Welcome to Liberty Nation's Daily Snapshot. All the top news of the day, the latest polls, and more.
What's happening in the political sphere - the hot stories making the news today.
- Republican Senators Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin have written to FBI Director Christopher Wray, asking him to hand over to the Senate all records relating to the Bureau's "Crossfire Hurricane" counterintelligence operation that targeted the 2016 Trump campaign.
- President Trump, on April 18, told reporters that some states would "begin a safe, gradual and phased opening." As protests against the shutdowns grow and legal actions abound, it could be that most governors will become reluctant to maintain the current restrictions any more than is deemed absolutely necessary by medical experts.
- On April 15, Google was served with a subpoena from Judicial Watch for "all [Hillary] Clinton emails from her time at [the Department of] State, January 21, 2009, to February 1, 2013." During her tenure at the Obama State Department, Clinton used at least one personal email account to conduct official business.
The latest polls and trends impacting the United States.
- Another new poll, released April 17, shows that only 31% of Americans – who say their daily routine has been affected by the Coronavirus outbreak – now believe things will be back to normal by June 1. Just 17% of Democrats are optimistic about the June 1 time-frame, compared to 51% of Republicans. The more important question might be how much longer we are going to have to read about Coronavirus polls.
- According to a Pew Research Center poll, 49% of Americans believe the Bible should have at least "some" influence on U.S. laws. Among American Christians, 68% hold this view, while 86% of self-described atheists think the Bible should have no influence at all. Reputable surveys suggest that around 10% of Americans claim not to believe in God.
- According to what is perhaps the least credible poll on American attitudes toward the Coronavirus outbreak, 61% of Americans think President Trump should impose a stay-at-home order across the entire country. Only 22% opposed the idea, while 18% were not sure. There is an excellent chance, though, that more than 80% of Americans now know the exact number of tiles that make up their kitchen floors.
Something political to ponder as you enjoy your morning coffee.
The most notable Coronavirus fatality has been the Democratic Party's presidential primary race. While President Trump dominates the news cycle and sucks up, through an unmasked mouth, all the oxygen in the room, his prospective challenger is gasping for air. Joe Biden and his campaign continue to flail around, looking for a way to remain relevant, but it's not going too well. Just the other day, some genius on the former veep's campaign came up with what was probably the worst idea since Marshal Ney's unauthorized cavalry charge at Waterloo. The campaign invited the public to download and customize their own "I'm on Team Joe!" avatar. The results were predictably hilarious. Biden's staff may as well have sent him out in public with a "kick me" sign stuck to the back of his jacket. The candidate will need to shape up if he is going to be competitive in the… you know… the thing – in November. Remember, you can get our Full Daily Briefing straight to your inboxSign Up Here.
