| | | | 6 storylines to watch on the Fourth of July -- and beyond | | It's (almost) the Fourth of July -- a day for rest and relaxation for most of us. (This feels like the right time to let you know there will be no Point newsletter tomorrow. We'll be back Thursday.)
So as we take a mid-week pause for barbecue and America, it's worth remembering just how many balls are in the air for President Donald Trump right now.
Consider:
1. Trump plans to unveil his Supreme Court nominee on Monday, setting off a heated fight over whether his pick -- if confirmed -- could alter the ideological balance on the Court and potentially jeopardize legalized abortion, among other hot-button issues.
2. Negotiations between the United States and North Korea are ongoing -- even as evidence has emerged that the rogue nation is ramping up construction at a ballistic missile facility. Trump has insisted on denuclearization of the Korean peninsula but there's little concrete evidence -- yet -- to back up the idea that North Korea will go for that.
3. There is still no long-term -- or medium-term -- fix for the family separation crisis at the border. Congress is spending this week on recess and Trump seems disinclined to rescind the "zero-tolerance" policy his administration put in place this spring. And sidebar: Is comprehensive immigration reform dead?
4. The federal government will run out of money at the end of September. Neither the White House nor congressional Democrats seem willing to give on the push/pull between full funding of the President's border wall and a path to citizenship for DACA recipients.
5. Trump is set to meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland on July 16. Trump is expected to meet one-on-one with Putin during that summit.
6. Special counsel Robert Mueller continues his probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and the possibility of collusion between the Russians and the Trump campaign.
The Point: All of these balls are likely to drop sometime between now and November. How they fall will factor hugely in the midterms -- and the outlook for Trump going into the 2020 campaign.
-- Chris | | "So the court is ... flexible. It's got a lot of neuroplasticity on that court. I do not see Roe v. Wade being overturned."
-- Former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci, in an interview Tuesday morning with CNN's Alisyn Camerota on "New Day," when asked whether he thinks Roe v. Wade will be overturned by the Supreme Court. | | | ADMIN TO RESCIND OBAMA'S DIVERSITY GUIDELINES | | CNN's Laura Jarrett and Clare Foran report: "The Trump administration is planning to rescind a set of Obama-era policies that promote using race to achieve diversity in schools, a source familiar with the plans tells CNN. While the decision does not change current US law on affirmative action, it provides a strong illustration on the administration's position on an issue that could take on renewed attention with the departure of Justice Anthony Kennedy from the Supreme Court.
"The executive branch cannot circumvent Congress or the courts by creating guidance that goes beyond the law and -- in some instances -- stays on the books for decades," Justice Department spokesperson Devin O'Malley told CNN in a statement. "Last year, the attorney general initiated a review of guidance documents, which resulted in dozens of examples -- including today's second tranche of rescissions -- of documents that go beyond or are inconsistent with the Constitution and federal law. The Justice Department remains committed to enforcing the law and protecting all Americans from all forms of illegal race-based discrimination."
The decision comes as the administration has thrown its weight behind a student group that accuses Harvard University of discriminating against Asian-Americans in its admissions process. Read more in CNN's story here. | | 🎇 HAPPY ALMOST 4TH OF JULY🎇 | | | A programming note from The Point team: We will not publish a newsletter tomorrow. We'll be back Thursday. Enjoy Independence Day! | | | Speaking of the Fourth ... here's a great Spotify playlist for your party. | | | Today's topic: President Trump's tweet about North Korea and nuclear war. | | WH FLAGS TO BE LOWERED TO HONOR VICTIMS OF SHOOTING | | From CNN's Maegan Vazquez and Abby Phillip: "President Donald Trump ordered American flags to be lowered to half-staff through Tuesday to honor of the victims of last week's deadly shooting at an Annapolis, Maryland, newspaper. The city's mayor said the request was initially denied.
"Five people were killed and two were injured on Thursday in a 'targeted attack' on the Capital Gazette newspaper by a gunman with a grudge against the paper, authorities have said. Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley subsequently asked the White House to order the lowering of American flags.
"Asked about Buckley's claim that his request was denied, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told CNN on Tuesday morning that 'as soon as the President directly heard by the request made by the mayor, he asked that we reach out and verify that the mayor had made the request. When we did, the President asked that the flags be lowered immediately.'" Read more here; and read about the victims who lost their lives here. | | Sorry, Oprah Winfrey fans: The media mogul has again said she's definitely not interested in running for president in 2020. Winfrey first sparked buzz about a potential presidency with her rousing Cecil B. DeMille Award acceptance speech during the Golden Globes.
Winfrey told British Vogue in a recent interview: "In that political structure -- all the non-truths, the bullsh*t, the crap, the nastiness, the backhanded backroom stuff that goes on -- I feel like I could not exist, I would not be able to do it. It's not a clean business. It would kill me."
Read more in CNN's full story here. | | THE #ABOLISHICE MOVEMENT (AND BACKLASH) CONTINUES | | Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday afternoon tweeted that he will visit ICE "to get a briefing on their work and thank the hard-working men and women of ICE for their commitment to the safety of our country. The safety and security of America should NEVER become a partisan issue."
His tweet comes after the official White House Twitter account took an abnormally partisan turn Monday night, targeting Democratic senators over their recent statements about US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "The account, which on Monday evening had more than 17 million followers, directly tweeted at Sens. Kamala Harris, D-California, and Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts," CNN's Sophie Tatum and Kaitlan Collins reported.
"Warren called for abolishing ICE in a Facebook post on Saturday. Although Harris has not called for ending ICE altogether, she has demanded changes to the agency. The White House did not respond to a request for comment." Read more in CNN's story here.
For context, there's now a growing list of Dems who want to abolish ICE. Lawmakers who have taken this stance include Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Pramila Jayapal of Washington, Mark Pocan of Wisconsin and others. CNN's Greg Krieg writes: "The speed with which the progressive push to 'Abolish ICE' moved from activist circles to the national political stage has Democratic leaders scrambling to craft a coherent message, consider their tactics and, in some cases, simply figure out where they stand." Read more in his story here. | | | From Brenna: "Have you ever felt like you were the only person in your office not on vacation? Florida Rep. John Rutherford can probably relate. He was in DC today to gavel in a House pro forma session. Because if there's one place you want to be the day before the Fourth of July, it's in landlocked, swampy DC and not sunny, beachy Florida. Set your OOO email to encourage your coworkers to subscribe to The Point." | | We'd love to share our other newsletters with you. Follow this link for daily coverage of the world's top stories, savvy market insights, an insider's look into the media, and more. Our authors for The Point are Chris Cillizza and Saba Hamedy. Send your tips and thoughts via email to Chris or Saba. Follow on Twitter: Chris and Saba.
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