The Hill’s 12:30 Report

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The Hill’s 12:30 Report: Breaking – Dems stage House floor sit-in | Rubio reverses, will run for reelection | Trump hits ‘pathetic liar’ Hillary in key speech | National Onion Ring Day

HAPPENING NOW – CHAOS ON THE HOUSE FLOOR: Via The Hill’s Cristina Marcos, Democrats are staging a literal sit-in on the House floor to push for action on gun control legislation before they leave for recess. http://bit.ly/28NLoyK  It’s getting pretty intense. They’re chanting “no bill, no break!”– and C-SPAN can’t show footage because of the position of their cameras. Let’s set the scene:

The Huffington Post’s Matt Fuller
I count 16 House Democrats actually sitting on the House floor with another 24 Democrats in the chamber standing around or seated in chairs. http://bit.ly/28NwaMv

The Boston Globe’s Matt Viser
“…cameras C-SPAN uses are not able to show the action.” http://bit.ly/28PrZ3l

But we have a work-around! Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.) is live streaming it on Periscope:http://bit.ly/28MUcm1

Politico’s John Bresnahan
Been covering the House for 20-plus years & I’ve never seen anything like this Dem sit-in. Republicans have no idea how to respond http://bit.ly/28MOmBB

IJ Review’s Joe Perticone
Intense gavel banging right now … It is a violation of rules to sit on the floor (literally) — the House is now in session as of noon. http://bit.ly/28PAJFw

It’s Wednesday, and last night was a brutal loss for Team USA in the Copa America semifinals. Damn you, Messi, and your superhuman abilities — and for looking like you were dribbling through five defenders on the JV high school team. Ugh. Filing with an extra cup of coffee in hand, I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of what you missed this morning — and what’s on tap for the rest of the day. Send comments, story ideas and Girl Scout Cookie recipes (keep reading and you’ll know why!) to cmartel@digital-release.thehill.com, @CateMartel and on Facebook. 

BREAKING — “MARCO?” *LONG PAUSE FOR DRAMATIC ENTRANCE* “IT’SSSS RUBIOOOO”: In a major reversal, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has changed his mind and will be running for reelection. Why this is big: This is a huge boost for the GOP, which is battling to keep control of the Senate. Democrats had been slightly favored to win Rubio’s seat. Rubio still will face a tough primary and general election, though. Why the change of mind: Rubio said it was to help rein in executive power. But Senate Democrats have accused Rubio of capitalizing on the Orlando shooting — that’s when Rubio first publicly announced he was reconsidering. http://bit.ly/28MIWWF

THE TEMPTING, LOW-HANGING FRUIT DANGLING IN FRONT OF HIM: In new Quinnipiac polls, Rubio leads both Democratic candidates in head-to-head matchups. Rubio leads Rep. Patrick Murphy (Fla.) 47 to 40 and Rep. Alan Grayson (Fla.) 48 to 40. http://bit.ly/28OxJuX

INSIGHT FROM HIS ADVISERS: Via The New York Times’s Jeremy W. Peters, “The senator has told colleagues and advisers that he would like to run for president again, either in 2020 or 2024. But he increasingly came to believe that doing so from the private sector would be difficult.” This may be the $$ line. http://nyti.ms/28NnDcl

HERE’S WHAT TEAM RUBIO IS PROBABLY FEELING RIGHT NOW –> http://bit.ly/28NuaRT

JUST NOW – WHAT A TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WILL LOOK LIKE: Donald Trump on Wednesday laid out his plan for the first 100 days of his administration during his anti-Hillary Clinton speech this morning, where he called her a “pathetic liar.” His early agenda: appoint judges, change immigration rules, change trade policy and repeal ObamaCare. Full list: http://bit.ly/28U2SJ0

HAHA AND YOU THINK VOTING FOR A BILL DEPENDS ON SUPPORT FOR THE BILL: Via The Hill’s Alex Bolton, Senate Republicans may defy the NRA this week and are expected to vote on a bipartisan gun control bill. Bill details: The bill from Republican (!) Sen. Susan Collins (Maine) would block people on two terrorist watchlists from buying guns.

–> If this is true, this feels like high school: Some Republicans have suggested Sens. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) aren’t interested in a deal because they want to use gun control as a wedge issue in the fall against vulnerable Republicans. Schumer and Reid “are discouraging Democrats from voting for it … just to keep the issue alive,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) grumbled. Yep, we’re all adults, here! http://bit.ly/28OkWsp

BERNIE TIDBIT — YOU KNOW YOU’VE BEEN OUT OF THE GAME WHEN…: Via CNN’s Deirdre Walsh, Bernie Sanders hadn’t attended the weekly Senate Democratic luncheon in so long that he forgot where to go and, with Secret Service in tow, headed into the Republican lunch instead. Lol. http://cnn.it/28SUDhm

{mosads}MUST READ — NEW PERSPECTIVE ON THE ORLANDO SHOOTER: Via Univision, a man who claims he was Orlando shooter Omar Mateen’s lover says Mateen was motivated by “revenge,” not terrorism. The disguised man in the interview said Mateen was “100 percent gay” but felt rejected by the gay community. “He adored Latinos, gay Latinos, with brown skin, but he felt rejected. He felt used by them. There were moments in the Pulse nightclub that made him feel really bad. Guys used him. That really affected him,” Miguel told Univision. http://bit.ly/28N9d8g

KEEP IN MIND ABOUT CLINTON’S VP TOP PICK: Via The Hill’s Peter Sullivan, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) is generally a safe VP pick for Hillary Clinton — fluent in Spanish, swing state, former DNC chair — but he has a major problem: He’s anti-abortion. Here’s the breakdown: http://bit.ly/28P3l3c

THAT TIME D.C. BECAME A COMBINATION CITY/INDOOR WATER PARK: The intense rainstorms yesterday turned a Metro escalator in Cleveland Park into a waterfall. It’s actually kind of beautiful in its own “the Metro doesn’t work and this is poetic” kind of way. You have to check out these photos: http://bit.ly/28PKtih And on the other side of the city, it rained in the Capitol, literally. Rain poured into a Rayburn House Office Building elevator (?!). Yep, here’s the video: http://bit.ly/28PL0B1

  

NOTABLE TWEETS:

CNN’s Manu Raju (Hillary’s on Capitol Hill today)
Hillary Clinton tells House Dems she will help win back the House, won’t write off the South, flip NC Senate seat and unify party, per members http://bit.ly/28NVhLj

The Washington Post’s Rebecca Sinderbrand posted side-by-side photos of Rubio’s Senate vs. president campaign logos. Seems familiar. http://bit.ly/28PqscI

@NathanLino (Ohhh, Trump.)
Literally a framed pic on the wall of the candidate and a porn star, as a major evangelical leader endorses him. http://bit.ly/28MxlH7

 

ON TAP:

9:30 a.m. EDT: The Senate is in and voted at 10:30 a.m. on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

10 a.m. EDT: The House is in, voting between 3 and 4 p.m. and again between 9 and 10 p.m.

Today and tomorrow: 50 talk radio hosts are broadcasting at the Phoenix Park Hotel in Washington, D.C., discussing immigration.

12:15 p.m. EDT: White House press secretary Josh Earnest holds the daily press briefing.

2 p.m. EDT: Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) holds a conversation about the House GOP’s ObamaCare replacement plan. http://bit.ly/28KEMB5 

2 p.m. EDT: President Obama meets with Secretary of State John Kerry in the Oval Office.

2:30 p.m. EDT: Hillary Clinton campaigns in Raleigh, N.C.

4 p.m. EDT: Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) speaks on the Sidewire app about terrorism financing.

4:30 p.m. EDT: Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg will join the American Enterprise Institute’s Arthur Brooks for a conversation about new technologies. But expect questions about last month’s allegations that Facebook has an anti-conservative bias. Backstory from The Hill’s David McCabe: http://bit.ly/28JLZRq 

9 a.m. tomorrow: The Bipartisan Policy Center is holding an event, “Real World Evidence for Safe and Effective Cures: Medical Innovation for All Americans.” Featured speakers include Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.). Live stream: http://bit.ly/28LacVk 

Tomorrow: The much-anticipated “Brexit” vote. Britain looks pretty divided right now on whether to leave the European Union: http://cnn.it/28MNts7

 

WHAT TO WATCH:

9 p.m. EDT: CNN is hosting a town hall in New York City with Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson and running mate Bill Weld.

Released today: New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter interviewed President Obama for his website, The Players’ Tribune. The two jokingly discussed retirement and life. It’s pretty funny. http://bit.ly/28PloFh

 

NOW FOR THE FUN STUFF…:

Today is National Onion Ring Day and National Chocolate Éclair Day!

FOR THE GAME OF THRONES FANS IN THE ROOM: The show released a fascinating behind-the-scenes video of how they shot the most recent episode. For example, they used 500 extras in one scene. It’s worth watching: http://bzfd.it/28NaUG8 

*CUE EARS PERKING UP*: Pillsbury has released Girl Scout Cookie baking mixes. So yes, you can make “Thin Mint” brownies or “Samoa” caramel and coconut cupcakes. Anyway, if anyone would like to test these out, please send me samples. 🙂 http://bit.ly/28OqeUI

BIG NEWS FOR THE HYPOCHONDRIACS IN YOUR FAMILY: Via CNBC’s Berkeley Lovelace, Google is upgrading its medical information to give you better medical advice when you search your symptoms. Thank god. http://cnb.cx/28TEfMA

 

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