Biden faces diplomatic challenges over 'Build Back Better' plan

To ensure delivery to your inbox add email@mail.nbcnews.com to your contacts Today's Top Stories from NBC News THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2021 Good morning, NBC News readers.   Today we look at what President Joe Biden needs to do to pass his huge post-Covid spending plan, why extreme heat is a growing problem in cities, and three sisters born on the same day three, six and nine years apart.     Here's the latest on that and everything else we're watching this Thursday morning.     Analysis: 'Build Back Better' plan hangs on Biden's shuttle diplomacy President Joe Biden is keeping Democratic factions apart as he tries to unite them in support of his "Build Back Better" plan. His shuttle diplomacy may be his best hope to strike a deal.   On Tuesday, Biden sat down at the White House with a group of House moderates.   He also held one-on-one sessions with Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., who are the only holdouts in the Senate.   And he met with progressive lawmakers to deliver disappointing news: The package is likely to be trimmed from $3.5 trillion to less than $2 trillion, free community college is out, and an expansion of the child tax credit will be scaled back.   And many progressive Democrats who favor getting some form of Biden's plan across the finish line are concerned that the push could lose momentum if it isn't completed soon.   "The clock is ticking, and time is running out," Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. said.   Read the full analysis here.  Thursday's Top Stories Extreme heat in cities a growing problem as climate warms, study finds People flocking to cities in rapidly urbanizing areas such as southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are increasingly vulnerable to soaring temperatures and high humidity.  READ MORE China-linked disinformation campaign blames Covid on Maine lobsters The University of Oxford provided NBC News with research on pro-China social media accounts and a new thread of propaganda related to the origins of the pandemic. READ MORE Millions of workers are calling it quits this year. Some told us why they left.  NBC News asked people to share their stories if they have switched careers during the pandemic or are planning on quitting their jobs. Here's what they said.  READ MORE OPINION Trump's 2024 election threat is political blackmail It was no small thing for the Republican Party to end up in this position, and it will be no small thing for it to get itself out of it, writes political analyst Seth Masket. READ MORE Also in the News Apparent human remains found after Brian Laundrie's possessions located in Florida nature reserve In tree rings and radioactive carbon, signs of the Vikings in North America How the European Union is struggling to contain its 'illiberal' democracies Police say riders didn't help woman raped on train. Does the 'bystander effect' explain why? The authentically Black legacy of 'Insecure': 'I can't believe it's over' Editor's Pick INTO AMERICA PODCAST Jazmine Sullivan's Fight Against Breast Cancer October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and R&B Singer Jazmine Sullivan is using her family's story to help address racial disparities in breast cancer rates. READ MORE Select Through Oct. 22, Best Buy is offering shoppers early access to Black Friday sales and deals that will not be available again until mid-November. One Fun Thing 'In disbelief': Mom gives birth to 3 girls on the same day exactly 3 years apart When Kristin Lammert was expecting her second daughter, Giuliana, her due date was so close to her first daughter Sophia's birthday that Lammert felt confident Giuliana would be born on the same day: Aug. 25. No one believed her.   But she wound up being right.   Three years later, her third daughter, Mia, also was born on Aug. 25, making the day three times as special for the family.   "We were just in disbelief," Lammert, 32, of Oviedo, Florida, told TODAY Parents. "The closer we got to Aug. 25 and the more that we joked about it at home, the more I wanted it to happen."   Read more here. Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown.    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     FOLLOW US     Want to receive NBC Breaking News and Special Alerts in your inbox? SIGN UP HERE Check out all of NBC Newsletters here.     Get the NBC News Mobile App   30 Rockefeller Plaza New York, NY 10112 View in browser | Unsubscribe | Manage Subscription | Contact | Privacy