Tag Archives : Build House

'Late Show' staffers arrested at Capitol won't be prosecuted

Washington prosecutors announced on Monday that the “Late Show with Stephen Colbert” staffers who were arrested in the Capitol complex last month won’t face prosecution. 

In a statement, the D.C.’s Attorney’s Office said that the nine “Late Show” employees were invited into the building by congressional staffers to conduct interviews and were never officially asked to leave the premises, though Capitol Police did tell them that they were supposed to have an escort. 

“After a comprehensive review of all of the evidence and the relevant legal authority, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has determined that it cannot move forward with misdemeanor charges of unlawful entry against the nine individuals who were arrested on June 16, 2022 at the Longworth Office Building,” it said in a statement. 

“The Office would be required to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that these invited guests were guilty of the crime of unlawful entry because their escort chose to leave them unattended.  We do not believe it is probable that the Office would be able to obtain and sustain convictions on these charges,” it concluded, adding that the individuals will no longer have to appear in court later this month. 

In a separate statement, Capitol Police said that they were informed that the case would not be moving forward and “we respect the decision that office has made.” 

The nine individuals had been charged with unlawful entry on June 16 after Capitol Police received calls of a disturbance at the Longworth House Office Building. 

Colbert had defended his crew on air after the incident, saying they were guilty of only “hijinks with intent to goof.”

“The Capitol Police are much more cautious than they were, say, 18 months ago, and for a very good reason. If you don’t know what that reason is, I know which news network you watch,” he said at the time.

The Hill has reached out to CBS for comment.

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On The Money — Biden resorts to pushing scaled-back spending plan

The White House is continuing its calls for senators to pass a scaled-back reconciliation package that doesn’t include climate or tax overhauls.

We’ll also look at Yellen’s most recent comments, one key impact of the strong U.S. dollar and President Biden’s low approval on the economy.

But first, guess which part of the U.S. has the most monkeypox cases per capita. 

Welcome to On The Money, your nightly guide to everything affecting your bills, bank account and bottom line. For The Hill, we’re Sylvan Lane, Aris Folley and Karl Evers-Hillstrom. Subscribe here.

White House pushes for health-only budget package

The White House on Monday called for senators to move forward with a slimmed-down, health care-only reconciliation package before their August recess, saying that Democrats are “on the cusp” of beating the pharmaceutical industry.  

“The president’s going to continue to work with Congress to make sure that we’re lowering costs for the American families like prescription drugs, for example. And if we are able to do that we are on the cusp… [to] really winning against one of the wealthiest, special interest groups, which is Big Pharma,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.  

• Biden wants to move forward with a health care-only reconciliation package after Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) struck a blow to his agenda over its tax and climate provisions, which Biden said he will address through executive action.
• Manchin would also support a two-year extension of expiring health insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act.
• The plan also likely won’t include tax hikes on wealthy Americans sought by the White House. 

“You saw the President’s statement just recently, if the Senate doesn’t act on that, and doesn’t take action on climate, he has a contingency plan which is using his executive authority to make sure that we take on climate, climate change in a way that’s going to be effective,” Jean-Pierre said on Monday.

Alex Gangitano has more here.

EVENT INVITE

The Hill’s Future of Health Care 2022, Tuesday, July 19 at 8 a.m. ET — Washington, D.C., or On-Demand

The pandemic has highlighted the pitfalls and potential within our health care system. Join policymakers and health experts for a comprehensive discussion on advancing access, the pursuit of health equity and resetting the care paradigm across the U.S. Featuring: Dr. Anthony Fauci, CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, AMA president Dr. Jack Resneck, Dr. Mark McClellan and more. RSVP today

CHAIN REACTION

Yellen calls for US, allies to fortify supply chains to combat China’s ‘unfair trade practices’

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen called for the United States to leverage its allies to build more resilient supply chains during a speech in South Korea on Tuesday. 

Her remarks focused on the need to jointly develop stronger supply chains for key components, like semiconductors and electric vehicle batteries, with like-minded countries to combat China’s attempted dominance in those industries, according to excerpts released by the Treasury Department. 

“We cannot allow countries like China to use their market position in key raw materials, technologies or products to disrupt our economy or exercise unwanted geopolitical leverage,” Yellen said.

Yellen’s visit to South Korea comes as part of a trip to Asia that included the Group of Twenty meeting of finance ministers and central bankers in Indonesia.

Here’s more on the background. 

SEE YOU IN ITALY

US dollar’s power is a boon to Americans traveling abroad 

The surging value of the U.S. dollar in recent weeks is a boon to American travelers, who will get more bang for their buck overseas despite surging inflation at home.

But a strong American currency could limit international visitors to the U.S., where tourism firms are still licking their wounds from the height of the pandemic.   

• The dollar recently hit parity with the euro for the first time in two decades, making trips to Europe 10 to 15 percent less expensive for Americans than at the same time last year.
• The dollar is also soaring in destinations like Thailand, India and South Korea — countries with ample tourism interest from Americans and relatively weaker economic growth than the U.S.  

“With the rising cost of travel, the strong U.S. dollar is a net positive amidst all the disruption in the industry,” said Erika Richter, vice president of communications at the American Society of Travel Advisors.

Karl and Sylvan break it down here.

RECORD LOW 

Biden approval on economy hits new low: poll 

President Biden’s economic approval ratings have hit a record low for his presidency — and surpassed the lowest ratings of the previous two presidents, new polling shows.

A CNBC All-America Economic survey put Biden’s economic approval rating at 30 percent, 5 points below a previous survey in April. Inflation was also the top concern, followed closely by abortion.

The lowest listed concern was the coronavirus, a change from recent years.

• Over 60 percent of poll participants said they expect the country to fall into a recession in the next year, and 6 percent believe it’s already fallen. Just 22 percent of those surveyed reported believing the economy will improve in the next 12 months.
• Six percent of Republicans said they approve of Biden’s economic record, and just over half — 58 percent — of Democrats back their party’s leader. Biden’s overall presidential approval in the poll was one point lower than Trump’s lowest rating, at 36 percent. 

The Hill’s Julia Mueller has more on this here.

Good to Know

Skyrocketing gas prices have led to pain at the pump for many Americans, but the national average has been ticking down in recent days.

After briefly surpassing $5 a gallon, the national average cost for a gallon of gas clocked in at $4.52 as of Monday, according to AAA.

But prices vary widely between states, with the average cost ranging between $4.02 and $5.90 depending on where you live.  

These are the states with the highest and lowest gas prices as of Monday. 

Here’s what else we have our eye on: 

• House Democrats on Monday penned an open letter thanking the corporations that have pledged to cover employees’ travel expenses to obtain abortion services.
• Netflix will share its earnings information and outlook going forward on Tuesday after a rocky year in which it faced falling subscription rates and increasing competition. 
• Staffers at eight House offices began the process to unionize on Monday, becoming the first congressional employees to move forward in the unionization effort on Capitol Hill. 
• Advocacy groups in Arizona are requesting that U.S. officials ban a Florida-based firm, hired to conduct a ballot review of the 2020 presidential election in Maricopa County, from working with the federal government.

That’s it for today. Thanks for reading and check out The Hill’s Finance page for the latest news and coverage. We’ll see you tomorrow. 

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Defense & National Security — Former Trump counsel preps for House appearance

Former White House counsel Pat Cipollone is gearing up to be the star witness against former President Trump ahead of Thursday’s hearing of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.  

We’ll recap Cipollone and his role in the Trump White House. Plus, we’ll talk about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s threat to “freeze” Finland and Sweden’s NATO memberships.  

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 Jordan Williams. A friend forward this newsletter to you? Subscribe here.

Cipollone gears up for Jan. 6 testimony 

Pat Cipollone, the White House counsel who fiercely defended former President Trump in his first impeachment trial, is gearing up to be the star witness against the former president as the House Jan. 6 committee winds down its public hearings with a detailed look at Trump’s three hours of inaction as the Capitol riot unfolded. 

Cipollone has been a reluctant participant in the investigation, rebuffing initial requests for an under-oath interview with the House select committee, which was able to secure his eleventh-hour cooperation only via subpoena. 

Cipollone’s deposition: His marathon deposition on July 8 has proven a gold mine for the panel, providing confirmation for some of the core allegations to emerge from the yearlong probe into the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection and Trump’s role in provoking it.  

• Not only did Cipollone tell investigators that Trump’s claims of widespread voter fraud were fallacious, but also that the president’s legal team told him repeatedly that the election was lost and he should concede defeat.  
• Cipollone also verified a White House visit on Dec. 18, 2020, from several prominent figures in the “Stop the Steal” movement who sought to convince Trump to have the Pentagon seize voting machines in battleground states. 

Growing frustrations: In 2019 and 2020, when Cipollone fought to defend Trump from charges that he’d abused his powers in dealings with Ukraine, Democrats in Congress railed against the reserved White House counsel, not least for his argument that the administration had no obligation to cooperate with the congressional investigation. 

• More than two years later, the Jan. 6 committee had been similarly frustrated with Cipollone’s refusal to participate under oath. In its public pleas for Cipollone’s cooperation, investigators stressed that they saw him as one of the few voices in the White House that day pushing for Trump to take some kind of action. 
• “Our evidence shows that Mr. Cipollone and his office tried to do what was right — they tried to stop a number of President Trump’s plans for Jan. 6,” Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), vice chair of the committee, said during a hearing last month. “But we think the American people deserve to hear from Mr. Cipollone personally.” 

Cipollone on Jan. 6: Cipollone was one of the few to speak directly with Trump on the day of the riot, allowing him to fill gaps left by former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, who turned over his text messages but refused to sit down for a deposition with the panel’s investigators, even under subpoena. 

Cipollone told the committee that he pushed back on White House plans to seize voting machines during the Dec. 18, 2020, meeting. 

“That’s a terrible idea for the country,” he said. “I don’t understand why we even have to tell you why that’s a bad idea for the country.” 

Who else could be featured? Other witnesses who may be featured in the next hearing include Ivanka Trump, who is said to have spoken with her father at least twice on Jan. 6, according to earlier testimony. 

Sarah Matthews, a former White House deputy press secretary, is also reportedly in negotiations with the committee to appear publicly. 

Read the full story here.  

Erdoğan: Turkey can ‘freeze’ NATO bids

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday threatened to “freeze” Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership bids if the Nordic countries fail to keep promises on counterterrorism measures agreed to last month. 

All 30 NATO member-states must individually ratify Finland and Sweden’s ascension to the alliance. Erdoğan’s objections raise the prospect of Ankara delaying NATO’s expansion as the alliance seeks to project unity against Russia’s war in Ukraine. 

An outlier among support: Turkey has been the minority outlier in overwhelming support among the 30-member alliance for Finland and Sweden to quickly ascend to NATO, focusing criticisms against the Nordic countries over the presence of people said to be affiliated with Kurdish militia groups that Turkey condemns as terrorist organizations. 

• State Department spokesperson Ned Price on Monday said that the U.S. will work with Sweden, Finland and Turkey “that this accession process and ratification process around the world is as swift and efficient as it can possibly be.”  
• Price said the Biden administration wants to see Finland and Sweden ascend “as soon as possible.”  

What Erdogan said: The Turkish president, in televised remarks on Monday, accused Sweden of “not showing a good image,” multiple media reported.  

“I would like to remind once again that if these countries do not take the necessary steps to fulfill our conditions, we will freeze the (accession) process,” Erdoğan said, according to The Associated Press. “Our stance on this issue is very clear. The rest is up to them.” 

Why Turkey lifted its opposition: Erdoğan agreed last month to lift Turkey’s opposition to Finland and Sweden joining NATO after the three countries signed a trilateral memorandum in Madrid, that in part called for Helsinki and Stockholm to “address” Turkey’s pending deportation or extradition requests of terror suspects in those countries, among other measures. 

Read more here.  

Feds under pressure to up Ukraine’s rocket firepower

The Biden administration is under pressure to stream more offensive and defensive rocket systems into Ukraine as the former Soviet country faces a critical tipping point on the battlefield with Russia.  

As Ukrainian forces battle with Kremlin troops for control of the eastern Donbas region and seek to end the war this year — a goal which requires more air and missile defenses, early warning systems, ammunition and other equipment — defense officials and experts alike say a faster influx of such lethal aid can more quickly bring a close to the conflict. 

The extent to whether that is realistic, however, is up for debate.  

The U.S. and its European allies and partners, have attempted to keep pace with Ukraine’s pleas for more weapons, with the former alone giving $7.3 billion in lethal aid to Kyiv as of this week.   

Read more here.  

ON TAP FOR TOMORROW

• The Association of Defense Communities will host its “ADC Connect” series at 8 a.m. 
• The House Homeland Security Committee will hold a hearing on “Supporting Underserved Communities In Emergency Management” at 9 a.m. 
• The Institute for Defense Government and Advancement will begin the VA Healthcare Conference at 9 a.m.  
• The Intelligence and National Security Alliance will host “Coffee and Conversation with David Cattler” at 9 a.m. 
• The House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness will hold a hearing on “Fiscal Year 2023 Readiness Program Update” at 9:30 a.m. 
• The House Intelligence Committee will hold a markup at 10 a.m. 
• The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee will hold a business meeting and markup at 10 a.m. 
• The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will hold a hearing “Addressing Weapons of Mass Destruction and Health Security Threats to the Homeland” at 10 a.m. 
• The Center for Strategic and International Studies will hold a discussion on “Are China’s Military Logistics Better Than the Russian Military’s?” at 10:30 a.m. 
• The Aspen Institute will kick off the 13th Annual Aspen Security Forum at 7 p.m. 

WHAT WE’RE READING

• CISA announces launch of London bureau 
• Zelensky shakes up Ukraine’s top prosecutor, security chief in major shake-up 
• Ukraine’s first lady to address Congress this week 

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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The Senate can't leave women and children behind, again

Last week, senators moved toward a reconciliation package that looks almost nothing like the legislation they promised Americans just months ago. With zero dollars allocated to early education and care — a dramatic shift from the $400 billion promised in an earlier House package — the Senate’s current plan would exclude critical funding for affordable, quality child care and neglect a generation of young learners.

The Senate cannot turn their backs on the families struggling to afford care, the early educators living paycheck to paycheck, the women who left the workforce as the child care system collapsed during the pandemic, and all the young children who deserve quality early learning experiences during the critical first five years of development. As the bill stands currently, the Senate is slated to abandon the millions of voters who elected President Biden on the basis of a Build Back Better agenda that had early education and care at its core. Despite what some elected officials tout as victorious, $400 billion to $0 is not a compromise. It’s capitulation.

As the CEO of a national early education organization who understands just how poorly our system is supporting educators, children, and families, I know it is imperative that the Senate advances Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Tim Kaine’s (D-Va.) $200 billion proposal to fund child care and early learning opportunities for children and care workers nationwide.

Federal investment in the early childhood education (ECE) sector is not only essential for the wellbeing of our country’s children, it’s the most important tool we have to bolster our economy and ease the burden on families struggling with the high costs of inflation. Without well-funded child care, parents forced to choose between work and caring for their children will stay home, resulting in lost revenue for their employer and lost income to the family. 

Far too often these tough choices between child care and the workforce fall to mothers, exacerbating the pay gap and stalling progress toward gender equity and equal compensation for equal work. 

We also know that 94% of child care workers are women and 40% are people of color, and the vast majority of early educators and child care workers do not earn a living wage. The early education workforce is one of the most underpaid sectors in the country, despite serving a crucial function in our society: educating and empowering our children. According to research by the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at the University of California Berkeley, the poverty rate for early educators in our home state of Massachusetts was a staggering 15.3 percent in 2020. Federal investment in ECE is vital to rectifying the historic undervaluing of Black women’s labor and ensuring that racial and gender equity are at the heart of our country’s economic future. 

Now more than ever, voters are looking to their elected officials for confirmation that the lives of women, young children, and young families matter. An investment in affordable and accessible child care and living wages for child care workers has never been so important.

There is a path forward. Elected officials have an opportunity to stand for equity and take action on behalf of American families by supporting the latest proposal from Senators Patty Murray and Tim Kaine that would finally make the crucial investment in ECE that families, providers, educators, young learners, and the economy desperately need. Under this proposal, we would see an investment of up to $200 billion in the early education and care system, advancing equitable access to quality early learning for communities nationwide and building upon the foundation of successful federal programs like the Child Care and Development Block Grant and Head Start.

After months of tough conversations and difficult negotiations, we understand that many lawmakers are eager for a win. But a reconciliation package without funding for child care and early educators is far from a win for American families, who overwhelmingly endorse ECE funding and who desperately need support. 

At this pivotal moment in our country’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and after the Supreme Court’s historic blow to gender equity, lawmakers have an opportunity to signal to their constituents that they will continue to fight for the wellbeing of women and young families. 

Americans everywhere are watching, and as we look ahead to the midterm elections, voters will surely reflect on whether or not their elected representatives kept their promises. 

Naila Bolus is the Chief Executive Officer of Jumpstart for Young Children, a national early education organization that advances equitable learning outcomes for young children in underserved communities by recruiting and supporting caring adults to deliver high-quality programming to children and drive systems change through teaching, advocacy, and leadership.

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Key Democrat says legislation still the 'best option' for climate action

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) on Monday said legislation is the “best option” to tackle climate change, as President Biden vowed to take executive actions given Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-W.Va.) opposition to Democratic proposals.

Wyden said the problem with executive action is that it is vulnerable to challenges in court.

“While I strongly support additional executive action by President Biden, we know a flood of Republican lawsuits will follow. Legislation continues to be the best option here.”

He said said talks should continue in Congress despite Manchin’s opposition.

“Conversations on clean energy must continue to preserve our options to move forward,” he said. 

He said that without the certainty provided by the tax credits that Democrats have been discussing, “investment in clean domestic energy will fall far short of what is necessary to reduce carbon emissions and secure lower prices for American consumers.”

He also invoked technologies that Manchin largely supports, warning that without the incentives, “carbon capture and sequestration, hydrogen, and new advanced nuclear power will struggle to take off.”

Manchin last week raised concerns about inflation after a new report showed consumer prices rising at a more than 9 percent rate annually, saying that in such circumstances it was “not prudent” to pursue spending on climate change and taxes on the wealthy.

The West Virginia Democrat left the window open to support a measure later this year in inflation data improves, but most Democrats are pessimistic given a limited timeframe to use budget reconciliation measures, and a wariness that Biden may never agree to a deal.

Biden on Friday urged Congress to leave aside the climate and tax provisions in favor of a healthcare-only reconciliation package, saying he’d handle climate change through strong executive action.

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Jill Biden to meet with Ukraine's first lady at White House

First lady Jill Biden will meet with Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska at the White House on Tuesday, as part of a broader trip by Zelenska to Washington that also includes an in-person address to Congress.  

The White House released guidance on Monday evening saying that Jill Biden would welcome Zelenska on the South Lawn and that the two would participate in a bilateral meeting on Tuesday afternoon. 

It’s not the first time the two have met. Biden made a surprise trip to Ukraine in May for Mother’s Day that included a meeting with Zelenska.  

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced earlier on Monday that Zelenska would address Congress on Wednesday from the congressional auditorium in the Capitol Visitor Center.  

Her appearance in person will be significant, coming roughly four months after her husband, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, delivered an emotional appeal to Congress in virtual remarks.  

Zelenska met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday. State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters that Blinken underscored the U.S. commitment to helping Ukraine recover from the ongoing Russian invasion and commanded Zelenska’s “work to support the many Ukrainian civilians who have been, in different ways, impacted by this brutal war.”  

Zelenska’s trip outside the country comes as Russian forces continue to wage a bloody military campaign focused on Ukraine’s east.  

Zelenska was largely out of public sight at the beginning of the war, going into hiding with the couple’s 17-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son, but she has become more of a public face in recent months, particularly following the meeting with Biden.  

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Health Care — Fauci to retire from government after five decades

Toy company Mattel is delving into its vaults to reintroduce brands that haven’t been seen in decades, like Big Jim and Pulsar. Should Barbie be worried? 

Today in health care, Anthony Fauci announced plans to retire from government after a career spanning seven administrations. We’ll look at what he’s saying and when he plans to step down.

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 and Joseph Choi. Subscribe here.

Fauci to retire before Biden leaves office

The Fauci era may be coming to an end in the foreseeable future.

Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical adviser, said Monday he plans to retire by the end of Biden’s term in office.

• “By the time we get to the end of the Biden administration term, I feel it would be time for me to step down from this position,” Fauci told The Washington Post.
• “We’re in a pattern now. If somebody says, ‘You’ll leave when we don’t have COVID anymore,’ then I will be 105,” Fauci told Politico, which first reported on Fauci’s plans. “I think we’re going to be living with this.” 

Fauci said the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), where he is the director, had “the best people in the country” to carry out his vision.

The Brooklyn-born immunologist has served as director of the NIAID since 1984, most notably working on HIV-AIDS research before becoming a leading health authority during the COVID-19 pandemic, earning both praise and derision from the public and lawmakers.

Fauci has advised seven presidents on public health issues. His working relationship with former President Trump was famously fraught during the COVID-19 pandemic, as Fauci often had to counter unfounded claims made by the president. 

Read more here. 

EVENT INVITE

The Hill’s Future of Health Care 2022, Tuesday, July 19 at 8 a.m. ET — Washington, D.C., or On-Demand

The pandemic has highlighted the pitfalls and potential within our health care system. Join policymakers and health experts for a comprehensive discussion on advancing access, the pursuit of health equity and resetting the care paradigm across the U.S. Featuring: Dr. Anthony Fauci, CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, AMA president Dr. Jack Resneck, Dr. Mark McClellan and more. RSVP today

BA.5 spurs calls to fund next-gen COVID vaccines

The rise of the BA.5 variant is spurring new calls for funding for an Operation Warp Speed 2.0 to accelerate development of next-generation COVID-19 vaccines that can better target new variants.

The BA.5 subvariant of omicron that now makes up the majority of U.S. COVID-19 cases is sparking concern because it has a greater ability to evade the protection of current vaccines than past strains of the virus did. 

Pfizer and Moderna are working on updated vaccines that target BA.5 that could be ready this fall, but experts say that by the time they are ready, a new variant very well could have taken hold.   

The promising alternatives:  

• “Pan-coronavirus” vaccines that are “variant-proof,” targeting multiple variants
• Nasal vaccines that could drastically cut down on transmission of the virus

The obstacle: There is ongoing research on these next-gen vaccines, but unlike in 2020, when the federal government’s Operation Warp Speed helped speed the development of the original vaccine, there is less funding and assistance this time.

COVID-19 funding that could help develop and manufacture new vaccines more quickly has been stalled in Congress for months. 

“There’s no Operation Warp Speed,” said Eric Topol, professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research. “So it’s moving very slowly. But at least it’s moving.” 

Read more here.

IDAHO GOP REJECTS ABORTION EXCEPTION

Idaho’s Republican Party on Saturday adopted language to their platform that supports the criminalization of abortion in all cases, rejecting an amendment that would have supported allowing a person to get an abortion to save their life. 

Delegates at the state’s GOP convention in Twin Falls approved changes to the party’s platform that went further than existing language classifying abortion as murder from the point of conception. The new language backs criminalization of all abortions in Idaho, according to the Idaho Capitol Sun. 

Scott Herndon, who is running unopposed for a state Senate seat, proposed the amendment, which he called a “declaration of the right to life for preborn children.” 

Herndon said even in the cases where a person’s life is endangered, doctors should not be giving priority to the person over the unborn child. 

“We will never win this human rights issue, the greatest of our time, if we make allowances for the intentional killing of another human being,” Herndon said, according to the Capital Sun.

Read more here. 

HOSPITAL SYSTEM PLANS TO DENY LGBT WORKERS FERTILITY COVERAGE

A Catholic hospital system operating 15 hospitals and another 132 facilities in Illinois and Michigan has adopted a policy to cover fertility treatment only for workers in opposite-sex marriages.

Illinois-based OSF HealthCare, which has more than 24,000 health care workers, changed the language of its fertility treatment policy to explicitly refer to opposite sex-couples, according to documents reviewed by Bloomberg Law, meaning employees who are in same-sex marriages would not be covered. 

The policy could be illegal under federal laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation. 

It would also would likely run afoul of the 2020 U.S. Supreme Court case Bostock v. Clayton County, which ruled an employer cannot discriminate against an individual based on their sexual orientation, as it would violate Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. 

OSF HealthCare is owned by the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, a Roman Catholic organization in Peoria, Ill. 

Read more here. 

Abortion fight comes to House, Senate floors 

Legislative battles over abortion access are heating up in the House and Senate as Democrats look to raise pressure on Republicans.

A round of bills aimed at protecting abortion access that were introduced by Democrats were considered on Capitol Hill last week, leading to the first instances of lawmakers butting heads over such legislation since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last month. 

Though the bills are unlikely to pass in the evenly divided Senate, where they would require bipartisan support to overcome the legislative filibuster, Democrats are pushing for action in the aftermath of the court’s decision and seeking to get GOP members of Congress on the record objecting to legislation on the issue in an apparent attempt to paint Republicans as going to extremes to stop abortions. 

Targeted legislation: The House on Friday passed a bill 223-205 that would protect out-of-state travel for abortion services, with three Republicans — Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), Adam Kinzinger (Ill.) and Fred Upton (Mich.) — joining Democrats in voting for the measure. 

“It is absolutely important to get Republicans on the record to how far they will go to restrict a woman’s right,” Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) told The Hill. “Are they really saying that women should not be allowed to travel to another state to get a medical procedure?” 

President Biden has previously called on voters to elect more pro-abortion rights lawmakers when the Women’s Health Protection Act failed to pass in a Senate vote earlier this year. 

“We actually need to do all things,” Chu said of the multiple approaches Democrats are taking to protect abortion access. “There have been marches and demonstrations and rallies all across America on a continuous basis for these three weeks. We need to do that and we also need to point to the elections.” 

Read more here. 

WHAT WE’RE READING

• Health care’s high rollers: As the pandemic raged, CEOs’ earnings surged (Stat)
• Africa is being left behind as wealthy nations push 4th COVID booster shots (NPR)
• Covid rises across U.S. amid muted warnings and murky data (The New York Times)

STATE BY STATE

• Judge temporarily blocks West Virginia’s 1800s pre-Roe abortion ban (Axios)
• Indoor masking returns to San Diego Unified School District (KGTV)
• Medical residents struggle to receive training after Planned Parenthood halts abortion services in Wisconsin (Madison.com) 

OP-EDS IN THE HILL

• Lack of trust is fueling the current COVID-19 surge
• Next up for new vaccines: cancer and Alzheimer’s
• Congress must close the Theranos lab test loophole

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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Hillicon Valley — Netflix faces crucial earnings call

Netflix is holding its first earnings call since reporting a drop in subscribers earlier this year. Analysts said they will be listening for more details on the rollout of an ad-supported plan as Netflix fends off growing competition from traditional media brands.  

Meanwhile, advocacy groups in Arizona are requesting that U.S. officials ban a Florida-based firm, hired to conduct a ballot review of the 2020 presidential election in Maricopa County, from working with the federal government. 

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, Chris Mills Rodrigo and Ines Kagubare. Someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.

A big moment for Netflix 

Netflix will share its earnings information and outlook going forward on Tuesday after a rocky year in which it faced falling subscription rates and increasing competition. 

Tuesday’s call will be the streaming service giant’s first briefing on its quarterly earnings since sharing in April that the company lost 200,000 subscribers  — its first subscriber loss in more than 10 years. 

Netflix is now looking to incorporate advertising models into the platform after years of holding off on the ad-based plans offered by competitors. But the company is balancing a delicate scale by offering the model that may appease investors, while trying not to disturb consumers accustomed to the ad-free streaming.  

Analysts will be watching closely to see if Netflix can carry out the trapeze act — or if it will fall. 

Read more here.  

Groups urge officials to ban Cyber Ninjas 

Advocacy groups in Arizona are requesting that U.S. officials ban a Florida-based firm, hired to conduct a ballot review of the 2020 presidential election in Maricopa County, from working with the federal government. 

In a letter sent to the Interagency Suspension and Debarment Committee on Monday, the groups asked for the debarment of the company, citing a number of reasons the firm, Cyber Ninjas, isn’t fit to conduct such election-related reviews. 

• The advocacy groups mentioned how the firm’s work in Arizona did not meet election auditing standards and how it dismissed a court order to release public records related to its ballot review in Arizona. 
• “If Cyber Ninjas is permitted to continue engaging in publicly-funded operations, the company will continue to undermine confidence in our federal elections,” the groups said in the letter. 

Read more here. 

SPEED IT UP  

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel on Friday proposed raising broadband speed standards in a notice to the rest of the commission.  

Rosenworcel said the current standard, set in 2015, isn’t “just behind the times” it’s also “harmful” by masking the extent to which low-income and rural communities are “left behind and left offline.”  

“That’s why we need to raise the standard for minimum broadband speeds now and while also aiming even higher for the future, because we need to set big goals if we want everyone everywhere to have a fair shot at 21st century success,” she said in the announcement.  

Rosenworcel’s notice proposes increasing the national broadband standard to 100 megabits per second for downloads and 20 megabits per second for uploads. 

Read more about the proposal.  

CISA TO OPEN LONDON OFFICE

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) announced on Monday that it will open its first attaché office in London later this month. 

The London bureau will serve as a focal point for international collaboration between U.S. and U.K. government officials, the agency said. It will also help advance CISA’s objectives in cybersecurity, critical infrastructure protection and emergency communications. 

“As America’s cyber defense agency, we know that digital threat actors don’t operate neatly within borders,” said CISA Director Jen Easterly. “To help build resilience against threats domestically, we must think globally.” 

The launch of the London bureau highlights the commitment of CISA and other U.S. federal agencies to collaborate with international partners in an effort to combat global cyber threats. 

Read more here. 

BITS & PIECES

An op-ed to chew on: Increasingly, people are tuning out the news — but likely not for the reason you think 

Notable links from around the web: 

Homeland Security records show ‘shocking’ use of phone data, ACLU says (Politico / Alfred Ng) 

Snapchat brings chatting and video calling to the web (The Verge / Mia Sato) 

Twitter’s global agenda, with or without Musk (Axios / Ashley Gold) 

🚫 Lighter click: Follow the signs! 

One more thing: A game changer 

Jessica Gonzalez, a campaign organizer with the Communications Workers of America (CWA), has experienced firsthand the working conditions of the video game industry employees she is helping organize. 

Before making her official exit last year, Gonzalez spent nearly a decade in the gaming industry, more than half of that time with Activision Blizzard. 

• She started her career at the now-embattled company, known for games including World of Warcraft and Call of Duty, as a quality assurance (QA) tester in 2015.
• After leaving to work at indie gaming company Boundless Entertainment for a couple years, she returned to Activision Blizzard as a full-time test analyst, but says that QA testers were treated as “second-class citizens,” separated from developers, with conditions that bred burnout. 

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.

VIWE FULL VERSION HERE

Source: TEST FEED1

Uber to pay millions to settle lawsuit for overcharging customers with disabilities

Uber reached a settlement with the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday, agreeing to pay millions to customers who were allegedly overcharged due to their disability. 

In a news release, DOJ said Uber has committed to waiving wait time fees for customers who need more time to get into a car due to their disability, or refund disabled customers who don’t get a waiver beforehand.

The company will also pay back some 65,000 eligible riders for double the amount they were charged in wait time fees, which the DOJ said could add up to millions of dollars.

Additionally, it will pay more than $1.7 million to more than one thousand customers who have complained about being charged wait fees due to their disability, and another $500,000 to others who say they were harmed by the company.

“People with disabilities should not be made to feel like second-class citizens or punished because of their disability, which is exactly what Uber’s wait time fee policy did,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, head of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, said in a statement.  

“This agreement sends a strong message that Uber and other ridesharing companies will be held accountable if their services discriminate against people with disabilities,” she added.

The department filed a lawsuit against Uber in November 2021, alleging that the company violated Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination against citizens with disabilities.

The lawsuit said that beginning in April 2016, Uber started to charge passengers wait time fees, usually beginning two minutes after a vehicle shows up at the pickup location and until the car started its trip. 

The department said the company failed to modify its policy for disabled passengers despite knowing it was being applied to disabled passengers.

The Hill has reached out to Uber for comment on the settlement.

It comes after more than 500 female passengers filed a separate lawsuit against Uber alleging that they were sexually assaulted by company-contracted drivers.

Source: TEST FEED1

Biden approval rating at 38 percent, CNN poll finds

President Biden’s approval rating sits at 38 percent, with the low mark largely attributable to softening approval among Democrats, a CNN poll published Monday found.

The poll found 62 percent of the public disapproves of Biden’s job performance, with frustrations over his handling of the economy and inflation specifically fueling discontent. Thirty percent of respondents said they approve of Biden’s work on the economy, while 25 percent said they approved of his handling of inflation.

The poll also found Biden held roughly steady on his approval rating among Republicans and independents. Instead, the sinking numbers were in part because his approval among Democrats dropped 13 percentage points from early May to 73 percent in Monday’s poll.

On inflation in particular, only 51 percent of Democrats said they approved of Biden’s handling of the issue.

Similarly, the poll found 57 percent of Democrats believe Biden has the right priorities, compared to 75 percent who felt that way in a CNN poll last fall.

The CNN poll surveyed 1,459 adults from June 13 through July 13. The margin of error is 3.3 percentage points.

Monday’s survey is the latest bad indicator for Biden as he seeks to tamp down rising costs, steer the economy clear of a recession and stave off another coronavirus wave as a fresh variant becomes dominant in the United States.

Poll after poll has shown Biden’s approval rating in the high 30 percent or low 40 percent range, with frustration over the economy and high prices of gas and food largely to blame.

White House officials have pointed to data showing gas prices have declined for roughly 30 consecutive days, crediting Biden’s efforts to free up oil from the strategic petroleum reserve and his messaging to gas companies with helping the matter.

The average price of gas per gallon has dropped roughly 50 cents over the past month, but still has risen more than $1.40 in the past year, according to AAA.

Source: TEST FEED1