First Thing: Biden under pressure to declare US climate emergency
President could bypass political gridlock after Manchin torpedos bill. Plus, the summer of lost luggage
Good morning.
As Joe Biden prepares to visit a coal turned wind power plant in Massachusetts on Wednesday to promote his climate action efforts, he is facing pressure to declare a national climate emergency as temperatures soar across the US and Europe.
What will it mean if Biden declares a climate emergency? The president's ability to work around Congress remains limited and the impact of declaring a climate emergency, for all its symbolism, remains ambiguous.
What's happening in Europe? Major incidents were declared by fire services across the UK dealing with multiple blazes on the country's hottest day since records began, with temperatures reaching 104.36F (40.2C). Meanwhile a large wildfire continues to destroy a pine forest in France as heatwaves break temperature records across the European continent.
What's happened to the messages? The Secret Service has said the missing texts were purged as part of a planned agency-wide reset of phones and replacement of devices. Agents were told to back up data to an internal drive, one source said, but that directive appears to have been ignored.
How many members of Congress were arrested? CPD Action said 18 congressional members were arrested. Seventeen were women. Andy Levin of Michigan was the sole congressman among them.
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