President Trump said on Saturday he is considering labeling far-left anti-fascist groups — known as "antifa" — as terror organizations, alongside the violent street gang MS-13.
Reality check: MS-13, which originated in Los Angeles in the 1980s, is known for violently murdering their victims. The Anti-Defamation League describes "antifa" as "violent counter-protestors" who often doxx targets and throw heavy objects and biohazards at law enforcement, white supremacists and other targets — but they are not responsible for killing anyone.
International travel for most Americans requires the proper documents and a lot of patience to get to the front of the immigration line and back into the country. But if Customs and Border Protection pulls you off to the side for a secondary screening, here's what you need to know.
The big picture: The 4th Amendment prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures, but it doesn't apply at the U.S. border, says Georgetown law professor M. Tia Johnson, a former assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused President Trump of racism again on Saturday, after he described Rep. Elijah Cummings' congressional district as "the worst run and most dangerous anywhere in the United States."
The big picture: This is the second time this month that Trump has publicly attacked a black member of Congress. He told Rep. Ayanna Pressley and 3 other congresswomen of color to "go back" to their countries earlier this month, which his rally-going supporters echoed in chants last week.
If Joe Biden wins the Democratic presidential nomination, it's clear that the business dealings of his son, Hunter Biden, will get a lot more scrutiny — especially his former position with Ukraine's biggest private gas company. The Washington Post had a good look this week at why.
Why it matters, per the Post: "Just as [President] Trump has faced repeated questions about whether his family has sought to benefit financially from his presidency, a similar focus is being given to Hunter Biden’s dealings."
The best way to keep Donald Trump’s presidency in perspective isn’t to go down the rabbit hole with every fight he picks, or with every statement that mangles reality. It’s to look at the total volume of how often he does it.
We looked through all of his public comments and tweets for this week, and found an avalanche of personal attacks, complaints, and statements at odds with reality. One came close to setting off a diplomatic crisis.
Rep. Martha Roby (R-Ala.) announced her impending retirement on Friday, potentially leaving Republicans with as few as 11 women in the House after 2020.
Where it stands: Rep. Susan Brooks (R-Ind.) announced her departure from the House in June, and Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) is mulling a Senate run, per the Post. The current number of female GOP representatives is the lowest it's been since 1993, according to the Brookings Institution.
A group of 14 House Democrats sent a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi today urging her to bring a vote by the end of the year on USMCA, President Trump's renegotiated trade deal with Canada and Mexico.
"It is imperative that we reach a negotiated agreement early in the fall. Canada and Mexico are by far our most important trading partners, and we need to restore certainty in these critical relationships that support millions of American jobs."
Why it matters: While we shouldn't get too carried away by 14 Democratic signatures, this letter indicates there is Democratic support for Pelosi bringing the president's top trade priority up for a vote.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) announced in an email Friday that her 2020 presidential campaign has collected 1 million donations.
Why it matters: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is the only other 2020 Democrat who has Warren beat, bringing in 2 million donations as of July 11, according to the New York Times. Both candidates are running grassroots campaigns, and have sworn off big-money fundraisers and corporate PACs.
President Trump called obstruction a "phony crime," alleging without evidence that it was created to target him during an interview on Fox News' "Hannity" on Thursday — the president's first since former special counsel Robert Mueller's House testimony.
"They create this phony crime and then they say he obstructed. They said there was no collusion, but he obstructed. ... The crime was committed on the other side, and we'll find out about it."
Reality check: Mueller told the House Judiciary Commitee that his report does not exonerate Trump on the issue of obstruction, instead citing his office's adherence to the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel opinion that prevents a sitting president from being indicted. Mueller also told the committee that Trump could be charged after he leaves office.
The Trump administration is making it harder for immigrants fleeing violence, persecution and trafficking to stay in the U.S., in the name of getting tough on fraud.
The big picture: There are always cases of fraud in the immigration system, and not everyone who applies for asylum or the T visa, which is for victims of human trafficking, is eligible. But since Trump took office, visa denial rates for asylum and T visas have skyrocketed while the number of refugees admitted to the U.S. has plummeted.
Active-duty troops are monitoring migrants from inside a Border Patrol holding facility in Donna, Texas, to perform welfare or "wellness" checks, NBC reports.
Why it matters: According to a congressman and a former defense official interviewed by NBC, these stationed troops are potentially in danger of violating the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits the use of the military in civilian law enforcement.
