The Hill’s 12:30 Report — Ivanka Trump’s testimony raises eyebrows

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–> A midday take on what’s happening in politics and how to have a sense of humor about it.* 

*Ha. Haha. Hahah. Sniff. Haha. Sniff. Ha–breaks down crying hysterically.

TALK OF THE MORNING 

Previously on: Our US Capitol is under attack: 

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol came out swinging Thursday night, presenting new footage of the siege and included unflattering depositions from former President Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and former Attorney General Bill Bar.  

Full video of the hearing 

➤FIVE TAKEAWAYS: 

1. “The committee used Trump’s own team to counter him.” 
2. “The narrative will focus on Trump vs. Pence.” 
3. “An emotional review of a day many watched unfold” 
4. “The structure of the hearing is a review of ‘a sophisticated seven-part plan’.” 
5. “A tease of what’s to come on GOP lawmakers” 

Context and details for each, via The Hill’s Rebecca Beitsch 

➤ SIGHTS AND SOUNDS FROM THE HEARING:

Here’s the new Jan. 6 footage aired Thursday:Video from PBS NewsHour 

From Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.): “I say this to my Republican colleagues who are defending the indefensible: There will come a day when Donald Trump is gone, but your dishonor will remain.” Video from The Associated Press 

This must have been incredibly hard to watch: “Sandra Garza, partner of Brian Sicknick, U.S. Capitol Police officer who died the night after the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, cries as she attends tonight’s hearing into the assault.” Photo from ABC News 

Here’s a clip of Ivanka Trump’s deposition: This clip is one of the most talked-about portions of the hearing. Video from Bloomberg 

IT’S FRIDAY! I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here. 

➤REACTIONS: 

Trump was not pleased with Ivanka’s testimony: Former President Trump criticized his daughter, Ivanka Trump, following her testimony that she accepted former Attorney General Bill Barr’s assessment that the election was not stolen. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said Ivanka was “checked out.” 

More of Trump’s reaction to the hearing: “So the Unselect Committee of political HACKS refuses to play any of the many positive witnesses and statements, refuses to talk of the Election Fraud and Irregularities that took place on a massive scale,” he posted on his Truth Social platform. “Our Country is in such trouble!” 

How local papers covered the hearing: The Hill’s Reid Wilson tweeted a number of front pages of local papers around the county. Screenshots 

How Fox News and Newsmax covered the hearing: Explainer and analysis CNN’s Brian Stelter

➤ A FEW OF THE MOST INTENSE MOMENTS:  

Descriptions of the day from Capitol Police: Testimony from Capitol Police Officer Caroline Edwards, one of the 140 police officers injured during the attack. Edwards described seeing fellow officer Brian Sicknick, who died the next day. “He was ghostly pale…He turned just about as pale as this sheet of paper,” she said. 

Big if true from former Attorney General Bill Bar and Ivanka Trump: “Barr was shown in an interview with committee officials reiterating his belief that Trump’s allegations of election fraud in 2020 were ‘bullshit.’ This was given added force by a short clip of Ivanka Trump saying that she found Barr’s failure to find fraud personally persuasive.”

List of the most dramatic moments during the hearing, via The Hill’s Niall Stanage

📈News this morning 

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I suppose that it is, quite literally, my job:

Consumer prices continue to rise at a rapid rate, with inflation rising 1 percent in May alone — and 8.6 percent in the past year. This is the highest rate since December 1981 when inflation hit 8.9 percent.  

Which areas prices rose the most: Gasoline, shelter and food. Here’s a list of consumer products that rose https://bit.ly/39eAhBG

What this means for the economy, via The Hill’s Sylvan Lane 

CNN’s Manu Raju added: “National average for gasoline is $4.99, a new record.”  

➤TIDBIT — ‘REMOTE WORK HAS CAUSED HOUSING PRICES TO SHOOT UP’: 
According to a study from the National Bureau of Economic Research.

In the White House 

The White House is looking at a Plan B if Roe is struck down: 

In President Biden’s appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” he mentioned options the White House is looking into if the Supreme Court does, in fact, strike down federal abortion rights. 

In Biden’s words: “I think if the court overrules Roe v. Wade and does what is drafted … if that occurs, I think we have to, we have to legislate it. We have to make sure we pass legislation making it a law that is the federal government says this is how it works. I think what we’re going to have to do. There’s some executive orders I could employ, we believe – we’re looking at that right now.” 

What we know, via CNN’s Kate Sullivan and Betsy Klein

\

In Congress 

*Slides out the back door*:

Senators left town for the weekend without reaching a bipartisan deal on guns. 

Where the negotiations stand: “Democrats say they are ‘very close’ to an agreement with Sen. John Cornyn (D-Texas), the lead Republican negotiator, but Democratic and Republican staff still need to hammer out differences over language, according to Senate negotiators.” 

What’s happening behind-the-scenes?: “Senate sources say that Sen. Chris Murphy (Conn.), the lead Democratic negotiator, was ‘itching’ to put out a joint statement with Cornyn before lawmakers left town but Cornyn declined to sign onto any public statement until there’s an agreement on the language of the core proposals.” What happens now, via The Hill’s Alexander Bolton

➤GUN LEGISLATION, WHILE MODEST, IS ACTUALLY IN REACH: 

Here’s a quick primer, via The Hill’s Niall Stanage

🦠 Latest with COVID 

You are free to enter, travelers!: 

The Biden administration just lifted the COVID-19 testing requirement for international travelers coming into the U.S. Details of the announcement 

When this new policy would go into effect: Midnight on Sunday 

➤ BY THE NUMBERS 

Cases to date: 85 million 

Death toll: 1,005,823 

Current hospitalizations: 23,475 

Shots administered: 590 million 

Fully vaccinated: 66.7 percent of Americans 

CDC data here.

🐥Notable tweets 

These are great stock photos: 

Bloomberg’s Josh Wingrove tweeted, “You can really feel the energy so far at the Summit of the Americas!” Photos of the crowds 😉 

Bloomberg’s Jordan Fabian added: “this would have been a good tumblr back in the day.”  Lol.

⏱On tap 

The House and Senate are out. President Biden is in Los Angeles

• 4:05 p.m.: Biden participates in the Ninth Summit of the Americas.  
• 7:30 p.m.: Harris delivers remarks at the South Carolina Democratic Party Blue Palmetto Dinner in Columbia, S.C. 
• 8 p.m.: Biden participates in a Democratic National Committee (DNC) reception. 
• 10:10 p.m.: Biden participates in another DNC reception. 

All times Eastern.

📺What to watch 

• 1:45 p.m.: Biden delivers remarks on inflation. Livestream

 In lighter news 

Today is National Iced Tea Day! And for weekend planning, tomorrow is National German Corn-on-the-Cob Day and Sunday is National Falafel Day! 

You have my undivided attention: 

Via CBS’s Christopher Brito, “Officials in the city of Amarillo, Texas on Wednesday asked for help regarding a peculiar problem: identifying a ‘strange’ human-like animal that was seen outside a local zoo last month.” The full story 

The City of Amarillo tweeted: “Is it a person with a strange hat who likes to walk at night? A chupacabra? Do you have any ideas of what this UAO- Unidentified Amarillo Object could be?” Photo of the creature 

And to leave you on a good note for the weekend, here’s a kitten sneak attack.  

Twitter user @Scott217 added some much-needed context: “The successful ambush was led by Sgt. Meow.”