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| Presented By Climate Power |
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| Axios Sneak Peek |
| By Alayna Treene, Hans Nichols and Kadia Goba ·Apr 26, 2021 |
| Welcome back to Sneak. The president prepped for his big speech, while the attorney general targeted a second major police department in two weeks. ⚡ Situational awareness: The Republican-led campaign to recall California Gov. Gavin Newsom reached the number of signatures needed to qualify for the ballot, state officials announced. Today's newsletter — edited by Glen Johnson — is 579 words, a 2-minute read. |
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| 1 big thing: The next census fight |
 Data: U.S. Census Bureau; Map: Danielle Alberti/Axios All three states that missed out on expected congressional gains from the 2020 census — Arizona, Florida and Texas — have big Hispanic populations, the Cook Political Report's Dave Wasserman points out to Axios' Alayna Treene. Why it matters: It's a lost shot at more muscle for one of America's fastest-growing voter groups, in some of America's fastest-growing states. - Wasserman said the new tally, revealed at a Census Bureau press conference this afternoon, resulted in a smaller shift than had been forecast: just seven seats moved states, rather than the expected 10.
The bottom line: "Reapportionment itself means little compared to the redistricting fights to come," Wasserman told Axios. "The bigger shift in House seats are likely to come from how districts are drawn, not how many districts each state gets." - "On balance, I think this reapportionment offers a small boost for Republicans, but the bigger boost is likely to come from how Republicans draw these seats in Florida, Texas, North Carolina and Georgia."
Keep reading. |
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| 2. Biden committed to capital gains tax hike for rich |
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| Marine One departs from the Ellipse after dropping off President Biden on Sunday. Photo: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images |
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| President Biden is committed to increasing capital gains taxes for the richest Americans when they die and pass wealth to their heirs, people familiar with the matter tell Axios' Hans Nichols. Why it matters: Eliminating the so-called stepped-up basis is central to Biden's plan to find additional revenue to pay for the roughly $1.5 trillion in new spending he'll unveil during a major speech Wednesday night. - "It is important to tax gains at death when you raise the maximum capital gains tax rate," said Leonard Burman, of the Urban Institute's Tax Policy Center. "Otherwise, rich people would go through contortions to hold assets until death and avoid the 43.4% (plus state tax) rate."
- The proposal is estimated to raise some $370 billion, but only if the stepped-up basis is eliminated.
Keep reading. |
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| 3. Biden's 100-day numbers: Unemployment claims |
 Data: Department of Labor; Chart: Danielle Alberti/Axios The pandemic-wracked job market has continued to steadily heal since Biden took office, helped along by mass vaccinations that have rekindled an economic reopening, Axios Closer author Courtenay Brown writes in her Sneak debut. The latest sign: New unemployment filings — one proxy for layoffs — have hit pandemic-era lows in recent weeks. The data is volatile, but the milestone is noteworthy. - Unemployment applications have dropped since peaking last April, when over 6 million people filed for unemployment during a single week.
Yes, but: Over one year into the pandemic crisis, there are still more people filing for unemployment than during the worst week of the 2009 financial crisis. - In addition, 8.4 million fewer people are in the workforce compared to pre-pandemic times, the Labor Department said this month.
Of note: Axios Sneak Peek is counting down to Biden's 100th day in office on Friday with data-driven analyses of the administration's accomplishments and challenges each day this week. |
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| A message from Climate Power |
| We need clean energy, union jobs to build back better |
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| The American Jobs Plan is a transformational investment in America's infrastructure. - This includes clean energy, electric vehicles, public transit, electric grids, drinking water systems, homes, buildings, research and development and more.
Let's get to work. |
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| 4. Turnabout sends former GOP fundraiser seeking old fees |
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| Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios |
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| A prominent Republican fundraiser abruptly closed shop last year to start a COVID-relief business that ended up under federal investigation. Now he wants his former clients to settle up, Axios' Lachlan Markay has learned. What's happening: Mike Gula, a veteran GOP consultant, has demanded that at least three Republican House campaigns fork over fees he says they still owed to his firm, Gula Graham. - One of those campaigns says Gula and the company breached their contract last year when Gula suddenly cut off communication with his clients to start a new venture dubbed Blueflame Medical.
What they're saying: "These congressional candidates used the company's services to successfully raise funds for their campaigns in early 2020. They are the ones who will now need to make the right choice and comply with ethics rules and campaign finance laws," Gula told Axios in an emailed statement. Keep reading. |
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| 5. Pic du jour |
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| Photo: Mandel Ngan-Pool/Getty Images |
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| Attorney General Merrick Garland announced an investigation into the policing practices used by the Louisville Metro Police Department in Kentucky. |
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| A message from Climate Power |
| We need clean energy, union jobs to build back better |
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| The American Jobs Plan is a transformational investment in America's infrastructure. - This includes clean energy, electric vehicles, public transit, electric grids, drinking water systems, homes, buildings, research and development and more.
Let's get to work. |
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| 🎉 Thanks for reading tonight's Sneak. If you'd like email delivery of this or another of Axios' free newsletters, sign up here. |
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