News from the note…
A round up of the day’s news that might be of interest to you.
Consider this an OPEN THREAD, folks. Chat about any of the stories listed, share links to stories that caught your eye today, and generally have a good time discussing whatever you want.
Ukraine, Seeking U.S. Missiles, Halted Cooperation With Mueller Investigation
From NYT
In the United States, Paul J. Manafort is facing prosecution on charges of money laundering and financial fraud stemming from his decade of work for a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine.
But in Ukraine, where officials are wary of offending President Trump, four meandering cases that involve Mr. Manafort, Mr. Trump’s former campaign chairman, have been effectively frozen by Ukraine’s chief prosecutor.
Why the National Enquirer’s Trump connections are under scrutiny
From CNN
With the National Enquirer under scrutiny for its longstanding ties to President Trump, the tabloid is formally denying that Trump is involved in its editorial decisions.
Bill Gates turned down Trump job offer: ‘That’s not a good use of my time’
From The Hill
Bill Gates said in a new interview that he turned down President Trump’s offer to be the administration’s science adviser, saying “That’s not a good use of my time.”
Gates told the health and science site Stat News that he mentioned to Trump that he was worried about the vacancy during a 40-minute meeting with the president.
Gates said Trump offered him the position, but added that he didn’t know if the president’s offer was serious.
Trump requests emoluments lawsuit against him be dropped
From Axios
President Trump is requesting that a lawsuit accusing him of violating the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause be dropped, CNN reports, although the president is “still is absolutely immune,” according to the filing.
GOP civil war in Ohio threatens another special election loss
From Politico
Republicans’ latest special election headache is unfolding in central Ohio, where a chaotic primary has divided the party and stoked fears of losing another seat in Donald Trump territory to Democrats.
Trump’s Legal Team Lacks Security Clearances Needed for Mueller Negotiations
From Bloomberg
Donald Trump’s current team of lawyers lacks the security clearances needed to discuss sensitive issues related to a possible presidential interview with Special Counsel Robert Mueller, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Trump’s former lead lawyer John Dowd had been the only member of the president’s personal legal team with a security clearance, the people said. When Dowd quit in March over disagreements with Trump on legal strategy, Jay Sekulow became the lead lawyer on the investigation and is still waiting for his clearance.
18 House Republicans nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize
From The Hill
A group of 18 House Republicans has formally nominated President Trumpfor the Nobel Peace Prize.
In a letter sent Wednesday to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, the lawmakers tapped Trump for the highly coveted prize for his efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and end the 68-year-old war between North and South Korea.
Cambridge Analytica Is Shutting Down
From Gizmodo
On Wednesday, Cambridge Analytica employees learned that its parent company, the SCL Group, was shuttering the business, with American-based workers directed to return their keycards immediately, according to documentation reviewed by Gizmodo.
The news was announced during a conference call led by Julian Wheatland, the current chairman of the SCL Group who was reportedly tapped to take over as Cambridge Analytica’s next CEO. Both Cambridge Analytica and SCL Elections will now close their doors.
Poll: 60 percent of Americans say Trump is usually dishonest
From The Hill
A majority of Americans think that President Trump either rarely or never tells the truth, according to an NBC News/SurveyMoney poll released Wednesday.
Overall, 61 percent of respondents to the online poll believe that Trump tells the truth “only some of the time or less.”
The survey results came a day after The Washington Post’s Fact Checker reported that Trump has made more than 3,000 false or misleading statements since taking office last year.
