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.

• Just as the nation embarks upon a gradual return to normality after the Coronavirus restrictions, congressional Democrats embark upon yet another round of hearings and investigations: infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, was invited to appear before the House Appropriations Committee on May 6, but the White House has informed the committee that the doctor will not be available.
• The Senate plans to move ahead with a number of presidential nominations, which will almost certainly set up a few fights with Democrats, of course. Among those nominations is that of Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX), who President Trump has tapped as the next director of national intelligence. Ratcliffe’s confirmation hearing is scheduled for May 5.
• While the focus has been on COVID-19, the Trump administration has been ramping up the war against cartels, and, on April 30, the president authorized the activation of select reserves of the U.S. military as part of what he described as “enhanced counter-narcotics operations.”

The latest polls and trends impacting the United States.

• President Trump is doing such a terrible job of handling the Coronavirus issue that a new Gallup poll gives him a 49% approval rating – tieing his highest Gallup job approval score since taking office. A mere two weeks ago, the president registered a favorable rating of 43%. Rarely do polls put Trump in the green for job approval, but that’s where Gallup puts him now, with 47% disapproval.
• The same Gallup poll looks good for the president primarily because it marks a sharp increase in the number of independents who approve of the way Trump is handling his job. In April, his approval rating among independents stood at 39%. That number jumped to 47% in this latest poll.
• Make of this what you will: Another Gallup survey concludes that the number of Americans who say they can financially endure social distancing guidelines and business/school closings indefinitely has increased – 59%, up from 54% two weeks ago – while the number who say they are already experiencing financial hardship remains steady at just 8%.

Something political to ponder as you enjoy your morning coffee.

States are beginning to ease back on social distancing guidelines and stay-at-home orders as the now-famous curve has been flattened, and the worst of the Coronavirus outbreak appears to be behind us. A few states, though, are stubbornly refusing to return to normal. One or two of them, in fact, are tightening their already oppressive rules against normal behavior such as working and socializing. What is the motive, though, for such petty totalitarianism? By now, most rational people are past the stage of believing it was all about saving lives and “stopping the spread,” so is it now an experiment in exercising control, or is there an even more cynical endgame in play here? Are states with histories of fiscal recklessness holding out for massive bailouts, so that they may absolve themselves of decades of making irresponsible promises they couldn’t keep?

A thought for the day from history’s most interesting thinkers.

The most important political office is that of the private citizen.

– Louis D. Brandeis

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