• The Senate’s efforts to complete work on its bipartisan infrastructure bill last night fell apart amid opposition from freshman Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), whose spokesman cited yesterday’s Congressional Budget Office score that said the measure would add $256 billion to the deficit over 10 years as justification for pumping the brakes. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) scheduled a procedural vote for tomorrow in order to get the process moving, and final passage of the bill now looks likely to slip into early next week. (Politico)
• House Democrats are still considering using the party’s forthcoming reconciliation bill to raise the debt ceiling, according to sources, which would negate the need for Republican consent to avoid a U.S. default. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and other top House Democrats reportedly debated the best path forward during a phone call yesterday, one day after Politico cited a Democratic aide close to budget talks who said leaders were planning to tie the debt ceiling to a must-pass government funding bill later next month. (Punchbowl News)
• In a move that is likely to frustrate progressives and worry Democratic leaders, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) urged Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell in a letter to begin reversing emergency support the Fed has provided during the COVID-19 pandemic, citing concerns about inflation. Manchin’s urging comes as Democrats prepare to craft a massive social spending bill likely to cost trillions of dollars. (The Wall Street Journal)
• More than 30 of the country’s leading business groups — including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Business Roundtable and the National Retail Federation — called on the Biden administration to lift tariffs on Chinese imports such as electronics and apparel and restart trade talks with Beijing in order to spur the U.S. economy. (The Wall Street Journal)

Americans Are Disinterested, Disengaged in the Tokyo Olympics
Morning Consult

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Biden administration considers withholding funds and other measures to spur vaccinations
Annie Linskey and Tyler Pager, The Washington Post

The Biden administration is considering using federal regulatory powers and the threat of withholding federal funds from institutions to push more Americans to get vaccinated — a huge potential shift in the fight against the virus and a far more muscular approach to getting shots into arms, according to four people familiar with the deliberations. The effort could apply to institutions as varied as long-term-care facilities, cruise ships and universities, potentially impacting millions of Americans, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive conversations.

Potential military vaccine mandate brings distrust, support
Julie Watson, The Associated Press

Since President Joe Biden asked the Pentagon last week to look at adding the COVID-19 vaccine to the military’s mandatory shots, former Army lawyer Greg T. Rinckey has fielded a deluge of calls. His firm, Tully Rinckey, has heard from hundreds of soldiers, Marines and sailors wanting to know their rights and whether they could take any legal action if ordered to get inoculated for the coronavirus.

U.S. starts flying migrant families into Mexico far from border – source
Ted Hesson, Reuters

The United States on Thursday began flying Central American and Mexican families to southern Mexico in an effort to deter migration by bolstering a COVID-era expulsion policy at the U.S.-Mexico border, a person familiar with the matter said. Nearly 200 Mexican and Central American family members were expelled deep into Mexico on Thursday in what are expected to be regular flights, the person said.

Biden told White House chief to seek Harvard legal scholar’s guidance, leading to reversal on evictions
Jeff Stein, The Washington Post

After White House legal advisers found he could not extend a national eviction moratorium, President Biden told Chief of Staff Ron Klain to seek the advice of Harvard law professor emeritus Laurence Tribe about whether an alternative legal basis could be devised for protecting struggling renters across the country, according to a person familiar with the matter. The phone call between Klain and Tribe — held Sunday amid a national outcry over the expiry of the moratorium — set in motion a rapid reversal of the administration’s legal position that it could not extend the eviction ban.

Garland urges Congress to protect voting rights
Myah Ward, Politico

Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday urged Congress to act to protect the voting rights of millions of Americans. Garland’s plea fell on the eve of the 56th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, which then-President Lyndon B. Johnson, in signing the bill, called “one of the most monumental laws in the entire history of American freedom.”

How Biden’s E.V. Plan Could Help Tesla and Squeeze Toyota
Jack Ewing and Neal E. Boudette, The New York Times

A push to increase sales of electric vehicles favors companies that already have all-electric cars on the market and could penalize those that don’t.

Biden delays removal of Hong Kong residents amid China’s crackdown
Michael Martina et al., Reuters

President Joe Biden on Thursday offered temporary “safe haven” to Hong Kong residents in the United States, allowing what could be thousands of people to extend their stay in the country in response to Beijing’s crackdown on democracy in the Chinese territory. Biden directed the Department of Homeland Security to implement a “deferral of removal” for up to 18 months for Hong Kong residents currently in the United States, citing “compelling foreign policy reasons.”

Justice Dept. opens civil rights investigation into Phoenix police department
David Nakamura, The Washington Post

The Justice Department on Thursday announced a sweeping civil rights investigation into the Phoenix police department’s use of force and its policies on dealing with homeless residents — the third federal probe of a local law enforcement agency launched since President Biden took office. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the pattern and practice investigation will seek to determine whether the Phoenix police engaged in excessive force or discriminatory behavior.

Watchdog: No evidence Giuliani had Clinton probe inside info
Eric Tucker, The Associated Press

The Justice Department’s inspector general said Thursday that it did not find evidence that FBI agents shared inside information about the Hillary Clinton email investigation with Rudy Giuliani.

McConnell vows no GOP help with debt limit hike
Caitlin Emma, Politico

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell promised Thursday that Republicans will not support a debt ceiling hike, just as Democrats have signaled they plan to take a path that would require Republican support. Democrats had talked about including an increase to the nation’s borrowing authority in their $3.5 trillion budget plan, but this week indicated they would forgo the measure in the party-line bill.

Senators gird for all-nighter ‘on steroids’ to propel $3.5T Democratic plan
Caitlin Emma and Jennifer Scholtes, Politico

Senate Democrats are speeding to sew up the budget framework that unlocks their multitrillion-dollar social spending plan, hoping to minimize the self-inflicted pain of the impending and arduous process. Democrats plan to take up the $3.5 trillion budget resolution immediately after the bipartisan infrastructure bill passes the Senate, kicking off the reconciliation process for their massive domestic package that lacks any Republican support.

Senate Democrats eye new vote on voting rights before summer break as party faces pressure to act
Mike DeBonis, The Washington Post

Senate Democrats are scrambling to map out their next moves on voting rights as the clock ticks toward a key deadline this month, with Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.) eyeing a potential second vote on election legislation in the coming days. Democrats’ quest for legislation that would override restrictive state voting laws, including those passed by Republican legislatures in recent months, has been eclipsed on Capitol Hill in recent weeks by the push for a bipartisan infrastructure deal and the debate over the remainder of President Biden’s vast economic agenda.

Historic judicial nominees roll alongside infrastructure bill
Niels Lesniewski, Roll Call

Amid the infrastructure debate in the Senate and at the White House itself, the Biden administration’s effort to continue to diversity the federal courts continues apace. Senators were scheduled to vote to limit debate on the nomination of Eunice C. Lee on Thursday afternoon.

Jan. 6 select panel takes over House probe of Trump DOJ
Betsy Woodruff Swan and Nicholas Wu, Politico

A key House committee has postponed multiple scheduled witness interviews about Donald Trump’s final days in office, handing them off to the select panel investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.

Nancy Pelosi’s Surprise Flip on Student Debt Cancellation Came After Urging From Billionaire Power Couple
Ken Klippenstein and Ryan Grim, The Intercept

The drive to persuade President Joe Biden to cancel student debt took a major hit last week when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stunned Congress with a surprise statement in opposition. The move may put her at odds with much of the public and the Democratic Party, but it aligns her with Democratic megadonors Steven and Mary Swig, the billionaire scions of the Bay Area’s oldest real estate dynasty who have deep ties to the California representative.

Cori Bush Defends Use of Private Security While Calling to Defund the Police: ‘Suck It Up’
Caroline Downey, Yahoo News

During an interview with CBS News Wednesday, progressive Representative Cori Bush insisted that she needs private security to protect herself from threats while advocating for the “defund the police” movement. “I’m going to make sure I have security because I know I have had attempts on my life. And I have too much work to do, there are too many people that need help right now for me to allow that. So if I end up spending $200,000, if I spend ten more dollars on it, you know what, I get to be here to do the work, so suck it up. And defunding the police has to happen. We need to defund the police and put that money into social safety nets,” she said.

House lawmaker suing Pelosi over mask rule says he has COVID
Meg Kinnard, The Associated Press

Rep. Ralph Norman, one of the three congressional Republicans suing Speaker Nancy Pelosi over fines for not wearing masks during a vote on the U.S. House floor, has contracted a breakthrough case of COVID-19, the second member of South Carolina’s delegation to do so. Norman, who has said he has been fully vaccinated since February, tweeted that he began experiencing minor symptoms of COVID-19 on Thursday, tested positive for the virus that day and would quarantine for 10 days.

Friday’s jobs report is a wild card, with economists’ estimates all over the map
Patti Domm, CNBC

The economy is expected to have added about 845,000 payrolls in July, according to Dow Jones consensus estimate, as America’s workforce gradually rebuilds from its sharp pandemic-induced job losses.

US jobless claims down 14,000 to 385,000 as economy rebounds
Paul Wiseman, The Associated Press

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week by 14,000 to 385,000, more evidence that the economy and the job market are rebounding briskly from the coronavirus recession.

Graham says he’s told Trump to ‘speak up’ on COVID vaccines
Meg Kinnard, The Associated Press

As he recovers from a breakthrough infection of the coronavirus, Sen. Lindsey Graham said Thursday that he has urged former President Donald Trump to press his supporters to get the COVID-19 vaccine, which the South Carolina Republican called “the antidote to the virus that’s wreaking havoc on our hospitals.”

Census pushes up release of redistricting data to next week
Michael Macagnone, Roll Call

The Census Bureau said Thursday it will release 2020 census data used to redraw voting districts on Aug. 12, following months of delays due to the coronavirus pandemic and decisions made by the former Trump administration. The announcement represents a four-day shift in the agency’s schedule — ahead of the agency’s self-imposed Aug. 16 deadline.

Redistricting in America, Part Three: The Republicans’ Southern Prizes
Kyle Kondik and J. Miles Coleman, Sabato’s Crystal Ball

Democrats tried but failed to get a seat at the redistricting table in four large Southern states in the 2018 and 2020 cycles: Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas. The consequences for redistricting are vitally important. It’s easy to imagine Republicans squeezing a half-dozen extra seats out of just these four states in 2022, and that may be just a floor on their potential gains.

Conor Lamb launching Senate bid in Pennsylvania
James Arkin, Politico

Rep. Conor Lamb is launching his long-expected Senate bid in Pennsylvania Friday, joining the crowded Democratic field in a state that is critical for the party as it seeks to protect or expand its narrow Senate majority. Lamb, 37, a Marine and former prosecutor, rose to prominence when he won a nationally-watched House special election in 2018 months before the party flipped control of the chamber.

Cuomo to cooperate with impeachment probe
Bill Mahoney, Politico

Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office says it will cooperate with a request from the state Assembly for evidence as part of its impeachment probe, perhaps the clearest sign yet that the governor has no plans to resign soon despite mounting calls for him to quit.

Gov. Greg Abbott announces special legislative session starting Saturday, covering elections, federal COVID-19 funding, quorum rules
Patrick Svitek, The Texas Tribune

Gov. Greg Abbott announced Thursday that the second special legislative session will begin at noon Saturday — and with an expanded agenda. The 17-item agenda still includes well-known Abbott priorities like the election bill that caused House Democrats to flee the state at the start of the first special session, which ends Friday.

Where Republicans Are Starting to Worry About Big Oil
Tom Haines, Politico

Everyone likes the money from fracking. But as contaminated water spills across the North Dakota plains, a deep red state faces a question: What prevails, property rights or big business?

Richard Trumka, A.F.L.-C.I.O. Chief, Dies at 72
Noam Scheiber, The New York Times

Richard Trumka, the president of the A.F.L.-C.I.O., the nation’s pre-eminent labor federation, for the last 12 years and an influential voice in Democratic politics, died on Thursday. He was 72.

AFT president says union is now ‘looking at vaccine mandates’
Juan Perez Jr., Politico

The head of the American Federation of Teachers signaled on Thursday the powerful union is rethinking its opposition to Covid-19 vaccine mandates for educators. “We’re considering all alternatives, including looking at vaccine mandates,” Randi Weingarten told POLITICO in an interview, a little more than a week after the union president said vaccinations should be negotiated between employers and workers but “not coerced.”

Dem fundraising platform ActBlue boots Cuomo
Lachlan Markay, Axios

The Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue has removed a donation page that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s campaign committee used to solicit contributions, the company confirmed to Axios.

Should Corporations Control What You Eat?
Rob Larew (National Farmers Union), Morning Consult

Perhaps one of the most personal decisions you can make every day is deciding what to eat. But what happens when multinational corporations in the agricultural industry take that power away from the individual by using their size, wealth and power to determine the price and selection on our grocery shelves?

In infrastructure push, Congress is throwing patients under the bus
Tom Price, Fox News

Under the current proposal, patients struggling to afford rising prescription drug costs will get the short end of the stick.

The Supreme Court Might Strike Down Biden’s Eviction Ban. It Shouldn’t.
Adam Winkler, The New York Times

For months, millions of Americans, behind on their rent, have been living in legal limbo. This spring, a court struck down the nationwide eviction moratorium adopted by the Trump administration last September, ruling that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had overstepped its statutory authority.

Did Last Summer’s Protests Change Anything?
Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, The New Yorker

Public officials favored symbolic gestures over policy reforms, but the country is still dramatically different than it was a year ago.