memeorandum: Texas Democrats continue holdout, don't show for new session (Associated Press)

4:35 PM ET, August 7, 2021

Top Items:

For G.O.P., Infrastructure Bill Is a Chance to Inch Away from Trump — The former president's efforts to bring down the bipartisan deal fell mostly on deaf ears among Republicans, signaling his waning influence on Capitol Hill. Can it last? — WASHINGTON — Donald J. Trump tried mightily …

Discussion: Insider and Raw Story

Celine Castronuovo / The Hill:

Trump slams McConnell, infrastructure package: ‘A disgrace’ — Former President Trump on Saturday slammed the Senate's $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package just hours before the upper chamber is scheduled to vote on winding down debate, calling the bill a “disgrace” …

Discussion: UPI, Breitbart, Raw Story and New York Post

Politico:

Senate enters final lap on bipartisan infrastructure deal — The Senate advanced the bipartisan infrastructure bill on Saturday afternoon, breaking a filibuster to end debate on the deal crafted by a group of 10 senators alongside President Joe Biden. — The vote, which was 67-27, easily cleared the 60 votes needed to move forward.

Discussion: Reuters, Al Jazeera, The Gateway Pundit, Los Angeles Times, The Moderate Voice, CNBC, Talking Points Memo, New York Post, ABC7, Bloomberg, CNN and Bangor Daily News

Jordain Carney / The Hill:

$1T infrastructure bill passes key test vote — The Senate on Saturday voted to start wrapping up a roughly $1 trillion bipartisan package, clearing a key hurdle to finishing the bill. — Senators voted 67-27 to advance the bill. Eighteen GOP senators voted with all Democrats to help get the legislation over the 60-vote hurdle.

Discussion: ABC News and Townhall

Susan Ferrechio / Washington Examiner:
Senate advances $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill

Discussion: Washington Post, Associated Press, NBC News and National Review

Alex Pareene / New York Times:
A Pyrrhic Victory in a Broken Senate

Discussion: The Carpentariat, ABC News, WTOP, Associated Press and Washington Post

Los Angeles Times:
Why McConnell, GOP may give Biden a bipartisan win on infrastructure

Discussion: Washington Post, Conservative Brief and Bangor Daily News

U.S. Embassy / U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan:

Security Alert U.S. Embassy Kabul, Afghanistan (August 7, 2021) — The U.S. Embassy urges U.S. citizens to leave Afghanistan immediately using available commercial flight options. Given the security conditions and reduced staffing, the Embassy's ability to assist U.S. citizens in Afghanistan is extremely limited even within Kabul.

Discussion: Axios, New York Post, Washington Examiner and National Review

Wall Street Journal: Taliban Capture Second Provincial Capital, Tightening Grip on Afghanistan

Brad Bannon / The Hill:

Jan. 6 Committee will reconvene after Labor Day — Republicans should be scared — More than six months have passed since Joe Biden took office after a fair election, and still, most of Donald Trump's supporters believe the election was stolen and that their fallen hero won.

Discussion: Trending Politics, Washington Times and IJR

Peter Wade / Rolling Stone:
Die Hard Trump Supporters Increasingly Demand Violence if He Isn't Reinstated, Homeland Security Warns

Discussion: abc7NY and The US Sun

Geneva Sands / CNN:
Homeland Security warns of potential conspiracy theory-fueled violence in August

Discussion: The Hill, Raw Story, ABC News and Mediaite

Associated Press:

US now averaging 100,000 new COVID-19 infections a day — The U.S. is now averaging 100,000 new COVID-19 infections a day, returning to a milestone last seen during the winter surge in yet another bleak reminder of how quickly the delta variant has spread through the country.

Discussion: Mother Jones, Mock Paper Scissors, TheJournal.ie, abc7NY, CBS News and Insider

Holly Yan / CNN:
Yes, children can be affected by Covid-19. Here's why doctors say they need to be protected

Discussion: Denver Post, WGN-TV and UPI

CNN:
Florida reports record high number of new Covid-19 cases this week

Discussion: HuffPost, Deseret News and CBS Baltimore

Associated Press:

Texas Democrats continue holdout, don't show for new session — AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Democrats still refused to return to the state Capitol Saturday as Gov. Greg Abbott began a third attempt at passing new election laws, prolonging a monthslong standoff that ramped up in July …

Discussion: The Hill, CBS Dallas / Fort Worth, The Texas Tribune and Political Wire

Andrew Court / Daily Mail:
Runaway Texas Democrats file lawsuit against Gov. Greg Abbott for ‘damaging their reputations’ …

Discussion: Twitchy

James Barragán / The Texas Tribune:
Democrats who fled Texas sue Gov. Greg Abbott, Speaker Dade Phelan, saying efforts to force their return violate their civil rights

Discussion: Insider, Trending Politics, Washington Examiner, TheBlaze, JONATHAN TURLEY, Off the Kuff and Fox News

Patricia Mazzei / New York Times:

As Covid Surges in Florida, DeSantis Refuses to Change Course — A virus spike connected to the Delta variant has led to a record number of Covid-19 hospitalizations in Florida. Gov. Ron DeSantis has not altered his approach, for better or worse. — MIAMI — Gov. Ron DeSantis …

Discussion: HotAir, WINK NEWS, CBS News, ImmigrationProf Blog, New York Post, Politico, WTOP, Honolulu Star-Advertiser and WSVN-TV

Apoorva Mandavilli / New York Times:
New data suggest J. & J. vaccine works against Delta and recipients don't need a booster shot.

Discussion: HotAir, The Boston Globe, CNN and Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Roni Caryn Rabin / New York Times:
Vaccine reduces risk of infection even in people who've already had Covid, the C.D.C. says.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, UPI and Washington Examiner

New York Times:

The Kindergarten Exodus — As the pandemic took hold, more than 1 million children did not enroll in local schools. Many of them were the most vulnerable: 5-year-olds in low-income neighborhoods — PHILADELPHIA — On a sweltering July afternoon, Solomon Carson, 6, jumped off the stoop …

New York Times:

Conservative Fellow Travelers: Tucker Carlson Drops In On Viktor Orban — This week, the talk show host has been in Hungary, where Prime Minister Viktor Orban hopes to set up an ideological center for a global conservative movement. — BUDAPEST — It's been a meeting of conservative fellow travelers …

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money and Outside the Beltway

Ian Leslie / The Ruffian:

Angels, demons, and videotape — What happened in Central Park last year and what it tells us about journalism (plus the usual smorgasbord of brain food). — Any Cooper, in a still from Christian Cooper's video taken in Central Park, May 2020. — In 1986 the Guardian made an ad for itself …

Discussion: INDIGNITY

Wall Street Journal:

Highly Vaccinated States Keep Worst Covid-19 Outcomes in Check as Delta Spreads, WSJ Analysis Shows — Variant has driven up U.S. cases, but hospitalizations and deaths have risen more slowly in areas with more vaccinations — Every state with a higher hospitalization rate than the country overall has a lower vaccination rate.

Eric Sylvers / Wall Street Journal:

Fake Covid Vaccination Cards Are on the Rise in the U.S., Europe — Vaccine mandates have fueled an increase in demand for fraudulent certificates as sellers flourish online — MILAN—As Covid-19 vaccine mandates proliferate in the U.S. and Europe, so are swindlers selling bogus vaccination certificates.

Shane Goldmacher / New York Times:

Trump's Repeating Donation Tactics Led to Millions in Refunds Into 2021 — Donald Trump and the Republican Party returned $12.8 million to donors in the first half of the year, a sign that their aggressive fund-raising tactics ensnared many unwitting contributors.

Discussion: CNN, Insider, Raw Story and Forbes

T.A. Walker / WPTV:

Vocal anti-vaccine broadcaster dies from COVID-19 complications — Friends say Dick Farrel encouraged them to get the vaccine after he was infected — WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Former South Florida talk show host Dick Farrel, known and beloved by fans for his over-the-top right-wing opinions …

Discussion: Insider, The Daily Beast, Variety, The Hill, Newsweek, Crooks and Liars, POLITICUSUSA, Raw Story, Joe.My.God. and Mock Paper Scissors

Azi Paybarah / New York Times:

‘Ugh’: Life at Andrew Cuomo's Hometown Newspaper — The Times Union's strait-laced, minimal-schmooze, no off-the-record principles put it on a collision course with the notoriously press-controlling governor of New York. — Casey Seiler, editor in chief of The Albany Times Union …

Discussion: New York Post, RedState and Talking Points Memo

Bryan Walsh / Axios:

COVID vaccines show the promise — and limits — of technofixes — COVID-19 vaccines are about as effective as a single technological solution to a major threat can be — and our struggles to adopt and distribute the shots demonstrate their limits. — Why it matters: The pandemic …

New York Times:

How Cuomo Took Advantage of #MeToo — When a movement swept the world, the New York governor cast himself as its champion. But even as he signed protections and surrounded himself with feminists, he was committing fresh offenses, according to a new report.

Discussion: The Guardian and ABC News

Peggy Noonan / Wall Street Journal:
New York's Capital Is Crazytown

Discussion: National Review and Chicago Boyz

Laura Collins / Daily Mail:

The venue had been closed for the day to allow for security sweeps ahead of Obama's arrival — The exclusive images and video gave the first glimpse of what will now be a downsized version of the party that had once been set for 500 guests but will now be a smaller but no less glitzy affair for family and friends.