Jun 26, 2017

The sidelining of Trump’s secretary of state

Cliff Owen / AP

The N.Y. Times digs into the surprising sidelining of one of Trump's invisible men, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, one of the more impressive "gets' for the Cabinet:

Tillerson's "first opportunity to use [his Middle East] experience — as a behind-the-scenes mediator in the dispute between Qatar and Saudi Arabia — has put Mr. Tillerson in exactly the place a secretary of state does not want to be: in public disagreement with the president who appointed him."

Go deeper: The shadow Secretary of State.

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Mike Allen, Jim VandeHei
31 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Trump, McConnell to move fast to replace Ginsburg

Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

President Trump will move within days to nominate his third Supreme Court justice in just three-plus short years — and shape the court for literally decades to come, top Republican sources tell Axios.

Driving the news: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans are ready to move to confirm Trump's nominee before Election Day, just 46 days away, setting up one of the most consequential periods of our lifetimes, the sources say.

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Jacob Knutson
42 mins ago - Politics & Policy

What they're saying: Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a "tireless and resolute champion of justice"

Ruth Bader Ginsburg speaking in February. Photo: Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images

Democratic and Republican lawmakers along with other leading figures paid tribute to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died on Friday night at age 87.

What they're saying: “Our Nation has lost a jurist of historic stature," Chief Justice John Roberts said. "We at the Supreme Court have lost a cherished colleague. Today we mourn, but with confidence that future generations will remember Ruth Bader Ginsburg as we knew her — a tireless and resolute champion of justice.”

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Ursula Perano
2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dies at 87

Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Photo: Tom Brenner/Getty Images

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died of metastatic pancreatic cancer at age 87, the Supreme Court announced Friday evening.

The big picture: Ginsburg had suffered from serious health issues over the past few years. Her death sets up a fight over filling a Supreme Court seat with less than 50 days until the election.

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