The Hill’s 12:30 Report — Russia sentences Griner to 9 years

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–> A midday take on what’s happening in politics and how to have a sense of humor about it.* 

*Ha. Haha. Hahah. Sniff. Haha. Sniff. Ha–breaks down crying hysterically.

BREAKING 

WNBA star Brittney Griner sentenced to nine years in Russian prison:

American basketball star Brittney Griner has been found guilty by a Russia judge for drug possession and smuggling narcotics into Russia — and sentenced to nine years in prison.

Griner’s reaction, according to The Associated Press’s Jim Heintz: “Griner reacted to the sentence with little emotion. She listened to the verdict from the defendant’s cage, a blank stare on her face … Before the unusually quick verdict was announced, Griner made a final appeal to the court. She said she had no intention to break the law by bringing vape cartridges with cannabis oil into the country when she flew to Moscow in February to play basketball…” 

Now, what?: “Attention now turns to the possibility of a high-stakes prisoner swap that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken proposed to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Under the proposed deal, Griner and Paul Whelan, an American imprisoned in Russia on an espionage conviction, would go free.” The full AP story 

Back story if you haven’t been following this case closely: “Griner was arrested in Moscow shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine and has pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis oil when she was arrested. But her detainment is criticized as unjust and politically-motivated, given the U.S.-led campaign against Moscow for its war against Kyiv.”  

Reaction from President Biden: “Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney. It’s unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates.  My administration will continue to work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue to bring Brittney and Paul Whelan home safely as soon as possible.” Read Biden’s full statement

IT’S A *HOT* THURSDAY IN DC. I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.

💬 Getting traction 

Omg — If this had happened in a TV drama, I’d roll my eyes thinking it wasn’t believable:

The legal team for conspiracy theorist Alex Jones accidentally sent years of their client’s texts to the opposing lawyers representing the families of the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting victims.  

From one of the lawyers representing the victims’ families: “Your attorneys messed up and sent me an entire digital copy of your entire cellphone with every text message you’ve sent for the past two years … And that is how I know you lied to me when you said you didn’t have to text messages about Sandy Hook.”  

Yikes: Watch this moment during the cross-examination during his defamation trial. 

Photo of Alex Jones during Wednesday’s trial

Keep in mind: Jones, the founder of Infowars who spread conspiracy theories that the Sandy Hook shooting was not real and that the victims’ parents are “crisis actors,” now acknowledges that the tragedy in Newtown, Conn. did happen. More on Jones’s concession that the tragedy was ‘100 percent real’ 

If you haven’t been following this story, here’s a helpful explainer.

🤔 In the Senate 

Sinema obviously wants her fingerprints on the bill: 

Centrist Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), whose support of Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act is necessary for the bill to pass, wants a few changes to the negotiated bill, according to Axios’Alayna Treene. 

Like what?: More climate funding and changes to the tax provisions in the bill. 

What we know 

‘INFLATION REDUCTION ACT DROPS MOST OF BIDEN’S PROPOSALS TO TAX THE RICH’: 
Via The Hill’s Tobias Burns 

‘COAL INDUSTRY “SHOCKED AND DISHEARTENED” BY MANCHIN CLIMATE DEAL’: 
Via The Hill’s Alexander Bolton 

‘MANCHIN DEAL COULD RAISE NEW HURDLES FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE INCENTIVES’:
The Hill’s Rachel Frazin writes, “Democrats’ push to boost electric vehicles could be hobbled by some of the protectionist supply chain provisions they included as requirements to get electric vehicle tax credits.” How so 

What to expect in the next few days if all goes to plan for Dems: 

If Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) signs onto Democrats’ health care, tax and climate bill, they will be able to pass it without any Republican support. 

But first: Republicans are allowed to offer amendments and slow the process with a grueling, hourslong marathon called a “vote-a-rama.” 

Brief explanation of how a vote-a-rama works, via The Hill’s Aris Folley

🙏 In the House 

How horrible. Rest in peace: 

Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.), 58, and two of her staffers died in a car accident on Wednesday in Indiana. 

What happened?: “Authorities said a passenger car traveling northbound collided head-on with a sport utility vehicle traveling southbound.” 

Who Walorski was with: Two aides, Zachery Potts, 27, and Emma Thomson, 28 

If you’re on Capitol Hill: Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) ordered flags to fly at half-staff. 

Read condolences and messages from colleagues in Congress

🗳 On the campaign trail 

*Awkward, nervous laugh*: 

“Republicans touting former President Trump’s unfounded claims that the 2020 election was stolen saw victories across the map in Tuesday’s primaries, raising questions — and, for many, concerns — about what will happen in November’s general elections.”  

Could those candidates win in November?: “Democrats, and some Republicans, argue these candidates won’t stand a chance when they face independent voters in November. But others warn not to count them out given President Biden’s low approval ratings and the dismal national mood.”  

The election deniers who have won their primaries, via The Hill’s Julia Manchester 

‘MCCONNELL MANAGES MIDTERM EXPECTATIONS AFTER TRUMP-BACKED CANDIDATES WIN’: 
What Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is now saying: “I think it’s going to be very tight. We have a 50-50 nation. And I think when this Senate race smoke clears, we’re likely to have a very, very close Senate still, with us up slightly or the Democrats up slightly,” he said Wednesday evening on Fox’s “Special Report.” 

What to expect, via The Hill’s Alexander Bolton 

WILL THE ABORTION DEBATE BE A DEFINING ISSUE IN THE MIDTERMS?: 
That’s up for debate, but Tuesday’s decisive vote in Kansas to protect abortion access is recalibrating strategists’ expectations for November. Read Niall Stanage’s column 

OP-ED: 
“Dobbs was supposed get the courts out of the abortion business. It’s having the opposite effect.” Read

🦠 Latest with COVID 

Questions about the Paxlovid rebound: 

President Biden tested positive for COVID-19 again just days after completing the antiviral treatment, Paxlovid. 

^ Fauci had a similar situation: Biden’s chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci also experienced the return of COVID-19 after completing the Paxlovid treatment. 

The big question — is the treatment too short?: “Some experts have called for studies into extending Paxlovid treatments to be prioritized, as early research has suggested that Paxlovid rebound could occur due to insufficient exposure to the drug.”  

What we know about the Paxlovid rebound, via The Hill’s Joseph Choi 

NEW STUDY — ‘LONG COVID COMES IN THREE FORMS’: 
The breakdown of each 

➤ THE COVID-19 NUMBERS 

Cases to date: 91.5 million 

Death toll: 1,026,723 

Current hospitalizations: 37,518 

Shots administered: 603 million 

Fully vaccinated: 67.2 percent of Americans 

CDC data here.

🐥Notable tweets

I can’t think of a more accurate description of the weather: 

@AliceinDCland said it well: “DC weather report: heat sanitizing cycle of my dishwasher.”

⏱On tap

The Senate is in. The House is out. President Biden is in Washington, D.C. Vice President Harris is in Massachusetts today. 

• 9:25 a.m.: Harris left for Boston.
• 10:45 p.m.: Biden and Harris received the President’s Daily Briefing. 
• 12:50 p.m.: Harris holds a roundtable on reproductive rights with Massachusetts state legislators. 
• 1:45 p.m.: Two Senate votes. Today’s Senate agenda 
• 2:35 p.m.: Harris leaves Boston and flies to Martha’s Vineyard. 
• 4:55 p.m.: Harris speaks at a Democratic National Committee (DNC) event in Oak Bluffs, Mass. 
• 6:15 p.m.: Harris speaks at a DNC finance event in Vineyard Haven, Mass. 
• 7:30 p.m.: Harris leaves Martha’s Vineyard and returns to Washington, D.C. 

All times Eastern.

📺What to watch

• This morning: A Senate hearing on the economic impact of climate change. C-SPAN video 
• 1:45 p.m. Biden hosts a roundtable with business and labor leaders to discuss the Inflation Reduction Act. Livestream 
• 2:45 p.m.: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre holds a press briefing. Livestream 

🍪 In lighter news

Today is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day! To properly celebrate, CNET has a list of cookie specials today. 

Get excited. There’s a new holiday on the block:  

The Senate Press Gallery tweeted, “By Unanimous Consent, the Senate passed S. Res. 742, Designating September 25, 2022, as National Lobster Day.”  

And to leave you with a laugh, here is a perfect illustration of the chaos of being a puppy.