with Joanie Greve and Mariana Alfaro
The four female senators running for president picked high-energy tracks from strong female artists. Two of the men went with hits from the Clash. And, of course, Bruce Springsteen made the cut.
There was rock, pop, rap and country. There were oldies, but also a tune that’s No. 6 this week on the Top 40 chart.
There’s a long history in politics of songs defining candidates, and vice versa. Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop” will always conjure Bill Clinton’s 1992 triumph. Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song” will forever evoke Hillary Clinton’s 2016 defeat.
President Trump takes the stage at his raucous rallies to “God Bless the U.S.A.” from Lee Greenwood and exits to “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” from the Rolling Stones.
Here are the walk-up songs for the 2020 candidates vying to replace him:
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.): “Work That,” by Mary J. Blige.
It’s a song about ignoring haters to do what you know is right on your own terms.
“It's been her walk-on music since she launched the campaign,” said Harris spokeswoman Lily Adams. “Can't go wrong with Mary J. ‘Don't hold back you. Just be yourself.’ Who can disagree with that?”
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.): “Good as Hell,” by Lizzo.
It’s a breakup song in which a woman helps her friend get over a man who has wronged her. “Time to focus on you,” she sings.
“Lizzo is a badass who time and again models female empowerment and the beauty in being yourself,” said Gillibrand spokeswoman Meredith Kelly. “We love her music and message of acceptance, and nobody is better at pumping you up before a big speech.”
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.): “The Bullpen,” by Dessa.
This is probably the most obscure song on the list. Dessa is a mostly unknown rapper from Minneapolis. “Forget the bull in the china shop. There's a china doll in the bullpen,” she sings. “Swing at every pitch. It's all in the wrist. Fire from the hip.”
The song has been playing at Klobuchar’s rallies since she announced her candidacy outside during a snowstorm in February. The daughter of a legendary sports columnist, herself a die-hard Minnesota Twins fan who wrote her senior thesis at Yale about the Metrodome, said this song speaks to her. “It’s sort of like a woman running for president with all the guys,” the senator said. “And that’s why I say: May the best woman win.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.): “9 to 5,” by Dolly Parton.
This 1980 classic is the title track of one of the greatest, and funniest, movies about the empowerment of working women, especially when they unite to challenge sexism in the office, as Parton’s character does with Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda in the film. It’s also a nod to Warren’s working-class roots in Oklahoma. “They just use your mind and they never give you credit,” Parton sings. “It's enough to drive you crazy, if you let it.”
Mayor Pete Buttigieg: “High Hopes,” by Panic! at the Disco.
“The selection is a reflection of a generation’s high hopes for a new era of politics,” said Buttigieg spokesman Chris Meagher, who noted that the mayor has been taking the stage to the track since his April kickoff rally in South Bend, Ind.
“Shooting for the stars when I couldn't make a killing,” the song goes. “Didn't have a dime, but I always had a vision.”
Coincidentally, Frank Sinatra’s “High Hopes” was John F. Kennedy’s theme song in 1960. Kennedy, then 43, promised a new generation of leadership for a new decade after two terms of Dwight Eisenhower, who was then 70. Kennedy was the youngest man elected president. Buttigieg, 37, would break that record.
Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.): “Lovely Day,” by Bill Withers.
The soothing R&B track from 1977 captures the feel-good vibe that Booker is going for with his stump speech, in which he appeals to people’s higher angels rather than their darkest fears.
“Cory is a fan of Bill Withers,” said Booker spokeswoman Sabrina Singh. “Overall the song is heartwarming, optimistic, forward-looking and soulful.”
Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.): “The Rising,” by Bruce Springsteen.
The Sept. 11 attacks moved the Boss to write this song about a firefighter climbing one of the World Trade Center towers toward his death. But with its allusions to Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” (“the garden of a thousand sighs”) and the Bible (“I see Mary in the garden”), it’s really an allegory for the resurrection of America from the depths of its darkest hour of despair.
“‘The Rising’ is a throwback,” said Bennet spokeswoman Shannon Beckham. “It was the song played in 2010 when he won his first-ever electoral victory in the primary.”
Joe Biden: “We Take Care of Our Own,” by Springsteen.
The former vice president was not in Iowa this weekend, but he’s been coming on stage to another Springsteen song. This one laments how folks have become less willing to help one another out over the years. It exhorts listeners to think about the community and their shared purpose. “I've been stumblin' on good hearts turned to stone,” Springsteen sings. “The road of good intentions has gone dry as a bone.” This was a staple of Barack Obama campaign rallies in 2012 and played at the convention that summer. For his formal kickoff speech in Philadelphia last month, Biden came on to Elton John’s “Philadelphia Freedom.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.): “Power to the People,” by John Lennon.
One of the most famous protest songs ever, the lyrics urge people to get on their feet and into the street if they want a revolution. It’s been a staple of rallies for the democratic socialist since 2016, who calls for a political revolution in his stump speech. His candidacy is also inextricably linked with “America” by Simon and Garfunkel, a song he built a memorable commercial around in 2016.
Gov. Steve Bullock (D-Mont.): “Small Town,” by John Mellencamp.
The classic is a nostalgic paean to life in rural America. The governor’s team says he picked it as an homage to his hometown of Helena, population 31,000. “Governor Bullock was born and raised in a small town,” said spokeswoman Galia Slayen. “His kids now go to the same schools he attended. So you could say he was educated in a small town.”
Former congressman John Delaney: “I've Been Everywhere,” by Johnny Cash.
Delaney spokeswoman Carrie Healey said the businessman turned politician selected the song because he has already visited all 99 counties in Iowa, has traveled over 20,000 miles and has made more trips to Iowa – 29 – than any other 2020 candidate. “We have made winning back rural America a big part of our campaign,” she said.
Among the cities that Cash recounts visiting in the fast-paced song are four in the Hawkeye State: Spirit Lake, Oskaloosa, Waterloo and Sioux City.
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.): “Caught Up in the Country,” by Rodney Atkins.
The 38-year-old represents the San Francisco Bay area in Congress, but he’s eager to highlight that he was born in rural Iowa, where his dad was a policy officer. He refers to Dublin, Calif., as an “adopted hometown.” His campaign has been playing the new country song since he launched his candidacy in mid-April to define him as a country boy at heart.
“He likes it because it's upbeat and optimistic, and the lyrics probably remind him of where he spent his early childhood: Algona, Iowa,” said Swalwell spokesman Josh Richman. “Good memories!”
Gov. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.): “Mr. Blue Sky,” by Electric Light Orchestra.
The 1977 song is about how good it feels when the sun comes out after weeks of cloudiness and rain. That’s intended as a metaphor for what might happen at the end of the Trump era, but it’s also a reflection of the degree to which Inslee has centered his entire campaign on addressing climate change.
“We used it when he keynoted the same dinner last year, and it’s been his walk-up music ever since,” said Inslee spokesman Jamal Raad. “We used it in California last weekend too.”
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio): “Old Town Road,” by Lil Nas X.
This catchy song about a modern-day cowboy, with its cross-genre appeal, is having its moment on the charts. It’s sparked a debate about whether it’s country or rap.
“With 19 stump speeches back-to-back, Tim Ryan wanted to give the people what they wanted and the people wanted Lil Nas X,” said Ryan spokesman Michael Zetts. “Tim Ryan delivered.”
Former governor John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.): “Good Life,” by OneRepublic.
The wistful song includes a shout-out to Colorado.
Former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke: “Clampdown,” by the Clash.
This 1970s British punk rock song warns young people against conformity and encourages idealism. It’s critical of the establishment and alludes to the shortcomings of unfettered capitalism.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio: “Rudie Can't Fail,” by the Clash.
This duet came from the same album (“London Calling”) as “Clampdown.” It also celebrates youth activism, in this case the rude boys of Jamaica.
Tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang: “Return of the Mack,” by Mark Morrison.
This is also a British song. It’s characteristically iconoclastic.
Former housing secretary Julián Castro: “Baila Esta Cumbia,” by Selena.
The former San Antonio mayor loves this peppy 1990 dance song from the queen of Tejano music.
Like Castro, Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) missed Sunday’s event in Iowa. Asked what his walk-up song is, Moulton spokesman Matt Corridoni replied: “Haven't debuted it yet.”
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii): “Ain't No Mountain High Enough,” by Tammi Terrell and Marvin Gaye.
“This song nicely represents the spirit behind something that Tulsi regularly says at her town halls,” said Gabbard spokesman Cullen Tiernan, adding this quote from the congresswoman: “The road ahead will not be easy. … But I know that when we stand united, by our love for the American people and our country, there is no obstacle we cannot overcome. There is no battle we cannot win.”
Spiritual guru Marianne Williamson: “Higher Ground,” by Stevie Wonder.
“The world today, including politics, is lower ground,” said Williamson spokeswoman Patricia Ewing. “We need to seek higher ground.”
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WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING:
-- Kim Jong Nam, the half brother of Kim Jong Un who was killed with a nerve agent at a Malaysian airport in 2017, was a CIA source who repeatedly met with agency operatives. The Wall Street Journal’s Warren P. Strobel reports: “Many details of Mr. Kim’s relationship with the CIA remain unclear. Several former U.S. officials said the half brother, who had lived outside of North Korea for many years and had no known power base in Pyongyang, was unlikely to be able to provide details of the secretive country’s inner workings. They also said Mr. Kim—who resided mainly in the Chinese enclave of Macau—was almost certainly in contact with security services of other countries, particularly China’s. … There has been speculation among former U.S. officials and analysts that outside countries, including China, saw Kim Jong Nam as a possible successor to Kim Jong Un should the latter’s rule be in danger. But U.S. intelligence agencies concluded Kim Jong Nam was ill-suited to fill such a role, several former U.S. officials said. …
“U.S. intelligence officials at first felt relief that the CIA’s interaction with Mr. Kim wasn’t exposed in the immediate aftermath of his killing ... But three months after his death, in May 2017, the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun reported that while in Malaysia, Kim Jong Nam met with a Korean-American whom Malaysian officials suspected was a U.S. intelligence officer. Mr. Kim’s role as a CIA source also is described in a book about Kim Jong Un, ‘The Great Successor,’ written by a Washington Post reporter [Anna Fifield] and due to be published on Tuesday, according to news reports citing excerpts of the book.”
-- A human rights group said it has identified hundreds of spots where witnesses claim North Korea carried out public executions and state killings. (AP)
GET SMART FAST:
The Warriors survived Game 5 of the NBA Finals, beating the Raptors 106-105, but Kevin Durant injured his Achilles’. San Francisco staved off elimination. Toronto fans are being blasted for cheering after Durant's injury. “An incredible win and a horrible loss at the same time,” Warriors Coach Steve Kerr said. (Ben Golliver)
A helicopter pilot died after his aircraft crashed into the roof of a building in midtown Manhattan. City and state officials said the crash did not appear to be intentional or an act of terrorism, while the pilot was identified by his employer as Tim McCormack. (Eli Rosenberg and Michael Brice-Saddler)
A forecast predicts that record rainfall in the Midwest will create one of the largest-ever “dead zones” in the Gulf of Mexico. The algae overfed by the excess rainfall will cause fish to suffocate or flee, affecting the fishermen who rely on the local environment for their livelihoods. (Sarah Kaplan)
More American businesses are making changes in response to climate change worries. In a recent survey by Deloitte, 84 percent of business decision-makers said they were aware of grave climate change reports, and two-thirds of those familiar with the reports said they’ve reviewed or changed their energy management strategies in response. (Steven Mufson)
Insys is the first drugmaker to file for bankruptcy to cover legal expenses incurred by its role in the country’s opioid epidemic. The company filed for Chapter 11 protection one week after agreeing to pay $225 million to resolve a federal investigation into a bribery scheme in which doctors were paid to overprescribe its highly addictive fentanyl spray. (Taylor Telford)
Former Red Sox player David Ortiz has arrived back in Boston for treatment after being shot in the Dominican Republic. Ortiz was shot in the back in Santo Domingo on Sunday and underwent six hours of surgery to remove his gallbladder and parts of his intestine. He was ferried on a private jet to Massachusetts General Hospital. (Dave Sheinin, Cindy Boren and Des Bieler)
Oberlin College was ordered to pay $11 million to a bakery that became the target of student protests after one of its employees was accused of racial profiling. The owners of Gibson’s Bakery claimed Oberlin’s leaders facilitated the “illegal defamation and economic boycott” of its business after a black student was accused of shoplifting, and a jury found the college responsible for libel and infliction of emotional distress nearly three years after the incident. (Isaac Stanley-Becker)
UCLA is facing scrutiny over its mishandling of a former staff gynecologist who was accused two years ago of sexually abusing two patients at a university facility. The school didn’t publicize the reason for his departure until this week. (Los Angeles Times)
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce ended its contract with consultant Tom Collamore after the lobbying group checked his cellphone records and determined he spoke with the Wall Street Journal reporter who wrote about the pricey perks enjoyed by Tom Donohue. Collamore denied leaking confidential information to the newspaper. (Politico)
O.J. Simpson said he will “never revisit again” the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. The killings are in the news again as the 25th anniversary arrives tomorrow, but Simpson said he and his family are trying to “focus on the positives.” “We don’t need to go back and relive the worst day of our lives,” he told the AP. (Cindy Boren)
A plane in Manchester, England, was delayed for seven hours after a passenger mistakenly opened an emergency exit while looking for the bathroom. The accident caused the evacuation slide to deploy and delayed at least one other Pakistan International Airlines flight. (Orion Donovan-Smith)
THE TRADE WARS:
-- New details emerged about how Mexican officials persuaded Trump to back down from his tariff threat by agreeing to a stringent crackdown on Central American migrants, via Nick Miroff, Kevin Sieff and John Wagner: “The enforcement measures Mexico has promised include the deployment of a militarized national guard at the Guatemalan border, thousands of additional migrant arrests per week and the acceptance of busloads of asylum seekers turned away from the U.S. border daily, all geared toward cutting the migrant flow sharply in coming weeks. … The accord offers clear political advantages for Trump. By conditioning the tariff threat on sharp reductions in migration flow, the deal has essentially tasked Mexico with delivering results the Trump administration has been unable to achieve on its own. And if Mexico’s efforts don’t pan out, Trump can blame the López Obrador government and revive his tariff threat to elicit a stronger response. If unauthorized migration levels fall as a result of more Mexican enforcement, Trump will be able to take credit.”
-- The preparedness of Mexico’s newly created national guard is unclear as it heads to the Guatemalan border. Kevin Sieff and Mary Beth Sheridan report: “The national guard, which was proposed by President Andrés Manual López Obrador and ratified by Mexico’s Congress in March, was never presented to Mexicans as a tool of border security or migration enforcement. It has not received the training of a border patrol agency and has no formal connection to the country’s migration authority. It was intended instead to fill the security void left by Mexico’s ineffective and often corrupt local law enforcement agencies as violence here continues to climb.”
-- Trump seems emboldened by his economic brinkmanship with Mexico, setting his eyes on China next. David Nakamura reports: “’As soon as I put tariffs on the table, it was done. It took two days,’ Trump told [CNBC yesterday morning]. ‘If we didn’t have tariffs, we wouldn’t have made a deal with Mexico.' ... Trump’s takeaway from his gambit to tie tariff threats to a non-trade issue — a strategy that provoked an outcry from big business and a near-revolt among GOP lawmakers — was that the naysayers had been proved wrong. … Confident that he had forced Mexico to take steps on border security that it had resisted for decades, Trump pivoted to his trade war with China and, in the interview, appeared to threaten more tariffs on the world’s second-largest economy if President Xi Jinping refuses to meet with him at the Group of 20 summit in Osaka, Japan, in late June.”
-- China has hinted it will choke off U.S. access to its “rare earths.” But that wouldn’t be so easy. David J. Lynch reports: “Just the suggestion that Beijing could starve American factories of essential materials has sent rare-earth prices soaring over the past month, with dysprosium oxide, used in lasers and nuclear-reactor control rods, up by one-third. But the alarm overlooks the rise over the past decade of alternative sources of rare earths – including Mountain Pass – and ignores the difficulties China would face in implementing a ban, including the prospect of widespread smuggling and the likelihood of hurting countries that Chinese authorities may prefer not to alienate.”
-- More tariffs from China could push the U.S. into a “Trump recession,” said Gary Shapiro, the CEO of the Consumer Technology Association. He called tariffs an “economic fence” that are “not a good strategy.” (CNBC)
-- Trump’s next tariff target might be French wines, a move that could benefit him personally. The president, who bought a Virginia winery in 2011 that is now technically run by his son Eric, said American winemakers have complained to him that French wine is imported at little cost but that they pay a high price to export their wines into France. “And you know what, it’s not fair,” Trump told CNBC. “We’ll do something about it.” (Bloomberg News)
-- A real estate company co-owned by Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law, has quintupled in value since he joined the White House staff. “The real estate company Cadre, owned by Kushner, his brother, Joshua, and a friend, has taken in $90 million in investments from Saudi Arabia and a 'Goldman Sachs entity' in the Cayman Islands,” GQ’s Luke Darby reports. “Cadre is also one of the properties that Kushner initially forgot to put on his security-clearance application when he joined the Trump administration. Kushner co-founded Cadre in 2014, and despite slow growth in its first couple years, its value has quintupled since 2017, when Kushner joined the White House. The company allows investors to pool money together to buy real estate, and it now manages about $522 million to buy properties across the U.S.”
THERE’S A BEAR IN THE WOODS:
-- Michigan Rep. Justin Amash, the only Republican who’s called for Trump’s impeachment, quit the House Freedom Caucus. Mike DeBonis reports: “After Amash (Mich.) declared Trump’s conduct potentially worthy of impeachment last month, members of the Freedom Caucus took an informal vote disagreeing with him, though they made no formal move to break ties. … Amash, 39, is serving his fourth term representing a district centered on Grand Rapids. He remains chairman of the House Liberty Caucus, a group with a much lower profile on Capitol Hill that traces its roots to former congressman Ron Paul (R-Tex.).”
-- The Justice Department’s announcement it reached a deal allowing lawmakers to view some of the underlying documents from Bob Mueller’s investigation upstaged the House’s first hearing on the special counsel’s report. Rachael Bade, John Wagner and Mike DeBonis report: “The last-minute deal — struck a day before a scheduled House vote on holding [Attorney General Bill] Barr in civil contempt — appeared to undercut the Democratic argument that only an impeachment inquiry could force an uncooperative administration to comply, at least momentarily. Hours later, the first hearing since the April 18 release of the redacted Mueller report failed to produce a blockbuster moment that could change public sentiment in favor of impeachment. Former White House counsel John W. Dean III testified about the parallels between Trump and his former boss, Richard M. Nixon — though he acknowledged he was not a ‘fact witness.’ …
“But committee Republicans repeatedly mocked Democrats for bringing in Dean — a star witness from nearly a half century ago who has a CNN contract — and several other former U.S. attorneys who have television deals and have criticized Trump. None was involved in Mueller’s investigation. Trump, in brief remarks at the White House, dismissed both Dean, whom he had called a ‘sleazebag’ in a tweet, and the notion of impeachment. Dean has ‘been a loser for many years,’ the president said. ‘When you look at past impeachments, whether it was President Clinton, or I guess President Nixon never got there — he left. I don’t leave. Big difference.’ Privately, several Democrats said they agreed with the GOP’s harsh assessment, wondering why Dean was called in the first place.”
-- Yesterday's deal represents a victory for House Democrats in their quest to focus public attention on Mueller’s report and the alleged presidential abuses of power they say the report documents. But it is a limited triumph, DeBonis and Bade report. “It moves them no closer to securing testimony from Mueller or other figures, such as former White House counsel Donald McGahn, who could galvanize the country at an open hearing. The House will proceed with a vote Tuesday on legislation authorizing the Judiciary Committee to seek court enforcement of its subpoenas, according to two senior Democratic aides who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal decisions. The committee said Monday that further action could be necessary to secure documents and testimony not covered under the new agreement.”
-- The House Oversight and Reform Committee still plans to vote tomorrow on whether to hold Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in contempt for failing to comply with congressional subpoenas related to the 2020 Census. (The Hill)
-- During yesterday's House Judiciary hearing, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) revealed that his father was on Nixon’s enemies list. “You and I are from different political parties,” Raskin told Dean as he began his questioning. “Indeed, you were the chief Republican counsel of this committee. You were the White House counsel for a president who put my father on his enemies list. My father was an official in the Kennedy administration and had a lot of problems with the Nixon administration.” (Felicia Sonmez)
-- The U.S. delivered a formal extradition request to Britain for Julian Assange. Rachel Weiner and Devlin Barrett report: “The United States’ treaty with Britain required that the request be sent within 60 days of Assange’s April 11 arrest at the Ecuadoran Embassy in London. The same treaty bars the United States from prosecuting Assange for any alleged crimes beyond those outlined in the extradition request, unless those acts occur after his extradition. … A grand jury investigation of Assange has remained active in recent weeks. Former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, whose interactions with Assange form the basis of the charges against him, remains in jail for refusing to testify before the grand jury. … A June 12 hearing is set for Assange in the United Kingdom.”
THE BRAVE NEW WORLD:
-- U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said photos of travelers have been compromised as part of a “malicious cyberattack.” Officials said that the images included photos of people’s faces and license plates, apparently crossing the border with Canada, and that fewer than 100,000 people were affected. “The agency learned of the breach on May 31 and said that none of the image data had been identified ‘on the Dark Web or Internet.’ But reporters at the Register, a British technology news site, reported late last month that a large haul of breached data from the firm Perceptics was being offered as a free download on the dark web," Drew Harwell and Geoffrey A. Fowler report. “CBP would not say which subcontractor was involved. But a Microsoft Word document of CBP’s public statement, sent Monday to Washington Post reporters, included the name ‘Perceptics’ in the title. ... Perceptics representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment. CBP said copies of ‘license plate images and traveler images collected by CBP’ had been transferred to the subcontractor’s company network, violating the agency’s security and privacy rules. The subcontractor’s network was then attacked and breached. No CBP systems were compromised, the agency said.
“One U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to lack of authorization to discuss the breach, said it was being described inside CBP as a ‘major incident.’ The official said Perceptics was attempting to use the data to refine its algorithms to match license plates with the faces of a car’s occupants, which the official said was outside of CBP’s sanctioned use.”
The breach illustrates how alluring these growing databases will be for hackers and cybercriminals: “The FBI has access to more than 640 million photos, including from passports and driver’s licenses, that it can scan with facial-recognition systems while conducting criminal investigations, a representative for the Government Accountability Office told the House Committee on Oversight and Reform at a hearing last week. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, said he intended to hold hearings next month on Homeland Security's use of biometric information.”
-- This is the second major privacy breach at DHS this year: More than 2 million U.S. disaster survivors had their information revealed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
-- Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg reached out to Nancy Pelosi — and she hasn’t called him back. Robert Costa and Elizabeth Dwoskin report: “Pelosi’s decision not to engage with Zuckerberg … reflects her frustration with how Facebook handled a manipulated video clip of remarks by the speaker, said the people, who were not authorized to speak publicly. … According to the people familiar the matter, Pelosi has not been eager to hear Zuckerberg’s explanation for the company’s actions. The impasse between the nation’s most powerful Democratic lawmaker and the social media titan highlights broader tensions within the Democratic Party about Facebook and the company’s efforts to counter both foreign interference in elections and the spread of viral lies and blatant falsehoods.”
-- Facebook’s artificial intelligence researchers developed a speech synthesizer that’s able to copy anybody’s voice with uncanny accuracy. The team behind the technology trained it to speak like Bill Gates, among others. (Technology Review)
-- Google’s search tool falsely labeled the Mueller report as “fiction.” Drew Harwell reports. “In response to questions from The Washington Post, Google said the search result was an error and would be fixed shortly. The company did not immediately say why the search tool returned that result, how long that answer had been there, or how many people had been shown the false result. By 1 p.m. Monday, a few hours after The Post notified Google, the search had been corrected to call the report ‘non-fiction.’ Google is the Internet’s most visited website and the starting point for most searches online. The ‘fiction’ classification was found in an information box from Google’s Knowledge Graph, which relies on software to automatically generate potentially relevant context or information.”
THE REST OF THE DOMESTIC AGENDA:
-- House Democratic leaders postponed a vote on a portion of a massive federal spending bill after an uproar over members of Congress getting their first pay raise in a decade. Mike DeBonis and Paul Kane report: “The bill as filed would restore a cost-of-living increase that was suspended amid a recession-battered economy. But lawmakers in both parties, sensitive to the optics of voting to raise their own pay from $174,000, publicly erupted over the issue. ‘We are delaying consideration of the Legislative Branch appropriations bill while we continue to discuss the issue of the cost-of-living adjustment,’ said Mariel Saez, a spokeswoman for House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.). Other portions of the bill, including funding for the military and for health and human services programs, will move forward. The move is a setback for Hoyer, who advocated restoring the automatic increase — arguing that a rising cost of living in Washington has strained the finances of lawmakers, especially those who are not independently wealthy.”
-- John V. Kelly, the acting inspector general for the Department of Homeland Security, retired early after his office was forced to retract a “feel good” audit of his agency’s disaster response. Lisa Rein and Kimberly Kindy report: “Kelly, who had planned to retire after the confirmation of President Trump’s nominee for the position, wrote in an email to The Washington Post that he ‘accelerated my retirement because I feel it’s in the best interest of the organization and its employees.’ ‘As I told the staff, I have truly enjoyed my 11-year tenure with the DHS OIG, an organization with a very important mission and extraordinary staff and managers that successfully execute that mission on a daily basis,’ Kelly wrote. ‘Nobody in DHS leadership or any member of Congress asked me retire.’”
-- The Trump administration is pushing for a change to disability benefits applications that would eliminate consideration of whether the applicant can speak English. Kimberly Kindy reports: “In its proposed rule change, the Social Security Administration says the inability to read, write and speak in English is not the barrier it once was, because the ‘U.S. workforce has become more linguistically diverse and work opportunities have expanded for individuals who lack English proficiency.’ Members of Congress are squaring off over the proposal, with several Democrats saying the Trump administration is promoting an unnecessary and polarizing policy change that discriminates against older workers and is anti-immigrant.”
-- The top decision-makers in Steve Mnuchin’s Treasury Department are overwhelmingly white and male. From Politico’s Nancy Cook: “Out of roughly 20 officials who routinely attend senior staff meetings led by Mnuchin, only three are women and one is a person of color. In fiscal year 2018, the hiring of minorities at Treasury fell to its lowest pace in five years, according to the department’s own statistics, while the number of women and minorities leaving the agency outpaced their hiring. Treasury has fewer policy disagreements these days, said one former official, because the top decision-makers are overwhelmingly white, male and wealthy. That can make the debates less robust and also gives the department the feeling of ‘being disconnected from reality,’ said one administration official.”
SCOTUS WATCH:
-- Justice Brett Kavanaugh has given a prestigious clerkship to the daughter of Amy Chua, the Yale Law professor who stood by him and wrote a glowing op-ed calling him a mentor to young women. After her mother emerged as a surrogate for the embattled jurist, Chua's daughter said she would not clerk for Kavanaugh on the high court if he was confirmed. Yahoo News’s Dylan Stableford reports: “On Monday, the Supreme Court announced that Sophia Chua-Rubenfeld had been hired by Kavanaugh for a clerkship beginning in October. Neither Chua nor her daughter responded to requests from Yahoo News for comment. … While the Senate weighed those allegations, the Guardian first reported that Chua and her husband, Jed Rubenfeld, advised female students that it was ‘not an accident’ that Kavanaugh’s female law clerks all ‘looked like models’ and to project a ‘model-like’ femininity if they wanted to clerk for him. Chua denied the allegations.”
-- The Supreme Court has yet to rule on its most important cases of the term. Robert Barnes reports: “The court announced decisions [Monday] in only three minor cases. That leaves two dozen, including important rulings on racial and partisan gerrymandering, whether the 2020 Census will contain a controversial question on citizenship and the fate of a 40-foot cross built as a World War I memorial that stands on public land in the Maryland suburbs outside Washington. The court will announce those outcomes and others during a string of decision days that will commence next week. The court usually finishes its work before the end of June. At the same time, the court is shaping its docket for the term that begins in October. It turned away two challenges that would have made for high-profile controversies. … The justices also rejected a challenge to a federal law that requires the registration of gun silencers. The use of the device in the recent Virginia Beach shooting that left 12 dead drew new attention to the issue.”
-- The court also rejected the appeal of a Yemeni citizen held at Guantanamo Bay for more than 17 years without being charged. Barnes reports: “The court turned down the petition of Moath Hamza Ahmed al-Alwi without comment. But Justice Stephen G. Breyer said the court may soon need to take such a case to decide whether Congress’s Authorization for Use of Military Force or the Constitution permits indefinite detention.”
CATHOLICS AT A CROSSROADS:
-- Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, the retired Vatican ambassador to Washington who called on Pope Francis to resign last summer, has gone into hiding. Viganò refused to disclose the location but has continued to lambaste the pope in email exchanges with The Post for allegedly helping to cover up clerical sexual abuse. (Chico Harlan and Stefano Pitrelli)
-- Three high-ranking priests who were accused of enabling Bishop Michael J. Bransfield’s “predatory and harassing conduct” when he was the leader of the Catholic Church in West Virginia have resigned from their posts. The three monsignors are central figures in a scandal over alleged sexual and financial misconduct by Bransfield. (Robert O’Harrow Jr. and Shawn Boburg)
-- The Vatican said people cannot choose their genders. Chico Harlan reports: “The right to ‘choose one’s gender,’ the Vatican said in an official document, is in ‘direct contradiction of the model of marriage as being between one man and one woman.’ The document, released as a guide for Catholic educators, held firm to the religion’s traditional teaching on gender and sexuality. But LGBT members of the faith said it put an official and updated stamp on viewpoints they had hoped were changing. … The document, released by the Vatican office that deals with education, coincided with a month of Pride festivities in many countries around the world. It was not signed by Francis, but rather by two high-level officials — Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi and Archbishop Angelo Vincenzo Zani — in the Roman Curia, the Vatican’s bureaucracy.”
THE NEW WORLD ORDER:
-- A battle between Israel’s ultra-Orthodox community and the workers of a vegan and LGBT-friendly Jerusalem cafe that serves during the Jewish Sabbath illustrates the country’s political crisis. Loveday Morris and Miriam Berger report: “Each week, a procession of ultra-Orthodox men, some in their finest fur hats and gold robes, invariably marches past in a show of displeasure at the cafe’s desecration of the day of rest. ‘Shabbos!’ they chant, using the Yiddish word for the Sabbath. On a recent Saturday, the wait staff struck back, lifting their shirts to reveal their bras in an attempt to push back the religiously conservative demonstrators. The confrontation reflected a central tension in modern Israel over the very nature of the state, founded by secular Zionists but with an ultrareligious population that is growing in size and influence.”
-- The oak tree planted at the White House to symbolize the friendship between Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron has died. The French newspaper Le Monde reported on the tree’s death last week, calling it a “metaphor for a relationship that isn’t what it was.” (The Guardian)
-- Iran said it will release a U.S. resident charged with spying. Erin Cunningham reports: “Iran on Tuesday freed Nizar Zakka, a U.S. permanent resident and Lebanese national, from prison after nearly four years behind bars, his lawyer said. Zakka was arrested in 2015 and convicted of spying for the U.S. government — charges he denies. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison. … The move to free Zakka, 52, follows a months-long effort by Lebanese officials to negotiate his release. Zakka, a computer scientist and Internet freedom advocate, was detained in Tehran after attending a conference at the invitation of the Iranian government.”
-- Iran revoked the press credentials of a New York Times reporter and barred him from working in the country for the past four months. Thomas Erdbrink, a Dutch citizen, the paper’s Tehran-based correspondent, received no explanation from the Iran government on its decision to withdraw his press credentials. (Erin Cunningham)
-- Vice President Pence defended the move to restrict rainbow flags outside U.S. embassies during Pride Month as “the right decision.” Felicia Sonmez and Carol Morello report: “‘I’m aware that the State Department indicated that on the flagpole of our American embassies that one flag should fly, and that’s the American flag, and I support that,’ Pence said. The Obama administration’s Pride Month guidelines included rules for flying rainbow flags from poles outside embassies — they had to be smaller than the American flag and fly beneath it. But permission was granted with no fuss. … That changed last year, after Mike Pompeo became secretary of state.. … Some U.S. diplomats have been finding ways to get around the new policy in recent weeks ... State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus told reporters Monday that ‘there’s no violation’ of Trump administration policy, so long as the rainbow flag is not flown on the same flagpole as the American flag.”
-- “Salvator Mundi,” a painting attributed to Leonardo da Vinci that went missing after selling for a record $450 million in 2017, has reportedly turned up on the yacht of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. A columnist for the publication Artnet cited “two principals involved in the transaction” in reporting that the masterpiece is being kept on Mohammed’s superyacht, the Serene.
-- Canada banned the captivity and breeding of orcas, dolphins and other whales. The ban came after a long-fought-for bill that had been championed by animal rights groups was passed by a wide margin in the House of Commons. (Eli Rosenberg)
-- Canada is also banning “harmful” single-use plastics. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that an exact list of items has not been determined but that it will be “grounded in science.” (Amanda Coletta)
-- Six men were sentenced to life in prison in India for the rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl that sparked nationwide furor and inflamed tensions between Hindus and Muslims. Niha Masih and Joanna Slater report: “India has struggled with horrifying cases of rape and murder involving children in recent years, and authorities are taking increasingly harsh measures against the culprits. In the wake of the 8-year-old Asifa Bano’s killing last year, India passed legislation making the rape of girls under the age of 12 punishable by death. … Early last year, Asifa, who belonged to a nomadic Muslim community, went missing from a village in the district of Kathua, which is in the Hindu-dominated area of Jammu. Days later, her body was found in a forest where she would often go to tend to her family’s horses.”
-- Botswana legalized homosexuality, striking down two colonial-era laws and making it the first country in Africa to do so through its courts. Max Bearak reports: “Reading the unanimous ruling of a panel of judges in front of a packed courtroom, Justice Michael Leburu said that sexual orientation ‘is not a fashion statement’ and that the laws as they stood violated citizens’ rights to privacy and freedom from discrimination. While seldom enforced in Botswana, the laws carried the possibility of up to a seven-year jail sentence. ‘It is not the business of the law to regulate the private behavior of two consenting adults,’ Leburu said.”
MORE ON 2020:
-- NBC announced the five moderators for the first Democratic primary debates this morning: Savannah Guthrie, Lester Holt, Chuck Todd, Rachel Maddow and José Diaz-Balart will all appear for both debates, which are scheduled to take place at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Miami on June 26 and 27 from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. on NBC. Both debate nights will have the same format. Holt will moderate the first hour, with Guthrie and Diaz-Balart appearing alongside him; Holt will also appear in the second hour, with Todd and Maddow moderating, per NBC. There will be 10 candidates on stage each night.
-- In Eastern Iowa, home to industrial riverfront cities and small towns surrounded by farmland, voters are wondering whether they will vote for Trump again. Jenna Johnson reports: “‘I voted for Trump — still not sure if it was the right decision,’ said Tammy Faulkner, a 48-year-old convenience store clerk who lives in Louisa County in southeast Iowa and voted for Obama in 2008 and 2012. He seemed like a down-to-earth guy who would order a cheeseburger and fries, even if given fancier options, she said: ‘I have no qualms about voting either side, as long as they’re willing to do what it takes to get our country back to where we need it.’ Faulkner hasn’t been happy with some of the things Trump has done — namely, his comments about immigrants that she said ‘come across as racist’ and the tariff war he started that could hurt the farmers who stop by her store for coffee — and she’s open to voting for a Democrat in 2020. But she has no idea whom that might be or even which of the 23 candidates might best align with what she’s looking for.”
-- Some Fox News hosts have started spreading totally baseless rumors that Biden is ill. The Daily Beast’s Justin Baragona reports: “Since the end of May, Fox Business Network and Fox News star Lisa ‘Kennedy’ Montgomery and Fox News prime-time host Sean Hannity have speculated on-air, on at least four separate occasions, that the current Democratic presidential frontrunner is secretly dealing with health issues, often comparing his condition to illness-related conspiracy theories the network pushed about Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election. … The Biden campaign’s national press secretary, TJ Ducklo, said, ‘These are baseless lies meant to stoke fear in their viewers.’”
-- Biden is, for now, the target Trump needs to stay interested in his reelection campaign. The Times’s Annie Karni and Maggie Haberman report: “Mr. Biden seems to have gotten into the president’s head — at least for now. And on Tuesday, the president will engage with him, if indirectly, for the first time during the 2020 campaign when they both make appearances in Iowa. Mr. Trump’s visit to an ethanol plant in Council Bluffs is an official White House event. But campaign aides see it, as well as a later appearance at a Republican dinner, as an opportunity to both troll Mr. Biden and invigorate a candidate who needs an identifiable opponent to keep his interest and who has been alternately engrossed in and detached from his re-election effort. In a recent overarching state-of-the-race briefing in Florida with Brad Parscale, his campaign manager, Mr. Trump was consistently distracted and wanted to discuss other things, according to people familiar with the meeting. When it came to the campaign, his main focus was on his own approval numbers.”
-- Ta-Nehisi Coates revisited his essay “The Case for Reparations,” now that reparations for slavery and legalized discrimination are a subject of discussion among the 2020 candidates. From an interview he gave to the New Yorker: “Supporting a commission is not reparations in and of itself. It’s certainly lip service, from at least some of the candidates. I’m actually less sure about [this], in terms of the black vote—it may ultimately be true that this is something that folks rally around, but that’s never been my sense.”
Coates said he thinks “Warren is probably serious” when she talks about reparations: “I think she means it. I mean—I guess it will break a little news—after ‘The Case for Reparations’ came out, she just asked me to come and talk one on one with her about it.” He said they have not spoken since then.
-- Jon Huntsman is planning to leave his role as U.S. ambassador to Russia and may try to run for governor of Utah again. The Atlantic’s McKay Coppins reports: “Huntsman’s potential interest in the governorship—which he previously held from 2004 to 2009—has been a point of speculation in Utah political circles for months. Earlier this year, both Salt Lake City daily newspapers reported that he might be eyeing the 2020 gubernatorial race. But Huntsman’s allies say the prospect has gotten more serious than many realize. … When Huntsman was tapped to serve as ambassador in 2017, he told the Trump administration he would commit to staying in Russia for two years, according to several people close to him … He intends to return to his home state after hitting the two-year mark this fall, the sources said.”
-- “Random Man Runs for President: How Andrew Yang — a moderately successful businessman and complete unknown — made a place for himself in the Democratic field,” by Maureen O’Connor: Yang is “the product of so many colliding forces in contemporary America that comparisons to anyone who came before him are kind of useless. Yang’s ascent from anonymity has been instantaneous in a way that can only exist in the age of social media. … His staff credits podcasts for building Yang’s die-hard base almost overnight. … And the source of Yang’s relentless focus — universal basic income — is, at the moment, popular in future-minded circles that take cues from the likes of Pierre Omidyar, Richard Branson and Elon Musk. Yang’s campaign belongs to a mode of popular American discourse that did not exist 20, 10 or even five years ago: He is an emblem of the everyman thinkers of the Internet age. Yang is exceedingly unlikely to win, and may not even last long in primary season. But his candidacy can still, perhaps, tell us something about the future.”
-- Most 2020 Democrats’ campaign logos are “as inspirational as bottled-water labels,” Avi Selk writes. “Is Jay Inslee running for president or trying to sell us Internet service circa 1995? Who is ‘Jo Biden’? How on Earth did Amy Klobuchar and Wayne Messam end up with typestyles so similar that their campaigns appear to be subsidiary brands of a company called ‘for America’? Half the logos don’t look like anything at all — a soulless collage of red-white-and-blue typography and American flag parts secreted among the letters like a ‘Where’s Waldo?’ puzzle. He’s streaking across the Y in ‘Yang 2020.’ He’s hiding in John Hickenlooper’s mountain range!”
SOCIAL MEDIA SPEED READ:
Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen is not allowed to have a smartphone in prison, so someone else must have tweeted out his new mailing address:
For Future Correspondence:
— Michael Cohen (@MichaelCohen212) June 10, 2019
Michael D. Cohen/ Reg. #86067-054
PO Box 1000
FCI Otisville Satellite Camp Otisville NY 10963
Trump's first White House chief of staff, Reince Priebus, officially became an officer in the Navy Reserve:
Congratulations to the #Navy’s newest Ensign @reince. Great to join @vp @mikepence @RonJohnsonWI and others as he was sworn in pic.twitter.com/oDgwS8513w
— Sean Spicer (@seanspicer) June 10, 2019
A former senior adviser to Barack Obama slammed the Senate majority leader for allegedly benefiting from his wife's Cabinet position:
The Senator blocking investigations into Trump's corruption and criminality is getting his home state projects greased by the cabinet agency that Trump appointed his wife to run. Nothing to see here at all. https://t.co/DPWa9Eb5LY
— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) June 10, 2019
McConnell's former chief of staff embraced the story and said the senator can run on bringing home the bacon for Kentucky:
I thought I read this already? Just as good this time around. I’m still not sure how to get this on a mail piece but I’m sure we’ll figure it out. https://t.co/4Xt3NCa3TV
— Josh Holmes (@HolmesJosh) June 10, 2019
A former CIA officer took issue with the initial headline for the story about Kim Jong Un's half brother:
Hey editors,
— Jeff Asher (@Crimealytics) June 10, 2019
The CIA doesn't do "informants" pic.twitter.com/xxr9HZ50I2
Bernie Sanders's wife visited a school in Los Angeles:
Met w/ teachers and parents at 107th St School in Watts, CA. Saw their resilience and mindfulness curriculum in action with staff from @CARESCenter A great program benefitting at-risk children. pic.twitter.com/sHcWk0bHVK
— Jane O'Meara Sanders (@janeosanders) June 10, 2019
Another 2020 candidate's spouse shared this interaction with a vendor selling campaign buttons:
Chasten: hey! that’s my husband!
— Chasten Buttigieg (@Chasten) June 10, 2019
Vendor: ...ok pic.twitter.com/LuJHz9j0sL
Biden's pollster lamented a countdown clock to the Iowa caucuses:
Hh my god the @DMRegister has an Iowa Caucus countdown clock. I am not ready for that. Can't we just focus on Summer? https://t.co/KhCAlHgH3N pic.twitter.com/Mr02rwtDzs
— John Anzalone (@JohnAnzo) June 10, 2019
A Post opinion columnist tweeted about the death of Trump and Macron's friendship tree:
Slow (but delightfully on-the-nose) news day here in the office... pic.twitter.com/3BJlW2hFpQ
— Christine Emba (@ChristineEmba) June 10, 2019
And Monica Lewinsky shared a painting she created:
from my first art class as an adult (or whatever we call 45 yr-olds).
— Monica Lewinsky (@MonicaLewinsky) June 9, 2019
🎨🌸🌷🌺💗 pic.twitter.com/IYOcZo5lZK
GOOD READS:
-- “‘I understand exactly who he is’: Moms discover they share autism with their children,” by Isabela Dias: “It isn’t uncommon for women with autism to receive a late diagnosis, or none at all. In the United States, autism is about four times more prevalent in boys than in girls — so much that, for decades, doctors didn’t even look for it in the latter. Researchers now believe, however, that many girls have gone overlooked. Sometimes, they went on to be mothers of children with autism and, only then, did they find both the tools to navigate their own lives better and to care for their children in ways that perhaps no one else could. After almost three decades without an explanation for her challenges growing up, Mercado didn’t need an official diagnosis to know that she was also on the spectrum. ‘It made me feel so much better that I can help him because I understand exactly who he is,’ she said. ‘It’s not that I know him too well, it is that I know myself.’”
-- New Yorker, “Why Famous, Powerful Presidential Candidates Are Begging You for Five Dollars,” by Eric Lach: “It wasn’t always this way. In 1984, Ronald Reagan ran for reëlection without holding a single fund-raiser. Public financing of Presidential campaigns—one of the most remarkable reforms passed in the wake of Watergate—was the norm in primaries and general elections from 1976 to 1996. (During those six cycles, incidentally, challengers beat incumbents three times.) But the system broke down. So-called soft money—donations given to political parties rather than to candidates, and not subject to the same strict limits—crept in during the nineteen-nineties, and the price tag of Presidential campaigns began to rise.”
-- Foreign Policy, “When Coal Comes to Paradise,” by Dana Ullman: “While China is on track to meeting its Paris climate agreement targets domestically, it continues to invest in and profit from coal power projects across the world. Domestic restrictions do not apply to projects abroad, and China has capitalized on this exception by exporting its surplus of coal-related equipment and technology to countries desperate for industry, undermining a global push to phase out coal. China has invested in coal projects in 34 countries, 11 of which are in Africa, according to data compiled by Global Energy Monitor’s Global Coal Plant Tracker, an industry watchdog.”
| HOT ON THE LEFT: “Inside the Illinois abortion clinic that could become the nearest option for women in St. Louis and beyond,” from the Chicago Tribune: “Inside the clinic, the man and woman described their initial elation at the prospect of parenthood, eagerly awaiting their firstborn whom they affectionately called ‘little one.’ Then a 20-week ultrasound revealed the inconceivable: Large portions of the brain and skull were missing, a rare birth defect called anencephaly. They recalled their obstetrician in Missouri saying the fetus wouldn’t survive outside the womb. … But they faced many barriers to the procedure in Missouri, including a three-day waiting period. The fate of Missouri’s last abortion clinic also remains in limbo. Her physician referred her to Hope Clinic for Women in Granite City, Ill. — just across the state boundary — which performs abortions up to 24 weeks. … In her time of grief, she said it was difficult to understand why she had to find a new medical provider to terminate the pregnancy.” |
HOT ON THE RIGHT: “Critics bemoan New York Times' decision to stop running editorial cartoons,” from CNN: “A month and a half after The New York Times errantly published an anti-Semitic cartoon in its international edition, the newspaper has decided to do away with editorial cartoons altogether. The decision was revealed when one of The Times' cartoonists, Patrick Chappatte, published a blog post linking the paper's decision to the recent controversy. But James Bennet, the editorial page editor, said the decision was being contemplated well ahead of time. He pointed out that the version of the newspaper that most readers see, in the United States, doesn't carry cartoons. … In his blog post on Monday, he recounted the ‘widespread outrage that erupted in April — which had nothing to do with The Times' in-house cartoonists. The anti-Semitic illustration of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and [Trump] came from a syndication service.” |
DAYBOOK:
Trump will travel to Iowa, where he will speak about renewable energy in Council Bluffs and then give a speech at the Republican Party of Iowa annual dinner in West Des Moines.
| QUOTE OF THE DAY: Former secretary of state John Kerry acknowledged he considered getting in the 2020 race but added that he is “delighted” Biden is running: “I was giving it thought at a time when Joe Biden had not made up his mind,” Kerry told Sky News. “I’m delighted he’s in the race. He and I are old friends. We’ve been deeply involved in these issues together. We’ll see where things go. But I’m hopeful that we’re going to wind up with a nominee who will resoundingly be able to help lead our country in a better direction.” (John Wagner) |
NEWS YOU CAN USE IF YOU LIVE IN D.C.:
-- Enjoy these two days of great weather before it starts raining again. The Capital Weather Gang forecasts: “After that murky Monday business, we are definitely owed a nice round of better weather. Today and tomorrow fit the bill with beautiful mostly sunny skies, exceptionally low humidity and temperatures that’ll make you forget it’s June. Another storm system approaches Wednesday night and Thursday with some heavier rains possible, but then Friday and Saturday promise to be superior summery days.”
-- Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) could end up with more power months after almost resigning. Gregory S. Schneider reports: “He has emerged from hunkering down in Richmond to resume signing bills in ceremonies around the state. He is once again making his schedule public a week in advance. He has taken high-profile actions … His political action committee is back to boosting Democratic candidates, though the account is smaller than it should be for a sitting governor. … Northam’s order last week for a special legislative session on gun control in the wake of the mass shooting in Virginia Beach raised the stakes considerably. … Should Northam get concessions from Republicans during the July 9 session, he will have pulled off a historic coup. If Republicans balk, Democrats can use it to fire up their base in a pivotal election this fall, when they are trying to erase the two-seat majority the GOP holds in each chamber and seize control of the legislature.”
-- Even after the D.C. Council narrowly decided to move Benjamin Banneker Academic High to the former site of Shaw Junior High, the debate continues to rage about what the dispute says about the District. Perry Stein reports: “The way some residents and politicians view it, moving Banneker was about supporting students of color in a city that is becoming increasingly white and wealthy. Shaw — a historically African American neighborhood that has seen an influx of white residents and million-dollar real estate — is synonymous with gentrification in the District, and white families are among those advocating for a new middle school in the Northwest Washington neighborhood. But others rejected that characterization, insisting that this was not about taking sides in a battle over gentrification. It was, they said, about building a promised neighborhood middle school for all Shaw residents.”
VIDEOS OF THE DAY:
Seth Meyers took a look at Trump's visit to Europe and the growing calls for impeachment:
Stephen Colbert questioned whether Trump's “deal” with Mexico over the potential tariffs is a win:
The group Republicans for the Rule of Law urged GOP lawmakers to seriously consider allegations of obstruction of justice against Trump:
Indonesians captured footage of the volcano Mount Sinabung erupting: