Politics

Bloomberg reports: Even when Donald Trump is threatening sanctions against a vital Russian energy project, President Vladimir Putin still has nothing but praise for his American counterpart. “Donald isn’t just president of the United States, he’s also a good and strong entrepreneur,” Putin said at talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Russia’s Sochi on Friday. “He’s also promoting the …

The Washington Post reports: President Trump has personally pushed U.S. Postmaster General Megan Brennan to double the rate the Postal Service charges Amazon.com and other firms to ship packages, according to three people familiar with their conversations, a dramatic move that probably would cost these companies billions of dollars. Brennan has so far resisted Trump’s demand, explaining in multiple conversations …

Bloomberg reports: China’s second-largest state-owned bank offered wealthy clients the opportunity to have dinner with the American president for $150,000 a ticket, spurring a complaint from Donald Trump’s re-election campaign to the U.S. Department of Justice. A branch of China Construction Bank Corp. invited high-net-worth clients willing to pay the ticket price to a May 31 dinner in Dallas, according …

The Hill reports: The White House on Thursday poked fun at President Trump’s infamous “covfefe” tweet in a video weighing in on a viral internet debate. The video asked several White House staffers to weigh in on an audio clip that has divided the internet. The audio went viral earlier this week, with some saying they hear “Laurel” in the …

The Washington Post reports: A man who was allegedly “actively shooting” in the lobby of Trump National Doral Miami in Doral, Fla., and “yelling” about President Trump was shot and wounded by police early Friday morning, authorities said. Both Miami-Dade Police and Doral Police responded to reports of shots fired at the hotel, Doral Police Chief Hernan Organvidez said during …

The Daily Beast reports: The Department of Justice on Thursday brought federal criminal charges against two Arizona men accused of using fake political groups to defraud thousands of unwitting donors out of millions of dollars. Such groups are generally referred to as “scam PACs.” And DOJ’s criminal prosecution represents a major legal escalation against the practice by which those PACs’ …

The Washington Post reports: The Senate voted Thursday to confirm Gina Haspel as the next CIA director after several Democrats were persuaded to support her despite lingering concerns about her role in the brutal interrogation of suspected terrorists captured after 9/11. Lawmakers approved her nomination 54 to 45, a wider than expected margin, with six Democrats voting yes and two …

Multiple outlets are reporting that Rudy Giuliani was involved in a minor accident this afternoon when he clocked a pedicab driver with the door of his Cadillac when exiting the vehicle in midtown Manhattan. Giuliani was emerging from the rear seat and the pedicab had no passengers. No injuries reported, but Twitter is already on it, you guys. Law enforcement …

The Birmingham Herald reports: State Rep. Patricia Todd has had her employment offer from a Florida LGBTQ nonprofit rescinded for strongly suggesting that Gov. Kay Ivey is gay and deserves to be outed, the organization announced Thursday. Todd, Alabama’s first openly gay state lawmaker, was set to become executive director of the One Orlando Alliance — a group formed in …

Montgomery’s CBS affiliate reports: Tuesday, District 54 Rep. Patricia Todd tweeted that she had “heard for years” that Ivey was gay. In a sit down interview with CBS 42, Ivey called the speculation untrue. “it’s disgusting because they’re not telling the truth “I don’t have a clue [where this came from] but i do know that it’s a bold faced …

The Daily Beast reports: Jared Kushner became “agitated” and “infuriate[d]” at the infamous June 2016 Trump Tower meeting when a Kremlin-connected lawyer droned on about U.S. sanctions, instead of delivering on a promise to provide damaging information on Hillary Clinton. That’s according to Rob Goldstone, a British music promoter and friend of the Trumps who helped set up the meeting …

The New York Daily News reports: Melania Trump’s modeling days apparently aren’t completely behind her. The First Lady has raked as much as $1 million in royalties from photos of herself since her husband took office, according to federal records. Stephanie Grisham, the First Lady’s spokeswoman, declined to comment on which photos the royalties pertained to, only telling the Daily …

“This most recent personal attack against me is beyond disgraceful. It’s a disgusting lie being pushed by a paid left wing liberal political operative. There is absolutely no truth to it. It’s false. It’s wrong. It’s a bald faced lie. And I’m not gonna let them get away with it. Whether these attacks are malicious or ignorant or both – …

Business Insider reports: The US Senate on Wednesday voted narrowly in favor of reinstating the Federal Communications Commission’s net-neutrality rules. Though the vote on the measure has been expected for months, its outcome had been uncertain going into the vote. Fifty senators previously declared their support for it — one shy of the majority needed to pass it. In the …

“If our leaders seek to conceal the truth, or we as people become accepting of alternative realities that are no long grounded in facts, then we as American citizens are on a pathway to relinquishing our freedom. A responsibility of every American citizen to each other is to preserve and protect our freedom by recognizing what truth is and is …

Gotta keep the base riled up no matter what: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Wednesday he is working on a new version of his ObamaCare repeal and replacement bill, and has not given up on efforts to repeal ObamaCare despite Republicans’ failure last year. “I haven’t given up,” Graham said. “Will there be another effort to replace ObamaCare with a …

Fox News grudgingly reports: Senate Intelligence Committee leaders on Wednesday backed the 2017 intelligence community report that formally accused Russia of trying to interfere in the U.S. presidential election to boost then-candidate Donald Trump. Their statements followed a final closed-door interview on the matter with top Obama administration officials. The committee, led by Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., and Vice Chairman …

Reuters reports: U.S. Senate committee voted Wednesday in favor of Gina Haspel, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be CIA director, and she is expected to be confirmed by the full Senate as soon as next week. The Intelligence Committee voted 10-5 behind closed doors to approve the nomination, which was expected after two of its seven Democratic members, Vice Chairman …

The Idaho Statesman reports: Idaho Lt. Gov. Brad Little won Tuesday’s Republican primary to replace Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter, who is retiring after three terms. Little, 64 and Otter’s handpicked successor, defeated a handful of challengers, most prominently Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho) and Boise businessman Tommy Ahlquist. Labrador is the fourth Republican member of Congress to gamble on statewide office …

The Guardian reports: Ecuador bankrolled a multimillion-dollar spy operation to protect and support Julian Assange in its central London embassy, employing an international security company and undercover agents to monitor his visitors, embassy staff and even the British police, according to documents seen by the Guardian. Over more than five years, Ecuador put at least $5m (£3.7m) into a secret …