The Atlantic Daily: Biden Is Playing the Long Game
It’s a big week for Democrats on Capitol Hill. Then: Instagram is like booze, one of our writers argues.
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Democrats, including President Joe Biden himself, are scrambling to get the party united behind a pair of massive spending bills that effectively encompass the entire Biden economic agenda. That means wrangling the progressive and moderate wings of the party around a unified vision on issues such as climate change, universal pre-K, and more. And that’s meant lots of tense negotiations and trips to the White House.
The intraparty drama this week is raising larger questions about whether Democrats are squandering their first year back in power—and what that means for the next election cycle.
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Biden isn’t panicking. Some Democrats want him to. But the president “seems to be playing a longer game,” Peter Nicholas, who covers the White House, reports.
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Progressives have already won control of the party. Biden, a career moderate, stands with them, Russell Berman reports. But if they can’t implement their vision, it could be an empty victory.
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“It’s called legislating.” Nancy Pelosi addressed the ongoing efforts in a conversation with our editor in chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, at this year’s Atlantic Festival.
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The party’s free pass on immigration is over. A recent flare-up between migrants from Haiti and Border Patrol agents may end an era of trust in the goodwill of Democratic leaders, Caitlin Dickerson writes.
The rest of the news in three sentences:
(1) The White House is trying to shield its pandemic response from a possible government shutdown that could kick in after midnight on Thursday. (2) YouTube is banning prominent anti-vaccine accounts. (3) A court suspended Britney Spears’s father, James, from the pop star’s conservatorship.
Today’s Atlantic-approved activity:
Embrace the chaos of The Morning Show’s second season.
A break from the news:
Social media is attention alcohol.
Every weekday evening, our editors guide you through the biggest stories of the day, help you discover new ideas, and surprise you with moments of delight. Subscribe to get this delivered to your inbox.