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Trump endorsement of 'Eric' in Missouri triggers confusion

An endorsement by former President Trump in Missouri’s GOP Senate primary triggered confusion Monday after two candidates with the same first name laid claim to his support, which indicated he would be throwing his backing behind “Eric.”

In a statement sent via his Save America PAC, Trump touted the notion of sending “a MAGA Champion and True Warrior to the U.S. Senate,” in a reference to his “Make American Great Again” slogan.

“We need a person who will not back down to the Radical Left Lunatics who are destroying our Country. I trust the Great People of Missouri, on this one, to make up their own minds, much as they did when they gave me landslide victories in the 2016 and 2020 Elections, and I am therefore proud to announce that ERIC has my Complete and Total Endorsement!” Trump said.

Both former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens and Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt are top contenders in the race, but Trump did not specify which “Eric” he was backing over the other — or if he was supporting both.

The Hill has contacted representatives for Trump for clarification.

Greitens, a loyal supporter of the former president, quickly claimed the endorsement, tweeting: “Honored to have the support of President Trump! We will MAGA!”

Schmitt followed by claiming the endorsement for himself, writing: “It is truly an honor to have President Trump’s endorsement in the Senate race.”

The attorney general said that he is “the only America First candidate in this race,” adding, “I look forward to restoring the America First agenda with you,” a statement apparently aimed at Trump.

“From the beginning, I’ve been the true MAGA Champion fighting against the RINO [Republican in Name Only] establishment backing Schmitt,” Greitens said in a later tweet, emphasizing his belief that Trump had endorsed him.

He continued: “President Trump said it best when he characterized Schmitt’s campaign as ‘great dishonesty in politics.’”

Greitens has come under fire from both Republicans and Democrats after his ex-wife accused him of abusing both her and the couple’s children.

Some of the alleged abuse occurred during Greitens’s tenure as governor, before he resigned due to a sex scandal involving his then-hairdresser.

A survey conducted last week by Emerson Polling and The Hill found Schmitt in the lead of the GOP candidates in the race with a third of the vote, and Greitens falling behind at 16 percent.

Missouri Rep. Vicky Hartzler outpaced Greitens in the poll but remained 12 percent behind Schmitt.

Both senators of the state have called on Greitens to drop out of the race in the midst of his wife’s allegations, including retiring Republican Sen. Roy Blunt, whom Greitens is running to replace.

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Defense & National Security — US strike kills Al Qaeda leader

The United States has conducted a drone strike that killed Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Afghanistan over the weekend. 

We’ll detail what we know about the operation so far, plus another $550 million in lethal aid for Ukraine, more on Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) planned trip to Taiwan, veteran anger over scuttled burn pit exposure legislation and the latest on a Senate vote for Finland and Sweden to join NATO. 

This is Defense & National Security, your nightly guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. For The Hill, I’m Ellen Mitchell. A friend forward this newsletter to you? Subscribe here.

Al Qaeda leader dead in US airstrike

The United States conducted a drone strike that killed Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Afghanistan over the weekend, a source familiar with the operation confirmed to The Hill.   

President Biden is expected to speak about the operation in an address Monday evening. The White House said the president would deliver remarks on a “successful counterterrorism operation” from the balcony of the Blue Room at the White House.   

A milestone: The operation marks a major milestone for the U.S., as Zawahiri succeeded Osama bin Laden as the leader of the terror group in 2011.   

Zawahiri had been rumored to be dead, but he appeared in a video on the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks last year.   

“Over the weekend, the United States conducted a counterterrorism operation against a significant al Qaeda target in Afghanistan,” a senior administration official said Monday, without naming Zawahiri as the target. “The operation was successful and there were no civilian casualties.” 

Read more on the operation here 

Biden to send another $550M to Ukraine

The United States is greenlighting another military assistance package to Ukraine, sending $550 million in ammunition for advanced rocket systems and other equipment to the country to fight the Russian invasion.    

What’s in it?: White House national security spokesman John Kirby previewed the new assistance package on Monday, saying that it would include ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, as well as ammunition for 155 mm artillery.   

The Pentagon said in a statement that the package would include 75,000 rounds of 155mm artillery ammunition.   

The sum total, so far: President Biden has authorized over $8 billion in security assistance for Ukraine over the course of 17 packages since he took office, a figure which includes the latest package, Kirby said. 

A steady stream: The administration has periodically released assistance to the Ukrainians as they fight the Russian invasion, which recently entered its sixth month. The last military assistance package — totaling $270 million — was announced on July 22 and included four more HIMARS. 

Ukraine’s response: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Biden for offering Kyiv “robust support” and for recognizing Russia as a “threat to entire civilized world.”   

“New defense assistance package is bringing us closer to victory,” he tweeted.   

Unanswered questions: The U.S. has led allies in supplying assistance to Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia. As the war drags on, there are questions about how long the U.S. and its allies can maintain unity on Ukraine.   

Read more here 

Kirby: Don’t be intimidated by China’s rhetoric 

White House national security spokesman John Kirby on Monday said a visit by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to Taiwan is “not uncommon” and there was no reason for recent threats by the Chinese government. 

• “We shouldn’t be as a country — we shouldn’t be intimidated by that rhetoric or those potential actions,” Kirby told Brianna Keilar on CNN’s “New Day.” 
• “This is an important trip for the Speaker to be on and we’re going to do whatever we can to support her,” he added. 

The trip: U.S. and Taiwanese media has reported that Pelosi is expected to visit Taiwan as part of her trip to Asia that began this week with a stop in Singapore. 

• The visit, first reported by CNN, would make Pelosi the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit the independent island in decades. 

The current policy: The U.S. has maintained a policy of strategic ambiguity toward Taiwan, a self-governing democratic island that China considers to be part of its territory, which under the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 includes a U.S. commitment to support Taiwan without a promise of direct engagement if China invades. 

China’s warning: Beijing has warned that it firmly opposes a visit to Taiwan by Pelosi and it would have a “severe negative impact” on China-U.S. relations, vowing that China would take “strong and resolute measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.” 

“There is no reason for the Chinese rhetoric,” Kirby said on CNN. “There is no reason for any actions to be taken, it is not uncommon for congressional leaders to travel to Taiwan. It is very much in keeping with our policy and consistent with our support to Taiwan under the Taiwan Relations Act.” 

Hesitations: Biden said last month that the U.S. military “thinks it’s not a good idea right now” for Pelosi to conduct a visit. 

Kirby on Monday said the White House had communicated with Pelosi and her staff about the trip. 

“I’m not going to talk about security requirements, but clearly we want to make sure that when she travels overseas, she can do so safely and securely, and we’re going to make sure of that,” Kirby said. 

Read that story here 

Advocates staying until toxic burn pits bill passes 

Veterans and advocates spent the weekend staked out outside the Capitol demanding that GOP senators drop their opposition to much-anticipated legislation to help veterans who are suffering illnesses due to toxic exposures.  

Republicans last Wednesday blocked passage of the Sgt. 1st Class Heath Robinson Honoring our PACT Act, which would benefit an estimated 3.5 million veterans. 

Fed up: While the Senate is expected to hold another vote on the bill this week, those protesting outside said they were tired of waiting.   

• “These veterans don’t have time! They’re running out of time. They need health care now, and if they don’t get it, they’re dying!” said Natalia Kempthorne-Curiel, who traveled with her father Nathan Kempthorne to the demonstration.  
• “No one should have to deal with this — they shouldn’t have to deal with this. They shouldn’t have to be outside while they’re suffering already,” she added.  

The scene: About two dozen advocates stood outside the Capitol on Thursday, venting their frustrations to members of the press about the GOP senators who backtracked on the bill, citing concerns about how funds are allocated. 

An unexpected reversal: The Senate initially passed the PACT Act by a vote of 84-14 in June, and the House passed the bill in July by a vote of 342-88. The upper chamber needed to re-pass the bill because the House version included technical corrections.  

But last Wednesday, only 55 senators voted to pass the bill, falling short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster. Twenty-five Republicans who had previously supported the bill changed their votes to oppose it. 

The GOP’s turn against the bill occurred hours after Democrats announced a deal on a new spending deal, fueling speculation that the opposition was linked to the revived reconciliation efforts. 

• What the bill would do: The PACT Act looks to expand eligibility for veterans benefits to post-9/11 veterans who were exposed to toxins from burn pits, which were widely used for waste disposal at military sites. The bill adds 23 illnesses linked to burn pits and toxic exposure to the VA’s list of presumptive service conditions.  
• The measure also looks to expand presumptions related to Agent Orange exposures to veterans who served outside of Vietnam. 

Pressure campaign: Thursday evening, Rosie Torres, the founder of the nonprofit organization Burn Pits 360, and other veterans advocates began brainstorming how they were going to pressure the Senate to finally pass the bill. They were already planning to hold a big rally to advocate passage of the bill, so they decided to start that evening with a sit-in outside Congress. 

“Slowly but surely, people started trickling in, and people have flown in from New York, take the train, taking the bus,” Torres said. “Ohio, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina — these people are driving. They’re in the cars and they’re coming.” 

Read the full story here 

Hawley to vote ‘no’ on Sweden, Finland NATO bids

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) on Monday said he would vote against Finland’s and Sweden’s bids to join NATO, a move that would go against most of his colleagues from both sides of the aisle.   

The reasoning: In an op-ed published by The National Interest, Hawley says the United States shouldn’t expand its security commitments in Europe due to a more pressing threat from China.    

“America’s greatest foreign adversary doesn’t loom over Europe. It looms in Asia. I am talking of course about the People’s Republic of China. And when it comes to Chinese imperialism, the American people should know the truth: the United States is not ready to resist it. Expanding American security commitments in Europe now would only make that problem worse—and America, less safe,” he wrote 

An expected vote: Finland and Sweden in May announced their intentions to join NATO following Russia’s attack on Ukraine. The governments of 19 NATO countries have since ratified the two Nordic nations joining the alliance. Eleven, including the United States, have yet to do so. All 30 member states must approve the additions.   

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) wants senators to vote on enlarging the alliance before the lawmakers leave Washington, D.C., for a monthlong break set to start Aug. 8.     

• Wide support: Finland’s and Sweden’s requests have received widespread support from both Democrats and Republicans. But Hawley — who was one of the 11 conservatives who opposed the $40 billion Ukraine aid package Congress passed in May — insists the United States isn’t prepared to go against both Moscow and Beijing.   
• Hawley’s stance goes against that of the majority of his fellow Republicans including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who last week said the United States “would be fortunate to have two new treaty allies as impressive and capable as Finland and Sweden.”  
• Eighteen House Republicans last month voted against a symbolic resolution to support Finland and Sweden joining NATO. 

Read more here 

ON TAP FOR TOMORROW

• The Center for a New American Security will hold a virtual discussion on “Operationalizing the Quad,” a talk focusing on “promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific,” at 8:30 a.m.  
• The Government Executive Media Group will host a virtual talk on “Modernizing Finance Through Digital Transformation,” with a focus on Navy financial, supply chain, acquisition and workforce management processes, at 1 p.m. 
• The Senate Armed Services Committeewill consider the nomination of Terrence Edwards to be inspector general of the National Reconnaissance Office at 2:30 p.m. 

WHAT WE’RE READING

• DHS watchdog halted efforts to obtain missing text messages from Secret Service, Trump officials 
• US sanctions companies for helping Iran ship oil to East Asia 
• Zelensky: ‘Russia has no chance of winning this war’ 
• New Zealand PM calls on China to help end Russia-Ukraine war 
• Congress takes aggressive stance against foreign spyware 
• Putin pledges to expand Russia’s naval power, citing US as top threat 
• The Hill: Opinion: Winning in Ukraine requires a special representative and strategy to rebuild 
• The Hill: Opinion: America’s new era of dangerous coexistence 

That’s it for today! Check out The Hill’s Defense and National Security pages for the latest coverage. See you tomorrow!

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Hillicon Valley — Dems use TikTok after voting to limit app

Democrats are turning to TikTok to campaign despite concerns raised by colleagues about security issues tied to the China-based app.  

Meanwhile, Congress is ramping up U.S. defenses against foreign spyware after incidents exposing its use on government officials, journalists and dissidents.  

This is Hillicon Valley, detailing all you need to know about tech and cyber news from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. Send tips to The Hill’s Rebecca Klar and Ines Kagubare. Someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.

Democrats split on TikTok 

Campaign season has more Democrats turning to TikTok as they seek to reach new demographics ahead of the crucial midterm elections — despite warnings from colleagues about security issues tied to the popular app.  

While the app is primarily known for viral dance videos and dishing up a lighter side of the internet, lawmakers see it as an opportunity to reach new and different demographics, especially younger voters. 

But that opportunity presents security risks. So much so that intelligence officials have cautioned some lawmakers against using the app due to concerns that the China-based tech company could face pressure to share data stored by the platform with Beijing.   

“I would not use TikTok,” Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) told The Hill, given fears about it being a “back door” to the Chinese government. 

• Lawmakers were concerned enough about the security risks of the app that nearly every Democratic lawmaker backed a provision in the 2021 defense policy bill that barred federal employees from accessing the app on any government-issued device.  
• But an increasing number of Democrats have been dabbling with posting content there, largely brushing off such warnings, saying they need to use the popular app to reach out to constituents in different ways. 

Read more here.

Congress takes steps to address spyware 

Congress is seeking to ramp up U.S. defenses against the evolving threat of foreign spyware following recent incidents exposing its use on government officials, journalists and dissidents. 

• Last week, the House Intelligence Committee passed the Intelligence Authorization Act, which included a provision authorizing the Director of National Intelligence to prohibit the U.S. intelligence community from buying and using foreign spyware. 
• The bill would also allow the president to impose sanctions on foreign government officials and firms that target U.S. officials with spyware.  
   
• At a Wednesday hearing, Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) shined a light on foreign government use of the Pegasus spyware, which was developed and sold by the Israeli company NSO Group, to monitor domestic and foreign officials, journalists, human rights activists and political opponents. 

“This spyware could be used against every member of this committee, every employee of the executive branch, every journalist or political activist,” Schiff said. 

Read more here. 

NASA KNOCKS CHINA OVER FALLING DEBRIS 

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson is calling out China for failing to share information about debris from a rocket booster falling back to Earth. 

“All spacefaring nations should follow established best practices, and do their part to share this type of information in advance to allow reliable predictions of potential debris impact risk,” the former senator said in a statement on Saturday. 

The China Manned Space Agency reported Saturday that debris from a rocket crashed in waters off the Philippines, according to several news outlets. 

China’s “heavy-lift” Long March 5B rocket is especially dangerous, Nelson said, and carries “a significant risk of loss of life and property” with potential impact from debris. 

Read more here.  

Diversity challenges in the cyber workforce 

The White House now has a point person to carry out its pledge to expand diversity in the cyber workforce.  

Camille Stewart Gloster, a Google executive, was hired to head up Biden administration efforts to develop the nation’s ecosystem for tech talent, including building a more diverse cyber workforce and strengthening cyber education. 

It’s a tough task but a pressing one, with the cyber sector facing widespread workforce shortages. 

Suzanne Spaulding, a senior adviser for homeland security and director of the Defending Democratic Institutions project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Stewart Gloster’s hire was significant.  

“It’s not just the visibility of a woman of color taking a senior position on cyber in the government but one that has a high profile in the very communities we’re trying to reach,” she said. 

Read more here. 

MUSK REPORTEDLY COUNTERSUES TWITTER 

Tesla CEO Elon Musk confidentially filed a countersuit against Twitter after the company sued him for trying to terminate a deal to buy the social media platform for $44 billion earlier this month, according to multiple news reports. 

The Friday countersuit was not made publicly available. A Twitter spokesperson declined to comment to The Hill on the development. 

The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter, that Musk is expected to counterclaim that the number of monetizable daily active users was changed by Twitter before the deal was expected to go through. 

In addition, the Journal reported Musk will likely claim that Twitter did not respond when the SpaceX CEO’s team made inquiries on spam number data that the team claimed were not sufficiently answered by the social media company. 

Read more here. 

BITS & PIECES

An op-ed to chew on: Can NASA launch two Artemis missions to the moon per year?  

Notable links from around the web: 

National Park Booking App Leaves Users Feeling Lost in the Woods (The New York Times / Lauren Sloss) 

Thousands of lives depend on a transplant network in need of ‘vast restructuring’ (The Washington Post / Joseph Menn and Lenny Bernstein) 

Data brokers shrug off pressure to stop collecting info on pregnant people (Politico / Alfred Ng) 

🏠Lighter click: DC rent playing games

One more thing: Fetterman’s very online campaign

John Fetterman doesn’t want to be just another white guy from the Midwest promoting populism.  

He wants to be the reason Pennsylvania has two Democrats in the Senate, and he’s willing to do the most to get there.  

Accusing the competition of carpetbagging? Fine. Enlisting a reality TV star for laughs? Great. 

Fetterman’s quest to beat Republican nominee Mehmet Oz is helping shape an election narrative in which both parties are trying to deflate their competition by any means necessary. And the state’s very-much-online race for the upper chamber is emerging as one of the most eccentric — and consequential — contests of the cycle.

Read more here.  

That’s it for today, thanks for reading. Check out The Hill’s Technology and Cybersecurity pages for the latest news and coverage. We’ll see you tomorrow.

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Democratic anxiety grows over Sinema’s silence

Senate Democrats are growing more anxious over maverick Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s (D-Ariz.) five-day silence on a sweeping proposal to reform the tax code, tackle climate change and reduce the federal deficit.  

Democratic lawmakers are privately worried that Sinema’s not happy about being left out of the negotiations between Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and centrist Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), which resulted in a surprise announcement last week of a major deal.   

News of the deal, which surfaced hours after the Senate passed a $280 billion microchips and science bill, outraged Republican senators, several of whom have a close relationship with Sinema.   

Sinema’s office said last week that she would carefully review the legislation before stating a position on it, leaving her Democratic colleagues anxiously waiting.   

Manchin acknowledged to reporters Monday that Sinema was left out of last week’s quiet negotiations with Schumer, even though she had played a key role in talks with the White House last year.     

“I haven’t had any conversations with anybody during the process because I wasn’t ever sure that we would get to a finale,” he told reporters Monday.   

“I never thought that could happen. I wasn’t sure,” he said of a potential tax and climate deal.   

Manchin said he planned to speak to Sinema about the deal at Monday evening’s vote on a judicial nominee.   

He later told reporters that he had left a message for her but had “not yet” heard back. 

“I’ve called, left a message for her, I might see her on the floor,” he said.

But Sinema only ducked into the chamber for a few seconds to cast her vote and then abruptly left, leaving colleagues no time to lobby her. 

She left the Capitol without speaking to reporters. 

One possible sticking point in the package is a proposal to close the carried interest loophole, which allows asset managers to pay a 20-percent capital gains tax on income earned from profitable investments.   

Language to close the carried interest loophole was dropped from a House bill last year after Sinema expressed opposition.   

John LaBombard, a former senior aide to Sinema, said he was surprised that Schumer agreed to the carried interest provision, which was a top priority of Manchin’s, without checking first with Sinema.   

“The question that I have and what has confused me about Sen. Schumer’s strategy is not necessarily whether and when to loop her [in.] What perplexes me more is the idea that he would knowingly and — in my mind — somewhat randomly add in a tax policy provision that was not in the House bill, was not in the White House framework, and that he knew she had substantive concerns and questions about,” he said.   

Instead, Schumer “let her and the rest of the caucus learn about the agreement via press release,” he added.   

“That combination is what perplexes me and leads me to question whether this is a strategy that’s going to maximize chances of success,” he said. “I think it may have been a little different if they had largely struck a deal that largely reflected what everyone knew Sen. Sinema supported at the end of last year.”  

Manchin said last week that he was “adamant” about closing the carried interest loophole in the final deal, a position he again defended Monday.   

He demanded that critics “explain to me” how it’s fair to let “the wealthiest people in America” pay a lower tax rate on income accrued from profitable investments than most middle-class Americans pay on their regular incomes.   

Manchin emphasized that he remains personally friendly with Sinema and that she had a huge role in crafting the section of the bill empowering Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices.   

“Kyrsten is a friend of mine. We work well together on so many pieces of legislation,” he said. “She has a lot in this bill. She’s the one that negotiated basically — no one changed it — the Medicare negotiations.”  

Sinema also defeated proposals to raise the corporate tax rate from 21 percent to 25 percent and to raise the marginal income tax rate for individuals and families in the top tax bracket.   

Democratic strategists warn that Sinema would face a strong backlash from Democratic activists if she blocked the bill over the carried interest language.   

“Supporting this bill should be as easy as Jordan dunking on my middle school Jewish basketball team,” said Democratic strategist Eddie Vale said. “Reducing inflation, lowering drug prices, fighting climate change, are core priorities.” 

Vale said the carried interest loophole is “tremendously unpopular.”  

“She already has issues with key base constituencies, but, opposing this also would get her in hot water with labor and business too,” Vale added.  

Basil Smikle, a Democratic strategist and the director of the public policy program at Hunter College, said Sinema can help herself politically by backing the package worked out by Manchin and Schumer. 

He said any tensions she has with the Democratic base over opposing a $15-an-hour national minimum wage and getting rid of the Senate filibuster would be mitigated by helping President Biden pass his biggest domestic legislative priority.   

“Democrats may feel compelled to protect her for coming through for the Administration, should she support the bill,” Smikle said. “All previous frustrations will be excused in the short term.”   

Democratic strategist Christy Setzer said Sinema “seems comfortable with the negative spotlight on her and Manchin, but this is the first time all eyes have been on her alone.”  

“Does she really want to be the only skunk at the garden party, and if so, to what end?” Setzer said. “Manchin’s leverage comes from the fact that he’s way above replacement value in West Virginia — not true of Sinema and Arizona.” 

While former President Trump easily defeated Joe Biden in the 2020 election in West Virginia, Biden defeated Trump in Arizona. Any Democrat other than Manchin would have little chance of winning a Senate seat in West Virginia and Manchin doesn’t face any serious threat from a progressive challenger. In Arizona, many think Sinema could be vulnerable to a more liberal primary opponent. 

LaBombard said Sinema will want to carefully review the economic analyses of the bill before deciding how to vote on the legislation.  

“Sen. Sinema has always been — in the time that I’ve known her — someone who’s going to do her due diligence,” he said. “I know she has expressed interest publicly in what the parliamentarian has to say, in getting acquainted with the details of some of the economic analyses,” he said.   

“I don’t think she’s going to be in any rush to meet any timetable other than what’s required for her to make a decision about what she thinks is the best policy,” he said.   

Republicans say they don’t expect Sinema to agree to vote for the package unless Schumer makes other concessions.    

“She has a spine of steel. She’ snot going to be easily twisted,” Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) told Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.”   

Senate Republican John Thune (S.D.), who has a close relationship with Sinema, said he’s talked to her about the reconciliation package and warned it would slow the economy by raising taxes on corporations.

“I’ve had conversations with her on not only this but lots of other subjects. She’ll come to her own conclusion,” he said. “She’s analyzing it, keeps her own counsel I think as most of you know and usually comes to her own decisions pretty independent of any pressure that she might get from either side.”  

Mychael Schnell contributed.

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Plastics plague our oceans, killing marine mammals

A humpback whale was spotted off San Diego’s coast on Valentine’s Day 2020, entangled in a green plastic fishing net. It struggled to migrate up California’s coast, leaping repeatedly to desperately try to rid itself of the net.  But rescuers were unable to safely get close enough to try to cut the net off. 

Wildlife photographer Dominic Biagini, the first to sight the breaching whale, shared his pictures: thick green cords drawn tightly across skin; water agitated into a white froth.  Biagini wrote, “I don’t have the words to describe the heartbreak.”

The whale disappeared.

The whale’s tortuous journey created a brief media buzz, and its final fate is unknown. But it most likely joined the tens of thousands of whales and other marine mammals killed by plastic pollution and plastic fishing gear every year, sinking dead to the bottom of the ocean.

The plague of plastic in our oceans is steadily worsening, taking an increasingly deadly toll on whales, dolphins, seals and other marine mammals, not to mention other marine life.

A new report we at the Earth Island Institute’s International Marine Mammal Project just released chronicles that carnage, surveys the science on this growing epidemic, identifies the culprits in the plastic and fishing industries, and calls for specific policy solutions in plastic hot spots around the world.

Plastics plague our oceans, and marine mammals pay the price. They get strangled by plastic waste, filled with toxic microplastics and entangled in plastic fishing gear.

We’ve found:

• Many marine mammals — including the North Atlantic right whale, Hawaiian monk seal, Gulf of California vaquita, the Irrawaddy dolphin and many river dolphin species — are rapidly spiraling toward extinction. We must immediately limit plastic pollution and plastic fishing gear to help save them.
• Plastic pervades all our oceans, but microplastics are most highly concentrated in the Mediterranean, Indian Ocean and offshore urban areas, where they choke out marine mammals and bioaccumulate in seafood that often ends up on people’s dinner plates.
• Whale entanglements in lobster, crab and other trap-fishing gear have been skyrocketing on the East and West coasts of the United States. It’s time to replace these mazes of entangling lines with new ropeless or pop-up gear. 
• Most fishing gear is made of plastics that harm marine mammals, whether in actively fishing or lost at sea. Gillnets and other plastic fishing gear inadvertently kill tens of thousands of dolphins, whales and other marine mammals every year. Bycatch is a plastics issue and switching to more sustainable fishing gear is the solution.
• Slowing the flow of plastic pollution into our oceans is crucial. Plastic largely isn’t recyclable so we must stop making so much throwaway plastic that will inevitably end up killing marine life.
• We must hold industries responsible, including the oil industry, plastics industry and manufacturers of plastic nets and lines, for stopping this plastic pollution flow and cleaning up its mess.

The plastics plague is just our latest assault on marine life. Commercial harpoons pushed many whales and other marine mammals to the brink of extinction, before we banned commercial whaling. Plastic pollution and irresponsible fishing practices threaten to reverse decades of ocean conservation progress and doom many vulnerable marine species.

We simply can’t keep filling our oceans with plastic or waiting for future generations to clean up our messes. The time to act is now.

Dave Phillips is executive director of Earth Island Institute, a nonprofit environmental organization based in Berkeley. 

Mark J. Palmer is a biologist by training and an environmental advocate for 50 years. He is the associate director of Earth Island Institute’s International Marine Mammal Project.

Their recent report, “The Plastics Plague: Marine Mammals and Our Oceans in Peril,” is a blueprint for reform.

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Health Care — Bipartisan senators aim to protect abortion rights

Happy Spider-Man Day everyone! As journalists, we’ll be observing this holiday by trying to get pictures of Spidey for the newspaper. 

In health care news, a bipartisan group of senators want to codify abortion rights into law, after a Democratic-only effort failed. 

Welcome to Overnight Health Care, where we’re following the latest moves on policy and news affecting your health. For The Hill, we’re Peter Sullivan, Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi. Someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.

Senators introduce bill to codify abortion rights

A bipartisan group of senators on Monday introduced legislation that would codify the right to an abortion into federal law, but it faces an uncertain future. 

The bill from Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) comes after the Supreme Court in June overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark abortion rights case, and left the authority to regulate the procedure to individual states. 

Details: The bill aims to prevent states from enacting laws that impose an “undue burden” on access to pre-viability abortions, while also allowing some “reasonable” limits on post-viability abortions, so long as they don’t impact the life and health of the mother. 

• The bill does not define viability, or what would constitute a danger to the life and health of a mother. That’s up to the patient’s medical provider  

Probability of success: Not promising.  

The bipartisan legislation is an attempt to find a middle ground on abortion rights after a Democratic-only effort, the Women’s Health Protection Act, failed twice on the Senate floor this year. But it’s not likely to get 10 GOP co-sponsors.  

Read more here. 

Manchin will talk health, climate deal with Sinema

All eyes are on Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) to determine the fate of Democrats’ sweeping package on health care, climate and taxes, as it heads toward a possible vote this week.  

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said Monday he will talk to fellow centrist Sinema about supporting the bill.  

Sinema has kept silent about whether she will support the deal, which needs the votes of all 50 members of the Senate Democratic caucus to pass.   

Taxes might be the holdup: The Arizona senator expressed opposition last year to closing the carried interest tax loophole for asset managers, something that Manchin insisted be part of the deal.  

Manchin said he didn’t keep Sinema in the loop during his talks with Schumer because he didn’t know if a deal was possible, but he said he plans to speak with her Monday afternoon, when the Senate is scheduled to vote on a judicial nominee to Virginia’s eastern district court. 

Manchin said last week that he was “adamant” about keeping a proposal to close the carried interest loophole, which lets money managers pay a capital gains tax rate on the income they earn from profitable investments.   

Sinema’s staff said the senator is reviewing the legislation. 

On drug prices: Sinema helped craft a deal on the drug pricing section months ago, which has largely stayed in tact since then.  

Read more here.  

WHITE HOUSE IDS CLOSE CONTACTS OF BIDEN’S REBOUND COVID

The White House has identified six additional close contacts of President Biden connected to his rebound case of COVID-19, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday. 

There were 17 close contacts tied to Biden’s original positive test after he returned from a trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia. None of those individuals have since tested positive for COVID-19, Jean-Pierre said. 

Biden is feeling well, Jean-Pierre said, adding that the president was not experiencing any “recurring” symptoms like fatigue or aches while acknowledging that he has a lingering cough. She noted that the president has often exhibited a cough regardless of his COVID-19 diagnosis. 

• “Many of us have had Covid, and they tend to be lingering symptoms and that’s what I’m talking about,” Jean-Pierre said. 
• “He has been working 8+ hours a day,” she added. “That is a schedule he continues to keep. Instead of doing it in the Oval Office, he’s doing it in the residence.” 

Biden tested positive on Saturday for COVID-19, three days after he had tested negative and emerged from isolation after his original positive test. 

Read more here. 

CORNYN TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) announced on Monday that he had tested positive for COVID-19, which could further complicate the math of floor votes for Republicans and Democrats at the start of a busy week for the Senate. 

• “After dodging it for 2+ years I’ve tested positive for COVID-19,” Cornyn wrote on Twitter. 
• “I’m fully vaccinated and boosted, and doing fine,” he said. “While quarantining I’ll continue to fight Chuck Schumer and Joe Manchin’s massive tax increase on working families remotely, consistent with CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines.” 

Senate Democrats this week are hoping to pass their multibillion-dollar climate, tax and health care package, which was announced by Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on Wednesday. Republicans are expected to unanimously oppose the measure, and the GOP has criticized the West Virginia Democrat for backing it. 

Schumer and Manchin are aiming to pass the package under reconciliation, an arcane budget rule that avoids the Senate’s 60-vote threshold required for most bills.  

Read more here. 

Federal, local officials lay blame over monkeypox

Local health authorities and lawmakers have repeatedly called on the Biden administration to take more action in response to the monkeypox outbreak. Now, the White House appears to be pushing back by attempting to spread the blame to include state and local governments. 

• Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra said during a Thursday press briefing on monkeypox that state and local governments “ultimately are the ones that determine how health care is administered in their jurisdictions.” 

He further stated that the federal government does not control public health in “territories and in the tribal jurisdiction.” 

“They need to work with us,” said Becerra. 

What local health care organizations have to say: Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, said he and his organization were “a little surprised” by what Becerra said.  

Adriane Casalotti, chief of public and government affairs for the National Association of County and City Health Officials, said local health departments are still reliant on other parts of the U.S. public health system to properly act against monkeypox. 

“For example, other than about five cities, no local health departments are getting direct — most of our partners are not getting direct allocation of vaccines,” Casalotti said. 

Read more here. 

WHAT WE’RE READING

• From low pay to workplace culture, obstacles litter the path to diversity in EMS (Stat) 
• How the U.S. let 20 million doses of monkeypox vaccine expire (New York Times) 
• Critics say ‘monkeypox’ is a racist name. But it’s not going away anytime soon (NPR) 
• Biden covid case highlights confusing CDC guidance on ending isolation (Washington Post)  

STATE BY STATE

• Pennsylvania’s health insurers seek average 7.1% premium hike on marketplace coverage for 2023 (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) 
• County prosecutors can enforce Michigan abortion ban, appeals court rules (The Detroit News) 
• Minnesota case weighs right to emergency contraception (Southern Minnesota News) 

That’s it for today, thanks for reading. Check out The Hill’s Health Care page for the latest news and coverage. See you tomorrow.

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Source: TEST FEED1

NATO says it is prepared to intervene if stability threatened in northern Kosovo

The NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) is “prepared to intervene if stability is jeopardized” by the Kosovo-Serbia conflict, according to a KFOR statement Sunday.

“KFOR will take whatever measures are necessary to keep a safe and secure environment in Kosovo at all times, in line with its UN mandate,” the statement read. KFOR reported that the situation in northern Kosovo is “tense” and under close watch by the force. 

Tensions between the two countries have heightened ahead of a new law which would require Serbs who enter Kosovo to carry a Kosovo identity card, instead of using just a Serbian card. The same would apply to license plates on vehicles.

Serbs rioted in protest of the new law, which is in place in reverse in Serbia — requiring all people from Kosovo to carry Serbian identity cards upon entry. 

Kosovo responded to the riots by delaying the law’s effective date until September, “on the condition that all barricades are removed & complete freedom of movement is restored,” wrote Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti on Twitter on Sunday.

Kurti condemned the violence to the north and blamed Serbia for trying to destabilize its neighbor.

“This has everything to do with a tendency to destabilize Kosova and to threaten the peace and security of our citizens and our country,” Kurti wrote.

Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008 after an armed uprising by Kosovo Albanians and subsequent bloody backlash from Serbs. NATO intervened, bombing Serbs until the conflict died down. 

NATO encouraged the continuation of “EU-facilitated Dialogue” between the two countries.

“It is important that this continues. This is critical for regional peace and security. There will be no real prospects for a better future in the Balkans, without full respect for human rights and democratic values, rule of law, domestic reforms and good neighbourly relations,” KFOR said Sunday.

Source: TEST FEED1

Illinois Gov. declares state of emergency over monkeypox

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) on Monday declared a state of emergency over monkeypox in order to “expand the resources” needed to combat the current outbreak.

“The Monkeypox Virus is a rare, but potentially serious disease that requires the full mobilization of all available public health resources to prevent the spread,” Pritzker said in a statement.

“I am declaring a state of emergency to expand the resources an coordination efforts of state agencies in responding to, treating, and preventing the spread of MPV.”

There are currently 5,000 monkeypox cases confirmed in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Illinois currently ranks third in terms of cases — behind New York and California — with 520 confirmed cases.

Last week, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) declared a State Disaster Emergency in response to monkeypox in order to “respond more swiftly to the outbreak.” Some cities including San Francisco and New York City have also declared emergencies in response to monkeypox outbreaks.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has already declared the outbreak of monkeypox in non-endemic countries to be a global health emergency.

Calls have grown for President Biden to declare a health emergency in the U.S. over monkeypox, with high-ranking Congress members uniting in urging him to do so. Administration officials say the decision is still under consideration.

Local health authorities and public health experts have said that declaring a public health emergency would help coordinate the national monkeypox strategy and allow for data to be more easily shared between states and the federal government.

Source: TEST FEED1

Cheney touts endorsement by Kevin Costner: 'Real men put country over party'

Rep. Liz Cheney is putting some major Hollywood muscle behind her reelection bid, touting the endorsement of Kevin Costner.

The Wyoming Republican tweeted a photo on Monday of the “Yellowstone” star sporting a pro-Cheney shirt.

ITK confirmed that Costner is the smiling figure featured in Cheney’s tweet, which included a message: “Real men put country over party.” Cheney’s office didn’t respond to questions from ITK about details of Costner’s backing.

The high-profile support comes after a poll last month found that Cheney — a fierce critic of former President Trump and vice chair of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol — is trailing her main GOP primary challenger, Trump-backed Harriet Hagemen, by more than 20 points.

In a 2020 interview with The Daily Beast, Costner described himself as an independent.

“I vote for who I think has the best interests of the country and how we sit in the world,” Costner, 67, said at the time. 

“The Democratic Party doesn’t represent everything that I think, and neither does the Republican Party right now — at all,” Costner said. “So, I find it too limiting.”

Source: TEST FEED1

All but one Pennsylvania House GOP members endorse Mastriano for governor

Eight of nine Pennsylvania Republican congressmen on Monday jointly endorsed Trump-backed GOP gubernatorial nominee and state Senator Doug Mastriano. 

Reps. John Joyce, Fred Keller, Mike Kelly, Dan Meuser, Scott Perry, Guy Reschenthaler, Lloyd Smucker and Glenn Thompson signed a letter saying Trump-backed Mastriano “represents a better option and alternative” to the Democrat’s nominee, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro. 

“Progressive policies supported by Joe Biden and Josh Shapiro have led to fewer jobs, higher crime rates, rampant drug addiction, and less freedom for Pennsylvania’s hard-working families,” the lawmakers wrote.

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick was the only holdout. The Hill has reached out to his office for comment.

Mastriano and Shapiro are fighting for the governor office being vacated by Gov. Tom Wolf (D), who has reached the state’s term limit.

A group of former Pennsylvania Republican officials — including former Rep. Charlie Dent, a former lieutenant governor and a former state Supreme Court Justice, among others — endorsed Shapiro last month.

Dent called Mastriano “an extremist who is a threat to the rule of law and the constitutional order.”

In a statement sharing the endorsement letter Monday, Mastriano thanked the lawmakers who endorsed, calling them “great champions of liberty and prosperity.”

“Pennsylvanians have been deprived of their freedom for too long, under the harsh Democrat policies that Josh Shapiro will reinforce if elected,” Mastriano wrote. 

Source: TEST FEED1