The Hill’s 12:30 Report — Dems strategize anticipated Jan. 6 Fox News segments

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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 

Probably coming to a cable news show near you:

Fox News host Tucker Carlson is promising to air footage that Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has handed over from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. 

How Dems are handling it: Democrats are forming a strategy to rebut any narratives that they think Carlson could push.  

^ Keep in mind: “Democrats of all stripes say they have no faith that Carlson, who has promoted conspiracy theories surrounding the Capitol rampage of Jan. 6, 2021, will use the exclusive footage to present an impartial account of the events of that day.”  

What a Dem rebuttal to Carlson’s claims could look like, via The Hill’s Mike Lillis 

It’s Thursday. 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. 

🎡Happening today 

Ted, Rick and Mike are in the house!:

The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) has kicked off in National Harbor, Md.(!) 

Today’s big speakers: Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) — and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo 

Watch live 

Event details and agenda 

💸Happening next week 

A lil’ Dem-on-Dem squabbling is coming:

President Biden is planning to introduce his budget plan next week with an expected fight within his party over tax increases. 

Why?: “Democrats campaigned on repealing the Trump-era tax cuts ahead of the 2020 election but fell short after Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) balked at key elements of Biden’s tax plan.” 

^ So then: “Talk of repealing any of the Trump tax cuts before the 2024 election had fallen off the table and Senate Democrats have recently steered clear of insisting that any deficit reduction plan that comes before Congress this year include big tax increases.”  

Until now: “Now Biden is putting the topic back in the national spotlight.”  

What we know, via The Hill’s Alexander Bolton 

🏛 In the Supreme Court 

WHERE THE STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS PLAN STANDS:
President Biden is *not* confident the Supreme Court will side with the plan: “I’m confident we’re on the right side of the law. I’m not confident about the outcome of the decision yet,” Biden told reporters. 

‘John Roberts takes center stage in the battle over student loan forgiveness’: From CNN’s senior Supreme Court analyst Joan Biskupic 

Regardless of how the court rules, borrowers will have to restart payments soon: Either 60 days after the Supreme Court ruling or 60 days after June 30. USA Today Q&A on what to expect — and how to prepare 

HAPPENING TOMORROW AT NOON — HAVE YOUR STUDENT LOAN QUESTIONS ANSWERED: 
The Washington Post is hosting a live Q&A with its experts, Michelle Singletary and Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, Friday at noon on the restart of student loan payments. Submit questions 

🌸 In Washington, D.C. 

Mark your calendars for peak pink!:

The National Mall and Memorial Parks for the National Park Service announced on Wednesday that D.C.’s cherry blossoms are expected to peak between March 22 and March 25. 

Is this early?: The peak is usually around April 4, so it’s a bit early. But the earliest peak was March 15, so it’s not breaking a record. More on the announcement, from WTOP News’s Jack Moore 

When is the National Cherry Blossom Festival?: March 18 through April 16. Festival details 

What do the buds look like now?: Here’s a photo 

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR MARCH PLANS: 
Washingtonian published a list of 11 events happening in Washington, D.C., in March. The list 

🚔 In Mar-a-Lago 

New behind-the-scenes reporting — what went down before the Mar-a-Lago raid?:

The Washington Post’s Carol D. Leonnig, Devlin Barrett, Perry Stein and Aaron C. Davis report that “months of disputes between Justice Department prosecutors and FBI agents over how best to try to recover classified documents from Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club and residence led to a tense showdown near the end of July last year, according to four people familiar with the discussions.”  

The gist: Prosecutors wanted the raid to be conducted. The FBI did not — and even tried to slow down the investigation. 

Read the full story 

🦠 The COVID-19 numbers

Cases to date: 103.2 million 

Death toll: 1,115,637 

Current hospitalizations: 20,339 

Shots administered: 671 million 

Fully vaccinated: 69.3 percent of Americans 

CDC data here. 

🐥Notable tweets

Tidbit — where does Mitt Romney gets his suits?:

The New Republic’s Pablo Manríquez tweeted, “Asked [Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah)] who is his tailor. Menswear enthusiasts tend to agree he and [Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.)] are the Senate’s best dressed hombres. ‘I don’t have a tailor,’ said Romney. ‘I go to Nordstrom’s and buy off the rack.’” “Mind: blown,” Manríquez added. 

Throwback from 2013: Remember in the “MITT” documentary on Netflix when Romney ironed the shirt while he wore it? HuffPost article — with video — from 2013 

Manríquez then recalled a tweet from 2021: “Asked [Warnock] this week who is the tailor behind his exquisite suits. ‘Tailor!?!’ laughed Warnock. ‘This is off the rack, man!’”  

Eeek, another space launch!: 

SpaceX and NASA sent astronauts to space earlier today. SpaceX has been tweeting updates since the launch.    

Watch the launch 

Watch the astronauts in their positions 

⏱On tap

The Senate is in. The House is out. President Biden is in Washington, D.C. Vice President Harris is speaking at an event in Baltimore.

• 9:30 a.m.: Biden received his daily briefing. 
• 10 a.m.: Harris spoke at the House Democratic Caucus Issues Conference in Baltimore.
• 11:30 a.m.: The Senate held two roll call votes related to nominations. Today’s Senate agenda
• 1 p.m.: Biden attends the Senate Democratic Caucus Lunch in the U.S. Capitol.
• 1:45 p.m.: The Senate holds a confirmation judicial vote. 

All times Eastern. 

📺What to watch

• This morning: Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a press conference in New Delhi, India. Watch 
• Today: The Alex Murdaugh trial continues. What’s happening today: Closing arguments for Murdaugh’s defense team. Livestream 
• 2:30 p.m.: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre gives a press briefing. Livestream 

🍌🥧 In lighter news 

Today is National Banana Cream Pie Day.

But the greasy fingers! What about the greasy fingers?!:
Kentucky Fried Chicken is bringing back the “KFC Double Down” on March 6 for a limited time. 

If you need a refresher: It’s a sandwich that replaced the bun with two pieces of fried chicken. 

When was the last time it was on KFC’s menu?: 2014 (!) 

Details from CNN Business’s Jordan Valinsky 

And to honor National Banana Cream Pie Day, here’s a dog enjoying a delicious snack.