General
North Korea says it tested crucial new rocket launch system
Kim Tong-Hyung, The Associated Press
North Korea said Thursday leader Kim Jong Un supervised the first test firing of a new multiple rocket launcher system that could potentially enhance its ability to strike targets in South Korea and U.S. military bases there. The report by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency differed from the assessment by South Korea’s military, which had concluded Wednesday’s launches were of two short-range ballistic missiles.
North Korean soldier makes midnight dash to freedom across DMZ
David Crawshaw, The Washington Post
A North Korean soldier defected by making a perilous midnight journey across the heavily fortified demilitarized zone into South Korea, defense officials in Seoul said Thursday, adding that they detained the man for questioning. The man crossed into South Korea late on Wednesday and was spotted moving south along the Imjin River about 11:38 p.m., South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
U.S. Stock Futures Nudge Higher
Caitlin Ostroff, The Wall Street Journal
European indexes and U.S. stock futures edged higher a day after the Federal Reserve cut interest rates but didn’t signal that more stimulus was on the way. The Stoxx Europe 600 was up 0.5% in midday trading, with broad-based rises balancing a drop in the basic-resources sector.
Conciliatory tone as top diplomats from United States and China meet
Cate Cadell and Patpicha Tanakasempipat, Reuters
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and China’s top diplomat Wang Yi met face-to-face for the first time this year on Thursday and Wang said they discussed ways to promote China-U.S. ties despite “recent disturbances”. The words contrasted with the scorn Chinese officials have heaped on Pompeo recently, with U.S.-Chinese ties souring on multiple fronts, from a trade war to U.S. sanctions on Chinese telecoms giant Huawei to Taiwan and the South China Sea.
Son of Osama bin Laden Believed Dead
Warren P. Strobel, The Wall Street Journal
Hamza bin Laden, the son of al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden and a rising figure in his late father’s violent Islamist group, is believed to have died, U.S. officials said Wednesday. The date, location and other circumstances surrounding the death weren’t immediately clear, but communication among militants suggests he had been killed, the officials said.
White House & Administration
Team Trump Turns to Lindsey Graham to Cut an Iran Deal
Erin Banco and Asawin Suebsaeng, The Daily Beast
President Trump wants a new deal with Iran to replace the nuclear agreement he pulled out of, and he’s turning to one of his most hawkish confidants to help do it. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is working in close coordination with senior Trump administration officials who focus on Middle East policy to find an alternative to the Obama administration’s Iran deal, four people with knowledge of the efforts tell The Daily Beast.
Tom Barrack Snagged Saudi Money After Trump Transition Meetings
Caleb Melby and Gillian Tan, Bloomberg
Tom Barrack, the investor and longtime friend of President Donald Trump, was an early advocate of strengthening ties between the White House and Saudi Arabia. Now his firm, Colony Capital Inc., is doing business with the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund.
Trump Orders Navy to Strip Medals From Prosecutors in War Crimes Trial
Peter Baker, The New York Times
President Trump intervened once again on behalf of a Navy SEAL who was charged but acquitted of war crimes in the death of a captured Islamic State fighter in Iraq, ordering the military to punish the prosecutors who tried the case in the first place. Mr. Trump angrily lashed out at the Navy for awarding commendations to prosecutors in the murder trial of Edward Gallagher, a former special operations chief, and he publicly instructed Pentagon officials to strip them of the medals.
White House races to come up with health-care wins for Trump’s campaign
Yasmeen Abutaleb and Josh Dawsey, The Washington Post
White House advisers, scrambling to create a health-care agenda for President Trump to promote on the campaign trail, are meeting at least daily with the aim of rolling out a measure every two to three weeks until the 2020 election. One of the initiatives would allow states to import lower-priced drugs from Canada and other countries and another would bar Medicare from paying more than any other country for prescription drugs, according to two senior administration officials and lobbyists — controversial ideas in line with Democratic proposals.
A New Trump Rule Could Weaken A Civil Rights Era Housing Discrimination Law
Chris Arnold, NPR News
The Trump administration is moving to weaken the civil rights era Fair Housing Act — making it much harder to bring lawsuits alleging discrimination in housing, according to housing advocates. But conservative groups applaud the move and say it would stop frivolous lawsuits.
Trump taps Sean Spicer to join Naval Academy board of visitors
Brett Samuels, The Hill
President Trump plans to appoint former White House press secretary Sean Spicer to the Naval Academy’s Board of Visitors, the White House announced Wednesday. Spicer is one of three individuals Trump intends to name to the board, which monitors the academics, morale and finances of the Naval Academy.
Senate
‘Constant chaos’: Senate Republicans eye summer exit
Burgess Everett, Politico
Senate Republicans’ long, hot summer of Trump is finally ending. And for many in the GOP, it can’t come soon enough. In just the month of July, the party has weathered a flurry of racist tweets from President Donald Trump attacking four minority congresswomen, a pro-Trump “send her back” chant and the president’s barrage on the city of Baltimore and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.).
Senate kicks budget vote to Thursday amid questions over GOP support
Jordain Carney, The Hill
The Senate has kicked the vote on a two-year budget and debt ceiling deal to Thursday amid lingering questions about whether a majority of Republicans will back the agreement. GOP senators emerged from a closed-door lunch Wednesday saying they expected the budget vote would take place Thursday around noon.
Senate Confirms Norquist for No. 2 Pentagon Job
Patrick Kelley, Roll Call
The Senate late Tuesday night confirmed by voice vote David Norquist to be deputy Defense secretary as the chamber rushes to vote on numerous nominees before senators leave town for August recess. Norquist’s easy, late-night passage underscores his popularity on Capitol Hill. As Pentagon comptroller, he shepherded the Defense Department through its first-ever audit, and received plaudits from members of both parties during his confirmation before the Senate Armed Services Committee last week.
Senate Armed Services sends Hyten nomination to floor despite sexual assault allegations
Patrick Kelley and John M. Donnelly, Roll Call
The Senate Armed Services Committee on Wednesday advanced Gen. John Hyten’s nomination to be vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Senate floor amid some opposition from senators concerned about sexual assault allegations launched against the four-star. The committee’s endorsement of Hyten on a 20-7 vote in a closed-door session comes one day after his confirmation hearing, during which he defended himself against accusations made made by a former subordinate, Army Col. Kathryn A. Spletstoser.
Senate Panel Backs Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Sanctions Bill
Timothy Gardner, Patricia Zengerle, Reuters
A U.S. Senate committee passed a bill on Wednesday to slap sanctions on companies and individuals involved in building the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany that the Trump administration says would strengthen Moscow’s economic grip on Europe. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed the “Protecting Europe’s Energy Security Act,” by a vote of 20 to 2. The bill, which reflects some lawmakers’ concerns over Russian influence in Europe, would still need to pass the full Senate and House of Representatives and be signed by President Donald Trump into law.
House
Republicans rattled after surge of retirements
Melanie Zanona, Politico
The House GOP has been smacked by a wave of retirements over the past few weeks — but some Republicans fear the worst is yet to come. With the GOP relegated to the minority for the first time in eight years, a mix of veteran and vulnerable members have decided to call it quits instead of sticking around to see whether the party wins back power in 2020.
Democrats agree to September legal arguments in effort to access secret Mueller evidence
Kyle Cheney, Politico
House Democrats weighing the impeachment of President Donald Trump have agreed to a two-month schedule of court filings with the Justice Department in an effort to obtain special counsel Robert Mueller’s grand jury material. Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee, who say accessing Mueller’s files is necessary to determine whether they will ultimately recommend articles of impeachment against Trump, agreed to the timetable, which would likely result in an October ruling.
Top House lawyer takes center stage in legal battles against Trump
Andrew Desiderio and Kyle Cheney, Politico
Jerry Nadler and Adam Schiff are the public faces of the House Democrats’ battles with Donald Trump, appearing on TV regularly to harangue the president for his resistance to their investigations. But the job of fighting the president in federal court — and, lately, winning — has been left to a lesser-known figure: House general counsel Douglas Letter.
2020
Soros launches new super PAC for 2020
Maggie Severns, Politico
Democratic mega-donor George Soros is creating a new super PAC, called Democracy PAC, to serve as a hub for his 2020 election spending. Soros, a billionaire financier, is putting an initial $5 million into the PAC, according to a person familiar with the new organization.
RNC chair defends GOP donor platform in tense meeting
Alex Isenstadt, Politico
Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel grew visibly emotional during a meeting with senior GOP officials on Wednesday, as she insisted that she isn’t personally profiting off a new, President Donald Trump-endorsed small-donor platform. McDaniel and other party leaders, including Trump campaign aides, are gathered in Charlotte, N.C., for the RNC’s annual three-day summer meeting.
Gun safety groups to host presidential forum
Michelle L. Price, The Associated Press
Two prominent gun safety organizations said Thursday that they will host a forum for Democratic presidential candidates in Las Vegas on Oct. 2, the day after the city marks the second anniversary of the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. The Giffords group and March For Our Lives told The Associated Press that the forum focused on gun violence will be the first of its kind for presidential hopefuls and will be open to all candidates who meet the Democratic National Committee’s polling and fundraising thresholds for the September debate.
States
Protest Over Eric Garner’s Death Disrupts Democratic Debate
Nick Corasaniti, The New York Times
Protesters twice disrupted the Democratic presidential debate on Wednesday night, shouting from the packed crowd in the Fox Theater in Detroit with enough power to bring the candidates and the broadcast to a halt. During the opening statements, a group of protesters interrupted Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey by chanting “Fire Pantaleo!” — a reference to Officer Daniel Pantaleo, who put Eric Garner in a fatal chokehold on Staten Island in 2014.
Michigan’s Governor Is Giving Advice To Democrats Trying To Win The Midwest: Don’t Get Distracted By Trump
Henry J. Gomez, BuzzFeed News
The most important Democrat at this week’s presidential debates is not a presidential candidate. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, whose election last year signaled that a big state key to Donald Trump’s surprise victory could swing back to her party in 2020, has a starring role as host.
Advocacy
Ex-McConnell staffers lobbied on Russian-backed Kentucky project
Natasha Bertrand and Theodoric Meyer, Politico
Two former top staffers to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have lobbied Congress and the Treasury Department on the development of a new Kentucky aluminum mill backed by the Russian aluminum giant Rusal, according to a new lobbying disclosure. The disclosure comes as Democrats are pushing the Trump administration to review Rusal’s $200 million investment in the Kentucky project — concerned that the mill will supply the Defense Department — and as McConnell weathers criticism for helping block a congressional effort to stop the investment.
GOP super PAC investing in North Carolina special election
Simone Pathé, Roll Call
The super PAC backed by House Republican leadership is investing resources in North Carolina’s 9th District ahead of next month’s special election. Congressional Leadership Fund is launching a field program this week that’s backed by $150,000.
Opinions, Editorials and Perspectives
Why my committee needs the president’s tax returns
Richard Neal, The Washington Post
For three decades, the House of Representatives and its Ways and Means Committee have been the site of my life’s work. I never aspired to be a senator or governor or president.
A nuclear treaty is about to vanish. Its demise should teach a lesson.
Editorial Board, The Washington Post
On Friday, a pillar of global security will expire. Perhaps no one will notice when the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty of 1987 slips into oblivion; the threat of nuclear attack in just minutes that seemed so unnerving during the late 20th century has now faded into a distant memory, lost to complacency at the Cold War’s end. But the demise of the INF Treaty should teach a lesson.
Wednesday’s presidential debate turns on character as much as ideology, a foreboding turn for Democrats
Dan Balz, The Washington Post
Democrats turned their presidential debate into a spiral of attacks against one another here Wednesday night, spending more than two hours squabbling over policy details and questioning each other’s honesty or character but only sporadically making a strong case for defeating President Trump in 2020. In one way, the debate was exactly what had been expected, a series of attacks against former vice president Joe Biden, the leader in the polls who had faltered in the first debate in Miami and needed to rebound in Detroit.
The Heartland Is Moving in Different Directions
Thomas B. Edsall, The New York Times
The Democrats’ ability to wrest back Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa faces a steep hurdle. The population of the Rust Belt is aging at a much faster pace than the rest of the country.
Research Reports and Polling
As Redress for Slavery, Americans Oppose Cash Reparations
Mohamed Younis, Gallup
In June, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties held a hearing on reparations to African Americans for the first time in more than in a decade. While reparations could take many forms, the most straightforward would be cash payments by the government to descendants of American slaves.
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