Ivanka Trump’s scarves catch on fire, however they are still less dangerous for someone’s well-being than Trump University. Millennials hate Donald Trump so much you’d think he was a bowl of cereal. And Chuck Schumer proved once again that, as majority leader, he’ll be just like LBJ — if LBJ concerned himself with PR-friendly crusades against baggage fees. This is HUFFPOST HILL for Thursday, April 7th, 2016:
CHUCK GRASSLEY NOT SCARED OF OBAMA'S STRONG-ARM, JUDGE-NOMINATIN' TACTICS - The Iowa Republican took to the Senate floor to say he is not at all feeling any pressure. "It is no secret that the white house strategy is to put pressure on this chairman of the Judiciary Committee and other Republicans in the hopes that we can be worn down and ultimately agree to hold hearings on the nominee," Grassley said. "This pressure campaign, which is targeted at me and a handful of my colleagues, is based on the supposition that I and they will crack and move forward on the consideration of President Obama's pick. This strategy has failed to recognize that i am no stranger to political pressure and to strong-arm tactics."
OBAMA SORRY NOT SORRY FOR PICKING A WHITE GUY - l" target="_hplink">@jbendery: "I need a black lesbian from Skokie. Can you find me one?" -- Obama, on how he did not approach finding SCOTUS pick
Lawmaking alert: Today Congress approved a reauthorization of the Older Americans Act, thereby ensuring some meals will continue to have wheels.
We've all been there.
BOTH CHAMBERS SQUABBLING OVER STALLED HEROIN BILL - Grim: "Republican Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio took the floor of the upper chamber Thursday to put pressure on his House colleagues, condemning inaction that has left the Senate’s sweeping heroin legislation to languish. Portman’s address was likely sparked by an op-ed published by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in a local paper on Thursday. McCarthy’s piece strikes the right notes in describing the historic nature of the opioid epidemic, but then veers off track, suggesting that the House’s approach will be to take up and vote on a series of bills being quickly worked up by House Republicans. Law enforcement agencies, health care providers and advocates for the addiction community have spent the last three years working with Portman and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) on the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act,which passed on March 10 by a 94-1 vote." [HuffPost]
BILL CLINTON BLAMES SENTENCING LAWS ON GOP, MAYBE JOE BIDEN A LITTLE - Philip Bump: "On Thursday, at a rally in Pennsylvania, he was forced to address Black Lives Matter protesters who confronted him on his crime bill…'Biden said, 'You can't pass this bill. The Republicans will kill it if you don't put more sentencing in.' I talked to a lot of African-American groups. They thought black lives mattered. They said, 'Take this bill because our kids are being shot in the streets by gangs.' We had 13-year-old kids planning their own funerals. She' -- referring to the protester -- 'don't want to hear any of that.'" [WaPo]
DELANEY DOWNER - Sad news for Ivanka Trump scarves: they catch on fire too easily. "The scarves do not meet the federal flammability standards for clothing textiles, posing a burn risk," the Consumer Product Safety Commission says. "Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled scarves and return them to the place where purchased for a full refund." Also, the scarves are made in China. Sad! [CPSC.gov]
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IT'S COMPLICATED BETWEEN PAUL RYAN AND TED CRUZ - And by "complicated," we mean, "Ted Cruz is a grade-A jerkface." Scott Wong: "The two young Republican stars did team up last year on a Wall Street Journal op-ed urging colleagues to back fast-track trade legislation that Ryan was spearheading.But the first-term Texas senator quickly backtracked and voted against giving President Obama trade promotion authority (TPA), complaining of “secret deals” between GOP leaders and Democrats. Those splits highlight precisely why many in the GOP establishment are still reluctant to rally behind and Cruz, even as the Tea Party favorite begins to aggressively court his colleagues on Capitol Hill and make his case against Trump...Cruz was one of five GOP senators who joined Democrats in rejecting the Ryan blueprint, which cut trillions of dollars in spending from programs such as Medicaid and repealed ObamaCare. The Texas firebrand opposed it, in part, because it repealing the healthcare reform law but still counted its revenue. Cruz also raised eyebrows in early 2014 when he hired Paul Teller as a top aide in his Senate office and then promoted him to chief of staff. Teller had just been fired from his job as executive director of the conservative House Republican Study Committee after lawmakers discovered he was working with outside conservative groups to derail a two-year budget deal Ryan was negotiating with his Senate counterpart, Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-Wash.)." [The Hill]
MILLENNIALS HATE TRUMP - There is really an untapped well of Trumpian bombast that has yet to be directed at America's supposedly laziest generation. Ariel Edwards-Levy: "GOP front-runner Donald Trump’s poor standing among female voters has attracted most of the attention in recent weeks, but his candidacy may be even more toxic to voters under age 35. A new NBC News/Survey Monkey election tracking poll pitting Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton against her two possible Republican rivals finds that young voters lean Democratic regardless of the candidate, but they’re practically allergic to Trump. Against Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Clinton wins the vote of 18 to 24-year-olds by just 7 points. Against Trump, her margin rises to 25 points. There’s a similar gap for older millennials, ages 25 to 34, who give Clinton a 19-point edge against Cruz and a 33-point edge against Trump." [HuffPost]
Our own Milessa Jeltsen interviewed Joe Biden about his work to combat sexual assault.
RUDY GIULIANI SEMI-ENDORSES TRUMP - That will go a long way in his home state where everyone hates him. Eliza Collins: "Rudy Giuliani is voting for Donald Trump. The former mayor of New York City stopped short of an outright official endorsement, but he told the New York Post on Thursday that the billionaire has his vote. 'I support Trump. I’m gonna vote for Trump,” Giuliani said, according to the report.
Giuliani, who sought the Republican nomination in 2008, told the Post he has high expectations for Trump's performance in his home-state primary on April 19. 'It’s a question of how much he gets over 50 percent. If he wins 70 to 80 delegates, Donald has a good shot of securing the 1,237 delegates to secure the nomination before the convention,' he said, adding that he had met with Ted Cruz months ago before his comments about 'New York values.'" [Politico]
PETE KING: THE POOR MAN'S TRUMP - Andrew Kaczynski. "Rep. Peter King of New York said in a radio interview on Thursday that New Yorkers should not vote for Ted Cruz in the state’s upcoming primary. 'Let me say something about the New York primary: Any New Yorker who even thinks of voting for Ted Cruz should have their head examined,' King said on the Joe Piscopo Show on AM 970 The Answer. 'Really, here’s a guy who refused to sign onto the 9/11 health care act for the cops and fireman. Here’s a guy who talks about New York values.' 'New York keeps going forward,' King continued, citing the city’s response to 9/11. 'We’re tough, and to have some guy like Ted Cruz with cowboy boots walk around criticizing us. Look, I hope he gets the cold shoulder and other things from every New Yorker. Send him back where he belongs. He’s a phony, and that was all off the record by the way. I don’t want anyone listening. That was all off the record.'" [BuzzFeed]
CAN BEN CARSON BE ALL THE SURROGATES? - Elise Foley: "Former GOP presidential candidate Ben Carson has been doing a fair amount of press to talk up current GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump since endorsing him last month. Much of it has been strange. On Thursday, Carson came to the defense of Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, who was charged with battery for allegedly grabbing a female reporter. 'A lot of people have been charged with various things,' Carson said in an appearance on CNN. “That doesn’t necessarily mean that we need to demonize them.' Okay, the innocent-until-proven-guilty argument. Pretty standard. 'You’ve probably been charged with something, too,' Carson continued, speaking to CNN’s John Berman. 'Maybe with a misdemeanor or something. Doesn’t mean that you’re an evil, horrible person.' Berman, looking befuddled, replied that he actually has not been charged with any crimes." [HuffPost]
SCHUMER GONNA SCHUMER - But when will Schumer tackle autoplay videos? Mike DeBonis: "If you’re seeking relief from sardine-can conditions on airline flights, don’t expect any help from Congress. The Senate voted down an amendment Thursday that would end any further reductions of airplane seat sizes. The amendment failed on a 54-to-42 vote, with most Democrats supporting the amendment by Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and most Republicans opposed. The amendment to a sprawling bill reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration would order a moratorium in reductions to seat size and pitch (i.e., the space between rows of seats) and would empower the FAA to set new standards, in consultation with experts, for seat dimensions that maintain 'the safety, health and comfort of passengers.' Currently, regulators can take only safety into account in making such rules. Schumer took to the Senate floor ahead of the vote to describe his dismay with the incredible shrinking airline seat." [WaPo]
BECAUSE YOU'VE READ THIS FAR - Here are dogs playing tug-of-war.
COMFORT FOOD
- Behold: history's worst putt.
- Trailer for the upcoming one-off "Star Wars" movie.
- A tour of Arianna's slumber palace.
TWITTERAMA
@jennyjaffe:2054 AD. Influencers are as kings. Shares are currency. Food is considered an in-app purchase. But Blue Ivy is president so it's all good.
@elisefoley: Tell me more about your personal experiences swiping cards to get on the subway.
@jbarro: Poor Martin O'Malley has been living in the New York subway for the last three months but still won't get any votes.
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