With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross
WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING — President JOE BIDEN took a break from his five-day diplomatic swing through parts of Asia to handle some housekeeping: Early this morning, half a world away in Seoul, he signed Congress’ new $40 billion Ukraine aid package and a bill addressing the infant formula shortage for low-income Americans.
The move comes after Biden met today with South Korean President YOON SUK-YEOL. They reaffirmed their commitment to jointly standing up to North Korean aggression.
WaPo’s Seung Min Kim, Cleve R. Wootson Jr. and Michelle Ye Hee Lee“,”link”:{“target”:”NEW”,”attributes”:[],”url”:”https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/05/21/biden-asia-korea-japan-meeting/”,”_id”:”00000180-e74d-d956-abb1-f75d6b680000″,”_type”:”33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df”},”_id”:”00000180-e74d-d956-abb1-f75d6b680001″,”_type”:”02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266″}”WaPo’s Seung Min Kim, Cleve R. Wootson Jr. and Michelle Ye Hee Lee: “The two presidents agreed to expand combined military exercises with South Korea on and around the Korean Peninsula, which North Korea views as an act of hostility. But Biden also said he was open to meeting with North Korean President KIM JONG UN if the leader of the hermit kingdom was ‘sincere’ and ‘serious.’ …
“Yoon has been in office for a little over a week, and Biden’s journey across the Pacific to meet with him first signifies just how much the U.S. values its relationship with South Korea — and sees potential for it to expand.”
MEANWHILE, IN NEW YORK …
JONES PASSES ON MALONEY SHOWDOWN— A state court late on Friday night released New York’s official new congressional map that largely stuck to the drafts that “threw the state’s elections into chaos on Monday and threatened Democrats’ hopes of picking up several House seats from Republicans in November,” Bill Mahoney writes.
But one of the most contentious potential primary matchups will be averted. Rep. MONDAIRE JONES (D-N.Y.) said he would run in the newly drawn 10th Congressional District. That means no matchup against Rep. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY, the DCCC chair, who this week had angered fellow Dems for jumping into a district that includes much of Jones’ current constituency. Jones will be taking on former Mayor BILL DE BLASIO, but no other incumbents are expected to challenge for the open seat. Read Jones’ Twitter thread announcing his decision“,”link”:{“target”:”NEW”,”attributes”:[],”url”:”https://twitter.com/MondaireJones/status/1527869409456439296?s=20&t=hRbev4Fe17TiZtRuNcWgkQ”,”_id”:”00000180-e74d-d956-abb1-f75d6b6a0000″,”_type”:”33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df”},”_id”:”00000180-e74d-d956-abb1-f75d6b6a0001″,”_type”:”02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266″}”Read Jones’ Twitter thread announcing his decision
— One to watch: “The plan also left in place a largely Manhattan district that is expected to lead to a primary between well-tenured Democratic Reps. JERRY NADLER and CAROLYN MALONEY. The state’s primary is Aug. 23.”
AND BACK IN WASHINGTON …
A FRIDAY NIGHT BLESSING FOR SCHUMER? — On Friday evening, a district judge in Louisiana made official what most of Washington has been anticipating: The Biden administration’s plan to lift pandemic-era restrictions…