Politics

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 …

The Birmingham Herald reports: Patricia Todd, Alabama’s only openly gay state legislator, posted comments on social media Tuesday night suggesting that Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey is gay. Todd, who is not seeking re-election to office this year, posted the comments on Facebook and Twitter. The Ivey campaign denied the accusation. “This is a disgusting lie being pushed by a paid …

CBS Pittsburgh reports: Republican state Rep. Rick Saccone is now zero-for-two in his campaigns for the U.S. House in Pennsylvania this year. Two months after Saccone’s stunning loss in a special election for a House seat west of Pittsburgh, Saccone has conceded in the Republican primary for another seat Tuesday night to state Sen. Guy Reschenthaler. The two runs in …

The Associated Press reports: Patients with gunshot wounds filled wards and hallways in Gaza’s under-equipped and overwhelmed main hospital Tuesday, with dozens still waiting in line for surgery a day after Israeli soldiers shot and killed 59 Palestinians and wounded hundreds in mass protests on the Gaza border. The high casualty toll triggered a diplomatic backlash against Israel and new …

The Washington Post reports: Gina Haspel appears to have secured enough votes to be confirmed as the country’s next CIA director after stating in a letter to a top Democrat that the agency never should have detained terrorist suspects and employed brutal interrogation techniques against them. Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) said Tuesday that he had …

ABC News reports: Former Rep. Blake Farenthold, the disgraced Texas Republican who resigned last month in the aftermath of a sexual harassment settlement, has secured his next paid gig – as a government lobbyist. But even though he’s going to be raking in a reported six-figure salary, Farenthold told ABC News that he has no intention of repaying an $84,000 …

Swampity swamp swamp swamp: President Trump on Tuesday announced his nomination of Gordon Hartogensis, brother-in-law of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), to lead a federal pension agency. Hartogensis, who is married to the sister of McConnell’s wife and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, is set to become the director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), which provides federal insurance …

Mediaite reports: Former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders‘ former campaign manager Jeff Weaver said Tuesday that the 76-year-old Vermont Democratic Socialist may run again for president in 2020. If a potential Sanders bid for the White House is successful, it would make him the oldest president ever to assume office in his first term. Sanders will be 79 years old …

Just in from the White House press office: With the rising of tonight’s moon, I send my greetings and best wishes to all Muslims observing Ramadan in the United States and around the world. During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims commemorate the revelation of the Quran to the prophet Muhammad through fellowship and prayer. Many observe this holy time …

CNN reports: The first lady’s office has declined to offer further details about Melania Trump’s kidney surgery and resulting extended hospital stay and asked for privacy. “I am not going to expand beyond the statement I put out. The First Lady is in good spirits and she is resting. There are HIPAA laws to consider, but she also deserves personal …

Reuters reports: US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley praised Israel on Tuesday for showing restraint as Palestinian militant group Hamas “has been inciting violence for years, long before the United States decided to move our embassy” to Jerusalem. Addressing a UN Security Council meeting on recent deadly violence in Gaza, Haley said: “No country in this chamber would …

The Hill reports: A Republican candidate in Georgia’s gubernatorial race is bringing what he calls a “Deportation Bus Tour’ to the state’s sanctuary cities to tout his support for expediting deportation for undocumented immigrants. State Sen. Michael Williams’s campaign said in a press release that the tour will “expose how dangerous illegal aliens ruin local economies, cost American jobs, increase …

NBC News reports: Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens declared victory as prosecutors abruptly dropped a felony invasion-of-privacy charge alleging he had taken a revealing photo of a woman with whom he has acknowledged having an affair. The St. Louis circuit attorney’s office said it still plans to pursue the case, either through a special prosecutor or an appointed assistant. But Greitens’ …

Politico reports: Democrats are confidently running on Obamacare for the first time in a decade. They’ve got a unified message blaming Republicans for “sabotaging” the health law, leading to a cascade of sky-high insurance premiums that will come just before the November midterm elections. They’re rolling out ads featuring people helped by the law. And Tuesday, they’re starting a campaign …

Fox News reports: Corey Lewandowski, who helped Donald Trump win the Republican nomination, is getting back in the campaign game. He is joining Vice President Pence’s political action committee, which will enable him to travel with the VP and puts him firmly back in the president’s 2020 reelection orbit, say sources familiar with the move. Lewandowski discussed the move with …

Via press release: The South African government condemns in the strongest terms possible the latest act of violent aggression carried out by Israeli armed forces along the Gaza border, which has led to the deaths of over 40 civilians. The victims were taking part in a peaceful protest against the provocative inauguration of the US embassy in Jerusalem. This latest …

Eurasia Future reports: The Republic of Turkey has formally recalled the Ambassadors of the United States and “Israel” to Ankara over today’s regime instigated massacre of over 55 Palestinian protesters and the wounding of nearly 2,000, many of whom will likely die due to the severity of their wounds and a lack of adequate medical supplies in Gaza. Protests began …

Just in from the White House: This morning, First Lady Melania Trump underwent an embolization procedure to treat a benign kidney condition. The procedure was successful and there were no complications. Mrs. Trump is at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and will likely remain there for the duration of the week. The First Lady looks forward to a full …