An Ignoble Experiment: Dems eye big 'human' infrastructure bill

By Liza Hearon

TOP STORIES

Wednesday, July 14

DEMS EYE BIG EXPANSION OF MEDICARE Senate Democrats pitched a $3.5 trillion "human" infrastructure bill they intend to pass under special budget reconciliation rules that will allow them to avoid a Republican filibuster. Meanwhile, a bipartisan group of senators is drafting a separate bill that would invest about $1.1 trillion into traditional infrastructure projects. If both are passed, it will come "very, very close" to what President Joe Biden asked Democrats for, according to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. [HuffPost]

U.S. COVID-19 CASES DOUBLE OVER 3 WEEKS The COVID-19 curve in the U.S. is rising again after months of decline, driven by the fast-spreading delta variant, lagging vaccination rates and Fourth of July gatherings. As parts of the country run up against deep vaccine resistance, all but two states — Maine and South Dakota — reported that case numbers have gone up over the past two weeks. [AP]

TEXAS HOUSE DEMOCRATS BEG CONGRESS TO SAVE VOTING RIGHTS The 51 Texas lawmakers who flew to Washington to stop state Republicans from passing voting rights restrictions have a singular goal: pleading with U.S. senators to pass federal voting rights legislation that will trump the voter suppression bills in their state. Read Jen Bendery's interview with state Rep. James Talarico of Round Rock to find out more about the Democrats' plan. [HuffPost]

'WE ARE FULLY INVESTED IN GOOD TROUBLE' The NAACP said it will offer to pay bail for Texas Democrats, who are being threatened with arrest for leaving the state. "War has been declared on democracy, and we will support anyone who stands up to defend it," NAACP President Derrick Johnson said. [HuffPost]

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Get the latest coronavirus updates on our dedicated page

DEMS TO UNVEIL PLANS TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA Three leading Senate Democrats are set to unveil an early version of their plans to legalize marijuana, setting up a crucial test of how far the party is willing to go to end and unwind the "war on drugs." But there's seemingly little chance of the proposal becoming law in the immediate future, as Biden opposes legalization and many lawmakers think it's a fringe cause. [HuffPost]

TENNESSEE VAX OFFICIAL SAYS COVID CONSPIRACY THEORIES LED TO HER FIRING Michelle Fiscus, the former official in charge of vaccinations for the state of Tennessee, said her firing was politically motivated and rooted in anti-vaccination conspiracy theories pushed by conservative legislators in her state. Republican lawmakers had targeted her for a memo about vaccinating minors against COVID-19. [HuffPost]

WHAT'S BREWING

TOKYO GOV SAYS CITY READY FOR 'SAFE' OLYMPICS Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike told reporters this week that the city's medical system was prepared for a "safe and secure" Olympic Games, despite an ongoing increase in coronavirus infections. She promised a last-minute vaccination blitz with a focus on elderly citizens. [HuffPost]

EMMY SNUBS AND SURPRISES The 2021 Emmys had a smaller field of contenders than usual, as pandemic production delays sidelined many acclaimed shows. But there were plenty of snubs and surprises among this year's nominees. HuffPost reporters break down what we were excited to see and what we were sad to discover was omitted this year. [HuffPost]

ACLU FIGHTS FOR BRITNEY SPEARS' RIGHT TO CHOOSE ATTORNEY The American Civil Liberties Union filed an amicus brief with a California court arguing for Britney Spears to be able to choose her own attorney, which she has been unable to do under the conservatorship she's been under since 2008. Spears expressed her desire to hire her own representation during her shocking testimony last month. [HuffPost]

BIDEN UNDER PRESSURE TO ACT FASTER FOR AFGHAN ALLIES Democrats are calling on Biden to fulfill his promise to the thousands of Afghans who assisted the U.S. during the war by speeding up their evacuations and approving visa applications to enter the U.S. ― before it's too late. Biden's plan to evacuate Afghan translators and other allies has been unclear, creating widespread concern. [HuffPost]

CAPITOL RIOTER WHO THOUGHT HE WAS AT WHITE HOUSE RELEASED Doug Jensen, a QAnon conspiracy theorist who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 in support of former President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, was ordered released on home incarceration by a federal judge. Jensen believed he was at the White House, not the Capitol, and the judge cited Jensen's lack of a grade-school level understanding of the U.S. government in the decision to release him. [HuffPost]