Russia’s ambassador to Washington has been recalled to Moscow for “consultations” to determine how to move forward with relations with the U.S., the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement Wednesday, Axios reports.
Recent Retirements Might Be Good News for Senate GOP
Nathaniel Rakich: “In election cycles since 1974, the party with the most Senate retirements has actually gained seats just as often as it has lost them.”
IRS May Delay Tax Day
“The IRS is planning to push back the filing deadline for taxes to May 15,” the Washington Post reports.
“The delayed filing deadline comes as the IRS is dealing with a massive backlog that has left it unable to fully process roughly 24 million tax filings from individuals and businesses since the 2019 tax year.”
Fed Holds Steady on Interest Rates
“The Federal Reserve kept its easy-money policies in place and vowed to maintain them until the U.S. economy recovers further from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, while also highlight-ing the brightening outlook for growth,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
How J.D. Vance Changed Under Trump
Mona Charen: “I’m not sure which is worse: that Vance, who just four years ago lamented the rise of conspiracy theories on the right, is now helping to foment one of the worst, or the fact that the Republican base is so warped that ambitious men feel the need to sink into the sewer in search of political success.”
Newspaper Won’t Cover Candidate’s ‘Reckless Statements’
Washington Post: “Ohio’s biggest newspaper is taking an unusual tack toward covering falsehoods from a U.S. Senate candidate: It doesn’t plan to do so at all.”
“The Plain Dealer in Cleveland said its journalists intend to ignore inaccurate statements from Republican Josh Mandel that they consider to be ploys for attention.”
Wrote Editor Chris Quinn: “We are proud of our role as a center of discourse, with a diversity of viewpoints you can find nowhere else in the state. But we do not knowingly publish ridiculous and idiotic claims.”
Our Original Sin In Confronting the Pandemic
Derek Thompson: “Mask ordinances and social distancing (and, now, vaccines) have almost surely saved many thousands of lives. But before any of these remedies came about, America’s inability to track the virus allowed it to establish a base of infection and an exponential trajectory.”
“The testing fiasco was uniquely responsible for launching the U.S. into the national nightmare of an unchecked explosion in cases. More than any other policy failure, it turned what might have been an acute national horror into a tragedy that took more lives than either world war.”
Mayoral Contests Will Help Decide Fate of Police Reform
Politico: “A year after Floyd’s death ignited racial justice protests all over the country, police reform is shaping the mayoral contests in Minneapolis, New York City, Boston, Atlanta, Detroit and Seattle.”
“All the cities except New York hold nonpartisan elections, and all are run by Democrats. They all could serve as political barometers ahead of the 2022 congressional midterms, coming during a year in which few states are holding major elections.”
The Good and Bad News on the Airline Bailouts
Andrew Ross Sorkin: “The good news is that the rescue money likely saved as many as 75,000 jobs, most remaining at full pay. And that money also kept the airlines from filing for bankruptcy, and in a position to ferry passengers all over the country to jump start economic growth as the health crisis subsides.”
“The bad news is that it is also likely that taxpayers massively overpaid: The original grant of $25 billion in April meant that each of the 75,000 jobs saved cost the equivalent of more than $300,000. And with each additional round of bailout money, that price has grown.”
House GOP Reverses Ban on Earmarks
Jake Sherman reports that the House Republican Conference has voted to reverse its internal ban on requesting earmarks.
Eric Trump Touts Florida Resort as Gambling Destination
“Former president Donald Trump’s son Eric, who runs the family’s private company, touted the potential of transforming their Doral golf resort into a gambling destination amid a quiet push among Florida Republicans to legalize casinos in areas of the state that have long opposed them,” the Washington Post reports.
“Although Republican legislative leaders have not yet submitted a bill, word of a proposal has spread widely enough that both supporters and opponents already are gearing up for a fight that they say could be more intense than in previous years due to Trump’s potential interest and his close relationship with Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).”
Migrants Aren’t Overrunning the Southern Border
“The way many Republicans describe it, President Biden has thrown open the border between Mexico and the United States so that anyone who wants to come into the country can do so, illegally or legally,” the Washington Post reports.
“But many of those who live along the border in Texas say that while there has been a dramatic increase in the number of migrants caught crossing illegally, the border itself has been heavily restricted for nearly a year because of the coronavirus pandemic.”
Gavin Newsom Begins Fight Against Recall
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) “broke his silence on the California recall with a string of national television appearances this week, pinning the effort on President Donald Trump supporters, anti-immigrant forces and conspiracy-driven opportunists,” Politico reports.
“Heading into Wednesday’s signature deadline, Newsom is trying to frame California’s recall as an extension of the divisive 2020 presidential fight.”
Sacramento Bee: It’s recall deadline day.
DeSantis Won’t Reject Stimulus Funds
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) flatly rejected Sen. Rick Scott’s (R-FL) “call for governors and mayors to return money from the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, creating another fault line with his potential 2024 rival,” Politico reports.
Said DeSantis: “It doesn’t make any sense. If Florida were to send the money back, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is going to send it to Illinois, California, New York or New Jersey. I don’t think that would make sense for Floridians — for us to be giving even more money to the blue states that are already getting such a big windfall in this bill.”
CNN: A year into the pandemic, Florida is booming and DeSantis is taking credit.
The Next Big Health Care Fight
“Democratic lawmakers and allies favoring a public option to compete with private insurers want the party to seize on its narrow congressional majorities to muscle through an idea that’s long been popular with the base,” Politico reports.
“They’re betting that after years of rising health costs and the GOP’s failed attempts to throw out Obamacare, voters in the tightly contested 2022 midterms would reward Democrats for tackling health care costs.”
Quote of the Day
“The guy is racist.”
— Rep. Jim Clyburn, to CNN on Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI).
Biden Vows to Raise Taxes on Wealthy
“President Joe Biden promised on Wednesday morning that any individual earning more than $400,000 a year would see some type of tax increase under his forthcoming economic plan,” Bloomberg reports.
Said Biden: “Anybody making more than $400,000 will see a small to a significant tax increase. You make less than $400,000, you won’t see one single penny in additional federal tax.”
Warnock to Champion Voting Reform In Maiden Speech
Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) “will focus on voting rights in his maiden floor speech, making the case for a new federal law that could offset election restrictions proposed in Georgia and other states,” the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.
