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Joe Biden just ordered one of everything on the menu: |
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© Giphy Via The New York Times’s Jim Tankersley, President Biden is expected to propose a $6 trillion budget tomorrow. https://nyti.ms/3fNaWxP What are the increases: Infrastructure, health care, education — and more discretionary spending. The Times pointed out: This would bring the U.S. to the highest levels of federal spending since World War II. Sooo, how do we have the funds to do that…? “Biden’s plan to fund his agenda by raising taxes on corporations and high earners would begin to shrink budget deficits in the 2030s. Administration officials have said the jobs and families plans would be fully offset by tax increases over the course of 15 years, which the budget request backs up.” And in the meantime: “The United States would run significant deficits as it borrows money to finance his plans.” What to expect in Biden’s budget: https://nyti.ms/3uAkfa1 |
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| KEEP IN MIND ABOUT BIDEN’S BUDGET — IT’S MORE OF A WISH LIST: |
| Think of President Biden’s budget request as his wish list. Congress will negotiate and pass the budget bills. Though: Because Democrats have control of the White House, Senate and House, Biden has a better chance that the details of his budget proposal will make it in the bill. |
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| It’s Thursday before the holiday weekend! 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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We keep hitting lower numbers and tbh, I’m running out of ‘get low’ jokes!!: |
| Weekly unemployment claims dipped to a new pandemic low of 406,000. https://bit.ly/3wugkga Why these weekly totals are worth mentioning: “While the claims remain well above historical averages, the new total was better than the 425,000 claims economists expected, and points to a steadily recovering labor market.” |
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The stories Buddy Carter could tell: |
| Via CNN’s Kate Bennett, one of the longest-serving White House butlers, William “Buddy” Carter, is retiring after 47 years. https://cnn.it/3ur47HF Aw: The White House is reportedly throwing a small party for Carter today. Carter’s career — wow: “Carter's career began 47 years ago at Blair House, the presidential guest house across the street from the White House, where he served as part of the staff for 15 years before heading to the White House Executive Residence as one of just six butlers. Carter would remain a treasured member of the residence staff, assisting presidents and first ladies and their families from Ronald Reagan's administration until today.” |
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| THE LATEST WITH FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP | |
OK, we keep hearing rumblings of a grand jury and a Trump investigation. What’s the deal?: |
| The news that Manhattan’s district attorney has convened a special grand jury as part of his criminal probe of former President Trump’s business dealings has fueled speculation over whether he could become the first U.S. president to serve prison time.” https://bit.ly/3hTWwyI The Hill’s John Kruzel wrote a very helpful explainer on what to read into this. The gist: There is still so much we don’t know, so don’t read too much into the grand jury. What Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. is interested in: “Hush money payments to Trump’s alleged mistresses, questionable valuations of Trump Organization assets and employee compensation arrangements that may have skirted taxes.” But we don’t know if that’s why Vance convened a grand jury. Helpful primer if you haven't been following the probe: https://bit.ly/3hTWwyI |
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| SENATE REPUBLICANS DON’T SEEM TOO WORRIED — IT’S BECAUSE DEMS ARE WORRIED ABOUT TRUMP’S INFLUENCE: |
| Via The Hill’s Alexander Bolton, “Senate Republicans see a special grand jury investigation into President Trump's business practices by Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. as more evidence that Democrats want to keep Trump in the spotlight to drag them down in the midterm elections.” https://bit.ly/3urowwe |
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| HAPPENING TONIGHT — PAUL RYAN MAY HAVE A FEW CHOICE WORDS: |
| “Former Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) is expected to knock former President Trump in a speech Thursday evening at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California by urging members of his party to avoid rallying behind ‘one personality’ or ‘second-rate imitations.’ ” https://bit.ly/2RIj3E8 |
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Eh, what’s $700 billion between friends? Chump change, amirite?: |
| Senate Republicans unveiled their latest counteroffer to President Biden’s infrastructure plan. https://bit.ly/3foARNh The price tag of the new GOP plan: $928 billion For context: Republicans had been proposing $568 billion. Biden then countered with $1.7 trillion. The GOP’s latest move is adding to their offer, now totaling $928 billion. |
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| INTERESTING READ ON INFRASTRUCTURE: |
| Via The New York Times’s Nadja Popovich, Josh Williams and Denise Lu, “Can removing highways fix America’s cities?” https://nyti.ms/3yLkZMv |
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Funny tidbit — bipartisanship is alive and well!: |
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© Twitter |
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| LATEST WITH THE CORONAVIRUS | |
Closing up shop: |
| Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) announced that walk-up vaccination sites in the District will close by the end of June. https://bit.ly/3yKgXnC |
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| CASE NUMBERS: |
| Coronavirus cases in the U.S.: 33,192,280 U.S. death toll: 592,425 Breakdown of the numbers: https://cnn.it/2UAgW3y |
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| VACCINATION NUMBERS: |
| Total number of vaccinations administered in the U.S.: 289 million shots have been given. Seven-day average of doses administered: An average of 1.7 million doses For context: The U.S. population is roughly 331 million. Breakdown of the numbers: https://bloom.bg/3iVTPLH |
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The thunderstorms in DC last night were pretty wild: |
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© Twitter |
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A smoke monster is precisely what it looked like: |
| These shots were taken around 14th and U Streets NW. 
© Twitter |
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| The Senate is in. The House is out. President Biden is in Ohio today. Vice President Harris is in Washington, D.C. 10 a.m. EDT: President Biden received the President’s Daily Brief. 11:10 a.m. EDT: President Biden leaves for Cleveland. 1:50 p.m. EDT: President Biden tours Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland. 4 p.m. EDT: Vice President Harris convenes private sector leaders to discuss economic development in the Northern Triangle. 5:15 p.m. EDT: President Biden returns to the White House. |
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| Noon: White House press secretary Jen Psaki speaks with reporters aboard Air Force One. Livestream: https://bit.ly/2RRTPmH 2:20 p.m. EDT: President Biden delivers remarks on the economy. Livestream: https://bit.ly/2ROAkeI |
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| NOW FOR THE FUN STUFF...: | |
| Today is National Grape Popsicle Day! |
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You have my full attention, Fritz: |
| In The Washington Post’s “Going Out Guide,” Fritz Hahn writes, “Move over, White Claw. Drunk Fruit is the hard seltzer you should be drinking this summer.” Details and photos — the flavors are intriguing: https://wapo.st/3cgA9A3 |
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| And because you made it this far, here is one chill kangaroo: 
© Twitter Watch: https://bit.ly/3wE1WlG |
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