Richard Clarida, the second highest official at the Federal Reserve, will resign early after new details of his trading activity early in the pandemic were revealed, Axios reports.
GOP Candidate Invokes ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ In New Ad
Arizona U.S. Senate candidate Jim Lamon (R) invoked the anti-Biden phrase “let’s go Brandon” in a campaign ad released on Monday, The Hill reports.
Said Lamon, in the new ad: “Let’s take the fight to Joe Biden and show him We The People put America first. The time is now. Let’s go, Brandon. Are you with me?”
Paul Manafort’s Book Deal May Breach Plea Agreement
Just Security: “The plea agreement Manafort entered into with the government allowed him to write anything he wanted, but provided that he could not profit from any such writings — a provision that the government uses when defendants in high-profile matters might seek to profit from their crimes.”
“One legal issue is whether the presidential pardon Manafort received voids this provision in the plea agreement. The answer to that question is surely no.”
Liquor Store Restrictions Boost Vaccinations
First-dose vaccinations quadrupled in Quebec ahead of vaccine passport requirements at liquor and cannabis stores, CTV News reports.
Home Tests to Be Covered by Insurance
“Starting Saturday, private health insurers will be required to cover up to eight home COVID-19 tests per month for people on their plans,” the AP reports.
“The Biden administration announced the change Monday as it looks to lower costs and make testing for the virus more convenient amid rising frustrations.”
Haitian Prime Minister Had Ties to Murder Suspect
“After Haiti’s president was assassinated and the country slid into turmoil, Ariel Henry became head of the government, responsible for bringing the killers to justice and helping the country heal,” the New York Times reports.
“But new evidence suggests that Mr. Henry maintained communications with a prime suspect in the case — and that the two stayed in close contact even after the murder.”
Ron Johnson Opens Re-Election Campaign with Attack Ads
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) “released a pair of television ads Monday attempting to frame his reelection campaign he announced the day before as being about fixing a broken country, even as Democrats hit him for breaking his pledge not to serve more than two terms and tried to paint him as an out-of-touch millionaire,” the AP reports.
“The early salvos come in a race in a nearly evenly divided Wisconsin that’s expected to be one of the most expensive and hotly contested in the country with control of the U.S. Senate at play.”
Sanders Slams Strategy of Senate Democrats
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) seemingly slams the Democratic leadership in an interview with The Guardian.
Said Sanders: “We have tried a strategy over the last several months, which has been mostly backdoor negotiations with a handful of senators. It hasn’t succeeded on Build Back Better or on voting rights. It has demoralized millions of Americans.”
Lawsuit Claims Top Schools Collude on Financial Aid
“Sixteen major U.S. universities, including Yale University, Georgetown University and Northwestern University, are being sued for alleged antitrust violations because of the way they work together to determine financial-aid awards for students,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Kazakhstan’s President Claims Attempted Coup d’Etat
“Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has described deadly violence last week as an attempted coup d’etat,” the BBC reports.
“He told leaders of a military alliance of ex-Soviet states the action had been co-ordinated by a ‘single center,’ but did not name those responsible.”
Ed Perlmutter Won’t Seek Re-Election
Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) “announced Monday that he won’t seek reelection in 2022, a decision that is sure to upend Colorado’s political landscape heading into the midterm elections in Nocember,” the Colorado Sun reports.
Politico: “His decision surprises many in his party because he emerged from his state’s redistricting process largely unscathed. His new district would’ve backed President Joe Biden by about 14.5 percentage points in 2020.”
Kevin McCarthy Vows Retribution
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) told Breitbart that if he becomes Speaker, he will move to strip Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Eric Swalwell (D-CA) from their posts on the House Intelligence Committee, and remove Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) from her spot on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Said McCarthy: “The Democrats have created a new thing where they’re picking and choosing who can be on committees. Never in the history of Congress have you had the majority tell the minority who can be on committee.”
Manchin’s Coal Corruption Is Worse Than You Knew
Rolling Stone: “At this point in human evolution, burning coal for power is one of the stupidest things humans do. Coal plants are engines of destruction, not progress. Thanks to the rapid evolution of clean energy, there are many better, cheaper, cleaner ways to power our lives. The only reason anyone still burns coal today is because of the enormous political power and inertia that the industry has acquired since the 19th century.”
“In America, that power and inertia is embodied in the cruel and cartoonish character of West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who, paradoxically, may have more control over the trajectory of the climate crisis than any other person on the planet right now.”
Russia Tells U.S. It Has No Plans to Invade Ukraine
“With Russian troops massing along Ukraine’s borders, American and Russian diplomats made clear after an intense round of negotiations on Monday that while the two sides would keep talking, they remain far from agreement on meeting each other’s security concerns,” the New York Times reports.
“Russian officials said they told their American counterparts they had no plans to invade Ukraine, in a series of talks that lasted nearly eight hours.”
Special Election Set for Seat Vacated by Devin Nunes
The special election for former Rep. Devin Nunes’ (R-CA) vacant seat will be held April 5, with a runoff set for June 7 if no one receives 50% of the vote, the Sacramento Bee reports.
IRS Warns of Delays In Tax Refunds
“Treasury Department officials on Monday said that the Internal Revenue Service will face ‘enormous challenges’ during this year’s tax filing season, warning of delays to refunds and other taxpayer services,” the Washington Post reports.
“The IRS closed last filing season with more than 35 million unprocessed returns — a fourfold increase from the last year before the pandemic. As the backlog increased, the IRS also failed to respond to the enormous increase in calls for assistance.”
Quote of the Day
“It is no great secret that the Republican party is winning more and more support from working people. It’s not because the Republican party has anything to say to them. It’s because in too many ways the Democratic party has turned its back on the working class.”
— Sen. Bernie Sanders, in an interview with The Guardian.
Laws Alone Won’t Save Democracy
Jonathan Bernstein: “Trump wasn’t deterred after the 2020 election by the plain meaning of the law and the Constitution. Had enough Republicans in key positions gone along with him, it’s quite possible he would have successfully remained in office despite losing the election, and that would be even more true in a future scenario in which Trump allies held congressional majorities.”
“Moreover, there’s always a danger of fighting the last war. In 2020, the threat seemed to be in what happened after the votes were counted. Next time, the threat could be in the counting of the ballots, or what happens before the ballots are counted. What this means is that those who support the republic will need to fight for it, and not just through legislative fixes.”