Fight to stop Texas election bill, Trump's Medicaid legacy and Iran nuclear deal hope

Friday, May 7, 2021 Good morning, NBC News readers.   Dramatic scenes in Texas as a late-night bid to stop an election bill fails, President Joe Biden's attempts to unpick his predecessor's Medicaid changes and the latest on hopes for the Iran nuclear deal.   Here's what we're watching this Friday morning. Texas lawmakers advance restrictive election bill despite Democrats' all-night fight Texas lawmakers advanced a restrictive election bill early Friday as Republicans overcame Democratic efforts to derail the legislation.   Democrats had vowed to wage an all-night fight against the bill, arguing it would suppress voting and disenfranchise voters of color.   Republicans say the House bill would ensure ballot integrity and protect voters from coercion and fraud.   The key vote at 3 a.m. in the Texas House followed hours of debate as Democrats, who had little means of stopping the bill in the GOP-controlled state Capitol, deployed technical challenges and hours of questioning.   Finally the bill was passed with 20 amendments that significantly watered down some aspects of the bill as it passed the key vote 81-64.   Former President Donald Trump's stolen election lie has inspired hundreds of restrictive election bills across the country, even though there is no evidence of widespread fraud in elections. Friday's top stories Trump signed off on last-minute Medicaid changes. Now Biden faces the legal challenges By Phil McCausland | Read more A Medicaid lawsuit in Tennessee and similar ones in other states have Biden walking a legal tightrope to undo Trump's Medicaid policies at a fraught time. Reviving nuclear deal possible if Iran makes 'political decision,' U.S. official says By Dan De Luce and Alexandra Bacallao | Read more The United States and Iran are still divided over key issues, but they could reach an agreement within weeks on reviving the 2015 nuclear agreement if Tehran makes a political decision to make it happen, a senior U.S. official said Thursday. Biden administration may bring whole families to U.S. to reunite with separated children, not just parents By Jacob Soboroff and Julia Ainsley | Read more Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and the director of the task force to reunite families said Thursday that the Biden administration is working to reunite entire families who were separated during the Trump administration. OPINION Bitcoin gets Wall Street's attention. But its power lies in aiding oppressed peoples like mine. By Aubrey Strobel | Read more By holding wealth in Bitcoin, Native American communities can cultivate sovereign economic systems and move toward eliminating reliance on the federal government. BETTER 5 questions to ask a new therapist to find out if you're a good match By Brittany Loggins | Read more Whether you've been considering therapy for a while, or you've just gone through a big life change — finding the right therapist to have in your corner can be one of the biggest mental blocks when it comes to finally setting up that initial appointment. Want to receive the Morning Rundown in your inbox? Sign up here. Also in the news ...   Minnesota bank hostage standoff ends after 8 hours with arrest, no injuries   Heartbroken Massachusetts mom begs for justice in teen daughter's mysterious death Children found handcuffed in car lead Pennsylvania police to arrest two In Colombia, death toll following protests mounts as unrest continues As Puerto Rico mourns Keishla Rodriguez's death, boxer Félix Verdejo is indicted in her killing Boris Johnson's party sweeps aside Labour in another northern English town SHOPPING These highly rated Mother's Day gifts are available with two-day delivery for Prime members on Amazon. One inspiring thing Nurse Sona Daldumyan cares for pediatric oncology patients at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, where she met her husband, Jed, a physician assistant.   After Jed died following his pancreatic cancer diagnosis, Sona returned to work even more dedicated to her patients and their families.     See the video here. Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown.    I'm filling in for Petra Cahill on newsletter duty.  If you have any comments — likes, dislikes — send me an email at: patrick.smith@nbcuni.com.   If you're a fan, please forward it to your family and friends. They can sign-up here.   Thanks, Patrick Smith Download the NBC News App Follow NBC News Privacy | Unsubscribe | More NBC Newsletters | Contact View in browser