Christine Blasey Ford's lawyers wrote to the FBI today saying they still haven't been contacted by investigators and that it is "inconceivable" the bureau would not interview her as part of their investigation of Brett Kavanaugh.
Why it matters: The investigation into Ford's allegations of sexual assault reportedly may be completed as early as tomorrow with Senate votes later this week.
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
Photo: Tom Williams-Pool/Getty Images
White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows confirmed in court on Tuesday that President Trump's tweets authorizing the disclosure of documents related to the Russia investigation and Hillary Clinton's emails "were not self-executing declassification orders," after a federal judge demanded that Trump be asked about his intentions.
Why it matters: BuzzFeed News reporter Jason Leopold cited the tweets in an emergency motion seeking to gain access to special counsel Robert Mueller's unredacted report as part of a Freedom of Information Act request. This is the first time Trump himself has indicated, according to Meadows, that his tweets are not official directives.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
The Chinese government is threatening to detain foreign citizens unless their home governments do what Beijing demands. In some cases, China has already made good on those threats.
The big picture: This marks a potential evolution of China's "wolf warrior diplomacy" to outright rogue state behavior, putting it in the company of countries like North Korea and Iran, which have also engaged in hostage diplomacy.
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