Politics

Aaron Blake writes for the Washington Post: Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer got a turn on one of Hollywood’s glitziest stages Sunday night. And he used it to laugh about the falsehoods he told the American people in an attempt to rehabilitate his image. I’m all for a good laugh. And I’ll add up front that there are …

The Guardian reports: Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday asked the head of the country’s Commission on Human Rights (CHR) if he was a paedophile for focusing on the killing of teenagers in the government’s bloody war on drugs. Duterte also suggested to lawmakers using CHR’s proposed 678 million pesos budget to buy the police body cameras if they do …

Roger Stone thinks it’s an “abomination” that Trump wore black pants with a blue jacket for a photo op with Sen. Tim Scott, who visited the White House for an alleged discussion about racism. Via Mediaite: Shortly after the meeting, the White House released an image of Scott and Trump in the Oval Office with Trump listening intently as Scott …

The Hill reports: White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders will answer take questions from reporters in a press briefing Friday afternoon. National security adviser H.R. McMaster and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley will also answer questions at the briefing. The briefing comes just hours after North Korea fired another ballistic missile over Japan on Friday, further …

During her appearance on last night’s Rachel Maddow Show, Hillary Clinton took aim at Facebook’s role in spreading fake news during the 2016 election. The Hill reports: “We may have our disagreements among Americans, we’re not going to let the Russians come in and divide us. And so we’re going to make Facebook own up to everything. They’ve just begun …

The Daily Beast reports: Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski cut off his neighbors’ electricity, threatened to use his political clout to make the neighbors’ lives “a nightmare,” and repeatedly stood outside his home with a baseball bat in a “threatening and intimidating gesture,” those neighbors claim in a new legal filing. In July, Lewandowski filed a $5 million lawsuit …

The Washington Examiner reports: Sen. Luther Strange trailed former state Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore, both Republicans, by 1 percentage point in a closely watched special Senate election in Alabama. The upstart Moore led Strange, appointed when Jeff Sessions resigned to become U.S. attorney general, 41 percent to 40 percent. The special election is Sept. 26. The survey was produced …

Talking Points Memo reports: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) was heard saying Thursday morning that President Donald Trump “likes us” and that “it’s going to work out,” perhaps referring to a potential deal shielding young undocumented people from deportation. The comment was picked up by a CSPAN microphone and broadcast live. “He likes us!” Schumer is heard saying, referring …

Politico reports: President Donald Trump traveled to southwest Florida with a message for the people of Fort Myers, who are recovering from Hurricane Irma: Rick Scott for Senate. Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and Vice President Mike Pence flew to Florida on Thursday morning to visit Fort Myers and Naples, two Gulf Coast cities that Irma tore through earlier this …

NBC News reports: It was a different Sean Spicer who paid a visit to “Jimmy Kimmel Live” Wednesday night. This was a smiling, chill Spicer, in marked contrast to the six hot-tempered months he spent as White House press secretary, conducting volatile news conferences that were given added heat thanks to Melissa McCarthy’s unsparing impersonation of him on “Saturday Night …

The Washington Examiner reports: Conservative commentator and author Ann Coulter’s support for President Trump is on thin ice after he tweeted support for recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Trump asked early Thursday why anyone would want to “throw out good, educated and accomplished young people who have jobs, some serving in the military.” Coulter, a staunch supporter …

The Huffington Post reports: Employees at Motel 6 locations in Phoenix have ceased working with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents in light of a new report that revealed motel staffers were reporting guests who appear to be undocumented immigrants, according to a spokeswoman for the motel chain. Raiza Rehkoff, the director of public relations and marketing for the motel …

NBC News reports: President Donald Trump insisted Thursday morning that there was “no deal” with Democrats to extend protections for so-called Dreamers, but pleaded with congressional leaders to reach one, and vowed to push ahead with his border wall. “No deal was made last night on DACA. Massive border security would have to be agreed to in exchange for consent. …

The Hill reports: Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s (R) handling of Hurricane Irma has boosted his profile ahead of an expected Senate bid. Scott is term-limited out of the governor’s mansion, and Republicans, including President Trump, have urged him to consider challenging Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) next year. His aggressive approach to Irma, which saw him order an extensive evacuation ahead …

CNN reports: Sen. Ted Cruz denied Wednesday that he was the one who liked a pornographic video from his Twitter account. “It was not me,” Cruz said in an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash in Washington, calling the mishap “an honest mistake.” Cruz reiterated the message from his office and said they had since identified the staffer, but refused to …

Politico reports: The Senate Wednesday scuttled a proposal by Sen. Rand Paul to repeal the war authorizations that underpin the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as military action in a slew of other countries. The vote was 61 to 36 to table — or kill — Paul’s amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. The Kentucky Republican’s proposal …

Via Mediaite: Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders will hold a briefing today in the White House’s James S. Brady room to talk about the Trump Administration’s latest moves. The White House has launched a new attempt to gain momentum for tax reform, calling for third-party groups to aid and abet the administration’s push for an overhaul. Details behind any tax …

The Daily Beast reports: The man President Trump nominated to be deputy administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has withdrawn from consideration after NBC News raised questions about his history of falsifying records during the Bush administration. “Given the distraction this will cause the agency in a time when they cannot afford to lose focus, I have withdrawn …

CNN reports: House Democrats sent special counsel Robert Mueller what they say is evidence that former national security adviser Michael Flynn failed to disclose a trip he took to the Middle East to explore a business deal with the Saudi government and a Russian government agency. The Democrats allege the retired Army lieutenant general broke the law by omitting the …

Raw Story reports: White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Tuesday said repeated her criticism of former FBI director James Comey. She also said the Department of Justice should consider prosecuting him. “I think everyone knows where the president stands on that issue. The president is proud of the decision he made. The president was 100 percent right in …