| Welcome to The Daily 202 newsletter! Tell your friends to sign up here. Today is the first observance of the brand new Juneteenth federal holiday. It's also the anniversary of Napoleon Bonaparte's final defeat at Waterloo (1815), and of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill's "finest hour" speech (1940). The federal government came late to the notion of formally setting aside a day to commemorate Juneteenth, an annual celebration of the end of slavery in the United States. President Biden signed legislation yesterday establishing a yearly federal holiday to mark the day in 1865 when word of Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, issued two and a half years earlier, finally reached Texas. On Wednesday, Hawaii became the 49th state to formally recognize Juneteenth as a holiday. Before the Aloha State, North Dakota joined the party on April 12. And South Dakota, the final holdout, might not be too far behind. My colleague Seung Min Kim reported: "In signing the measure — which resulted in an unexpected day off Friday for federal workers — Biden also used the occasion to advocate for more aggressive action on voting access and other racial equity measures that have been at the heart of his administration's agenda. 'Great nations don't ignore their most painful moments. They embrace them,' Biden said in a ceremony in the East Room of the White House. 'Great nations don't walk away. We come to terms with mistakes we made. And remembering those moments, we begin to heal and grow stronger.' " On June 19, 1865, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Tex., to deliver the news the Civil War was over and slavery abolished. According to the Congressional Research Service, here's part of what Granger said: "The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property, between former masters and slaves and the connection heretofore existing between them, becomes that between employer and hired labor." Texas officially made Juneteenth a state holiday on Jan. 1, 1980. At the Dallas Morning News, Emily Caldwell and Raga Justin reported this about the week's developments: "The actions came after another impassioned push by Opal Lee, a Fort Worth civil rights icon known as the grandmother of Juneteenth. Several members of Congress cited Opal as a leader in the long effort to more formally recognize Juneteenth nationally. … Enslaved people in Texas were kept in the chattel slavery system for two and a half years after Black slaves had been freed in other Confederate states, said Rebecca Hankins, a historian and Africana Resources Curator at Texas A&M University. 'That boggles the mind. That's a long time. People had probably died still enslaved, even though they were really free,' she said. 'We don't know how many people died in that state of mind that they would never be free. It is just unconscionable.' " At the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, Sonya Swink reported South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) declared a state government holiday: "'Juneteenth celebrates an important day when we came closer to making that ideal a reality for all Americans, regardless of race. I hope state employees take the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful South Dakota weather on their day off,' Noem said. Noem had previously announced Saturday's Juneteenth as South Dakota's 'Juneteenth Day' as a proclamation. However, a press release issued from Noem's office did not say whether or not Juneteenth will be a holiday for state employees in 2022." In my home state, Brent Hallenbeck of the Burlington Free Press reported: "A big year for Alexander Twilight — a Vermonter said to be the nation's first African American college graduate — includes a Juneteenth celebration Saturday that will feature the return of his artifacts to his Northeast Kingdom home. … According to information from the Old Stone House Museum, Twilight graduated from Middlebury College in 1823, becoming the first African American graduate of any U.S. college or university. He also became the first African American to serve in a state legislature when elected to the Vermont House of Representatives in 1836, according to the museum." In Biden's home state of Delaware, Brandon Holveck of the Delaware News Journal took in presentations from Delaware historian Syl Woolford and Civil War reenactor Willis Phelps: Woolford "highlighted Lincoln's attempt during the Civil War to pay Delaware to end slavery in the First State. Delaware rejected the tactic, known as compensated emancipation. … In Delaware, slavery was retained for two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. The state originally opposed ratification of the 13th (1865), 14th (1868), and 15th (1870) Amendments which eliminated slavery and provided citizenship and voting rights to Black citizens. It didn't ratify them until 1901." In the San Antonio Express, Jeremy Blackman reported: "Pete Henley, 71, was setting up tables Thursday for a Juneteenth celebration at the Old Central Cultural Center, a Galveston building that once was a segregated Black school. He said the Juneteenth holiday will help promote understanding and unity. 'All holidays have significance, no matter what the occasion or what it's about, but by it being a federal holiday, it speaks volumes to what the country thinks about that specific day,' said Henley, who studied at the school before it was integrated and is president of the cultural center. He said his family traces its roots back to enslaved men and women in the Texas city who were among the last to receive word of the Emancipation Proclamation. 'As a country, we really need to be striving toward togetherness more than anything,' Henley said. 'If we just learn to love each other, it would be so great.'" | | | Quote of the day "We've got all of these disparities that we've got to address and I mean all of them. While we've got some momentum I hope we can get some of it done. We can have one America if we try," said Opal Lee, the "Grandmother of Juneteenth." | | | What's happening now Amid a dispute over Biden's support of abortion rights, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will vote today on a controversial Communion document. "At midday Friday, the USCCB was scheduled to release the results of the vote, which pits bishops who feel that a Catholic president who supports abortion rights and receives Communion is an urgent scandal against those who see a church struggling to excite and attract adherents and who want to focus on welcoming people home," Michelle Boorstein reports. "Each side said the other was jeopardizing the church's reputation. ... 'Our credibility is on the line,' [said] San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone. He was among the members who urged the creation of the document, an idea that grew from Biden's election in November and concern about the image of him receiving Communion at Mass each week. But San Diego Archbishop Robert McElroy said the threat was the vote — which would link a politician, their policy position and the Eucharist, considered the heart of Catholic worship ... A document that so elevates the sinfulness of an abortion policy — not a personal viewpoint, as Biden says he personally accepts the church's teaching on the topic — McElroy argued, would fatally undermine the bishops' ability to speak on other things." Fueled by climate change, record-setting heat blasts in the West continue. "Millions of blasting air conditioners strained electric grids, prompting Texas and California utilities to threaten shut-offs. The National Weather Service in Las Vegas tweeted all-caps appeals for residents to stay hydrated and stay inside," Sarah Kaplan reports. "The first major heat wave of the summer has seized the western United States, toppling records and threatening lives. The event is unprecedented in its timing, intensity and scope, said Washington State University climate scientist Deepti Singh; never have such severe conditions been recorded over such a large area so early in the summer."  The thermometer at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center at Death Valley National Park in California shows a temperature reading of 129 degrees on June 16. (Norma Galeana/Reuters) | To start your day with a full political briefing, sign up for our Power Up newsletter. | | | Lunchtime reads from The Post - " 'A weird, messy race': New York mayoral campaign centers on public safety as the pandemic subsides," by Josh Dawsey: "As he sat chomping pieces of melon in a building his campaign shares with a massage salon in Flushing, Queens, [front-runner Eric] Adams described the threats plaguing New York: Heroin users shooting up in Washington Square Park. Stray bullets killing children in the borough. A recent daytime shooting in Times Square. "No one is getting on the train," he said. "I talk to people, and they say, 'I can't afford to take an Uber, but I took an Uber.' There's a state of any and everything goes in this city … The city's new ranked-choice voting — in which voters pick their preferences if their first choice is eliminated — has made it difficult to assess the race, according to strategists and consultants. No one knows how many people will vote. And in rough-and-tumble New York politics, there is always a possibility for a final surprise."
- "CDC investigating TB cases linked to tainted bone repair product used in more than 100 patients," by Lena H. Sun and Lenny Bernstein: "The manufacturer of the bone repair product has recalled 154 containers of the material — a malleable bone putty that includes human cells and is used in a variety of orthopedic procedures. The products were shipped to 37 facilities in 20 states between March 3 and April 2, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The product, made by Aziyo Biologics Inc., a regenerative medicine company, came from a single donor, or cadaver, the company said."
| | | … and beyond - "How we'll know if the Biden-Putin summit was a success," by the Bulwark's Eric S. Edelman: "Ultimately diplomacy — the kind of interpersonal relationships that Biden is talking about — have to be put in service to a policy or strategy of some kind, and here it is not clear whether the Biden administration has one yet with regard to the challenge represented by Russia. ... The challenge for the Biden administration is to come up with coherent and consistent policy to execute the larger strategic aims that the president has chosen to frame his approach — to wit, the success of democratic models of governance in the face of opposition by authoritarian powers."
- "How 'Biden Republicans' took over the suburbs," by Politico's Zack Stanton: "Between Barack Obama's campaign in 2012 and Joe Biden's in 2020, the margin of victory for Democratic presidential candidates in [Michigan's Oakland County] grew by roughly 55,000 votes. Few have noticed it, but Oakland's share of the statewide Democratic vote now exceeds that of the city of Detroit. Oakland now accounts for roughly 1 in every 7 votes statewide. And those votes are being cast for Democrats at much higher rates than they used to be. That's a problem for Republicans in a state that has played a pivotal role in the last two presidential elections. But Oakland is also a national warning light for the Republicans at the highest levels of the party."
| | | The Biden agenda A day after Biden signed the Juneteenth legislation, Trump accused the new administration of wanting to indoctrinate students with "extreme ideas" and "divisive messages." - "Trump took issue with Biden's decision to rescind a Trump directive to federal agencies to cease any training related to critical race theory, White privilege or other forms of what he called 'propaganda.' Trump's order had already been blocked by a federal judge on First Amendment grounds," John Wagner reports.
- "Critical race theory is a framework for examining systemic racism. With roots in academia, it has become a flash point as Republican officials across the country seek to prevent it from being taught in schools. Trump characterizes it as a 'program for national suicide' in his op-ed, published by RealClearPolitics."
- "In the op-ed, Trump urged state legislatures to pass bans on taxpayer dollars flowing to any school district or workplace that teaches critical race theory. He also called for states to create their own versions of a 1776 Commission to ensure that children are 'receiving a patriotic, pro-American education.' "
Children and other relatives of Biden aides are getting administration jobs. - "Biden made a promise that signaled a sharp break from his predecessor: No member of his family would be involved in government. But that vow did not extend to his senior staff and their relatives. In the first few months of Biden's presidency, at least five children of his top aides have secured coveted jobs in the new administration," Sean Sullivan and Michael Scherer report. "They include two sons and a daughter of the White House counselor, the daughter of a deputy White House chief of staff and the daughter of the director of presidential personnel."
- "The pattern — which continued this week with the Treasury Department's announcement that it was hiring J.J. Ricchetti, son of Biden counselor Steve Ricchetti — has drawn concerns from ethics experts, diversity advocates and others. They say it is disappointing that Biden didn't shift even further from the practices of Trump's presidency, which they felt reeked of nepotism and cronyism."
- "Other relatives of top Biden aides also have secured high-level administration jobs or nominations. They include the wife of White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain and the sister of White House press secretary Jen Psaki. Federal law generally prohibits government officials from hiring close relatives or encouraging their hiring, and there is no evidence that any of Biden's aides have played a role in securing the jobs for their children or other relatives."
- "The White House has maintained that everyone hired has been well qualified for their positions."
Senate Democrats are eyeing a roughly $6 trillion reconciliation package on infrastructure, health care and climate change. - "The move could allow Democrats to adopt some of their most ambitious and controversial spending and tax plans through the Senate using 51 votes, rather than the usual 60. It comes as Democratic and Republican negotiators close in on a bipartisan infrastructure deal, as President Biden has sought, though the compromise is expected to leave out many of the White House's priorities," Tony Romm, Jeff Stein and Seung Min Kim report. "Democrats must remain in lockstep in order for their economic ambitions to become law — a difficult proposition given some of the objections raised in the past from the party's more centrist wing."
- "Under the emerging reconciliation package, Democrats have said they plan to adopt key elements of Biden's two major economic packages — the $2.2 trillion American Jobs Plan and the $1.9 trillion American Families Plan — that are omitted from the Senate's bipartisan compromise."
Senate Republicans vowed yesterday to block voting legislation from advancing later this month. - In doing so, Republicans are rejecting Sen. Joe Manchin III's (D-W.Va.) compromise offer that adopted some GOP ideas in a bid to break partisan gridlock on the issue, Mike DeBonis and Vanessa Williams report.
- "The pledge from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) all but guarantees that Republicans will filibuster a sweeping voting bill that Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) is sending to the floor Tuesday. Parts of the bill are meant to overrule provisions contained in a host of GOP-passed state laws that have placed restrictions on early voting, mail-in voting, ballot drop boxes and other policies that make it easier to cast a ballot, in response to Trump's false claims of a stolen 2020 presidential election."
- "The only remaining question is whether all 50 Democratic senators will unite in support of debating the bill, known as the For the People Act, and how they will react once Republicans block the legislation."
- "After huddling with his fellow Democratic senators Thursday, Manchin suggested that he would join with them to at least start debating the bill next week. 'I would think we all would want to do that,' he said. 'You could air your differences that you might have or what your concerns are or what your thoughts may be.' "
Biden will address the nation today about the pandemic as the country is on the verge of falling short of his vaccination goal. - The country is on to fall short of Biden's goal of administering at least one vaccination shot to 70 percent of adults by July 4, Wagner reports.
- "Vaccination rates vary enormously across states: Some states have given at least one dose to two-thirds of the people, while others have given it to slightly more than one-third."
| | | The new world order Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro wants a U.S. deal but said he sees no "positive sign" from Biden. - In an interview with Bloomberg Television, Maduro said Venezuela has broken free of "irrational, extremist, cruel" U.S. oppression. "Russia, China, Iran and Cuba are allies, his domestic opposition is impotent. If Venezuela suffers from a bad image, it's because of a well-funded campaign to demonize him and his socialist government," Bloomberg News's Erik Schatzker, Patricia Laya and Alex Vasquez report.
- "In between his denunciations of Yankee imperialism, Maduro, who's been allowing dollars to circulate and private enterprise to flourish, is making a public plea and aiming it directly at Joe Biden. The message: It's time for a deal."
Israel will send more than 1 million doses of coronavirus vaccines that are near their expiration date to the Palestinian Authority. - They will do so in exchange "for a similar quantity of fresh vaccine to be returned by the Palestinians later in the year, officials said," Steve Hendrix reports. "The arrangement to cooperatively manage their vaccines stocks will allow the Palestinian Ministry of Health to accelerate its vaccine campaign while keeping unneeded vaccine in Israel from going to waste."
- "The move, announced by the office of new Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, follows criticism from Palestinian activists and human rights groups that say Israel has not done enough to help fight the pandemic in Palestinian populations it largely controls."
U.K. exports of food and drink to the E.U. dropped by almost half in the first three months of 2021 in what groups say was a Brexit impact. - "Produce to the value of £1.7 billion (€1.98 billion) was exported to European countries in the first quarter of the year, down 46.6 per cent from 2020, according to the Food and Drink Federation, an industry body," the Irish Times reports. "Companies are struggling with the costs, paperwork and delays resulting from new customs and veterinary checks, while smaller businesses have suffered from recent barriers to sending multiple shipments in a single load."
- "John Whitehead, director at the Food and Drink Exporters Association, said: 'Whilst some of this large drop can be put down to end-of-year stockpiling, significant business has been lost as a direct result of the additional bureaucracy, customs delays and costs of trading with the EU.'"
| | | Hot on the left The Florida GOP is under fire for a tweet accusing Democrats of antisemitism, Politico's Matt Dixon and Gary Fineout report. "The Florida GOP's tweet included a video of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi trying to defend Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.). ... In the video, Pelosi did not mention any Florida-elected officials." "While @GovRonDeSantis works on policies and signs legislation in support of Florida's Jewish communities, Pelosi calls an anti semitic, @CharlieCrist, a valued leader. Crist, @valdemings & @NikkiFried won't stand up to Pelosi doing nothing to defend Florida's Jewish community," the now-deleted tweet read. "The tweet faced swift pushback because Fried [the state's Democratic agriculture commissioner] is Jewish and [Democratic Rep. Charlie] Crist was seen as pro-Israel when he was a Republican governor of Florida. ... 'It was a total mistake, human error,' said Alia Faraj-Johnson, a Florida GOP spokesperson, in a text message to Politico. She said the tweet was supposed to say that Omar was antisemitic, not Crist. Crist's name, she added, was supposed to appear farther down in the tweet. 'It picked up the wrong name at the wrong place,' she said." | | | Hot on the right Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Tex.), who used to be a White House physician, once said Trump aced a cognitive test. Now he's demanding Biden take one, citing "mental impairment." Jackson and 13 other GOP lawmakers "signed a letter claiming that Biden has shown signs of a poor mental state and should take the test to prove otherwise," Jaclyn Peiser reports. "The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Biden, the oldest president in history, is due to have a physical later this year and pledged to fully release the results — something Trump was accused of not doing. Doctors last year who reviewed Biden's medical history and current state said he was in good health." | | | Juneteenth, visualized On June 19, 1865, Union Army Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger stepped onto a balcony in Galveston, Tex. — two months after the Civil War had ended — and announced that enslaved people in Texas were free. They responded with cries of joy and prayers of gratitude — a celebration that became known as Juneteenth. As Black Texans moved across the country, they brought their day of jubilation with them. And embracing that moment has become a fitting way to mark the end of a war fought to preserve slavery. | | | Today in Washington Biden will deliver remarks on the pandemic response and vaccination program today at 2:15 p.m. He will spend the weekend in Delaware. Harris is in Georgia today touring a vaccination site. At 1:40 p.m., she will deliver remarks at a vaccination mobilization event, and at 4:40 p.m. she will participate in a conversation on voting rights at Clark Atlanta University. | | | In closing | Stephen Colbert celebrated the naming of Juneteenth a federal holiday:  | | | | | | |
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