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12:30 REPORT

BREAKING

The plot thickens:

Via CNN's Melanie Zanona, "In the days following the January 6 insurrection, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told Republican lawmakers on a private conference call that then-President Donald Trump had admitted bearing some responsibility for the deadly attack, according to new audio – a significant admission that sheds light on Trump's mindset in the immediate aftermath of the US Capitol riots." https://cnn.it/39bRFGQ

McCarthy told House Republicans on Jan. 11, 2021: "But let me be very clear to you and I have been very clear to the President. He bears responsibility for his words and actions. No if, ands or buts … I asked him personally today, does he hold responsibility for what happened? Does he feel bad about what happened? He told me he does have some responsibility for what happened. And he needs to acknowledge that."

To catch you up if you haven't been following this saga:

Remember The New York Times report yesterday that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told colleagues that he has "had it" with former President Trump? Here's that report from the Times's Alexander Burns and Jonathan Martin if you haven't read it: https://nyti.ms/37toXAU

McCarthy then vehemently denied the reporting: "The New York Times' reporting on me is totally false and wrong," McCarthy said. "It comes as no surprise that the corporate media is obsessed with doing everything it can to further a liberal agenda. This promotional book tour is no different. If the reporters were interested in truth why would they ask for comment after the book was printed?" Read McCarthy's full statement on Twitter: https://bit.ly/3MloD5V

And a McCarthy spox backed him up: "McCarthy's spokesman, Mark Bednar, denied that the Republican leader told colleagues he would urge Mr. Trump to leave office. 'McCarthy never said he'd call Trump to say he should resign,' Mr. Bednar said." https://nyti.ms/37toXAU

^ Well, the Times then shared the audio with MSNBC's 'The Rachel Maddow Show': Listen to the audio:

Watch: https://bit.ly/3rJO1ub

BY THE WAY — LIZ CHENEY SAYS IT WASN'T HER WHO LEAKED THE AUDIO:

"A spokesperson for Rep. Liz Cheney (R) said that the Wyoming congresswoman is not the person behind a recording of a Jan. 10, 2021, call with top Republicans that exposed House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) saying that he would recommend former President Trump resign if he was impeached." https://bit.ly/3v6v3Qx

NEW UPDATE — TRUMP AND MCCARTHY SPOKE LAST NIGHT:

Via The Washington Post's Jacqueline Alemany, Marianna Sotomayor, Felicia Sonmez and Julian Mark: https://wapo.st/3k5tpIu

The gist: "Trump … was not upset about McCarthy's remarks and was glad the Republican leader didn't follow through, which Trump saw as a sign of his continued grip on the Republican Party. They spoke of the private conversation on the condition of anonymity."

Read the full Washington Post reporting: https://wapo.st/3k5tpIu

Happy Friday! 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.

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HAPPENING TODAY

Let's hear what she has to say:

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is testifying today in a lawsuit to remove her from the ballot for her alleged involvement in facilitating the Jan. 6 riot.

Did she agree to this?: Well, she tried blocking that suit, but a judge sided against her.

Keep in mind: She is under oath.

Tidbit from the hearing: "When Greene entered the hearing room shortly before the proceeding began, dozens of her supporters in the room clapped and cheered loudly until a state trooper told them to be quiet. U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican and frequent Greene ally, was also in attendance and sat in the front row, just behind Greene and her lawyers." More from The Associated Press's Kate Brumback: https://bit.ly/3Mnn5rV

Watch the hearing live: https://bit.ly/3EE4fKr

NEWS FROM THE HEARING:

"Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's (R-Ga.) attorney on Friday argued that her efforts to deny President Biden's 2020 electoral victory qualified as 'legitimate political speech' and slammed a legal challenge to remove her from the Georgia primary ballot as a plain attempt to deny thousands of her constituents the right to vote." https://bit.ly/3MnnYkj

THE LATEST WITH IMMIGRATION

This could actually make it harder to cross the border:

Via The Hill's Rafael Bernal and Rebecca Beitsch, "The Biden administration is preparing a return to pre-pandemic border enforcement, a change officials and immigration advocates say will make the border harder to cross, not easier." https://bit.ly/3K64Fug

Where Republicans stand: "Border hawks have painted the policy as a necessary tool to keep immigrants out of the country."

^ And some Democratic senators agree without a plan for the surge in migration.

How the White House is responding to that criticism: "White House officials have begun to telegraph that their post-Title 42 response will actually lead to tougher immigration enforcement, a position long held by immigration and border security experts."

Full reasoning: https://bit.ly/3K64Fug

'BIDEN FACES MUTINY ON TITLE 42':

Read Niall Stanage's column today in The Hill: https://bit.ly/3xMaIlh

IN CONGRESS

This conversation isn't over!!:

"A growing number of House lawmakers are calling for a congressional investigation into the interagency communication debacle that led to the emergency evacuation of the U.S. Capitol complex on Wednesday evening." https://bit.ly/3Ox2Olw

Well, when you put it that way: "The lawmakers are stunned that an Army paratrooper stunt at the Washington Nationals baseball stadium — a pre-planned event that allowed a small, twin-engine plane to enter highly restricted airspace near Capitol Hill — could trigger so much chaos even as Washington law enforcement agencies are under heavy pressure to improve security protocols following the deadly attack on the Capitol last year."

How this could play out: https://bit.ly/3Ox2Olw

LATEST WITH THE CORONAVIRUS

A sad analysis:

"A new analysis finds that approximately 234,000 U.S. deaths from COVID-19 since June 2021 could have been prevented if people had been vaccinated. https://bit.ly/3k3fgM3

CASE NUMBERS

Coronavirus cases in the U.S.: 80,854,446

U.S. death toll: 990,691

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

VACCINATION NUMBERS

Total number of vaccinations administered in the U.S.: 571 million shots have been given.

Seven-day average of doses administered: An average of 85,256 doses

For context: The U.S. population is roughly 331 million.

Breakdown of the numbers: https://bloom.bg/3iVTPLH

NOTABLE TWEETS

Lol — I had to use Google Translate, but I thoroughly enjoyed this tweet:

Comedian Dewayne Perkins tweeted, "I started playing a game with myself where every time something annoys me on Twitter I immediately get off and force myself to do a Duolingo Spanish lesson, and b**** lemme tell you voy a ser bilingüe en poco tiempo porque todos ustedes son muy molestos" https://bit.ly/3OGsi0a

⏱ ON TAP:

The House and Senate are out. President Biden is in Seattle.

1:30 p.m. EDT: For Earth Day, President Biden delivers remarks on climate change, wildfires and safeguarding forests.

3:30 p.m. EDT: President Biden delivers remarks on health care and energy costs.

5:15 p.m. EDT: President Biden leaves for New Castle, Del.

Tuesday: The Hill is hosting a virtual event, "Accelerated Approvals & The Pathway to Treatments." Featured speakers: Rep. Brian Higgins (D-N.Y), former FDA Commissioner Mark McClellan, JDRF's Cynthia Rice and ALS Association's Neil Thakur. Details and how to RSVP: https://bit.ly/3L8gXnk

Wednesday and Thursday: The Hill is hosting a virtual "Sustainability Imperative" event. Featured speakers: Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, actress and activist Sigourney Weaver, Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory, the Minimalist's Joshua Fields Millburn, Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah) and Misfit Market CEO Abhi Ramesh. Details and how to RSVP: https://bit.ly/3MlQO4C

📺 WHAT TO WATCH:

Sunday morning: Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) will appear on NBC's "Meet the Press."

IN LIGHTER NEWS:

Today is National Jelly Bean Day!

Brace yourselves — this could affect all of us:

CNN Business's Frank Pallotta writes that "Netflix may clamp down on password sharing." https://cnn.it/3L6R1Zm

I mean, FAIR: "The company noted that of its 222 million paying households around the world, it estimates that 'Netflix is being shared with over 100 million additional households.'"

What we know: https://cnn.it/3L6R1Zm

And to get your weekend off to a good start, here's a bird with excellent dance moves. That is all: https://bit.ly/38ejjlP