The economy added 303,000 jobs in March, another somewhat disconcertingly strong number that may prompt the Federal Reserve to avoid cutting the interest rate soon. The unemployment rate ticked down very slightly to 3.8%, from 3.9% in February. Noted gains were in health care, government and construction. (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)
UPDATE – Strikes on a World Central Kitchen convoy killing seven humanitarian aid workers were “carried out in serious violation” of Israeli Defense Force procedures, the Israeli government said, citing “grave mistakes stemming from a serious failure due to a mistaken identification,” The Washington Post reports. The Israeli government describes the “mistaken identification” as its military allegedly believing the WCK convoy was instead Hamas, though the WCK continues to emphasize that it coordinated the convoy’s route with Israeli military officials.
Two Israeli military officers have been sacked and two more were disciplined, according to NPR.
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Reversal of Fortune – U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon Thursday rejected ex-President Trump’s move to throw out Mar-a-Lagogate, his confidential records case, over his argument that he considered more than 300 classified document “personal,” The Hill reports. Jack Smith, special counsel in the case, asked Cannon to promptly reject Trump’s argument that he was allowed to keep the records as “personal property” under the Presidential Records Act.
Cannon’s ruling removes a Trump blockade tactic to try and push the starting trial date past November 5.
But the road ahead isn’t clear for Smith’s case. Cannon did not rule out the ability of Trump’s attorney team to raise the issue during the trial and place the prosecution in a sticky double-jeopardy position.
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Hankey’s Credit Rating? – It turns out that California subpar car loan billionaire Don Hankey’s Knight Specialty Insurance Company might not be qualified to advance a $175 million bond to Donald J. Trump so he can pay his civil fine in that New York real estate fraud case. Attorney General Letitia James made a court filing Thursday “seeking to clarify” whether Knight is financially capable of fulfilling his obligation to pay the $175 mil if Trump defaults, according to The New York Times, which helpfully points out that the bond is a legal document and not an actual transfer of money.
James wants to clarify whether Knight is financially capable of actually putting up $175 million in cash if Trump were to default – not that the former president would try such a thing. The court ruling finding for the state and against Trump initially gave the ex-president to Monday, March 25 to pay a $454 million fine, but a New York appellate court discounted that to $175 million until Trump’s appeals might be exhausted.
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Corn Unhusked – The Republican-controlled Nebraska state legislature rejected by 36-8 vote a procedural motion that would lead to changing its Electoral College system to a winner-take-all result according to Newsweek. Donald J. Trump and Republican Gov. Jim Pillen had both endorsed LB 764, which would automatically give Nebraska’s five Electoral College votes to the winner of the overall state vote.
In 2020, four of the state’s five Electoral College votes went to Trump, while the single Electoral College vote from Nebraska’s 2nd congressional district encompassing Omaha and Council Bluffs, went to Joe Biden. It is known as the congressional-district method of awarding Electoral College votes.
Remember, it’s not about red states v. blue states. It’s about red suburbs/exurbs v. blue cities.
The Democratic Party of course had objected to LB 764 claiming it was Trump’s attempt to pre-fix the election, even though 48 other states treat Electoral College votes as winner-take-all. Like Nebraska, Maine also employs the congressional-district method.
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No No Labels – The centrist group No Labels’ plans to run a third-party presidential candidate and spoil mostly President Biden’s re-election bid is no more, NPR reports. The group formed in 2010 had attempted to recruit Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and former Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for a run, as well as former Republican South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, after she dropped out of the GOP race, Morning Edition reports. Last year never-Trumper and former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan also was teased as a potential candidate.
--Compiled and edited by Todd Lassa