Spiegel Stuff: The Hill's 12:30 Report: DC reacts to new football team name

TALK OF THE MORNING

The Washington Football Team announced its new name on NBC’s “Today” show this morning: The Washington Commanders.

Why the Commanders?: “This new identity embodies the most powerful aspects of Washington's story by paying tribute to the team’s rich history and championship culture, personified by mission-driven players who take command, forge success and break barriers on and off the field,” the team said in a statement.

More on the new name: https://on.today.com/3uoMtYD

Watch the Commanders’ announcement video: https://bit.ly/3IRGq2K

The new logos: From ESPN’s Adam Schefter: https://bit.ly/3AUKGvS

OTHER NAMES THE TEAM CONSIDERED:

Via CNN’s Brandon Griggs: https://cnn.it/3L5MqXy

A FEW REACTIONS TO THE NAME:

Ah, what a missed opportunity: The Atlantic’s Adam Serwer tweeted, “The Washington Department of Football was always the best name” https://bit.ly/3L20zVH

This also would have been great: The Hill’s Reid Wilson tweeted, “If the team’s new name isn’t the Washington Insiders, I’m not interested.” https://bit.ly/3ukPqt6

OK, this could still happen: Journalist Charles Seife suggested having the mascot be "The Whistleblower." https://bit.ly/3ATSZrF

Lol: @EsotericCD tweeted, “You can call them the ‘Washington Commanders’ all you want, but they'll always be the Washington Football Team of my beloved childhood memories.” https://bit.ly/3ARzvDQ

I wonder how Commander Biden feels about this: NBC’s Mike Memoli pointed out that Commander is the name of the Bidens’ dog. https://bit.ly/3saLad7

Good point — what will its nickname be?: NPR’s Alina Selyukh tweeted, “so Caps, Nats and… Coms? I vote Ders.” https://bit.ly/3gglMNp

Happy Wednesday — it’s Groundhog Day! Keep reading for Phil’s prediction. 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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NEWS THIS MORNING

Whoa, Jeff Zucker just resigned from CNN:

CNN president Jeff Zucker just announced his resignation because of an undisclosed relationship with a colleague at the network. https://bit.ly/34vJ5jF

CNN’s Brian Stelter posted Zucker’s statement — here’s an excerpt: “As part of the investigation into Chris Cuomo’s tenure at CNN, I was asked about a consensual relationship with my closest colleague, someone I have worked with for more than 20 years. I acknowledged the relationship evolved in recent years. I was required to disclose it when it began but I didn’t. I was wrong. As a result, I am resigning today.”

Zucker also wrote: “I certainly wish my tenure here had ended differently.”

Read Zucker’s full statement: https://bit.ly/34vJ5jF

HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW:

From The New York Times’s Michael M. Grynbaum: https://nyti.ms/3L3VOuV

3,000 more troops are heading over:

Via The Washington Post’s Steve Hendrix, Rachel Pannett, Dan Lamothe and Ashley Parker, “President Biden is dispatching additional U.S. military personnel to Eastern Europe at the recommendation of the Pentagon, and about 3,000 service members are expected to deploy in the coming days, U.S. officials said Wednesday.”

What we know: https://wapo.st/3Gn8DwA

IN CONGRESS

McConnell is hinting that he will keep the Supreme Court nomination civil:

Via The Hill’s Jordain Carney, “Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is looking to dial down the drama as he plots his party’s strategy for the upcoming Supreme Court fight.” https://bit.ly/32Svra7

The gist of McConnell’s position: “McConnell is warning President Biden against making a pick that caters to progressives, but also indicated Republicans will keep the upcoming confirmation battle civil and focused on qualifications of the nominee, who is expected to be the first Black woman selected for the Supreme Court.”

How this could play out: https://bit.ly/32Svra7

PROGRESSIVES SEEM TO LIKE THE SUPREME COURT CANDIDATES THAT HAVE BEEN FLOATED:

Via The Hill’s Hanna Trudo: https://bit.ly/3rnlJ8Q

LATEST WITH THE CORONAVIRUS

Interesting read — Well, that was a high-risk strategy:

Via The New York Times’s Noah Weiland, Katie Thomas and Jessica Silver-Greenberg, “As the United States saw a nearly vertical increase in coronavirus cases in late December and a growing backlash over a shortage of rapid tests, President Biden promised that his administration would mail 500 million of them to Americans, free of charge.” https://nyti.ms/3s9jOEc

“There was a major hitch: The administration had yet to secure a single test kit for the program. The announcement sent officials hunting for stockpiles in warehouses around the country and uncommitted supply from large manufacturers.”

How the White House compiled the tests: https://nyti.ms/3s9jOEc

CASE NUMBERS:

Coronavirus cases in the U.S.: 75,355,265

U.S. death toll: 890,939

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

VACCINATION NUMBERS:

Total number of vaccinations administered in the U.S.: 540 million shots have been given.

Seven-day average of doses administered: An average of 417,962 doses

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

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

IN THE GOP

That’s a crazy-high number:

Via The Hill’s Niall Stanage, “Money talks — and it is proclaiming that former President Trump is still far and away the biggest figure in the Republican Party.” https://bit.ly/32QXkza

How much money Trump’s political operation has: $122 million

When that money was raised: “The eye-popping figure was reached after the candidate’s various committees raised $51 million in the second half of last year — a prodigious sum even if it did constitute a slight drop-off from the numbers Trump racked up in the first six months of 2021.”

How this puts Trump’s popularity and future into context: https://bit.ly/32QXkza

‘GOP CAN'T ESCAPE TRUMP-FUELED ELECTION CONTROVERSIES’:

Via The Hill’s Alexander Bolton: https://bit.ly/3Hn8k6l

NOTABLE TWEETS:

I will never fully understand this tradition, but I am SO here for it:

This morning, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and predicted six more weeks of winter. Watch the announcement — top hats, bow ties and all: https://bit.ly/3J0q7Rw

LOL, LUV THE CONTROVERSY:

NPR tweeted, “Two famous groundhogs, Punxsutawney Phil and Staten Island Chuck, can't agree on when winter will end. Well, the furry creatures — surprise — aren't the most reliable meteorologists, recent research confirms.” https://bit.ly/3uir5V1

THIS IS ONLY TANGENTIALLY RELATED, BUT I COULDN’T NOT INCLUDE:

Capital Weather Gang tweeted, “What do you call a generous groundhog?”

@goodtweetstbh responded, “Phil-anthropic” https://bit.ly/3rhU35s

Most Twitter users have related at one point or another:

Fox News tweeted, “AOC says she's taking a break from Twitter, then resumes tweeting” https://bit.ly/3ATL8Ks

Fox’s full story: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) broke her hiatus with a tweet directed at Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) https://fxn.ws/3rnjhQ4

ON TAP:

The House and Senate are in. President Biden and Vice President Harris are in Washington, D.C.

10:15 a.m. EST: President Biden and Vice President Harris received the President’s Daily Brief.

1:30 – 2:30 p.m. EST: First and last votes in the House. The House’s full agenda today: https://bit.ly/3om0Kl1

WHAT TO WATCH:

12:30 p.m. EST: White House press secretary Jen Psaki holds a press briefing. Livestream: https://bit.ly/3ojAsjo

1:30 p.m. EST: President Biden, Vice President Harris and first lady Jill Biden host an event at the White House to reignite the Cancer Moonshot. Livestream: https://bit.ly/3oF9DGL Preview: https://bit.ly/3s4f7LW

3 p.m. EST: The White House COVID-19 Response Team holds a press briefing. Livestream: https://bit.ly/3oibzok

6:30 a.m. EST Friday: The 2022 Winter Olympics opening ceremonies will air on NBC. NBC will rebroadcast them at 8 p.m. EST Friday. https://nyti.ms/3L4CAVV

IN LIGHTER NEWS: