Politics

CNBC reports: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified to a joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees Tuesday that Facebook is cooperating with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. “I know we are working with them,” Zuckerberg said during the hearing. When asked by Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont about Facebook’s involvement with Mueller’s investigation, Zuckerberg confirmed the cooperation but …

CNN reports: US President Donald Trump and his predecessor Barack Obama will not attend the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, White House and royal sources told CNN on Tuesday. A Kensington Palace spokesman said world leaders and political figures would not be invited in their official capacities. Trump and first lady Melania were not invited, nor were any …

Homeland Security advisor Tom Bossert abruptly resigned this morning, according to multiple outlets. At this writing there’s no explanation. According to MSNBC, the White House has issued a brief statement thanking Bossert for his “commitment to the safety and security of our great country.” Over the weekend Bossert appeared on multiple cable news shows to defend Trump’s policies. He last …

The Hill reports: The husband of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway responded to President Trump on Twitter after Trump tweeted that “attorney client privilege is dead” following a raid on the offices of his lawyer, Michael Cohen. George Conway retweeted the message Tuesday morning from the president and included a link to the Justice Department’s website explaining why Cohen’s offices …

“President Trump, I’m speaking to you directly. Do not take the same mistake that President Obama had made. The action that you had taken to take out the air base, that was important, that was strong — that was a very strong message. What we need to do right now is to take out Assad’s air force. If we ground …

Politico reports: Vice President Mike Pence is traveling to Boston tomorrow for two fundraisers — including one for the Republican National Committee, which is expected to haul in $500,000. But Massachusetts’ Republican governor won’t be at either of them. Gov. Charlie Baker told reporters today that he will be in New Bedford during Pence’s visit and won’t attend the RNC …

The BBC reports: The US and Russia have traded barbs at a UN Security Council meeting on the alleged chemical attack in Syria. Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia said the incident in Douma was staged and that US military action in response could have “grave repercussions”. US Ambassador Nikki Haley said Russia had the “blood of Syrian children” on its hands. …

The Associated Press reports: The GOP’s signature tax law is projected to increase the national debt by $1.9 trillion between 2018 and 2028, according to a new report by the Congressional Budget Office. According to the report, the tax law would cost the government $2.3 trillion in revenues, but economic growth would offset that figure by about $461 billion. The …

Slate reports: The House Energy and Commerce Committee released Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s prepared introductory remarks on Monday. Zuckerberg is expected to testify before the committee on Wednesday. He will also appear before the Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees on Tuesday. Zuckerberg expresses regret for both the Russian interference and the Cambridge Analytica scandal at the beginning of his testimony: …

Via email from billionaire Tom Steyer: We just mailed more than 5,100 impeachment guides to federal and state Democratic, Independent, and third-party candidates running for office in 2018. “Impeachment: A Guide for Candidates” contains a letter to candidates, information about public support for impeachment, an explainer about the meaning and history of impeachment, a list of Donald Trump’s eight impeachable …

Talking Points Memo reports: Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, who ran with Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) in 2008, said Sunday she would run for office “again in a heartbeat.” Palin was asked about her 2008 bid by Fox News host Mark Levin during his show “Life, Liberty and Levin” Sunday and whether she was “glad” she ran for vice …

The Orlando Sentinel reports: Gov. Rick Scott confirmed Monday morning he’s running for U.S. Senate, making the announcement in Orlando before heading out on a campaign kick-off tour of the state. He’ll challenge incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson in what will be one of the most expensive and hotly contested races in 2018. “You’re the first to know I’m going to …

Gallup reports: From 2014 to 2017, an average of 39% of Catholics reported attending church in the past seven days. This is down from an average of 45% from 2005 to 2008 and represents a steep decline from 75% in 1955. By contrast, the 45% of Protestants who reported attending church weekly from 2014 to 2017 is essentially unchanged from …

Politico reports: President Donald Trump’s attacks on the mainstream media may be rooted in statistical reality: An extensive review of subscription data and election results shows that Trump outperformed the previous Republican nominee, Mitt Romney, in counties with the lowest numbers of news subscribers, but didn’t do nearly as well in areas with heavier circulation. POLITICO’s findings — which put …

CNN reports: The US has not ruled out launching airstrikes against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in response to the weekend’s suspected chemical gas attack on civilians, Defense Secretary James Mattis said Monday. “I don’t rule out anything right now,” Mattis said while hosting Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, the emir of Qatar, at the Pentagon. “The first thing we …

The New York Times reports: Todd Brassner, who died in a fire at Trump Tower on Saturday, loved fast cars, electric guitars, expensive watches and making long, erudite pronouncements about art and art history. He was an art dealer with health problems and a 2015 bankruptcy that listed his apartment as the location of more than $3 million worth of …

Axios reports: Christopher Wylie, the former Cambridge Analytica employee who sounded the alarm on the firm illicitly obtaining user data from Facebook, told Meet the Press’ Chuck Todd that Steve Bannon “absolutely wanted to use [the data] for Republican candidates … [and] alt-right candidates in the United States.” Wylie also said he’s been contacted by American authorities — both from …

Reuters reports: The United Nations Security Council is likely to meet Monday afternoon over the recent chemical attack in Syria at the request of the United States and several other members, diplomats said on Sunday. A joint statement by the medical relief organization Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) and the civil defense service, which operates in rebel-held areas, said 49 …

Mediaite reports: CNN’s Brian Stelter today opened by talking about how President Trump‘s “addiction to Fox” is having a lot of real-world consequences. He brought up the past week of big news on immigration and troops being sent to the border, following the President’s tweet after watching a segment on Fox News. “The line where Fox News ends and where …

ABC News New York reports: Investigators are trying to determine the cause of a fire at Trump Tower in Midtown that left one man dead. The four-alarm fire broke out on the 50th floor just after 5:30 p.m. Saturday. The fire was placed under control approximately two hours later. Firefighters pulled Todd Brassner, 67, from the 50th floor of the …