The U.S. economy added 916,000 new jobs in March as per the latest employment figures from the Labor Department. The number is a healthy one, indicating that in spite of jobless claims remaining high, there are new jobs being created. A reporter asked President Joe Biden about the new figures in a press briefing on Friday morning. Meanwhile the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy released a report showing that, “At least 55 of the largest corporations in America paid no federal corporate income taxes in their most recent fiscal year despite enjoying substantial pretax profits in the United States.” These include Archer Daniels Midland, FedEx and Nike. The Guardian newspaper also released a study showing how fossil fuel companies raked in billions of dollars of tax breaks from the U.S. government even as they laid off thousands of workers during the pandemic. A whopping 58,000 people, or 16% of the fossil fuel industry’s workforce was laid off. Yet another report published by a conservative think tank found that corporations are increasingly pouring their profits into paying off wealthy shareholders instead of investing in long-term growth—a trend that is affecting the stability of the market as a whole. 

President Biden is busy promoting his new American Jobs Plan as a long-term solution to stabilizing the nation’s economy while addressing inequality and climate change. At his Friday press conference, he explained how the majority of jobs would be well-paying blue collar jobs. Although Republican lawmakers have already made clear they want nothing to do with passing Democratic-led measures, Biden is appealing to Republican voters instead. The New York Times explained, “Mr. Biden and his allies on Capitol Hill are barreling ahead with unapologetically bold, expensive measures, betting that they can build bipartisanship from voters nationwide rather than from elected officials in Washington.” Still, progressives, who have been pushing the Biden administration to be exactly that—bold and unapologetic—are criticizing the size of his infrastructure plan, saying it is too small, and instead pushing the THRIVE Act, a $10 trillion, 10-year plan. Washington Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, worried that Democrats might water down even the modest American Jobs Plan to appease Republican lawmakers, tweeted, “Let’s not water down a bill for a party that’s not actually interested in bipartisanship or wait for Republicans to have some awakening on climate change.” The White House is currently examining ways to pass the bill in the Senate using a Budget Reconciliation process and bypass Republicans altogether.

The Minneapolis trial of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd will focus on Friday on Floyd’s struggles with addiction.