Deep Dive with Tiffany Meier

Presidents past and present weigh in on Memorial Day, honoring the Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Over the weekend, President Biden also sent a warning to countries that violate human rights. Abraham Lincoln said in the Gettysburg Address, that the fallen soldiers "gave the last full measure of devotion" and called on Americans to "highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." The White House and Senate Republicans are still several hundred million dollars apart on a deal to improve U.S. roads, bridges, and other projects. Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito told Fox News Sunday, "I think we can get to real compromise, absolutely, because we're both still in the game." Capito leads a group of six Senate Republicans who have been in regular contact with the White House. And Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is pushing ahead with the controversial election reform bill HR 1 or "For the People Act." While it passed in the democrat -controlled House, its fate in the Senate is uncertain, as it needs at least 60 supporting votes in the evenly split upper chamber to bypass a filibuster. President Joe Biden has said he would sign the bill into law if it reaches his desk. Tune into Deep Dive as we explore these topics and more.

Republicans Lay Out $928B Counteroffer to Biden's Infrastructure Proposal; Memorial Day History

James Bond is about to get a new home. That's because Amazon is buying MGM studios, home of 007. The nearly $8.5B deal announced Wednesday gives the e-commerce titan a massive film and TV library. MGM is one of the most iconic movie studios in history. It's library catalog includes classics like "The Wizard of Oz," "Rocky", and "Legally Blonde." This comes as Amazon is facing another antitrust lawsuit. Washington, DC accuses the company of illegally controlling online retail prices, saying its business practices harm competition. Amazon has been facing a slew of antitrust bills. Sen. Josh Hawley introduced two antitrust taking aim at big tech platforms earlier this year. And an alliance of over two dozen businesses. They're teaming up against government tax hikes. They're forming a new alliance called "America's Job Creators for a Strong Recovery." The group says raising taxes on businesses and corporations will hurt the U.S. economy. This comes as home prices are going up. Tune into Deep Dive as we explore these topics and more.

Big tech corporations now have to think twice about de-platforming Floridians. Residents of the Sunshine State are now able to sue social media platforms over censorship. Under the new law, courts can award up to 100,000 dollars in monetary damages for each proven claim. This comes as the FCC commissioner Brandon Carr sets out proposals to tackle Big Tech. He says "Big Tech has enjoyed a free ride on our Internet infrastructure while sticking everyday Americans with billions of dollars in costs. It’s time to end this sweetheart deal and force Big Tech to pay its fair share." Iowa and Alabama join a growing list of states banning vaccine passports. Vaccine passports have been criticized by civil liberties groups, who say they would potentially violate Americans’ privacy rights while denying key services to people who are not vaccinated. This comes as Michigan's Governor rescinds a rule capping restaurant parties at six people. The move comes two days after she was caught violating the restriction herself. And Oregon becomes the first state requiring proof of vaccination in order to enter without a mask. The state's Health Authority is requiring people wanting to enter workplaces, businesses, and religious sites sans mask must first show proof of vaccination. Tune into Deep Dive as we explore these topics and more.

National guard troops are departing the nation's capitol. Those deployed to protect the district began the process of leaving Washington on Sunday. Retired lieutenant general Russel Honoré said the mission of securing the capitol has been accomplished —137 days after the events of January 6th. Infrastructure is still a hotly debated topic on Capitol Hill. President Biden slashed the infrastructure proposal down to $1.7T from the original $2.25T. But Republicans say many of the cuts they requested weren't made. The Republican's counter proposal costs $568B. Biden has indicated tax hikes on the wealthy, raising the corporate tax rate to 28 percent, as the way to pay for the massive infrastructure plan. And the global minimum tax is also expected to go up. The White House says it's a top priority of Biden's. But what effect does a higher global minimum tax have on the markets? It's seen as a way to level the playing field. Law professor and director of the international tax program at the University of Michigan, Reuven Avi-Yonah told Fast Company that's because if all countries had the same tax rate, there would be no benefit for companies to create offshore subsidiaries. Tune into Deep Dive as we explore these topics and more.

Israel and Hamas are official in a truce today, but skirmishes between the two sides are still breaking out. The U.S. secretary of state says he plans to meet with leaders on both sides following the ceasefire. Egypt mediated the truce, which took effect early Friday morning. President Biden's COVID relief program based on race, now temporarily blocked. A judge siding with the plaintiff, who lost over $100,000 in profits due to the pandemic. He's suing on the grounds of racial discrimination. America First Legal president and former Trump adviser Stephen Miller weighed in on the matter, calling Biden's decision to determine eligibility based on race quote "profoundly illegal and morally outrageous." He went on to say, "Racial discrimination, in any form, is legally and morally wrong. It is un-American. It is unconscionable. And it must be stopped.” And a federal judge is upholding a Biden administration rule barring schools from maintaining separate bathrooms and showers for male and female students. The one suing is a Christian college, saying the ruling forces the school to act against its beliefs. The college is asking the court to allow them to forego the directive in order to maintain its own legal status. Tune into Deep Dive as we explore these topics and more.

Colonial Pipeline's CEO confirms the company paid $4.4M to the ransomware attackers. He reveals his reason behind the controversial action. Some have argued that the payment encourages the group to commit similar attacks. Is a state seceding? Several counties in Oregon vote to consider joining the state of Idaho. Lead petitioner Mike McCarter said in a statement “This election proves that rural Oregon wants out of Oregon.” The group Citizens for Greater Idaho welcomes the proposal, inviting Oregonians. They wrote that Idaho "has [a] lower tax rate and a lower cost of living." The Biden administration is lifting sanctions on Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline. U.S. officials say it's to strengthen ties with Germany. But there are consequences. This comes as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken engaged in high-level dialogue with his Russian counterpart for the first time, Wednesday. The two leaders cordially discussed the many disagreements the countries have with one another, along with areas of cooperation. Tune into Deep Dive as we explore these topics and more.

The cost of the southern border is going up. President Biden moved $2B in virus funds to deal with the border crisis. That's amid the surge in illegal migrant crossings, especially in unaccompanied migrant children. Politico reported the funds far exceed the amount usually allocated for the unaccompanied migrant children program. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy called the border crisis a "national security crisis." That's after he was briefed on the suspected terrorists caught at the U.S.-Mexico border last month. McCarthy requested the classified briefing last month after two Yemeni men caught at the border were identified on a terror watch list. Questions about threats from space. The Pentagon is set to release a declassified report on UFOs in June. While some scoff at it, others are cautioning it's a threat that should be taken seriously. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) told CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” on Sunday, “I don’t think we can allow the stigma to keep us from having an answer to a very fundamental question.” He wants the Pentagon to come up with a process to take UFOs, or unidentified flying objects, seriously. Tune into Deep Dive as we explore these topics and more.

President Biden is now expressing support for a ceasefire between the militant group Hamas and Israel. It comes just a day after the U.S. voted against a UN statement calling for a ceasefire. Biden also doubled down on his “firm support for Israel’s right to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket attacks.” That's a position the administration has held since fighting began on May 10. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said: "The Iranians have made clear they have genocidal intent," he added, "They want to wipe Israel off the face of the planet, and they use proxy forces — people like the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas." The U.S. is now seeking answers, after a building housing the Associated Press and Al Jazeera offices was blown up in the middle of the conflict. The official defense twitter account of the Israel military justified the attack as lawful once it became a military building. Now U.S. lawmakers are seeking answers. Sen Jack Reed (D-RI) said, "The Israelis must produce adequate evidence that there was Hamas operating the building and that it was a legitimate military target." And what does the U.S. seeking to reenter the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal potentially play a part in the U.S. stance? Senior vice president at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Jonathan Schanzer, told CNBC that Washington’s silence may have something to do with the Iran nuclear deal. That's because returning to the deal would result in Iran receiving billions of dollars in sanctions relief in exchange for limiting its nuclear program. Tune into Deep Dive as we explore these topics and more.

Many businesses are scrambling with new challenges after the CDC's relaxed mask guidelines caught them off guard. Starting Monday, Target and Starbucks joined a growing list of retailers easing mask requirements for fully vaccinated customers. But it still depends on local or state law. Walmart, Costco, Trader Joe’s and Publix say no masks required for customers who are fully vaccinated. They were among the first ones to change their in-store policy after the CDC's announcement. Delta Airlines’ C-E-O says that all new hires will have to have to get vaccinated before starting their jobs. This comes as the US Space Force relieves a commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Lohmeier after he published a book about the spread of Marxism and critical race theory in the military. Lohmeier told Military.com he had consulted with his higher ups before publishing the book, adding his intent was never to engage in partisan politics, but rather to spread awareness about the rise in polarization in the military. And while masks started coming off across the country, the CDC is still recommending schools keep the mask mandate in place for children. The CDC said in its latest guideline, all K–12 schools “should implement and layer prevention strategies and should prioritize universal and correct use of masks and physical distancing.” Tune into Deep Dive as we explore these topics and more.

New mask guidance, mixed responses. The CDC is advising fully vaccinated people do not need to wear masks outdoors, and can avoid wearing them indoors in most places. The Pfizer vaccine was recently approved for emergency use in children aged 12-15. According to the CDC, those younger than 12 should still wear masks. Reports that Colonial Pipeline paid the hackers $5M in cryptocurrency is raising concerns about cybersecurity. The head of the Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity agency warns more cyberattacks may be coming. This comes after Biden signed an executive order Wednesday that he says will improve the nation’s cybersecurity. It seeks to better equip federal agencies with cybersecurity tools. The second largest teachers union in the U.S. wants schools to reopen this fall. The union will spend millions of dollars to make it a reality. Tune into Deep Dive as we explore these topics and more.

Colonial Pipeline is back up and running. But says it'll take several days before the delivery supply chain returns to normal. Colonial expects to get the bulk of its operations restored by the end of the week, with at least one major portion which runs between North Carolina and Maryland back online on Monday. This comes as gas stations are still feeling the after effects. It’s a crucial week for President Biden’s infrastructure priorities. Republican leaders say they won’t back any tax hikes for a recovery plan. That's during their first White House meeting. Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell said, "We're not interested in reopening the 2017 tax bill. We both made that clear to the president. That's our red line." As for inflation, Consumer prices rose 4.2 percent year-over-year in April. That's the fastest rate in about 13 years. But are those fears unfounded? An April report by the Brookings Institution notes the inflation data could be misleading. While senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, Henry Olsen disagrees. Tune into Deep Dive as we explore these topics and more.

More Americans are feeling the effects of the crippling cyber attack on the major U.S. pipeline, Colonial Pipeline. Gas prices continue to rise, and some are warning it's not the end. The national average price for a gallon of gas hit $3 on Wednesday, the highest in six and a half years. The Energy Secretary, Jennifer Granholm trying to allay fears about what might be 'yet to come.' She said Tuesday, “Let me be really clear the crunch is in the areas affected by the pipeline, the main spurs of the pipeline, so that really is the south east about 70% of the supplies of North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and especially southern Virginia are impacted the most.” Businesses are struggling. The number of job openings far outstrips the number of people applying, and people are trying to figure out the reason why. President Biden says it's not due to the pandemic unemployment benefits. But some governors disagree. They're ending unemployment benefits several months early. Alabama is joining a growing list of states rolling back unemployment benefits. Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, and South Carolina are also ending the government benefits early. And Florida is set to follow. Tune into Deep Dive as we explore these topics and more.

The cyberattack on the largest U.S. pipeline is still sending ripples across the economy. That's because the Colonial Pipeline delivers about half the fuel used on the Eastern Seaboard. The FBI says it knows the culprit behind the cyberattack against Colonial Pipeline. The FBI said Monday it identified the hacker group behind the attack as Darkside. New guidance from U.S. health authorities means more Americans are now able to go out, unmasked. But some say they aren't yet ready to do that. In Washington and other densely-populated areas which issued mask mandates, the change is going to take some getting used to. And parents are planning on suing the University of Massachusetts Amherst. That's after the school suspended three students for being maskless off-campus. The school website says, “Face coverings are required to be worn outdoors when you are unable to maintain six feet of social distancing.” Tune into Deep Dive as we explore these topics and more.

'Not Adequately Prepared:' Sen. Ben Sasse Warns US Will Get More CyberAttacks After Oil Pipeline Hit

They're known as the gotaways. The illegal aliens who manage to evade border patrol. Customs and border patrol officials are facing tens of thousands of gotaways, over 42,000 who escaped. In April, border patrol apprehended over 170,000 illegal immigrants. While it might seem like a big number, many consider it a conservative amount—believing many more to have slipped through undetected. While calls for defunding the police have been ringing across parts of the country, Florida's governor Ron DeSantis is taking a different approach: funding the police. He announced Wednesday a plan to give 'first responders' in Florida a one-thousand dollar bonus. And Peloton is reversing course. It's now recalling its treadmills following the death of a child in an accident. Peloton is issuing recalls for both its Tread and Tread+ treadmills, and has also stopped sale and distribution of the Tread+. Tune into Deep Dive as we explore these topics and more.

States across the country are opening up, some more than others. For those missing Mickey Mouse, they can now see, but not hug. Walt Disney’s original theme park reopened for the first time in over a year in Anaheim, California. Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis meanwhile just signed a bill banning vaccine passports. He also announced that starting July first, all local pandemic emergency orders will be stopped. And elsewhere in California, a new bill allowing tens of thousands of inmates to be released early is raising concerns. California is giving 76,000 inmates an opportunity to leave prison early as the state aims to reduce prison population. And a new senate bill seeks to redefine robbery as petty theft. And Republicans and Democrats disagree on what qualifies as infrastructure. It's not just the $4T price tag, it's also the contents. Many Republicans argue Biden's "American families plan" goes beyond infrastructure. Biden and democrats meanwhile seem to be redefining what infrastructure is. Tune into Deep Dive as we explore these topics and more.

A new Supreme Court ruling may make it more difficult to deport some illegal immigrants. The high court said the single word, "a" made all the difference between an immigrant staying or being sent back. Justice Neil Gorsuch said, “At one level, today’s dispute may seem semantic, focused on a single word, a small one at that. But words are how the law constrains power.” Florida busy with legislation lately. The House of Representatives just passed two bills: one on election integrity, one fights back against big tech censorship. Florida Republicans say the election integrity bill will protect election security, but Democrats disagree, saying the bill’s part of a greater plot to suppress voters. The bill fighting big tech censorship would fine companies $250,000 a day for doing so. And what exactly is inside President Biden's multi-trillion dollar "The American Families Plan?" At the core of the multi trillion dollar proposal is Biden's belief, that people should feel they are benefiting from government policies. But not everyone agrees. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tx) took to Twitter, calling Biden’s plans a “radical vision for our country that would turn the American Dream into an American nightmare.” Tune into Deep Dive as we explore these topics and more.

Former President Trump floats the idea of running for office again and hints at potential running mates. This comes after President Biden's first big speech in front of the joint sessions of Congress last night. Biden painted America's future as hopeful, saying “America is rising anew." Minutes after President Biden’s speech to Congress, Senator Tim Scott gave the Republican response. He went after Biden, accusing him of dividing the country, despite promises to unite it. Florida Governor's executive order banning so-called 'vaccine passports' is one step closer to law. The Florida House approved a bill on Wednesday supporting the ban. Lawmakers voted 76–40 to approve the vaccine passport ban. It's part of a broader emergency bill, called SB 2006. And more evidence surfacing about the extent of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's nursing home scandal. New interviews and documents seen by the New York Times show Cuomo's senior aides kept top health officials and the state Department of Health Commissioner Howard Zucker from publishing the virus numbers. That process lasted over five months. The newspaper also found that key pieces of information were never released to the public. Tune into Deep Dive as we explore these topics and more.

Former Secretary of State, John Kerry, is accused of leaking information about a US ally to Iran. Kerry is now facing increasing pressure to step down. As to the border, 4 counties in Texas make disaster declarations due to the immigration crisis. They say their residents are at imminent risk and they don’t have the resources to contain the threat. The National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC reopens in May. For the first time, visitors will see a portrait of former President Trump in the museum’s signature exhibition. Starting May 14th, the gallery will be open to the public with timed-entry free passes for all visitors. The temporary portrait will not have an unveiling event. That is reserved for the actual commission, which will include a ceremony for the Trumps and invited guests to witness the unveiling. And President Biden's first big speech to Congress is coming up tonight, on the eve of his first 100 days in office. What are some topics likely to be covered? Biden's expected to unveil the American Families Plan. And according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki, other topics include police reform, immigration, gun safety, continuing work on the pandemic, and getting Americans back to work. Tune into Deep Dive as we explore these topics and more.

Political power is shifting. That's after the 2020 Census data came out. Six states gained seats, while seven states lost seats. The House of Representatives seeing minor shake ups as a result. As for the population, it rose to over 331M. That’s a 7.4 percent increase from 2010 – the second slowest growth rate ever. Seven House Republicans are pushing back against big tech's monopolistic powers, by not accepting campaign donations. The top Republican on the House antitrust panel, Rep. Ken Buck is leading the seven House GOP members in the “Pledge for America.” Rolled out earlier this week, the goal is to stay away from campaign donations from the likes of Facebook, Google, Amazon, Apple, and Twitter. This comes as a nonprofit project found big tech broke its own records in political spending during the 2020 election cycle. And the CDC's guideline for children as young as two years old to wear masks is raising issue with some lawmakers. The bicameral group of legislators wrote to the CDC’s director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, “The implementation of these recommendations has had serious consequences for some Americans. Multiple parents of young children have been removed from flights, and in some instances, permanently banned, from future travel on the airline they were flying due to their toddler’s refusal to wear a mask,” They note the CDC's guideline is the strictest in the world. Thirty-two Republican lawmakers signed the letter. Tune into Deep Dive as we explore these topics and more.

The wealthy are getting tax hikes. Capital gains tax is going up. Nearly doubling. That's how President Biden plans to pay for the second part of the infrastructure plan, known as the American Family Plan. Senate Republicans countering Biden's infrastructure plan with their own infrastructure plan on Thursday. It costs less than half of Biden's $2T plan. The Biden administration facing another lawsuit. The Texas Attorney General claims the White House is flouting its own pandemic rules at the southern border —while trying to handle the surge of illegal immigrants crossing over from Mexico. The lawsuit says Administration officials “have abandoned the preexisting protections against” foreigners coming into the country who are infected with the virus. And a bipartisan bill aiming to increase capacity in migrant shelters and resolve asylum claims in a timely manner. It's led by Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn and Arizona Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. It's to improve the government’s response to the influx of migrants on the Southern Border. Tune into Deep Dive as we explore these topics and more.

A new report predicts the U.S. will "reach a tipping point on vaccine enthusiasm" in just a few weeks, meaning supply will outstrip demand. President Biden unveils a new stimulus plan to incentivize vaccinations. Biden is encouraging vaccinations with another stimulus plan. This one would offer tax credits to small businesses that give employees paid time off to get their shots. More states banning vaccine passports. South Dakota and Arizona join a handful of states that bar the passports. And a WHO panel also recommends against them. New York State already has a vaccine passport app. So does Orange County in California. And Hawaii is looking into requiring proof of vaccination for people traveling between islands in the state. The White House meanwhile has said that the federal government won’t mandate vaccine passports. The U.S. isn’t expected to make a decision on the American Johnson and Johnson vaccine until Friday. This comes after seven cases of rare blood clots after vaccinations caused the vaccine to be paused. But overseas, Europe is going full-steam ahead. The European Medicines Agency claims that the benefits of the shot outweigh the risk. And more schools are requiring students get the shot to set foot on campus, including most of the Ivy Leagues. Tune into Deep Dive as we explore these topics and more.

A new report found America's national debt now exceeds $123 trillion. That's four times the U.S. Treasury Department's figure of $28 trillion. What does that mean in terms of taxpayer dollars? $123 trillion means close to $800,000 per taxpayer while the official figure of $28 trillion means around $180,000 per taxpayer. As to why the numbers differ so much, the report states: “Our measure of the government’s financial condition includes reported federal assets and liabilities, as well as promised, but not funded, Social Security and Medicare benefits.” Treasury officials don’t include unfunded benefits because they claim recipients have no right to future payments, only to those under current entitlement laws. Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich says he’s disturbed by efforts to expand the number of justices on the Supreme Court. He writes to his state’s senators urging them to oppose the plan. Brnovich’s letter comes as House democrats introduce a proposal to expand the number of justices from 9 to 13. Expanding the court by 4 seats would give Democrats just enough seats to overcome the court’s conservative majority. And the Supreme Court has dramatically increased its support for religious freedom under the newest chief justice. A report says it's the most pro-religion court since the 1950s. From 1953 until John Roberts became Chief Justice, religious organizations won their cases 50 percent of time. Now, under Robert's court, they've won over 80 percent of the time. Tune into Deep Dive as we explore these topics and more.

The White House is walking back President Biden's comments, after he called the situation at the border a "crisis" over the weekend. The administration is also issuing memos out to remove the term "illegal alien" and replace it with "noncitizen" or "migrant." It's part of a push under the current administration to overturn Trump-era policies. In his first day in office, Biden sent a citizenship bill to congress on January 20th, proposing removing the term “alien” from federal immigration laws. President Joe Biden is trying to convince some Republicans to support his infrastructure plan. He met with a bipartisan group of lawmakers Monday for the second time, to discuss his plan. So far, no Republican Senators have endorsed it. Biden needs 10 Republican senators to over-ride a filibuster. And in the fight with Big Tech, Sen. Josh Hawley introducing a second bill targeting big tech. It's to curb big tech's monopolistic power. One bill would ban Amazon and Google from running an online marketplace and selling goods on that marketplace at the same time. The other would bar mergers and acquisitions by firms that have a market capitalization of more than $100 billion. Tune into Deep Dive as we explore these topics and more.