Axios

The city of San Francisco and the state of New York on Thursday declared health emergencies over the monkeypox outbreak.

Why it matters: The disease was declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization last week.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) on Thursday filed a lawsuit against the state's Republican-led legislature over a constitutional amendment it passed earlier this month that would explicitly say there is no constitutional right to an abortion or the use of taxpayer funds for an abortion in the state.

Why it matters: The amendment, which still has to pass the General Assembly next session and be passed by voters to take effect, could prevent future restrictions on abortion from being challenged in state court, Axios' Shane Savitsky reports.

Former Trump White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney on Thursday testified before the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol, CNBC reports.

Why it matters: Mulvaney, who was replaced by Mark Meadows in March 2020 and reassigned as the U.S. special envoy for Northern Ireland, was one of several Trump officials who resigned after the Capitol riot.

The House of Representatives voted 243-187 Thursday to pass a $280 billion package for the domestic chip-making industry and scientific research, sending the long-awaited legislation to President Biden's desk.

Why it matters: The bill, approved by the Senate on Wednesday, is meant to boost the manufacturing of essential computer chips on U.S. soil to prevent future supply chain crises and bolster competition with China.

Former President Trump told ESPN Thursday that "nobody has gotten to the bottom of 9/11" after he was asked about 9/11 survivors and their families who are protesting a Saudi-backed LIV Golf event at one of his golf courses.

Driving the news: "Nobody has gotten to the bottom of 9/11 unfortunately, and they should have," Trump said, calling the people who carried out the terrorist attack "maniacs that did that horrible thing to our city, to our country, to the world."

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Thursday that a semantics debate over whether or not the U.S. economy is in a recession should be avoided as households grapple with inflation and high gas prices.

Why it matters: In recent days, Biden administration officials have gone to great lengths to stress that the nation has not entered a recession — an argument complicated by back-to-back quarters of negative growth, a common (but unofficial) rule of thumb for a recession.

President Biden "should be running" for re-election in 2024 and Democrats need to focus on what's at stake in the midterms this fall, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) told MSNBC in an interview Wednesday.

Why it matters: Her comments come on the heels of a new poll where a majority of Democrats reported they would rather support a new candidate than Biden in a Democratic primary.

President Biden said Thursday that the proposed reconciliation package would lower the deficit and reduce inflation, even if it is "far from perfect."

Driving the news: "My message to Congress is this: This is the strongest bill you can pass to lower inflation, cut the deficit, reduce health care costs, tackle the climate crisis ... all the time while reducing the burdens facing working class and middle class families," Biden said Thursday.

Daniel Hernandez, the former intern who administered first aid to Rep. Gabby Giffords after she was shot in 2011, is running for Congress in a new and highly competitive Arizona district while facing criticism that he's not progressive enough.

Why it matters: The race illustrates the complexities of the Democratic Party's standing, especially with Latinos, some of whom are shifting to the GOP.

Anne Filipic, the director of White House Management and Administration and Office of Administration, is expected to depart in August, a White House official told Axios.

Why it matters: While leading the operational backbone of the White House, Filipic was responsible for building and maintaining the most diverse White House in history, including onboarding the first-ever chief diversity and inclusion director and the first on-staff American Sign Language interpreters.

West Virginia said Thursday that it would no longer do business with five financial institutions over their pledges to fight climate change by reducing financing for fossil fuel projects.

Why it matters: It's the first time a state has severed financial ties with major financial institutions over their policies to reduce the emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gases, the New York Times reports.

Peter Navarro, a hardcore Trump loyalist, gave Axios an exclusive look at this passage containing potential choices for a second-term cabinet from his forthcoming book, "Taking Back Trump's America," coming Sept. 20.

Why it matters: Navarro remains close to former President Trump and would likely return for a senior White House job if he won the 2024 election.

The Uvalde school shooting and the end of Roe v. Wade took a devastating toll on Europe's view of the U.S., Morning Consult found.

Why it matters: America's brand rose sharply in Western Europe following Washington's strong response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But those reputational gains were quickly undone.

A landmark California law requiring high schools to start at 8:30am or later is jump-starting similar efforts nationwide after years of intense debate over schools' starting bells.

Why it matters: Most teens don't get enough sleep — yet school start times are a hot-button political issue that divide communities, pitting teachers, parents, bus drivers, and administrators against one another.

An emerging Capitol Hill deal could give White House carbon-cutting goals a huge lift that looked all but impossible weeks ago.

Why it matters: President Biden's target under the Paris Agreement of cutting U.S. emissions 50% by 2030 could be within reach if Congress approves the new clean energy investments, analysts say — but it's not clear that it would have the votes to pass.

Even if Democrats soon pass a massive health care bill on a party line vote, there's a chance they could fail to deliver on one of their most politically appealing drug price reforms: capping what patients pay out-of-pocket for insulin.

Between the lines: Insulin-specific policies are absent from a compromise reconciliation deal while a bipartisan pair of senators push standalone insulin legislation. But the two-track approach risks leaving the insulin bill behind and alienating patients with diabetes heading into the midterms.

The CDC issued a warning Wednesday after a bacteria that could be deadly was found in the Gulf Coast region of Mississippi near the homes of two people who were hospitalized after becoming sick.

Why it matters: It's the first time the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei has been detected in water and soil samples in the U.S., according to the CDC's health alert. "This bacterium causes a rare and serious disease called melioidosis," the CDC said.

A procedural vote to advance a bill that would expand health care access for military veterans who became ill after being exposed to toxic burn pits failed to pass in the Senate on Wednesday.

Driving the news: Eight Republicans joined Democrats in the 55-42 vote — five short of the 60 votes required to advance the legislation. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) switched his vote from yes to no so the bill could return to the Senate, CNN notes. Three Senators didn't vote on the measure.

One in every 20 people who contract COVID-19 have long-term smell or taste problems due to the virus, new research suggests.

Driving the news: About 5% of people worldwide report smell and taste dysfunction six months after COVID, according to a study published Wednesday in The BMJ, the British Medical Association's peer-reviewed medical journal.

A West Virginia man charged in the chemical spray assault of police officers including the late Brian Sicknick during the Capitol riot pleaded guilty Wednesday to two misdemeanor charges after striking a deal with federal prosecutors.

Driving the news: George Tanios, 40, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court in D.C. to entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds and to disorderly and disruptive conduct on restricted grounds, according to his plea agreement.

A majority of Americans don't know most of their neighbors — and they barely talk to the ones they do know.

Why it matters: Strong neighborhoods boost the health, happiness, and longevity of their residents. But over the last several decades, our connections with our neighbors have been fraying.

Andrew Yang announced Wednesday that his Forward Party is merging with a coalition of Republicans, Democrats and independents as part of an effort to give Americans an alternative to the two major parties.

Why it matters: Yang says the new party, known as Forward, is now the third-biggest political party based on resources. Founding members hope it will serve to bridge the stark divide in U.S. politics.

Milwaukee Bucks senior vice president Alex Lasry abruptly dropped out of the Wisconsin Senate race Wednesday, all but guaranteeing progressive Lt. Gov Mandela Barnes will be the Democratic Party's nominee against GOP Sen. Ron Johnson.

Driving the news: The move sent political shockwaves through Wisconsin: Lasry spent over $12 million of his own money on the campaign, and public polls showed him running competitively with Barnes — whom he endorsed after dropping out.

With Democratic National Committee officials preparing to vote on 2024 election calendar changes next week, Nevada's bid to be the first-in-the-nation primary state is getting a big boost from several prominent minority political groups.

Driving the news: Latino Victory Fund is the latest to champion the calendar change. In a statement obtained by Axios, the national Latino organization argues that making New Hampshire the first state to vote would mark a "major step backwards" for Democrats.

Four years ago, Democrat Stacey Abrams came within 1.4% of defeating Republican Brian Kemp in a governor's race now viewed as an opening salvo in the fight to turn Georgia blue.

Why it matters: The political winds shaping this fall's highly anticipated rematch between popular incumbent Kemp and Abrams — a fundraising juggernaut with national name recognition — are remarkably different.

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) has spent the summer out of the spotlight. That's now going to change.

Why it matters: Solving the Democrats' tax and spending puzzle in the Senate — where President Biden's agenda has stalled for over a year — has always involved two key pieces: Sinema and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.).