Trump can't block Twitter followers, federal judge says
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/23/trump-cant-block-twitter-followers-federal-judge-says.html
President Donald Trump cannot block users on his Twitter feed, a federal judge in New York City ruled Wednesday.
The suit was filed in July 2017 by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, as well as seven other plaintiffs who had been blocked on Twitter by Trump.
The president is an avid Twitter user and routinely makes news, often several times in a single day, with his posts.
–- Update From New Post Merge ---
https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2018/05/23/day-489/
Day 489: Taxi King.
1/ Michael Cohen's business partner took a plea deal that requires him to cooperate with the government as a potential witness in state and federal investigations. Evgeny Freidman is a Russian immigrant known as the "Taxi King," and he specifically agreed to assist government prosecutors in state or federal investigations, according to a person briefed on the matter. Freidman was disbarred earlier this month, has been accused of failing to pay $5 million in taxes, and is facing multiple counts of criminal tax fraud and one of grand larceny. Freidman's cooperation is seen as potential leverage to pressure Cohen into working with Mueller's team on the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 elections. (New York Times / Washington Post / Politico / CNBC / Vox)
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/23/evgeny-freidman-cohen-partner-pleads-guilty-603435
Cohen distances himself from business associate who struck plea deal (The Hill)
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/388958-cohen-distances-himself-from-business-associate-who-struck-plea-deal
Michael Cohen insists he's 'not partners' with taxi big Evgeny Freidman day after guilty plea (NY Daily News)
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/michael-cohen-not-connected-taxi-big-evgeny-freidman-article-1.4005203
Who is Evgeny Freidman? Michael Cohen's "Taxi King" business partner may be key to Russia investigation (Newsweek)
http://www.newsweek.com/michael-cohen-evgeny-freidman-russia-investigation-trump-mueller-939851
Michael Cohen's business partner may flip under plea deal (Fox News)
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/05/23/michael-cohens-business-partner-may-flip-under-plea-deal.html
2/ Scott Pruitt spent at least $9,600 on decorations and furniture for his personal office. Pruitt bought Smithsonian artwork, a refurbished desk, and other framed items. He paid the Smithsonian Institution $1,950 in labor and delivery charges to rent out three art pieces for his executive suite, and spent more than $2,500 on frames for various items, including a photo of himself with Trump and an American flag. The internal document with the list of expenditures also confirmed earlier reports that Pruitt spent $2,963 on a standing "captain's" desk and $2,075 on a different desk. (The Hill)
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/388895-pruitt-spent-at-least-9600-on-office-decor-restored-desks-email
Earlier reporting (March 14): Scott Pruitt’s $25,000 soundproof phone booth? It actually cost around $43,000. "In addition to the soundproof booth, invoices released by the EPA show Pruitt paid $2,075 to refinish a desk that had been stored in a government warehouse, as well as $2,963 for a new 'captain’s desk' in his office." (Washington Post)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/03/14/scott-pruitts-25000-soundproof-phone-booth-it-actually-cost-more-like-43000/?utm_term=.2ed8399c4d9a
3/ The White House did not invite Democrats to a private briefing on the FBI informant involved in the investigation into the Trump campaign's contacts with Russians during and after the 2016 election. Two senior House Republicans were invited to the briefing, which was coordinated by John Kelly and will be held on Thursday. Democrats are demanding that Democratic lawmakers be included in the briefing. Sarah Huckabee-Sanders said Democrats weren't invited because they didn't specifically ask for details about the informant. (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/22/fbi-informant-meeting-doj-gop-democrats-white-house-603275
Donald Trump turned a rumor into a full-blown government conspiracy in just 5 days. Trump went from having heard a rumor about the FBI's use of a confidential source to ckaiming that it was an intentional and political attempt to install a "spy" within his ranks on behalf of Obama's Justice Department. (Politico)
https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/23/politics/donald-trump-spygate/index.html
Trump’s FBI spy theory is completely insane. "The spy theory holds that the FBI, working on orders from the Obama administration, implanted a spy into the Trump campaign in order to help Hillary Clinton’s campaign. . . . This does not explain why the FBI failed to announce either the results of its spying campaign, or even the existence of the investigation, in time to help Clinton win, rather than allowing the probe to remain secret until well after the election." (New York Magazine)
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/05/trumps-fbi-russia-scandal-spy-theory-mueller-insane.html
4/ Trump said he constantly bashes the press in order to "demean" and "discredit" journalists so the public won't believe "negative stories" about him. Lesley Stahl says she asked Trump, "Why are you doing it over and over?" She continued: "And he said: 'You know why I do it? I do it to discredit you all and demean you all so that when you write negative stories about me no one will believe you.'" (Yahoo! Finance)
https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-told-lesley-stahl-bashes-200400865.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=tw
5/ Mike Pompeo says the U.S. will fight back against what he called "continued efforts" by Russia to interfere in the 2018 midterm elections. Pompeo did not provide any details as to what the "appropriate measures" would entail, but he said the U.S. has so far been unable to establish "effective deterrence" to halt Russia's efforts. (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/8e511489492b4e0f8b8918c7354d26e4
6/ John Kelly signed off on a plan to fire a handful of mid-level and junior aides after Trump demanded changes to the White House communications team in order to limit the leaks coming out of his administration. The plan would remove some of the department's low-level employees, while keeping high-level staffers such as Sarah Huckabee-Sanders and other officials on board. (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/22/trump-communications-team-changes-603417
7/ Jared Kushner’s prison reform plan passed in the House of Representatives. The bipartisan "First Step Act," which has Trump's support, passed with a 360-59 vote. The bill would provide training programs for prisoners and would be the first major bipartisan success for the Trump administration. Mitch McConnell, however, has indicated that he is unlikely to bring up the bill in the Senate unless Republicans can find a way to resolve their differences. (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/22/house-easily-passes-prison-reform-bill-backed-by-white-house-603333
Congress’s prison reform bill, explained: The First Step Act has Trump’s support — but faces some Democratic opposition. (Vox)
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/5/22/17377324/first-step-act-prison-reform-congress
Is the “First Step Act” real reform? The bill addresses the dire need for rehabilitative services in the federal prison system, proves there is strong bipartisan support for at least modest criminal justice reform and underscores a strategic debate that has split the Democratic Party. (The Marshall Project)
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2018/05/22/is-the-first-step-act-real-reform
Trump-backed prison reform bill DOA in the Senate. While Trump has shown interest in prison reform, fractures within the Republican party have left little room for a win when it comes to bringing any criminal justice bill to the Senate floor. (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/21/trump-prison-reform-senate-601983
poll/ Thirty-six percent of voters say they would vote for Trump over a generic Democratic candidate in 2020. Forty-four percent would choose the generic Democrat, and 20 percent of voters remain undecided. (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/23/trump-democrats-2020-election-603421
Notables.
Senate negotiators have released legislation to overhaul policies for handling sexual harassment complaints in Congress. The deal includes requirements that lawmakers be held personally liable for some financial settlements, and requires lawmakers to repay any awards and settlements stemming from acts of harassment that they personally commit. (NPR)
https://www.npr.org/2018/05/22/613422280/senators-reach-tentative-deal-on-sexual-harassment-legislation
New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal says he is ready to fill the prosecutorial void left in the wake of Eric Schneiderman’s sudden resignation earlier this month. Grewal has jurisdiction over 20 Trump properties. (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/23/new-jersey-attorney-general-trump-603284
A sinkhole appeared on the White House lawn near the office of White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gridley. (CBS News)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sinkhole-appears-on-white-house-lawn/
Michael Avenatti's law firm was hit with a $10-million judgment in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. (Los Angeles Times)
http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-avenatti-bankruptcy-20180522-story.html
Trump offered his support to Tomi Lahren after someone threw a drink at the Fox News pundit while she was eating at a restaurant in Minneapolis over the weekend. (Washington Post)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-takes-to-twitter-to-support-fox-news-pundit-who-had-a-drink-thrown-at-her/2018/05/23/e6c0b856-5e7e-11e8-9ee3-49d6d4814c4c_story.html
Stacey Abrams won the Democratic nomination to become the next governor of Georgia, making her the first African American woman to be a major party nominee in the state. (New York Times)
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/22/us/politics/georgia-primary-abrams-results.html
Stories being watched
The Risky Business of Speaking for President Trump
Flacks in this White House press office are getting enormous exposure — but potentially at a long-term cost to their credibility.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/23/magazine/the-risky-business-of-speaking-for-president-trump.html
5 Key Takeaways From Tuesday’s Primaries
A viral video star propelled herself to victory. A teacher unseated an establishment candidate. And Stacey Abrams won a commanding victory.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/23/us/politics/election-results-georgia-kentucky-texas-arkansas.html
State Department warns U.S. citizens in China after employee suffers possible…
Though there may not be a link, the case recalls incidents affecting diplomats in Cuba.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/state-department-warns-us-citizens-in-china-after-employee-suffers-possible-sonic-attack/2018/05/23/db7bbd44-5e68-11e8-8c93-8cf33c21da8d_story.html
EPA bars reporters from toxic chemicals summit again
The agency at the first day of the event on Tuesday allowed a select group of reporters to cover the first hour of introductory remarks.
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/23/epa-bars-reporters-from-toxic-chemicals-summit-again-565742
Families of Sandy Hook victims file defamation suit against right-wing radio…
Six families of victims killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting, as well as an FBI agent, filed a defamation lawsuit today against Alex Jones.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/families-sandy-hook-victims-fbi-agent-file-defamation/story?id=55379036