Spiegel Stuff: The Hill’s 12:30 Report: Biden appears on ‘Morning Joe’ | Denies sexual assault allegation | ‘This never happened’ | Pelosi floats $1T in state aid | Whole Foods gives free, disposable masks to customers | D.C. flyover for first responders | Anderson Cooper announces birth of son | New White House press secretary’s first on-camera briefing at 2 p.m.

NEWS OF THE MORNING

Joe Biden addresses the sexual assault allegation:

During an exclusive appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” today, former Vice President Joe Biden denied the allegation from former staffer Tara Reade, who says then-Sen. Biden sexually assaulted her. https://bit.ly/3aUUlUc

In Biden’s words: “They aren’t true,” Biden said. “This never happened.”

Biden on whether women who come forward should be believed: “Women are to be believed given the benefit of the doubt. If they come forward and say something that they said happened to them, they should start out with the presumption they are telling the truth. Then you have to look at the circumstances and the facts. And the facts in this case do not exist. They never happened. And there’s so many inconsistencies in what has been said in this case. So yes, look at the facts and I assure you, it did not happen. Period.

Watch the full interview with host Mika Brzezinski and Biden: https://bit.ly/2SoyfTZ

Read Biden’s full statement on the allegation: https://cnn.it/3fbN8T4

REACTION TO BRZEZINSKI’S INTERVIEW:

Via The Hill’s Joe Concha, MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski received mostly positive reviews for her questioning of former Vice President Joe Biden. https://bit.ly/2KN0xTV

For example: The editor-in-chief of The Dispatch, Jonah Goldberg, tweeted: “Not sure you can fault Mika’s questioning. Those weren’t softballs. Sure, I’d like some more granular follow ups, but that was a grilling.” https://bit.ly/2KP5wTZ

More reactions: https://bit.ly/2KN0xTV

QUICK CATCH-UP IF YOU HAVEN’T BEEN FOLLOWING THIS STORY:

“Tara Reade, who managed the intern program for Biden’s Senate office in 1993, last month alleged publicly that Biden had sexually assaulted her in an empty corridor on Capitol Hill. She previously had accused him of inappropriate touching … Reade has said that she notified three of Biden’s senior aides about his touching at the time: Then-chief of staff Ted Kaufman, adviser Dennis Toner and Marianne Baker, an executive assistant. All three have gone on the record to say that Reade did not confront them about the issue.” https://bit.ly/3aUUlUc

And then a corroboration this week: “A woman who was Reade’s neighbor in the 1990s came forward this week to say that Reade told her about the allegations of assault at the time. Reade’s brother has also said Reade told him that Biden ‘had his hand under her clothes at some point.’ ”

A TIMELINE OF THE ALLEGATIONS:

Via Forbes: https://bit.ly/3f5TBzf

It’s Friday! Happy first day of June ... just kidding I got the date wrong yesterday. This is what the quarantine has done to me. Thanks for everyone who let me know ;)

I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send comments, story ideas and events for our radar to cmartel@thehill.com — and follow along on Twitter @CateMartel and Facebook.

Did someone forward this to you? Want your own copy? Sign up here to receive The Hill's 12:30 Report in your inbox daily: http://bit.ly/2kjMNnn

IN THE WHITE HOUSE

Happening today — remember that little old thing??:

President Trump’s new press secretary Kayleigh McEnany is holding her first formal White House press briefing. https://bit.ly/2Sp7qPu

Why this is especially newsy: This is the first formal on-camera press briefing in more than a year. “Stephanie Grisham, McEnany’s predecessor, never held a formal briefing and defended the decision to end them, describing Trump as his own best spokesman and decrying the briefings as ‘theater’ where reporters attempt to make names for themselves.”

WATCH THE FIRST ON-CAMERA WHITE HOUSE PRESS BRIEFING IN OVER A YEAR:

Livestream: https://bit.ly/3bVeFWX

WHERE THINGS STAND

Coronavirus cases in the U.S.: 1,070,620

Deaths in the U.S.: 63,023

Breakdown of the numbers: https://cnn.it/2UAgW3y

WHOLE FOODS IS PROVIDING FREE MASKS TO CUSTOMERS:

Whole Foods Market is providing free, disposable masks to customers to use while shopping. https://bit.ly/3aSL8fh

HAPPENING TODAY — TEXAS IS SET TO REOPEN UNDER POLITICAL SHADOW:

Via The Hill’s Julia Manchester, Jessie Hellmann and Maggie Miller: https://bit.ly/2z30cJT

WHICH STATES ARE REOPENING:

https://nyti.ms/3bXaxWk

Op-ed: https://bit.ly/2xoWtWK

Interesting read — teaching old drugs new tricks:

Via The New York Times’s Carl Zimmer, “A ‘drug repurposing’ strategy uncovers dozens of compounds that have the unexpected potential to combat the virus.”

For example: “In the early 1950s, psychiatrists began treating schizophrenia with a new drug called chlorpromazine. Seven decades later, the drug is still used as an anti-psychotic. But now scientists have discovered that the drug, also known as Thorazine, can do something entirely different. It can stop the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19 from invading cells.”

The drugs are not what you think, either: “They’re startlingly diverse. Some, like chlorpromazine, have been used for years — not for viral infections, but for conditions including cancer, allergies, arthritis, even irregular menstrual periods. Other drugs have not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, but they have already proven safe in clinical trials. Their track records might help them get approved faster than a drug designed from scratch.”

The full story: https://nyti.ms/2zOKF0V

LATEST WITH CORONAVIRUS RELIEF

A trillion here, a trillion there:

Via The Hill’s Mike Lillis, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said yesterday that Democrats will push for $1 trillion to help state and local governments hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. https://bit.ly/3fc2LtK

In Pelosi’s words, ‘in the basement of the near-deserted Capitol’: "We're not going to be able to cover all of it, but to the extent that we can keep the states and localities sustainable, that's our goal.”

IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

Look in the sky around 11:45 a.m. tomorrow:

Via NBC Washington, The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and U.S. Navy Blue Angels are flying over Washington, D.C., to honor the heroes of the coronavirus pandemic, first responders and health care workers. https://bit.ly/2WfwIRh

Details: The 20-minute flyover will start around 11:45 a.m. EDT.

From the Thunderbird commander and lead pilot: “We are honored to fly over these cities in a display of national unity and support for the men and women keeping our communities safe. These flyovers are a gesture of goodwill on behalf of the entire Department of Defense to the heroes of the COIVD-19 pandemic.”

From the Blue Angels: “We salute and thank all healthcare workers, first responders and other essential personnel on the front lines against COVID-19.”

GOOD NEWS TO SHARE

Anderson Cooper is a dad!:

CNN’s Anderson Cooper announced the birth of his son, Wyatt Morgan Cooper, weighing 7 pounds 2 ounces. https://cnn.it/3d3dHbm

Cooper said on air last night: "It has been a difficult time in all of our lives, and there are certainly many hard days ahead. It is, I think, especially important in these times of trouble to try to hold on to moments of joy and moments of happiness. Even as we mourn the loss of loved ones, we are also blessed with new life and new love."

Watch Cooper’s announcement on his show last night: Cooper seems SO happy. https://cnn.it/3d3dHbm

He mentioned in his Instagram announcement: “As a gay kid, I never thought it would be possible to have a child, and I’m grateful for all those who have paved the way, and for the doctors and nurses and everyone involved in my son's birth. Most of all, I am grateful to a remarkable surrogate who carried Wyatt.”

I know, I know, I’m getting to the photos ;) It’s the content we all want. Here are photos of Wyatt from Cooper’s Instagram announcement: https://bit.ly/3aULP7U

NOTABLE TWEETS:

This is pretty funny:

Watch: https://bit.ly/3f9wWlp

All weather forecasts should look like this:

Watch: https://bit.ly/2zP5RUv

ON TAP:

The House and Senate are out. President Trump and Vice President Pence are in Washington, D.C. Trump is leaving for Camp David later today.

11:30 a.m. EDT: President Trump received an intelligence briefing.

12:30 p.m. EDT: President Trump has lunch with Vice President Pence.

3 p.m. EDT: Vice President Pence leads a White House Coronavirus Task Force meeting in the Situation Room.

5 p.m. EDT: President Trump leaves for Camp David.

WHAT TO WATCH:

2 p.m. EDT: White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany holds a press briefing. Livestream: https://bit.ly/3bVeFWX

4:15 p.m. EDT: President Trump participates in a “Presidential Recognition Ceremony” in the Blue Room of the White House. Livestream: https://cs.pn/2yhcqPe

NOW FOR THE FUN STUFF...:

Today is National Chocolate Parfait Day. And for weekend planning purposes, tomorrow is National Chocolate Truffle Day and Sunday is National Raspberry Popover Day.

And to get your weekend off to a relaxing start, here are two dogs who have the right idea: https://bit.ly/3d6Asvc