Politics

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 …

The Daily Beast reports: Playing a Finnish “unboxing” celebrity named OMGWhizzBoyOMG with a shock of bright orange hair, Sacha Baron Cohen sat down with the former sheriff and first asked him to explain “what communists are doing to stop people having guns.” “I have 43 guns,” Baron Cohen told his guest. “I’ve been collecting them for the upcoming race war.” …

The Guardian reports: Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, has survived an apparent assassination attempt after what officials described as drones armed with explosives detonated overhead during a speech he was making at a military event. The drones, according to officials, were flown towards Maduro as he addressed soldiers in Caracas on Saturday. Mid-speech, Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, looked up …

I somewhat disagree. At least Archie had some lovable moments. Actor Rob Reiner compared President Trump to sitcom character Archie Bunker on Friday, telling CBS’ Stephen Colbert that the country is “living” the sitcom “All in the Family” in real life. Reiner said on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on Friday night that the bigoted Bunker character bears comparisons …

Courthouse News reports: Spain’s left-wing government is seeking to remove the body of dictator Francisco Franco from a fascist-era monument near Madrid and set up a commission to investigate crimes committed during Spain’s civil war and military dictatorship, a move strongly opposed by retired military officers and others. The moves by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and his Spanish Socialist Workers’ …

The Hill reports: CNN on Saturday mocked President Trump for tweeting about an interview on the network despite his repeated attacks on it for being “fake news.” The network’s communications team responded to Trump’s tweet, suggesting that if Trump was watching CNN, it must have been because first lady Melania Trump was choosing the channel. Last month a report said …

“We’re seeing somebody go to mass rallies, constantly lie to incite fervor in a cult of personality base, we are seeing him make victimization honorable – they’re all victims, right? We are seeing the allegation of conspiracy, the ‘Deep State,’ hidden, nefarious movements that only the leader can see. We see the scapegoating of minority populations, vulnerable populations, and lastly, …

“We’re at a point where the White House briefs [the press] very rarely and when they do, it’s useless. We should stop the televised briefing. It’s counter productive, it’s turned into showboat theater, the substance of issues is not addressed. It’s become a forum for personal achievement and politic utility for the administration. Just as we should also stop having …

CNN reports: Kristin Davis, the woman famously known as the “Manhattan Madam,” met with special counsel Robert Mueller’s team for a voluntary interview on Wednesday, according to four sources familiar with the situation. Investigators appear to be interested in her ties to longtime Donald Trump adviser Roger Stone, whom she has known for a decade. Sources said investigators expressed interest …

CNBC reports: Rep. Diane Black lost the hotly contested Tennessee GOP gubernatorial primary on Thursday, making her the fifth House Republican this election cycle to lose a primary for statewide office. It’s a potentially ominous sign for Republicans as the party fights to hold its majority in Congress this fall. Black, who had been considered the favorite in the race …

The Hill reports: The Democratic push to get documents from Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s work in Bush administration ran into a new roadblock on Friday. The National Archives, in a letter to Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), said it will only respond to a request for documents under the Presidential Records Act (PRA) if they come from a …

South Carolina’s The State reports: The former leader of the South Carolina Republican Party was recently arrested after police said he “cruelly” killed his mother’s dog, and told them he did it because he was acting on a command from God — and that he was the second coming of Jesus Christ. It was the latest in a downward spiral …