Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg apologized in a call with transgender leaders on Thursday for previously referring to transgender people as "it" after more than a week of silence on the issue, per NewNowNext.
Driving the news: BuzzFeed reported on the ex-mayor's 2019 remarks earlier this month, citing a recently uncovered video in which Bloomberg stated: "If your conversation during a presidential election is about some guy wearing a dress and whether he, she or it can go to the locker room with their daughter, that’s not a winning formula for most people."
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) said he will no longer accept campaign donations from political action committees in a speech Thursday at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
Why it matters: Pushback against super PACs has largely been concentrated on the left — with Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders serving as vocal critics of special interests on the 2020 campaign trail.But on Thursday, Gaetz painted himself as "a different kind of Republican" while linking his decision to President Trump's "America First movement."
The Obama administration's Ebola response coordinator Ronald Klain tore into the White House Thursday over a report in the New York Times that all public statements and appearances by health officials must be coordinated with the office of Vice President Mike Pence.
What they're saying: "I was the WH Ebola Response Coordinator in 2014-15," Klain tweeted. "We never told the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or National Institutes of Health what they could say, or ever censored their medical statements. If the WH is doing that now, it is a danger to public health."
The Department of Veterans Affairs Inspector General Michael Missal said Thursday he had opened an investigation into VA Secretary Robert Wilkie after lawmakers demanded an inquiry into his handling of a sexual misconduct report, the Washington Post reports.
Context: Wilkie allegedly "worked to discredit" the credibility of Democratic aide and veteran Andrea Goldstein after she reported last fall "that a man groped and propositioned her in the main lobby of the agency's D.C. Medical Center," a senior VA official told the Post.
Mike Bloomberg released new information on his heart health Thursday and called on his rival Bernie Sanders to do so as well.
Why it matters: The development, first reported by CNN, continues a public feud between the two candidates, both of whom are 78 years old. The move appears to be an attempt by Bloomberg to make Sanders' health a central issue in the Democratic contest.
Former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh received a 3-year prison sentence for fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy on Thursday, the Washington Post reports.
The state of play: Pugh, 69, resigned in May 2019 as she faced state and federal investigations in a years-long scheme in which she sold her self-published "Healthy Holly" children’s books to nonprofits and foundations to promote her political career and fund her mayoral campaign. She apologized in a video submitted on Wednesday to U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow, per the Baltimore Sun.
Daniel Goldman, the former federal prosecutor who questioned witnesses during the impeachment inquiry as counsel to Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee, is stepping down, CNN reports.
Why it matters: The departure reflects the de-escalation of House Democrats' investigations into President Trump in the aftermath of his impeachment acquittal. Democratic leaders have left open the question of whether they will continue their Ukraine probe, including by subpoenaing former national security adviser John Bolton.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer released a joint statement Thursday outlining their demands for coronavirus funding, including a guarantee that the eventual vaccine is affordable.
The big picture: Pelosi criticized the Trump administration's response to the coronavirus outbreak, calling it "chaotic" and chiding President Trump for "name-calling" and "playing politics." She added at a press conference that bipartisan congressional leaders are nearing an agreement on emergency funding.
The Justice Department wants to dramatically increase fees for immigrants trying to fight deportation— including nearly $1,000 to appeal an immigration judge decision, according to a proposed Executive Office for Immigration Review rule.
Between the lines: It currently costs around $100 for immigrants to begin to legally fight deportation orders. If implemented, the new rule would raise fees to at least $305 and as much as $975, depending on the appeal.
