The Hill’s 12:30 Report — Jan. 6 probe’s twists and turns

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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.

THE JAN. 6 PROBE 

How I imagine the Jan. 6 committee handling all the incoming information: 

Tuesday’s Jan. 6 hearing, which was expected to focus on former President Trump’s ties to violent right-wing extremist groups, instead shifted its emphasis at the last minute. 

Why?: White House counsel Pat Cipollone agreed to testify a few days before. Committee chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) said the panel wanted to highlight Cipollone’s testimony. 

From Chairman Thompson: “The Cipollone deposition was important. And obviously, it’s just a choice we had to make.” 

An example of an extremist tie the committee did not mention due to the shifted focus: “[A] Jan. 5 request from Trump to have chief of staff Mark Meadows contact two informal advisors, Roger Stone and Michael Flynn, who both used extremist groups as security details.”  

Other tidbits that were omitted, via The Hill’s Rebecca Beitsch and Mike Lillis 

➤THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE IS INTERESTED IN THE FAKE ELECTORS EVIDENCE:

Via The New York Times’s Luke Broadwater, “The Justice Department has asked the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol for evidence it has accumulated about the scheme by former President Donald J. Trump and his allies to put forward false slates of pro-Trump electors in battleground states won by Joseph R. Biden Jr. in 2020.” What we know 

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.

📍 In the Middle East 

Biden’s controversial trip to Saudi Arabia:

“President Biden on Thursday indicated he would raise the topic of human rights during his meeting with Saudi Arabian leaders this week, but would not commit specifically to bringing up the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi during a meeting with the crown prince.”  

^ Keep in mind: It’s pretty controversial that Biden will meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. 

Back story: “U.S. intelligence has concluded that the crown prince played a direct role in ordering the 2018 killing of Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident who was critical of the crown prince as a columnist for The Washington Post.” What we know 

➤TIDBIT FROM BIDEN: 

President Biden said this morning, “Tomorrow I’ll be the first American president to fly from Israel directly to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. That represents important progress.” (Quote from CNN’s Kate Sullivan) 

➤ ‘WHY BIDEN’S HANDSHAKES ARE MAKING HEADLINES ON HIS MIDDLE EAST TRIP’: 
Via The Hill’s Zach Schonfeld 

Speaking of handshakes, here are photos of President Biden shaking hands with former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

➤ ‘IN ISRAEL, PRESIDENT BIDEN RECEIVED THE SORT OF RAPTUROUS WELCOME THAT HE COULD ONLY DREAM ABOUT IN WASHINGTON.’: 
Via The New York Times’s Peter Baker, Patrick Kingsley and Isabel Kershner

🏛 The abortion fight 

The next fight — can women travel out of state to get an abortion?: 

“New battle lines are emerging around the issue of interstate travel for abortion, as a confusing patchwork of state and federal rules materializes in the wake of the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade.”  

Have any states banned travel for abortions?: No, but some conservative lawmakers are floating penalties for traveling to states for abortion procedures. 

And on the other side: “[S]everal blue states have taken steps to become abortion safe havens, saying they would refuse to cooperate with red-state investigations into cross-border abortion cases.” 

How the fight is shaping up, via The Hill’s John Kruzel 

➤ ‘WHAT CAN BE DONE WHEN THE SUPREME COURT TURNS POLITICAL?’: 

Read the op-ed 

🧾 In Congress 

If the bill were an ice sculpture, it would be getting awfully skinny and intricate these days: 

Key moderate Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) has been negotiating with Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) to revive Democrats’ budget reconciliation bill. 

But Manchin pumped the breaks on Wednesday, arguing that much of the bill would need to be gutted after the latest inflation numbers. 

OK, so what aspects would Manchin support?: Possibly just prescription drug pricing reform 

Where the bill stands 

➤ SOME DEMOCRATS THINK THE BILL COULD HELP FIGHT INFLATION: 
Their thinking, via The Hill’s Aris Folley 

➤ ‘DEMS TAX-INCREASE DREAMS MEET ELECTION-YEAR REALITY’:
Via Politico’s Burgess Everett and Sarah Ferris 

🦠 Latest with COVID

➤ BY THE NUMBERS 

Cases to date: 88.7 million 

Death toll: 1,017,391 

Current hospitalizations: 33,610 

Shots administered: 597 million 

Fully vaccinated: 67 percent of Americans 

CDC data here. 

🐥Notable tweets 

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) should get a Cameo:

Politico’s Burgess Everett tweeted photos from outside the U.S. Capitol steps: “Lots of folks looking for photos with Manchin this afternoon. One man from Canada asked him to get gas prices down and he said he’s working on it.” Photos of Manchin posing with passersby 

⏱On tap 

The House and Senate are in. President Biden is in Jerusalem, Israel. Vice President Harris is in Orlando, Fla., and Tampa, Fla. today.

• 4:15 a.m.: Biden held a bilateral meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid. 
• 5:30 p.m.: Biden participated in the first leaders’ meeting of the “I2U2” group. 
• 8:30 a.m.: Harris left for Orlando, Fla. 
• 9:45 a.m.: Biden met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog. 
• 10:20 a.m.: Biden met with former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.  
• 11:20 a.m.: Biden attended a reception where he received the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor. 
• 11:30 a.m.: Harris spoke at the 70th Boule of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. 
• 11:45 a.m.: A confirmation vote in the Senate. Today’s Senate agenda 
• 11:45 a.m.: First votes in the House. Today’s House agenda 
• 12:45 p.m.: Biden greets the U.S. athletes and attends the opening ceremonies of the Maccabiah Games in Jerusalem. 
• 1:45 p.m.: A Senate cloture vote on a nomination. 
• 1:50 p.m.: Harris and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra hold a roundtable with Florida legislative leaders to discuss reproductive rights. 
• 4 p.m.: Harris leaves for Tampa, Fla. 
• 4:30 p.m.: Last House votes. 
• 5:05 p.m.: Harris meets with servicemembers at MacDill Air Force Base. 
• 5:55 p.m.: Harris received a briefing at the CENTCOM headquarters and then tours the CENTCOM Joint Operations Center. 
• 7:35 p.m.: Harris flies back to Washington, D.C. 

 All times Eastern. 

📺What to watch 

• 7 a.m.: Biden held a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid. Watch 
• 9 a.m.: The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on individual freedoms after Roe v. Wade was overturned. Watch

🧀 In lighter news 

Today is National Mac and Cheese Day. 

And to liven up your Thursday afternoon, meet the real king.