President Trump is seriously considering appointing acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell to chair the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board (PIAB), according to two sources familiar with discussions.
Between the lines: The role does not require Senate confirmation, and advisors that sit on the panel are permitted to do private sector work.
Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn called on her fellow lawmakers to refuse meetings with representatives from Chinese companies, including video sharing app TikTok and telecom company Huawei, in a letter Thursday.
Why it matters: Companies with ties to China have been the target of ire and suspicion from lawmakers from both parties concerned about privacy and security.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell will both testify before the Senate Banking committee next Tuesday as part of oversight of the CARES Act, which requires them to give quarterly updates to Congress on economic programs.
Why it matters: The Treasury and the Fed have been closely linked amid the downturn. Mnuchin at one point was speaking to Powell "30 times a day." This hearing will be the first time since the coronavirus crisis began that the pair will publicly — albeit virtually — appear together.
Fox News host Bret Baier said Thursday that the testimony of Rick Bright, the ousted vaccine doctor who alleges that the Trump administration ignored early warnings about the coronavirus, could be "potentially politically damaging" for President Trump.
What they're saying: Trump lashed out at Bright as he testified on Thursday, describing him as a "disgruntled employee" who, "according to some people, didn't do a very good job." Baier, a host on Trump's favorite cable news network, countered: "Whether he's that or not, he does have a lot of experience and he's telling a story about not being prepared for this pandemic."
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), co-chair of Sen. Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign and of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, called on Tuesday for Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) to be tapped as Joe Biden's running mate.
Why it matters: Since Sanders suspended his campaign last month, he and Biden have been working to unite the progressive and moderate wings of the Democratic Party — an effort that would likely benefit from the selection of Warren as VP. Khanna told the Daily Beast that he has made the case for Warren in conversations with the Biden team.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced Thursday that Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) is stepping down from his position as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee pending an investigation into possible insider trading.
Why it matters: The news comes one day after reports that the FBI seized Burr's phone as part of the investigation. Burr, who had access to classified briefings about the coronavirus, dumped between $582,029 and $1.56 million in March just prior to the market crash. He has denied wrongdoing.
Senate Judiciary Chair Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) responded to President Trump's tweet calling for Graham to compel former President Obama to testify before Congress about the Russia investigation, telling Politico: "I don’t think now's the time for me to do that. I don't know if that's even possible."
What's new: Graham released a statement on Thursday saying the Judiciary Committee will hold hearings in June "regarding all things related" to the Russia investigation. But he reiterated that he is "greatly concerned by the precedent that would be set by calling a former president for oversight."
House Democrats on Tuesday released a $3 trillion phase 4 coronavirus relief proposal that would provide $500 billion to state governments and $375 to local governments — welcome news to local leaders who've been pushing hard for funds as city coffers run dry.
Where it stands: The fate of the package is uncertain, as it hasn't been negotiated with House Republicans and the Trump administration.
A federal appeals court on Thursday reinstated a lawsuit by Maryland and D.C. that alleges President Trump is illegally profiting from the presidency through his D.C. hotel, according to AP.
What's happening: A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals originally told a district court to dismiss the lawsuit, alleging the jurisdictions lacked standing to sue. But its full 15-judge court overturned that Thursday and said the panel overstepped its authority.
President Trump called on governors to work to reopen schools, taking issue with Dr. Anthony Fauci's caution against moving too quickly, AP reports. The president accused Fauci of wanting "to play all sides of the equation."
Fauci warned in Senate testimony: "We don't know everything about this virus and we really better be pretty careful, particularly when it comes to children."
Eight weeks into this nation's greatest crisis since World War II, we seem no closer to a national strategy to reopen the nation, rebuild the economy and defeat the coronavirus.
Why it matters: America's ongoing cultural wars over everything have weakened our ability to respond to this pandemic. We may be our worst enemy.
Less than a week after dropping out of the presidential race, Michael Bloomberg announced his next major initiative: an online network of mayors and public health experts to help communities deal with the coronavirus.
Why it matters: Two months in, it's serving as a welcome reset for Bloomberg after a rocky campaign. He's welcomed high-profile speakers — Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Bill Gates and Nancy Pelosi — onto weekly calls with mayors to share their own lessons learned while dealing with crises in office. Joe Biden is expected to give remarks on Thursday's call.
Snapchat is working to get younger users to register to vote ahead of the 2020 general election, executives tell Axios.
Why it matters: The company was able to successfully register 450,000 people through its app during the 2018 midterms. Now, new data shows that 50% of those registered actually went out and casted ballots.
FBI agents investigating Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) over his mass sell-off of stocks seized a phone belonging to the Senate Intelligence Committee chairman after serving a search warrant Wednesday night, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Why it matters: Burr was hit with a federal lawsuit in late March over the sell-off that preceded a market crash caused by the coronavirus pandemic. He dumped between $582,029 and $1.56 million, ProPublica reported that month. Burr has strenuously denied any wrongdoing. His spokesperson declined to comment to Axios on the report.
A federal judge indicated President Trump's first national security adviser Michael Flynn could be held in contempt of court for perjury as he appointed an outsider on Wednesday to review the case.
Details: Federal Judge Emmet Sullivan said in an order he appointed retired judge John Gleeson "to present arguments in opposition to the government's Motion to Dismiss" and on "whether the Court should issue an Order to Show Cause why Mr. Flynn should not be held in criminal contempt for perjury."
