• Department of Homeland Security officials are reportedly considering the introduction of a new process that would allow more migrants to avoid being immediately turned away from the border due to health regulations related to COVID-19. The plan, which would reportedly have Mexican organizations identify people who meet certain humanitarian exception criteria and provide their biographical and biometric data to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials in order to expedite health screenings, would formalize a process that already exists in some form. (BuzzFeed News)
• Former President Donald Trump called on Senate Republicans during a Fox Business interview to remove Mitch McConnell from his role as Senate Republican leader, prompting the Kentucky Republican to respond in another Fox News interview by saying that the GOP was looking “to the future, not the past” and pointing to Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) as that future. (The Hill) The latest rhetorical skirmish between the two GOP heavyweights came as McConnell was quoted in an interview suggesting he expects to remain leader through 2024, at least. (Washington Examiner)
• A purported confession letter from former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg claims he and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) paid for sex with a number of women, including a 17-year-old whom they had believed to be two years older at the time. The allegations of sex with a minor in the letter, which was reportedly drafted to Roger Stone as part of a process intended to gain a pardon from Trump, are believed to be at the center of a federal investigation into Gaetz. (The Daily Beast)

Voters Back Corporate Income Taxes Over Targeted Gas, Mileage Taxes to Pay for Infrastructure Investments
Morning Consult

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Biden brings his economic pitch to Georgia, marking 100 days in office
Tyler Pager, The Washington Post

President Biden spent his 100th day in office in Georgia, where he thanked the state’s voters for delivering a Democratic majority in the Senate and credited them for making possible the ambitious economic plans he wants to push through Congress in the coming weeks. At a rally hosted by the Democratic National Committee, the first in-person political event for Biden since he took office, the president infused more politics into the message he delivered Wednesday night in his speech to a joint session of Congress.

Biden speech draws 26.9 mln viewers on U.S. TV networks
Reuters

President Joe Biden’s first address to Congress on Wednesday night attracted an estimated 26.9 million viewers across 16 U.S. television networks, according to Nielsen ratings data released on Thursday. Biden’s audience slumped nearly 44% below the TV viewership for Republican President Donald Trump’s first address to a joint session of Congress in 2017.

Blinken meets Israeli spy chief as Iran talks continue
Matthew Lee, The Associated Press

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other top Biden administration national security aides met Thursday with the chief of Israel’s Mossad spy agency for talks that focused primarily on Iran, according to officials familiar with the meeting. The two-hour meeting was the second this week in Washington involving senior officials from the two countries and underscored Israel’s unease with ongoing indirect nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States in Vienna and Iran more broadly, the officials said.

FDA moves to ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars
Jen Christensen, CNN

The US Food and Drug Administration is taking steps to ban menthol flavored cigarettes and all flavored cigars, including menthol flavor, within the next year, according to an agency announcement Thursday. The aim is to “significantly reduce disease and death” from using these two products.

Biden announces 2nd round of diverse federal judiciary picks
Colleen Long, The Associated Press

President Joe Biden announced on Thursday another diverse group of candidates for his second round of judicial nominations, a day after some in his first slate of picks went before a Senate committee. The second round is three nominees: a woman who would be the first Asian American appointed as a federal judge to the Western District of Washington, a Latino who is currently the presiding judge of the Grant County Superior Court in Ephrata, Washington, and a woman who is a longtime labor and employment litigation attorney in New Jersey.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken says he’ll visit Ukraine next week
CBS’ “60 Minutes”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Russian President Vladimir Putin has pulled back in the last few days some of the more than 100,000 troops he’s amassed at the Ukrainian border, with Blinken visiting Ukraine next week.

Biden will meet with South Korea’s president on May 21
Madeleine Ngo, The New York Times

President Biden will meet with President Moon Jae-in of South Korea in Washington on May 21, the White House announced on Thursday. “President Moon’s visit will highlight the ironclad alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea, and the broad and deep ties between our governments, people, and economies,” Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said in a statement.

Biden says he was not aware of FBI search of Rudy Giuliani’s home and office
Scott Stump, NBC News

President Joe Biden says he was not aware ahead of time that the FBI would be executing search warrants at the home and office of Rudy Giuliani on Wednesday as part of an investigation into the attorney for former President Donald Trump. “I give you my word I was not,” Biden told TODAY’s Craig Melvin in an exclusive interview on Thursday.

Senate Passes $35 Billion Water Bill, but Bigger Infrastructure Fights Loom
Emily Cochrane, The New York Times

The Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a $35 billion measure to clean up the nation’s water systems, offering a brief moment of bipartisan cooperation amid deep divisions between the two parties over President Biden’s much larger ambitions for a multitrillion-dollar infrastructure package. Republicans and Democrats alike hailed passage of the bill on an 89-to-2 vote as evidence that bipartisan compromise is possible on infrastructure initiatives, but lawmakers in both parties suggested that the spirit of deal-making could be fleeting.

Congress passes extension of opioid enforcement tool
Michael Balsamo, The Associated Press

Congress has voted to temporarily extend a sweeping tool that has helped federal agents crack down on drugs chemically similar to fentanyl. The Senate on Thursday approved legislation extending until October an order that allows the federal government to classify so-called fentanyl analogues as Schedule I controlled substances.

Mark Kelly bucks Biden on the border
Burgess Everett, Politico

Mark Kelly is a reliable ally of President Joe Biden. Except when it comes to the border.

Sen. Tim Scott’s comments on race ignite a fiery debate
Cleve R. Wootson Jr. and Mike DeBonis, The Washington Post

Republicans rallied Thursday behind comments on race made by Sen. Tim Scott as part of his response to President Biden’s address to Congress, embracing what they hoped was an effective message in the ongoing debate over the role of racism in America that has sometimes left them struggling to articulate a clear position. Scott, delivering the official GOP response Wednesday, suggested that liberals are using race as a political weapon, defining all White people as oppressors and seeking to use the language of civil rights to rig elections.

Gaetz, Greene plan national tour to call out RINOs
Marc Caputo, Politico

Matt Gaetz is going on tour. With Marjorie Taylor Greene.

FBI defends ‘suicide by cop’ designation for 2017 baseball field shooting
Kyle Cheney, Politico

The FBI declined Thursday to rescind its determination that the 2017 shooter who nearly killed House GOP Whip Steve Scalise — and fired dozens of rounds at a Republican baseball team practicing in Virginia — was motivated by a desire to commit “suicide by cop.” But the bureau would likely have treated it as a domestic terrorism event if it occurred today, a top official told lawmakers.

Pence, in his first speech since leaving office, speaks fondly of Trump.
Annie Karni, The New York Times

In his first political speech since leaving office, former Vice President Mike Pence made clear that despite his grim falling out with former President Donald J. Trump, his days of trying to ingratiate himself to his former boss are far from over as he plots his political future. Addressing the Palmetto Family Council, a social conservative group in South Carolina, on Thursday night, Mr. Pence made no mention of the scathing criticism Mr. Trump leveled at him for his refusal to try to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.

U.S. Economy Grew Robustly in First Quarter
Josh Mitchell, The Wall Street Journal

A burst of growth put the U.S. economy just a shave below its pre-pandemic size in the first quarter, extending what is shaping up to be a rapid, consumer-driven recovery this year. Gross domestic product, the broadest measure of goods and services made in the U.S., grew at a 6.4% seasonally adjusted annual rate in January through March, the Commerce Department said Thursday.

White farmers sue seeking government loan forgiveness
Todd Richmond, The Associated Press

A group of Midwestern farmers sued the federal government Thursday alleging they can’t participate in a COVID-19 loan forgiveness program because they’re white. The group of plaintiffs includes farmers from Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota and Ohio.

A Sharp Divide at the Supreme Court Over a One-Letter Word
Adam Liptak, The New York Times

The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the government must comply strictly with a requirement that immigrants receive detailed notices about their deportation hearings. The 6-to-3 decision featured unusual alliances, with the three conservative justices most committed to interpreting statutes according to their plain words — Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil M. Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett — joining the court’s three-member liberal wing to form a majority.

Pro-Biden Group to Begin Ad Campaign Promoting His Agenda in Swing States
Jonathan Martin, The New York Times

A new group dedicated to promoting President Biden’s ambitious agenda is beginning a multimillion-dollar ad campaign trumpeting his Covid recovery package and infrastructure proposal while contrasting Mr. Biden’s low-key style with his bombastic predecessor’s. Building Back Together, a progressive organization run by Biden allies, will air minute-long television commercials next week in Pennsylvania, Nevada, Georgia and Wisconsin that highlight the president’s response to the coronavirus and his wide-ranging economic plans.

‘I’m still exhaling’: Swing-state voters on Biden’s 100 days
Thomas Beaumont, The Associated Press

Standing on the sidelines of her son’s soccer practice in this upscale suburb, Laura Hahn looked skyward for answers when asked how she would rate President Joe Biden’s first 100 days in office. Overall, Biden is doing well, she said after a few minutes of thought.

Texas special election poses test for anti-Trump Republicans
Steve Peoples and Paul Weber, The Associated Press

Adam Kinzinger came to Texas this week to hunt unicorns. The Illinois congressman was looking for Republicans who, like him, see former President Donald Trump as a scourge on their party and a threat to democracy.

Vote-by-Mail Favored by Older, Affluent Voters, Census Finds
Ryan Teague Beckwith and Gregory Korte, Bloomberg Equality

Those most likely to vote by mail in 2020 included some demographic groups that voted heavily for Donald Trump, new Census data show, undermining his claim that voting by mail only helps Democrats. Older and more affluent voters were especially likely to vote by mail in 2020.

As Trump seizes on Arizona ballot audit, election officials fear partisan vote counts could be the norm in future elections
Rosalind S. Helderman and Josh Dawsey, The Washington Post

More than five months after the 2020 presidential election, and after numerous failed attempts to overturn the results, former President Donald Trump has seized on a new avenue to try to call the outcome into question: a hand recount of 2.1 million ballots cast in Arizona’s largest county. Several advisers said the former president has become fixated on the unorthodox process underway in Phoenix, where the GOP-led state Senate took ballots and voting equipment from Maricopa County and turned them over to Cyber Ninjas, a private contractor whose chief executive has echoed baseless claims that the election was fraudulent but has now promised a fair review of the November results.

How states gaining seats will draw their new House maps
Kate Ackley, Roll Call

Six states in the South and Mountain West will pick up additional House seats, and influence in the chamber, thanks to the 2020 census. But with new congressional lines not expected until later this year and potential legal challenges ahead, it’s difficult to predict how big a role these shifting seats will play in the fight for control of the House after the 2022 midterm elections.

Florida Republicans Pass Voting Limits in Broad Elections Bill
Patricia Mazzei and Nick Corasaniti, The New York Times

The bill, which Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to sign, is the latest Republican effort to restrict voting after the 2020 election. It will make Florida the first major swing state won by Donald Trump to pass such a law.

GOP leaders from 19 states ask Supreme Court to review power plant regulation ruling
Rachel Frazin, The Hill

Republican attorneys general from 18 states and one Republican governor are asking the Supreme Court to review a lower court ruling that they argue gave the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) too much power to regulate emissions. Specifically, their petition claims that that the ruling, which struck down the Trump administration’s rollback of an Obama-era power plant rule, gave the EPA the “power to reorder the utility power sector and mandate sweeping changes to any industry.”

Transgender youth sports bill thrown out for lack of a problem, NC House speaker says
Danielle Battaglia, The News & Observer

Lawmakers decided not to move forward with a controversial bill that would prevent transgender girls from playing on female sports teams. House Speaker Tim Moore confirmed to The News & Observer Thursday that House Bill 358, also known as the Save Women’s Sports Act, is dead after legislative staff found that there had been no complaints in North Carolina on this topic.

Cuomo ‘eager’ to tell his story, but state AG hasn’t interviewed him yet
Bill Mahoney, Politico

Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he has not been interviewed as part of state Attorney General Tish James’ investigation into allegations that he sexually harassed multiple women, though he added that he is “eager” to tell his side of the story. James opened a probe into Cuomo earlier this year after several women, including current and former staffers, accused him of harassment and inappropriate behavior.

Idaho lawmaker accused of rape resigns after ethics ruling
Rebecca Boone, The Associated Press

An Idaho lawmaker accused of rape by a 19-year-old legislative intern has resigned after an ethics committee found he should be formally censured. The investigation into Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger began in March after a young staffer reported he raped her in his apartment after the two had dinner at a Boise restaurant.

Firing of U.S. Ambassador Is at Center of Giuliani Investigation
Ben Protess et al., The New York Times

Two years ago, Rudolph W. Giuliani finally got one thing he had been seeking in Ukraine: The Trump administration removed the U.S. ambassador there, a woman Mr. Giuliani believed had been obstructing his efforts to dig up dirt on the Biden family. It was a Pyrrhic victory.

FBI warned Giuliani, key Trump ally in Senate of Russian disinformation campaign targeting Biden
Ellen Nakashima et al., The Washington Post

The FBI warned Rudolph W. Giuliani in late 2019 that he was the target of a Russian influence operation aimed at circulating falsehoods intended to damage President Biden politically ahead of last year’s election, according to people familiar with the matter. The warning was part of an extensive effort by the bureau to alert members of Congress and at least one conservative media outlet, One America News, that they faced a risk of being used to further Russia’s attempt to influence the election’s outcome, said several current and former U.S. officials.

Why Labor Law Reforms Need to Remain in Biden’s Infrastructure Plan
David Madland (Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress), Morning Consult

President Joe Biden’s American Jobs Plan contains many elements that will prime America’s economy for faster, stronger and more equitable growth, including investments in roads, water systems, electric grids, child care and home care. Among its most important reforms, however, are those that would make it easier for workers to join a union and bargain collectively.

Joe Biden Has the Vision. Now Chuck Schumer Has to Bring It to Life.
Carl Hulse, The New York Times

President Biden laid out his ambitious vision for a post-pandemic America on Wednesday night. Now it is up to Senator Chuck Schumer to make it a reality.

‘Congratulations, You Killed Osama bin Laden’
Garrett M. Graff, Politico 

How the hunt for the world’s most notorious terrorist actually went down—as told by the people inside the room.