| | | | And the Russian investigation continues | | Developing today: The New York Times reported that two White House officials played a role in providing House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes the intelligence he received there last week -- a report White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer would neither confirm nor deny.
The same hour the Times story broke, the White House said it was inviting the top-ranking lawmakers on the House and Senate intelligence committees to view materials it said had been uncovered in the course of looking into Trump's claims he'd been surveilled by the Obama administration. Top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff confirmed during a news conference that he was invited to the White House to view those intelligence documents.
Meanwhile, at the Senate hearing: We learned that Russian interference with American politics did not stop after the election, and prominent Republicans -- including House Speaker Paul Ryan and Sen. Marco Rubio -- have been targeted by coordinated social media attacks.
And while this is all unfolding: Russian President Vladimir Putin described allegations that his country meddled in the 2016 US election as "fictional, illusory, provocations and lies." Asked directly on Thursday whether Russia interfered in the election, Putin said: "Read my lips: No." | | Republicans rush to save House seat in Georgia | | Eric's story today: National Republicans are racing into the northern Atlanta suburbs amid fears an energized anti-Donald Trump resistance and a disengaged conservative electorate could allow Democrat Jon Ossoff to pick off a House seat that has been in GOP hands for decades in a special election to replace Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price.
Here's what's happening: The National Republican Congressional Committee -- the House GOP's campaign arm -- is launching cable television, radio and digital ads and placing five field staffers into the district next week, according to a GOP operative familiar with the efforts. The Republican National Committee, meanwhile, already has six staffers on the ground, and plans to increase that number to 15 before the April 18 contest, the Republican operative said. The RNC has opened one field office in the district and soon plans to open a second.
Keep an eye out ... Eric has a deep dive into the Georgia 6th District race posting tomorrow morning. | | "This was the first campaign that I can recall where my party did not talk about what it always stood for, and that was how to maintain a burgeoning middle class." -- Former Vice President Joe Biden, criticizing Hillary Clinton's campaign at the University of Pennsylvania today. | | | | Gizmodo's Ashley Feinberg's account of how she tracked down (what is almost certainly) FBI Director James Comey's secret Twitter account is the best thing you'll read today. | | The state of the Republican Party today, in 8 tweets | | Republicans say they want to take another stab at repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act. But they'll need to be on the same page to do so -- and that looked extremely unlikely this morning on Twitter.
President Donald Trump started with an attack on the hard-line conservative House Freedom Caucus -- implying that he'd support establishment-type primary challenges to them in the midterms: | | | Then two Freedom Caucus members swung back: | | | This evening, Trump was back at it ... calling out three House Freedom Caucus leaders by name. | | | Separately ... House Speaker Paul Ryan was complaining that Trump might work with Democrats on health care in an interview on CBS. | | | Some members of the House Republican conference are still fuming at the Freedom Caucus. | | | But senators, including Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tennessee, were taking swipes at Ryan over his approach. | | 4 things you may have missed today | | Ivanka Trump is making her White House job official: "I have heard the concerns some have with my advising the President in my personal capacity while voluntarily complying with all ethics rules, and I will instead serve as an unpaid employee in the White House Office, subject to all of the same rules as other federal employees," Ivanka Trump said in a statement. More from CNN's Dan Merica, Gloria Borger, Jim Acosta and Betsy Klein.
White House staff shake-up comes in wake of health care debacle: Katie Walsh, the White House's deputy chief of staff, will join a nonprofit group supporting the President's agenda. The move marks the second departure of a senior White House official in the first months of the administration. More from CNN's Jim Acosta, Gloria Borger and Jeremy Diamond.
Seattle challenges Trump over "sanctuary cities": The city of Seattle has filed a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's executive order on so-called sanctuary cities, calling it "fatally ambiguous" and unconstitutional. A sanctuary city is a broad term that refers to cities or states with policies in place that limit involvement in federal immigration enforcement. More from CNN's Eric Levenson.
North Carolina repeals its "bathroom bill": North Carolina lawmakers passed a bill that repeals the state's controversial bathroom law in a move meant to end a year of tumult that saw businesses leave and major sporting events and concerts canceled. More from CNN's Jason Hanna, Madison Park and Eliott C. McLaughlin. | | | Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin and Heidi Heitkamp say they'll support Judge Neil Gorsuch for the vacant Supreme Court seat. ... GOP Sen. Johnny Isakson, who is recovering from back surgery, returned to the Capitol Thursday to cast a key vote to help advance a controversial measure related to Planned Parenthood funding. ... The Library of Congress will preserve the recordings of 25 additional artists and personalities in the National Recording Registry, including hip-hop group NWA's "Straight Outta Compton" album and Judy Garland's single, "Somewhere Over The Rainbow." | | | We'd love to share our other newsletters with you. Check out Five Things for Your New Day, CNN's morning newsletter. Give us five minutes, and we'll brief you on all the news and buzz people will be talking about. | | | Get the Nightcap, a comprehensive summary of the most important political news, delivered to your inbox daily. | | | | | |
Post a Comment