US intel leaders launch broad review after leak |
Top U.S. officials are moving to shore up security surrounding sensitive government material after a tranche of documents were leaked online earlier this year, forcing the administration to scramble to address the fallout. President Biden said Friday that "[w]hile we are still determining the validity of those documents, I have directed our military and intelligence community to take steps to further secure and limit distribution of sensitive information." Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he's directing Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security Ronald Moultrie "to conduct a review of our intelligence access, accountability and control procedures within the Department to inform our efforts to prevent this kind of incident from happening again." The 21-year-old Massachusetts Air National Guard member arrested in connection to the leak has been charged with violating the Espionage Act and another statute. The charges carry a maximum of 15 years in prison. Jack Teixeira, who worked as a technology support staffer with the Massachusetts Air National Guard, is accused of transmitting national defense information and removing classified documents or materials. Teixeira didn't enter a plea on Friday. From The Hill's Rebecca Beitsch: "Though a low-ranking member of the military, he served in the 102nd Intelligence Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, a position that came with a top secret security clearance and access to the Pentagon's Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System." Beitsch and Laura Kelly reported on the breadth of topics the leaked documents covered:
"Among the reportedly 300 documents allegedly leaked by Texeira were detailed assessments on Russia's war in Ukraine, including intimate conversations among high-level Russian officials. Also leaked was intelligence on allies and partners — like Israel, South Korea, Egypt and Turkey — spanning those countries' domestic issues and their deliberations surrounding Russia and Ukraine." Read more about security clearance and calls for access review here |
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Welcome to Evening Report! I'm Amee LaTour, catching you up from the afternoon and what's coming tomorrow. Not on the list? Subscribe here. |
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- First lady Jill Biden, who had two cancerous skin lesions removed from above her eye earlier this year, is urging people to get annual screenings and wear sunscreen.
Fox News host Tucker Carlson will air an interview with billionaire Elon Musk on Monday and Tuesday night, featuring discussion of AI and companies owned by Musk: Twitter, Tesla and SpaceX.
Watch President Biden's remarks at a cathedral in County Mayo on Friday, the last day of his Ireland trip.
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SCOTUS grants temporary pause on abortion pill ruling |
The Supreme Court has briefly paused a ruling by a federal judge in Texas that ordered the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to suspend its approval of mifepristone, a medication commonly used in abortions.
Justice Samuel Alito issued the order Friday afternoon from the court's "shadow docket" — a collection of cases that require immediate action — effectively keeping the status quo in place until midnight on April 19. During that time, the court will further consider the Biden administration's emergency request for a stay. The Justice Department and the manufacturer of the brand name version of the pill had asked the court to temporarily reinstate full access to mifepristone, or to quickly hold briefings and hear oral arguments before the court's term ends this summer. Read more from The Hill's Nathaniel Weixel here. |
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Big banks report profit increases after recent collapses
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The health of the banking sector has been a concern since the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank in March, but large banks reported increases in profits Friday. The nation's largest bank, JPMorgan Chase, reported a 52 percent increase in profits over last year's first quarter. Wells Fargo reported a 32 percent increase, Citigroup a 23 percent increase and PNC Financial Services, an increase of 18 percent, The Hill's Karl Evers-Hillstrom wrote. More from Evers-Hillstrom: "While the Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes contributed to SVB's failure — the bank loaded up on long-term treasury bonds that plummeted in value after rates rose — they're helping the largest lenders." And from Wells Fargo CEO Charles Scharf: "Our franchise, and those of many other banks, operate with a broader business model and more diversified funding sources." Read about deposit data and a looming lending slowdown here |
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2024 Republicans appear at NRA convention
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The Hill's Caroline Vakil looks at challenges the GOP faces on the issue of gun rights — "an issue that plays well amongst the GOP base but that puts them at a crossroads with another crucial voting bloc: Gen Z and millennial voters" — ahead of the National Rifle Association's meeting this weekend, where several 2024 candidates will appear in person or virtually. |
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Retail sales fell 1 percent between February and March, the Census Bureau reports. Adjusted for inflation, sales are down 2 percent annually, according to EY Parthenon senior economist Lydia Boussour. Read about where people are spending less here |
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100,000 nurses quit during pandemic
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"Shoring up protection for academic freedom in public university classrooms urgently needed" — Clay Calvert, J.D., Ph.D., professor emeritus at the University of Florida (UF) who held a joint appointment as a professor of law at the Fredric G. Levin College of Law and a Brechner Eminent Scholar in Mass Communication in the College of Journalism and Communications. (Read here) "Finally, we have a true shot at bipartisan social security reform" — Shai Akabas, director of economic policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center. (Read here) |
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571 days until the presidential election. |
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President Biden departs Ireland tonight to spend the weekend in Rehoboth Beach, Del. Monday: 9 a.m.: The House Judiciary Committee holds a hearing on "Victims of Violent Crime in Manhattan" 4 p.m.: The House Rules Committee holds a hearing to consider a bill that would ban transgender women from participating in women's sports and a resolution to block a D.C. Council police bill. |
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There a story you think should be getting more attention? Something people should be talking about? Drop me a line: ALaTour@thehill.com | |
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