U.S. Politics

[Rick Plant]

President Biden's historic economic success continues.

Unemployment rates fell in 37 States last month and 17 States hit or tied their lowest rates on record (data back to 1976), according to data out this morning from the BLS. https://bls.gov/news.release/laus.nr0.htm



The States with new record lows include Nebraska and Utah at 2 percent each. The unemployment rates in Indiana and Montana were 2.2 percent and 2.3 percent respectively.

These States also saw all-time low unemployment rates: Alaska (5 percent), Arizona (3.3 percent), Georgia (3.1 percent), Idaho (2.7 percent), Mississippi (4.2 percent), Tennessee (3.2 percent), West Virginia (3.7 percent), Wisconsin (2.8 percent).

Five other States—Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, and Minnesota—had unemployment rates in March that equaled their lowest rates on record.

Jobs gains were statistically significant in 10 States last month, and in 49 States and D.C. over the past year. The biggest percent gains in March occurred in Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, and North Carolina.

These BLS data show the geographical scope of the strong national labor market (national rate was 3.6 percent in March), with 17 States posting the lowest jobless rate in the 46-year history of these data.

[Rick Plant]

Mike Lee must be held accountable for his actions to 'subvert our election': Former US attorney general



Former Attorney General Eric Holder is calling for Sen. Mike Lee to be held accountable for his role in attempting to overthrow the 2020 election.

It was revealed last week that Lee was very involved in efforts to keep former President Donald Trump in the White House, even though there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud.

CNN released over 100 text messages from Lee and Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) that were sent between the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and they showed Lee was initially 100 percent committed to Trump's election overthrow efforts, although he eventually got cold feet when Trump's lawyers produced no hard evidence of fraud.

In response, Holder tweeted, "Mike Lee has to be confronted about his actions to subvert our electoral process and then held accountable. Let him explain - if he can - his efforts. Media focus on this is not partisan - it’s their job."

https://www.rawstory.com/mike-lee-election-overthrow-accountability/

[Rick Plant]

Nebraska's GOP governor tells Trump-backed candidate to 'get help' and drop out after groping allegations



Republican Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts on Monday called on Trump-backed gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster to drop out after multiple women leveled allegations that he groped them.

In remarks before reporters, Ricketts trashed Herbster for blowing off the multiple allegations of inappropriate behavior made against him.

"Herbster is saying the Republican establishment somehow created a conspiracy, that these eight women are somehow behind, to accuse him of se*ual assault," Ricketts said. "And I would say read the article, because that article is one of the most well researched, corroborated articles I've ever seen on this topic."

Ricketts then explained what he wanted to see Herbster do next.

"I think he needs to apologize to the women, then I think he should seek help, then he should step out of the race," he said.

Ricketts also said that the allegations leveled against Herbster were "very different" from those leveled against Trump, although Ricketts seemed to imply the only allegations against Trump related to his infamous "Access Hollywood" video, when in reality dozens of women have accused him of se*ual misconduct.

Watch the video below:

https://twitter.com/i/status/1516156752030576652

[Rick Plant]

Who Is Kathryn Mizelle? Trump-Appointed Judge Who Struck Down Mask Mandate

Federal judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle struck down the national mask mandate for transportation including airplanes and trains on Monday.

Mizelle, appointed by former President Donald Trump, ruled that the mandate exceeded the authority of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Her lengthy 59-page ruling also said the CDC failed to justify the mandate.

In her ruling, Mizelle said the only remedy is to void the mandate as it would be impossible to end it for only those who objected by filing the lawsuit, according to the Associated Press.

"Because our system does not permit agencies to act unlawfully even in pursuit of desirable ends, the court declares unlawful and vacates the mask mandate," she wrote.

Mizelle currently serves as a judge on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. She was appointed to the position by Trump in August 2020 and was confirmed by the Senate three months later, with 49 Republicans voting in her support and 41 Democrats voting against her. Mizelle was appointed to the bench at 33, making her one of the youngest federal judges in the nation.

Prior to her nomination to the court, she worked as an attorney at the Jones Day law firm and served at the Department of Justice as Counsel to the Associate Attorney General, a trial attorney in the Tax Division and as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.

She also served as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas after graduating from the University of Florida Levin College of Law.

Trump's nomination of Mizelle drew criticism from some in the legal community. At the time, the American Bar Association (ABA) wrote in a letter to Senators Lindsey Graham and Dianne Feinstein they determined she was "not qualified" for the position.

In the letter, the ABA wrote Mizelle began to practice law eight years earlier — a "departure" from the 12-year minimum the ABA's committee uses as a benchmark for determining qualifications of nominees — and that she had not tried a case as lead or co-counsel. However, the ABA's letter praised her as having a "very keen intellect, a strong work ethic and an impressive resume."

https://www.newsweek.com/who-kathryn-mizelle-trump-appointed-judge-who-struck-down-mask-mandate-1698705

[Rick Plant]

This is Kathryn Kimball Mizelle. She is a Federalist Society judge who worked for Clarence Thomas. The American Bar Association said she is unqualified to hold office, but Republicans confirmed her anyway after Trump lost.

She just ruled the CDC can’t require masks on planes. Because of her, we will see more virus cases increase.

[Rick Plant]

Biden to visit New Hampshire harbor to highlight investments in nation’s ports and waterways

CNN — President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit a harbor in New Hampshire on Tuesday to highlight how billions of dollars from the bipartisan infrastructure law are being spent on rebuilding the nation’s ports and waterways, a White House spokesperson tells CNN.

Biden will travel to Portsmouth Harbor and is expected to deliver remarks on how investments in the nation’s port infrastructure are are aiming to strengthen supply chains and bring down costs for American families, the spokesperson said.

The trip comes as the White House grapples with persistent global supply chain issues that have been driving up prices for American families. A recent report showed consumer prices hit a new 40-year high in March, and much of that jump was driven by rising gasoline and food prices. These problems are only getting worse amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and as parts of China implement lockdowns due to a fresh spike in Covid-19 cases.

“American ports are a cornerstone of the US economy, but outdated infrastructure and the Covid-19 pandemic have strained their capacity and jeopardized global supply chains – which has caused delays and passed costs directly to consumers,” the spokesperson said.

The White House says Portsmouth Harbor handles approximately 3.5 million tons and nearly $2 billion of cargo a year. The US Army Corps of Engineers completed a $18.2 million project earlier this month to widen the harbor’s turning basin and is investing an additional $1.7 million for maintenance dredging of the shipping channel and basin, according to the White House.

These funds were allocated from the bipartisan infrastructure law, which is one of Biden’s biggest legislative victories since taking office. The law invests $17 billion in port infrastructure. The President has made several trips around the country to tout the bipartisan achievement and highlight the infrastructure investments that were made possible by the law.

The cargo that passes through Portsmouth Harbor includes material to make drywall, road de-icing salt, home heating oil and underwater fiber optic cable, according to the White House. It is also a staging and transport location for several wind energy projects and for nuclear power plant components manufactured at the nearby Westinghouse Electric.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/18/politics/biden-new-hampshire-harbor/index.html

[Rick Plant]

Biden to require infrastructure projects be made with U.S. iron, steel
Federal agencies will have to ensure that new projects funded by the $1.2 trillion infrastructure package are made with U.S. materials.

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is directing federal agencies to ensure that new construction projects funded by the $1.2 trillion infrastructure package are made with U.S.-made materials.

In 17 pages of guidance Monday, the Office of Management and Budget instructs federal agencies to make sure that by mid-May, any projects to build or repair roads, bridges, water pipes or even broadband internet are made with domestic products, including iron and steel.

"This means all manufacturing processes, from the initial melting stage through the application of coatings, occurred in the United States," the guidance says of the metals requirement.

Agencies must also ensure that the bulk of components of any manufactured products used in the construction projects are made in the U.S.

Government agencies can obtain waivers for the requirements if it's found that procuring the products domestically isn't in the public's interest, that quantities of the materials aren't "sufficient and reasonably available ... or of a satisfactory quality," or if the U.S.-sourced materials would raise the cost of a project by more than 25 percent, the guidance says.

The new guidance is part of the administration’s moves to implement the infrastructure law, which President Joe Biden signed in November. It's also part of Biden's strategy to alleviate supply chain issues in the U.S. amid the Covid pandemic and inflation.

During the previous administration, then-President Donald Trump hit European countries with steep tariffs on steel and aluminum products, which raised prices on those materials in the U.S. At the G-20 summit in October, Biden announced that the U.S. had reached a deal to reverse those tariffs.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/biden-require-infrastructure-projects-made-us-iron-steel-rcna24816

[Rick Plant]

This Tax Day, the difference in approach between the President and Congressional Republicans couldn’t be clearer.



https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1516071246462693379