Biden’s Approval Hits New Low
A new Reuters/Ipsos poll finds President Biden’s public approval rating fell to the lowest level of his presidency this week, 41% to 56%, a danger sign for the Democratic Party which risks losing control of Congress in the midterm elections.
Trump Spoke to Jim Jordan for 10 Minutes on January 6
“The House select committee investigating the Capitol insurrection is now in possession of White House records that provide new details about a phone call Donald Trump made to Republican Rep. Jim Jordan on January 6, 2021 — as the investigation drills down on the former President’s communications that day and questions have long swirled around calls between him and lawmakers,” CNN reports.
“Two sources who have reviewed the call records tell CNN that Trump spoke on the phone at the White House residence with Jordan for 10 minutes on the morning of January 6.”
Lone ISIS Bomber Carried Out Attack at Kabul Airport
“A single Islamic State suicide bomber carried out the attack at Kabul’s international airport in August that killed 13 U.S. troops and as many as 170 civilians, and was not accompanied by accomplices firing into the crowd,” the New York Times reports.
GOP Senate Race In Pennsylvania Turns Ugly Early
“In the Pennsylvania Senate race, one candidate is accusing a rival of having ‘dual loyalties’ to the US and a foreign country. In turn, that rival is charging his opponent with being too cozy with China,” CNN reports.
“But these aren’t candidates from opposing parties. They are hedge-fund executive David McCormick and TV personality Dr. Mehmet Oz, two of the leading contenders for the Republican nomination.”
“Without a clear primary preference from either Trump or Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell, the Oz and McCormick teams are preparing to engage in a war of attrition.”
Bills Would Force Doctors to Provide Unproven Treatments
Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin have introduced several bills aimed at barring health care providers from withholding unproven treatments for Covid-19 such as ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Pelosi Supports Congressional Staffers Union
A spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would back efforts by congressional staffers to unionize after she appeared to sidestep a question about the topic earlier Thursday, NBC News reports.
Biden Renews Trump Tariffs on Solar Panels
President Biden “has renewed for four years Trump-era tariffs on imported solar panels that were set to expire this weekend as his administration tries to boost US manufacturing of clean energy infrastructure,” the Financial Times reports.
New York Times: “But the Biden administration also moved to double the amount of solar cells that can come into the country without facing tariffs, and said it would begin talks with Canada and Mexico to export their products to the United States duty-free.”
Val Arkoosh Drops Senate Bid In Pennsylvania
Val Arkoosh (D), a physician and the lone woman in Pennsylvania’s Democratic Senate primary, is dropping out of the race, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
“She said she doesn’t plan to endorse in the primary but will campaign for the Democratic nominee in the general election.”
Said Arkoosh: “Every Republican in this race is deeply concerning.”
Oil Company Board Members Decline to Testify
“Board members of four major oil companies declined to appear at a House oversight panel hearing scheduled for Feb. 8 to answer questions about their companies’ climate change plans,” Reuters reports.
Quote of the Day
“Shame falls on a party that would censure persons of conscience, who seek truth in the face of vitriol. Honor attaches to Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for seeking truth even when doing so comes at great personal cost.”
— Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), on Twitter.
Trump Personally Reviewed Order to Seize Voting Machines
“Weeks after the 2020 election, Donald Trump reviewed a draft executive order that authorized the national guard to seize voting machines and verbally agreed to appoint Sidney Powell, a campaign lawyer and conspiracy theorist, as special counsel to investigate election fraud,” The Guardian reports.
“The two previously unreported actions of the former president – which is certain to interest the House select committee investigating the Capitol attack and Trump’s efforts to overturn his defeat – came during a contentious White House meeting on December 18, 2020.”
A Few Thoughts for the End of the Week
Join now to continue reading.
Members get exclusive analysis, bonus features and no advertising. Learn more.
Capitol Rioter Asks Judge if He Can Fight His Prison Guards
“A suspect in the January 6 Capitol riot accused of assaulting several officers in the attack asked a federal judge for permission to defend himself against prison guards at a status hearing for his case,” Newsweek reports.
“Josiah Kenyon asked Judge Carl Nichols to acknowledge that he has the right to defend himself if corrections officers try to assault him.”
Before his comment, Nichols warned Kenyon to consult with his attorney first before speaking, but Kenyon shot back: “I have a high enough IQ range to not screw up there, boss.”
Biden Renews Trump Pandemic Order Expelling Migrants
“After a recent internal review, the Biden administration decided to maintain a pandemic-era order put in place under former President Donald Trump that authorizes the rapid deportation of migrants from the U.S.-Mexico border,” CBS News reports.
Rand Paul Pledges Investigation of Dr. Fauci
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) says he plans to subpoena Dr. Anthony Fauci’s records if Republicans retake the Senate in November’s midterm elections and he becomes chairman of a committee, The Hill reports.
Said Paul: “If we win in November, if I’m chairman of a committee, if I have subpoena power, we’ll go after every one of his records. We’ll have an investigator go through this piece-by-piece because we don’t need this to happen again.”
Mike Lee Blocked Bill Without Even Being Present
“An episode Thursday shows how the objection process in the Senate works. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) has a bill (it cleared the House 416-2) that would make a site of the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II into a national park. He tried to pass the measure by unanimous consent,” Politico reports.
“Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) then took to the floor and said he was a ‘noncombatant on this issue’ but objected on behalf of Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), who was prevented from being there in person by winter storms snarling air travel.”
Said Cornyn: “I had the bad luck to be here when he communicated to me his desire that I make an objection.”
Pence To Rebut Trump’s Election Lie Again
“Former Vice President Mike Pence on Friday is expected to rebut, again, claims by Donald Trump that Pence ‘could have overturned the election’ to let Trump remain in power despite having lost in 2020 by more than 7 million votes,” the HuffPost reports.