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Clyburn vows fight on voting rights reform that 'may be on life support' As the Senate prepares to take up voting legislation this week, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., emphasized Sunday that congressional Democrats won't turn their backs on the fight even though major obstacles have paved a "bleak" path to election reform. "We're not giving up," Clyburn said on CNN's "State of the Union." "We're going to fight, and we plan to win, because people of goodwill are going to break their silence and help us win this battle." The measures "may be on life support, but, you know, John Lewis and others did not give up after the '64 Civil Rights Act. That's why he got the '65 Voting Rights Act," he said. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., made it clear last week that she won't vote to gut the filibuster rule to ease passage of the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which means the Senate will miss its self-imposed deadline of Martin Luther King Jr. Day to vote on both bills. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Thursday that the Senate wouldn't take up the legislation until Tuesday, citing "the circumstances regarding Covid and another potentially hazardous winter storm" approaching Washington. Sinema said she supports the two bills but continues to favor the 60-vote rule, which Democrats have no hope of clearing because of overwhelming Republican opposition to the bills. Her remarks signaled that Democrats' aggressive efforts to persuade her to support changing the rules had failed. "People tell me they are for this legislation, but they're against the processes that we need in order to get the legislation," Clyburn said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." "Then, I don't think you're on the right side of history." "It may look bleak now, but we are going to keep pressing. We are not going to give in on this," he said. Full Clyburn: 'It may look bleak now, but we are going to keep pressing' on voting rights Following Sinema's comments, President Joe Biden expressed uncertainty Thursday over whether Democrats would be able to pass voting rights legislation after he emerged from a closed-door luncheon with Senate Democrats. "I hope we can get this done, but I'm not sure," Biden told reporters on Capitol Hill after the meeting. "The honest to God answer is I don't know whether we can get this done. "If we miss the first time, we can come back and try it a second time. We missed this time. We missed this time," he said. The House voted 220-203 along party lines last week to pass the two bills in one package. The Senate will receive it as a "message," enabling Democrats to open debate with a simple majority. But they're guaranteed to hit a roadblock when they need 60 votes to break a filibuster and end debate in the 50-50 Senate. The Freedom to Vote Act has no Republican support. The John Lewis bill has one GOP backer: Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.

Matt Gaetz's Ex-Girlfriend Testifies To Grand Jury In Sex Trafficking Probe Rep. Matt Gaetz’s Ex-Girlfriend Testified Wednesday Before A Federal Grand Jury Investigating Him For Sex Crimes, A Major Development That Suggests The Department Of Justice May Be Moving Closer To Indicting Him. The Ex-Girlfriend, Whose Name Is Being Withheld By NBC News To Respect Her Privacy, Has Been In Talks For Months With Prosecutors About An Immunity Deal. Under A Possible Deal, She Would Avoid Prosecution For Obstruction Of Justice In Return For Testifying In The Investigation Into Whether Gaetz In 2017 Had Sex With A 17-Year-Old Female For Money And Whether Months Later He And Others Violated A Federal Law Prohibiting People From Transporting Others Across State Lines To Engage In Prostitution. Legal Sources Familiar With The Case Say Gaetz Is Being Investigated For Three Distinct Crimes: Sex Trafficking The 17-Year-Old; Violating The Mann Act, Which Prohibits Taking Women Across State Lines For Prostitution; And Obstructing Justice. Gaetz, R-Fla., Has Not Been Charged With A Crime And Has Denied All Accusations, Saying He Never Paid For Sex And Never Had Sex With A Minor When He Was An Adult. The Firebrand Conservative Has Called The Federal Investigation Into Him A DOJ “Witch Hunt.” Gaetz Associate Greenberg Requests Sentencing Delay To Keep Cooperating With Federal Prosectors The Attorney For Gaetz’s Ex-Girlfriend, Tim Jansen, Declined Comment About The Case Wednesday, When He Was Spotted By An NBC News Reporter Entering The Federal Courthouse In Orlando With His Client. A Department Of Justice Spokesman Declined Comment. Gaetz Did Not Respond To A Request For Comment. The Investigation Into Gaetz Has Lasted For More Than A Year And Began When A Former Friend And Ally Of His, Former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg, Was Charged With A Host Of Crimes — From Falsely Smearing A Political Rival As Being A Pedophile To Cheating Taxpayers In A Cryptocurrency Scheme To Sex-Trafficking The Same 17-Year-Old In The Gaetz Investigation. Greenberg Has Agreed To Plead Guilty To Six Of The Charges Against Him And Is Cooperating With Federal Investigators, NBC News Has Previously Reported. He Has Pleaded Guilty To Charges Of Identity Theft, Stalking, Wire Fraud, Conspiracy To Bribe A Public Official And Sex Trafficking Of A Minor. According To One Source Familiar With The Case, The Alleged Sex-Trafficking Victim Told Investigators At One Point That Gaetz Had Sex With Her. But The Investigation Into Gaetz Was Stalled As Prosecutors Sought The Cooperation Of Gaetz’s Ex-Girlfriend, According To Those Familiar With The Case, Because Her Testimony Could Help Fill In Crucial Aspects Of The Case. The Ex-Girlfriend Was In An Open Relationship With Gaetz In 2017 And 2018 And Allegedly Discussed Other Women He Was Involved With, According To Three Friends Of The Former Couple. She Allegedly Went With Gaetz And A Number Of Other Young Women And Friends Of The Congressman In 2018 On A Trip To The Bahamas, A Trip That Is Also Under Scrutiny, CBS News And Politico Previously Reported. After The Investigation Began, Gaetz Spoke With His Ex-Girlfriend In A Three-Way Call With Yet Another Woman Who Was Cooperating With Federal Investigators At That Point And Was Secretly Recording The Call, According To Two Sources Familiar With The Case. It’s On That Call That Gaetz Is Suspected Of Obstructing Justice, Which Federal Prosecutors Are Investigating, According To Law Enforcement Sources. After That Phone Call Was First Reported In April, Gaetz Denied The Allegations Through A Spokesperson. “Congressman Gaetz Pursues Justice, He Doesn’t Obstruct It," The Spokesperson Said In A Statement. In A Sign Of How Surprising Her Testimony On Wednesday Is, Gaetz’s Ex In The Past Week Had Approvingly Amplified One Of His Comments On Twitter By Retweeting It. Jansen, The Ex-Girlfriend’s Attorney, Has A Reputation In Florida Legal Circles As A Master Of Immunity Deals After He Secured One For An Admitted Murderer Who Ultimately Was Not Charged In Return For Helping Authorities Solve The Case.

Former Acting Defense Secretary Meets With Jan. 6 Committee Christopher Miller, Who Was Acting Secretary Of Defense During The Jan. 6 Riot, Met Friday With Members Of The House Committee Investigating The Origins Of The Attack On The Capitol, A Source Familiar With The Panel's Activities Told NBC News. The Meeting Came As The Committee Ramps Up Its Probe, Issuing More Subpoenas And Requesting Several GOP Lawmakers Voluntarily Testify. It Was Not Immediately Clear What Miller Discussed With The Panel. The Former Pentagon Chief Has Provided Conflicting Testimony To Congress In The Past, At One Time Saying That Former President Donald Trump Had "Encouraged The Protesters" With His Remarks On Jan. 6 And Then Later Saying He Believed An "Organized Conspiracy" Played A Role In The Capitol Attack. In December, The Panel Met With Kash Patel, Who Was Miller's Chief Of Staff At The Pentagon And A Former Top Aide To Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. The Committee In Recent Weeks Has Sought To Speak With Numerous Trump Allies, Former Administration Officials And Republican Lawmakers. Some Have Complied With Subpoenas, While Others Have Said They Will Not Cooperate With The Committee. House Minority Leader Kevin Mccarthy, R-Calif., Said Wednesday That He Won’t Comply With The Panel’s Request For An Interview Because It Is “Not Conducting A Legitimate Investigation.” The Department Of Justice Has Brought Charges Against More Than 700 Alleged Participants In The Jan. 6 Riot. More Than 100 Capitol Police Officers Reported Being Injured In The Melee. On Thursday Elmer Stewart Rhodes, Founder Of The Far-Right Militia Group The Oath Keepers, Was Indicted Alongside 10 Others, For "Seditious Conspiracy And Other Charges For Crimes" Related To The Breach Of The Capitol, The Justice Department Said.

Inside Trump's Secretive Endorsement Operation When Former President Donald Trump Headlined A Fundraiser For The House Republicans' Campaign Arm In Tampa, Fla., In November, Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., Seized The Opportunity Of A Face-To-Face Encounter To Ask For Trump's Endorsement. "Yes, Yes, Yes," Trump Replied. Then He Said He Would Talk To His Team About It. The Next Day, The Former President Called Bilirakis To Offer The Most Sought-After Validation In Republican Politics. While Bilirakis Drove To An Event In North Hillsborough County, Trump Read A Proposed Statement Over The Phone And Asked If The Congressman Had Any Changes To Make. Bilirakis, Who Could Face A Tough Re-Election Race, Was Just Thrilled To Have The Stamp Of Approval. He Didn't Change A Comma. "Of Course It's Important To Me," Bilirakis Said In An Interview With NBC News In The Capitol Tuesday. As To Whether Trump's Imprimatur Will Scare Off Potential Primary Challengers, Bilirakis, Whose District Should Become More Republican In An Upcoming Rewrite Of Florida's Congressional Lines, Said, "We'll See." Full Kinzinger: 'There Are People That Live In A Totally Different Reality' The Experience Of The Eight-Term Lawmaker, Whose Father Held The Seats For 12 Terms Before Him, Is Reflective Of A Sometimes Secretive Process That Was Described To NBC News In Interviews With More Than Half A Dozen People Familiar With Aspects Of The Endorsement Operation. Trump Has Endorsed 91 Candidates For House, Senate, Governorships, State Legislative Seats And A Variety Of Statewide Offices, Including Secretary Of State, Attorney General And Texas Lands Commissioner, According To An NBC News Review. And When He Takes The Stage For His First Rally Of 2022, In Florence, Ariz., Saturday Night, He Will Be Flanked By A Retinue Of Hand-Picked Favorites Who Deny That He Lost Their Home State In 2020. Arizona Saw The Closest Finish In The Country — Trump Lost By Less Than 10,500 Votes — And The Outcome Remained The Same After A Partisan GOP Review Failed To Change The Result. Still, When Trump Abruptly Canceled A Planned Jan. 6 Speech Designed To Rebut The Actual Election Results, He Promised He Would Make His Case At Saturday's Rally. The Candidates Who Agree With Him Have Been Assigned Choice Speaking Slots At The Event. The Most Common Theme Of Trump's Endorsements, Particularly At The State Level, Is That He Is Backing Candidates Who Have Voiced Support For His Lie That The 2020 Election Was Rigged Against Him. Fifty-Nine Of The 91 Have Questioned The 2020 Election Results, According To An NBC News Review, Including Those Who Voted Against Certifying President Joe Biden's Victory In Congress. He Has Also Become Enamored Of The Anti-Endorsement, Ripping Into Republican Incumbents Who Challenge Him Or His Lie About The Election. "Rumors Are That Doug Ducey, The Weak RINO Governor From Arizona, Is Being Pushed By Old Crow Mitch Mcconnell To Run For The U.S. Senate," He Said In A Friday Statement, Ahead Of His Weekend Rally In That State. "He Will Never Have My Endorsement Or The Support Of MAGA Nation!" "I Will Never Endorse This Jerk Again," He Said Last Sunday, After Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., Called The Election Fair. Trump Pollster Tony Fabrizio Conducted A Survey Of South Dakota Voters For A Conservative Group That Is Trying To Demonstrate Support For The State's Other Senator, Republican John Thune, Is Weak Enough For Him To Lose A Primary. While Rounds Isn't Up For Re-Election For Another Five Years, Thune Is On The Ballot In 2022. Facing Political And Personal Destruction At Trump's Hands, Three House Republicans Who Voted To Impeach Him Last Year Have Decided Not To Run For Re-Election. And Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., Who Is Serving On The Democratic-Led House Committee Investigating The Jan. 6 Attack On The Capitol, Is In Danger Of Losing A Primary To Trump-Endorsed Harriet Hageman. In Alaska, Trump Endorsed Gov. Mike Dunleavy On The Condition That Dunleavy Not Back Sen. Lisa Murkowski's Re-Election Bid. Trump Has Endorsed Kelly Tshibaka, Who Is Seeking To Deny Murkowski The GOP Nomination. But There's Another Key Thread: Trump Is Looking To Find Races Where His Endorsement Can Be Tied Directly To A Hopeful's Fate. He Has Stayed Away From Several Competitive GOP Senate Primaries Where Multiple Candidates Are Running As Acolytes, Including In Missouri, Arizona And Ohio. In Pennsylvania, Trump Endorsed Sean Parnell — Only To See Parnell Suspend His Campaign Amid Domestic Abuse Allegations. That Served As A Warning That He Needed A Better Vetting Process. In Cases Where Trump Doesn't Have A Long-Standing Relationship With The Candidate — Or Isn't Making The Endorsement To Thwart An Adversary — Republicans Familiar With The Process Describe A More Cautious And Strategic Approach Than The One He Pursued As President Or In The Immediate Aftermath Of His Defeat. A Small Set Of Advisers, Led By Longtime Counselor Susie Wiles, Vets Candidates Seeking Trump's Endorsement. The Group Includes Bill Stepien, Who Managed Trump's 2020 Campaign, Brian Jack, The White House Political Director Under Trump And Donald Trump Jr., According To People Familiar With The Process. It's A Two-Tier Process: The Candidates Trump Is Going To Endorse Come Hell Or High Water, And The Lower-Tier Hopefuls Who Are Getting Vetted. "In The End, He Makes These Decisions, But He Does It After Having It Run Through Channels," Said One Republican Operative. "There’s Nobody That Would Have Stopped Him From Endorsing Jody Hice Or David Perdue," Georgia Candidates Who Are Trying To Unseat Secretary Of State Brad Raffensberger And Gov. Brian Kemp, Both Of Whom Rejected Trump's False Claims Of Foul Play In Their State In 2020. "No Process Would Have Stopped That." While The Decisions Start From Different Angles — A One-On-One Encounter With A Supplicant, Trump Approving Of An Ally's Public Commentary On Him, Or Appeals To Wiles's Endorsement Team — They End In The Same Place. "He Makes Up His Own Mind," Said Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, Who Narrowly Won Her Seat In 2020 And Recently Got A Second Endorsement From Trump In December, Along With Fellow Texas Reps. Michael Burgess, Roger Williams And Michael Cloud. Van Duyne Said She Wasn't Aware Of Any Formal Process And That It Took Her Longer To Get Approved To Serve As A Housing And Urban Development Official In Trump's Administration Than To Get Her Most Recent Endorsement. Behind The Scenes, There's An Effort Afoot To Align Trump-Backed Candidates From Around The Country. A Super PAC Run By Trump Ally Pam Bondi Is Bringing Many Of Them Together For A Policy Conference And Fundraising Dinner At Trump's Mar-A-Lago Resort Next Month. Trump Is Scheduled To Speak At The Feb. 23 Dinner, According To An Email Sent To Donors That Was First Reported By The New York Times. The Competition For Trump's Endorsement Has Also Spurred Jockeying To Hire Advisers Who Are Perceived To Have His Ear. Rep. Billy Long, R-Mo., And Bernie Moreno, An Ohio Republican, Both Hired Former White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway To Advise Their Senate Campaigns. David Mccormick, Who Recently Entered The Senate Race In Pennsylvania, Has Lined Up So Many Trump-World Luminaries It's Hard To Keep Count. But Some Longtime Republican Strategists Aren't Convinced That's The Ticket, At Least Not For The Second-Tier Candidates Who Are Unknown To The Former President. The Better Route — Save A Direct Relationship With Trump — May Be To Go Through Wiles' Vetting Process. "There's A Lot Of Other People Milling Around And Keeping A Room At Mar-A-Lago And Finding A Way To Spin By The Table, But I Don't Think Those People, By And Large, Have Any Sway In The Process," Said The GOP Operative. "Not Everybody Gets A Meeting. If They're Considering [An Endorsement], They Meet With Everybody Who They're Considering."

Biden Officials Divided On Message Over N95 Masks For All As Covid-19 Cases Have Surged, Top Biden Administration Officials Have Been Divided Over How Strongly To Encourage Americans To Wear High-Filtration Masks Such As N95 Respirators, As They Have Come Under Increasing Pressure From Public Health Experts To Urge People To Switch To Masks That Offer Better Protection. The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention Updated Its Guidance Friday, Saying Americans "May Choose" To Wear N95 And KN95 Masks Because They Offer The Best Protection Against Covid-19. But The Agency Stopped Short Of Recommending That People Should Opt For Certain Masks Over Others. The White House Has Signaled It Is Willing To Go Further. President Joe Biden, Who For Weeks Has Been Wearing N95 Masks In Public, Said Thursday That He Was Planning To Make "High-Quality Masks" Available To Americans For Free, Without Elaborating. Some Inside The White House Have Been Pushing For The Federal Government To Send An N95 Mask To Every American, One Person Involved In Those Conversations Said. As Cases And Hospitalizations Have Spiked Due To The Highly-Contagious Omicron Variant, Public Health Officials Have Criticized The Administration For Not Doing More To Encourage Americans To Wear N95 Or KN95 Masks, Which They Said Could Significantly Reduce The Transmission Compared To Cloth Masks. But The CDC's Guidance On Friday Said The Agency "Continues To Recommend That You Wear The Most Protective Mask You Can That Fits Well And That You Will Wear Consistently." Biden Plans To Make 'High-Quality Masks' Widely Available And Free For Americans Inside The White House, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy Has Been Among Those Pushing For More Widespread Distribution Of The N95 Masks, Including Mailing One To Every American, The Person Involved In The Conversations Said. But Others, Including CDC Officials, Have Pushed Back On The Idea Of A Mass Distribution Of N95 Masks, The Person Said. The Debate Marks The Latest Point Of Division For Biden's Top Health Officials. Last Month, Biden's Chief Medical Adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Appeared To Contradict Updated Guidelines From The CDC That Said Infected People Could Leave Isolation After Five Days Without A Negative Covid Test. There Was Disagreement Over The Summer Over How Widely Booster Shots Should Be Made Available And When, With Biden's Top Medical Advisers Breaking With Career Food And Drug Administration Officials. The Biden Administration Has Struggled Throughout The Pandemic On Its Recommendations Around Masks, Which Quickly Became An Area Of Political Division. The CDC Told Vaccinated Americans In The Spring They Were Free To Go Maskless Before Reversing The Recommendation In July, Telling Even The Vaccinated To Wear Masks In Areas Where The Virus Was Widely Circulating. Since The Arrival Of The Omicron Variant, Biden Has Increased His Calls For People To Wear Masks Indoors, But Has Stopped Short Of Advising Them To Wear N95 Masks, Something That He, The Vice President And Top Administration Officials Have Been Wearing Publicly And Around The Halls Of The White House For Weeks. ”I Know We All Wish That We Could Finally Be Done With Wearing Masks, I Get It," Biden Said Thursday. "But They Are Clearly A Really Important Tool To Stop The Spread, Especially Of A Highly Transmittable Omicron Version. So Please, Please Wear The Mask.” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki Said The Administration Would Have More Details Next Week On How Free Masks Would Be Made Available, Noting It Has Already Given Out More Than 30 Million Masks To Food Banks And Community Health Centers. Biden Administration Officials Have Solicited Advice In Recent Weeks From Outside Medical Experts Who Have Given A Range Of Recommendations, Including Letting People Use A New Website The Administration Is Developing For Free At-Home Covid Tests To Also Request An N95 Mask, One Person Who Has Been In Contact With The Administration Said. A Group Of Medical Experts Who Advised Biden During The Transition Encouraged The White House Publicly Last Week To Give Americans A Voucher To Buy Masks On Their Own From A Retailer. Inside The Rush To Distribute Home COVID-19 Tests And Masks There Has Also Been Division Outside The White House Over How The Benefit Of N95 Masks Should Be Communicated And How Far The Administration Should Go To Urge People To Wear Them, With Some Public Health Experts Advocating For The Masks To Be Shipped To Every Person In The Country And Others Warning It Would Be A Waste Of Resources. “There Is No Question That High-Quality Masks Can Make A Difference, They Have Protected Myself And Many Other Health Care Workers From Significant Exposures In Hospitals And Clinics,” Said Dr. Kavita Patel, A Former Obama Administration Adviser. “But The Administration Will Need To Be Cautious About Overpromising On The Effect That This Action Might Have Given The Trajectory Of Omicron. We Are Already Seeing Cases Peaking In Parts Of The Country. High-Quality Masks Are Important But In Terms Of Controlling Omicron, It’s A Bit Like Bringing An Umbrella To A Category 5 Hurricane.” Michael Osterholm, An Infectious Disease Expert Who Advised The Biden Transition, Said He Has Been Pushing The Administration Over The Past Year To Strengthen Their Recommendations On Masks. He Said He Supports The Idea Of Sending An N95 Mask To Every American, And That The CDC Recommendations Need To Make Clear The Benefits Of Wearing An N95 Mask Over Cloth Or Surgical Masks. "I Think The CDC Recommendations Have Been Problematic Because They're Not Based On Good Science. They're Making Assumptions About What People Will And Won't Wear," Said Osterholm, Director Of The Center For Infectious Disease Research And Policy At The University Of Minnesota. "We Just Need To Have Clear Messages. If No One Has Learned Anything Right Now In This Pandemic, It Is Keep It Simple Stupid. We Have Failed At Communication Because We've Made It So Complicated." Administration Officials Have Also Expressed Concern That Emphasizing The Benefits Of N95 Masks And Discouraging Cloth Masks Could Lead People To Stop Wearing Masks Altogether If They Don’t Like The Fit Of The N95 Masks, An Issue CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky Alluded To During Her Remarks Wednesday. “We Will Provide Information On Improved Filtration That Occurs With Other Masks Such As N95 And Information That The Public Needs About How To Make A Choice Of Which Mask Is The Right One For Them,” She Said. “But Most Importantly, We Want To Highlight The Best Mask For You As One That You Can Wear Comfortably.” Osterholm Said He Disagrees With That Notion, Arguing A More Comfortable Cloth Or Surgical Mask Is Going To Provide Less Protection. "I Challenge This Whole Notion CDC Keeps Putting Forward That We Have To Recommend What People Wear And To Me, That's Always Been A Backwards Approach," Osterholm Said. "What You Do Is You Recommend What Makes A Difference And Then You Work From There." Another Concern About More Strongly Urging N95 Masks Has Been The Cost, Said A Person Who Has Been Involved In Conversations With The Administration On The Issue. While N95 Masks Can Sell For As Little As $1 And Be Reused, They Are Far Less Cost Effective Than A Reusable Cloth Mask Over Time. During The Early Days Of The Pandemic, Americans Were Urged To Leave N95 Masks And The KN95 Versions Made In China For Health Care Workers. But Since Then, The U.S. Has Bolstered Its Manufacturing Capacity And The Nation Currently Has A Stockpile Of 750 Million N95 Masks As Part Of The Strategic National Stockpile For Health Care Workers. “It's Not A Supply Problem At All,” Said Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, A Health Adviser To The Obama Administration, Who Says All Americans Should Be Wearing N95 Masks. “We Could Easily Gin Up Production In This Country And Get Going. So It's Not An Issue Of We've Got To Reserve These For The Health Care Profession. That's Just Nonsense.”

Trump Allies Have Knives Out For Sen. Thune As He Embarks On Re-Election Bid Sen. John Thune Agonized Over Running For Re-Election After Clashing With Former President Donald Trump, And Now A Conservative Group Is Polling South Dakota Republicans In A Bid To Gin Up A Primary Challenger. Within 48 Hours Of Thune, R-S.D., Announcing His Re-Election Campaign Saturday, The American Potential Fund Began Polling The State's Likely GOP Voters. The Survey Determined Thune Could Lose A Primary By 9 Percentage Points To Gov. Kristi Noem And Could Face A Spirited Challenge From Dusty Johnson, South Dakota’s Lesser-Known U.S. Representative, According To A Polling Memo, Obtained By NBC News, That The Political Committee Circulated To Donors And Political Insiders Thursday. The South Dakota Survey — Conducted By One Of Trump’s Pollsters, Tony Fabrizio — Is The Latest Salvo In The Ongoing Effort By Some In The GOP To Purge The Party Of Those Seen As Insufficiently Loyal To The Former President. Trump And His Allies Have Successfully Encouraged Primary Challenges To Republican Incumbents In States Such As Georgia, Wyoming, Michigan And Ohio, Particularly Targeting Members Of Congress Who Voted With Democrats To Impeach Or Convict The Former President Over His Role In The Jan. 6 Capitol Riot. Sen. Thune: President Trump 'Has A Problem With The Middle Of The Electorate' Thune, The No. 2 Senate Republican, Inflamed Trump In December 2020 By Criticizing The Effort Of House GOP Lawmakers To Overturn The Results Of The Presidential Election, Saying The Plan “Would Go Down Like A Shot Dog.” An Infuriated Trump Responded By Bashing Thune, Calling Him A "RINO" Or “Republican In Name Only,” On Twitter. “RINO John Thune, ‘Mitch's Boy’, Should Just Let It Play Out. South Dakota Doesn't Like Weakness. He Will Be Primaried In 2022, Political Career Over!!!" Trump Wrote. He Also Encouraged Noem To Run Against Thune. Noem, Who Is Running For Re-Election This Year, Is Widely Viewed In Republican Circles As A Possible Future Presidential Candidate, And Has Not Indicated An Interest In Running For Senate At This Stage. A Spokesman For Noem Did Not Return A Request For Comment, Nor Did A Spokesperson For Thune. “It Doesn’t Matter What The Polls Say, I’m Not Running For Senate,” Johnson Said In A Written Statement. Trump Has Also Been Angry With Senate Minority Leader Mitch Mcconnell For His Criticisms Of The Jan. 6 Capitol Riot, And For The Republican Leader's Vote To Certify The Election Of President Joe Biden. “Mcconnell’s Not On The Ballot. But His No. 2, Thune, Is,” One Republican Who Had Spoken With Trump About The Senators Said On Condition Of Anonymity To Describe The Former President’s Thinking. Republican Strategist Scott Reed Said That, “Ultimately, Trump Is Trying To Get To Mcconnell. But The Reality Is He Can’t. He’s The Longest-Serving Leader Of His Party In The Senate For A Reason: He Plays The Long Game.” As For Thune, He Said, The Senator Has An Intimidating War Chest — Nearly $15 Million On Hand — And It’s Unlikely He’ll Have A Serious Challenge. But, He Said, The MAGA World-Led Primary Purges Of The GOP Could Prove Problematic In Battleground States Or Districts Because It Could Weaken The Party And Drain Resources Needlessly. Trump’s Criticisms Of Thune May Have Damaged Him In The State Among Republican Primary Voters. According To Fabrizio's Poll Of 400 Likely Republican Primary Voters, A Third Hold An Unfavorable View Of The Three-Term Senator While 62 Percent View Him Favorably. In Comparison, Noem Is Liked By 82 Percent Of Primary Voters And Disliked By Only 16 Percent. Johnson Is Also Better Liked Than Thune In The Poll.The Poll’s Error Margin Is Plus Or Minus 4.9 Percentage Points. But Thune’s Republican Colleagues In The Senate Urged Him To Run Again, Including Mcconnell And Florida Sen. Rick Scott, A Trump Ally Who Leads The National Republican Senatorial Committee, Which Is In Charge Of Electing Republicans. “We’re Glad Sen. Thune Made The Decision To Run For Reelection And Are Extremely Confident He’ll Have A Big Win In November,” The Committee Said In A Written Statement.

U.S. Intel Suggests Russia Is Preparing A 'False-Flag' Operation As Pretext For Ukraine Invasion The U.S. Has Information That The Russian Government Is Planning A "False-Flag" Operation To Rationalize An Invasion Of Ukraine, A Government Official Said Friday. "We Have Information That Indicates Russia Has Already Pre-Positioned A Group Of Operatives To Conduct A False-Flag Operation In Eastern Ukraine. The Operatives Are Trained In Urban Warfare And In Using Explosives To Carry Out Acts Of Sabotage Against Russia’s Own Proxy-Forces," The Official Said, Confirming A CNN Report. Russia Preparing A 'False-Flag' Operation As Pretext For Ukraine Invasion, U.S. Intel Suggests "Our Information Also Indicates That Russian Influence Actors Are Already Starting To Fabricate Ukrainian Provocations In State And Social Media To Justify A Russian Intervention And Sow Divisions In Ukraine," The Official Said. "For Example, Russian Officials And Influence Actors Are Emphasizing Narratives About The Deterioration Of Human Rights In Ukraine And The Increased Militancy Of Ukrainian Leaders." It's Rare For The U.S. Government To Publicly Release Intelligence Information In Real Time, Especially About A High-Value Target Like Russia, A Longtime U.S. Adversary. The Unusual Disclosure Came As The Biden Administration Has Sought To Pre-Empt Russian Tactics, Which During Previous Conflicts Have Obscured The Facts And Made It More Difficult For The U.S. And Its Allies To Hold Moscow Accountable. For Weeks, As Concerns Have Grown About A Potential Russian Invasion, U.S. National Security Officials Have Warned Publicly That Russia Was Likely To Spread Misinformation About Ongoing Diplomatic Efforts To Muddy The Waters And To Try To Drive A Wedge Between The U.S. And Its NATO And European Allies. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki Told Reporters Friday At Her Daily Briefing That The Intelligence Shows Russia "Is Laying The Groundwork To Have The Option Of Fabricating A Pretext For Invasion." Psaki Added That Russians Appear To Be Following The Same Playbook They Used When They Took Control Of Crimea. "We Saw This Before, Leading Up To 2014, Just To Note — Through Sabotage Activities And Information Operations, By Accusing Ukraine Of Preparing An Imminent Attack Against Russian Forces," Psaki Said. She Added That An Invasion By Russia Now "May Result In Widespread Human Rights Violations And War Crimes Should Diplomacy Fail To Meet Their Objectives." The Comments Came Hours After Ukraine Was Hit By A Massive Cyberattack Warning Its Citizens To “Expect The Worst.” Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Told Reuters It Was Too Early To Say Who Could Be Behind The Attack, But That Russia Had Been Behind Similar Strikes In The Past. Psaki Said President Joe Biden Has Been Briefed On The Attack, And That The U.S. Has "Offered Our Support As Ukraine Investigates The Impact And Recovers From The Incidents.” Russia Has Massed More Than 100,000 Troops On Its Neighbor’s Frontier. The Russian Government Has Denied It Has Plans To Attack Ukraine, But Aired Footage Of More Forces Deploying To The Area On Friday. Russian Officials Met With Their U.S., European And NATO Counterparts Over The Past Week As They Sought Defuse Tensions Between The Two Countries. But In The Aftermath Of Those Talks, The Biden Administration Has Said It Believes A Russian Incursion Into Ukraine Remains A Real Possibility. “The Drumbeat Of War Is Sounding Loud,” A Senior U.S. Diplomat Said. The Biden Administration Is Considering Arming Ukrainian Insurgents, Who Would In Essence Fight A Guerrilla War Against Russian Forces, If Russia Invades Ukraine, A Senior U.S. Official And A Former U.S. Official Confirmed To NBC News. Such A Move Would Be In Addition To The Administration's Ongoing Commitment To Providing Arms To Ukraine's Government. Undersecretary Of State Victoria Nuland Said This Week At A State Department Briefing That "We Have This Year Alone Supplied Ukraine With Some $450 Million Of Defensive Lethal Support In All Kinds Of Categories." Andriy Yermak, Chief Of Staff To Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Said At A Virtual Briefing Organized By The Think Tank The Atlantic Council That They Are Still Hoping To Reach A Diplomatic Resolution. He Said Zelenskyy Had Spoken To Biden About Possible Trilateral Talks With Russian President Vladimir Putin. “We’re Still Waiting For A Reaction On This I Think From The Russian Side,” Yermak Said. "But Our American Partners Take Our Proposal With Some Interest." A White House Official Told NBC News That The Biden Administration Is "Consulting With Allies And Partners, Including Ukraine, To Determine The Next Steps, And We Are In Communication With The Russians." "We Believe Diplomacy Is The Best Path Forward," The Official Said, And "Are Prepared To Continue To Engage In Good Faith To Advance Security And Stability In The Euro-Atlantic. But If Russia Chooses A Different Path And Further Invades Ukraine, We Are Equally Prepared To Impose Severe Costs On Russia, Along With Our Allies And Partners." National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan Said At A White House Press Briefing Thursday That The Intelligence Community Had Information Pointing To A Russian False Flag Operation In Ukraine, But Had "Not Made An Assessment That The Russians Have Definitively Decided To Take A Military Course Of Action." He Added That That It Was “Certainly The Case That The Threat Of Military Invasion Is High.”

Latino Lawmaker: Jan. 6 Investigation Is About Defending Democracy At Home The Day After Rep. Jim Jordan Refused To Assist The House Committee Investigating The Jan. 6 Attack On The U.S. Capitol, Nicaragua Swore In Daniel Ortega As President, Prompting The U.S. To Retaliate With Sanctions For What Many Have Said Was A Rigged Election. Jordan, R-Ohio, A Close Ally Of Former President Donald Trump, Said In A Letter To The House Committee That He Had Nothing Worth Sharing About The Jan. 6 Attack, Which President Joe Biden Said Tuesday Was An Attempted Coup. Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., The Vice Chair Of The House Democratic Caucus And The Only Latino On The Committee Investigating The Riot, Said He Sees His Job As Uncovering What Led Up To And Happened The Day The U.S.’S Own Democratic Electoral Process Was Threatened. Ortega’s Hold On Power Is A Reminder Of How Precious Democracy Is, Which Many Latinos, Particularly Those From Countries In Political Turmoil Or With Families In Them, Understand, Aguilar Said. “Some Of The Campaigns And Some Of The Political Rhetoric In Other Countries Really Does Sound Shockingly Familiar To The Language That The Former President Used,” Aguilar Said. Aguilar, Who Was On The House Floor During The Violence, Said Jordan’s Refusal To Be Interviewed Is “Disappointing.” “For Someone Who Has Had Conversations With The President, If He Is Committed To The Truth And Fairness Like He Says, Then He Would Voluntarily Come Before The Commission And Disclose That He Talked To The President Multiple Times That Day,” Aguilar Said. Potential Witnesses Who Refuse To Talk To The Committee Get A Lot Of Attention, But The Committee Has Plenty Of Information For A Robust Report On The Attempt To Overturn Biden’s Election, Aguilar Said. Aguilar’s Spokesman, Owen Kilmer, Said That The Committee Has Information From More Than 340 Witnesses And That Dozens More Interviews Are Scheduled. It Has Reviewed More Than 450,000 Documents And Is Following Up On About 350 Tips, He Said. “If We Put Together A Report That Is Fact-Based, My Belief Is That The Country Will Pay Attention And People Will Hear The Warnings Signs For Democracy That We Are Pointing To,” Aguilar Said. ‘Efforts To Whitewash’ Aguilar Started His Political Career At 26, When He Became The Youngest City Council Member In The History Of Redlands, California. He Was Picked To Fill An Open Seat By Five Council Members Who Were Democratic And Republican. He Went On To Be Appointed And Then Elected Mayor, And Then He Was Elected To Congress. His Career Led Him To Reach Across Party Lines While Working For Former Gov. Gray Davis In Riverside And In His Congressional District, Which Was More Republican When He Was First Elected In 2014. But Aguilar Said He Now Feels Let Down By His Colleagues, Including Fellow Latino Lawmakers, On The Other Side Of The Aisle Who Are Perpetuating Trump’s Claim Of A Stolen Election And Denying The Severity Of The Riot. “There Are Still Efforts To Whitewash What Took Place Jan. 6,” He Said. It Has Been “Deeply Troubling” That Lawmakers Who Call Out Government Repression And Tyranny In Cuba, Venezuela And Other Parts Of Latin America “Came Back After The Insurrection And Voted To Decertify The Election,” He Said. ‘I’m A Little Scared’ Aguilar Was Sitting Behind Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., The Day The Attackers Violently Forced Their Way Past Overwhelmed Officers Into The Capitol. He Knew Things Were Amiss When Congressional Leaders Began Being Evacuated. Raskin Had Just Buried His Son, And Aguilar Was Giving Him His Condolences When “The Commotion Started.” He Learned That Day That Gas Masks Were Stored Under The Seats. Aguilar Said His Experiences Weren’t As Bad As Those Of Others, But He Recalled The Fright Growing As The Banging On The Doors Intensified. As He Has Previously Recounted, He Scribbled An Entry In A Journal He Regularly Carries With Him. It Said: “2:34. I’m A Little Scared.” He Worried For His Colleagues In The Gallery As He Left The House Floor. He Said The Day Has Changed His Relationships With Some Of His Colleagues. Rep. Aguilar Recalls Jan. 6th Insurrection: 'Many Of Us Were Scared' “I’d Be Lying To You If I Said That I Was Able To Just Quickly Turn The Page. It Will Affect My Relationship With A Lot Of Members, Some Of The Latino Republicans, As Well As Other Republicans Who Represent California,” He Said. The Details Of His Conversations With Those Lawmakers Are Better Left Out Of Print For Now, He Said. Aguilar Said He Recognizes He’s The Only Latino On The Committee, And He Said He Brings That Perspective, Along With His Own Experiences, To The Work He’s Doing And The Questions He’s Raising. The Mission Of The Commission Is To Defend Democracy, “To Reaffirm Our Commitment To The Ideals That Make Our Country Great,” He Said. Central To That Is Free And Fair Elections, He Said. “What The Rioters Tried To Do That Day Was To Overturn The Results Of An Election, Something That We Can’t Ever Let Happen Again,” He Said. Aguilar Said He Recognized That Once The Committee Releases Its Report, Some Americans Won’t Accept Its Findings, The Same Way Some Denied The Findings Of The Report On The 9/11 Terrorist Attacks. Along With Competing With The Coronavirus Pandemic And Economic Concerns For Americans’ Attention, The Committee Will Release The Report In A Social Media And Disinformation Environment Far Wider Than Existed When The 9/11 Report Was Released. Latinos Have Seen Disinformation Intensify, Passed On By Family And Friends Through Social Media Apps Like Whatsapp And On Spanish-Language Radio. To Help Grab Americans’ Attention, Aguilar Said, The Committee Plans A “Layered” Report That Will Include Embedded Videos, Tweets, Images And More. The Committee Will Soon Hold Public Hearings; Aguilar Said There Is Discussion About Holding Them In The Evening, When More People Aren’t Working. He Said There Are Also Plans To Translate The Report Into Other Languages. He Said He Believes The Majority Of The Country Wants To Know What Led Up To The Jan. 6 Attack. “Maybe All Of Us Can Look At This As An Experience On How We Do What We Can To Protect Democracy In Our Own Way,” He Said, “Because It’s On Every American, Whether It’s The Act Of Voting Or Participating In An Election On The Political Side, All Those Are Acts Of Democracy.” Follow Nbc Latino On Facebook, Twitter And Instagram.

David Mccormick Files Paperwork To Run As GOP Senate Primary In Pa. Heats Up David Mccormick, A Former Hedge Fund Executive With Allies Close To Former President Donald Trump, Filed Paperwork Wednesday To Run In Pennsylvania’s Crowded Republican Senate Primary. The Filing With The Federal Election Commission Establishes Mccormick As A Senate Candidate. His Political Advisers Declined To Comment. An Official Announcement Is Expected Soon. Mccormick, A Gulf War Veteran Who Was A Treasury Official In President George W. Bush's Administration, Had Been Exploring A Bid Since Last Month. He Recently Resigned As CEO Of The Investment Firm Bridgewater Associates. He Has Already Spent More Than $2 Million On TV Ads Introducing Himself To Voters In The State, Where He Recently Re-Established Residency. Pennsylvania’s Senate Election This Year Will Be One Of The Most Competitive In The Country, With Control Of The 50-50 Chamber Up For Grabs And Republican Incumbent Pat Toomey Not Seeking A Third Term. President Joe Biden Narrowly Beat Trump In The State In 2020. Mccormick Joins A GOP Field In Flux. The Previous Front-Runner, Sean Parnell, A Fox News Personality Who Had Scored Trump’s Early Endorsement, Dropped Out Of The Race In November After He Lost A Custody Battle In Which He Denied Accusations That He Had Abused His Wife And Children. Mehmet Oz, The TV Doctor And Political Novice Who Has Also Been Friendly With Trump, Declared For The Republican Primary Days Later And Has Spent More Than $2.5 Million On Ads. Like Oz, Who Had Lived In New Jersey And Only Recently Registered To Vote In Pennsylvania, Mccormick Is Likely To Face Residency Questions. Although He Is A Pennsylvania Native, He Most Recently Lived In Connecticut Before He Bought A House In The Pittsburgh Area. Other Republicans In The Race Are Carla Sands, Trump’s Ambassador To Denmark; Real Estate Developer Jeff Bartos, A Candidate For Lieutenant Governor In 2018; Conservative Commentator Kathy Barnette; And Philadelphia Lawyer George Bochetto. Democrats Also Have A Crowded Primary, With Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb, State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta And Montgomery County Commissioner Val Arkoosh Among The Candidates. With Parnell Out, Trump Lingers Over The GOP Primary As A Coveted Supporter Who Could Cement A New Front-Runner. Oz Is Running With A Trump-Like “America First” Message. A Recent Sands Ad Shows Her At A Paper Shredder Promising To “Shred Joe Biden’s Agenda.” Mccormick — Who Was Considered For A Pentagon Job During Trump’s First Term And Is Married To Dina Powell, Who Was A Deputy National Security Adviser To The Former President — Has Surrounded Himself With Veterans Of Trump’s Political Orbit. Hope Hicks And Stephen Miller, Two Former Top White House And Trump Campaign Aides, Are Among Those Advising His Senate Bid. Despite The Relationships, Mccormick Is Likely To Face Questions About His Pro-Trump Populist Bona Fides. He Has Criticized Trump At Times, Having Blamed Him Last Year For His Role In Inciting The Deadly Riot At The U.S. Capitol. And His Work With Bridgewater Associates, Which Managed Investments In China, Is The Subject Of An Ad From A Pro-Oz Group, America Leadership Action. Mccormick Tried To Distance Himself From The Hedge Fund’s China Portfolio In His Final Weeks On The Job As He Was Preparing His Senate Bid, Bloomberg Reported Last Month.

Schumer Eyes Final Reckoning Over Voting Rights And Filibuster Rule For Voting Rights Legislation, A Major Showdown Is Drawing Near. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer Of New York Told Democratic Colleagues In A Letter Wednesday That He Will Force A Procedural Vote On The Freedom To Vote Act And The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. To Make That Happen, He Will Use A Quirk In The Rules To Allow Floor Debate On The Bills, Both Of Which Have Majority Support In The 50-50 Senate. But Advancing The Measures To Votes On Final Passage Requires 60 Senators To Break Filibusters, Which Democrats Have No Realistic Hope Of Achieving Because Of Republican Opposition. Once The Bills Are Filibustered, "We Will Need To Change The Senate Rules As Has Been Done Many Times Before," Schumer Said In The Letter, Which Was Obtained By NBC News. But Democrats Don't Have The 50 Votes They Need To Pierce The Filibuster Rule Using The So-Called Nuclear Option. Sens. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., And Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., Remain Reluctant To Change The Rules, And There Is Scant Evidence That They Are Likely To Budge. Still, Democratic Leaders Are Focusing Their Rhetoric On Republicans. "If The Right To Vote Is The Cornerstone Of Our Democracy, Then How Can We In Good Conscience Allow For A Situation In Which The Republican Party Can Debate And Pass Voter Suppression Laws At The State Level With Only A Simple Majority Vote, But Not Allow The United States Senate To Do The Same?" Schumer Said In Wednesday's Letter. "In The Coming Days, We Will Most Likely Confront This Sobering Question — Together." The Freedom To Vote Act Has No Republican Support In The Senate. The John Lewis Bill Has One GOP Backer: Lisa Murkowski Of Alaska. Schumer Spoke Out A Day After President Joe Biden Gave A Fiery Speech Calling For Changing The Filibuster Rule, If Necessary, To Pass The Two Election Overhaul Bills And Overcome Former President Donald Trump's "Big Lie" About A Stolen 2020 Election, Which Has Fueled Voting Restrictions At The State Level. "As An Institutionalist, I Believe That The Threat To Our Democracy Is So Grave That We Must Find A Way To Pass These Voting Rights Bills, Debate Them, Vote. Let The Majority Prevail," Biden Said. "And If That Bare Minimum Is Blocked, We Have No Option But To Change The Senate Rules, Including Getting Rid Of The Filibuster For This." Senate Minority Leader Mitch Mcconnell, R-Ky., Who Fiercely Opposes The Two Bills, Has Said States Should Be Able To Set Their Own Election Rules. Unlike Democrats, He Has Said There Is No Problem With The Voting Limits That Are Being Enacted In Numerous Republican-Led States. Mcconnell Said Biden's Speech Featured "Rhetoric Unbecoming Of A President Of The United States." 'A Critical Issue Of Our Time' Manchin Said Wednesday That Biden Gave A "Good Speech," But He Offered No Indication That He Has Changed His Mind About The Filibuster. "We're All Still Talking," He Said. "He Understands — We All Understand How The Senate Works." Sinema's Office Declined To Comment. The Positions Of Both Will Become Clear In The Next Few Days. Schumer Has Said He Wants To Hold The Votes No Later Than Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Schumer's Strategy To Force The Votes Rests On A Little-Used Congressional Procedure In Which The House Can Send A Bill To The Senate In A Way That Allows Democrats To Bypass One Of Two 60-Vote Filibuster Votes That Most Legislation Is Subject To In The Upper Chamber. The House Kicked Off That Process Wednesday Evening With A Meeting In The Rules Committee To Send The Legislative Vehicle To The Senate. Once The House Sends The Bill Across The Capitol, Senate Democrats Will Be Able To Start Debate On The Voting Rights Bills With A Simple Majority, Which Republicans Have Blocked Them From Doing In The Past. "We Will Finally Be Able To Get On The Bill," Sen Tim Kaine, D-Va., Told Reporters. "What Happens Next Is Still TBD, But The Republicans Cannot Filibuster Us Getting On The Bill Anymore." Republicans Are Guaranteed To Filibuster An End To Floor Debate, Which Would Prevent A Final Vote On The Legislation. "I’m Just Trying To Figure Out If He Wants To Lose Once Or Twice," Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, Said Of Schumer's Gambit. "But I Think We Know What The Outcome Is Going To Be." Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., Acknowledged The Challenges For Democrats. "There's A Growing Consensus Among Democrats And Republicans On The Need For Rules Changes. It's Difficult To Do During A Debate On One Bill," He Said. Patty Murray Of Washington, The No. 3 Democrat In The Senate, Hasn't Given Up On Winning. "I Think Everybody Realizes That This Is A Critical Issue Of Our Time," She Said. "It Is Important That We Find A Way To Make Sure That When History Is On Our Shoulders Right Now, We Have A Way To Move Forward. I Don't Think We Can Prejudge The Outcome Of This At All."

House GOP Leader Mccarthy Says He Won't Cooperate With Jan. 6 Committee House Minority Leader Kevin Mccarthy, R-Calif., On Wednesday Said He Would Not Provide Information To The Jan. 6 Committee About Communications Surrounding The Attack On The Capitol, Despite Previously Saying He Would Be Willing To Discuss A Phone Conversation He Had With Former President Donald Trump As The Riot Unfolded. "As A Representative And The Leader Of The Minority Party, It Is With Neither Regret Nor Satisfaction That I Have Concluded To Not Participate With This Select Committee’s Abuse Of Power That Stains This Institution Today And Will Harm It Going Forward,” Mccarthy Said. His Statement Came Just Hours After Committee Chair Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., Proposed An Early February Meeting With Mccarthy. Thompson, In A Letter To Mccarthy, Said The Panel Wanted To Hear About Discussions The House GOP Leader May Have Had With Trump And White House Staffers In The Days Surrounding The Riot. Mccarthy Told Fox News In April That He Had A Phone Conversation With Trump As The Attack Unfolded. A Month Later, Asked By Reporters Whether He Would Be Willing To Testify To An Outside Committee About His Jan. 6 Conversation With Trump, Mccarthy Responded, "Sure." In Wednesday's Letter, Thompson Said Mccarthy May Have Information About Trump's State Of Mind And Decisions In The Aftermath Of The Riot. "It Appears That You May Also Have Discussed With President Trump The Potential He Would Face A Censure Resolution, Impeachment, Or Removal Under The 25th Amendment," Thompson Wrote. "It Also Appears That You May Have Identified Other Possible Options, Including President Trump’s Immediate Resignation From Office.” Trump Was Impeached For "Incitement Of Insurrection" In A 232-197 Vote, With 10 Republicans Joining Democrats. He Was Acquitted In A 57-43 Vote In The Senate, With Seven GOP Senators Voting In Favor Of Conviction. The Jan. 6 Committee Has Requested Information From Two Other Lawmakers — Rep. Jim Jordan Of Ohio And Rep. Scott Perry Of Pennsylvania — But Mccarthy Is The Highest-Ranking Republican In Congress Sought Out By The Panel. Thompson, Speaking With Reporters Wednesday Afternoon, Did Not Rule Out A Possible Subpoena For Mccarthy. "I Think It's Important That When The Leader Of The House Of Representatives Takes To The Floor And Criticizes The Sitting President For What Went On, That's Significant, And That's Why We Voluntarily Asked Him To Come And Talk To The Committee," Thompson Said. Mccarthy Said In A House Floor Speech Days After Jan. 6 That Trump "Bears Responsibility" For The "Attack On Congress By Mob Rioters." Earlier On Wednesday, Panel Members Met With Former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh Mcenany. Mcenany, Who Was Subpoenaed In November, Met Virtually With The Committee, According To A Source Familiar With The Meeting. Her Deposition Was Originally Scheduled For Dec. 3 But Had Been Postponed. It Was Not Immediately Clear What Mcenany Discussed With The Committee. CNN First Reported The Meeting. The Committee Signaled Its Area Of Interest With Mcenany In A November Letter To The Former Press Secretary. The Panel Said At The Time That Its Investigation And Public Accounts Have "Revealed Credible Evidence Of Your Involvement In The Events Within The Scope Of The Select Committee's Inquiry." The Letter Pointed To Public Statements By Mcenany While She Was White House Press Secretary, Citing A News Conference After The 2020 Election. "You Claimed That There Were 'Very Real Claims' Of Fraud That The Former President's Re-Election Campaign Was Pursuing, And Said That Mail-In Voting Was One That 'We Have Identified As Being Particularly Prone To Fraud,'" The Committee Wrote.

Biden Calls For End To Filibuster To Pass Voting Rights Legislation President Joe Biden On Tuesday Called For An End To The Filibuster To Allow For Passage Of Federal Voting Rights Bills, As Congressional Democrats Increasingly Prioritize Ballot Box Protections And Advocates Grow Frustrated Over Stalled Legislation. In A Long-Awaited Speech On Voting Rights, The President Tried To Frame The Issue As One That Has Historically Received Bipartisan Support, Accusing Senate Republicans Of Lacking The "Courage To Stand Up To A Defeated President To Protect The Right To Vote." Their Obstruction, He Said, Left Democrats With "No Option But To Change The Senate Rules, Including Getting Rid Of The Filibuster For This." "Pass It Now," Biden Said, Referring To The Freedom To Vote Act And The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. "I Am Tired Of Being Quiet." 'The Battle For The Soul Of America Is Not Over': Biden Touts Voting Rights Biden Has Been Under Pressure To More Aggressively Address Voting Rights After A Wave Of Restrictive Voting Laws, Fueled By Former President Donald Trump's False Claims About The Results Of The 2020 Election, Were Passed Last Year By More Than A Dozen GOP-Controlled State Legislatures. His Speech Also Comes Amid Anxiety From Activists Who Are Frustrated And Demanding More Leadership From The President. Biden, Who Frequently Describes Himself As An Institutionalist, Had Resisted For Months Calls To Back The Changing Of The Filibuster. But He Said Tuesday That "The United States Senate, Designed To Be The World's Greatest Deliberative Body, Has Been Rendered A Shell Of Its Former Self." Even With The President’s New Position On The Filibuster, It Is Unclear How Voting Rights Legislation Would Pass Congress. Republicans Have Remained Unified In Their Opposition To The Two Voting Rights Bills Currently Being Considered And Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., And Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., Have Said They Oppose Altering The Filibuster. Without Their Votes, Democrats Would Be Unable To Change Senate Rules To Get Around The 60-Vote Threshold. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Announced Tuesday That The Senate Would Vote On The Freedom To Vote Act And The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act By Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. When They Fail, Democrats Will Consider Changing Senate Rules, Schumer Said. Biden Delivered His Remarks Tuesday At The Atlanta University Center Consortium, The Oldest And Largest Association Of Historically Black Colleges And Universities. He Also Visited The Crypt Of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Before Going To The Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, Where King Used To Preach And Where Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Is Now A Pastor. Biden Framed The Moment As An Inflection Point In American Democracy And Urged Senators Of Both Parties To Consider The Role They Played In Protecting The Right To Vote. "Will You Stand For Democracy, Yes Or No?," Said Biden. "Do You Want To Be On The Side Of Dr. King Or George Wallace? This Is The Moment To Decide." Some Voting Rights Advocates Had Expressed Frustration With The President Ahead Of His Visit For Not Prioritizing Legislation On The Issue Earlier On In His Administration, Arguing That Biden's Rhetoric On The Issue Has Not Translated Into A Strategy To Get Legislation Passed. "While President Biden Delivered A Stirring Speech Today, It’s Time For This Administration To Match Their Words With Actions, And For Congress To Do Their Job," NAACP President Derrick Johnson Said In A Statement After The Speech. "Voting Rights Should Not Simply Be A Priority — It Must Be THE Priority." Stacey Abrams, A Democratic Candidate For Governor And One Of The Party’s Most Prominent Advocates For Voting Rights, Did Not Attend Tuesday’s Speech. Some Influential Activist Groups, Including The Black Voters Matter Fund And The New Georgia Project Action Fund, Also Skipped The Event In An Effort To Highlight What They Said Is The Need For Action In The U.S. Senate, Rather Than Speeches. Biden To Face Challenges In Push To Change Senate Filibuster Rules In An Interview With MSNBC Tuesday Morning, Martin Luther King III And His Wife, Arndrea Waters King, Said It Had Been A “Difficult Decision” To Attend Biden’s Speech. “We Certainly Understand The Frustration Of Our Local Partners Here In Georgia,” Waters King Said. “It’s Been A Long Year Of A Lot Of Things Not Being Done, And We Stand And We Share That Frustration.” Biden’s Speech In Atlanta Was Only The Second Time Since Taking Office That He Has Held An Event Solely Dedicated To Voting Rights, Following A Speech On The Issue In Philadelphia In July. In Comparison, He Has Held More Than 60 Events Solely Dedicated To The Pandemic And 40 Events Focused On His Infrastructure And Build Back Better Agenda. “Giving Dozens Of Speeches For Build Back Better Didn't Get Us Build Back Better,” Said Nsé Ufot, The Chief Executive Officer Of The New Georgia Project And Its Affiliate, New Georgia Project Action Fund. “So If They Are Telling Me That This Speech Is Going To Get Us Voting Rights, I Don't Think It's Crazy Or Unreasonable For Me To Ask Simply: How?” "I'm Looking For Marching Orders. I'm Looking For A Plan," She Added. At Least 19 States Passed Laws Last Year Making It More Difficult To Vote, According To The Brennan Center For Justice. Far More Restrictive Voting Rights Laws Were Enacted Around The Country In 2021 Than In Any Year Since The Center Began Tracking Voting Legislation A Decade Ago. In The Spring, Georgia’s Republican-Controlled State Legislature Passed A Law That Limits The Time Voters Have To Request Absentee Ballots, Institutes Tougher ID Requirements, Significantly Cuts Down On The Number Of Mail-In Voting Drop Boxes, And Bans Offering Food Or Water To Voters Waiting In Line. Biden Won Georgia In The 2020 Election By Less Than A Percentage Point, Becoming The First Democratic Presidential Candidate To Prevail In The State Since 1992. Georgia Also Delivered Democrats Control Of The Senate With The Election Of Warnock And Jon Ossoff In January 2021.

Jan. 6 Committee Dismisses Ray Epps Conspiracy Theory, Issues New Subpoenas The House Committee Investigating The Attack On The U.S. Capitol Sought To Dismiss A Right-Wing Conspiracy Theory By Announcing Tuesday That Ray Epps, Who Was Seen Trying To Egg On Protesters Ahead Of The Jan. 6 Riot, Told Committee Members In An Interview That He Was Not A Federal Agent. The Panel Also Subpoenaed A Trio Of Trump Allies As It Continues Its Monthslong Investigation Into The Origins Of The Attack. Epps Has Been The Focus Of Far-Right Allegations That, Instead Of Being A Trump Supporter, He Was Working With The Federal Government, Seeking To Provoke Violence. "The Select Committee Is Aware Of Unsupported Claims That Ray Epps Was An FBI Informant Based On The Fact That He Was On The FBI Wanted List And Then Was Removed From That List Without Being Charged," The Committee Said In A Statement. "Mr. Epps Informed Us That He Was Not Employed By, Working With, Or Acting At The Direction Of Any Law Enforcement Agency On January 5th Or 6th Or At Any Other Time, And That He Has Never Been An Informant For The FBI Or Any Other Law Enforcement Agency." Epps Was Seen On Video The Night Of Jan. 5 Asking Other People To "Go Into The Capitol" The Next Day Before Others Began Chanting "Fed, Fed, Fed" At Him. In Video From Jan. 6, Epps Shouted To Those Nearby: "OK, Folks, Spread The Word! As Soon As The President Is Done Speaking, We Go To The Capitol. The Capitol Is This Direction," Politifact Reported. The Video Has Garnered Significant Attention Among Some Conservatives. In October, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., Played It During A Congressional Hearing And Asked Attorney General Merrick Garland Whether Federal Agents Incited Violence At The Capitol. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Asked Similar Questions Tuesday Of Jill Sanborn, A Top FBI National Security Official, At A Judiciary Committee Hearing On Domestic Terrorist Threats. Asked Whether Federal Agents Or People Working With Federal Law Enforcement Actively Encouraged Violence, Sanborn Said, "Not To My Knowledge." Beyond Capitol Hill, The Epps Conspiracy Was Featured On One America News And In Fox News Host Tucker Carlson's "Patriot Purge," And Mentions Of It Have Soared Online In Recent Weeks. "Who Is Ray Epps?" Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-N.C., Tweeted On The Anniversary Of The Jan. 6 Attack. Arizona GOP State Sen. Wendy Rogers Posted On Jan. 5, "Ray Epps Ray Epps Ray Epps." In A Lengthy Tweet Thread, Rep. Adam Kinzinger Of Illinois, One Of Two Republicans On The Jan. 6 Committee, Wrote That Epps "Didn’t Enter The Capitol On Jan 6, And Was Removed From The Most Wanted List Because Apparently He Broke No Laws." "I’m Pretty Sure The FBI Wouldn’t Be Dumb Enough To Put Their Own Agent On A Wanted List," He Added. "Ray Epps Has Cooperated With The Jan 6 Committee And We Thank Him." "On The Broader Issue, Let’s Say Ray Was An Agent (HE IS NOT), The Premise Is That One Agent Can Gin Up A Crowd To Insurrection," Kinzinger Wrote. Referring To Cruz, He Added: "That Isn’t Saying Much About The Intelligence Of Your Voters Is It Ted? The Rioters Had Formal Education, Owned Businesses Etc. They Knew." Meanwhile, The House Committee Subpoenaed Andy Surabian, Arthur Schwartz And Ross Worthington On Tuesday. The Panel Is Seeking Information About Any Conversations Surabian And Schwartz — Prominent Strategists Close To Donald Trump Jr., The Former President's Eldest Son — May Have Had With Organizers And Speakers At The Rally That Took Place Shortly Before The Attack On The Capitol. The Committee Wants Details About The Role Worthington, A Former White House Speechwriter, May Have Played In Crafting The Former President's Address To A Crowd Of Supporters On The Day Of The Riot. "We Have Reason To Believe The Individuals We’ve Subpoenaed Today Have Relevant Information And We Expect Them To Join The More Than 340 Individuals Who Have Spoken With The Select Committee As We Push Ahead To Investigate This Attack On Our Democracy And Ensure Nothing Like This Ever Happens Again," Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., The Committee’s Chairman, Said In A Statement. Daniel Bean, An Attorney For Surabian, Said His Client Plans To Cooperate "Within Reason," Although "We Are Bewildered As To Why Mr. Surabian Is Being Subpoenaed In The First Place." "He Had Nothing At All To Do With The Events That Took Place At The Capital That Day, Zero Involvement In Organizing The Rally That Preceded It And Was Off The Payroll Of The Trump Campaign As Of November 15, 2020," He Said, Adding, "We Believe This Is Nothing More Than Harassment Of The Committee’s Political Opponents And Is Un-American To The Core." Schwartz And Worthington Did Not Immediately Respond To Requests For Comment.

Trump Asks Federal Judge To Toss Jan. 6 Lawsuits Lawyers For Former President Donald Trump Urged A Federal Judge Monday To Dismiss Lawsuits Accusing Him Of Conspiring With Two Far-Right Extremist Groups And Others To Block The Presidential Vote Count. U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta Questioned Lawyers For Both Sides, But His Most Probing Comments Were Directed At Members Of The Trump Legal Team, And The Judge Showed No Sign That He Was Prepared To Immediately Dismiss The Suits. The First Lawsuit Over The Capitol Riot To Name The Former President, Filed 11 Months Ago By House Democrats, Said The Attempted Insurrection Was "The Intended And Foreseeable Culmination Of A Carefully Coordinated Campaign To Interfere With The Legal Process Required To Confirm The Tally Of Votes Cast In The Electoral College." NAACP, Rep. Thompson Sue Trump And Giuliani Over Capitol Riot Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., Was Originally The Lead Plaintiff But Withdrew From The Case After He Became Chairman Of The House Committee Investigating The Riots. Ten House Democrats Remain On The Suit. Monday's Hearing Involved That Case And Two Others, Brought By Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., And Two U.S. Capitol Police Officers. Three Other Civil Lawsuits Brought By Police Officers Make Similar Allegations. The Suits Allege That By Repeatedly Claiming The Election Was Stolen, Trump And His Then-Personal Lawyer Rudy Giuliani Mobilized Supporters And Backed Armed Protest, Rejecting Pleas To Cool Down The Rhetoric. At The Rally Near The White House On Jan. 6, The Two "Began Stoking The Crowd's Anger And Urging Them To Take Action To Forcibly Seize Control Of The Process For Counting And Approving The Electoral College Ballots," The Suit Filed By House Democrats Said. Trump's Lawyers Urged The Judge To Throw The Cases Out, Arguing That Trump Was Acting In His Official Capacity In Urging Congress Not To Declare Joe Biden The Winner Of The Election, That He Did Not Incite People At A Jan. 6 Rally To Violence, And That His Statements Were Protected Expression Under The First Amendment. Jesse Binnall, A Lawyer For The Former President, Said Trump Has Absolute Immunity From Civil Lawsuits Over His Official Actions While In Office, So He Was Free As President To Advocate For Congress To Take Action Favorable To Him In Counting The Electoral Vote, Just As He Was Free To Push Congress To Pass Bills He Supported. Two Capitol Police Officers Sue Trump For Injuries In Mob Riot Binnall Said The Court Cannot Weigh The Words The President Spoke At The Rally, Because Part Of Any President's Duty Is Making Public Speeches. Mehta Suggested That Went Too Far. "A President Would Have Immunity For Any Statement Made To The American People, Even If It Had Nothing To Do With A President's Duties?" But He Also Said A President Has Wide Latitude To Make Political Statements, And Trump's Comments At The Ellipse May Have Had Some Connection To His Official Duties. "Where Would You Have A Court Draw The Line?" Mehta Asked A Lawyer Representing The House Democrats. Trump's Lawyers Also Said The Lawsuits Failed To Establish That He Was Involved In Any Conspiracy To Storm The Capitol. "A Conspiracy Has To Be Established Before The Rioters Arrived, And There's No Evidence That There Was Any Communication Beforehand," Binnall Said. Mehta Questioned That Position, Too. "The President Invited People To The Ellipse," He Said. "The Plaintiffs Contend He Further Encouraged Them To March To The Capitol And Take It By Force, And People Accepted That. So That's Not Enough To Establish A Conspiracy?" Binnall Said None Of The President's Comments After The Rally Indicated That He Supported What The Rioters Did. But The Judge Asked, "What Do I Do About The Fact That The President Didn't Denounce The Conduct Immediately And In Fact Sent A Tweet That Arguably Exacerbated Things, To The Extent Anybody Saw It Who Was Inside The Capitol. "What Do I Do About Those Facts That He Doesn't Do Anything For About Two Hours To Tell People To Stand Down And Leave The Capitol?" He Continued. "Isn't That Enough To At Least Plausibly Infer That The President Agreed With The Conduct Of The People Who Were In The Capitol That Day?"

Democrat Cherfilus-Mccormick Wins Special Election To Fill House Seat In Florida Health Care CEO Sheila Cherfilus-Mccormick Was Elected To Fill The Seat Of Late Democratic Florida U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings On Tuesday, Boosting The Democrats’ Slim Majority In The House. Cherfilus-Mccormick Defeated Republican Jason Mariner In The 20th Congressional District, Which Is Firmly Democratic. Hastings Was The Longest-Serving Member Of The Florida Delegation Before He Died In April Of Pancreatic Cancer. Democrats Outnumber Republicans By A Nearly 5-1 Ratio In The District, Which Includes Parts Of Broward And Palm Beach Counties. Turnout In The Election Was Light And Expected To Be About 12% To 14%. Less Than 9% Of Voters Cast Mail-In And In-Person Early Voting Ballots, With Democrats Casting Six Times As Many Votes As Republicans. Reclaiming Hastings’ Seat Will Increase The Democrats’ Slender House Majority To 222-212, Leaving Room For No More Than Four Democratic Defections As Speaker Nancy Pelosi Tries Moving Her Party’s Bills Through The House. For Much Of 2021, That Margin Was Three. The Win Will Make Little Difference, However, For The Democrats’ $2 Trillion Social And Environment Bill, Now Stalled In The Evenly Divided Senate Because Of Objections By Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin Of West Virginia. The Package Is Opposed Unanimously By Republicans. There Is One Other House Vacancy: Republican U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes Of California Left Office Last Week To Join A Media Company Run By Former President Donald Trump. Cherfilus-Mccormick’s Victory Marked A Stark Contrast To The November Primary, When She Defeated A Field Of 10 Other Democrats By Only Five Votes, Or Less Than 24%. She Will Have To Immediately Defend The Seat In An August Primary And, If She Wins, The November General Election. The Runner-Up To Cherfilus-Mccormick In November’s Primary, Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness, Has Sued To Try To Overturn The Election Results. He Also Plans To Run In The August Primary. Demographics Worked In Cherfilus-Mccormick’s Favor On Tuesday. She Is The Black Daughter Of Haitian Immigrants. About Half The Voters In The District Are Black, Compared To About 21% Who Are White. Mariner Is White. Cherfilus-Mccormick Also Had A Huge Money Advantage. She Loaned Her Campaign Nearly $6 Million, Though Has Repaid Herself $2 Million. Still, By Late December, She Had $1.3 Million In Her Campaign Account, Compared To Less Than $24,000 For Mariner. Mariner Is The Owner Of An Advertising Company That Pays Drivers To Place Ads On Their Cars. He Has Served Two Prison Sentences Totaling Nearly Two Years. He Was Last Released In 2013 After Drug And Theft Convictions, According To The Department Of Corrections. Mariner’s Campaign Website Said He Beat Drug Addiction And Co-Founded A Drug And Alcohol Detox Facility. While Some People Have Questioned Whether Mariner Can Run For Office Because Of The Felony Convictions, Florida Voters Passed A Constitutional Amendment Giving Felons The Right To Vote. The Law Implementing The Amendment Said That All Court Fees, Fines And Restitution Must Be Paid Before Voting Rights Are Restored. When Mariner Registered To Vote, He Checked A Box That Said He Was Previously Convicted Of A Felony, But His Voting Rights Had Been Restored, Said Palm Beach County Elections Supervisor Wendy Sartory Link.

‘We Have Gone Backwards’: Covid Confusion Snarls Biden White House President Joe Biden Is Urging Schools To Stay Open, But There’s A Widespread Covid Testing Shortage. He Calls It The “Pandemic Of The Unvaccinated,” But That Has Only Confused Boosted Americans Home Sick With The Omicron Variant. And The Administration Hasn’t Changed Its Guidance To Urge High-Filtration Masks Despite Calls From The Medical Community, While Recent Isolation Guidance Has Only Added To The Uncertainty. The White House’s Stay-The-Course Strategy On Covid Is Increasingly Colliding With The Realities Of A Roaring Pandemic That Is Forcing Schools And Businesses To Close. A Half Dozen Former Health Policy Makers, Including Some Members Of Biden’s Transition Team, Told NBC News That The Biden Administration Needs An Urgent Reset On Its Covid Strategy Or The White House Could Rapidly Lose Credibility With The Public. “Biden Was Elected President, In Large Part, Based On A Message Of ‘I’m Competent, I’m Capable, I Will Tell You The Truth And I Will Get A Handle On Covid In A Way My Predecessor Could Not And Refused To Do,’ And That Continues To Be The No. 1 Issue For Most People,” Said Kathleen Sebelius, Who Served As Health And Human Services Secretary In The Obama Administration. While Praising The Administration For Quickly Being Able To Make The Vaccines Widely Available, She Said That Americans' “Lives Are Still Pretty Chaotic And Kind Of Messy And When They Thought They Were Getting Out Of This They Are Back In It.” She Added, “I Do Think It's About Competence And Capability And Telling The Truth And Using All Of The Tools That Are At The President's Disposal.” As The Omicron Variant Began To Metastasize Across The Country Last Month, Biden And His Top Health Officials Largely Focused On Urging People To Get Vaccinations And Boosters, And On Prescribing A Mask Indoors While Greenlighting Holiday Gatherings For Those Fully Vaccinated. He Has Called On Schools And Businesses To Remain Open With A Strategy That Emphasized Testing, Reassured Vaccinated Americans That They Are Unlikely To Get Severely Ill If They Become Infected, And Promised That The Federal Government Is Ready To Address Testing Shortages And Overrun Hospitals. But The Rapid Spread Of The Variant Has Created A Level Of Disruption In Many Americans’ Lives Not Seen Since The Early Days Of The Pandemic. Staffing Shortages Have Forced Schools And Businesses To Close And Have Led To Absences In Police And Fire Departments With Large Numbers Of Sick First-Responders. Airlines Have Canceled Thousands Of Flights Because Of Staffing Shortages, Transit Systems Have Shut Down Bus And Subway Routes, And The Surge In Cases Has Once Again Crippled The Cruise Industry. The Demand For Testing Has Overwhelmed The Country’s Capacity In Places That Are Hardest Hit, Creating Long Lines And Delaying Results For Days. At-Home Tests Are Still In Short Supply, And The Administration Was Widely Criticized Last Month For What Appeared To Be Confusing Recommendations For Those Infected As Cases Soared. Covid Leads To Staffing Shortage Emergency The Isolation Period Was Shortened To Five Days, From 10, And The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention Did Not Recommend A Negative Test Before Leaving Isolation After The Shortened Period — Concerning Some Public Health Experts And Prompting Criticism From The American Medical Association, Which Said In A Statement That “A Dearth Of Tests At The Moment Does Not Justify Omitting A Testing Requirement To Exit A Now Shortened Isolation.” “In Terms Of The Communication And The Trust In The CDC, It Feels Like We Have Gone Backwards,” Said Leana Wen, A Former Baltimore Health Commissioner. Wen Said Some Of The Decisions And The Fallout Reminded Her Of The Early Days Of The Pandemic Response Under The Trump Administration. The Health Experts Said That At Least Part Of A New Way Of Communicating Should Include Preparing Americans To Accept Covid As Endemic, While Still Attempting To Reduce The Most Disruptive Impacts Of The Virus, Like Keeping People Out Of The Hospital And Reducing Serious Or Fatal Illness By Promoting Vaccinations. “There’s Agreement That The Messaging Has To Be Better And That It Would Be Important To Be Simpler For People And More Targeted Towards What People Need And Action Guided,” Said Ezekiel Emanuel, A Key Member Of Biden’s Transition Team And A Former Health Policy Adviser To The Obama Administration. “I Think We Just Need A Clear Message So People Know What The ‘To Do’ Is.” They Also Say Biden Needs To Acknowledge The Extent Of Testing Shortages And Ramp Up A Remedy To It. Biden Has Promised To Send 500 Million Free At-Home Covid Tests To Americans, With The First Batch Going Out This Month, But It Will Take Months For The Administration To Be Able To Procure And Ship That Many Tests, Based On Production Estimates From The Test Makers. On Monday, The Administration Announced It Would Mandate That Insurance Companies And Group Health Plans Cover The Cost Of At-Home Covid-19 Tests Starting Jan. 15 And Held Up The Move As Another Way It Is Attempting To Improve Testing Access. “There Has To Be An Admission At The Federal Level [About] What Is Not Going Well Now And Frankly, We Have A Testing Mess,” Sebelius Added. “While I Think The President Stepped Up In The Beginning To Purchase The Test Kits And Get Them To People, Even Mail Them To People, We're Late To This Game For A Whole Variety Of Reasons. The United States Has Not Done Well On Testing Since March Of 2020. That's A Problem And I Think It Needs To Be Said Out Loud That It’s A Problem Because That's What A Lot Of People Are Experiencing Every Day.” In An Acknowledgement Of The Need To Improve Its Messaging, The CDC Director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Said Friday She Would Begin Holding Regular News Briefings With Other CDC Officials, Apart From The Weekly White House Covid Briefings That Typically Last For 30 Minutes And Leave Time For Only A Handful Of Questions. It’s A Move Former Administration Officials Had Been Urging. She Spent That First Briefing Friday Detailing The Thinking Behind The Agency’s Isolation And Testing Guidelines Released Last Month. Biden Says America Is ‘Back To Work’ And COVID Is ‘Not Here To Stay’ “One Of The Things That Was Very Distressing Was That The CDC Had Not Really Explained Itself Directly To The American Public,” Said Thomas Frieden, Who Was CDC Director In The Obama Administration, Adding That He Was Encouraged That The CDC Would Begin Holding More Of Its Own Briefings Going Forward. “That's A Problem. In Past Outbreaks, The CDC Was Regularly Briefing, Explaining The Science And Explaining How The Guidance Might Apply.” Since The Arrival Of The Omicron Variant In Early December, The White House Has Increased The Time Biden Has Spent Addressing Covid Publicly, Stressing The Need For Vaccinations And The Higher Risk Of Infection, Even To Those Who Are Vaccinated. The Administration Has Also Ramped Up Its Support To States, Sending Thousands Of Federal Personnel To Hospitals Along With Medical Supplies And Equipment. But The President Hasn’t Pushed For Stricter Measures, Like A Return To Remote Learning Or A Nationwide Lockdown, Because Officials Believe They Have The Tools With Vaccines, Masks And Testing To Manage The Pandemic, Administration Officials Say. “Now We're In A Different Place Than We Were A Year Ago,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki Said Monday, Citing The Number Of Americans Now Vaccinated. “We Have A Range Of Tools At Our Disposal, Including Antivirals And Other Treatments. So We're Going To Continue To Expand That, But We Are In A Different Place Than We Were A Year Ago.” Psaki Said The President Continues To Refer To Covid As The “Pandemic Of The Unvaccinated” Because CDC Data Shows That Those Who Are Unvaccinated Are Significantly More Likely To Be Hospitalized Or Die If They Are Infected Then Those Who Have Been Vaccinated. The White House Referred Requests For Comment To The Department Of Health And Human Services, Which Said In A Statement Monday That The Administration Has “Led With Transparency, And Data — No Matter How Complex The Science Is Amid A Once-In-A-Generation Pandemic — And Have Focused Squarely On Getting Americans The Information They Need To Stay Safe And Protect Others.” “Importantly, President Biden Has Not Wavered From His Core Campaign Promise That He Would Let The Science Lead, Even As We Face The Challenges Posed By An Ever-Evolving Pandemic,” HHS Spokeswoman Kirsten Allen Said, In Part. One Aspect Of The Guidance That Has Also Been Confusing, Health Policy Leaders Said, Has To Do With Masks. Last Month, Biden And His Top Covid Advisers, Including Chief Medical Adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci And Walensky, Gathered For A Video Call With Governors. The Group Sat Together In The Type Of High-Filtration Masks They Haven’t Been Urging The Public To Wear. The Masks, Referred To As N95 Or KN95, Have Been Strongly Recommended By Public Health Experts Outside The White House Who Say Cloth And Ordinary Paper Masks Don’t Provide Enough Protection Against The Omicron Variant. But The CDC’s Website Still Recommends Cloth And Disposable Paper Masks, And Officials Haven’t Made Any Specific Recommendation For The Public To Switch To The More Protective Face Coverings. “I Cannot Imagine That The CDC Or Anyone Would Disagree That At This Point In The Pandemic With Omicron Being So Contagious, And The Virus Being Omnipresent, That A Cloth Mask Is Still The Way To Go,” Said Wen. “There Are A Lot Of People Who Are Still Walking Around In Cloth Masks Thinking That They Are Protected And They’re Getting Infected. That Is Just Unconscionable.” The White House Said It Is Following The CDC’s Guidance On Masks, Which Does Not Advise Wearing N95 Masks But Rather Advises People To Wear A “Well-Fitting Mask” That Could Include Ones Made Of Cloth. A Spokesman Said Biden Has Been Explicit And Consistent In Urging Mask Wearing, Including In Schools. On The Political Front, Biden Could Be Better Off Acknowledging The Virus Is Here To Stay, Despite His Repeated Promises As A Candidate That He Would “Shut Down The Virus,” Said Paul Maslin, A Democratic Pollster. “Is Covid Ever Going To Be The Great Success Biden Or His People Or Any Democrats Had Hoped It Would Be? The Answer’s No,” Maslin Said. “He’s Lost The Opportunity Of Making It A Great Success. But There Are Definitely Going To Be Plenty Of Other Things He's Going To Be Judged By.”

Biden Admin Weighs Proposing Cuts To U.S. Troops In Eastern Europe The Biden Administration Is Heading Into Next Week’s Talks With Russia Still Unsure Whether Moscow Is Serious About Negotiations, But If So U.S. Officials Are Ready To Propose Discussions On Scaling Back U.S. And Russian Troop Deployments And Military Exercises In Eastern Europe, A Current Administration Official And Two Former U.S. National Security Officials Familiar With The Planning Told NBC News. The Discussions Could Potentially Address The Scope Of Military Drills Held By Both Powers, The Number Of U.S. Troops Stationed In The Baltic States And Poland, Advance Notice About The Movement Of Forces, And Russia’s Nuclear-Capable Iskander Missiles In The Russian Territory Of Kaliningrad Between Poland And Lithuania, The Sources Said. With Tens Of Thousands Of Russian Troops Massed On Ukraine’s Border, The Biden Administration Is Threatening Unprecedented Sanctions And Other Tough Steps If Russia Takes Military Action Against Ukraine. But The Administration Is Also Exploring Ways To Defuse Tensions With Russia As U.S. Officials Prepare For A Series Of High-Stakes Discussions With Moscow Starting Monday. The Administration “Is Compiling A List Of Options For Force Posture Changes In Europe To Discuss With Russia At The Talks,” An Administration Official Said. If Russia Appears Willing To Discuss Scaling Back Its Presence In The Region, The U.S. Will Be Prepared To Discuss Specific Moves, The Official Said. For Any Change In The U.S. Military Presence In Europe, Russia Would Have To Take Reciprocal, Equivalent Steps To Scale Back Its Forces, And Pulling Back Russian Troops From Ukraine Would Not Be Sufficient, The Current Official And Former Officials Said. After The Publication Of This Story, White House National Security Spokesperson Emily Horne Disputed That The U.S. Would Consider Reducing The Number Of Troops Permanently Stationed In Poland And The Baltic States. In A Statement, Horne Said, "The Administration Is Not Weighing Cuts To Troops In Europe, As The Headline Suggests. The Administration Is Not Discussing With Russia The Number Of Troops Stationed In The Baltics And Poland. And Contrary To The Unnamed Official Quoted In This Story, The Administration Is Not Compiling A List Of Force Posture Changes To Discuss In The Upcoming Talks. These Three Assertions Are False." A State Department Official Also Said, After Publication, "There Are Three Key Assertions In The Report That Has Been Circulating, Those Three Assertions Are False." After Russia Seized Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula In 2014, The U.S. And Other NATO States Deployed A Modest Number Of Troops To Eastern Europe, Including U.S. Armored Units, And Expanded Air And Naval Patrols Along With High-Profile Military Exercises From The Baltics To The Black Sea. Out Of More Than 70,000 U.S. Troops Stationed In Europe, Roughly 6,000 U.S. Forces Are Deployed In Eastern Europe On A Mostly Rotating Basis, Including About 4,000 In Poland. Other NATO Countries Also Have Thousands Of Troops On Rotating Deployments In The Region To Bolster The Alliance’s Eastern Flank. Biden And Putin Hold High-Stakes Phone Call Amid Ukraine Tension NATO’s Enhanced “Forward Presence” And Exercises Have Angered Russia, Which Says The Alliance’s Activities Pose A Threat To Russia. Merely Considering Any Changes To U.S. Military Exercises Or The American Military Presence In Eastern Europe Could Alarm NATO Allies In The Region, Particularly Poland And The Baltic States Of Estonia, Latvia And Lithuania. Those Countries Were Once Dominated By Russia And The Former Soviet Union And Fear Renewed Aggression Without Protection From The U.S. And NATO. Any Negotiations On Troop Deployments In Central And Eastern Europe Would Have To Include All The Countries Affected, Including NATO Members On The Alliance’s Eastern Flank, Said William Taylor, Who Served As U.S. Ambassador To Ukraine During The Bush Administration And As Acting Ambassador During The Trump Administration. “They Should Be At The Table,” Said Taylor, Now With The U.S. Institute Of Peace. But He Said It Was Worth Pursuing Possible Talks That Could Reduce Tensions Along The Border Separating Russia And NATO Allies. “Our Overall Goal Is To Increase Security And I Would Argue There Are Ways To Do That By Limiting In A Smart Way . . What The Russians Could Do And Reciprocal Limits On What The NATO Alliance Could Do,” Said Taylor. “We’re Talking About Steps That Would Build Confidence That Neither Side Is Preparing To Invade The Other.” The Possible Measures Could Include Sharing Information About Military Drills In Sensitive Areas And Stationing Observers To Monitor The Exercises, Taylor Said. If Successful, Such Talks Could Revive The Spirit Of The Now-Moribund 1990 Treaty Between The West And The Soviet Bloc On Conventional Forces, Which Required Washington And Moscow To Share Information About Movement Of Forces And Weapons. Experts Say The Treaty Helped Prevent Conflict During The End Of The Cold War. But It’s Uncertain If Russia Is Prepared To Engage In Genuine Arms Control Negotiations And Any Meaningful Progress Will Be Impossible Until Russia Pulls Back The Massive Force It Has Deployed On Ukraine’s Borders, Former Officials Said. Even As It Plans For Diplomacy With Russia, The Biden Administration Continues To Brace For A Possible Military Offensive In Ukraine, Warning That Any Attack Will Trigger Harsh Sanctions On Moscow And More Western Military Support For Ukraine. The United States Is Working With Other NATO Alliance Members To Arrange For The Delivery Of Stinger Shoulder-Launched Anti-Aircraft Missiles Requested By The Government In Kyiv, Current And Former Officials Said. Ukrainian Officials Believe The Stinger Surface-To-Air Missiles Would Help Its Military Defend The Country Against Low-Flying Russian Helicopters And Drones. Biden Reaffirms Support For Ukraine Amid Tension With Russia The Biden Administration Also Has Prepared A New U.S. Package Of Military Aid For Ukraine, In Addition To The American Military Assistance That Is Already Flowing To Kyiv, Current And Former Officials Said. A Source Familiar With The Ukrainian Government’s Thinking Said Kyiv Was Hopeful That The Administration Was Poised To Approve The Additional Assistance. Apart From The Threat Of Sanctions, The Administration Is Prepared To Warn Moscow That If Russian Forces Seize More Territory In Ukraine, The United States Would Lend Support To Ukrainian Resistance Fighters And Would Back An Expanded NATO Military Presence In Eastern Europe, Former Officials Said. Secretary Of State Antony Blinken On Wednesday Suggested It Was Possible To Find A Way To Agree On Immediate Steps With Russia That Would Reduce Tensions, But Did Not Elaborate. “I Believe That If Russia Is Serious About Pursuing Diplomacy And De-Escalation, That There Are Things That That All Of Us Can Do Relatively Quickly To Build Greater Confidence And To Reduce Some Of The Concerns That We Have,” Blinken Said After Meeting German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. “There Are Also Issues That Could Be On The Table That Would Take Some Time To Work Through, Particularly, For Example, When It Comes To Arms Control, You Don’t Come Up With An Arms Control Agreement In A Matter Of Weeks,” He Added. Deputy Secretary Of State Wendy Sherman And Other U.S. Officials Are Due To Meet Their Russian Counterparts In Geneva On Monday, And Then Wider Talks Involving NATO And Other European Governments Are Scheduled To Follow During The Week. The Administration Has Vowed That It Will Not Discuss Any Issues With Russia That Affect Other Eastern European Countries Without Including Those Governments In The Talks, Citing The Principle Of “Nothing About You Without You.” As It Prepares For The Talks With Russia, The White House Faces A Delicate Balancing Act As It Tries To Lower The Temperature Without Bowing To Russian Threats Or Saber-Rattling, Former U.S. Officials Said. It Remained Unclear If Russia Was Open To Dialogue And Compromise Or Whether It Would Stick To Public Positions That Washington Sees As Unrealistic And Unreasonable, Including Demanding A Guarantee That Ukraine Would Never Be Allowed To Join The NATO Alliance, Former Officials Said. An NSC Spokesperson Said, “We Don’t Know What Next Week’s Conversations Will Bring” But Said That The U.S. Approach “Will Be Pragmatic And Results-Oriented.” “We Believe There Are Areas Where We Can Make Progress If Moscow Is Realistic In Its Approach. We Can’t Be Sure Until The Talks Take Place — That’s The Nature Of Diplomacy,” The Spokesperson Said. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy Displays U.S. Military Hardware Amid Rising Tensions With Russia As For Russia’s Assertions That Ukraine Poses A Threat To Russia Due To Its Defense Ties To European Countries Or That The NATO Alliance Represents A Danger For Moscow, U.S. Officials Argue That It Is Russia That Has Flouted International Law And Raised The Risk Of Conflict In Recent Years. They Point To Russia’s Invasion Of Georgia, Moldova And Ukraine, Its Attempts To Meddle In Other Countries’ Elections And Accusations Moscow Used Chemical Weapons To Attempt Assassinations On Foreign Soil. “We And Our Allies Will Be Raising Those And Other Issues With Russia In The Days And Weeks Ahead,” The NSC Spokesperson Said. The White House Has Reached Out To A Number Of Former Senior National Security Officials And Russian Experts Over The Past Month To Discuss Its Approach To Russia And Seek Out Their Advice. Some Of Those Officials, Including Former Senior Military Officers And Ambassadors, Have Urged The Administration To Adhere To A Tough Line, Maintain A United Front With European Allies, Counter Russian Propaganda And Avoid Signaling To Moscow That It Could Secure Concessions For Its Troop Buildup Around Ukraine. A Letter From 24 Former National Security Officials And Senior Military Officers Last Week Praised Biden’s Approach So Far But Called For Additional Steps To Prevent Russia From Staging Another Invasion, Instead Of Waiting Until After An Offensive Is Launched. The Group Called For Providing More Weapons To Ukraine Now, Suggesting Stinger Missiles And Additional Shipments Of Javelin Anti-Tank Missiles And Radar To Track Artillery Fire. “We Believe The United States Should, In Closest Consultation With Its NATO Allies And With Ukraine, Take Immediate Steps To Affect The Kremlin’s Cost-Benefit Calculations Before The Russian Leadership Opts For Further Military Escalation,” The Letter Said. Administration Officials Are Preparing An Array Of Unprecedented Sanctions Against Moscow If It Takes Military Action In Ukraine, And Have Sought To Secure Support For Similar Measures From European Allies. Security Forces Open Fire As Unrest In Kazakhstan Spirals Although U.S. And European Governments Appear To Be Close To A Consensus On Russia, It’s Unclear If Some European Leaders Will Be Ready To Impose Penalties On Moscow If Russia Takes Provocative Actions That Fall Short Of A Full-Fledged Military Offensive, Such As A Cyberattack Or The Seizure Of A Small Area Of Territory, Former Officials Said. In Addition To Blocking Russia’s Access To New York Bond Markets And Sanctioning Oligarchs Linked To Russian President Vladimir Putin, The U.S. Measures Could Include Targeting Semiconductor Exports Linked To Russia’s Defense Industry, According To Three Former U.S. Officials Briefed On The Issue. Biden Administration Officials Have Said Repeatedly That The U.S. Will Not Entertain Russia’s Demand That Ukraine Never Be Allowed To Join NATO And Will Insist On Kyiv’s Right To Decide Its Future. Only Days Before The U.S.-Russia Talks Were Due To Begin In Geneva, Russia Deployed Troops To Another Former Soviet Republic, Kazakhstan, A Close Ally Of Moscow. Amid Widespread Anti-Government Protests, Russia Said It Sent In Paratroopers As Part Of A Regional Peacekeeping Mission. It Is Too Soon To Say How The Turmoil In Kazakhstan Could Affect The Crisis In Ukraine. But If The Situation Deteriorates, It Potentially Could Take The Pressure Off Of Ukraine, At Least Temporarily, As Russia Could Choose To Focus Its Attention And Military Forces On Kazakhstan, Regional Experts Said.

Biden And Obama Honor Harry Reid At Las Vegas Memorial Service President Joe Biden And Former President Barack Obama Commemorated The Late Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid On Saturday, As Democratic Leaders Gathered From Around The Country To Recall Reid — Often Laughingly — As A Man Whose Impatience For Pleasantries Was Part Of A Drive To Improve The Lives Of Ordinary Americans. The Turnout At Reid’s Las Vegas Memorial Service Testified To Reid’s Impact On Some Of The Most Consequential Legislation Of The 21st Century, Despite Coming From A Childhood Of Poverty And Deprivation In Nevada. Biden Escorted Reid’s Widow, Landra Reid, To Her Seat At The Outset Of Services, Before An Honor Guard Bore A Flag-Draped Casket To The Well Of A Hushed Auditorium. Reid Died Dec. 28 At Home In Henderson, Nevada, At 82 Of Complications From Pancreatic Cancer. “Let There Be No Doubt. Harry Reid Will Be Considered One Of The Greatest Senate Majority Leaders In History,” Biden Said, As Leaders Credited Reid’s Work On Strengthening Health Care And On Wall Street Reform And Economic Recovery In The Wake Of The 2008 Recession. Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi And Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Who Described Reid To Mourners As A “Truly Honest And Original Character,” Spoke During An Invitation-Only Memorial. Former President Barack Obama, Who Credits Reid For His Rise To The White House, Delivered The Eulogy. Obama Said That When Reid Helped Pass The Affordable Care Act, “He Didn’t Do It To Burnish His Own Legacy,” Recalling How As A Boy Reid’s Family Was So Poor That Reid Himself Pulled Out One Of His Father’s Teeth. 'You Wanted Harry In Your Corner': Biden Remembers Sen. Reid At Memorial Service “He Did It For The People Back Home And Families Like His, Who Needed Somebody Looking Out For Them, When Nobody Else Did. Harry Got Things Done,” Obama Said. “The Thing About Harry, He Never Gave Up. He Never Gave Up. He Never Gave Up On Anybody Who Cared About Him,” Said Biden, Who Served For Two Decades With Reid In The Senate And Worked With Him For Eight Years When Biden Was Vice President. “If Harry Said He Was Going To Do Something, He Did It,” Biden Added. “You Could Bank On It.” Reid’s Son, Leif, Was One Of A Series Of Speakers Who Recalled His Father’s Well-Known Habit Of Abruptly Hanging Up On Telephone Conversations Without Saying Goodbye, Sometimes Leaving The Other Person — Whether Powerful Politicians Or Close Family — Chatting Away For Several Minutes Before They Realized He Was No Longer There. Leif Reid Said It Was “Part Of The Narrative” Of His Father’s Life, And Tried To Explain That The Gesture Was More About Reid Preserving Time For Family. “When He Hung Up On You, Maybe So Quickly, It Isn’t As Much About Him Being Brusque As It Is About Him Being Devoted To My Mom,” Leif Reid Said. “I Probably Got Hung Up On The Most By Harry Reid, Two Or Three Times A Day, For 12 Years," Pelosi Told Mourners. “Sometimes I Even Called Him Back And Said Harry, ’I Was Singing Your Praises,” Pelosi Said. To Which Reid Replied: “I Don’t Want To Hear It,” She Said, Before She’d Hear The Phone Click Dead. Reid Served For 34 Years In Washington And Led The Senate Through A Crippling Recession And The Republican Takeover Of The House After The 2010 Elections. Harry Mason Reid Hitchhiked 40 Miles To High School And Was An Amateur Boxer Before He Was Elected To The Nevada State Assembly At Age 28. He Had Graduated From Utah State University And Worked Nights As A U.S. Capitol Police Officer While Attending George Washington University Law School In Washington. Obama Remembers Sen. Harry Reid, Says He Always Chose Progress In 1970, At Age 30, He Was Elected State Lieutenant Governor With Democratic Gov. Mike O’Callaghan. Reid Was Elected To The House In 1982 And The Senate In 1986. He Built A Political Machine In Nevada That For Years Helped Democrats Win Key Elections. When He Retired In 2016 After An Exercise Accident At Home Left Him Blind In One Eye, He Picked Former Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto To Replace Him. Cortez Masto Became The First Woman From Nevada And The First Latina Ever Elected To The Senate. Those Flying To Las Vegas Will Arrive At The Newly Renamed Harry Reid International Airport. It Was Previously Named For Pat Mccarran, A Former Democratic Senator From Nevada Who Once Owned The Airfield And Whose Legacy Is Clouded By Racism And Anti-Semitism.

Senate Minority Whip John Thune Says He'll Seek Reelection After Mulling Retirement Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., The Second-Ranking Senate Republican, On Saturday Said He Will Run For Re-Election After He Spent At Least Several Weeks Mulling Retirement. “I’ve Always Promised That I Would Do The Work, Even When It Was Hard, Uncomfortable, Or Unpopular," He Said In A Statement. "That Work Continues, Which Is Why After Careful Consideration And Prayer, And With The Support Of My Family, I’m Asking South Dakotans For The Opportunity To Continue Serving Them In The U.S. Senate," Thune Added. His Decision Came Later Than Expected — He Pushed The Announcement Until After The Holidays As He Grappled With His Next Steps — And Brings Relief To Congressional Allies Who Have Been Urging Him To Stay In The Senate, Including Minority Leader Mitch Mcconnell, R-Ky. Thune, 61, Who Is Currently Serving His Third Term, Was First Elected In 2004 When He Defeated Then-Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D. He Then Went On To Easily Win Both His Reelection Bids In A Deeply Red State, Which Has Benefited From An Outsized Influence In D.C. As Senate Minority Whip, The Top GOP Vote Counter, Thune Is Considered A Leading Potential Successor To Mcconnell Once He Retires. Mcconnell Urged Thune To Seek Reelection Last Month When Asked To Comment About The Possibility Of His Retirement. "I Certainly Hope He Won't," Mcconnell Said In An Interview With Conservative Radio Host Hugh Hewitt. "Thune Is An Outstanding Senator. He's Done A Great Job As Whip ... It Would Be A Real Setback For The Country And Our Party If He Retires." Speaking To Reporters On The Capitol, Thune Recently Said The Biggest Motivator For His Contemplating Retirement Was His Family, While Also Noting That The Current Political Environment In The Republican Party Would Also Factor Into His Decision. “I Think In The Broader General Ether Of The Political Environment That We're In, You Know, Those Are All Factors You Take Into Consideration, But A Lot Of It Ends Up Being A Lot More Personal Stuff,” He Said. A Member Of The Old Guard Of Conservative Politics, Thune Has Shown Signs Of Weariness After Navigating A Congress And GOP Marked By Trump, Who Fired Back At Thune Last Year When The Senator Criticized His Attempt To Challenge The Results Of The 2020 Election. The Former President Carried South Dakota By A Margin Of 26 Percent Over President Joe Biden In The 2020 Election. After Thune Said Any Challenge To Biden's Win "Would Go Down Like A Shot Dog," Trump Called Him A "RINO" — Republican In Name Only — And Threatened To Launch A Primary Challenge Against Him.

Jan. 6 Committee Indicates It Will Ask Pence To Appear This Month The Head Of The Congressional Committee Investigating The Jan. 6 Riot Indicated Friday That The Panel Will Ask Former Vice President Mike Pence This Month To Voluntarily Meet With Lawmakers. "I Think You Could Expect That Before The Month's Out," Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., Told NPR In An Interview. "Our Committee Really Needs To Hear What Are His Opinions About What Happened On Jan. 6." A Committee Aide Later Told NBC News That Thompson's Remarks “Indicate That The Select Committee Is Contemplating Issuing An Invitation To The Former Vice President Some Time This Month." Pence Has Walked A Tightrope On The Fallout From The Capitol Riot. He Has Given A Nod To Former President Donald Trump's False Claims Of Widespread Fraud By Saying There Were "Irregularities" In The 2020 Election, While Also Saying He And Trump Never See "Eye To Eye" On The Matter. Testimony From Pence Could Offer Valuable Information To The Jan. 6 Committee, Particularly On Conversations Within The Trump White House Leading Up To The Attack On The Capitol, Where Pence's Life Was Considered In Danger As Many In The Pro-Trump Mob Shouted "Hang Mike Pence." Trump Has Called Pence A "Good Man," But Also Said That His Vice President Made A "Big Mistake" In Refusing To Disrupt Congress' Official Count Of Electoral Votes From The 2020 Election. Adam Schiff: Pence Is An ‘Indispensable Person’ For 1/6 Committee To Interview The Jan. 6 Committee Has Said That After The November Election, White House Advisers Coordinated With Trump And Rudy Giuliani To Discuss Strategies To Overturn The Results And Pressure Pence Not To Certify The Electoral College Count In Congress. Several Pence Aides, Including His Former Chief Of Staff Marc Short, Have Been Cooperating With The House Committee. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., One Of Only Two Republicans On The Nine-Member Panel, Told MSNBC On Friday That Pence's Former Aides Have Been "More Than Helpful." But He Added That Might Not Be The Case With Pence, Who Has Been Largely Silent On The Committee's Investigation. "I Wouldn't Be Surprised If He Didn't Want To In Some Way Cooperate," Kinzinger Said. "I Don't Know If That Means -- Hopefully Not A Subpoena But Maybe Written Answers To Questions Or A Voluntary Interview. We Would Love To Hear From Him.

CDC Updates Are Straining Already-Pressed Public Health Departments Dr. Michael Kilkenny Did Not Expect The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention News Release He Received On Dec. 27. Four Days Earlier, The CDC Had Cut The Isolation Time For Health Care Workers With Covid To Seven Days, If They Were Asymptomatic And Had A Negative Test. The New Announcement Said That People With Covid Could Isolate For Just Five Days After Symptoms Developed, Instead Of 10. “When We Got A Press Release On The 27th That Seemed To Contradict Guidance We Got On The 23rd — That Was Quite A Bombshell For Us,” Said Kilkenny, Chief Executive Officer And Health Officer Of The Cabell-Huntington Health Department, Which Serves Huntington, West Virginia, And The Surrounding County. Around The Country, Schools And Health Organizations Scrambled To Interpret The News Release And Adjust Their Policies — Only To Change Course Again When The CDC Filled Out Details And Its Rationale In Full Guidance Published About A Week Later. “That Gap Left Us Guessing What We Should Actually Do,” Kilkenny Said. “That’s Not Good Management And Good Communication. It Leads To Misunderstanding. It Leads To Distrust.” The CDC Decision To Cut Isolation Times In Half For Many People Who Have Caught Covid-19 Took Local Public Health Agencies By Surprise And Left Some Struggling To Explain To Their Communities Exactly What The Changes Meant And Why Federal Officials Had Made Them. Gaps In Communication Between Federal, State And Local Officials Have Left Some Public Health Leaders Fearing That They’ve Lost Trust With Those They Serve Amid Public Confusion. In Interviews, Three Local Public Health Leaders, One State Leader And Two Leaders Of Medical Associations Offered A Mixture Of Reactions To The CDC’s Recent Shifts: Frustration Over Lack Of Communication But Also Understanding That Every Public Health Officer Faces Challenges In Making Timely Changes And Offering Clear Guidance. None Took Issue With The Guidance Itself. “We Were Hearing From The Hospitals, In Particular, Great Concern For How We Were Going To Be Able To Keep Operations Going,” Said Dr. Philip Huang, The Director Of The Dallas County Health And Human Services Department In Texas, Who Said His Agency Was Looking At Changes To Local Quarantine And Isolation Protocols Before The CDC Made Its Recommendations. “Was It Ideal? No. I Think Though, These Are Extraordinary Times With Lots Of Variables And Things Happening.” The Rapid Spread Of The Omicron Variant Intensified A Pandemic Tension For Public Health Officials: How To Move Quickly While Also Sending Clear And Consistent Messages To A Weary Public. It Didn’t Help That The Variant Was Taking Off During What Many Had Hoped Would Be A Holiday Break. CDC Panel Recommends Booster Shot For Kids Ages 12 To 15 As Omicron Took Hold In December, Federal Officials Responded With A Flurry Of Changes. First, The CDC Shortened Its Recommendations For Isolation Time For Covid-Positive Health Workers To Seven Days After A Negative Test On Dec. 23. It Said Health Workers Who Had Received Booster Shots Did Not Need To Quarantine After Exposures. Then, On Dec. 27, The Agency Announced In A News Release That It Was Shortening Isolation Time For The Broader Public To Five Days If Symptoms Were Resolving, With Another Five Days Of Masking Afterward. The Agency Did Not Publish A Full Update And Rationale Behind The New Policies Until Jan. 4, When It Also Clarified Policies For Special Groups Like Those In Health Care, Jails And Homeless Shelters. Some Health Experts Have Criticized The Policies, Which Lack Testing Requirements For The Broader Public. Meantime, Many In The General Public Expressed Confusion. Federal Officials Have Said They Changed The Guidelines Over Concerns That Omicron’s Rapid Spread Would Shut Down Essential Services And Also Because They Believe The Majority Of Viral Transmission Takes Place Early In Infection. But Local Officials Say They Were Left In The Dark About What, Exactly, They Ought To Be Telling Members Of Their Community Who Had Questions About The New Advice. “The Press Release Of Dec. 27 Surprised Me,” Said Kilkenny, Who Added That He Trusts The Agency To Make Sound Decisions Based On Science And That He Follows The Agency’s Recommendations Almost Religiously. “We Act On Guidance. We Don’t Act On Press Release.” Lori Freeman, Chief Executive Of The National Association Of County And City Health Officials (NACCHO), Said The CDC Typically Communicates In Advance Over Major Policy Shifts. That Didn’t Happen This Time. What Parents Need To Know As CDC Authorizes Covid Booster For 12 To 15-Year-Olds “There Were No Talking Points, If You Will, Or Details About The Changing Guidance,” Freeman Said, Adding That Local Health Officials “Had A Hard Time Answering Questions And Responding In A Positive Or Informed Way.” That Left Some Officials Out Of Step With The News Of The Day. “The More It Appears To Be Disjointed, That’s When People Begin To Question The Actual Guidance,” Freeman Said. And Local Public Health Leaders Worry That Their Influence On Important Health Measures Has Already Waned Dramatically. “A Good Many Of Our Public Have Stopped Listening To Us Entirely. Certainly, I Can’t Get Any More People To Get Vaccinated Or Wear Masks Than What Are Doing It Now Based On Anything I Say,” Kilkenny Said. Michael Fraser, The Executive Director Of The Association Of State And Territorial Health Officials, Said Omicron Became An Emergency At An Unfortunate Time, During The Holidays When Tired Public Health Officials And The Rest Of The Nation Were Eager For A Break. But Omicron Was Spreading So Fast That It Was Becoming, From His Perspective, Scary. “I Think We’re Really Misplacing Criticism On CDC Right Now,” Fraser Said. “We Were Extremely Concerned And Hospital Capacity Was Very Limited. They Needed To Do Something.” Some States, Like Michigan, Initially Refused To Adopt The Recommendations, But Came Around Later After Hearing More About The CDC’s Rationale, Fraser Said. And Local Health Leaders Said The New CDC Guidance Might Better Reflect What Disruptions People Are Willing To Deal With In Some Communities. Some People Were Not Following The Prior Quarantine Guidelines, Which Recommended That Unvaccinated People Quarantine For 14 Days After An Exposure. “Our Compliance For Recommending That Was Very Low After Two Years,” Said Lisa Macon Harrison, Health Director For Granville And Vance Counties In North Carolina, Adding That Science Must Be Balanced With The Realities Of What People Are Willing To Do To Reduce The Spread Of The Virus. Harrison, Also The Board President Of NACCHO, Said She Would Have Preferred That Federal, State And Local Agencies Be In Lockstep Over How To Talk About The New Guidelines, But That Wasn’t Always Possible. “It’s Frustrating Not To Be In The Know On Every Decision And Yes, I Give Grace To The Fact That We’re All In A Pandemic Response,” Harrison Said. “We Sometimes Have To Make Decisions Faster Than Allows For Inclusive Discourse.”

GOP-Aligned 'Dark Money' Group Launches $1M Ad Campaign To Pressure Manchin A Political "Dark Money" Group Led By A Former Top Aide To Senate Minority Leader Mitch Mcconnell, R-Ky., Is Launching A $1 Million Ad Campaign In West Virginia To Pressure Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin To Keep The Filibuster Rules Intact. One Nation, An Advocacy Group That Is Not Required To Disclose Its Donors, Released The Radio, Television And Digital Ads Wednesday. The Campaign, Which Is Scheduled To Run For 12 Days And Was First Shared With NBC News, Uses Clips Of Manchin Vowing He Will Not Get Rid Of The Filibuster. "Call Senator Manchin. Tell Him To Keep His Promise. Tell Him To Protect The Senate Filibuster," A Narrator Says In The 30-Second Ad. Manchin Has Had 'No Conversations' On Build Back Better Since Announcing Opposition The Ad Also Invokes Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., And House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Saying They "Could Jam Through Their Socialist Agenda" If Democrats Eliminate The Filibuster. "West Virginians Know Senator Manchin As A Man Of His Word Who Will Stand Up To Chuck Schumer And The D.C. Liberals Who Want To Dictate West Virginia's Election Laws And Take Away Our Freedom," Said One Nation President Steven Law, Who Was Once Mcconnell's Chief Of Staff. The Ad Puts New Pressure On Manchin In A Ruby Red State That Former President Donald Trump Won By Nearly 40 Percentage Points In 2020. Schumer Said Monday That The Senate Will Debate And Consider Changing The Chamber's Rules To Pass Long-Stalled Voting Rights Legislation. Manchin, Along With Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., Has Resisted Changing The Rules To Pass The Freedom To Vote Act, A Compromise Bill Backed By All 50 Democratic-Voting Senators. Manchin Reiterated His Concerns About Changing The Senate Rules This Week, Telling Reporters That "It's Very, Very Difficult" And That It Would Be A "Heavy Lift" For Democrats. But He Didn't Shut The Door On Making Changes, Either. Manchin Has Been Talking With Other Senators To Consider Changes To The 60-Vote Threshold To Pass Most Legislation. One Nation Was The Most Prolific Spender In The 2020 Election Cycle, According To The Money-In-Politics Group Open Secrets, Spending More Than $125 Million On Ads And Campaign Contributions. Mcconnell Has Been A Fierce Opponent Of Altering The Legislative Filibuster At A Time When Democrats Hold A Razor-Thing Majority. He Told Reporters Tuesday That Schumer Is "Hellbent On Trying To Break The Senate."

Election Officials Rebut Claims In Republican-Led Arizona Review Of Trump's 2020 Loss Election Officials In Arizona's Most Populous County Found Nearly Every Conclusion In A Partisan "Audit" Of Donald Trump's Loss In The 2020 Presidential Election To Be Misleading Or False, According To An Official Rebuttal Released On Wednesday. The Maricopa County Elections Department's 93-Page Report Is An Attempt To Address Dozens Of Claims Made By Trump's Allies In The Republican Party In Their So-Called "Full Forensic Audit" Aimed At Casting Doubt On His Defeat In The Battleground State. While Last Year's Republican-Led Review Had Already Been Widely Discredited By Election Experts As Biased And Procedurally Flawed, The Report, Titled "Correcting The Record," Marked The First Detailed Response By County Officials. "We Determined That Nearly Every Finding Included Faulty Analysis, Inaccurate Claims, Misleading Conclusions And A Lack Of Understanding Of Federal And State Election Laws," The Report Says Of The Audit, Which Arizona Republican Senators Contracted Out To A Private Company Called Cyber Ninjas. According To The Report, The County Analysis Identified 22 Claims That Were Misleading, 41 That Included Flawed Or Misstated Analysis And 13 That Were Demonstrably False. President Joe Biden, A Democrat, Carried Maricopa County, Which Includes Phoenix, By About 45,000 Votes, Making It Critical To His Narrow Win Over Trump In November 2020. Biden's Victory Was Confirmed By A Hand Recount And Multiple Post-Election Tests For Accuracy. No Evidence Has Emerged Of The Widespread Fraud That Trump And His Allies Falsely Alleged. Led By Arizona Senate President Karen Fann, Republicans Nevertheless Pushed For A Comprehensive Review Of The Election, Including A Hand Recount And Examination Of Tabulation Equipment. They Released A Final Report In September That Found A Vote Tally Largely Matching The Official Results, Although They Made Several Claims Of Alleged Anomalies. For Example, The Cyber Ninjas Used Information From A Third-Party Commercial Database To Claim That Some 33,000 People May Have Voted Illegally Because They Moved Prior To The Election And No Longer Lived At The Address On File With The County. According To The County's Report, Cyber Ninjas Flagged Problems By Using "Soft Match" Methods That Relied On Basic Data Points Such As First Name, Last Name, And Birth Year, Leading To The Misidentification Of People As Illegally Casting Votes. "Our Review Did Not Find Any Voter Ineligible To Vote From Their Residential Address During The November 2020 General Election And Found No Evidence Of Double Voting," The Report Said. The Partisan Audit In Arizona Was Part Of A Larger Effort By Republicans To Undermine Faith In The 2020 Election And Gain More Control Over The Voting Process. Since The Election, Several Republican-Controlled State Legislatures Have Passed Laws Curbing Ballot Access Or Placing Great Power Over Election Administration In The Hands Of Partisan Officials. Maricopa County Election Officials Are Scheduled To Detail The Findings Of Their Report At A Public Meeting On Wednesday Of The County Board Of Supervisors.

Feds See Uptick In Unspecified Threats Associated With Jan. 6 Anniversary But No Credible Plots Federal Law Enforcement And Intelligence Officials Have Observed An Uptick In Calls For Unspecified Acts Of Violence In The Past 48 Hours Associated With The Jan. 6 Anniversary, A Senior U.S. Intelligence Official With Direct Knowledge Of The Matter Told NBC News Wednesday. The Department Of Homeland Security And FBI Have Said They Are Not Aware Of A Specific, Credible Plot Or Plan For Violence On Thursday. Some Of The Unspecified Threats Cited By The Senior Intelligence Official Are Directed At Lawmakers Who Voted To Certify The 2020 Presidential Election The Same Day A Pro-Trump Mob Stormed The Capitol Attempting To Prevent Congress From Confirming President Joe Biden’s Electoral Victory. The Official Added That Some Websites Are Circulating Conspiracy Theories That The Jan. 6 Riot Was A False Flag Operation Organized By The FBI, While Other Websites Associated With Foreign Governments Are Amplifying Those False Narratives. Numerous Events Are Planned For Thursday At The Capitol, Many Including Lawmakers. Separately, More Than 100 Vigils Or Ceremonies Are Planned Around The Country. Earlier This Week, Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger Said At A News Conference That "There's No Intelligence That Indicates That There Would Be Any Problems" With The Anniversary Events. Manger Noted That A Candlelight Vigil Organized By Right-Wing Groups Is Planned Outside The D.C. Jail For Those Arrested Over Their Involvement In The Jan. 6 Riot, But Said It Is "Nothing That Is Of Great Concern To Us At This Point.” The Senate Sergeant At Arms Said In A Notice Wednesday That Capitol Police Will Activate Their Civil Disturbance Unit To Address Any Demonstration Activity That May Arise On Thursday, And That Capitol Police Tactical And Uniformed Units Will Have An Increased Presence. The Notice, Sent To All Senate Staff, Said Authorities Are “Not Aware Of Any Specific Threats To The U.S. Capitol Complex Or Senate State Offices.” Federal Criminal Charges Have Been Filed Against More Than 700 People, And About 25 Percent Have Pleaded Guilty, The Justice Department Said Wednesday. Roughly 70 Defendants Have Been Sentenced, Of Which 31 Have Been Ordered To Serve Time Behind Bars For Periods Ranging From A Few Days To More Than Five Years. "The Justice Department Remains Committed To Holding All January 6th Perpetrators, At Any Level, Accountable Under Law, Whether They Were Present That Day Or Were Otherwise Criminally Responsible For The Assault On Our Democracy," Attorney General Merrick Garland Said Wednesday. "We Will Follow The Facts Wherever They Lead."

Postal Service Requests Temporary Exemption From Biden's Vaccine Rule The Postal Service Is Seeking A Temporary Exemption From President Joe Biden's Vaccine-Or-Testing Mandate, Arguing A Waiver Would Prevent Major Disruptions To Mail Delivery. The Request Comes Just Days Before The Biden Administration's Rule Is Slated To Take Effect, And As The Highly Transmissible Omicron Variant Sidelines Workers In Various Parts Of The Economy. Deputy Postmaster General Douglas Tulino Wrote In A Jan. 4 Letter To The Occupational Safety And Health Administration That Requiring Postal Service Workers To Comply With The New Rules “Is Likely To Result In The Loss Of Many Employees — Either By Employees Leaving Or Being Disciplined.” The Workplace Rules Issued By OSHA Are Scheduled To Effect Jan. 10, But The Agency Has Said It Would Not Issue Citations For Violations Until Feb. 9, Or "So Long As An Employer Is Exercising Reasonable, Good Faith Efforts To Come Into Compliance With The Standard." Some Major Companies, Hospitals Suspending Vaccine Mandates Darlene Casey, A Spokesperson For The Postal Service, Said Wednesday That The Agency Wants To Continue Using Its Existing Covid Mitigation Policies, And That A Waiver Would "Ensure That Its Ability To Deliver Mail And Packages Is Not Hindered Amid The Current Disruptions In The Nation’s Supply Chain." The Washington Post First Reported The Waiver Request. The Postal Service Has Nearly 650,000 Employees At 30,000 Locations Across The Country. Tulino Noted In His Letter That The Agency Has "Only Received A Handful Of Citations" Related To Covid, Indicating That Its Safety Protocols Have "Been Extremely Successful To Date." OSHA Did Not Immediately Respond To A Request For Comment. The Biden Administration's Vaccine Rules Are Facing Numerous Legal Challenges. The Supreme Court Is Slated To Hear Oral Arguments This Week On Whether To Block The Mandate After Business Groups And GOP State Attorneys General Sued The Federal Government. Tulino Said In Tuesday's Letter That If The Rule "Is Upheld, The Postal Service Will Have To Adjust To The Impacts Of Implementation, And It Accepts That." "However, It Is The Timing That Is Particularly Problematic," He Added. "While The Impact To Our Service Could Be Devastating At Any Time Of Year, Requiring The Postal Service To Absorb What Could Inevitably Be A Dramatic Loss Of Employees At A Time When The Labor Market Is Extremely Tight And In The Middle Of The Postal Service’s Peak Season Would Have A Potentially Catastrophic Impact On Our Ability To Provide Service To The American Public When Demand Is At Its Highest."