Axios

House Speaker Paul Ryan told NBC's Chuck Todd that Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy should replace him, either as Leader or Speaker, when he retires.

Why it matters: House Republicans are in an exceptionally tough spot for the midterms, and Ryan's decision to not run for reelection only added to concerns that Democrats have a shot at becoming the majority. But by having a clear replacement in place, like McCarthy who is known and trusted within the GOP, Republicans have someone they can rally behind as Nov. 6 edges closer.

The media firestorm that is surrounding the leaked excerpts of former FBI Director James Comey's new book has led to a war of words between the nation's former intelligence officials and the White House.

Quick hits: Comey said Trump is "untethered to the truth" and compared him to a mob boss. Trump called Comey a "weak and untruthful slime ball." And former CIA Director John Brennan told Trump his "kakistocracy is collapsing after its lamentable journey."

A federal judge has sided with the city of Los Angeles and issued a nationwide injunction prohibiting the Justice Department from tying the allocation of federal grants to the participation of local police departments in helping enforce federal immigration laws.

Why it matters: The ruling is a significant blow to President Trump's executive order, signed last year, which threatened to withhold certain federal funds from "sanctuary cities." This is the latest in a string of judicial setbacks by federal courts that have temporarily reined in the administration's various efforts to impose and enforce stricter immigration laws.

Former FBI Director James Comey's forthcoming book,"A Higher Loyalty" is making a splash in the days before its release as several leaked excerpts reveal it to be an unfiltered look at his short-lived time in the Trump administration.

What’s next: The book hits shelves on Tuesday, and Comey is doing a nationwide press tour in the weeks that follow.

President Trump has instructed his economic advisors to consider rejoining the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), but economics is only part of the deal’s appeal. The TPP, now known as the CPTPP, was also crafted to advance U.S. foreign policy interests.

Why it matters: Rejoining would reaffirm America’s commitment to Asia, where China has become increasingly assertive. That’s why Japan is already welcoming the possibility with open arms.

Dealing with President Trump was part of the reason House Speaker Paul Ryan decided he wouldn't run for re-election despite him saying otherwise, reports Politico.

Why it matters: The final chapter of the Ryan story will be titled simply, “Trump.” The Republican Speaker turned from critic to cheerleader, quickly becoming one of Trump’s biggest advocates and enablers in Washington despite initial misgivings.

"With regard to the reported comment by the President, if his reported instruction is something that reflects President's understanding of the significance and effects of TPP, I would welcome this ... At the same time, the basic stance of the GOJ to make every effort to realize the early ratification of the TPP11 remains the same."

The backdrop: A top Japanese diplomat told Axios earlier this week that Tokyo "would welcome the U.S. anytime back to TPP," but the Japanese government was frustrated when the U.S. left the TPP last year. President Trump tweeted on Thursday that Japan, a close ally, "has hit us hard on trade for years."

President Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen reportedly recorded some of his conversations with associates, and Trump allies are concerned that those recordings were obtained by the FBI during their raid of Cohen's office and hotel room on Monday, the Washington Post reports.

What we don't know: It's unclear whether Cohen recorded his conversations with Trump, but sources told the Post that Cohen recorded both business and political conversations for leverage.

President Trump is considering a pardon for Scooter Libby, the former chief of staff to former Vice President Dick Cheney, reports ABC News and the New York Times. The president has reportedly already signed off on the pardon, which he has been considering for months.

The big picture: Pardoning Libby, who was convicted of lying to the FBI and obstruction of justice in 2007, could raise concerns about Trump pardoning his political allies. He would be Trump's third presidential pardon, after Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio and Navy sailor Kristian Saucier. Trump also granted Sholom Rubashkin, an Iowa kosher meatpacking executive, clemency last December.

Fired FBI director James Comey comes across in "A Higher Loyalty," out Tuesday, as aghast that, in his view, so many people who should know better allowed President Trump to attack basic norms of behavior and ethics.

The intrigue: In one of the juicier scenes, Comey takes readers inside his "loyalty dinner" with Trump, in the White House residence on Jan. 27, 2017, a week after the inauguration:

James Comey has an eye and memory for detail — color, curtains, wood — that infuses "A Higher Loyalty" (out Tuesday) with take-you-there accounts like this vivid take on President Trump and his FBI director in the Oval Office:

"Though this was not the first time I’d seen the new president, it was the first time I had seen him in his new office. He didn’t look comfortable. He was sitting, suit jacket on, close against the famous Reso­lute desk, both forearms on the desk."

Here's the reality that greets President Trump's hard-line immigration promises: more people from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico were granted asylum in the U.S. than from any other nation except China in fiscal year 2016.

Between the lines: The uptick in immigrants from Central America began around 2014 due to rampant violence and gang activity in the area, Doris Meissner, a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute, told Axios. But these waves of immigration also have a snowball effect, she explained — because as Central Americans find asylum in the U.S., there's an incentive for family and friends to join them.

President Trump issued an executive order on Thursday, designating a task force for the U.S. Postal Service "to evaluate the operations and finances of the USPS," chaired by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

The big picture: This isn't the first time Trump has spoken out about USPS — earlier this month he tweeted that he was "right about Amazon costing the United States Post Office massive amounts of money." While he didn't mention Amazon in the order, Axios' Jonathan Swan reported last month that Trump tells people Amazon has gotten a free ride from taxpayers and cushy treatment from the U.S. Postal Service