White House disputes religious intolerance accusations

The White House is disputing allegations of religious intolerance stemming from a flap over Easter. The Trump campaign, Republican officials, and some religious conservatives blasted the White House when President Biden proclaimed March 31st as “Transgender Day of Visibility.” This year, Easter Sunday fell on the same date and that outraged Biden critics. House Speaker Johnson said the White House “betrayed the central tenet of Easter.” But the president said he didn’t do that and White House officials say Mr. Biden would never abuse his Christian faith.

Buttigieg: Bipartisanship needed in wake of collapsed bridge

The Biden administration is emphasizing bipartisanship in the wake of the collapsed bridge in Baltimore. Some Republicans in Congress are cool to the idea of the federal government paying for the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, as proposed by President Biden. Asked about the possibility of GOP resistance, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said “today this is happening in Baltimore, tomorrow it could be  your district. And we really need to stand together — red, blue, and purple — to get these things done.” Officials in Washington and Maryland say it’s too soon to know the price tag of rebuilding the bridge.

EV sales slow as Biden pushes for more charging stations

The Biden administration’s push for electric vehicles has hit a few speed bumps. More than two years after President Biden signed the infrastructure bill into law, only four states have opened public EV charging stations funded by the legislation. The president has set a goal of creating a national network of 500-thousand chargers by the end of the decade. Right now, 175-thousand are available. Meanwhile, Ford Motor Company will drastically cut the number of hourly workers at its factory that builds the Ford F-150 Lightning as sales of electric vehicles slow.

Maryland receives $60 million in immediate federal aid for bridge, port

The state of Maryland is already receiving some federal assistance after the Baltimore bridge collapse. The Biden administration has approved 60-million dollars in immediate federal aid to help remove the wreckage of the fallen highway bridge and reopen the Port of Baltimore. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Navy are mobilizing resources from around the country at record speed to clear the channel. Maryland Governor Wes Moore said his state is “deeply grateful” for the federal funds and said there is a “very long road ahead.”

U.S. dismisses Russia blaming Ukraine for deadly concert attack

The United States is dismissing as “nonsense” Russia’s allegation that Ukraine was involved in last week’s deadly Moscow attack. The White House said “it is abundantly clear” that the Islamic State was “solely responsible” for the concert hall attack that claimed more than 140 lives. National Security spokesman John Kirby said the U-S even tried to help prevent the terrorist attack. He told reporters that the U-S passed to Russian security services a written warning of an extremist attack on large gatherings in Moscow. Kirby said it was one of many such warnings provided in advance.

U.S. working with Israel to schedule Rafah talks

The Biden administration hopes to meet soon with top Israeli officials about potential military operations in Gaza. For several weeks now, the White House has urged Israel to call off a promised ground invasion of the crowded southern Gaza city of Rafah. National Security spokesman John Kirby says the U-S and Israel are working to reschedule talks after Prime Minister Netanyahu canceled a recent planned visit in protest of the U.S. vote on a U.N. cease-fire resolution.

Biden to raise $25 million in NYC event with Clinton, Obama

President Biden is set to make a political fundraiser record in New York tonight. The president already has a significant cash advantage over Donald Trump in their race for the White House. And Joe Biden is set to add another 25 million dollars with a star-studded event at New York’s Radio City Music Hall. Tonight’s event features celebrities, musicians, and two former Democratic presidents — Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. The massive fundraiser comes at a time of persistently low poll numbers for the incumbent president.

Talks resume on bringing Israeli officials to U.S. to discuss Gaza

Talks have restarted aimed at bringing top Israeli officials to Washington to meet with Biden administration officials. Prime Minister Netanyahu canceled a planned visit this week because he was angry about the U.S. vote on a U.N. cease-fire resolution. That resolution did not include conditions for the release of hostages held by Hamas. But the White House now says the two sides are working to reschedule a date to discuss potential military operations in Gaza. The Biden administration has urged Israel to call off a promised ground invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

Administration focused on reopening Baltimore’s port, rebuilding bridge

The Biden administration says it’s focused on reopening the Port of Baltimore and rebuilding the collapsed bridge. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says reopening the port, where a dozen ships are stranded, is a top priority. As for reconstructing the bridge, he says it will not be simple or cheap.
Buttigieg avoided putting a timeline on those efforts, but pledged ongoing federal assistance.

Donald Trump slapped with gag order in hush money case

A New York judge has issued Donald Trump a gag order in the hush money criminal trial. The gag order prohibits the former president from making public statements about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors. The judge granted the prosecution’s request for a gag order, citing Trump’s prior comments about him and others in the case, as well as a looming April 15 trial date. Under terms of the order, Trump can make comments about the judge or Manhattan DA but must not attack key figures in the case.

Justices asked skeptical questions of pro-life challengers

Conservative Supreme Court justices were among those asking skeptical questions in Tuesday’s abortion pill case. During nearly 90 minutes of arguments, Supreme Court justices raised questions about the legal right of pro-life challengers to bring the case. Abortion opponents asked the court to force the FDA to reinstate its abandoned safety measures regarding the chemical drug mifepristone. But even conservative Justices Barrett, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh posed skeptical questions. Meanwhile, the Biden administration’s top Supreme Court lawyer said the court should dismiss the case.

Biden wants federal govt to pay for rebuilding Baltimore bridge

President Biden is pledging federal assistance after the collapse of a major Baltimore bridge. With Baltimore facing a lengthy and expensive rebuilding project, the president said he intends for the federal government to pick up the entire cost of rebuilding the bridge. And he said, “the people of Baltimore can count on us, though, to stick with them at every step of the way until the port is reopened and the bridge is rebuilt.”

Supreme Court hears arguments in abortion pill case

Abortion protesters rally outside U.S. Supreme Court

New legal developments involving Donald Trump

New legal developments involving Donald Trump. In a significant victory for the former president, a New York appeals court agreed to hold off collecting a 454-million dollar bond in the civil fraud trial — if he puts up 175-million within 10 days. If he does, it will stop the clock on collection and prevent New York from seizing his assets. Meanwhile, the judge in the Stormy Daniels hush money case has ruled that trial will begin April 15. That start date represents a three-week delay to give Trump lawyers more time to review more documents.

New government budget bans gay pride flags at embassies

The new government budget bill signed by President Biden includes a ban on gay pride flags. The 1-point-2 trillion dollar package approved by Congress late last week averting a partial government shutdown includes a provision that prohibits the flying of most flags, including rainbow flags, at U-S embassies. While conservative Republicans support the provision, the White House is unhappy about it. In a statement, an official here said the president “believes it was inappropriate to abuse” the budget process by including his policy and will work toward repealing the provision.

Biden keeps pressing for Ukraine, Israel aid and border bill

President Biden continues to urge Congress to pass emergency funding for Ukraine and Israel — and a border security bill. In a weekend statement, the president said “the House must pass the bipartisan national security supplemental to advance [America’s] national security interests.” The emergency funding for Ukraine and Israel has been bogged down in Congress for weeks. Mr. Biden also called on lawmakers to pass the bipartisan border security agreement. But that deal collapsed last month when Republican senators ended months of negotiations with Democrats. And now, Congress is on a two-week recess.

GOP donors could see money go to Trump’s lawyers

Political donations to Donald Trump could end up going to his lawyers. The former president has a new joint fundraising agreement with the Republican National Committee that directs donations to his campaign and a political action committee that pays Trump’s legal bills. That’s according to a fundraising invitation to an April 6 fundraiser to be held in Palm Beach, Florida. The AP says Republican donors could see their money go to Trump’s lawyers, who have received at least 76 million dollars over the last two years to defend him against four felony indictments and multiple civil cases.

Court: required graphic cigarette warnings are constitutional

A government requirement that cigarettes show graphic warnings about the dangers of smoking is constitutional. A federal appeals court this week upheld the required graphic warnings on cigarette packs and advertisements. The reversal of a lower court ruling is a victory for the Biden administration and a defeat for the tobacco industry. Big tobacco complained that the warnings violated their free speech rights. But the government argued that graphic warnings and images were necessary because text-only warnings failed to deter teenagers from smoking.

Justice Department files anti-trust lawsuit against Apple

The Justice Department has filed a wide-ranging anti-trust lawsuit against Apple. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the sweeping lawsuit, alleging that Apple has monopoly power in the smartphone market and uses its control over the iPhone to “engage in a broad, sustained, and illegal course of conduct.” The suit accuses the tech giant of “intentionally” limiting security features, among other actions. Apple called the lawsuit “wrong on the facts and the law” and said it “will vigorously defend against it.

Biden touts $8.5 billion government investment in chipmaker Intel

President Biden has announced a new investment in American-made semiconductor chips. The Biden administration has reached an agreement to provide Intel with up to 8-and-a-half billion dollars in direct funding and billions more in loans for computer chip plants. It’s a cash infusion the government says should help the U.S. boost its global share of advanced chip production from zero to 20 percent by the end of the decade.

Trump leaning toward supporting 15-week abortion ban

Donald Trump is leaning toward supporting a 15-week national ban on abortions. The former president has taken credit for overturning Roe v Wade by appointing three justices to the Supreme Court. But he’s been reluctant to endorse an abortion ban. Trump told WABC Radio this week he’s considering a ban around 15 weeks of pregnancy. However, he supports exceptions for rape, incest, and saving the mother’s life, which he said the vast majority of Republicans support. And to pro-life Republicans who want tougher abortion restrictions, Trump said, “here’s the problem, you have to win elections.”

Supreme Court lets Texas border enforcement law take effect

The Supreme Court has let a strict Texas border enforcement law take effect. In a 6-3 ruling, the high court said the law can be enforced while a legal battle over immigration policy plays out. The Texas law allows state officials to arrest and detain people they suspect of entering the country illegally. The Biden administration is suing to strike down the measure, arguing it’s a clear violation of federal authority. But Texas has argued it has a right to take action in response to an ongoing crisis at the southern border.

Former Trump White House adviser reports to prison

A former Trump White House adviser has reported to prison. Former trade advisor Peter Navarro has begun serving his four-month prison sentence for refusing to cooperate with the House January 6th committee. He was found guilty of contempt of Congress charges. Navarro was defiant in remarks to reporters before he headed to the federal prison in Miami, calling his conviction the “partisan weaponization of the judicial system.” Navarro is the first senior Trump administration official to serve prison time related to the Capitol riot.