Fresh off a Fox News interview in which he described President Trump as a fellow "maverick," French President Emmanuel Macron arrived today for the first state visit of the Trump presidency. He and his wife Brigitte dined on Dover sole, lemon ricotta agnolotti, and chocolate soufflé with the Trumps this evening at Mount Vernon.
The visit provides Trump with an opportunity to showcase his strong relationship with a key ally, and perhaps snag a couple positive news cycles. But given Trump's widespread disapproval in France, what's in it for Macron?
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted in favor of Mike Pompeo's nomination for Secretary of State 11-9-1 on Monday, thanks to Sen. Rand Paul who flipped from opposing to supporting his nomination.
Why it matters: At one point, it appeared that Pompeo did not have the votes for a favorable recommendation from the committee, which would have marked the first time in nearly 100 years they voted against a Secretary of State nominee. But with the endorsement in tact, Pompeo's nomination is now headed to the Senate floor for a full vote, where Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ensured a smooth approval.
Sen. Rand Paul said Tuesday he will vote in support of Mike Pompeo, President Trump's pick for Secretary of State. His reversal almost guarantees that Pompeo will be endorsed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He still has to be confirmed by the full Senate.
Sen. Joe Manchin announced via Twitter on Monday that he would vote to confirm CIA Director Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State — joined later by Sen. Joe Donnelly.
Why it matters: Pompeo needed two votes from Democrats to ensure his confirmation. Republicans currently control the Senate 51-49, but they're down as many as three votes: Sen. John McCain is at home receiving cancer treatment, Sen. Rand Paul has repeatedly stated he'd vote against Pompeo, and Sen. Jeff Flake has not yet announced his vote. Manchin and Donnelly now join fellow Dem Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, who announced her support last week, in backing Pompeo.
There's a fundraising battleunfolding between congressional Democrats and Republicans ahead of the 2018 midterm election, and Democratic groups and candidates are starting to get an edge, according to recent FEC filings.
Americans have finally started to lose faith in tech companies' ability to protect their information, according to a survey fielded by HarrisX, a research consultancy, within 24 hours of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s testimony before Congress this month.
U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May apologized to Caribbean leaders and diplomats last week over her government’s "appalling" treatment of some immigrants who migrated to Britain as children after World War II, but the scandal is rumbling on.
Why it matters: The immigrants, also referred to as the "Windrush generation," are legal residents whose parents were invited to the country to address labor shortages. Thousands are at risk of deportation, eviction and losing health care coverage because they don't have documentation required under a 2012 law May implemented.
The Safe Streets and Second Chances initiative, along with a diverse group of organizations including Koch Industries, Uber, and Butterball Farms, expressed their "strong support" for prison reform focused on inmate rehabilitation in a letter sent today to Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley and House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte.
The big picture: The House prison reform bill is expected to go through markup this week, although some specifics of the bill are still being debated. And Sen. Grassley has been adamant that any criminal justice reform effort must include changes to harsh sentencing guidelines — something Attorney General Jeff Sessions has opposed.
Before the confirmation process for Gina Haspel gets underway, 109 retired military officers representing the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marine Corps and the Coast Guard — including former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Henry Hugh Shelton — signed a letter expressing concern over her nomination as CIA director. A key quote:
"[W]e do not accept efforts to excuse her actions relating to torture and other unlawful abuse of detainees by offering that she was 'just following orders,' or that shock from the 9/11 terrorist attacks should excuse illegal and unethical conduct. We did not accept the 'just following orders' justification after World War II, and we should not accept it now ... Individuals in the service of our country, even at the lowest levels, have a duty to refuse to carry out such actions."
