Today’s edition of quick hits.
Today’s edition of quick hits:
* The day after in Annapolis: “The gunman who killed five people with a shotgun at an Annapolis, Maryland, newspaper office did so as part of a ‘coordinated attack’ that included barricading the building’s back door so no one could escape, prosecutors said Friday.”
* Pruitt: “On May 18, a top aide to Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt testified to a congressional committee that she had been tasked with procuring her boss a used mattress from the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D. C. Just days after news of that testimony broke, the aide, Pruitt’s now former director of scheduling Millan Hupp, submitted her resignation. But even though Hupp was gone from the agency, Pruitt wasn’t done with her.”
* An interesting behind-the-scenes look: “Inside the White House’s Quiet Campaign to Create a Supreme Court Opening.”
* A report the president should read, but won’t: “The State Department warned in a report on Thursday that separating children from their parents can cause lasting psychological damage that leaves them vulnerable to trafficking, a cautionary tale that comes amid an uproar over a Trump administration immigration policy that has temporarily broken up migrant families as they enter the United States.”
* A subpoena for Andrew Miller: “A former aide to Trump adviser Roger J. Stone Jr. was subpoenaed to appear in federal court to provide evidence and hand over documents related to the Russia investigation.”
* In case you missed Rachel’s segment on this: “Several billionaires with deep ties to Russia attended exclusive, invitation-only receptions during Donald Trump’s inauguration festivities, guest lists obtained by ABC News show.”
* Trump helps Russia’s position in Syria: “The catastrophic war in Syria is nearing what could be a diplomatic endgame, as the United States, Russia and Israel shape a deal that would preserve power for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in exchange for Russian pledges to restrain Iranian influence.”
* The understaffed White House: “Maggie Cordish, a close friend of Ivanka Trump and a top adviser to her on paid family leave, has left the White House.”
* Did House Republicans think their hearing with Rosenstein and Wray would go well? “The case President Trump and his allies have built against the Justice Department and the FBI is circumstantial at best. And on Thursday, the various arguments Trump and his Republican allies have leaned on to suggest or outright claim FBI bias against the president got knocked down, one by one, by the top of the bureau’s chain of command.”
* The culture of corruption: “Since Donald Trump declared his candidacy for president in late 2015, at least $16.1 million has poured into Trump Organization-managed and branded hotels, golf courses and restaurants from his campaign, Republican organizations, and government agencies. Because Trump’s business empire is overseen by a trust of which he is the sole beneficiary, he profits from these hotel stays, banquet hall rentals and meals.”
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
