Jul 20, 2017 - Politics & Policy

Grassley to subpoena Trump Jr., Manafort if they don't agree to testify

Darron Cummings and Matt Rourke / AP

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley is ready to subpoena Donald Trump Jr. and Paul Manafort if they do not agree to testify on Wednesday, RealClearPolitics reports. So far, neither has responded to the request and the deadline is this Friday.

Why this matters: Both of these scheduled testimonies would take place in a public setting (whereas Jared Kushner's on Monday will be private). Plus, the WSJ just raised the stakes for Manafort's potential testimony, with a report tonight that Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating him for possible money laundering.

The only other time a sitting president's son has appeared before Congress was Neil Bush, George H. W. Bush's son, who appeared before the House Banking Committee in 1990, per RCP.

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Jacob Knutson

15 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Liberty University's Jerry Falwell Jr. agrees to “indefinite leave of absence”

Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. in 2019. Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Jerry Falwell Jr. will take an “indefinite leave of absence” from his roles as president and chancellor of Liberty University after posting a photo of himself with unzipped pants and an arm around a woman on social media, according to the school.

The state of play: The picture, which has since been deleted, drew backlash and charges of hypocrisy from conservative political figures because the university's honor code strictly prohibits students from having "sexual relations outside of a biblically-ordained marriage," and recommends they dress with“appropriateness” and “modesty."

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Axios

Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 4 p.m. ET: 19,189,737 — Total deaths: 716,669 — Total recoveries — 11,610,192 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 4 p.m. ET: 4,917,050 — Total deaths: 160,702 — Total recoveries: 1,598,624 — Total tests: 59,652,675 — Map.
Politics: White House recommends Trump issue executive orders on coronavirus aid.
Education: Cuomo says all New York schools can reopen for in-person learning.
Public health: Surgeon general urges flu shots to prevent "double whammy" with coronavirus.
World: Africa records over 1 million coronavirus cases — Gates Foundation puts $150 million behind coronavirus vaccine production.

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Alayna Treene

2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

White House recommends Trump issue executive orders on coronavirus aid

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin (L) and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows speak to the media on Capitol Hill. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images.

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said President Trump should sign executive orders unilaterally addressing coronavirus stimulus spending after negotiations with congressional Democrats stalled again on Friday.

Why it matters: Friday was viewed as a self-imposed deadline to negotiate a new relief bill. But after an intense week of negotiations on Capitol Hill, White House and Democratic leadership failed to reach a deal on delivering much needed aid to Americans and businesses.