Biden news: President’s border czar resigns as White House asks private investors to stem migrant surge
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The White House announced its border coordinator, who was leading the Biden administration’s attempts at halting the surge of migrants, would step down at the end of the month. The announcement on late Friday came just hours after border czar Robert Jacobson outlined the president’s plans to approach US companies to invest in Mexico and Central America to reduce migration.
Joe Biden, meanwhile, announced a $1.5trn budget proposal for 2022, with a 16 per cent increase in domestic spending. The White House outlined the proposal in its “discretionary request”, which is separate from Biden’s latest $2trn spending bill, and the $1.9trn coronavirus aid bill recently passed by the Senate.
The president also ordered a 180-day study of the Supreme Court that includes the possibility of adding more justices. Increasing the number of justices, colloquially known as “packing the court”, could reverse the current conservative majority into a progressive majority, or, depending on the results of future elections, create a supermajority for one side or the other.
Newly reported emails between Trump administration officials show them bragging about persuading or pressuring the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention to alter its releases on Covid-19 transmission and deaths among younger Americans.
As he continues to promote his new memoir detailing his story of grief, addiction and recovery, Hunter Biden used an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel’s show last night to take a sideways shot at the Trump family, mocking Donald Trump Jr for accusing him of nepotism – an accusation he mocked as “wildly comical” given the source.
As he writes in his book: “Do you think if any of the Trump children ever tried to get a job outside of their father’s business that his name wouldn’t figure into the calculation? My response has always been to work harder so that my accomplishments stand on their own.”
Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, has begun a lawsuit against the Biden administration to overturn a no-sailing directive that is depriving his state’s cruise industry of billions of dollars. Mr DeSantis, who has long been a critic of lockdowns and social distancing restrictions, said at a press conference yesterday that “we don’t believe the federal government has the right to mothball a major industry for over a year based on very little evidence and very little data”.
Read more:
- Hunter Biden mocks ‘wildly comical’ Don Jr in Kimmel interview
- Video shows Donald and Melania Trump meeting man accused in Matt Gaetz trafficking scandal
- Emails reveal how Trump officials celebrated getting CDC to change official language on Covid risks
- Q unmasked: Did the QAnon conspiracy founder start life as a shy kid from Washington?
Governor tweets second amendment defence just before deadly shooting
Texas Governor Greg Abbott faces opprobrium after he tweeting out his strident views on Mr Biden’s gun control orders mere hours before four people were critically wounded and another killed by a shooter at a cabinet manufacturer in Bryan in his home state.
“This tweet didn’t even have time to circulate,” tweeted one user, “much less age before the “let my state freeze to death or die from COVID” Governor had to face a mass shooting. Responsible gun legislation is required.”
Texas governor criticised Biden’s gun control measures hours before mass shooting
The mass shooting has left one dead and five injured
First House Republican calls on Matt Gaetz to resign
Matt Gaetz has been hit with his first call to resign from a party comrade: Adam Kinzinger, one of only 10 Republican House members who voted for Donald Trump’s second impeachment.
Mr Kinzinger and Mr Gaetz have clashed before; Mr Kinzinger once bracketed his belligerent Florida colleague together with extremist Georgia representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, accusing both of wanting fame rather than believing in the outlandish ideas they propagate.
We’re resuming our coverage of the trial of Derek Chauvin, who stands accused of the murder of George Floyd. You can follow the day’s events on our live blog.
Fox & Friends blames Harry and Meghan for Prince Philip’s death
As the news of Prince Philip’s death broke, a Fox News host immediately linked his passing to the recent interview his grandson and granddaughter-in-law gave to Oprah Winfrey.
“There are reports that [Philip] was enraged after the interview and the fallout from the interview with Oprah Winfrey,” said Brian Kilmeade on air, “so here he is trying to recover and he’s hit with that.”
The remark is already drawing mockery and outrage in equal measure.
Nancy Pelosi: “Eat nails for breakfast”
A new biography of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi includes her description of how she dealt with Donald Trump during his four-year term – and in typical Pelosi style, she doesn’t hold back.
“Every day I’m like, ‘Don a suit of armor, put on your brass knuckles, eat nails for breakfast, and go out there and stop them from taking children out of the arms of their parents, food out of the mouths of babies.”
USA Today has an exclusive extract.
Exclusive: How Donald Trump upended Nancy Pelosi’s plans, then she unraveled his
The election she thought would be the end of her career became the beginning of its most consequential chapter: Defying a 'scary' president
Senior Gaetz aide quits amid spiralling scandal
Matt Gaetz has lost another staffer, this time his legislative director, Devin Murphy. According to the New York Times, Mr Murphy turned in his resignation in recent days, apparently telling other aides he was interested in crafting legislation rather than “working at TMZ”.
His departure follows that of Luke Ball, Mr Gaetz’s communications director.
Men charged in Capitol riot pictured racing there on golf carts
Federal law enforcement have released an image purporting to show two men charged in the 6 January Capitol insurrection speeding along a Washington, DC street in a golf cart as they make their way to the riot.
Joshua James and Roberto Minuta, both associated with the right-wing Oath Keepers movement, are accused by the Justice Department of storming the Capitol in military gear, and Mr Minuta of carrying bear spray.
Happy anniversary
Today marks a crucial date in the closing of the Civil War in 1865, with Confederate general Robert E Lee signing a military surrender at Appomattox Court House in Virginia. The Confederate government never formally surrendered; its president, Jefferson Davis, was captured by US troops on 10 May that year.
Trump endorses Rubio re-election
Donald Trump, who is still giving almost all his public statements in writing, has endorsed his onetime bitter rival Marco Rubio in his re-election bid.
In his endorsement, Mr Trump praises Mr Rubio for his dedication representing Florida and work on reforming the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as his rejection of the “FAKE Russia, Russia, Russia hoax”.
As one of the last candidates standing against Mr Trump in 2016, Mr Rubio found himself embroiled in some of that primary’s grubbiest slanging matches with the future president, including a notorious row over the size of the two men’s hands and other extremities.
Rumours had circulated for some time that he could face a primary challenge from Ivanka Trump, but no clear evidence she was seriously planning a run ever emerged in public.
An evening with Matt Gaetz
Should you find yourself in the Miami area tonight with $500 to burn, you might still be able to nab a ticket for a dinner event at the Save America Summit featuring none other than the beleaguered Matt Gaetz as keynote speaker. The “BBQ, Boots & Bluegrass” event also features a turn by country singer Jacob Bryant.
If tonight is too short notice or if Mr Gaetz doesn’t appeal, you can pay another $500 tomorrow night for an evening reception with Marjorie Taylor Greene. Along with “moonlight putting”, you will be able to celebrate Dr Seuss’s One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish – a cornerstone of the Seuss oeuvre, and not one of the six of his books that have been withdrawn from publication because of their unambiguously racist content, enraging the GOP’s angriest conservatives.
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