Summary
- Joe Biden announced the US has administered 150m vaccine doses since he took office in January. The president also announced all American adults will be eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine by 19 April, pushing up his earlier deadline of 1 May by about two weeks.
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A shooting occurred at Fort Detrick in Frederick, Maryland, this morning. The US navy confirmed the shooter, who is now dead, was a naval hospital corpsman. The two victims of the shooting are in critical condition and were airlifted to a Baltimore hospital, Frederick police told reporters.
- Derek Chauvin’s trial resumed in Minneapolis, where the former police officer is facing murder charges over the killing of George Floyd. A police trainer who instructed Chauvin in the use of force told the jury that placing a knee on a suspect’s neck when they are already subdued, as Chauvin did with Floyd, “is not authorized”.
- The Democratic congressman Alcee Hastings died at 84. Hastings, who had pancreatic cancer for more than two years, was the longest-serving member of Florida’s House delegation.
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US Capitol police officer William “Billy” Evans will lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda next week, the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, and the Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer. announced. Evans was killed in the car attack at the Capitol last week. In a statement released by USCP today, Evans’ family described him as “the best father, son, brother, and friend anyone could ever hope for”.
- Arkansas lawmakers overrode their governor’s veto to enact the country’s first ban on gender-affirming treatment for transgender youth.The law, which has been opposed by medical groups and child welfare groups including the American Academy of Pediatrics, would punish healthcare providers who offer treatments like hormone therapy and puberty blockers to trans children.
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Caitlyn Jenner, the former reality star, is reportedly considering a run for California governor. According to an Axios report, Jenner is working with GOP fundraiser Caroline Wren, to explore running against California governor Gavin Newsom in an impending recall election.
- Atlanta’s mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, signed an order to “mitigate the impact of new voting restrictions imposed” by Georgia’s restrictive new voting laws. Civil rights groups and businesses have spoken out against Georgia Republicans’ sweeping voter restrictions, which will disproportionately affect Black voters’ ability to cast their ballots.
– Joan E Greve and Maanvi Singh
Updated
Matt Gaetz, the Florida Republican congressman who is being investigated over child sex trafficking charges, and who reportedly shared nude pictures of women with colleagues, is speaking at former president Donald Trump’s resort in Doral, at a rally for a pro-Trump women’s group.
Politico reports:
Women for America First announced late Tuesday that Gaetz would be a speaker at the three-day “Save America Summit.” This is the same group that helped organize the “March for Trump” rally in Washington that took place just hours before the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol that left five people dead.
The organization praised Gaetz as one of the “few members of Congress” willing to “stand up & fight on behalf of President Trump & his America First agenda.” Women For America First says on its website that “We won’t be pushed around by bullies who tell us who we are ‘supposed’ to like. And we’re not going to keep quiet just because the Washington, D.C. power elites and mainstream media want us to!”
Gaetz on Twitter thanked the group for “the invitation to share my vision for our great nation.”
Read more:
Updated
Kamala Harris issued a statement on the death of Alcee Hastings:
Congressman Alcee Hastings welcomed me to the Congressional Black Caucus when I was still new to the Senate. He exuded the kind of warmth and good humor that not only put me at ease, but encouraged me to speak my mind. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of working with the Congressman on a number of issues, and learning from his collaborative and candid style of leadership.
Born in the Jim Crow South, Congressman Hastings understood our obligation to speak truth better than most. He began his career as a civil rights lawyer in the 1960s, channeling his passion for justice into the work of desegregating the public spaces of south Florida. As we mourn his death, I am comforted that his commitment to public service will serve as an example for generations to come.
The Democratic congressman of Florida was 84.
Atlanta’s mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, signed an order to “mitigate the impact of new voting restrictions imposed” by Georgia’s restrictive new voting laws.
Civil rights groups and businesses have spoken out against Georgia Republicans’ sweeping voter restrictions, which will disproportionately affect Black voters’ ability to cast their ballots.
“The voting restrictions of SB 202 will disproportionately impact Atlanta residents – particularly in communities of color and other minority groups,” Bottoms said in a statement. “This Administrative Order is designed to do what those in the majority of the state legislature did not – expand access to our right to vote.”
My colleague Sam Levine wrote about the new voting law in Georgia:
It requires voters to submit ID information with both an absentee ballot request and the ballot itself. It limits the use of absentee ballot drop boxes, allows for unlimited challenges to a voter’s qualifications, cuts the runoff election period from nine to four weeks, and significantly shortens the amount of time voters have to request an absentee ballot.
The legislation also empowers the state legislature, currently dominated by Republicans, to appoint a majority of members on the five-person state election board. That provision would strip Georgia’s secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, a Republican who stood up to Trump after the election, from his current role as chairman of the board. The bill creates a mechanism for the board to strip local election boards of their power.
Major League Baseball announced today it was moving its 2021 All-Star Game to Colorado over Georgia’s passage of the law.
Updated
How the far-right group ‘Oath Enforcers’ plans to harass political enemies
Revealed: online chats indicate some members are threatening to unleash harassment tactics on officials and government workers
A national online network of thousands of rightwing, self-described “Oath Enforcers” is threatening to unleash harassment tactics on elected officials and government workers around the country, the Guardian can reveal.
While the network’s founder insists that the group is neither violent nor a militia, internal chats indicate that some members are planning for confrontations with law enforcement and their perceived political enemies.
The chats also indicate that white supremacists and others connected with the militia movement are aiming to leverage the group’s success in recruiting disillusioned supporters of Donald Trump and the “QAnon” conspiracy movement, who are being exposed to a wide range of conspiracy theories, white nationalist material and rightwing legal theories inside the groups.
The group’s founder, who makes videos and organizes under the name Vince Edwards, lives off-grid in a remote corner of Costilla county, in Colorado’s high desert region. Arrest records from 2016 indicate that he has also used the name Christian Picolo, and other public records associate him with the name Vincent Edward Deluca.
Experts say that Edwards’ personal history reflects the potential danger in the spread of “sovereign citizen” ideology – along with voluminous online propaganda, that history includes an armed standoff with Costilla county sheriff’s deputies in 2016
Read more:
Arkansas lawmakers overrode their governor’s veto to enact the country’s first ban on gender-affirming treatment for transgender youth.
The law, which has been opposed by medical groups and child welfare groups including the American Academy of Pediatrics, would punish healthcare providers who offer treatments like hormone therapy and puberty blockers to trans children. The treatments are part of a gradual process that can vastly improve mental health in young people, and can be life-saving, experts say.
Arkansas’ Republican-controlled legislature overrode Republican governor Asa Hutchinson’s veto of the measure. Hutchinson held that the law went too far in interfering with parents’ decisions, and would cut off care for young people already receiving treatment.
Earlier, my colleague Sam Levin spoke to healthcare providers, families, and trans children affected by legislation banning affirming healthcare. Efforts to end gender-affirming care have cropped up not just in Arkansas, but across the country.
Corey Hyman, a 15-year-old boy from St Charles, Missouri, waited years to access the medical treatments that he said saved his life.
Corey said he had long known that he was a boy and came out to his mother as trans at age 12. She researched clinics that supported children like him, and after dozens of sessions with therapists and doctors over two years, Corey was approved to start taking testosterone hormones.
“I was being my true self and actually presenting as a male, and it just made me feel so much better,” said Corey, who previously struggled with severe psychological distress, including self-harm and suicidal thoughts. “Everyone told me that they could see me getting happier.”
The number of kids receiving gender-affirming care in the US is limited. Jules Gill-Peterson, professor of gender, sexuality and women’s studies at the University of Pittsburgh, said that access to the treatment is extremely restricted, given that there are few clinics that do this work and that families often need significant time and money to advocate for and get treatment.
“We’re facing the proposition of banning forms of healthcare that almost no trans kids even have access to,” she said. She noted that at a clinic in Pittsburgh, some families drive from five hours away to get care. “We’re talking about healthcare that at the moment is generally accessible only to upper-middle-class families.”
Read more:
Updated
Caitlyn Jenner, the former reality star, is reportedly considering a run for California governor.
According to an Axios report, Jenner is working with GOP fundraiser Caroline Wren, to explore running against California governor Gavin Newsom in an impending recall election.
The recall campaign against Newsom, a Democrat, is spearheaded by Republicans who opposed the governor’s pandemic-era business shutdowns, as well as his immigration and tax policies. Amid the previous coronavirus surge, and with the aid of funds from big business donors and a few Silicon Valley venture capitalists, the recall campaign amassed more than 2m signatures, its leaders say. If election officials are able to validate at least 1.5m signatures by the end of this month, the state will hold a recall election this year. Voters will choose first whether they want to recall Newsom and then who they would like to replace him.
The Republicans currently running against Newsom include San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer; conservative activist Mike Cernovich; and John Cox, who lost to Newsom in 2018 by 23 points. Strategists say that none of these candidates have an easy path to victory in a state that leans heavily Democratic. However, a big-name Republican like Jenner could change the dynamics of the race. In the 2003 recall of former California governor Gray Davis, it was actor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s decision to run against Davis that helped energize the effort. Schwarzenegger ultimately replaced Davis.
Jenner, a former Olympic medalist who starred in Keeping Up with the Kardashians, has been critical of Donald Trump’s views on trans rights, but she has ultimately aligned with the Republican party on many major issues. Wren, who worked for Trump’s 2020 campaign fundraising committee and helped organize the rally that preceded the 6 January Capitol attack, connected with Jenner through a GOP nonprofit focused on LGBT issues, according to Axios.
Democrats in California and in DC have aligned themselves with Newsom. Progressive Vermont senator Bernie Sanders has thrown his support behind Newsom, and Kamala Harris – a longtime friend of the California governor – appeared alongside him Monday during her visit to the state and praised him as “a real champion in California and outside of California”.
The governor’s approval rating dropped from an early-pandemic peak, but it remains relatively strong in recent polls. A recent poll by the Public Policy Institute of California found 56% of likely voters would oppose a recall.
Updated
California to lift most coronavirus-related restrictions June 15
California will lift most of its coronavirus-related restrictions starting June 15, Governor Gavin Newsom announced today.
The Democratic governor emphasized the statewide mask mandate will remain in effect, and restrictions will only be lifted if vaccinations continue to steadily increase and coronavirus hospitalizations stay low over the coming weeks.
BREAKING: CA has administered 20+ million vaccinations. We have the lowest positivity rate in the US. Stable hospitalizations.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) April 6, 2021
Now, we’re looking forward.
We’re setting our eyes on fully reopening by June 15th — with commonsense measures like masking.
Mask up & get vaxed, CA.
“With more than 20 million vaccines administered across the state, it is time to turn the page on our tier system and begin looking to fully reopen California’s economy,” Newsom said in a statement.
The announcement is hugely consequential, considering California was the first state to approve a statewide stay-at-home order last spring and Newsom has been generally hesitant to relax restrictions on businesses, due to concerns about a potential surge in cases.
But the governor is now moving forward with easing restrictions, as more than a third of Californians have received at least one coronavirus vaccine dose.
“We can now begin planning for our lives post-pandemic, Newsom said. “We will need to remain vigilant, and continue the practices that got us here – wearing masks and getting vaccinated – but the light at the end of this tunnel has never been brighter.”
Updated
Today so far
That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague Maanvi Singh will take over the blog for the next few hours.
Here’s where the day stands so far:
- Joe Biden announced the US has administered 150 million vaccine doses since he took office in January. The president also announced all American adults will be eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine by April 19, pushing up his earlier deadline of May 1 by about two weeks.
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A shooting occurred at Fort Detrick in Frederick, Maryland, this morning. The US navy confirmed the shooter, who is now dead, was a naval hospital corpsman. The two victims of the shooting are in critical condition and were airlifted to a Baltimore hospital, Frederick police told reporters.
- Derek Chauvin’s trial resumed in Minneapolis, where the former police officer is facing murder charges over the killing of George Floyd. A police trainer who instructed Chauvin in the use of force told the jury that placing a knee on a suspect’s neck when they are already subdued, as Chauvin did with Floyd, “is not authorized”.
- Democratic congressman Alcee Hastings died at 84. Hastings, who had had pancreatic cancer for more than two years, was the longest-serving member of Florida’s House delegation.
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US Capitol police officer William “Billy” Evans will lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda next week, House speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer announced. Evans was killed in the car attack at the Capitol last week. In a statement released by USCP today, Evans’ family described him as “the best father, son, brother, and friend anyone could ever hope for”.
Maanvi will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
Updated
Joe Biden took a few questions from reporters after concluding his prepared remarks on his administration’s efforts to distribute coronavirus vaccines across the country.
One journalist asked whether the president believed the PGA should move the Masters golf tournament from Georgia due to the outcry over the state’s new law restricting voting access.
Pres. Biden says it's "reassuring" to see corporations opposing Georgia's sweeping voting law, but cautions businesses leaving the state could hurt workers.
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) April 6, 2021
"The best way to deal with this is for Georgia and other states to smarten up. Stop it. Stop it." https://t.co/04o558mesk pic.twitter.com/lLh2pydIbX
“I think that’s up the Masters,” Biden said. “It’s reassuring to see that for-profit operations and businesses are speaking up about how these new Jim Crow laws are just antithetical to who we are.”
But the president acknowledged such decisions can be incredibly challenging because the ramifications of them often hurt “the people who need the help the most, people who are making hourly wages”.
“I think it’s a very tough decision for a corporation to make,” Biden said. “The best way to deal with it is for Georgia and other states to smarten up. Stop it. Stop it. It’s about getting people to vote.”
Biden’s comments come days after the Major League Baseball All-Star game was moved from Atlanta because of the Georgia voting law.
Updated
Joe Biden concluded his prepared remarks by once again encouraging Americans to continue taking precautions to limit the spread of coronavirus.
“This progress we’ve worked so hard to achieve can be reversed,” Biden said. “Now’s not the time to let down. Now’s not the time to celebrate.”
The president reiterated his hope that the country will be able to return to a sense of normality by July 4, when America celebrates Independence Day.
Biden said, “I want to have an Independence Day, an independence from the Covid.”
Biden urges seniors: 'Get vaccinated now,' before all adults become eligible on April 19
Joe Biden announced all American adults will be eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine by April 19, pushing up his earlier deadline of May 1 by about two weeks.
Every US state except for Hawaii had already announced it would make the vaccine available to all adult residents by that date, so Biden’s announcement is not necessarily shocking.
The president also made a point to urge older Americans to get their shots before vaccine eligibility expands and lines get longer.
“Seniors, it’s time for you to get vaccinated now,” Biden said.
The president noted his administration is ramping up transportation assistance to vaccination sites in order to help older Americans get their shots.
Updated
Biden celebrates 150 million shots administered but tells Americans to stay vigilant
Joe Biden is now speaking at the White House to deliver an update on his administration’s efforts to distribute coronavirus vaccines across the country.
The president noted he visited a vaccination site in Alexandria, Virginia, earlier today, and he described it as an “example of America at its finest”.
As expected, Biden announced the US has administered more than 150 million vaccine doses since he took office in January.
“Yesterday, we crossed 150 million shots in 75 days, the first 75 days of my administration,” Biden said.
I’m proud to share that yesterday, we crossed 150 million shots in just 75 days of my Administration — on our way to hitting our goal of 200 million shots by my 100th day in office.
— President Biden (@POTUS) April 6, 2021
The president noted more than 4 million shots were administered on Saturday alone, and more than 75% of people over 65 have been vaccinated, an important milestone given that seniors account for 80% of all coronavirus deaths.
But Biden warned that, even as vaccinations increase, coronavirus variants are also spreading quickly. The president urged Americans to remain vigilant about wearing masks and practicing social-distancing to limit the spread of the virus.
“Let me be perfectly earnest with you: we aren’t at the finish line,” Biden said.
Updated
Joe Biden mourned the passing of Democratic congressman Alcee Hastings, who has died at the age of 84 after struggling with pancreatic cancer for over two years.
“I had the privilege of getting to know Alcee Hastings during the years when he served in the House of Representatives and I served in the United States Senate and later as Vice President. I greatly admired him for his singular sense of humor, and for always speaking the truth bluntly and without reservation,” the president said in a new statement.
Hastings was elected to Congress 15 times, and he was the longest-serving member of Florida’s House delegation when he died.
“Across his long career of public service, Alcee always stood up to fight for equality, and always showed up for the working people he represented. And even in his final battle with cancer, he simply never gave up,” Biden said.
“Jill and I are saddened to learn of his passing. May God bless Alcee Hastings and his family.”
Mike Jordan reports for the Guardian:
The governor of Montana, Greg Gianforte, has tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Republican, who had a first vaccine shot last week, will self-isolate for 10 days, in accordance with public health guidelines and his doctor’s recommendations, his office said. His wife, Susan Gianforte, was also tested and was showing no symptoms while awaiting results.
Gianforte said he and his staff had been regularly tested since he was sworn in on 4 January. Staff were to be tested again on Tuesday and people with whom the governor has had recent close contact had been notified, the governor’s office said.
Gianforte is in his first term as Montana governor, having run unsuccessfully against the Democrat Steve Bullock in 2016.
Gianforte then ran for the US House of Representatives in a 2017 special election. He made national news in May that year when he attacked Ben Jacobs, then a reporter for the Guardian, during a campaign event.
While touring the vaccination site in Alexandria, Virginia, Joe Biden said he hopes the US will be able to share its vaccine supply with other countries “pretty soon”.
WATCH: Biden visits a pop-up Covid vaccination site in Alexandria, Virginia pic.twitter.com/CbsRjFi7WF
— Bloomberg Quicktake (@Quicktake) April 6, 2021
The president said this crisis would not be solved solely in America, but around the world as well. If a global strategy is not pursued, all countries will suffer as a result, Biden said.
The president added, “You can’t build a wall or a fence high enough to keep out the virus.”
Biden has previously emphasized the importance of getting people in other countries vaccinated. However, the president has also stressed he is currently focused on making vaccines available to all Americans.
Biden is expected to shortly announce that all American adults will be eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine by April 19.
Knee on subdued suspect’s neck not allowed, police trainer tells Chauvin trial
A Minneapolis police trainer who instructed Derek Chauvin in the use of force told the former officer’s murder trial on Tuesday that placing a knee on a suspect’s neck when they are already subdued “is not authorised”.
Lt Johnny Mercil told the court that at the time George Floyd was arrested last May, police department policy still permitted the use of neck restraints using an arm or side of a leg when a suspect was being “assaultive”.
But he said the training did not include the use of a knee, as Chauvin used for more than nine minutes on the 46-year-old African American man in his custody.
Mercil said putting a knee to the neck is “not unauthorised” in making an arrest, but that it is not permitted if the suspect is in handcuffs or otherwise subdued. Floyd was in handcuffs for several minutes before he was forced into the prone position on the ground and Chauvin applied his knee.
Joe Biden is now touring a vaccination site in Alexandria, Virginia, where he will soon deliver an update on vaccine distribution in the US.
The president told one of the employees at the vaccination site, located at the Virginia Theological Seminary, that the country has surpassed 150 million shots administered since he took office, per Bloomberg News.
Biden is touring a temporary vaccination site in Alexandria, inside the Virginia Theological Seminary.
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) April 6, 2021
Nurses are giving jabs in a former worship hall with an organ and pews.
“We passed 150 million. Yesterday,” @potus whispers to a check-in desk person. pic.twitter.com/ntMwfN4ubS
The White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, said at her briefing that Biden’s remarks would include an announcement about 150 million shots administered.
The president is also expected to announce all American adults will be eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine by April 19, pushing up the earlier deadline of May 1 by about two weeks.
The Associated Press reports on a major legislative boost for Joe Biden:
Late on Monday, the Senate parliamentarian gave the green light to a strategy that would allow Democrats in the 50-50 chamber to rely on a 51-vote threshold to advance some bills, rather than the typical 60 votes typically needed.
The so-called budget reconciliation rules can now be used more often than expected giving Democrats a fresh new path around the GOP blockade.
A spokesman for the Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, welcomed the parliamentarian’s opinion as ‘an important step forward’.
Justin Goodman said no decisions have been made on the process ahead, but ‘this key pathway is available to Democrats if needed’.
The prospects for a massive infrastructure investment, once a source of unity on Capitol Hill, have groaned under the weight of political polarization. Where Biden sees an urgency in going big, Republicans want a narrow plan that focuses on roads and bridges, and warn that any corporate tax increase would crush economic growth.
‘They know we need it,’ Biden said of the Republicans as he returned to Washington on Monday. ‘Everybody around the world is investing billions and billions of dollars in infrastructure, and we’re going to do it here.’
The standoff almost ensures a months-long slog as Congress hunkers down to begin drafting legislation and the White House keeps the door open to working with Republicans, hoping that continued public attention will drum up support.
But Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell declared plainly on Monday that Biden’s plan is ‘something we’re not going to do.’ Speaking to reporters in Kentucky, McConnell said Republicans could support a ‘much more modest’ approach, and one that doesn’t rely on corporate tax hikes to pay for it.
Here’s Lauren Gambino on some of the big thinking behind Biden’s plan:
Updated
The US Capitol Police released a statement from the family of William “Billy” Evans, the officer who died in the car attack on Friday.
“Billy was the best father, son, brother, and friend anyone could ever hope for. His death has left a gaping void in our lives that will never be filled,” the family said.
Statement from the Family of USCP Officer Billy Evans pic.twitter.com/yWZ71Jes5J
— U.S. Capitol Police (@CapitolPolice) April 6, 2021
The statement includes a photo of Evans with his two children, Logan and Abigail, who appear to be wearing Halloween costumes in the picture.
“The absolute most important thing in his life was his two children, Logan and Abigail. His most cherished moments were those spent with them,” the family said.
“Billy was proud to be a United States Capitol Police Officer. His colleagues from the North Barricade were the people he spent so many hours with, and their friendship was one of the best parts of his job. We hold them in our hearts, as we know they acutely share our grief.”
The family expressed gratitude for “the outpouring of support we have received from the law enforcement community from around the country and world,” and they requested privacy as they mourn their loss.
House speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer announced earlier today that Evans will lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda next week.
Beto O’Rourke has warned that the “hottest places in Texas” will be reserved for US corporations that remain on the sidelines as Republicans push new voter restrictions in the state.
“Please know that the very hottest places in Texas will be reserved for those companies who maintain their neutrality in a moment of moral crisis like this one,” the former Texas congressman said, on a conference call with political leaders and civil rights groups opposed to the legislation making its way through the state’s legislature.
Last week, Texas Republicans advanced legislation that would limit early voting hours, prohibit drive-thru voting and give partisan poll workers the ability to record voters at the polls, among other provisions.
Unlike in Georgia, where Republicans are facing a backlash after the governor signed sweeping new voting restrictions, leaders and activists said there was still time to stop the effort in Texas.
“Here in Texas we still have a chance to make sure this does not become law – that is important,” said Julián Castro, the former housing secretary and a Texas native.
Public pressure helped defeat an effort to regulate the use of bathrooms by transgender people in Texas in 2017, Castro said, when asked whether he believed the election bill could be stopped in the Republican-controlled legislature.
Castro and the others on the call urged Texans to put pressure on companies based in the state, like AT&T, Frito-Lay and Southwest. Cliff Albright, co-founder of the Georgia-based Black Voters Matter Fund, cautioned that rhetoric alone wasn’t enough. Corporations needed to use their power and influence to raise awareness about the voting restrictions and sanction politicians who support them, he said.
“What we need now is strong words being matched by strong actions,” Albright said. “If AT&T can convince folks to upgrade a phone every few months, certainly they can convince them that voter suppression is bad.”
Boehner book – Trump Deep State conspiracy theory is 'horseshit'
Donald Trump’s obsession with the Deep State conspiracy theory, which holds that a permanent secret government of bureaucrats and intelligence officials existed to thwart his agenda in office, was destructive and delusional, John Boehner says in a new book.
“Let me be diplomatic here,” the former speaker writes in the memoir, On the House. “That’s horseshit.”
Boehner’s view chimes with that of Steve Bannon, a key propagator of the theory who was Trump’s campaign chairman in 2016 and a senior White House strategist. Trump, senior aide Stephen Miller and others have repeatedly blamed the Deep State for their problems. Bannon has said the theory is “for nut cases” and “none of this is true”.
Boehner was a congressman from Ohio for 24 years, a figure in the Washington firmament, House speaker from 2011 until his retirement in 2015.
His criticism of Trump comes as no surprise, not least because an extract of his new book ran in Politico last week. The memoir will be published next week. The Guardian obtained a copy.
Today so far
The White House press briefing has now concluded. Here’s where the day stands so far:
- Joe Biden will announce all American adults will be eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine by April 19, the White House said. The president is scheduled to deliver an update on vaccine distribution in Alexandria, Virginia, later today, and the White House said Biden will also announce the US has administered 150 million vaccine doses since he took office.
- A shooting occurred at Fort Detrick in Frederick, Maryland, this morning. The US Navy confirmed the shooter, who is now dead, was a naval hospital corpsman. The two victims of the shooting are in critical condition and were airlifted to a Baltimore hospital, Frederick police told reporters.
- Derek Chauvin’s trial has resumed in Minneapolis, where the former police officer is facing murder charges over the killing of George Floyd. Follow Joanna Walters on the Guardian’s live blog to get the latest updates on the trial.
The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
Jen Psaki was asked whether Joe Biden is concerned by indications that Americans are becoming more relaxed about social-distancing guidelines.
A reporter noted more than 30,000 people attended the Texas Rangers home opener yesterday, and TSA reported a noticeable uptick in travel over Easter Weekend.
"The president recognizes that this has been a long and difficult journey," press sec. Psaki tells @karentravers on whether Pres. Biden's message of vigilance is getting lost amid increased travel and events.
— ABC News (@ABC) April 6, 2021
"What he is asking people to do is to sacrifice a little bit longer." pic.twitter.com/LtLw9cY5to
“The president recognizes that this has been a long and difficult journey,” the White House press secretary said. “What he is asking people to do is to sacrifice a little bit longer.”
Biden will likely echo that message later today, when he delivers an update on vaccine eligibility and distribution in Alexandria, Virginia.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked whether Vladimir Putin has confirmed his attendance to Joe Biden’s climate summit later this month.
Bloomberg News reported today that the Russian president is making plans to attend the virtual summit.
But Psaki would not confirm whether Putin has indicated he will attend, simply saying she would have more details on attendees as the summit approaches.
The White House has invited more than 40 world leaders to participate in the climate summit.
The Guardian’s David Smith is in the White House briefing room today, and he asked Jen Psaki how Joe Biden is measuring the success of democracy around the world.
David noted the president said last week that future generations will judge America based on whether democracy or autocracy survives in the years to come.
The White House press secretary said Biden wants to show democracies can succeed economically, but she emphasized the president was also dedicated to sharing America’s democratic “values” with other nations.
David also asked whether Biden is disappointed by the relatively slow rate of vaccine administration in the District of Columbia and whether that issues strengthens arguments for DC statehood.
Psaki replied by noting Biden has said he supports DC statehood, and she emphasized the president remains in close coordination with local leaders to ensure vaccines are equitably distributed across the country.
Jen Psaki encouraged American seniors to get vaccinated as quickly as possible, before eligibility expands to all adults and lines for shots get longer.
A reporter asked the White House press secretary whether she expected Joe Biden to move up the anticipated date when US will return a sense of normality. The president previously said he expected that to occur around July 4.
Psaki said the White House is “encouraged” that the US is administering about 3 million doses a day, but she emphasized there is a difference between vaccine eligibility and shots in arms.
On whether the July 4 date will move up, Psaki said, “I don’t have any expectation of that at this point.”
White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked about reports that Major League Baseball will hold its All-Star Game in Colorado.
The reports come days after the MLB announced it was moving the game from Atlanta due to criticism of Georgia’s new law restricting voting access.
Comparing the election practices of the two states, Psaki noted Colorado is a state that sends all registered voters mail-in ballots and allows same-day voter registration.
In contrast, Georgia’s new voting law is “built on a lie” that the 2020 presidential election was tainted by widespread fraud, Psaki said.
Biden to announce 150 million shots administered since he took office
Joe Biden will announce later today that the US has administered 150 million shots since he took office, Jen Psaki said.
The president will make the announcement after visiting a vaccination site in Alexandria, Virginia, this afternoon.
Biden has pledged to administer 200 million vaccine doses over his first 100 days in office, which concludes at the end of this month.
The White House press secretary also confirmed that Biden will announce all American adults will be eligible to receive a vaccine by April 19.
The president had previously said all Americans would have access to vaccines by May 1.
However, all but one US state, Hawaii, has already announced all adult residents will be vaccine-eligible by April 19, so the news is not necessarily shocking.
The White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, is now holding her daily briefing with reporters.
Psaki began the meeting by talking about some of the work that Joe Biden’s “jobs cabinet” is doing to advance the president’s infrastructure plan.
Biden announced last week that five cabinet secretaries -- Pete Buttigieg, Jennifer Granholm, Marcia Fudge, Marty Walsh, and Gina Raimondo -- will take the lead on getting the plan passed.
Psaki noted Buttigieg, the secretary of transportation, will be meeting with moderate Democrats in Congress to discuss the specifics of Biden’s proposal.
Updated
All Oregon adults to be vaccine-eligible by April 19, joining 48 states
The Democratic governor of Oregon, Kate Brown, has announced all state residents over 16 will be eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine by April 19.
We are locked in a race between vaccine distribution and the spread of variants.
— Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) April 6, 2021
Starting April 19, every Oregonian over the age of 16 will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
“We are locked in a race between vaccine distribution and the rapid spread of COVID-19 variants,” Brown said in a statement.
“Today, Oregon will pass the threshold of 2 million vaccine doses administered. And yet, in communities across Oregon, COVID-19 is spreading at concerning rates. We must move as quickly as possible to get more shots in arms. Beginning April 19, all Oregonians over the age of 16 will be eligible to receive a vaccine.”
Brown’s announcement means that only one US state, Hawaii, has not yet announced all adult residents will be vaccine-eligible by April 19.
Joe Biden is expected to announce later today that all American adults will be eligible to receive a vaccine by April 19, pushing up the original May 1 deadline by about two weeks.
The family of congressman Alcee Hastings, a Democrat of Florida, has confirmed his death at the age of 84.
Hastings’ office released a statement from his family mourning his passing and celebrating his “legacy and fighting spirit”.
— Alcee L. Hastings (@RepHastingsFL) April 6, 2021
“It is with profound sadness and the deepest sense of loss that we announce the passing of the Honorable Alcee L. Hastings,” the congressman’s family said.
“He lived a life of triumph over adversity and his brilliance and compassion was felt amongst his constituents, colleagues, the nation and the world. He lived a full life with an indelible fighting spirit dedicated to equal justice. He believed that progress and change can only be achieved through recognizing and respecting the humanity of all mankind. He was never afraid to speak his mind and truly loved serving his constituents and his family. He will be dearly missed but his legacy and fighting spirit will forever live on.”
Putin plans to attend Biden's virtual climate summit - report
Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to attend a virtual White House climate summit later this month, despite his recent clashes with Joe Biden, according to a new report.
Bloomberg News reports:
The Kremlin is working on Putin’s address to the virtual summit, though there’s been no final decision on his participation, [two officials familiar with the plans] said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the information isn’t public.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Russia hasn’t confirmed that Putin will accept Biden’s invitation to the April 22-23 event.
Putin’s involvement would be his first public engagement with Biden as U.S. president amid deep strains in relations. The Kremlin reacted angrily and Russia recalled its U.S. ambassador after Biden last month agreed in a TV interview that Putin is a killer.
The White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, will likely address Putin’s potential attendance when she briefs reporters in about 30 minutes.
Chauvin's trial resumes after police chief testified for prosection
The trial of Derek Chauvin has now resumed in Minneapolis, where the former police officer faces murder charges over the killing of George Floyd.
Yesterday marked a hugely consequential moment in the trial, when the Minneapolis police chief, Medaria Arradondo, testified as a witness for the prosecution.
Arradondo told the jury that he “vehemently disagrees” there was any justification for Chauvin’s neck restraint on Floyd, which lasted for more than nine minutes.
“Once Mr Floyd had stopped resisting, and certainly once he was in distress and trying to verbalize that, that should have stopped,” Arradondo said yesterday.
The Guardian’s Joanna Walters is running a separate live blog with updates from the trial, so follow along to get the latest news from Minneapolis:
The US Navy identified the Fort Detrick shooter as a Navy hospital corpsman, who is now dead.
The U.S. Navy can confirm there was an active shooter incident at Fort Detrick, MD involving U.S. Navy Sailors. The shooter, a Navy Hospital Corpsman, is deceased. We will continue to update with additional details as the situation evolves.
— U.S. Navy (@USNavy) April 6, 2021
The chief of Frederick police said an employee at the military base shot and killed the shooter, after he attacked a nearby business.
The two victims in the shooting, both adult men, are in critical condition and were airlifted to Baltimore Shock Trauma for treatment.
Suspect dead, two victims in critical condition after Fort Detrick shooting
The suspect in the shooting at Fort Detrick in Frederick, Maryland, is now dead, police officials said. The two victims in the shooting are in critical condition.
The Frederick Police Department held a short press conference to provide an update on the investigation into the shooting that unfolded this morning.
According to the Frederick police chief, Jason Lando, the two victims and the suspect are all adult males. He told reporters that an employee on the military base shot the suspect, a 38-year-old man.
Both of the victims have been airlifted to Baltimore Shock Trauma for treatment.
Navy confirms active shooter incident at Fort Detrick in Maryland
The US Navy confirmed there was an active shooter incident this morning at Fort Detrick in Frederick, Maryland.
#USNavy can confirm there was an active shooter incident at Fort Detrick, MD involving U.S. Navy Sailors. We will continue to update with additional details as the situation evolves.
— U.S. Navy (@USNavy) April 6, 2021
The Frederick Police Department previously said its officers had responded to the scene, and there were two victims and one suspect down.
Congressman Jamie Raskin, the Democrat who represents Frederick in the House, said he and his team were “closely monitoring” the situation, and he expressed gratitude toward the first responders.
My staff and I are closely monitoring the active shooter situation in @FrederickCoMd. Grateful for the police officers and first responders on the scene and wishing rapid safety for everyone in the area. https://t.co/8J00TCIzyi
— Rep. Jamie Raskin (@RepRaskin) April 6, 2021
Hakeem Jeffries, the chairman of the House Democratic caucus, confirmed the passing of his colleague and fellow Congressional Black caucus member, Alcee Hastings.
“Rep. Alcee Hastings has departed us for that great assembly in Heaven,” Jeffries said on Twitter.
“He taught me a lot about public service and life. Rep. Hastings loved the people he served and championed the plight of the least, the lost and the left behind. May he forever Rest in Power.”
Rep. Alcee Hastings has departed us for that great assembly in Heaven.
— Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) April 6, 2021
He taught me a lot about public service and life.
Rep. Hastings loved the people he served and championed the plight of the least, the lost and the left behind.
May he forever Rest in Power 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾. pic.twitter.com/011pgC4nhF
The sad passing of Alcee Hastings creates another vacancy in the House of Representatives, meaning there are now six total vacancies in the lower chamber.
The vacancies were created by the deaths of Republicans Luke Letlow and Ron Wright, as well as Hastings, and by the promotions of Democrats Cedric Richmond, Marcia Fudge and Deb Haaland, who all joined the Biden administration.
Once Republican Julia Letlow is sworn in next week, the number of vacancies will decrease to five, and the breakdown of the House will be 218 Democrats and 212 Republicans.
Democratic congressman Alcee Hastings dies at 84 - reports
Congressman Alcee Hastings, a Democrat of Florida, has reportedly died at 84, after struggling with pancreatic cancer for the past two years.
Hastings was Florida’s most senior member of Congress, and his local paper, the South Florida Sun Sentinel, broke the news of his death:
Hastings crusaded against racial injustice as a civil rights lawyer, became a federal judge who was impeached and removed from office, and went on to win 15 congressional elections, becoming Florida’s senior member of Congress.
He died Tuesday morning, a longtime friend said.
In late 2018, Hastings was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. For much of the ensuing two years, he continued public appearances between medical treatments, but more recently he hadn’t been in public. In recent days, he had been in hospice care.
House speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer expressed hope that it would bring some solace to the family and colleagues of Officer William “Billy” Evans to see him lie in state.
“It is our hope that this tribute will be a comfort to the family of Officer Evans, particularly his children Logan and Abigail, as will the knowledge that so many Americans mourn with and pray for them at this sad time,” the Democratic leaders said in their statement.
“May this tribute also be a source of comfort and an expression of gratitude to the U.S. Capitol Police Force, which has awed our nation with their courage and resilience during this devastating time.”
It has been a traumatic few months for the USCP force, considering Evans’ death came less than three months after Officer Brian Sicknick died of the injuries he sustained in the January 6 insurrection. Another USCP officer, Howard Liebengood, died by suicide a few days after the January attack.
Evans will now join Sicknick in being honored by lying in state at the Capitol.
Killed USCP officer to lie in honor at the Capitol
US Capitol Police Officer William “Billy” Evans, who was killed in a car attack on Friday, will lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda next Tuesday.
“The United States Congress joins all Americans in mourning the tragic death of one of our Capitol Police heroes, Officer Billy Evans,” House speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement.
“In giving his life to protect our Capitol and our Country, Officer Evans became a martyr for our democracy. On behalf of the entire Congress, we are profoundly grateful.
“It is now the great and solemn privilege of the House of Representatives and the Senate to convey the appreciation and the sadness of the Congress and Country for the heroic sacrifice of Officer Evans with a lying-in-honor ceremony in the U.S. Capitol.”
The ceremonial event will not be open to the public, because of the coronavirus pandemic, but USCP officers and members of Congress have been invited to a viewing period at the Capitol.
Updated
The Guardian’s Sam Levine reports:
As Georgia Republicans face backlash over new sweeping voting restrictions, activists in other states are escalating efforts to oppose similar restrictions advancing in other states.
Texas and Arizona have emerged as two of the next major battlegrounds over voting rights. Texas Republicans last week advanced legislation that would limit early voting hours, prohibit drive-thru voting and give partisan poll workers the ability to record voters at the polls, among other measures. In Arizona, Republicans are moving ahead with an audit of ballots from the presidential race while also advancing legislation that would make it harder to vote by mail.
Nationally lawmakers have introduced 361 bills to limit access to the ballot in some way, according to a tally by the Brennan Center for Justice. Fifty-five of those bills are advancing in legislatures.
After companies like Delta and Coca-Cola faced criticism for waiting too long to speak out against the Georgia legislation, advocates have been heartened by swift corporate condemnation of the Texas measure. American Airlines, which is based in Texas, said Thursday it was “strongly opposed” to the Texas legislation. Microsoft and Dell also spoke out against the measures.
Major League Baseball announced Friday it was moving the All-Star Game out of Atlanta in response to Georgia’s sweeping new law.
Biden to announce all US adults will be vaccine-eligible by 19 April – reports
Greetings from Washington, live blog readers.
Joe Biden is set to announce today that all American adults will be eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine by April 19, pushing up his earlier deadline of May 1 by about two weeks, according to reports.
The president is set to make the announcement after visiting a vaccination site at Virginia Theological Seminary this afternoon.
The news comes as many states have already started making vaccines eligible to all adult residents. Starting today, all adults living in New York are eligible to receive a vaccine.
Biden had previously announced that 90% of US adults would be vaccine-eligible by April 19, but he has pushed up that deadline as the number of shots administered has ramped up across the country.
The White House coronavirus response team announced yesterday that 4 million shots were distributed in a single day over the weekend.
According to AP, Biden will also announce the US has administered 150 million shots since he took office, bringing him closer to his goal of 200 million doses administered over his first 100 days as president.
The blog will have more updates on Biden’s announcement as the day unfolds, so stay tuned.
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