| | | | | Attorney General Jeff Sessions appears before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. Credit: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images | | | Capitol Hill "Creep" List: How they keep track of offensive members and staffers on the Hill
Down in the DMs: Donald Trump Jr. exchanges direct messages via Twitter
Rand Returns: The senator appears to be in pain during his first interview back after his assault | | | What the White House Is Talking About:
President Donald Trump lands back in Washington today, ahead of Wednesday's big reveal, which he teased on Twitter: | | Credit: @realDonaldTrump/Twitter
What the White House Press Corps Is Talking About:
Coming home after a grueling 12-day Asia trip -- to news of WikiLeaks, Attorney General Jeff Sessions' testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, and the sordid evolution of the Roy Moore story, among other things.
The Sessions testimony has been expertly replicated here by a young observer.
CNN 🏆:
Also, if I may, a special shoutout to CNN's White House team, especially the ones you *didn't* see, such as Emily Powell, senior producer for special events, who coordinated and produced more than 400 live shots during Trump's Asia visit in five countries. (She also planned my Melania Trump interview at the Great Wall.) Bra-vo.
Capitol Hill "Creep" List:
The details revealed at today's Committee on House Administration hearing on preventing sexual harassment in the congressional workplace could be astonishing -- and sickening. Ahead of the testimony, CNN reports on the pervasive sexual culture on Capitol Hill, and what women are often subjected to while working there, culled from a series of interviews with more than 50 lawmakers, aides and political veteransl. It's an astounding piece of reporting, and it's pretty damn heartbreaking and disgusting to boot. There's even a "creep list" that keeps tabs on the notoriously offensive staffers and members, the ones to look out for.
Trump's Asia Trip, the Results:
CNN's Dan Merica has a good wrap-up of the trip, which is helpful because there were so many little moments that the overarching points were sometimes lost in the shuffle, or in the pictures.
Speaking of Pictures ... :
The White House posted an album of official photos Monday night from the Asia trip, many of them featuring Melania Trump. Here are two of my favorites. In one she's changing out of her suede Christian Louboutins in South Korea before touring a local cultural site. | | Credit: Official White House photo/Andrea Hanks
I also liked this one of her petting GuGu the giant panda in Beijing. I was there, along with the rest of a medium-size press gaggle, but we were kept outside during this part and told only that the first lady was "interacting" with the panda and "learning about its nutrition." Needless to say, I was curious. Here's what that meant in reals: | | Credit: Official White House photo/Andrea Hanks
Guys What? An Igloo?:
The Watergate Hotel reopened last year after major renovations, and although it has a famous name and location, thanks to Richard Nixon, it's doesn't seem to be catching on as the hipster hot spot for which the new owners had hoped. I only say this because a) I've been there a couple of times and seen for myself and b) well, its gimmicks. It just unveiled a bunch of igloos, which are really plastic tents, that start at $200 for rental. Maybe you like this stuff? In that case you should go for the $375 date package. | | Credit: Courtesy Watergate Hotel
Michael Wolff's West Wing Tell-All Dropping Soon:
Mike Allen's scoop today that writer Michael Wolff is about to release a buzzy insider book about what's happening behind closed doors in Trump's West Wing likely has people there sweating. Titled "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House," the book is set to drop on January 9. I had a feeling something was up with Wolff and Washington because I'd seen him around town at a couple of things in recent months. He is based in New York, so wonky DC book parties aren't his normal stomping grounds. | | What Washington Is Talking About:
Attorney General Jeff Sessions is testifying before the House Judiciary Committee over Russia, and the Committee on House Administration is holding a hearing on preventing sexual harassment on the Hill.
What America Is Talking About:
The three UCLA men's basketball players who were arrested last week for allegedly shoplifting are reportedly heading back to the United States. A Delta Air Lines staff member told The Wall Street Journal that the players were seen checking into a flight from Shanghai to Los Angeles.
Republicans Are Searching for a Roy Moore Replacement:
More than 20 Republican politicians have come out against Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, including Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who said Monday, "I believe the women, yes." This morning, Sessions said, "I have no reason to doubt these women."
He said that even before a fifth woman came forward accusing Moore of sexual abuse when she was a teenager. The woman brought a yearbook signed "Roy Moore" that read, "To a sweeter more beautiful girl I could not say 'Merry Christmas," dated December 22, 1977. | | Credit: Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AFP/Getty Images
Now Republicans are searching for a way to ditch Moore. The December 12 election is to fill the seat vacated by Session when he joined the administration, and one idea is to have him run for his old seat again as a write-in candidate since it's too late to change the names on the ballot.
A source close to Sessions told CNN the attorney general has told people back in Alabama he isn't interested in the job. No word on how President Trump feels about the situation, but he did back Moore's opponent in the primary and he hasn't commented on the controversy aside from a statement last week from Sarah Sanders that he believed Moore should step aside if the allegations are true.
Down in the DMs:
The Atlantic reported Monday that WikiLeaks slid into Donald Trump Jr.'s direct messages on Twitter. The President's son then leaked his own correspondence, theoretically as a show of transparency and to minimize the story, tweeting out screenshots of the DMs. He responded to two of WikiLeaks' messages. In a direct message on October 12, WikiLeaks thanked him and his father for talking about the organization and shared a link to one of its databases. | | Credit: @donaldjtrumpjr/Twitter
Fifteen minutes later, @realDonaldTrump tweeted about WikiLeaks. | | Credit: @realDonaldTrump/Twitter
Rand Returns:
Sen. Rand Paul was back on the Hill on Monday and in visible pain when he gave his first return interview, to the Washington Examiner. Described as "struggling to breath and talk," Paul brushed off questions over what exactly the motive of his alleged attacker, a neighbor of his. He said he hasn't spoken with his neighbor in 10 years. Rene Boucher has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor fourth-degree assault charges.
Paul said: "From my perspective, I'm not really too concerned about what someone's motive is. I'm just concerned that I was attacked from the back and somebody broke six of my ribs and gave me a damaged lung where at least for now I have trouble speaking and breathing and now I've hurt for 10 days."
A Case About a Political T-Shirt is Heading to the Supreme Court:
The case is Minnesota Voters Alliance v. Mansky, and it's over whether you can wear political clothing to a polling place. Andrew Cilek, Minnesota Voters Alliance executive director, wore a Tea Party Patriots shirt and a button that said, "Please I.D. Me," when he went to vote in 2010. Minnesota law prohibits wearing political items in a polling place.
Philly March for Meek Mill:
Hundreds gathered outside Philadelphia's Criminal Justice Center in support of rapper Meek Mill, who last week was sentenced to prison for violating probation, per The Philadelphia Inquirer. Former Philadelphia 76ers player Julius Erving spoke at the demonstration, calling the sentencing "excessive" and "cruel." Colin Kaepernick showed his support for Mill, tweeting, "Sadly there are Black folks going through the same radicalized injustice(s) within the justice system that Meek Mill has experienced for over a decade EVERY SINGLE DAY." | | Credit: Philly.com/YouTube
Street Art Sighting:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Rosalind Bentley spotted this bumper sticker for "Any Functioning Adult 2020" in Atlanta. She also found a T-shirt with the logo. | | Credit: @RozRBentley/Twitter
Send me your pics of political street art to coverlinehunter@cnn.com, tweet me @hunterschwarz or tag @cnncoverline on Instagram. | | | | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment