Today so far
- The Florida legislature approved a congressional map approved by governor Ron DeSantis that will severely curtail Black voting power in the state - and also passed a bill dissolving the self-governance status of Disney World. This all took place despite Democrats staging a sit-in on the legislature floor in protest of the new congressional map.
- Joe Biden is scheduled to deliver remarks momentarily in Portland, Oregon on infrastructure. He is then staying in Portland to participate in a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee, before flying to Seattle to participate in yet another fundraiser for the DNC.
- A federal judge temporarily blocked an anti-abortion law in Kentucky that was so restrictive that the two remaining abortion clinics had to halt procedures.
Federal judge temporarily blocks Kentucky anti-abortion law
A federal judge has temporarily blocked enforcement of a sweeping new anti-abortion law in Kentucky that banned abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy and called for a combination birth-death or stillbirth certificate for each abortion.
The restrictive law forced Kentucky’s two remaining abortion clinics to halt procedures.
NEWS: Abortions can happen again in Kentucky — for now.
— Shefali Luthra (@shefalil) April 21, 2022
A federal judge has temporarily blocked the state's sweeping new abortion law, HB3, which clinics said made it impossible to provide care.
If Roe is overturned this summer, KY has a trigger ban that would outlaw abortion.
Updated
Despite the efforts of Florida Democrats, the Florida legislature approved a congressional map approved by governor Ron DeSantis that will severely curtail Black voting power in the state.
Earlier today, Florida Democrats staged a sit-in on the floor of the state legislature to interrupt the special legislative session.
“What we see today is an overreach, and it’s something we see as unacceptable,” Democratic representative Kamia Brown, who chairs the legislative Black caucus, told the Associated Press after the session adjourned. “Today was one thing we could not just take and stand. We’re sick and tired of being sick and tired.”
The congressional map passed today favors the GOP in 20 of the state’s 28 congressional districts in an increase of four seats for the party, by eliminating two congressional districts where Black voters have the ability to elect the candidate of their choosing. One of those, the fifth congressional district, which stretches from Jacksonville to Tallahassee and has a voting population that is 46% Black, will be chopped up into four districts where Black voters comprise a much smaller share of the population.
Rep. Al Lawson, whose district is on the chopping block in maps passed by FL legislation, tees off on DeSantis
— Nicholas Wu (@nicholaswu12) April 21, 2022
"Once again, DeSantis is showing Florida voters that he is governing the state as a dictator." pic.twitter.com/TUVALHiV1S
Florida will be sued. https://t.co/wkoecH0Qbb
— Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) April 21, 2022
Updated
Donald Trump is in the news again, this time for...not being on the news?
Trump is denying that he stormed out of a televised interview with Piers Morgan, claiming instead that the clip released yesterday promoting “the most explosive interview of the year” was misleadingly edited to give the impression that he shouted “turn the camera off” while rising from his chair in anger.
Trump’s team provided audio to US media outlets that suggested that he had said “turn the camera off” after he and Morgan exchanged pleasantries at the end of the interview.
“This is a pathetic attempt to use President Trump as a way to revive the career of a failed television host,” said Taylor Budowich, Trump’s spokesperson.
“He says it’s a rigged election, and he now says I have a rigged promo,” Morgan said. “What I would say is watch the interview. It will all be there. We won’t be doing any duplicitous editing.”
Read more here:
It’s been quite a day in Florida. First Florida Democrats staged a sit in on the floor of the state legislature, halting a special legislative session in which Republicans are poised to pass new congressional districts that would severely curtail Black voting power in the state.
All while this was happening, the Florida legislature passed a bill dissolving the self-governance status of Disney World.
BREAKING: The Florida legislature has passed the bill dissolving Disney World’s self-governance status in retaliation for Disney's (belated) opposition to Florida's Don’t Say Gay law. It now heads to DeSantis' desk to be signed into law.
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) April 21, 2022
This bill dissolving Disney World’s self-governance came after Disney’s opposition to what critics call the state’s “don’t say gay” law that bars instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade.
If Florida governor Ron DeSantis signs the bill into law, it could have huge tax implications for Disney - but Democrats also warned that the move could cause local homeowners to get hit with big tax bills if they have to absorb bond debt from Disney.
Politico-Morning Consult poll:
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) April 21, 2022
75% of voters consider themselves "fans" of Disney's movies and TV shows
31% have a favorable view of Ron DeSantis
This week in FL politics:
— Kirby Wilson (@KirbyWTweets) April 21, 2022
-DeSantis announces a May special session on property insurance (+ other topics?)
-DeSantis adds bills affecting Disney to redistricting special session
-Lawmakers take up and pass Disney bills
-Democrats stage unprecedented House sit-in.
It's Thursday.
Report: House select committee investigating 6 January attack to meet with Trump Jr
ABC News is reporting that in the coming days, Donald Trump Jr is expected to meet with the House select committee tasked with investigating the 6 January attack on the US Capitol.
Sources tell ABC News that the meeting is voluntary and the committee did not have to subpoena the eldest son of Donald Trump.
Trump Jr joins his sister Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, as the most recent Trump family members to speak to the panel.
An auction of artwork, including pieces by Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol, and other personal items owned by the late supreme court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is expected to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars next week.
Much of her collection of paintings and ceramics forms a 115-lot modern art auction hosted by the Potomack company of Alexandria, Virginia, in an online catalog. An additional collection entitled “chambers and home” features 145 more lots of miscellaneous curios, including pewter bowls, crystal vases and numerous other personal items.
Ginsburg, the iconic human and civil rights pioneer who died in 2020 aged 87 from complications of pancreatic cancer, owned a multitude of artefacts spanning the last two centuries, by artists including Picasso and Warhol.
One of the most valuable items is a 1953 oil painting, Presagio-Premonition, by the Mexican artist Gunther Gerzso, which is expected to raise up to $100,000.
Among the most personal is a “Gartenhaus natural black mink coat” with Ginsburg’s name embroidered in a pocket. By Thursday morning, bidding for that was already above $2,000, more than twice its original estimate.
Ceramics by Picasso, and a Warhol painting of a can of tomato soup, are among the other highlights.
“These items are truly tangible pieces of her life and times as one of America’s greatest supreme court justices,’’ Elizabeth Haynie Wainstein, owner of the Potomack Company, told the New York Times.
Read more:
The much vaunted and heavily promoted CNN+ subscription streaming service, which the network intended to be a value-added supplement to its regular news programming, has folded, less than a month after it was launched.
The decision to halt the service on 30 April will be seen as a massive humiliation for CNN, which was relying on its big-name presenters to draw in customers at $5.99 a month.
Take up was slow, however, and the new corporate owners of CNN+, Warner Bros Discovery, decided to pull the plug on Thursday.
The company’s hopes of 2m subscribers in the first year appeared hugely optimistic, with reports saying it had attracted barely 150,000 in the three weeks since its launch.
In a statement to staff attempting to paint the abrupt closure as a reshuffle of resources, CNN’s incoming president Chris Licht said:
While today’s decision is incredibly difficult, it is the right one for the long-term success of CNN. It allows us to refocus resources on the core products that drive our singular focus: further enhancing CNN’s journalism and its reputation as a global news leader.
Breaking: CNN+, the streaming service that was hyped as one of the most signifiant developments in the history of CNN, will shut down on April 30, just one month after it launched. Here's our initial story – more to come https://t.co/JElI3cVyDF
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) April 21, 2022
Black Democrats have staged a sit-in protest in the Florida legislature to disrupt approval of Republican governor Ron DeSantis’s congressional redistricting plans, which they say seeks to eliminate representation for Black voters.
According to the Miami Herald, the special legislative session called by DeSantis was adjourned just before lunchtime Thursday as the Black lawmakers began chanting, and were joined in the protest by White colleagues.
The Herald reports: “The House was halfway through a three-hour debate on the map when Rep Yvonne Hinson, a Gainesville Democrat, was cut off because she had exceeded the five-minute time limit set for member debate.
“As her microphone was silenced, Rep Angie Nixon, a Jacksonville Democrat, walked on the floor with a T-shirt under her suit jacket that read ‘Stop the Black Attack’ and held a sign in protest.
“As Black Democrats started chanting and white Democrats joined the protest, House Speaker Chris Sprowls ordered the House in recess and stunned Republicans slowly walked off the floor.”
DeSantis has proposed his own redrawn map for Florida’s congressional districts, which the Republican-controlled legislature has said it will pass without change, despite it being lawmakers’ responsibility to draw up boundaries.
The governor’s proposal would chop up the fifth congressional district into four new ones where Black voters would comprise a much smaller share of the vote. Critics say his “racist” plan would eliminate the seats of two Black congress members.
Read more:
Joe Biden must act to reduce mounting economic pressure by ditching “woke advisers”, Mitt Romney said.
The Utah senator and former Republican presidential nominee made the demand in a column for the Wall Street Journal.
“A new set of priorities requires a new set of principals,” Romney wrote. “President Biden needs to ditch his woke advisers and surround himself with people who want to get the economy working again.”
Romney’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about what a “woke adviser” was or who might qualify for the title. The White House did not comment.
As midterm elections approach, the Biden administration faces strong economic headwinds. Inflation is at long-term highs, adding to a cost-of-living crisis fueled by the coronavirus pandemic and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
Biden’s favourability rating has plummeted as polling shows disapproval of his handling of economic affairs.
Read more:
Today so far
- Joe Biden announced that the US would be providing another $800m military assistance package to Ukraine, in addition to $500m in economic assistance. He acknowledged that he had nearly exhausted the drawdown authority authorized by Congress in a bipartisan spending bill last month, and that he would be making a supplemental budget request in order to continue funding Ukraine as it defends itself from Russia.
- In this same address, Biden announced the creation of Unite for Ukraine, a humanitarian parole program to expedite the migration of Ukrainian refugees from Europe to the US through sponsorship.
- In addition to more sanctions announced yesterday, Biden announced that Russian-affiliated ships are now banned from American ports.
- Ukraine prime minister Denys Shmyhal is in Washington, and met briefly with Biden and some of his cabinet members before Biden gave his remarks. Shmyhal then went on to Capitol Hill, where he met with House speaker Nancy Pelosi.
A new book by reporters Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns has new details of the days following the 6 January attack on the US Capitol in which Kevin McCarthy and Mitch McConnell, the two top Republican leaders in Congress, privately told associates that they believed Donald Trump should be held responsible for the insurrection.
McCarthy has come out strongly against the New York Times report on the book’s findings, calling it “totally false and wrong”.
My statement on the New York Times pic.twitter.com/PWi2WkoWzh
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) April 21, 2022
Read more here:
Delta Airlines will restore flight privileges to the 2,000 customers who were barred from flights for failing to comply with the federal mask mandate, Reuters is reporting.
Now that a federal judge has ruled the mandate unlawful and the Biden administration will no longer enforce it on public transit - though the justice department appealed the ruling yesterday at the request of public health officials - Delta said it will restore passengers “only after each case is reviewed and each customer demonstrates an understanding of their expected behavior when flying with us.”
“Any further disregard for the policies that keep us all safe will result in placement on Delta’s permanent no-fly list,” Delta said.
This will not affect the 1,000 or so passengers “who demonstrated egregious behavior and are already on the permanent no-fly list.”
Delta joins United Airlines in overturning a ban on passengers who had been banned for not wearing masks on a “case by case basis.”
Here’s the White House readout of the meeting between Joe Biden and Ukraine prime minister Denys Shmyhal:
NEW: White House releases readout of Pres. Biden’s meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) April 21, 2022
“President Biden conveyed the continued commitment of the United States to support the people of Ukraine and to impose costs on Russia.” https://t.co/CzlbOnpowT pic.twitter.com/l0z52cIK6z
Now Ukraine prime minister Denys Shmyhal is on Capitol Hill with House speaker Nancy Pelosi. Earlier, Shmyhal spoke with Joe Biden, which delayed his remarks.
Ukrainian PM Denys Shmyhal is here on the Hill with Speaker Pelosi today. pic.twitter.com/s7el1TuErZ
— Nicholas Wu (@nicholaswu12) April 21, 2022
After providing an update on Ukraine, Joe Biden is now off to Portland, Oregon to talk about infrastructure and attend a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee.
Here are some more details from the defense department on the new $800m military assistance package to Ukraine:
According to DOD, the capabilities in this package include:
— Lara Seligman (@laraseligman) April 21, 2022
-72 155mm Howitzers and 144,000 artillery rounds;
-72 Tactical Vehicles to tow 155mm Howitzers;
-Over 121 Phoenix Ghost Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems; and
-Field equipment and spare parts
For those keeping track on how much the US has provided Ukraine so far in military assistance:
The U.S. has now given Ukraine $3.4 billion in military aid since Russia's Feb. 24 invasion with President Biden's announcement of $800 million more in U.S. assistance this morning.
— Jack Detsch (@JackDetsch) April 21, 2022
Nearly half of that aid – $1.6 billion – has been approved in the last two weeks alone.
In addition to new sanctions against Russia announced yesterday, Joe Biden said any Russian-affiliated ships are now banned from entering American ports.
JUST IN: U.S. is banning Russian-affiliated ships from American ports "to further deny Russia the benefits of the international economic system": President Biden
— Jack Detsch (@JackDetsch) April 21, 2022
Biden announces expedited humanitarian immigration program for Ukrainian refugees
Joe Biden announced the creation of “Unite for Ukraine,” a humanitarian parole program that will expedite the migration process from Europe to the US for Ukrainian refugees.
Biden has promised that the US will take 100,000 Ukrainian refugees.
How does it work?
— amna (@IAmAmnaNawaz) April 21, 2022
Starting 4/25 (when portal goes live): US sponsors directly upload an affidavit to sponsor a specific Ukrainian person/family. Sponsor must pass background checks, vetting to prove they can financially support Ukrainians, etc -- could all happen within a week
Then: Ukrainian person/family gets notified sponsor is approved. Background checks/vetting begin on *that* end. To be eligible: must have a US sponsor, must pass biometric screening, must be vaccinated.
— amna (@IAmAmnaNawaz) April 21, 2022
Once vetting on both sides complete, sponsored Ukrainians granted travel authorization to US, humanitarian parole protection for two years.
— amna (@IAmAmnaNawaz) April 21, 2022
US officials envision this program will comprise "the majority of the 100,000 people" President Biden committed to bring to the US.
“This new humanitarian parole program will complement the existing legal pathways available to Ukrainians including immigrant visas and refugee processing,” Biden said. “It will provide an expedient channel for secure legal migration from Europe to the United States for Ukrainians who have a US sponsor such as a family or an NGO. This program will be fast, it will be streamlined and it will ensure the United States will honor its commitment to the people of Ukraine and need not go through our southern border.”
Biden has nearly exhausted drawdown authority for Ukraine spending
Joe Biden acknowledged today that with the latest $800m military assistance package to Ukraine, he has “almost exhausted the drawdown authority” authorized by Congress in a bipartisan spending bill last month.
“In order to sustain Ukraine for the duration of this fight, next week I will have to send to Congress a supplemental budget request to keep weapons and ammunition flowing without interruption, to continue delivering economic assistance to the Ukrainian people,” Biden said. “My expectation is that Congress will act and move quickly.”
He said this continued support of Ukraine is necessary in sending a message to Vladimir Putin.
“Our unity at home, our unity with our allies and partners, our unity with the Ukrainian people is sending an unmistakable message to Putin: He will never succeed in dominating and occupying al of Ukraine,” Biden said. “That will not happen.”
In addition to military assistance, the US is also sending $500m in economic assistance to Ukraine, bringing the total economic assistance sent to Ukraine in the last two months to $1bn.
Joe Biden spoke of everything the US has provided Ukraine in the past two months, a “record speed”: “We have sent thousands of anti-armor and anti-missile helicopters, drones, grenade launchers, machine guns, rifles, radar systems,” he said. “More than 50m rounds of ammunition has already been sent.”
“We are not sitting on the funding that Congress has provided for Ukraine,” Biden said. “We are sending it directly to the front lines of freedom, to the fearless and skilled Ukrainian fighters.”
He said he was amazed “at the courage of this country, at the resolve that they are showing.” “Not just their military but their average citizen, men and women, young men, young women as well,” he said.
“The sustained and coordinated support of the international community, led and facilitate by the United States, is a significant reason why Ukraine is able to stop Russia from taking over its country thus far,” Biden said. “Every American taxpayer, every member of our armed forces, can be proud of the fact that our country’s generosity and the skill and service of our military helped arm and repel Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and beat back Putin’s savagery that tried to seize Ukraine’s capital and wipe out Ukraine’s government.”
Biden announces another $800m military assistance package to Ukraine
Joe Biden took to the podium today to announce that the US will provide another $800m military assistance package to Ukraine to “to further augment Ukraine’s ability to fight in the east, in the Donbas region.”
“We’re in a critical window of time now where (Russian forces are) going to set the stage for the next phase of this war,” Biden said. “The United States and our partners and allies are moving as fast as possible to continue to provide Ukraine with the equipment it needs, its forces need, to defend its nation.”
This package will be in addition to the $800m package announced last week by Biden. This package will include “heavy artillery weapons, dozens of Howitzers and 144,000 rounds of ammunition to go with those Howitzers,” Biden said. “It also includes more tactical drones.”
It looks like we have a lot of Ukraine news coming out of the US this morning. In addition to speaking about providing more military assistance, it appears Joe Biden will be speaking momentarily about at new program that will allow US citizens to directly sponsor the immigration of displaced Ukrainian refugees in Europe, to speed up the travel process.
NEW: President Biden will today announce a new program for US citizens to directly sponsor displaced Ukrainians in Europe, and quickly approve travel to the US
— amna (@IAmAmnaNawaz) April 21, 2022
More from senior officials this morning 👇🏾
The program is called "Uniting for Ukraine," part of Biden's commitment to welcome up to 100k Ukrainians into the US. Officials say it's an "expression of solidarity with displaced Ukrainians and a "clear signal of support" for European nations hosting historic number of refugees
— amna (@IAmAmnaNawaz) April 21, 2022
How does it work?
— amna (@IAmAmnaNawaz) April 21, 2022
Starting 4/25 (when portal goes live): US sponsors directly upload an affidavit to sponsor a specific Ukrainian person/family. Sponsor must pass background checks, vetting to prove they can financially support Ukrainians, etc -- could all happen within a week
Then: Ukrainian person/family gets notified sponsor is approved. Background checks/vetting begin on *that* end. To be eligible: must have a US sponsor, must pass biometric screening, must be vaccinated.
— amna (@IAmAmnaNawaz) April 21, 2022
Once vetting on both sides complete, sponsored Ukrainians granted travel authorization to US, humanitarian parole protection for two years.
— amna (@IAmAmnaNawaz) April 21, 2022
US officials envision this program will comprise "the majority of the 100,000 people" President Biden committed to bring to the US.
What about Ukrainians at the border?
— amna (@IAmAmnaNawaz) April 21, 2022
US has already allowed in around 15,000 who came to Mexico seeking US entry. Senior DHS official says *beginning 4/25* - once this program is live - Ukrainians at the southern border will be subject to same Title 42 expulsion as anyone else.
I asked if any talk of expanding program to other refugees in Europe- Syria, Afghanistan,etc
— amna (@IAmAmnaNawaz) April 21, 2022
Snr official says no. "this [Ukrainian] population is really unique" - most requests for refuge "temporary in nature" - diff from others who fled + been living in 3rd countries for yrs.
Ukraine prime minister Denys Shmyhal is in Washington today. As we reported yesterday, he will be meeting with House speaker Nancy Pelosi and other bipartisan congressional leaders later, but it appears he will also be meeting with defense secretary Lloyd Austin:
Ukraine’s prime minister will be at the Pentagon later today for a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Austin.
— Idrees Ali (@idreesali114) April 21, 2022
Biden to provide an update on Ukraine and Russia
Howdy, live blog readers. Let’s get to it.
Joe Biden is scheduled to take to the podium today at the White House at 9.45am ET to provide an update on Ukraine and Russia.
An anonymous official told the Associated Press that Biden is planning to detail his plans to build on the roughly $2.6bn in military assistance that his administration has already approved for Ukraine.
This new package should be similar in size to the $800m package that Biden announced last week, and will include much needed heavy artillery and ammunition for Ukrainian forces in the escalating battle for the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.
Yesterday, the White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, told reporters that five flights with military assistance have arrived in the region over the last few days, with more than half a dozen flights from the US scheduled to arrive shortly with even more equipment.
Biden yesterday lauded military officials for “exceptional” work arming Ukraine as he gathered the nation’s military brass for their first in-person group meeting at the White House of his presidency.
“I don’t know about you, but I’ve been to Ukraine a number of times before the war ... and I knew they were tough and proud but I tell you what: they’re tougher and more proud than I thought,” Biden told military commanders. “I’m amazed at what they’re doing with your help.”
More to come.
After we closed the blog down yesterday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked the justice department to file an an appeal seeking to overturn a judge’s order that voided the federal mask mandate on planes and trains and in travel hubs.
Biden administration officials had said they were awaiting the guidance of health officials before determining whether to file an appeal of the ruling made by Florida district court judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, the youngest Donald Trump appointee to the federal bench, and minutes after the CDC asked, notice of appeal was filed in federal court in Tampa.
As you can imagine with this highly politicized ruling, reaction to the appeal was staunchly bipartisan, with conservatives rallying against the appeal and Democrats supporting it.
Biden’s Justice Department (his thugs) want to appeal the removal of their unconstitutional travel mask mandate.
— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) April 20, 2022
LOL.
The regime hates freedom and you will continue to suffer while they are in office. https://t.co/2hIQjVu1fu
Great to see @TheJusticeDept would defend @CDCgov's authority to protect everyone in our nation during a public health crisis.https://t.co/94Bj93dmrh
— Secretary Xavier Becerra (@SecBecerra) April 20, 2022
The Biden Administration will appeal the ruling that lifted the COVID mask mandate on travel.
— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) April 20, 2022
If it were up to them, they'd keep masks on Americans and their children indefinitely!
A DOJ appeal makes good sense. All but the most ideology-driven panel would reverse the clearly erroneous district court decision, and the case won’t be legally moot even if CDC temporarily lifts its mask mandate in early May because the need could recur. https://t.co/QXVb0r87LS
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) April 21, 2022
More to come.
Updated
