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GOP Lawmaker Got Direction From Moscow, Took It Back to D.C. … Members of the team of Russians who secured a June 2016 Trump Tower meeting with Donald Trump Jr. and Jared Kushner also attempted to stage a show trial of anti-Putin campaigner Bill Browder on Capitol Hill.
Discussion:
Balloon Juice and The Atlantic
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Inside Trump Family's Turmoil Amid Russia Scandal: Don Jr. Is ‘Miserable’ and Wants ‘These Four Years to Be Over’ — Donald Trump taught his children to fight dirty and win, no matter the cost. Subscribe now for a look at how the ruthless family culture has shaped Don Jr., his siblings, and the Presidency - only in PEOPLE.
Discussion:
Vox, Raw Story, The Slot, CBS Chicago, AOL, CBS Los Angeles, The Week and Political Wire


Donald Trump Jr. and the whiff of treason: Morally, he's in deep. — Treason is not just a legal term. It encompasses disloyalty to the country and betrayal of its basic principles and interests. — “This is moving into perjury, false statements and even into potentially treason,” …
Discussion:
The Daily Caller


Bombshell report: Kremlin directed GOP congressman to stage pro-Putin ‘show trial’ on the House floor — A bombshell report claims that Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), who has long been described as “Putin's favorite congressman,” was given explicit instructions by the Kremlin for how to attack sanctions against Russia last year.


Supreme Court Allows ‘Grandparent’ Exemption To Trump Travel Ban — The Supreme Court has upheld parts of a lower court order that had widened the definition of which citizens from the six Muslim-majority countries covered by the Trump administration's travel ban are still eligible to travel to the U.S.
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Supreme Court allows Trump travel ban enforcement, but says it must allow broader exemptions for relatives — The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed the Trump administration to enforce its refugee ban for now, but said it must allow broader exemptions to the president's travel ban for family members, including grandparents.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Axios, Politico, RedState and ImmigrationProf Blog


Trump Rejected by U.S. Supreme Court on Reach of Travel Ban
Discussion:
Mother Jones and Washington Free Beacon


U.S. top court rejects Trump bid to include grandparents in travel ban
Discussion:
The Week


Trump ends covert CIA program to arm anti-Assad rebels in Syria, a move sought by Moscow — President Trump has decided to end the CIA's covert program to arm and train moderate Syrian rebels battling the government of Bashar al-Assad, a move long sought by Russia, according to U.S. officials.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo

This poll should be a warning sign for Democrats — History suggests the 2018 election will almost surely be a bad one for Republicans. Midterms are generally considered a referendum on the president, and the results are almost always bad for said president.
Discussion:
Washington Times and No More Mister Nice Blog
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A midterm preference for Democrats, but without anti-Trump motivation (POLL)
Discussion:
The Week

Poll: Voters Cool on Trump-Russia Meeting, but Resist Impeachment Calls
Discussion:
Business Insider and The Daily Caller

ANOTHER pivot: tax reform and infrastructure, but Trump needs to BEWARE …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo


Lewandowski: The President Is Going To Close The Deal On O'care Repeal Today — President Donald Trump's former campaign manager thinks the President will probably “close the deal today” on an Obamacare repeal bill because Trump is “a great dealmaker.” — Appearing on “Fox and Friends” …
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit, First Draft, The Week and New York Times
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The ObamaCare Republicans — Voters may repeal and replace …
Discussion:
New York Times, Scared Monkeys and Politico

Trump to GOP senators: Cancel your recess
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo and Washington Post

Trump calls Mike Lee in attempt to revive Senate healthcare bill
Discussion:
The Hill, Axios, Investor's Business Daily and neo-neocon


Trump can't make a health care deal because he doesn't understand health care — Trump is uninformed, underprepared, and unclear — and this is is the result. — The blame in the Senate's health care omnishambles is attaching to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and understandably so …
Discussion:
Axios, Washington Post, The Daily Gazette, Talking Points Memo, Mother Jones, Washington Times, Joe.My.God., IJR, The Hill and Sacramento Bee
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What Congressional Republicans Really Think About Trump and Russia
Discussion:
Raw Story

How Trump and the GOP Congress Failed in Just Six Months
Discussion:
Washington Post, Politico and Daily Kos


Criticize Trump at your peril, Republican candidates. Just ask Kim Guadagno. — Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno. — NJ Advance Media for NJ.com — TRENTON — Already trailing badly in the polls, Republican New Jersey governor candidate Kim Guadagno has been hit with another devastating 1-2 punch …
Discussion:
The Hill, Political Wire and Shareblue


The Voter Purges Are Coming — The Trump administration's election-integrity commission will have its first meeting on Wednesday to map out how the president will strip the right to vote from millions of Americans. It hasn't gotten off to the strongest start: Its astonishing request …
Discussion:
Raw Story, Washington Post and Denver Post
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Trump stokes voter fraud fears as commission convenes
Discussion:
ABC News, Associated Press and Axios


U.S. Lawmakers Seek to Criminally Outlaw Support for Boycott Campaign Against Israel — The criminalization of political speech and activism against Israel has become one of the gravest threats to free speech in the west. In France, activists have been arrested and prosecuted for wearing t-shirts advocating a boycott of Israel.

The President's Base vs. the Republican Party — Trump voters care more about having a leader who understands them than about quick policy wins. — The GOP's inability to scrap ObamaCare this week means, among other things, that President Trump will end his first six months in office without a major legislative accomplishment.
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NBC News/WSJ Poll: Voters in Trump Counties Like His Policies, Not His Style
Discussion:
Mother Jones, Wall Street Journal, The Week, NBC News and Axios


HHS analysis finds Cruz amendment lowers premiums, boosts enrollment — Sen. Ted Cruz plans to unveil to Senators at a White House meeting on Wednesday an analysis from the Department of Health and Human Services showing his healthcare Consumer Freedom amendment would lower costs …
Discussion:
Politico, Axios and ACASignups.net


This Shocking Video Appears To Show Baltimore Police Planting Drugs At A Crime Scene — The defendant charged in the case involving the drugs shown in the video was scheduled to go to trial this week. The case has been dropped. — Shocking footage from a Baltimore police officer's body …
Discussion:
WBFF-TV, Vox, Baltimore Sun, The Daily Caller and Fusion


Charlie Gard is given legal permanent residence in US by Congress so ‘he can fly to the States for world class treatment’ — Charlie Gard is being given legal and permanent residence in the US by Congress in order to allow him to fly to America for treatment.
Discussion:
CNN, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, The Stream, TheBlaze and Daily Wire


It Has Only Been Six Months Since Trump Became President. Feels Like an Eternity. — Editor's Note: You know, I had it originally as six months, but then as I was clicking “publish” the first time, I thought it had to be seven since it is July. But it really has only been six months. Good grief.


Watching ‘Fox & Friends,’ Trump Sees a Two-Way Mirror — The producers of children's television know the key to holding a distractible audience's attention: interactivity. — Dora the Explorer asks kids to repeat after her ("Swiper, no swiping!"). Mister Rogers broke the fourth wall to welcome them to his neighborhood.
Discussion:
New York Magazine and Washington Free Beacon


Carrier lays off first 300 employees on 6-month anniversary of Trump's presidency — President-elect Donald Trump gave one number on the amount of jobs that would be saved and a union president, another. So which is it? Nate Chute/IndyStar — CONNECT
Discussion:
The Week


USPS broke law in allowing workers to boost Clinton campaign, watchdog says — The United States Postal Service violated federal law by letting employees do union-funded work for Hillary Clinton's campaign and other Democratic candidates while on leave from the agency, according to an Office …