First Draft on Politics: Trump Dangles A New Threat: Denying Access

View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Friday, August 17, 2018 [NYTimes.com/Politics »]( [President Trump said that revoking the security clearance of the former C.I.A. Director John O. Brennan was “something that had to be done.”]( President Trump said that revoking the security clearance of the former C.I.A. Director John O. Brennan was “something that had to be done.” Tom Brenner for The New York Times Good Friday morning, Here are some of the stories making news in Washington and politics today: - For more than a year, law enforcement officials have repeatedly rebuffed President Trump’s efforts to use the power of his office to derail the Russia investigation. Stymied, Mr. Trump [is lashing out in other ways]( against an investigation that he clearly hates or fears. - Even the briefest glimpses of the special counsel’s investigators, who have spoken publicly only in court papers and short court appearances since the inquiry began, [draw notice]( during the Manafort trial. - Nancy Pelosi is girding for a mortal challenge to her leadership of the Democratic Party after the November elections or even sooner, and in a signal of reassurance to anxious lawmakers [says that she is deliberately building a “bridge” to a new generation]( of party leaders. - The Trump administration is [creating a special envoy post]( to coordinate the United States’ economic pressure campaign against Iran, the latest in a series of moves to cut off Tehran’s revenue and force it into a new nuclear agreement. - The United States and China will return to the negotiating table late this month[in an attempt to ease months of tensions]( that have been building since trade talks broke down this year and both countries began imposing escalating rounds of tariffs on each other. - [See what’s coming up next on the primary calendar »]( — The First Draft Team HAVE A CONFIDENTIAL NEWS TIP? Do you have the next big story? Want to share it with The New York Times? We offer several ways to get in touch with and provide materials to our journalists. [Learn More »]( ADVERTISEMENT OTTAWA | SEPTEMBER 5 [Canada and the U.S. Midterm Elections]( New York Times journalists will discuss one of the United States’ most consequential congressional elections in a generation. The White House correspondent Julie Hirschfeld Davis will join the political reporters Jonathan Martin and Astead Herndon for a conversation about the midterms. Ian Austen, a Times reporter and author of the Canada Letter newsletter, will moderate the conversation. [• Get tickets here »]( [Woman vs. Woman: Another Record Is Set for Midterm Elections]( By JEREMY W. PETERS AND DENISE LU In this year of [record-breaking advances for women]( running for office, there is nothing especially extraordinary about two more winning their primaries. But the victories on Tuesday of Leah Vukmir in Wisconsin and Karin Housley in Minnesota — both Republican nominees for the United States Senate in November — shattered a glass ceiling that few people probably realized was about to give. With their wins, there are now five Senate races this fall that will feature only women as major party candidates. [Read more »](  [Democrats Calling for New Leadership]( By ISABELLA GRULLÓN PAZ AND ASH NGU Here are the candidates who are calling for new leadership if Democrats win back the House. [Paul Manafort’s defense lawyers have tried to suggest that their client was unfairly singled out by the special counsel.]( [The Paul Manafort Trial: What the Jurors Will Consider]( By SHARON LAFRANIERE AND EMILY BAUMGAERTNER In weighing whether to find Paul Manafort guilty or not of financial fraud charges, jurors will have to take into account evidence, witness credibility and other factors. [President Trump attacked the news media on Thursday after the publication of editorials across the country espousing the value of the free press.]( [Trump Says Newspapers Are ‘in Collusion’ on Championing a Free Press]( By EILEEN SULLIVAN The president lashed out after more than 200 newspapers, including The New York Times, published editorials about the dangers of the Trump administration’s repeated attacks on the news media. [Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, in July, at an event where he spoke of the importance of codifying a woman’s right to an abortion in state law.]( [Cuomo vs. Nixon? He’d Rather Campaign Against Trump]( By SHANE GOLDMACHER Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s motivation behind his recent attacks on the president has more to do with his re-election this year than any ambitions in 2020. [President Trump reviewing an Army air assault exercise on Monday at Fort Drum in New York.]( [Trump’s Military Parade Could Be Postponed Until 2019, Official Says]( By HELENE COOPER The decision came as Defense Department officials said that the event could cost more than $90 million. [By releasing tapes of her private conversations, Omarosa Manigault Newman has taken a page from President Trump’s playbook.]( [Omarosa Manigault Newman Releases Tape of Lara Trump’s $15,000-a-Month Job Offer]( By MAGGIE HABERMAN AND KENNETH P. VOGEL The audio is the latest in the trickle of recordings that Ms. Manigault Newman has made public to bolster the credibility of her book, “Unhinged.” [The investigation into the Ohio State University abuse scandal is the Education Department’s latest inquiry into high-profile sexual abuse cases at state universities.]( [Education Department Opens Civil Rights Inquiry Into Abuse at Ohio State]( By CATIE EDMONDSON The inquiry keeps a harsh spotlight on the university, drawing additional scrutiny to how officials handled claims of sexual misconduct by a team doctor. [At a cabinet meeting on Thursday, President Trump told the assembled media members that they could stay or leave the room if they wanted. “Don’t forget: freedom of the press,” he said.]( [For News Media, a Day of Solidarity in a Summer of Unease]( By MICHAEL M. GRYNBAUM Job losses, insults from President Trump and threats have made this a difficult time for many journalists. On Thursday, more than 300 publications responded by reaffirming what they do and why it’s important. [Representative Andy Barr, Republican of Kentucky, at the Castle & Key Distillery this month in Frankfort. His re-election campaign is one of the most competitive midterm races.]( [In Kentucky House Race, a Battle of Ideology vs. Résumé]( By MICHAEL TACKETT A year ago, Representative Andy Barr was thought to hold a safe House Republican seat in Kentucky. Then came the candidacy of the Democrat Amy McGrath. [Paul Manafort’s lawyer, Kevin Downing, second from left, and his team after the first day of jury deliberations in the tax and bank fraud trial.]( [Manafort Jurors Ask for Definition of Reasonable Doubt]( By SHARON LAFRANIERE The jury deciding the fate of President Trump’s ex-campaign chairman ended its first day of deliberations with four written questions to the judge. The answers might have been less than satisfying. [President Trump hosted a cabinet meeting at the White House on Thursday that included him referring to Aretha Franklin as a former employee and musing about how much farmers who have been hurt by his trade policies love him.]( White House Memo [Once Dry Discussions, Cabinet Meetings Are Now Part of the Trump Show]( By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS The president alternates between gentle and pointed quizzing of his cabinet secretaries in a ritual with a story line that has become almost comically consistent. [Democrats have complained that the full record of President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, is not being made available in time for his confirmation hearings.]( [Democrats Question Kavanaugh’s Testimony About Bush Nominee]( By CHARLIE SAVAGE Democrats say that files from the Bush White House show that President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee played a significant role in a nomination he distanced himself from. LIKE THIS EMAIL? 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