Section: The Atlantic (USA)
Trump Transition Aides Told to Save Russia Records
Members of Donald Trump’s presidential transition team were told to save materials relevant to the federal investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election, according to a memo obtained by Politico and The New York Times.The instruction, which came from the team’s lawyer, Kory Langhofer, details how both volunteers and...
Why Is Robert Mueller Probing Jared Kushner’s Finances?
Jared Kushner’s business endeavors in the dog-eat-dog world of New York City real estate helped endear him to his father-in-law, President Trump. Now those complex dealings are reportedly under scrutiny by federal investigators as part of the sprawling Russia investigation.The Washington Post reported Thursday that Special Counsel Robert...
The Risks of Foreign Policy as Political Distraction
If you’re an embattled head of state, deflecting criticism through foreign adventure carries seductive appeal: Outside threats can cause people to pull together. As King Henry IV advises his son Hal, the future king, in Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 2: busy giddy minds With foreign quarrels; that action, hence borne out, May waste the...
Senate Approves Russia Sanctions, Limiting Trump’s Oversight
In an overwhelming vote of 97-2, the U.S. Senate approved a new round of sanctions on Russia in response to the nation’s likely interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as its involvement in the Syrian civil war. The deal also prevents President Trump from loosening or rolling back restrictions on Russia without...
Why Did Jeff Sessions Really Meet With Sergey Kislyak?
It can be hard to get a straight answer out of Attorney General Jeff Sessions.When Senator Al Franken asked then-Senator Sessions at his Senate confirmation hearing on January 10 whether he “communicated with the Russian government,” he said, “I’m not aware of any of those activities.” Unprompted, Sessions then went further, saying, “I have...
Mueller’s Investigation Goes Wide
Special Counsel Robert Mueller is casting a wide net in his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and whether President Trump’s campaign colluded with Moscow.The Associated Press reported Friday that the former FBI director’s inquiry will absorb a federal criminal investigation into Paul Manafort,...
Donald Trump’s Conflicts of Interest: a Crib Sheet
President Donald Trump still has not taken the necessary steps to distance himself from his businesses while in office. In accordance with a plan that he and one of his lawyers, Sheri Dillon, laid out at a press conference on January 11, Trump has filed paperwork to remove himself from the day-to-day operation of his eponymous organization....
Putin Says ‘Patriotic Hackers’ May Have Targeted U.S. Election
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday his country has “never engaged in” hacking another nation’s elections, but left open the possibility that hackers with “patriotic leanings … may try to add their contribution to the fight against those who speak badly about Russia.” “Hackers are free people, just like artists who wake up in the...
The Atlantic Daily: We’ll Always Have Paris(?)
What We’re FollowingThe Paris Accord: President Trump is expected to make a decision soon about whether the U.S. will stay in the global agreement on climate change, and early reports say he plans to pull out. Todd Stern, who led U.S. negotiations on the deal, argues that decision would be indefensible, causing serious diplomatic damage....
House of Cards Season 5, Episode 6: The Live-Binge Review
As in previous years, I’m binge-reviewing the latest season of Netflix’s House of Cards, the TV show that helped popularize the idea of “binge watching” when it premiered in 2013. Don’t read farther than you’ve watched. (The whole series will appear here.)Episode 6 (Chapter 58)President Claire says she doesn’t feel...
