| Brian Stelter here at 12:01am ET Thursday with the latest on President Biden, USA Today, Endeavor, "Citizen Kane," and much more...
"Normal"  When Vice President Kamala Harris was walking into the House chamber on Wednesday, a reporter asked her about the significance of the day's historical milestone -- having two women, Harris and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, sitting on the rostrum -- and Harris responded with one word, "Normal."
That's what it should be: Normal. So many aspects of President Biden's address to Congress were about restoring normality and, at the same time, shifting the average American's sense of what's normal. "He is proceeding to set out, as his agenda, perhaps the most progressive agenda since LBJ or even Franklin Roosevelt," CNN's Jake Tapper said afterward.
John Harwood observed that Biden grounded his speech "in plain, non-political, non-ideological language invoking the people he wants to help" -- veterans, single moms, poor kids, and so forth. Normal, in other words. No "faculty lounge" talk.
HuffPost WH correspondent S.V. Dáte tweeted, "People who only started following politics a few years ago might find this speech ... strange ... kind of boring ... Well, this is a what a normal president sounds like. This is what these speeches were pretty much always like."
The new normal?
Referring to "Madam Speaker and Madam Vice President," Biden said "no president has ever said those words from this podium, and it's about time." Promoting his American Families Plan, he talked about bolstering education and childcare. Speaking about proposals for gun restrictions, he said, "we're not changing the Constitution, we're being reasonable." Addressing young transgender Americans, he said, "I want you to know your president has your back." And, as ABC's Byron Pitts noted, "this president mentioned white supremacy and terrorism in the same sentence."
The intent: To supersede Donald Trump's abnormal, aberrant presidency with an aggressively normal approach. And it seems the opposition is still trying to figure out how to respond. As Brian Williams said on MSNBC, "No one yelled 'you lie,' the Speaker didn't rip up the speech on live television. So, by the standards of about the last 20 years, it was a successful evening where the speeches are concerned." The GOP rebuttal by Senator Tim Scott was complimented and critiqued, but the responses never stand out...
The commander in chief stance
Everything about Biden's address communicated that "I'm in charge," which might have caused some cognitive dissonance with the Fox base. Numerous Fox hosts have aired suspicions about Biden's health and asserted that others are actually running the country. Sean Hannity did it again after the speech with a graphic that asked, conspiratorially, "WHO'S IN CHARGE?" Per Oliver Darcy, Hannity called the president "very weak, very frail, cognitively struggling" -- yet somehow capable, Hannity said, of delivering a "big bore socialist speech" with a "multi-trillion dollar, far-left, socialist, statist, authoritarian wish list." Pick a lane, Sean!
"Whatever the merits of Biden's agenda as president," Harwood tweeted, "he keeps demonstrating that the 'he's senile' schtick is as empty as 'he's confiscating your hamburgers...'"
Midnight headlines
The NYT homepage's banner headline at the end of the night: "Biden Makes Case to Vastly Expand Government's Role." WaPo: "Biden pitches ambitious investment and tax plans as he recasts role of government." FoxNews.com: "BIG GOVERNMENT AGENDA." AP: "Biden's declaration: America's democracy 'is rising anew.'"
Top notes and quotes
-- First, a Biden quote: "We have to prove democracy still works, that our government still works, and that we can deliver for our people."
-- Second, a pop-up graphic that appeared on Fox in the hour before the speech: "AWAITING BIDEN ADMIN PROPAGANDA ON CAP HILL."
-- In an echo of his inauguration speech, Biden spoke of "choosing hope over fear, truth over lies and light over darkness."
-- TPM's Josh Marshall: "I've been watching State of the Union addresses for forty-plus years and I have never seen one like this."
-- "He's developing a kind of positive populism," CNN's Van Jones said afterward.
-- Fox almost immediately aired a complaint that Biden didn't extend a thank-you to Trump for accelerating the vaccine timeline.
-- Then commentator Ben Domenech came on and said Biden's address was a "tissue of lies," amounting to "a political blip, immediately forgotten."
-- The two primary attacks from the right were about huge spending and immigration weakness. Also: Over-the-top Covid restrictions.
-- The aftermath of 1/6 loomed large. "For a half mile in any direction," Politico said, "the Capitol was a fortress with police blocking roads and a fence still up around the building sacked by rioters nearly four months ago."
-- CNN's Kevin Liptak: "Biden mentioned China four times and evoked Xi three times by name -- a few ad-libbed. For a domestic policy-focused president (for now), it's clear what is really weighing on Biden."
VP enlisted in broadband effort
Biden said the VP will help lead the broadband component of the admin's infrastructure proposal. He said it creates jobs by connecting every American "with high-speed internet, including 35% of the rural America that still doesn't have it. It's going to help our kids and our businesses succeed in the 21st century economy. And I am asking the VP to lead this effort..."
Ad-libs and whispers
The White House shared Biden's prepared text with the press corps, and reporters noticed lots and lots of ad-libs. The other noticeable feature was his voice: Speaking to a largely empty chamber, Biden almost whispered at times. "It's a more intimate, fireside chat style," CNN's John Avlon commented.
>> Brian Lowry writes: "As Biden spoke about Covid, his almost-whisper was extremely effective in capturing the gravity and seriousness of what has transpired in a sober, if not somewhat somber way. It felt particularly well suited to the scaled-back nature of the event, where the applause lines didn't (indeed, couldn't) generate quite the same roars as in the past..." FOR THE RECORD, PART ONE -- About half of Americans who watched "had a very positive reaction to the speech, and 71% said they walked away feeling more optimistic about the country's direction, according to a CNN Poll conducted by SSRS..." (CNN)
-- Edward-Isaac Dovere wrote: "Biden's rhetorical power through his demeanor--very different from both Obama and Trump--is to try to make his ideas come across as calm and common sense. He's using that as he tries to pitch the most specific, expansive agenda in many years of State of the Unions." (Twitter)
-- How did the "first 100 days" become "a standard by which new presidents are judged?" Stephen Collinson has answers... (CNN)
-- In other news, Stephen Battaglio looks at "what went wrong" at Nexstar's NewsNation. He quotes a source saying "there is no space for news headlines in prime time," which was obvious before the venture began... (LAT)
-- George W. Bush's "Out of Many, One" debuted at No. 1 on the NYT's nonfiction lists on Wednesday. Michelle Zauner's "Crying in H Mart" was No. 2. On the fiction lists, David Baldacci debuted at No. 1 with "A Gambling Man..." (NYT) "Giuliani Phones Seized in Raids By Investigators"
That's one of the headlines on Page One of Thursday's NYT. When the publication broke the news about the execution of search warrants at Rudy Giuliani's apartment, the story noted that this was "an extraordinary action for prosecutors to take against a lawyer, let alone a lawyer for a former president." TV stations rushed camera crews to his Madison Avenue apartment building. Later, everyone learned that his office was searched, too. To get caught up, read this explainer by CNN's Marshall Cohen. Don't miss the parts about right-wing columnist John Solomon... THURSDAY PLANNER Biden will travel to Georgia to pay Jimmy Carter a visit and hold a 100-days rally...
Before the flight, Biden will also sit down with NBC's Craig Melvin for an interview that will air on Friday's "Today" show. The first clips will air on Thursday's "Nightly News..."
First Lady Jill Biden will be on the Noticias Telemundo morning show, "hoy Dia," for an interview...
Trump will call into Maria Bartiromo's Fox Business show, presumably to trash Biden's speech...
Amazon and Twitter will report earnings after the close... Endeavor is going public
"Hollywood super agent Ari Emanuel's entertainment conglomerate Endeavor will kick off its first day of trading as a public company on Thursday," the NYPost's Alexandra Steigrad reports. Per Bloomberg's Crystal Tse, the company "sold 21.3 million shares Wednesday for $24 apiece after marketing them for $23 to $24," totaling $511 million. "Endeavor also is raising $1.8 billion from institutional investors in a private placement." The NYSE symbol on Thursday will be EDR... Blowing away expectations
"Apple, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft all blew away earnings expectations this week," Alex Kantrowitz wrote Wednesday. "Microsoft's stock went down because it didn't beat big enough. Wild week for big tech."
CNN's Rishi Iyengar has more on Apple's "massive quarter" here... And Clare Duffy has more on FB's strong results here... FOR THE RECORD, PART TWO By Oliver Darcy:
-- Matt Wilstein asks: "From Mike Lindell to Elon Musk, who deserves a late-night TV platform?" (Daily Beast)
-- Jake Lahut writes about why Tucker Carlson is "too big for Fox News to cancel..." (Insider)
-- "Has Tucker Deposed Trump as the Troller in Chief?" As "measured in liberal outrage, he's been unbeatable of late," Jack Shafer writes... (Politico)
-- Speaking of Fox: Bill Hemmer says he's not bothered by the controversy the network's prime time propagandists generate. In fact, he says the lineup is made up of "three of the best hosts you're going to find in the industry..." (Mediaite)
-- Good catch by Salon's Zachary Petrizzo: Matt Drudge recently dropped Alex Jones, who he once praised and gave a rare interview to, from his blogroll... (Twitter)
-- Howard Polskin notes that traffic to right-wing sites has plummeted: While expected, "the steepness of the declines experienced by so many conservative and mainstream websites surprised me..." (Righting) Facebook mistakenly hides #ResignModi posts
"Facebook temporarily hid posts calling for the resignation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking the platform's latest foray in a series of controversial decisions affecting free speech in a country experiencing a full-blown Covid-19 crisis," BuzzFeed's Ryan Mac and Craig Silverman reported. Hours later, Facebook reversed its decision, and said the hashtag was only blocked by "mistake," not by government or Big Tech edict... Pichai: Google hasn't received takedown requests from India
Oliver Darcy writes: "Google CEO Sundar Pichai spoke with CNN's Poppy Harlow and disclosed that the company he leads — unlike other tech giants — has not received any takedown requests from India's gov't. Pichai, however, did say that 'normally' Google does 'comply with local laws' — perhaps an indication on how the company would respond if it were to have received a request from officials. Pichai, who was born in India, called the Covid crisis in the country 'heartbreaking' and said Google is doing everything it can to help. And he described Google's fight against Covid misinfo as 'one of the most important efforts' the company has ever tackled..." FOR THE RECORD, PART THREE -- "By issuing recommendations that are simultaneously too timid and too complicated, the CDC is repeating a mistake that's hounded America's pandemic response," Zeynep Tufekci writes... (The Atlantic)
-- "Who designed this chart?!" Trevor Noah had some straight talk about the CDC's messaging failures... Here's the YouTube video...
-- Dr. Jerome Adams, former US Surgeon General under Trump, is calling on Trump "to loudly and proudly tell his supporters that he got vaccinated and they should too..."(WaPo) Meet Spotify's moonshot guy
Kerry Flynn writes: "One of Spotify's best features is somehow knowing exactly the song or podcast you want to listen to next. But who's telling Spotify what to do next? I chatted with Máuhan "M" Zonoozy, who recently joined the company as its first head of innovation. He reports to Dawn Ostroff, chief content officer and advertising business officer, and his mandate is moonshots."
Flynn adds: "Spotify's user growth could be slowing. In its first-quarter earnings before the bell, Spotify reported its missed expectations on monthly active users and lowered its guidance on that number for the full year. But its podcast bet seems to be paying off, with strong ad sales and growing podcast consumption. The earnings report and execs on the call touted Joe Rogan for bringing in new users and boosted engagement..." The latest on Joe Rogan and Spotify
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek is standing by Rogan. On Wednesday, when asked directly about Rogan discouraging young people from receiving a Covid vaccine, Ek declined to address his marquee host's comments directly...
-- WH comms director Kate Bedingfield: "Well I guess my first question would be, did Joe Rogan become a medical doctor while we weren't looking?"
-- Dr. Anthony Fauci told Jim Sciutto that he did "disagree" with Rogan, pointing out that people who don't get vaccinated could become infected and "then infect someone inadvertently..." FOR THE RECORD, PART FOUR -- The WSJ's scoop: Verizon is "exploring a sale of assets including Yahoo and AOL, as the telecommunications giant looks to exit an expensive and unsuccessful bet on digital media..." (WSJ)
-- USA Today has "quietly started to put some of its premium stories behind a paywall," for $4.99 a month, and Rick Edmonds noticed. "A spokesperson described the offering as a test but said the company would not be willing to discuss business details until later this quarter..." (Poynter)
-- Ariane de Vogue reports: "The Supreme Court grappled on Wednesday with the First Amendment claims of a former high school cheerleader" who was punished for posting a profanity-laced caption on Snapchat... (CNN)
-- Missed this yesterday: Perry Bacon Jr. is joining WaPo Opinions... (WaPo)
-- Gary Knell, the chairman of National Geographic Partners, is departing at the end of May... (Axios) NY Post mum after reporter resigns in protest
Oliver Darcy writes: "There was no further word from Laura Italiano on Wednesday, one day after the NY Post reporter said she handed in her resignation after being 'ordered to write' a bogus story about the VP. And there was still no word from the Post about Italiano's resignation and allegation that she had been 'ordered' to write the false story. Which, to some extent, is quite ironic. The Post — along with other Murdoch properties — is one of the loudest outlets in protesting media bias and sloppy journalism. But when embroiled in its own mess, the right-wing tabloid can't even muster up the courage to issue a proper correction and/or provide basic details about what led to the mess. Perhaps these outlets should look in the mirror before criticizing others for their journalism..." "A sea change" for publishers...
On Wednesday, The AP reported, the audiobook publisher of Blake Bailey's biography of Philip Roth pulled the release, one day after W.W. Norton withdrew the print edition amid multiple allegations "of sexual harassment and assault" against Bailey. He has denied the charges.
>> WaPo's Ron Charles writes: "It's tempting to see this as just another isolated incident — like Grand Central's decision not to publish Woody Allen's memoir in 2020 or Threshold's decision to drop Milo Yiannopoulos's book in 2017. But I think this week marks a sea change in publishers' interest in their authors' behavior." He cites the petition inside Simon & Schuster against Mike Pence's book deal. "I suspect some major publishers still don't understand what having a diverse workforce entails," Charles writes...
>> Charlotte Klein's latest for VF is titled "Behind The New York Times' Blake Bailey Bombshell..." FOR THE RECORD, PART FIVE -- One of the best stories of the day: NYT reporter Zolan Kanno-Youngs, who has a number "dangerously close" to the Roller World rink in Massachusetts, has apparently "been fielding calls from its customers for more than a decade..." (Boston Mag)
-- "There are some reasons to think that Substack might survive a march of the incumbents. While incumbents start with considerable assets...those advantages aren't always helpful at fending off competitive threats," Megan McArdle writes... (WaPo)
-- NBC unveiled its list of honorees for its "2021 Inspiration List." Honorees include Alex Trebek & Jean Trebek, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Bubba Wallace, José Andrés, and more. They'll be celebrated on a special Saturday night program... (NBC)
-- The New York Times is mourning the death of Charles Strum, a longtime senior editor. Richard Sandomir said Strum "earned a reputation for unflappability under deadline pressure," and I can attest to that as well. Chuck was masterful at his work. May his memory be a blessing. (NYT)  Elliot Page cries 'tears of joy' in Oprah interview
Sandra Gonzalez writes: "Elliot Page is comfortable in his skin. In an on-camera interview with Oprah Winfrey for Apple TV+, the actor's first since disclosing that he is transgender, Page talks about his trailblazing decision and the 'joy' that has come with it." More here... The full interview will be released on Friday...  'Red Table Talk' revelation
Lisa Respers France writes: "If you are Willow Smith and ready to share your truth, the only place you can do it is on 'Red Table Talk.' The 20-year-old daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith chose Wednesday's episode of the Facebook Watch show, which she cohosts with her mom and maternal grandmother Adrienne 'Gammy' Banfield Norris, to reveal that she is polyamorous, defined as being involved in more than one romantic relationship at the same time." Read on... FOR THE RECORD, PART SIX -- Jana Kramer and Mike Caussin's split leaves has left fans of their "Whine Down" podcast wondering what's next, Lisa reports... (CNN)
-- Leslie Jones will host the MTV Movie & TV Awards on May 16, Chloe Melas writes... (CNN)
-- "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" is "launching a new six-episode miniseries that chronicles how the show maneuvered during the coronavirus pandemic..." (Variety) Sneak peek at "That Damn Michael Che"
Lisa Respers France writes: "Welcome to the mind of Michael Che. That's the concept of the 'SNL' cast member's new comedy series, 'That Damn Michael Che.' The trailer for the show on HBO Max (which is owned by CNN's parent) features the 'Weekend Update' co-host sharing his thoughts and showing off his chops in some skits. The show starts streaming next Thursday, May 6..." 'Paddington 2' beats 'Citizen Kane' ?!
CNN's Rob Picheta explains it all: "The online reviews database Rotten Tomatoes has unearthed a negative 80-year-old write-up of 'Citizen Kane,' stripping the cinematic classic of its perfect score among critics and demoting it below movies including 'Paddington 2' and 'The Terminator.' Orson Welles' masterpiece is widely considered one of the most important titles in movie history, pioneering a number of filmmaking techniques that are still in use today. But it apparently underwhelmed one critic for the Chicago Tribune, whose lukewarm review has come back to tarnish the movie's legacy eight decades after it was written." So it's out of the exclusive "100% club..." SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST...
Pet of the day
"60 Minutes" associate producer Sara Kuzmarov emails: "Below is Scout, a 6-year old Yellow Lab. As much as we wish she were a news-hound, Scout is a politician - she'll schmooze any room in search of a treat!"  You are receiving this message because you subscribed to CNN's Reliable Sources newsletter.
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