House Democrats are intent on questioning one of President Donald Trump’s most trusted former advisers about potential obstruction of justice, Russian attempts to woo Trump associates during the 2016 campaign and hush-money payments to women alleging affairs with Trump.
Hope Hicks, the onetime White House communications director who is mentioned more than 180 times in former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report, is scheduled to testify privately Wednesday before the House Judiciary Committee, which plans to release a transcript upon conclusion.
The session constitutes a breakthrough for Democrats, their first interview with a former White House official since Trump has asserted executive privilege to bar current and former aides’ cooperation.

As the president formally kicks off his reelection campaign, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich breaks down the campaign challenges facing both parties.
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Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a plan Monday to deploy 500 additional law enforcement officers across New York City’s subway and bus system.
The deployment will consist of 200 redeployed MTA officers, 200 additional NYPD officers and 100 redeployed Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority officers.
The goal, said Cuomo, is to “improve safety overall” across the transit system, while specifically targeting fare evasion and assaults on MTA workers.
Read more at ABC News.
{Matzav.com}
 

Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan has withdrawn from consideration to take over the post on a permanent basis, President Donald Trump tweeted Tuesday, after reports surfaced of a domestic abuse incident almost a decade ago.
Trump said he will name Secretary of the Army Mark Esper as the new acting defense secretary, a day after Shanahan announced the Defense Department would send an additional 1,000 troops to the Middle East amid tensions with Iran.
“Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, who has done a wonderful job, has decided not to go forward with his confirmation process so that he can devote more time to his family,” Trump said on Twitter.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday said Israel had “contacts” with “most of the Arab countries.”
Speaking in Tel Aviv at a memorial ceremony for those killed in the June 1948 Altalena incident, Netanyahu said, “We are holding open and secret contacts with many leaders of the Arab world and there are ramified contacts between the State of Israel and Arab countries, with most of the Arab countries.”
Addressing the upcoming US-sponsored economic workshop in Manama, the first stage of the Trump administration’s yet-to-be-unveiled peace plan, Netanyahu stated, “Very soon there will be an important conference in Bahrain, that we welcome, at which the US will try to bring about a better future for — and resolve problems of — the region.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders said Tuesday “we should definitely take a look at” splitting up Google, Amazon and Apple, though he stopped short of a full-throated call for their break-ups.
“I worry very much about monopolistic tendencies in many sectors of our economy, including high tech, and I think we have to take a really hard look at the degree to which monopolization in all aspects of our economy are a threat to the American people,” said the 2020 Democratic presidential contender when asked about the prospect.
Pressed again on whether he supports splintering those three tech giants, Sanders replied, “It’s something we should definitely take a look at, yes.”

Prime Minister Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israelis will attend the upcoming US-led economic conference in Bahrain.
“Very soon there will be an important conference in Bahrain. It’s an attempt by the US to lead us to a better future and to solve the regional problem, and Israelis will attend this conference,” Netanyahu said at a memorial for victims of the 1948 Altalena Affair.
“In the open or in secret, we are in contact with many leaders from the Arab world and there are prodigious ties between Israel and Arab countries — with most Arab countries,” the prime minister said.
Read more at i24NEWS.
{Matzav.com}

An Orlando newspaper released a scathing presidential endorsement opposing Donald Trump hours before he is set to officially announce his 2020 re-election campaign in the city.
“Trump’s successful assault on truth is the great casualty of this presidency, followed closely by his war on decency,” The Orlando Sentinel’s editorial board wrote in an article titled “Our endorsement for president in 2020: Not Donald Trump.”