12:30 Report

The Hill’s 12:30 Report — Sights and sounds from Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral

by Cate Martel - 09/19/22 12:30 PM ET

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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.

TALK OF THE MORNING

Rest in peace, queen:

AP/Ben Stansall

The United Kingdom came to a halt this morning for the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Here’s are some of the key moments to catch you up.

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS:

The queen’s corgis attended: Video from ITV News

Wow, check out this photo of Westminster Abbey from Sunday night: From BBC’s Sophie Raworth

The funeral was handled beautifully: Here is footage of the funeral procession through London, via CBS News. More footage from ITV News’s Chris Ship

Video of the queen’s coffin being carried: From CBS News

^ You may notice that the pallbearers look tired: “The Queen’s coffin … is thought to weigh anywhere between 250kg and 317kg, due to it being made from oak with brass fittings and lead lining.” What we know about the coffin, via Cosmopolitan

Photo of King Charles III and Princess Anne

Photo of Prince George and Princess Charlotte arriving

George and Charlotte are so mature: Here’s a photo of Prince William, Kate, Princess of Wales, and their two oldest children at the funeral.

Photo of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex

The order of the procession

Watch the Bidens arrive at the funeral service: From NBC News

Comparison photos of Westminster Abbey: “[The queen] was married there in 1947. She had her coronation there in 1952. And now, her funeral service is taking place there in 2022.” Photos from ABC News’s “Good Morning America”

Wow: ABC News tweeted: “Rare photograph shows Yeomen of the Guard taking a rest after guarding Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin as she was lying in state. Today, their watch ended as the longest-reigning monarch in British history was honored at a state funeral.” The rare photo

WATCH THE FUNERAL:

Here is the full video of the procession and ceremony this morning.

THE U.K. BASICALLY SHUT DOWN FOR THE FUNERAL:
“While Queen Elizabeth’s funeral on Monday will be observed across Britain, thousands of people face cancelled doctor appointments, closed food banks and shut supermarkets because of a surprise national holiday. Many patients have been left frustrated after being told that National Health Service (NHS) appointments they had waited months to secure were suddenly cancelled.” More on the disruptions caused by today’s funeral, via Reuters

And lots of flights at Heathrow have been canceled or rescheduled: “Flights to and from London’s Heathrow Airport on the day of the Queen’s funeral are being canceled or re-timed ‘as a mark of respect’ to the late monarch.” More from CNN

It’s Monday. 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.

🚘 In the White House

*Cue David Attenborough’s voice*:

‘If you look over there, you will spot a rare Biden interview. It is incredibly cool to see one of these!’:

Embed: https://giphy.com/gifs/bbcearth-earth-bbc-thehunt-d2Z99CRTQNnEYzmw

President Biden sat down with CBS News’s “60 Minutes” for a wide-ranging interview while at the Detroit Auto Show.

Watch Biden’s full interview with CBS News’s Scott Pelley on ’60 Minutes’

NEWS FROM THE INTERVIEW:

On the COVID-19 pandemic — Biden said the pandemic is over. His aides may not agree: “The pandemic is over. We still have a problem with COVID. We’re still doing a lot of work on it. But the pandemic is over. If you notice, no one’s wearing masks. Everybody seems to be in pretty good shape, and so I think it’s changing, and I think [the Detroit Auto Show resuming after three years] is a perfect example of it.” Keep in mind: Biden’s own aides have recently disagreed with this sentiment. NPR’s take on where the pandemic stands

On Taiwan — Biden goes a step further than his aides:

Scott Pelley: “But would U.S. forces defend the island?”

Biden: “Yes, if in fact there was an unprecedented attack.”

Pelley: “So unlike Ukraine, to be clear, sir, U.S. forces, U.S. men and women would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion?”

Biden: “Yes.”

^ But after the interview: A White House official said the U.S. policy of “strategic ambiguity” remains unchanged. Details from CBS News

On 2024 — Biden says he hasn’t decided: “Look, my intention as I said to begin with is that I would run again. But it’s just an intention. But is it a firm decision that I run again? That remains to be seen.” Biden’s full response to whether he’s running in 2024

On inflation — Biden is looking for the half-full glass: When asked about the 8.3 percent inflation rate, Biden told Pelley: “We’re in a position where, for the last several months, [inflation] hasn’t spiked. … It’s been basically even. And in the meantime, we created all these jobs and prices have gone up, but they’ve come down for energy.” Watch the full back and forth on inflation

TIMING — BIDEN IS COMING UP FOR AIR:
President Biden’s approval is the highest it has been since October 2021, according to a new NBC News poll.

Biden’s approval: 45 percent. More from the poll

The full NBC News poll

⛈ In Puerto Rico

Stay safe, Puerto Rico:

Hurricane Fiona ripped through Puerto Rico over the weekend, leaving most of the island without power.

The effects so far: “[It] unleashed landslides, knocked the power grid out and ripped up asphalt from roads and flung the pieces around. Hundreds of people were evacuated or rescued across the island as floodwaters rose swiftly. Rushing rivers of brown water enveloped cars, first floors and even an airport runway in the island’s southern region.” More from The Associated Press’s Dánica Coto

Oh my gosh: The flood waters washed away an entire bridge. Video of the moment the bridge washed away

The New York Times has a helpful live blog of updates in Puerto Rico

🗳 On the campaign trail

The 50 days of political TV ads:

Via The Hill’s Max Greenwood, “With 50 days to go until the 2022 midterm elections, Democrats are riding a wave of enthusiasm, while Republicans are looking to rebound from a grueling primary season and recast the fight for control of Congress as a referendum on President Biden and his party.”

Where the race for the House stands: “Republicans still appear poised to win back their House majority thanks to gains made in redistricting and lingering concerns among voters over inflation, the economy and perceived rising crime.”

Where the race for the Senate stands: “Control of the Senate is much less certain. While the GOP needs to net just one seat to recapture its majority in the upper chamber, a roster of untested — and in some cases controversial — candidates, combined with a series of early campaign trail stumbles, has made achieving that goal more difficult.”

What to expect in the final sprint

🦠 Latest with COVID

➤ THE COVID-19 NUMBERS

Cases to date: 95.4 million

Death toll: 1,047,741

Current hospitalizations: 25,873

Shots administered: 612 million

Fully vaccinated: 67.7 percent of Americans

CDC data here.

🐥Notable tweets

Over the weekend:

AP/Kirsty O’Connor

ITV News’s Chris Ship tweeted a photo of Kate, Princess of Wales, meeting with Olena Zelenska, the first lady of Ukraine, before Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.

⏱On tap

The House and Senate are in. President Biden is returning from London. Vice President Harris is in Washington, D.C.

5 a.m.: Biden and first lady Jill Biden attended the funeral for Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey.
9:25 a.m.: The Bidens left London to return to Washington, D.C.
3 p.m.: The Senate meets.
5:05 p.m.: The Bidens arrive at the White House.
5:30 p.m.: The Senate holds a cloture vote on a nomination. Today’s Senate agenda
5:40 p.m.: Harris ceremonially swears in Yohannes Abraham as U.S. ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
6:30 p.m.: First and last House votes. Today’s House agenda