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| LATEST WITH THE KAVANAUGH CONFIRMATION FIGHT | |
The FBI has widened its investigation: |
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Via The New York Times's Peter Baker and Michael S. Schmidt, "the White House authorized the F.B.I. to expand its abbreviated investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh by interviewing anyone it deems necessary as long as the review is finished by the end of the week, according to two people briefed on the matter." |
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| WHY TRUMP AND THE WHITE HOUSE WANT THE INVESTIGATION TO EXPAND: |
| Republicans have been facing curveballs related to Kavanaugh's accusations for weeks and are seeking to defang the investigation by opening it further. http://bit.ly/2NhMqEX |
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| TO FEEL UP TO DATE ON THE INVESTIGATION: |
| The New York Times has an interesting list of who the FBI has interviewed for the Kavanaugh investigation and who they haven't. https://nyti.ms/2NbUw1P |
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| WHAT LINDSEY GRAHAM THINKS SHOULD HAPPEN: |
| Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) thinks President Trump should re-nominate Kavanaugh if his confirmation vote fails. Quote from Graham on Fox News: "I would re-nominate him and I would take this case to the American people and I'd ask voters in Indiana, in Missouri, in North Dakota and other places where Trump won -- saying who he would nominate if he got to be president -- and see if the voters want to appeal the verdict of their senator." https://fxn.ws/2ybiDIi |
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| HOW THIS BRUTAL CONFIRMATION PROCESS COULD SHAPE BRETT KAVANAUGH AS A SUPREME COURT JUSTICE: |
| https://ti.me/2OuoYZL |
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| NEW TIDBIT — MCCONNELL MOCKS STORY ABOUT KAVANAUGH IN BAR FIGHT |
| Yesterday, The New York Times reported that in college, Kavanaugh was questioned by the New Haven police about a bar fight during which Kavanaugh was accused of throwing ice at someone. How Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) reacted: "Get this, Judge Kavanaugh may have been accused of throwing some ice across a college bar in the mid-1980s, in the mid-1980s. Talk about a bombshell.” http://bit.ly/2Ne4D65 |
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| It's Tuesday. The midterm elections are five weeks from today! I'm Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what's coming up. Send comments, story ideas and events for our radar to cmartel@thehill.com, @CateMartel and on Facebook. |
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Amazon raises its minimum wage: |
| Via The New York Times's Karen Weise, Amazon announced it will raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour. Keep in mind: This includes Whole Foods employees. https://nyti.ms/2zMI9G8 Video of Amazon warehouse employees reacting -- this is pretty great:
Watch: http://bit.ly/2OZxexD
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| REACTION FROM BERNIE SANDERS: |
| In a speech livestreamed on Facebook. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) congratulated Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Quote from Bernie: "The wages [Bezos] was paying his employees were so low that many of them were forced to go on food stamps, Medicaid, subsidized housing and other governmental programs. Today, I want to give credit where credit is due and I want to congratulate Mr. Bezos for doing exactly the right thing." http://bit.ly/2Ngdfcv Watch the Sanders livestream: http://bit.ly/2DPPpF8 |
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New detail -- How Trump tried to silence Stormy Daniels: |
| Via The Wall Street Journal's Joe Palazzolo and Michael Rothfeld, President Trump personally tried to stop adult-film actress Stormy Daniels from publicly talking about her alleged affair with the president. How Trump tried to do that: "In a phone call, Mr. Trump instructed his then-lawyer Michael Cohen to seek a restraining order against the former adult-film actress ... through a confidential arbitration proceeding." https://on.wsj.com/2yh6odB |
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| FIVE WEEKS FROM TODAY -- THE MIDTERMS | |
Why red-state Democrats are in an impossible situation: |
| Via The Hill's Alexander Bolton, Senate Democrats who are up for reelection this year in states where President Trump won in 2016 are in a tough situation as they decide how to handle Judge Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court. http://bit.ly/2OtiBG1 Bad timing: The vote, which will decide the balance of the court for years, will likely happen a month before the midterms. Which Democrats are in the toughest positions: Sens. Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), Joe Donnelly (Ind.) and Joe Manchin (W.Va.). Where they stand: Heitkamp and Manchin are still undecided, but Donnelly said he would vote "no" on Kavanaugh. Keep in mind: All three voted for Trump's last Supreme Court pick, Judge Neil Gorsuch. What vulnerable Democrats are hoping will happen: Dems are hoping Republicans will force Kavanaugh to withdraw his nomination so they don't have to decide. |
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| MEANWHILE -- DEMS ARE HOPING THE KAVANAUGH HELPS THEM WITH WOMEN: |
| The Hill's Amie Parnes, "Whether Kavanaugh's nomination fails or succeeds, Democrats say Republicans should be on notice, particularly with the key constituency of suburban women." http://bit.ly/2IvgLyV |
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| REPUBLICANS HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT MIDWEST TRUMP VOTERS: |
| Via The Hill's Reid Wilson, "the Midwestern states that handed President Trump the White House two years ago now appear poised to deliver a sharply negative verdict against his party, thanks in no small part to voters' dissatisfaction with the way Trump has handled his job." http://bit.ly/2E03xvJ |
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Exclusive -- repeat after me, "hard-line leftists": |
| Via The Hill's Niall Stanage, a new poll commissioned by a Stephen Bannon–led group shows that the best strategy for Republicans in the midterms is to push the issues of immigration, impeachment and portraying Democrats as hardline leftists. Why the poll is controversial though: It encourages Republicans to keep pushing the most divisive issues. Oh and don't forget: Bannon, the former White House chief strategist who is behind the poll, is a contentious figure. http://bit.ly/2NUZFAq |
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Trending -- yikes: |
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Watch: http://bit.ly/2DNphuz
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This is a terrifying sign: |
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| The Senate is in. The House is out. Tuesday -- Thursday: The Atlantic Festival in Washington, D.C. Details: http://bit.ly/2NaAepf Today: First lady Melania Trump is in Ghana as part of her first major solo international trip. https://reut.rs/2NfY9DR 12:40 p.m. EDT: President Trump leaves the White House for Philadelphia. 3:10 p.m. EDT: Vice President Pence campaigns for Senate candidate Matt Rosendale in Bozeman, Mont. He then heads to Spokane, Wash. 3:20 p.m. EDT: President Trump leaves for Southaven, Miss. 6:50 p.m. EDT: President Trump meets with supporters in Southaven, Miss. 7 p.m. EDT: Vice President Pence campaigns for Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Was.) in Spokane, Wash. He then heads back to Washington, D.C. 11:20 p.m. EDT: President Trump gets back to the White House. 12:20 a.m. EDT: Vice President Pence gets back to Washington, D.C. Postponed: "The Chinese foreign ministry said Tuesday that upcoming security talks with the U.S. have been postponed at the request of Washington." http://bit.ly/2P3HUeN |
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| 2:30 p.m. EDT: President Trump speaks at the National Electrical Contractors Association Convention in Philadelphia. Livestream: http://bit.ly/2RlyL2C 7:30 p.m. EDT: President Trump holds a campaign rally in Southaven, Miss. Livestream: https://cs.pn/2zLcncv |
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| Today is National Fried Scallops Day. |
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"It's like you're always stuck in second gear" |
| --> http://bit.ly/2NZ4zfY: Via NBC's "Today," here's what the apartment from "Friends" would look like if it were filmed today: https://on.today.com/2xVMuVV |
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Because I love new bars with cool themes: |
| Via Washingtonian's Jessica Sidman, a destination wedding–themed bar is opening on 14th Street NW in Washington, D.C. Photos -- it looks pretty cool: http://bit.ly/2xU3wUr |
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| And because you made it to the end, here's a cow playing fetch: http://bit.ly/2P9llpi |
