Getty Images News
@GettyImagesNews

Advisor to the U.S. President @IvankaTrump poses for a photo with Vice President of Colombia Marta Lucia Ramirez (L) and Colombia's Minister of National Defense Guillermo Botero (R) after a meeting with female police cadets in Bogota, Colombia 📷: Guillermo Legaria Schweizer

https://twitter.com/GettyImagesNews/status/1168957735620288513

The new White House press secretary issued a bizarre statement on Tuesday complaining about others being unprofessional and not adhering to norms.

Stephanie Grisham issued the statement after a federal judge overruled the administration and re-instated the hard press pass for Playboy magazine White House correspondent Brian Karem.

“We disagree with the decision of the district court to issue an injunction that essentially gives free reign (sic) to members of the press to engage in unprofessional, disruptive conduct at the White House,” Grisham said, apparently lacking any self-awareness.

She went on to complain that Karem, “clearly breached well-understood norms of professional conduct.”

https://www.rawstory.com/2019/09/white-house-hits-peak-hypocrisy-attacks-someone-for-unprofessional-conduct-while-claiming-to-uphold-norms/

A North Carolina court just threw out Republicans’ gerrymandered state legislature map

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/9/3/20848087/north-carolina-court-republican-gerrymander-state-legislature-map

North Carolina’s state court delivered Democrats a big win Tuesday, ruling the state’s legislative district map unconstitutional, and paving a path to undo years of Republican gerrymandering in a traditionally competitive state.

In a 357-page decision, a three-judge panel ruled the state’s legislative districts violated the North Carolina State Constitution through “extreme partisan gerrymandering.” The case was brought by Common Cause North Carolina, a nonpartisan group working to end gerrymandering in the state.

“The 2017 Enacted Maps, as drawn, do not permit voters to freely choose their representative, but rather representatives are choosing voters based upon sophisticated partisan sorting,” the ruling states.

The court is leaving it up to the Republican state legislature to redraw the maps, but it is setting specific guidelines for them to follow: The new maps must be redrawn by September 18 (within two weeks), lawmakers can’t use data to try to draw a partisan advantage, and the redrawing process must be public. The court will also appoint a referee to review the redrawn maps before they are enacted, and if the legislature tries to delay, the referee could redraw the maps itself.

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/459747-mcconnell-over-the-top-moscow-mitch-nickname-effort-to-smear-me



Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday vehemently denounced political opponents who have dubbed him “Moscow Mitch,” calling the nickname an “over-the-top” effort to “smear” him.

“It’s modern-day McCarthyism,” McConnell said during a radio interview on Salem Media Group’s “Hugh Hewitt Show” when asked about the nickname he received after blocking Democrats’ efforts to pass bipartisan election security bills. “Unbelievable for a Cold Warrior like me who spent a career standing up to the Russians to be given a moniker like that.”

"You know, I can laugh about things like the 'Grim Reaper,' but calling me Moscow Mitch is over the top," the Kentucky senator added, before suggesting that Democrats would "say anything and do anything."

"This is what we’re up against with the hard left today in America," he said.

Peter Baker
@peterbakernyt

A Defense Intelligence Agency estimate this summer estimated that North Korea has produced enough fuel for roughly a dozen new nuclear weapons since the historic talks between Trump and Kim in Singapore.
@SangerNYT

@WilliamJBroad

https://twitter.com/peterbakernyt/status/1168958601383358464

Activists Call Upon U.S. Treasury Department to Probe Department Coziness With Fox News

Unearthed emails showed a Treasury official directing a Fox employee to use his preferred wording on a story. Democracy Forward wants the IG to see if that broke a federal law.

Maxwell Tani
Media Reporter
Published 09.03.19 12:40PM ET

https://www.thedailybeast.com/democracy-forward-calls-upon-us-treasury-department-to-probe-department-coziness-with-fox-news

Last month, advocacy group Democracy Forward released emails between Treasury officials and Fox Business Network employees after obtaining the messages through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The emails underscored the often cozy relationship that exists between Fox News or Fox Business and the Trump administration.

On Tuesday, in a new letter exclusively shared with The Daily Beast, Democracy Forward called upon on the Treasury’s inspector general to look into whether some of the actions unearthed in that FOIA deep-dive violated a relatively obscure federal law prohibiting government agencies from spreading information without disclosing its origin.

In a specific instance cited by Democracy Forward, a Treasury communications official directed a Fox Business Network employee to make changes to an article about a trip taken by Treasury Sec. Steve Mnuchin. The official crafted specific alterations for the article and Fox staff acquiesced to the official’s preferred headline and article text wording.

While lobbying for changes in a news article is common for flacks at both government agencies and private companies, Democracy Forward argued that the emails show Treasury officials “exerting substantial influence over FBN’s coverage and raises troubling questions regarding Treasury officials’ compliance with the covert propaganda ban.”

Mike Pence and his congressman brother have spent more than $250,000 at Trump-owned properties

https://www.rawstory.com/2019/09/mike-pence-and-his-congressman-brother-have-spent-more-than-250000-at-trump-owned-properties/



Election records show the Great America Committee associated with Pence has paid about $224,000 to the Trump International Hotel in Washington and its steakhouse, among other properties owned by the president, reported The Daily Beast.

Pence’s brother, first-year Rep. Greg Pence (R-IN), amended FEC filings this year after USA Today reported that his campaign appeared to be illegally paying for him to live at the Trump hotel.

The GOP lawmaker’s campaign spent about $45,000 at businesses owned by the president.

The vice president’s spending habits have fallen under new scrutiny after he stayed at Trump’s luxury golf course in Doonberg, Ireland — which is 150 miles away from his meetings in Dublin.

Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump

Based on the IG Report, the whole Witch Hunt against me and my administration was a giant and illegal SCAM. The House of Representatives should now get back to work on drug prices, healthcare, infrastructure and all else. The Mueller Report showed No Collusion, No Obstruction!

10:28 AM · Sep 3, 2019·Twitter for iPhone

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1168893583283425280

Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump

The incompetent Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, was bothered that I played a very fast round of golf yesterday. Many Pols exercise for hours, or travel for weeks. Me, I run through one of my courses (very inexpensive). President Obama would fly to Hawaii. Kahn should focus on....

10:48 AM · Sep 3, 2019·Twitter for iPhone

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1168898508608421888

Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump

....”knife crime,” which is totally out of control in London. People are afraid to even walk the streets. He is a terrible mayor who should stay out of our business!

10:48 AM · Sep 3, 2019·Twitter for iPhone

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1168898509841555456