A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things.
Today’s Nesting Doll Of Stupid
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) wants to pay cops across the country who would apparently prefer to protect and serve citizens COVID-19 by refusing to get the vaccine $5,000 to relocate to his state.
- DeSantis declared on Sunday that if those cops are “not being treated well,” then “we’ll treat you better here.”
- “You can fill important needs for us, and we’ll compensate you as a result,” he said on Fox News.
- The Florida governor said he hopes he’ll have legislation to sign on the bonuses from the special session he called called last week to fight vaccine mandates.
Rolling Stone With Some Jan. 6 Scoopage
Two unnamed organizers of the pro-Trump rallies on Jan. 6 that preceded the Capitol attack told TPM alum Hunter Walker, writing for Rolling Stone, that they had huddled with multiple Trump hardliners in Congress or their staffers, plus White House officials, ahead of those rallies.
- Those members of Congress were: Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Mo Brooks (R-AL), Madison Cawthorn (R-NC), Andy Biggs (R-AZ) and Louie Gohmert (R-TX), according to the organizers.
- Gosar allegedly dangled the possibility of “blanket pardons” in front of the organizers from Trump to encourage them to hold protests against the election.
- The rally organizers said they were also in communication with then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, who was made aware of concerns that Trump supporter Ali Alexander’s rally at the Capitol could lead to violence.
- Those organizers have also been speaking to the House Jan. 6 panel, according to Rolling Stone.
Manchin Huddles With Biden In Wilmington
Ahead of a very busy week on the Hill, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) met with President Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Sunday at the President’s home in Wilmington, Delaware to continue talks over the Build Back Better plan. Highlights:
- Manchin is open to the billionaire tax as the key finding mechanism, a source told the Associated Press.
- Manchin’s topline figure for the reconciliation bill creeped up to $1.75 trillion from his original $1.5 trillion figure, an unnamed source told CNN.
A Busy-Ass Week Ahead
- Biden leaves Thursday for an important foreign trip (G20, Vatican, the COP), so Democrats are rushing to give him some tangible progress on the infrastructure bills. The President has told Democrats he wants a deal on reconciliation clinched by then.
- It’s a tight window, but Democratic leaders are aiming to have the House vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill (BIF) and reach a deal on the Build Back Better legislation this week.
- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) told CNN on Sunday that Democrats are “pretty much there” on finding an agreement before Biden’s Europe trip.
Jeffrey Clark To Testify To Jan. 6 Committee
Jeffrey Clark, the ex-senior Justice Department official who allegedly masterminded a plan to use the DOJ to overturn the 2020 election, is slated to testify in front of the House Jan. 6 select committee this Friday, according to committee member Jamie Raskin (D-MD).
Twitter Locks Rep’s Account For Misgendering Trans Official
Rep. Jim Banks’ (R-IN) official Twitter account got slapped with a temporary suspension on Saturday after he called HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine, who is the first ever Senate-confirmed transgender government official, a man.
- “Targeted misgendering” or “deadnaming” is a violation of Twitter’s anti-hateful conduct policy.
- Levine is the first female four-star officer in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.
- Banks predictably went on to complain on his personal Twitter account that he was being “censored” by Big Tech.
Must-Read
“White supremacists are returning to Charlottesville. But this time, they’re on trial.” – The Washington Post
Fox News Host Begs Viewers To Get Vaccinated
Fox News anchor Neil Cavuto, who has been diagnosed with a breakthrough case of COVID-19, appeared on his network’s “MediaBuzz” show on Sunday to implore people to get the vaccine against the virus.
- Cavuto is immunocompromised: He has multiple sclerosis.
- Meanwhile, Cavuto’s colleagues at Fox have been on a crusade to sow doubt about the effectiveness of the vaccine and stoke fury over vaccine mandates among their viewers.
COVID Loan Used To Buy $57,789 Pokémon Card
A Georgia man has been charged with wire fraud for allegedly spending $57,789 of the money he received from the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) on one Pokémon card, according to the Justice Department.
? Morning Memo Radio ?
Oklahoma GOPer Calls Asian-Americans ‘Yellow’
Oklahoma state Sen. David Rader (R) is face a firestorm after referring to Asian-Americans as “yellow families” during a presentation of racial wealth inequality last week.
- The racism didn’t stop there. Rader also invoked tired stereotype about Black family structures, claiming that “the Black family was much more intact and much more able to be together in 1960 than it was even 30 years later, 40 years later.”
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