Pentagon Cleared from Accusation of Snubbing Amazon

Defense Department inspector finds no evidence of White House interference in Microsoft contract

A government watchdog agency reported on Wednesday, April 15, that the Pentagon’s process for awarding Microsoft with a cloud computing contract was in line with legal and government purchasing standards.

The contract, worth an estimated $10 billion, was awarded to Microsoft last October, over Amazon.

Amazon sued the Pentagon after Microsoft won the contract. In March, the presiding judge said that Amazon’s challenge likely had some merit on technical grounds.

The Defense Department inspector general found no evidence of White House interference in the process. However, investigators did note in the report that they could not fully review the matter because the White House did not allow free access to witnesses. The report was conducted to determine if the White House influenced the Pentagon’s decision, as Amazon alleged.

The watchdog group said that it was alarmed by the White House’s use of presidential privilege to limit the inspector general’s access to witness information.  

Amazon has asserted that the bidding for the contract was influenced by President Donald Trump’s dislike of Amazon and its CEO, Jeff Bezos. Bezos owns The Washington Post which has been critical of Trump.

California to Give Immigrants Cash Payments

As stimulus payments are being issued this week to tens of millions of Americans as part of the $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief package, California announced it will give cash payments to immigrants living in the country illegally.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Wednesday, April 15, that using a mix of taxpayer money and charitable contributions, 150,000 adults will receive $500 each during the coronavirus outbreak.

Under the federal government’s relief package, adults are receiving $1,200 each and $500 per child to help pay rent or cover other bills. The payment includes $600 boosts to unemployment benefits. The checks will be directly deposited into bank accounts or mailed to households.

Taxpayers have contributed $75 million to California’s plan, while charities have committed to raise $50 million to total $125 million.

California has an estimated 2 million immigrants living in the state illegally, who are not eligible for the relief package that was approved last month.

Newsom noted that 10 percent of California’s workforce is made up of immigrants living in the country illegally who paid more than $2.5 billion in state and local taxes last year. He also said that the money will not be distrusted based on income, and individuals will not have to provide personal information to receive support.       

Previously, California has been an aggressive state in giving benefits to immigrants living in the country illegally. Including being the first state to give taxpayer-funded health benefits to low-income adults 25 years old and younger living in the country illegally.

Warren is Next to Endorse Biden

On Wednesday, April 15, Elizabeth Warren became the latest  to endorse Joe Biden.

Warren left the race a month ago, without endorsing anyone. Biden saluted Warren for her detailed policy proposals and stated that he would rely on her to help rebuild the economy once the threat of the coronavirus passes.

Some noted that in the days before Warren’s endorsement, Biden embraced some of her plans such as calls to cancel student debt and expand Social Security benefits.

While Warren held brief front-runner status in the Democratic field last fall, she suspended her campaign after a disappointing Super Tuesday performance that included a third-place finish in her home state of Massachusetts.

Fellow progressive Bernie Sanders dropped out last week and endorsed Biden within a few days in an effort to persuade his fervent progressive supporters to back the more centrist Biden.

While many progressives are still passionate about Sanders’ agenda, they are open to voting for Biden if that is what it takes to defeat President Donald Trump. Biden is working to win over more progressive voters.

The Democratic party is anxious to avoid a repeat of 2016, with more people in the party moving to back Biden, more aggressively and sooner. On Tuesday, former President Barack Obama also endorsed Biden.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.