The close Pennsylvania Republican Senate race between Mehmet Oz (R) and David McCormick (R) will head to a recount, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Oz’s lead over McCormick is down to about 900 votes.
Beto O’Rourke Heckles Greg Abbott at Press Briefing
At a press briefing to discuss yesterday’s school massacre, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) was interrupted by challenger Beto O’Rourke (D), who condemned him for failing to enact gun control measures.
Said O’Rourke: “You are doing nothing. You’re offering us nothing. You said this is not predictable. This is totally predictable.”
He continued as he was taken away by security: “This is on you until you choose to do something different! This will continue to happen. Somebody needs to stand up for the children of this state or they will continue to be killed just as they were in Uvalde yesterday.”
Fed Officials Expect Three Big Rate Increases
“Federal Reserve officials agreed at their last meeting that the central bank needed to move ‘expeditiously’ to bring down the most rapid pace of inflation in 40 years, with most participants expecting as many as three half-a-percentage point interest rate increases in the months ahead,” the New York Times reports.
Inquiry Into Alternate Electors Focuses on Trump Lawyers
“The Justice Department has stepped up its criminal investigation into the creation of alternate slates of pro-Trump electors seeking to overturn Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election, with a particular focus on a team of lawyers that worked on behalf of President Donald Trump,” the New York Times reports.
America’s Copy and Paste Tragedy
Tyler Weyant: “Mass shootings have become America’s copy and paste tragedy. We change the place, the town, the number of dead and injured. But the constant is lives lost, people who cannot be brought back, and the nation is left in a numb daze.”
Charlie Sykes: “We are all tired. But a nation that was not shocked into action by the massacre of innocents at Sandy Hook is unlikely to be moved by the latest horror.”
Schumer Backs Bipartisan Gun Reform Talks
“Chuck Schumer is avoiding a quick Senate vote on gun legislation that would almost surely fail, choosing to hold out hope that the latest mass shooting will finally unstick a bipartisan deal,” Politico reports.
Said Schumer: “My Republican colleagues can work with us now. I think it’s a slim prospect. Very slim, all too slim. We’ve been burnt so many times before. But this is so important. We must pursue action and even ask Republicans to join us again.”
Playbook: “Don’t expect action soon. The Senate is set to go on a weeklong Memorial Day recess starting Thursday. And while Schumer is typically a huge fan of putting GOP lawmakers on record with tough votes he can use against them politically, the New York Democrat indicated he has no plan to rush a roll call on guns, and plans to give bipartisan conversations the time to develop.”
GOP Lawmaker Revises Story on January 5 Capitol Tour
“Under pressure from the Jan. 6 select committee, Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) issued a statement last week acknowledging that he had led a ‘constituent family’ through the Capitol complex on Jan. 5, 2021 — the day before a violent mob breached the Capitol and threatened the transfer of power,” Politico reports.
“But he’s repeatedly adjusted his description of that group, raising additional questions about the circumstances of his tour — questions his office has so far declined to answer.”
“Notably, the Capitol had been closed to tours at the time because of Covid restrictions, and Loudermilk didn’t publicly acknowledge bringing in guests even after Democrats raised concerns about suspicious visitors inside the complex the day before the attack.“
Trump Approved of ‘Hang Mike Pence’ Chants
“Shortly after hundreds of rioters at the Capitol started chanting ‘Hang Mike Pence!’ on Jan. 6, 2021, the White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, left the dining room off the Oval Office, walked into his own office and told colleagues that President Donald Trump was complaining that the vice president was being whisked to safety,” the New York Times reports.
“Mr. Meadows, according to an account provided to the House committee investigating Jan. 6, then told the colleagues that Mr. Trump had said something to the effect of, maybe Mr. Pence should be hung.”
George Soros Says World War III May Have Started
George Soros told the World Economic Forum in Davos that the Russian invasion of Ukraine may have been the beginning of a Third World War “and our civilization may not survive it.”
North Carolina Attorney General Has a Stroke
North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein (D) had a “minor stroke” on Monday night and is recovering in the hospital, the Raleigh News & Observer reports.
Republicans Ignore the Southern Baptist Scandal
Paul Waldman: “There are few things that members of the American right emphasize more often about themselves than their deep commitment to protecting children — particularly when it comes to the threat of sexual abuse. In recent months, they’ve shown how intense that commitment is by labeling just about anyone who supports equality for LGBTQ people as ‘groomers’ who are preparing children to be sexually abused.”
“So when news broke this past weekend of a blockbuster report about sexual abuse (including of children) and a coverup within the Southern Baptist Convention, the GOP and conservative movement rose up in outrage. Republican politicians such as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis demanded further investigation, QAnon adherents turned their focus to this conspiracy, and conservative media couldn’t stop talking about the story.”
“Actually, none of that happened.”
Why Mass Shootings Will Keep Happening
Jonathan Last gives three reasons why the gun problem in this country won’t be fixed:
- The Second Amendment, like it or not, provides cover that makes reforming gun laws difficult to do and then more difficult to legally sustain.
- Guns are more popular than you probably realize and our political system gives so much leverage to one particular political party that if this party holds a position with roughly 45 percent support in the populace, it’s basically impossible to pull back.
- Even if we reformed gun laws, the sheer number of guns in circulation would continue to contribute to tragedies and shootings for years—probably decades—to come.
“Nothing will change until the system is re-balanced, either through the passing of laws or the shifting of demographics.”
Texas GOP Sticks with Their Indicted Attorney General
Jonathan Bernstein: “Indicted Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) may not be the worst elected official in the US, but he’s perhaps the most embarrassing one.”
“He clobbered state Land Commissioner George P. Bush in a runoff Tuesday by a two-to-one margin. Really, Texas Republicans? Paxton’s been under indictment for years, and that’s for a different alleged crime from the one he’s currently under investigation for — that’s the one that drove much of his own staff to resign in protest of what they considered flat-out corruption.”
“There must be hundreds, maybe thousands, of extremely conservative lawyers in the state, perfectly capable of suing Democratic presidents and otherwise fighting for the Republican policy agenda, but who can also plausibly stand for the rule of law in the Alamo State. Why don’t Texas Republicans choose one of those?”
Biden Officials In Saudi Arabia
“Two of President Biden’s senior advisers are on a secret visit to Saudi Arabia for talks about a possible arrangement between Saudi Arabia, Israel and Egypt, a deal to increase oil production and Washington and Riyadh’s bilateral relationship,” Axios reports.
Guns Will Be Banned at Trump’s Speech to the NRA
“Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to speak at the National Rifle Association’s Annual Leadership Forum on Friday,” NPR reports.
“But audience members at the group’s annual meeting, being held this year in Houston, won’t be able to carry guns during his address.”
Related from The Hill: Beto O’Rourke called on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to cancel his NRA convention appearance.
Whistleblower Report on Baby Formula Got Lost
“When a whistleblower sent a 34-page report to the Food and Drug Administration in October alleging a host of unsanitary conditions at an Abbott infant formula factory, the top official in charge of food safety didn’t see it,” the Washington Post reports.
“In fact, Frank Yiannas, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for food policy and response, didn’t learn about the complaint until four months later.”
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The Power of Trump’s Endorsement Dims
“Former President Donald Trump’s stature as GOP kingmaker has been dented in the past week, as some candidates he backed in major Republican primaries—particularly for governor—lost their bids,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“Republican voters and strategists said Mr. Trump’s involvement in races will be important going forward, but consultants say the traditional tenets of successful candidates such as likability, perceived electability, records and background have proved as important as ever.”
NBC News: Trump exposes the limits of his power with ill-fated endorsements.
