Jan. 6 panel's marathon interview with Jared Kushner 'really valuable'

Jared Kushner participates in an interview in 2020.

By Liza Hearon

Friday, April 1

JARED KUSHNER GIVES MARATHON INTERVIEW TO JAN. 6 PANEL Jared Kushner, former President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a top White House adviser, reportedly spoke to the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot for more than six hours. Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.), a member of the committee, said she couldn't give details but that the information he provided was "really valuable." [HuffPost]

CONTRADICTORY CLAIMS ABOUT ACADEMY AND WILL SMITH The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been accused of lying for saying actor Will Smith was asked to leave the Oscars ceremony after he assaulted comedian Chris Rock. According to reports, there was division among academy officials over whether to remove Smith, and the mixed messages never led to a consensus. [HuffPost]

RUSSIANS LEAVE CHERNOBYL SITE Russian troops left the heavily contaminated Chernobyl nuclear site early Friday after returning control to the Ukrainians, as eastern parts of the country braced for renewed attacks and Russians blocked another aid mission to the besieged port city of Mariupol. The exchange of control happened amid growing signs that the Kremlin is using talk of de-escalation in Ukraine as cover to regroup its forces. A new round of talks between the countries was scheduled Friday. [AP]

LGBTQ GROUPS SUE FLORIDA OVER 'DON'T SAY GAY' LAW Several LGBTQ advocacy groups and families filed a joint federal lawsuit against Florida over the state's so-called "Don't Say Gay" law, arguing that the legislation is unconstitutional. "I am frightened that this new law will prevent my daughter's teachers from protecting her from bullying at school," said Lindsay McClelland, mother of "Jane Doe," a plaintiff in the suit who is a transgender fifth grader at a Florida public school. [HuffPost]

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BLACK STUDENTS CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF AMERICA'S CULTURE WARS Black youth are feeling the onslaught of distorted teaching that diminishes their history and lived experiences, along with anti-LGBTQ and anti-mask measures. As conservative lawmakers across the country continue to pass bills aimed at stifling teaching and learning, Black students are feeling like collateral damage in a political firestorm. [HuffPost]

REPERCUSSIONS TO REP. MADISON CAWTHORN'S ORGY COMMENTS CONTINUE Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) endorsed fellow North Carolina Republican Madison Cawthorn's challenger as Cawthorn, a first-term congressman, weathers Republican backlash over his recent suggestion that unnamed GOP colleagues use drugs and attend orgies. North Carolina state Sen. Chuck Edwards (R) would "never embarrass Western North Carolina with a consistent pattern of juvenile behavior, outlandish statements, and untruthfulness," Tillis said. [HuffPost]

REPORT: TRUMP USED WHITE HOUSE PHONE ON JAN. 6 IN CALL OMITTED FROM RECORD Trump placed at least one call using a White House phone that was omitted from the day's call log during the attack on the U.S. Capitol, The Guardian reported. Phone logs turned over to the House panel investigating the attack show a gap of seven hours and 37 minutes, and new details raise questions about the possibility of the White House tampering with official records. [HuffPost]

D.C. POLICE FIND 5 FETUSES IN HOME OF ANTI-ABORTION ACTIVIST Washington, D.C., police found five fetuses at the home of Lauren Hardy, who sat outside as officers brought out coolers. She declined to tell a reporter outside her home what was inside the coolers but said, "People will freak out when they hear." Handy was indicted along with eight others on Wednesday for her alleged role in blocking a D.C. reproductive health care clinic in 2020. [HuffPost]

AMAZON PAID ANTI-UNION CONSULTANTS $3,200 A DAY FOR THEIR WORK Faced with a wave of worker activism in its warehouses last year, Amazon paid anti-union consultants roughly $4.3 million in an effort to beat back union organizing campaigns. Many employers hire anti-union consultants to hold meetings with workers and dissuade them from unionizing, but none seem to match the scale or price tag of Amazon's efforts over the course of just one year. [HuffPost]