🚨 Trump's "siren call"

Plus: Nevada as the new Iowa | Monday, July 11, 2022

Open in app View in browser   Presented By BlackRock®   Axios Sneak Peek By Alayna Treene, Hans Nichols and Zachary Basu · Jul 11, 2022 Welcome back to Sneak. Smart Brevity™ count: 1,018 words ... 4 minutes. ⚡ Breaking: The Biden administration told hospitals they "must" provide abortion services if the life of the mother is at risk, citing federal law on emergency treatment guidelines. 👀 First look: Wisconsin's Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, is out with a new campaign ad in which his mother shares her personal story of getting an abortion when her health was at risk. Watch the ad.     1 big thing: Trump's "siren call" Photo illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photo: Paul J. Richards/AFP via Getty Images   The Jan. 6 select committee will present evidence at its hearing tomorrow that a tweet by former President Trump prompted pro-Trump groups to change the date they planned to converge on D.C. to Jan. 6, Axios' Andrew Solender has learned. Why it matters: One of the central questions in the investigation has been how directly culpable Trump was in the violence committed by his supporters. Driving the news: The committee has evidence that some pro-Trump groups had initially planned to be in D.C. in the days after President Biden's inauguration to kick off the opposition to his administration, according to a source familiar with the findings. The panel will contend that a Dec. 19, 2020, tweet from Trump calling supporters to the nation's capital for a "big protest" on Jan. 6 — the now-infamous day Congress was set to certify electors — spurred supporters to change their plans, the source said. At least one pro-Trump group allegedly changed its rally permit. Investigators have long been examining how the tweet — in which Trump wrote, "Be there, will be wild!" — sparked a flurry of activity on pro-Trump online spaces in which extremists coalesced around Jan. 6 as their last stand. The panel aims to demonstrate that the date was a blip on some groups' radar before Trump's tweet. What we're watching: This pattern of events will be at the heart of the committee's seventh hearing tomorrow, which will be led by Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.) and focused on the extremist groups that stormed the Capitol. The hearing, initially scheduled for 10am ET, was pushed back to 1pm due to last-minute changes. The committee plans to reveal information about intermediaries between Trump and extremist groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, such as Roger Stone and Michael Flynn, according to committee aides. The hearing is expected to focus on the groups' organization and flows of information. That may be complemented by live testimony from extremism experts, according to the source. Share this story.     2. ❌ Bannon strikes out Via Twitter A federal judge refused to delay Steve Bannon's contempt of Congress trial set for next week, tossing out virtually all of the Trump ally's defenses against the charges that he defied a subpoena from the Jan. 6 committee. Zoom out: Four district court judges have now ruled that the Jan. 6 committee is legitimate, including two Trump appointees (h/t Kyle Cheney).     3. 🗳️ Why Dems want Nevada to vote first Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios   Nevada Democrats are making an aggressive final push to have their state cast the first ballot in the 2024 presidential primary — arguing it's time for the Democratic National Committee to abandon tradition and refocus on voters of color, Axios' Alexi McCammond reports. Why it matters: The fierce competition with New Hampshire Dems, who are bidding to remain the first-in-the-nation primary, reflects a broader tug-of-war over which voters and policies the party will prioritize in an evolving political landscape. The Iowa caucuses have been the first overall contest, but don't expect them to remain so, especially after the 2020 debacle. Driving the news: The DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee met over the weekend to consider any significant 2024 calendar changes before members take an official vote in early August. Mo Elleithee, a member of the committee, called at the start of Friday's meeting for the DNC to break with past norms, regardless of what individual states' laws — like New Hampshire's — say about going first. "We need to do what's right for us," he argued. "I don't like that the committee is held hostage by them and I want this committee to make a decision based on the merit." Zoom in: Nevada is a majority-minority state and the third-most diverse in the country, per the U.S. Census Bureau, with relatively large populations of Latino, Black and AAPI voters. "Engaging those communities can flip districts and states, and we're flipping districts by margins that are under 150 votes," said Assemblywoman Rochelle Nguyen, who was the first Democratic AAPI member to serve in the Nevada Legislature. Iowa and New Hampshire, by comparison, are both over 80% white. Between the lines: Beyond racial diversity, advocates say Nevada's strong union influence offers Democrats a chance to fortify a crucial voting bloc — especially at a time when they're eager to rebrand as the party of the working class. The Culinary Union, for example, is the largest Latino/Black/AAPI/immigrant organization in the state — representing tens of thousands of blue-collar workers from airports, convention centers, restaurants and casinos. "Democrats have credibility on economic issues, but they have to come out swinging about that, and that's where I think having Nevada first moves that conversation," Culinary Union secretary-treasurer Ted Pappageorge told Axios. Keep reading.     A message from BlackRock® Invested in the future of communities     At BlackRock, we are serving the communities that help the country thrive. We are proud to invest in the projects that build our economy, with $20 billion in U.S. roads, bridges and transportation invested on behalf of our clients. Learn more.     4. 😐 Charted: Lukewarm "celebration" for historic gun law Data: Pew Research Center; Chart: Simran Parwani/Axios President Biden's speech today celebrating the historic gun safety law passed by Congress was interrupted by the father of a Parkland school shooting victim. "You have to do more," Manuel Oliver shouted during Biden's remarks, before being escorted out by White House security. Data: Pew Research Center. Chart: Simran Parwani/Axios By the numbers: 64% of U.S. adults approve of the new gun law, including 80% of Democrats and 47% of Republicans, according to Pew Research data out today. But only 7% say the law will do "a lot" to reduce gun violence, compared to 78% who think it will do "a little" (42%) or "nothing at all" (36%).     5. 🌌 Parting shots Photo: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI President Biden unveiled the first full-color, scientific image from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, showing off the power of the new observatory with one of the deepest images of the universe ever taken. Go deeper. Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images     A message from BlackRock® Invested in the future of first responders     We're proud to manage the pensions of those who serve others. All across the country, we're helping Americans invest for their future. Meet Joshua, one of the hundreds of thousands of first responders whose retirement plan assets are managed by BlackRock. 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