A no-good news day for the White House

Biden says "America is back." The world has some questions. [View this email online]( [NPR]( Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images The Big Picture: Biden Says 'America Is Back.' The World Has Some Questions President Biden is fond of saying “America’s back.” It’s [a short-hand way]( to set himself apart from the “America first” approach of his predecessor. But when he takes to the rostrum at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, he’ll have to overcome some skepticism from the rest of the world about whether he means it. The White House was dealt a trifecta of bad news stories on Friday afternoon, underscoring international concerns about how the Biden administration is working with allies and partners. Its chaotic withdrawal from Kabul [left other countries struggling]( to get their citizens out, and questioning the U.S. plan for helping refugees and providing aid to people in Afghanistan. On Friday, [the Pentagon acknowledged]( that it had killed an aid worker, seven children and two adults in an Aug. 29 drone strike in Kabul that it originally said had been a “righteous strike” on Islamic State terrorists. Longtime ally France was furious when it was left in the cold by [a new defense pact with Australia and the United Kingdom](. Australia canceled a sales order for French submarines, now opting to buy nuclear-powered submarine technology from the U.S. instead. [French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said]( the whole situation reminded him of the kind of unpredictable thing that former President Donald Trump would have done. On Friday, France pulled its ambassadors from both Washington and Canberra. The Biden administration had been [forging ahead with plans]( to provide COVID-19 booster shots for Americans, even as vast swaths of the world remain unvaccinated. The White House had brushed aside [criticism]( from the World Health Organization and others, saying that it has donated more vaccines than all the rest of the world combined, and was prepared to do more. Then, on Friday, a panel of advisers to the [Food and Drug Administration voted against approving]( a booster shot for all but people ages 65 or older, or at high risk from COVID. Biden is expected to make cooperation on the pandemic one of the centerpieces of his first speech as president to the U.N. On Wednesday, he will convene [a virtual summit aimed at rallying the world]( to “align on a common vision for defeating COVID-19 together,” including boosting access to vaccines. He is also trying to [marshal action on achieving ambitious climate goals]( ahead of a major summit in Glasgow in November. The speech may give Biden the opportunity to "reset the agenda" with allies questioning the U.S. commitment to working with its international partners, said Alynna Lyon, a political scientist at the University of New Hampshire who has written extensively about the U.N. But to gain their trust, Biden will need to bring allies closer in planning and implementing shared goals. "Words are pretty hollow right now," Lyon told my colleague Ayesha Rascoe in an interview. "He can't just say he wants to work with other countries.” — Roberta Rampton, NPR's White House editor --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- Saul Loeb/Pool via AP ICYMI: Top Stories FBI director apologizes after scathing testimony on the bureau's failures in Nassar case: Four elite [gymnasts testified on their experiences]( with the FBI’s handling of their abuse complaints against former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar. FBI Director Christopher Wray acknowledged that there had been "fundamental errors" that "should have never happened, period." SCOTUS should be nonpartisan, conservative Justice Barrett argues: The Supreme Court's newest justice, Amy Coney Barrett, [said this week that she and her colleagues on the bench]( must be "hyper vigilant" to ensure their personal biases aren't affecting their judicial opinions. Barrett was confirmed to the bench following a controversial political battle over the propriety of a president making Supreme Court nominations in an election year. Democrats hope to fund President Biden’s budget by rolling back Trump tax cuts: To cover the price tag of Biden’s historic $3.5 trillion budget, [Democrats want to undo some of the tax cuts]( implemented by former President Donald Trump, which saw companies and the wealthy as the largest benefactors. Senate Democrats come together on voting rights, but the GOP stands ready to filibuster: Democrats [reached an agreement among themselves for a new voting rights bill]( but Republicans, who across the country have overseen restrictions on the right to vote, stand poised to block the measure. The new bill builds off of a framework set by Democrat Joe Manchin, a critical swing vote in the caucus who had opposed the previous iteration of the bill. Far-right rally planned for D.C., months after Jan. 6 insurrection: A [far-right rally is set to take place]( in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, posing the biggest test for U.S. Capitol security since the Jan. 6 attack. EMILY’s List selects first Black woman to helm organization in 36-year history: Laphonza Butler, a longtime union leader and Democratic strategist, has been [selected as the organization’s new head](. Butler said she hopes to take the [group in a direction to “throw the doors of EMILY's List open”]( for more women candidates, particularly women of color. — Alana Wise, NPR politics reporter --------------------------------------------------------------- AP The Shot: The Democrats' push to tax wealthy Americans more is 40 years in the making. Eager to move their $3.5 trillion budget, they will try doing so under reconciliation, the same budgetary process that protected President Ronald Reagan's "revolution" in federal fiscal policy from filibuster. If they succeed, Democrats will reverse the direction that tax policy has taken since 1981. — Heidi Glenn, NPR digital editor [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. --------------------------------------------------------------- What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [nprpolitics@npr.org](mailto:nprpolitics@npr.org?subject=Saturday%20Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Daily News, Code Switch, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Politics emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]