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Biden's infrastructure deal gives no clarity on corporate or individual tax rates
President Biden yesterday announced "we have a deal" on an infrastructure bill, while surrounded by a bipartisan group of senators in the White House driveway.
Between the lines: No they don't. Unless you want to make the word "deal" as squishy as the word "infrastructure" has become.
Why it matters: There is still no clarity on corporate or individual tax rates, including for income already earned in 2021.
State of play: Yesterday's agreement primarily focuses on new spending for physical infrastructure, including broadband. The IRS would get extra resources to close the so-called "tax gap," but there aren't any rate hikes. Carried interest is not addressed in the information disclosed so far.
Wait, that sounds like a deal: Biden says he wants to dance a legislative two-step. Get this $1.2 trillion infrastructure package through with GOP support, but only if he can also get a separate bill passed via reconciliation. Which may be like saying I came to an agreement with the Lamborghini dealer, so long as I can get one other thing done first.
- Indeed, some Senate Republicans are already saying they won't be held hostage to such an arrangement, with Lindsay Graham calling it a "deal breaker."
Timing: Congress is likely to work through the August recess and into the fall, per Axios' Hans Nichols. And with each passing day, the prospective of retroactive taxes becomes more complicated. Same goes for investors seeking to make decisions related to the prospective infrastructure spend.
The bottom line: Infrastructure Week may never end.
Sha'Carri Richardson's weed suspension says a lot about mental health in sports
America's best shot for Olympic gold in the women's 100 meters won't be competing, after testing positive for marijuana.
Driving the news: U.S. favorite sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson has been suspended after testing positive for marijuana that she said she used to cope with her biological mother's death, which had put her in "a state of emotional panic."
- "Don’t judge me because I am human," Richardson told Savannah Guthrie on the "Today" show. "I’m you — I just happen to run a little faster."
The big picture: Several athletes have spoken out about their mental health struggles, including names such as Olympic gold winner Michael Phelps — who was suspended in 2009 for being pictured smoking from a bong — and tennis star Naomi Osaka. Many are addressing the fact that leagues lack any sort of accommodations for mental health.
- "U.S. leagues have said within the last few years they would embed a better infrastructure for players to readily have mental health professionals," Axios' Marisa Fernandez writes.
- While research on the role of marijuana in mental health is still inconclusive, patients have reported it has been beneficial for helping them treat mental illness, including post-traumatic stress disorder.
What she's saying: "We all have our different struggles, we all have our different things we deal with, but to put on a face and have to go out in front of the world and put on a face and hide my pain," Richardson said.
- "Who are you? Who am I to tell you how to cope when you're dealing with a pain or you're dealing with a struggle that you've never experienced before or that you never thought you'd have to deal with. Who am I to tell you how to cope? Who am I to tell you you're wrong for hurting?," she added.
- "If I'm allowed to receive that blessing [compete in the Olympics] then I'm grateful for it. But if not, right now I'm just going to focus on myself."
Nike released a statement following the reports of Richardson's failed drug test, saying that she would remain as part of the company: "We appreciate Sha'Carri’s honesty and accountability and will continue to support her through this time."
- Other pro-athletes came out in support, including Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson: "I don’t know why marijuana is banned. Maybe a good reason. Maybe not. I know how it feels to lose a parent. Indescribable pain!"
- NFL player Myles Garrett pointed out that "[w]hat’s really crazy is this probably won’t even be [an] issue by the next [O]lympics," considering the continued destigmatization of the drug.
Between the lines: Richardson took the drug in Oregon, where the substance is legal. However, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency is required to adopt the policies from the World Anti-Doping Agency, which has it listed as prohibited to use in competition.
- Cannabis poses a health risk to athletes, has the potential to enhance performance and violates the spirit of sport, according to WADA.
- WADA says it is an enhancing drugs because it "reduces anxiety, allowing athletes to better perform under pressure and to alleviate stress experienced before and during competition."
- "Richardson’s period of ineligibility was reduced to one month because her use of cannabis occurred out of competition and was unrelated to sport performance, and because she successfully completed a counseling program regarding her use of cannabis," the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said.
What's next: While Richardson won't be allowed to participate in the 100-meter race, she could still run the 4x100-meter relay if selected for Team USA, ESPN reports.
Outdoor lovers beware: Ticks and poison ivy are on the rise
Americans looking to enjoy their summer outside after a pandemic year now have other threats to worry about.
The big picture: Experts are warning that ticks are on the rise and poison ivy may be more abundant this year. That means hikers, campers and anyone else excited to get outside after months of pandemic confinement should take extra precautions to avoid both.
Driving the news: Winter and spring seasons across the U.S. are becoming warmer due to climate change, creating conditions ripe for ticks and poison ivy to thrive.
Ticks are more active and abundant than usual, largely due to a mild winter, early spring and heavy rain season in parts of the U.S., according to the Weather Channel.
- "This year, most of the country fits the bill, but the Midwest is a 'tick time bomb,'" Weather Channel meteorologist Domenica Davis said last month.
- "Warm, wet weather will allow the pest to persist and even pop up in places where they're not usually found," she added.
By the numbers: Approximately 30,000 cases of Lyme disease — which is caused by a bacteria spread by some ticks — are reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by state health departments each year.
- Yes, but: The CDC notes that the number is far higher: "Recent estimates using other methods suggest that approximately 476,000 people may get Lyme disease each year in the United States."
- Symptoms of Lyme disease depend on its stage, but can include, fever, chills, rash and muscle and joint aches.
Poison ivy, meanwhile, has become more widespread and toxic in recent years due to higher levels of carbon dioxide, researchers have found.
- "An abundance of poison ivy can be detrimental to forests and nature areas, too. As it continues to grow and expand, it could potentially dominate the native vegetation and become a management concern," the Detroit Free Press reported last month.
- "More carbon dioxide in the air just makes photosynthesis in general easier ... The process is more efficient. That means essentially, all plants are bigger, bigger leaves, more productive," Katie McGlashen, a park interpreter for the Eddy Discovery Center at Waterloo Recreation Area in Michigan, told the Detroit Free Press.
By the numbers: Approximately 85% of the U.S. population is allergic to poison ivy and other similar plants, and about 15% are extremely allergic, per the American Skin Association.
- Once skin comes in contact with poison ivy, it can lead to rashes, swelling, itching, bumps and blisters, according to the CDC.
How to protect yourself:
- The FDA recommends that people learn what poison ivy looks like to correctly identify it: "Each leaf has three glossy leaflets, with smooth or toothed edges. Leaves are reddish in spring, green in summer, and yellow, orange, or red in fall. May have greenish-white flowers and whitish-yellow berries."
- To avoid ticks, the CDC says people can treat their clothing with products containing 0.5% permethrin. You can also use EPA-registered insect repellents.
- Avoid contact with wooded and brushy areas with high grass and walk in the center of trails. Shower soon after being outdoors to reduce the risk of getting rashes from ivy or tick-borne diseases.
- Check your clothing, gear and pets for ticks and remove them if spotted — never squeeze a tick to remove it, as it could worsen any infection.
- If you suspect you've been in contact with poison ivy, immediately wash you gear and clothing. Wash your pet with rubber gloves to avoid exposing yourself to plant oil, which can linger on surfaces for months.
- Contact your doctor or other health officials if you are concerned about possible exposure.
The bottom line: Don't let your guard down this summer just because you made it through a global pandemic.
School board recalls in 2021 skyrocket amid organized campaigns for critical race theory bans
Efforts to recall school board members are surging around the U.S. — and especially in California — amid Republican efforts to quash teaching about institutional racism.
Why it matters: Coordinated efforts by conservative groups are shaping public education, fueled by controversies over race as as well as backlash to COVID-19 closures.
The big picture: Just halfway through 2021, at least 51 local recall efforts involving K-12 school boards have been initiated this year, targeting at least 130 elected members of those boards.
- That's more than twice the annual average, according to Ballotpedia, a website that follows election trends.
- It's accompanying the surge of new school board candidates that Axios' Stef Kight has been tracking.
By the numbers: California alone is home to 22 of the current recall efforts. Arizona and Idaho follow with six and four recall efforts respectively.
- By comparison, Ballotpedia counted a yearly average of 23 recall efforts against 52 school board members between 2006 and 2020.
The intrigue: Historically, school board recalls tended to stem from disputes over mismanagement, open meeting violations or allegations of corruption. But this year's campaigns focus on efforts to snuff out teachings on critical race theory and displeasure about mask requirements.
- A political action committee led by former Trump Justice Department official Ian Prior is sponsoring a recall of school board members in Loudoun County, Virginia who belonged to a private Facebook group focused on anti-racism.
- Four of the seven members of the Mequon-Thiensville School District Board of Education in Wisconsin are being targeted over the district's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and introducing critical race theory lessons.
- Two of the five members of the Litchfield Elementary School District Governing Board in Arizona face a recall effort tied to objections about critical race theory.
Reality check: Critical race theory — which holds that racism is baked into the formation of the nation and ingrained in our legal, financial and education systems — was developed in law schools in the 1970s and isn't really taught in grade school.
- But some teachers have endured criticism for merely mentioning systemic racism in class or bringing up Black Lives Matter protests following the death of George Floyd last year.
- Melissa Statz, a fourth-grade teacher in Wisconsin, last year was accused by some parents of "indoctrinating children" because she introduced lessons on racism. Her school was later hit with racist graffiti.
Don't forget: Elementary school teachers, administrators, and college professors are facing fines, physical threats, and fear of firing as states pass bans to restrict critical race theory in public schools.
- Citizens for Renewing America, a group led by a White House budget director under former President Trump, offers activists model legislation to craft bans in their states.
- The proposed legislation says that equity, intersectionality, social justice, and "woke" terms are racist ideas and falsely claims that critical race theory teaches that "one race or sex is superior to another race or sex."
- Meanwhile, "Patriots for Delaware" in May endorsed five pro-school-reopening candidates for the state's elections, highlighting a local push to limit social justice discussions and defy mask mandates.
- And parents in Pennsylvania formed their own political action committee to support school board candidates running to keep kids in school in person.