Aug 3, 2017

Congress wants phone records linked to Trump Jr. Russia meeting

Richard Drew / AP

Congressional investigators want phone records related to Donald Trump Jr.'s 2016 meeting with a Kremlin-linked lawyer, CBS News reports. There is also interest in obtaining email reports about the meeting. They want to know what was discussed before, during, and after the meeting.

Why it matters: This comes a day after Press Secretary Sarah Sanders confirmed that Trump helped craft Trump Jr.'s initial, misleading statement on the matter, after weeks of White House denials that Trump was involved. Now Trump is ensnared along with Trump Jr., Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort, who attended the meeting.

Go deeper

Axios

Updated 29 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 7 a.m. ET: 6,289,259 — Total deaths: 375,987 — Total recoveries — 2,706,820 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 7 a.m. ET: 1,811,277 — Total deaths: 105,147 — Total recoveries: 458,231 — Total tested: 17,340,682 — Map.
Public health: Nearly 26,000 coronavirus deaths in nursing homes have been reported to federal health officials —Coronavirus looms over George Floyd protests across the country.
Federal government: Trump lashes out at governors, calls for National Guard to "dominate" streets.
World: Former FDA commissioner says "this is not the time" to cut ties with WHO.
🎧 Podcast: The virus didn't go away.

Other resources (<1 min. read)

Axios

46 mins ago - Politics & Policy

What it was like when police used tear gas to clear a path for Trump

President Trump walking back to the White House. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

Moments before President Trump began his Rose Garden address, a mass of law enforcement suddenly marched forward in Lafayette Park, across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House.

Why it matters: It was a jarring scene as police in the nation's capital forcefully cleared young men and women gathered legally in a public park on a sunny evening, all of it on live television.

Go deeper (1 min. read)

Jonathan Swan

1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Trump goes full law-and-order

Photo: Tom Brenner/Reuters

President Trump's final decision to speak in the Rose Garden last evening as protests raged outside the gate was made only hours before, reflecting chaos on both sides of the fence.

Why it matters: Trump’s ultimate remarks fell where his instincts always were: blunt, brutal law and order, with extreme demonstrations of militarized “strength” and blustery threats.

Go deeper (1 min. read)