Tipsheet: Trump VA pick faces challenge to convince senators he’s ready for job — Sponsored by CVS Health

View in your browser     Trump VA pick faces challenge to convince senators he’s ready for job By Jordain Carney      President Trump's pick to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs is hearing skepticism from senators about his ability to lead the sprawling and often-troubled agency ahead of what could be a contentious confirmation hearing next week. Ronny Jackson, who now serves as the White House physician, has no experience running a bureaucracy like the VA, which has left senators in both parties questioning whether President Trump put personal ties above qualifications in making the nomination. Read the full story here     Impeaching Rosenstein? Some Republicans are talking about it By Melanie Zanona GOP leaders have been silent on the calls from key House conservatives to censure or impeach Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein — a move that would fire up the GOP base, but that could also turn off moderate and independent voters in the midterm elections. Read the full story here     Comey memo fallout is mostly fizzle By Katie Bo Williams The public release of seven memos written by former FBI Director James Comey documenting his interactions with President Trump has divided Washington down political lines. Read the full story here     Pompeo lacks votes for positive vote on panel By Jordain Carney CIA Director Mike Pompeo is officially short of the votes needed to clear the Senate Foreign Relations Committee next week. Read the full story here     CIA declassifies memo on nominee's handling of interrogation tapes By Katie Bo Williams President Trump’s nominee for CIA director, Gina Haspel, “acted appropriately” in carrying out orders to destroy videotapes of harsh interrogations at a black site prison in Thailand, former CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell says in a newly declassified memo.  Read the full story here     Republicans divided over legislation protecting Mueller By Jordain Carney Legislation protecting special counsel Robert Mueller has sparked deep divisions among Republicans on Capitol Hill.  Read the full story here     McCabe to sue Trump admin for defamation, wrongful termination By Jacqueline Thomsen Former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe is planning to sue the Trump administration for defamation and wrongful termination, according to multiple media reports Friday. Read the full story here     North Korea to stop nuclear tests and missile launches: state media By Max Greenwood North Korean leader Kim Jong Un announced on Friday that he would halt nuclear and missile tests, North Korean state media reported.  Read the full story here     Trump casts doubt on legality of special counsel Mueller By Alicia Cohn President Trump on Friday night renewed doubts about the security of the special counsel’s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election, by musing in a tweet that the special counsel “was established based on an illegal act.” Read the full story here     Lobbying industry on winning streak in the Trump era By Meagan R. Wilson Lobbyists are winning big under President Trump. Read the full story here         SPONSORED CONTENT   Sponsored by CVS Health Chronic illness affects 1 in 2 Americans and accounts for more than 80% of all health care costs. Learn more about how we are saving lives and helping people manage their chronic conditions. Learn more.         John Dowd’s resignation sets Trump up for trouble in Mueller probe By Jonathan Turley OPINION | John Dowd’s resignation as personal counsel to President Donald Trump sent shivers across Capitol Hill today. The reaction was not necessarily due to faith in Dowd but, rather, fear of the unknown.  Read the full story here     Leaking national security advice meant for Trump is indefensible By Tom Nichols OPINION | Donald Trump’s detractors and critics — and I am usually one of them — are gleefully noting that yet another story has emerged that shows the president to be an uneducable loose cannon. This time, however, Trump’s opponents should think about the damage that has been done not only to our national security but to the ability of future presidents to receive confidential advice. Read the full story here     CNN: Trump legal team brings fresh firepower to reset with Mueller By Sara Murray, Gloria Borger and Evan Perez   President Donald Trump, stung by reports that he couldn't attract top-notch lawyers, personally pushed for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani to add a dose of star power to his bare-bones legal team, according to sources familiar with the situation. Read the full story here     The New York Times: Pressure to Release Comey Memos May Have Backfired on G.O.P. By Michael D. Shear and Nicholas Fandos   For days, top Republicans in Congress demanded the release of James B. Comey’s memos about President Trump, threatening Rod J. Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, with a subpoena if he failed to share the highly anticipated documents written by the former F.B.I. director. Read the full story here     Reuters: Trade tensions set for brighter U.S. corporate spotlight By Lewis Krauskopf   The potential for an intensifying trade dispute to undercut the U.S. stock market could become clearer next week when a host of multinational companies reports quarterly results that may provide a glimpse into the impact of those global tensions. Read the full story here     NBC News: North Korea nuke test halt could be a ruse, but also a sign Pyongyang serious about talks By Andrea Mitchell North Korea's announcement that it is halting nuclear and missile tests could be a negotiating gambit in advance of an upcoming summit with South Korea — and the prospective historic meeting being planned with President Donald Trump — but it is still a sign that Pyongyang is serious about the talks. Read the full story here     The Associated Press: Giuliani adds toughness, star power to legal team for Trump By Jonathan Lemire and Jill Colvin   For weeks, President Donald Trump had grown increasingly frustrated with the cable news chatter that he couldn’t hire a big-name attorney for his legal team. Read the full story here         Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for The Hill Tipsheet       Forward this Tipsheet           Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  |  Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters   The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©2016 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.