On Politics: Biden’s Enthusiasm Challenge

2019年8月23日星期五

On Politics: Biden’s Enthusiasm Challenge

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August 23, 2019

Morning Edition

Good Friday morning. Here are some of the stories making news in Washington and politics today.

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• There are signs of a disconnect between support for Joe Biden in polls and excitement for his campaign on the ground in Iowa. Polls show him well ahead of his Democratic rivals and winning in hypothetical matchups against President Trump. But an enthusiasm problem may be brewing, with voters saying “he’s doing O.K.,” but only because he’s recognizable.

• Stephanie Grisham, the new White House press secretary and communications director, is the latest example of Mr. Trump’s tendency to place loyalty and an embrace of his unorthodox style ahead of experience and credentials when filling top jobs.

• Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the former press secretary, will join Fox News as a contributor next month, reinforcing the strong ties between the conservative cable network and the Trump administration.

• Previously undisclosed documents reveal a sweeping effort by top officials and lawyers to oust Wayne LaPierre, the longtime head of the N.R.A. Not only has he remained, but he continues to influence the president.

• Bernie Sanders’s $16 trillion Green New Deal plan envisions building new solar, wind and geothermal power sources across the country, and calls for the United States to eliminate fossil fuel use by 2050.

• As top economists from around the globe gather for their annual conference in Wyoming this week, they will have a collective hope in mind: That the world’s political leaders will work to help safeguard economic growth.

• Growth in the United States is driven by the size of the work force and how efficiently those workers produce things. Both are currently creeping well behind the historical average. That’s why economists say immigrants will make the country richer.

• Mr. Trump has shifted his stance on the unrest in Hong Kong in recent days to show greater solidarity with the pro-democracy protesters after coming to view the issue as a point of leverage in trade negotiations with China.

• After intense debate, the president rejected a proposal from budget hawks in the administration to curb foreign aid spending after objections from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and lawmakers from both parties.

• John Hickenlooper, the former Colorado governor who ended his presidential campaign last week, announced on Thursday that he would run for a United States Senate seat in his home state, making him one of the Democrats’ best hopes in their quest to retake the chamber next year.

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Today’s On Politics briefing was compiled by Isabella Grullón Paz in New York.

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