News N Things
Democrats race against self-imposed deadlines to pass infrastructure and Bidens Build Back Better plan; the man behind the Trump/Russia dossier is charged; G.O.P. strategy: education wars.
Top 3 Stories:
1) House Expected to Vote on Bidens Big Bills Today:
“President Joe Biden called numerous House lawmakers on Thursday to help rally support for his legislative agenda, four sources familiar with the matter told NBC News, as Democratic leaders laid the groundwork for Friday votes on both a social safety net bill and an infrastructure package that would cap months of internal party negotiations. A Democratic leadership source said the House plans to vote on the two pieces of legislation Friday, and that leaders are feeling confident they will finish them in one day, a move that would hand Biden a major legislative victory at a time when his poll numbers are falling. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is aiming to pass the $1.75 trillion Build Back Better legislation and separately send the $550 billion Senate-passed infrastructure measure to Biden's desk this week. Due to narrow margins, she cannot afford to lose more than three Democrats to ensure passage of the larger bill. Democratic leaders seemed to be making progress on gaining consensus in the caucus on Thursday. After suggesting earlier in the day that the social policy bill would fail, moderate Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, tweeted that he would vote for it.” (NBC NEWS)
2) Man Behind Trump/Russia Research Charged:
“An analyst who was a primary source for a 2016 dossier of allegations against Donald Trump has been arrested on charges that he repeatedly lied to the FBI about where and how he got his information, officials said Thursday. Igor Danchenko’s role in providing information to British ex-spy Christopher Steele, who compiled the accusations about Trump in a series of reports, has long been a subject of scrutiny from internal Justice Department investigators and special counsel John Durham, according to people familiar with the investigations. Steele presented the dossier to the FBI, and it was part of the basis for secret surveillance court orders targeting former Trump adviser Carter Page as the FBI investigated possible ties between the 2016 Trump presidential campaign and Russia. A 2019 report by the Justice Department inspector general found major problems with the accuracy of Danchenko’s information. But the 39-page indictment unveiled Thursday paints a more detailed picture of claims that were allegedly built on exaggerations, rumors and outright lies. The indictment is likely to buttress Republican charges that Democrats and FBI agents intentionally or accidentally turned cheap partisan smears into a high-stakes national security investigation of a sitting president.” (WASHINGTON POST)
3) G.O.P. Battle Plan For the Next 8 Years… Education:
“Emboldened by elections on Tuesday that were swayed by hotly debated education issues, Republican leaders are already planning to inject schools into next year’s midterm House and Senate campaigns. The Republican victory in Virginia’s election for governor is proving particularly influential to party strategists who believe that Glenn Youngkin, a political newcomer, won the Democratic-leaning state in large part by arguing that parents had been shut out of decisions on race in the curriculum, Covid-19 precautions and academic standards. “If the Virginia results showed us anything, it is that parents are demanding more control and accountability in the classroom,” wrote Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.), the House Republican leader, in a letter to colleagues after the election. He said House Republicans would create a “parents bill of rights” soon. Rep. Jim Banks (R., Ind.) who leads a group of more than 150 conservative House Republicans, said the party should rally behind proposals such as ensuring that schools spend money on gifted and talented programs rather than diversity efforts.” (WALL STREET JOURNAL)
Daily Verse:
Ephesians 5:1-2 NIV Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
The President’s Schedule:
10:15 a.m. EST - The President delivers remarks on the October jobs report.
This Day in History
“On November 5, 1941, the Combined Japanese Fleet receive Top-Secret Order No. 1: In just over a month's time, Pearl Harbor is to be bombed, along with Malaya (now known as Malaysia), the Dutch East Indies and the Philippines.” (HISTORY)
Daily Quote:
"You always admire what you really don't understand." - Blaise Pascal
Daily Joke:
My wife gave birth in our car on the way to the hospital. I named him Carson.
Environment:
IS NUCLEAR ENERGY ‘GREEN’? “Deep in a French forest of oaks, birches and pines, a steady stream of trucks carries a silent reminder of nuclear energy’s often invisible cost: canisters of radioactive waste, heading into storage for the next 300 years. As negotiators plot out how to fuel the world while also reducing carbon emissions at climate talks in Scotland, nuclear power is a central sticking point. Critics decry its mammoth price tag, the disproportionate damage caused by nuclear accidents, and radioactive leftovers that remain deadly for thousands of years. But increasingly vocal and powerful proponents — some climate scientists and environmental experts among them — argue that nuclear power is the world’s best hope of keeping climate change under control, noting that it emits so few planet-damaging emissions and is safer on average than nearly any other energy source. Nuclear accidents are scary but exceedingly rare — while pollution from coal and other fossil fuels causes death and illness every day, scientists say… Many governments are pushing to enshrine nuclear energy in climate plans being hashed out at the conference in Glasgow, known as COP26. The European Union, meanwhile, is debating whether to label nuclear energy as officially “green” — a decision that will steer billions of euros of investment for years to come.” (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Culture:
ECONOMISTS PREDICT PEOPLE ARE GOING BACK TO WORK: “The economy’s underlying strength — and its ability to shake off the lingering effects of the Delta variant of the coronavirus — will come into focus Friday morning when the government reports on hiring and employment in October. Economists polled by Bloomberg are looking for a gain of 450,000 jobs, a big improvement from the 194,000 added in September, the year’s weakest showing. More-robust hiring at restaurants, bars and other leisure and hospitality businesses may serve as a tailwind, along with continued robust activity in white-collar sectors like professional and business services. “I do expect to see a figure that’s much better than we saw in September,” said Greg Daco, chief U.S. economist at Oxford Economics. “The health situation has improved quite a bit.” The Commerce Department reported last week that the economy grew by 0.5 percent in the third quarter, compared with 1.6 percent in the second quarter. Economists attributed the slowdown to the resurgent pandemic and supply chain holdups that have caused shortages of key components, hampering manufacturers.” (NEW YORK TIMES)
Sports:
ODELL DONE IN CLEVELAND: “Odell Beckham Jr.’s playing days in Cleveland are over. In a move that has been in the works since Tuesday night, a league source told Yahoo Sports the Browns have come to an agreement to release Beckham. The source said the Browns and Beckham’s representatives were still finalizing financial details on Thursday that would ultimately result in the Browns placing Beckham on waivers. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio also reported Thursday night that the Browns plan to release Beckham on Friday after reaching a revised contract. A league source with the NFL Players Association told Yahoo Sports that the Browns and Beckham’s representatives have been negotiating contract changes since Tuesday night, after Cleveland failed to receive any trade offers for Beckham. While the New Orleans Saints were reported as having expressed deadline interest in Beckham, a Saints source told Yahoo Sports on Thursday that the franchise ultimately declined to make an offer for the wideout after a brief discussion.” (YAHOO SPORTS)
Health:
PFIZER ANTIVIRAL PILL 90% EFFECTIVE: “An experimental pill to treat Covid developed by the US company Pfizer cuts the risk of hospitalisation or death by 89% in vulnerable adults, clinical trial results suggest. The drug - called Paxlovid - is aimed at the elderly and others at high risk of severe disease. It comes a day after the UK medicines regulator approved a similar treatment from Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD). Pfizer says it stopped trials early as the initial results were so positive. The UK has already ordered 250,000 courses of the new Pfizer treatment along with another 480,000 courses of the MSD pill. The Pfizer drug, known as a protease inhibitor, is designed to block an enzyme the virus needs in order to multiply. It works slightly differently to the Merck pill which introduces errors into the genetic code of the virus.” (BBC NEWS)