Durham report:Â After a three-year investigation that cost taxpayers approximately $7 million, Special Counsel John Durham could not find criminality on the part of the FBI in opening an investigation into Russian efforts to help Donald Trump win the 2016 election. Durham had been appointed by Trump’s Attorney General Bill Barr to investigate the origins of the FBI’s investigation. The report by Durham released yesterday expressed opinions critical of the FBI but found nothing to back up Trump’s claims that the FBI investigation was the crime of the century.
New Mexico shootings:Â The 18-year old gunman who shot up a neighborhood in Farmington, New Mexico, yesterday and killed three people used an assault rifle and two other guns. Another six people were injured. Police killed the gunman. They said he had been firing randomly at houses and cars.
Baseball bat attack:Â The two aides to Democratic Congressman Gerry Connolly of Virginia who were beaten by a man with a metal baseball bat at Connolly’s local office in Fairfax, Virginia, yesterday have been released from a hospital and are recovering. Police arrested the alleged attacker, Xuan-Kha Tran Pham, who is being held in jail. The Washington Post reported that his father said the man is schizophrenic.
White House meeting:Â President Biden is scheduled to meet with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell this afternoon at 3 p.m. They’re due to continue trying to reach agreement on raising the debt ceiling to avoid a default by the U.S. on it debts. Biden said he believes progress can be made while McCarthy expressed new doubts that a deal is possible without Biden making substantial cuts to his proposed budget.
Home Depot financials: Ted Decker, chairman, president and CEO of Home Depot, said this morning that the company expects fiscal year 2023 will be a year of moderation for the home improvement market. Home Depot released first quarter fiscal year 2023 financials that showed sales of $37.3 billion, down 4.2% from first quarter of 2022. Net income was $3.9 billion, down from $4.2 billion earned in the same period last year.
IRS audits:Â In a letter sent to the U.S. Senate yesterday, Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Daniel Werfel confirms that Black Americans are audited at three to five times the rate of taxpayers of other races. Werfel said the agency is deeply disturbed by the finding and is investigating to find out why that’s the case. He said research on the matter is ongoing and additional time is needed to get to the bottom of why it’s happening and develop ways to stop it.
