| | | | |  | | By Katherine Tully-McManus | Presented by Connected Commerce Council | |  The U.S. Army Parachute Team the Golden Knights descend into National Park before a game between the Washington Nationals and the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday, April 20, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) | AP | AP |
NOT RED DAWN — A stunning failure of communication unfolded last night when an attempt at honoring military personnel triggered panic, warnings of a "a probable threat" and a full evacuation of the Capitol Complex.
Staff were alerted to an "airspace incursion" by Capitol Police — security speak for an aircraft breaching the tightly restricted airspace around the Capitol. Staff and media spotted the plane and parachutes dropping. But within a few minutes, staff were told there was no threat. Parachute pivot: It was a military plane, carrying the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team , who floated into Nationals Park for a "military appreciation night" demonstration. But the aircraft circled the restricted airspace near the Capitol repeatedly after taking off from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland before the demonstration. The AIRCON level on Capitol Hill was raised to red, part of a multi-level alert status triggered when an aircraft enters the restricted airspace in Washington without authorization. Pelosi places blame: How did a long-planned, Pentagon-approved event surprise the Capitol Police and emergency preparedness teams on Capitol Hill? "The Federal Aviation Administration's apparent failure to notify Capitol Police of the pre-planned flyover Nationals Stadium is outrageous and inexcusable," Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a statement . "The unnecessary panic caused by this apparent negligence was particularly harmful for Members, staff and institutional workers still grappling with the trauma of the attack on their workplace on January 6th." Will heads roll? "Congress looks forward to reviewing the results of a thorough after-action review that determines what precisely went wrong today and who at the Federal Aviation Administration will be held accountable for this outrageous and frightening mistake," said Pelosi. But a spokesperson for NORAD told POLITICO that the flight was coordinated through FAA channels and that nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. Nicholas Wu has the full story. Worth noting: There was a training exercise at the Capitol on Tuesday night which included Capitol Police, Park Police, DC Fire and EMS and other state and local partners -- including helicopters landing on the East Front. But staff, media and others were forewarned so it wasn't mistaken as an active emergency. Those same folks were thrown into action Wednesday.
| | | | DON'T MISS ANYTHING FROM THE 2022 MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE: POLITICO is excited to partner with the Milken Institute to produce a special edition "Global Insider" newsletter featuring exclusive coverage and insights from the 25th annual Global Conference. This year's event, May 1-4, brings together more than 3,000 of the world's most influential leaders, including 700+ speakers representing more than 80 countries. "Celebrating the Power of Connection" is this year's theme, setting the stage to connect influencers with the resources to change the world with leading experts and thinkers whose insight and creativity can implement that change. Whether you're attending in person or following along from somewhere else in the world, keep up with this year's conference with POLITICO's special edition "Global Insider" so you don't miss a beat. Subscribe today. | | | | | GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Thursday, April 21, where it's good to be back in your inbox. (But sleeping in was also nice.) UKRAINE MEETING AT CAPITOL — Congressional leaders from both parties meet today at the Capitol with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal as the Russian invasion continues to bear down on the country. Ahead of the meeting, Pelosi will hold a ceremonial photo opp in the Speaker's Balcony Hallway. CODEL CATCH-UP — Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) are in the Balkans this week, meeting with leaders, activists and civil society groups in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo. Earlier this week, the delegation urged Serbia to join Western democracies in backing sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and stressed during meetings in Bosnia and Herzegovina a need for solidarity between Europe and the U.S. on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. BIDEN IN THE DANGER ZONE— "Acutely aware of the need to get distance from the president, the four most endangered Democratic incumbents — Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock, Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan — are increasingly taking steps to highlight their independence from the president and underscore their differences," writes Natalie Allison in a piece out this morning. Democrats are trying to save their tiny Senate majority in the midterms and defending those four states are essential. But despite being spread across the country, they all have one thing in common: President Joe Biden's approval rating is dangerously low. Natalie breaks down how Kelly, Warnock, Cortez Masto and Hassan are going their own way as they try to clinch a Democratic majority for the Senate while keeping their party's president at arm's length. Don't miss it.
| | A message from Connected Commerce Council: Nine in ten small businesses use digital tools to find customers, operate more efficiently, and grow revenue. Fulfillment by Amazon provides fast and easy shipping, allowing qualified third parties to sell as Prime. Google Business Profile provides businesses' key information at the top of the search page for free. Don't wreck the tech that 87% of small businesses use to succeed. Learn why wrecking Tech is not the answer. | | | NEVER STOP BERNING— Will Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) make another bid for the White House if Biden doesn't seek reelection? One memo says…maybe. "In the event of an open 2024 Democratic presidential primary, Sen. Sanders has not ruled out another run for president, so we advise that you answer any questions about 2024 with that in mind," reads a memo from Faiz Shakir, a close adviser to Bernie Sanders and his 2020 presidential campaign manager. The Washington Post got the memo and has the story. CANNON QUARTERLY — The quarterly update on the Cannon Renewal Project from the Architect of the Capitol's inspector general identifies Covid and massive supply chain delays as pain points on the project. Supply chain issues, specifically in acquiring fifth-floor window materials, has led the project team to remove the fifth floor from phase three of the project. That stage of the project is slated to be two months behind the contractual date of Aug 30, 2022. Member move-ins are scheduled to begin on December 1, 2022, but that could be substantially delayed. ICYMI: FALLON'S FOLLY?— The House Ethics Committee is digging into first term lawmaker Rep. Pat Fallon's (R-Texas) stock trades and disclosures. In late July 2021, the Campaign Legal Center filed a complaint about Fallon disclosing more than 90 stock trades five months after they occurred -- instead of within 45 days, stipulated in the STOCK Act. The complaint cited reporting from Insider. The Office of Congressional Ethics referred the case to House Ethics last month.
| | | Spring networking… The Congressional Hispanic Staff Association is hosting a Spring networking happy hour at Hawk 'N' Dove from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. tonight. Gotta get that… If you miss seeing members of congress going live on instagram from the Capitol steps or taking selfies in the Rotunda…here is late night comedian James Corden creating #content at the White House. All(britton) aboard … If the Nats have questions about (potentially) being owned by Robert Allbritton, there are certainly POLITICOs who can talk you through it.
| | | | INTRODUCING DIGITAL FUTURE DAILY - OUR TECHNOLOGY NEWSLETTER, RE-IMAGINED: Technology is always evolving, and our new tech-obsessed newsletter is too! Digital Future Daily unlocks the most important stories determining the future of technology, from Washington to Silicon Valley and innovation power centers around the world. Readers get an in-depth look at how the next wave of tech will reshape civic and political life, including activism, fundraising, lobbying and legislating. Go inside the minds of the biggest tech players, policymakers and regulators to learn how their decisions affect our lives. Don't miss out, subscribe today. | | | | | QUICK LINKS Utah Sen. Mike Lee's private texts complicate his public statements, from Samuel Benson at Deseret News This Firm Made Republicans Go Viral — Now It's Falling Apart, from Makena Kelly at The Verge I Made A Joke About The White House Easter Bunnies, But Then I Learned The Moving Story Behind Them, from David Mack at Buzzfeed News 'I Lost James.' An American Dad Hunts for His 8-Year-Old in the Chaos of Afghanistan's Fall, from Jessica Donati at The Wall Street Journal Montpelier says it's open to parity with slave descendants. Descendants call foul, from Alana Wise at NPR Inside the New Right, Where Peter Thiel is Placing His Biggest Bets, from Vanity Fair TRANSITIONS Haley Wint is now press secretary/digital director for Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.). She most recently was chief clerk/comms aide for the House Veterans Affairs Committee. Samantha Silvi has been promoted to be director of operations for Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.). Melanie Baucom Lawhorn is now communications director for Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho). She most recently was communications adviser for the Senate Finance Committee and Press Secretary for Crapo's personal office. | | | | A message from Connected Commerce Council:   | | |
TODAY IN CONGRESS
The House convenes at 9 a.m. for a pro forma session. The Senate convenes at 8:45 a.m. for a pro forma session. AROUND THE HILL Let's hope for a quiet one (no aircraft, please.) | | |
WEDNESDAY'S WINNER: Sarah Moe correctly answered that Monroe County, Florida is named for President James Monroe and contains part of the Everglades and all of the Florida Keys including the Dry Tortugas.
TODAY'S QUESTION: What real-life U.S. military operation was named Operation Red Dawn and its targets dubbed "Wolverine 1" and "Wolverine 2" after the 1984 movie? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answers to ktm@politico.com. GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each morning. Follow Katherine on Twitter @ktullymcmanus | | A message from Connected Commerce Council: Small businesses can act big with the right tools. Online tools help every aspect of business from finding new customers and communicating with employees to fulfilling and shipping orders all over the world. They help small companies compete with global brands and unlock new opportunities for minority entrepreneurs. And during the pandemic businesses that embraced digital tools earned twice as much revenue and hired twice as many employees compared to digitally skeptical businesses. Wrecking tech is a big deal for small businesses. Learn about all the ways Tech helps support Small Biz. | | | | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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