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Impeachment fail, maternal guilt and
IRS ROI

 
Today's POLITICS story

House GOP fails to impeach Mayorkas, pass Israel aid

What happened?
The House on Tuesday voted down impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Three Republicans joined every Democrat to defeat the long-promised impeachment in a 215-215 tie. A fourth Republican switched his vote so the resolution can be revived. The House then rejected a $17.6 billion GOP bill to provide Israel military aid.

Who said what?
Creating a "new, lower standard for impeachment" won't "secure the border," said Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), one of the three GOP no votes. If Republicans were "serious about border security," they would support the Senate's bipartisan border bill, not play "political games" with a "baseless impeachment," Homeland Security spokesperson Mia Ehrenberg said. It's baffling that House GOP leaders "don't count the votes" beforehand, said Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.). "Miss me yet?" tweeted ousted Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.).

The commentary
"I've seen a lot of embarrassing days for different House Republican leadership teams," and between the failed Mayorkas and Israel votes, "this one is pretty high on the list," said Punchbowl News' Jake Sherman.

What next?
House GOP leaders vowed to hold another impeachment vote when Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) returns from cancer treatment. It's "unclear when he's back," NBC News' Sahil Kapur noted, but if Democrats win next week's special election to replace Santos, "Scalise's vote won't matter."

 
 
Today's national story

School shooter's mom guilty in son's murders

What happened?
A Michigan jury on Tuesday found Jennifer Crumbley guilty of four counts of involuntary manslaughter for the four Oxford High School students her 15-year-old son killed in a November 2021 mass shooting. Crumbley, 45, is the "first parent in the U.S. to be held responsible for a child carrying out a mass school attack," The Associated Press said.

Who said what?
"The cries have been heard, and I feel this verdict is gonna echo throughout every household in the country," said Craig Shilling, whose son Justin, 17, was killed in the shooting.

The commentary
The verdict "definitely sets" what lawyers call a "bright line rule," attorney Brian Buckmire told ABC News. "Parents, we're all on notice now." "I'm not convinced" the verdict "will open the floodgates to these kinds of prosecutions," University of Michigan law professor Eve Brensike Primus told The New York Times. Prosecutors may feel "emboldened," but without the damning facts of this case, good luck "getting charges to stick."

What next?
The shooter's father, James Crumbley, goes on trial in March. Jennifer Crumbley will be sentenced in April.

 
 
Today's BUSINESS Story

IRS tallies windfall from going after rich tax cheats

What happened?
The Internal Revenue Service released a study Tuesday estimating that the $80 billion investment President Joe Biden made in the tax agency will bring in at least $561 billion in extra taxes over the next decade, mostly from increased compliance by very rich taxpayers.

Who said what?
The analysis shows that "rebuilding the IRS will reduce the deficit" a lot by "making the wealthy and big corporations pay the taxes they owe," White House economic adviser Lael Brainard said. House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.) said the "new self-serving report" relies on "pie-in-the-sky numbers."

The commentary
Ensuring "people actually pay their taxes" is one of the IRS's "biggest challenges," The Associated Press reported. Notably, "the audit rate of millionaires fell by more than 70% from 2010 to 2019." "Nonpartisan forecasters agree" that boosting IRS enforcement "more than pays for itself," though they disagree on the return, The Wall Street Journal said.

What next?
Republicans will continue "fighting to claw back" as much of the $80 billion as possible, the Journal said, so "the IRS's future will depend on who wins this year's elections."

 
 

It's not all bad

Don't turn down that glass of tomato juice. Researchers from Cornell University found that two antimicrobial peptides found in the juice are effective against Salmonella Typhi bacteria, which can cause typhoid fever. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 11 million to 21 million people get typhoid every year. Because tomatoes are widely available, affordable and have additional health benefits, the Cornell team hopes their research gets people to eat more of the vegetable.

 
 
Under the radar


An international battle over firearms is being renewed, as a U.S. federal appeals court ruled on Jan. 22 that Mexico can sue a group of American gun manufacturers. The $10 billion lawsuit claims that these gunmakers are contributing to an epidemic of cartel violence in Mexico by helping arm drug kingpins with American-made firearms. 

Approximately 70% to 90% of guns recovered by the Mexican government originated in the United States, according to data cited by The New York Times. Seven of the 10 gunmakers whose firearms are most seized by the Mexican government are U.S. companies, according to data from Mexico's Secretariat of National Defense. Topping the list was Colt, which had more than 8,500 firearms recovered by Mexican authorities. According to the lawsuit, Colt specifically manufactures a trio of specialty pistols — El Jefe, El Grito and the Emiliano Zapata 1911 — that are gold-plated and coveted by cartel bosses as status symbols. Winchester, Smith & Wesson and Remington rounded out the top four. 

Gunmakers and the firearms industry have decried the revival of Mexico's lawsuit. "We respectfully and profoundly disagree with today's decision and are reviewing our legal options," Larry Keane, an official with the National Shooting Sports Foundation trade group, said to the Times. It is unclear, though, which court would hear an appeal from the gunmakers, or where.

In 2022, the attorneys general of 13 states expressed support for Mexico's lawsuit. Belize and the island nation of Antigua and Barbuda also filed amicus briefs supporting the suit.

 
 
On this day

February 7, 1964

The Beatles arrive in the United States for the first time, landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City to a crowd of rapturous fans. The Beatles' arrival heralded the start of the 1960s British Invasion, where bands from the U.K. permeated American pop culture. 

 
 
TODAY’S newspaperS

Wednesday's newspapers lead with the unanimous federal appellate court ruling that former President Donald Trump can be tried for alleged crimes he committed while in office, specifically his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. "Trump is not immune," the Los Angeles Times reports. The Wall Street Journal says the Senate's bipartisan "border deal is declared dead" before a single vote was cast.

► See the newspaper front pages

 
 
Tall tale

Thinking inside the box …

Even toddlers know how hard it is to win on a claw machine, but one Australian boy found a way to make it easier to claim a prize. The 3-year-old climbed inside a machine in Brisbane, and settled in among the stuffed animals. It was "unbelievable how fast he climbed up there," his dad told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. When police arrived, they asked the boy to move to the corner, then broke the glass and lifted him out.

 
 

Morning Report was written and edited by Catherine Garcia, Justin Klawans, Harold Maass and Peter Weber, with illustrations by Stephen Kelly and Julia Wytrazek.

Image credits, from top: Alex Wong / Getty Images; Bill Pugliano / Getty Images; malerapaso / Getty Images; Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Getty Images