Officials are investigating the cause of the crash that led to the collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge early Tuesday. But they aren't ready to say how long it will take to get the cargo ship out of one of the nation's busiest ports or replace the bridge. "Rebuilding will not be quick or easy or cheap," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told reporters during a White House press briefing Wednesday. "But we will get it done." The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is conducting an independent investigation into the Dali's crash, which sent eight people into the water. Two people escaped with injuries, and the remaining six are presumed dead.
"Part of what's being debated is whether any design feature now known would have made a difference in this case," Buttigieg said. "A bridge like this one, completed in the 1970s, was simply not made to withstand a direct impact on a critical support pier from a vessel that weighs about 200 million pounds."
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott (D) called the Key Bridge's collapse "devastating" and vowed support for the families of the victims, who were paving parts of the bridge when the collapse happened.
"This is an unthinkable tragedy," Scott said. "And when you think about those families, when you think about those workers who were simply trying to improve transit for the rest of us, losing your life in this way is nothing short of a tragedy." The collapse occurred following a power outage on the ship, according to authorities. The U.S. Coast Guard called off search-and-rescue efforts late Tuesday and have focused their efforts on finding the bodies of the six men presumed dead. President Biden has vowed that the bridge will be rebuilt, saying "It's my intention that the federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge, and I expect the Congress to support my effort." |
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Welcome to Evening Report! I'm Liz Crisp, catching you up from the afternoon and what's coming tomorrow. Not on the list? Subscribe here. |
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Democrats fear Trump more than Biden scares GOP: Poll |
More Democrats fear former President Trump being reelected than Republicans fear a second term for President Biden, according to a new poll.
The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs poll found 66 percent of Democrats are extremely fearful of another Trump term in the White House. About 49 percent of Republicans surveyed said they are scared of Biden being reelected. (The Hill) |
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Breyer: SCOTUS risks creating Constitution 'no one wants' |
Former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is worried the Supreme Court is heading toward creating a "Constitution that no one wants" under its interpretations.
In an interview with Politico Magazine published this week, the former liberal justice discussed his view of originalism, a legal theory based on the idea that law should be interpreted according to the writers' original intent, which is popular among the conservative majority on the court.
Breyer said he used to argue with the late fellow Justice Antonin Scalia, a noted originalist, about originalism.
"Because the world does change, not necessarily so much in terms of values, but certainly in terms of the facts to which those values are applied," Breyer said.
Breyer, who retired in 2022, also said that he supports age limits for Supreme Court justices. (The Hill) |
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NBC comes under fire from right for McDaniel ouster |
NBC is facing backlash from the right after abruptly canceling plans to add former Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel as a paid contributor.
McDaniel's exit followed vocal protests from some of the network's most prominent on-air hosts, who took issue with her past rhetoric on the 2020 election and the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
Former President Trump, who has had a rocky relationship with McDaniel, was among the Republicans criticizing the network's about-face.
"Wow! Ronna McDaniel got fired by Fake News NBC. She only lasted two days, and this after McDaniel went out of her way to say what they wanted to hear," Trump posted on Truth Social.
"The sick degenerates over at MSDNC are really running NBC, and there seems nothing Chairman Brian Roberts can do about it," the former president wrote in another post attacking Comcast, the network's parent company.
The Hill's Dominick Mastrangelo has more details about what people are saying about the ordeal. |
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Trump agitates hush money judge as he seeks to stave off NY trial
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Former President Trump is trying several tactics to stall his first criminal trial, but the New York judge overseeing the case appears to be losing his patience.
Judge Juan Merchan just this week refused to pause the hush money case over alleged discovery violations, gagged the former president and even threatened his lawyers with criminal contempt, which all came in the form of separate court rulings.
Merchan has set an April 15 start date for the trial, which is related to allegations that Trump paid adult film actress Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about their alleged affair, which Trump denies. (The Hill) |
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"Prison education saves lives — but it's way too hard to get," writes Kevin Light-Roth, currently incarcerated at a Washington State prison. "Our unraveling world is history repeating itself," writes Robert A. Manning of the Stimson Center. |
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110 days until the Republican National Convention.
145 days until the Democratic National Convention.
222 days until the 2024 general election. |
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The Biden campaign is set to hold a star-studded fundraiser Thursday night featuring President Biden, as well as former Presidents Obama and Clinton. |
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