Bannon In Court Today
Steve Bannon will reportedly self-surrender to federal authorities on contempt of Congress charges and is expected in court later today. Reminder: The case against Bannon may not be open and shut.
With renewed confidence that Attorney General Merrick Garland will act, Democrats on the Hill are pushing ahead with the Jan. 6 investigation.
- Mark Meadows may be next.
- The Trump insurrectionists who have been most uncooperative with the Jan. 6 select committee may be reassessing their options. Think: Jeffrey Clark.
While it finally feels like real movement, don’t underestimate how much the politics line up for the Bannons of the world to continue to resist and become MAGA martyrs.
Dignity-Free Zone
Totally here for the Maria Bartiromo-Bill Barr shouting match over the Big Lie.
Closing Arguments Begin In Rittenhouse Trial
Each side has 2 1/2 hours for their closings. Proceedings get underway at 10 a.m. ET. Wisconsin’s governor has 500 National Guard troops on standby outside of Kenosha in case of civil unrest when the verdict comes down.
Congress Is Back
The other half of the centerpiece of the Biden agenda, Build Back Better, is still slowly snaking its way through Congress. Expect a vote on BBB in the House this week. More CBO numbers are anticipated soon, but final numbers may not come for several more days. The Senate will be taking its own sweet time on BBB, but the legislative calendar for the rest of this year is tight.
Biden To Sign Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill
With his foreign trip and the COP, the signing of the bipartisan infrastructure bill was pushed back a bit. But today the White House will put on all the bells and whistles of a formal signing ceremony, the first step of selling the new law hard heading into the 2022 midterms.
Dems Trail Badly On Generic Ballot
The new ABC/Washington Post poll shows Dems trailing Republicans 51%-41% among registered voters on the generic ballot question.
Dems Hope For 2010 Redux In Senate
The best chance for Democrats in the Senate is Republicans fielding wildly extreme candidates.
Never Forget Trump’s COVID Catastrophe
WaPo:
The Trump administration repeatedly interfered with efforts by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last year to issue warnings and guidance about the evolving coronavirus pandemic, six current and former health officials told congressional investigators in recent interviews.
CNN:
The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis released to CNN on Friday new evidence showing how US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials were pressured by Trump administration officials to alter scientific guidance and prevented from communicating directly with the public.
The emails and transcripts detail how in the early days of 2020 Trump and his allies in the White House blocked media briefings and interviews with CDC officials, attempted to alter public safety guidance normally cleared by the agency and instructed agency officials to destroy evidence that might be construed as political interference.
You Didn’t Miss Much On The Sunday Shows
There was this:
But never forget:
There Was ANOTHER Coup Memo
Trump had all the best lawyers.
Mike Flynn Heralds The Monotheocracy
Who hasn’t gotten swept up at a far-right rally and said things they later denied saying?
Trump To Sell DC Hotel Lease For $375M
The Trumps will turn a profit on the investment in the Pennsylvania Avenue hotel that that doubled as a MAGA tourist attraction and shone a spotlight on the emoluments clause, the New York Times reported. The Wall Street Journal first broke the news over the weekend.
Who Will Account For 80 Civilian Deaths?
The U.S. military deep-sixed a 2019 attack on ISIS in Syria that left an estimated 80 civilians dead, and an Air Force lawyer has been blowing the whistle to no avail.
Good Thread
Read Andy Slavitt on the 5th Circuit’s decision to block OSHA’s COVID vaccine mandate.
Child Tax Credit Deadline: TODAY!
Today is the last day to claim your advance child tax credit and missed stimulus payments.
The Least Take-y COP Takes
Michael Mann: “Glasgow’s hope at a critical moment in the climate battle“
“The Last-Minute Coal Demand That Almost Sunk The Glasgow Climate Deal“
Deep Dive
AP:
More than 100 federal prison workers have been arrested, convicted or sentenced for crimes since the start of 2019, including a warden indicted for sexual abuse, an associate warden charged with murder, guards taking cash to smuggle drugs and weapons, and supervisors stealing property such as tires and tractors.
Meet Kamo’oalewa
“A Missing Piece of the Moon May Be Following Earth Around the Sun“
