Wednesday, May 17, 2023

5/17 WAKE-UP CALL: Debt Talkers Express Optimism

House Speaker McCarthy, President Biden
President Biden and top congressional leaders expressed optimism about urgent negotiations over the debt ceiling after a meeting at the White House on Tuesday, as the administration’s liberal allies worried that talks with House Republicans over the budget risk rewarding the GOP’s hard-line stance. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) sounded confident that an agreement could be reached ahead of a June 1 deadline to raise the nation’s borrowing limit or risk a global economic catastrophe. Biden gave a similar assessment, though major differences remain between the two sides before a deal can be struck.

White House officials also announced that Biden would be cutting short a visit to Asia as the administration seeks to finalize an agreement. Aides to McCarthy and Biden will negotiate directly, lawmakers said, slimming down the number of parties involved in the talks as the deadline nears.

Jake Sullivan
➤INTRUSION AT NATIONAL SECURITY'S HOME UNDETECTED: The U.S. Secret Service is investigating how a man entered the home of President Biden’s national security adviser in the middle of the night roughly two weeks ago without being detected by agents guarding his house, according to three government officials. The unknown man walked into Jake Sullivan’s home at about 3 a.m. one night in late April and Sullivan confronted the individual, instructing him to leave, two of the people briefed on the incident said. There were no signs of forced entry at the home, according to one of the people. Sullivan has a round-the-clock Secret Service detail. But agents stationed outside the house were unaware that an intruder had gotten inside the home, located in the West End neighborhood of Washington, until the man had already left and Sullivan came outside to alert the agents, the two people said.

UKRAINE FOILS INTENSE RUSSIAN MISSILE ATTACK: Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 18 attempted Russian strikes on Kyiv early Tuesday including six hypersonic missiles, military and city authorities said, largely foiling one of Moscow’s fiercest attacks so far. Residents of the Ukrainian capital were jolted awake about 3 a.m. by cascading booms that shook windows, set off car alarms and delivered a new dose of terror in a city mostly spared from direct damage and destruction in recent months. Falling missile debris injured at least three people in Kyiv and caused damage to the city’s zoo and central neighborhoods, city officials said.

The strikes, which could be heard for over 20 minutes in the capital, were among the most intense in months. The assault “was exceptional in its density — the maximum number of missile attacks in the shortest period of time,” Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv’s city military administration stated.

A U.S.-made Patriot missile defense system being used by Ukraine likely suffered some damage from a Russian strike, two U.S. officials said on Tuesday, adding that it did not appear to have been destroyed. The Patriot system is one of an array of sophisticated air defense units supplied by the West to help Ukraine repel a Russian campaign of air strikes that has targeted critical infrastructure, power facilities and other sites. One U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity and citing initial information, said Washington and Kyiv were already talking about the best way to repair the system and at this point it did not appear the system would have to be removed from Ukraine. The Patriot is considered to be one of the most advanced U.S. air defense systems, including against aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. It typically includes launchers along with radar and other support vehicles.

➤IRS AGENT REMOVED FROM BIDEN INVESTIGTION: An IRS supervisory agent has been removed from the tax investigation into President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, the agent’s lawyers told lawmakers this week, after claiming to have evidence of political interference in the criminal inquiry. In a letter to House and Senate leaders, lawyers for the Internal Revenue Service supervisor said “his entire investigative team” had also been removed from the inquiry, in what they suggested was retaliation. The supervisor, who is seeking whistleblower protections, was informed that the change was made at the request of the Justice Department, according to a copy of the letter obtained by The Wall Street Journal.

While the letter doesn’t name Biden, referring to an investigation into an unidentified “high-profile, controversial subject,” the Journal previously confirmed the claims concern the inquiry into the president’s son. The lawyers sent the letter to congressional leaders on Monday, a month after the IRS supervisor first told lawmakers he had information that the Biden administration was improperly handling the investigation into the president’s son. The long-running investigation has come to focus in recent years on the younger Mr. Biden’s taxes and whether he made a false statement in connection with a 2018 gun purchase. 

➤SENATOR HAS LOST IT: Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein (right) of California insisted that she had not been absent from the Senate when asked about it by reporters on Tuesday, according to Slate and the Los Angeles Times.   "No, I haven't been gone," she told the Times' Ben Oreskes on Tuesday when asked how her Senate colleagues have responded to her return. "You should follow the — I haven't been gone, I've been working." Oreskes then asked her whether she had been working from home. "No, I've been here. I've been voting," she said. "Please, you either know or don't know."

WH SPOX KJP ABRUPTLY LEAVES PODIUM DURING BRIEFING: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was blasted online for abruptly ending a briefing and 'fleeing her podium' without comment when she was grilled about a recent report on how the FBI handled the Trump-Russia probe. When asked Tuesday about the White House's reaction to the special counsel report, Karine Jean-Pierre said it was a matter for the Department of Justice to speak on. Jean-Pierre closed her briefing book and left the podium without further comment, which sparked outrage online as social media users accused her of ignoring her own history of reportedly pushing the Russia collusion allegation. Special Counsel John Durham's 300-page report, which was released on Monday, found that the Department of Justice and FBI 'failed to uphold their mission of strict fidelity to the law' in regards to the investigation of possible collusion with Trump and Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election.

CNN IGNORES DUNHAM REPORT: Struggling CNN spent all of primetime ignoring John Durham's investigation that tore apart the FBI for launching a baseless probe into claims of Donald Trump's collusion with Russia. The network's two highest profile nightly shows - Primetime and Anderson Cooper 360 - each failed to mention the probe by the special counsel in two hours of programming. CNN was among liberal media outlets obsessed with Trump-Russia collusion claims when they first emerged, with since-fired former anchor Don Lemon claiming the infamous Steele Dossier had been partly corroborated. Cooper led his show tonight discussing the war in Ukraine. He also touched on Alzheimer's disease and an intruder breaking into national security adviser Jake Sullivan's Washington DC home. Later on, Primetime host Sara Snider discussed President Biden cutting a foreign trip short and interviewed former Trump advisor Steve Cortes.

➤CEO BEHIND ChatGPT WARNS AI COULD CAUSE 'HARM TO THE WORLD: In his first congressional testimony, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman called for extensive regulation, delivering a sobering account of the risks presented by the technology, including spreading “one-on-one interactive disinformation” and emotional manipulation. Along with lawmakers, he called for a new government agency charged with creating standards for the field.

➤MISSING GIRL KAYLA UNBEHAUN FEATURED ON 'UNSOLVED MYSTERIES' FOUND SAFE 6 YEARS LATER AFTER STRANGER RECONGNIZES HER: A missing Illinois girl whose abduction was featured on a popular true crime series on Netflix was found alive and safe in North Carolina after a stranger recognized her. Kayla Unbehaun was 9 years old when her noncustodial mother, Heather Unbehaun, abducted her from South Elgin on July 5, 2017, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) said. Neither Kayla nor Heather had been located until May 13, when an employee at Plato’s Closet in Asheville, North Carolina, recognized the pair from “well-publicized media” and alerted police.

➤MISSOURI TEACHER NO LONGER EMPLOYED BY SCHOOL DISTRICT AFTER USING THE N-WORD IN CLASS: A teacher in Missouri who was initially placed on administrative leave after a video circulating on social media showed them using the n-word at least twice in class “is no longer employed,” the Springfield Public Schools district said in a statement. On May 9, the principal of Glendale High School sent a letter to staff and families addressing the language used by the teacher, calling it “inappropriate” and “inexcusable.” A 12-year-old boy is accused of shooting and killing an employee at a Sonic Drive-In restaurant in Texas after an argument in the parking lot, authorities said.

➤12-YEAR-OLD CHARGED WITH MURDER IN KILLING OF SONIC DRIVE-IN EMPLOYEE: Matthew Davis, 32, was working at the Sonic Drive-In on Saturday night and confronted Angel Gomez, 20, because he was “being disorderly in the parking lot,” police in Keene said. “The argument soon became physical. During the altercation, a juvenile, who was a passenger in the suspect’s vehicle, retrieved a firearm and fired multiple shots, striking the victim.” Davis was airlifted to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

➤VICTIMS IDed IN NEW MEXICO SHOOTING: Three elderly women — including a 97-year-old mother and her daughter — were identified by police Tuesday as the victims killed at the hands of New Mexico teenage gunman Beau Wilson. The 18-year-old — armed with three guns — fired indiscriminately as he walked through a quarter-mile stretch of the city of Farmington Monday morning, killing Gwendolyn Schofield, her 73-year-old daughter, Melody Ivie, and 79-year-old Shirley Voita, cops said. Six others, including two police officers, were injured in the shooting before cops killed Wilson. Police believe the violence was “purely random” and that Wilson did not know any of his victims.

➤NORTH CAROLINA LAWMAKERS OVERTURN ABORTION VETO: Legislation banning most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy will become law in North Carolina after the state’s Republican-controlled General Assembly successfully overrode the Democratic governor’s veto late Tuesday. The House completed the second and final part of the override vote after a similar three-fifths majority — the fraction necessary — voted for the override earlier Tuesday in the Senate. The party-line outcomes represent a major victory for Republican legislative leaders who needed every GOP member on board to enact the law over Gov. Roy Cooper’s opposition. Cooper vetoed the measure over the weekend after spending last week traveling around the state to persuade at least one Republican to side with him on the override, which would be enough to uphold his veto. But in the end, the four Republicans targeted by Cooper — including one who recently switched from the Democratic Party — voted to override.

🍺YOU CAN PUT LIPSTICK ON A PIG, BUT IT'S STILL A PIG: Anheuser-Busch plans to temporarily redesign some of its Bud Light and Budweiser packaging as it scrambles to recover from the Dylan Mulvaney fiasco. Last week, the company held a meeting at its US headquarters in St. Louis with distributors to discuss its strategy for dealing with the backlash, according to sources briefed on the situation. Among the new initiatives planned is a temporary redesign of its Budweiser and Bud Light aluminum bottles, according to a distributor who did not want to be identified.  Anheuser-Busch will produce bottles with a camouflage print and images of the “Folds of Honor” program, which provides educational scholarships for children and spouses of fallen and disabled American military service members and first responders, according to the executive.

➤WE'RE BACK TO SHOPPING MORE: Retail sales—a measure of spending at stores, online and in restaurants—rose a seasonally adjusted 0.4% in April from the month before, after declining in February and March, the Commerce Department said. The boost is a sign of consumers’ continued resilience despite high inflation and rising interest rates. Auto, dining out and online spending increased, while gasoline and big-ticket purchases such as appliances and furniture declined. On the employment front, small businesses—the country’s biggest source of jobs—are slowing their hiring, and, while other nations are lowering the barriers to foreign workers, the U.S. remains divided over allowing more of them in.

➤THE RETURN TO THE OFFICE HAS STALLED:  Low unemployment has given workers the leverage to push back against being in the office five days a week, and offices remain half empty as companies settle into hybrid work plans. The average occupancy rate crossed 50% of prepandemic levels in late January but has remained around there, according to Kastle Systems, which tracks security-badge swipes. Cities suffering from declining real-estate values are frustrated about possibly lower property-tax revenues and the pressure on bars, restaurants and other small businesses that rely on five-day-a-week office workers. The uptick in sales of troubled office buildings indicates more owners believe weak demand is here to stay.

Daily Mail Composite 5/17/23
⚾THE CAPTAIN GET REVENGE: The New York captain stepped up to the plate Tuesday after coming under fire after he appeared to glimpse at his Yankees dugout for what the Blue Jays believe were indications on what pitch was going to come at him in Monday's game. But the six-foot-seven slugger got his revenge the following game as he hit a 448-foot monster of a homer dead at center field in the eighth inning to help the Yankees into the lead during their 6-3 victory. The moonshot was so powerful it ricocheted off the wall and appeared to break the maple leaf on the signage on the front of the Rogers Centre's restaurant above the batter's eye, silencing his Toronto doubters.

Unhappy Aaron Judge says he has some 'choice words' about Blue Jays broadcasters implying he was cheating with look at dugout, but insists 'it's better to keep that off the record'.

⚾MLB BAD NIGHT AS VERLANDER IS BOOED BY METS FANS: New York Mets ace Justin Verlander made his long-awaited Citi Field debut on Tuesday, and it went about as horribly as one could imagine. The 40-year-old Verlander (1-2) served up both long balls to Isaac Paredes and was tagged for six runs on eight hits over five innings in his third start for the staggering Mets, leading to him being serenaded with a chorus of boos.  Paredes homered twice and drove in five runs, ruining Verlander's home debut as the Tampa Bay Rays rolled to an 8-5 victory for the night.

⚾MLB SCORES:

  • Yankees 6 Blue Jays 3
  • Rays 8 Mets 5
  • Giants 4 Phillies 3
  • Orioles 7 Angels 3
  • Tigers 4 Pirates 0
  • Marlins 5 Nationals 4
  • Brewers 3 Cardinals 2
  • Rangers 7 Braves 4
  • White Sox 8 Guardians 3
  • Astros 7 Cubs 3
  • Reds 3 Rockies 1
  • Athletics 9 Diamondbacks 8
  • Royals 5 Padres 4
  • Twins 5 Dodgers 1
⚾CUBS' CODY BELLINGER CRASHES INTO WALL VS ASTROS, EXITS GAME: Chicago Cubs center fielder Cody Bellinger left Monday night's game against the Houston Astros with an injury after making an acrobatic catch in the seventh inning. Bellinger robbed Kyle Tucker of extra bases when he leaped and crashed into the padded wall just in front of the Houston bullpen in right-center for the third out in the seventh. The 2019 National League MVP appeared to turn his left knee when he landed after making the grab and crumpled to the ground.

🏀NBA LAKERS WIN: Lakers’ fourth-quarter rally falls short as Nuggets win Game 1 Nikola Jokic helps Denver control the game for much of the night, but Anthony Davis and the Lakers cut a 21-point deficit to three late before dropping the Western Conference finals opener, 132-126.

🏀DOC RIVERS OUT IN PHILLY: Doc Rivers is 'FIRED by the Philadelphia 76ers' after blowing 3-2 lead in Eastern Conference semis with Mike Budenholzer, Monty Williams and Nick Nurse 'to be included in search for new coach'. Rivers was in charge of the Sixers for three seasons, failing to ever make the ECF 

➤REPORT: McAFEE HEADED TO ESPN: The Pat McAfee show is heading to ESPN in a multimillion dollar deal that will kick off this fall, the former NFL player announced himself on his eponymous show, Tuesday. The exact figure that McAfee - a former NFL punter with the Indianapolis Colts - will be paid is 'more than eight figures per year', according to multiple outlets. Prior to his switch to big network cable, McAfee was in the second year of his four-year, $120million FanDuel contract though it now appears that he'll walk away from the terms he signed back in December 2021.




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