| |
| |
| |
| Presented By Facebook |
| |
| Axios Sneak Peek |
| By Alayna Treene, Hans Nichols and Kadia Goba ·Feb 21, 2021 |
| We're back and refreshed after our Presidents Day respite. 🚨 Breaking: President Biden plans to hold a moment of silence tomorrow to mark the expected confirmation of 500,000 Americans dying from COVID-19, Hans Nichols reports. ⚡ Situational Awareness: "Axios on HBO" which aired at 6 p.m. ET/PT on all HBO platforms, offered the following: - Dan Primack pressing Randi Weingarten on reopening schools (See a clip) ... Ina Fried visits Fitbit CEO James Park ... Roxane Gay, Cornel West and Darren Walker telling us what's missing from Black history education ... NIH director Francis Collins talking masks with Nicholas Johnston (See a clip).
Today's newsletter — edited by Glen Johnson — is 766 words, a 3-minute read. |
| |
| |
| 1 big thing: Biden's big summertime verdict |
 |
|
| President Biden after visiting the Pfizer vaccine plant in Kalamazoo, Mich., last week. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images |
| |
| Biden is promising COVID-19 vaccines will be available to all Americans by the end of July — and a Quinnipiac poll finds three-quarters of Americans expect him to pull it off. If he fails, the coronavirus could start to haunt the new president just like it did his predecessor, Mike Allen writes. Why it matters: Biden's presidency is built on the notion of restoring competence — and confidence — in government. So, he'll need the huge infusion of cash from his virus relief bill — and heroics by drugmakers and distributors — to carry out mass vaccinations. - He'll need to hit or near this mark if America is truly going to return to normal for the fall school season.
- And he'll need to hit or near this mark to make good on his belief that life will return to "approaching normalcy" by Christmas.
Here's the big asterisk: Administration officials say the U.S. will have enough vaccine (600 million doses) to give everyone two shots by July 29. But they know not everyone will take it. Go deeper. |
    |
| |
| |
| 2. Scoop: 🇲🇽 Cruz's Cancún trip included college roommate |
 |
|
| The front page of a Jamaican newspaper shows Sen. Ted Cruz and his college roommate David Panton (center) in 2001. Photo: Rosalind Helderman/The Washington Post via Getty Images |
| |
| In explaining his disastrous Cancún trip, Sen. Ted Cruz failed to mention his college roommate also was along for the visit, Axios' Glen Johnson reports. - Axios has learned Cruz (R-Texas) invited David Panton, his longtime friend and former roommate at Princeton and Harvard Law, to join the family getaway.
- An aide tells Axios the senator extended the invitation only after the Cruz family planned the vacation last Tuesday.
- Panton accepted and flew to Mexico.
The bottom line: Panton stayed at the Ritz-Carlton, while Cruz schlepped home. - Panton grew up in Jamaica and is now an equity investor based in Atlanta. He didn't respond to Axios' requests for comment.
|
| |
| |
| |
| 3. Collins' likely "no" on Tanden a sign of Biden's peril |
 |
|
| Michael Regan and Neera Tanden. Photo Illustration: Annelise Capossela. Photos: Anna Moneymaker/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty, Joshua Roberts/Getty Images |
| |
| Close associates of Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) tell Hans they're convinced she'll vote against Neera Tanden to be the director of the Office of Management and Budget, eliminating a possible safety valve to save the nomination. Why it matters: Tanden's uphill climb is emblematic of the challenges facing some of Biden's remaining high-profile nominees. Interior Department pick Deb Haaland, Health and Human Services secretary-designate Xavier Becerra and Attorney General designee Merrick Garland risk varying outcomes. - Democrats are privately concerned Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) isn't finished trying to wield veto power and could announce his opposition to some of Biden's environmental nominees.
- Potential targets include Michael Regan, the nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, and Elizabeth Klein, the nominee for deputy Interior secretary.
- A "no" vote from Collins doesn't seal Tanden's fate but makes it less likely she would be confirmed. The White House is redoubling its efforts to convince Republicans to support her.
- Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), whose Budget Committee is expected to vote on Tanden this week, still hasn't said if he'll support her.
- And if Republicans like Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah or Lisa Murkowski of Alaska decide to vote in favor of Tanden, Sanders could still announce his opposition.
Go deeper. |
| |
| |
| |
| A message from Facebook |
| It's time to update internet regulations |
| |
 |
| |
| The internet has changed a lot in 25 years. But the last time comprehensive internet regulations were passed was in 1996. We support updated internet regulations to set clear guidelines for addressing today's toughest challenges. Learn More |
| |
| |
| 4. Previewing GOP's Biden-era villains |
 |
|
| Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios |
| |
| In a first taste of Republicans' Biden-era villains, the Virginia GOP is rolling out some of Donald Trump's favorites — China and Hillary Clinton — for the state's 2021 elections, Axios' Lachlan Markay reports. Why it matters: Virginia's off-year elections are an early battleground in defining the Republicans' post-Trump identity. A spate of attacks against candidate Glenn Youngkin appears to be drawing from the same playbook, hyping familiar Trump-era GOP targets. What's new: The latest round of ads came from a Virginia-based nonprofit called Americans for Limited Government. - The ads dubiously accuse Youngkin of funding Black Lives Matter protests and Clinton. They also mention his business dealings in China, with a radio ad punctuating the attack with gong sound effects.
What they're saying: "These are false and deceptive smears, and the political insiders and previously failed candidates behind them are going back to their old political playbook and hiding behind shady groups because they know their dirty games are rotten to the core," said Youngkin spokesperson Macaulay Porter. Go deeper. |
| |
| |
| |
| 5. Bipartisanship ends this week with stimulus vote |
 |
|
| Rep. Jason Smith (from left), House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Minority Whip Steve Scalise. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images |
| |
| Bipartisanship — at least over Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus plan — appears over, with House Democrats ready to approve the measure this week through a party-line vote, Axios' Alayna Treene reports. Between the lines: The GOP, which is already whipping against the bill, plans to cast it as a progressive wishlist and argue Democrats are bulldozing Republicans despite Biden's pledge to work with them. - "Instead of stimulus, I call it for what it is — the Biden bailout bill," Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.), ranking member of the House Budget Committee, tells Axios. "It's an abusive process and a lot of reckless spending."
But, but, but: Republicans are ignoring their own history as well as public opinion, given the rescue package has widespread bipartisan support nationwide. - In 2017, the GOP used the same budget reconciliation process in trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act and pass President Trump's tax cut with simple majority votes. The health care repeal failed when Sen. John McCain gave it his famous thumbs-down; the $1.9 trillion tax cut passed with just 51 votes.
Go deeper. |
| |
| |
| |
| A message from Facebook |
| Internet regulations need an update |
| |
 |
| |
| It's been 25 years since comprehensive internet regulations were passed. But a lot has changed since 1996. We support updated regulations to set clear guidelines for protecting people's privacy, enabling safe and easy data portability between platforms and more. Learn More |
| |
| 🙏 Thanks for reading. You can sign up for email delivery of Sneak and our other free newsletters through this link. |
No comments:
Post a Comment