Tag: week

_____________________ Jamal Khashoggi is dead, said Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia’s government said on Friday that Jamal Khashoggi, the missing Saudi dissident who was a columnist for the Washington Post, was strangled during a fistfight with its agents inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. President Trump appeared to accept Saudi Arabia’s explanation on Friday. [Read the story] American intelligence officials, however, are increasingly convinced that Mr. Khashoggi was the victim of a planned killing and that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is culpable. [Read the story] Additional Reading • Khashoggi Disappearance May Disrupt Trump Administration’s Plans to Squeeze Iran • News Analysis: In Trump’s Saudi Bargain, the Bottom Line Proudly Wins Out • Khashoggi’s Disappearance Puts Kushner’s Bet on Saudi Crown Prince at Risk The Justice Department accused Russians of meddling in the midterms. [Read the story] Mr. Trump praised an assault on a reporter during a rally on Thursday and railed against immigration during another on Friday. Democratic candidates in key congressional races are outpacing their Republican opponents in fund-raising, according to an analysis of reports filed Monday with the Federal Election Commission. But huge checks from conservative donors are assuring that their side stays competitive. [Read the story] Additional Reading • As Other Republican Candidates Struggle Financially, Trump Stockpiles Cash • Who Raised More Money? He is seen as the G.O.P.’s best opportunity to flip a Democratic seat in November.

It was a busy weekend of endorsement announcements as we head toward those primaries, especially in the most-contested races for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and certain state Senate seats -- all on the Democratic side (Republicans have very few primaries across the state, and none for the four statewide state-level positions). On Saturday, "Brooklyn women leaders" launched “Brooklyn Women For Cuomo” to endorse and support Cuomo for another term. Public Advocate Letitia James, a Democratic candidate for attorney general, was endorsed this weekend by Comptroller Scott Stringer and several elected officials from the Upper West Side. ***Do you have events or topics for us to include in an upcoming Week Ahead in New York Politics? e-mail Gotham Gazette editor Ben Max: bmax@gothamgazette.com*** The run of the week in detail: Monday At 10 a.m. Monday at City Hall, the City Council “Committee on Standards and Ethics will hold a meeting regarding Section 10.80 of the Council Rules.” This appears to be the next step after a prior initial meeting dealing with an allegation against City Council Member Ruben Diaz, Sr. that he improperly used his government email to send political messages. On Monday at 11 a.m. outside City Hall, 10 of the City Council’s 11 female members will endorse Public Advocate Letitia James for Attorney General. He will appear with his attorneys, Rhiya Trivedi and Ron Kuby.” At 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, the Joint Commission on Public Ethics will hold a commissioners’ meeting. On Tuesday at 11:30 a.m., “Calling on Mayor de Blasio to embrace their newly proposed “Fast Bus, Fair City” plan, riders will turn the City Hall steps into a stage and dramatize their daily struggles riding New York’s local buses. At the City Council on Tuesday: The Committee on Parks and Recreation will meet at 1 p.m. to discuss “the naming of one thoroughfare and public place, Jean-Jacques Dessalines Boulevard in the Borough of Brooklyn.” On Tuesday at 1 p.m. at City Hall, "State Senator Tony Avella, Assembly Member William Colton, and Council Member Bob Holden will stand with community groups Coalition EDU and the Chinese American Citizens Alliance to reveal their legislation aimed at saving the Specialized High School Exam." The Max & Murphy podcast recently moved to WBAI, with the first two shows featuring interviews with Democratic Attorney General candidates Letitia James, Zephyr Teachout, and Leecia Eve (the fourth candidate in the primary, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, will be a guest on the show on August 8).

The meeting between Presidents Putin and Trump in Helsinki reverberated throughout the week and particularly on Capitol Hill. COLEMAN: NPR's Mara Liasson is here to help us process the past week and prepare for the next one. LIASSON: I think members of Congress are going to want to ask the secretary of state, what happened in the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump? But the Russians say agreements were made, and the Russians are eager to follow up on those agreements. COLEMAN: Well, can you tell us about the pushback from the president's party in Congress? But Congress did go forward. COLEMAN: Well, we might get to do it all over again, right, Mara? LIASSON: Yes, because one of the other big news stories of the week was that the White House announced that the president is inviting Vladimir Putin to come to Washington in the fall for more talks. COLEMAN: NPR's Mara Liasson. LIASSON: Thank you.

AirTalk’s weekly political roundup covers the headlines you might’ve missed this weekend and previews the political stories to watch for in the week to come. What we are learning/have learned from the Trump-Putin summit in Helsinki Follow to Friday’s indictment of 12 Russian military officers in 2016 election meddling Recap of president’s visit to U.K., comments on Theresa May’s handling of Brexit as well as digs at NATO, future of U.S.-U.K. relations and likelihood of a post-Brexit trade deal What we learned from the Peter Strzok hearing and impact of cable news & camera presence on those kind of hearings Party strategies for Kavanaugh confirmation and what we might actually learn from the hearing Kevin de Leon gets California Democratic Party endorsement — what does this mean for him and for Sen. Feinstein? And what does this portend for progressives like de Leon and Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez in New York? With guest host Libby Denkmann Guests: Matt Rodriguez, Democratic strategist and founder and chief executive officer of Rodriguez Strategies. He is also a former senior Obama advisor in 2008; he tweets @RodStrategies Sean T. Walsh, Republican political analyst and partner at Wilson Walsh Consulting in San Francisco; he is a former adviser to California Governors Pete Wilson and Arnold Schwarzenegger and a former White House staffer for Presidents Reagan and H.W. Bush

Washington (CNN)A momentous week that will have an extensive impact on his presidential legacy is looming for President Donald Trump, both at home and abroad. Trump will unveil his second pick for the Supreme Court Monday night, a nomination that promises to lock in a conservative majority for years to come and could have sweeping implications on issues like abortion, the role of religion in public life, civil rights and business regulation. Then, Trump will travel to Britain, which is in political uproar over its exit from the European Union, for talks with embattled Prime Minister Theresa May and a long-awaited meeting with Queen Elizabeth II. After a weekend of golf at one of his courses in Scotland, Trump will hold his first standalone summit with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki next Monday amid deepening concern among NATO allies about his odd deference to the Russian leader, who they view as a threat to the peace and order on the continent. His shortlist includes Brett Kavanaugh, Raymond Kethledge, Amy Coney Barrett, Amul Thapar, Joan Larsen and Thomas Hardiman. Court reconvenes on immigrant family reunification A district court will reconvene on Monday to address whether to extend Tuesday's deadline to reunite undocumented children under 5 years old with their parents. Government officials say they need additional time to track down dozens of parents who are no longer in custody, including 19 who were already deported, Justice Department attorney Sarah Fabian said at a hearing Friday. NATO meetings begin Trump is set to meet with NATO members in Brussels, Belgium, on Wednesday. Trump ratcheted up demands in letters sent to NATO member countries last week, asking that they increase their defense spending and threatening to shift the US military presence in Europe if they do not. It's not yet been confirmed whether the President will play golf while there for the weekend.

We're following that story, and we will bring you updates throughout the morning. Tomorrow, we're expecting President Trump to announce his Supreme Court pick. And then the president heads to Europe for the annual NATO summit and later to Finland for a one-on-one meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Here to help us understand what to watch for is NPR national political correspondent Mara Liasson. There's Judge Brett Kavanaugh, Raymond Kethledge and Judge Amy Coney Barrett. GARCIA-NAVARRO: So, Mara, it's not just about the money for President Trump. He's also questioned the value of the alliance for national security of the United States. TRUMP: President Putin is KGB and this and that. Putin's fine. GARCIA-NAVARRO: That's NPR national political correspondent Mara Liasson.

End family separation Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to gather in Washington DC today, in what could be one of the biggest protests since the Women’s March in 2017. How to help families separated at the border Read more But it’s not just in the big, traditionally liberal, cities where protests are happening – people have also organized scores of demonstrations in red border states at the heart of immigration battles. Elsewhere, people will gather outside Fargo library, in North Dakota, to protest against Trump, while the Alaskan island of Kodiak – population 6,130 – is holding a rally at the Y intersection downtown. On Thursday almost 600 women were arrested at the Hart Senate building in Washington DC following a protest against Trump’s policies. Ocasio-Cortez, a 28-year-old progressive and former Bernie Sanders volunteer, was outspent 18-1 by Crowley, but triumphed with a grassroots, boots on the ground campaign that offers hope to other leftwing candidates ahead of November’s elections. Read more on Ocasio-Cortez here. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez represents the future of the Democratic party | Ross Barkan Read more In Baltimore, meanwhile, the Bernie Sanders-backed leftie Ben Jealous won a crowded Democratic primary. She took on the entire local Democratic establishment in her district and won a very strong victory. More than 50,000 people are planning to attend a demonstration in Trafalgar Square to protest against Trump’s presence, while activists plan to fly a giant “baby Trump” blimp over London during the president’s visit. Trump is slipping into the country for a “working visit” – a step down from a “state visit” – on 13 July, and will reportedly spend only a little time in London, opting instead for the sanctuary of one of his golf courses.

As the only incumbent Republican senator running in a state that Hillary Clinton won in 2016, Heller would much rather focus on tax reform and the economy than immigration or repealing Obamacare -- which Republicans have so far failed to do. The Denver Post reports, "With just weeks left in the race, Tillemann has doubled down on that outsider approach by trying to position himself as the true progressive in the Democratic primary — arguing that he, not Crow, would pursue the impeachment of President Donald Trump." In New York's 24th District, a similar fight is playing out to see who will challenge Republican incumbent John Katko in the fall. Republicans continue to use Pelosi as a foil, with Mr. Trump arguing in Nevada yesterday that a vote for Jacky Rosen is a vote for Nancy Pelosi. Max Rose is expected to win Tuesday night's Democratic primary to run against Rep. Daniel Donovan or Michael Grimm in the fall. House primaries The Democrats need to flip 23 Republican-held districts to take control of the House of Representatives this fall, and CBS News rates 5 of the House districts facing primary elections on Tuesday as "very likely" or "probably" competitive in November (CO-6, NY-11, NY-19, NY-22, and UT-4). Senate primaries Maryland, New York and Utah each have one Senate primary election on Tuesday. In New York, incumbent Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a potential 2020 presidential hopeful, has no primary challenge and is expected to easily win re-election in the fall. In Utah, Mitt Romney is expected to win the Republican nomination. Voting changes/Ballot initiatives Tuesday night marks the first time that Colorado's 1.2 million unaffiliated voters can cast ballots in the primary elections.

KELLY: So we started the week with zero tolerance and with families being separated at the border. KELLY: Eliana, what is your read on this about-face by the administration this week? JOHNSON: You know, this really seemed to me to be - regardless of what you think of the zero tolerance policy, to be a crisis in large part of the administration's own making. KELLY: Well... DIONNE: And I - could I say... KELLY: Please. KELLY: All right, now, to follow up on a point you made, Eliana, about Republican lawmakers, Congress was also trying to work on immigration this week. I think there was an idea when Trump came into office that the Republican Congress would be able to do whatever it wanted because the president didn't have clear policy views. DIONNE: ...Because I think you've got two big problems here. Problem one is this bill - this second bill which they can't get through is described as a compromise. It's a compromise among Republicans. DIONNE: And to you.

(CNN)Here are some of the things Donald Trump did in a week that at first appeared to be an incoherent torrent of unrelated events but may end up being one of the most significant of his presidency: He tore at the fabric of the Western alliance, challenged American values at home and abroad, praised autocrats and adopted their rhetoric and positions. He went further than ever in crafting an alternative reality around his White House that may be misleading but has enthralled millions of people. The President insisted that a law passed by Democrats required the separation of children from their parents when undocumented families cross the southern border. There aren't many dissidents in the Republican Party but Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker -- who has the luxury of a looming retirement that permits him to critique the President -- warned the GOP risked becoming a "cult-like" situation. He later insisted he was kidding, though it didn't seem like it at the time. His top lawyer Rudy Giuliani also fueled an impression of a president willing to flex expansive power power when he insisted that the inspector general's report meant the Mueller probe should be frozen then told the New York Daily News that the investigation could be "cleaned up" with presidential pardons. For Trump, when the media fact checks his many falsehoods or points out that his summit with Kim produced no verifiable framework for North Korea's denuclearization, it's evidence of "unfair" coverage by "the fake news." "The other dimension is because these rulers present themselves as embodying the nation, their own victimhood narrative (means) ... when you attack them you are attacking the nation." It's an attack on what we all stand for," the President said. If he does, American democracy could face a fateful test.