Oct 4, 2018

Retired Supreme Court Justice says Kavanaugh no longer qualified

Former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. Photo: Allison Shelley/Getty Images

Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens has pulled back his support for Brett Kavanaugh, arguing Thursday that the nominee’s performance at his confirmation hearings should disqualify him from the bench, per Palm Beach Post reporter, Lulu Ramadan.

The details: Stevens, 98, had previously said Kavanaugh "had the qualifications" to sit on the country's highest court. "His performance in the hearings changed my mind... The Senators should pay attention to this," he said at an event in Florida. The Senate is set to take its first procedural vote Friday on whether to confirm Kavanaugh. Stevens was appointed to the court in 1975 by former President Gerald Ford and served as an associate justice until his retirement in 2010.

Editor’s note: An earlier version incorrectly stated that John Paul Stevens was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1970.

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Axios

O'Brien rejects intelligence report of Russia effort to re-elect Trump

National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien. Photo: Chris Usher/CBS via Getty Images

White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien repeatedly rejected on ABC's "This Week" an assessment from a congressional briefing led by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence that Russia is interfering in the 2020 election to help President Trump get re-elected.

Why it matters: The report put the Trump administration under fresh scrutiny in regard to steps it has been taking to combat the kind of interference that the U.S. encountered in 2016.

Go deeperUpdated 29 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Axios

Italy becomes site of largest coronavirus outbreak outside of Asia

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins, the CDC, and China's Health Ministry. Note: China numbers are for the mainland only and U.S. numbers include repatriated citizens.

The novel coronavirus has spread to more nations as South Korea and Italy step up emergency measures in their countries amid rising case numbers on Sunday.

The big picture: COVID-19 has killed at least 2,462 people and infected almost 79,000 others, mostly in mainland China. South Korea increased the infectious disease alert to red, the highest possible, as its case numbers jumped to 602 and the death toll to five. Italy's government announced emergency measures as it confirmed a spike from three to 132 cases in matter of days, making it the largest outbreak outside of Asia.

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Jacob Knutson

Iranian state TV: Hardliners win landslide victory in low-turnout election

Photo: Iranian Supreme Leader Press Office/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Iranian state TV announced Sunday that hardliners won a landslide victory in the country's parliamentary elections two days ago, including all 30 seats in Tehran, AP reports.

Why it matters: Voter turnout in the election only reached 42.57%, according to Iran's interior ministry, the first time turnout dipped below 50% since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The low turnout may signal dissatisfaction with the Iranian government and the election system.

Go deeper2 hours ago - World