Politics

The Tampa Bay Times reports: U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, is campaigning for a seventh term in Congress and on June 9 he’s holding his first-ever Women’s Summit, pitched as “an opportunity for women to learn about relevant topics that have a direct impact on their lives.” So what are the critical issues facing women that Bilirakis will highlight …

CNN reports: First lady Melania Trump isn’t accompanying the President to Camp David this weekend, marking the 22nd day since she was last seen publicly. President Donald Trump is expected to depart the White House Friday afternoon for a weekend at the presidential retreat in Maryland. The first lady, meanwhile, is staying put at the White House this weekend. On …

The Huffington Post reports: Nathan Larson, a 37-year-old accountant from Charlottesville, Virginia, is running for Congress as an independent candidate in his native state. He is also a pedophile, as he admitted to HuffPost on Thursday, who has bragged in website posts about raping his late ex-wife. In a phone call, Larson confirmed that he created the now-defunct websites suiped.org …

The vote was very close. The Guardian reports: Mariano Rajoy, once viewed as the great survivor of Spanish politics, has been ousted as prime minister in a vote of no confidence after several former members of his party were convicted of corruption in a case that proved a scandal too far. He will be replaced by Pedro Sánchez, the leader …

“These tariffs are totally unacceptable. The numbers are clear: The United States has a $2 billion U.S. dollars surplus in steel trade with Canada – and Canada buys more American steel than any other country in the world, half of U.S. steel exports. Canada is a secure supplier of aluminum and steel to the U.S. defense industry, putting aluminum in …

Not that he’ll do anything about it: House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) on Thursday condemned President Trump’s decision to impose a new set of steel and aluminum tariffs against close trading allies.  “I disagree with this decision,” Ryan said in a statement after Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced the new duties Thursday morning. “Instead of addressing the real problems in …

The New York Daily News reports: Special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling has cost just under $8 million since the former FBI director was appointed last May, according to a new spending report released Thursday. The bill is a far cry from the $20 million President Trump claims that probe has cost and is only slightly higher than …

Buzzfeed News reports: After Samantha Bee was criticized for calling presidential adviser and first daughter Ivanka Trump as a “feckless cunt” who needs to convince her father to change his immigration policies, the host issued an apology on Thursday. “I would like to sincerely apologize to Ivanka Trump and to my viewers for using an expletive on my show to …

Politico reports: Mariano Rajoy’s time as Spain’s prime minister appears to be over after the opposition Socialists secured parliamentary backing for ousting the conservative leader. Lawmakers from the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) announced Thursday that they would back Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez’s motion of no confidence in Rajoy in a vote to be held Friday. With the PNV’s support, and …

The Associated Press reports: The Trump administration announced Thursday it will impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Europe, Mexico and Canada after failing to win concessions from the American allies. Europe and Mexico pledged to retaliate quickly, exacerbating trans-Atlantic and North American trade tensions. The European Commission’s president, Jean-Claude Juncker, said Trump’s decision amounted to trade protectionism and …

CNN reports: Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson will name the son of his close friend and business associate as deputy chief of staff, the department confirmed Wednesday. Alfonso Costa Jr., 29, is expected to join the department in the coming weeks, a source familiar with the decision told CNN. Costa’s father is a dentist-turned-real-estate-investor who Carson has described …

The Deseret News reports: Mitt Romney revealed Wednesday who he voted for in the 2016 presidential election. His wife, Ann Romney. “I wrote in the name of a person who I admire deeply, who I think would be an excellent president,” the Republican U.S Senate candidate told the Deseret News and KSL editorial boards in response to a question. “I …

The Washington Examiner reports: First lady Melania Trump, who has not been seen in public since May 10, responded to rampant speculation about her health Wednesday, saying she is actually at the White House. Conjecture has swirled about Trump’s whereabouts since she had surgery May 14 for a “benign kidney condition.” She stayed in the hospital for a week to …

The Associated Press reports: An appeals court has refused to toss corruption charges against former U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock, saying it can’t assess whether his prosecution violated constitutional separation-of-powers clauses until after he goes to trial. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago says in its unanimous ruling Wednesday that it doesn’t believe appellate courts have the authority …

Courthouse News reports: A federal judge warned the lawyer for porn actress Stormy Daniels on Wednesday that his attacks against the president’s personal attorney, Michael Cohen, could interfere in Cohen’s rights to a fair trial. Wrapping up a heated one-hour hearing this morning, U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood emphasized that the proceedings here are “a potential precursor to a criminal …

CNN reports: Dietitians have been consulted in the White House kitchens. Steak has been swapped out for Dover sole, his favored fish. And hamburger buns have been discarded — or at least the tops have. President Donald Trump, who embarked upon a mission to shed 10 to 15 pounds in January, has acknowledged in private that he needs to lose …

NBC News reports: A new U.S. intelligence assessment has concluded that North Korea does not intend to give up its nuclear weapons any time soon, three U.S. officials told NBC News — a finding that conflicts with recent statements by President Donald Trump that Pyongyang intends to do so in the future. In an odd twist, a list of potential …

Yahoo News reports: Her husband, Kanye West, is a fan. Her former stepfather, Caitlyn Jenner, calls him the “worst president we have ever had” regarding LGBTQ rights. And while Kim Kardashian may have supported Hillary Clinton in 2016, she’s now reportedly prepping for a major meeting with President Trump himself. Kardashian and attorney Shawn Chapman Holley will meet with Jared …

The Washington Post reports: Outgoing Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), the House Oversight Committee Chairman and Trump supporter, said in an interview on Fox that the FBI was justified in using a secret informant to assist in the Russia investigation. Gowdy, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, attended a classified Justice Department briefing last week over the FBI’s use of …

Politico reports: She’s left the White House and moved back to New York City. She’s cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller. She’s holed up with the Obamas, working on a tell-all book about her husband — unless she had a secret nip and tuck, in which case she’s just healing. During the two weeks since Melania Trump returned to the …