Top Items:
Michael S. Schmidt / New York Times:
White House Asked McGahn to Declare Trump Never Obstructed Justice — WASHINGTON — White House officials asked at least twice in the past month for the key witness against President Trump in the Mueller report, Donald F. McGahn II, to say publicly that he never believed the president obstructed justice …
Discussion:
Vanity Fair, Daily Kos, Hullabaloo, Raw Story and Joe.My.God.
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Rebecca Ballhaus / Wall Street Journal:
Don McGahn Rebuffed White House Request to Say Trump Didn't Obstruct Justice — After release of the Mueller report, the president sought to have the former White House counsel say that he didn't believe the president's push to dismiss the special counsel constituted a crime
Discussion:
Washington Post, KTLA, Law & Crime, Mediaite, CNN, The Daily Beast and The Daily Caller
Zachary Basu / Axios:
Schiff considers fining Trump officials held in contempt $25,000 a day
Schiff considers fining Trump officials held in contempt $25,000 a day
Discussion:
RealClearPolitics, American Greatness, Joe.My.God., ABC News, Splinter, The Daily Caller, HillReporter.com and Townhall
Daniel Lippman / Politico:
Trump: Discussing a Biden probe with Barr would be ‘appropriate’ — President Donald Trump told POLITICO on Friday that it would be “appropriate” for him to speak to Attorney General Bill Barr about launching an investigation into his potential 2020 rival, Joe Biden, or his son, Hunter.
Discussion:
Raw Story
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Eliana Johnson / Politico:
Trump's new nickname for Pete Buttigieg: ‘Alfred E. Neuman’ — President Donald Trump dismissed Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg on Friday in a single sentence. — “Alfred E. Neuman cannot become president of the United States,” the president told POLITICO …
Eliana Johnson / Politico:
Trump: Biden 2020 reminds me of Trump 2016 — President Donald Trump sees parallels between Joe Biden's early surge to the front of the crowded 2020 Democratic presidential field and his own runaway success in the 2016 Republican primaries. — In an interview with POLITICO on Friday afternoon …
Oliver Carroll / The Independent:
Ukraine president-elect may refuse to meet Trump's lawyer when he flies into Kiev, sources say — Rudy Giuliani's initiative has apparently gone down badly in Ukraine. — A controversial plan to leverage Ukrainian politics in the 2020 American election campaign looks to have come unstuck …
Discussion:
Big League Politics, Washington Post, Breitbart, CNN, KTLA and Axios
Josh Lederman / NBC News:
Buttigieg making inroads with West Coast donors who helped fuel Obama's rise — The South Bend Mayor's presidential campaign got another boost with fundraising stops in Hollywood and Silicon Valley this week. — LOS ANGELES — As dusk descended Thursday over the posh hills of Brentwood …
John Bowden / The Hill:
Dem senator calls for Senate to investigate Giuliani's planned Ukraine trip
Dem senator calls for Senate to investigate Giuliani's planned Ukraine trip
Discussion:
Mediaite
Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
Trump is Pressuring Ukraine to Smear Clinton and Biden
Trump is Pressuring Ukraine to Smear Clinton and Biden
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Washington Post, NBC News, The Intercept, The Daily Beast, Mediaite, Contemptor, Talking Points Memo, Fox News, Rolling Stone, The Root, ABC News, Vanity Fair and Raw Story
Daniel Lippman / Politico:
Transcript: POLITICO interviews President Donald Trump on Joe Biden, impeachment, Bill Barr, North Korea
Asawin Suebsaeng / The Daily Beast:
Giuliani Scores a New Client: an Authoritarian, Middle Eastern Regime
Giuliani Scores a New Client: an Authoritarian, Middle Eastern Regime
Discussion:
Breitbart, Talking Points Memo, Mediaite and Shareblue Media
Nicholas Fandos / New York Times:
House Ways and Means Chairman Subpoenas Trump Tax Returns — WASHINGTON — The chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee subpoenaed the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service on Friday, disregarding the Treasury secretary's refusal this week to hand over six years …
Discussion:
CNN, The Daily Caller, The New Civil Rights Movement and Mediaite
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Anthony Adragna / Politico:
House panel yanks Curbelo invite amid furor from top Democrats — The Ways and Means Committee yanked an invitation for former GOP Rep. Carlos Curbelo to testify at a hearing next week after other Democrats became enraged that the panel was offering a prized platform to a longtime foe.
Jeff Stein / Washington Post:
House committee subpoenas Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig over Trump tax returns — A House committee issued subpoenas Friday ordering Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Charles Rettig to turn over President Trump's tax returns …
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit, Townhall, Vanity Fair, Raw Story and Axios
Steve Benen / MSNBC:
Why would Trump be embarrassed by his tax returns?
Why would Trump be embarrassed by his tax returns?
Discussion:
CBS News, Talking Points Memo and Political Wire
Benjamin Siegel / ABC News:
House Ways and Means Committee subpoenas Trump's tax returns
House Ways and Means Committee subpoenas Trump's tax returns
Discussion:
Breitbart
Aaron Lorenzo / Politico:
Democrats subpoena Trump's tax returns in escalating fight with White House
Democrats subpoena Trump's tax returns in escalating fight with White House
Discussion:
Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, One America News Network and Law & Crime
Washington Post:
Trump takes over Fourth of July celebration, changing its location and inserting himself into the program — President Trump has effectively taken charge of the nation's premier Fourth of July celebration in Washington, moving the gargantuan fireworks display from its usual spot on the Mall …
Andrew Kaczynski / CNN:
Joe Biden once said a fence was needed to stop ‘tons’ of drugs from Mexico — Biden bolts to the top of Democratic rankings — (CNN)Joe Biden once spoke about jailing employers who hire “illegals,” said sanctuary cities shouldn't be allowed to violate federal law, and argued a fence was needed stop …
Discussion:
Breitbart, Vanity Fair, Washington Free Beacon, TheBlaze, twitchy.com and Political Wire
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Valerie Volcovici / Reuters:
Exclusive: Presidential hopeful Biden looking for ‘middle ground’ climate policy — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden is crafting a climate change policy he hopes will appeal to both environmentalists and the blue-collar voters that elected Donald Trump …
Discussion:
Townhall, twitchy.com, Washington Post, Politico, VICE, The Daily Caller, Common Dreams, Mediaite and Axios
Alex Kotch / Sludge:
Biden's Climate Adviser Earned $1 Million From Natural Gas Company
Biden's Climate Adviser Earned $1 Million From Natural Gas Company
Discussion:
The Mahablog, The Week, The Daily Caller, Common Dreams and Splinter
Justin Baragona / The Daily Beast:
Ben Shapiro Storms Out of BBC Interview: 'I'm Popular and No One's Ever Heard of You' — Facts did not care about Ben Shapiro's feelings. — Right-wing commentator and “cool kids' philosopher” Ben Shapiro stormed out of a contentious BBC interview on Thursday after accusing the conservative host …
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Morgan Chalfant / The Hill:
Nadler says Mueller will not testify next week — House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y) said Friday that special counsel Robert Mueller will not be testifying before his panel next week. — Nadler told reporters that the committee is still negotiating over his testimony …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Breitbart, Sputnik International, The Atlantic, Axios, Daily Kos, The Week and CNN
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Daily Mail:
Dorenko died after falling from his Triumph motorbike on Thursday evening shortly before 7pm — He was pronounced dead at the spot with reports in the official media rapidly stating he had suffered ‘major heart failure’ and died of ‘natural causes’ - even before any autopsy was conducted.
Julie K. Brown / Miami Herald:
Prosecutors finally want to hear from Jeffrey Epstein's victims — More than a decade after federal prosecutors gave a secret plea deal to a suspected child sex trafficker, the government finally wants to hear from his victims, indicating on Friday that prosecutors wish to interview …
Dominique Jackson / Raw Story:
Republican lawmaker ‘visibly shaken’ after pro-life conservatives troll her for being a rape victim — South Carolina State Rep. Nancy Mace (R) said that weeks after sharing a personal story about being raped, she was attacked by her Republican colleague. — Mace, “gave the speech two weeks ago …
Discussion:
al.com
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Jess Bravin / Wall Street Journal:
John Paul Stevens Worries About the Court — A retired Supreme Court justice wants his former colleagues to adhere to precedent and the president to comply with subpoenas — At 99, John Paul Stevens can remember a time when a Supreme Court nomination prompted minimal controversy …
Jim Baker / Lawfare:
Why I Do Not Hate Donald Trump — Many people would probably believe me justified in hating Donald Trump. — While I was general counsel of the FBI, I watched the president fire my boss and friend, Jim Comey. I've read and heard the many false statements that the president and his supporters have made about him.
Discussion:
Politico, Mother Jones and Althouse
CNN:
O'Rourke won't commit to unconditionally supporting Democrats in exchange with New Hampshire voter — (CNN)Presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke on Friday refused to commit his unconditional support to Democrats down the ticket in 2020 should he secure his party's nomination, in a contentious exchange with a New Hampshire voter.
Robert Burns / Associated Press:
Pentagon shifting $1.5 billion to border wall construction — WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon is shifting $1.5 billion in funds originally targeted for support of the Afghan security forces and other projects to help pay for construction of 80 miles of wall at the U.S.-Mexican border, officials said Friday.
Discussion:
Stars & Stripes, Shareblue Media, Roll Call, Joe.My.God. and Axios
Tarpley Hitt / The Daily Beast:
Inside SALT: The Mooch's Hedge-Fund Festival Where MAGA Has-Beens Are Great Again — Anthony Scaramucci's annual hedge-fund conference featured speeches, steak, and a completely alternative reality. — LAS VEGAS—Wednesday afternoon, two thousand men in blue suits sat down to a lunch of well-done steak.
Discussion:
Washington Post
Sonja Sharp / Los Angeles Times:
The ‘Tactical Rabbi’ helps synagogues defend against anti-Semitic violence — It was 45 minutes into his lecture when the rabbi pulled out an AR-15. — “Who thinks, by show of hands, that we should be carrying more guns in shul?” Rabbi Raziel Cohen asked the crowd at a Westside Chabad …
Discussion:
Daily Wire
Martin Crutsinger / Associated Press:
US government records $160.3 billion April surplus — WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government recorded a $160.3 billion surplus in April as revenues for the month jumped to an all-time high. But even with a flood of tax receipts, the deficit so far this year is running 37.7% higher than a year ago.
Robert Satloff / The Washington Institute …:
Jared Kushner's Peace Plan Would Be a Disaster — The only way to protect the long-term viability of the plan's best aspects is to kill it. — Last week, I interviewed White House adviser Jared Kushner on the Middle East peace process at The Washington Institute's annual conference, an event broadcast live on C-SPAN.
Discussion:
PRI
Mary Papenfuss / HuffPost:
New Complaint Hits ‘Repeat Offender’ Kellyanne Conway For Hatch Act Violations — The recidivist White House aide has ignored reprimands and is again politicking on taxpayers' dime, an ethics group says. — The watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has filed …
Sean Illing / Vox:
How golf explains Trump. Seriously. — “This guy cheats like a mafia accountant.” — Have you ever won a tournament you never competed in? Have you ever stolen the ball from an opponent to gain a competitive advantage? — If the answer to either or both of those questions is no, then you're not cheating at the highest level.
Discussion:
Business Insider, VICE, HillReporter.com, Washington Press, Contemptor, Mediaite and Joe.My.God.
Dave Jamieson / HuffPost:
USDA Employees Unionize As Buffer Against Trump White House — “We realized how little leverage we have,” one Agriculture Department employee said of one of the reasons workers wanted to form a union. — WASHINGTON ― A group of economists, statisticians and other employees …