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Happening today — to Pennsylvania and beyond!: |
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© Getty Images Via The Hill’s Brett Samuels, “President Trump will travel to the prominent presidential battleground of Pennsylvania on Thursday, further submerging himself in a politically charged debate over whether states are opening too quickly or slowly amid the coronavirus pandemic.” https://bit.ly/2AkNyXo How Trump is getting involved with the politics of stay-at-home orders: “Scores of protesters descended on the state Capitol last month to protest Gov. Tom Wolf's (D) stay-at-home directive, and Trump amped them on, tweeting Monday that Pennsylvanians ‘want their freedom now.’ It’s just the latest example of Trump urging demonstrators to rally against state stay-at-home orders; he previously suggested that citizens ‘liberate’ the states of Michigan and Minnesota — two other swing states on his 2020 target list.” Keep in mind for November: “Trump won Pennsylvania in 2016 by just 45,000 votes. Along with Michigan and Wisconsin, the three states are among the half-dozen most critical races in the country. If Trump slumps in the trio of states, he almost certainly will lose his reelection bid.” |
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| LIVESTREAM OF PRESIDENT TRUMP’S REMARKS IN PA.: |
| He is set to speak at 2:15 p.m. EDT. Watch: https://bit.ly/2Z29IIs |
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| YIKES — CHECK OUT TIME MAGAZINE’S NEW COVER: |
| https://bit.ly/2yL7fYd |
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| It’s Thursday — we’re almost there! 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 |
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BREAKING — Sen. Burr steps down as Senate Intelligence Committee Chair: |
| Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) is stepping down from his post on the committee amid an FBI probe over controversial stocks he sold right before the economy crashed. https://bit.ly/2Lrv0al From Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.): “Senator Burr contacted me this morning to inform me of his decision to step aside as Chairman of the Intelligence Committee during the pendency of the investigation. We agreed that this decision would be in the best interests of the committee and will be effective at the end of the day tomorrow.” |
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| BACK STORY: |
| Before the stock market plummeted, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) sold up to $1.7 million in stocks. According to a new Dartmouth College analysis, this move “was one of the lawmaker's only market-beating trades since record keeping began eight years ago.” https://n.pr/3cwOzd3 |
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Last night — the FBI took Sen. Burr’s cellphone: |
| Via The Los Angeles Times’s Del Quentin Wilber and Jennifer Haberkorn, the FBI seized Sen. Richard Burr’s (R-N.C.) cellphone last night as it investigates whether Burr violated laws by trading stocks using information he obtained in the Senate. https://lat.ms/3bzlo7Y Why this is especially important: “To obtain a search warrant, federal agents and prosecutors must persuade a judge they have probable cause to believe a crime has been committed … Such a warrant being served on a sitting U.S. senator would require approval from the highest ranks of the Justice Department and is a step that would not be taken lightly.” The full report: https://lat.ms/3bzlo7Y |
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Happening on Capitol Hill — well, let’s hear it: |
| Via CNN’s Alex Rogers, Jeremy Diamond and Kaitlan Collins, “Dr. Rick Bright, the ousted director of a crucial federal office charged with developing countermeasures to infectious diseases, is testifying before Congress on Thursday that the US will face ‘unprecedented illness and fatalities’ without additional preparations to curb the coronavirus pandemic.” https://cnn.it/2WOjdbe “Bright advised the federal government to ramp up its response, a week after filing a whistleblower complaint alleging he was fired from his job leading the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority for opposing the use of a drug frequently touted by President Donald Trump as a potential coronavirus treatment.” What to know about Bright: https://cnn.it/2WOjdbe |
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| FROM BRIGHT’S TESTIMONY: |
| "We will either be remembered for what we did, or what we failed to do.” https://bit.ly/2T5RTUV On a vaccine: “Dr. Rick Bright says the speculation about having a vaccine in 12-18 months assumes that ‘everything goes perfectly.’ ‘We've never seen everything go perfectly,’ he adds. He describes that timeline as ‘aggressive.’" https://bit.ly/2YZMjax |
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| REACTION FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP — HE’S NOT A FAN OF THE WHISTLEBLOWER: |
| The president tweeted, “I don’t know the so-called Whistleblower Rick Bright, never met him or even heard of him, but to me he is a disgruntled employee, not liked or respected by people I spoke to and who, with his attitude, should no longer be working for our government!” https://bit.ly/2WSXtLD |
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| Coronavirus cases in the U.S.: 1,393,890 Deaths in the U.S.: 84,239 Breakdown of the numbers: https://cnn.it/2UAgW3y |
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| SUMMER FESTIVALS CANCELED IN THE GREATER BOSTON AREA: |
| Via The Boston Globe’s Stephanie Purifoy: https://bit.ly/3dFmyQI |
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| HOW FIVE KEY INDUSTRIES ARE REOPENING: |
| Via The Hill's Alex Gangitano: https://bit.ly/2WT1W0R |
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These Thursday numbers are gut-wrenching: |
| Another 3 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, according to the Labor Department. https://bit.ly/2T48kkG Bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to: Around 36.5 million Americans. The tiny glimmer of hope: This week’s number is the lowest since the economic crisis began. |
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| REACTION IN THE STOCK MARKET: |
| Stocks dropped after the Labor Department reported an additional 3 million unemployment claims last week. https://bit.ly/2YZH6iZ The numbers: “The Dow Jones industrial average was down more than 400 points, falling 1.75 percent, while the Nasdaq composite fell 1.6 percent and the S&P 500 sank 1.7 percent.” |
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A ruling against DJT: |
| Via The Hill’s Harper Neidig, “A federal appeals court on Thursday ruled against President Trump in a lawsuit alleging that he's violated the Constitution's Emoluments Clauses.” https://bit.ly/2WSrQSg The ruling: “The majority in the 9-6 decision found that Trump had prematurely filed an appeal in the case before a district judge had ruled on his motion to remove him from the list of defendants in the suit.” What this means: “The decision from the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals keeps the case alive, rejecting the president's efforts to preserve immunity from the suit, which was filed by the attorneys general from Washington, D.C., and Maryland.” |
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The most valuable commodities in politics — the Rolodex: |
| Via The Hill’s Amie Parnes and Jonathan Easley, “The campaigns for former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) appear to be working seamlessly together, but some Democrats are questioning why Sanders has not offered his vaunted fundraising list to help Biden overcome the massive cash deficit he faces against President Trump.” https://bit.ly/3czSENY Why this list is so, so important: “Sanders has built an unmatched network of grassroots liberal donors who helped him crush the competition in fundraising during the 2020 primary season. Biden, meanwhile, has run a shoestring campaign and faces a daunting challenge against Trump, who has raised over $700 million this cycle and has about $250 million in the bank.” |
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An interesting read: |
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© Twitter The full story in The Atlantic: https://bit.ly/2yOt8WC |
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Oh my: |
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© Twitter Lol — Reaction from another journalist: “I'd immediately start drafting my letter of resignation.” https://bit.ly/2Z44Fau |
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Getting traction: |
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© Twitter Back story: “On Wednesday night in the heart of downtown Platteville, Wis., just hours after the Wisconsin Supreme Court threw out the state’s stay-at-home order, Nick’s on 2nd was packed wall to wall, standing room only.” Full story in The Washington Post: https://wapo.st/2SZh7V5 |
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| The Senate is in. The House is out. President Trump is visiting Pennsylvania today, and Vice President Pence is in Washington, D.C. Vice President Pence has no public events on his calendar. Noon: President Trump leaves for Allentown, Pa. Noon: The Senate holds a roll call vote. 1:30 p.m. EDT: The Senate votes. The Senate’s full schedule today: https://bit.ly/3bsRBOt 1:45 p.m. EDT: President Trump tours Owns & Minor, Inc. Distribution Center in Allentown. 4:35 p.m. EDT: President Trump arrives at the White House. JUST ANNOUNCED — Wednesday, May 20: The Hill Virtually Live is hosting an event on our new digital reality. Accommodating the new normal means an increased reliance on telecommunication networks and an accelerated digitalization of industries. Yet, digital literacy is uneven, as is basic access to the internet. How should policymakers approach the goals of coverage, access, affordability and capacity? Featured speakers: Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly and others. Details and how to RSVP: https://bit.ly/3dLgfeB |
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| This morning: Ousted vaccine expert Rick Bright testifies in a House hearing. Livestream: https://bit.ly/2WUcYTB 2:15 p.m. EDT: President Trump delivers remarks from Allentown, Pa. Livestream: https://bit.ly/2Z29IIs 3 p.m. EDT: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) holds her weekly press briefing. Livestream: https://cs.pn/3bu5onW |
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| NOW FOR THE FUN STUFF...: | |
| Today is National Buttermilk Biscuit Day. |
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If you’re in D.C. and looking for new takeout options: |
| Via Washingtonian’s Anna Spiegel, here are 24 must-try restaurants for pickup and delivery: https://bit.ly/2Z2EtNq |
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| And to brighten your Thursday afternoon, here’s a work Zoom call that is particularly entertaining: https://bit.ly/2LtOeMA |
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