Good Tuesday morning. Here are some of the stories making news in Washington and politics today.
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• Queen Elizabeth II welcomed President Trump to Buckingham Palace on Monday, while Mr. Trump carried on an ugly dispute with the mayor of London, whom he called a “stone cold loser.” The juxtaposition of high pageantry and low name-calling on the first day of Mr. Trump’s state visit to Britain captured the odd swath that this president cuts on the world stage.
• In 1988, Joe Biden ran for president for the first time and it was a disaster, doomed in part by his tendency to embellish. While hints of that linger today, his message to voters is now clearer: He’s a stabilizing statesman in a tumultuous time.
• A Congress that has struggled all year to legislate returned Monday to face two urgent deadlines. They could lead to a disastrous default on the federal debt, and to automatic spending cuts that would sweep through the military, federal health care and other popular programs.