OVERNIGHT FINANCE: Hillary dodges trade questions

TOMORROW STARTS TONIGHT: HILLARY CLINTON BREAKS HER SILENCE. The Democratic presidential frontrunner spoke with “everyday Americans” (as opposed to “every-other-day Americans?”) but finally took questions from reporters for the first time in over three weeks. Here are the three takeaways from her stop in Cedar Falls, Iowa:

1.) Clinton dodged a question on the great trade debate. She’s refused to pick a side in the debate that’s divided President Obama’s administration from the so-called Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) wing of the party. “I have said I want to judge the final agreement. I have been for trade agreements. I have been against trade agreements,” Clinton said. Vicki Needham on the punt: http://bit.ly/1EhEirJ

— Meanwhile, Warren told Bloomberg’s Peter Cook in an (equally as rare) interview that she wants Clinton to be “clearer” on her position. More Warren in a second…

{mosads}2.) Clinton called for community banking regulatory relief — but pans Shelby bill. Clinton called for regulatory relief for community banks… She alluded to a financial overhaul proposal put forth earlier this month by Senate Banking Committee chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) as a “Trojan horse.” “The Republicans insist on using this issue to give relief to community banks as a Trojan horse for rolling back protections from consumers and rolling back the rules on the biggest banks, as we’re seeing right now in legislation that Republicans are introducing,” Clinton said. “We should call this what it is: a cynical attempt to game the system for those at the top.” My story: http://bit.ly/1L7ssFS

— Meanwhile, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), the top Democrat on the Banking Committee, introduced an alternative to Shelby’s bill. Pete Schroeder has that story: http://bit.ly/1HfA6e4

3.) Clinton is still dogged by scandals — and gaffe-prone. Addressing the email scandal, Clinton said that she “wants those emails out.” Ben Kamisar reports: “Her remarks came just a few hours after a federal judge rejected the State Department’s request to have until January to release the emails, which Clinton sent from a personal account that she used exclusively in her role as the nation’s top diplomat.” Story: http://bit.ly/1c3nw8X

— Fox News’ Ed Henry tried to ask her a question earlier in the day. Clinton’s response: “Yeah, maybe when I finish talking to the people here, how’s that? I might. I’ll have to ponder it but I will put it on my list for due consideration.” Story from Jesse Byrnes: http://bit.ly/1AdL4E1 

— How ‘ponder’ played: Real Clear Politics: “Hillary Laughs at Interview Request;” … Washington Post: “Hillary Clinton: ‘I’ll ponder taking questions.'” … NBCNews: “Clinton breaks silence (briefly).”

THIS IS OVERNIGHT FINANCE, where we will never understand why some U.S. officials think it’s in their best interest to be hostile to the press. Tweet: @kevcirilli; email: kcirilli@digital-release.thehill.com; and subscribe: http://digital-release.thehill.com/signup/48 

Back to Warren-world…

WARREN PRESSES CLINTON ON TRADE, via Kamisar: “Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) called on Hillary Clinton to take a “clearer” position on the controversial trade deal that’s working it’s way through Congress, as pressure mounts for the 2016 candidate to pick a side. Warren wouldn’t say whether Clinton’s stance on the Asia-Pacific trade deal, the Trans Pacific Partnership, would dictate whether she endorses the likely 2016 Democratic White House nominee.

“But while she praised Clinton’s rejection of arbitration panels set up in the deal’s framework, Warren panned her for hesitating to go further… ‘We’re being asked to grease the skids for a deal that’s basically done, but it’s being held in secret until after it’s done,’ Warren said…

— WARREN ON OBAMA: NOTHING PERSONAL: “Warren poured cold water on the idea that their ideological feud is personal and didn’t offer direct criticism of the president’s stance, as she had in the past. ‘For me this is not personal, for me this is about protecting American workers,’ she said.” Story: http://bit.ly/1AjXiuD Cook’s exclusive: http://bloom.bg/1IOTdjr

THURSDAY TRADE VOTE? From Alexander Bolton: “Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is expected to file a motion Tuesday to end debate on fast-track trade legislation, which could allow the controversial bill to be approved by the Senate before the Memorial Day recess. ‘We’re going to press ahead with the trade promotion authority bill,’ he said at a Tuesday press conference.”http://bit.ly/1F0tPSY

DAYS UNTIL EX-IM SHUTS DOWN: 41. House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) pushed back Tuesday at a press conference against the business community’s claims they would ship jobs overseas if the bank isn’t reauthorized. “I doubt I believe it,” Hensarling said in response to a question from yours truly. “I think it’s frankly a bit of bluster.” My full story: http://bit.ly/1dhn48T Video: http://bit.ly/1EW4f0q

TAX DEADLINE EXTENSION, via Bernie Becker: “The tax filing deadline will be three days later than usual in 2016. Most taxpayers will have until April 18 to finish their taxes next year, the agency announced Tuesday. That’s because Washington, D.C.’s Emancipation Day holiday will be observed on the normal tax filing deadline, April 15, in 2016.” http://bit.ly/1Ei4WRi

HOUSE PASSES HIGHWAY EXTENSION, via Keith Laing and Cristina Marcos: “The House voted to extend federal transportation funding for two months on Tuesday in an attempt to prevent an interruption in the nation’s infrastructure spending that had been scheduled to occur on May 31. The decision to punt on the discussion about a long-term extension of transportation funding until the summer was approved on 387-35 vote, over the objection of Democrats who argued that Congress should have found a way to pay for a longer infrastructure funding extension.” http://bit.ly/1JxskRJ

PHILLY FALLOUT: DEMS WANT TO BOOST AMTRAK FUNDING. Laing: “House Democrats want increased funding for an automated train control system that could have prevented last week’s deadly Amtrak crash included in a surface transportation bill being voted on Tuesday.” http://bit.ly/1IJXbLQ

Write us with tips, suggestions and news:  vneedham@digital-release.thehill.com; pschroeder@digital-release.thehill.com; bbecker@digital-release.thehill.com; rshabad@digital-release.thehill.com; kcirilli@digital-release.thehill.com.

–Follow us on Twitter: @VickofTheHill; @PeteSchroeder; @BernieBecker3; @RebeccaShabad and @kevcirilli.