Joe Manchin’s Game-Changing Reversal

Plus: America is done with 2020, but are Biden and Trump? And Akhil Sharma rewrites his début novel. View in browser | Update your preferences Friday, July 29, 2022 In today’s newsletter, Manchin’s surprise, and then: • America is done with 2020. Are Biden and Trump? • Akhil Sharma rewrites his début novel • How to win a London garden allotment Joe Manchin’s Latest Reversal Could Be a Game Changer Finally, some positive news for President Biden and the Democrats despite the new G.D.P. report. Photograph by Bill O'Leary / The Washington Post / Getty On Wednesday, Joe Biden received some of the best news of his Presidency, with Senate Democratic leaders and Joe Manchin agreeing on the outlines of a new reconciliation bill that would reduce the cost of prescription drugs and health insurance for millions of Americans, raise taxes on major corporations, and finance the biggest set of tax incentives for green energy that the country has seen. After more than a year of wrangling and frustration, Manchin’s surprise reversal means that some important parts of Biden’s Build Back Better agenda are now likely to be enacted. Just a couple of weeks ago, the agenda seemed to be dead. The revival of big tax credits for green energy, including means-tested tax credits for the purchase of electric vehicles, is particularly notable: Democrats claim that by 2030 the new measures would reduce carbon emissions by forty per cent. Although this falls short of Biden’s original emissions goal, it would be a significant step in the right direction. —John Cassidy, from “Joe Manchin’s Latest Reversal Could Be a Game Changer” Read the story Support The New Yorker’s award-winning journalism. Subscribe today » From the News Desk Letter from Biden’s Washington Trump vs. Biden, and Biden vs. Trump: Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off Was this week a preview of our next two years of duelling Presidents? By Susan B. Glasser Politics and More Podcast New Mexico Is a “Safe Haven” for Abortion Between Texas and Arizona The state’s governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, talks about likely battles with neighboring states over abortion access. By David Remnick Politics and More Podcast Did the U.S. Miss the Chance to Stop Monkeypox? The physician and writer Dhruv Khullar on the fumbling government response to the monkeypox outbreak and what can be done now. By Michael Luo Editor’s Pick Personal History Rethinking a First Novel I have always viewed writing fiction as moral work, but never before had it felt so urgent. By Akhil Sharma Culture Dept. Onward and Upward in the Garden Winning a London Garden Allotment In the U.K., waiting lists for a plot of rented land have allegedly reached forty years. Imagine my surprise when I reached the top. By Charlotte Mendelson Second Read Elaine Kraf Wrote a Cult Classic. Then She Was Forgotten “The Princess of 72nd Street,” her only novel still in print, deserves to be more widely read—as does a previous novel, “Find Him!,” a great, overlooked work of feminist fiction. By Hannah Williams Tables for Two The Kids Are Invited, at Patti Ann’s At this new restaurant, everything on the menu—including chips with “goop” and a pig in a blanket—is suitable, theoretically, for children. By Hannah Goldfield Listen Up The Adele of Audiobooks Julia Whelan chats about narrating other people’s books (“Gone Girl”) as well as her own forthcoming novel (“Thank You for Listening”), and about how audio narrators can get snubbed on pay. By Rachel Levin Fun & Games Dept. Name Drop Play Today’s Quiz Can you guess the notable person in six clues or fewer? By Will Nediger Daily Shouts Other Sharks in Your Area A nurse shark, a shark named Josh who will correct your pronunciation of “Kyiv” and “Saoirse Ronan,” and other sharks in your area. By Henry Alford Crossword A Themed Puzzle: Dramatic Buildup Christian Grey, notably: six letters. By Lynn Lempel Daily Cartoon Friday, July 29th By Colin Tom P.S. “What does it taste like? I’m not sure, because I’ve never had anything like it. All I know is that it tastes alive, something alive at the undragged bottom of the sea; it tastes the way flesh would taste if flesh were a mineral. And I’m half gagging, though still chewing; it’s as if I had another tongue in my mouth, this blind, self-satisfied creature.” Chang-rae Lee, who was born on this day in 1965, recounts tasting sea urchin for the first time as a teen-ager. Today’s newsletter was written by Jessie Li. Thanks for reading. Let us know your thoughts about today’s edition. Plus, browse more newsletters and invite a friend to sign up for The Daily. You’re receiving this e-mail because you signed up for The Daily from The New Yorker. Manage your preferences | View our Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe Copyright © Condé Nast 2022. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.