News from the note…
A round up of the day’s news that might be of interest to you.
This is 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.
Trump invoked Pearl Harbor during tense meeting with Japanese prime minister: report
President Trump invoked the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor during a heated meeting earlier this year with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.
“I remember Pearl Harbor,” Trump, who was born 4 1/2 years after the attack, said, according to the newspaper, before railing against Japan’s economic policies.
The Post reported that Abe was “exasperated” by the remark. A Japanese diplomat told the newspaper that he was unsure why Trump brought up Pearl Harbor, but said the president has previously mentioned Japan’s “samurai past.”
The Hill
DOJ official targeted by Trump faces House grilling
Bruce Ohr, a career Justice Department official who’s become a major target of President Donald Trump amid his biting criticism of federal law enforcement, is facing off with congressional investigators behind closed doors Tuesday as part of a GOP-led inquiry into the origins of the Russia investigation.
Ohr, who most recently led the Justice Department’s organized crime and drug task forces, has come under scrutiny by Republicans for his relationship with Christopher Steele, the former British intelligence officer who conducted opposition research on then-candidate Trump.
Ohr’s wife, Nellie, is also an employee of Fusion GPS, the firm who commissioned Steele’s so-called dossier on behalf of the Democratic National Committee and the Hillary Clinton campaign.
NBC
Ariz. officials knew of issues with voting machines a day before Tuesday’s primary
Arizona officials knew on Monday about issues plaguing voting machines at certain polling locations, a day before the state’s primary elections, according to the Associated Press.
Polling sites across the state have faced technical difficulties throughout the day, as voters pick nominees for U.S. House and Senate seats, as well as state and local offices.
Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes said at a press conference Tuesday morning that his office had been alerted to issues with voting equipment when troubleshooters were testing polling sites on Monday, The Arizona Republic reported. Fontes said a contractor was supposed to provide more than 100 technicians, but only 70 were available, according to the Republic.
The Hill
Too big to sanction? U.S. struggles with punishing large Russian businesses.
When the Treasury Department imposed tough sanctions on Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska and his companies in April, the fallout for the Putin ally was fast and fierce.
Western customers stopped buying from the aluminum company he controls, sinking its share price and shaving Deripaska’s fortune from $6.7 billion to $3.4 billion, according to Forbes estimates.
The sanctions also caused havoc far beyond Russia. Global aluminum prices spiked, battering U.S. and European companies that use the metal. After an outcry from manufacturers and foreign governments, Treasury softened its stance, giving companies more time to end dealings with the aluminum producer, Rusal, and suggesting it could lift sanctions on the company if Deripaska cedes control.
The episode is a cautionary tale as the United States readies more sanctions against Russia, including some beginning Monday that will affect U.S. technology exports, and some under consideration in Congress that could prove painful for European oil and gas companies.
Washington Post
John Goodman: ABC to kill off Roseanne’s character for ‘The Conners’
John Goodman said in an interview published Sunday that ABC’s new sitcom “The Conners” will deal with the exit of former “Roseanne” star Roseanne Barr by killing off her character.
“She had to sign a paper saying that she relinquished all her rights to the show so that we could go on,” Goodman told The Times of London. “I sent her an email and thanked her for that. I did not hear anything back, but she was going through hell at the time. And she’s still going through hell.”
The Hill
Trump’s farmer bailout begins. USDA spends $1.2 billion to buy surplus food
The government is starting to pay farmers that have been hurt by the fallout of President Donald Trump’s widening trade feuds.
The USDA announced Monday that it would release an initial $4.7 billion payment, and buy $1.2 billion of surplus food.
The move is part of a larger, $12 billion aid program that was announced in July. Since then, American farmers have been waiting for details about how the money would be disbursed.
Many countries have slapped tariffs on American commodities in retaliation to the Trump administration’s move to impose tariffs on imported steel and aluminum from much of the world, as well as on many goods from China.
The initial$4.7 billion of direct payments will go to corn, cotton, dairy, hog, sorghum, soybean, and wheat producers. Farmers can begin requesting the aid on September 4, the US Department of Agriculture said.
CNN
Renaming Senate office building after McCain sparks GOP backlash
A push to rename a Senate office building after the late Sen. John McCain(R-Ariz.) is facing political headwinds on Capitol Hill, from Republican lawmakers.
Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) are working on a resolution that would rename the Russell Senate Office Building, named in honor of former Democratic Sen. Richard Brevard Russell, after McCain.
But the proposal is facing skepticism, and in some cases outright opposition, threatening to inject partisan fighting into the chamber’s bipartisan mourning.
The Hill
One-Time Paul Manafort Banker Robbed of iPad, Briefcase in Mysterious Overnight Break-in at His NYC Penthouse: Sources
Paul Manafort’s one-time banker had his Manhattan penthouse burglarized overnight, a mysterious break-in that saw a briefcase, iPad and sneakers stolen from the residence, law enforcement sources familiar with the case tell News 4.
David Fallarino, dubbed Manafort’s “front office banker” at Citizens Bank by the Huffington Post, told authorities he left the terrace door of his West 58th Street home open before he went to sleep Monday, the sources say. The building is nine floors, city records show.
Fallarino, 38, said he heard a noise around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday and went out to find a crow bar on the terrace, the sources say. There were no apparent signs of forced entry, the sources say, but Fallarino reported his wine cabinet was open and there was a bottle of wine on the floor. The briefcase, iPad and sneakers were the only items missing; the contents of the first two were unknown.
NBC New York
