The Hill’s 12:30 Report — McCarthy’s post-Jan. 6 calls ruffle feathers

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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.

IN CONGRESS 

How I picture the New York Times reporting being spread around the Capitol 

The New York Times reported yesterday that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) aired concerns about far-right Republican colleagues after the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack. 

Particularly: Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Mo Brooks (R-Ala.).

McCarthy said about Gaetz, according to the Times: “He’s putting people in jeopardy. And he doesn’t need to be doing this. We saw what people would do in the Capitol, you know, and these people came prepared with rope, with everything else.” 

Scalise said about Gaetz: “It’s potentially illegal what he’s doing.”  

Read the full reporting from The Times’s Alexander Burns and Jonathan Martin: https://nyti.ms/3vkdwUY 

^ HOW MATT GAETZ TOOK THAT NEWS:

Gaetz slammed McCarthy and Scalise as being “weak men, not leaders.” https://bit.ly/39akXWa 

More from Gaetz’s statement: “Rep. McCarthy and Rep. Scalise held views about President Trump and me that they shared on sniveling calls with Liz Cheney, not us … While I was protecting President Trump from impeachment, they were protecting Liz Cheney from criticism.” Read Gaetz’s full reaction: https://bit.ly/39eBpVn 

TIDBIT FROM THE CAPITOL DUNKIN — NOOO, NOT THE OAT MILK!: 

Politico’s Olivia Beavers posted a photo of a sign in the Longworth Dunkin that reads, “Due to supply issues, oat milk is not available.” Photo: https://bit.ly/38yLPiA 

The silver lining: Chocolate munchkins appear to be plentiful this morning. 

TIDBIT THIS MORNING — MCCARTHY DEFENDED HIMSELF AND GOT A STANDING OVATION: 
CNN’s Melanie Zanona tweeted, “Kevin McCarthy just gave a full throated defense of the Nyt tapes  during a House GOP conference this morning, saying he was just floating scenarios about Trump’s future after Jan 6, and received a standing ovation, per multiple sources in the room.” https://bit.ly/3vhikdP

Read more from The Hill’s Emily Brooks and Mychael Schnell: https://bit.ly/3rUK2Lr

It’s Wednesday. I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send comments, story ideas and events for our radar to cmartel@digital-release.thehill.com — and follow along on Twitter @CateMartel and Facebook.

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NEWS THIS MORNING 

Without Djokovic and the Russians, it could have been a boring Wimbledon. So I’ll take that as a win:

Via CNN’s Matias Grez, “Novak Djokovic will be able to defend his Wimbledon title this summer after tournament organizers said that players who are unvaccinated against Covid-19 can compete at the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC).” https://cnn.it/3y14EFA 

Keep in mind: Djokovic was not able to compete in the Australian Open after his visa was revoked twice because he is not vaccinated for COVID-19. He has missed multiple U.S. events since. 

Who won’t be competing at Wimbledon?: Russian players Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev.

LATEST WITH THE JAN. 6 INVESTIGATION 

You can read Mark Meadows’s text messages from Election Day 2020 until inauguration:

CNN obtained more than 2,000 text messages sent or received by former President Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows from Nov. 3, 2020, through Jan. 20, 2021. https://cnn.it/3rVOFER 

Because realistically, you won’t read all the texts — here’s the gist: The texts show “the most revealing picture to date of how Trump’s inner circle, supporters and Republican lawmakers worked behind the scenes to try to overturn the election results and then reacted to the violence that effort unleashed at the Capitol on January 6.”  

If you want to take a gander: Here are the texts: https://cnn.it/3rVOFER 

Specifically, how Team Trump tried to keep him in office: Via The Hill’s Rebecca Beitsch, “That effort ranged from selecting alternate slates of electors from swing states ahead of the Electoral College vote to directing the crowd to the Capitol after the Jan. 6 rallies to discussing the possibility that Trump declare martial law days before he was set to leave office.” https://bit.ly/3rUDVXm

IN WASHINGTON, D.C. 

Formal gowns with formal masks:

The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner and the adjacent parties are returning this year for the first time since the pandemic began. https://bit.ly/3kj16GK 

The dilemma for D.C.’s movers and shakers: Whether or not to attend. A few weeks ago, more than 70 guests tested positive for COVID-19 after the Gridiron Club dinner.

Another change since 2016: The sitting president, Joe Biden, will attend the dinner. Former President Donald Trump didn’t attend the dinner. 

More on what to expect — and how this year will be different, via The Hill’s Judy Kurtz: https://bit.ly/3kj16GK

LATEST WITH COVID-19 

*Little celebration dance*:

In an interview with PBS’s Judy Woodruff, President Biden’s chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci said the U.S. has moved “out of the pandemic phase” of COVID-19. 

Watch Fauci’s explanation — he says we likely won’t eradicate the virus, but we can live with it: https://bit.ly/3LueNPe 

CASE NUMBERS:  

Coronavirus cases in the U.S.: 81,103,357

U.S. death toll: 991,977

Breakdown of the numbers: https://cnn.it/2UAgW3y 

VACCINATION NUMBERS: 

Total number of vaccinations administered in the U.S.: 574 million shots have been given. 

Seven-day average of doses administered: An average of 92,746 doses 

For context: The U.S. population is roughly 331 million. 

Breakdown of the numbers: https://bloom.bg/3iVTPLH

NOTABLE TWEETS: 

Tidbit — there’s always that one person who insists on the car ride singalong: 

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) tweeted a video of a van ride with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.) Booker is leading a karaoke singalong to “American Pie.” Watch — Gillibrand is handling it like a champ: https://bit.ly/3LmtLqp 

Excuse me while I deeply ponder this:

Astronomer Dr. James O’Donoghue posted a short video showing the scale of planets and their movements in the solar system. Watch — Jupiter is making me motion sick: https://bit.ly/3vlsg66

ON TAP: 

The House and Senate are in. President Biden is in Washington, D.C. 

9:30 a.m. EDT: President Biden received the President’s Daily Brief. 

3:30 p.m. EDT: A Senate cloture vote on a judicial nomination. The Senate’s full agenda today: https://bit.ly/39arX5q 

4 – 6 p.m. EDT: First and last votes in the House. The House’s full agenda today: https://bit.ly/3vi9xZd 

WHAT TO WATCH: 

10:15 a.m. EDT: Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra testified on the budget request for 2023. Livestream: https://bit.ly/3Kjq17t 

11 a.m. EDT: The funeral of Secretary of State Madeleine Albright at the Washington National Cathedral. President Biden, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered remarks. Livestream: https://bit.ly/3kduaiZ List of Biden officials attending: https://bit.ly/3vOxGW9 

3 p.m. EDT: White House press secretary Jen Psaki holds a press briefing. Livestream: https://bit.ly/3xXqnhR 

4 p.m. EDT: President Biden and first lady Jill Biden host the Council of Chief State School Officers’ 2022 National and State Teachers of the Year. Livestream: https://bit.ly/36Uhjz8 

IN LIGHTER NEWS: 

Today is National Prime Rib Day. 

Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no, no, no: 

@NewYorkNico posted a video of a man at a Yankee game, dipping his hotdog in his beer. The horrific footage to prove it: https://bit.ly/3KkULFk 

And to leave you on a good note, here’s a racoon and a cat sharing a pleasant meal: https://bit.ly/3OGpRKY