“The Justice Department’s investigation of the Jan. 6 attack ratcheted up Wednesday as federal agents dropped subpoenas on people in at least two states, in what appeared to be a widening probe of how political activists supporting President Donald Trump tried to use invalid electors to thwart Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory,” the Washington Post reports.
Susan Collins Selling Her Home
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) has put her home in Maine up for sale and intends to purchase “a slightly smaller house with more land,” the Bangor Daily News reports.
Their current home “has been the site of numerous protests.”
Big Majority Says Capitol Attack Was Planned
A new Quinnipiac poll finds that Americans, by a 64% to 30% margin, believe that the January 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol was planned rather than spontaneous.
However, Americans are split about whether or not they think Donald Trump committed a crime with his efforts to change the results of the 2020 presidential election, with 46% saying he did commit a crime and 47% saying he did not commit a crime.
Liberal Groups Target Election Deniers
Washington Post: “Pouring liberal money into the midterms to elect Democrats is hardly novel. What’s different about this new strategy is that a large portion of the 2022 efforts are actually aimed at 2024 — attempting to block Republican 2020 election deniers from gaining power and potentially upending valid results in a presidential election year.”
More Supreme Court Decisions Coming
The Supreme Court announced this morning that it will issue decisions this Friday, in addition to decisions already scheduled for Thursday.
Invisible Storm
Coming soon: Invisible Storm: A Soldier’s Memoir of Politics and PTSD by Jason Kander.
The Atlantic: “The once-future star of the Democratic Party is resurfacing with a memoir about mental illness. The question is whether it’s a prequel to his return to politics.”
January 6 Committee Ramps Up Security for Members
“In the past 24 hours, there has been an uptick in the number of violent threats against lawmakers on the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, and all lawmakers on the committee are likely to receive a security detail,” the Washington Post reports.
January 6 Panel Revises Hearing Schedule
Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), chair of the January 6 Committee, said that “significant new streams of evidence have necessitated a change to the panel’s hearing schedule, including the potential for additional hearings,” Politico reports.
“After the committee’s Thursday hearing — which will focus on former President Donald Trump’s effort to deploy the Justice Department to help overturn the 2020 presidential election — House investigators will resume hearings in July.”
John Cornyn Risks Conservative Cred for Gun Deal
Politico: “Faced with a chorus of boos and a rebuke from the Texas GOP over the weekend, Cornyn got a taste of what the reaction could be on the right for Republicans who vote for the Senate’s bill designed to curb mass shootings in America. What’s more, on Monday evening the NRA announced opposition to the package crafted by a quartet of senators that includes Cornyn, whose A+ rating from the gun group is probably about to take a downgrade.”
“But becoming the face of the gun safety deal is a risk worth taking for the fourth-term Republican after a shooter killed 19 children and two teachers in his state.”
Taiwan Scrambles Jets to Warn Away Chinese Planes
“Taiwan scrambled jets on Tuesday to warn away 29 Chinese aircraft in its air defense zone, including bombers that flew south of the island and into the Pacific, in the latest uptick in tensions and largest incursion since late May,” Reuters reports.
Housing Markets Are Flashing Warning Signs
“A world economy already contending with raging inflation, stock-market turmoil and a grueling war is facing yet another threat: the unraveling of a massive housing boom,” Bloomberg reports.
Kevin Cramer Sustained Serious Injury to His Hand
Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) disclosed he sustained a major injury to his right hand while doing yard work over the weekend with “a high risk of infection and the possible need for amputation” of some fingers, Politico reports.
DeSantis Leads Trump in New Hampshire Primary
A new University of New Hampshire poll finds Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) leading Donald Trump (R) in a Republican presidential primary, 39% to 37%.
Support for DeSantis has more than doubled since October.
DeSantis runs better against Joe Biden than does Trump, a further sign of Trump’s weakening support.
Ron Johnson Fakes Phone Call to Dodge Reporters
After revelations that he was asked to give slate of fake electors to Vice President Mike Pence, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) appeared to fake a phone call to avoid taking questions from reporters as he walked away from the Capitol.
Said Johnson: “I’m on the phone right now.”
Replied the reporter: “No you’re not. I can see your phone. I can see your screen.”
A Pro-Religion Court
Ian Prasad Philbrick: “The Supreme Court has become the most pro-religion it’s been since at least the 1950s, and it appears to include the six most pro-religion justices since at least World War II.”
“Yesterday’s ruling striking down a Maine law that blocked taxpayer dollars from funding religious school tuition furthered a transformation decades in the making. Since John Roberts became chief justice in 2005, the court has ruled in favor of religious organizations in orally argued cases 83 percent of the time. That is far more than any court in the past seven decades — all of which were led by chief justices who, like Roberts, were appointed by Republican presidents.”
Inside Shanghai’s Covid Lockdown Nightmare
Nikkei Asia: “During the lockdown, children who tested positive for Covid-19 were separated from their parents; fences were installed to restrict people’s movement; pets whose owners tested positive were reportedly slaughtered by authorities; white-clad workers entered residents’ apartments to spray disinfectant without consent; and at least 200 individuals are believed to have died, not due to Covid, but due to lack of access to hospitals.”
“The outbreak was contained, if just barely. From Feb. 26 to June 15, Shanghai logged 58,098 positive cases and 588 Covid-related deaths… But while the lockdown officially ended on June 1, the psychological scars have yet to heal.”
Canada to Ban Single-Use Plastics
“Canada will ban the manufacture and importation of harmful single-use plastics by the end of the year, the government said, in a sweeping effort to fight pollution and climate change,” the Washington Post reports.
“Most plastic grocery bags, cutlery and straws would come under the ban, with a few exceptions for medical needs.”
House GOP Leadership to Vote Against Gun Deal
“House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Minority Whip Steve Scalise told House Republicans during a closed-door conference meeting that they will oppose the agreement, which a bipartisan group of Senate negotiators unveiled Tuesday night,” Politico reports.
