Jan 31, 2018

John Kelly says Nunes memo will be released "pretty quick"

Photo: Cheriss May / NurPhoto via Getty Images

The classified memo written by the House Intelligence Committee is expected to be released soon, White House chief of staff John Kelly said in an interview with Fox News Radio on Wednesday. He added that he has seen the four-page document, and White House lawyers are currently going through it.

Why it matters: Several Republicans have been pushing for the memo's release, claiming that it contains evidence that the FBI and Justice Department are biased against President Trump. Meanwhile, Democrats argue that the memo is a tool to further undermine the FBI and Robert Mueller's Russia investigation.

"It will be released here pretty quick, I think, and then the whole world can see it."
— John Kelly on Fox News Radio

FBI Director Christopher Wray has also read the memo, and has urged the White House not to release it to the public, sources told Bloomberg, because it "contains inaccurate information and paints a false narrative."

Timing: Last night after the State of the Union address, TV cameras caught President Trump telling Rep. Jeff Duncan that he "100 percent" supports releasing the memo.

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Robert Mueller speaks out on Roger Stone commutation

Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller testifies before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on Capitol Hill on Wednesday July 24, 2019. Photo: The Washington Post / Contributor

Former special counsel Robert Mueller responded to claims from President Trump and his allies that Roger Stone was a "victim" in the Justice Department's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, writing in a Washington Post op-ed published Saturday: "He remains a convicted felon, and rightly so."

Why it matters: The rare public comments by Mueller come on the heels of President Trump's move to commute the sentence of his longtime associate, who was sentenced in February to 40 months in prison for crimes stemming from the Russia investigation. The controversial decision brought an abrupt end to the possibility of Stone spending time behind bars.

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Trump dons face mask during Walter Reed visit

Trump wearing a face mask in Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on July 11. Photo: Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images

President Trump wore a face mask during his Saturday visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, according to AP.

Why it matters: This is the first known occasion the president has appeared publicly with a facial covering as recommended by health officials since the coronavirus pandemic began, AP writes.

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Axios
Updated 13 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 5:30 p.m. ET: 12,607,510 — Total deaths: 562,338 — Total recoveries — 6,948,863 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 5:30 p.m. ET: 3,228,884 — Total deaths: 134,600 — Total recoveries: 983,185 — Total tested: 38,919,421 — Map.
  3. Public health: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter: "Please wear a mask to save lives" — Fauci hasn't briefed Trump on the coronavirus pandemic in at least two months — We're losing the war on the coronavirus.
  4. Food: How the coronavirus pandemic boosted alternative meat.
  5. Sports: Charge of "money grab" by college football.
  6. World: India reimposes lockdowns as coronavirus cases soar.
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