“House Democrats on Wednesday plan to unveil a five-year, $760 billion framework for rebuilding the nation’s highways, airports and other infrastructure, laying out an election-year package with little chance of enactment after bipartisan talks with the White House on the issue failed to gain traction,” the New York Times reports.

Politico: “Communications among Boeing employees involved with the 737 MAX, made public Thursday, have pushed the company’s reputation on Capitol Hill to a new low, sparking bipartisan anger and bringing Congress closer to reining in what some say has been lax federal oversight of plane manufacturers.”

“The emails and messages — which depict unnamed Boeing employees bragging about duping airlines, criticizing the MAX’s design as done by ‘clowns’ and raising concerns about cost-cutting and schedule pressures — immediately prompted sharp bipartisan rebukes.”

New York Times: “Boeing employees mocked federal rules, talked about deceiving regulators and joked about potential flaws in the 737 Max as it was being developed, according to over a hundred pages of internal messages delivered Thursday to congressional investigators.”

Said one of the employees: “I still haven’t been forgiven by God for the covering up I did last year.”

“The most damaging messages included conversations among Boeing pilots and other employees about software issues and other problems with flight simulators for the Max, a plane later involved in two accidents, in late 2018 and early 2019, that killed 346 people and threw the company into chaos. The employees appear to discuss instances in which the company concealed such problems from the F.A.A. during the regulator’s certification of the simulators, which were used in the development of the Max, as well as in training for pilots who had not previously flown a 737.”

Politico: “In her first 14 months as Transportation secretary, Elaine Chao met with officials from Kentucky, which her husband Mitch McConnell represents in the Senate, vastly more often than those from any other state.”

“In all, 25 percent of Chao’s scheduled meetings with local officials of any state from January 2017 to March 2018 were with Kentuckians, who make up only about 1.3 percent of the U.S. population.”

“The fact that Chao’s calendar shows that 1 out of every 4 meetings with local officials was with Kentuckians is significant because the department has long maintained that it, and she, have shown no favoritism to the state represented by her husband, even while local officials from other states have complained about having trouble getting to see her.”

“A group of 17 U.S. and foreign automakers wrote to President Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) this week, urging them to ‘resurrect’ talks in hopes of finding consensus on how fuel efficient cars and trucks must be in coming years,” the Washington Post reports.

“But White House officials have rebuffed the automakers’ request, saying there was no prospect of further negotiation with California regulator.”

“California has vowed to push ahead with its own, stricter fuel standards.”

“Business leaders and communities around the country are expressing alarm that the bitter partisan impasse in Washington is paralyzing efforts to revamp the nation’s deteriorating and outdated infrastructure,” the Washington Post reports.

Playbook: “Three weeks ago, Democrats left the White House optimistic, but realistic, about the chances of an infrastructure bill. TRUMP had agreed to spend $2 trillion on a massive infrastructure package — aides said he was giddy about the high number — and the two sides were to meet again to figure out how to pay for it. Trump, Democrats said, would come up with the funding scheme, and, indeed, policy staffers at the National Economic Council, Treasury and OMB started to work on various proposals.”

“Well, this wen about as well as any other infrastructure week. The White House is not going to present any plan to pay for rebuilding the nation’s roads and highways.”

Reuters: Democrats to press Trump on paying for infrastructure boost.

President Trump accused Democrats of playing “a bit of game” on reaching an infrastructure deal, “saying he fears they will portray him as favoring a tax increase to pay for major investments in roads, rail, airports and other projects,” the Washington Post reports.

Said Trump: “But I also think we’re being played by the Democrats a little bit. You know, I think what they want me to do is say, ‘Well what we’ll do is raise taxes,’ and we’ll do this and this and this, and then they’ll have a news conference… ‘See, Trump wants to raise taxes.’ So it’s a little bit of a game.”

President Trump trashed his own White House infrastructure plan released last year, blaming former economic adviser Gary Cohn for drafting a proposal that was “so stupid,” The Hill reports.

“Trump, meeting with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY), made clear that he was never supportive of the proposal calling for public-private partnerships because ‘you get sued.'”

Said Trump: “That was a Gary bill. That bill was so stupid.”

“Democratic congressional leaders said they held a constructive meeting with President Trump on Monday at which they agreed to seek a deal on a $2 trillion infrastructure bill,” The Hill reports.

Wall Street Journal: “In unusually positive comments about negotiations with the president, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) both praised the meeting as productive and said they had agreed to return in three weeks to hear Mr. Trump’s ideas about how to pay for an infrastructure bill.”

President Trump floated an idea for Boeing:

“What do I know about branding, maybe nothing (but I did become President!), but if I were Boeing, I would FIX the Boeing 737 MAX, add some additional great features, & REBRAND the plane with a new name. No product has suffered like this one. But again, what the hell do I know?”

The Federal Aviation Administration has halted some incoming flights into LaGuardia Airport in New York due to air traffic control staffing issues, NBC News reports.

The FAA subsequently said that the staffing shortages in Leesburg were also affecting traffic at Philadelphia International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport.