The Hill’s 12:30 Report – Biden touts big jobs report
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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: Breaking: CDC says fully vaccinated can gather indoors, unmasked for Easter | Says vaccinated people can safely travel | U.S. economy adds a whopping 916k jobs in March | Biden touts jobs created | Biden to host Japanese prime minister on April 16 | Buttigieg bikes to White House Cabinet meeting | At least 99.6M Americans have received vaccine | Republicans don’t think Biden actually wants to work with them | National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day
NEWS THIS MORNING
The U.S. economy added an impressive 916,000 jobs in March and the unemployment rate dropped to 6 percent. https://bit.ly/3cJChR8
For context: Economists had predicted a gain of 675,000 jobs in March (!)
To return to pre-COVID levels: “The the U.S. is still 8.4 million jobs short of pre-pandemic levels, and millions more have left the workforce without a clear path to return.”
REACTIONS:
President Biden held a press conference late this morning: “The first two months of our administration, I’ve seen more new jobs created than the first two months of any administration in history.” Watch: https://bit.ly/3dsyPtw
Livestream of Biden’s full remarks on the jobs report: https://bit.ly/3dwWB7w
From Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.): “If the American Rescue Plan could lead to these numbers, imagine what the even bigger, bolder American Jobs Plan will do for our recovery. Now is not the time to take our foot off the gas.” https://bit.ly/3wkrtkk
It’s Friday — happy almost Easter! 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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BREAKING
It’s the resurrection of our social lives!:
Via CNN’s Dakin Andone, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just tweeted that fully vaccinated people can gather indoors and unmasked for Easter. https://cnn.it/3wofRwE
Hyperlink https://bit.ly/39zWaYU
‘Get a vax and you can be a little more lax!’ — CDC, I’m giving you a free tagline idea:
The CDC just issued new guidance that fully vaccinated people can safely travel. https://bit.ly/2R20cTJ
What to know: “The agency further said fully vaccinated people do not need to get tested before or after unless the destination requires it. People should still wear a mask while they travel, though, the agency said.”
What about unvaccinated people?: They’re still urged not to travel.
Read the CDC’s guidance: https://bit.ly/3fOqK5l
IN THE WHITE HOUSE
This looks like a Suburban ad:
Hyperlink https://bit.ly/2PwKGyy
This is so on brand:
Watch: https://bit.ly/3dwBT7M
More from that meeting: https://nbcnews.to/3wnCQIo
HAPPENING ON APRIL 16:
President Biden is hosting Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga at the White House. https://bit.ly/3sOEBvO
IN CONGRESS
It’s like running interference with a couple with significant communication issues:
Via The Hill’s Alexander Bolton and Morgan Chalfant, Republicans don’t think that President Biden really wants to work with them. https://bit.ly/3dxbIxO
Why Republicans feel that way: “The $2.25 trillion plan unveiled this week by Biden takes direct aim at former President Trump’s signature economic achievement by raising the corporate tax rate that Republicans lowered in their 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act … Every single Republican who was in the Senate in 2017 voted for Trump’s tax plan, including the GOP lawmakers who are viewed as potentially working with Biden on infrastructure.” Which senators: https://bit.ly/3dxbIxO
‘WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED IN BIDEN’S INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN’:
Via Politico’s Sam Mintz: https://politi.co/3dy56zv
Via CNN’s Jeremy Herb, Lauren Fox and Ryan Nobles, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who is being investigated for sex trafficking violations, “allegedly showed off to other lawmakers photos and videos of nude women he said he had slept with, the sources told CNN, including while on the House floor. The sources, including two people directly shown the material, said Gaetz displayed the images of women on his phone and talked about having sex with them. One of the videos showed a naked woman with a hula hoop, according to one source.” https://cnn.it/3dxMiQV
Keep in mind though: “There’s no indication these pictures are connected to the DOJ investigation.”
The full story: https://cnn.it/3dxMiQV
PLUS — ‘JUSTICE DEPT. INQUIRY INTO MATT GAETZ SAID TO BE FOCUSED ON CASH PAID TO WOMEN:
Via The New York Times’s Katie Benner and Michael S. Schmidt, “The congressman and a former official in Florida sent money to the women using cash apps, receipts showed.” The full story: https://nyti.ms/3dz3Agy
LATEST WITH THE CORONAVIRUS
At least 99.6 million people in the U.S. have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccines, according to the Washington Post. A stat to know: “This includes more than 52.7 million people who have been fully vaccinated.” https://wapo.st/39EyGlI
Fill ‘em up — and be generous with the pours:
Via Politico’s David Lim, “The Food and Drug Administration said late Thursday that Moderna can put up to 50 percent more doses of vaccine in each vial, a change that will likely allow the company to speed up the pace of its shipments.” https://politi.co/3wmb3be
CASE NUMBERS:
Coronavirus cases in the U.S.: 30,543,545
U.S. death toll: 553,214
Breakdown of the numbers: https://cnn.it/2UAgW3y
VACCINATION NUMBERS:
Total number of vaccinations administered in the U.S.: 154 million shots have been given.
Seven-day average of doses administered: An average of 2.90 million doses
For context: The U.S. population is roughly 331 million.
Breakdown of the numbers: https://bloom.bg/3iVTPLH
INTERESTING READ
Vaccine passports could possibly be the biggest campaign issue of 2022:
Via The Hill’s Max Greenwood, “Partisan battle lines are being drawn around coronavirus vaccine passports in what could become one of the defining issues of the 2022 midterm elections.” https://bit.ly/3rQwJJe
How so: “A growing number of the Republican Party’s most conservative members have seized on the passport proposals and expected guidance from the White House, blasting them as an example of government overreach that would isolate Americans who choose not to get vaccinated and violate the privacy of those who do.”
That could backfire, though: “But that strategy carries some risks for the GOP, potentially giving Democrats a platform to tout their response to the coronavirus outbreak while simultaneously forcing Republicans to navigate the politics of the pandemic well into 2022.”
How this could play out: https://bit.ly/3rQwJJe
GET FULLY VACCINATED BEFORE RESUMING NORMAL ACTIVITIES, HEALTH EXPERTS PLEAD WITH AMERICANS:
Via CNN’s Madeline Holcombe: https://cnn.it/2PVxfZa
NOTABLE TWEETS:
What an awesome photo:
Hyperlink https://bit.ly/3cLqjXk
ON TAP:
The House and Senate are out. President Biden is on his way to Camp David. Vice President Harris is in California.
Vice President Harris has no public events on her schedule.
9:30 a.m. EDT: President Biden received the President’s Daily Brief.
Noon: President Biden left for Camp David.
WHAT TO WATCH:
10 a.m. EDT: Day 5 of the trial against Derek Chauvin. Livestream: https://bit.ly/3mcPPb0
11 a.m. EDT: President Biden delivered remarks on the March jobs report. Livestream: https://bit.ly/3mlwsN5
11 a.m. EDT: The White House COVID Response Team held a press briefing. Livestream: https://bit.ly/3sKBVzB
12:30 p.m. EDT: White House press secretary Jen Psaki and Labor Secretary Marty Walsh hold a press briefing. Livestream: https://bit.ly/2PmARn4
NOW FOR THE FUN STUFF…:
Today is National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day! Tomorrow is National Chocolate Mousse Day and Sunday is National Cordon Bleu Day.
And to get you excited for Easter, here’s a bunny looking for love and attention:
Watch: https://bit.ly/3uhpUSA
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