The Hill’s 12:30 Report — Details continue to emerge about Nashville shooting

To view past editions of The Hill’s 12:30 Report, click here: https://bit.ly/41ZMHnw

To receive The Hill’s 12:30 Report in your inbox, please sign up here: https://bit.ly/3qmIoS9 

–> 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 

More details, video emerge from Nashville shooting: 
 Authorities have released surveillance video that shows the 28-year-old who fatally shot three children and three adults at an elementary school in Nashville, firing through the building’s doors and stalking the hallways fully armed.  

The person, identified by police as Audrey Elizabeth Hale and a former student of The Covenant School, was armed with three guns and ultimately killed by police.

Officials have said that Hale had a detailed plan and manifesto for the shooting, but authorities have been light on details as the investigation is ongoing. No motive has been provided. 

Read more from The Hill on the latest in the investigation, as details continue to emerge. 

WHITE HOUSE RESPONSE:

“We should not be saying there’s nothing else to do. We should be trying to figure out what else … there can be to do,” Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during an appearance on CNN on Tuesday. 

GOP RESPONSE:

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) has called for an “automatic death penalty” for school shooters after the Nashville shooting, even though the shooter was killed by police. 

It’s Tuesday, March 28. It’s National Respect Your Cat Day, to which I say, “Isn’t that every day?” My cat Walter certainly thinks so! I’m Elizabeth Crisp, filling in for Cate, with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up.

Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here. Have a scoop, tip, funny joke or thoughts on the controversial finale of “The Bachelor”? Email me: ecrisp@digital-release.thehill.com. 

In Congress 

Rand Paul staffer’s assault highlights DC crime concerns: 

A random attacker stabbed a member of Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-Ky.) staff on the street in D.C. over the weekend — a “close to home” moment for lawmakers amid growing concerns over crime in the nation’s capital. 

According to a police news release, the Paul staffer had to be transported to be treated for “life-threatening injuries.” 

Southeast, D.C., native Glynn Neal, 42, has been charged with assault with intent to kill in the case, according to the release. 

The attack on the Paul staffer, who hasn’t been publicly identified, was the second close encounter for members of Capitol Hill in recent weeks. 

Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) was attacked in the elevator at her apartment building closer to the Capitol last month. 

Republican members in Congress have highlighted crime concerns in D.C. and other major cities. Earlier this month lawmakers by a bipartisan vote upended D.C.’s revised criminal code, citing safety concerns. It marks only the fourth successful disapproval resolution since “home rule” granted more power to local government five decades ago. 

More ahead? The House Oversight and Accountability Committee will hold a hearing Wednesday titled “Overdue Oversight of the Capital City: Part 1.” It is expected to include testimony from city officials. 

“Congress has sent a clear message to the D.C. Council: It’s time to make our nation’s capital safe again,” Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) said in a news release. 

Tik, Tok… Boom!: 

Last week’s House committee hearing on TikTok was absolutely brutal for CEO Shou Zi Chew, with lawmakers pummeling the social media chief with questions about the security of the wildly popular social media platform.

Depending on whom you ask, that is… 

The Washington Post tech columnist Taylor Lorenz took a deeper look into it in a new piece from the perspective of TikTokers and others more familiar with the app. 

Cue up the headline: “Congress had a lot to say about TikTok. Much of it was wrong.” 

The whole thing is worth a read, particularly as lawmakers (who, ahem, tend to be outside the TikTok demographic) seriously consider banning or restricting access.

🏛️ In the White House 

Two key Biden nominees have caved to GOP pressure campaigns. Why that matters:

Two of President Biden’s nominees for top administration jobs are out of the running after facing Republican pressure and failing to secure support from enough moderate Democrats. 

The Hill’s Alex Gangitano has the story on what happened with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) nominee Gigi Sohn and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) nominee Phillip Washington, who both ultimately withdrew their names from consideration after facing backlash.

Why it matters: Both withdrawals come as blows to Biden’s priorities. The FAA has faced increased scrutiny amid a recent string of high-profile safety concerns, and the FCC can’t push through Biden’s plans for the internet without someone in the role to help usher them. 

“The withdrawals, in my view, stem from a combination of factors — a very tight Democratic majority so that almost every vote counts, absences of key Democratic senators due to health, and persistent and effective Republican attacks,” Anne Joseph O’Connell, an expert at Stanford Law School, told Gangitano. 

Number to know: More than 800 of Biden’s nominees have been confirmed since he took office in 2021, according to a White House official.

Biden hits the road, Jack!:

President Biden is visiting Wolfspeed, a semiconductor manufacturer, in North Carolina today as he kicks off his “Investing in America” tour aimed at highlighting the White House’s accomplishments. It comes as Biden gears up for a yet-to-be-announced 2024 reelection bid. 

Over the next three weeks, Vice President Harris, first lady Jill Biden, second gentleman Douglas Emhoff, Cabinet members and other White House officials will fan out to more than 20 states to spread the administration’s message and highlight activity that’s come from key legislation. 

🏃 2024 

Trump says he has no worries on probes:

Former President Trump isn’t bothered by the ongoing investigation into his handling of classified documents. 

“Remember this, this is the Presidential Records Act. I have the right to take stuff,” he said in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity. 

Reminder: The FBI found classified records last year during a search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. Under the Presidential Records Act, those should likely have been turned over to the National Archives for preservation. 

Trump, who is facing multiple investigations over various issues, is currently running for reelection in 2024, after losing the 2020 bid against President Biden. 

More from the interview: “Justice for All,” — a rendition of the “The Star-Spangled Banner” sung by prisoners who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 — has hit No. 1 on Billboard’s digital song sales chart after Trump played it at his campaign rally Saturday. 

“Now I feel like Elvis,” the former president said. 

Related: Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (a Republican Trump foe turned ally turned foe and now mulling his own 2024 bid) isn’t sure that Trump can get elected another term but warns that “his end will not be a calm and quiet conclusion.” 

🪐 In other news 

Heads up: Fab Five in the sky:

Five planets — Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus and Mars — will line up near the moon with the best chance to see them coming this afternoon, The Associated Press reports. 

NASA astronomer Bill Cooke told the AP that people should look to the western horizon right after sunset for the best view, as Mercury and Jupiter will fall below the horizon about half an hour after sunset.

🐥 Notable tweets 

‘Mine alone’: A note from Eisenhower:

It’s the 54th anniversary of President Eisenhower‘s death in 1969. Presidential historian Michael Beschloss tweeted this hand-written note from the World War II general in 1944 in which he wrote that if D-Day landings failed, the “blame or fault…is mine alone.” 

Who’ve you got?: 

AdImpact Politics, which tracks political advertising across the country, has reached its March Madness Final Four — for the top political ads that is. 

Finalists who’ve made it this far, via Twitter: “Underdog” by Mike Feuer; “Frat Boy” by Henry McMaster; “Put A Lid On It” by Tom Tiffany; and “Top Gov” by Ron DeSantis.

🍡 In lighter news 

Today is National Something on a Stick Day. Corndogs, kebabs, popsicles, lollipops, fruit skewers, fried Oreos … the possibilities are endless when planning to ditch the fork and chow down on a treat on a stick, even chicken noodle soup!

And because you made it this far, prepare for cuteness overload: This week marks the first public debut of the Smithsonian National Zoo’s four-month-old Andean bear cubs Sean and Ian. View the full Twitter thread with adorable cub pics here and get your free tickets to see the little guys in person here.