The labor market tightened further last week, with initial jobless claims calling to 166,000 — their lowest level in more than 53 years, CNBC reports.
Ivanka Trump’s Testimony Lasted 8 Hours
“Ivanka Trump testified for around eight hours Tuesday to the select House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot that began after her father, former President Donald Trump, spent weeks falsely claiming he was being deprived of a second White House term because of widespread ballot fraud,” CNBC reports.
“Ivanka Trump testified five days after her husband Jared Kushner himself answered questions from the committee for more than six hours.”
Congress May Punt Covid Funding Package
Congress may punt on a $10 billion Covid preparedness funding package until the end of this month due to a fight over immigration policy, Axios reports.
Texas Rejected 25,000 Ballots In Primary
“The Texas Secretary of State issued a report Wednesday indicating that nearly 25,000 mail-in ballots were rejected during the March 1 primary, sharply higher than rejections recorded in prior elections,” the Dallas Morning News reports.
“The major increase in the number of rejected ballots stems almost entirely from new mail-in ballot identification rules from a controversial election law enacted earlier this year.”
Energy Executive Listed as Author of Witness Testimony
H.R. McMaster, who served as President Donald Trump’s national security adviser, submitted testimony to a House committee that for some reason listed an executive at Sempra Energy as its author, the Washington Post reports.
McMaster confirmed he is an advisor to Sempra, but denies the executive drafted his testimony.
Biden’s Order on Policing Still Up in the Air
Washington Post: “The Biden White House is struggling to reshape an executive order on police accountability three months after a leaked draft drew sharp opposition from law enforcement groups, putting the initiative at risk at a time when violent crime is rising and civil rights groups have expressed frustration over the pace of reform.”
“Police organizations said they remain in talks with Biden’s domestic policy adviser, Susan Rice, and other senior aides. But nearly two years after the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others sparked nationwide protests and demands for change, the White House has offered no timeline for the release of the order or details of what it might include.”
Growing Up Biden
Out next week: Growing Up Biden: A Memoir by Valerie Biden Owens.
Axios has an excerpt detailing the night Joe Biden’s first wife, Neilia, and daughter, Naomi, died. She describes Biden being sworn in as a senator at a hospital in Wilmington, as his sons Hunter and Beau were still recovering.
Greene Says Jimmy Kimmel Threatened Her
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) accused Jimmy Kimmel of making a violent “threat” against her, and filed the claim with the U.S. Capitol Police.
The offense? After mentioning some of Greene’s outlandish statements, Kimmel said: “Wow, where is Will Smith when you really need him?”
Meanwhile, Donald Trump endorsed Greene for re-election.
Inside Biden’s Deliberative Yet Impulsive Ukraine Strategy
Washington Post: “The 37-minute scramble to clarify Biden’s nine-word gaffe, details of which have not been previously reported, illustrates the singular role Biden has played during Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine — at times emotional and freewheeling, at other times carefully choreographed and deliberate, but frequently a central player in helping to marshal the West’s response to Russia.”
“As the war enters its seventh week Thursday, Biden has left his distinct imprint on the crisis — in ways both intentional and not, and in ways that have both clarified and complicated the situation.”
German Intelligence Intercepted Russian Radio Traffic
German intelligence intercepted radio traffic from the Russian military regarding the murder of civilians in Bucha, which were apparently part of the plan, Der Spiegel reports.
The intercepted comments appear to completely refute Russia’s denials over the atrocities.
Trump Blames Pelosi for Capitol Riots
“Former president Donald Trump voiced regret Wednesday over not marching to the U.S. Capitol the day his supporters stormed the building, and he defended his long silence during the attack by claiming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others were responsible for ending the deadly violence,” the Washington Post reports.
Said Trump: “I thought it was a shame, and I kept asking why isn’t she doing something about it? Why isn’t Nancy Pelosi doing something about it? And the mayor of D.C. also. The mayor of D.C. and Nancy Pelosi are in charge.”
He added: “I hated seeing it. I hated seeing it. And I said, ‘It’s got to be taken care of,’ and I assumed they were taking care of it.”
Pelosi to Visit Taiwan in First Such Trip for 25 Years
Speaker Nancy Pelosi is scheduled to visit Taiwan, according to media reports, a landmark display of American support that triggered a diplomatic protest from Beijing, Bloomberg reports.
Gosar Cancels Appearance with White Nationalists
Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) was listed as a “special guest” with the white nationalist American Populist Union at an event on April 20, a date popular among Neo-Nazis: Hitler’s birthday, the Arizona Mirror reports.
But Gosar’s campaign now says he isn’t attending and it doesn’t know how he was listed as a guest of honor, even though Gosar promoted his scheduled appearance on social media.
Two Men Posed as Secret Service Agents
“Federal prosecutors on Wednesday charged two men they say were posing as federal agents, giving free apartments and other gifts to U.S. Secret Service agents, including one who worked on the first lady’s security detail,” the AP reports.
Greg Abbott Pledges to Bus Migrants to Washington, D.C.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) “unveiled a stunning plan that sent a shockwave through the immigration rights community,” the Texas Tribune reports.
“Texas would place state troopers in riot gear to meet migrants at the border and bus them straight to the steps of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. where the Biden administration ‘will be able to more immediately address the needs of the people that they are allowing to come across our border.’”
Bipartisan Group Seeks to Block Lifting of Title 42
“Five Democratic and six Republican senators will introduce a new bill on Thursday that would prevent the Biden administration from lifting Title 42 without a detailed plan in place to stop an expected surge of migrants at the border,” Axios reports.
“The administration’s plans to end the Trump-era Covid-19 immigration ban by May 23 were immediately met with scathing criticism from lawmakers in both parties. They fear the announcement will trigger a mass migration event.”
“Vulnerable Democrats also worry it will create a political firestorm, and provide Republicans with fresh ammunition just months before the midterms.”
GOP Mayor Apologizes Racial Slurs on Secret Tapes
Clark, New Jersey Mayor Sal Bonaccorso (R) is apologizing for racist and misogynist comments captured on secret recordings, saying in a video posted online that he is “embarrassed and ashamed,” NJ.com reports.
Bonaccorso’s apology follows denials that he had used racist language. He also claimed he knew nothing about the recordings and said he had many Black friends.
U.S. Says It Secretly Preempted Russian Cyberattacks
“The United States said that it had secretly removed malware from computer networks around the world in recent weeks, a step to pre-empt Russian cyberattacks and send a message to President Vladimir Putin,” the New York Times reports.
“The move, made public by Attorney General Merrick Garland, comes as U.S. officials warn that Russia could try to strike American critical infrastructure — including financial firms, pipelines and the electric grid — in response to the crushing sanctions that the United States has imposed on Moscow over the war in Ukraine.”
“The malware enabled the Russians to create ‘botnets’ — networks of private computers that are infected with malicious software and controlled by the G.R.U., the intelligence arm of the Russian military.”
