The Morning Dispatch: The Debt Ceiling Fight Continues

Happy Wednesday! The Fenway Park crowd last night reminded us just how electric the atmosphere of playoff baseball is.

Quick Hits: Today’s Top Stories

  • A former Facebook project manager testified before Congress on Tuesday, calling on the government to strengthen regulations on the social media and advertising company and alleging its products “harm children, stoke division, and weaken our democracy.” Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg responded with a lengthy statement denying that “we prioritize profit over safety and well-being” and saying most employees “don’t recognize the false picture of the company that is being painted” by the whistleblower. 

  • President Joe Biden said Tuesday night there is a “real possibility” that Democrats will try to amend the legislative filibuster to allow the Senate majority to increase the debt ceiling without relying on Republican votes or resorting to the reconciliation process. Such a move would require all 50 Democratic votes in the Senate—plus Vice President Kamala Harris as a tiebreaker—and it’s unclear if every Democrat is onboard.

  • Johnson & Johnson announced Tuesday it had formally submitted data to the Food and Drug Administration asking the regulatory body to approve a booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine. A recent Phase III clinical trial found a booster shot given 56 days after the original dose provided 94 percent protection against symptomatic COVID-19 and 100 percent protection against severe illness.

This content is available exclusively to Dispatch members
Try a membership for full access to every newsletter and all of The Dispatch. Support quality, fact-based journalism.
Already a paid member? Sign In
Comments (0)
Join The Dispatch to participate in the comments.

There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.