First Thing: Biden says Trump 2.0 would threaten democracy

Faced with stagnant approval ratings, president ups ante in his re-election campaign. Plus, the plastic-eating bacteria that could change the world

Good morning.

Joe Biden dramatically raised the ante in the forthcoming US presidential election campaign yesterday with a stark and impassioned warning that American democracy was imperiled by a vengeful Donald Trump, his likely opponent next year.

What did he say about Trump? Referring to Trump by name just once in his half-hour speech, Biden nevertheless set out to contrast democratic norms and traditions with conduct that appeared to characterize his predecessor. He said democracy means rule of the people, not rule of the monarchy, not rule of money, not rule of the mighty."

What about the House? The House has teed up votes on four of the dozen annual spending bills that fund various agencies in hopes that would cajole enough Republicans to support a House-crafted continuing resolution that temporarily funds the government and boosts security at the US border with Mexico. It's a long shot, but McCarthy predicted a deal.