Inflation surges; Trump's flushing scandal; Americans urged to leave Ukraine; Democrat Govs drop mask mandates; Admiral in charge of Kabul evac slams White House; Russia & Iran Olympic scandals
Dr. Phil's toxic workplace; Bob Saget's death; Entertainment Weekly stops printing; the MLB NL to use the Designated Hitter; Apple announces AirTag safety features; U.S.-Canada Trucker crisis
Good Friday morning! TGIF!
My take: Occasionally when writing this letter I shake my head and chant, “Say what,” or …
Today was one of those days and as is the hallmark of this letter, the examples are bi-partisan. Let’s start with the 45th President flushing records down the toilet and clogging it up. Then there is the current White House calling the Pentagon during the most crucial days of the Afghanistan pull-out and impeding the military’s work. What does Dr. Jill Biden have to do with the fall of Kabul and exit? My eyes did raise bit with PTSD when I saw the new plan for Americans to exit the Ukraine. Then there is the President spending time yesterday visiting at the White House with singer BILLIE EILISH. Does she have influence on policy? At least Kim Kardashian was advocating for prisoners. And how about Donald Trump running for Congress in an effort to become Speaker of the House. Shades of The Apprentice. Am I shocked that Dr. Phil has a toxic workplace? No. But I am surprised that it was revealed by employees. Lastly, the President said we are making a lot of progress on the economy. Prices are rising and people are hiring. He seemed to not have a plan to curb inflation.
Now to your “1 to…”
Start with a surprise: Entertainment Weekly and InStyle to cease print publication, 200 layoffs underway: The move follows Barry Diller’s IAC Dotdash acquisition of magazine giant Meredith.
Important work! Billie Eilish and Finneas meet President Biden and his dog: The White House confirmed a visit from Billie, her brother and her family.
Say what: Haberman book: Flushed papers found clogging Trump WH toilet: While President Trump was in office, staff in the White House residence periodically discovered wads of printed paper clogging a toilet — and believed the president had flushed pieces of paper, Maggie Haberman scoops in her forthcoming book, "Confidence Man." The revelation by Haberman, whose coverage as a New York Times White House correspondent was followed obsessively by Trump, adds a vivid new dimension to his lapses in preserving government documents. Axios was provided an exclusive first look at some of her reporting. Haberman reports Trump has told people that since leaving office, he has remained in contact with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un — whose "love letters," as Trump once called them, were among documents the National Archives retrieved from Mar-a-Lago. The news of White House toilet-flushing comes as the National Archives has reportedly asked the Biden Justice Department to examine Trump's handling of White House records, amid the congressional investigation into the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol. The Washington Post reports that National Archives officials "suspected Trump had possibly violated laws concerning the handling of government documents."
Trump denies he flushed records down White House toilet: Earlier this month, the National Archives said that the former president had ripped up some White House documents while he was in office.
Inflation surges 7.5% on an annual basis, even more than expected and highest since 1982: The consumer price index for all items rose 0.6% in January, driving up annual inflation by 7.5%. That marked the biggest gain since February 1982 and was even higher than the Wall Street estimate. Core inflation rose 6%, which also was a notch above expectations. Real earnings for workers increased just 0.1% on the month when accounting for inflation. Weekly jobless claims declined to 223,000, below the 230,000 estimate.
White House approves plan for US troops to help Americans leave Ukraine if Russia invades: The White House has approved a plan presented by the Pentagon for the nearly 2,000 US troops in Poland to help Americans who may try to evacuate Ukraine if Russia invades, according to two US officials familiar with the matter. The US forces are not currently authorized to enter Ukraine itself if a war breaks out, and there are no plans for them to conduct a noncombatant evacuation operation akin to the US operation in Afghanistan last summer, the officials emphasized.
Biden warns Americans in Ukraine to leave, says sending troops to evacuate would be 'world war': President Joe Biden sat down for a wide-ranging interview with NBC News, discussing Russia-Ukraine, mask mandates and his Supreme Court nomination process.
UK’s Johnson cites ‘a dangerous moment’ in Ukraine crisis: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Thursday the Ukraine crisis has grown into “the most dangerous moment” for Europe in decades, while his top diplomat held icy talks with her Moscow counterpart who said the Kremlin won’t accept lectures from the West. Amid the deadlock, Russian forces held sweeping maneuvers north of Ukraine in Belarus, part of a buildup of over 100,000 troops that has stoked Western fears of an invasion. NATO also has stepped up military deployments to bolster its eastern flank, with the U.S. sending troops to Poland and Romania. A British Royal Air Force jet carrying 350 troops landed Thursday in Poland in a move that followed London sending anti-tank missiles to Ukraine to help boost its defenses.
Biden, with Spanberger in Culpeper, urges lower prescription drug prices: President Joe Biden visited a heavily Republican rural stronghold in Virginia on Thursday to join Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, to push Congress to take action on proposals to reduce the price of insulin and other prescription drugs.
The president appeared with Spanberger at Germanna Community College with a message of "lowering costs for families" on the same day the Consumer Price Index posted a 7.5% gain in January, making inflation a potent political issue in the upcoming midterm congressional elections.
Biden says he has done 'deep dive' on 4 possible Supreme Court candidates: President Joe Biden said Thursday that he's done a "deep dive" on four potential candidates to succeed Justice Stephen Breyer on the US Supreme Court, but he declined to name any of the prospective nominees. "I've taken about four people and done the deep dive on them, meaning thorough background checks, to see if there's anything in the background that would make them not qualified," Biden told NBC News' Lester Holt in an interview taped Thursday. The White House this week indicated that Biden remains on track to select a nominee before his self-imposed end-of-February deadline. The President has said he plans to nominate a Black woman to the high court, which would be a historical first.
More Democratic governors ease mask requirements: "We have to learn to live with COVID": Illinois, New York and Rhode Island on Wednesday became the latest Democratic-led states to announce forthcoming changes to their statewide mask requirements, as more blue states begin to lift restrictions nearly two years into the COVID-19 pandemic.The announcements from Governors J. B. Pritzker in Illinois, Kathy Hochul in New York and Daniel McKee in Rhode Island came just after California, Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey and Oregon governors said they would be easing some of their masking requirements in the coming weeks.
Are Pfizer's Covid pills going to highest-risk patients? Inside the U.S. rollout
Amid shortages of the antiviral treatment, state health departments are distributing their share to local pharmacies, health systems and long-term care facilities as they see fit.
COVID can cause deadly harm to unborn babies in unvaccinated pregnant mothers: An international study found in cases of unvaccinated pregnant mothers who caught COVID-19, the virus attacked the mother’s placenta and quickly led to stillbirth.
Prince Charles tests positive for Covid for second time: Prince Charles is in isolation having tested positive for Covid-19, Clarence House has said.
The heir to the British throne, who is 73 years old, had to cancel his attendance at an event in the English city of Winchester on Thursday, according to a statement from his official Twitter account. Charles met with the Queen "recently," a royal source told CNN after the news emerged. The source did not elaborate on how recently the meeting took place.
Nevada governor lifts mask mandate: Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) on Thursday rescinded his state's mask mandate in light of promising COVID-19 metrics, with his decision going into effect immediately. "We have seen a rapid decline in case numbers, coupled with declining hospitalizations, a drop in COVID-19 detected in wastewater, a broader availability of testing, and an increase in available treatments," Sisolak said in a press conference. "We reported our first Omicron case two months ago. Nevada recorded our single highest day of new cases on Jan. 10 with 7,865 cases. We’re currently averaging around 1,280 cases per day."
Commander in charge of Kabul evacuation slams the White House and Jill Biden for being a 'distraction' during chaos: Claims high-profile pestering for special favors to get allies out slowed military down: Vasely said the Pentagon was being pulled in all different directions from Biden officials, lawmakers, members of the media and even the Vatican He called the requests a 'distraction' that created competition for 'already stressed resources'. The Pentagon's standard priority had been to first evacuate American citizens, then lawful permanent residents, then Afghans who aided the U.S. Demands poured in at such a high volume that Vasely felt the need to take certain forces away from the established rescue plan.
Inside Schumer’s frayed relationship with Manchin: The failed Build Back Better negotiations have left the relationship between Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) severely strained.
Both senators — and their staffs — quietly question whether the other side can be trusted, four sources close to the situation told Axios. Democrats are privately concerned the breach will affect any effort to revive President Biden's BBB agenda. A medical absence by Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) already deprives Schumer of a reliable party vote. The discord also has the potential to spill over to upcoming negotiations with the House on a China competitiveness bill, legislation to fund the government and revisions to the 1887 Electoral Count Act. Initially, Democrats were more frustrated with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) for her opposition to raising certain taxes, but key negotiators concluded she had clear red lines — and articulated them cleanly.
Investigators find gaps in White House logs of Trump’s Jan. 6 calls: Sparse call records are the latest obstacle facing the House panel, which is trying to document what President Trump was doing during the attack on Congress.
The 'Trump for speaker' movement just got a new endorsement: On Monday, Republican candidate Vernon Jones switched from the Georgia governor's race to a US House contest at the behest of former President Donald Trump. Two days later, Jones endorsed Trump for speaker of the House. "On Day One in Congress, I'll file Articles of Impeachment against both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for betrayal of public trust," tweeted Jones. "Then I'll cast my vote for President Trump to be Speaker and invite my colleagues to join me. It's time to throw out the old playbook."
White House does damage control with Latino allies after criticism of Becerra: Prominent Latinos lit up the White House with calls, texts and emails last week to lobby Biden to voice his support for HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra.
Congress approves sex harassment bill in #MeToo milestone: Congress on Thursday gave final approval to legislation guaranteeing that people who experience sexual harassment at work can seek recourse in the courts, a milestone for the #MeToo movement that prompted a national reckoning on the way sexual misconduct claims are handled. The measure, which is expected to be signed by President Joe Biden, bars employment contracts from forcing people to settle sexual assault or harassment cases through arbitration rather than in court, a process that often benefits employers and keeps misconduct allegations from becoming public.
Michael Flynn’s Sister-in-Law sues CNN for $100M over QAnon claims: The sister-in-law of Michael Flynn, MAGA diehard and one-time Trump national security adviser, filed a $100 million against CNN earlier this week, accusing the network of defaming her previously “untarnished” name. Valerie Flynn’s grievance, filed as a complaint Wednesday, is with a segment from correspondent Donie O’Sullivan that aired last February. The dispatch, an investigation into a separate gathering of QAnon followers, included a clip of Michael Flynn and his family members—including Valerie—at a Fourth of July barbecue, with their hands raised in allegiance. “Where we go one, we go all,” he recites, referencing one of the movement’s most popular slogans. Valerie Flynn’s suit alleged that CNN “selectively edited and altered” the clip, “fraudulently making it appear… that Valerie pledged an oath of allegiance to QAnon.” The filing denied that Valerie was a QAnon follower, adding that CNN’s “false attributions exposed Valerie to public scorn, ridicule and contempt.” The segment, the suit claimed, destroyed her standing in her Florida community. “Until she was egregiously defamed by CNN, Valerie enjoyed an untarnished reputation,” the filing insisted.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams tearfully pins responsibility on city to 'do more' for endangered youth amid crime uptick: Mayor Eric Adams describes shooting victim's troubled life in years before murder.
74 percent of NYC voters say crime is very serious problem in Big Apple: poll
Ex-NHL player Ron Duguay insists he’s just ‘Friends’ with Palin after holding hands at defamation trial: Former New York Rangers star Ron Duguay took to the Manhattan federal courthouse steps on Thursday to announce to the world that his interest in a certain litigious ex-governor of Alaska is strictly platonic. Days into Sarah Palin’s ongoing defamation trial against The New York Times, the one-time NHL player was photographed holding hands with the former politician outside the court, adding fuel to the fire of already rampant dating rumors. But, Duguay insisted to reporters after proceedings ended on Thursday, they’re just besties. “We’re friends,” he told reporters. “I’m here to support her. We have gotten closer through this process.”
Rep. Carlos Gimenez’s son arrested for slapping Miami commissioner in steakhouse, police say: The son of U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez was arrested Wednesday after police say he slapped a Miami city commissioner earlier in the day at Morton’s Steakhouse in Coral Gables. What triggered the spat, the latest episode in the long-running soap opera of Miami politics, was not immediately clear. But the two men involved — Miami commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla and Carlos J. Gimenez, a lawyer and lobbyist who friends call CJ — are members of powerful political families with ties going back more than a decade. In a statement issued later in the evening headlined, “Cowardly CJ Gimenez,” Diaz de la Portilla suggested he had been taken by surprise — not slapped face to face.
Truckers' bridge blockade forces shutdowns at auto plants: The truck blockade at the U.S. border by Canadians protesting the country’s COVID-19 restrictions is tightening the screws on the auto industry, forcing Ford, Toyota and General Motors to shut down plants or otherwise curtail production.
White House rolls out $5 billion funding plan to states for electric vehicle chargers: The Biden administration this week rolled out a plan to allocate $5 billion to states to fund electric vehicle chargers over five years as part of the bipartisan infrastructure package. The historic investment is part of the administration’s broader agenda to combat human-caused climate change and advance the clean energy transition. Despite a rise in EV sales in the U.S. in recent years, the transportation sector is still one of the largest contributors to U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
Ex-NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg tapped for Pentagon post: Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has been nominated to be the next chairman of a key Pentagon advisory panel. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Wednesday he had selected Bloomberg to head the Defense Innovation Board. The board provides advice to senior defense leaders on how to fast-track innovation to meet national security threats. The Pentagon announcement noted Bloomberg’s “wealth of experience” as an innovator in business, government and philanthropy.
Massive brush fire sparks in Laguna Beach, residents allowed to return: The Emerald Fire was first reported at 4:09 a.m., according to the Orange County Fire Authority. Video from Sky2 showed a wall of flames on the ridgeline above Emerald Bay, a gated community with dozens of large, multimillion-dollar homes. Residents were allowed to return to their homes at around 3 p.m.
In a news conference, OFCA Chief Brian Fennessy said the fire had burned 145 acres and was 5% contained. No homes have been damaged and there were no injuries. Firefighters were making solid progress, Fennessy disclosed. There was no word on a cause.
In raid that killed Amir Locke, Minneapolis police insisted on 'no-knock' search warrant: The SWAT raid that killed Amir Locke in Minneapolis last week was not going to be executed as a pre-dawn "no-knock" search warrant until the Minneapolis Police Department insisted, according to the St. Paul Police Department. Locke, 22, was fatally shot by police on Feb. 2 after being awoken by officers while sleeping on a couch in an apartment belonging to a relative's girlfriend. He was not the target of an ongoing homicide investigation, according to a newly unsealed search warrant requested as part of a St. Paul Police Department homicide investigation.
Man breaks into home, takes bath, eats shrimp leaves $200 for damages: A New Mexico man who allegedly broke into a home, took a bath, ate some shrimp and drank a beer before being confronted by the homeowner has been arrested. The man, Teral Christesson, 34, was arrested Sunday for breaking into the home after smashing a window to get in.
CDC proposes softer guidance on Opioid prescriptions: The nation’s top public health agency is proposing changing — and in some instances, softening — guidelines for doctors prescribing opioid painkillers.
Apple plans AirTag updates to curb unwanted tracking: Apple (AAPL) said Thursday it plans to add more safeguards to AirTags to cut down on unwanted tracking following reports that the devices have been used to stalk people and steal cars. In a blog post, Apple said it has worked with safety groups and law enforcement agencies to identify more ways to update its AirTag safety warnings, including alerting people sooner if the small Bluetooth tracker is suspected to be tracking someone. (Right now, it can take hours for an AirTag to chirp if it has been separated from its owner.)
Adidas sports bra ad shows 25 people's bare breasts so 'everyone can find the right fit': Adidas shocked the internet by posting a picture of 25 people's faceless bare breasts on Twitter to promote the company's new sports bra line.
The company believes "breasts in all shapes and sizes deserve support and comfort. Which is why our new sports bra range contains 43 styles, so everyone can find the right fit for them," Adidas said in the tweet on Wednesday.
Starbucks workers in the New York City area seek to unionize: Four stores are joining a nationwide effort, buoyed by successes in Buffalo.
GM hires Biden niece Missy Owens for director position: Owens previously worked for Coca-Cola and the Obama administration
MIT scientists create a super plastic that’s 2 times stronger than steel: And yes, it should be recyclable, too.
The race to reconnect Tonga: How engineers will repair the undersea communications cable severed by the recent volcanic eruption.
Stuck in KUOW purgatory: Seattle Mazda drivers can't change the radio dial. Over the past couple of weeks, some people who listen to KUOW in their Mazdas say their car radio is permanently stuck on 94.9 FM. It’s only affecting KUOW, Mazdas from 2016, and we have no idea why.
SpaceX just lost 40 satellites to a geomagnetic storm. There could be worse to come: Increasing solar activity could play havoc with mega-constellations like Starlink in the coming years.
AT&T, Discovery gain U.S. clearance for WarnerMedia deal: AT&T and Discovery have gained clearance for their much-anticipated deal to spin off WarnerMedia so it can merge with Discovery, a deal that has already been approved in Europe. The approval of Discovery shareholders is the last barrier to the deal moving forward. The companies disclosed the matter in two different filings Wednesday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The transaction is still expected to close in the second quarter.
New Antarctic Penguin colonies discovered farther south than normal: As the climate warms, gentoo penguins are expanding to habitats that were previously too icy for them to raise chicks.
A dozen more Revolutionary War-era cannons have been found and raised from the Savannah River: Archaeologists have hauled up 12 more Revolutionary War-era cannons from the Savannah River, a remarkable find that raises questions about which vessels carried them and precisely how they ended up in the water.
The local district of the US Army Corps of Engineers, which is in charge of the deepening of the channel in Savannah's busy harbor, on Tuesday posted a video and photos about the discoveries.
Artist uses AI to create photorealistic versions of Disney and ‘Simpsons’ characters: If Disney ever decides to do a live-action Simpsons spin-off, it may look something like this.
'Bored' Security Guard drew eyes on $850,000 painting on 1st day on the job: A Russian security guard at an art museum could face criminal charges for vandalizing a painting on his first day of work. The unnamed guard is accused of drawing two sets of eyes on artist Anna Leporskaya's 'Three Figures' (1932–1934) painting. The eyes were discovered by a pair of visitors at the Yeltsin Center on December 7, 2021, during an art exhibition titled "The World as Non-Objectivity. The Birth of a New Art." After an investigation into the defaced painting, which was on loan from the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, officials determined the 60-year-old security was responsible. He told investigators that he did it because he was 'bored' during his first day on the job. He has since been fired and could face criminal charges.
Current and former “Dr. Phil” employees say the set is a toxic workplace. The show says everything’s fine: “This show destroyed me mentally, emotionally, and physically,” one former Dr. Phil employee said. ‘Dr. Phil’ Staffers Say Brutal Workplace Culture Worthy of ‘Nightmares’.
Bob Saget had catastrophic injuries to his head, was COVID positive when he died: Autopsy: Bob Saget died on Jan. 9 at age 65. He was found in his hotel room at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando, Florida.
Sting sells entire songwriting catalog to Universal Music Publishing: The deal includes Sting's solo work, in addition to the songs he wrote for The Police.
Dolly Parton's theme park will soon pay for employees to go to college!
Snoop Dogg buys Death Row Records — label that launched career: Death Row Records is once again a “Doggy Dogg World.”
Snoop Dogg purchased the embattled record label that launched his rap career, according to a Wednesday press release from Berkshire Hathaway’s Business Wire. The 50-year-old rapper, whose given name is Calvin Broadus Jr, acquired the company from private equity controlled MNRK Music Group, the release said. “I am thrilled and appreciative of the opportunity to acquire the iconic and culturally significant Death Row Records brand, which has immense untapped future value,” Snoop Dogg said, according to the release.
Steven Spielberg's 32 movies, ranked from worst to best: Revisit the iconic director's filmography.
‘Cheer’ Star Jerry Harris pleads guilty in Child Porn case: Blames ‘Cheer Community’.
Russian doping controversy leaves credibility of Olympics 'teetering on the edge': Susanne Lyons, chair of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, made it clear Thursday in Beijing that the pending “legal matter” surrounding Russian skating sensation Kamila Valieva and a failed drug test is more than just who winds up winning gold in the figure skating team event.
“Really the whole credibility of the Olympic Movement and the Paralympic Movement stands teetering on the edge of us saying that we really believe and live the values that we say we stand for,” Lyons told Around the Rings.
Iranian Alpine Skier suspended after positive doping test: Hossein Saveh Shemshaki failed a drug test on Monday in Beijing, before competing.
What to expect from the designated hitter coming to the National League: While it’s important to note that nothing is final until the entire collective bargaining agreement is agreed to, then ratified — Manfred estimated once the two sides reached agreement, it would take a few days before the deal was finalized and spring training could begin — it’s been expected for a while that the DH was eventually coming to the National League. The universal DH is wanted by both sides, but the usual hold up — and why 2021 did not see the DH in the NL — was the owners wanting something in return for the DH, often something much more value to the owners (like expanded playoffs) than the DH brought to the players. The declining value to the players is the fact that many teams use the DH to rotate regulars for some form of rest while still playing, rather than employ an extra regular.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred: Losing games to lockout would be 'disastrous outcome': Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred called the possibility of missing regular-season games amid the league's lockout of players "a disastrous outcome" but called himself an "optimist" and said, "I believe we will have an agreement in time to play our regular schedule."
Speaking Thursday at the end of the quarterly owners meetings at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando, Manfred declined to officially postpone the beginning of spring training despite the large chasm between the league and players on a new collective bargaining agreement that almost ensures pitchers and catchers won't report to camps next week.
How to handle financial infidelity in your relationship: To most couples, “cheating” means having a romantic encounter outside of a committed relationship. That can come in several forms, from “emotional” cheating to sexual affairs. However, a different form of infidelity is also common, and it’s all about money. According to a new survey from the U.S. News & World Report, a third of couples report that they have experienced some form of financial infidelity, with Gen Z and millennials reporting it the most. A similar poll from CreditCards.com also found that the top reason people cited for financial infidelity was that “the topic never came up.” Unfortunately, that means the other partner usually has to figure out what’s happening on their own.
That’s a wrap for the week. Thanks for reading! I appreciate it. Have a great weekend unless you have something else to do. See you Tuesday AM unless news breaks.