Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ordered the ambassadors of 10 countries, including the U.S., France, and Germany, be declared “persona non grata” after calling for the release of jailed Turkish businessman and philanthropist Osman Kavala, CNN reports.
Biden Hosts Budget Talks In Delaware
“President Joe Biden was hosting two pivotal senators for meetings in Delaware on Sunday in hopes of resolving lingering disputes over Democrats’ long-stalled effort to craft an expansive social and environment measure,” the AP reports.
“Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) were scheduled to attend the session.”
Wall Street Journal: “With a series of deadlines approaching, President Biden’s increased involvement in talks over his sweeping social-policy agenda shows the line he is walking between being a pragmatic deal maker, with hopes of delivering tangible political wins, and his desire to enact transformative, long-term progressive policies.”
Pelosi Says Reconciliation Deal Is Close
Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Sunday she expects to have votes on President Biden’s infrastructure and Build Back Better deals in the coming week, Reuters reports.
Said Pelosi: “We have 90 percent of the bill agreed to and written. We just have some of the last decisions to be made.”
She added: “I think we are pretty much there now.”
Quote of the Day
“I’m not really ready to say ‘let’s get rid of it altogether.’”
— Sen. Angus King (I-ME), to NBC News, suggesting a “talking filibuster” or “alternative” could be an option instead of eliminating the filibuster.
J.D. Vance Hit for Past Criticism of Trump
Two super PACs released an ad campaign criticizing Ohio Senate candidate J.D. Vance (R) for past comments he made about former President Donald Trump, The Hill reports.
U.S. Urges North Korea to Stop Missile Tests
“A senior U.S. diplomat on Sunday urged North Korea to refrain from additional missile tests and resume nuclear diplomacy, days after the North fired off its first underwater-launched ballistic missile in two years,” the AP reports.
Austria Threatens Lockdown for Unvaccinated
“Unvaccinated people in Austria could face new lockdown restrictions if coronavirus case numbers continue to rise, Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said,” the AP reports.
“Schallenberg announced that if the number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units reaches 500, or 25% of the country’s total ICU capacity, entry into businesses such as restaurants and hotels will be limited to those who are vaccinated or recovered from the virus.”
“If the number reaches 600, or one-third of total ICU capacity, the government plans to impose restrictions on unvaccinated people. In this case, they would only be allowed to leave their homes for specific reasons.”
GOP Lawmaker Referred to Asians as ‘Yellow’
Oklahoma state Sen. David Rader (R) is receiving backlash after referring to Asian Americans as “yellow families” during a recent interim study focused on racial inequality, KFOR reports.
Obama Gives Fiery Speech for Terry McAuliffe
Former President Obama delivered a fiery address campaigning for Terry McAuliffe, urging Democrats to flock to the polls and taking a number of swings at Republican nominee Glenn Youngkin, The Hill reports.
Said Obama: “Go out there and fight and work because you’re going to decide this election and the direction of Virginia and this country for generations to come. Don’t sit this one out.”
He added: “We ain’t got time to be tired. What is required is sustained effort.”
Ex-Politician Tied to Far-Right Abduction
“A former politician who called for the overthrow of the French government has been charged with terrorism in connection with what authorities have said was an extreme-right plot to attack vaccination centers, a masonic lodge and other targets,” the AP reports.
Top Florida Health Official Refused to Wear Mask
“Florida’s top public health official was asked to leave a state Senator’s office this week after refusing to don a mask in her office,” Florida Politics reports.
“Sen. Tina Polsky, who was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer in August, asked state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo and his two legislative aides to leave her office after Ladapo refused to comply with her request to put on a mask.”
Oklahoma Issues First Gender Neutral Birth Certificate
“Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) and GOP members of the Oklahoma Legislature want to prevent the State Health Department from issuing gender neutral birth certificates after the agency issued this month the state’s first nonbinary birth marker,” the Oklahoman reports.
Said Stitt: “I believe that people are created by God to be male or female. Period. There is no such thing as non-binary sex.”
Meanwhile, Insider reports Oklahoma State Rep. Mauree Turner (D), who is nonbinary, said it was difficult to work with people who “adamantly oppose your existence” after the Stitt made his comments.
Democrats Look for Signs In Virginia Race
Dan Balz: “No single election ever answers all the questions of the moment in politics, but fairly or not, the Nov. 2 Virginia contest has taken on outsized importance, particularly to nervous Democrats who are justifiably fearful about losing their congressional majorities in the 2022 midterms. It’s as if the future of the party and of President Biden’s second two years in office are suddenly wrapped up how well McAuliffe does in his bid to regain the governor’s mansion.”
“One thing to remember is that McAuliffe’s victory in 2013, while it beat the historical pattern of Virginians electing a governor from the party that does not hold the White House, did not foreshadow the 2014 midterms, which were won by the Republicans. No matter what happens in Virginia’s gubernatorial race, Democrats will be on the defensive in 2022. The question is: by how much?”
Sinema’s Silence Vexes Many Democrats
Washington Post: “While her colleagues dined, Sinema was elsewhere in the Capitol, huddling with White House officials continuing to negotiate on the tax code, climate initiatives and the social safety net, according to two aides. She had met with Biden earlier that day at the White House, and, unbeknown to many House and Senate Democrats, had been engaging in talks with a small handful of colleagues.”
“But Sinema’s whereabouts on the day of the Senate lunch were emblematic of her actual approach, according to people directly familiar with it: Eschew all but a select few congressional colleagues, focus on negotiating directly with the president and his senior aides, burrow in on policy details — and ignore the frustration of those not privy to her thinking.”
Letitia James Makes Political Hires
“While New York’s political elite awaits some definitive word from Letitia James about whether she intends to run for governor next year, her campaign team is being less guarded,” the New York Times reports.
“In recent weeks, the team has made four significant new hires, most prominently Celinda Lake, the veteran Democratic strategist who served as one of the two lead pollsters for President Biden in the 2020 campaign.”
“The addition of advisers like Ms. Lake, a longtime party pollster who has a background in electing female candidates, would strongly suggest that Ms. James is gearing up for a high-profile, competitive race — rather than focusing on her current run for re-election as state attorney general.”
GOP Lawmaker Backs Fundraiser for Rioters
Minnesota state Sen. Mark Koran (R) promoted a fundraiser for several constituents who are charged with participation in the deadly January 6 attack on the US Capitol, saying they come from a “good family,” The Guardian reports.
Anti-Abortion Activists Eye Big Victories
“This is the moment the conservative legal movement has been building toward for decades: The solidly conservative Supreme Court is about to hear two major abortion cases within a month of each other,” Axios reports.
“All of this is likely to end with significant new restrictions on abortion and a clear path for Republican-led states to win the next big abortion cases, too — the culmination of a long and bitter fight for control of the judiciary.”
Ex-Trump Official to Comply with House Subpoena
“The House select committee investigating the US Capitol insurrection is planning for former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark to testify next Friday — teeing him up to be the first Trump administration official to comply with a subpoena for an interview with the panel,” CNN reports.