Politics

NBC News Retracts Report That Cohen Was Wiretapped

Talking Points Memo reports: NBC News corrected its bombshell report on the wiretapping of Michael Cohen Thursday, saying that President Trump’s longtime personal attorney’s phone calls were monitored, rather than listened to, by federal investigators. Tom Winter, one of the authors of the report, said on MSNBC Thursday that the original report claiming that Cohen’s phones had been tapped “in …

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Pence Swears In Homocon Ric Grenell As Ambassador To Germany As Grenell’s Partner Holds Bible [VIDEO]

Notoriously anti-LGBT Vice President Mike Pence this afternoon swore in homocon Richard Grenell as US ambassador to Germany as Grenell’s partner held the bible. Grenell’s history of misogynistic tweets, including attacks on Rachel Maddow’s appearance, had, in part, delayed his confirmation for months. Last week he was approved by the Senate in a 56-42 vote that fell largely along party …

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US House Chaplain Rescinds His Resignation

The Washington Post reports: The Rev. Patrick J. Conroy, the House chaplain who announced his resignation under pressure last month, informed Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) Thursday that he wanted to rescind his offer and remain in his position at least through the end of this year. In a two-page letter, Conroy informed Ryan that he gave in to pressure …

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Trump Org Loses Name Battle With Condo Owners

The New York Times reports: Over the opposition of lawyers for a company owned by President Donald J. Trump, State Supreme Court Judge Eileen Bransten ruled Thursday that a condominium on the Upper West Side could remove the bronze letters spelling out his name from its 46-story building. The ruling opens the door for the 377 condo owners at 200 …

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Fox News: Lewandowski Might Replace John Kelly

Howard Kurtz writes for Fox News: There are growing whispers that if John Kelly is eased out or bails out as White House chief of staff, the job could go to Corey Lewandowski. I can report, based on my sources, that the president and his first campaign manager have discussed that possibility. Lewandowski has said he would accept a White …

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MANHATTAN: Trump Organization Demands Names Of Condo Owners Who Want His Name Off Their Building

The Washington Post reports: The condo board at a Manhattan high-rise called “Trump Place” will be in court on Thursday morning, asking a judge’s permission to take that name down off the building’s facade. Last year the board at 200 Riverside began to consider taking down its own signs — after some residents complained that the Trump name might reduce …

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Vanessa Trump Recently Became A Marinara Heiress, Now Junior Wants To Know How Much Money She Has

The New York Post reports: Now we know the secret sauce behind Vanessa Trump’s divorce from Donald Trump Jr. Page Six can exclusively reveal her family recently came into millions thanks to an investment in legendary Italian eatery Rao’s red sauce. We’re told that Vanessa’s late father, prominent lawyer Charles Haydon, was a close friend of late Rao’s owner Frank …

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TMZ Host Rips Kayne West: He’s An Under-Medicated Mentally Unstable Megalomaniac, Not In His Right Mind

The Wrap reports: TMZ executive producer and host Charles Latibeaudiere called out Kanye West as “an under-medicated, mentally unstable megalomaniac” after the rapper said slavery was “a choice” in an interview on Tuesday. “Since so many of you asked,” Latibeaudiere wrote in a series of tweets. “Yes, I was pissed about a lot of Kanye’s comments… especially the s— about …

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Coming Trump Biopic Will Dramatize Rise To Power Under Influence Of Late Homocon Roy Cohn [VIDEO]

From the Hollywood Reporter: Donald Trump is getting the big-screen treatment in a film called The Apprentice that will dramatize his rise to power, focusing on his early influences like attorney Roy Cohn. Gabriel Sherman, special correspondent to Vanity Fair, who also authored a book about late Fox News founder Roger Ailes, The Loudest Voice in the Room, has been …

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GOP Senate Candidate Photoshops Trump Out Of GOP Opponent’s Pic To Show Him Laughing With Hillary

Yahoo News reports: A Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in West Virginia is running an ad showing his primary opponent shaking hands with Hillary Clinton — something that never happened. The ad uses a manipulated version of a photograph that originally showed his rival shaking the hand of someone else: President Trump. Evan Jenkins, a congressman from West Virginia, …

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Cambridge Analytica Abruptly Shuts Down All Offices

Gizmodo reports: On Wednesday, Cambridge Analytica employees learned that its parent company, the SCL Group, was shuttering the business, with American-based workers directed to return their keycards immediately, according to documentation reviewed by Gizmodo. The news was announced during a conference call led by Julian Wheatland, the current chairman of the SCL Group who was reportedly tapped to take over …

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DOJ Rejects House Freedom Caucus Demand To See Unredacted Mueller Memo On Scope Of Russia Probe

The Washington Examiner reports: The Department of Justice has sent a letter to the leaders of the House Freedom Caucus declining their request to see the unredacted version of a memo detailing the scope of the special counsel’s Russia probe. In the letter, obtained by the Washington Examiner, Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd writes: “Although we are working to accommodate …

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FLORIDA: Rick Scott Backs Puerto Rico Statehood In Senate Ploy To Appeal To Voters Displaced By Hurricane

The Associated Press reports: Florida’s Republican governor says he supports making Puerto Rico the nation’s 51st state. Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday said the United States should “respect the will of the people of Puerto Rico.” The U.S. territory held a referendum last year where more than a half a million voters backed statehood. The U.S. Congress has to approve …

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Nancy Pelosi: I’ll Run For House Speaker Again

Nancy Pelosi today declared the she will run again for House Speaker after the Democrats regain control: “We will win. I will run for speaker. I feel confident about it. And my members do, too,” Pelosi told The Boston Globe during a stop in the city for a Democratic fundraiser. Pelosi has previously discussed the importance of her role as …

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Rod Rosenstein Ridicules Impeachment Threat By House Freedom Caucus: The DOJ Will Not Be Extorted [VIDEO]

CBS News reports: Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said the Department of Justice is “not going to be extorted,” amid public and private threats that he says have been leveled against him for a long time. Rosenstein made the comments during a talk at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., after reports that some conservative Republicans in Congress have drafted articles …

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Trump: We’re “Seriously Considering” A Space Force Because We’re Getting “Very Big In Space” [VIDEO]

The Washington Post reports: President Trump mused again Tuesday about adding a new branch of the military — a Space Force — and this time made clear he is thinking seriously about it. Trump aired his thoughts during a ceremony at the White House, where he presented the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy to the U.S. Military Academy’s Black Knights football team for …

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17 States Sue Over EPA’s Scrapped Car Emission Rules

The Associated Press reports: California and 16 other U.S. states are suing the Trump administration over its plans to scrap standards for how much greenhouse gases vehicles can emit. California Gov. Jerry Brown and Attorney General Xavier Becerra [photo] announced the lawsuit Tuesday. It takes aim at a plan by the Environmental Protection Agency to scrap standards for vehicles manufactured …

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John McCain: I’m Retiring, So Now I Can Speak Freely

CNN reports: Republican Sen. John McCain, who is battling brain cancer in his home state of Arizona, says in his new book that his current term is his last and, as a result, he feels he can open up about how he sees the current political climate. “This is my last term. If I hadn’t admitted that to myself before …

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GOP Senate Candidate: “Ditch Cocaine Mitch” McConnell

Talking Points Memo reports: In a new off-kilter, 30-second campaign spot, West Virginia Senate candidate Don Blankenship vows if elected to fight for the pro-life agenda, create jobs, “end the drug epidemic” and “ditch cocaine Mitch,” referencing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. “One of my goals as U.S. senator will be to ditch cocaine Mitch. When you vote for me, …

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Four Dem House Reps Launch Freethought Caucus To Promote Principle Of Separation Of Church And State

The Hill reports: Four Democratic congressmen on Monday launched a congressional caucus dedicated to fostering atheist and nonreligious beliefs. California Reps. Jared Huffman (D) and Jerry McNerney (D) joined forces with Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) to launch the Congressional Freethought Caucus. The goals of the caucus include pushing “public policy formed on the basis of reason, …

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