Thousands of people protested across Cuba on Sunday against food and medicine shortages during the pandemic, per AP.
Why it matters: It's unusual for demonstrations to be held against the Communist government, which is known for cracking down on dissent. The protests in Havana and elsewhere are the biggest since 1994, when an uprising saw many Cubans leave by sea, the New York Times notes.
Key negotiators expect the Senate Budget Committee to settle on a roughly $3.5 trillion reconciliation package as the starting point for a Democrat-only bill for "soft" infrastructure, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.
Why it matters: That total is well below the $6 trillion that Sen. Bernie Sanders — the Vermont independent who leads the committee — had initially proposed. Adopting it would be a blow to his fellow progressives.
A panel of Texas state senators voted Sunday to advance to the floor a Republican-backed voting bill in the state Legislature that includes extensive new restrictions, following a similar motion in the state House earlier in the morning, the Texas Tribune reports.
Catch up quick: The votes come after the state House and Senate hosted extensive public hearings on Saturday that stretched into Sunday's early morning hours.
The United States is "briskly" and "energetically" looking for "additional options" to combat the threat of future terrorist safe havens in Afghanistan, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said during an appearance on Fox News Sunday.
Why it matters: While President Biden has set an Aug. 31 deadline to end U.S. military operations and Taliban forces continue to gain ground, terrorism experts increasingly fear the resurgence of al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona is taking a cross-country tour to visit schools and community colleges preparing for full reopenings this fall, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: School closings and remote learning were big flashpoints throughout the pandemic. The administration wants to tout the American Rescue Plan, which is pumping at least $122 billion into learning and student and teacher safety, and the trip follows new guidance from the CDC urging full reopenings.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is requesting an investigation into allegations by Tucker Carlson that the National Security Agency was spying on him, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The senator sent a letter to Gen. Paul Nakasone of the National Security Agency, casting doubt on the NSA’s public denial of spying on Carlson and defending the Fox News host as a journalist who should be protected by the First Amendment.
Senators face a massive squeeze for passing the infrastructure packages by the deadlines set by the White House and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
Why it matters: They return Monday for their final four-week sprint until August recess. The bipartisan group that reached a framework with the White House before the July Fourth recess is still working on its bill, and the reconciliation bill also hasn't been written.
Nearly six months since his presidency began, Joe Biden's administration has yet to fill key leadership positions in a number of prominent agencies, the Washington Post reports.
Why it matters: Many of the empty positions are important to advancing the administration's agenda in areas such as the pandemic, voting rights, climate change and cracking down on corporations.
The Defense Department is "analyzing" a request by Haitian authorities to send troops to assist in stabilizing the country and protect critical infrastructure following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, according to Pentagon spokesman John Kirby.
The latest: No decision has been made, Kirby said during an appearance on Fox News Sunday. "We're analyzing it, just like we would any other request for assistance here at the Pentagon. It's going through a review."
Police arrested four people and removed weapons and ammunition from a hotel room near the Denver stadium that will be hosting Major League Baseball's All-Star game next week, the Denver Channel reports.
Why it matters: Police feared a "Las Vegas style shooting" could have resulted during the All-Star game after discovering "16 long guns, body armor and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition" in a room on the eighth floor with a balcony overlooking the downtown Denver area.
With the surprise twin hiring of two of the country's most prominent writers on race, Howard University instantly becomes one of America's primary centers of Black academic thought, AP's Ashraf Khalil writes.
The backdrop: For more than a century, the historically Black institution in Northwest Washington has educated generations of Black political and cultural leaders — Vice President Harris, Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, Stokely Carmichael, Toni Morrison.
Two-thirds of American churches delivered overtly political sermons or messages in the run-up to the 2020 election, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of online sermons.
Why it matters: Many clergy felt compelled to address the controversies dividing the country — and possibly their own congregations — at a time of turmoil.
The past few years have seen a marked decline in the number of people migrating from the U.S. to Mexico, according to a new Pew Research Center report.
Why it matters: Mexico has long been the largest country of origin for immigrants in the U.S. However, there was even more migration from the U.S. to Mexico in the 2000s and early 2010s— a trend that reversed in the years before the pandemic.
China's President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un spoke of "hostile forces" as they vowed to strengthen ties on Sunday ahead of the 60th anniversary of the countries' treaty of friendship, per KCNA.
Why it matters: The report by the state-run North Korean news agency is meant as a message to the U.S. amid stalled nuclear talks and escalating tensions between Washington and Pyongyang, as well as Washington and Beijing, analysts said, according to AFP.
The Alaska Republican Party endorsed former state commissioner Kelly Tshibaka on Saturday for the U.S. Senate seat held by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).
Why it matters: It's another sign of division in the GOP between supporters of former President Trump and those who've publicly criticized him. Several senators have been censured in their home states for voting to convict Trump at his second impeachment trial earlier this year — including Murkowski.
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary with an event in Plains, Georgia, on Saturday attended by 300 guests — including Bill and Hillary Clinton, singer Garth Brooks and civil rights icon Andrew Young.
Of note: Chip Carter said directly in front of the Clintons and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) that his parents told their children "we were better than no one and no one was better than us and they did what they thought was right, even when it was bad politics," per the Washington Post.
Former President Barack Obama posted online Saturday a summer playlist of songs he and former first lady Michelle Obama are listening to this year.
The big picture: Obama's summer playlist posts to Twitter and Instagram have become an annual tradition and always contain an eclectic mix of tracks by established an emerging artists. The Rolling Stones, Drake and Georgia hip-hop trio Migos are among those to make the cut this year.
