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Monday, June 5, 2023

RNC Sets Rules to Qualify for August Debate

Politico: The Republican National Committee says it will consider adding a second night to the first GOP presidential primary debate this August in Milwaukee, according to new qualifying standards announced Friday. The first debate will be Aug. 23 on Fox News Channel, with a possible second date of Aug. 24 if enough candidates meet the criteria — and also commit to supporting the eventual Republican nominee and pledge that they will not participate in any outside debates (Politico). Washington Post: Democrats allowed candidates to qualify either by meeting a 65,000-donor threshold or by getting 1 percent in at least three early state or national polls. Republicans, by contrast, will require both a donor and a polling standard. The polling standard requires a candidate to be at 1 percent nationally in multiple polls that are deemed credible by the RNC (Washington Post).

Rep. Garret Graves on Kevin McCarthy: "Speaker McCarthy's position is absolutely safe"

Hill: Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.), who helped negotiate the recently passed debt ceiling bill with the White House, on Sunday dismissed concerns that his GOP colleagues might try to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy, saying the California Republican’s job is “absolutely safe” (Hill). Face the Nation: On Republican Rep. Ken Buck saying Speaker McCarthy should be worried about his job and doesn’t have the faith of the Republican caucus, GOP Rep. Garret Graves says “it is not a mainstream position.” “Speaker McCarthy’s position is absolutely safe” (Twitter). Washington Examiner: McCarthy agreed to lower the threshold for a motion to vacate to one vote back in January when he faced a historically atypical 15 votes to win the gavel (Washington Examiner).

Messages Prove CDC Worked with Teachers Union to Leave Schools Shut Down

New York Post: American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten voiced concern to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Rochelle Walensky about the language of the federal agency’s February 2021 school opening guidance a day before it was made public, according to newly reported texts that shed light on their friendly relationship. The text messages showing the chummy exchange between Weingarten and Walensky were obtained by the Fairfax County Parents Association through a Freedom of Information Act request with the CDC. The text chains seem to show Walensky caving to pressure applied by Weingarten to keep schools shuttered in February 2021 and then thanking Weingarten, whom she refers to as her “friend,” after the union released a statement praising the health agency (New York Post). Daily Wire: The messages also show the president of the other major teachers union, the National Education Association’s Becky Pringle, texting directly with the head of the agency and appearing to invoke “diversity” as an argument to keep schools closed (Daily Wire).

California Sunk $17 Billion into Fighting Homelessness, Yielded Very Little

Wall Street Journal: The number of homeless people in California grew about 50% between 2014 and 2022. The state, which accounts for 12% of the U.S. population, has about half of the nation’s unsheltered homeless, an estimated 115,000 people, according to federal and state data last year. It also has among the highest average rent and median home prices in the U.S. California spent a record $17 billion combating homelessness in the past four fiscal years. For the state budget year starting in July, Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed another $3.7 billion. Voters in Los Angeles and San Francisco, which have some of the largest homeless populations in California, were unhappy enough about it to approve taxes costing them billions of dollars to fund anti-homelessness programs and housing in recent years. So far, cost overruns and delays have left little to show for the money (Wall Street Journal).

Sen. Joe Manchin Mulling Over Running in 2024 as a Third-Party Candidate

Fox News: Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said Sunday he would not rule out a potential third-party presidential run in 2024, touting the value of the “moderate middle” over the far left and right extremes, after the debt ceiling package managed to clear both chambers of Congress and avoid a U.S. default (Fox News). RNC Research: Democrat Senator Joe Manchin — among the most unpopular senators in America — still won’t rule out running for president because “you better have that ‘plan B’ available and ready to go” (Twitter).

US Rep. Mike Turner Urges US Stand Strong Against China

ABC: Rep. Mike Turner, the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, on Sunday lambasted what he called increased military hostility by China and insisted the U.S. “stand strong” after recent close calls near American ships and planes and the suspected spy balloon that was shot down off the East Coast. The tough rhetoric from Turner comes as relations between Washington and Beijing have become frayed over issues including Taiwan, trade and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, though President Joe Biden has said he seeks “competition, not conflict.” U.S. officials believe China has been coordinating an increasing campaign of harassment, including two incidents in recent days between U.S. and Chinese planes and ships (ABC). Rep. Mike Turner: Today, I told Martha Raddatz on that America needs to stand strong against China & Russia’s efforts to advance authoritarianism (Twitter).

NBC Anchor Chuck Todd Announces Final Summer Hosting “Meet the Press”

Bloomberg: Chuck Todd said Sunday he plans to step down as moderator of NBC’s Meet the Press after almost a decade, to be replaced by Kristen Welker. Welker, NBC’s chief White House correspondent, has regularly filled in for Todd on the program. NBC is making changes to its long-running Sunday politics show at a critical moment. The 2024 presidential race is heating up and Todd’s replacement, Welker, won praise for how she moderated a presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden (Bloomberg). Meet the Press: Today we close our show with an announcement from Chuck Todd: “While today is not my final show, this will be my final summer here at Meet the Press. … I am really proud of what this team and I have built over the last decade” (Twitter).

James Comey on 2024: “it has to be Biden”

Washington Post: Former FBI Director James Comey predicted that former President Donald Trump could win the Republican nomination for President even if he is criminally convicted. Trump was indicted earlier this year over his alleged involvement in making hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign. He is the first president to be criminally charged, and Comey said in an MSNBC interview on Sunday that he anticipates Trump to be the first “incarcerated” president as well, if elected (Washington Post). Jen Psaki: “He could be wearing an ankle bracelet while accepting the nomination at the Republican convention,” James Comey about Donald Trump. “You could have a president who is potentially incarcerated when he is elected” (Twitter). RNC Research: Disgraced former FBI Director James Comey — leading architect of the Russia collusion hoax — says “it has to be Joe Biden” in 2024 because he “abides (by) the law and our constitution.” Biden is stone cold corrupt (Twitter).

OPEC to Reduce Oil Output by Another 1 Million Barrels Daily

Bloomberg: Saudi Arabia will make an additional voluntary cut of 1 million barrels of oil a day as part of a deal struck by OPEC+ after hours of tense haggling. Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman unveiled the reduction in a statement, once again managing to pull off a surprise. The Saudi move is the most meaningful part of the deal, which also includes an agreement to extend voluntary cuts through 2024. The main winner from the deal is the United Arab Emirates, which gets a boost to its quota for next year (Bloomberg). Wall Street Journal: The decision to roll over its production target comes after OPEC+ in October slashed output by 2 million barrels a day. In April, some of the group’s largest members, including Saudi Arabia and Russia, cut a further 1.6 million barrels a day. The OPEC+ decision in October drew rebuke from the U.S., which at the time had requested that Saudi Arabia and its allies increase production to help lower energy prices and tame high inflation. The White House called the OPEC+ decision shortsighted and suggested the group was actively supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, is down more than 20% since OPEC+ first jolted the market with output cuts last year (Wall Street Journal).

10.

Twitter CEO to Bring on Former Colleague, NBCUniversal Executive

Wall Street Journal: Incoming Twitter Chief Executive Linda Yaccarino has tapped one of her top lieutenants from NBCUniversal to join her as she prepares to take the helm at the social-media company. Joe Benarroch is taking on a senior business operations role, according to a memo Benarroch sent to NBCUniversal colleagues. Benarroch has served as executive vice president of communications, global advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal, where Yaccarino for years has run the media company’s ad sales operation. He has been one of her most trusted advisers. Musk has said Yaccarino will focus primarily on business operations, while he will focus on product design and technology (Wall Street Journal).