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--> A midday take on what's happening in politics and how to have a sense of humor about it.*

*Ha. Haha. Hahah. Sniff. Haha. Sniff. Ha--breaks down crying hysterically.

The Hill’s 12:30 Report: Schumer predicts Senate will vote on coronavirus bill today | Says leaders reached a deal after midnight | House considers remote voting | National Spelling Bee canceled | Chris Cuomo Chris CuomoGiuliani criticizes NYC leadership: 'They're killing this city' CNN's Don Lemon calls on Biden to 'stand at a podium' in addressing violence CNN's Lemon warns of Democratic 'blind spot' on 'riots': 'It shows up in the polling' MORE leaves his basement after COVID-19 quarantine | Llamas will crash Zoom meetings for less than $100

(POSSIBLY) HAPPENING TODAY



You better believe it:

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer Chuck SchumerRepublican senator says plans to confirm justice before election 'completely consistent with the precedent' Video of Lindsey Graham arguing against nominating a Supreme Court justice in an election year goes viral Graham signals support for confirming a Supreme Court nominee this year MORE (D-N.Y.) said that he believes the Senate could vote on a coronavirus stimulus deal by the end of the day. https://bit.ly/3cApMEF

To the tapes!: In an interview on CNN this morning, Schumer said, “I think we will be able to pass this today … There are still a few more i’s to dot and t’s to cross but we have a deal.”

How leaders reached a deal: Schumer said he, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Nancy PelosiAs families deal with coronavirus, new federal dollars should follow the student Sunday shows - Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death dominates Hypocrisy rules on both sides over replacing Justice Ginsburg MORE (D-Calif.), Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin Steven Terner MnuchinLawmakers fear voter backlash over failure to reach COVID-19 relief deal United Airlines, unions call for six-month extension of government aid House Democrats plan to unveil bill next week to avert shutdown MORE and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows Mark Randall MeadowsAirline CEOs plead with Washington as layoffs loom Trump reacts to Ginsburg's death: 'An amazing woman who led an amazing life' Trump carries on with rally, unaware of Ginsburg's death MORE came to an agreement after midnight last night. “Staff was up all night writing,” Schumer said.

Watch Schumer describe the negotiation process last night: https://cnn.it/2XUvHQQ





It’s Tuesday. I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send comments, story ideas and events for our radar to cmartel@thehill.com — and follow along on Twitter @CateMartel and Facebook.

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IN THE WHITE HOUSE



Trump puts immigration on hold:

President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden leads Trump by 36 points nationally among Latinos: poll Trump dismisses climate change role in fires, says Newsom needs to manage forest better Jimmy Kimmel hits Trump for rallies while hosting Emmy Awards MORE announced last night that he will temporarily halt immigration into the United States through an executive order amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Details — much is still unclear: “It's unclear if Trump made other nations aware of the decision before tweeting it out, but his past attempts to clamp down on immigration have led to chaos abroad and at U.S. airports. Trump's tweet also did not provide details on when the suspension would go into effect or how long it would last.”

Why the timing of the announcement is important: Just a few hours before the announcement, Trump “was speaking optimistically about the ability of certain states to begin reopening their economies despite the threat of the virus.”

Trump’s announcement on Twitter: The president tweeted, “In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!” https://bit.ly/3cFpUTh





REACTIONS:

From Rep. Joaquin Castro Joaquin CastroHispanic Caucus members embark on 'virtual bus tour' with Biden campaign Hispanic caucus report takes stock of accomplishments with eye toward 2021 Democratic lawmakers call for an investigation into allegations of medical neglect at Georgia ICE facility MORE (D-Texas), the chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus: "This action is not only an attempt to divert attention away from Trump’s failure to stop the spread of the coronavirus and save lives, but an authoritarian-like move to take advantage of a crisis and advance his anti-immigrant agenda. We must come together to reject his division.” https://bit.ly/2yvN2Fi

From Sen. Tom Cotton Tom Bryant CottonBattle lines drawn on precedent in Supreme Court fight Sunday shows - Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death dominates Chris Wallace presses Cotton on 'any hypocrisy' between comments on Supreme Court vacancy in 2016 and today MORE (R-Ark.): "22 million Americans have lost their jobs in the last month because of the China virus. Let’s help them get back to work before we import more foreigners to compete for their jobs.” https://bit.ly/34TJk4g

Some context from NBC’s White House correspondent Geoff Bennett: “Immigration was already functionally shut down. The WH had closed the U.S.-Canada border and started deporting asylum-seekers without due process. International air travel has largely been suspended. Formalizing it serves as a simple way for Trump to rile up his base.” https://bit.ly/2VpOVw3





NEWS THIS MORNING



The National Spelling Bee is canceled:

Via The Associated Press’s Ben Nuckols, the Scripps National Spelling Bee is canceled this year for the first time since World War II. https://bit.ly/34QSiiT

What about eight graders?: This decision “means kids who are in eighth grade this year will miss their final opportunity to compete in the national finals. Scripps will not change eligibility requirements for next year’s bee.”

Dates for the next bee: June 1-3, 2021





LATEST WITH CORONAVIRUS RELIEF



Remote voting could actually happen:

Via The Hill’s Cristina Marcos, the House is expected to vote this week to allow members to vote remotely during the COVID-19 outbreak. https://bit.ly/2Km5Jhp

How it would work: “House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer Steny Hamilton HoyerHouse Democrats postpone vote on marijuana decriminalization bill Democrats scramble on COVID-19 relief amid division, Trump surprise The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - Pence lauds Harris as 'experienced debater'; Trump, Biden diverge over debate prep MORE (D-Md.) announced late Monday that a vote is planned on proxy voting, which would allow an absent member to authorize another member physically present in the chamber to cast a vote on his or her behalf.”

Why proxy voting as the alternative: “House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) made a recommendation last week that allowing proxy voting would be the easiest way to allow a form of remote voting without the kind of extensive security testing that electronic technologies would require.”





Where the coronavirus payments stand — lotsa confusion:

Via The Hill’s Naomi Jagoda, tens of millions of Americans are still waiting for their $1,200 economic stimulus checks, causing confusion and frustration. https://bit.ly/2zkuk3N

Who has received the payment so far: The IRS deposited funds for 80 million people who have direct deposit set up for their 2018 or 2019 tax returns. https://bit.ly/3evxSQQ

Even some with direct deposit set up have not received the stimulus: “A Treasury Department spokeswoman said that as of Thursday, about 1 percent of the direct deposit payments had been rejected by banks. It’s possible more could be rejected this week.”

The impressive part: “[Experts have] said they have been impressed by how quickly the IRS started disbursing payments, even with a number of challenges including budget cuts over the past decade, antiquated technology and many IRS employees needing to work remotely during the pandemic.”

What we know: https://bit.ly/2zkuk3N





NOTABLE TWEETS:



Well, I’m not sleeping tonight:

Here is a video of protests against Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s (D) stay-at-home order.

Watch: https://bit.ly/2wWt99X

More photos from the protest: https://bit.ly/2xMyC3v





CNN anchor Chris Cuomo is out of his basement:

Watch: https://bit.ly/3eIkRTZ







ON TAP:





The House and Senate are out. President Trump is in Washington, D.C. Vice President Pence is in Madison, Wis. for the day.

11 a.m. EDT: Vice President Pence left for Madison, Wis.

1:40 p.m. EDT: Vice President Pence tours the GE Healthcare Manufacturing Facility.

4 p.m. EDT: President Trump meets with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo Andrew CuomoNYT editorial board remembers Ginsburg: She 'will forever have two legacies' New York to honor Ginsburg with statue in Brooklyn New York City bus driver knocked out by passenger he told to wear a mask MORE (D) in the Oval Office.

5:25 p.m. EDT: Vice President Pence lands in Washington, D.C.

Wednesday: Earth Day. Op-ed: https://bit.ly/2XTbqLz





WHAT TO WATCH:





10:30 a.m. EDT: The House’s pro forma session. Livestream: https://cs.pn/3bqZ1Td

2:05 p.m. EDT: Vice President Pence participates in a roundtable with GE Healthcare employees. Livestream: https://bit.ly/2XTcWNN

4 p.m. EDT: The Senate’s pro forma session. Livestream: https://cs.pn/3anfwyh

5 p.m. EDT: The White House Coronavirus Task Force holds a press briefing. Livestream: https://bit.ly/2XPPvFb





NOW FOR THE FUN STUFF...:





Today is National Chocolate Covered Cashew Day.





You can arrange for a llama to attend your Zoom meeting — Take my money.:

Via Business Insider’s Paige Leskin, “for less than $100, you can request a cameo appearance in your video chat from Sweet Farm's llamas, goats, and other farm animals.” Details: https://bit.ly/2Y0vs6K





And to brighten your Tuesday afternoon, here’s a puppy-to-baby ratio that is just a bit off: https://bit.ly/2xN35hU