Thumbs Down: After a seven-hour impasse with West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin, the Senate Democrats dropped their emergency unemployment benefit from $400 a week to $300, potentially saving President Biden’s $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill.

  Manchin, whose state thinks Republican, had argued that an over-generous benefit could discourage people from going back to work. The $300 a week would be available through September 6^th. He couched his opposition in belief that the economy will recover from the pandemic. “The president has made it clear we will have enough vaccines for every American by the end of May, and I am confident the economic recovery will follow,” Manchin said in a statement.

  It also appears that Biden’s $15 an hour federal minimum wage isn’t going to make it. Seven Democrats voted “no” on that. Democrats voting against were Manchin, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Tom Carper and Chris Coons of Delaware, and Jon Tester of Montana. Senator Angus King, the independent from Maine also voted no.

  Sinema is getting roasted on the internet today for the way she voted. She walked up to the podium with her bag over her shoulder, struck a sassy pose, and gave it a thumbs down.

Red Hat Society: A Trump administration appointee with a top security clearance has been arrested for taking part in the January 6^th Capitol insurrection.

  Federico Klein, 42, who was an aide in the State Department, can be seen on video wearing a red MAGA hat among the people storming the Capitol and battling with police officers. He’s charged with several felonies.

  Appearing in court yesterday, an unapologetic Klein complained about the accommodations in the jail where he had been held. “I’m wondering if there’s a place I could stay in detention where I don’t have cockroaches crawling over me while I’m trying to sleep,” Klein told US Magistrate Zia Faruqui. “I haven’t really slept all that much, your Honor. It would be nice if between now and Tuesday I could sleep in a place where there are not cockroaches all over.”

The Greatest President: California Rep. Eric Swalwell, who was a House manager in Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial, yesterday sued the former president, his son, lawyer Rudy Giuliani, and a Republican congressman accusing them of inciting the capitol insurrection.

  The lawsuit filed in federal court in Washington, claims the defendants conspired to violate civil rights, incited the riot and inflicted emotional distress. 

  “Those with knowledge claimed that during this moment of national horror, Trump was ‘delighted’ and was ‘confused about why other people on his team weren’t as excited as he was,’” the suit claims. 

  Trump’s spokesman Jason Miller called Swalwell a “low-life” with “no credibility.” 

“Now, after failing miserably with two impeachment hoaxes,” Miller said, Swalwell is attacking “our greatest President with yet another witch hunt,” 

Viral News: As cases of Covid-19 diminish, a variant of the coronavirus first found in Great Britain has grown to account for 20 percent of new infections in the US, health authorities say. It’s unknown yet whether the variant will cause a significant resurgence of Covid-19.

  This morning, new cases are down 12 percent over the past two weeks, just over 65,000 yesterday. Deaths are down a bit, but still high; 2,516 in the past 24 hours.

  So far, 55.5 million Americans have been vaccinated. 

The Babysitter: Professional boxer Claressa Shields, who says that in her spare time she’s a “great babysitter,” pounded Canada’s Marie-Eve Dicaire to win the women’s 154-pound championship and remain undefeated.

  The fight was featured on pay-per-view because the broadcast networks declined to show it. Shields, who also has verbal punch, called the networks sexist for not featuring women’s boxing. She has criticized boxing organizations for having women fight shorter bouts with two-minute rather than three-minute rounds. She has said boxing authorities were “degrading us” 

The Spin Rack: The New York legislature stripped Gov. Andrew Cuomo of his emergency powers to deal with the coronavirus, but allowed him to enforce orders he’s already made. — The National Football League has named its first black female official, Maia Chaka, a health and physical education teacher from Virginia Beach. — Americans drove fewer miles last year during the pandemic, but died at a higher rate in traffic accidents, statistics show. Fatalities surged 24 percent for miles driven.

Iconic Threat: Amanda Gorman, the young poet who stirred the inauguration in January, said she was followed to her door by a security guard who told her she looked suspicious.

  “A security guard tailed me on my walk home tonight,” Ms. Gorman wrote on Twitter. “He demanded if I lived there because ‘you look suspicious.’ I showed my keys & buzzed myself into my building. He left, no apology. This is the reality of black girls: One day you’re called an icon, the next day, a threat.”

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