Politics

The Washington Post reports: In his opening statements at an election debate Thursday, a South Carolina congressman kicked things off with a joke. “Did y’all hear this latest late-breaking news on the Kavanaugh hearings?” Rep. Ralph Norman (R) asked the audience at a Kiwanis club in his district. “Ruth Bader Ginsburg came out saying she was groped by Abraham Lincoln.” …

Newsweek reports: Melania Trump’s spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham violated the Hatch Act, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel confirmed on Thursday. The affirmation comes two months after Senator Tom Carper filed a complaint that Grisham was in violation of the ethics law when she used her official Twitter account to post a message that included Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign slogan “Make …

The Washingtonian reports: The Trump White House has yet another legal headache—and this time, the other side brought paddles. The Canoe Cruisers Association of Greater Washington filed a lawsuit in Maryland Thursday against members of the administration, alleging defendants Karl L. Schultz, the commandant of the US Coast Guard, and Kirstjen M. Nielsen, the secretary of Homeland Security, failed to …

The New York Times reports: The woman who has accused Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh of sexual assault, in an apparent bid to jump-start negotiations, has told the Senate Judiciary Committee that she “would be prepared to testify next week,” so long as senators offer “terms that are fair and which ensure her safety,” according to an email her lawyers sent …

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports: Ivanka Trump plans to raise money for Senate Republicans’ campaign arm this fall — amid new concern about the party’s fragile 51-seat majority in that chamber. An invitation shared with the Star-Telegram Tuesday lists the president’s daughter as a “special guest” at a Dallas fundraiser that’s now being rescheduled, according to the White House. Tickets …

Reuters reports: A French court ordered Marine Le Pen to submit to a psychiatric evaluation as part of its investigation into her decision to post images of Islamic State executions on Twitter, the far right leader said on Thursday and denounced the order. The investigation is one of a series that have distracted Le Pen’s National Rally, formerly known as …

CNN reports: Iran, North Korea, Syria and … commas. While Mike Pompeo is focused on a number of key geopolitical concerns, an email obtained by CNN suggests that the secretary of state also appears to have had it, up to, here, with, the rampant, improper use of commas by State Department staff. In the last few months, two emails have …

Politico reports: Republican activist who donated more than $20,000 to Ron DeSantis and lined up a speech for him at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club called President Obama a “F—- MUSLIM N—-” on Twitter recently, in addition to other inflammatory remarks. Steven M. Alembik told POLITICO Wednesday he wrote the Obama tweet in anger, that he’s “absolutely not” a racist and …

CNBC reports: Attorney General Jeff Sessions blamed a number of activist groups on Wednesday for a rise in violent crime in Chicago, saying that “if you want more shootings, more death, then listen to the ACLU, Antifa, Black Lives Matter, and groups who do not know the reality of policing.” “If you want public safety, then listen to the police …

From an interview with the British tabloid Daily Mail: The (Mueller) investigation — which Palin called “a fishing expedition” — has been going on so long that it is bound to find something amiss, she said. ‘When we go fishing, have we ever stopped before we caught something? No…we keep fishing,” Palin told Palmer. “Unfortunately, that is what’s going on …

The Washington Post reports: The Polish government did everything it could to turn Tuesday’s visit into one of Trump’s more enjoyable moments. Yet, somehow, Trump managed to offend the Poles so deeply that the fallout was all over Polish news sites on Wednesday morning. What happened? At the end of their meeting, the two leaders agreed to sign a strategic …

Talking Points Memo reports: Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley reiterated that Christine Blasey Ford, the professor who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, should consider a hearing he has schedule for Monday her only opportunity to air her allegations, in a letter to her attorneys Wednesday afternoon. “It is not the FBI’s role to investigate …

The Tampa Bay Times reports: A new poll released Wednesday shows Andrew Gillum ahead of Ron DeSantis by seven percentage points in the race for governor, while the U.S. Senate race is still in a dead heat.  According to the poll, 42 percent of respondents said they would vote for Gillum, the Democratic nominee, while 35 percent chose DeSantis, the …

Reuters reports: North Korea said on Wednesday it would permanently abolish its key missile facilities in the presence of foreign experts, the latest gesture by leader Kim Jong Un to revive faltering talks with Washington over his country’s nuclear program. Speaking at a joint news conference in Pyongyang, Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in said they agreed to turn …

Quinnipiac Polling reports: Republican incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz has a 54 – 45 percent likely voter lead over U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, his Democratic challenger, in the Texas Senate race, according to a Quinnipiac University Poll released today. This is the first survey of likely voters in this race by the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University Poll, and can not be …

“It’s not flawless but for almost 250 years our justice system has function pretty well. In fact, better than any other country in the world. It’s pretty straightforward. If you believe a crime has been committed against you, you report it. That would include theft, embezzlement and, yes, sexual assault. Go to the police. It’s not always easy, obviously, but …

The Hill reports: The former classmate of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who was said to have been in the room when Kavanaugh allegedly sexually assaulted a woman decades ago, has told senators he will not testify at next week’s hearing. Mark Judge wrote in a brief letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley …

Anita Hill writes for the New York Times: With the current heightened awareness of sexual violence comes heightened accountability for our representatives. To do better, the 2018 Senate Judiciary Committee must demonstrate a clear understanding that sexual violence is a social reality to which elected representatives must respond. A fair, neutral and well-thought-out course is the only way to approach …

People Magazine reports: Julia Louis-Dreyfus has a message for American citizens ahead of the upcoming midterm election: Don’t just vote — volunteer. PEOPLE can exclusively announce that the actress, who has long been an outspoken Democrat, has partnered with registered Federal PAC Local Majority to put together a PSA — directed by her husband Brad Hall — aimed at getting …

CBS News reports: President Trump is meeting with Poland’s President Andrzej Duda at the White House Tuesday. This is Duda’s first official visit to the White House since Trump took office. The two are expected to discuss trade, the military and security, according to the White House. Poland’s First Lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda is also visiting the White House. The two …