Today, in North Carolina, a split screen is on full display: As President Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden are in the state talking about jobs and workforce development and meeting with military families, MAGA Republican hopefuls will converge on the North Carolina GOP convention this weekend to tout their extreme agenda. 

What they’re reading about President Biden’s leadership: 

• In North Carolina: Raleigh News & Observer: Biden will sign executive order after talking jobs in swing through North Carolina
• In North Carolina: Fayetteville Observer: Here’s why the Bidens are coming to Fort Liberty

What they’re reading about Republicans’ extreme agenda:

• In Florida: Florida Politics: Democratic leaders attack traveling Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis 
• In North Carolina: DNC Chair Jaime Harrison on WRAL News: “While these MAGA extremists are really laser focused on trying to take our country backwards… the counter is President Biden. He’s been hard at work delivering results on the issues that matter the most to the American people.”

Meanwhile, in states across the country this week, Democrats hit the local airwaves to praise President Biden for his steady and effective leadership. Just a few examples: 

• In Illinois: On ABC Springfield, Rep. Nikki Budzinski: “What you saw was the President’s ability to push back and to get a good deal that did not touch social security, Medicaid, or Medicare.” 
   
• In California: On NBC Sacramento, Rep. Ami Bera: “[The bipartisan budget agreement] demonstrates to the public [President Biden’s] ability to negotiate, his ability to work in a bipartisan fashion. I think that’s really important to the American electorate, they want to see us work together as Democrats and Republicans. It builds on the record that he had in the first two years of his presidency: the bipartisan infrastructure bill, the CHIPS and Science Act. These are major pieces of legislation that had both Democratic and Republican votes. A lot of times folks look at Washington, DC, and say ‘hey, they can’t get along,’ but in truth, under President Biden’s leadership, he’s been able to bring us together and get stuff done.”
   
• In Minnesota: On CBS Minnesota, Sen. Amy Klobuchar: “[President Biden] has quite a record to run on, actually. He’s got the fact that he has led with a steady hand and when you look at candidates out there, like Donald Trump – I don’t think people want to go back to that chaos.” 
   
• In Pennsylvania: On ABC Philadelphia, Rep. Chrissy Houlahan: “I am very pleased that we have come to a deal and that President Biden has done what we’ve expected of him, and he has accomplished over the several years of his administration… A lot was at stake, the American economy’s solvency and stability, the value and the strength of the American dollar on the global stage and the global economy. There were a lot of consequences that we were able to avoid.” 

Also this week, Biden for President and the Democratic National Committee announced a six-figure national and local paid media campaign to highlight the president’s economic leadership, including digital ads and billboards in Washington D.C. and in several battleground states.

• In Florida: Florida Politics: DNC to post billboard on I-4 corridor touting Joe Biden’s budget deal
• CNN: Biden Campaign Touts “Wins” in New Ads 
• MSNBC: Biden, DNC hit the airwaves following latest bipartisan deal
• Politico: Biden campaign launches ad blitz capitalizing on debt ceiling deal

On Tuesday, Vice President Harris spoke to SEIU workers in Pennsylvania calling for increased wages for care and service workers.

• In Pennsylvania: Philadelphia Inquirer: Vice President Kamala Harris called for increased care worker wages and decried ‘extremist’ GOP leaders in Philly visit 

On Thursday, the Biden-Harris administration announced new protections for LGBTQ+ Americans, including establishing an Education Department coordinator to counter book bans across the country. The coordinator will provide training for school districts on how book bans that target specific communities and create a hostile school environment may violate federal civil rights laws.

• In Florida: Spectrum News Bay News 9: White House announces broad LGBTQ+ initiatives ahead of Pride Celebration
• In Nebraska: Fremont Tribune: White House to name coordinator to push back against book bans, among new LGBTQ protections
• In Washington DC: Washington Blade: White House debuts new actions to protect the LGBTQ community