The Hill’s 12:30 Report — Year-end funding deadline causes intraparty divisions
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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
Let’s settle this the classic way:
“Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) defeated Sen. Rick Scott’s (Fla.) bid to take his job, but the battle isn’t over.”
The gift that will keep giving for the month of December: “McConnell now faces a fight with Scott and other Senate conservatives over whether to block a year-end spending package before Christmas.”
The situation: “[McConnell] wants to pass the omnibus package funding the federal government before the end of December, according to Senate Republican and Democratic sources. But he’s coming under increasing pressure from conservatives who want to freeze federal spending until January, when Republicans will take control of the House.”
How this could play out, via The Hill’s Alexander Bolton
MEANWHILE — ‘MCCARTHY’S PLANNED EXPULSIONS OF INTEL DEMOCRATS PROMPTS HOWLS’:
From The Hill’s Rebecca Beitsch and Mike Lillis
It’s Tuesday. 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.
🏃️ 2024
Forget the pundits, what do Americans think happened in the midterms?:
“Voters and Republican operatives alike are labeling former President Trump the biggest loser of the midterms, raising questions about his strength heading into 2024.”
^ How we know that: A new Harvard CAPS/Harris poll
The numbers from the poll: “20 percent of voters said Trump was the clear loser after the Nov. 8 election, while 14 percent said ‘MAGA Republicans’ were and 12 percent pointed to mainstream Republicans. Additionally, 15 percent said Democrats were the biggest losers, while 23 percent said they were unsure or didn’t know.”
Keep in mind: A number of Trump-backed candidates lost their elections earlier this month.
What this could mean for the next year, via The Hill’s Julia Manchester
HOW IS RON DESANTIS POLLING COMPARED TO TRUMP?:
“Since last month, the Florida governor’s standing in a hypothetical 2024 Republican primary improved by 11 points, bringing him up to 28 percent,” according to the new Harvard CAPS/Harris poll. “Trump’s support, meanwhile, plummeted 9 points to 46 percent. While he still holds a double-digit lead over DeSantis, the poll marks a drastic shift in the former president’s political strength…” The numbers
SEVEN REPUBLICANS MOST LIKELY TO CHALLENGE TRUMP IN 2024:
‘REPUBLICANS SEIZE ON EARLY VOTING AFTER DISAPPOINTING MIDTERMS’:
📈 The economy
That’s an expensive bird:
“Food prices rose almost 11 percent over the 12 months ending in October, according to the Labor Department’s consumer price index (CPI), while groceries, which exclude restaurants, specifically were 12.4 percent more expensive from the same time a year ago.”
^ And it’s even worse for turkey: “Prices for poultry were up almost 15 percent annually in October, according to the Labor Department, thanks in part to a recent outbreak of avian flu. Premade baked goods, baking mixes and frozen desserts were also at least 15 percent more expensive last month than a year ago.”
More on how inflation is affecting Thanksgiving prices, via The Hill’s Sylvan Lane
‘AIRLINES TRY TO AVOID MELTDOWNS AS LONGER THANKSGIVING TRAVEL PERIOD BEGINS’:
“The holiday stands as a test of airlines’ recovery and their ability to get travelers to their destinations on time after a chaotic summer.” The full story from The Washington Post’s Ian Duncan and Lori Aratani
HEADS UP FOR TRAVEL — ‘WHERE WEATHER COULD MAKE THANKSGIVING TRAVEL TRICKY’:
👰♀️ In the White House
A lighter read — Doug Emhoff is a social guy:
Washingtonian’s Daniella Byck writes: “The Only Place in DC Without a Doug Emhoff Sighting? Naomi Biden’s Wedding.”
“Watchers of Washington know the man about town in President Joe Biden’sadministration is second gentleman Doug Emhoff. He’s been seen grabbing a bowl at fast-casual restaurant Immigrant Food, watching a game at National’s Park, and dining at Cafe Milano earlier this month. But one place in DC without an Emhoff spotting? Naomi Biden’s White House wedding.”
Yes, but keep in mind: Emhoff and Vice President Harris were in Thailand. The full story
Wanna hear about the wedding?:
President Biden’s granddaughter Naomi Biden spoke with Vogue’s Chloe Malle about her wedding and the process of planning her big day at the White House.
Tidbit about the desserts — omg, I want all of this: “The bride and groom climbed a ladder to cut a seven-foot-tall, eight-tier lemon cake with buttercream frosting, while nearby, a dessert bar included everything from 20-inch apple pie (the groom’s cake) to the president’s favorite Graeter’s chocolate chip ice cream. ‘He used to be a Breyers guy all the way but we’ve gotten him to upgrade to Graeter’s,’ Naomi says.”
✓ In other news
And it all comes full circle:
Twitter chief Elon Musk announced last night that he’s postponing the relaunch of his updated DIY blue check verification until the company can sort out impersonation.
Musk tweeted: “Holding off relaunch of Blue Verified until there is high confidence of stopping impersonation. Will probably use different color check for organizations than individuals.”
🦠 The COVID-19 numbers
Cases to date: 98.1 million
Death toll: 1,073,115
Current hospitalizations: 12,020
Shots administered: 650 million
Fully vaccinated: 68.7 percent of Americans
🐥Notable tweets
I couldn’t agree more:
Author Giles Paley-Phillips tweeted, “The t-rex wearing a Christmas jumper at the Natural History Museum is a wonderful thing.” Photo of the festive dino
No, no, no, no, no, no, no:
@bourbonface tweeted a photo of a pack of Caesar salad-flavored candy canes. “This is what an ACTUAL war on Christmas looks like,” the account captioned the photo. Photo — see for yourself
I don’t know why I’m encouraging this, but: I found the candy canes on Amazon. Here’s the link if you want to try them 🤢
⏱On tap
The House and Senate are out. President Biden is in Washington, D.C. Vice President Harris is wrapping up her trip to the Philippines.
- 10:15 a.m.: Biden received his daily briefing.
- 5:50 p.m.: Biden and first lady Jill Biden leave for Nantucket, Mass.
- 7:30 p.m.: The Bidens arrive in Nantucket.
- Today: Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff fly to Los Angeles.
All times Eastern.
📺What to watch
- 11:30 a.m.: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, COVID-19 response coordinator Ashish Jha and chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci held a press briefing. Watch
🦃 In lighter news
Today is National Cashew Day and National Cranberry Relish Day!
And to close, try watching this video of a raucous concert without smiling.
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