Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO union president, dies aged 72 – US politics latest | US news

Immigration reporters highlight the number of migrant kids in custody in the US

Reporters for the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times are highlighting the number of migrant children and teens currently in custody of US Customs and Border Patrol:

Senators wrapping up $1T infrastructure bill, voting ahead

Nearing decision time, senators are wrapping up work on the bipartisan infrastructure plan and talks were underway Thursday to expedite consideration of the nearly $1 trillion proposal, with votes expected in the days ahead, the Associated Press reports.

A much anticipated analysis of the bill from the Congressional Budget Office concluded that the legislation would increase the national debt by about $256 billion over the next decade. Senators wanted that information before votes on the package, which could start soon and push into Saturday.

The Washington Post’s Heather Long broke down the numbers, and focused on a key takeaway: the current infrastructure bill would be “way cheaper” than tax cuts or the stimulus.

Biden, Harris acknowledge lasting toll of 6 January attack on Capitol police officers

The president and vice president both alluded to lasting trauma that officers who defended the capitol might have experienced, and Joe Biden urged anyone dealing with the after-effects of a traumatic event to seek help.

Earlier this week, Capitol police officials said that two more officers who had been present at the Capitol on 6 January had died by suicide, for a total of four. Some Democratic lawmakers shared the news with condolences to the families of the officers.

“I know there’s nothing happy about this, but it’s important,” Biden said quietly to the group of Capitol police officers and family members who had gathered around him in the Rose Garden as he signed the act awarding Congressional gold medals to the officers into law.

In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is at 800-273-8255 and online chat is also available. You can also text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis text line counselor. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org

‘We cannot allow history to be rewritten’ Biden warns, describing 6 January attack

“It was a violent attempt to overturn the will of the American people…to replace the ballot with brute force,” Biden says of 6 January in a Rose Garden address, awarding congressional gold medals to officers who defended the Capitol

You can watch live here:

Biden awards Congressional gold medals to officers who defended Capitol on 6 January

“America owes you a debt we can never fully repay,” Joe Biden told the officers, citing the even larger number of officers who were injured and hospitalized after being “assaulted by thousands of violent insurrectionists” as Congress was attempting to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election.

While many of the Trump supporters who invaded the Capitol on 6 January called themselves patriots, Vice President Kamala Harris emphasized that the police officers who defended lawmakers and the Capitol were the real patriots.

Major Democratic fundraising platform kicks off Cuomo: report

This is Lois Beckett, picking up our live politics coverage from Los Angeles.

ActBlue, a key online fundraising site for Democrats, will no longer allow New York governor Andrew Cuomo to use its platform, Axios reports.

The “decision to cut off Cuomo following damning allegations of sexual harassment and assault deals a body blow to what’s left of his political future,” Axios’ Lachlan Markay reports.

That’s it from me for today. My west coast colleague, Lois Beckett, will take over the blog for the next few hours.

Here’s where the day stands so far:

• AFL-CIO leader Richard Trumka died unexpectedly at the age of 72. Numerous politicians offered their condolences to Trumka’s family, saying he had been instrumental in strengthening workers’ rights over his long career. “He wasn’t just a great labor leader. He was a friend,” Joe Biden said of Trumka.
• Biden signed an executive order setting a goal of having half of all new US vehicles be electric by 2030. The order also established standards for car companies to gradually reduce vehicle emissions over the next five years. In a speech before signing the order, Biden argued the future of car manufacturing is electric. “The question is whether we’ll lead or fall behind in the race for the future,” the president said.
• The justice department is launching a “pattern or practice” investigation into the Phoenix police department, attorney general Merrick Garland announced. The investigation will examine whether officers have engaged in excessive force, including lethal force, and whether they have behaved unlawfully toward people experiencing homelessness.
• The Senate could hold its final vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill as early as this Saturday. Speaking on the Senate floor this morning, majority leader Chuck Schumer said, “Today, we’ll consider even more amendments, and then hopefully we can bring this bill to a close very shortly.”
• The New York state Assembly’s impeachment inquiry into governor Andrew Cuomo is “nearing completion,” the chairman of the chamber’s judiciary committee announced. The Assembly will soon consider articles of impeachment against Cuomo, after an investigation found he had sexually harassed at least 11 women.

Lois will have more coming up, so stay tuned.

House speaker Nancy Pelosi offered her condolences to the family of AFL-CIO leader Richard Trumka, who has died unexpectedly at the age of 72.

“The Congress and Country are shocked and heartbroken by the passing of an unsurpassed titan of labor: Richard Trumka,” the Democratic speaker said in a statement.

“Personally and officially, I am greatly saddened by his passing, which is a great loss for the men and women of labor, and indeed, for all hard-working Americans.”

Pelosi applauded Trumka for having “fought with principle and persistence to defend the dignity of every person” throughout his long career in the labor community.

“Richard Trumka’s life was a testament to the power of organizing and mobilizing for progress, and his leadership leaves a legacy of inspired advocacy for workers,” Pelosi said.

Joe Biden responded to a couple of shouted questions from reporters as he left the event where he signed an executive order on expanding electric vehicle production.

One reporter asked the president for his response to Florida governor Ron DeSantis’ claims that he is protecting his state from federal overreach with his pandemic policies, which include banning mask mandates in school.

Biden replied with a simple, “Governor who?”

After signing his executive order on expanding the production of electric vehicles in the US, Joe Biden took the electric Jeep Wrangler for a spin around the White House.

White House staffers had set up several electric vehicles on the South Lawn to serve as a backdrop for Biden’s speech about the need to invest in the electric car sector.

Joe Biden has signed his executive order requiring half of all new US vehicles to be electric by the end of the decade.

The order also sets standards for car companies to gradually decrease vehicle emissions over the next five years.

In his remarks before signing the order, Biden said the new policy was vital to strengthening the US economy because the future of car manufacturing will be electric.

“It’s electric, and there’s no turning back,” Biden said. “The question is whether we’ll lead or fall behind in the race for the future.”

Joe Biden began his remarks by expressing sorrow over the unexpected passing of AFL-CIO leader Richard Trumka, who has died at the age of 72.

The president said he was a little late arriving for his speech this afternoon because he was talking to Trumka’s wife and son on the phone.

“He wasn’t just a great labor leader. He was a friend,” Biden said of Trumka. “He was always there. He was an American worker.”

The president credited Trumka with helping to improve so many Americans’ lives, saying, “There’s no doubt that Rich Trumka helped build unions all across this country.”

Joe Biden will soon give a speech on his administration’s efforts to support and expand the production of electric vehicles in the US.

The president will deliver his remarks on the South Lawn, where the White House has set up some electric trucks as a backdrop for the event.

Biden is expected to sign an executive order requiring half of all new US vehicles to be electric by the end of the decade and setting standards to decrease vehicle emissions over the next five years.

The Guardian’s Oliver Milman has more details on the order here: