👋🏾 HI, HEY, HELLO! Good Tuesday evening. It’s September 19, 2023. You’re reading Supercreator Daily, the definitive guide to the politicians, power brokers, and policies shaping the American creator experience. Let me know what’s on your mind: michael@supercreator.news.

As Alabama state legislators actively defy a Supreme Court order to draw a second majority-minority congressional district that doesn’t discriminate against Black voters, House Democrats marked National Voter Registration Day by reintroducing one of their signature pieces of legislation: The JOHN R. LEWIS Voting Rights Advancement Act, named after the late civil rights icon and former Atlanta congressman.

The bill would restore and modernize Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which was struck down a decade ago by the Supreme Court, protect voters from race-based discrimination, and set minimum standards to enable all voters to experience free and fair elections.

“In those 10 years, we’ve witnessed relentless attacks on voter access, closing polling stations without notification, bans are early voting and vote by mail, strict ID requirements, purging of voter rolls and the list goes on and on,” Rep. TERRI SEWELL (D-Ala.), the author of the bill told reporters on Tuesday. “One thing is clear: The fight for voting rights is as urgent today as it was a decade ago.”

Voting rights was once a bipartisan issue. After former Democratic President LYNDON B. JOHNSON signed the Voting Rights Act into law in the mid-1960s, four Republican presidents—RICHARD NIXON in 1970, GERALD FORD five years later, RONALD REAGAN in 1982, and GEORGE W. BUSH in 2006—signed legislation reauthorizing the law.

“We are urging the Republicans in this Congress to shake the poisonous partisanship that has brought you to this point of trying to undermine the right to vote and stand on the shoulders of your four Republican presidents who were there trying to lift up the right to vote in the past,” House Minority Leader HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-N.Y.) said. “We’re gonna continue to show up and stand up and speak up until we end the era of voter suppression in this country.

Congressional Republicans have ignored these entreaties up to now. They characterize Democratic voting rights bills as an overreach of the federal government and describe the real issue as so-called election integrity—or lack thereof.

House Republicans introduced a bill in July that would impose mail ballot restrictions, burden election workers who are already facing unprecedented harassment from partisan poll watchers, invite more secret money into the political process and allow extreme gerrymandering.

Just like the John Lewis bill, the ACE Act has little chance of passing Congress or being signed into law by President JOE BIDEN under the current legislative composition.

“What we have seen time and time again is not just House Republicans, but Republican state legislatures, have sought to reduce opportunities for people to access, to exercise their franchise and to vote,” Rep. PETE AGUILAR (D-Calif.), the number-three House Democrat said to Supercreator News on Tuesday morning. “It’s not lost on many members of the Democratic Caucus how important that right is—and how, sadly, we still need to fight for it.”

One of those members is the newest House Democrat, Rep. JENNIFER McCLELLAN (D-Va.), who before becoming the first Black woman elected to Congress from Virginia led the passage of the first comprehensive Voting Rights Act by a southern state.

“My great-grandfather had to take literacy tests. My grandfather, my father had to pay poll taxes. My mom didn’t vote until after the Voting Rights Act [passed]. And Virginia is the birthplace of American democracy but we were also the capital of the confederacy, so for us to be the first state in the south to pass that is incredibly powerful,” McClellan added. “But your right to vote shouldn’t depend on your state. So that’s what we really need the federal government to act.”

Another catalyst: The Big Like former President DONALD TRUMP’s continues to push that the 2020 election was stolen from him.

Rep. Sewell told Supercreator News after a press conference that the scariest part of the Trump era is that the former president still has such a devoted following.

“And so we’ve got to stop it,” Sewell said. Everything really hinges I think on mobilization and organization.”

Case in point: Following House votes this afternoon, Sewell led a rally in front of the Supreme Court to galvanize grassroots support for the bill.

House Democrats need to flip five seats to reclaim the majority. Depending on the outcome

But Rep. SUZAN DelBENE (D-Wash.), the head of the House Democrats’ campaign arm says she and her colleagues aren’t taking any voter for granted.

“It’s important that we keep making sure that our voices are heard and that in the spirit of John Lewis, in terms of ‘good trouble’ in making sure that folks are aware and that we're pushing and fighting for these rights across.”

The reintroduction of the John Lewis Act comes as Pennsylvania rolled out automatic voter registration in the state for eligible voters getting or renewing their driver’s license or ID card at the DMV unless they choose to opt-out.

Sen. JOHN FETTERMAN (D-Pa.) told Supercreator News he was proud his state is leading on issues of democracy and voting rights.

“Voting should be easy, transparent, and I know it’s secure in Pennsylvania,” he said. “We get it done right. And let me tell you: In 2020, it was the safest, most secure and accurate election in Pennsylvania history. And that's how we're doing it and we're gonna keep doing it the right way.”

But at the federal level, the road ahead for voting rights is long and bleak with Republicans in control of the House and Senate rules that require 60 votes to advance legislation to a floor vote.

Sen. RAPHAEL WARNOCK (D-Ga.) believes it’s a cause worth fighting for though.

“Voting rights is not just one other issue alongside other issues. It’s the very framework in which we get to fight for the things that matter,” he said while acknowledging his deep disappointment that lawmakers failed to pass voting rights legislation last Congress. “I think we gotta do everything we can to move that agenda forward, which is why I’ve introduced the Freedom to Vote Act. We’ll continue to push on that.”

Read All About It

“Raising kids is the ‘best job in the world,’ Why is caring for the elderly the worst?” by Kathryn Jezer-Morton

“How Florida became the center of the Republican universe” by Nicole Narea: “Why Florida went red—and will probably stay that way.”

“Democrats, I implore you: Stop it” by David Faris: “Stop moaning about replacing Biden and Harris. This is the 2024 Democratic ticket, whether you like it or not.”

“People stress about elderly parents watching Fox News or OAN. My mom’s hooked on something even worse” by Maud Newton: “I know everyone’s tired of worrying about people like her. I am, too.”

“Social media drops the ‘digital town square’ routine” by John Herrman

“Airbnb really is different now” by Kate Lindsay: “At this point, the company hardly seems part of the gig economy.”

THAT’S ALL UNTIL TOMORROW (MAYBE)! I hope today was everything for you. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Sign up for free.

👋🏾 HI, HEY, HELLO! Good Monday morning. It’s September 18, 2023. You’re reading Supercreator Daily, the definitive guide to the politicians, power brokers, and policies shaping the American creator experience. Let me know what’s on your mind: michael@supercreator.news.

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Warren on Harris: “I’m just grateful she’s there”

Despite President JOE BIDEN’s unwavering support for KAMALA HARRIS as his running mate in his re-election campaign, pundits spent last week calling on him to drop the president as his running mate—while top Democrats like former House Speaker NANCY PELOSI and Rep. JAMIE RASKIN (D-Md.) gave tepid responses to questions when pressed on the topic.

Supercreator News on Friday asked Sen. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-Mass.) and Rep. JENNIFER McCLELLAN (D-Va.)—two women in Congress and members of the Biden campaign’s National Advisory Board—to share their thoughts on the vice president and her role on the ticket given the recent discussion.

Warren told Supercreator News that Harris is doing a terrific job as the national leader on abortion rights and voting rights whose diplomacy has strengthened US alliances worldwide.

“Joe Biden and the United States of America are lucky that Kamala Harris is on the ticket,” Warren said. “She helps the ticket and she’s going to continue to help the ticket and I’m just grateful she’s there.”

Warren’s explicit endorsement comes after the senator came under fire in March for a perceived snub of Harris in January after she was stopped short of endorsing the vice president with the same enthusiasm as she did with President Biden. Warren reportedly called Harris twice to apologize for the slight.

McClellan said Harris has not only been a strong partner to Biden but a popular figure in the communities she’s visited, including her district. The first-term congresswoman added that Harris’s focus on issues like entrepreneurship, fighting back against GOP attempts to whitewash Black history, and ensuring Black and brown people have a seat at the table has been an asset to the White House.

“It has brought perspective that has helped the Biden-Harris administration address the needs of all Americans,” McClellan said. “And she will continue to do so as our vice president going forward.”

Vice President Harris will participate in a moderated conversation on Tuesday at Reading Area Community College, a Hispanic-serving institution in Reading, Pa., to mark National Voter Registration Day. The event will be the third stop on the vice president’s month-long college tour that officially kicked off last week with stops at Hampton University and North Carolina A&T University.

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House Republicans announce government funding deal that appears to lack the votes to pass

When House Speaker KEVIN McCARTHY (R-Calif.) canceled a doomed procedural vote to bring a bill to fund the Defense Department late last week, members from two of the House Republican Conference’s major factions—the far-right House Freedom Caucus and the Main Street Caucus—worked over the weekend to hash out a deal they hoped would give House Republicans leverage in the fight over government funding. 

The two sides released the details and bill text of the deal on Sunday night. And while the deal was almost always going to be dead on arrival in the Senate and at the White House, it was remarkable how quickly enough House conservatives to sink the deal came out in public opposition to the proposal.

The HFC-MSC deal includes what’s known as a continuing resolution to fund the government through Oct. 31 that cuts overall funding by one percent and slashes funding for domestic programs by eight percent. 

The proposal includes an anti-immigration bill House Republicans passed in May that would resume construction of former President DONALD TRUMP’s border wall without E-verify, the federal system that allows employers to confirm that employees are eligible to work in the US.

Military and veterans programs would be fully funded and exempt from cuts under the proposal.

The bill excludes the additional funding for Ukraine aid and disaster relief the White House requested last month but gives FEMA the flexibility to spend up to a full year’s worth of funding to respond to disasters.

The Senate and White House would prefer a longer CR without the House GOP border bill and Ukraine aid and disaster relief attached to it. In other words: The weekend deal does little to decrease the odds of a government shutdown at the end of the month.

Rep. ROSA DeLAURO (D-Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, characterized the proposal as an extreme bill that disinvests in key bipartisan priorities.

“House Republicans want to shut down the government because House Democrats, Senate Republicans and Democrats, and President Biden oppose their extreme cuts that will make working families pay even more for the things they need at a time when the cost of living is already to high,” DeLauro added. “As I said last week when they had to pull the Defense bill from floor consideration, it’s time to end the charade and get to work.”

The Rules Committee is scheduled to meet this afternoon to outline the conditions for floor debate and amendment of the deal.

The goal is to vote on the Defense bill on Wednesday and take up the continuing resolution on Thursday. But if the past is prologue, there’s no guarantee any of this will happen.

“When you can’t even pass a rule, let alone bills to fund the government on your own terms, you’ve totally lost control of the House floor and the legislative process,” a senior House Democratic aide told Supercreator News last week. “That means you are failing at your job in a way that endangers national security and our economy. These people should get out of the way and let someone who knows how to govern fix the mess they made.”

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Happenings

Today on Capitol Hill

➟ The House is in at 12 p.m. with first and last votes on several bills under suspension of the rules, including legislation to make the cost and price of health care services more transparent for consumers.

➟ The Senate is in at 3 p.m. with a vote at 5:30 p.m. to advance the nomination of VERNON OLIVER to be District Judge for the District of Connecticut.

Today at the White House

➟ President Biden will receive his daily intelligence briefing this morning and speak at two campaign receptions in New York City.

➟ Vice President Harris is in Washington and has no public events on her schedule.

➟ First Lady Dr. JILL BIDEN this afternoon will attend a meeting of the Alliance of Spouses and Heads of States and Representatives, an organization of Latin American first spouses, in New York City. Dr. Biden will also participate in the president’s second fundraiser this evening.

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Jeffries: House GOP in the middle of a civil war

House Minority Leader HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-N.Y.) isn’t known to pull punches when describing House Republicans’ inability to govern. But he sharpened his assessment of the GOP intraparty dysfunction on Sunday morning in a way that caught my attention.

“Let’s be clear, House Republicans are in the middle of a civil war. A civil war has the following attributes: Chaos, dysfunction, and extremism,” Jeffries said on ABC’s The Week in response to a question from anchor Jonathan Karl on the House GOP’s impeachment against President Biden. “The House Republican civil war is hurting hard-working American taxpayers and limiting our ability to be able to solve problems on their behalf.”

Rep. NANCY MACE (R-S.C.) appeared in a subsequent segment and took exception to Jeffries’s criticism.

“Well, I mean, using the phrase ‘civil war’ over and over again in an interview, if that were a Republican, there would be outrage on the left,” Mace said to Karl. “So, I find it a little bit hypocritical that that is the divisive language that he used in his interview and talking about people over politics.”

Jeffries said that despite the government funding crisis and impeachment inquiry, House Democrats would focus on working with Senate Democrats and Republicans and the White House to find common ground.

“And hopefully the House Republicans will come along so that we can work to make sure we are funding the government, that we have a government that can provide for the health, the safety, the economic well-being of the American people and we can end the partisan, political gamesmanship that right now has captured House Republicans.”

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Read All About It

➟ “A glossary for giving up” by Mia Mercado: “A brief list of terms for leaning into your most ambitious self.”

➟ “A very common, very harmful thing well-meaning parents do” by Deborah Heitner: “Surveilling your kids will only backfire.”

➟ “Why Colin Allred is going to make Ted Cruz sweat” by Luisita Lopez Torregrosa: “ A recent poll shows the Texas Democrat only five percent behind the lightning-rod GOP incumbent. Here’s how he might pull off the biggest upset.”

➟ “Washington and Wall Street are split over China. What now?” by Jonathan Guyer: “Beyond Congress’s hawkishness, there are other ways of seeing the new Cold War with China.

➟ “Librarians didn’t sign up to be queer activists—but this year, they are” by “Anti-LGBTQ activists are increasingly targeting public reading spaces—and librarians are our best defenders.”

➟ “Sexyy Red keeps it real” by Patrice Peck: “I don’t care what nobody think about me.”

➟ “Inside the very strange, very expensive race to ‘de-age’” by Whizy Kim: “Young blood,” starvation, fruit-only diets: How the rich are striving to “age in reverse.”

➟ “It’s time to retire the Black woman hair trope in horror film and TV” by Nadira Goffe: “A complex subject has been flattened to a caricature in works like The Other Black Girl and They Cloned Tyrone.

➟ “An ode to the newspaper sports section, as it gasps for air” by Barry Svrluga

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○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ●

Frost talks Gen-Z style, Schumer nixes Senate dress code

Rep. MAXWELL FROST (D-Fla.), the first member of Gen Z elected to Congress, headlined a feature in the New York Times on Sunday about how young politicians express their personal style within institutions known for their formalities.

“[A] cool thing about our generation is that we’re super-open to whatever fashion and whatever creativity people bring to the table,” Frost said of both his generation and his penchant for wearing Dr. Martens shoes, bomber jackets, and T-shirts when he’s away from the Capitol. “I feel like there’s a direct connection between Doc Martens, and a certain style, and progressive young people.

In related news, Supercreator News confirmed Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER (D-N.Y.) has directed the Senate’s sergeant at arms to no longer endorse the chamber’s dress code for its members.

The move is expected to benefit Sen. JOHN FETTERMAN (D-Pa.) the most: The first-term progressive prefers gym shorts and hoodies, which means he often has to vote from the Senate cloakroom instead of the House floor.

Who won’t benefit from the relaxed dress code? Reporters like me and Senate staff.

The news of the dress code update was first reported by Axios.

THAT’S ALL UNTIL TOMORROW! I hope today is everything for you. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Sign up for free.

FIRST THINGS FIRST • UAW goes on strike ➟ The United Auto Workers union announced a targeted strike at midnight against the Big Three automakers—Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis—the first in its almost 90-year history.

Workers began picketing at a GM plant in Missouri, a Ford factory in Michigan, and a Stellantis Jeep plant in Ohio.

In addition to higher wages, the union is demanding cost-of-living raises, equal pay for factory jobs, a 32-hour work week with 40 hours of pay, better retirement benefits, and more.

The economic fallout from an extended strike could be devastating: The auto industry supports almost 10 million American jobs or about five percent of private-sector employment. The automakers could face a shortage of vehicles, driving up the price for consumers.

The political downside could be just as awful for President JOE BIDEN, who has fashioned himself as the most pro-union president in US history. But he is overseeing a fragile economic recovery that could collapse from the slightest agitation. A misstep that costs him the autoworker union’s endorsement could imperil his pro-worker reputation.

Biden spoke with UAW President SHAWN FAIN and leaders of the major auto companies to discuss the status of the negotiations ahead of the strike.

Then there’s the campaign: Biden’s path to victory in 2024 requires the blue wall Democratic that voters resolidified in 2020 in midwestern states like Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.

Congressional Democrats were vocal in their solidarity with the workers in the hours ahead of the strike.

“The industry is at a crossroads and its future is at stake. The auto workers were the ones who gave when this industry was in trouble over a decade ago,” Rep. DEBBIE DINGELL (D-Mich.) said in a statement after the strike was announced at midnight. “They deserve a decent wage and benefits and need to be reassured that as the industry undergoes transition, their livelihoods are safe, and they won’t be left behind.”

SHERROD BROWN, the senior senator from Ohio and one of three Senate Democrats up for reelection next year in a state former President DONALD TRUMP won in 2020 gave an impassioned floor speech on behalf of the workers.

“Autoworkers want to be on the job, not the picket line,” he said. “But when companies refuse to recognize the work they do, workers are backed into a corner. This is why a union card matters.”

House Minority Leader HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-N.Y.) was also unequivocal in his support for the auto workers.

“Here in America, everyone who works hard, like the UAW workers do each and every day, deserves to be able to earn a comfortable living for themselves and for their families, to educate their children, to purchase a home, and to one day be able to retire with grace and with dignity,” he told reporters on Thursday. “And it's my strong hope that any contract resolution that is reached affirms that basic principle, which is connected to the American middle-class dream.”

The UAW strike comes as Hollywood writers and actors are on a months-long strike as they seek higher wages and fairer residuals when their projects are offered on streaming services among other demands.

Another catastrophic strike was averted in July when Teamsters announced it reached an agreement with UPS on a new five-year contract that included $30 billion in new money and secured several worker wins for full- and part-time employees alike.

👋🏾HI, HEY, HELLO! Good Friday morning. It’s September 15, 2023. You’re reading Supercreator Daily, the definitive guide to the politicians, power brokers, and policies shaping the American creator experience. Lawmakers went home for the weekend still nowhere closer to finding the government than they were to start the week. We’re 15 days away from a shutdown. Get in touch: michael@supercreator.news.

HARRIS KICKS OFF COLLEGE TOUR ➟ Vice President KAMALA HARRIS kicked off her month-long college tour at Hampton University, an HBCU in Virginia.

Harris told moderator TERRENCE J one of the reasons she’s on the tour is to highlight young leaders and the issues they are leading on and that concern them.

“One of the reasons that I’m on this tour is that I want to emphasize, based on your point, that voting is like putting in your order. You vote saying, ‘These are the things I want from my government, I want from my country, I want for my life and my future,’” Harris said. “And what concerns me sometimes is that our young leaders will be told that their vote doesn’t matter. They will be told by just the forces that, ‘Oh, they’re unlikely to vote.’ And I know that’s not true.”

The tour stop followed another week of unflattering national press for Harris, punctuated by two white columnists who argued President Biden drop her from his reelection ticket, an outcome they won’t happen. Former Speaker NANCY PELOSI and Rep. JAMIE RASKIN (D-Md.) also gave weak responses to CNN this week if Harris is the best running mate for President Biden.

But Hakeem Jeffries, the top House Democrat, told reporters Harris has proven herself to be up to the task on key issues that animate the party’s base:

“She’s done a phenomenal job as vice president, particularly when it comes to leaning into our values as Democrats with respect to a woman’s freedom to make our own reproductive health care decisions. 

“Vice President Harris has made clear that we’re going to continue to build an economy that works for everyday Americans and we’re going to do that together.

“Vice President Harris has made clear that we believe in truth and reconciliation as opposed to some of the extremists on the other side of the aisle who want to erase African-American history.”

Voters of Tomorrow, a leading Gen-Z organization, echoed a similar sentiment.

“Gen Z is feeling the Kamalove as we head into 2024,” the group said in a statement. “The effort that President Biden and Vice President Harris are putting into delivering for us is unmatched by any previous administration—and Gen Z is taking note.”

Ultimately, the event proved that as with most political storylines, some of the Beltway punditry is mismatched with what’s happening on the ground.

There were more students who wanted to attend the event than could. Harris stopped by an overflow area outside the auditorium to show them some love.

“You are everything in terms of who we are as a country and who we can and will be,” Harris told the students. “I’m counting on your leadership.”

The tour is the administration’s latest attempt to mobilize young people around issues such as abortion rights, voting rights, student debt relief, climate justice, affordable housing and health care, and gun safety.

Over the course of the month, Harris will visit around a dozen campuses in at least seven states including visits to historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, community colleges, apprenticeship programs, and state schools.

Vice President Harris will visit North Carolina A&T University this afternoon on her second tour stop.

PLANNED PARENTHOOD RESUMES ABORTIONS IN WISCONSIN ➟ Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin will resume abortion care services starting next Monday after a state court recently decided to allow a lawsuit challenging an 1849 abortion ban to move forward.

Abortion services had been suspended at the local health center since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.

“The ability to provide abortion services in Wisconsin again is crucial to being able to address the full scope of care for our patients,” said Dr. ALLIE LINTON, Associate Medical Director of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. “Patients who walk through our doors can again know they will receive the comprehensive, high quality, nonjudgmental, and confidential reproductive care they deserve.”

Bans have eliminated all or some abortions in 22 states, according to data from Planned Parenthood Action Fund. The Guttmacher Institute this week launched a new research initiative that found abortions increases in protective states and in states that bordered others with post-Roe bans.

“The post-Dobbs era has dramatically altered the abortion landscape in the United States, and all of us committed to protect access must do more to understand the real impact of abortion bans and restrictions,” says Dr. HERMINA PALACIO, president and CEO of Guttmacher. “Sadly, initial findings confirm a hierarchy of access to clinical care, based upon where a person lives and whether they have the resources to overcome geographical barriers.”

The next release of Guttmacher state abortion estimates will include the first data on the impact of North Carolina’s 12-week abortion ban, which went into effect in July. This release will also show data on interstate travel for abortion care.

TODAY ON CAPITOL HILL

➟ The House is out.

➟ The Senate is out.

TODAY AT THE WHITE HOUSE

➟ President Biden will receive his daily briefing at 11:45 a.m. He will leave the White House at 6:25 p.m. to travel to Wilmington, Delaware for the weekend, where he will arrive at 7:20 p.m.

➟ Vice President Harris will leave Washington, DC at 12:05 p.m. and arrive in Greensboro, North Carolina at 1:05 p.m. for the second stop of her month-long college tour at North Carolina A&T at 2:30 p.m. Harris will leave Greensboro at 4:55 p.m. and arrive back

in Washington at 5:55 p.m.

➟ First Lady Dr. JILL BIDEN will visit Emory University in Atlanta at 10 a.m. to highlight the launch of the first project funded through a federal agency that aims to use mRNA technology to train immune systems to fight cancer and other diseases more effectively. Dr. Biden will then speak at the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce at 11:45 a.m. to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month.

➟ Second Gentleman DOUG EMHOFF will visit two Latino-owned small businesses—Cuts By Hugo at 11:15 a.m. and El Tamarindo at 12 p.m.—with Small Business Administrator ISABELLA CASILLAS GUZMAN to mark Hispanic Heritage Month.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

“The cost of straight hair” by Angelina Chapin: “The products Black women rely on to give their locks body and shine are now alleged to give them cancer too.”

“We are not just polarized. We are traumatized.” by Ana Marie Cox: “The pandemic. The mass shootings. Insurrection. Trump. We’ve been through so much. What if our entire national character is a trauma response?”

“The pandemic skip” by Katy Schneider: “By now, many of us have fully resumed our post-COVID lives. But what about all the years we missed?”

“Why the most important doctors are the least well paid” by Nathan Kohrman: “And how the US government could fix it.”

“What happened to the family doctor?” by Dylan Scott: “Primary care is the foundation of American medicine—and it’s withering.”

“We need to talk about roadkill” by Jackie Flynn Mogensen: It's the environmental problem no one is paying attention to, argues Ben Goldfarb in his new book ‘Crossings.’”

“To save your favorite restaurant, destroy tipping culture” Elena Soderblom: “The archaic practice is standing in the way of across-the-board reforms that are necessary to end the exploitation of the industry’s workforce.

“‘I pay my college tuition by making TikToks’” by Andrea González-Ramirez

“TikTok’s shopping push left my For You page in shambles” by A.W. Ohlheiser: “The new Shop feature appears to be transforming the entire app experience.”

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LAST BUT NOT LEAST ➟ Jeffries’ New York state of mind

Tens of thousands of migrants have arrived in New York City over the last year stressing the city’s shelter system and putting federal, state, and local officials at policy odds.  

Mayor ERIC ADAMS has sharpened his rhetoric on the issue in recent weeks, calling the situation a humanitarian crisis that will cost the city $12 billion over the next three years.

When asked if New York City will be able to manage the situation, Leader Jeffries said the Big Apple is always about to meet the moment before transitioning into one of his signature monologues—this one a recitation of historic events when people counted New Yorkers out. See the moment for yourself:

Reps. ADRIANO ESPAILLAT and ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ, two members of New York’s congressional delegation, will lead members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus on a trip to New York City this morning to discuss the city’s response to new arrivals and explore effective federal solutions.

THAT’S ALL UNTIL MONDAY! I hope today is everything for you. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Sign up for free.

FIRST THINGS FIRST • Same chaos, different day ➟ House Speaker KEVIN McCARTHY (R-Calif.) on Wednesday suffered another embarrassment at the hands of the far-right wing of his conference when he was forced to cancel a procedural vote that would have opened floor debate and amendment votes on a defense funding bill ahead of final passage this week.

It’s the latest example of a Republican majority unable to fulfill its most basic governing duties. And it serves as a major setback for the House as Congress works to avoid a government shutdown in 16 days.

Remember: House Republicans sent members home for the August recess a day early in July because they failed to lock down the votes to pass the appropriations bill that funds the Agriculture Department and FDA. The House has passed one of its 12 funding bills, a measure to fund military construction and veterans’ programs.

“House Republicans are focused on extreme bills that have no chance of becoming law,” Rep. ROSA DeLAURO (D-Conn.), the ranking member on the House Appropriations Committee, said in a statement. “We are now in a situation where House Republicans have pulled more bills from the floor than they have been able to pass.”

House in disorder: The chaos is also a casualty of McCarthy reneging on his budget agreement with President JOE BIDEN in late May, which set the topline numbers for the 12 appropriations bills in an effort to prevent the circumstances we find ourselves in. 

But the story of this Congress is that House conservatives overplay their hand in every legislative debate. They issue demanding public statements, hold fiery press conferences, sit for combative interviews, and spin Republican leadership in circles only to withhold their support from bills on principle. The behavior is reinforced by former President DONALD TRUMP and the constituents in their gerrymandered districts. And congressional Democrats and Senate Republicans ultimately clean up the mess with moments to spare before calamity ensues.

What’s next: There’s no word on if and when House Republican leadership will try again on the defense bill. The Rules Committee on Wednesday dropped the legislation from the rule it passed the day before so the House can consider a bill to deregulate a Biden administration ban on specific types of automobile engines later today. The House was scheduled to take up the Homeland Security appropriations bill next week. But who knows what’s what after this latest debacle?

👋🏾HI, HEY, HELLO! Good Thursday morning. It’s September 14, 2023. You’re reading Supercreator Daily, the definitive guide to the politicians, power brokers, and policies shaping the American creator experience. Get in touch: michael@supercreator.news.

IMPEACHMENT UPDATE ➟ McCarthy and his allies on Wednesday also faced intense scrutiny from reporters on his decision to open an impeachment inquiry against President Biden without a floor vote—just days after he told a conservative news site he would do so.

McCarthy argued he simply followed the precedent set by former Speaker NANCY PELOSI during the first Trump impeachment in 2019. (The House did not hold a vote to launch the first Trump inquiry until Oct. 31 of that year. Pelosi announced the formal inquiry more than a month earlier on Sept. 24.)

Pelosi, who speculated McCarthy doesn’t have the votes to put an impeachment inquiry on the floor, pushed back against his characterization in an interview with CNN’s ANDERSON COOPER.

“No, it’s completely not true,” Pelosi said. “We had a few weeks where we had to make our case and I assigned six committee chairs to get the information and the rest and that then prepared us to bring the bill to the floor. They’ve had, what, nine months of collecting information, they have nothing.”

Sources tell Supercreator News that McCarthy’s decision was also an attempt to shield his most vulnerable members, including 18 House Republicans in districts President Biden won in 2020, from a tough vote on a divisive issue.

But I’m told that Democrats view this as an ineffective strategy because now these frontline members will likely have to vote to impeach the president instead of simply voting to open the inquiry—the former of which could be harder to defend than the latter of House Republicans are unable to prove any criminal wrongdoing by Biden as they’ve yet to do so up to now.

House Democrats believe one of the best ways to defend President Biden is to promote his legislative record.

“[House Republicans’] objectives for the month have been very clear: Shutdown the government, impeach Joe Biden, and maybe get rid of their own speaker,” PETE AGUILAR, the number-three House Democrat, told reporters on Wednesday. “That seems to be all the oxygen in the room around those three topics. Nothing to do with lowering costs for the American people, providing relief, creating jobs—and that’s what we’re focused on talking about.”

President Biden made his first comments on impeachment since the inquiry was announced at a campaign fundraiser in Virginia last night.

“Everybody always asked about impeachment,” Biden said. “I get up every day, not a joke, not focused on impeachment. I’ve got a job to do. I’ve got to deal with the issues that affect the American people every single solitary day.”

BIDENOMICS VS. MAGANOMICS ➟ The president will look to demonstrate that focus in Maryland during a major speech on the economy where he’ll contrast his “Bidenomics” economic vision against the Republican Party’s, which he’ll label as MAGAnomics.

Ahead of the speech, the White House will send a memo from Senior Advisor ANITA DUNN to congressional Democrats that outlines what’s at stake in the budget debates this fall.

“Congressional Republicans’ MAGAnomics Budget would slash taxes for the wealthy and big corporations; cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid; and raise costs for hardworking families,” a White House official added. “The American people overwhelmingly reject MAGAnomics—from trickle-down tax cuts to cutting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid—and strongly support Bidenomics, which invests in America and lowers costs.”

The speech comes a day after the August inflation report showed a sharp increase in gas prices, despite sustained moderation of core inflation—the change in prices of non-food and -energy goods and services.

Rep. BRENDAN BOYLE (D-Pa.), the ranking member of the House Budget Committee, blamed congressional Republicans for prioritizing Big Oil profits over the clean energy alternatives that Democrats say will provide relief.

“Instead of taking action to relieve the American people's pain at the pump and lower the cost of living, extreme MAGA Republicans are hard at work forcing devastating, draconian budget cuts through Congress,” Boyle said. “Their broadly unpopular economic agenda is pushing us towards another costly, Republican-led government shutdown—one that can be easily averted by honoring the bipartisan budget agreement they negotiated only months ago.”

TODAY ON CAPITOL HILL

➟ The House will meet at 10 a.m. with first votes expected at 1:30 p.m. and last votes at 3 p.m. on a bill that would amend the Clean Air Act and block the Environmental Protection Agency from issuing waivers for regulations that ban the sale or use of new motor vehicles with internal combustion engines.

➟ The Senate will meet at 10 a.m. with a procedural vote on the first package of three appropriations bills to fund the government.

TODAY AT THE WHITE HOUSE

➟ President Biden will receive his daily intelligence briefing at 10 a.m. before traveling to Largo, Maryland to speak about Bidenomics at 2:15 p.m.. Once back at the White House, the president will speak on a call with rabbis around the country to commemorate the Jewish High Holidays at 6:15 p.m.

➟ Vice President Harris will travel to Hampton, Virginia at 10:15 a.m. to kick off her national college tour at Hampton University in a moderated conversation with actor TERRENCE J at 2:30 p.m. The vice president will then travel to New York City, arriving at 3:55 p.m. for an undisclosed event before getting back to Washington at 8:55 p.m.

➟ First Lady Dr. Jill Biden will arrive in Atlanta at 5 p.m. and speak at a campaign fundraiser at 6 p.m.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

“How a culture war over race engulfed a school district” by James Ross Gardner: “After a ten-year-old took her own life, residents battled over whether her death was a tragic but isolated incident, or caused by a pattern of racist bullying.

“The enemies of America’s children” by Sarah Jones

“Stress drinking has a gender divide” by Olga Khazan: “The uncomfortable truth is that many women today are drinking too much.”

“Electric vehicles have become a weapon in the war on autoworkers” by Kate Aronoff: “How the greenest vehicles on the roads became the biggest flash point in a labor battle that could lead to a precedent-shattering UAW strike.”

“People don’t want to be teachers anymore. Can you blame them?” by Jessica Grose.

“An unexpected scandal could lose Democrats the Virginia legislature” by Christina Cauterucci: “And the stakes are high.”

“How car culture funnels drivers into debt, jail, and danger” by Jack McCordick: “A car is a necessity in most parts of the US. It also exposes drivers to fines, police harassment, and predatory loans.”

“Washington is full of rats. These dogs are happy to help with that.” by Maura Judkis and Jabin Botsford

“Strikes. Streaming. Social. Is the fall TV season relevant anymore?” by Bill Bradley: “Industry insiders reveal how advertisers can adapt.”

“The food industry pays ‘influencer’ dieticians to shape your eating habits” by Anahad O’Connor, Caitlin Gilbert, and Sasha Chavkin: “Registered dieticians are being paid to post videos that promote diet soda, sugar, and supplements on Instagram and TikTok.”

“Gen Z looks the newspaper (on TikTok)” by Kate Lindsay: “Kelsey Russell gets millions of views reading ‘The New York Times.’

“From $245K per snap to 14-team journeyman: Inside the life of NFL backup quarterbacks” by Jenna Laine

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ONE LAST THING ➟ RIP Buzzy Peltola

The Capitol Hill community received tragic news yesterday when we learned EUGENE “BUZZY” PELTOLA, husband to Rep. MARY PELTOLA (D-Alaska), passed away Wednesday morning following a plane accident in Alaska.

Rep. Peltola won a special election last August to succeed the late Rep. DON YOUNG (R-Alaska), who died in March 2022. She won a full term last November and is the only Democrat in Alaska’s congressional delegation.

“Family was most important to him,” ANTON McPARLAND, Peltola’s chief of staff, said in a statement. “He was completely devoted to his parents, kids, siblings, extended family, and friends—and he simply adored Mary. We are heartbroken for the family’s loss.”

House Minority Leader HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-N.Y.) said the entire House Democratic Caucus is mourning the loss of Buzzy and lifting Rep. Peltola and her family up in prayer.

“We will be there for her in any way she needs during this unimaginable time of tragedy.”

President Biden spoke to Rep. Peltola and he expressed his deepest condolences, according to the White House. In a statement, Biden remembered Buzzy as a devoted public servant whose memory will one day bring a smile to Peltola’s lips before it brings a tear to her eye.

“He is being remembered as a friend to all,” Biden said. “But we know he was, first and always, the adored and devoted husband and father to a family now in pain.”

Rep. Peltola returned to Alaska to be with their family. McParland said the staff will continue to meet with constituents and carry on the work of her office while she and her family grieve. The Congresswoman and her family are in my thoughts and prayers.

THAT’S ALL UNTIL TOMORROW! I hope today is everything for you. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Sign up for free.

FIRST THINGS FIRST • Impeachment fallout ➟ House Speaker KEVIN McCARTHY’s right flank forced his hand again.

In a brief statement on Tuesday to reporters outside his suite at the Capitol, McCarthy announced his conference would open an impeachment inquiry into President JOE BIDEN as pressure mounted from House conservatives to hold an impeachment vote. But despite months of investigations, GOP-controlled House committees have failed to reveal a connection between the president and his son HUNTER’s international business dealings.

The announcement comes days after McCarthy told conservative news outlet Breitbart that any impeachment inquiry would begin with a vote in the House. But after it became clear he lacked the votes and former President DONALD TRUMP turned up the heat in a post on his social app, McCarthy reneged on that commitment.

2024 implications: McCarthy’s decision also burdens frontline House Republicans with a thorny decision: Walk the plank and look as extreme as House conservatives or break ranks and oppose the move and potentially face a primary challenge from a far-right candidate next year.

“Kevin McCarthy just invited MAGA Trump Republicans into primaries against his most vulnerable House members to protect his own power while he cowers to the MAGA Republicans in his party,” CHRIS TAYLOR, Democratic strategist and Principal at CIVIL, said to Supercreator News. “Part of the reason why Republicans had such an abysmal cycle last cycle is because they had so many extremist out-of-step candidates running in these competitive seats.”

ABBY CURRAN HORRELL, executive director of House Majority PAC, the principal outside group that funds ads for House Democrats expressed a similar sentiment.

“This political stunt will doom vulnerable MAGA Republicans, particularly those representing districts won by President Biden in 2020,” she said. “And House Majority PAC looks forward to defeating them in 2024.”

The Democratic response: Congressional Democrats framed the inquiry announcement as a distraction from the House Republican majority’s inability to govern as converging legislative deadlines risk shutting down the government and allowing aviation and agriculture programs to lapse without reauthorization.

“It’s a waste of time and taxpayer dollars,” House Minority Leader HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-N.Y.) told reporters on Tuesday. “Extreme MAGA Republicans have no economic agenda. They have no housing agenda. They have no health care agenda. They have no education agenda. They have no public safety agenda. They have no agenda designed to address the needs of the American people.”

COURTNEY RICE, a spokesperson for the House Democrats’ campaign arm, reprised a popular party message: We’re mainstream, the Republicans are extreme.

“The split-screen of MAGA House Republicans pursuing a purely partisan agenda while House Democrats fight to rebuild our economy and create jobs will show voters once and for all that only one party is focused on the issues facing everyday Americans,” she said in a statement.

Across the Capitol, Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER (D-N.Y.) expressed sympathy for McCarthy and the difficult position House conservatives have put him in.

“But sometimes you gotta tell these people who are way off the deep end, who have no interest in helping the American people, who just want to pursue their own witch hunts that they can’t go forward with it,” Schumer said. “So I’m disappointed. I think it’s absurd.”

View from the White House: Biden administration officials zeroed in on McCarthy’s hypocrisy to delegitimize the inquiry as nothing more than a partisan exercise.

“He vowed to hold a vote to open in impeachment, now he flip-flopped because he doesn’t have support,” spokesperson IAN SAMS said in a statement. “This is extreme politics at its worst.”

The Biden campaign characterized the impeachment inquiry as the latest example of Speaker McCarthy doing Trump’s bidding.

“Kevin McCarthy has cemented his role as the Trump campaign’s super-surrogate by turning the House of Representatives into an arm of his presidential campaign,” Biden campaign spokesperson AMMAR MOUSSA said in a statement.

What’s next: The House Oversight, Judiciary, and Ways & Means Committees will lead the inquiry. 

The committees are expected to subpoena additional bank records and members of the Biden family in search of the smoking gun their months of investigation have yet to uncover.

If House Republicans were to follow through with an impeachment vote, the Democratic-controlled Senate would likely block Biden from conviction and removal from office.

👋🏾HI, HEY, HELLO! Good Wednesday morning. It’s September 13, 2023. You’re reading Supercreator Daily, the definitive guide to the politicians, power brokers, and policies shaping the American creator experience. Get in touch: michael@supercreator.news.

GOVERNMENT FUNDING UPDATE ➟ The impeachment announcement overshadowed the fact that the country is 17 days away from a government shutdown if Congress fails to approve a short-term funding measure to buy it more time to pass the 12 regular appropriations bills.

With a resounding 85–12 bipartisan vote, the Senate on Tuesday took the first procedural step to open debate on a minibus package of three bills to fund military construction and veterans programs, the Agriculture Department and FDA, and the transportation and housing agencies.

The current hope and expectation is that the minibus will pass next week. But the more amendment votes that are allowed, the longer final passage will take.

Senators are now negotiating a time agreement to govern how long the bills can be debated and how many amendments will be allowed. The agreement will require unanimous consent from all senators. 

“[Senate Minority Leader [MITCH] McCONNELL [(R-Ky.)] McConnell and I are working in a great way together,” Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday. “So when that happens, we usually reach a good time agreement and I’m very hopeful that will happen.”

Late last night, the House Rules Committee approved a measure for one hour of debate and 184 votes on the House’s version of the defense appropriations bill to fund the Pentagon.

The House is expected to vote on the rule this afternoon but it’s unclear if Republicans have the votes to adopt it. If it fails, GOP leadership will be unable to bring the Pentagon bill to the floor for consideration.

SENATE’S FIRST AI FORUM ➟ The Senate this morning will hold its first forum in the next step towards developing comprehensive legislation to regulate artificial intelligence. The meeting follows a series of AI briefings before the August recess to give senators a baseline knowledge of the technology.

“It seems that Congress has finally really discovered artificial intelligence and [today], I think we're going to continue the progress that we've already made in just making sure that all of our colleagues have the fluency in this space that their constituents would want of us as we start to wrestle with these questions,” Sen. MARTIN HEINRICH (D-N.M.), one of the leaders on the issue, told reporters on Tuesday. “And I think it’ll be a really good opportunity for us to start thinking through as a body how do we maximize those places where AI can make a substantial positive difference in people's lives while minimizing the risks.”

On the guest list: BILL GATES, former CEO of Microsoft, TRISTAN HARRIS, co-founder and executive director of Center for Human Technology, ELON MUSK, CEO of X and Tesla, SUNDAR PICHAI, CEO of Google, SATYA NADELLA, CEO of Microsoft, and MARK ZUCKERBERG, CEO of Meta are among the confirmed attendees for the meeting.

The counterpoint: Criticism has emerged in recent days of the closed nature of the all-senators’ briefings and this morning’s forum.

But Schumer argued that Senate committees have held nine open hearings prior to the summer break and three this week alone.

“There’s a time and a place for everything,” he added. “And I think this AI forum will produce some real, real positive knowledge and results so that people can move forward but we're going to continue to have open hearings and the whole process will move forward through committees in an open process.”

What about legislation? Schumer has repeatedly dodged questions from reporters about whether these sessions will translate into policy that threads the needle between protecting creators and consumers from exploitation without stifling innovation but said on Tuesday that inaction isn’t an option.

“If we don’t do anything AI is going to move forward without us and the dangers could be could be maximized and the opportunities could be minimized,” he said. “And so this is going to be one of the most important sessions, if you will, that Congress has had.”

HAPPENINGS

10 a.m. President Biden will receive his daily intelligence briefing. The House is in and will begin consideration of a bill to fund the Pentagon.

12 p.m. The Senate is in and will resume consideration of a package of three appropriations bills to fund the government.

12:55 p.m. Vice President Harris will ceremonially swear in the President’s Committee on Arts & Humanities.

2:30 p.m. The president will meet with his cancer cabinet. First Lady Dr. JILL BIDEN will attend.

3:05 p.m. The vice president will travel from Washington to Chicago, arriving at 5:05 p.m.

5 p.m. Dr. Biden will host the 2023 International Medal of Arts Ceremony at the White House.

6 p.m. Vice President Harris will speak at a campaign fundraiser.

6:15 p.m. President Biden will leave the White House to travel to McLean, Virginia, arriving at 6:30 p.m.

6:40 p.m. The president will speak at a campaign fundraiser.

7:45 p.m. The vice president will leave Chicago and get back to Washington at 9:15 p.m.

8:30 p.m. President Biden will arrive at the White House.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

“How Columbia ignored women, undermined prosecutors and protected a predator for more than 20 years” by Bianca Fortis, ProPublica, and Laura Bell: “For decades, patients warned Columbia about the behavior of obstetrician Robert Hadden. One even called 911 and had him arrested. Columbia let him keep working.”

“Tim Scott’s girlfriend” by Ben Terris: “The unmarried presidential candidate doesn’t like talking about his new relationship very much. But he is talking about it.”

“A bold new federal experiment in giving renters cash” by Rachel M. Cohen: “Would money help tenants more than housing vouchers?”

“Ketchup with those fries? Sure—as long as it’s anti-woke” by Kathryn Joyce: “Those Bud Light protests just scratched the surface. The right wing is constructing an entire parallel economy from its own coffee to its own banks.”

“Wildfires are coming… for New Jersey?” by Kylie Mohr: “Climate change is expanding the list of areas at risk for the worst wildfires.”

“How cars ruin wild animals’ lives” by Marina Bolotnikova in conversation with Ben Goldfarb: “If you love nature, consider not driving in it.”

“The problems that marriage can’t fix” by Hannah Giorgis: “Rather than explore the complexities of building a life together, Netflix’s The Ultimatum too often touts matrimony for matrimony’s sake.”

“How Glossier’s sheen wore off” by Hanna Koziowska in conversation with Marisa Meltzer

“Is that restaurant gonna suck?” by Tammie Teclemariam: “Some red flags to keep an eye on.”

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ONE LAST THING ➟ Childhood poverty more than doubled in a year

The Census Bureau on Tuesday released data that showed the child poverty rate more than doubled from 5.2 percent in 2021 to 12.4 percent in 2022.

“This increase can be attributed to key changes in federal tax policy, including the expiration of temporary expansions of the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit as well as the end of pandemic-era stimulus payments,” the agency said.

In a statement, President Biden blamed congressional Republicans for the grim data: “The rise reported today in child poverty is no accident—it is the result of a deliberate policy choice congressional Republicans made to block help for families with children while advancing massive tax cuts for the wealthiest and large corporations.”

Left unmentioned is Sen. JOE MANCHIN (D-W.Va.), who opposed extending the enhanced CTC in what was then known as the Democrats’ Build Back Better plan without work requirements for recipients. 

Semafor’s JOSEPH ZEBALLOS-ROIG asked Manchin whether he second-guessed his decision based on the new Census.

“It’s deeper than that,” Manchin said while adding he hadn’t seen the Census data yet. “We all have to do our part. The federal government can’t run everything.”

Sen. MICHAEL BENNET (D-Colo.) will hold a press conference on the Child Tax Credit this afternoon at the Capitol.

THAT’S ALL UNTIL TOMORROW! I hope today is everything for you. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Sign up for free.

FIRST THINGS FIRST • Welcome back, House! ➟ The House will be back in Washington this evening for the first time since July. Members will take a series of non-controversial votes to ease them back into action ahead of an 18-day sprint that will require them to keep the government open and figure out a path forward on a few other must-pass bills facing expiration at the end of the month.

On the agenda: House Republican leaders will attempt to drag a massive $826 billion bill to fund the Defense Department across the finish line this week. 

But Democrats oppose the bill so Speaker KEVIN McCARTHY will likely have to pass it with his own members, which is no guarantee. Case in point: House GOP leadership sent members home for August recess a day early in July after they realized they were short on votes to pass a bill to fund the Agriculture Department and FDA.

The Rules Committee will meet this afternoon with the task of approving a measure that would allow for debate and a vote on the Pentagon bill on Thursday. But what used to be a formality under previous majorities from both parties has become a stumbling block for McCarthy and company. Don’t be surprised if this week is no different.

View from the White House: Unsurprisingly, the White House opposes the bill for the reasons I outlined in Monday’s edition and more. If the bill reached President Biden’s desk, which it won’t since Democrats control the Senate, he would veto it.

Here’s what the administration said in its veto threat:

House Republicans had an opportunity to engage in a productive, bipartisan appropriations process, but instead, with less than a month before the end of the fiscal year, are wasting time with partisan bills that cut domestic spending to levels well below the [Fiscal Responsibility Act] agreement and endanger critical services for the American people. These levels would result in deep cuts to climate change and clean energy programs, essential nutrition services, law enforcement, consumer safety, education, and healthcare.

Dems go on offense: The White House and congressional Democrats will escalate their attacks on House Republicans for violating the bipartisan budget agreement and proposing appropriations bills that fund the government below the levels President Biden and Speaker McCarthy agreed to earlier this year.

White House Budget Chief SHALANDA YOUNG wrote a memo isolating Speaker McCarthy as the only congressional leader who has reneged on his word to honor the deal. And the administration is holding a call with state and local reporters later today to frame its position in hopes that House Republicans receive the brunt of the blame in the event of a government shutdown.

“The White House is giving allies the tools they need to hold House Republicans’ feet to the fire for the devastating impacts their draconian cuts will have on hard-working Americans,” a White House Budget Office official said.

👋🏾HI, HEY, HELLO! Good Tuesday morning. It’s September 12, 2023. You’re reading Supercreator Daily, the definitive guide to the politicians, power brokers, and policies shaping the American creator experience. Get in touch: michael@supercreator.news.

SENATE TO START ENGINE ON MINIBUS ➟ Meanwhile across the Capitol, the Senate this evening will take a procedural vote on a package of three appropriations bills known around these parts as a “minibus.” The legislation would fund (1) military construction and the Veterans’ Affairs Department, (2) agriculture programs and the FDA, and (3) the transportation and housing agencies.

The timeline: Senate Majority Whip DICK DURBIN (D-Ill.), the number-two Senate Democrat, told reporters on Monday he expects the minibus to pass next week once senators have a chance to debate and vote on amendments. We’ll have a firmer timeline once we know how many amendments will be filed and considered.

Schumer: We’re the adults in the room: Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER (D-N.Y.) on Monday continued to brand the upper chamber as the functional legislative body in Congress while urging the House to stand up to the handful of conservatives who have hijacked the appropriations process.

“I implore House Republicans to follow the Senate’s example: Reject all-or-nothing tactics, reject unrealistic extreme demands, don’t let 30 people way out on the extreme dictate what the House does,” Schumer said on the House floor. “Instead, the House should work in a bipartisan fashion to keep the government open beyond Sept. 30.”

It’s worth noting: The minibus includes some of the least controversial of the dozen bills Congress must pass to fund the government—each of the three bills in it unanimously passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee—so it remains to be seen if the Senate will maintain the unity that we’ve seen up to this point.

ABOUT THOSE OTHER DEADLINES ➟ Beyond keeping the government open, Congress faces a month-end deadline on two other pressing legislative items: A bill to set aviation policy and the farm bill, a sprawling piece of agricultural and nutrition legislation.

FAA update: The House passed its version of the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization in July in one of the few bipartisan votes we’ve seen on a major bill.

However, the Senate Commerce Committee has yet to complete a markup of the legislation. The bill has been stalled in committee all summer due to a dispute regarding whether pilots should be able to substitute hours spent in a flight simulator for actual flight time to meet training requirements.

A spokesperson for the Senate Commerce Committee told Supercreator News last month that there were no new updates to share on the FAA bill. The committee has yet to reschedule the markup.

“ALPA supports a safety-focused FAA reauthorization bill—one that does not weaken safety regulations that have contributed to the safest period in air travel in US history and reduced passenger fatalities by 98.8 percent over the last decade,” a spokesperson for the Air Line Pilots Association said in a statement to Supercreator News. “We believe leaders in the Senate are working diligently to produce a safety-first bill as quickly as possible.”

Farm bill latest: Senate Agriculture Chairwoman Sen. DEBBIE STABENOW (D-Mich.) has set a December deadline to pass the farm bill.

A source familiar with the process told Supercreator on Monday that they believed there is still an outside chance that a farm bill could get done this year.

“But there’s a lot of work ahead all the way from markup through getting it to the floor and then conferencing it,” the source said of the legislative steps still to be completed. “There are differences of opinion between the Senate and the House. I think getting it signed into law will be an uphill battle.”

This means an extension of the current farm bill may be in play.

“Once you get past December and into January, there are more challenges,” the source added. “One could argue that it would be best practice to actually pass an extension prior to Sept. 30 and it doesn’t seem like that’s going to be the case.”

In addition to food availability and food access programs, the farm bill also invests in providing access to credit for historically underserved and beginning farmers and ranchers.

“The farm bill invests in programs that not only ultimately dictate what ends up on our plates but impacts what’s on our grocery store shelves, how much they cost,” MIKE LAVENDER, policy director at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, said in an interview with Supercreator News. “It impacts what the people who produce those things look like—are they older, are they young? Are they [Black, indigenous, or people of color]? It’s one of the most under-acknowledged bills Congress considers.”

HAPPENINGS

All times Eastern

10 a.m. President Biden will receive his daily intelligence briefing.

12 p.m. The House is in with first and last votes expected at 6:30 p.m. on seven bills considered under suspension of the rules.

5 p.m. First Lady Dr. JILL BIDEN will host an event at the White House to celebrate the 2023 Praemium Imperiale Laureates, a global arts prize awarded annually by the Japan Art Association for lifetime achievement in the arts. Dr. Biden and Former Secretary of State HILLARY CLINTON will also speak.

Vice President Harris will be in Washington and has no public events scheduled.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

“Restore Roe or go beyond it? The question is fracturing the abortion rights movement” by Madison Pauly: “We have an opportunity here to build something better, and we’re not even talking about it.”

“Adorable little detonators” by Allison P. Davis: “Our friendship survived bad dates, illness, marriage, fights. Why can’t it survive your baby?”

“Just kidding about affording a home” by Kevin T. Dugan

“Car hackers are out for blood” by Patrick George: “The rise of ‘smartphones on wheels’ is ushering in cybersecurity risks that have never before existed on America’s roads.”

“What Google’s trial means for the company—and your web browsing” by Sara Morrison: “Which search engine do you use, and why is it Google? A judge will soon decide.”

“Why climate protesters are focusing on tennis” by Marek Makowski: “Human-caused climate change has been around for less time than tennis, but it will leave its scars on the earth for longer than the outlines of our hard courts.”

“We’re all lurkers now” by Kate Lindsay and Nick Catucci: “No one’s talking online anymore.”

THAT’S ALL UNTIL TOMORROW! I hope today is everything for you. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Sign up for free.

NEVER FORGET ➟ As the nation observes the 22nd anniversary of the September 11th attacks, the Biden administration will award $4 million in funds from the 9/11 Memorial Act grant program to the National September 11th Memorial & Memorial Plaza in New York City. 

See HAPPENINGS below for a roundup of the key events White House principals and cabinet officials will attend to honor the lives we lost, the loved ones who still feel pain, and the heroes who rushed into action to save lives that day.

A HOUSE DIVIDED ➟ The House returns to Washington on Tuesday with 18 days to keep the government open. The chamber will only be in session 11 of those days.

The chamber is expected to take up the bill that funds the Defense Department this week. The Rules Committee will meet Tuesday afternoon to set the length of the floor debate and the number of amendments that will be considered. The rule is expected to hit the floor on Wednesday with a vote on final passage of the bill to come on Thursday.

The Defense bill passed out of the House Appropriations Committee along party lines in late June.

The bill provides more than $826 billion in new defense spending for next year—up almost $286 million over President JOE BIDEN’s budget request and nearly $29 billion more than the enacted level for last fiscal year. But House Republicans have called for the rest of the government to be funded at levels below the deal President Biden reached with Speaker KEVIN McCARTHY (R-Calif.) to avoid a default on the nation’s debt, so the bill requires deep cuts across the other appropriations bills that would underfund vital social programs to plus-up military resources.

Republicans claim their plan for funding the Pentagon provides the military with the resources it needs to deter or defeat American adversaries, enhances the Defense Department’s role in battling the fentanyl crisis, and expands support for servicemembers and their families. At the same time, the House GOP says the bill prevents taxpayer dollars from investments in “[diversity, equity, and inclusion programs], wasteful green initiatives, military drag shows, or gender reassignment surgery.”

But Democrats on the committee, all of whom unanimously opposed the bill this summer, argue the bill harms military readiness, undermines morale, and fails to support US armed services in favor of harmful anti-abortion, anti-climate, anti-LGBTQ, and anti-DEI policy riders. 

“My primary concern is that the impact of these provisions will be more harmful in this bill because they signal to Americans who want to join our volunteer military that many are not welcome,” Rep. BETTY McCOLLUM (D-Minn.), the ranking member on the House Appropriations Defense subcommittee said. “These totally unnecessary provisions divide us, not unite us, and they will have harmful consequences for recruitment and retention across the force.”

The House passed the military construction and Veterans Affairs funding bill before it broke for the August recess. But before adjourning early, House Republican leadership pulled a bill to fund the Department of Agriculture and FDA once it was clear they lacked the votes to overcome internal GOP division over spending cuts to the FDA and an abortion-related provision.

If the committee vote on the Defense bill is any indication of the final tally, House GOP leadership has its work cut out to get the bill over the finished line with just a handful of votes to spare. It’s also another tough vote so-called moderates who won Biden districts will be forced to take now and answer for later despite the House version of the bill lacking any real chance of becoming law under a Democratic-controlled Senate and White House.

The Senate is expected to begin consideration of a “minibus” package of three bills this week to fund (1) military construction and the Veterans Affairs Department, (2) the USDA and FDA, and (3) the Transportation Department and Department of Housing and Urban Development.

THE OTHER FUNDING DEBATE ➟ I’m told advancing the Biden administration’s supplemental request for billions of dollars in Ukraine funding and disaster relief to support FEMA’s recovery efforts in response to recent extreme weather events, particularly the wildfires in Maui, will be an emphasis for House Democrats.

But about a quarter of the House Republican Conference is opposed to additional Ukraine aid and wants it uncoupled from disaster relief. However, the Senate is expected to attach the White House’s entire supplemental to a continuing resolution to keep the government open beyond the Oct. 1 deadline. This would take one less item off the legislative agenda while lawmakers attempt to pass the other funding bills. 

We’ll know how this will shake out once the House is back in town this week.

PELOSI TO RUN IT BACK FOR 20TH TERM ➟ Former Speaker NANCY PELOSI (D-Calif.) announced on Friday morning that she intends to run for reelection in her deep-blue San Francisco district next year.

Pelosi, currently in her 19th term after winning a special election in 1987, said in her reelection launch video and in two separate interviews that the fragility of American democracy was a key factor in her decision.

“Our country needs us to show the world that our flag is still there, with liberty and justice for all,” she said.

She also told reporters in separate Politico and Washington Post interviews that she’s running again to reprise her role as House Democrats’ leading fundraiser as they look to reclaim the majority and elect Democratic Leader HAKEEM JEFFRIES to be the first Black speaker.

“If you’re not a candidate, you really can’t raise money for yourself,” Pelosi said to Politico. “And raising money for myself enables me to spend that on other people.”

But two sources familiar close to the House Democratic Caucus said Pelosi missed an opportunity to pass the baton. 

“This is the problem with the Democratic Party,” a source said in a text to Supercreator Daily. “We don’t know how to get out of the way and elevate the next generation.”

But a Pelosi ally told me that she did exactly that when she, former House Democratic Leader STENY HOYER (D-Md.), and former House Democratic Whip JIM CLYBURN (D-S.C.) stepped down after two decades as the top party leaders to make way for Jeffries, KATHERINE CLARK (D-Mass.), and PETE AGUILAR (D-Calif.).

The ally added that Pelosi also wants to prioritize the needs of San Francisco, including resources to respond to a local housing crisis, as another reason she wants to run it back for a 20th term, a motivator she mentioned in the launch video and interviews.

👋🏾HI, HEY, HELLO! Good Monday morning. It’s September 11, 2023. You’re reading Supercreator Daily, the definitive guide to the politicians, power brokers, and policies shaping the American creator experience. Get in touch: michael@supercreator.news.

THEY DID THAT

➟ Rep. BARBARA LEE (D-Calif) took offense to Democratic Gov. GAVIN NEWSOM of California saying he would appoint a temporary replacement if Sen. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D-Calif.)’s seat became vacant. Newsom previously promised to pick a Black woman to fill the seat. Lee is currently one of the three House Democrats running to succeed the 90-year-old Feinstein. 

➟ Sen. TAMMY DUCKWORTH (D-Ill.) announced she tested positive for COVID-19.

➟ Rep. TED LIEU (D-Calif.), the number-four House Democrat, called the suspension of New Mexico’s open and concealed carry laws by Democratic Gov. MICHELLE LUJÁN GRISHAM unconstitutional.

➟ Danco, the manufacturer of the abortion drug Mifepristone, asked the Supreme Court to reverse a lower court ruling that would restrict access to the drug if allowed to go into effect.

➟ Democratic Gov. JOSH GREEN of Hawaii announced the number of missing people following the Maui wildfires last month has dropped to 66.

➟ Related: President Biden amended Hawaii’s disaster declaration. The order increased the federal share of public assistance to 90 percent of total eligible costs except assistance previously approved at 100 percent.

➟ President Biden cut the ribbon on the renovated Situation Room. Related: “What $50 million can buy: Inside the sleek new White House Situation Room”

➟ President Biden congratulated COCO GAUFF on her US Open victory, the 19-year-old tennis phenom’s first Grand Slam title. Vice President Harris congratulated her too.

➟ Vice President Harris went viral dancing at the celebration of hip-hop’s anniversary she hosted at her residence.

➟ Blueberries surpassed peaches as Georgia’s top fruit crop.

HAPPENINGS

All times Eastern

6:05 a.m. Vice President Harris will travel from Washington, DC to New York, arriving at 7 a.m.

8:30 a.m. The vice president will attend the 9/11 Commemoration at the National 9/11 Memorial & Museum.

10:40 a.m. Vice President will leave New York and return to Washington at 11:40 a.m.

2 p.m. Second Gentleman DOUG EMHOFF will participate in the Flight 93 National Memorial Observance Wreath Laying Ceremony in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. He’ll arrive in Pennsylvania at 1 p.m. and leave to return to Washington at 4 p.m.

3 p.m. The Senate is in and will vote at 5:30 p.m. to advance the nomination of TANYA BRADSHER to be Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

4:05 p.m. President Biden arrived in Anchorage, Alaska.

4:20 p.m. First Lady Dr. JILL BIDEN will lay a wreath at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. Defense Secretary LLOYD AUSTIN and Joint Chiefs of Staff Army General MARK MILLEY will attend.

4:45 p.m. The president will speak to service members, first members, and their families on the anniversary of 9/11.

5 p.m. Dr. Biden will speak at the National Archivist swearing-in ceremony of Dr. COLLEEN SHOGAN, the first woman appointed to the position, at the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC.

6 p.m. The president will travel from Anchorage to the White House, arriving at 12:35 a.m.

The House is out.

While you were sleeping, President Biden in Vietnam…

• received his daily intelligence briefing.

• met with Prime Minister PHAM MINH CHÍNH of Vietnam.

• dropped by a meeting of CEOs with Prime Minister Chính.

• met with President VÕ VĂN THƯỞNG of Vietnam.

• had a state lunch with President Thưởng.

• met with Chairman VUONG DINH HUE of the National Assembly of Vietnam.

• departed Hanoi, Vietnam en route to Anchorage, Alaska.

Biden’s week ahead:

• Wednesday: The president will meet with his Cancer Cabinet before traveling to McLean, Virginia to speak at a campaign fundraiser.

Harris’s week ahead:

• Wednesday: The vice president will travel to Chicago to speak at a campaign fundraiser.

• Thursday: Vice President will travel to Hampton University as part of her college tour.

• Friday: The vice president will travel to North Carolina A&T University as part of her college tour.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

“The cost of childcare is about to explode” by Elliot Haspel

“Stop comparing Ramaswamy to Buttigieg. The more apt comparison is to a different Harvard.” by Adam Wren: “The comparison is hard not to make Vivek’s not Pete.”

“Coco Gauff’s rise and grind” by Ciara Conner

“Elon Musk’s latest target hits back” by Yair Rosenberg: “A conservation with the Anti-Defamation League’s Jonathan Greenblatt, on a fued that is as bizarre as it is predictable.”

“Deion Sanders: Winning for all the great Black coaches of the past” by Samuel G. Freedman

“Literally and figuratively, we are constipation nation” by Timothy Noah

“The rise of sober travel” by Lilit Marcus

“The era of easy flying is over” by Whizy Kim: “Lessons from a summer of hellish flights.”

“Streaming has reaching its sad, predictable fate” by Charlie Warzel: “What should watch? Is now a much easier question than How do I watch it?”

“The sincerity and rage of Olivia Rodrigo” by Constance Grady: “Olivia Rodrigo’s Disney kid backstory is key to her music’s fury.”

THAT’S ALL UNTIL TOMORROW! I hope today is everything for you. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Sign up for free.

FIRST THINGS FIRST • Thursday’s edition of Supercreator Daily featured a fascinating interview with journalist and author WILLIAM KOLE on the implications of older Americans like President JOE BIDEN and Senate Minority Leader MITCH McCONNELL (R-Ky.) holding onto power into their 80s. 

And while a serious chunk of Bill’s upcoming book, The Big 100: The New World of Super-Aging, and our conversation focused on what it means that older adults are living much longer, Kole also cited some bonkers research from Stanford’s Center for Longevity: One in two five-year-olds alive today will live to be 100. Bill argued that we owe it to these kids to take steps now that set them up for success later. Here’s more from Bill: 

Who wants to live to 100 on a planet that's ravaged by violent storms, and as a consequence of other things, famine, thirst, and all of the horrors that we've only really begun to see? This summer was sort of like a sneak preview. So I think the biggest single thing that we can do for those five-year-olds is drop everything and just fix this climate situation. We're way too late and we're way too slow to respond.

Read the second half of our conversation where Bill shares his thoughts on how to nurture our older loved ones, and what surprised him most while writing the book.

THE POLLS THAT HAD THE POLITICAL UNIVERSE BUZZING • This week’s news cycle has been dominated by a few glum polls for President JOE BIDEN.

The Wall Street Journal published one that revealed nearly three-quarters of voters say the president is too old to run for reelection. (Biden, 80, is the oldest person to occupy the White House in US history.)

New polling from CNN shows a majority of Americans believe the president was involved in his son HUNTER’s international business dealings when Biden was vice president under BARACK OBAMA, claims House Republicans have been unable to prove through a sprawl of ongoing investigations.

And separate CNN poll found a record-low number of voters say the current president inspires confidence and has the stamina and sharpness to serve effectively as president.

To be clear, Polls often fail to reflect the full story of the moment we’re in. But they’re also a good indicator of where people are in the country. So Supercreator News checked in with two plugged-in Democrats to help you put the recent data into perspective.

The case for calm: DJ KOESSLER, a New York City-based Democratic strategist and alum of the PETE BUTTIGIEG and HILLARY CLINTON campaigns, told Supercreator Daily he wouldn’t put too much take in the recent CNN polling.

“It’s early. Most voters aren’t yet aware of this president’s historic achievements—and that’s an opportunity for Democrats as we set out to tell the story of the last four years and communicate the president’s vision for the country,” Koessler said. “Just look at the new ad the campaign released [on Thursday] morning.”

President Biden often asks voters not to compare him to the Almighty, but to the alternative. And when it’s all said and done Koessler expressed confidence that the campaign will solidify its strong case against a second Trump term in the upcoming months. 

“Elections are choices. Next November, voters will choose between President Biden and his message of freedom and progress and a Republican nominee that’s too extreme and out of touch for American families,” he said. “And it’s very likely that Republican will be just three years younger than Biden—the guy who helped overturn Roe v. Wade, ran our economy into the ground, tried to overthrow an election, and now faces 91 criminal charges across four jurisdictions.”

The case for alarm: But some argue the president has been making that case in earnest—and most Americans have tuned him out.

“We’ve called everything Bidenomics and we’ve tried to sell the American people on the idea that this 80-year-old man is the future and that he’s got the economic plan for the future for us,” a Democratic strategist and former Obama administration official, said to Supercreator Daily. “Nobody’s buying it—they need to stop it. It’s embarrassing at this point.”

The problem, according to this strategist, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly on the topic, lies in the optics.

“If it’s about one man, then it’s about two men,” they said. “And [Trump] looks like he’s got a lot of vigor and fight in him and the other man is called ‘Sleepy Joe’ and everybody feels like he falls down every day.”

The flaw with Bidenomics: As historic as the economic recovery has been under the Biden administration, the former Obama aide argued Democrats are taking unnecessary waters on board by taking ownership of everything that’s going on with the economy.

“We’ve done no education on the fact that the [Federal Reserve] has raised [interest] rates to seven percent and that people are feeling the impacts of that as the [Fed tries] to cool the economy and that this won't remain forever,” they said. “We haven't done any of that sort of explaining. We’ve not put a narrative to where we're going still to this day.”

The potential Trump-Biden-Trump voter: The strategist also warned against assuming the fact that Biden beat Trump in 2020 and Trump is facing unprecedented legal peril means he can’t rebound in 2024.

“This is the fallacy of the Obama-Trump voter. Remember, there’s no way that person could exist before they did exist. And that’s the same thing we have here that there is not a Trump-Biden-Trump voter. Yes, there is.”

These latent voters shouldn’t be ignored despite Trump’s vulnerabilities.

“My message to that person is that the people around you who are actually trying to help you, most of those people are Democrats—working at [501](c)(3) nonprofits, the ones that are working down there at the local government office that is trying to get you the resources you need,” the strategist said. “Those people are Democrats and they care about you. We have to highlight that for folks that they can see the things that are actually moving and producing results around them are being done by Democrats.”

The Biden campaign did not respond to a request for comment from Supercreator News. 

ONE MORE THING • The Government Accountability Office, the top congressional watchdog agency, on Thursday released a report that found that the construction of former President DONALD TRUMP’s border wall caused serious harm to cultural and natural resources while failing to stem the tide of migrant crossings at the border. I reported on why the barrier was as terrible for the environment as critics said it would be. Read the full post for free before Monday or become a paid subscriber to dive in whenever you’re ready.

👋🏾HI, HEY, HELLO! Good Friday morning. It’s September 8, 2023. You’re reading Supercreator Daily, the definitive guide to the politicians, power brokers, and policies shaping the American creator experience. Get in touch: michael@supercreator.news.

THEY DID THAT

⟿ Rep. STEVEN HORSFORD (D-Nev.), chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, received the “Legislator of the Year” award from Everytown for Gun Safety and the local leaders of Moms Demand Action for his work to prevent gun violence in his home state and across the country.

⟿ The Senate confirmed ADRIANA KUGLER to be a member of the Federal Reserve. Kugler is the first Latina to serve in the role and her confirmation comes a day after the Senate confirmed LISA COOK, the first Black woman to serve on the Fed’s board of governors, to a full term.

⟿ President Biden on Thursday tested negative for COVID-19 prior to taking off en route to India for the G20 Summit. First Lady Dr. JILL BIDEN, who tested positive for COVID on Sunday evening, also tested negative.

⟿ President Biden received a briefing on FEMA’s preparation for Hurricane Lee, the category 5 storm approaching the eastern Caribbean.

⟿ President Biden nominated MICHAEL WHITAKER to lead the Federal Aviation Administration. The nomination comes as Congress faces a Sept. 30 deadline to reauthorize the agency.

⟿ White House spokesperson ANDREW BATES called on House Speaker KEVIN McCARTHY to reconsider separating Ukraine funding from the other priorities in the administration’s supplemental request: “Like Senate Republicans, Speaker McCarthy should keep his word […] rather than break his promise and cave to the most extreme members of his conference agitating for a baseless impeachment stunt and shutdown.”

⟿ Members of the center-left New Democrat Coalition echoed Bates’ sentiments in a letter to McCarthy focused on border security.

⟿ Vice President Harris’s office announced she will embark on a nationwide month-long college tour. The tour, which kicks off next Thursday at Hampton University in Virginia, will look to mobilize young voters to fight for reproductive justice, gun safety, climate action, voting rights, LGBTQ equality, and against book bans.

⟿ The Biden campaign released a new ad ahead of the G20 Summit focused on President Biden’s leadership on the world stage. The ad features footage from the president’s clandestine trip to Ukraine earlier this year and will run in battleground states on 60 Minutes while he is at the summit. (Joe Biden/YouTube)

⟿ ISAIAH MARTIN announced his campaign to succeed SHEILA JACKSON LEE as the next representative for Texas’s 18th congressional district raised over $130,000 within the first 24 hours of its launch. The 25-year-old was dragged on X, the app formerly known as Twitter, for most of the day for failing to include Medicare For All or climate action in his opening pitch. The campaign’s “Issues” page was removed from Martin’s website.

⟿ The Guttmacher Institute found that there was an uptick in abortions nationwide in the first half of this year compared to 2020 likely due to states with abortion protections absorbing patients from states with bans or extreme restrictions. The Institute added that all aspects of the abortion infrastructure require sustained support to serve the increased patient workloads.

⟿ Younger women, women with a postgraduate degree, Democratic women, and Hispanic women were all more likely than other women in opposite-sex marriages to keep their last name after tying the knot. (CNN)

⟿ United Auto Workers President SHAWN FAIN called the recent offer by General Motors a failure to “come close to an equitable agreement for America’s autoworkers.” UAW’s contract with GM, Ford, and Stellantis (formerly Chrysler) expires next Thursday, which could set off a worker strike. (@UAW/X)

HAPPENINGS

All times Eastern

12:10 a.m. President Biden arrived in Ramstein, Germany for a brief refueling stop.

1:40 a.m. The president will depart Ramstein en route to New Delhi, India, arriving at 12:55 p.m.

1 p.m. The House will meet in a pro forma session.

1:35 p.m. President Biden will meet with Prime Minister NARENDRA MODI of India.

The Senate is out.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

⟿ “White House Press Secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE has made history—and waves” by Mattie Kahn

⟿ “Inside NANCY PELOSI’s fight for San Francisco” by  Jonathan Martin: “At 83, the former House speaker just might buck another trend—the one suggesting octogenarian lawmakers should hang up their spiked heels.”

⟿ “Even on days of record-setting high temps, teens still reach for their hoodies. Why?” by Nereida Moreno: “‘It could be 1010. It could be 150. I’ll still wear a hoodie,’ one kid says. ‘I don’t leave the house without a hoodie. Never.’”

⟿ How queer media arrived at a crossroads between independence and survival” by Sara Youngblood Gregory

⟿ “The right would like all women to be 1950s housewives, please” by EJ Dickson: “Apparently, we have moved on from transphobia-for-clicks to shrieking at women for not giving birth.”

⟿ “Bonuses are a little bit bogus” by Emily Stewart: “Ask your boss for a raise instead of a bonus. Really.”

⟿ “‘Friends’ and ‘Seinfeld’ knew the cure for loneliness by Eliza Relman

⟿ “Don’t upgrade your iPhone until you have to” by Adam Clark Estes: “Once again, this year’s phones will look a lot like last year’s. But real innovation is on the horizon.”

THAT’S ALL UNTIL MONDAY! I hope today is everything for you. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Sign up for free.

FIRST THINGS FIRST

In the face of a barrage of questions from congressional reporters, Senate Minority Leader MITCH McCONNELL (R-Ky.) gave a nothing-to-see-here vibe during his first Capitol Hill press conference a week after he froze up for more than 30 seconds at a public appearance back home.

In fact, he restated his intention to complete his term as the top Senate Republican and Kentucky’s senior senator through 2024 and 2026, respectively.

McConnell, 81, is not alone when it comes to speculation about fitness to serve. 

Sen. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D-Calif.) remains under fierce scrutiny as the 90-year-old navigates the final year and a half of her storied career following a rough bout with shingles. And President JOE BIDEN, already the oldest person to occupy the White House at 80, is running for reelection as three-quarters of Americans think he’s too old to do so.

But despite intensifying calls for term and age limits in federal office, journalist WILLIAM KOLE, author of the upcoming book The Big 100: The New World of Super-Aging, argues that older Americans’ lock on higher office is only going to intensify as baby boomers age into their 100s.

I hopped on the phone with Kole on Wednesday afternoon to get his thoughts on why Americans should get used to aging politicians, if older elected officials are inevitable in American democracy, and the pros and cons of older political leaders calling the shots. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

What inspired you to write the book?

You mentioned my grandmother. She was definitely an inspiration. She sort of kindled within me a lifelong fascination with people who are 100 and older. 

She was born in 1899 and died in 2003 so her life touched parts of three centuries. And when you have somebody like that in your family, it just changes you. 

But there were two other things. One was when I was based in Paris for AP, I wrote stories about the oldest person whose birth could be authenticated by records. Writing about the oldest human of all of us who ever lived was fascinating. 

And then, a few years ago, at the height of COVID, I decided to check in on how the 100-plus population was doing. And it was bad news. People who lived through the Holocaust and two world wars and the 1900s influenza pandemic weren't beating this and entire limbs were falling off of family trees. And it made me think, ‘I just want to take a deeper dive into this demographic’—these superhumans, if you will.

I’m still making my way through the book, but the thesis seems to be that Americans should get used to aging politicians. Can you explain why?

We’re graying at an unprecedented rate and at a scale we've never seen before by practically every metric. 

I’ll just mention a few. In 2034, just 10 years from now, adults 65 and older are going to outnumber children 17 and younger for the first time in US history. And the year after that, the number of us who are 85 or older is going to double to nearly 12 million. 

People aren't going to let go of the levers of power so easily. The Baby Boomer generation is demographically a huge, big deal and there's a lot of boomers—I'm one of them—and they still got tread on their tires. And that's not good news for millennials and Gen Z.

Are older politicians inevitable in American democracy? There seems to be a sense of resignation from my generation and the one after us that this is the way it has to be.

No, I don't really. 

I think we have these demographic realities that we're facing, but a little historical perspective is good here. We've had 46 presidents in our nearly two-and-a-half-century history and the median age of chief executive has been 55. Of course, right now we have the oldest president who's ever occupied the White House. And we have an old Congress, but it wasn't always like that. 

I think it's also important to realize how politically energized and motivated Gen Z and millennials are. And I think that their influence is being felt. We saw it in the 2022 midterms, which incrementally lowered the age of Congress—not much, but it did a little bit. And I think that they're going to be a force to be reckoned with next year. And it's only going to increase. So I think there's definitely hope for younger generations. 

But let's face it: The Constitution doesn't set upper limits, it sets lower limits. So the framers clearly valued experience over youth and so we have to deal with that as well.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of older elected officials?

One advantage, I guess, is the experience that comes with living long, raising a family, and going through life's different seasons and challenges. Certainly, people develop pretty vast networks over the course of time, they learn how to compromise and how things work at the federal level, and so they're able to function at a pretty high level in terms of just getting things done. 

The disadvantages are really profound. Many studies have looked at how older politicians vote in the House and Senate and the kinds of legislation they introduce, and it's almost always issues that are top of mind for them and they're, in some cases, neglecting the things that are really important to younger voters and younger people. So that's a huge drawback.

You’ve traveled the world as a journalist. Can you provide some global perspective on the politics of age in other governments?

Japan, of course, comes to mind right away in terms of being the oldest society. One in three people in Japan is 65 or older. Age is also respected, even revered, culturally. They seem to really have figured out a lot of aspects of dealing with an aging population well and thoughtfully. 

But most of my time, I worked in Europe. And Europe is a really interesting place in this regard. It's demographically the oldest continent in the world, but they've been electing younger leaders in the past number of years. And that's sort of reversing a pattern of letting people sort of stay in power until they run out of gas. 

If you have people who are really old running a country, you risk economic stagnation because older leaders are a little more resistant to try new things and they're more interested in preserving the status quo. And so we have new technologies always coming up and leveraging those for the greater good, they're a little more hesitant to do that and more hesitant to take chances than younger leaders who are more techno-savvy.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Friday’s edition of Supercreator Daily will feature part two of my conversation with Kole. We discuss the policies lawmakers can put in place to support older Americans, how to set today’s five-year-olds who may live to 100 up for future success, how to nurture our older loved ones, and what surprised him most while writing the book.

👋🏾HI, HEY, HELLO! Good Thursday morning. It’s September 7, 2023. You’re reading Supercreator Daily, the definitive guide to the politicians, power brokers, and policies shaping the American creator experience. Get in touch: michael@supercreator.news.

SCHUMER TO TEE UP FIRST THREE FUNDING BILLS

Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER (D-N.Y.) today will file a motion to begin floor consideration of a “minibus” package of three funding bills next week as lawmakers race against the clock to keep the government open beyond the end of the month.

The first vote is expected Monday evening and be followed by regular order—a process of governance that includes the ability for senators to propose and vote on amendments ahead of a final vote on the minibus.

The three bills the Senate will consider—Agriculture-FDA, Military Construction-Veterans Affairs, and Transportation-Housing and Urban Development—all unanimously passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee this summer, a remarkable demonstration of bipartisanship that Senate leaders hope remains in the weeks ahead.

This unity has enabled Schumer to rhetorically whack House Republicans for the one-sidedness of their funding bills, which passed along party lines.

“House Republicans should follow the Senate’s example and work with Democrats to pass strong, bipartisan appropriation bills,” Schumer said on the Senate floor on Wednesday morning. “They’ll have their first chance to show their commitment to bipartisanship when they return next week.”

Government funding expires at midnight on Oct. 1. The House will be in session 11 days before this deadline, the Senate 15 days. The House has passed just one of the 12 bills that fund the federal government, while the Senate has passed none.

This will require Congress to pass a stop-gap measure, known as a continuing resolution or “CR” for Washington folks who love an acronym for everything, to keep the lights on while lawmakers work on an agreement to fund the government for the full 2024 fiscal year.

MARTIN ANNOUNCES BID TO BE CONGRESS’S YOUNGEST MEMBER

Move over, MAXWELL FROST. There’s another Gen-Zer looking to join you in Congress.

25-year-old ISAIAH MARTIN on Wednesday announced his bid to represent Texas’s 18th congressional district, comprised of inner city Houston and the surrounding area. If elected, Martin, an aerospace consultant, would be the youngest member of Congress and the second from Gen Z after Frost won his Orlando, Florida seat last year.

Martin’s launch video focuses heavily on his upbringing as a civically engaged kid who was taught the value of American democracy by his parents in his early years. He also devotes ample runtime to his work to turn the University of Houston’s campus stadium into a polling location and anti-voter legislation supported by Republican Gov. GREG ABBOTT and Texas Republicans.

In addition to voting rights, Martin’s website lists health care, job training, immigration, reproductive freedom, and gun violence among the issues he’ll prioritize on the campaign trail. Notably missing: A section on climate change, a top priority for most young candidates. (Martin did list a climate-related bill among the first he would co-sponsor if elected.) 

Martin is running to replace Rep. SHEILA JACKSON LEE (D-Texas) who is campaigning to be Houston’s next mayor and for whom he previously interned. The seat was also held by the late BARBARA JORDAN, the first Black woman from the South elected to Congress.

The district has voted for a Democrat in every election since 1972. Biden carried it by a 76–23 percent margin in 2020.

Voters of Tomorrow, a leading Gen-Z advocacy group, endorsed Martin for Congress soon after his announcement with Executive Director SANTIAGO MAYER describing Martin as the embodiment of the generation.

“Electing Isaiah offers our generation the opportunity to have a brilliant representative who deeply understands the issues that matter most to us,” Mayer said in a statement. “Voters of Tomorrow is proud to support Isaiah Martin and to mobilize the youth vote to send him to Congress.”

THEY DID THAT

Chuck Schumer slammed Senate Republicans for filing a resolution to overturn the Biden administration’s latest efforts to provide student debt relief. “It’s becoming a trend,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “Democrats work hard to find new ways to provide relief for borrowers in need, and then Republicans, instead of working with us to find a fix to our broken student loan system, immediately shoot them down.”

The Senate confirmed PHILIP JEFFERSON to be vice chair of the Federal Reserve, the board’s second-highest position. Jefferson is the second Black man to serve in the position.

Reps. ADRIANO ESPAILLAT (D-N.Y.) and JENNIFER GONZÁLEZ-COLÓN (R-Puerto Rico) reintroduced a bill that would enable FEMA to accept a broader range of homeownership and occupancy documentation from survivors of major disasters.

President Biden tested negative for COVID-19 on Wednesday morning and had no symptoms. He also tested negative on Monday night and on Tuesday following First Lady Dr. JILL BIDEN’s positive test on Sunday evening. The president will be tested again tomorrow before traveling to India for the G20. Dr. Biden is well and remains in Delaware. 

President Biden announced his administration is canceling all remaining oil and gas leases issued under the Trump administration in the Arctic Refuge, a national wildlife refuge in northeastern Alaska. The White House says the move will protect more than 13 million acres in the region and honor the Alaska natives who have lived on the lands for generations.

President Biden called GABE AMO to congratulate him on winning the Democratic primary for Rhode Island’s first congressional district. Amo, who was a special assistant to the president before running for Congress, is heavily favored to win the general election in November.

Vice President KAMALA HARRIS had Joe Biden’s back when asked about concerns he’s too old for office.

The Education Department announced that it will host the 2023 National HBCU Week Conference in Virginia later this month. The conference is billed as the nation’s premier convening of key influencers in the HBCU space.

Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN made an unannounced trip to Ukraine as the country’s counteroffensive against Russia enters its fourth month. The visit is Blinken’s since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and comes as lawmakers consider a request from the White House for billions of dollars in additional Ukraine aid. Blinken announced $1 billion in new aid for Kyiv while on the ground.

Officials characterized a Russian missile attack on a market in eastern Ukraine that killed at least 16 people as one of the deadliest in months.

A judge ruled former President Trump liable in a second defamation case brought by advice columnist E. JEAN CARROLL. A jury will decide on damages in January.

HAPPENINGS

All times Eastern

10 a.m. President Biden will receive his daily intelligence briefing. The Senate is in with two votes scheduled at 11:45 a.m. to confirm ADRIANA KUGLER to be a member of the Federal Reserve and to advance the nomination of ANNA GOMEZ to be a member of the Federal Communications Commission. The Senate will vote at 1:45 p.m. to confirm the Gomez nomination if it advances this morning.

4:45 p.m. The president will leave the White House to travel to Ramstein, Germany for a refueling stop on the way to New Delhi, India.

9:15 p.m. Vice President Harris will attend the East Asia Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia.

2:50 a.m. The vice president will travel from Jakarta to Yokota Air Base in Japan for a refueling stop.

The House is out.

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“The real crisis driving America’s teacher shortage” by Emily Tate Sullivan: “What happens when teachers can only afford to live hours away from schools?”

“What happens when you’re almost out of testosterone—and you live in Florida” by Nico Lang: “SB 254 targets primarily trans kids, but it’s having disastrous effects for adults too.”

”VIVEK RAMASWAMY and the lie of the ‘model minority’” by Prachi Gupta: “The Asian American candidate is peddling a dangerous message.”

“Elite colleges are doing it to themselves” by Rachel Shin: “Clubs at Yale and other universities have become competitive to the point of absurdity.”

“America could be in for a rough fall” by Lois Parshley: “The weather is about to get even weirder.”

“Airbnb hosts are feeling abandoned” by Molly Osberg

“A death on the field couldn’t stop the NFL now” by Will Leitch

“The decomposition of Rotten Tomatoes” by Lane Brown: “The most overrated metric in movies is erratic, reductive, and easily hacked—and yet has Hollywood in its grip.”

“Our greatest fast-food joint is Costco” by Luke Winkie: “And I will take it personally if it ever charges more than $1.50 for a hot dog.”

THAT’S ALL UNTIL TOMORROW! I hope today is everything for you. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Sign up for free.

👋🏾 Hi, hey, hello! Good Wednesday morning. It’s September 6, 2023. Welcome to Supercreator Daily, your guide to the politicians, power brokers, and policies shaping the American creator experience. Get in touch: michael@supercreator.news.

HIGHER EDUCATION

Three Senate Republicans introduced a resolution to overturn a proposed rule the Education Department is currently negotiating to provide a portion of the relief borrowers would have received had the Supreme Court upheld President JOE BIDEN’s student debt relief plan.

Sens. MIKE CRAPO (R-Idaho), JIM RISCH (R-Idaho), and BILL CASSIDY oppose the plan because they say it encourages Americans to incur debt without taking responsibility.

The average tuition and fees at four-year schools in 2020–2021 was $19,020.

Adjusted for inflation, the average tuition was $1,966.14 in 1965 when Risch earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Idaho.

Had you graduated in 1973 when Crapo earned his bachelor’s from Brigham Young University, it would have cost you $2,756.33.

Cassidy graduated from Louisiana State University in 1979 when the average tuition was less than $5,000.

The resolution was filed under the Congressional Review Act, a 1996 law that enables Congress to quickly overturn new federal regulations. Crapo, Risch, and Cassidy were joined by 14 Senate Republicans on the CRA resolution.

The House passed a CRA resolution to overturn President Biden’s original student loan plan, which would have canceled up to $20,000 for eligible borrowers.

Two House Democrats—Reps. JARED GOLDEN (D-Maine) and MARIE GLUESENKAMP PEREZ (D-Wash.) joined all Republicans to overturn the plan. One week later, Sens. JOE MANCHIN (D-W.Va.), KYRSTEN SINEMA (I-Ariz.), and JON TESTER (D-Mont.) crossed party lines to reject Biden’s plan with all Senate Republicans. President Biden would veto the resolution. Two weeks later, the House would attempt and fail to override the veto days before the Supreme Court ultimately struck down the plan.

After the Supreme Court’s decision in June, President Biden directed Education Secretary MIGUEL CARDONA to initiate a rulemaking process under the Higher Education Act to open an alternative path to debt relief for working and middle-class borrowers. The administration will take these new regulatory steps.

The first hearing for the negotiated rule was in July. Since then, the Education Department will finalize the issues addressed through rulemaking and is set to begin negotiating the terms of the proposed rule with affected interest groups during three virtual sessions beginning next month. (The department announced last week it is seeking nominations from 14 constituency groups for the Student Loan Relief committee.)

The White House did not respond to a request for comment on the latest CRA resolution.

HIGHER EDUCATION

4M BORROWERS SIGN UP FOR SAVE, PER WH

The Crapo-Risch-Cassidy CRA came on the same day the Biden administration announced four million borrowers have enrolled in the SAVE plan, an income-driven repayment program the Biden administration calls the most affordable of its kind ever created.

“Our top priority is to support borrowers as they prepare to return to repayment with the tools and resources that they need,” JASON MILLER, deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget, told reporters on Tuesday morning.

Under the SAVE plan, borrowers with undergraduate loans will have their payments reduced from 10 percent to five percent of their discretionary income.

If you have undergraduate and graduate loans, your payment will be weighted on average between five and 10 percent of your income based upon the original principal balances of the loan. The typical borrower is expected to save $1,000 per year on the plan.

JAMES KVALL, under secretary of education at the Department of Education, called the response impressive since the SAVE plan is so new (Biden announced it on June 30, the application soft-launched on July 30, and officially launched on August 22.)

“We know student loan bills are challenging for a lot of families,” Kvall said.

Since the end of July, 1.6 million borrowers have filled out an application for SAVE or another income-driven repayment program using the revamped site that enables the application to be completed in 10 minutes or less. Nearly one million of those borrowers specifically applied for the SAVE plan.

A source who applied for the program confirmed to Supercreator News the process took less than 10 minutes to complete.

“That isn’t the case if you have to dig up documentation that they’re asking for, but I had it handy so it was a matter of a simple upload,” the source said. “But sometimes you need certified documents and that can take a while to gather. So as long as you have all the files they ask for, it is a quick process.”

100,000 or more borrowers have enrolled in the program in 11 states: California (331,600), Florida (291,100), Georgia (178,600), Illinois (142,000), Michigan (143,600), North Carolina (144,300), New York (212,800), Ohio (181,400), Pennsylvania (170,200), Texas (345,800), and Virginia (104,800).

Wyoming has the lowest number of borrowers (5,100). However, Wyoming residents are the least likely to have student loan debt in the contiguous 48 states, per data from the Education Data Initiative published in April 2022.

The three sponsors of the aforementioned CRA resolution represent two states—Idaho (25,100) and Louisiana (63,800)—on the lower end of applications for the SAVE program, which likely makes their opposition to student debt relief a winner back home.

Interest resumed accruing on student loans on Sept. 1. The first debt repayments are due starting in October.

DEMOCRACY

FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT STRIKES DOWN ALABAMA MAP—AGAIN

Federal judges blocked Alabama’s new congressional map after the Republican-controlled state legislature defied an order from the Supreme Court to draw a second majority-Black district.

The three-judge federal district court panel appointed a special master to draw new districts for the state. Alabama is expected to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.

“While we were outraged by the Alabama state legislature’s open defiance of the Supreme Court’s original order to create two majority-minority districts, I am nonetheless grateful that a federal court has now intervened to protect the voice of Alabama’s Black voters,” Rep. TERRI SEWELL, the state’s only congressional Democrat, said in a statement.

Rep. SUZAN DELBENE (D-Wash.), chair of the House Democrats’ campaign arm said in a statement the court’s ruling affirms why the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is still an critical law.

“Republican officials in Alabama continue to blatantly trample on the rights of voters, admittedly defying court orders, and I applaud the court’s efforts to ensure that Alabama has a map which reflects the diversity of the state, ensuring all voices are represented in Congress,” DelBene added.

Sens. DICK DURBIN (D-Ill.) and RAPHAEL WARNOCK (D-Ga.) said in a joint statement that although they were pleased with the court’s decision won’t distract them from reintroducing legislation to restore the full protections of the VRA.

In a 5-4 decision in June, the Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s ruling to strike down the first Alabama congressional map because it violated Section 2 of the VRA by discriminating against Black voters.

The decision paved the way for Alabama to add an additional majority-Black district and empowered plaintiffs in the over 30 redistricting lawsuits across 10 different states to continue challenging racist maps under Section 2. Once it’s all said and done, these challenges could net Democrats the seats they need to flip the House from the current Republican majority next year.

SENATE

McCONNELL KINDA-SORTA-BUT-NOT-REALLY ADDRESSES THE FREEZE II

Senate Minority Leader MITCH McCONNELL (R-Ky.) quickly ended the suspense around whether he would provide more context into the incident when he froze on camera for half a minute while answering a question, the second such episode in a little more than a month.

“One particular moment of my time back home has received its fair share of attention from the press, but I assure you August was a busy month for me and my staff,” McConnell said in his first Senate floor remarks since the second freeze.

McConnell’s office circulated a letter from Dr. BRIAN MONAHAN, the attending physician of Congress, who said he reviewed MRI and EEG evaluations and consulted with the leader’s neurologists. Monahan determined the episode is not in connection with a seizure disorder or from a stroke, TIA, or Parkinson’s disease.

“There are no changes recommended in treatment protocols as you continue recovery from your March 2023 concussion.”

Read the Monahan letter.

For the most part, Senate Republicans publicly supported McConnell when asked by reporters to assess his current fitness to lead the conference. Several added they expect to receive a more fulsome account from him during their weekly conference lunch this afternoon. And while he moseyed by without acknowledging reporters on his way to the Senate chamber, he’ll face an onslaught at the weekly post-lunch stakeout.

But Senate conservatives—JOSH HAWLEY of Missouri and RAND PAUL, Kentucky’s other senator—expressed skepticism.

“I am concerned about the president’s health. I am concerned about the minority leader’s health,” Hawley, 43, told reporters. “You can’t have it both ways,” while adding he was asked about the freeze by constituents during the recess.

Paul, a physician himself, suggested Monahan’s statement last week that the episode was due to dehydration and lightheadedness failed the eye test.

“I don't think it's been particularly helpful to have the Senate doctor describing it as dehydration, which I think even a non-physician seeing that probably aren't really accepting that explanation,” he said.

McConnell did make some news in his remarks though: He said the Senate will vote on the first group of appropriations bills next week as lawmakers face an end-of-month deadline to keep the government open.

McConnell also said the Senate will take up the president’s supplemental funding request for additional Ukraine aid and replenish the government’s disaster relief coffers.

DEMOCRACY

WHITEHOUSE LODGES ETHICS COMPLAINT AGAINST ALITO

Sen. SHELDON WHITEHOUSE (D-R.I.) on Tuesday formalized his public criticisms of Justice SAMUEL ALITO in a letter to Chief Justice JOHN ROBERTS to lodge an ethics complaint that outlined five ways Alito appears to have violated the canons of judicial ethics.

“In the worst case facts may reveal, Justice Alito was involved in an organized campaign to block congressional action with regard to a matter in which he has a personal stake,” Whitehouse wrote. “Whether Justice Alito was unwittingly used to provide fodder for such interference, or intentionally participated, is a question whose answer requires additional facts.”

Read the full letter.

Whitehouse, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Courts subcommittee, has requested Roberts or the Judicial Conference investigate the situation and provide answers to the public.

Alito and Justice CLARENCE THOMAS were the subjects of a series of bombshell investigations by ProPublica in recent months that revealed a previously undisclosed trip Alito took with a billionaire businessman to a luxury resort in Alaska. Thomas accepted nearly annual trips from a wealthy Dallas-based real estate investor and sold a house and two empty lots in Savannah, Georgia to the investor but did not report the sale at the time. And the investor also paid for private school tuition for Thomas’s grandnephew but the justice did not report the gifts on his disclosure forms. Thomas amended his financial disclosure forms last week.

The Senate Judiciary Committee passed a Supreme Court ethics reform bill in July but it lacks Republican support in the House or Senate.

2024 ELECTION

BIDEN NOTCHES ENDORSEMENT FROM MAJOR PROGRESSIVE GROUP

The latest endorsement for President Biden’s reelection came on Tuesday from Indivisible, a progressive advocacy group launched after DONALD TRUMP won the presidency in 2016.

The group said the early endorsement is the first step in uniting the left to defeat Trump again in 2024, codify abortion rights, balance the Supreme Court, ban assault weapons, create a fair economy, and transition to a green future—an ambitious list of legislative priorities even if Biden is reelected and Democrats retake the House and survive a brutal Senate cycle.

What’s notable about the endorsement is that a higher percentage of respondents who supported Indivisible’s reelection endorsement (97.2 percent) than the 95 percent who supported the group’s presidential endorsement in 2020.

“To win in 2024, the president needs a diverse and broad coalition of voters in every corner of the country,” JULIE CHAVEZ RODRIGUEZ, Biden-Harris 2024 campaign manager said in a statement. “And the organizing power of groups like Indivisible will be critical as we continue to build unprecedented support for President Biden and Vice President [KAMALA] HARRIS to finish the job for the American people.”

This is a critical time for the campaign: Trump is mired in legal proceedings at every turn and the hopefuls looking to swipe the Republican nomination from him are duking it out in a fierce primary.

Meanwhile, Team Biden is focused on shoring up the multiracial coalition that sent it to the White House as recent polling indicates some vulnerabilities among Black and brown voters.

IN THE KNOW

President Biden on Monday tested negative for COVID-19. The test follows a negative test on Sunday night that followed the disclosure from the White House that First Lady Dr. JILL BIDEN tested positive. The president is scheduled to leave for India on Thursday and will be tested before traveling but White House Press Secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE declined to comment on whether he’d be tested on Wednesday as well. She also rebuffed questions about whether the White House has set up contingencies if he tests positive for COVID while in South Asia but did say Dr. Biden is feeling fine as she isolates in Delaware.

The Biden campaign announced a new ad that will air during Thursday night’s NFL season opener between the Detroit Lions and the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. The ad—titled “Get to Work”—outlines the actions President Biden took to lead the economic recovery and is part of the 16-week, $25 million blitz the Biden-Harris 2024 campaign announced last month. Watch the ad.

Rhode Island is poised to send the first Black person from the state to Congress. Former Obama and Biden administration aide GABE AMO won a crowded Democratic primary on Tuesday and is now the heavy favorite this November to represent the state’s first congressional district. Former Rep. DAVID CICILLINE vacated the seat earlier this year, which hasn’t elected a Republican in more than three decades and Biden carried by a 29-point margin in 2020. Read WPRI’s coverage.

HAPPENINGS

1:40 a.m. Vice President Harris met this morning with President JOKO WIDODO of Indonesia in Jakarta, the nation’s capital city.

2 a.m. The vice president gave opening remarks at the US-ASEAN Summit.

6:30 a.m. Vice President Harris is attending a gala dinner hosted by President Widodo and First Lady IRIANA JOKO WIDODO of Indonesia.

10 a.m. The Senate is in with three votes series scheduled (see below). President Biden will receive his daily intelligence briefing.

11:30 a.m. The Senate will vote to confirm the nomination of PHILIP JEFFERSON to be vice chair of the Federal Reserve and advance the nomination of GWYNNE WILCOX to be a member of the National Labor Relations Board.

2:15 p.m. The Senate will vote to confirm the Wilcox nomination (if advanced) and to advance the nomination of LISA COOK to be a member of the Federal Reserve. President Biden will welcome union leaders and members of a trade association to the White House to congratulate them on finalizing a new contract covering America’s west coast ports. Biden will also speak about empowering workers and strengthening the nation’s supply chains.

5:15 p.m. The Senate will vote to confirm the Cook nomination (if advanced) and to advance the nomination of ADRIANA KUGLER to be a member of the Federal Reserve.

The House is out.

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READ ALL ABOUT IT

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”Want a thriving arts scene? Build more housing.” by Ned Resnikoff: “The actors’ and writers’ strikes are exposing how high rents can smother creativity in cities like Los Angeles and New York.”

”How telling people to die became normal” by Kaitlyn Tiffany: “Merciless trolling is a face of online life that may never go away.”

”Where did all the chefs go?” by Rachel Sugar: “More and more, restaurants are opening without a big name behind the pass.”

”TikTok has transformed the concert experience” by Aja Romano. “Fans are creating new concert traditions for a new age.”

”Chlöe Bailey is ignoring the haters” by Philip Lewis: “The 25-year-old singer-songwriter has been criticized incessantly for being ‘too sexy’—and she’s explaining how she deals with it all.”

THAT’S ALL UNTIL TOMORROW! I hope today is everything for you. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Sign up for free.

The Senate will return to Washington this afternoon with a mile-long to-do list to complete by month’s end that will require cooperation from an unruly House Republican majority led by conservative rabble-rousers uninterested in compromise.

And while there’s a ton of political intrigue for those of us who cover Congress for a living. But the outcomes of the upcoming weeks will also impact your daily lives in obvious and obscure ways—so it’s worth paying attention even if you’re frustrated or confused about the legislative process.

And since these evolving dynamics can be overwhelming to keep up, let’s break them down into a septenary of questions that the upper chamber will need to answer by the end of the month to keep the legislative train on track as we hurtle towards the end of the year.

(1) Can senators stave off a House conservative rebellion to keep the government open?

This is the most pressing issue since the government will shut down on Oct. 1 if Congress fails to pass a funding bill this month. The Senate is in session 17 days this month, including today. The House is in for just 11 days once they gavel back in next Tuesday.

Let’s reflect on how we got here: President JOE BIDEN and Speaker KEVIN McCARTHY reached a deal in late May that set funding levels for the upcoming fiscal year and raised the debt limit. Weeks later, McCarthy allowed House GOP appropriators to mark up the funding bills billions of dollars below the levels he and the president agreed to. The House bills also attached poison-pill riders on policies against abortion rights, LGBTQ rights, and diversity and inclusion that rally the base but have no chance of passing the Democratic-controlled Senate and White House.

Despite their deep policy differences, Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader MITCH McCONNELL both agree the 12 bills that fund the government should be marked up to the levels set in the Biden-McCarthy agreement. In a reflection of the differences between the two chambers, Senate appropriators reported the bills out of committee with overwhelming bipartisan votes while the House Appropriations Committee was mostly split along party lines.

How this gets resolved: Lawmakers left town for August recess with the House passing just one of the 12 funding bills and the Senate zero. Congressional leaders want to pass a short-term funding bill, known as a continuing resolution. This would keep the government open at current funding levels to give both chambers more time to pass their bills and reconcile their differences. The Senate leaders want a CR through the end of the year. House conservatives are fundamentally against CRs in general so McCarthy would prefer to pass one with a shorter deadline.

“Because of what we accomplished last year, our economy is gaining momentum,” Schumer said in a letter to Senate Democrats last Friday. “We cannot afford to jeopardize that progress because MAGA Republicans want to play political games. The only way to avoid a shutdown is through bipartisanship.”

(2) How will McConnell handle the fallout from his second public freeze?

The moment instantly went viral on social media and had armchair physicians offering instant medical analysis: Leader McConnell at an event last week in his home state Kentucky, frozen on camera for half a minute and unresponsive to a reporter who’d just asked about his plans for public service beyond 2026—the end of his current Senate term.

It was the second such episode in a little more than a month: During a press conference at the Capitol in July, McConnell froze again, this time for 20 seconds. In both instances, his staff told reporters they were due to lightheadedness and dehydration, lingering symptoms from a concussion he suffered after a fall earlier this year.

Health is a delicate subject among members of Congress and this is especially true for McConnell, the longest-serving Senate party leader in US history. But the politics of age have shifted in recent years as voters attribute the dysfunction in Washington to self-serving older adults who are out of touch with mainstream desires and recoil at the reality that the top two presidential frontrunners from each party—Biden and former President DONALD TRUMP—are 80 and 77, respectively.

All eyes will be on the Senate floor this afternoon to see if and how McConnell delivers his customary daily floor remarks. And he can expect intense scrutiny from reporters at his weekly press conference after lunch with his members. What not to expect: Senate Democrats to officially weigh in—they have their own fragile members to worry about as Sen. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D-Calif.) continues to recover from a bout with shingles earlier this year.

(3) Will lawmakers move any closer to legislative action on AI?

After a series of all-senators briefings on artificial intelligence before the August recess, Schumer will host the top AI experts at the Capitol next week for the first insight forum on the subject.

The goal, according to the majority leader, is to develop a new and unique approach to drafting and passing AI legislation.

Schumer added that the forums will give senators a chance to learn and expand their knowledge of the rapidly growing technology. But it’s still uncertain if, how, and when they’ll translate all this newfound know-how into policy that threads the needle between protecting creators and consumers from exploitation without stifling innovation.

“This is not going to be easy,” Schumer wrote in his letter to his caucus. “But in the twenty-first century, we cannot behave like ostriches in the sand when it comes to AI.”

(4) Can Senate Democrats maintain momentum on judicial confirmations?

Beyond government funding, Schumer told Senate Democrats that judicial confirmations would be a top priority for his slim majority.

By the numbers: There are 31 nominations waiting for Senate action: four for the court of appeals, 25 for the district courts, and two for the US Court of International Trade.

The Biden administration has seven vacancies to fill on the courts of appeals, 61 at the district-court level, with 24 more set to occur before the end of the president’s first term.

To date, the Senate has confirmed 140 federal judges nominated by Biden, including KETANJI BROWN JACKSON, the first Black woman to sit on the Supreme Court. Biden had the most judicial nominees confirmed during a president’s first term since RONALD REAGAN in 1981. But he’s fallen behind Trump, who had 144 judges confirmed by the end of July of his third year.

(5) Will Schumer have any political capital left for the rest of his agenda?

Funding the government, confirming judges, taking action on AI—that’s a full plate by most assessments.

But Schumer also wants to pass legislation to cap the price of insulin and other prescription drugs, reform cannabis banking, strengthen online privacy for kids and teens, claw back executive compensation for failed banks, and improve rail safety after the East Palestine derailment earlier this year.

“Our committees have done excellent work to move these along,” Schumer wrote. “But we are under no illusion that we can make progress on the Senate floor unless we get bipartisan cooperation.”

How September plays out will determine how much floor time remains for the rest of these legislative priorities.

(6) When will the Senate take up Biden’s supplemental funding request?

The White House last Friday said it would seek an additional $4 billion for FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund to respond to recent extreme weather events in Hawaii, Louisiana, Vermont, and Florida.

“The president has been clear that we’re going to stand with communities across the nation as they recover from disasters for as long as it takes,” a spokesperson for the Office of Management and Budget said in a statement. “The administration is committed to working with Congress to ensure funding for the DRF is sufficient for recovery needs.

The additional DRF funding request is on top of the recent supplemental request from the White House for $12 billion for the fund. The request also included asks for $24 billion in military, economic, and humanitarian aid for Ukraine. The same request called for $4 billion for border management operations.

The good news is the top two Senate leaders have expressed public support for the supplemental. The not-so-good news: Some congressional Republicans have indicated a preference to decouple disaster aid from Ukraine funding. (FWIW: 70 House Republicans voted to end Ukraine funding in their version of the defense policy bill they passed in July.)

But that may not fly with Senate Democrats. Sen. TAMMY DUCKWORTH (D-Ill.) said she will object if Sen. RICK SCOTT (R-Fla.) attempts to pass disaster aid on its own without the rest of the White House’s supplemental request.

“I would,” Duckworth, who serves on the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees, said. “I think it’s important to include Ukraine funding.”

(7) What about the other must-pass bills?

Sept. 30 isn’t just the deadline for government funding. The current farm bill and aviation reauthorization bill are also set to expire by the end of the month.

Congress is expected to miss the deadline on the farm bill, which sets food and agriculture policy and prevents critical programs like nutrition assistance from lapsing. Senate Agriculture Chair DEBBIE STABENOW (D-Mich.) has set a December deadline to pass the farm bill.

“We are continuing to work on a bipartisan farm bill,” a spokesperson for the Senate Agriculture Committee said in a statement to Supercreator News last Friday.

The House passed a bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration this summer, but the Senate Commerce Committee hasn’t even marked up its version of the bill. A spokesperson for the committee told Supercreator News there was no guidance to provide on the status of the legislation.

And though not due until the end of the year, the House and Senate will also need to square their separate versions of the annual defense policy and programs bill and reauthorize a government surveillance law the White House says it needs on the books to intercept fentanyl traffickers, keep the West united against Russia’s war in Ukraine, and respond to threats posed by China.

“This authority has and continues to prove an essential intelligence tool,” National Security Council spokesperson JOHN KIRBY said to reporters last Friday. “So, again, we look forward to continuing to work with Congress to ensure reauthorization.”

👋🏾 HI, HEY, HELLO! Good Tuesday morning. It’s September 5, 2023. I’m counting the days until the Dallas Cowboys are back on the field to run up my blood pressure for three hours every Sunday until January. Thank you for reading Supercreator Daily, the premier guide to the politicians, power brokers, and policies shaping the American creator experience. Get in touch: michael@supercreator.news.

DR. BIDEN TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID-19—AGAIN

First Lady Dr. Jill Biden tested positive for COVID-19 late Monday evening, her communications director ELIZABETH ALEXANDER said in a statement. The first lady, who had COVID twice last August and was with President Biden in Florida on Saturday while he toured a community impacted by Hurricane Idalia, is experiencing mild symptoms and will remain at their home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. White House Press Secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE said President Biden tested negative and will test at a regular cadence this week and monitor for symptoms. Alexander’s statement ... Jean-Pierre’s statement

BIDEN SPEAKS ON POTENTIAL AUTOWORKERS STRIKE

After landing in Philadelphia to speak about labor unions on Labor Day, President Biden was asked if he was worried about an autoworkers strike—a growing possibility if the autoworkers union and the big three automakers fail to reach a deal before their current contract expires in nine days. “No, I’m not worried about a strike until happens,” he said. “I don’t think it’s going to happen.” Related reads: “Labor chief Shawn Fain worries Big Three—and the White House”... ”Fain ‘shocked’ at Biden’s opinion that an auto strike is unlikely”

OSSOFF, WARNOCK SURVEY IDALIA DAMAGE

Sens. JON OSSOFF and RAPHAEL WARNOCK (D-Ga.) on Saturday surveyed the storm damage from Hurricane Idalia and met with local leaders in Valdosta leading the recovery efforts. The visit comes after the two senators sent a letter to President Biden urging him to quickly approve the request for a disaster declaration Republican Gov. BRIAN KEMP made late last week. Read the letter

LEE TAPPED TO REP US AT UNGA

Rep BARBARA LEE (D-Calif.) will be nominated by President Biden to represent the country at the General Assembly of the United Nations from Sep. 19–26 in New York City. Lee has served in Congress since 1998 is a Senate candidate to succeed the retiring Sen. DIANNE FEINSTEIN in 2024. Also to be nominated: Rep. FRENCH HILL (R-Ark.), JANET KELLER, an advocate to many of the survivors of convicted rapist and former team doctor of the US women’s national gymnastics LARRY NASSAR team, nominee to serve as the next US ambassador to the Bahamas CALVIN SMYRE, and president of Worthe Real Estate Group JEFF WORTHE. Read the full announcement

DeSANTIS REDISTRICING MAP STRUCK DOWN

A state judge set aside North Florida’s congressional districts in a ruling that found Republican Gov. RON DeSANTIS’s redistricting map illegally diluted Black voters’ electoral power. The decision paves the way for a new Democratic district where Jacksonville’s Black voters have more influence. Read more at The Miami Herald

FAMILY OF SLAIN PREGNANT OHIO MOM DEMANDS CHARGES AGAINST OFFICER

The family of Ta’Kiya Young called for the officer responsible for killing the 21-year-old pregnant Black mom to be fired and charged after Ohio authorities released bodycam footage of the fatal shooting. “It is undeniable that Ta’Kiya’s death was not only avoidable, but also a gross misuse of power and authority,” Young’s family said in a statement. Young was accused of theft prior to being killed—she had not stolen anything—and was shot through the windshield after she turned her steering wheel to the right toward the officer standing in front of it. The officer is on paid administrative leave, pending an investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Investigations. Read more at AP News

BURNING MAN DRIVING BAN LIFTED

Partygoers on Monday finally began exiting the Black Rock Desert in Nevada—the site of Burning Man, the annual week-long campout—after event organizers lifted the driving ban they established following more than half an inch of rainfall stranded tens of thousands of participants in foot-deep mud with no working toilets over the weekend. One death was reported but local officials provided no details on the fatality. President Biden was briefed on the developments over the weekend and urged event attendees to follow the guidance of local officials. Related: “Burning Man’s climate protesters have a point”

HAPPENINGS

1:40 a.m. Vice President Harris arrived in Japan for a refueling stop en route to Jakarta, Indonesia to attend the US-ASEAN and East Asia summits and meet with Indo-Pacific leaders.

3:10 a.m. The vice president departed Japan en route to Jakarta where she will arrive at 8:55 a.m. and attend an official welcome ceremony.

11 a.m. The House will meet in a pro forma session. President Biden will receive his daily intelligence briefing in the Oval Office.

3 p.m. The Senate is in with a vote scheduled at 5:30 p.m. to advance PHILIP JEFFERSON’s nomination as vice chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve.

3:30 p.m. The president will award the Medal of Honor to Army captain LARRY TAYLOR in the East Room.

Biden’s week ahead:

• Thursday: President Biden will travel to New Delhi, India to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit.

• Friday: President Biden will meet with Prime Minister NARENDRA MODI of India.

• Saturday: The president will participate in the G20 and discuss a range of issues with partners, including climate change, the war in Ukraine, and global banking.

• Sunday: President Biden will travel to Hanoi, Vietnam and meet with General Secretary NGUYEN PHU TRONG and other leaders to discuss how to deepen cooperation between the two countries.

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“After Jacksonville shootings, historically Black colleges address security concerns, remain vigilant” by Cheyanne Mumphrey

“Welcome to college—and a lifetime of debt” by Indigo Olivier

“The other work remote workers get done” by Stephanie H. Murray: “Telecommuting allows caregivers to manage a workload that is, if anything, way too big.”

“How sharks avoid the wrath of an extreme hurricane” by Benji Jones: “These marine predators have a few clever tricks to survive storms like Idalia.”

“College football will never look the same again” by Alex Kirshner: “This season marks the long-coming end of the sport’s age-old status quo.”

“Retailers bet wrong on America’s feelings about stores” by Amanda Mull: “The internet was supposed to kill in-person shopping. But have you been to a Bass Pro?”

THAT’S ALL UNTIL TOMORROW! I hope today is everything for you. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up for free.

Thousands of people will gather in the nation’s capital this weekend to mark the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington—where the late Rev. Dr. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. delivered his historic “I Have a Dream” speech—and to continue the movement started by freedom fighters of generations past for the civil rights and economic justice of Black people.

For LE’KIESHA FRENCH, a self-described serial entrepreneur and social innovator, the 2023 March on Washington will serve as the backdrop for the launch of Future in Color, a Black think tank dedicated to increasing Black economic power by 50 percent in the next 20 years.

“When I think about the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington, I think about what that march was for: jobs,” French said to Supercreator News in an interview on Thursday afternoon. “Future in Color is about no one being left behind. It’s about creating the economic future in a world that works for everybody.”

The seed for Future in Color was planted in 2019. French felt a conviction to create an equitable pathway for indigenous, Black, and brown communities to not just participate or be in the workforce, but to own and have agency in these ecosystems.

“I became frustrated because I sat in rooms and watched seven-, eight-figure deals being created to build up the future of these cities and regions and we weren’t at the table,” French said. “That is what led me to build Future in Color. It’s really an evolution of my body of work, my learnings of how to use entrepreneurship and innovation as means of social and economic justice.”

As for the name: It was born from French digging into the data.

“I happened to look at the Census and it said by 2045, the US will be majority people of color. I’m in these rooms and I don’t see us anywhere,” she said. “This is not right. We are going to get left behind if we don’t do something. The numbers are clear: The future is color—literally. So that’s how I came up with the name.”

Instead of closing the racial wealth gap by chasing white wealth, Future in Color aims to harness the collective economic contributions and possibilities of Black and brown communities that already exist within the diaspora. French has established four pillars to facilitate this movement: innovation, ownership, investment, and advocacy.

“I started working backwards to see how we can start accelerating the global Black GDP in those sectors and industries that will create the most wealth over the next 20 years,” she said. “And so that will put us in a position where we will be shaping global markets, where we’re going to be creating the jobs of the future in emerging industries.”

The fundamental argument French is making with Future in Color: When Black and brown people do well, everyone does. But to an extent, the case has already been made.

“The problem is that it has never been quantified so it’s easy to dismiss [Black contributions] or to dismiss it or to move on as if we haven’t done that,” she said. “So that’s part of why we’re doing the global Black GDP to set the record straight on what Black people’s economic contributions and impact have been.” 

A White House official told Supercreator News that President JOE BIDEN and Vice President KAMALA HARRIS have worked every day to bring the US closer to Dr. King’s dream of equal opportunity for Americans.

In particular, the official said the president’s Bidenomics plan has delivered for Black Americans and communities across the country by increasing health care coverage by 400,000 Black people from 2020 to 2022 and producing the fastest creation rate of Black-owned small businesses in over 25 years. 

The administration has also worked to reverse decades of infrastructure disinvestment in communities of color and close the digital divide for Black families. It set a record-breaking $164 billion in federal procurement opportunities for small businesses, which included surpassing the fiscal year 2022 goal for disadvantaged small businesses. And the White House has a goal of adding $100 billion to minority-owned businesses and other underserved communities by 2025 by increasing the amount of federal contracting dollars going to these businesses by 50 percent. 

Beyond these federal investments, French said lawmakers can do more to bolster the impact of the work of private enterprises like Future in Color.

Congress, for example, could reallocate federal research and development dollars into rural, poor, Black, and brown communities. Lawmakers could also strengthen intellectual property protections for creators and data transparency regulations for big tech companies.

“We believe that data is the civil rights battle of the future,” French said.

Another consideration for the future is how to ensure more opportunities for Black women to establish and sustain themselves as power brokers like French. 

“I am a person who didn’t grow up in the political scene. I didn’t go to Ivy League schools. I’m still very much on the ground,” she said. “But I want to open up pathways and open up access and to show that it is possible for another young Black girl or young Black kid for you to be rooted where you are, but to still have a global impact. You don't have to leave and go someplace else to do so.”

👋🏾 HI, HEY, HELLO! Good Friday morning. It’s August 25, 2023. Thank you for reading Supercreator Daily, your guide to the politicians, power brokers, and policies shaping the American creator experience. Get in touch: michael@supercreator.news. PROGRAMMING NOTE: Supercreator Daily will not publish from Aug. 28 to Sep. 4. The newsletter will return to your inbox on Tuesday, Sept. 5.

THE MUGSHOT SEEN AROUND THE WORLD

Former President DONALD TRUMP turned himself in Thursday at the Fulton County jail in Georgia on 13 charges in connection with his efforts to overturn the state’s 2020 election results and unlawfully remain in power. It’s the fourth time Trump, who had until Friday at noon to surrender to authorities and was booked as inmate No. P01135809, has gone through this process—but who’s counting? What made this surrender unique is that it was memorialized with a mugshot, representing the first time in US history that a former president had a booking photo taken and released. The former president posted the photo on his campaign website with a fundraising pitch.

DEMS TO BIDEN: HURRY UP WITH THE STUDENT DEBT CANCELATION

President Biden received a letter from a contingent of congressional Democrats urging the administration to move fast to help borrowers avoid delinquency and default on their student loans. Specifically, nearly 90 lawmakers asked the president to ensure the implementation of the proposed rule to cancel targeted student debt after the Supreme Court overturned his original plan comes before the end of the 12-month on-ramp to protect borrowers from dings to their credit score for late, missed, or partial payments. ICYMI: Earlier this week, the White House announced the full launch of the SAVE plan, an income-driven repayment program. The Education Department says it will bring many borrowers’ payments to $0 per month and prevent borrowers from seeing their payments grow as long as they keep up with their required payments.

McCONNELL CONCEDES FARM BILL WILL BE LATE

Senate Minority Leader MITCH McCONNELL (R-Ky.) told the Kentucky Farm Bureau on Thursday that Congress will miss the Sept. 30 deadline to pass the farm bill, the primary food and agriculture act that prevents critical programs like nutrition assistance from expiring. All you need to do is look at the calendar to see why McConnell’s admission is unsurprising: The Senate won’t return to Washington until Sept. 5—followed by the House a week later—and priority number one will be to pass a short-term bill to keep the government open beyond the end of September while lawmakers look to fund the government for next year. FWIW, Senate Agriculture Committee Chair DEBBIE STABENOW (D-Mich.) has set a December deadline to pass a farm bill, which isn’t unprecedented.

HAPPENINGS

All times Eastern

12 p.m. The SENATE will meet in a pro forma session.

2 p.m. Vice President Harris and Second Gentleman DOUG EMHOFF will welcome the Las Vegas Aces to the White House to celebrate their 2022 WNBA championship. The HOUSE will meet in a pro forma session.

President Biden is in Lake Tahoe, Nevada and has no public events scheduled.

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“Why abortion opponents are targeting PEPFAR” by Peter Slevin: “A program that funds HIV/AIDS treatment in more than 50 countries has been ensnared in the post-Roe abortion wars.”

“Transgender adults are worried about finding welcoming spaces to live in their later years” by Andrew Demillo, Lynne Sladky, and Laura Bargfeld: “Discrimination can range from being denied housing to being misgendered and struggling to get nursing homes to acknowledge their visitation rights.”

“The Asian penalty in college admissions is still here—even without affirmative action” by Fabiola Cineas: “Legacy and geographic preferences will continue to favor white applicants, a new study finds.”

“Their school days start with border patrol—searing heat” by Alina Marzia: “For the thousands of kids who cross the US-Mexico border each day for school, hotter days are making a fraught experience more uncomfortable—and dangerous.”

“How to flirt, according to a bartender” by Alyssa Shelasky: “There are not a lot of professions left where “being a good flirt” is a healthy and celebrated characteristic—and that’s probably a good thing. But bartenders? Well, they still get to have fun if they want to.”

“How HGTV swallowed HBO” by Phillip Maciak: “Max is stripping back its prestige offerings and going big on shows like “House Hunters”—a shift decades in the making.”

THAT’S ALL UNTIL NEXT MONTH! I hope today is everything for you. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up for free.

THE MORNING AFTER • The first Republican presidential primary debate is in the books.

The eight candidates who faced off against each other during the Fox News event faced an impossible mission: Appeal to former President DONALD TRUMP’s cult-like following while making the case that they can lead the party he’s reshaped in his image better than he can.

Trump, as I mentioned in Wednesday’s debate preview, skipped the debate, choosing instead of air his grievances in the comfy confines of an interview with disgraced former Fox News host TUCKER CARLSON.

It’s unclear if voters will make the former president pay a price for his choice. What’s clear is that he came away mostly unscathed as most of the candidates spent their time ferociously attacking each other and not the current runaway GOP frontrunner or President JOE BIDEN, the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Democrats, of course, were unimpressed with what they saw—and didn’t hold back in their assessment.

“The Republican primary is a clown car. How many bozos can you fit in one party?” one strategist said to Supercreator News in a text. “You’ve got a racist, self-loathing Indian guy [entrepreneur and conspiracy theorist VIVEK RAMASWAMY], a morbidly obese corrupt Jersey politician [former New Jersey Gov. CHRIS CHRISTIE], and a vertically challenged charlatan from Florida [Gov. RON DeSANTIS] whose state is years from floating into the ocean. The best part is that they’re all being crushed by a twice-impeached, sexually assaulting racist traitor who sold us out to the Russians [Trump]. Unbelievable.”

Speaking of Trump: The former president will surrender to to Fulton County authorities on charges tied to his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. X, the social app formerly known as Twitter, is on mugshot watch. Expect the internet to break once it’s posted. (Ramaswamy said he would pardon Trump if the former president was convicted of federal charges; six of the eight candidates said they would still support Trump as the nominee even if he was convicted.)

What stood out the most: Back to the debate. These are the topline themes that caught my attention while watching the candidates in action:

(1) The establishment candidates despise Ramaswamy and think he uses his charisma to make up for the lack of a substantive agenda that can attract a winning coalition.

(2) Sen. TIM SCOTT of South Carolina’s aww-shucks vibe feels mismatched with the rough-and-tumble ethos of the modern GOP even if some are inspired by his exceptional rags-to-riches story.

(3) Christie was a boo magnet for a crowd uninterested in his attacks on Trump—perhaps because he spent years helping the former president get elected before finding the religion required to take on a former ally.

(4) Former Vice President MIKE PENCE spoke in depth about the pride he has from preventing Trump from overturning the 2020 election. Too bad it won’t matter to a base who feels he’s disloyal to a man who put Pence on the national stage.

(5) NIKKI HALEY, former Ambassador to the United Nations, made up for the weaknesses in her domestic agenda with strong positions on foreign policy—informed, one could assume, by her time as the top diplomat to the UN.

The issues: The debate moderators attempted to facilitate a robust policy discussion on the issues. Below, some highlights from the 13 pages of notes I scribbled on my pad during the two-hour event.

The economy: Of course, the candidates railed against Bidenomics. DeSantis said America is in decline as he made the case for exporting the ultraconservative agenda he’s passed in Florida to the rest of America.

“As governor, Ron DeSantis has used his bully pulpit to wage a relentless campaign of attacks on the freedom of all Floridians to be healthy, prosperous, and safe, while ensuring his billionaire and corporate elite donors continue to see their bottom lines increase in proportion to their contributions to his campaign account,” ANDERS CROY, spokesperson for Florida Watch said in a statement to Supercreator News. “The more people get to know Ron DeSantis, the less they like him.”

Haley said Republicans were just as much to blame for inflation as Democrats, pointing to the recent return of “earmarks,” which are funds appropriated by Congress for specific member projects, as an example of wasteful spending.

Pence said he was proud of his and Trump’s economic record, one anchored by trillions of dollars in tax cuts for wealthy individuals and big corporations. The former VP said he would extend those cuts if elected to the top spot. In April, I reported why doing so would be a bummer for the working- and middle-class.

Abortion: While all the candidates who spoke on this issue said they were pro-life, some differed on whether the Republican Party could pass a nationwide abortion ban against the will of the majority of Americans who support reproductive freedom.

The candidates defended their position with medically inaccurate phrases, including “late-term abortion,” partial-birth abortion,” and “abortion on demand” which mischaracterized the safe and effective procedure.

“They have to lie because the facts are against them. They espouse inflammatory talking points — meanwhile, real people across the country are suffering from the GOP’s extremist abortion bans,” ANGELA VASQUEZ-GIROUX, vice president of communications and research at NARAL Pro-Choice America said in a statement to Supercreator News. “These extremists aren’t going to stop spewing disinformation, but here’s what else you can count on: Americans are going to show up at the ballot box and defend their rights come 2024.”

Ukraine funding: Christie, Haley, and Pence were the fiercest supporters of continuing aid to the wartorn country as it defends itself against Russia’s invasion. 

DeSantis and Ramaswamy, on the other hand, opposed future funding, instead calling for those dollars to be reinvested in securing the southern border. DeSantis added he would make US aid contingent upon European nations contributing a fairer share. But as Haley noted, many nations are spending more of their country’s gross domestic product in aid to Ukraine than the US. 

Sens. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-S.C.), RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-Conn.), and ELIZABETH WARREN (D-Mass.) were in Ukraine on Wednesday to meet with President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY of Ukraine. Congress is expected to consider the White House’s supplemental request for $24 billion in additional military, economic, and humanitarian aid as early as next month. 

Climate change: When asked by one of the moderators who believed human behavior worsened the climate crisis, none of the eight candidates raised their hands.

“The climate change agenda is a hoax,” Ramaswamy said moments before Christie hit back: “I’ve had enough already tonight of a guy who sounds like ChatGPT.”

This was one of the weaker topics for the candidates as few had a clear plan for solving what the Biden administration describes as the existential threat of our time. This is unsurprising though for a group who did not deign to answer whether we’re facing a crisis to begin with. 

Education: The candidates gave voters nothing on college affordability and gun violence prevention against a backdrop of exorbitant tuition and countless school mass shootings.

Instead, several said they would eliminate the Education Department and, as Sen. Scott put it, “break the backs of the teachers’ unions.”

Burgum, one of the candidates who would ax the Education Department, said education differs from state to state and called for more innovation and less regulation.

Haley said she would promote policies that got the nation’s kids back to reading at high levels and invest in vocational programs that inspired students to build again—before doubling down on her calls for a federal trans sports ban.

The post-debate response: The Biden campaign wasted no time posting a fundraising pitch on X moments after the debate ended, invoking one of the president’s most famous Bidenisms, courtesy of his dad: “Don’t compare me to the almighty. Compare me to the alternative.”

Notably, the campaign also released a statement from Vice President KAMALA HARRIS, not President Biden—the latest indication of the prominent role she will play in the reelection campaign.

“No one on stage ‘won’ tonight’s debate. Instead, the American people heard how much they stand to lose from an extremist agenda,” Vice President KAMALA HARRIS said in a statement released by the Biden campaign. “These extremists focus on unnecessary debates meant to divide our nation in hopes that the American people will not notice they have no affirmative agenda.”

Voters of Tomorrow, a Gen-Z-led nonpartisan advocacy group, said in a statement characterized the debate as an unserious display that ignored the concerns of young voters who will decide the 2024 election.

“On climate change, abortion rights, and the economy, the disconnect between these candidates and Gen Z is astounding,” the group said. “We would love nothing more than a primary between serious candidates who care about our future. With this party, that’s apparently too much to ask for.”

The next GOP primary debate is on Sep. 27 at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California.

👋🏾 HI, HEY, HELLO! Good Thursday morning. It’s August 24, 2023. Thank you for reading Supercreator Daily, your guide to the politicians, power brokers, and policies shaping the American creator experience. Have any questions about the debate? Get in touch: michael@supercreator.news. 

IN THE KNOW

INTERNATIONAL • YEVGENY PRIGOZHIN, the leader of a private mercenary group and former close ally of President VLADIMIR PUTIN who attempted a short-lived coup against the Russian leader two months ago, was aboard a plane that crashed outside Moscow. He and the other nine passengers were presumed dead, according to Russian authorities, in what’s widely viewed as an act of revenge on Putin’s part for Prigozhin’s defiance.

• President Biden was briefed on the plane crash and spoke to reporters about after he finished a Pilates and spin class with his family near the vacation home the Bidens are renting in Lake Tahoe.

• Biden: “You may recall, when I was asked about this by you, I said I’d be careful what drink and what I rode in. I don’t know for a fact what happened but I’m not surprised.

• The president was also asked if he thought Putin was behind the crash. “There’s not much that happens in Russia that Putin’s not behind,” Biden said. “But I don’t know enough to know the answer. I’ve been working out for the last hour and a half.”

Related: Benjamin Hart / Intelligencer, “Yevgeny Prigozhin has met a predictable end” … Fred Kaplan / Slate, “Why it’s easy to see Yevgeny Prigozhin’s plane crash as Putin’s murderous revenge” 

MEDIA • A court in Russia extended the pre-trial detention of EVAN GERSHKOVICH, the Wall Street Journal reporter who has been wrongfully detained on sham espionage charges since March, CNN’s Sarah Dean and Anna Chernova report. It had been due to end on August 30 but has been stretched to November 30.

HEALTH CARE • The White House announced a project led by Emory University to develop new tools with the same mRNA technology used to make the COVID-19 vaccines to train the immune system to fight cancer and other diseases. “This is a bold endeavor that has the potential to transform the fight against cancer and other difficult diagnoses,” President Biden said in a statement.

HOUSING • Rep. MAXINE WATERS (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, led seven other Democrats in a letter to a key federal regulator to provide permanent protections for tenants in Fannie Mae- and Freddie Mac-back mortgages. If implemented, the signatories say the efforts would stabilize housing costs, protect renters, and make sure Fannie and Freddie are sound enterprises.

HAPPENINGS

All times Eastern

President Biden is in Lake Tahoe, Nevada and has no public events scheduled.

Vice President Harris is in Washington, DC and has no public events scheduled.

The House is out.

The Senate is out.

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“The secrets of debate swag” by Vanessa Friedman: “Oh, the games campaigns play much political merch. They may surprise you.”

“Meditation is more than either stress relief or enlightenment” by Oshan Jarow: “Exploring the wider range of meditation is no longer reserved for the monasteries. The new science of meditation is just getting started.”

“Welcome to the age of AI-powered dating apps” by John Herrman

“In defense of negging” by Magdalene J. Taylor

“Bama Rush is a strange, sparkly window into how America shops” by Amanda Mull: “Here’s my cute $20 Shein dress. And here are all of my $400 David Yurman bracelets.”

“The new Samantha on ‘And Just Like That’ is … Charlotte” by Susan Matthews: “She has, without a doubt, become the best part of And Just Like That…”

THAT’S ALL UNTIL TOMORROW! I hope today is everything for you. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up for free.

THE GOP DEBATE • The center of the political universe will be in Wisconsin tonight as eight presidential hopefuls take on each other in the first Republican primary debate for the chance to face President JOE BIDEN.

The details: The debate will take place at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee from 9–11 p.m. ET and be aired on Fox News. It will be moderated by BRET BAIER and MARTHA MacCALLUM.

The invitees to the debate: (1) Florida Gov. RON DeSANTIS, (2) entrepreneur and conspiracy theorist VIVEK RAMASWAMY, (3) former Vice President MIKE PENCE, (4) former Ambassador to the United Nations NIKKI HALEY, (5) former New Jersey Gov. CHRIS CHRISTIE, (6) Sen. TIM SCOTT of South Carolina, (7) Former Arkansas Gov. ASA HUTCHINSON, (8) North Dakota Gov. DOUG BURGUM.

The Democratic counter-message: Ahead of the debate, the Biden campaign and the Democratic National Committee have focused on defining the GOP field as runners in a race to the far-right in support of extreme policies that most Americans oppose.

In particular, DNC Chair JAIME HARRISON traveled throughout Wisconsin on Tuesday speaking with core parts of the Biden-Harris coalition—Black voters, women, young people, and union workers—discussing the high stakes of next year’s election.

“This election will be a choice between hope or fear, between competence or chaos, between unity or division,” Harrison told reporters. “And I believe just as they did in 2020, voters will choose hope. They’re going to choose unity. And they will send President Biden and Vice President KAMALA HARRIS back to the White House to finish the job.”

The DNC rolled out a series of billboards and will fly a plane around Milwaukee with a banner reading: “GOP 2024: A Race For the Extreme MAGA Base” and deploy a mobile billboard to circle the debate venue that features details about each GOP candidate’s agenda.

The Biden campaign also launched an ad in the Milwaukee market that features a concrete finisher and mom of two highlighting how Bidenomics has improved the lives of working families like hers. The ad is part of a 16-week, $25 million blitz Team Biden launched to reach key voters in battleground states, including what the campaign says is the largest, earliest investment in Black and Latino media for a reelection bid in history.

The method behind the message: A Biden campaign official told Supercreator News that Americans may not be tuning into every development of the Republican primary this early in the cycle so there’s an opportunity to fill that void.

“This is a moment to highlight just how extreme they are on so many issues and also that their positions are just so deeply unpopular,” the official said. “And we are more than happy to have a debate on the issues since we are on the right side of public opinion.”

It also helps that the campaign isn’t held back by the pandemic restrictions Biden’s 2020 operation had to navigate.

The official added that COVID-19 informed and updated the best ways to reach people and how people want to receive information.

“We know that there are critical parts of the Biden-Harris coalition that need direct outreach,” the official said. “And I think we’re using the Republican debate, which is in a critical turnout state, to do outreach to some of the key constituencies that we need to drive turnout on and doing it in August 2023.”

The abortion conversation: Ahead of the debate, Democrats focused on the GOP candidates’ anti-abortion records and the commitment by some to sign a national abortion ban despite recent examples across the country of voters opposing such a policy. 

“The Republicans who will be on the stage, and even those who aren’t on the stage, celebrated the end of Roe [v. Wade],” Sen. TINA SMITH (D-Minn.) said on Tuesday. “So the reality is that none of these candidates trust women enough to make these decisions for themselves because they believe that they know better and that’s why we can’t trust them to be president.”

Planned Parenthood Votes launched its first campaign ad of the election cycle in Wisconsin and on social media platforms, which features a compilation of Pence, DeSantis, Haley, Scott, and former President DONALD TRUMP expressing support for a national abortion ban.

“We have the receipts and we’re bringing them directly to the voters,” JENNY LAWSON, executive director of PPV said in a statement. “There’s nowhere to hide.”

The Trump factor: Trump is skipping tonight’s debate claiming there’s no reason to since he’s the current frontrunner. Instead, he’s expected to sit for an interview with former Fox News host TUCKER CARLSON in a petty attempt to slice viewers away from Fox because he’s big mad at the network for Lord knows what this time.

The interview will come a day before he will surrender to Fulton County authorities on charges tied to his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

His debate absence also will follow a scathing report in the Washington Post detailing how the manufacturing boom that Trump promised Wisconsin but never materialized is now happening under Biden’s watch.

“[Wisconsin] is ground zero for his failed record on the economy, his broken promises to American workers,” MICHAEL TYLER, communications director for the Biden campaign said. “So it’s no surprise that he’d be skipping the first debate here in Wisconsin.”

Neck-and-neck: Campaign officials acknowledged that despite what they call extremism from the GOP candidates, polling in battleground states shows Biden neck-and-neck with Trump, his likely opponent in the general. 

Campaign Co-Chair CEDRIC RICHMOND pointed to polling that showed President Biden wouldn’t win the Democratic nomination as one of the main reasons the president is unworried about his current numbers.

“He gets counted out every time,” Richmond said.

But the campaign added that the polling also shows why they’re not taking voters—even those who supported Biden in 2020—for granted in the early days of the reelection push.

“That’s why we’re up on the airwaves right now,” Tyler said. “And that’s gonna stand in stark contrast to what you’ll see on Wednesday night where you’ll have this slate of Republican candidates arguing into an echo chamber over who can be the most MAGA, the most extreme—and none of them will be offering solutions to the problems that face Americans.”

👋🏾 HI, HEY, HELLO! Good Wednesday morning. It’s August 23, 2023. Thank you for reading Supercreator Daily, your guide to the politicians, power brokers, and policies shaping the American creator experience. Get in touch: michael@supercreator.news. 

IN THE KNOW

SENATE 2024 • Former Rep. DEBBIE MUCARSEL-POWELL (D-Fla.) announced her campaign to unseat Sen. RICK SCOTT (R-Fla.) in the Senate next year. Mucarsel-Powell, the first Ecuadorian American and first South American-born immigrant elected to Congress, faces an uphill climb in a reddening state that with Texas represents one of the few pickup opportunities for Senate Democrats in an otherwise tough electoral map.

HEALTH CARE • The entire Texas Democratic congressional delegation called on the Biden administration to pause the state’s redetermination process in the wake of a whistleblower report that detailed the elimination of Medicaid coverage for almost 100,000 Texans. A third round of notices is scheduled to be sent next month to children, older adults, and people with disabilities receiving Medicaid. Redetermination is the process that states use to make sure enrollees maintain their eligibility for Medicaid benefits.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE • Rep. MAXINE WATERS, the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, asked the congressional watchdog agency to study the impact of AI and other house and property technologies on affordable housing. “Many point to technological developments as a source of innovation and efficiency in the housing market,” Waters wrote in a letter. “However, there is nothing innovative about technologies that generate corporate profits while neither improving consumer affordability nor increasing access to housing for all.”

GUN SAFETY • A trio of bipartisan lawmakers—Sen. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-Minn.) and Reps. BRIAN FITZPATRICK (R-Pa.) and DEBBIE DINGELL (D-Mich.)—filed a friend of the court brief in a pending Supreme Court case that will decide whether the government can ban people with a domestic violence restraining order from possessing a gun.

BIDEN REELECTION • The Biden campaign announced SERGIO GONZALES as campaign senior advisor to Vice President KAMALA HARRIS. Gonzales worked for Harris when she was a US senator for California and previously worked for Sen. MICHAEL BENNET (D-Colo.).

WORKER EMPOWERMENT • Teamsters announced it ratified the five-year agreement it reached with UPS last month to avoid a devastating worker’s strike that would have led to an economic catastrophe. The agreement passed by the highest vote—86.3 percent—for a contract in the history of the Teamsters at UPS.

HAPPENINGS

All times Eastern

President Biden is in Lake Tahoe, Nevada and has no public events scheduled.

Vice President Harris is in Washington, DC and has no public events scheduled.

The House is out.

The Senate is out.

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“Why landlords target mothers for eviction” by Bruce Covert: “Mothers are being evicted far more frequently than other Americans. This is the hidden story of America’s looming housing crisis.”

“Health care companies are using debt to trap nurses on the job” by Mark Betancourt: “Many caregivers are paying a high price for fleeing jobs they thought were unsafe or intolerable.”

“What about the women in hip hop?” by Shamira Ibrahim: “As the genre celebrates half a century of history-making, the industry owes its female creators more.”

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SAVE UP • The Biden administration just announced the full launch of the SAVE plan, an income-driven repayment program it calls the most affordable of its kind ever created.

How it works: Under the SAVE plan, borrowers with undergraduate loans will have their payments reduced from 10 percent to five percent of their discretionary income. 

If you have undergraduate and graduate loans, your payment will be weighted on average between five and 10 percent of your income based upon the original principal balances of the loan. The typical borrower is expected to save $1,000 per year on the plan.

Go to studentaid.gov/SAVE to submit an application, which will take around 10 minutes to complete. The White House is encouraging borrowers to sign up now to lower their monthly payments before payments restart this fall.

The result: The Education Department says SAVE will bring many borrowers’ payments to $0 per month and prevent borrowers from seeing their payments grow as long as they keep up with their required payments. The Education Department adds that the program will provide early forgiveness after 120 payments or around 10 to 12 years of repayment for low-balance borrowers. These benefits are targeted at low- and middle-income borrowers, community college students, and borrowers who work in public service.

How we got here: In one of its final decisions of the 2022 term, the Supreme Court in June overturned President Joe Biden’s plan to cancel up to $20,000 of student loan debt for eligible borrowers.

The president immediately announced new actions, including a rulemaking process to open an alternative path to debt relief for working- and middle-class borrowers plus a one-year on-ramp to protect borrowers from dings to their credit score for late, missed, or partial payments. Biden also rolled out the SAVE plan and promised it would be operational by the end of summer.

“On day one of my administration, I promised to fix the problems of the existing student loan program that hurt borrowers for much too long,” President Biden said in a video announcing the SAVE application. “And I’m proud we’re keeping that promise.”

The administration says SAVE is about making college more affordable going forward too.

“SAVE isn’t just about helping borrowers today,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement. “It’s about creating a more affordable pathway for millions of aspiring students who dream of earning college degrees and achieving the American dream.”

👋🏾 HI, HEY, HELLO! Good Tuesday morning. It’s August 22, 2023. Thank you for reading Supercreator Daily, your guide to the politicians, power brokers, and policies shaping the American creator experience. Get in touch: michael@supercreator.news. 

Spreading the word: In addition to the SAVE launch, The Education Department also announced a partnership with grassroots organizations to encourage borrowers to sign up for the SAVE plan—including Civic Nation, the NAACP, the National Urban League, Rise, the Student Debt Crisis Center, and UnidosUS.

Another organization the administration is collaborating with is Young Invincibles, an advocacy group focused on economic empowerment for young people.

“We are the voice of young adults. We were founded by young adults and we continue to advocate with and on behalf of young people,” Kristin McGuire, executive director of Young Invincibles, said to Supercreator News. “We bring the ability to take really complex policy situations and translate them into consumable pieces so that young people can not only understand what’s happening but engage in what’s happening.”

Supercreator News hopped on Google Hangouts to chat with McGuire about why Young Invincibles joined the outreach campaign, the difference between repayment and cancelation, the role of creativity in her work, and what you should do if you’re represented by politicians who oppose student debt relief. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Supercreator News: Can you share the backstory on why Young Invincibles decided to partner with the administration on this campaign?

Kristin McGuire: Young Invincibles has been advocating for student debt cancellation for about a decade now. And we were very pleased to have a president who not only listened to us but acted in his authority to cancel the debt. And the debt cancellation that he proposed was 100 percent legal, but unfortunately, the Supreme Court had to act in a partisan way and not allow debt cancellation for millions of Americans. 

With that being said, Young Invincibles is an organization that is dedicated to creating economic opportunity for young adults. So we have always provided consumer education for young adults across all of our issue areas so that people can make the best decisions for themselves when it comes to their personal finances. We always knew that we were going to do consumer education around student debt repayment once [it] became a reality. 

I don’t want this to be conflated with being a plan B for debt cancellation. These plans are not debt cancellation. These are repayment plans.

How would you explain the difference between repayment plans and student debt cancellation?

So there are a lot of things happening right now.

What we have is the [income-driven repayment] account adjustment, which basically means you've been in repayment for a while and you’ve hit a minimum amount of payments and the Department of Education is adjusting your account to count those payments towards income-driven repayment. 

It gets a little wonky, but there’s a program called Public Service Loan Forgiveness that if you work in public service—if you are a police officer, a teacher of fire person, a person who works for a qualifying nonprofit—if you make 120 payments while being employed at one of these types of agencies, your balance can be forgiven through public service loan forgiveness because you dedicated a portion of your career to public service. 

Now, what had been happening in the previous administration, is that when you got to those 120 payments, the previous administration was still not honoring the application for forgiveness. They were like, “That’s great, thanks, goodbye.” So President Biden said, “Well, let’s try this thing.” And he did a waiver saying if you've ever worked at qualifying places, fill out this waiver by October 31 last year and we’ll update your account.

Yeah, we covered the PSLF waiver deadline in Supercreator last year.

Right. So now since that was done, the accounts are starting to be adjusted, people are being forgiven and canceled and the program is working as it should have been working.

Why we say that all these other things are not a Plan B is because we are absolutely still advocating for [the] student debt cancellation [the Supreme Court blocked]. 

What the president has now stated is that we will go through a process called negotiated rulemaking, which is a Department of Education practice process where we look at different rules and regulations and how we can create debt cancellation from the different rules and acts within the Higher Education Act. And so that's what we're doing now.

The votes currently aren’t there in Congress to send a bill to President Biden’s desk to cancel student debt as he tried to do through executive authority. Are you resigned to the fact that there may not be a path forward in terms of congressional action?

Oh, no, Michael, there's always a path forward. 

I think that we are very confident in the negotiated rulemaking process. We are committed to seeing that process all the way through, but everything’s still on the table. 

And when we talk about the power and diversity of young adults, I think what's important is that we know that young adults are also one of the largest voting blocs we have coming through. So I do believe even if this is a much longer strategy, and we end up having to go a legislative route, we will get our desired outcome. But right now, I have full faith in the negotiated rulemaking process.

Borrowers are busy and sometimes it’s hard to break through the noise to reach them. What’s the role of creativity in the work that you and your team at Young Invincibles do to reach people where they are?

When we think about creative problem-solving, really leaning into knowing that a lot of our lawmakers have been doing this for a really long time. So they’re used to doing things the same way all the time. 

And so we’re really able to utilize our narrative-shift skills and our power of your personal story to kind of switch how these legislators think traditionally about their work and start to change some of these long-held beliefs. 

I think between our storytelling, social media, and inclusion of the arts in our work, we really have something that folks can feel engaged with and where they can utilize their different skills and talents.

Two-part question: What’s your message to lawmakers who may oppose student debt cancelation and what’s your advice to readers who live in states and districts represented by elected officials who are against the policy?

We are voters and we are constituents and we need to get out of the thought that we are helpless or we are not partners in policy in our communities. 

We have to hold our elected representatives accountable. Your city hall, your state building, and even the congressional offices are open to the public so that we can have these conversations with our elected officials. They are able to hold these long-standing beliefs or disbeliefs because no one challenges them. 

Even if there is an elected official who doesn’t hold the same viewpoints as we do, it doesn’t mean avoid their office—it actually means go there more often. Tell them the stories of your community, tell them your personal story. Let them know how their decisions impact your day-to-day life. And that’s what we should be doing.

HAPPENINGS

All times Eastern

2 p.m. The House and Senate will meet in separate pro forma sessions.

President Biden is in Lake Tahoe, Nevada and has no public events scheduled.

Vice President Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff will be in Washington, DC and have no public events scheduled.

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BIDEN TO SEE DEVASTATION AND RESILIENCE UP CLOSE • When President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden travel later this morning to the historic town of Lahaina in Maui, Hawaii, the scene of the nation’s deadliest wildfire in a century, they’ll find an island decimated by wildfires that have destroyed an estimated 2,000-plus acres of land and claimed the lives of at least 114 people.

The trip comes as House progressives and climate activists call on the president to declare a national climate emergency, a move they say would expand his authority to take further action to mitigate the damage from the storms, fires, floods, and other extreme weather events that have become commonplace in the US.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell told reporters over the weekend that the president will see the devastation firsthand and the federal government's progress since he declared the state’s major disaster declaration last week within hours of Democratic Gov. Josh Green of Hawaii’s request last week.

“I would say above all, he’s going to also see a resilient community that has come together to help one another,” Criswell said. “That’s what I saw in Maui last week. And he is going to be able to personally stand with the community—him and the first lady—to reassure them that the entire federal government is going to be with them every step of the way.”

The schedule: Once the Bidens arrive in Maui, they will board helicopters for an aerial tour of impacted areas before landing near Lahaina to visit the town to see the wildfire damage up close. The president will also get an operational update from state and local officials.

President Biden will then give a speech where he’s expected to pay respects to the lives lost and reflect on the last impacts of the wildfires on the community. This is usually when he steps into his role as consoler-in-chief, summoning a signature mix of empathy and compassion borne from his own experience with tragic loss.

“I know how profoundly loss can impact a family and a community and I know nothing can replace the loss of life,” Biden said in a statement on Sunday ahead of the visit. “I will do everything in my power to help Maui recover and rebuild from this tragedy. And throughout our efforts, we are focused on respecting sacred lands, cultures, and traditions.”

Following his speech, The Bidens will meet with survivors, first responders, community members, and other officials and volunteers who are supporting the recovery efforts before returning to Nevada where they are vacationing with family.

What’s next: Upon its return to Washington next month, Congress will be urged by the White House to consider the Biden administration’s request for supplemental funding, including $12 billion for disaster relief. 

The disaster aid is included in a package that includes additional funding for military, economic, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and billions of dollars for border management operations.

Some lawmakers have indicated a preference to take up the disaster relief request in a stand-alone bill separate from Ukraine aid and border security funding. This will be one of many pressing and complicated legislative chores facing the House and Senate this fall.

While in Maui, Biden will appoint FEMA Region 9 Administrator Bob Fenton as the chief federal response coordinator to coordinate and oversee the long-term federal recovery.

A White House official described Fenton, who led the administration’s response to the mpox outbreak in 2022 and has been on the ground in Hawaii from the day the wildfires started, as one of the nation’s most experienced disaster response-and-recovery officials.

“As the recovery moves into a next phase, the president has directed Mr. Fenton to make sure every member of this devastated community has access to everything the federal government can offer to heal and rebuild as possible,” the official added.

A top priority for Fenton will be to streamline the cumbersome process survivors have experienced while applying for FEMA aid in recent days. For example, some say they’ve been turned away because they are living in a group setting and sharing an address that mismatches the one on the documentation they’ve been asked to provide. The White House said officials on the ground would continue to work with survivors on an individual basis to match their personal circumstances to the assistance they may be eligible for.

As the Biden administration continues to support state and local search and recovery efforts, Criswell told reporters that survivors want to start the process of understanding what the road ahead looks like for them—on their own terms.

“I think the thing that I hear that the people on the ground need most is they just want to make sure that they’re going to be able to rebuild the way they want to rebuild,” she said. “And that as the federal government comes in, that we’re supporting them with their vision of what Lahaina is going to look like in the future.”

👋🏾 HI, HEY, HELLO! Good Monday morning. It’s August 21, 2023. Thank you for reading Supercreator Daily, your guide to the politicians, power brokers, and policies shaping the American creator experience. Get in touch: michael@supercreator.news. 

IN THE KNOW

MAUI WILDFIRES • Ahead of the first couple’s visit, the White House released an updated list of data and actions from the government’s response. A few highlights:

• The Transportation Department announced $3 million—the maximum amount of “quick release” emergency relief funds requested by the Hawaii state government—to offset costs for traffic management services and infrastructure repairs as a result of the wildfire damage.

• 1,000 federal personnel are on the ground, including 450 search and rescue team members and 40 canines trained to identify remains.

• The Biden administration has approved $8.2 million in assistance to over 2,700 households, including $3.4 million in initial rental assistance. (It’s unclear at press time how many households are eligible for assistance and the number that have applied.)

• FEMA has made more than 50,000 meals, 75,000 liters of water, 5,000 cots, and 10,000 blankets and shelter supplies available to the local government for distribution.

Read more for additional actions from the administration.

TROPICAL STORM HILARY • In addition to the Maui wildfires, the US is dealing with another extreme weather event on Sunday in the form of Hilary, the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in more than eight decades. 

For context: Some areas of the state got more than half an average year’s worth of rain in a few hours. 

Even more alarming: The region was rocked by a 5.1 magnitude earthquake during the storm as it braced for more floods.

President Biden said in a statement on Sunday that he continues to be briefed on the storm and his administration will provide additional assistance as requested.

The storm is expected to weaken as it makes its way north over California and Nevada while still producing heavy rain and strong winds.

OPIOID CRISIS • Reps. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Russell Fry (R-S.C.) introduced a bill that would require a federal government official to submit a report to Congress to help lawmakers understand the impact of the fentanyl crisis on American taxpayers.

The introduction of the legislation comes as recent polling shows Americans view opioids and fentanyl as the number-one health threat in the country.

The bill would focus on seven specific areas: the labor market, industry sectors, federal tax revenue, federal benefits programs, federal health programs, housing instability, and state finances.

“To combat the fentanyl crisis effectively, we need to understand the full scope of the problem,” Gallego said. “By reporting on the impacts of the fentanyl crisis on the labor market, health programs, housing, and more, the Fentanyl Crisis Research and Evaluation Act will give Congress the information we need to mitigate the burden on states and the American people.”

HAPPENINGS

All times Eastern

9 a.m. President Biden will get his daily intelligence briefing.

10:40 a.m. The president and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden will travel from Lake Tahoe, Nevada to Maui, Hawaii, arriving at 5:10 p.m.

11:25 p.m. President Biden and Dr. Biden will leave Maui to return to Lake Tahoe where they will remain until Saturday, arriving at 3:15 a.m.

2:25 p.m. Vice President Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff will travel from Los Angeles to Washington, DC, arriving at 7 p.m.

Biden’s week ahead:

• Saturday: The president and first lady to the White House from Lake Tahoe, Nevada.

Harris’s week ahead:

• Friday: The vice president and second gentleman will welcome the Las Vegas Aces to the White House to celebrate their 2022 WNBA championship. 

The House is out.

The Senate is out.

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CAMP DAVID CONFAB • President Joe Biden spent Thursday evening at the Camp David presidential retreat preparing for a historic summit today with President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea and Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan.

The summit comes as the president works to strengthen diplomatic ties between the US and the two nations with a once-fraught relationship—and as his administration attempts to moderate tensions between the US and an increasingly aggressive Chinese government.

House Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and Ranking Member Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.)—said in a statement that elevating the trilateral relationship is key to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific and rules-based order.

“We applaud both leaders for addressing historic differences to promote our shared values, enhance prosperity, and expand our economic and defense cooperation in the Indo-Pacific to address shared challenges,” the leaders added.

President Yoon addressed a joint meeting of Congress in April, the third leader to do so before Israeli President Isaac Herzog did so last month. Prime Minister Kishida visited the US in January to meet with President Biden on a range of global issues.

The itinerary: Yoon and Kishida will be transported from the Fort McNair military base in Washington, DC where they will board Marine helicopters from President Biden’s fleet. The leaders and their delegations will be formally met by the president at Camp David later this morning.

A senior administration official said the three leaders will have substantial downtime for walking the grounds along with a series of formal engagements. The president will meet with Yoon and Kishida separately to raise specific issues with Biden and his team before the three men meet together. The two leaders will share lunch together with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.

Biden, Yoon, and Kishida will also hold a joint press conference at Camp David this afternoon.

“Camp David was chosen quite carefully,” the official said. “I think there's a recognition that that that venue is reserved for only the most important and significant such meetings.”

The deliverables: The countries will release a series of three-way statements detailing the deliverables rolled out on various topics including education, technology, diplomacy, and the military.

The senior administration official said the three leaders will commit that future leaders will meet once a year, a pact that the White House is optimistic will endure due to the bipartisan agreement on the importance of the US relationship with Tokyo and Seoul.

The leaders will also take steps to invest in technology to build what the White House describes as a three-way “hotline” for the nations to engage in moments of crisis and uncertainty.

“And all three leaders will take a pledge that we would call a ‘duty to consult’ in the event of a crisis or a set of circumstances that affects the security of any one of our countries,” the official said.

A second senior administration official clarified that the pledge is not a formal alliance and doesn’t infringe upon any one of the country’s rights to defend itself under international law. It also doesn’t affect the existing bilateral treaty commitments to US and Japan and the US South Korea.

“But what it very much is is a commitment amongst our three countries that if there is a regional contingency or a threat, we will immediately and swiftly consult with one another. We will discuss ways to share information to align our messaging and to take policy actions in tandem with one another,” the official added. “What we’re building here is a common security framework that increasingly will give our leaders and our top national security officials incentive to work closely together whenever one of us faces a challenge”

Biden’s experience as an advantage: Polling shows that President Biden’s age—80 years old now, 86 at the end of a second term if re-elected—is considered a liability by some voters.

But the first senior White House official argued the president’s experience and long political life are viewed as assets in Asia.

“His long experience, his wisdom, and his seniority are, frankly, quite well regarded in Asia. And so his ability to basically sit down and encourage and apply what I would call a kind of strategic empathy made a big difference,” they said. “And so ultimately, these decisions were taken by each of the leaders. But it was carefully, appropriately, the president weighing in behind the scenes, letting them know that if we reached sufficient and effective coordination between Japan and South Korea that indeed the president would want them to come to Camp David—and here we are.”

The China factor: It should come as no surprise that China is displeased with the summit and has issued statements effectively warning Japan and South Korea not to become too cozy with the West. And experts are closely watching if these engagements push China to further align with US adversaries like Russia and North Korea.

While the White House says the US isn’t looking to isolate China by hosting the summit, it acknowledges the criticism it may receive from others who hold a different view.

“This is about securing the ramparts of the operating system of Asia that has been so very good for all of us, in terms of raising prosperity and maintaining stability,” a senior administration official said. “What we are seeking to do is not just lock in Japan and South Korea, but lock in the United States to make clear to everyone that we are here to stay in the Indo-Pacific region.”

👋🏾 HI, HEY, HELLO! Today is Friday, August 18, 2023. Thank you for reading Supercreator Daily, your guide to the politicians, power brokers, and policies shaping the American creator experience. Get in touch: michael@supercreator.news. 

IN THE KNOW

MEDIA • It’s been 108 days since the Writers Guild of America went on strike and the writers of WGA West have a message: The concentration of power between Disney, Amazon, and Netflix—companies they’ve labeled as “the new gatekeepers—offers an alarming window into the future of media.

In a report released on Thursday, the union called on lawmakers and antitrust regulators to block further consolidation in the industry, proactively investigate anti-competitive issues and outcomes, and increase regulation and oversight in streaming.

Without these reforms, the writers warn that the three media conglomerates will suppress competition, raise prices for consumers, and push down wages for creative workers.

“Writers forced to strike in this climate should come as a surprise to no one,” Laura Blum-Smith, research and public policy director for WGAW said in a statement. “For writers, [market concentration] means fewer buyers for their work, employers who exert more leverage in individual deal negotiations, and depressed pay and working conditions.”

SAG-AFTRA, a union representing around 160,000 Hollywood actors, joined 11,000 WGA members on strike last month after failing to reach a deal with the major film and TV studios.

The actors are seeking higher pay and fairer residuals when their projects are offered on streaming services, among other demands.

While on strike, SAG-AFTRA members are prohibited from working on TV shows or movies promoting completed projects. 

The top two congressional Democrats—Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries—have expressed public solidarity with the actors and writers on strike. The WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers agreed to resume negotiations last Thursday. Read the full WGA West report.

POST-ROE AMERICA • New polling from Navigator Research shows that two in three Americans would vote to protect abortion rights in their state constitution if their state held a vote on the issue—including four in five Democrats and nearly three in five independents.

When broken down by race and ethnicity, support remained strong with Black, Hispanic, white, and AAPI respondents saying they would vote to protect abortion rights at the state level.

The fresh data follows the defeat of State Issue 1—a Republican-backed effort to require a supermajority to amend Ohio’s constitution ahead of a vote this November to enshrine abortion rights.

Prior to the Ohio ballot measure, initiatives to protect abortion rights passed in Kansas, Michigan, California, Vermont, Kentucky, and Montana last year. Possible initiatives could be on the ballot next year in states including Arizona, Florida, Missouri, Maryland, and New York. 

ICYMI: “What’s next for the abortion rights movement after Issue 1” 

The poll also found that four in five Democrats, two in three independents, and nearly half of Republicans said they believed a Republican majority in Congress and Republican Congress would pass a national abortion ban despite many GOP politicians claiming the issue is for the states to decide. Navigator Research, “Abortion: A Guide for Advocates” 

HOUSING • Lord, have mercy: Mortgage rates surpassed 7 percent this week, rising to their highest level since April 2002.

“The economy continues to do better than expected and the 10-year treasury yield has moved up, causing mortgage rates to climb,” Sam Khater, chief economist for Freddie Mac, said in a statement. “Demand has been impacted by affordability headwinds, but low inventory remains the root cause of stalling home sales.”

Just a year ago, the 30-year fixed rate mortgage was 5.13 percent. Last week, rates were at 6.96 percent before spiking to 7.09 percent, a level unseen since the 7.13 percent clip recorded 21 years ago. 

Rates have been above 6.5 percent since the end of May and rising since mid-July. The Federal Reserve’s aggressive strategy of raising interest rates to cool inflation has made buying a home a costly pursuit. And homeowners who purchased when rates were low are hesitant to sell. This creates a recipe for a strained housing market—one that excludes most millennials and Gen-Z Americans from owning real estate.

Many younger Americans who have been able to purchase a home did so during the three-and-a-half years student loans were paused. But with the Supreme Court overturning President Biden’s cancelation plan in June and the payment pause coming to an end in October, experts expect renters to put off buying a home even longer. 

HAPPENINGS

All times Eastern

8 a.m. President Biden will get his daily intelligence briefing.

10:30 a.m. The House will meet in a pro forma session.

11 a.m. The president will welcome President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea and Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan to Camp David.

11:15 a.m. President Biden will meet with President Yoon and Prime Minister Kishida at Camp David.

1 p.m. The Senate will meet in a pro forma session.

3 p.m. The president will hold a joint press conference with Yoon and Kishida at Camp David.

6 p.m. President Biden will travel from Camp David to Reno, Nevada, arriving at 9:30 p.m.

Vice President Kamala Harris is in Los Angeles with Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and has no public events on her schedule.

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MEDICATION ABORTION LATEST • The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday ruled to restrict access to the abortion drug mifepristone, including by requiring in-person dispensing after the FDA allowed abortion pills to be dispensed by mail during the COVID-19 public health emergency—instead of requiring patients to receive it at a medical clinic or hospital.

The three-judge panel’s decision also shortened the window mifepristone can be used from the 10th week of pregnancy to the seventh and requires the drug to be administered in the presence of a physician. 

However, it overturned a portion of a lower court’s ruling that would have completely revoked the FDA’s approval of mifepristone, which has been in effect since 2000.

The big takeaway: Mifepristone is still broadly available now. The Fifth Circuit’s decision is on hold right now as the case works its way to the Supreme Court. But if the ruling stands, it would represent yet another significant rollback in abortion rights since Roe v. Wade was overturned last summer.

One step forward, one step back: The Fifth Circuit’s decision comes a week after Ohio voters defeated a Republican-backed ballot measure and paved the way for the state to enshrine the constitutional right to abortion care with a simple majority this November. 

Angela Vasquez-Giroux, vice president of communications and research at NARAL Pro-Choice America, told Supercreator Daily that while attacks on reproductive freedom can be discouraging following energizing wins like the country saw in Ohio last week, it’s critical to keep the current state of play in perspective.

“There are more places in the country that protect abortion access than that restrict at this moment. And we know that what we’re doing in working to protect and expand access is the work that people—80 percent at minimum—want us to be doing,” Vasquez-Giroux said. “So it can be discouraging to see something like today’s decision, but we know who’s on the side of the right and who’s got the will of the people behind them—and it’s not the Fifth Circuit.”

The reactions: Unsurprisingly, anti-abortion advocacy group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America applauded the 5th Circuit’s decision.

“We won’t rest until the FDA and the profit-driven abortion industry are held accountable for the suffering they’ve inflicted on women and girls, as well as the deaths of countless unborn children,” Katie Daniel, policy director for SBA Pro-Life America, said in a statement.

Fact check: 97 percent of all medication abortions are successful and less than one percent of patients experience any type of complications. Medication abortions are safe when performed at home without medical supervision too. 

Further reading: “5 fast facts about medication abortion, backed by doctors who know their stuff”

Vice President Kamala Harris: “This lawsuit is a threat to a woman’s freedom to make decisions about her own body and another step towards the ultimate goal of a nationwide abortion ban.”

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer: “Another extreme court ruling, another reminder that the MAGA agenda is about taking away a women’s right to choose, brick-by-brick. This baseless lawsuit should have never been heard, let alone find its way to the Supreme Court.”

House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark: “Democrats will not stop fighting to defeat these extremist attacks. We refuse to let freedom be a right solely afforded to the powerful and the privileged.”

The ramifications: Jennifer Dalven, director of the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project, told reporters on Wednesday that the effects of the decision will be felt beyond those who need abortion care.

“The court again engaged in unprecedented second-guessing at the FDA’s decision-making process,” Dalven said. “If this decision is allowed to stand, it will serve as a serious disincentive to research and development of new and critical drugs. It also opens the door for all sorts of people to come into court and try to remove drugs that Americans rely on today.”

How we got here: In April, federal judge Matthew Kacsmaryk ruled to ban mifepristone, one of the drugs used in medication abortion, siding with anti-abortion activists who claim the drug was improperly approved by the FDA—despite its high efficacy and low mortality rates. The Supreme Court upheld the FDA’s approval of mifepristone while the Fifth Circuit considered the Biden administration’s appeal. 

What’s next: The Justice Department announced it will seek a Supreme Court review of the 5th Circuit’s decision.

“We’ll have to see if the Supreme Court is willing to follow the law and follow the medical evidence or if instead, they will now to pressure from abortion opponents who are seeking to not only take away access to abortion care but do so in a way that will threaten Americans’ access to essential drugs far more broadly,” Dalven said.

👋🏾 HI, HEY, HELLO! Good Thursday morning. It’s August 17, 2023. Thank you for reading Supercreator Daily, your guide to the politicians, power brokers, and policies shaping the American creator experience. What questions do you have about the Fifth Circuit’s decision? Get in touch: michael@supercreator.news. 

IN THE KNOW

MAUI WILDFIRES • As crews continue to search the burn area on the Hawaii island, at least 111 deaths—including children—have been confirmed, according to county officials.

President Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden will travel to Maui next Monday to meet with first responders, survivors, as well as federal, state, and local officials. The announcement from White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre followed the president’s commitment on Wednesday during a trip to Wisconsin to visit the island as soon as his presence would not distract from recovery efforts.

“I know when the president travels, he's going to be able to bring hope. And he's going to speak with [Hawaii Gov. Josh Green and First Lady Jaime Green] and talk to survivors and hear their stories,” FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell told reporters on Wednesday. “And it’s that level of hope that I think is going to really be a positive impact for the community.”

A few more updates from Administrator Criswell:

• FEMA to date has:

  • mobilized millions of liters of water and food.

  • deployed more than 700 personnel to the disaster, with more than 600 already on the island.

  • dispensed $2.3 million in assistance to families.

  • approved over 1,300 registrations for assistance (Criswell did not disclose how many people are eligible for assistance).

• There are at least 40 canine search teams on the island. This is in addition to the search and rescue personnel on the way to Maui.

• The Department of Housing and Urban Development has issued a 90-day pause on foreclosures of government-issued mortgages.

• FEMA has enough resources to support the ongoing response efforts. But without the $12 billion in supplemental funding the White House requested from Congress last week, the agency would have to delay some recovery projects and push them into next year. “We may need more beyond that and my team is assessing that now.”

A quick note about the dogs: Criswell said the difficult search conditions and heat have been especially challenging for the canines.

“They have to deal with issues with their paws walking through glass and debris,” she said. “And in those conditions, the dogs require frequent rest, which is why we are sending in additional dogs to augment the operation.”

2024 ELECTION • Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) will officially launch her Senate campaign with an event in Wilmington on Saturday.

Blunt Rochester will be joined by Tom Carper—the man who hand-picked her to succeed him when he retires from the Senate next year—and local elected officials along with grassroots supporters.

The four-term representative of Delaware’s lone congressional district, Blunt Rochester became an instant frontrunner for Carper’s seat before she announced her candidacy. In addition to Carper’s backing, Blunt Rochester has the support of Senate Democratic Leader Schumer.

Blunt Rochester has already made history as the first woman and first Black person to represent Delaware in Congress. If elected to the Senate, Blunt Rochester would be the first woman of color to represent Delaware and just the third Black woman to serve in the body.

LGBTQ RIGHTS • The North Carolina state legislature voted Wednesday to override Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of three bills that would ban gender-affirming care for transgender kids, ban trans women and girls from participating in school sports consistent with their gender identity, and limit classroom discussion about sexual orientation and gender identity.

Cooper, who has declared a state of emergency for public education in North Carolina, said in a statement the veto overrides represent the General Assembly’s misplaced priorities.

“Every lawmaker in North Carolina that voted to override the governor’s veto should be ashamed of themselves,” Cathryn Oakley, senior director for legal policy at the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement. “These bills range in impact from curriculum censorship to school sports to banning best practice health care, but they have one important throughline: “Extremist legislators are trying to gain political power by harming young people and their families.”

According to an analysis by the HRC, which declared a national state of emergency for the LGBTQ community earlier this year, 2023 is trending to become the worst year on record for anti-LGBTQ legislation. Data released today from the HRC Foundation found that nearly eight in 10 LGBTQ Americans report increased fears for their personal safety as a result of gender-affirming care bans.

HAPPENINGS

All times Eastern

10 a.m. President Biden receives his daily intelligence briefing.

11:25 a.m. The president will leave the White House to travel to Avoca, Pennsylvania, arriving at 12:35 p.m.

12:55 p.m. President Biden will pay respects to former Pennsylvania First Lady Ellen Casey in advance of a viewing.

2:10 p.m. The president will travel from Avoca, Pennsylvania to Camp David, arriving at 3:15 p.m.

Vice President Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and have no public events scheduled.

The House is out.

The Senate is out.

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READ ALL ABOUT IT

“The two heroes of the Georgia indictment” by Timothy Noah

“Inside the big business of blood” by Adam Gaffney

“‘What have you been doing?’ and the brutal adultification of Black girls” by Arianna Coghill

“What it’s like being a delivery driver during a heat wave” by Gina Jiménez

“How dating apps became a paradise for predators” by Abby Vesoulis

“‘Girl’ trends and the repackaging of womanhood” by Rebecca Jennings

“Stop taking screenshots of messages” by Alexis Shore

THAT’S ALL UNTIL TOMORROW! I hope today is everything for you. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up for free.

IRA DAY AT THE WH • President Joe Biden this afternoon will celebrate the anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, the landmark health care, tax, and climate law he signed a year ago.

He’ll be joined by the two Democrats who shepherded the legislation through Congress—Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)—plus members who voted for it.

Ahead of the event, the White House introduced a new interactive feature on its website where you can see the real-world impact of the IRA and Bidenomics on people and communities across the country.

DEMS FOCUS ON VOTERS NOT GOP CREDIT-TAKERS • Several Republicans voted against the American Rescue Plan—the COVID-19 stimulus law President Biden signed in March 2021—because they said the provisions disproportionately benefited Democratic-controlled states.

But the IRA has featured an inverse asymmetry with billions of more dollars in investments funneled to red states versus blue.

Perhaps this explains in part why congressional Republicans have been so brazen in their promotion of the investments in their districts and states despite unanimous opposition to the IRA when it passed last year. (FWIW, Republicans argue that once a bill they disapprove of is signed into law, it’s their responsibility to bring as many dollars from the legislation back home.)

Privately, Democrats express frustration at what they characterize as hypocrisy from the GOP. But publicly many, including Leader Schumer brush aside questions of whether the IRA can be a political boost for Republicans as well.

Schumer told reporters during a press call on Tuesday that the IRA and the bipartisan infrastructure law and CHIPS and Science Act—the two major laws that preceded it—were crafted with a particular focus on rural America.

“When the Republicans come and show up at these things, it’s just proof positive that these are good things,” he said. “The public knows now, I think instinctively and will know even more as we move forward as many more of these projects are opened up, that this was done by the president and, frankly, the Democratic Senate.”

And while House Democrats call the IRA another example of the caucus putting people over politics, some say that what’s more dangerous than Republicans taking credit for the law back home is their attempt to repeal the IRA’s key provisions on Capitol Hill during the recent debt limit negotiations and current appropriations process.

“I will say that it is so ironic that they are home in their districts—either Republican members who voted against these bills or Republicans as candidates who raised against these bills—touting the benefits of all these bills and at the same time in our House Appropriations Committee, they're literally putting in amendments trying to chip away at bills like the IRA and infrastructure bills and the other ones,” Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) said to Supercreator Daily in July.

The White House is sensitive to the politics of the IRA and Deputy Chief of Staff Natalie Quillian said earlier this month that the officials would continue to hold Republicans accountable for their attempts to roll back progress and take credit for investments they voted against that are delivering for their communities.

But the administration sees more value in localizing the IRA by barnstorming the country with cabinet members and senior administration officials to showcase the breadth of the legislation. (By week’s end, Biden and six top officials will have traveled to 11 states to speak about the law.) There’s also an effort to tout personal success stories from Americans who have benefited from the IRA to demonstrate its impact without coming off as braggadocious.

Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), the number-three House Democrat, expressed a similar sentiment to Supercreator Daily last month.

“It’s not to praise us. It’s not to say, ‘Thank you for delivering that,’” he said. “It’s to say, ‘Trust us’ because when we get the majority again, those are the types of benefits that we’re going to help deliver for the American public.”

IRA REFRESHER • The Inflation Reduction Act is a narrowed and reconstructed version of Build Back Better, the legislative framework President Biden proposed after taking office to make the largest nationwide investment in social, infrastructure, and environmental programs since the 1930s New Deal following the Great Depression.

Leader Schumer and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) negotiated the scaled-back version of a bill in secret last summer and settled on a skinny agreement that surprised the entire Washington establishment when it was announced.

It invested $783 billion in climate provisions, expanded Obamacare subsidies for three years, empowered Medicare to negotiate drug prices for the first time, and increased funding for IRS modernization and tax enforcement on wealthy individuals and businesses.

The lawmakers paid for the bill the revenue generated from the Medicare prescription drug price reforms and a 15-percent corporate minimum tax rate for companies with $1 billion or more in annual income. The IRA also enacted a new tax on stock buybacks.

Politically, the IRA changed the outlook of the Biden presidency and helped Democrats stave off a red wave during the 2022 midterm elections. After Manchin tanked Build Back Better, there was little hope the party’s climate and tax priorities would be passed while they controlled the House and Senate. The angst feels like centuries ago one year later.

👋🏾 HI, HEY, HELLO! Good Wednesday morning. It’s August 16, 2023. Thank you for reading Supercreator Daily, your guide to the politicians, power brokers, and policies shaping the American creator experience. Get in touch: michael@supercreator.news. 

IN THE KNOW

MAUI WILDFIRES • The death toll in the has risen above 100 people, according to Democratic Gov. Josh Green of Hawaii as federal officials work with coroners, pathologists, and technicians to identify victims and process remains.

“We are heartsick that we've had so much loss,” Green said.

President Biden said on Wednesday in Wisconsin that he and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden will travel to Hawaii as soon as they can visit without disrupting the recovery efforts.

“Our prayers are with the people of Hawaii,” Biden added. “But not just our prayers. Every asset they need will be there for them. And we’ll be there for Maui as long as it takes.”

Chuck Schumer expressed his condolences to the Hawaii residents affected by the wildfires and said he had spoken to the state’s two Democratic senators, Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz.

He said he told the senators that he is fully supportive of the $12 billion the White House requested in supplemental funding for disaster relief last week and that he would do everything in his power to get it passed in the Senate.

“Whether it’s a hurricane in the south or east, flood in the midwest, wildfire in the west, Americans can’t fail to answer the call when our fellow Americans are suffering from disaster.”

GOVERNMENT FUNDING • Schumer also expressed support for a short-term continuing resolution to keep the government open into early December while the House and Senate work to pass the 12 funding bills for next fiscal year—a task that will take Congress beyond the Sep. 30 deadline.

This came a day after Speaker McCarthy told House Republicans he expected Congress would need to approve a stop-gap measure next month to prevent a government shutdown. 

Schumer praised the Senate Appropriations Committee for reporting all 12 of its bills to the full Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support and urged the House to follow suit. The House funding bills have been passed with little to no Democratic support due to the divisive policy riders Republicans have attached to each bill.

“The only way we’re going to avoid a government shutdown is by bipartisan support in both houses. You cannot keep the government open if you just want to do it with one party. It just won’t work the way our government is structured,” Schumer said. “And so we hope that our House Republicans will realize that any funding resolution has to be bipartisan or they will risk shutting down the government.”

POST-ROE AMERICA • Matthew Kacsmaryk, the Trump-appointed Texas federal judge who suspended approval of the abortion pill mifepristone in April, heard arguments on Tuesday in a case against Planned Parenthood that seeks to force it to repay millions of dollars it received through Medicaid.

Planned Parenthood says the goal of the lawsuit is to shut down the organization and strip millions of people in Texas and beyond of critical health care like cancer screenings and birth control. 

“This really is a meritless case that the judge should not let proceed any further,” Susan Manning, general counsel for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said during a brief press call with reporters, including your Supercreator Daily author. “The undisputed facts show that Planned Parenthood did not commit Medicaid fraud. Planned Parenthood organizations are nonprofit organizations that follow the law—period, full stop.”

The lawsuit—brought by the state of Texas and an anonymous plaintiff—alleges Planned Parenthood violated the False Claims Act, a federal law that imposes liability on individuals and companies who defraud government programs.

Manning said the court was deliberate in asking questions on all key issues of the case but Judge Kacsmaryk did not indicate when he would issue a ruling.

“And while this case never should have been brought in the first place or allowed to proceed, if it moves to trial, we’re confident that we will be fully vindicated and we look forward to making our arguments,” Manning said. “We are however hopeful that we will not have to get there and this case will be terminated now by the court as it should be.”

Further reading: The Texas Tribune, “Even after Planned Parenthood stopped performing abortions, Texas is still trying to shut it down” … AP News, “Texas wants Planned Parenthood to repay millions of dollars”

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE • The center-left New Democrat Coalition announced a 23-member working group on artificial intelligence to promote innovation and establish guardrails against the risks of the emerging technology.

The group will be led by Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.) with Reps. Don Beyer (D-Va.), Jeff Jackson (D-N.C.), Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.), Susie Lee (D-Nev.), and Haley Stevens (D-Mich.).

“We are already seeing how breakthroughs in this emerging technology present both great opportunities and challenges with potential disruptions for workers, for democracy, and for national security,” Kilmer said in a statement. “As AI’s expectations expand and change, it is incumbent on lawmakers to address its unique opportunities and challenges by creating a regulatory framework that both encourages growth while guarding against potential risks.”

New Dems hosted the Republican Governance Group at their weekly lunch last month in what a source familiar with the discussion said is part of an ongoing effort by the two groups to find areas of common ground in the closely divided House. Read the full announcement on the working group.

2024 CAMPAIGN • Two Democratic candidates for the Senate notched key endorsements on Tuesday.

Angela Alsobrooks, the county executive for Prince George’s County, received the backing of Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) in her campaign to replace retiring Sen. Ben Cardin as Maryland’s second senator.

Van Hollen said he’s supporting Alsobrooks because she will fight as hard every Marylander as she has for the people of PGC.

“I’ve witnessed firsthand the steady and stellar leadership of Angela Alsobrooks—in both good times and in very challenging times,” Van Hollen said in a statement. “Angela will always put Maryland’s hardworking families first and will be a partner for progress in the Senate.”

Alsobrooks has also been endorsed by Rep. Steny Hoyer, the former number-two House Democrat and the dean of the Maryland congressional delegation.

If elected, Alsobrooks would be just the third Black woman in the Senate.

In his bid to unseat Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in Texas, Dallas Congressman Colin Allred got a vote of approval from his Fort Worth neighbor Rep. Marc Veasey.

In a statement, Veasey drew a contrast between Allred as a consensus-builder always looking to create common ground and Cruz as a divider who is unfit for the job.

“Ted Cruz has no interest in doing that hard work,” Veasey said. “He’d rather find things that divide us than work across the aisle to solve problems and make things better for the Texans we serve.”

The Democratic primary for Texas and Mar. 5, 2024, while the Maryland primaries will be held on May 14, 2024.

HAPPENINGS

All times Eastern

11 a.m. President Biden will receive his daily intelligence briefing in the Oval Office.

2:30 p.m. The president will speak on the anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act in the East Room.

Vice President Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff are in Los Angeles and have no public events scheduled.

The House is out.

The Senate is out.

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READ ALL ABOUT IT

“Dianne Feinstein’s bombshell new lawsuit alleges financial abuse over husband’s estate” by Shira Stein

“The case for pool party progressivism” by Kate Aronoff

“With passionate case against MAGA, Harris comes into her own” by Jennifer Rubin

“Right price, wrong politics” by Annie Lowery

“The life and death of the Amazon brands” by John Herrman

“Reality TV’s reckoning is coming” by Claudia Rosenbaum

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CONNECT FOUR • Former President Donald Trump was indicted on 13 counts by a Georgia grand jury for his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in one of several states President Joe Biden flipped to limit Trump to one term. The charges include racketeering, allegedly making false statements, and conspiracy to use fake electors to remain in power. Read the full indictment

It’s the fourth such action taken by a state or federal jurisdiction against the former president for a litany of alleged crimes as long as a Walgreens receipt. 

But this particular indictment is notable for three reasons:

1. Similar to the New York state hush-money case, the first indictment handed down in April, the Georgia charges are for state crimes. Even if Trump were to win the presidency in 2024, he would be unable to issue himself a federal pardon to wipe away a conviction.

2. Although Georgia is led by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, he has no pardon power to absolve Trump if the former president is convicted.

3. Georgia trials are televised unless ruled otherwise by the judge so this could be the first time court proceedings involving the former president are televised. 

18 other associates were also charged in the nearly 100-page indictment along with 30 unindicted co-conspirators for conspiring to allow Trump to seize the presidency despite losing in a free and fair election.

Among those charged with Trump: Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows … former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani … attorneys John Eastman, Sidney Powell, and Jenna Ellis … former attorney general Jeffrey Clark

Another detail to note: Trump will receive a mugshot, the Fulton County sheriff said late Monday night. If true, this is a departure from the arraignments in the three other cases and would be a blow to the former president’s ability to manipulate his public image.

THE REACTIONS • In a joint statement released after the indictment was made public, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said the latest indictment demonstrates a repeated pattern of criminal activity by the former president and details a months-long plot to not only steal an election but also undermine American democracy and overturn the will of Georgians.

“The actions taken by the Fulton County District Attorney, along with other state and federal prosecutors, reaffirms the shared belief thag in America no one, not even the president is a over the law,” Schumer and Jeffries added. “As a nation built on the rule of law, we urge Mr. Trump and his supporters and his critics to allow the legal process to proceed without outside interference.”

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), the chair of the January 6th Committee that investigated the insurrection at the US Capitol former President Trump incited, said in a statement that the investigation he led revealed what the indictment confirmed.

“The ex-President’s playbook to cling to power also included an attempt to use fake slates of electors to undo the will of the people,” Thompson said. “Tonight’s indictments are part of a long journey to bring accountability for a multi-part conspiracy to overturn Georgia’s election results, which threatened the lives and livelihoods of brave election workers, like Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, who make American democracy work.”

The Trump campaign—and House Republicans including Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Judiciary Chair Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH)—responded with the company line we’ve heard before: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, like the other prosecutors before her, is weaponizing the government to interfere with the 2024 presidential campaign on behalf of President Joe Biden because Trump is the frontrunner for the Republican nominee.

This is a weak argument. It ignores the fact that a grand jury of people from each of the communities where the alleged crimes took place returned the indictments.

Also, in each case, Trump has been buried by current or former members of his inner circle and other Republicans—not so-called deep-state operatives pulling strings behind the scenes.

And finally, President Biden is the only person to defeat Trump to date. He did so with more electoral votes in 2020 than Trump won in 2016 to defeat former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The 2024 election is likely to be close again. There’s no guarantee Biden will win again. But the campaign is looking forward to a rematch with Trump instead—not afraid of it. 

Told you so: Speaking of Clinton, she warned the country that Trump would shatter US democratic norms if given the chance. But in a perfectly timed interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow on Monday night 

“I don’t feel any satisfaction,” Clinton said as the country waited for the indictments to be made public. “I feel just great profound sadness that we have a former president that has been indicted for so many charges that went to the heart of whether or not our democracy would survive.

Clinton added the only solace she took from the event is that the Trump indictment proves the justice system works.

COUNTDOWN TO AUG 25 • Arrest warrants for Trump and the 18 co-defendants have been issued but District Attorney Willis said during a press conference late Monday night that they have until Aug. 25 to voluntarily surrender in Georgia.

Willis also said she would try all 19 defendants in a trial that she hoped begins within the next six months.

“An indictment is only a series of allegations based on a grand jury’s determination of probable cause to support the charges,” Willis said. “It is now the duty of my office to prove these charges in the indictment beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.”

Read the coverage for more: Atlanta Journal-Constitution … AP News … NYT … WaPo … WSJ … Politico … CNN … NBC News … NPR … Reuters

👋🏾 HI, HEY, HELLO! Good Tuesday morning. It’s August 15, 2023. Thank you for reading Supercreator Daily, your guide to the politicians, power brokers, and policies shaping the American creator experience. What questions do you have about the Georgia Trump indictment? Get in touch: michael@supercreator.news. 

IN THE KNOW

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said the agency will have to be creative in how it uses its authorities to respond to the housing shortage exacerbated by the Maui wildfire. “This is going to require every tool that we have in our toolbox,” she said. Read FEMA’s latest update on the Hawaii response efforts  

The Education Department announced it would begin automatic discharges for over 800,000 borrowers who qualify for $39 billion in student debt relief. The action is a result of fixes to income-driven repayment plans implemented by the Biden administration since April 2022. Read the full announcement from the Department

The Biden administration announced a $200 million package of security assistance to Ukraine. It includes air defense munitions, artillery rounds, anti-armor capabilities, and more as the country defends itself from Russia’s invasion. Read the full announcement from the State Department

HAPPENINGS

All times Eastern

9 a.m. President Biden will receive his daily intelligence briefing.

9:10 a.m. Vice President Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff will leave Washington to travel to Seattle, arriving at 2:10 p.m.

10:20 a.m. The president will leave the White House to travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, arriving at 12:25 p.m.

10:45 a.m. The Senate will meet for a pro forma session.

11 a.m. The House will meet for a pro forma session.

1:05 p.m. President Biden will participate in a tour of Ingeteam, Inc., a clean-energy manufacturing company.

2 p.m. The president will speak about Bidenomics.

3 p.m. Vice President Harris will speak about the administration’s climate investments. She will be joined by Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.

3:20 p.m. President Biden will leave  Milwaukee to return to the White House, arriving at 5:20 p.m.

3:50 p.m. The vice president will get a briefing on energy-efficient upgrades made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act.

5:05 p.m. Vice President Harris and Second Gentleman Emhoff will speak at a campaign reception.

6:35 p.m. The vice president and second gentleman will travel from Seattle to Los Angeles, arriving at 8:45 p.m.

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“[Sens. John] Fetterman and [Dianne] Feinstein both face ableism. but their situations aren’t the same.” by Julia Métraux

“How America got mean” by David Brooks

“The Candy Sellers: The lives and livelihoods of some of the city’s newest migrant children” by Jordan Salama

“Biden’s Hollywood debut is on hold” by Gabriel Debenedetti

“Was The Blind Side all a bluff?” by Matt Steib

“How two pop culture Twitter accounts turned into the internet’s wire services” by Christian Paz

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