In transcripts released by Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, late Wednesday, it was revealed that committee staff questioned Kavanaugh about two other accusations reported to the committee that were not previously known. Both of the accusations are presented in the transcript anonymously, and were made without corroboration. Kavanaugh categorically denied both in his interview with the committee.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein expects to be fired but had not actually stepped down as he traveled to the White House this morning for a meeting. n.pr/2NCy2Mg Some news organizations reported Rosenstein had submitted a verbal resignation to White House officials. The situation was unclear. n.pr/2NCy2Mg

A former classmate of Christine Blasey Ford tells NPR she doesn't know if an alleged sexual assault by Brett Kavanaugh took place as she first suggested on social media. n.pr/2QLyZzO "In my post, I was empowered and I was sure it probably did [happen]," she says. "I had no idea that I would now have to go to the specifics and defend it before 50 cable channels." n.pr/2QLyZzO

Breaking: Facing pressure from lawmakers to beef up election security, President Donald Trump signed an executive order today that would impose sanctions on any person or country that attempts to interfere in U.S. elections. The new order sets up a framework for intelligence agencies to investigate whether foreign actors are attempting to influence any aspect of the electoral process.

Hear familiar NPR voices read the Declaration of Independence. Read along here. npr.org/2018/07/04/623… When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another

New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood is suing the Trump Foundation over what she calls “extensive and persistent violations of federal law,” her office announced today. President Trump and three of his children (Donald J. Trump, Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Eric Trump) are named in the lawsuit in their roles as directors of the foundation.

By a 5-4 margin, the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld a controversial Ohio voter-purge law.

It’s known as the “use-it-or-lose-it” law, which, as NPR’s @NinaTotenberg wrote after oral arguments, is “the most aggressive voter-purge system in the country.” Ohio “strikes voters from the registration rolls if they fail to vote in two consecutive elections — and if they fail to return a mailed address confirmation form,” Nina wrote in January. n.pr/2JD1SdQ

It’s #WorldTurtleDay, apparently. We didn’t know this, BUT we do know several facts about turtles and tortoises.

Presenting Turtles and Tortoises: A Thread They can be really cute, and at least one likes to chase a ball.
npr.org/sections/thetw…

Update: Death toll rises to 10 after a van struck pedestrians in Toronto n.pr/2HSZoaW The driver, identified by police as Alex Minassian, was located and arrested without injury.

The White House has released a one page draft of its framework for an immigration bill, according to @DaviSusan, who received a copy of the draft from a congressional source. The framework includes:
- $25 billion for a border wall
- A 10-12 year path to citizenship for DACA and “DACA-eligible” people that would encompass approximately 1.8 million people

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is rescinding Obama-era Justice Department guidelines that aimed to not interfere in states that had legalized marijuana. The new change in policy was confirmed to NPR’s @relucasz. Colorado, California and several other states have enacted laws that range from decriminalizing marijuana to openly authorizing it for recreational use. But marijuana remains illegal under federal law.

At approximately 7:20 a.m., a man identified as 27-year-old Akayed Ullah detonated an “improvised, low-tech explosive device” based on a pipe bomb that was attached to his body, authorities said. n.pr/2C3qqt2 Ullah has been placed in custody and brought to Bellevue Hospital for treatment of lacerations and burns to his hands and abdomen. Three bystanders suffered minor injuries.

Just in: Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., has said he will resign from Congress at the end of January. The House Ethics Committee announced this evening that Franks is being investigated for sexual harassment allegations. In a statement, Franks admits to talking to two female subordinates about being surrogate mothers for him and his wife, who have struggled to conceive.

500 years ago, a German monk issued a stunning challenge to papal authority and the entire Holy Roman Empire n.pr/2lB7mhk The split that followed fostered the development of religious & political freedoms in Europe but also set the stage for persecution & war.

Sen @BillCassidy called our reading of his health care bill on pre-existing conditions false. Here’s how we read it: n.pr/2fAWevD

External Tweet loading...
If nothing shows, it may have been deleted
by @BillCassidy view original on Twitter

Prior to ACA, insurers routinely excluded care for cancer or mental health or made the coverage so expensive that it was out of reach