Border Crisis Explodes All Over Biden's Administration
Texas House members have penned a letter to the state of Texas urging a lawsuit to be filed against the Biden administration over their bumbling of the current border crisis where tens of thousands of illegal aliens are crossing over, many of them have COVID-19.
The Texans:
Reps. Ronny L. Jackson, Jodey Arrington, Brian Babin, Beth Van Duyne, Kevin Brady, Michael C. Burgess M.D., John Carter, Michael Cloud, Dan Crenshaw, Pat Fallon, Louie Gohmert, Lance Gooden, Michael McCaul, Troy Nehls, August Pfluger, Chip Roy, Pete Sessions, Van Taylor, Randy Weber, and Roger Williams.
“Texas Federation for Children Announces Legislative Priorities” by Texas Politics’ Isabel Webb Carey – The Texas Federation for Children (TFC) today announced its legislative priorities for the 87th session. In light of necessary changes to education undergone through the course of the pandemic, the legislation has affirmed its commitment to enhancing educational flexibility. “The prolonged school closures as a result of the pandemic reinforced the imperative to have meaningful school choice in the Lone Star State,” said TFC State Director Mandy Drogin. “The coronavirus pandemic has left too many Texas children – particularly disadvantaged and special needs children – behind.” Included amongst the legislative priorities are special needs micro-grant expansion, protection of learning pods, virtual school expansion and improvement, public charter school expansion, and the creation of education savings accounts. The continuation of learning pods initiative and SSES program is a clear indication of TFC’s commitment to adapting learning environments to suit a wider range of needs and address shortcomings exposed by the pandemic. Drogin added: “It is widely accepted that Covid school disruptions have caused severe learning loss that may take years to rectify. Consequently, the legislature should be motivated this session to give parents and students more instructional options. The legislative priorities laid out by TFC are a first step in providing parents a greater say in their own child’s education, and we applaud the legislators who are fighting for Texas families by carrying these critical bills.”
“Lt. Gov Supports Bill to Correct $16bn Winter Storm Overcharges” by Texas Politics’ Isabel Webb Carey – Earlier today, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick held a press briefing to discuss SB 2142 in which he discussed retroactive action to bring down electricity overcharges incurred during the devastating winter storm last month. Sponsored by Sen. Bryan Hughes, Bill 2142 will require the Public Utility Commission of Texas to order ERCOT to reverse billions of dollars of wholesale electricity sold between February 17th through 19th. Original estimates made by an independent market monitor estimated that the grid operator ERCOT made a $16 billion error in pricing in keeping the market price at $9,000 for 32 hours. This figure has since been adjusted to a more moderate $4.2 billion. “What happened that week was wrong,” said Hughes today. “What would be even worse would be for us to allow a mistake to compound that by costing millions of dollars to ratepayers.” The bill was hastily pushed through the Senate Monday by a vote margin of 27-3 following the PUC Chair Arthur D’Andrea’s repeated assertion that correcting the price lies beyond his authority and warnings that retroactively adjusting the market would lead to unforeseen consequences. “We know who’s hurt, let’s address that,” D’Andrea stated. “Instead of making a huge mess that we can’t foresee, and losing twice, let’s just stick with the status quo.” In today’s press conference, the Republican Lt. Gov explained his aggressive maneuvers to push through the bill after D’Andrea’s refusal to do what, according to Patrick, “he has the right to do under the law.”
“Abbott Calls for Election Integrity Bills” by Texas Politics’ Isabel Webb Carey – After naming election integrity as an emergency item this session in his February State of the State address, Governor Greg Abbott was joined by Senator Paul Bettencourt and Representative Briscoe Cain at a press conference in Houston to discuss the topic. Following an acknowledgement that he was unaware of any fraud that happened in Texas during the 2020 Election, Abbott went one to declare: “One thing all of us should agree on is that we must have trust and confidence in the outcome of our elections. The fact is, voter fraud does occur.” The Governor discussed the need to pass laws to prevent election officials from jeopardizing the election process and encouraging voter fraud through the abuse of mail ballots and drive-thru voting. He also called for more transparency at the polls by ensuring that poll watchers in Texas are not obstructed from observing the counting of ballots. “Our objective in Texas is to ensure that every eligible voter gets to vote and that only eligible ballots are counted,” stated Abbott. “In the 2020 election, we witnessed actions throughout our state that could risk the integrity of our elections and enable voter fraud, which is why I made election integrity an emergency item this session. Thank you to Senator Bettencourt and Representative Cain for their leadership on this important issue and drafting legislation to protect free and fair elections in the state of Texas.”
“Ted Cruz Embroiled in Feud Over Women in the Military” by Texas Politics’ Isabel Webb Carey – After Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s derision for the Pentagon’s attempts to promote gender equality within the military sparked a Twitter war between military officials and the Marine Corps, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) became embroiled in the social media feud. Last week, Carlson came under fire from serving and forming military members for his derisive attitude towards the Pentagon’s efforts to promote diversity within the ranks. “Pregnant women are going to fight our wars,” Carlson said. “While China’s military becomes more masculine as it has assembled the world’s largest navy, our military needs to become—as Joe Biden says—more feminine.” Among military bodies who spoke out, the II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF) was particularly critical of Carlson’s remarks and drew heat from conservatives on Twitter, including Ted Cruz. In a letter sent to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, the Texas Senator argued that “the military’s broader obligation to avoid political endorsements and controversy” is being “systematically undermined for the sake of leftwing ideology and political expediency.” Cruz also demanded a personal meeting with Marine Corps leadership to explain why officials in charge of the social media account insulted and “intimidated” conservative talk-show host Tucker Carlson for his comments about women in the military.
“Cornyn says illegal immigration along border ‘is a crisis’” by Texas Politics’ Javier Manjarres – President Joe Biden’s crisis along the U.S.-Mexico border continues as thousands of immigrants continue to try to cross over illegally after the president announced that he would soften existing immigration policies. Sen. John Cornyn (R) visited the border this past weekend, and made the assessment that the Biden administration’s immigration misstep will usher in “Republican majority both in the House of Representatives and in the United States Senate,” adding that “the signals that Biden Administration is sending by eliminating the migrant protection program, or ‘Remain in Mexico’ program, that was negotiated with the Mexican government, as well as the failure to enforce the Title 42 public health order which basically gave the Border Patrol the ability to keep people out of the country…” “It is a crisis,” added Cornyn. “When a similar surge happened a few years ago, President Obama himself called it a ‘humanitarian crisis,’ and as I suggested, this is going to get nothing but worse as the spring comes.” On the same program, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) the only people benefitting from this huge influx of illegal aliens are the Mexican drug cartel, who is “making money off of the people” they are smuggling over.
“Griddy files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the wake of Texas power crisis” by ABC News’ Catherine Thorbecke – Griddy Energy has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the aftermath of the severe winter weather that hit Texas last month and triggered an energy crisis. The wholesale electricity provider came under fire after many of its customers reported being hit with exorbitant bills during what is now dubbed Winter Storm Uri. The storm temporarily knocked out power for millions of Texans. "Our bankruptcy plan, if confirmed, provides relief for our former customers who were unable to pay their electricity bills resulting from the unprecedented prices," Griddy Chief Executive Officer Michael Fallquist said in a statement announcing the bankruptcy proceedings. Fallquist said that prior to Uri, Griddy was a "thriving business" and blamed the operators of the state's power grid, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, for hurting its business and causing financial harm to customers. Griddy said that it did not profit from the winter storm crisis and provided access to customers of real-time wholesale electricity prices. Griddy added that it neither influences nor controls the price of electricity and the prices are passed directly to customers without markup. Finally, the company said that it earns the same $9.99 monthly fee regardless of the fluctuations in the price of electricity. Griddy's co-founder Gregory Craig added that "no retail energy provider or consumer should have to forecast and protect against such extreme and unforeseeable circumstances."
“At least 57 people died in the Texas winter storm, mostly from hypothermia” by Texas Tribune’s Sami Sparber – At least 57 people died in Texas as a result of last month’s winter storm, according to preliminary data the state health department released Monday. The largest number of deaths — at least 25 — occurred in Harris County, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported. The deaths occurred in at least 25 counties between Feb. 11 and March 5, the state agency said. The majority of verified deaths were associated with hypothermia, but health officials said some were also caused by motor vehicle wrecks, "carbon monoxide poisoning, medical equipment failure, falls and fire." The preliminary data is "subject to change" as state disaster epidemiologists gather additional information and additional deaths are verified, the agency said. The information will be updated weekly, it said. The winter storm plunged large swaths of Texas into subfreezing temperatures and overwhelmed the state's electricity infrastructure, causing massive power outages. At the height of the crisis, nearly 4.5 million Texas homes and businesses were without power. That's because nearly half of the total power generation capacity for the main state electricity grid was offline as weather conditions caused failures in every type of power source: natural gas, coal, wind and nuclear. Millions of Texans went days without power.
“Texas tacks advertisers' 'cookie' fight onto Google antitrust suit” by Politico’s Leah Nylen – Google’s plan to remove advertisers’ ability to track users across the web in its Chrome browser will entrench the search giant’s power over the ad buying market, state antitrust prosecutors led by Texas said Tuesday. In an update to an existing antitrust suit, Texas and 14 other states and territories accused Google of using its browser to try to “wall off” the open internet. “Google’s new scheme limits competitors’ ability to compete with Google and the massive amount of user data that it has accumulated,” the states said in the new complaint. “Google’s upcoming cookie changes in the name of privacy are a ruse to further Google’s longstanding plan to advantage itself by creating a closed ecosystem out of the open web.” An antitrust pile-on: Tuesday's expanded complaint adds to Google's antitrust struggles. The search giant faces three major antitrust suits from the Justice Department and state attorneys general targeting its core search and advertising businesses, as well as efforts in Congress to amend the antitrust law to better address online platforms and questions about an earlier antitrust probe during the Obama administration. C is for Cookies: Google said early last year that it would phase out the use of third-party “cookies” — bits of data that follow users across the web to help identify them for targeted advertising. This month, the search giant expanded on that, saying that once cookies are phased out, it won’t replace them with other tools that would track individual consumers around the browser — and therefore, it’ll no longer sell ads based on that valuable information.
“Special election a bellwether for Texas Democrats” by The Hill’s Julia Machester – Republicans and Democrats are lining up to replace the late Rep. Ron Wright (R-Texas) in a special election that is seen as a possible bellwether of Democrats’ ability to muster enthusiasm in Texas and take advantage of their newfound popularity in the suburbs. Twenty-three candidates — 11 Republicans, 10 Democrats, a Libertarian and an independent — have filed to run in the May 1 election. While the 6th Congressional District has been controlled by Republicans since the 1980s, Biden came within 3 points of flipping the district, which is made up of the Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs and more rural Ellis and Navarro counties. “I think it is a bellwether, but I think it’s still on the verge of becoming sort of a swing district,” said Texas-based Democratic strategist Sawyer Hackett. “In the last [five years] the district has gotten a lot more competitive, the state has gotten a lot more competitive.” A win in the district would put Texas squarely on the map for Democrats deciding where to invest money and energy in the midterm elections. “This isn’t necessarily a bellwether. I think the biggest thing is if we’re able to pull this off, that means it’s going to be a Democratic landslide, like Texas is really on the verge of turning blue,” said one Texas-based Democratic strategist. The primary is set to take place on May 1 and will be the first election in the state since Republicans dominated up and down the ballot in November, dashing Democratic hopes of finally turning the state blue. Wright won his district – one of the races Democrats targeted – in 2020 by about 9 points Democrat Jana Lynne Sanchez, who lost to Wright by 12 points in 2018, is seen by many Democrats as their party’s front-runner. Sanchez credits her work as a previous candidate as well as her involvement with Tarrant Together, an organization aimed at registering and engaging Democrats, for having an advantage in the field.
“Texas Securities Regulator Issues Emergency Order Against Binance Impersonator” by CoinDesk’s Sebastian Sinclair – The securities watchdog in Texas has issued a cease-and-desist order against an allegedly fraudulent platform posing as the cryptocurrency company Binance. According to a press release on Tuesday, Securities Commissioner Travis Iles of the Texas State Securities Board entered the emergency order taking aim at an online cryptocurrency platform Delta Crypt Limited. The firm, listed with U.K business registrar Companies House, was previously accused by the Philippines securities watchdog of “illegally offering securities” in April of last year. Following the warning, Delta Crypt removed its website, but continued to operate as normal under new names including Binance Assets, BinanceAssets LTD and Bit Kind LTD, according to the release. The regulator says Delta Crypt is currently advertising cryptocurrency investments through different plans, including a “Gold Plan” and a “Diamond Plan” promising 30–40% returns on investment. “The pitch is relatively simple – invest a little, gain a lot, and don’t worry about risk,” the Securities Board said. The regulator found the offerings by Delta Crypt to be “fraudulent and deceptive,” accusing it of concealing information about its principles and the Philippine regulator’s warning. The firm is also alleged to be “illegally soliciting sales agents” with promises to pay commissions irrespective of appropriate company registration or licensure.
“Almost a third of children have COVID-19 antibodies in Texas study” by Yahoo’s Peter Weber – A large ongoing study in Texas has found that between 14 percent and 34 percent of all Texans have COVID-19 antibodies, including about 30 percent of children age 5 to 19, KERA News in Dallas reported Monday. The surprise preliminary findings suggest children could play an important role in helping Texas and the U.S. achieve herd immunity. The Texas CARES study, a collaboration between University of Texas School of Public Health in Dallas and the Texas Department of State Health Services, collects and tests thousands of blood samples and patient surveys, looking for the prevalence of COVID-19 in the state. It runs through July. "Children actually have a higher seroprevalence than adults do," Sarah Messiah, a professor of epidemiology at UT Health and a collaborator on the study, tells KERA News. Half of the children with antibodies experienced no symptoms, she added. "Children have not been a part of this conversation," but "think about the households that have children in them." Herd immunity is when enough people are infected or vaccinated to stop the virus from spreading in a community. Experts estimate up to 80 percent of people must have immunity to reach that point.
“Texas congressional candidate Michael Wood on the future of the Republican Party” by Yahoo’s Elain Quijano – On May 1, voters in Texas' 6th Congressional District will head to the polls to pick a replacement for Republican Congressman Ron Wright, who died in February after contracting COVID-19. Michael Wood, a Republican running for Wright's seat, spoke to "Red and Blue" host Elaine Quijano about the pandemic, the future of the GOP and the influx of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. Video Transcript ELAINE QUIJANO: In six weeks, voters in Texas will cast their ballots to replace the first sitting member of Congress to die from complications related to COVID-19. Republican Ron Wright had been undergoing treatment for lung cancer for years before contracting coronavirus earlier this year. He died in early February, at the age of 67. Wright's widow, Susan, has already entered the race to fill his seat. The historically Republican district in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area has been trending toward Democrats recently. In 2012, Mitt Romney won by 17 percentage points. Last year, President Biden lost by just three. I want to bring in one of the Republican candidates in the race, Michael Wood. He's a small business owner, father of four, and recipient of two purple hearts awarded for service as a marine in Afghanistan.
National:
“Dem Sen. Cardin caught on hot mic telling Buttigieg how Dems will jam trillions of dollars for infrastructure” by Fox News’ Houston Keene – Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., was caught on a hot mic telling Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg that the budget reconciliation process would "most likely" be needed to get an infrastructure package into the end zone. While at a Monday press conference featuring Buttigieg, Cardin was caught on a C-SPAN mic saying that Democrats will "most likely have to use reconciliation" to push an infrastructure package through Congress. Cardin also told Buttigieg that the infrastructure bill will be constructed in a "similar" way to the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill that President Biden signed last week. "Ultimately, it’s going to be put together similar to how the American Rescue Plan was put together …," Cardin was caught saying. "Most likely, we’re going to have to use reconciliation." Budget reconciliation is a parliamentary procedure that gained recognition as the Democrats looked for an avenue to get their COVID-19 relief bill, the American Rescue Plan, past a Senate filibuster and to President Joe Biden’s desk. It allows lawmakers to sidestep Senate filibusters. So no 60-vote requirement there. All you need is to find a simple majority to pass whatever bill you insert into a budget reconciliation package.
“Cuomo has 'preoccupation with his hand size,' former aide Charlotte Bennett tells investigators” by Fox News’ Thomas Barrabi – A former aide who accused New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment told investigators Monday that the embattled Democratic leader has a "preoccupation with his hand size." The former aide, Charlotte Bennett, met with outside investigators for more than four hours as part of New York State Attorney General Letitia James’ investigation into the allegations against Cuomo. Bennett provided "more than 120 pages of contemporaneous records" as well as "other examples of documentary evidence," according to her attorney, Debra Katz. "We remain confident that their investigation will substantiate Charlotte’s claims of sexual harassment against Gov. Cuomo, as well as the failure of his senior staff to meet their mandatory reporting requirements under the very laws he signed," Katz said in a statement. "She also provided detailed information about the sexually hostile work environment the Governor fostered in both his Manhattan and Albany offices and his deliberate effort to create rivalries and tension among female staffers on whom he bestowed attention." "One piece of new information that came to light today was the Governor’s preoccupation with his hand size and what the large size of his hands indicated to Charlotte and other members of his staff," she added.
“US to house up to 3,000 immigrant teens at Dallas convention center” by Associated Press – The U.S. government plans to use the downtown Dallas convention center to hold up to 3,000 immigrant teenagers as sharply higher numbers of border crossings have severely strained the current capacity to hold youths, according to a memo obtained by The Associated Press. The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center will be used for up to 90 days beginning as early as this week, according to written notification sent to members of the Dallas City Council on Monday. Federal agencies will use the facility to house boys ages 15 to 17, according to the memo, which describes the soon-to-open site as a "decompression center." U.S. Health and Human Services is rushing to open facilities across the country to house immigrant children who are otherwise being held by the U.S. Border Patrol, which is generally supposed to detain children for no more than three days. The Border Patrol is holding children longer because there is next to no space in the HHS system, similar to the last major increase in migration two years ago. A tent facility operated by the Border Patrol in Donna, some 165 miles (265 kilometers) south of Dallas, is holding more than 1,000 children and teenagers, some as young as 4. Lawyers who inspect immigrant detention facilities under a court settlement say they interviewed children who reported being held in packed conditions in the tent, with some sleeping on the floor and others not able to shower for five days.
“Capitol Police officer suspended after anti-Semitic reading material found near his work area” by CNN’s Zachary Cohen and Caroline Kelly – A US Capitol Police officer has been suspended after anti-Semitic reading material was discovered near his work area on Sunday, according to a department spokesperson. The spokesperson said in a statement that Capitol Police acting Chief Yogananda Pittman on Monday ordered the officer to be suspended and the officer will remain suspended pending an outcome of an investigation by the department's Office of Professional Responsibility. "We take all allegations of inappropriate behavior seriously," Pittman said. "Once this matter was brought to my attention, I immediately ordered the officer to be suspended until the Office of Professional Responsibility can thoroughly investigate." The Washington Post first reported the officer was suspended after a congressional aide reportedly saw the document in plain sight at a checkpoint. A printed copy of the Protocols of the Meetings of the Learned Elders of Zion was left on a table inside an entrance to a House building, according to photos obtained by the Post. The text is a work of fiction published in a Russian newspaper in 1903, purporting to be documents showing a Jewish conspiracy to take over the world. The falsified papers were used as propaganda and influenced Adolf Hitler, according to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.
“Schumer keeps pressure on Biden to cancel $50,000 in student loan debt” by CNN’s Katie Lobosco – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is keeping the pressure on President Joe Biden to forgive $50,000 in federal student loan debt. The New York Democrat said Monday that the Justice Department is currently conducting a legal review on whether Biden has the authority to issue blanket forgiveness on student debt. But Biden has repeatedly resisted calls from Schumer and other Democrats like Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren to cancel $50,000 per student loan borrower -- making it very clear during a CNN Town Hall last month that he does not support the idea. Biden has expressed support for canceling $10,000 per borrower, but has argued that the government shouldn't forgive debt for people who went to "Harvard and Yale and Penn." He's also indicated that he believes Congress should make changes through legislation, which would make them harder to undo -- though White House press secretary Jen Psaki has said that the administration was open to reviewing an executive option. When asked Monday about whether Congress should take the first step, Schumer argued it would take too long and there are many other key priorities at the moment that the Senate is focused on. "I think it will be much harder to do legislatively. We have not seen our Republican colleagues jump at this opportunity," he said on a press call with his colleagues Warren and Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey.
“White House staff no longer tested for Covid-19 daily” by CNN’s Jason Hoffman, Kaitlan Collins and Caroline Kelly – White House staff working in-person are no longer tested for Covid-19 every day as those on campus have been increasingly vaccinated, a recent change to testing protocol, according to an administration official familiar with the process. White House spokesperson Kevin Munoz said in a statement to CNN that the White House "maintains strong Covid-19-related protocols in order to create a safe workplace for its employees," such as mandatory mask wearing, social distancing and "regular testing." "Our testing protocol is informed by a range of factors, including an employee's vaccination status, and is only one of a host of measures in place to mitigate risk in the workplace," Munoz said. Prior to the change, only those who were coming in contact with a top leader -- such as President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris or other senior level staff -- were getting tested daily. If a staff member was not going to be in contact with those people, they already were not being tested daily. News of the testing changes was first reported by Axios. The Biden administration has made significant changes from the White House protocols under former President Donald Trump, who during his time in office long dismissed the gravity of the virus and eschewed practices like social distancing and mask wearing.
“U.S. Outreach to North Korea Has Gone Unanswered, White House Says” by WSJ’s Sabrina Siddiqui and Michael R. Gordon – The Biden administration has reached out to North Korea to launch a dialogue on Pyongyang’s nuclear-weapons and ballistic-missile programs but has yet to receive a response, the White House said Monday. “Our goal is to reduce the risk of escalation. But to date, we have not received any response,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. “Diplomacy continues to remain our first priority.” Ms. Psaki didn’t explain how the Biden administration had tried to contact North Korea nor spell out what its message had been. The administration is currently conducting a review of its policy toward North Korea, which may be completed in coming weeks. The U.S. has a number of ways to reach out to Pyongyang, including contact through North Korea’s mission to the United Nations, use of an intelligence channel the Obama administration established for sensitive communications with North Korea, and messages through Sweden, the U.S.’s “protecting power” in the country. Washington and Pyongyang haven’t held nuclear talks since October 2019. The negotiations are held up over U.S. demands that North Korea give up its nuclear weapons program and long-range missiles in return for relief from U.S. sanctions.
“Germany, France, Italy Suspend Use of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 Vaccine” by WSJ’s Jenny Strasburg and Bojan Pancevski – Germany, Italy, France and Spain joined the ranks of European countries that have temporarily halted use of the Covid-19 shot made by AstraZeneca AZN 0.72% PLC over blood-clot concerns, dealing another blow to the continent’s sluggish vaccination rollout and threatening the credibility of the vaccine itself. A cascade of cautionary pauses that started last week picked up Monday. Denmark was the first to suspend the shots. Ireland, Norway, the Netherlands and Iceland have also said they would wait for Europe’s bloc-wide medicines regulator to investigate a small number of serious blood-clotting issues among people who had received the AstraZeneca shot. That regulator, the European Medicines Agency, is expected by Thursday to give its verdict on safety and potential risks from a review of the reported cases. The agency on Monday repeated an advisory from last week that for now it is recommending countries keep using the vaccine, saying the benefits outweigh possible risks. The EMA, which acts much like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in regulating medicine across the European Union, has said there was no evidence of a link between the reported blood clots and the vaccine.
“Purdue Pharma Owners Increase Settlement Offer to $4.28 Billion” by WSJ’s Jonathan Randles and Sara Randazzo – The family that owns OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP agreed to pay roughly $4.28 billion—a larger sum than previously promised—to resolve lawsuits accusing it of helping to fuel the opioid epidemic. The payment from members of the Sackler family is part of a larger restructuring plan filed Monday night in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in White Plains, N.Y., that is intended to get Purdue out of chapter 11. The plan is a critical milestone in the Stamford, Conn.-based drugmaker’s bankruptcy and the culmination of months of negotiation between members of the Sackler family and states, personal-injury plaintiffs and other creditors. A group of around half of all U.S. states has repeatedly demanded more money from the Sackler family, a concession included in Monday’s plan. At the time of its September 2019 bankruptcy filing, the family had agreed to pay $3 billion with the promise of up to another $1.5 billion contingent on the sale of its international business. The new offer guarantees $4.28 billion, paid in installments over the next decade. A key piece of the restructuring plan, which includes another $1.5 billion in cash and expected proceeds from OxyContin sales, is ensuring that the money will largely be spent to help abate the nation’s opioid crisis, rather than going into the general coffers of state and local government creditors.
“Two charged for pepper-spraying police officer who died after assault on U.S. Capitol” by Reuters’ Sarah N. Lynch and Brad Heath – The U.S. Justice Department on Monday charged two men with pepper-spraying three Capitol Police officers, one of whom later died, during the Jan. 6 assault on Congress by Donald Trump supporters trying to overturn his election defeat. Julian Elie Khater and George Pierre Tanios are facing multiple counts, including assaulting police with a deadly weapon, after investigators said they sprayed at least three officers with an unidentified, but powerful, chemical agent. One of those officers, Brian Sicknick, was later rushed to a hospital and died the next day. Khater and Tanios are not charged with killing Sicknick, whose cause of death remains unclear. A law enforcement source familiar with the matter said it is still too early in the probe to know if Tanios or Khater directly bear any responsibility for Sicknick’s death. According to the complaint, the FBI said the two men “appeared to time the deployment of chemical substances to coincide with other rioters’ efforts to forcibly remove the bike rack barriers that were preventing the rioters from moving closer to the Capitol building.” Khater, 32, of State College, Pennsylvania, was arrested as he disembarked from an airplane at Newark Airport in New Jersey. Tanios, 39, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was arrested at his residence in West Virginia. The two men grew up together in New Jersey, according to the criminal complaint.
“IRS partially shields some stimulus payments from debt reductions” by Politico’s Toby Eckert – The IRS has agreed not to reduce economic stimulus payments for some people who owe federal tax debts, the agency’s in-house watchdog said Monday. However, the move won’t shield people with some other debts, including state taxes and overpayments of certain federal benefits. Unequal treatment: At issue is a change Congress made late last year in how people owing government debts would be treated if they received coronavirus relief payments approved in March and December as a credit on their 2020 taxes, instead of direct payments as most people did. Those who received the “recovery rebate credits” would see their credits reduced to settle unpaid federal and state taxes, Social Security and Veterans Affairs debts, student loan debt, and child support obligations. Highlighting the issue: National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins flagged the unequal treatment in January, saying that millions of people could have their credits reduced, particularly those most in need of relief money because of the coronavirus pandemic, including veterans, Social Security recipients and students. She urged the IRS to use its own authority to fix the problem, at least for those who have federal tax debts, and the agency has agreed to do so, Collins wrote in a blog Monday. "It has committed to doing so as quickly as practical," she wrote. Limited reach: However, she noted that the change won’t cover those who have already filed their 2020 returns or file them before the IRS can make a necessary computer programming change. It also won't affect most categories of debt.
“An unlikely Trump turncoat shows the GOP way to resist his influence” by Politico’s Melanie Zanona – Jaime Herrera Beutler is not one to make waves on Capitol Hill. But during Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial, she almost created a tsunami. After she publicly revealed damaging details about Trump’s phone call with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Herrera Beutler was nearly ensnared in the Senate trial herself — an episode that later landed her in the GOP leader's office. There, during a previously unreported interaction, she got a chance to explain her thinking behind divulging the Trump-McCarthy exchange to reporters, constituents and local officials. And while Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.) wouldn’t discuss their private conversation, she stood by her actions surrounding Jan. 6 in a 30-minute interview. In Herrera Beutler’s view, a member of Congress' toughest challenge is "when your own team does something you don't like, and you have to step out and oppose them." Herrera Beutler's stint in the national spotlight hasn't faded yet. After a 12-year House career spent steering clear of controversy, her high-profile moment of rebellion against a former president who's still molding the GOP in his image made her into a potential prototype for how to cross Trump and survive in the party. Though Republicans are already lining up to primary her, she's already shown how to win in a suburban and rural district that became increasingly competitive under Trump.
