A political newsletter for normal people
WTF Just Happened Today? is a sane, once-a-day newsletter helping normal people make sense of the news. Curated daily by Matt Kiser and delivered to 200,000+ people every afternoon around 3 pm Pacific.
Day 604: "Big problems."
Today in one sentence: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis shipped about 50 migrants to Martha’s Vineyard without warning; Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sent two buses of migrants to Harris’s home in DC; the Senate delayed a vote to protect same-sex marriage until after the midterm elections; the White House announced a "tentative" agreement between rail carriers and union leaders to avert a nationwide strike; mortgage rates topped 6% for the first time in 14 years and more than double their level a year ago; Mark Meadows complied with a subpoena from the Justice Department's investigation into Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol; the New York attorney general’s office rejected an offer from Trump's lawyers to settle the civil investigation into the Trump Organization; and Trump – threatening the Justice Department – warned that there would be "big problems" if he's indicted over the mishandling classified documents after leaving the White House.
1/ Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis shipped about 50 migrants to Martha’s Vineyard without warning to make a political point about the record number of apprehensions at the southern border. While the two flights were paid for by Florida taxpayers under a state program to transport undocumented immigrants to so-called sanctuary destinations, they originated in San Antonio, Texas. The group of migrants, which included children, were told that they were being transported to Boston. Separately, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott used a state-funded program to send two buses of migrants – between 75 and 100 people – to Harris’s home in DC. The White House, meanwhile, called the actions by the two Republican governors “cruel” and “shameful” political stunts. And, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre accused Abbott of alerting Fox News to the bus’s arrivals instead of the Department of Homeland Security or the city of Washington. (New York Times / NPR / Washington Post / Texas Tribune / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal)
2/ The Senate delayed a vote to protect same-sex marriage until after the midterm elections. A bipartisan group of senators have been working to alleviate the concerns of Republicans in an attempt to persuade at least 10 of them to support the bill and overcome a filibuster. Despite the efforts, Republicans complained that their 50-member conference would view a vote as politically motivated if Chuck Schumer forced a vote before the midterms. The Respect for Marriage Act would enshrine federal protections for same-sex and interracial marriages, as well as repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which recognized marriages in the U.S. as between one man and one woman. (Politico / Washington Post / NBC News / Bloomberg)
3/ The White House announced a “tentative” agreement between rail carriers and union leaders to avert a nationwide strike that threatened to cripple U.S. supply chains. After 20 straight hours of negotiations – which included Biden and other administration officials – workers won several of the concessions they were seeking, including better pay and more flexible schedules, like time off for doctors appointments. The parties had been negotiating a new contract for several years and were facing a 12:01 am Friday deadline – the end of a “cooling off period.” Union members, however, still have to vote to ratify the agreement, which is not expected for at least a couple of weeks. Biden called the deal to avoid what would have been an economically damaging strike “a big win for America.” (NPR / Politico / CNN / New York Times / Washington Post / Bloomberg)
4/ Mortgage rates topped 6% for the first time in 14 years and more than double their level a year ago. In an effort to tamp down inflation, the Federal Reserve has raised the federal funds rate by 2 full percentage points over four meetings this year. As a result, mortgage rates have gone up, and with inflation still high in August, the Fed is expected to raise the federal funds rate again when it meets next week. Rates, however, are still below the historical average of 7.8%. (Washington Post / New York Times / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal)
5/ Mark Meadows complied with a subpoena from the Justice Department’s investigation into Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. The former White House chief of staff, who turned over the same materials he gave the House committee investigating the attack, is the highest-ranking Trump official known to have responded to a subpoena in the federal investigation. (CNN)
6/ The New York attorney general’s office rejected an offer from Trump’s lawyers to settle the civil investigation into the Trump Organization. Attorney General Letitia James is reportedly also considering suing at least one of Trump’s adult children as part of her inquiry that’s focused on whether Trump fraudulently inflated the value of his assets. Separately, the Trump Organization is going to trial next month for criminal tax charges in Manhattan. (New York Times)
7/ Trump – threatening the Justice Department – warned that there would be “big problems” if he’s indicted over the mishandling classified documents after leaving the White House. Trump, speaking to conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, said an indictment would result in “problems in this country the likes of which perhaps we’ve never seen before” and that Americans “would not stand” for his prosecution. Trump added that an indictment wouldn’t stop him from running for president again. (Politico / Washington Post)
poll/ 45% of Americans approve of the job Biden is doing as president – up from 36% in July. (Associated Press)
poll/ 70% of Americans don’t think politicians “are informed enough” about abortion to “create fair policies.” 44% believe abortion will become less accessible in their lifetime. (Politico)
A political newsletter for normal people
WTF Just Happened Today? is a sane, once-a-day newsletter helping normal people make sense of the news. Curated daily by Matt Kiser and delivered to 200,000+ people every afternoon around 3 pm Pacific.
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