• During a speech to a joint session of Congress, President Joe Biden pitched his massive jobs and social spending plans, said he was open to compromise on immigration reform, renewed calls for gun control and urged Congress to get police reform to his desk by the anniversary of George Floyd’s murder next month. In the Republican response to the president’s victory lap on COVID-19 vaccination rates, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott said it was former President Donald Trump who should get the credit. (The Washington Post)
• The Biden administration is considering a major rollback of the sanctions imposed on Iran by the Trump administration in a bid to get Tehran to return to compliance with the 2015 nuclear accord, according to current and former U.S. officials. American officials have not discussed which sanctions are under consideration for removal, but are said to be increasingly conciliatory as indirect talks facilitated by other world powers continue in Vienna. (The Associated Press)
• Federal investigators reportedly searched former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s home and office and seized electronic devices as part of their investigation into whether he broke lobbying laws in his dealings with Ukraine when he was Trump’s personal lawyer. Two sources said the Federal Bureau of Investigation also served Giuliani’s executive assistant with a grand jury subpoena. (The New York Times)
• In a 52-42 vote, the Senate invoked powers under the Congressional Review Act to reverse Trump-era Environmental Protection Agency rules that loosened restrictions on methane gas that leaks into the air during oil and gas production. Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Rob Portman of Ohio voted with Senate Democrats to restore the Obama administration’s policy, sending the measure to the House. (The Wall Street Journal)

Biden’s $4 Trillion Economic Plan, in One Chart
The New York Times

View Full Calendar

Biden and Harris hit the road after joint session address to sell agenda
Niels Lesniewski, Roll Call

Fresh off his address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night, President Joe Biden is hitting the road to sell sweeping plans for infrastructure investment, child care, and health and education programs — and the tax hikes to pay for them.

Feds plan to indict Chauvin, other three ex-officers on civil rights charges
Andy Mannix, Star Tribune

Leading up to Derek Chauvin’s murder trial, Justice Department officials had spent months gathering evidence to indict the ex-Minneapolis police officer on federal police brutality charges, but they feared the publicity frenzy could disrupt the state’s case.

US indicts 3 on hate crime charges in death of Ahmaud Arbery
Michael Balsamo and Russ Bynum, The Associated Press

The Justice Department brought federal hate crimes charges Wednesday in the death of Ahmaud Arbery, charging a father and son who armed themselves, chased and fatally shot the 25-year-old Black man after spotting him running in their Georgia neighborhood.

Biden expected to ban menthol cigarettes
Bo Erickson, CBS News

The Biden administration is expected to announce this week its intention to ban menthol cigarettes, two people familiar with the plan told CBS News.

Biden staffing makes history
Mike Allen, Axios

President Biden put his Cabinet in place faster than any other administration since President Reagan, the White House Office of Presidential Personnel says in a report provided first to Axios.

Biden to keep intelligence inspector general Trump appointed
Nomaan Merchant, The Associated Press

President Joe Biden intends to keep the watchdog overseeing the U.S. intelligence community, a longtime intelligence official who rose to the post after his predecessor was fired by President Donald Trump for his role in Trump’s first impeachment.

Cruise Lines Could Start U.S. Sailings by Mid-July, CDC Says
Dave Sebastian, The Wall Street Journal

Cruise operators could restart sailings out of the U.S. by mid-July, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, paving the way to resume operations that have been suspended for longer than a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

US investigating possible mysterious directed energy attack near White House
Katie Bo Williams and Jeremy Herb, CNN

Federal agencies are investigating at least two possible incidents on US soil, including one near the White House in November of last year, that appear similar to mysterious, invisible attacks that have led to debilitating symptoms for dozens of US personnel abroad.

Biden Order To Require New Cybersecurity Standards In Response To SolarWinds Attack
Dina Temple-Raston, NPR News

The Biden administration is putting the final touches on an executive order aimed at helping the U.S. defend itself against sophisticated cyberattacks like the one Russian hackers recently leveled against Texas software maker SolarWinds.

The misunderstood first 100 days of Kamala Harris
Eugene Daniels and Christopher Cadelago, Politico

One hundred days into her historic turn as vice president, Kamala Harris remains a largely misunderstood figure.

Biden Nominee for Pentagon Weapons Buyer Under Investigation
Tara Copp, Defense One

The Department of Defense Inspector General is looking into allegations that a Biden nominee tapped to be the Pentagon’s chief acquisitions officer circumvented federal hiring regulations during his tenure at a DOD technology incubator.

Democrats seek to push Medicare expansion as part of Biden’s $1.8 trillion families plan, defying White House
Tony Romm and Seung Min Kim, The Washington Post

Congressional Democrats are planning to pursue a massive expansion of Medicare as part of President Biden’s new $1.8 trillion economic relief package, defying the White House after it opted against including a major health overhaul as part of its plan.

Some Democrats Not Sold on Biden’s Proposed Capital-Gains Tax Boost
Andrew Duehren, The Wall Street Journal

President Biden’s push to sharply raise taxes on capital gains for high-income households to help pay for his antipoverty program faces skepticism from some fellow Democrats, who say they are concerned higher rates could slow economic growth.

Earmark requests headed for scrutiny as deadline approaches
Jennifer Shutt, Roll Call

House appropriators will begin sifting through thousands of earmark proposals next week, kicking off an arduous process that will mark the first time in a decade that subcommittee chairs have had the power to steer federal dollars to specific projects in lawmakers’ home states and districts.

Samantha Power confirmed to lead US Agency for International Development
Jennifer Hansler, CNN

Samantha Power on Wednesday was confirmed by the Senate as the new head of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in a 68-26 vote.

Senate panel approves Biden nominees to Postal Service board
Anthony Izaguirre, The Associated Press

A Senate committee on Wednesday approved President Joe Biden’s three nominees to the governing board of the U.S. Postal Service.

Congressman to sober Marty Walsh: Do you like Irish whiskey?
Caitlin Reilly, Roll Call

A House subcommittee hearing on President Joe Biden’s budget request got off to an awkward start when ranking Republican Tom Cole sought common ground with Labor Secretary Marty Walsh.

New Videos Show Alleged Assault On Officer Brian Sicknick During Capitol Riot
Tom Dreisbach, NPR News

The Department of Justice released on Wednesday a group of videos depicting the alleged assault on Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick and other members of law enforcement during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Did the 2020 Census Undercount the Hispanic Population?
Reid J. Epstein and Jennifer Medina, The New York Times

Minnesota started its 2020 census outreach in 2015, bringing together local governments, foundations and businesses to spur participation. California allocated $187 million beginning in 2019 to get its people counted.

How Long Can the Afghan Security Forces Last on Their Own?
Thomas Gibbons-Neff et al., The New York Times

The Taliban attack on a police outpost at the edge of the city began at dusk, with the muted chatter of machine-gun fire and the thud of explosions. The men under attack radioed Capt. Mohammed Fawad Saleh at his headquarters, several miles away, desperate for help.

Trump’s Battle to Win the First 100 Days
Michael Kruse, Politico

There’s not just one 100-day clock that’s reached its peak this week—there are two. First, of course, is Joe Biden’s—the collective assessment of what he’s said and done since his inauguration as the 46th president on January 20.

Who wants to recall Gov. Newsom? Signatures point to Trump’s California
Swetha Kannan and Sandhya Kambhampati, Los Angeles Times

Recall backers have gathered more than 1.6 million valid voter signatures, enough to place a proposed ouster of Gov. Gavin Newsom on the ballot. For the second time in California’s history, voters will decide if a sitting governor should be removed before a regularly scheduled election.

Cheney: ‘Wishful thinking’ by Trump she won’t seek 4th term
Mead Gruver, The Associated Press

Speculation by former President Donald Trump that she won’t seek re-election next year is “wishful thinking,” Liz Cheney said Wednesday.

They Went to D.C. on Jan. 6. Now They’re Running for Office.
Kelly Weill and Larrison Campbell, The Daily Beast

A slew of participants in the rally that preceded the riot at the Capitol—and some who appear to have gone further than that—are now campaigning for votes.

Judge won’t block Arizona Senate’s 2020 election recount
Bob Christie, The Associated Press

An unprecedented audit of ballots from November’s presidential election will continue in Arizona. But the private company hired by the Republican-led state Senate must make public its procedures for guaranteeing the privacy of voters and the secrecy of their choices.

Cuomo Aides Spent Months Hiding Nursing Home Death Toll
J. David Goodman et al., The New York Times

The effort by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s office to obscure the pandemic death toll in New York nursing homes was far greater than previously known, with aides repeatedly overruling state health officials over a span of at least five months, according to interviews and newly unearthed documents.

Prosecutors Are Now Calling The Michigan Kidnapping Plot An Act Of Domestic Terrorism
Ken Bensinger and Jessica Garrison, BuzzFeed News

The men accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer were engaged in domestic terrorism, federal prosecutors now claim, signaling a potential shift in how the Justice Department is handling one of its highest-profile cases involving anti-government activities.

Democratic chaos: Florida Senate Leader Gary Farmer resigns amid vote of no confidence
Skyler Swisher and Gray Rohrer, South Florida Sun Sentinel

Sen. Gary Farmer resigned as leader of Florida Senate Democrats Wednesday with his colleagues voting no confidence in him, plunging his caucus into chaos with just a few days left in the legislative session.

Loeffler calls for investigation into Raffensperger
Mike Brest, Washington Examiner

Former Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler asked the state’s attorney general to investigate Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

Private Equity and Hedge Funds, Facing a New Tax Burden, Prepare Their Defense
Miriam Gottfried and Juliet Chung, The Wall Street Journal

Some private-equity firms and hedge funds are pushing back against a proposal from President Biden to end the carried-interest tax advantage these types of firms enjoy.

Donations from teachers unions spiked as Congress debated school reopening, virus relief
Kate Ackley, Roll Call

As debates raged earlier this year over reopening schools and including money for education in a massive coronavirus relief package, the nation’s largest teachers unions sharply increased their spending on political contributions, a comparison to the same period in 2019 shows.

Biden Just Gave the Most Ideologically Ambitious Speech of Any Democratic President in Generations
John F. Harris, Politico

President Joe Biden’s address to a joint session Congress was the most ambitious ideological statement made by any Democratic president in decades—couched in language that made it sound as if he wasn’t making an ideological argument at all.

Joe Biden Is the Six Trillion Dollar Man
Karl Rove, The Wall Street Journal

President Biden has 53% approval in the RealClearPolitics average as his 100th day looms. That’s 12 points higher than President Trump at this point in his presidency—but still the second-lowest such rating for any president elected since modern polling of presidential performance began in 1945.

Democrats and Republicans Can’t Agree on Anything. They Shouldn’t Have To.
Ezra Klein, The New York Times

I intended to duly fulfill my duty as a political columnist and write about the first 100 days of Joe Biden’s presidency.