Politics

The New York Times reports: In the not too distant future, Representative Chris Collins will likely have his day in court to answer the insider trading charges that were leveled against him on Wednesday, but the Republican lawmaker may well be judged sooner — by voters in November. A spokeswoman for the campaign arm of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, …

Heavy reports: Conservative commentator and provocateur Ben Shapiro wants to take on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Democratic nominee for Congress from New York. In a tweet, Shapiro said that he would donate to Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign if she agreed to hold a debate with him. There’s been no reaction from the Ocasio-Cortez twitter account as yet. The relationship between Ocasio-Cortez has been …

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports: The tight race between Democrat Danny O’Connor and Republican Troy Balderson just got tighter. Election officials in Franklin County found 588 previously uncounted votes in a Columbus suburb. The result: O’Connor had a net gain of 190 votes, bringing the race’s margin down to 1,564. “The votes from a portion of one voting location had not …

The New York Daily News reports: The City Council voted Wednesday to stop issuing new licenses for most for-hire vehicles for a year in an effort to regulate e-hail apps like Uber, Lyft and Via, whose rapid growth has thrown the city’s taxi industry into chaos. “This is about supporting and uplifting drivers, making sure they are paid enough to …

The San Jose Mercury-News reports: Amid a tense battle over rent control in California, real-estate interests are writing big checks to defeat a November ballot measure that would give cities more power to regulate what landlords can charge tenants — and the initiative’s backer responded this week with a $10 million cash infusion. “We know we will be significantly outspent …

Politico reports: A former Republican congressional staffer is launching an independent write-in campaign in the Chicago-area district where an avowed Nazi will be on the ballot in November representing the party. Lawyer and former congressional aide Justin Hanson, of LaGrange, Ill., said he decided to throw his hat in the ring as a write-in candidate for the 3rd Congressional District …

CNN reports: WikiLeaks announced in a tweet Wednesday the Senate Intelligence Committee called on its founder Julian Assange to testify on Russian interference in the 2016 election. The tweet also included a copy of the letter delivered to Assange. It requests Assange make himself “available” for a closed interview with the committee “at a mutually agreeable time and location,” and …

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports: Secretary of State Kris Kobach maintained a minute lead — less than 200 votes — over Gov. Jeff Colyer Wednesday as the final election results in the Republican race for governor were counted. Delays in Johnson County pushed the unofficial final result of Tuesday’s primary into Wednesday morning. Just before 8 a.m., results on the Kansas …

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports: The West Virginia House Judiciary Committee approved 14 articles of impeachment against the four sitting justices of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals on Tuesday. “It’s a sad day, and it certainly isn’t a cause for celebration,” Judiciary Chairman John Shott, R-Mercer, said Tuesday as the articles were distributed to the 24 committee members present …

ProPublica reports: Last February, shortly after Peter O’Rourke became chief of staff for the Department of Veterans Affairs, he received an email from Bruce Moskowitz with his input on a new mental health initiative for the VA. “Received,” O’Rourke replied. “I will begin a project plan and develop a timeline for action.” O’Rourke treated the email as an order, but …

The New York Times reports: After a succession of political setbacks in onetime strongholds and a landmark defeat in the Supreme Court, organized labor has notched a hard-won victory as Missouri voters overrode a legislative move to curb union power. A measure on the ballot on Tuesday asked voters to pass judgment on a prospective law barring private-sector unions from …

The Associated Press reports: With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Republican Troy Balderson has declared victory over Democrat Danny O’Connor in Tuesday’s 12th Congressional District special election. Balderson is ahead of O’Connor by roughly 1,700 votes or 0.8 percent. Though all precincts are reporting, there has not been an official winner declared. According to the Associated Press, there are at …

CNN reports: Paul Manafort recommended a banker who allegedly loaned him money under false pretenses be nominated as President Donald Trump’s Army secretary, Rick Gates testified Tuesday. Gates, who was working on Trump’s transition team, testified that Manafort had suggested Stephen Calk as a candidate for Army secretary two weeks after Trump was elected. Manafort was Trump’s campaign chairman in …

Forbes Magazine reports: Over several months, in speaking with 21 people who know Ross, Forbes uncovered a pattern: Many of those who worked directly with him claim that Ross wrongly siphoned or outright stole a few million here and a few million there, huge amounts for most but not necessarily for the commerce secretary. At least if you consider them …

ABC News reports: The city of West Hollywood approved a proposal to remove President Donald Trump’s star from the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday, citing recent costly vandalism and recent demonstrations around the star. West Hollywood’s five-member city council passed the measure unanimously on Monday evening, allowing it to move forward with a request to remove the star, which …

Politico reports: President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter Tuesday that he is seeking “world peace” by imposing “the most biting sanctions ever” against Iran, the latest example of escalating tensions between the two nations. The sanctions were previously softened by the Obama administration as part of a landmark 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran. Trump scrapped that deal in May, putting …

The Associated Press reports: Saudi Arabia expelled the Canadian ambassador on Monday and froze “all new business” with Ottawa over its criticism of the ultraconservative kingdom’s arrest of women’s rights activists — yet another warning to the West reflecting Riyadh’s newly assertive foreign policy. The sudden and unexpected dispute bore the hallmarks of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s …

From the Hollywood Reporter: The West Hollywood City Council will vote Monday night on a resolution urging the Los Angeles City Council and Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to permanently remove Donald Trump’s walk of fame star. The marker, which was unveiled in 2007, has been vandalized numerous times and completely destroyed twice to date. “The City Council will consider adopting …

NBC News reports: Kristin Davis, the “Manhattan Madam” who says she provided prostitutes to New York’s rich and famous, is scheduled to testify before special counsel Robert Mueller’s grand jury in Washington this week, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. Last week an investigator on Mueller’s team questioned Davis about Russian collusion, said the source. Davis declined …

The New York Times reports: The action-movie star Steven Seagal has played a former C.I.A. agent, a hit man and a killer of criminals. On Saturday, Russian officials tapped him for another role: special representative to improve relations between the United States and Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry announced the appointment on Facebook, saying his mission will include promoting “relations …