George Floyd death: why Hongkongers are divided over lessons from American unrest
SCMP | Phila Siu,Lilian Cheng
Just blocks from where Hongkonger Eric Cheung lives, protesters have in the past few days taken to the streets and clashed with police officers, as looters vandalised shops and traffic ground to a halt.Cheung, 23, is not in Hong Kong. He is in Chicago, with a front-row seat to the mass protests that have gripped the United States since the death of George Floyd, a black man who last month died after a police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes, sparked demonstrations across…
White House targets protesters with misleading video
Washington Post | Meg Kelly
The White House tweeted — then deleted — a video containing several misleading clips of protesters.
Graham pushes back on Mattis criticism of Trump: 'You're missing something here, my friend'
The Hill | Rebecca Klar
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) pushed back on former Defense Secretary James Mattis's ...
US Navy veteran detained in Iran is freed, Fox News on the ground for Zurich transfer
Fox News | Rich Edson
Michael White, the first American detained in Iran during the Trump administration, has been released.
House Democrats set tight schedule for 2021 spending bills
The Hill | Niv Elis
House Appropriations Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) on Thursday announced an ambitious schedule to mark up and pass all twelve 2021 spending bills over a four-week period in July.The 12 subcommittees and full commi...
Biden and Trump all tied up in Texas: poll
Fox News | Paul Steinhauser
It’s been nearly half a century since a Democratic presidential candidate carried Texas. You have to go all the way back to Jimmy Carter in 1976.
Senate Judiciary punts on subpoena authorization for Obama officials in Russia probe review
Fox News | Brooke Singman
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday held off on approving subpoenas for documents and testimony from top Obama Administration officials as part of the panel's investigation into the origins of the Russia probe during the 2016 presidential election.
Virginia governor to announce removal of Robert E. Lee statue from Richmond as city reckons with Confederate monuments
CNN
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam will announce on Thursday plans to remove a statue honoring Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from Richmond's historic Monument Avenue, a move that comes amid a national reckoning with America's complicated racial history.
Mattis denounces Trump in blistering statement on protests
The Hill | Rebecca Klar
Former Defense Secretary James Mattis condemned President Trump for his handling of the protests over George Floyd's death in a fiery statement released Wednesday."I have watched this week's unfo...
Fired State Department watchdog who was probing Pompeo appears before Congress
Pittsburg Post Gazette | By Karen DeYoung and Carol Morello / The Washington Post
WASHINGTON - After a daylong interview Wednesday with the State Department inspector general who was fired last month amid investigations of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s conduct, lawmakers of both parties said they came away with little better sense of the specifics surrounding his termination.
GOP senator says she's 'struggling' on whether to back Trump
CNN
Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska broke with many of her Republican colleagues Thursday, applauding an op-ed by General James Mattis that condemned President Donald Trump's actions this week.
Rand Paul holding up quick passage of anti-lynching bill
The Hill | Jordain Carney
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) acknowledged on Wednesday that he is holding up quick passage of anti-lynching legislation, saying that he wants the bill to be clarified first.Paul told reporters that if the bill is going t...
Trump retweets message calling for Roger Stone pardon: 'He can sleep well at night!'
The Hill | Justin Wise
President Trump on Thursday tweeted that Roger Stone can "sleep well at night" in response to a tweet from conservative activist Charlie Kirk that called for a pardon of the political operative, who is set to begin a pris...
Tiananmen vigil: thousands of Hong Kong police officers mobilised for banned June 4 events
SCMP | Clifford Lo,Chris Lau
More than 3,000 riot officers will be deployed on Thursday to enforce a ban against the annual candlelight vigil to commemorate the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown and other public gatherings, according to police insiders.They said the ban was being officially enforced on health grounds, and those trying to circumvent the rules by splitting into smaller groups would still be breaking the law.The warning of a heavy police presence came as organisers of the June 4 mass rally at
Fact-checking the Rosenstein hearing about the Russia probe
CNN
Senators rehashed the Russia investigation Wednesday at a testy hearing with former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who defended special counsel Robert Mueller, but disavowed misconduct related to surveillance of an ex-Trump campaign adviser.
Ocasio-Cortez endorses Engel primary challenger
The Hill | Rebecca Klar
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday endorsed the Democrat mounting a primary challenge to House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.). Ocasio-Cortez announced he...
The Point: Reminder: We *still* know very, very little about Donald Trump's medical history
CNN
The White House released the results of President Donald Trump's annual physical on Wednesday, largely to a ho-hum reception.
Senate passes bill to give flexibility for small business coronavirus aid program
The Hill | Jordain Carney
The Senate passed legislation on Wednesday to provide more flexibility for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which provides help for small businesses amid the steep economic impact of the coronavirus."Today we...