Morning Rundown: Debt ceiling deal, Iowa building collapse, drug addiction in pregnancy

House lawmakers are set to vote on the debt ceiling deal. Alabama's representatives in Congress threaten funding to Space Force's headquarters. And an airline asks people to weigh in after they check in.

Here’s what to know today.

House to vote on high-stakes debt ceiling deal

House lawmakers appeared confident ahead of today’s vote that the debt ceiling legislation negotiated by Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden will pass.

The House Rules Committee last night voted 7-6 to send the measure to the floor, sending the bill to the House. Two Republicans — South Carolina Rep. Ralph Norman and Texas Rep. Chip Roy — and all four Democrats voted no.

McCarthy expressed confidence yesterday that the bill would get the votes it needs to advance to the Senate. Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon predicted “a supermajority” of House GOP members would support the bill. Still, Republican leaders expect to lose some votes, mostly from hard-right members who say the deal isn’t aggressive enough.

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“My expectation is House Republicans will keep their commitment to produce at least two-thirds of their conference, which is at least 150 votes,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said. Jeffries wouldn’t say how many Democrats would vote for the bill.

The Fiscal Responsibility Act would cap spending for the next two years and includes conservative measures addressing unspent Covid relief funds and IRS funding. It would also restart federal student loan payments and add work requirements for certain people receiving SNAP benefits.

Today’s vote will be a high-stakes moment as Congress aims to avert a disastrous default. If the House passes the deal, it would go to the Democratic-led Senate, where senators who oppose it could have ways of slowing down a vote past Monday’s deadline.

Congress threatens to block funding for Space Force headquarters

Will the U.S. Space Force’s headquarters move to Alabama? House representatives from the state want a formal answer — and they intend to block funding for the continued growth of the Space Command’s temporary headquarters in Colorado until they get one.

NBC News correspondent Courtney Kube reports that a draft bill submitted late last week would prohibit SPACECOM from spending money on constructing, leasing or modernizing facilities until the secretary of the Air Force formally selects and publicly announces the final location.

The Trump administration had announced in 2021 that Space Force’s headquarters would be located in Huntsville, Alabama. Biden administration officials have signaled privately that they are considering reversing the planned move over concerns about the state’s strict anti-abortion laws.

Alabama lawmakers were surprised to learn at a meeting last week with Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall that SPACECOM is continuing to expand its facilities in Colorado, according to three defense and congressional officials. An Air Force spokesperson also confirmed SPACECOM has new requirements for its permanent headquarters that will require additional analysis before a final decision is made.

A Chinese jet’s ‘unnecessarily aggressive maneuver’

The Pentagon has released video of a Chinese fighter jet flying directly in front of the nose of a U.S. reconnaissance plane over the South China Sea. Saturday’s “unnecessarily aggressive maneuver,” as the Pentagon characterized it, forced the U.S. plane to fly through the jet’s wake turbulence. The encounter adds to a rising number of incidents involving Chinese military aircraft and ships.

Doctors call out laws criminalizing drug use during pregnancy

Statistics show an increasing threat of drug addition to pregnant women and new mothers. The rate of women with opioid-related diagnoses at the time of delivery increased by 131% from 2010 to 2017, according to a 2019 study. And the number of pregnant women and new mothers dying from drug overdoses reached a record high in 2020 — it’s the No. 1 cause of preventable death among pregnant and postpartum women.

Shame and stigma stop many pregnant people from seeking treatments, but a bigger deterrent is the crippling fear that their babies will be taken away by state welfare authorities. Now, a growing number of experts — including specialists, federal health officials and people who treat addiction — are calling for changes to the laws.

Officials say no ‘human activity’ detected in collapsed Iowa building

Two people may still be in the historic Davenport, Iowa, apartment building that partly collapsed over the weekend, authorities said. A total of five people were unaccounted for.

In an update yesterday afternoon, the city said that crews did not detect any “human activity” in the building. The decision to keep searching for people was an about-face from previous plans to demolish the building after two people were rescued Monday. However, the city warned that “the stability of the building continues to degrade.”

▼ Today’s Talker

Artificial intelligence could lead to…

… humanity’s “extinction,” many of the biggest names in artificial intelligence warn. A letter signed by Sam Altman, the CEO of the company behind ChatGPT, as well as top executives from Google and Microsoft and 200 academics, advises that AI should be treated as a “global priority” alongside risks like “pandemics and nuclear war.”

▼ Politics in Brief

DeSantis presidential bid: Florida election officials quietly made it easier for Gov. Ron DeSantis to fund his 2024 campaign. Senior politics reporter Matt Dixon explains how.

Carter family: Former first lady Rosalynn Carter has been diagnosed with dementia, her family announced, adding that the 95-year-old “continues to live happily” with Jimmy Carter as he receives hospice care.

▼ Staff Pick

A case at risk of collapsing

An ex-CIA officer accused of sexually abusing more than 20 incapacitated women, but nearly 600 photos of the defendant are at risk of being thrown out of the case. Why? Because federal law enforcement agents tripped up when it came to searching his cellphone, court records show. Correspondent Ken Dilanian lays out the rules in question and why a new law could emerge from the case. — Elizabeth Robinson, newsletter editor

▼ In Case You Missed It

A South Carolina convenience store owner was charged with murder in the death of a 14-year-old boy who was fatally shot in the back after being wrongly accused of shoplifting.

North Korea failed in an effort to launch its first spy satellite into space, state media reported.

An Indian official has been suspended after he ordered the draining of a reservoir to retrieve a phone he dropped while snapping a selfie.

A California appeals court said Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten should be let out of prison on parole.

Al Pacino and his girlfriend, Noor Alfallah, 28, are expecting their first child together, a representative for the 83-year-old actor confirmed.

Air New Zealand is asking passengers to weigh in after checking in for international flights from Auckland International Airport.

▼ Select: Online Shopping, Simplified

Whether you’re camping, tailgating, spending a day at the beach or hosting a barbecue for friends and family, having a great cooler on hand is key for keeping food and drinks chilled and fresh. Here are experts’ picks for the best hard and soft coolers, as well as what to consider when shopping for one.

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