Politics

White House Official Apologizes To Meghan McCain For Mocking Her Father’s Brain Cancer Diagnosis

The Hill reports: A White House official called Meghan McCain on Thursday to apologize after she mocked Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) cancer diagnosis during a meeting earlier in the day, a source told The Hill. The Hill first reported Thursday that special assistant Kelly Sadler brushed off the senator’s opposition to President Trump’s nominee for CIA director, Gina Haspel, saying, …

Read More »

Appeals Court Judge Confirmed After Republicans Bypass Senate “Blue Slip” Objection Tradition [VIDEO]

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports: Milwaukee lawyer Michael Brennan was confirmed for a key federal judgeship Thursday, filling the oldest appellate vacancy in the country but deepening a partisan schism in the U.S. Senate over judges. Brennan will take a seat on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago that has stood open since 2010 amid a bitter political …

Read More »

Preet Bharara Waffles On New York AG Bid: We’ll See

The New York Daily News reports: Ex-federal prosecutor Preet Bharara, while not in the race for state attorney general right now, won’t entirely rule out a run. The corruption-busting Bharara, speaking on his podcast, shared his unease with politics while leaving himself some wiggle room in the contest to replace disgraced Eric Schneiderman. “The question about what I’ll do in …

Read More »

Trump: I’ll Meet With Kim In Singapore On June 12th

Business Insider reports: President Donald Trump will meet Kim Jong Un for his historic summit on North Korea in Singapore on June 12th. Trump announced the date and time in a tweet on Thursday morning. The meeting will be the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader. The specifics of the meeting were finalised by Trump’s …

Read More »

MARYLAND: Kevin Kamenetz, Leading Dem Candidate For Governor, Dies Of Heart Attack At Age 60 [VIDEO]

The Baltimore Sun reports: Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz — a Democratic candidate for governor and a fixture in state and local politics for nearly a quarter-century — died Thursday morning of a heart attack, officials said. Baltimore County police issued a statement saying that Kamenetz, 60, had been transported by ambulance early this morning to University of Maryland St. …

Read More »

Junior To Stage Rallies To Support GOP In Midterms

Axios reports: Donald Trump Jr. is preparing to dive into the 2018 midterm elections. He wants to use his influence within the Republican base to “expand our majority in the Senate and protect our majority in the House,” said a source close to the president’s son. Expect Don Jr. to be raising money for Republican candidates and staging rallies. Don …

Read More »

Pence To Mueller: It’s Time To Wrap It Up [VIDEO]

CNBC reports: Vice President Mike Pence says it’s time for special counsel Robert Mueller to conclude his probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election. He says: “In the interests of the country, I think it’s time to wrap it up.” Pence spoke to NBC News following the release of three Americans held by North Korea. Pence adds: “I would …

Read More »

McCain Blasts CIA Nominee Gina Haspel: Her Refusal To Acknowledge The Immorality Of Torture Is Disqualifying

New York Magazine reports: After Gina Haspel’s confirmation hearing on Wednesday it appeared likely that she had the votes to become the next CIA director. But that night Senator John McCain released a statement urging his colleagues to reject her nomination, potentially giving wavering senators the cover they need to oppose her. McCain has been home in Arizona battling brain …

Read More »

Trump Welcomes US Men Held By North Korea [VIDEO]

NPR reports: Three American men who had been held by North Korea touched U.S. soil once again early Thursday, where they were met by President Trump, who has hailed his diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for winning their freedom. The trio — Kim Dong Chul, Kim Hak Song and Tony Kim – all held on charges of …

Read More »

Russian Trolls Plead Not Guilty Of Pro-Trump Trolling

Politico reports: A Russian company tied to a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin entered a not-guilty plea Wednesday in a U.S. criminal case charging that it funded internet trolls and polarizing social media advertisements in a bid to boost Donald Trump’s chances of winning the 2016 presidential election. Prosecutors from special counsel Robert Mueller’s office allege that the …

Read More »

Joe Manchin Becomes First Dem To Back Gina Haspel

Axios reports: Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) said Wednesday that he will vote to confirm President Trump’s nominee for CIA director, Gina Haspel. Why it matters: Several Republicans and outside groups were hoping they could get Manchin, a red-state Democrat, to fold on Haspel because, with his support, Haspel will go to the floor as a bipartisan nominee. They also hope …

Read More »

Saudi Arabia: If Iran Builds A Nuclear Bomb, So Will We

Agence France-Presse reports: Saudi Arabia will seek to develop its own nuclear weapons if Iran does, Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told CNN on Wednesday, amid spiraling tension between the regional rivals. Asked whether Riyadh would “build a bomb itself” if Tehran seizes on Washington’s withdrawal from the 2015 Iran deal to resume a nuclear weapons program, Jubeir said: “If Iran …

Read More »

MSNBC And Washington Post Reprimand Hugh Hewitt For Brokering Meeting With EPA Chief Scott Pruitt

From the Hollywood Reporter: MSNBC said on Wednesday that it gave Saturday morning show host Hugh Hewitt a “verbal warning” after learning a day earlier that he helped broker a meeting between EPA administrator Scott Pruitt and lawyers representing a California water district, which the network said is a “violation” of the company’s standards. The revelation came from a batch …

Read More »

Trump: Everybody Thinks I Deserve The Nobel [VIDEO]

The Hill reports: President Trump said Thursday that “everyone thinks” he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, after weeks of suggestions from some that he should be honored for his diplomatic efforts on the Korean Peninsula. “Everyone thinks so, but I would never say it,” Trump said when asked by a reporter in the White House if he thinks he should …

Read More »

Cynthia Nixon Goes After Cuomo With Reversal Of 1977 Anti-Gay Slogan: “Vote For The Homo, Not For Cuomo”

The New York Daily News reports: “Vote for the homo, not for the Cuomo.” Democratic gubernatorial challenger Cynthia Nixon, a self-proclaimed lesbian, turned the tables on the governor at the 118th annual Legislative Correspondents Association show Tuesday. She switched up a campaign slogan he’s rumored to have coined during his father’s failed run against Mayor Ed Koch in 1977. “Andrew …

Read More »

First Mueller Convict Reports To Federal Prison

Politico reports: A Dutch attorney now has the dubious distinction of being the first person imprisoned in connection with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Alex van der Zwaan, 33, reported to a low-security Federal Bureau of Prisons facility near Allenwood, Pennsylvania, on Monday to serve the 30-day sentence he received for …

Read More »

LIVE VIDEO: Confirmation Hearing For Trump’s CIA Pick

The Hill reports: President Trump’s nominee to lead the CIA Gina Haspel will be grilled by senators Wednesday at a hearing expected to center on her role in the CIA’s use of harsh interrogation techniques during the George W. Bush administration. Haspel, a 33-year career veteran of the agency, faces a difficult confirmation battle given the GOP’s narrow 51-49 majority. …

Read More »

Trump: North Korea Has Released Three US Prisoners

The New York Times reports: President Trump declared a diplomatic victory on Wednesday by announcing that North Korea had freed three American prisoners, removing a bitter and emotional obstacle ahead of a planned meeting between him and the young leader of the nuclear-armed nation. The release of the three prisoners, all American citizens of Korean descent, was in some ways …

Read More »

Iranian Supreme Leader: Donald Trump’s Corpse Will Be Worm Food While Our Country Still Stands Strong

The Associated Press reports: Iran’s supreme leader denounced President Donald Trump on Wednesday over his decision to pull America out of the 2015 nuclear deal, while lawmakers lit a paper U.S. flag on fire inside parliament, shouting, “Death to America!” In comments before school teachers, Khamenei told Trump: “You cannot do a damn thing!” The exhortation from Khamenei, who has …

Read More »

Kink Community Denounces Eric Schneiderman

The New York Post reports: Many members of what’s widely known as the kink community are outraged that Eric Schneiderman, in resigning as New York’s attorney general, depicted his alleged violence toward several women as “role-playing and other consensual sexual activity.” Aficionados of kinky sex noted that Schneiderman’s accusers insisted they had given no consent — which is considered obligatory …

Read More »