Summary
- House Republicans removed Liz Cheney as conference chair. The decision, which was made by voice vote in a conference meeting this morning, comes amid Cheney’s continued criticism of Donald Trump and his lies about widespread fraud in the presidential election. “I will do everything I can to ensure that the former president never again gets anywhere near the Oval Office,” Cheney told reporters after the vote.
- Trump and his allies celebrated Cheney’s ouster, as some of the former president’s critics warned the Republican party is on a dangerous trajectory. Trump belittled Cheney as “a bitter, horrible human being” after the vote to remove her from House Republican leadership. “She has no personality or anything good having to do with politics or our Country,” Trump said of Cheney in a statement.
- The White House said it was “disturbing” to see Cheney punished for correctly saying Joe Biden won the presidential election. “It’s disturbing to see any leader, regardless of party, being attacked for simply speaking the truth,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. House speaker Nancy Pelosi also called on “reasonable” Republicans to “take back their party”.
- Biden met with congressional leaders of both parties to discuss his infrastructure plan. The president said after the meeting that he was “encouraged” about the chances of reaching a bipartisan compromise on infrastructure. However, disagreements remain over how to pay for the plan, and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell said Republicans were “not interested” in rolling back Trump-era tax cuts to finance the project, as Biden has proposed.
- US markets fell as consumer prices saw their biggest one-month increase since 2008. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) climbed 4.2% from a year earlier, the labor department said earlier today. The month-to-month increase was 0.8%, much higher than the 0.2% predicted by economists.
- Ohio is using its federal Covid-19 relief dollars to set up a $1m lottery for residents who’ve received at least one dose of a coronavirus machine. The state’s governor, Mike Dewine said: “I know that some may say, ‘DeWine, you’re crazy! This million-dollar drawing idea of yours is a waste of money.’ But truly, the real waste at this point in the pandemic – when the vaccine is readily available to anyone who wants it – is a life lost to Covid-19.”
- California governor Gavin Newsom said the state will broadly end its mask mandate next month, with masks required only in some indoor settings. In an interview with KTTV Los Angeles, Newsom said that when the state fully reopens on 15 June, masks will be necessary “only in those settings that are indoor – only in those massively large settings where people around the world, not just around the country, are convening, and when people are mixing in real dense spaces,” he said.
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Joe Biden signed an executive order designed to strengthen the country’s cybersecurity defenses, at the heels of the Colonial Pipeline attack.The order will require federal agencies to use basic cybersecurity measures like “multi-factor authentication and encryption for data at rest and in transit”. It’ll also require contractors designing software for the federal government to adhere to certain security standards.
– Joan E Greve and Maanvi Singh
Chemical giants hid dangers of ‘forever chemicals’ in food packaging
Chemical giants DuPont and Daikin knew the dangers of a PFAS compound widely used in food packaging since 2010, but hid them from the public and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), company studies obtained by the Guardian reveal.
The chemicals, called 6:2 FTOH, are now linked to a range of serious health issues, and Americans are still being exposed to them in greaseproof pizza boxes, carryout containers, fast-food wrappers, and paperboard packaging.
The companies initially told the FDA that the compounds were safer and less likely to accumulate in humans than older types of PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals” and submitted internal studies to support that claim.
But Daikin withheld a 2009 study that indicated toxicity to lab rats’ livers and kidneys, while DuPont in 2012 did not alert the FDA or public to new internal data that indicated that the chemical stays in animals’ bodies for much longer than initially thought.
Science from industry, the FDA and independent researchers now links 6:2 FTOH to kidney disease, liver damage, cancer, neurological damage, developmental problems and autoimmune disorders, while researchers also found higher mortality rates among young animals and mothers exposed to the chemicals.
Had the FDA seen the data, it is unlikely that it would have approved 6:2 FTOH, said Maricel Maffini, an independent researcher who studies PFAS in food packaging. And though Daikin may have broken the law, it and DuPont, which has previously been caught hiding studies that suggest toxicity in PFAS, are not facing any repercussions.
Read more:
Man who spent 22 years in solitary urges Illinois to curb ‘psychological torture’
An inmate who spent 22 years in solitary confinement in an Illinois prison after being arrested for stealing a hat and a dollar bill is campaigning for legislation to end a practice that he says drove him to self-mutilation and a suicide attempt.
Anthony Gay said he was “tortured for decades” by his isolation for up to 24 hours a day in a cold, tiny cell he likened to a dungeon, and was denied access to necessary mental health care.
His efforts since his 2018 release to outlaw the procedure as a punitive measure is reflected in a bill that bears his name now making its way through the Illinois legislature.
“I know what it’s like to be tortured and I know that many people are still being tortured,” he said in an interview with ABC News.
“And I feel guilty because I got out and they didn’t. But if we can inform more people, and more people become aware that strength is in numbers, [we can] compel them to do something about it. It’s wrong, despicable and horrible, and it needs to stop.”
Prison reform advocates say solitary isolation can have a devastating impact on inmates’ mental health.
According to the Prison Policy Initiative (PPI), 80,000 inmates are held in some form of isolation across the US on any given day, and more than 10,000 are released to society from solitary confinement every year with an increased risk of anxiety, depression or suicide.
“Prisons and jails are already inherently harmful, and placing people in solitary confinement adds an extra burden of stress that has been shown to cause permanent changes to people’s brains and personalities,” a PPI research associate, Tiana Herring, wrote in a 2020 discussion of the practice.
“The effects of solitary confinement on mental health can be lethal. Even though people in solitary confinement comprise only 6% to 8% of the total prison population, they account for approximately half of those who die by suicide.”
Read more:
Updated
Joe Biden signed an executive order designed to strengthen the country’s cybersecurity defenses, at the heels of the Colonial Pipeline attack.
The order will require federal agencies to use basic cybersecurity measures like “multi-factor authentication and encryption for data at rest and in transit”. It’ll also require contractors designing software for the federal government to adhere to certain security standards.
The order is in response to the Colonial cyber-attack, but also the SolarWinds breach – a massive breach by Russian of US agencies.
The order “is the first of many ambitious steps the administration is taking to modernize national cyber defenses”, the administration said.
Updated
OPINION: Idaho is going to kill 90% of the state’s wolves. That’s a tragedy – and bad policy
Kim Heacox is the author of many books, including The Only Kayak, a memoir, and Jimmy Bluefeather, a novel, both winners of the National Outdoor Book Award. He lives in Alaska
Nothing embodies wildness like wolves, our four-legged shadow, the dogs that long ago refused our campfire and today prefer freedom and risk over the soft sofa and short leash. The dogs that howl more than bark, add music to the land, and – if left alone to work their magic – make entire ecosystems healthy and whole.
Witness Yellowstone, a national park reborn in the 1990s when wolves, absent for 70 years, were reintroduced. Everything changed for the better. Elk stopped standing around like feedlot cattle. They learned to run like the wind again. Streamside willows and other riparian vegetation, previously trampled by the elk, returned as well, and with it, a chorus of birds. All because of wolves.
Yet in the state of Idaho, new legislation signed days ago by Governor Brad Little will allow professional hunters and trappers to use helicopters, snowmobiles, ATVs, night vision equipment, snares and other means to kill roughly 90% of the state’s wolves, knocking them down from an estimated 1,500 to 150. A group of retired state, federal and tribal wildlife managers wrote to Little asking him to veto the wolf kill bill, saying statewide livestock losses to wolves have been under 1% for cattle and 3% for sheep. The group further noted that the overall elk population has actually increased since wolves were reintroduced into Idaho more than two decades ago. It made no difference.
Why exterminate the wolves? To make the country safe for cattle and sheep; more productive for deer, elk, caribou and moose. To better fill hunters’ freezers with winter meat. To sell the pelts.
But there’s something more. Something nobody talks about.
“The wolf exerts a powerful influence on the human imagination,” wrote the nature writer Barry Lopez in Of Wolves and Men. “It takes your stare and turns it back on you.”
Read more:
Ohio is using its federal Covid-19 relief dollars to set up a $1m lottery for residents who’ve received at least one dose of a coronavirus machine.
The state’s governor, Mike Dewine said: “I know that some may say, ‘DeWine, you’re crazy! This million-dollar drawing idea of yours is a waste of money.’ But truly, the real waste at this point in the pandemic – when the vaccine is readily available to anyone who wants it – is a life lost to Covid-19.”
All Ohioans 18 or older will be eligible, DeWine said – and more details on the lottery will be coming soon.
Two weeks from tonight on May 26th, we will announce a winner of a separate drawing for adults who have received at least their first dose of the vaccine. This announcement will occur each Wednesday for five weeks, and the winner each Wednesday will receive one million dollars.
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) May 12, 2021
The governor has also set up a drawing for vaccinated students 17 and under for a four-year full scholarship.
Updated
Colonial Pipeline said it has launched operations as of 5pm ET.
“It will take several days for the product delivery supply chain to return to normal,” the company said. “Colonial will move as much gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel as is safely possible and will continue to do so until markets return to normal.”
Here’s more background on the ransomware attack on Colonial, and its impact:
California governor Gavin Newsom said the state will end its mask mandate next month, with masks required only in dense, indoor settings.
In an interview with KTTV Los Angeles, Newsom said that when the state fully reopens on 15 June, masks will not be required in most settings. Masks will be necessary “only in those settings that are indoor – only in those massively large settings where people around the world, not just around the country, are convening, and when people are mixing in real dense spaces,” he said. “Otherwise, we’ll make guidance recommendations, but no mandates and no restrictions on businesses large and small.”
The CDC has said that both vaccinated and unvaccinated people can go maskless outdoors, so long as they are not in a densely packed event. California’s state guidelines call for face coverings in “indoor settings outside of one’s home,” regardless of vaccination status. Unvaccinated people are required to wear masks outdoors when physical distancing isn’t possible. Fully vaccinated folks also have to wear masks outside “when attending crowded outdoor events.”
The state is also discussing easing workplace safety guidelines this summer, allowing fully vaccinated workers to go maskless indoors after 1 august, the Sacramento Bee reports.
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:
- House Republicans removed Liz Cheney as conference chair. The decision, which was made by voice vote in a conference meeting this morning, comes amid Cheney’s continued criticism of Donald Trump and his lies about widespread fraud in the presidential election. “I will do everything I can to ensure that the former president never again gets anywhere near the Oval Office,” Cheney told reporters after the vote.
- Trump and his allies celebrated Cheney’s ouster, as some of the former president’s critics warned the Republican party is on a dangerous trajectory. Trump belittled Cheney as “a bitter, horrible human being” after the vote to remove her from House Republican leadership. “She has no personality or anything good having to do with politics or our Country,” Trump said of Cheney in a statement.
- The White House said it was “disturbing” to see Cheney punished for correctly saying Joe Biden won the presidential election. “It’s disturbing to see any leader, regardless of party, being attacked for simply speaking the truth,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. House speaker Nancy Pelosi also called on “reasonable” Republicans to “take back their party”.
- Biden met with congressional leaders of both parties to discuss his infrastructure plan. The president said after the meeting that he was “encouraged” about the chances of reaching a bipartisan compromise on infrastructure. However, disagreements remain over how to pay for the plan, and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell said Republicans were “not interested” in rolling back Trump-era tax cuts to finance the project, as Biden has proposed.
- US markets fell as consumer prices saw their biggest one-month increase since 2008. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) climbed 4.2% from a year earlier, the labor department said earlier today. The month-to-month increase was 0.8%, much higher than the 0.2% predicted by economists.
Maanvi will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
After taking several questions from reporters, Joe Biden walked away from the podium in the south court auditorium at the White House.
The president joked that he would get in trouble with his staff for taking so many questions from reporters after wrapping up his prepared remarks on vaccination efforts.
“You guys are bad. I’m not supposed to be answering all these questions,” Biden said. “I’m supposed to leave, but I can’t resist your questions.”
Updated
Joe Biden said he left his meeting with congressional leaders today “encouraged that there is room to have a compromise” on an infrastructure bill.
The president emphasized he did not support the idea of making working-class Americans pay for the package by instituting user fees.
“If everything is paid for by a user fee, well then, you know, the burden falls on working-class folks who are having trouble,” Biden said. “This has to be a burden shared across the spectrum.”
That position will present a challenge for infrastructure negotiations because Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell has ruled out rolling back Trump-era tax cuts to pay for the plan, as Biden has proposed.
Biden speaks to Netanyahu as Gaza attacks continue
Joe Biden said his administration has been in “constant contact with our counterparts in the Middle East” amid the attacks in Gaza.
The president said he spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the White House will soon release a readout of that call.
“My hope is that we’ll see this coming to a conclusion sooner than later,” Biden said. He added that Israel has “a right to defend itself”.
The death toll in Gaza has risen to 53, and Israel has vowed it will not stop its attacks until “complete quiet” has been achieved.
Updated
After concluding his prepared remarks on vaccination efforts, Joe Biden took a couple questions from the reporters present at the White House.
Asked about the government’s response to the ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline, the president said he expected “some good news” on that front in the next 24 hours.
“We have been in very, very close contact with Colonial Pipeline,” Biden said. “I think you’re going to hear some good news in the next 24 hours, and I think we’ll be getting that under control.”
The president’s comments come as several east coast states have reported gasoline supply shortages due to concerns about the ransomware attack.
Joe Biden celebrated the news that an expert panel at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended administering the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine to children between the ages of 12 and 15.
The authorization is still pending final CDC approval, but that is expected to be announced shortly.
The president urged parents to get their children vaccinated.
“Now that vaccine is authorized for ages 12 and up, and I encourage their parents to make sure they get the shot.
“This is one more giant step in our fight against the pandemic,” the president said.
Biden announced that, as of tomorrow, more than 15,000 pharmacies across the U.S. will be ready to vaccinate 12- to 15-year-olds. He encouraged all children who are newly eligible to get the vaccine.
He once again insisted that getting vaccinated should not be a partisan issue. “This is about life and death,” he said.
Updated
US to surpass 250 million vaccine doses administered tomorrow, Biden says
Joe Biden is now delivering an update on the coronavirus pandemic and vaccine distribution efforts at the White House.
The president announced that tomorrow the country will surpass 250 million coronavirus vaccine doses administered since he took office in January.
Biden also said the US has made significant progress toward reaching his goal of having 70% of American adults get their first shot by July 4 and having 160 million Americans fully vaccinated by then.
“We are now on track to hit 60% of adults with at least one shot by next week,” Biden said. “We still have a lot of work to do to get the adult vaccination rate to 70%, but I believe we’re going to get there.”
Pramila Jayapal, the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, urged fellow Democrats to move forward on a major infrastructure package without Republican support.
“Let’s not pretend that Republicans are interested in any sort of compromise,” Jayapal said on Twitter. “Let’s go big, go bold, and make the ultra-rich and corporations finally pay their fair share so we can invest in working families.”
Let’s not pretend that Republicans are interested in any sort of compromise. Let’s go big, go bold, and make the ultra-rich and corporations finally pay their fair share so we can invest in working families. https://t.co/qniU1Dtx4p
— Pramila Jayapal (@PramilaJayapal) May 12, 2021
Jayapal’s tweet was in response to Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell saying earlier today that Republicans were “not interested” in rolling back the Trump-era tax cuts to help pay for an infrastructure bill.
In his MSNBC interview, Joe Biden indicated he was willing to advance parts of his infrastructure plan without bipartisan support.
“I want to know what can we agree on and let’s see if we can get an agreement to kickstart this, and then fight over what’s left and see if I can get it done without Republicans if need be,” Biden said.
Biden indicates willingness to advance parts of infrastructure plan without GOP support
Joe Biden sat down for an interview with MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell to discuss the bipartisan negotiations over his infrastructure plan.
The president met with congressional leaders of both parties at the White House today, and he said they discussed “what constitutes infrastructure”.
“I want to get a bipartisan deal on as much as we can get a bipartisan deal on, and that means roads, bridges, broadband,” Biden said.
President Biden says he wants a bipartisan deal on infrastructure in exclusive interview with @Lawrence.
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) May 12, 2021
“I’m not going to give up on a whole range of things that go to the question of productivity, of increasing jobs, of increasing employment, increasing revenues.” pic.twitter.com/ozraQeGBI0
But the president added that he was not giving up on improving caregiving options, which have prevented many Americans, disproportionately women, from returning to the workforce as businesses reopen.
Democrats have argued that policies like a national paid family leave program constitute infrastructure because the US economy cannot properly rebuild without them, but Republicans have insisted on adopting a more traditional definition of infrastructure, focusing on roads and bridges.
“I’m not going to give up on a whole range of things that go to the question of productivity, of increasing jobs, of increasing employment, increasing revenues,” Biden said.
“I want to know what can we agree on and let’s see if we can get an agreement to kickstart this, and then fight over what’s left and see if I can get it done without Republicans if need be.”
Updated
Senator Joe Manchin indicated he will not support the For the People Act, Democrats’ sweeping election reform bill that has become a top priority for the party.
Manchin told ABC News today that he will instead support the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, a narrower bill that may be an easier sell to Republicans. However, that bill also does not have the 60 votes necessary to overcome a Senate filibuster.
“I believe Democrats and Republicans feel very strongly about protecting the ballot boxes allowing people to protect the right to vote making it accessible making it fair and making it secure and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, if we apply that to all 50 states and territories, it’s something that can be done -- it should be done,” Manchin said. “It could be done bipartisan to start getting confidence back in our system.”
Manchin’s comments come a day after a contentious Senate rules committee hearing to mark up the For the People Act. During the hearing, Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer accused Republicans of adopting undemocratic tactics to suppress voter participation, while minority leader Mitch McConnell claimed Democrats were trying to stage a partisan takeover of state election systems.
Markets fall as US consumer prices see sharpest monthly climb since 2008
US consumer prices soared in April as post-lockdown demand and shortages drove up the cost of a wide range of goods, from used cars and home furnishings to airline tickets.
The news triggered a further slide in markets unsettled this week by the threat of rising prices, which could force central banks to abandon zero0-interest rate policies that have helped stoke share prices. The Dow Jones index fell 1.3% in early trading and the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 2.5%.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) climbed 4.2% during the month from a year earlier, the labor department said, the biggest 12-month increase since September 2008, the height of the financial crisis. The figure was significantly higher than economists had predicted.
CPI measures the prices consumers pay for goods and services, including clothes, groceries, restaurant meals, recreational activities and vehicles. This month’s rise saw increases across the board and was driven by many factors.
The Biden administration’s economic stimulus package has pumped money into the economy just as it reopens from coronavirus lockdown measures. Fresh demand for goods and services has also outpaced supply, which is still recovering from the lockdowns at the start of the pandemic, leading to shortages for a broad range of goods from lumber and steel to ketchup.
Chip Roy is considering running to replace Liz Cheney as House Republican conference chair, according to multiple reports.
Roy had previously circulated a letter raising concerns about the voting record of Elise Stefanik, who is considered the frontrunner to replace Cheney.
Asked about his potential plans to run for the leadership role, Roy’s office said in a statement to Politico that the congressman is “not ruling anything out”.
Statement via his office: “While not ruling anything out, Congressman Roy has never sought a position in conference leadership. His focus is on serving Texas' 21st Congressional district.. But if the position must be filled, then this must be a contested race — not a coronation.” https://t.co/dtwzYzEz8Y
— Melanie Zanona (@MZanona) May 12, 2021
“Congressman Roy has never sought a position in conference leadership. His focus is on serving Texas’ 21st Congressional district,” Roy’s office said. “But if the position must be filled, then this must be a contested race — not a coronation.”
Roy has little time to reach a decision on whether he will run against Stefanik; House minority leader Kevin McCarthy has indicated the caucus will hold an election to replace Cheney on Friday.
Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell agreed that the meeting with Joe Biden on infrastructure was “productive,” but he also outlined Republicans’ deal breakers for the bill.
Speaking with House minority leader Kevin McCarthy shortly after the meeting, McConnell said Republicans were “not interested” in rolling back the tax cuts approved by Donald Trump in 2017.
Those comments will likely come as a disappointment to Biden, who has proposed raising the corporate tax rate to help pay for the infrastructure package.
I had a productive meeting at the White House with President Biden and congressional leaders. There is a bipartisan desire to get an outcome on infrastructure. It will take a bipartisan process to get one. pic.twitter.com/TAyE4D6uzM
— Leader McConnell (@LeaderMcConnell) May 12, 2021
Joe Biden had a “productive meeting” with congressional leaders about how to advance his infrastructure plan, the White House said in a readout of the meeting.
During the nearly two-hour meeting, all four congressional leaders -- Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, House speaker Nancy Pelosi and House minority leader Kevin McCarthy -- agreed on the need to invest in the country’s infrastructure, according to the readout.
“The President reiterated that he ran to be a leader for all Americans — regardless of who they voted for, that he believes there are many crucial areas where his administration and both parties in Congress can come together, and that in this unprecedented moment the American people expect us to put the interests of families above our disagreements,” the White House said.
“The President also emphasized that whatever differences exist between the parties, the real competition is between the United States and the rest of the world, and that other countries are not waiting for us to equip our people to win in the 21st Century — and that there is nothing we cannot do as a country when we do it together.”
There’s a short explainer on elements of Derek Chauvin’s likely sentencing next month, for murdering George Floyd. Chauvin was convicted last month in court in Minneapolis of three counts: murder in the second degree, murder in the third degree and manslaughter.
The Associated Press breaks it down like this:
Why won’t we see multiple sentences for Chauvin (based on the three charges)? Because all the charges stem from one act, carried out against one person. Multiple sentences are typically handed down in cases when there are convictions for multiple victims, or multiple crimes against one victim
Why is it unlikely Chauvin will get the 40-year maximum penalty that the second degree murder charge carries?
Minnesota has sentencing guidelines that were created to establish rational, consistent sentences and ensure sentences are neutral without considering factors such as race or gender.The guidelines say that even though they are advisory, presumptive sentences “are deemed appropriate” and judges should only depart from them when “substantial and compelling circumstances can be identified and articulated.”
For second-degree unintentional murder, guidelines say the presumptive sentence for someone with no criminal record like Chauvin would be 12 1/2 years.Judges can sentence someone to as little as 10 years and eight months or as much as 15 years and still be within the advisory guideline range.
Prosecutors sought an upward departure for Chauvin, citing several aggravating factors including that Chauvin was a uniformed officer acting in a position of authority, and that his crime was witnessed by multiple children including a 9-year-old girl who testified that watching the restraint made her “sad and kind of mad.”
What’s realistic?
Because Judge Peter Cahill found aggravating factors, he’s now allowed to sentence Chauvin above what the guidelines recommend for a person with no criminal record convicted of second-degree murder.
Still, experts have said the max will be 30 years, double the high end of the guideline range. If Cahill were to sentence Chauvin to anything above that, he risks having his decision reversed on appeal.
The Minneapolis Police Department is currently under investigation by the Department of Justice. And Chauvin has separately been indicted on federal civil rights charges, accused, with his three fellow ex-officers (who will stand trial in August on state charges of aiding and abetting Chauvin) of violating Floyd’s constitutional rights
Chauvin sentence likely to reflect "particular cruelty" in murder of George Floyd
Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is due to be sentenced in June for the murder of George Floyd. Chauvin, who is white, was convicted last month of murdering Floyd, a 46-year-old Black Man, in the city on May 25, 2020.
The Associated Press now reports:
Derek Chauvin could face a much harsher prison sentence after a judge found several aggravating factors in George Floyd’s death.
Chauvin, 45, was convicted in April of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for pressing his knee against Floyd’s neck for about 9 1/2 minutes as the Black man said he couldn’t breathe.
Breaking down Chauvin’s potential sentence is complicated, but it starts with Minnesota statutes that call for him to be sentenced on only the most serious charge second-degree murder, which has a maximum penalty of 40 years.
Legal experts said the practical maximum Chauvin would face is 30 years. And that’s an upper limit that Judge Peter Cahill put within reach in a ruling announced Wednesday.
He sided with prosecutors’ arguments that Chauvin committed particular cruelty in Floyd’s death and abused his authority as a police officer.
Cahill is scheduled to sentence Chauvin on June 25.
Another surreal moment in a surreal day in the life of the GOP. Outside the White House, Kevin McCarthy just said these words.
“I don’t think anybody is questioning the legitimacy of the presidential election. I think that is all over with. We are sitting here with the president today.”
McCarthy, House minority leader, was meeting at the White House with US president Joe Biden and vice president Kamala Harris, as was Mitch McConnell, Senate minority leader, and McCarthy and McConnell’s Democratic counterparts, House speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer (aka the Big Four) to talk bipartisanship......
McCarthy’s absurd statement came just a few hours after Liz Cheney was ousted, in a lightning-fast meeting and simple majority vote, as chairman of the House Republican Conference, essentially for refusing to go along with congressional Republicans and former president Donald Trump who question the legitimacy of the presidential election...
McCarthy still isn't reading Trump's tweets/WordPress posts pic.twitter.com/GVhYhyGsjU
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 12, 2021
Last week Donald Trump, who is banned from Twitter, issued this statement online:
Congratulations to the great Patriots of Windham, New Hampshire for their incredible fight to seek out the truth on the massive Election Fraud which took place in New Hampshire and the 2020 Presidential Election. The spirit for transparency and justice is being displayed all over the Country by media outlets which do not represent Fake News. People are watching in droves as these Patriots work tirelessly to reveal the real facts of the most tainted and corrupt Election in American history. Congratulations Windham—look forward to seeing the results.
Amid concerns expressed by conservatives about voter legitimacy last year, Windham is auditing its 2020 ballots for four state legislative seats. This has caught the hawkeye of 45.
Updated
Today so far
The White House briefing has now concluded. Here’s where the day stands so far:
- House Republicans removed Liz Cheney as conference chair. The decision, which was made by voice vote in a conference meeting this morning, comes amid Cheney’s continued criticism of Donald Trump and the “big lie” of widespread fraud in the presidential election. “I will do everything I can to ensure that the former president never again gets anywhere near the Oval Office,” Cheney told reporters after the vote.
- Trump and his allies celebrated Cheney’s ouster, as some of the former president’s critics warned the Republican party is on a dangerous trajectory. Trump belittled Cheney as “a bitter, horrible human being” after the vote to remove her from House Republican leadership. “She has no personality or anything good having to do with politics or our Country,” Trump said of Cheney in a statement.
- The White House said it was “disturbing” to see Cheney punished for correctly saying Joe Biden won the presidential election. “It’s disturbing to see any leader, regardless of party, being attacked for simply speaking the truth,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. House speaker Nancy Pelosi also called on “reasonable” Republicans to “take back their party”.
The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
Joe Biden will nominate a US ambassador to Israel in the coming weeks, the White House press secretary said as airstrikes continue in Jerusalem.
“We of course will nominate a qualified, experienced ambassador to Israel over the coming weeks. That’s in process, and when it’s ready, we’ll announce that,” Jen Psaki said.
She expressed great confidence in the administration’s national security team, adding, “Our objective here is de-escalation as we look to protecting people in the region.”
Psaki announces the Biden administration "will nominate a qualified, experienced ambassador to Israel over the coming weeks."
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 12, 2021
"Our objective here is deescalation as we look to protecting people in the region," she says pic.twitter.com/4vQt2yE8aj
Forty-eight people have now died in the Jerusalem attacks, and Israeli Benjamin Netanyahu has said the Israeli military will use “increasing force” against Palestinian forces.
“We eliminated senior Hamas commanders and this is just the beginning,” Netanyahu said. “We will inflict blows on them that they couldn’t even dream of.”
It is 'disturbing' to see Cheney 'attacked for simply speaking the truth,' Psaki says
Taking over the White House briefing, Jen Psaki was asked for Joe Biden’s reaction to the ouster of Liz Cheney as House Republican conference chair for her criticism of Donald Trump and the “big lie” that there was widespread fraud in the presidential election.
The White House press secretary noted that more than 80 judges threw out lawsuits challenging the results of the election, confirming the legitimacy of Biden’s victory. She criticized Republicans for punishing Cheney and ignoring the violent fallout from Trump’s false claims, specifically citing the six deaths from the January 6 insurrection.
.@PressSec on Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY): "It's disturbing to see any leader, regardless of party, being attacked for simply speaking the truth."
— CSPAN (@cspan) May 12, 2021
Full video here: https://t.co/W4ZoZDHh1Z pic.twitter.com/A6s6aENdse
“Our nation’s Capitol was attacked. Our democracy was attacked, and six people lost their lives,” Psaki said. “It’s disturbing to see any leader, regardless of party, being attacked for simply speaking the truth.”
Psaki echoed Biden’s comments from last week, when the president said it was hard to understand the Republican party’s motivation for backing Trump and rejecting Cheney.
The press secretary added, “Our belief, his belief, is that the American people will have to make their own decisions about whether the reaction by the people they elected to represent them should be embracing and elevating conspiracies and attacks on our democracy or whether it should be standing up for ideals that have historically been owned by both Democrats and Republicans representing the country throughout history.”
Updated
Do not panic and do not hoard gasoline, White House urges after pipeline attack
The White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, is now holding her daily briefing with reporters, and she was joined by transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg and EPA administrator Michael Regan.
Buttigieg and Regan provided updates on fallout from the ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline over the weekend, which has caused gasoline supply issues in some east coast states.
Regan urged residents in impacted states not to panic and not to hoard gasoline as they await further updates from the federal government.
Buttigieg argued the incident underscored the need to be “resilient and flexible” with the country’s energy infrastructure. He described the ransomware attack, along with the power outages in Texas earlier this year, as two “wake-up call experiences” that underscore the need to improve US energy sources.
Liz Cheney participated in an interview with NBC News’ Savannah Guthrie shortly after she was ousted as House Republican conference chair.
The interview will air tomorrow on the “Today” show, which Guthrie co-anchors.
Just sat down with Rep. Liz Cheney @replizcheney for an exclusive interview on @NBCNews. pic.twitter.com/GPIJegptY9
— Savannah Guthrie (@SavannahGuthrie) May 12, 2021
For more than three months it’s been tempting for many to assume that, with Joe Biden in the White House and Donald Trump off Twitter, democracy survived its near-death experience, recovered and checked out of hospital. But the ousting of Liz Cheney by the Republican party shows that the potential for a relapse is all too real.
Cheney, the number three Republican in the House of Representatives, was essentially terminated for refusing to embrace Trump’s “big lie”, the false claim of a stolen presidential election. “I will not sit back and watch in silence while others lead our party down a path that abandons the rule of law and joins the former president’s crusade to undermine our democracy,” she said on the House floor on Tuesday night.
Cheney is an unlikely Joan of Arc. Her father, Dick Cheney, was George W Bush’s vice president and mastermind of his “war on terror”, torture included. Maureen Dowd, a columnist for the New York Times, notes that Dick Cheney’s big lie about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, defended to the hilt by Liz, “created the template for Trump’s big lie”.
But while the messenger is flawed, the message is unassailable: the constitution, the rule of law, an adherence to fact-based reality itself are all imperiled for as long as one of America’s two great parties has gone rogue.
Before going to the White House for an infrastructure meeting with Joe Biden, Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer delivered a floor speech in which he condemned House Republicans for ousting Liz Cheney as conference chair.
The Democratic leader described Cheney’s ouster as “a new and very dangerous low point” for the House Republican caucus.
.@SenSchumer: "Congresswoman Cheney spoke truth to power, and for that, she's been fired. Make no mistake, the Congresswoman and I disagree on so many policy issues, but we both agree that truth matters." pic.twitter.com/GkRX6AZybR
— CSPAN (@cspan) May 12, 2021
Schumer argued that Cheney lost her leadership role because she told the truth about Donald Trump legitimately losing the 2020 presidential election.
“Congresswoman Cheney spoke truth to power, and for that, she’s been fired,” Schumer said. “Make no mistake, the congresswoman and I disagree on so many policy issues, but we both agree that truth matters.”
Schumer went on to say, “This is sad, a very dark moment for the Republican party. Republicans are seeking to perpetuate and act upon the ‘big lie’ that the election was stolen simply to placate the most dishonest president in American history.”
Biden meets with congressional leaders to discuss infrastructure
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are holding a meeting with congressional leaders in the Oval Office to discuss the president’s infrastructure plan.
Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, House speaker Nancy Pelosi and House minority leader Kevin McCarthy are all present for the meeting.
Biden expressed hope that Democrats and Republicans will be able to reach a compromise on infrastructure, although the two parties continue to argue over how to pay for the bill.
“The bottom line here is, we’re going to see whether we can reach some consensus on a compromise,” Biden told reporters at the start of the meeting. “We’re going to talk a lot about infrastructure today.”
An NBC News reporter also asked Biden whether he felt he could trust McCarthy’s leadership, given today’s vote to remove Liz Cheney as conference chair over her criticism of Donald Trump. The president could be heard responding, “Yes.”
Biden is heard saying, “Yes,” muffled by shouts, when I asked him if he can trust and work with McCarthy. Deleted last tweet to accurately update it. pic.twitter.com/ylrJ0w9qiJ
— Peter Alexander (@PeterAlexander) May 12, 2021
Updated
Pelosi calls on 'reasonable' Republicans to 'take back their party' after Cheney ouster
Nancy Pelosi has released a statement condemning the ouster of Liz Cheney as House Republican conference chair.
“Congresswoman Liz Cheney is a leader of great courage, patriotism and integrity. Today, House Republicans declared that those values are unwelcome in the Republican party,” the Democratic speaker said.
“The Republican denial of the truth presented by Congresswoman Cheney is reflected in their denial of the need to seek the truth in a January 6th commission and to repair the damage of January 6th with a security supplemental immediately.
“For the sake of our democracy, reasonable Republicans across the country must take back their party.”
Updated
Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of Donald Trump, argued Liz Cheney was ousted as House Republican conference chair because she “has taken a position regarding former President Trump which is out of the mainstream of the Republican”.
That “position” seems to be acknowledging the fact that Trump lost the 2020 presidential election and thus Joe Biden is the legitimately elected president.
Congresswoman Liz Cheney has been a solid conservative and strong voice on national security.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) May 12, 2021
However, in my view, she has taken a position regarding former President Trump which is out of the mainstream of the Republican Party.https://t.co/xZ7kfV11aj
“Today’s decision by the House Republican Conference regarding Congresswoman Cheney was not about her vote for impeachment,” Graham said. “It was about her belief President Trump should be purged from the GOP and those who objected to the results of the 2020 election should be disqualified from future leadership positions.
“As a result, the House GOP Conference has decided to move forward in a different direction.”
Other Republicans have similarly claimed that Cheney’s ouster is unrelated to her January vote in support of impeaching Trump for inciting the Capitol insurrection.
However, it should be noted that the clashes between Trump and Cheney started when she put out a fiery statement condemning the then-president for his actions on January 6 shortly before the vote on impeachment. Cheney has continued to defend her impeachment vote and criticize Trump for inciting the deadly violence on January 6.
So although House Republicans say the true reason for Cheney’s ouster is the tension between her and Trump, it should be noted that those disputes are occurring as a direct result of her vote to impeach him.
While some Republicans lamented the ouster of Liz Cheney, freshman congressman Madison Cawthorn instead responded by taunting his colleague.
“Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey, goodbye Liz Cheney,” the North Carolina Republican said on Twitter.
Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey, goodbye Liz Cheney
— Rep. Madison Cawthorn (@RepCawthorn) May 12, 2021
Congressman Ken Buck, a member of the conservative Freedom Caucus in the House, described Liz Cheney as a victim of “cancel culture”.
“Liz Cheney was canceled today for speaking her mind and disagreeing with the narrative that President Trump has put forth,” Buck told reporters shortly after the vote to remove Cheney as conference chair.
Buck was one of Cheney’s few defenders in the House Republican caucus going into the vote, and he was the only Republican lawmaker present for Cheney’s defiant floor speech last night, according to CNN.
Ken Buck is the only lawmaker watching Liz Cheney speak on the House floor. The rest cleared out.
— Annie Grayer (@AnnieGrayerCNN) May 12, 2021
The Guardian’s Daniel Strauss reports:
Immediately after the meeting where she was stripped of her position, Liz Cheney said she was “absolutely committed” in not embracing Donald Trump’s “big lie” about the election.
“We cannot both embrace the big lie and embrace the constitution,” Cheney said. “Going forward, the nation needs it, the nation needs a Republican party that is based upon fundamental principles of conservatism and I am committed and dedicated to ensuring that that’s how this party goes forward and I plan to lead the fight to do that.”
Cheney’s ouster was widely expected after she found herself at odds with other members of Republican leadership over her refusal to stop blaming Trump for inciting the mob attack on the US Capitol on 6 January.
Ahead of the vote, Cheney addressed the caucus, standing by her position.
“If you want leaders who will enable and spread his destructive lies, I’m not your person, you have plenty of others to choose from. That will be their legacy,” Cheney said. At moments in her response ahead of the closed vote she was booed by some of her colleagues.
Updated
The meeting to remove Liz Cheney from her post as House Republican conference chair took a total of about 15 minutes.
A Capitol Hill reporter for Politico described the event as “the shortest conference meeting I can remember covering”.
Well that was probably the shortest conference meeting I can remember covering
— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) May 12, 2021
The meeting was so short that some House Republicans missed the vote entirely because they arrived a few minutes late, per the New York Times.
How fast was the Cheney vote ? A handful of members missed it bc they were just arriving to the meeting when it broke up.
— Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) May 12, 2021
Looking ahead, House minority leader Kevin McCarthy has set an election to replace Liz Cheney as conference chair for this Friday, per PBS NewsHour.
McCarthy has set this Friday for the election to replace Cheney, per two sources
— Meredith Lee (@meredithllee) May 12, 2021
Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, who is widely expected to replace Cheney, has formally announced her candidacy for the position. She has already received Donald Trump’s endorsement as well.
House minority leader Kevin McCarthy’s decision to conduct a voice vote on removing Liz Cheney as conference chair surprised many people, including some members of the Republican caucus.
Speaking to reporters after the conference meeting, Adam Kinzinger, a Cheney ally, said members were not given the chance to deliver speeches on the issue, aside from Cheney’s short remarks at the top of the meeting.
“It was definitely not what I expected,” Kinzinger said.
But the lack of a secret vote on removing Cheney will allow McCarthy to dodge questions about how many members still supported the anti-Trump congresswoman and whether his caucus remains divided over the former president.
Trump belittles Cheney as 'a bitter, horrible human being' after vote to remove her
Donald Trump has released a statement celebrating the removal of Liz Cheney as House Republican conference chair.
“Liz Cheney is a bitter, horrible human being. I watched her yesterday and realized how bad she is for the Republican Party,” the former president said in the statement released by his political action committee.
“She has no personality or anything good having to do with politics or our Country. She is a talking point for Democrats, whether that means the Border, the gas lines, inflation, or destroying our economy.”
Trump closed the statement by predicting that Cheney would soon become a “Paid Contributor on CNN or MSDNC”.
Shortly after she was removed as conference chair, Cheney told reporters that she remained committed to pushing back against Trump’s hold over the Republican party.
“I will do everything I can to ensure that the former president never again gets anywhere near the Oval Office,” Cheney told reporters on Capitol Hill.
Liz Cheney delivered a short speech to fellow House Republicans before the vote to remove her as conference chair, and she was booed for her critical comments about Donald Trump, according to Politico.
Sources tell me Cheney received a few boos at the beginning when she started to speak. But ppl quieted down and let her talk.
— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) May 12, 2021
And she also received a round of applause and standing ovations after the voice vote with members recognizing her service.
A veteran journalist who covered the fall of the Soviet Union said Cheney’s ouster reminded him of how Joseph Stalin would conduct purges of his opponents.
The way Republicans booted Cheney out with a lot of boos and without a secret vote reminded me of the way purges were conducted in the Soviet Union. Yeltsin was ousted in exactly the same way, along with numerous Stalin opponents.
— Michael Dobbs (@michaeldobbs) May 12, 2021
Stefanik formally announces she is running to replace Cheney
Elise Stefanik has released a letter formally announcing she is running to replace Liz Cheney as House Republican conference chair.
Stefanik, a fierce defender of Donald Trump, said she would dedicate herself to providing a “disciplined, unified message from our leadership team” as the party works to take back control of Congress.
“Our Members believe that the stakes are far too high for us to be divided,” Stefanik said.
READ: Why I’m running for House Republican Conference Chair
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) May 12, 2021
A letter to my colleagues on my vision to unify our GOP Conference, win the Majority, and fight on behalf of the American people to save our country👇🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/JGE5IqhNJo
After being voted out from her role as House Republican conference chair, Liz Cheney said she plans to “lead the fight” to create a stronger party in the future without.
The congresswoman added that she is dedicated to preventing Donald Trump from becoming president again.
“I will do everything I can to ensure that the former president never again gets anywhere near the Oval Office,” Cheney told reporters.
Rep. Liz Cheney: "We must go forward based on truth. We cannot both embrace the big lie and embrace the Constitution...I will do everything I can to ensure that the former president never again gets anywhere near the Oval Office." pic.twitter.com/jrIwLTdP6t
— CSPAN (@cspan) May 12, 2021
Updated
Cheney confirms she was removed from conference chair post
Liz Cheney came out to talk to reporters after she was removed from her role as conference chair in this morning’s House Republican caucus meeting.
The congresswoman said she was committed to pushing back against “the very dangerous lies of a former president”.
Adam Kinzinger, one of Cheney’s few defenders in the Republican caucus, said “Liz has committed the only sin of being consistent and telling the truth.” He added, “I stand with Liz. I’m proud of her.”
Kinzinger confirmed Cheney was removed by a voice vote and there were no speeches given in defense or in opposition to her leadership. “It was definitely not what I expected,” Kinzinger said.
Cheney removed from leadership role by voice vote
Liz Cheney has been removed from her role as conference chair by a voice vote in the House Republican caucus meeting this morning.
NEWS: CHENEY removed from her post by voice vote
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) May 12, 2021
Updated
After Liz Cheney’s remarks, congresswoman Virginia Foxx formally introduced a resolution to remove Cheney from her post as conference chair.
House minority leader Kevin McCarthy, who signaled last week that he was open to replacing Cheney, then said he supported Foxx’s motion, per CBS News.
Per multiple sources inside the GOP conference meeting, @Liz_Cheney gave a similar speech to what she said on the floor last night in her defense. @virginiafoxx motioned to remove her from her position, and @GOPLeader said he would support it.
— Rebecca Kaplan (@RebeccaRKaplan) May 12, 2021
According to Politico, Liz Cheney spoke to the House Republican caucus before the vote, and she warned that Donald Trump will “drag us backward and make us complicit in his efforts to unravel our democracy”.
CHENEY just addressed the House GOP conference, as a meeting gets underway to decide her fate in leadership.
— Melanie Zanona (@MZanona) May 12, 2021
“We cannot let the former president drag us backward and make us complicit in his efforts to unravel our democracy,” she said, per source familiar.
The Guardian’s Daniel Strauss reports:
The daughter of the former vice-president Dick Cheney, Liz Cheney has become a symbol of a dwindling band of Republicans largely opposed to Donald Trump’s vice-like grip on the party. Even though she is a staunch conservative, she has faced implacable hostility from Trump and his loyalists.
Cheney had faced the threat of removal from her leading role before, but she survived that handily, in part, thanks to support from other members of Republican leadership. This time is different though. Cheney has lost support from Congressman Kevin McCarthy of California, the House minority leader, and Congressman Steve Scalise of Louisiana, the House minority whip.
The main driver behind the attack on Cheney, though, has been Trump, who has fumed about Cheney’s criticism and her decision to vote to impeach the president, alongside almost a dozen other House Republicans. Cheney has been the highest-ranking outspoken anti-Trump Republican in Congress. That stance looks to be felt back home where multiple candidates have jumped into the Republican primary to oust Cheney from her congressional seat.
Trump and his allies are assessing who to support in that primary. The former president’s political operation is watching the primary field closely, looking to see who might emerge as the strongest challenger to Cheney.
Cheney’s troubles are the latest sign that Trump’s influence is still hugely powerful within the Republican party, more so than any of the other recent Republicans who were elected president or were nominated to be president.
Liz Cheney has arrived at the Capitol for this morning’s vote on removing her as House Republican conference chair.
Asked by the New York Times about what this vote means for the GOP, Cheney said, “The party is going to come back stronger, and I’m going to lead the effort to do it.”
Cheney has entered the Capitol. Asked by @jmartNYT what today says about the GOP, she responds: “The party is going to come back stronger and I’m going to lead the effort to do it.”
— Jacqueline Alemany (@JaxAlemany) May 12, 2021
Minutes before House Republicans meet to vote Liz Cheney out of her role as conference chair, Donald Trump issued a statement encouraging them to do so.
“The Republicans in the House of Representatives have a great opportunity today to rid themselves of a poor leader, a major Democrat talking point, a warmonger, and a person with absolutely no personality or heart,” the former president said in a statement released by his political action committee.
“As a representative of the Great State of Wyoming, Liz Cheney is bad for our Country and bad for herself. Almost everyone in the Republican Party, including 90% of Wyoming, looks forward to her ouster—and that includes me!”
Trump and Cheney have repeatedly clashed since January, when the congresswoman issued a fiery statement explaining why she was voting in favor of impeaching the then-president for inciting the Capitol insurrection.
Some Republicans called for Cheney to be removed from her leadership role shortly after the impeachment vote, but House minority leader Kevin McCarthy stood by her. Now McCarthy argues that Cheney has become a distraction from Republican efforts to win control of Congress in next year’s midterms.
Cheney warns of unprecedented 'threat' to America as she faces likely ouster
Greetings from Washington, live blog readers.
House Republicans will vote this morning on whether to remove Liz Cheney from her role as conference chairwoman over her criticism of Donald Trump and his lies about widespread fraud in the presidential election.
Cheney is widely expected to be ousted from her leadership role and replaced with Elise Stefanik, who has become a fierce defender of the former president.
Rep. Liz Cheney: "A former president who provoked a violent attack on this Capitol in an effort to steal the election, has resumed his aggressive effort to convince Americans that the election was stolen from him. He risks inciting further violence." pic.twitter.com/hsk0xTPzsN
— CSPAN (@cspan) May 12, 2021
Delivering a defiant speech on the House floor last night, Cheney warned that the country is experiencing a moment of crisis right now.
“Today we face a threat America has never seen before. A former president, who provoked a violent attack on this capital in an effort to steal the election, has resumed his aggressive effort to convince Americans that the election was stolen from him. He risks inciting further violence,” Cheney said.
“This is not about policy. This is not about partisanship. This is about our duty as Americans. Remaining silent and ignoring the lie emboldens the liar. I will not participate in that.”
The vote will get underway soon, so stay tuned.
