Eric Greitens, Governor of Missouri, Resigns Amid Scandal
Gov. Eric Greitens of Missouri announced on Tuesday that he will resign, bowing to months of pressure as he faced a felony charge, a scandal tied to an extramarital relationship and the threat of impeachment.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/29/us/eric-greitens-resigns.html
Gov. Eric Greitens of Missouri announced on Tuesday that he will resign, bowing to months of pressure as he faced a felony charge, a scandal tied to an extramarital relationship and the threat of impeachment.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/29/us/eric-greitens-resigns.html
NY Times
Missouri’s Governor, a Rising G.O.P. Star, Resigns Amid Scandal (Published 2018)
Mr. Greitens, once seen as a Republican superstar, stepped down. For months, as scandal unfolded around him, he had defiantly refused to quit.
Trump Pardons Dinesh D’Souza, Weighs Leniency for Rod Blagojevich and Martha Stewart
WASHINGTON — President Trump on Thursday pardoned Dinesh D’Souza, a conservative author, commentator and filmmaker, and said he was strongly considering commuting the sentence of former Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich of Illinois, a Democrat.
Flexing his clemency power as he and his team face multiple criminal investigations of their own, Mr. Trump also said that he was thinking about the case of Martha Stewart, the lifestyle mogul who spent five months in prison for lying to investigators about the timing of a stock sale.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/31/us/politics/dsouza-pardon.html?3
WASHINGTON — President Trump on Thursday pardoned Dinesh D’Souza, a conservative author, commentator and filmmaker, and said he was strongly considering commuting the sentence of former Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich of Illinois, a Democrat.
Flexing his clemency power as he and his team face multiple criminal investigations of their own, Mr. Trump also said that he was thinking about the case of Martha Stewart, the lifestyle mogul who spent five months in prison for lying to investigators about the timing of a stock sale.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/31/us/politics/dsouza-pardon.html?3
Nytimes
Trump Pardons Dinesh D’Souza, Weighs Leniency for Rod Blagojevich and Martha Stewart
The president focused on cases where he argued the justice system has unfairly targeted celebrities. All three cases were tied to prosecutors who have become nemeses of Mr. Trump.
Breaking News
Trump Pulls Out of North Korea Summit Meeting with Kim Jong-un WASHINGTON — President Trump, citing a flurry of hostile statements from North Korea, pulled out of a highly anticipated summit meeting with Kim Jong-un on Thursday, telling the North Korean leader…
Trump Announces Summit Meeting With Kim Jong-un Is Back On
WASHINGTON — President Trump announced Friday that the summit meeting he had canceled with North Korea’s leader would be held this month after all, the latest head-spinning twist in a nuclear-edged diplomatic drama that has captivated and confused much of the world.
The president rescheduled the June 12 get-together with the North’s leader, Kim Jong-un, barely a week after scrubbing it on the grounds that Mr. Kim’s government had shown “open hostility” toward the Trump administration. In the days since, both sides have worked to bridge the divide and proceed with the meeting.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/01/world/asia/trump-north-korea-summit-kim.html
WASHINGTON — President Trump announced Friday that the summit meeting he had canceled with North Korea’s leader would be held this month after all, the latest head-spinning twist in a nuclear-edged diplomatic drama that has captivated and confused much of the world.
The president rescheduled the June 12 get-together with the North’s leader, Kim Jong-un, barely a week after scrubbing it on the grounds that Mr. Kim’s government had shown “open hostility” toward the Trump administration. In the days since, both sides have worked to bridge the divide and proceed with the meeting.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/01/world/asia/trump-north-korea-summit-kim.html
Nytimes
Trump Announces Summit Meeting With Kim Jong-un Is Back On
The head-spinning diplomatic reversal came as President Trump welcomed North Korea’s former intelligence chief to a rare meeting at the White House.
Alice Marie Johnson, Whose Cause Was Taken Up by Kim Kardashian West, Is Granted Clemency by Trump
WASHINGTON — President Trump commuted the sentence on Wednesday of a 63-year-old woman serving life in prison for a nonviolent drug conviction after her case was brought to his attention by the reality television star Kim Kardashian West.
Although short of a full pardon, the decision will free Alice Marie Johnson, who has been locked up in federal prison in Alabama since 1996 on charges related to cocaine distribution and money laundering. Ms. Kardashian West, who learned of the case through a video that went viral on social media, visited Mr. Trump at the White House last week to lobby on Ms. Johnson’s behalf.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/06/us/politics/trump-alice-johnson-sentence-commuted-kim-kardashian-west.html
WASHINGTON — President Trump commuted the sentence on Wednesday of a 63-year-old woman serving life in prison for a nonviolent drug conviction after her case was brought to his attention by the reality television star Kim Kardashian West.
Although short of a full pardon, the decision will free Alice Marie Johnson, who has been locked up in federal prison in Alabama since 1996 on charges related to cocaine distribution and money laundering. Ms. Kardashian West, who learned of the case through a video that went viral on social media, visited Mr. Trump at the White House last week to lobby on Ms. Johnson’s behalf.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/06/us/politics/trump-alice-johnson-sentence-commuted-kim-kardashian-west.html
NY Times
Alice Marie Johnson Is Granted Clemency by Trump After Push by Kim Kardashian West
The commutation for Ms. Johnson, a 63-year-old serving life in prison on nonviolent drug charges, was contrary to the policies the president’s own Justice Department has enacted since he took office.
Anthony Bourdain, Renegade Chef Who Reported From the World’s Tables, Is Dead at 61
Anthony Bourdain, whose darkly funny memoir about life in New York City restaurant kitchens made him a celebrity chef and touched off his second career as a journalist, food expert and social activist, was found dead on Friday in his hotel room in France. He was 61.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/08/business/media/anthony-bourdain-dead.html?3
Anthony Bourdain, whose darkly funny memoir about life in New York City restaurant kitchens made him a celebrity chef and touched off his second career as a journalist, food expert and social activist, was found dead on Friday in his hotel room in France. He was 61.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/08/business/media/anthony-bourdain-dead.html?3
Nytimes
Anthony Bourdain, Renegade Chef Who Reported From the World’s Tables, Is Dead at 61
Mr. Bourdain, who began his career as a chef, redefined the staid genres of food writing and food-tourism shows.
Trump Refuses to Sign G-7 Statement and Calls Trudeau ‘Weak’
QUEBEC CITY — President Trump abruptly upended two days of global economic diplomacy late Saturday, refusing to sign a joint statement with America’s allies, threatening to escalate his trade war on the country’s neighbors and deriding Canada’s prime minister as “very dishonest and weak.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/09/world/americas/donald-trump-g7-nafta.html
QUEBEC CITY — President Trump abruptly upended two days of global economic diplomacy late Saturday, refusing to sign a joint statement with America’s allies, threatening to escalate his trade war on the country’s neighbors and deriding Canada’s prime minister as “very dishonest and weak.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/09/world/americas/donald-trump-g7-nafta.html
Nytimes
Trump Refuses to Sign G-7 Statement and Calls Trudeau ‘Weak’
In a remarkable pair of acrimony-laced tweets, Mr. Trump threatened to escalate his trade war and derided Canada’s prime minister as “very dishonest.”
Trump and Kim Shake Hands in First Face-to-Face Meeting
SINGAPORE — President Trump and Kim Jong-un of North Korea shook hands at the start of their first face-to-face meeting Tuesday, a momentous step in an improbable courtship that has opened a new chapter for the world’s largest nuclear power and the most reclusive one.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/11/world/asia/trump-kim-summitmeeting.html
SINGAPORE — President Trump and Kim Jong-un of North Korea shook hands at the start of their first face-to-face meeting Tuesday, a momentous step in an improbable courtship that has opened a new chapter for the world’s largest nuclear power and the most reclusive one.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/11/world/asia/trump-kim-summitmeeting.html
Nytimes
Trump and Kim See New Chapter for Nations After Summit
The president and the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, signed a document that Mr. Trump called “comprehensive,” though it was short on details.
AT&T’s Time Warner Takeover Wins Judge’s Approval in Defeat for Justice Dept.
WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Tuesday approved the blockbuster merger between AT&T and Time Warner, rebuffing the government’s effort to stop the $85.4 billion deal, in a decision that is expected to unleash a wave of corporate takeovers.
The judge, Richard J. Leon of United States District Court in Washington, said the Justice Department had not proved that the telecom company’s acquisition of Time Warner would lead to fewer choices for consumers and higher prices for television and internet services.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/12/business/dealbook/att-time-warner-ruling-antitrust-case.html
WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Tuesday approved the blockbuster merger between AT&T and Time Warner, rebuffing the government’s effort to stop the $85.4 billion deal, in a decision that is expected to unleash a wave of corporate takeovers.
The judge, Richard J. Leon of United States District Court in Washington, said the Justice Department had not proved that the telecom company’s acquisition of Time Warner would lead to fewer choices for consumers and higher prices for television and internet services.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/12/business/dealbook/att-time-warner-ruling-antitrust-case.html
NY Times
AT&T Wins Approval for $85.4 Billion Time Warner Deal in Defeat for Justice Dept.
The Trump administration had sued to block the AT&T-Time Warner deal, arguing that it would lead to fewer choices and higher prices for consumers.
N.Y. Attorney General Sues Trump Foundation Over Self-Dealing
The New York State attorney general’s office filed a scathingly worded lawsuit on Thursday taking aim at the Donald J. Trump Foundation, accusing the charity and the Trump family of sweeping violations of campaign finance laws, self-dealing and illegal coordination with the presidential campaign.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/14/nyregion/trump-foundation-lawsuit-attorney-general.html
The New York State attorney general’s office filed a scathingly worded lawsuit on Thursday taking aim at the Donald J. Trump Foundation, accusing the charity and the Trump family of sweeping violations of campaign finance laws, self-dealing and illegal coordination with the presidential campaign.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/14/nyregion/trump-foundation-lawsuit-attorney-general.html
Nytimes
New York Attorney General Sues Trump Foundation After 2-Year Investigation (Published 2018)
The scathingly worded lawsuit seeks to dissolve President Trump’s foundation and bar him and his children from nonprofit boards.
Comey Cited as ‘Insubordinate,’ but Report Finds No Bias in F.B.I. Decision to Clear Clinton
WASHINGTON — The former F.B.I. director James B. Comey was “insubordinate” in his handling of the investigation of Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential election, a critical Justice Department report concluded on Thursday.
But the report, by the department’s inspector general, Michael E. Horowitz, does not challenge the decision not to prosecute Mrs. Clinton. Nor does it conclude that political bias at the F.B.I. influenced that decision, the officials said.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/14/us/politics/fbi-inspector-general-comey-trump-clinton-report.html
WASHINGTON — The former F.B.I. director James B. Comey was “insubordinate” in his handling of the investigation of Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential election, a critical Justice Department report concluded on Thursday.
But the report, by the department’s inspector general, Michael E. Horowitz, does not challenge the decision not to prosecute Mrs. Clinton. Nor does it conclude that political bias at the F.B.I. influenced that decision, the officials said.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/14/us/politics/fbi-inspector-general-comey-trump-clinton-report.html
Nytimes
Report Criticizes Comey but Finds No Bias in F.B.I. Decision on Clinton (Published 2018)
An inspector general report gives President Trump new ammunition to criticize the F.B.I., but it does not fit into his theory that agents conspired to help Hillary Clinton.
Trump Administration Withdraws U.S. From U.N. Human Rights Council
WASHINGTON — The United States withdrew on Tuesday from the world’s most important human rights body in protest of its frequent criticism of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians. It was the latest effort by the Trump administration to pull away from international organizations and agreements that it finds objectionable.
It was the first time a member has voluntarily left the United Nations Human Rights Council. The United States now joins Iran, North Korea and Eritrea as the only countries that refuse to participate in the council’s meetings and deliberations.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/19/us/politics/trump-israel-palestinians-human-rights.html
WASHINGTON — The United States withdrew on Tuesday from the world’s most important human rights body in protest of its frequent criticism of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians. It was the latest effort by the Trump administration to pull away from international organizations and agreements that it finds objectionable.
It was the first time a member has voluntarily left the United Nations Human Rights Council. The United States now joins Iran, North Korea and Eritrea as the only countries that refuse to participate in the council’s meetings and deliberations.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/19/us/politics/trump-israel-palestinians-human-rights.html
NY Times
Trump Administration Withdraws U.S. From U.N. Human Rights Council (Published 2018)
The United States joins Iran, North Korea and Eritrea as the only countries that refuse to participate in the world’s most important human rights body.
Canada Vote on Marijuana Paves the Way for Legalization
OTTAWA — Canada’s Senate passed legislation on Tuesday that will make the country the first major economy to legalize recreational marijuana use.
The bill, which was approved by the House of Commons on Monday, goes next to the governor-general, the representative of Queen Elizabeth, as a formality. Once it is formally approved, the legislation is expected to create a multibillion dollar industry, with Canada joining Uruguay in allowing its citizens on a national level to use marijuana without fear of arrest.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/19/world/canada/canada-marijuana-legalization.html
OTTAWA — Canada’s Senate passed legislation on Tuesday that will make the country the first major economy to legalize recreational marijuana use.
The bill, which was approved by the House of Commons on Monday, goes next to the governor-general, the representative of Queen Elizabeth, as a formality. Once it is formally approved, the legislation is expected to create a multibillion dollar industry, with Canada joining Uruguay in allowing its citizens on a national level to use marijuana without fear of arrest.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/19/world/canada/canada-marijuana-legalization.html
Nytimes
Canada Vote on Marijuana Paves the Way for Legalization
Now that lawmakers in both houses have voted to legalize marijuana for recreational use, the government will give Canada’s provinces a few months to prepare for the law’s rollout.
Trump Retreats on Separating Families, but Thousands May Remain Apart
WASHINGTON — President Trump caved to enormous political pressure on Wednesday and signed an executive order meant to end the separation of families at the border by detaining parents and children together for an indefinite period.
“We’re going to have strong — very strong — borders, but we are going to keep the families together,” Mr. Trump said as he signed the order in the Oval Office. “I didn’t like the sight or the feeling of families being separated.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/20/us/politics/trump-immigration-children-executive-order.html?3
WASHINGTON — President Trump caved to enormous political pressure on Wednesday and signed an executive order meant to end the separation of families at the border by detaining parents and children together for an indefinite period.
“We’re going to have strong — very strong — borders, but we are going to keep the families together,” Mr. Trump said as he signed the order in the Oval Office. “I didn’t like the sight or the feeling of families being separated.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/20/us/politics/trump-immigration-children-executive-order.html?3
Nytimes
Trump Retreats on Separating Families, but Thousands May Remain Apart
“It is still very early, and we are awaiting further guidance on the matter,” Brian Marriott, the senior director of communications for the Administration for Children and Families.
Supreme Court Upholds Trump’s Travel Ban
WASHINGTON — President Trump acted lawfully in imposing limits on travel from several predominantly Muslim nations, the Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday.
https://nyti.ms/2KjtncB
WASHINGTON — President Trump acted lawfully in imposing limits on travel from several predominantly Muslim nations, the Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday.
https://nyti.ms/2KjtncB
Nytimes
Trump’s Travel Ban Is Upheld by Supreme Court
In a 5-to-4 vote, the Supreme Court ruled that President Trump acted lawfully in imposing limits on travel from several predominantly Muslim countries.
Federal Judge in California Issues Injunction Halting Government From Separating Families
WASHINGTON — A federal judge in California issued a nationwide injunction late Tuesday temporarily stopping the Trump administration from separating children from their parents at the border and ordered that all families already separated be reunited within 30 days.
Judge Dana M. Sabraw of the Federal District Court in San Diego said children under 5 must be reunited with their parents within 14 days, and he ordered that all children must be allowed to talk to their parents within 10 days.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/26/us/politics/family-separations-congress-states.html
WASHINGTON — A federal judge in California issued a nationwide injunction late Tuesday temporarily stopping the Trump administration from separating children from their parents at the border and ordered that all families already separated be reunited within 30 days.
Judge Dana M. Sabraw of the Federal District Court in San Diego said children under 5 must be reunited with their parents within 14 days, and he ordered that all children must be allowed to talk to their parents within 10 days.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/26/us/politics/family-separations-congress-states.html
Nytimes
Federal Judge in California Halts Splitting of Migrant Families at Border
An injunction, issued by Judge Dana M. Sabraw of the Federal District Court in San Diego, also ordered that all families already separated be reunited within 30 days.
Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Will Retire
WASHINGTON — Justice Anthony M. Kennedy announced on Wednesday that he would retire this summer, setting in motion a furious fight over the future of the Supreme Court and giving President Trump the chance to put a conservative stamp on the American legal system for generations.
Justice Kennedy, 81, has been a critical swing vote on the sharply polarized court for nearly three decades as he embraced liberal views on gay rights, abortion and the death penalty but helped conservatives trim voting rights, block gun control measures and unleash campaign spending by corporations.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/27/us/politics/anthony-kennedy-retire-supreme-court.html?2
WASHINGTON — Justice Anthony M. Kennedy announced on Wednesday that he would retire this summer, setting in motion a furious fight over the future of the Supreme Court and giving President Trump the chance to put a conservative stamp on the American legal system for generations.
Justice Kennedy, 81, has been a critical swing vote on the sharply polarized court for nearly three decades as he embraced liberal views on gay rights, abortion and the death penalty but helped conservatives trim voting rights, block gun control measures and unleash campaign spending by corporations.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/27/us/politics/anthony-kennedy-retire-supreme-court.html?2
Nytimes
Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Will Retire
The announcement gives President Trump the opportunity to create a solid five-member conservative majority and fundamentally change the direction of the court.
5 People Dead in Shooting at Maryland’s Capital Gazette Newsroom
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A man armed with a shotgun and smoke grenades stormed into the newsroom of a community newspaper chain in Maryland’s capital on Thursday afternoon, killing five staff members, injuring two others and prompting law enforcement agencies across the country to provide protection at the headquarters of media organizations.
The suspect, Jarrod W. Ramos, 38, was taken into custody at the scene and was charged on Friday morning with five counts of first-degree murder. He had a long history of conflict with the Capital Gazette, which produces a number of local newspapers along Maryland’s shore, suing journalists there for defamation and waging a social media campaign against them.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/28/us/capital-gazette-annapolis-shooting.html?3
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A man armed with a shotgun and smoke grenades stormed into the newsroom of a community newspaper chain in Maryland’s capital on Thursday afternoon, killing five staff members, injuring two others and prompting law enforcement agencies across the country to provide protection at the headquarters of media organizations.
The suspect, Jarrod W. Ramos, 38, was taken into custody at the scene and was charged on Friday morning with five counts of first-degree murder. He had a long history of conflict with the Capital Gazette, which produces a number of local newspapers along Maryland’s shore, suing journalists there for defamation and waging a social media campaign against them.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/28/us/capital-gazette-annapolis-shooting.html?3
Nytimes
5 People Dead in Shooting at Maryland’s Capital Gazette Newsroom
The suspect, identified as Jarrod W. Ramos, 38, had a long history of conflict with the news group.
Leftist Wins Mexico Presidency in Landslide With Mandate to Reshape Nation
Mexico City — Riding a wave of populist anger fueled by rampant corruption and violence, the leftist Andrés Manuel López Obrador was elected president of Mexico on Sunday, in a landslide victory that upended the nation’s political establishment and handed him a sweeping mandate to reshape the country.
Mr. López Obrador’s win puts a leftist leader at the helm of Latin America’s second largest economy for the first time in decades, a prospect that has filled millions of Mexicans with hope — and the nation’s elites with trepidation.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/01/world/americas/mexico-election-andres-manuel-lopez-obrador.html
Mexico City — Riding a wave of populist anger fueled by rampant corruption and violence, the leftist Andrés Manuel López Obrador was elected president of Mexico on Sunday, in a landslide victory that upended the nation’s political establishment and handed him a sweeping mandate to reshape the country.
Mr. López Obrador’s win puts a leftist leader at the helm of Latin America’s second largest economy for the first time in decades, a prospect that has filled millions of Mexicans with hope — and the nation’s elites with trepidation.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/01/world/americas/mexico-election-andres-manuel-lopez-obrador.html
NY Times
López Obrador, an Atypical Leftist, Wins Mexico Presidency in Landslide
Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s victory, fueled by a wave of voter anger, upended the political establishment, filling millions of Mexicans with hope — and the nation’s elites with trepidation.
Poland Purges Supreme Court, and Protesters Take to Streets
WARSAW — Poland’s government carried out a sweeping purge of the Supreme Court on Tuesday night, eroding the judiciary’s independence, escalating a confrontation with the European Union over the rule of law and further dividing this already riven nation.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/03/world/europe/poland-supreme-court-protest.html
WARSAW — Poland’s government carried out a sweeping purge of the Supreme Court on Tuesday night, eroding the judiciary’s independence, escalating a confrontation with the European Union over the rule of law and further dividing this already riven nation.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/03/world/europe/poland-supreme-court-protest.html
Nytimes
Poland Purges Supreme Court, and Protesters Take to Streets
Demonstrations erupted in dozens of cities across the country as the right-wing governing party consolidated its power and escalated a clash with the European Union.
E.P.A. Chief Scott Pruitt Resigns Under a Cloud of Ethics Scandals
WASHINGTON — Scott Pruitt, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and architect of President Trump’s aggressive effort to rewrite the government’s rule book on environmental regulations, resigned on Thursday in the face of numerous ethics investigations that doomed his tenure.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/05/climate/scott-pruitt-epa-trump.html?5
WASHINGTON — Scott Pruitt, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and architect of President Trump’s aggressive effort to rewrite the government’s rule book on environmental regulations, resigned on Thursday in the face of numerous ethics investigations that doomed his tenure.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/05/climate/scott-pruitt-epa-trump.html?5
Nytimes
E.P.A. Chief Scott Pruitt Resigns Under a Cloud of Ethics Scandals
Mr. Pruitt, a former Oklahoma attorney general, had been hailed by conservatives for his zealous deregulation, but could not overcome a spate of ethics questions.
Boris Johnson, U.K. Foreign Secretary, Resigns Over Brexit Discord
LONDON — Boris Johnson resigned as Britain’s foreign secretary on Monday, becoming the second cabinet minister to quit in less than 24 hours in protest over plans from Prime Minister Theresa May to soften the economic impact of British withdrawal from the European Union.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/09/world/europe/david-davis-brexit-resign.html
LONDON — Boris Johnson resigned as Britain’s foreign secretary on Monday, becoming the second cabinet minister to quit in less than 24 hours in protest over plans from Prime Minister Theresa May to soften the economic impact of British withdrawal from the European Union.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/09/world/europe/david-davis-brexit-resign.html
Nytimes
Theresa May in Fight to Save Government Amid Brexit Rift
Boris Johnson, the foreign secretary, quit to protest Mrs. May’s Brexit approach, deepening divisions in the British government.