Officials planning to rebuild historic Key Bridge after catastrophic collapse
|
Officials are vowing to quickly respond to the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge after it was struck by a cargo ship early Tuesday morning.
President Biden and other officials have vowed that a replacement will be expedited. Biden said the federal government will pay for the Key Bridge to be rebuilt. “It’s my intention that the federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge, and I expect the Congress to support my effort,” Biden said at the White House. “This is going to take some time, but the people of Baltimore can count on us though to stick with them at every step of the way until the port is reopen and the bridge is rebuilt.” The Key Bridge, a major commuter route on Interstate 695, carried tens of thousands of vehicles each day.
The cargo ship Dali was headed to Sri Lanka but lost power around 1:30 a.m. (Live updates from The Hill) |
|
|
Welcome to Evening Report! I’m Liz Crisp, catching you up from the afternoon and what’s coming tomorrow. Not on the list? Subscribe here. |
|
|
Supreme Court hears arguments in medicine abortion suit
|
The Supreme Court is expected to make a potentially monumental decision on access to abortion pills later this year, after hearing oral arguments on Tuesday.
Some anti-abortion rights groups have brought challenges to mifepristone, a key dose of the two-pill medicine abortion process that makes up more than half of abortions these days.
Opponents of the drug are challenging the Food and Drug Administration‘s authorization process and the ability to get mifepristone through telemedicine.
Tuesday’s hearing lasted about two hours, with several justices asking questions about the medicine abortion process. It’s the first big test for abortion access since the conservative wing of the Court upended the landmark Roe v. Wade decision in 2022. (The Hill) |
|
|
Gagged: Former President Trump can’t talk about case
|
The New York judge overseeing former President Trump’s hush money trial has issued a gag order to stop Trump from publicly attacking witnesses, jurors and others during what could be the first-ever criminal trial of a former president.
The order doesn’t stop Trump from publicly attacking Judge Juan Merchan or Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D). (The Hill) |
| |
RFK Jr. picks a running mate: What to know about Nicole Shanahan
|
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., of the infamous political dynasty, has picked attorney Nicole Shanahan as his running mate during his long-shot, third-party bid for president. Kennedy said he wanted to bring on “someone with a deep inside knowledge of how Big Tech uses [artificial intelligence] to manipulate the public.”
“I wanted someone who is battle-tested, able to withstand criticism and the controversy and all the defamations and slanders and perjuries that are thrown against anyone who embarks on a presidential campaign,” he said.
Wealthy Shanahan, a California attorney and former wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin, paid nearly $4 million to the Kennedy-backing American Values 2024 political action committee, which ran a controversial Super Bowl ad based off his late uncle President Kennedy’s political campaign. Multiple members of his family have denounced his run.
Shanahan and Brin split in 2021, with their divorce finalized two years later. Oakland, Calif.-native Shanahan, a lawyer, has specialized in cases involving the tech industry. She shares a daughter with Brin, but she was previously linked to Elon Musk, the owner of Tesla and X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. Both have denied a romantic relationship. Kennedy’s announcement creates a pathway for him to get on the ballot in more states that require a declared running mate. (The Hill)
|
|
|
Spilling the Royal tea: King expected to take part in Easter festivities
|
King Charles III is expected to make his first public appearance in months on Sunday, when he and Queen Camilla attend an Easter service at Windsor Castle.
It’s a big deal for the King, who was diagnosed with cancer in February and has since held no major public appearances.
Princess Catherine, also known as Kate Middleton, is undergoing cancer treatment, so she and her husband Prince William are not expected to join the rest of the royal family at church this year. |
|
|
“Cuba spy scandal reveals US vulnerabilities,” writes Andrés Martínez-Fernández of the Heritage Foundation.
“Voters don’t want Biden or Trump — but without No Labels, voters have no options,” writes national security consultant Joseph Bosco. |
|
|
111 days until the Republican National Convention. 146 days until the Democratic National Convention.
223 days until the 2024 general election. |
|
|
Wednesday is “National Joe Day,” which of course includes President Biden and a number of other politicians named “Joe” (and my grandpa!), so happy “Joe Day” to those who celebrate!
Biden has nothing on his public schedule for the day, but Vice President Harris is slated to be on The View (ABC, 11 a.m.) on Wednesday. |
|
|
|
