First Draft on Politics: The Biggest Stories in American Politics This Week

View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Saturday, September 8, 2018 [NYTimes.com/Politics »]( [The Biggest Stories in American Politics This Week]( By EMILY COCHRANE Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings ended the way they began: with partisan charges and remarkable tension. [Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination hearing lasted four days.] Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination hearing lasted four days. Erin Schaff for The New York Times Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh appeared before Congress this week as part of his confirmation hearings to become the next Supreme Court justice. The proceedings put into sharp relief [a new reality on Capitol Hill]( one with screaming protesters being hauled out of the room and deep partisan rancor. Lawmakers grilled the judge for hours; [fresh disclosures from confidential emails]( Democrats to press him about his views on abortion rights, affirmative action and previous testimony to the Senate. He also faced intense scrutiny [over stolen emails when he served under George W. Bush]( and [disputes from that period](. Despite the uproar, Republicans [remain confident]( that none of the accusations and answers were enough to derail Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation. Additional Reading ■[Leaked Kavanaugh Documents Discuss Abortion and Affirmative Action]( ■[Democrats Grilling Kavanaugh Have Their Eyes on 2020]( ■[What Kavanaugh’s Hearings Reveal About His Beliefs on Abortion, Guns and Presidential Power]( The White House was caught off guard by revelations in a new book and an anonymous Op-Ed essay. [President Trump assailed The Times on Wednesday for publishing the Op-Ed, calling it “a gutless editorial.”] President Trump assailed The Times on Wednesday for publishing the Op-Ed, calling it “a gutless editorial.” Doug Mills/The New York Times Mr. Trump [lashed out]( repeatedly this week over an onslaught of revelations that several of his staff members have quietly plotted to undermine or curb a number of his decisions. In a sprawling, highly anticipated book by Bob Woodward, the White House is [depicted as an often out-of-control operation]( where former aides stole papers from the president’s desk and derided the commander-in-chief. And in an [anonymous Op-Ed]( published in The New York Times on Wednesday, a senior administration official described a “quiet resistance” where some aides stayed to prevent what they saw as Mr. Trump’s instability. A parade of top White House officials and cabinet secretaries rushed on Thursday [to deny that they had done the things]( described in Mr. Woodward’s book or written the anonymous essay. Mr. Trump said on Friday that he wanted Attorney General Jeff Sessions [to investigate]( the source of the article. Additional Reading ■[Congressional G.O.P. Agenda Quietly Falls Into Place Even as Trump Steals the Spotlight]( ■[‘I Don’t Talk’ That Way, Trump Says. Except When He Does.]( ■[Who Is a Senior Administration Official? It Depends]( Top executives from Facebook and Twitter faced congressional questioning over the manipulation of their platforms’ services and influence. [Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s chief operating officer, and Jack Dorsey, the chief executive of Twitter on Wednesday.] Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s chief operating officer, and Jack Dorsey, the chief executive of Twitter on Wednesday. Tom Brenner for The New York Times Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s chief executive, and Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s chief operating officer, both [testified]( before Congress this week over their companies, moderation of online content and how to handle foreign influence in American elections. Twitter said it [would permanently suspend]( Alex Jones, the far-right conspiracy theorist, and the account of his Infowars website. It is the latest indication that Mr. Jones — who [tussled with a senator]( on Capitol Hill on Wednesday — may be brought down by the conspiracy theories that [propelled him to notoriety](. Additional Reading ■[Tech Giants Now Share Details on Political Ads. What Does That Mean For You?]( ■[‘Five Eyes’ Nations Quietly Demand Government Access to Encrypted Data]( ■State of the Art: [What Jack Dorsey and Sheryl Sandberg Taught Congress and Vice Versa]( Two Democratic insurgent candidates met different results in midterm primaries. [Ayanna Pressley upset a 10-term incumbent in a Democratic primary for a Massachusetts House seat on Tuesday.] Ayanna Pressley upset a 10-term incumbent in a Democratic primary for a Massachusetts House seat on Tuesday. Sarah Rice for The New York Times Ayanna Pressley, an upstart liberal candidate,[defeated]( 10-term Representative Michael Capuano in a primary on Tuesday, and is set to become [the first black woman]( to represent Massachusetts in Congress. But in Delaware, Senator Tom Carper [fought off a primary challenger]( from another insurgent Democratic candidate. Both Ms. Pressley and Mr. Carper are expected to be in Congress next year: No Republican candidate is on the ballot in Massachusetts and Mr. Carper is favored to win his general election in November. On Friday in Illinois, former President Barack Obama made his debut [on the 2018 campaign trail]( assailing Mr. Trump by name for the first time and beginning his own blitz of appearances to help Democrats take control of Congress. Additional Reading ■[Florida Must Provide Election Materials in Spanish, Judge Says]( ■[2 States Had Primary Elections This Week. Here’s What We Learned.]( ■The Upshot:[Our Polling Methodology]( ■[Justice Dept. Demand for North Carolina Voting Records Extended to D.M.V.]( George Papadopoulos became the first former Trump adviser to be sentenced because of the special counsel’s investigation. [George Papadopoulos was sentenced on Friday after pleading guilty last year to lying to the F.B.I. and agreeing to cooperate in the Russia investigation.] George Papadopoulos was sentenced on Friday after pleading guilty last year to lying to the F.B.I. and agreeing to cooperate in the Russia investigation. Tom Brenner for The New York Times George Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign adviser, [was sentenced]( on Friday to 14 days in prison for lying to the F.B.I. about his meetings with Russian intermediaries before the 2016 presidential election. He is the first former Trump adviser to be sentenced; three others have pleaded guilty or are waiting for sentencing. Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel leading the investigation, [will accept some written answers]( from Mr. Trump on questions about whether his campaign conspired with Russian election interference. Additional Reading ■[Excerpts From the New York Times Interview With George Papadopoulos]( ■[Jerome Corsi, Conspiracy Theorist, Is Subpoenaed in Mueller Investigation]( ■[Democrats, Eyeing a Majority, Prepare an Investigative Onslaught]( WASHINGTON | SEPTEMBER 13 [Senator Elizabeth Warren & Andrew Ross Sorkin]( Andrew Ross Sorkin, a New York Times columnist and the editor of DealBook, moderates a conversation with Senator Elizabeth Warren on the 2008 financial collapse, which rocked the markets, unraveled the housing market and upended the lives of millions of Americans, on the 10-year anniversary marking the crisis. [• Get tickets here »]( ADVERTISEMENT Goodbye, ‘First Draft.’ Hello, ‘On Politics.’ You may soon notice some differences in this newsletter — a new name, a new look and a new writer. Don’t worry: We will still send an email each morning just like this one, highlighting the day’s biggest stories. 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