May 9, 2019

Kamala Harris demands AG Bill Barr clarify testimony

Sen. Kamala Harris. Photo: Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) has sent a letter to Attorney General Bill Barr demanding that he clarify whether President Trump has ever asked or suggested that the Justice Department should open an investigation into an individual.

Why it matters: Harris notes that Barr failed to give a direct answer during his testimony, first saying that he was "trying to grapple with the word 'suggest'" and then — when pressed — responding that he did not know. On Thursday, Trump said at a press conference that former Secretary of State John Kerry should be prosecuted for allegedly violating the Logan Act by reaching out to Iranian officials about the 2015 nuclear deal.

  • In light of the comments, Harris requested that Barr answer questions about what Trump has said about investigating or prosecuting Kerry or other individuals by May 23.

The exchange:

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Rebecca Falconer
2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

The positions of key GOP senators on replacing Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell talks to reporters on Capitol Hill last Thursday. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

With President Trump planning to nominate his third Supreme Court justice nominee by next week, key Republican senators are indicating their stance on replacing the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg just over six weeks out from Election Day.

The big picture: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) has vowed that "Trump’s nominee will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate." But Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) told Alaska Public Media, "I would not vote to confirm a Supreme Court nominee. We are 50 some days away from an election."

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Gigi Sukin
Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

ActBlue collects a record $91 million in hours after Ginsburg's death

A makeshift memorial in honor of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on Sept. 19. Photo: Samuel Corum/Getty Images

ActBlue received a record $91.4 million in the 28 hours following Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death, the Democratic donation-processing site confirmed to Axios late Saturday.

Why it matters via the New York Times: "The unprecedented outpouring shows the power of a looming Supreme Court confirmation fight to motivate Democratic donors."

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Axios
Updated 4 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 11:30 p.m. ET: 30,674,077 — Total deaths: 955,440— Total recoveries: 20,908,811 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 11:30 p.m. ET: 6,764,803 — Total deaths: 199,258 — Total recoveries: 2,577,446 — Total tests: 94,211,463 — Map.
  3. Politics: In reversal, CDC again recommends coronavirus testing for asymptomatic people.
  4. Health: The dwindling chances of eliminating COVID-19.
  5. World: Guatemalan president tests positive for COVID-19 — The countries painting their pandemic recoveries green.
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