White House backtracks on limiting FBI Kavanaugh probe

Reversal follows pressure from GOP Senate moderates No Images? Click here   By Paul Vale     Tuesday, October 2  WHITE HOUSE BACKTRACKS ON FBI PROBE The White House authorized the FBI to interview any witnesses it deems necessary in its probe of the sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, loosening tight restrictions that had been imposed earlier. The reversal appears to have come as a result of pressure from Senate GOP moderates, Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). [HuffPost] [Tweet | Share on Facebook] KAVANAUGH PREPARED FOR RAMIREZ CLAIMS Kavanaugh’s legal team reportedly texted with the judge’s college friends to undercut classmate Deborah Ramirez’s allegations of sexual misconduct before she went public in The New Yorker. The messages, summarized in a memo obtained by NBC, suggest that Kavanaugh’s relationship with Ramirez was closer than he let on and that she was uncomfortable around him when they were both at a wedding 10 years after they graduated. [HuffPost] MCCONNELL CHASED DOWN AT AIRPORT Female activists at an airport in Washington approached several Republican senators — including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ― to demand answers about the sexual assault claims against Kavanaugh. McConnell refused to engage, marching forward while the three women trailed him. He did finally stop, but only to shake the hand of a random male onlooker.  [HuffPost] TRUMP: ‘I KNOW YOU’RE NOT THINKING. YOU NEVER DO’ President Donald Trump insulted a female reporter during a press conference at the White House, claiming she was in a “state of shock” because he called on her to ask a question. Cecilia Vega of ABC News denied the president’s assertion: “No, I’m not. Thank you, Mr. President.” Trump shot back: “That’s OK. I know you’re not thinking. You never do.” The official transcript changed the president’s comments. [HuffPost] COMEY: PUBLIC HEARING ONLY Former FBI Director James Comey refused a request to testify before a private House panel about the agency’s decisions before the 2016 presidential election. He said he would, however, testify “in public.” Republicans could respond by subpoenaing the former FBI chief. [Reuters] HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN TEXAS Over the past two weeks, hundreds of migrant children have been taken from shelters and sent to a tent city in Tornillo, Texas, according to The New York Times, in what experts are calling a humanitarian crisis of the U.S. government’s own making. [HuffPost]         O BACKS DEM MIDTERM CANDIDATES Former President Barack Obama is putting his name behind 260 more Democratic candidates ahead of November’s midterms — including progressive New York congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. [HuffPost] GILLUM STAFFER CALLED FOR TRUMP’S EXECUTION Manny Orozco-Ballestas, recently hired to oversee youth outreach for Florida Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum’s campaign, was fired last week due to incendiary and offensive social media posts, including one calling for Trump’s execution. [HuffPost] LOUIS C.K. BACK AGAIN Louis C.K. performed another set at New York City’s Comedy Cellar last weekend, but he still hasn’t addressed his sexual misconduct. [HuffPost] GREEN GROUPS SLAMS TRUMP TRADE DEAL Trump’s deal to tweak the NAFTA trade agreement was panned by environmental groups, arguing it includes “corporate giveaways” for fossil fuel giants, excludes binding agreements on lead pollution and contains no mention of human-caused global warming. [HuffPost] WHITE HOUSE WEAKENS MERCURY REGULATIONS The Trump administration is taking steps to significantly weaken a major Obama-era regulation that curbs the amount of mercury that power plants are allowed to emit. [HuffPost] U.S. AND CHINESE NAVY AVOID CLASH A U.S. Navy ship had an "unsafe" interaction with a Chinese warship Sunday while the U.S. vessel was conducting a freedom of navigation operation near the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. [CNN]       HuffPost LIFE is the all-new destination for living the good life on a real person’s budget. Here are all the lies Brett Kavanaugh has told. Snooki has slammed the “mommy shamers” who criticized her 4-year-old daughter's hair. Netflix has reportedly acquired the international streaming rights to the DC Universe series “Titans.” India’s Supreme Court has lifted a centuries-old ban on women who could potentially be on their periods from entering a popular Hindu pilgrimage site. The death toll from the Indonesia earthquake and tsunami has soared to more than 1,200. Julie Swetnick, one of the women who has publicly accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, opened up about her history with the nominee in an interview aired on MSNBC. America’s affordable housing crisis isn’t just hitting cities. Monty Python’s Eric Idle has the dirtiest idea for his funeral. Here’s how to talk to your kid about periods. A gay Ohio man believes he lost his job for supporting friends’ same-sex marriages on social media. Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice” is back on the big screen for its 30th anniversary. Ansel Elgort has been cast as Tony in Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of the Broadway musical “West Side Story.” Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) apologized for comments he made about female actresses during his undergraduate years at Columbia University. Sam Claflin is set to star in Sony’s “Charlie’s Angels” reboot. And love this newsletter? Share it with a friend!      HuffPost is now a part of Oath and a part of Verizon. On May 25, 2018 we introduced a new Oath Privacy Policy which will explain how your data is used and shared. Learn More. Start your workday the right way with the news that matters most — all with a dash of signature Morning Email snark. Does somebody keep forwarding you this email? Get your own copy. It's free! Sign up here. 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