The Hill’s 12:30 Report – Dems look to extend student loan pause
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–> A midday take on what’s happening in politics and how to have a sense of humor about it.*
*Ha. Haha. Hahah. Sniff. Haha. Sniff. Ha–breaks down crying hysterically.
The Hill’s 12:30 Report: Dems look to extend student loan pause
NEWS THIS MORNING
We’ll definitely take it:
The U.S. added a solid 431,000 jobs in March, according to new data from the Labor Department. https://bit.ly/3u0yh7L
Putting this into context: Economists expected a gain of roughly 490,000 jobs in March, so it’s a bit lower, but still solid.
What about the unemployment rate?: It dropped to 3.7 percent.
The takeaway: “[R]esilient consumer spending and historically strong demand for workers helped power the U.S. economy to another study job gain.”
More on what this means, via The Hill’s Sylvan Lane: https://bit.ly/3u0yh7L
Tidbit from Lane: “We’ve talked a lot about the revisions made to the 2021 jobs reports, but it’s remarkable to see just how steady job growth was last year in retrospect compared to how uncertain things seemed for a while.” The graphic, tweeted by The New York Times’s Ben Casselman: https://bit.ly/3wQUMhc
Late this morning — hello, hi: President Biden delivered remarks to tout the new jobs’ report. Video of Biden’s remarks: http://bit.ly/2zl0CZY
Happy Friday! I hope you have all been vigilant for April Fools pranks. I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send comments, story ideas and events for our radar to cmartel@thehill.com — and follow along on Twitter @CateMartel and Facebook.
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IN THE WHITE HOUSE
Dropping a Psaki bomb:
White House press secretary Jen Psaki is leaving her role this spring for a gig at MSNBC. What we know, via The Hill’s Alex Gangitano: https://bit.ly/3v6JKC7
Is this a surprise?: Not really. Psaki has said she would only likely stay in the role for about a year. https://bit.ly/3uGPguM
Keep in mind: “Psaki wouldn’t be the first official to leave the White House for MSNBC. Symone Sanders, former spokesperson for Vice President Harris, was hired by MSNBC in January as a host for a new weekend program.”
Read the Axios report: Sara Fischer first reported the news of Psaki’s departure. https://bit.ly/3NG42e0
IN CONGRESS
The student debt pause ends on May 1 — but Democrats are trying to extend that:
Via The Hill’s Aris Folley, “More than 90 Democrats in the House and Senate are calling on President Biden to extend the moratorium on federal student loan payments through the end of the year, ramping up pressure on the White House for further action just weeks before the pause is set to lapse.” https://bit.ly/3NyAXky
Included in the list of Democrats who signed the letter: Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.) and House Majority Whip James Clyburn (S.C.).
Keep in mind: The pause first started in early 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic began. It has been extended several times.
THE LATEST WITH THE JAN. 6 PROBE
Taking Jay-Z’s phrase ‘I’ve got 99 problems’ a little too literally:
Via The Hill’s Niall Stanage, “Former President Trump and his allies are facing a pile of troubles relating to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection — and it’s growing higher.” https://bit.ly/38maHtF
The latest shoe to drop — The New York Times’s Alan Feuer, Katie Benner and Maggie Haberman reported: Federal prosecutors have broadened their investigation to include “the possible involvement of other government officials in Mr. Trump’s attempts to obstruct the certification of President Biden’s Electoral College victory and the push by some Trump allies to promote slates of fake electors…” Read the full New York Times report: https://nyti.ms/3NB1kGN
On one hand, according to Stanage: “The political impact of any single new development will likely be limited. Voters who remain loyal to Trump have done so through numerous scandals and controversies since he declared his candidacy for the White House almost seven years ago.”
^ But on the other hand: “[I]f Trump has ambitions to recapture the White House, it hardly helps that he still stands in the long shadow cast by Jan. 6, the most serious assault on the Capitol since the War of 1812. Thursday’s story was just the latest in a number of negative developments for Trump this week alone.”
How this could play out: https://bit.ly/38maHtF
LATEST WITH COVID-19
CASE NUMBERS:
Coronavirus cases in the U.S.: 80,104,559
U.S. death toll: 980,642
Breakdown of the numbers: https://cnn.it/2UAgW3y
VACCINATION NUMBERS:
Total number of vaccinations administered in the U.S.: 560 million shots have been given.
Seven-day average of doses administered: An average of 78,746 doses
For context: The U.S. population is roughly 331 million.
Breakdown of the numbers: https://bloom.bg/3iVTPLH
NOTABLE TWEETS:
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa:
Twitter user Taylor Vonfeldt captured a wild slow-motion video of lightning in Kansas a few nights ago. Video from CBS News: https://bit.ly/3x1M8g1
^ This looks like a scene from Stranger Things.
Stay skeptical today, my friends:
Democratic strategist Tim Hogan tweeted a video to perfectly match his day of “trying to convince anyone of anything today.” Watch: https://bit.ly/3K2s4xE
ON TAP:
The House is in. The Senate is out. President Biden is in Washington, D.C. Vice President Harris is in Mississippi.
10:30 a.m. EDT: Vice President Harris left for Mississippi.
10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. EDT: First and last votes in the House. The House’s agenda today: https://bit.ly/35u4VoE
11:15 a.m. EDT: President Biden received the President’s Daily Brief.
1:30 p.m. EDT: Vice President Harris visits a small business in Greenville, Miss.
3:25 p.m. EDT: President Biden leaves for New Castle, Del.
6:20 p.m. EDT Vice President Harris returns to Washington, D.C.
3 p.m. EDT Monday: The Senate meets next. The Senate’s Monday agenda: https://bit.ly/3J15B2B
WHAT TO WATCH:
10:45 a.m. EDT: President Biden delivered remarks on the March jobs report. Livestream: https://bit.ly/3NyZ9Dz
2:30 p.m. EDT: White House communications director Kate Bedingfield holds a press briefing. Livestream: https://bit.ly/3wSJ1H2
5:10 p.m. EDT: Vice President Harris delivers remarks on economic development in underserved communities. Livestream: https://bit.ly/3wWKcFj
Sunday morning: Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appears on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
IN LIGHTER NEWS:
Today is National Sourdough Bread Day.
The sporting event to watch this weekend:
Via ESPN’s Dalen Cuff, “Duke vs. North Carolina, the greatest rivalry in college sports, has produced a plethora of iconic moments. On Saturday night, the two storied schools will meet in the NCAA tournament for the first time in an unlikely clash in the Final Four.” https://es.pn/3DtH1q2
Adding to the drama: Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is retiring at the end of this season.
When is the game?: Saturday at 8:49 p.m. EDT
Preview for tomorrow’s game: https://es.pn/3DtH1q2
TIBDIT — here’s a cool Axios graphic showing the two teams’ history: https://bit.ly/3wR2AQ2
ANOTHER PREVIEW: Via Axios’s Kendall Baker: “The Final Four is blue (bloods)” https://bit.ly/3LDzFDf
Wondering how April Fools’ Day started?:
Via NPR’s Jeff Dean, “April Fools’ Day might be the world’s longest-running joke. No one knows how it began.” The full story: https://n.pr/3tYbjOr
And to kickstart your weekend off with an adventurous start, here’s a man slow dancing with a literal shark: https://bit.ly/3qWePqB
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
