As goes COVID

Plus: Voting rights bills fail again and discontent on the Supreme Court

View this email online Jan. 22, 2022 This week, we looked at Biden's marathon press conference, Schumer's take on the Senate's doomed votes and discontent on the Supreme Court. Plus, Gen Z and politics. The Big Picture: As goes COVID Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images President Biden held a nearly two-hour, wide ranging news conference Wednesday that, for all its headlines, underscored how external forces shape his presidency as it enters Year 2 — none more so than the pandemic. On Wednesday he touted accomplishments in his first year, from widespread vaccinations to passing massive COVID relief and infrastructure bills.  But his struggles, and news made on domestic and foreign policy, stood out.  “Should we have done more [coronavirus] testing earlier? Yes,” Biden said, admitting a mistake. He muddled the West’s message on what NATO allies would do to punish Russia over a “minor incursion” into Ukraine, which he didn’t clearly define. And despite being given two opportunities to do so, he declined to say if this fall’s elections would be legitimate. He tried to tie whether they would be legitimate to whether voting rights legislation would pass. It failed this week. The White House had to clean up both statements. Biden also admitted that his Build Back Better legislation would have to be broken up, and he said he will get out of Washington, D.C., more this year and not try to act as a “president-senator.” He tried to make the case that the country is moving in the right direction, but significant majorities of Americans don’t believe that. The things that have been weighing down Biden’s presidency have been the continued pandemic and rising inflation. He acknowledged both of those, especially COVID. “I know there’s a lot of frustration and fatigue in this country,” he said. “And we know why: COVID-19.” In many ways, it’s true. Look at the data: Back on July Fourth of last year, when Biden was close to declaring independence from the pandemic, his approval rating was averaging 52%. Today, it’s 10 points lower. The chaotic Afghanistan exit, Democratic infighting and a stalled congressional agenda have all contributed to the sagging views of Biden. But without Americans feeling like they’re seeing a light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, which is tied to inflation, it’s very difficult to see Biden’s political standing turning around very much.  In other words, no matter all the other problems and mistakes, successes or failures, as goes COVID, likely so goes the Biden presidency. — Domenico Montanaro, NPR’s senior political editor/correspondent Read More Newsletter continues after sponsor message ICYMI: Top Stories Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Voting rights fails — again: Voting rights legislation failed in the Senate this week, as Democrats lacked the votes to overcome a GOP filibuster. Then, Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema opposed changing those rules. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer defended holding the doomed votes, telling NPR, “Those who are opposed to advancing voting rights and who support suppression of voting rights — the public should know who they are." Jan. 6 committee latest: The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection issued a series of new subpoenas this week, including to former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and conspiracist lawyer Sidney Powell. The committee also requested information from Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump, marking the first time the panel has sought out info from the former first family. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court rejected former President Donald Trump’s request to block release of White House records to the committee.  Georgia-Trump investigation: A Georgia district attorney investigating former President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in the state has asked for a special grand jury for the investigation, which would allow the DA issue subpoenas. In a letter, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said several witnesses or potential witnesses — including Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger — "have refused to cooperate with the investigation absent a subpoena requiring their testimony." Push to ban lawmaker stock trades: After a number of controversial stock trades by lawmakers in the past two years, a new push to ban members of Congress from trading individual stocks is gaining bipartisan support. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has opposed such a ban, said she would be willing to advance a bill if her caucus supported it.  Discontent on the Supreme Court: Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch's refusal to wear a mask during arguments has led to Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who has a health condition that increases her risk from COVID-19 and who sits next to Gorsuch on the bench, participating in arguments from her chambers. The incident is one of several that has revealed a sense of discontent on the court not observed in many years. Gorsuch, Sotomayor and Chief Justice John Roberts issued statements denying NPR’s report. NPR stands by its reporting. — Brandon Carter, NPR Politics social media producer Going Deeper: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images Biden’s immigration record, one year in: Young immigrant activists worked to rally support for Joe Biden in the 2020 election. Now, a year after he took office, many feel that he hasn't pushed hard enough to deliver on the immigration goals he set. Gen Z and politics: Veteran pollster John Della Volpe says that everything he was told — and that most people think — about Generation Z is wrong. He explores the evolution of Gen Z and politics in his new book Fight. Read NPR’s interview with Della Volpe here. Fallout from Texas election bill: Several counties in Texas have reported rejecting hundreds of vote-by-mail applications in the past week because of confusion over ID requirements from a new Republican-backed voting law.  — Brandon Carter, NPR Politics social media producer The Shot: Mohamed Sadek for NPR It’s a real pandemic low point for the people who take care of and educate children under 5 years old. Sure, that’s become an all-too-familiar refrain. But parents and care providers of young kids say this month really is rock bottom. There are plenty of reasons why. Child care workers are leaving the workforce. Federal incentives for employers to offer paid leave ran out in September. Democrats' Build Back Better plan, with its $400 billion in federal child care and preschool funding, is stalled in Congress. And there’s tension — between working parents and providers — over constant disruptions to classrooms full of children still too young to be vaccinated. Many centers close rooms for 10- or 14-day quarantines after a class's single positive test.  That tension led Cori Berg, director of a church-affiliated early childhood program in Dallas, to describe January as "the worst it has ever been" to NPR’s Anya Kamenetz. "It is so fractious between parents and centers. Last week in particular, every single director I know got really beat up." Read the story. — Heidi Glenn, NPR digital editor Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WBEZ (edit station). What do you think of today's email? 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