CBS News
Top ranks of Biden’s reelection campaign begin to take shape
The upper ranks of President Biden’s anticipated reelection campaign are beginning to take shape, with another Democratic operative responsible for a key party victory last year poised to serve in a top role.
Quentin Fulks, who served as campaign manager for Sen. Raphael Warnock’s closely-watched and historically expensive victory last year in Georgia, is set to serve as deputy campaign manager for Mr. Biden’s re-election bid, four people familiar with the plans tell CBS News.
Now Fulks will help lead a re-election campaign poised to raise hundreds of millions, if not billions of dollars in order to keep the White House in Democratic hands. News of Fulks’s hiring was first reported by Bloomberg News.
Fulks is a native of rural Ellaville, Georgia, who also worked on the 2018 campaign of Illinois Gov. J.D. Pritzker. In an interview with The Associated Press last month, he recalled how Warnock’s campaign not only focused on building support in and around Atlanta, but also in smaller rural communities like Ellaville, where former president Donald Trump and Republicans historically easily win elections.
“In a tough environment, we chose to communicate with those voters,” Fulks told The AP. “And it set us apart, quite frankly, from the Democratic slate and even from President Biden.”
CBS News first reported that Julie Chavez Rodriguez, a senior White House official and former aide to then-Sen. Kamala Harris’s 2020 presidential bid, is set to serve as Mr. Biden’s campaign manager. She was the top choice of the president, first lady and his senior-most advisers after an extensive interview process that involved several candidates across the party, according to two people familiar with the planning.
The Biden campaign is also in the process of hiring other party operatives for senior roles, but people familiar with the talks say building the staff is expected to take some time over the next few weeks and throughout the summer. The senior staff of the campaign is eventually set to reflect a mix of geographic, gender and ethnic diversity, but also an array of experiences from recent campaigns, according to people tracking the process.
Sam Cornale, executive director of the Democratic National Committee, and Roger Lau, deputy executive director of the DNC and a former senior adviser to Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, are in talks to possibly join the campaign, according to two people familiar with the conversations. Emma Brown, who ran Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly’s successful campaign last year, is also expected to take a senior job, according to one person familiar with the machinations.
Cornale and Lau are well-liked by the president’s top White House aides, who are expected to play outsized strategic roles in the forthcoming campaign. Fulks and Brown reflect recent Democratic Party successes in two swing states the president wants to win again to ensure Electoral College victories.
Drawing from the DNC’s top leadership ranks is not surprising given that the national party apparatus is poised to help bankroll and mobilize the reelection efforts. The national party is set to endorse the president’s reelection and is not planning on hosting any presidential debates, even as the president is set to face nominal primary opposition from activists Marianne Williamson and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Nancy Cordes and Nikole Killion contributed to this report.
CBS News
Frontier flight catches fire while landing at Las Vegas airport
A Frontier flight appeared to catch fire as the plane was landing Saturday at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada. Cell phone video showed flames and billows of smoke on the plane’s undercarriage as it touched down on the runway. Fire trucks and other emergency service vehicles rushed onto the runway, as smoke continued to surround the plane.
“Frontier flight 1326 experienced a hard landing,” a spokesperson for the airport confirmed to CBS News. “The Clark County Fire Department responded immediately and all passengers and crew have been safely transported to the gated area. No injuries were reported.”
Frontier Flight 1326 left San Diego at 1:51 p.m. Pacific Time and landed at Las Vegas at 3:37 p.m., according to Flight Aware.
“The pilots detected smoke and declared an emergency,” a spokesperson for Frontier Airlines confirmed to CBS News. “The aircraft landed safely and all passengers and crew were evacuated via airstairs. No injuries were reported, and passengers have been bussed to the terminal. The cause of the incident is currently under investigation.”
CBS News
A look at the increased security at Trump’s Butler rally
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$100 million in federal funds released for North Carolina to rebuild roads, bridges damaged by Helene
Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Transportation released $100 million in emergency funds on Saturday for North Carolina to rebuild its roads and bridges damaged by Helene.
“We are providing this initial round of funding so there’s no delay getting roads repaired and reopened, and re-establishing critical routes,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement. “The Biden-Harris administration will be with North Carolina every step of the way, and today’s emergency funding to help get transportation networks back up and running safely will be followed by additional federal resources.”
The storm caused rampant flooding that has devastated several towns and killed more than 225 people – with CBS News confirming at least 114 people killed in North Carolina. There was more than 8 inches of rain across the western North Carolina mountains, with some areas seeing more than a foot.
Hundreds of roads across Western North Carolina remain closed, leading to an increase in air traffic as teams scour the region for survivors by air. Air traffic over Western North Carolina has increased by 300% due to relief efforts since the storm cleared, the Federal Aviation Administration and the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
Mudslides blocked Interstate 40 and other highways in North Carolina and about 400 roads were closed due to damage from Helene. Interstate 40 was damaged at several locations, the Department of Transportation said.
President Biden visited the Carolinas on Wednesday, surveying the flood damage by air from Greenville, South Carolina, to Asheville, North Carolina. Mr. Biden announced the federal government would cover “100%” of all debris removal and emergency protective measure costs in North Carolina for six months.
The Department of Transportation said these relief funds will allow the North Carolina Department of Transportation to act more quickly to fund eligible repairs to their damaged facilities.
Li Cohen and
contributed to this report.
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