General
Giuliani Renews Push for Ukraine to Investigate Trump’s Political Opponents
Kenneth P. Vogel and Andrew E. Kramer, The New York Times
Months after backing out of a trip to Ukraine amid criticism that he was mixing partisan politics with foreign policy, Rudolph W. Giuliani, President Trump’s personal lawyer, has renewed his push for the Ukrainian government to pursue investigations into political opponents of Mr. Trump. Over the last few weeks, Mr. Giuliani has spoken on the phone and held an in-person meeting, in Madrid, with a top representative of the new Ukrainian president, encouraging his government to ramp up investigations into two matters of intense interest to Mr. Trump.
As Trump questions loyalty of US Jews, Israeli PM is quiet
Josef Federman, The Associated Press
Israel’s prime minister on Wednesday steered clear of Donald Trump’s comments questioning the loyalty of American Jews who support the Democratic Party, in sharp contrast to the tide of condemnation from Jewish critics who accused him of trafficking in anti-Semitic stereotypes. Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to keep quiet on the controversy reflected the importance of his close alliance with Trump — a relationship that has dented the bipartisan support Israel has traditionally enjoyed in Washington as well as Israel’s equally important ties with the American Jewish community.
Jurors at Greg Craig trial see invoice he backdated for Manafort
Josh Gerstein, Politico
Jurors at the trial of Greg Craig saw evidence on Wednesday that the former Obama White House counsel complied with a request from ex-Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort for a backdated and irregular $1.25 million invoice for a politically sensitive project that Craig undertook for the government of Ukraine. The jury also heard more details about the unusual funding arrangement for the report Craig prepared in 2012 on Ukraine’s prosecution of one of its former prime ministers, Yulia Tymoshenko, on abuse-of-office charges.
GOP megadonor John Childs has given over $330,000 to Republican fundraising committees since he was charged in prostitution sting
Brian Schwartz, CNBC
Republican megadonor and private equity investor John W. Childs has continued giving GOP fundraising committees large sums of money since he was charged in February with soliciting prostitution at a massage parlor in Florida. Over the course of the past five months, Childs has donated over $330,000 to the Republican National Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee, including two separate contributions of almost $50,000 in July to each group, Federal Election Commission records show.
White House & Administration
Trump claims he hasn’t shifted position on gun sale background checks after call with NRA
Jordyn Phelps, ABC News
President Donald Trump insisted on Wednesday that he hasn’t changed his position on gun sale background checks after a call with the NRA, even as he has walked back his previous call for “meaningful” reforms and now says the U.S. already has a strong background check system. “I don’t think I’ve changed positions at all. We’re working on background checks. There are things we can do. But we already have very serious background checks. We have strong background checks,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday.
Trump, frustrated by unpopularity with Jews, thrusts Israel into his culture war
Philip Rucker, The Washington Post
President Trump decided long ago that it would be smart politics for him to yoke his administration to Israel and to try to brand the Democratic Party as anti-Semitic. He set about executing a pro-Israel checklist: Moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, recognizing the Golan Heights as part of sovereign Israel and taking a hard line against Iran.
North Korea Casts Fresh Doubt on Talks as Trump Envoy Visits
Jihye Lee, Bloomberg
North Korea said it wouldn’t talk under “military threats,” raising new doubts about U.S. President Donald Trump’s effort to restart stalled nuclear negotiations. North Korea’s foreign ministry denounced joint U.S.-South Korean military drills and the introduction of “cutting-edge lethal equipment” such as F-35A fighter jets as a “grave provocation.”
U.S. and Venezuela Hold Secret Talks
José de Córdoba et al., The Wall Street Journal
The Trump administration has been secretly talking with top aides of Nicolás Maduro in an effort to push Venezuela’s authoritarian president from power and clear the way for free elections in the economically devastated country, according to officials in Caracas and Washington familiar with the discussions. The talks have involved powerful Maduro lieutenant Diosdado Cabello, who heads the country’s National Constituent Assembly and has been put under sanctions by Washington for alleged involvement in drug trafficking, and other important backers of the president in an effort to find a negotiated solution to the country’s crisis, these people said, adding the talks are at an early stage.
U.S.-Denmark Relations Are Now in the Hands of a Conspiracy-Loving, Climate-Denying Ex-Actress
Sam Stein and Will Sommer, The Daily Beast
The United States ambassador tasked with cleaning up bizarrely strained relations with Denmark in the wake of Donald Trump’s failed attempt to buy Greenland is a frequent retweeter of conspiracy theories who once starred in a movie so bad it was parodied on Mystery Science Theater 3000. Carla Sands heads the U.S. mission to the Kingdom of Denmark, after having been confirmed to the post in 2017.
Trump eases student loan forgiveness for disabled veterans
Michael Stratford, Politico
President Donald Trump on Wednesday directed the Education Department to more easily forgive the federal student loans owed by veterans with disabilities, making a move Education Secretary Betsy DeVos had resisted for months. Veterans and other student loan borrowers who are “totally and permanently” disabled are entitled under existing law to have their federal student loans canceled by the Education Department.
Trump says administration looking ‘seriously’ at ending birthright citizenship
Brett Samuels, The Hill
President Trump on Wednesday said his administration is once again seriously considering an executive order to end birthright citizenship months after several lawmakers cast doubt on his ability to take such action. “We’re looking at that very seriously,” Trump told reporters as he left the White House for Kentucky.
Senate
McConnell rejects Democrats’ ‘radical movement’ to abolish filibuster
Justin Wise, The Hill
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is pushing back against the emerging push to abolish the filibuster, saying that Democrats should consider retooling their “half-baked proposals” if they’re frustrated by longstanding Senate tradition. “A Democratic assault on the legislative filibuster would make the nomination fights look like child’s play,” McConnell writes in a New York Times op-ed published Thursday about the rule that requires 60 votes for the Senate to end debate on a bill.
Sen. Cotton says he asked Danish ambassador about selling Greenland
Talk Business & Politics
Months before President Donald Trump expressed an interest in buying Greenland, U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said he suggested the idea to the President and met with the Danish ambassador to propose the sale of the large land mass to the U.S. Speaking Wednesday (Aug. 21) at the inaugural Talk Business & Politics Power Lunch at the Red & Blue Events Center in Little Rock, Arkansas’ junior senator said buying Greenland is a no-brainer.
House
Congress pumps brakes on Interior push to relocate Bureau of Land Management
Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill
The Interior Department says it is moving ahead with plans to relocate a Washington-based agency to Colorado after getting the green light from Congress, but lawmakers say no such approval has been granted. The Department of the Interior is preparing to move 27 top officials at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to new headquarters in Grand Junction, Colo., while scattering other D.C.-based employees to other existing offices out West.
Federal judge allows Trump to appeal lawsuit over foreign payments accepted by his hotels
David A. Fahrenthold and Ann E. Marimow, The Washington Post
A federal judge Wednesday allowed President Trump to appeal rulings in a lawsuit that accuses him of violating the Constitution by doing business with foreign governments, putting the case on hold in the meantime. The ruling by District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan effectively pauses a lawsuit brought by more than 200 congressional Democrats, who say Trump’s companies, which include hotels, should be prohibited from taking payments from foreign states.
2020
ABC News Sets Moderators, Rules for Third Democratic Debate
Will Thorne, Variety
ABC News has announced the moderators for the third Democratic debate, as well as the qualification rules. The debate will be held on Thursday, Sept. 12, and will spill over to Friday, Sept. 13 if more than 10 candidates qualify.
Mike Pompeo says no to Senate run in exclusive, wide-ranging interview
Salena Zito, The Washington Examiner
Mike Pompeo closed the door on any speculation he might run for the open Senate seat in Kansas next year. “I am going to stay here,” he said in an exclusive interview with the Washington Examiner.
Trump and his Minnesota mini-me set out to flip the state red
Alex Isenstadt, Politico
For President Donald Trump, Minnesota is the one that got away in 2016. Now he’s fixated on flipping the state in 2020 — with the help of a provocative ex-radio host whose rantings earned him the nickname “mini-Trump.” Former GOP Rep. Jason Lewis is expected to launch his Minnesota Senate bid on Thursday with guidance from two of Trump’s top political lieutenants.
The Surprising Surge of Andrew Yang
Michael Kruse, Politico
Andrew Yang was sitting here in a rented silver Suburban outside a black chamber of commerce surrounded by five members of his rapidly growing campaign staff when he saw a new Fox News poll in which he was tied for fifth in the sprawling Democratic presidential primary. He stared at the screen of his phone and scrolled.
Sen. Bernie Sanders changes how Medicare-for-all plan treats union contracts in face of opposition by organized labor
Chelsea James et al., The Washington Post
Sen. Bernie Sanders announced a key change to his Medicare-for-all insurance plan Wednesday, a move meant to assuage fears on the part of organized labor, whose support is being heatedly sought by all of the candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination. Labor representatives have expressed concerns to candidates publicly and to campaign staffs privately that a single-payer system could negatively affect their benefits, which in many cases offer better coverage than private plans.
Bernie Sanders Unveils A $16 Trillion Plan To Address Climate Change
Zahra Hirji, BuzzFeed News
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders released his highly anticipated plan for how he would tackle the climate crisis as president, proposing a $16.3 trillion investment on his version of the Green New Deal. “The climate crisis is not only the single greatest challenge facing our country; it is also our single greatest opportunity to build a more just and equitable future, but we must act immediately,” the Sanders proposal says.
States
Colorado’s presidential electors don’t have to vote for candidate who wins the state, federal appeals court rules
Jesse Paul, The Colorado Sun
Colorado’s presidential electors do not have to vote for the candidate who wins the state’s popular vote, the powerful 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver ruled Tuesday evening, a decision that could have major ramifications for future elections. A three-judge panel on the federal appellate court ruled 2-1 against the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office in a case dating back to the 2016 presidential election, when three of the state’s nine presidential electors — the state’s Electoral College voice — tried to vote for candidates other than Democrat Hillary Clinton, who won handily in the state.
Cooper vetoes bill requiring sheriffs to cooperate with ICE
Paul A. Specht, The News & Observer
Gov. Roy Cooper has vetoed a bill that would require North Carolina sheriffs to comply with certain requests from federal immigration agents. The move comes a day after N.C. House members voted along party lines to approve the bill, which would have required sheriffs and other law enforcement officials to honor detention requests from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, also known as ICE.
Where West Virginia’s governor sleeps is now before a court
Anthony Izaguirre, The Associated Press
Can a governor be forced to live in the state capital? A persistent lawsuit seeking to do just that with West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice was back in a courtroom Wednesday.
Advocacy
National gun-control group launches campaign against suburban Republicans in Virginia
Gregory S. Schneider, The Washington Post
The national gun-control group Everytown for Gun Safety is beginning a digital advertising blitz in suburban swing districts in Virginia’s pivotal fall election, targeting Republican lawmakers in Northern Virginia, Richmond and Hampton Roads. The Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund has launched $135,000 worth of online ads to kick off a promised $2.5 million in spending this year in Virginia, which the group views as a proving ground for the gun-control issue ahead of next year’s presidential election.
How Amazon and Silicon Valley Seduced the Pentagon
James Bandler et al., ProPublica
On Aug. 8, 2017, Roma Laster, a Pentagon employee responsible for policing conflicts of interest, emailed an urgent warning to the chief of staff of then-Secretary of Defense James Mattis. Several department employees had arranged for Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon, to be sworn into an influential Pentagon advisory board despite the fact that, in the year since he’d been nominated, Bezos had never completed a required background check to obtain a security clearance.
Planned Parenthood sees swift fallout from quitting program
Lindsey Whitehurst and David Crary, The Associated Press
Planned Parenthood clinics in several states are charging new fees, tapping into financial reserves, intensifying fundraising and warning of more unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases in the wake of its decision to quit a $260 million federal family planning program in a dispute with the Trump administration over abortion. The fallout is especially intense in Utah, where Planned Parenthood has been the only provider participating in the nearly 50-year-old Title X program, and will now lose about $2 million yearly in federal funds that helped serve 39,000 mostly low-income, uninsured people.
Big Tech, a Conservative Provocateur and the Fight Over Disinformation
Nicholas Confessore and Justin Bank, The New York Times
Each day, in an office outside Phoenix, a team of young writers and editors curates reality. In the America presented on their news and opinion website, WesternJournal.com, tradition-minded patriots face ceaseless assault by anti-Christian bigots, diseased migrants and race hustlers concocting hate crimes. Danger and outrages loom.
Opinions, Editorials and Perspectives
Data Dispels Two Common Myths about Mass Killings
Sheldon Jacobson, Morning Consult
In the wake of the two most recent and tragic mass killings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, the news cycle has brought with it no small amount of speculation that mass killings are on the rise and that one attack tends to inspire a copycat. While these assumptions are understandable, the data simply does not support them.
Cut the Trump Uncertainty Tax
The Editorial Board, The Wall Street Journal
President Trump isn’t famous for consistency, but his reversal on a new round of tax cuts may be a record. On Tuesday he said he was considering a cut in the payroll tax and indexing capital gains for inflation, but on Wednesday he took it all back.
Trump missing an opportunity to burnish his legacy with gun law
Nathan L. Gonzales, Roll Call
President Donald Trump has forgotten who holds the power within the Republican Party. There’s a perception that the National Rifle Association has an impenetrable lock on base Republican voters and thus is holding GOP members of Congress captive.
Research Reports and Polling
Trump’s 2,000 Conflicts of Interest (And Counting)
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
During his run for president, Donald Trump promised that he would “drain the swamp” in Washington by rooting out corruption and wrenching power from lobbyists and special interests. In the two and a half years since he assumed the office of President of the United States, he has done exactly the opposite: placing former lobbyists in positions of power while giving foreign governments and special interests the opportunity to purchase access to his administration by patronizing his businesses.
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