The Hill’s 12:30 Report — All eyes on senators’ bipartisan gun negotiations

To view past editions of The Hill’s 12:30 Report, click here: https://bit.ly/30ARS1U 

To receive The Hill’s 12:30 Report in your inbox, please sign up here: https://bit.ly/3qmIoS9

–> A midday take on what’s happening in politics and how to have a sense of humor about it.* 

*Ha. Haha. Hahah. Sniff. Haha. Sniff. Ha–breaks down crying hysterically.

TALK OF THE MORNING 

Nope, take your time. We won’t bug you. We’ll give you your privacy.: 

Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) are spearheading gun reform negotiations on Capitol Hill, hoping to find a modest deal that would satisfy at least 60 senators.  

The areas with some wiggle room: Incentivizing states to expand background checks and introduce red flag laws.  

What about raising the minimum age to purchase a semiautomatic weapon?: Eh, that seems pretty unlikely.   

How gun reform advocates have adjusted their goals, via The Hill’s Niall Stanage 

➤WHERE DO THE NEGOTIATIONS STAND?: 

“Sen. John Cornyn (Texas), the lead Republican negotiator, on Monday said negotiators are ‘hovering above the target’ but haven’t nailed down anything. Cornyn said negotiators need at least another week to resolve their differences and urged Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who has warned he will only give negotiators a short period of time to reach a deal, not to rush anything to the floor.” 

More on the expected time frame, via The Hill’s Alexander Bolton 

➤ ‘GOP SENATORS SURPRISINGLY BULLISH ON PROSPECTS FOR A BIPARTISAN GUN DEAL’: 

Via Politico’s Burgess Everett and Marianne Levine 

➤ TIDBIT — BIDEN AND MURPHY ARE CHATTING: 
Reuters’s Steve Holland tweeted, “per WH official: This morning, President Biden will meet with Senator Chris Murphy (CT) to discuss ongoing negotiations in the Senate on gun reform.”

IT’S TUESDAY. I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here. 

A Republican lawmaker said he supports gun control. Now he’s not running for reelection:

Via The Hill’s Emily Brooks, “Political observers’ reaction to Rep. Chris Jacobs (R-N.Y.) abruptly abandoning his reelection bid over backlash to his support for gun control measures could be summarized in one word: Wow.” 

Why this is getting attention: “Questions are circulating about what his being pushed out of Congress could mean for gun control efforts and negotiations in the wake of recent massacres and whether hardening in the Republican Party around the issue leaves any room for compromise.” 

Keep in mind about Jacobs: His district surrounds Buffalo, N.Y., where a self-described white supremacist killed 10 Black people in a grocery store a few weeks ago. 

What this means for the gun debate

?The Jan. 6 probe 

What do we know about the hearing?: 

“Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) on Tuesday said the House Jan. 6 select committee’s first hearing will show how much former President Trump was involved with the events that led to the Capitol riot.”  

Cohen told CNN: “We’re going to see how much Trump was involved. Trump ran this show. He ran it from the time he lost the election in November and he did it with his son, or sons, and all of his henchmen up there.” What to expect 

➤ FOX NEWS WON’T AIR THURSDAY’S PRIME-TIME HEARING: 
Instead: “Fox News Media said hosts on the air as the proceedings are taking place will ‘cover the hearings as news warrants,’ before anchor and chief legal correspondent Shannon Bream will anchor a two-hour live special focusing on the hearings starting at 11 p.m.” Most networks and cable news channels are airing the hearing 

➤ ‘JAN. 6 HEARINGS GIVE DEMOCRATS A CHANCE TO RECAST MIDTERM MESSAGE’:
 Via The New York Times’s Annie Karni and Luke Broadwater

? In the Supreme Court 

It may feel eerily quiet, but listen very closely: 

“The White House is quietly preparing for a Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, a consequential decision expected to come this month that will create immediate pressure to respond and take action.”  

Privately: “Members of the administration have held listening sessions with state officials, advocacy groups and other stakeholders on abortion rights regarding the legal barriers to abortion already in place in certain states.”

And publicly: “President Biden has been largely mum on the issue of abortion in the weeks since he expressed outrage at the Supreme Court draft ruling nixing Roe, which leaked at the start of May. [Vice President] Harris, meanwhile, has become one of the administration’s leading voices on the subject.”  

How the administration is preparing, via The Hill’s Morgan Chalfant and Alex Gangitano

? On the campaign trail 

California, New Jersey, Iowa, Montana, Mississippi, New Mexico and South Dakota — you’re up!: 

Seven states are holding primaries today, including nationally followed races in California. 

Five things to watch in today’s primaries, via The Hill’s Max Greenwood 

16 races to watch, via FiveThirtyEight’s Geoffrey Skelley

? Latest with COVID 

➤ BY THE NUMBERS 

Cases to date: 84.6 million 

Death toll: 1,003,925 

Current hospitalizations: 15,251 

Shots administered: 589 million 

Fully vaccinated: 66.7 percent of Americans 

CDC data here.

?Notable tweets 

Oh hey, Matt:

Actor Matthew McConaughey was spotted by reporters on Capitol Hill yesterday.  

The Dallas Morning News writes, “Uvalde native Matthew McConaughey in Washington after op-ed on gun responsibility.”  

Photo of McConaughey in the Senate basement: From Politico’sAndrew Desiderio 

And in the Capitol: Via NBC’s Frank Thorp 

Go, little turtles! Go!: 

CBS News tweeted, “A batch of leatherback sea turtle hatch on Florida’s Juno Beach made their way into the ocean.” Watch the turtles crawl to the ocean

⏱On tap 

The House and Senate are in. President Biden is in Washington, D.C. Vice President Harris is in Los Angeles. 

• 10 a.m.: Biden received the President’s Daily Brief. 
• 11:30 a.m.: Two Senate votes. The Senate’s agenda today.
• 4 p.m.: Three Senate confirmation votes. 
• 5:15 p.m.: Harris hosts a women’s leadership roundtable to discuss economic empowerment in northern Central America. 
• 6:30 p.m.: First and last votes in the House. The House’s agenda today 
• 7 p.m.: Harris hosts a roundtable with business executives to discuss an invest in northern Central America. 
• 1 p.m. Wednesday: The Hill is hosting a virtual event, “Closing the Gaps in Health Insurance.” Featured speakers: House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C) and Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.). Details and how to RSVP.

All times Eastern.

?What to watch 

• 1:45 p.m.: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre gives a press briefing. Livestream 
• 2:45 p.m.: Biden signs nine bipartisan bills into law to help veterans. Livestream 
• 6:20 p.m.: Harris delivers remarks at the “In Her Hands” launch to promote women’s economic empowerment in northern Central America. Livestream

? In lighter news 

Today is National Chocolate Ice Cream Day! 

To quote our queen Lizzo, it’s about damn time:

Apple announced major updates to its texting platform, iMessage. Users will soon be able to edit and unsend messages — and mark messages as unread. More changes to Apple products, via The Verge’s Richard Lawler 

And because it’s feeling a lot like summer, here’s a baby who just learned the fun of sand.