The Department of Homeland Security will announce a new policy on Monday that directs agents to refer anyone caught crossing the border illegally to the Justice Department for prosecution, the L.A. Times first reported and Axios has confirmed.
Why it matters: The move is directly aligned with Attorney General Jeff Sessions' new "zero-tolerance policy," and could lead to parents being separated from their children if caught crossing the border illegally — a sharp departure from current immigration procedure.
Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson’s decision to remove himself for consideration as the next Secretary of Veterans Affairs was the right move. Only a two-star officer, he lacked relevant experience running a large agency, and the congressional investigations found multiple complaints regarding his tenure as the White House physician.
The big picture: As Lisa Rein writes for The Washington Post, there are a large number of senior VA officials leaving under intense scrutiny from the White House amid a lack of leadership. In this type of environment, a VA Secretary with a four-star background would have a better chance of success.
Former Trump campaign advisor Carter Page tweeted that the Senate Intelligence Committee "should consider their own Witch Hunt tactics before harassing others this week" as it weighs the appointment of CIA Gina Haspel who once oversaw a black site — and Page told Axios that the comparison to torture wasn't purely hyperbole.
What he's saying: "Read the definition in [the U.N. Convention against Torture] ... if you had the full details of what they put me through you would probably understand," Page told Axios via email.
Democrats scored several wins in the newest version of the House prison reform bill scheduled for a markup on Wednesday — and Attorney General Jeff Sessions is not happy about some of the changes.
The details: The bill would send 4,000 prisoners home, allow men and women in prison to earn time in house arrest or halfway homes instead of prison cells, require them to be placed within 500 miles of family, outlaw shackling during child birth and mandate the provision of sanitary napkins and tampons to female inmates, according to a copy of the latest language obtained by Axios.
President Trump issued a legal threat to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigative team in a Monday tweet, telling the "13 Angry Democrats" on the team to "just wait ‘till the Courts get to see your unrevealed Conflicts of Interest!"
Reality check: While 13 members of Mueller's team have previously registered as Democrats, Mueller himself is a registered Republican. The other four investigators in the probe have no affiliation, per the Washington Post.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), perhaps President Trump's closest Hill ally, is plotting his ascent to House speaker, AP's Lisa Mascaro reports.
The big picture: "[L]ast week, back at home while Congress was on recess, McCarthy told a group of students he’s unlikely to run for another office after serving in the House: 'That’s where my political career will probably end.'"
"Across the country, dozens of House Republicans who previously coasted to victory are for the first time facing credible and well-financed Democratic opponents — and working furiously to find a strategy for survival," the WashPost's Dave Weigel and Paul Kane report.
The bottom line: "Many newly vulnerable Republicans represent suburban communities ... where Donald Trump won in 2016 but has since lost popularity."
Republicans in D.C. are panicking over Tuesday's West Virginia Senate primary.
The problem: Don Blankenship, a coal baron who's spent time in prison, is running a demagogic campaign in which he's repeatedly invoked the Chinese heritage of Mitch McConnell's wife, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.
Rudy Giuliani — currently serving as President Trump's personal lawyer — was back in front of the camera this weekend after his bombshell comments about Stormy Daniels to Fox News' Sean Hannity spurred controversy last Wednesday.
His big quote: Asked by George Stephanopoulos on ABC's "This Week" if Michael Cohen paid other women on behalf of Trump, Giuliani said, "I have no knowledge of that, but I would think if it was necessary, yes."
Primary season kicks off in earnest this week, with major congressional contests in Ohio and North Carolina on Tuesday and even more on the docket in Pennsylvania on May 15.
Why it matters: While Democrats remain the favorites to retake the House in November, the primary landscape is littered with land mines for both parties.
There was a 17% drop in international students in the U.S. last year, mostly due to the 28% decline in Indian students and a 24% decline in Chinese students receiving visas.
Why it matters: The trend is at least partially attributed to President Trump's immigration policy changes and rhetoric, which have led to fewer foreign students applying to study at U.S. institutions. Foreign students contributed $36.9 billion to the U.S. economy during the 2016-2017 academic year, according to the NAFSA Association of International Educators.
