“A bipartisan group of senators led by Utah Republican Mike Lee introduced legislation Thursday that would take aim at conflicts of interest in the advertising technology industry and force Google to break up its dominant online-ad business,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Is the Democratic Party Giving Up Already?
Jonathan Chait: “The Democratic Party has a lot of problems right now. Many of these problems lie outside its control: A global wave of inflation and continuing waves of coronavirus infection have prevented the recovery Joe Biden imagined when he took office last year, and the party’s slender majority gives it very narrow room to maneuver legislation through Congress.”
“That said, Democrats still have some room to improve their situation. They retain their congressional majority until January, and Joe Manchin has expressed his willingness to negotiate a bill to raise taxes on the rich and fund at least some new programs, including support for green energy. And yet their main response to a looming political and policy catastrophe appears to be fatalistic acceptance.”
14 States Had Significant Census Miscounts
“For the 2020 census, all states were not counted equally well for population numbers used to allocate political representation and federal funding over the next decade, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released Thursday,” NPR reports.
“A follow-up survey the bureau conducted to measure the national tally’s accuracy found significant net undercount rates in six states: Arkansas (5.04%), Florida (3.48%), Illinois (1.97%), Mississippi (4.11%), Tennessee (4.78%) and Texas (1.92%).”
“It also uncovered significant net overcount rates in eight states — Delaware (5.45%), Hawaii (6.79%), Massachusetts (2.24%), Minnesota (3.84%), New York (3.44%), Ohio (1.49%), Rhode Island (5.05%) and Utah (2.59%).”
More Subprime Borrowers Are Missing Loan Payments
“Consumers with low credit scores are falling behind on payments for car loans, personal loans and credit cards, a sign that the healthiest consumer lending environment on record in the U.S. is coming to an end,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Navy Desertions Have More Than Doubled
“The number of sailors who deserted the Navy more than doubled from 2019 to 2021, while desertions in other military branches dropped or stayed flat, pointing to a potential Navy-wide mental health crisis amid a spate of recent suicides,” NBC News reports.
GOP Candidate Wants to Eliminate One Person, One Vote
“Coloradans have elected just one Republican governor in the last 50 years. A current GOP candidate for governor has an idea that could change that: stop counting each vote equally,” KUSA reports.
“Former Parker Mayor Greg Lopez, who holds the top line on the 2022 Republican primary ballot, says Colorado should create an electoral college system for electing candidates to statewide office.”
Will Biden Run for Re-Election?
The Hill: “The 79-year-old Democrat and his closest allies say he wants a second White House term and plans to run again. Biden told former President Barack Obama he intends to launch another bid.”
“But that hasn’t silenced the whispered questions about whether he will do so given his age — he will be 81 in November 2024 — and his rocky approval ratings.”
Putin is ‘Weaponizing’ Food
Vladimir Putin is “weaponizing” global food supplies by stealing grain and destroying agricultural equipment as part of his war in Ukraine, the Telegraph reports.
Taiwan Hit by Record Coronavirus Cases
“Taiwan, which has abandoned the zero-Covid strategy to live with the virus, hit a record number of domestic infections, rising rapidly from some 15,000 cases at the end of last month to more than 85,000 on Wednesday,” the South China Morning Post reports.
Wild UFO Theories Move from Shadows to Congress
“Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) says he doesn’t believe that a secret cabal of government officials and contractors are hiding a captured alien spaceship,” Politico reports.
“But he wants to make sure — so that we can all move on to more serious business.”
“One of the most eye-popping moments during a House Intelligence Committee hearing on UFOs on Tuesday was when the Wisconsin Republican pressed Pentagon officials on claims that a ‘glowing red orb’ once shut down nuclear weapons in Montana and that a recently leaked document revealed that other-worldly vehicles — and possibly even extraterrestrial bodies — are being kept from government leaders and the public.”
Rare Monkeypox Case Confirmed in Massachusetts
“Massachusetts health authorities confirmed a case of monkeypox Wednesday after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it was monitoring the possible spread of the rare but potentially serious viral illness,” the Washington Post reports.
Science Alert: “Spain and Portugal have detected over 40 suspected cases of monkeypox, a viral infection rarely seen in Europe, with both outbreaks concentrated in the Madrid and Lisbon areas.”
Biden to Host Leaders of Finland and Sweden
“President Biden is scheduled to host the prime minister of Sweden and president of Finland at the White House on Thursday, determined to send a strong signal of support for the two nations in their push to join NATO,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
McCormick’s Hopes Rest on Mail Ballots
David McCormick’s (R) chief strategist said that mail-in ballots will put McCormick back in the lead in Pennsylvania’s Republican Senate primary.
Philadelphia Inquirer: “Either way, it appeared very likely the race would go to an automatic recount, which happens if the winning margin is less than 0.5% of the total votes cast. To avoid that, the winner would have to end up with a margin of about 6,000 to 6,800 votes. If there is a recount, it could take weeks to get a final resolution, effectively freezing the race on the Republican side.”
Kevin McCarthy Slams Peloton
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy railed against Peloton because Speaker Nancy Pelosi gave everyone in Congress a Peloton membership.
Said McCarthy: “It’s a $2,000 bike that you pay to use and pay to set up that doesn’t go anywhere. What’s a business like that?”
Jayapal Backs Cisneros Over Cuellar
“Jessica Cisneros (D)has picked up a key endorsement from Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), who leads the Congressional Progressive Caucus, in her primary bid against Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX),” Politico reports.
“Cuellar, the only House Democrat who opposes abortion rights, is facing a competitive runoff election next Tuesday in his Texas district against Cisneros, who has sought to make abortion a top issue in the race in the wake of a disclosure earlier this month of a draft Supreme Court decision that revealed the Supreme Court had voted to overturn Roe v. Wade.”
Brian Kemp Headed for Landslide Primary Win
A new Fox News poll in Georgia finds Gov. Brian Kemp (R) leads former Sen. David Perdue (R) by a 32-point margin in the Georgia Republican gubernatorial primary race, tripling his advantage from March.
Key takeaway: “In December, former President Donald Trump endorsed Perdue, but just 37% say the backing makes them more supportive of the former senator — and this group prefers Perdue by 25 points. On the other hand, 24% say the endorsement makes them less supportive of Perdue, and they break for Kemp by 79 points. Overall, 36% say the endorsement had no effect and they go for Kemp by nearly 60 points.”
Quote of the Day
“I put so much time into immigration on reconciliation. It took a year of my legislative life. I have nothing to show for it.”
— Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), quoted by Politico.
Russia Purging Some Senior Commanders
“The Russian military has fired or replaced a number of field commanders in Ukraine in recent weeks, according to the British Defense Ministry, suggesting that the poor performance of Russian forces is taking a toll on the country’s senior officer corps,” the Washington Post reports.
“The purge, described in an intelligence update Thursday, included the sacking of commanders involved in two of Russia’s most humiliating defeats since it invaded Ukraine in February.”
