Tipsheet: House Republicans prepare to battle for leadership slots

View in your browser     House Republicans prepare to battle for leadership slots By Scott Wong and Melanie Zanona   Paul Ryan's retirement plans haven't just set off a shadow campaign for Speaker between his top deputies, Reps. Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) and Steve Scalise (La.). A slew of other ambitious Republicans are now eyeing slots on the leadership ladder, including the majority whip and conference chair posts. No one has made any official announcement that they're running for leadership jobs, but lawmakers are putting out feelers, quietly gauging how much support they would have for a bid after the Nov. 6 election. Read the full story here     Romney forced into GOP primary for Utah Senate nomination By John Bowden   Former GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney failed to secure the Utah Republican Party's nomination for Senate on Saturday, triggering a June primary. Read the full story here     Romney won't commit yet to supporting Trump in 2020 By John Bowden Mitt Romney says he is not ready to commit to endorsing President Trump for reelection in 2020. "I will make that decision down the road," Romney told CNN at the Utah GOP convention on Saturday. Read the full story here     Pruitt met with lobbyist whose wife rented him condo By Luis Sanchez Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt met with the lobbyist whose wife rented him a $50-a-night condo in Washington, D.C. Read the full story here       5 moments commemorating Barbara Bush By Luis Sanchez A funeral for Barbara Bush, who served as first lady during the presidency of her husband, George H.W. Bush, was held on Saturday afternoon at St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas. Read the full story here     The Memo: Trump lowers the temperature on Mueller probe By Niall Stanage Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and special counsel Robert Mueller look safer — for now — from the threat of being fired by President Trump. Read the full story here     Trump denies Cohen will 'flip' By Brett Samuels President Trump on Saturday attacked The New York Times for its reporting on his personal attorney, Michael Cohen, and expressed confidence Cohen will remain loyal to him while under federal investigation. Read the full story here     Five takeaways from Trump adding Giuliani By Jordan Fabian President Trump has turned to former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani for help with the Russia investigation, which increasingly poses danger for the president and his inner circle. Read the full story here     Trump mocks DNC lawsuit: They are suing 'Republicans for winning' By John Bowden President Trump on Saturday slammed the Democratic National Committee (DNC) for its lawsuit accusing his campaign of conspiring with Russia, tweeting that Democrats are only suing because they lost. Read the full story here     Trump considering pardon for boxing legend after call from Sylvester Stallone By Brett Samuels President Trump said Saturday he’s considering a posthumous pardon for boxer Jack Johnson at the urging of actor Sylvester Stallone. Read the full story here     The New York Times: Pruitt’s history: Fancy homes, lobbyists and a shell company By Steve Eder and Hiroko Tabuchi Scott Pruitt, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, is under investigation for allegations of unchecked spending and ethics lapses, including his interactions with lobbyists. Read the full story here     The Washington Post: White House privately skeptical of North Korea’s plans to freeze nuclear testing By David Nakamura and John Hudson President Trump called Pyongyang’s move “progress” and “good news” in a pair of tweets after the news broke Friday evening. Behind the scenes, however, his aides cautioned Saturday that Kim Jong Un’s statement that the North would halt testing and shutter one nuclear facility was more notable for what he left out: a direct pledge to work toward nuclear disarmament. Read the full story here     The Associated Press: Road to N. Korea’s denuclearization is littered with failure By Kim Tong-Hyung   Bill Clinton offered oil and reactors. George W. Bush mixed threats and aid. Barack Obama stopped trying after a rocket launch. While Seoul and Washington welcomed Pyongyang’s declaration on Saturday to suspend further intercontinental ballistic missile tests and shut down its nuclear test site, the past is littered with failure. Read the full story here     Reuters: As US, North Korea plan to meet, Iran warns against Trump deals By Michelle Nichols   A U.S. push to change the Iran nuclear deal was sending a “very dangerous message” that countries should never negotiate with Washington, Iran’s foreign minister warned as U.S. and North Korean leaders prepare to meet for denuclearization talks. Read the full story here     The Wall Street Journal: White House sets aside skepticism, backs funding increase for World Bank By Josh Zumbrun and Stephen Fidler The Trump administration is putting aside its skepticism of such institutions in part to use the World Bank as a counterweight to China. Read the full story here         Did a friend forward you this email? 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