Calls for Biden to step aside intensify, France’s left-wing alliance wins, Beryl heads for Texas: Weekend Rundown

Additional Democrats call on Biden to step aside

Four more House Democrats told their lawmaker colleagues during a phone call that they believe President Joe Biden should step aside to allow someone else to be the party’s nominee for president, according to multiple people on the call and familiar with the discussion.

The House Democrats who said Biden should drop out of the race were Adam Smith of Washington, Jerry Nadler of New York, Mark Takano of California and Joe Morelle of New York.

On Friday, Biden continued debate damage control in an interview on ABC News trying to persuade Democrats that he’s the best candidate to defeat former President Donald Trump. But behind the scenes, the interview did little to quell the fears of Hill Democrats who worry that his candidacy is beyond repair.

Meanwhile, Biden’s family is trying to become more involved in his campaign and White House affairs as their anger with his staff spills into public view. The split between Biden’s family and some of his closest aides has long been simmering, and his debate performance has aggravated the dynamic, 13 sources familiar with the dynamics told NBC News.

A person close to Biden said his family isn’t seeing the political reality clearly. “It’s Shakespearean,” this person said.

France’s left-wing alliance keeps far right at bay

Emmanuel Macron exits a polling booth — Emmanuel Macron at a polling station in the south of France on Sunday.JC Milhet / Hans Lucas / AFP – Getty Images

A tense alliance between France’s centrist and leftist parties has kept the far-right National Rally party at bay, according to exit polls. A bloc of left-wing parties is projected to finish first, while President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance is predicted to come in second. Polling agencies suggest National Rally, known in France as RN, is set to come in third, despite having swept to victory in the first round of voting last weekend and polling highest among the parties.

Voter turnout was the highest in decades, at 67.1%, and official results are expected early Monday. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who leads Macron’s centrist alliance, announced Sunday that he would submit his resignation Monday morning.

However, no single bloc is on course to come close to winning an absolute majority. Without a ruling parliamentary majority, the French government, now made up of rival parties with deep ideological divisions and no clear center of power, is likely to become locked in a political stalemate that may make it difficult to pass new legislation.

Beryl to make landfall in Texas as hurricane

Tropical Storm Beryl is expected to make landfall on the Texas coast as a hurricane early Monday and is forecast to bring “life-threatening” storm surge and damaging winds, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Tropical storm-strength winds are first expected to reach the Texas coast as early as Sunday night. The storm is expected to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane by the morning. Flash flooding is also possible along more inland and eastern parts of the state through Monday night.

Tropical Storm Beryl makes its way toward Texas.NOAA

You can find a live tracker of Tropical Storm Beryl as it moves through the Gulf of Mexico and makes a path toward Texas here.

Meet the Press

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said President Joe Biden should think long and hard about whether he will remain in the race as the Democratic Party’s nominee and seek out the opinions of people with “some distance and objectivity.”

Asked about polling that showed Vice President Kamala Harris outperforming former President Donald Trump if she replaced Biden, Schiff said he thought she would be a “phenomenal president.”

Schiff acknowledged Biden’s poor debate performance but said Biden’s age is the only reason the race is so close. “He should be mopping the floor with Donald Trump. Joe Biden’s running against a criminal. It should not be even close. And there’s only one reason it is,” he said.

You can watch the full interview here.

Politics in brief

Trump on defense: Trump is hoping the recent Supreme Court decision in his election interference case will help him challenge his classified documents case in Florida.

Delay granted: U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon granted Trump’s request for further briefing on the issue of presidential immunity and delayed certain deadlines in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case.

No call yet: Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, said Trump hasn’t spoken to him about joining his campaign as his vice presidential pick.

Advanced notice: Two radio hosts that Biden’s campaign aides provided questions for them to ask him in recent interviews.

Too much solar energy?

California Cuts Back On Rooftop Solar Incentives As State Struggles To Offload Excess Power solar panels parking lot — Vehicles under solar panels in the parking lot at College of Marin in Kentfield, Calif., in an aerial view on April 25.Justin Sullivan / Getty Images file

As California works toward its ambitious clean energy vision, an almost counterintuitive challenge has emerged: The state is, at times, generating more solar energy than it can handle. It’s to the point that loads of clean energy are going to waste.

“We get into certain times of the year, in the springtime particularly, when the demand for electricity isn’t that high yet,” said Elliot Mainzer, the CEO of California’s Independent System Operator, which manages 80% of the state’s electricity flow. “Under certain extreme conditions, we actually have to curtail it and turn it off.”

So far this year, the state has lost out on nearly 2.6 million megawatt-hours of renewable energy — most of it solar — more than enough to power all the homes in San Francisco for a year, according to Independent System Operator data.

Minnesota Vikings rookie killed in a car crash

Minnesota Vikings rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson was among three people killed when another vehicle hit the car he was in, police in Maryland said. He was 24.

The crash occurred after the driver of a car traveling northbound tried to change lanes, police said in a news release. Police said the driver was “driving at a high rate of speed,” struck the car Jackson was in and then hit another car. The force of the crash caused the vehicle Jackson was in to travel off the road and hit multiple tree stumps before it came to a stop.

Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said that “Khyree brought a contagious energy to our facility and our team” and that he was “absolutely crushed” by the news.

She works seven days a week to make about half her pre-pandemic salary

Becky Melvin and her sons Hayden and Hudson.Courtesy Becky Melvin

Becky Melvin was laid off from a nearly six-figure PR job in 2019. Since then, she has worked seven days a week driving for delivery apps — frequently for 12-hour stretches.

She says that her life could be worse but that she earns what she calls “survival money.” Melvin says her base pay isn’t enough for her to live on, so she relies heavily on gratuities, which doesn’t always cut it — especially when customers who seem able to afford to tip don’t.

“It feels bad pulling up to a house that costs seven figures, and I’ve just done a $248 Target order, I’ve used my car, used my time, delivered to you and two hours later you didn’t tip me.”

This is part of NBC News’ Checkbook Chronicles, a series of profiles highlighting the financial realities of everyday Americans.

Escaping the heat by vacationing in … Florida?

Suitcase, sunglasses and passport encased in a melting ice block. — Domenick Fini / NBC News

As the climate crisis pushes temperatures higher, some popular destinations are extending peak seasons and cooler locales are seeing summer demand surge. Even some hotels in Florida, no stranger to extreme heat, have experienced spikes in bookings over last summer, with people flocking in from the Northeast and Texas.

A boutique hotel in Delray Beach expected “especially low” bookings last month but instead had a 112% jump from the year before. The beach has been hot, too, but visitors “can at least enjoy the ocean breeze and access to the beach and refreshing pools,” said Cathy Balestriere, manager of Crane’s Beach House.

The heat has many vacationers rethinking where to get away for the summer. “If I can get out of Dallas,” a Texas-based marketing consultant said, “Alaska is sounding good.”