Tuesday, October 5, 2021

Wake-Up Call: Biden Tells GOP Senators To 'Get Out Of the Way'

With the U.S. facing an October 18th deadline to raise the debt limit or face an unprecedented credit default and a resulting economic meltdown, President Biden yesterday called on Republican senators to, quote, "get out of the way" and let Democrats raise the limit. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has said the Democrats should do it on their on, but the Republicans are also using the filibuster to block the Dems from doing so. Speaking at the White House yesterday, Biden, who noted the debt limit applies to borrowing that's already occurred, including under former President Donald Trump, said, "They need to stop playing Russian roulette with the U.S. economy. Republicans just have to let us do our job. . . . If you don’t want to help save the country, get out of the way so you don’t destroy it." But McConnell said Republicans have given the Democrats a roadmap for dealing with the debt ceiling, saying it should be done under the some reconciliation process Dems plan to use to eventually get Biden's Build Back Better legislation passed. Meanwhile, Biden will be traveling to Michigan today to promote that proposed legislation, while negotiations continue among Democrats in Congress.

➤GARLAND DIRECTS FEDS TO ADDRESS SCHOOL BOARD THREATS: Attorney General Merrick Garland yesterday directed federal authorities to hold strategy sessions with law enforcement to address the increasing threats being made against school board members, teachers and other public school employees. Garland said in a memo that there's been a, quote, "disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence" against these people. This comes after the National School Boards Association, which represents school board members across the country, sent an urgent request last week to President Biden to provide federal assistance to deal with the threats, which have been made over policies including mask mandates.

🛫U-S RESUMING AFGHAN REFUGEE FLIGHTS TO U.S. AFTER THREE-WEEK BREAK FOR MEASLES VACCINATIONS: The U.S. will be resuming flights of Afghan refugees into the U.S. after there was a three-week pause to carry out a mass campaign vaccinating them against the measles following a small outbreak. The Department of Homeland Security said Monday that some 49,000 evacuees who are staying on U.S. military bases and at transit points in Europe and the Middle East have been vaccinated. Additionally, about 84 percent of the refugees in the U.S. and at transit points have been vaccinated against Covid-19. All of them undergo security vetting before they arrive in the U.S. There are about 53,000 Afghans currently at eight U.S. military bases, where they are getting medical care and other assistance before settling in the the U.S.

➤ADMINISTRATION REMOVES FAMILY PLANNING CLINICS' ABORTION REFERRAL BAN: The administration yesterday removed a ban on referrals to abortion providers by family clinics, which had been put in place under former President Donald Trump. Groups representing the clinics said that they hope the ban reversal will lead to some 1,300 facilities that left over the policy to return to the federal family planning program. The biggest provider, Planned Parenthood, tweeted that its health centers look forward to returning. The National Rights to Life Committee criticized the reversal, accusing the administration of "supplementing the abortion industry through taxpayer funds."

➤DEA AGENT KILLED IN AMTRAK SHOOTING: A Drug Enforcement Administration special agent was killed Monday when a passenger opened fire just before 8 a.m. local time as officers were doing a routine inspection for illegal contraband on an Amtrak train while it was at the station in Tucson, Arizona. Another DEA agent and a Tucson police officer were wounded, with the federal agent listed in critical condition. The shooter was also killed. A task force of DEA agents and Tucson officers had boarded to do a standard check for illegal money, weapons and drugs. They were carrying out the detention of a man in the car when a second man began firing. After exchanging volleys with police, he barricaded himself in a bathroom, where he was later found dead. The other suspect has been arrested. There were about a dozen other passengers in the car, but neither any of them nor any crew members were injured.


Senator Sinema
➤SENATOR SPEAKS AGAINST ACTIVISTS WHO CONFRONTED HER IN BATHROOM:   Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona spoke out yesterday against activists who'd confronted her outside a classroom at Arizona State University was she was to teach, and inside a women's public bathroom. Sinema said they weren't carrying out, quote, "legitimate protest," and also said her students at ASU's School of Social Work, where she's a lecturer, were, quote, "unfairly and unlawfully victimized." Members of the group Living United for Change in Arizona posted video of the Sunday incidents on social media, in which they accused her not being supportive enough of a pathway for citizenship for those living in the country illegally, or of President Biden's $3.5 trillion Build Back Better plan. Democrats are wrangling over the measure in Congress, and Sinema and Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia have been holdouts. Sinema didn't say anything as she was filmed by the activists, who claim they were forced to confront her as ASU because she has been inaccessible. Sinema denied that, saying she'd met with the immigration activists multiple times since being elected to the Senate. Asked about what happened to Sinema, President Biden said, "I don't think they are appropriate tactics," but added, "it happens to everybody . . . it's part of the process." White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was firmer, saying of what was done, "That’s inappropriate and unacceptable."


➤90% OF POPULATION MAY NEED TO BE VACCINATED TO END PANDEMIC:  Everyone wants the pandemic to be over, but that could still take some time. Dr. Eric Topol, the founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, said Sunday (October 3rd) that up to 90 percent of Americans may have to be vaccinated to end the COVID-19 pandemic. Back in December 2020, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told the New York Times that between 70 and 90 percent of the population would need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 for the country to reach herd immunity. As of now, about 56 percent of Americans are considered to be fully vaccinated.

➤SUPREME COURT STARTS NEW TERM: The Supreme Court started its new term yesterday, on the traditional first Monday in October. The justices were back in their courtroom after nearly a 19-month absence, during which they did their work remotely because of the pandemic. However, only eight of the nine were present, with Justice Brett Kavanaugh participating remotely from home after testing positive for the coronavirus last week. The court said he has no symptoms. Only about 50 people were present, and they sat socially-distanced from each other. Among the cases the justices will hear this term are high-profile ones on the controversial topics of abortion, guns and religion.

➤ONE WINNING TICKET SOLD FOR NEARLY $700 MILLION POWERBALL JACKPOT: There was just one winning ticket for last night's $699.8 million Powerball jackpot, with lottery officials saying it was sold at an Albertsons in Morro Bay, California. The jackpot was the fifth largest in Powerball history and the seventh largest in U.S. lottery history. The previous Powerball win was on June 5th. The six winning numbers were: 12, 22, 54, 66, and 69 and the Powerball number of 15.

🚀WILLIAM SHATNER IS HEADED TO SPACE:  Captain Kirk is set to jet off with Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin on October 12th. The 90-year-old William Shatner, who rose to fame playing the iconic character on the hit TV series Star Trek in the 1960’s, will join a crew that includes Audrey Powers, Chris Boshuizen and Glen de Vries. He will become the oldest person in space.

"I've heard about space for a long time now," Shatner said in a press release. "I'm taking the opportunity to see it for myself. What a miracle."

The flight comes after Blue Origin’s first human flight on July 20th, which included his brother Mark Bezos, aviation pioneer Wally Funk, and Blue Origin’s first customer, Oliver Daemen.


The journey will take 11 minutes and rocket past the Kármán Line, the internationally recognized boundary of space. Several other celebs have signed up to head to space with Richard Branson and Virgin Galactic.

Despite SpaceShipTwo’s crash in the desert on October 31st, 2020, several stars, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Russell Brand, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber and Ashton Kutcher have reportedly purchased $250K tickets to fly to the edge of space.


🏈CHARGERS DEFEAT RAIDERS 28-14: The Los Angeles Chargers defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 28-14 at home in Monday Night Football last night, handing the Raiders their first defeat of the season. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was 25 of 38 for 222 yards and three touchdowns, and completed his 500th pass in his 19th start, become the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era to reach 500 before his 20th start. L.A. running back Austin Ekeler rushed for a career-high 117 yards and scored twice.
 
➤WALLACE GETS FIRST NASCAR CUP SERIES WIN, SECOND BLACK DRIVER TO DO SO: Bubba Wallace got his first NASCAR Cup Series win at the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama yesterday after 143 starts. He's only the second Black driver to win on the Cup Series level, after Wendell Scott did it in 1963. The 27-year-old Wallace had moved into the front of the field five laps before the second rain stoppage of the race. NASCAR tried to dry the track for nearly 45 minutes, but eventually called the race as sunset drew near and it was still raining, giving him the win. Wallace is driving this season for 23X1 Racing, owned by Denny Hamlin and NBA great Michael Jordan.
 

⚾ROJAS LET GO AS METS MANAGER AFTER TWO SEASONS: New York Mets manager Luis Rojas was let go yesterday (October 4th) after two losing seasons, with the team declining its option on his contract for 2022. The news came one day after the Mets finished third in the NL East in Steve Cohen's first year as owner of the team. No new manager was named.

🏈FEDS SEARCH WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM'S TRAINING FACILITY: Federal authorities searched the Washington Football Team's training facility Friday, executing a search warrant in connection to an investigation into head athletic trainer Ryan Vermillion, according to media reports Monday. Vermillion was put on administrative leave yesterday for what the team called an "ongoing criminal investigation unrelated to the club." No information has been released about the investigation, but the Washington Post reported that the Drug Enforcement Administration and Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office searched the training facility.

⚾UMPIRE WEST TO RETIRE AFTER RECORD-SETTING SEASON: Umpire Joe West has officially told MLB that he'll retire after the postseason, ending his career after a season in which he broke the record for most games umpired. The 68-year-old West, who made his debut in 1976, set the mark in May, when he umpired his 5,376th game, breaking the record that had been held by Bill Klem. He will umpire at least one more game, the National League Wild Card matchup Wednesday between the L.A. Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals.
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