin’, how difficult is this to understand?”
— West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R), losing it over the “crazy ideas” from anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists.
Most Want to Keep Gavin Newsom as Governor
A new Suffolk University poll in California finds 41% are in favoring of recalling Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), while 58% would like him to remain as governor.
Biden Tells 11 Trump Appointees to Resign Immediately
The Biden administration has told 11 officials appointed to military service academy advisory boards by former President Donald Trump — including Sean Spicer, Kellyanne Conway and H.R. McMaster — to resign or be dismissed, CNN reports.
Top 1% Are Evading $163 Billion Annually In Taxes
“The wealthiest 1 percent of Americans are the nation’s most egregious tax evaders, failing to pay as much as $163 billion in owed taxes per year,” the New York Times reports.
“The analysis comes as the Biden administration is pushing lawmakers to embrace its ambitious proposal to beef up the Internal Revenue Service to narrow the ‘tax gap,’ which it estimates amounts to $7 trillion in unpaid taxes over a decade.”
Britain Hikes Taxes to Highest Since World War II
“Boris Johnson raised taxes to their highest level since the Second World War on Tuesday, in a £36 billion move to reduce soaring NHS waiting lists and tackle the social care crisis,” the Telegraph reports.
“In one of the biggest political gambles of his premiership, the Prime Minister abandoned two of his flagship manifesto pledges from the 2019 election to cover the new spending.”
Another Record for U.S. Job Openings
“U.S. employers posted a record job openings for the second consecutive month in July — more affirmation that the labor market is bouncing back from last year’s coronavirus recession,” the Associated Press reports.
“Job openings rose to 10.9 million in July, up from the previous record of 10.2 million in June.”
Biden Offers Ambitious Blueprint for Solar Energy
“The Biden administration on Wednesday released a plan to produce almost half of the nation’s electricity from the sun by 2050 as part of its effort to combat climate change,” the New York Times reports.
“Solar energy provided less than 4 percent of the country’s electricity last year, and the administration’s target of 45 percent would represent a huge leap and will most likely take a fundamental reshaping of the energy industry. In a new report, the Energy Department said the country needed to double the amount of solar energy installed every year over the next four years compared with last year. And then it will need to double annual installations again by 2030.”
Club for Growth Spends Big on Ted Budd
“President Donald Trump endorsed Ted Budd three months ago in North Carolina’s 2022 U.S. Senate race,” the Charlotte Observer reports.
“Now one of Budd’s biggest political backers is spending $3 million to make sure Republicans in the state are aware of Trump’s endorsement.”
The Hill: North Carolina primary is a key test of Trump’s sway.
The Looming Chaos of Trump 2024
Philip Bump: “When Trump announced his candidacy in 2015, the coverage evolved from treating him as a novelty to treating him as a surprising contender to folding him into traditional coverage patterns, usually undeservedly. If he announces his 2024 candidacy shortly, how will he be covered? As another presidential contender? As a guy who tried his hardest, however shambolically, to steal the 2020 election? As someone who isn’t Biden, so: good enough?”
“America had never seen a candidate like Trump in 2016. If he runs in 2024, even without his approach to politics changing, he’ll again be a candidate unlike any who has come before. And again he’ll catch much of the country unprepared.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“In some ways, Biden has never been able to recover from the politicization of the virus by the Trump administration. It’s really difficult to run a national response when a large swath of the electorate is infusing so much politics into scientific questions of mask wearing and vaccinations.”
— Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), quoted by The Atlantic.
U.S. Could Default on Debt In October
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned the United States could default on its debt sometime in October if Congress does not take action to raise or suspend the debt limit, the New York Times reports.
“The ‘extraordinary measures’ that the Treasury Department has been employing to finance the government on a temporary basis since Aug. 1 will be exhausted next month, Ms. Yellen said in a letter to lawmakers. She added that the exact timing remained unclear but that time was running out to avert an economic catastrophe.”
Supreme Court to Return to In-Person Arguments
Associated Press: “The high court announced Wednesday that the justices plan to return to their majestic, marble courtroom for arguments beginning in October, more than a year and a half after the in-person sessions were halted because of the coronavirus pandemic.”
