Breaking this morning, the Trump administration is expelling 60 Russian diplomats in response to the poisoning of a Russian former double agent in England. And at a crucial juncture in the investigation when the president faces the decision to be interviewed by the special counsel, Trump’s legal team appears to be a one-man operation: Jay Sekulow. With everything going on, what’s the thing that seems to have crippled the president’s Twitter fingers? Women who will not be silenced. Last night’s 60 Minutes interview with adult film actress Stephanie Clifford, aka Stormy Daniels, came on the heels of Anderson Cooper’s interview with Karen McDougal, who claims to have had a ten-month affair with the president. Both women provided what appeared to be credible insight into POTUS45. Donald Trump, known for responding to both the consequential and inconsequential, has offered neither a peep nor a tweet in response to either interview. In more G-rated news, hundreds of thousands of young people descended on the nation's capital to harness their collective voices and demand action on gun violence. Though attendees included Kanye West, Kim Kardashian West, Lin-Manuel Miranda (who later surprised the audience at the Kennedy Center and showed up for a performance of In the Heights), George and Amal Clooney, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson, Common, Jimmy Fallon, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Glenn Close, Katie Couric, and Dennis Rodman, among others -- the students were the real stars who created the most memorable moments. One came from 11-year-old Naomi Wadler, who captivated audiences everywhere with this: “I represent the African American women who are victims of gun violence, who are simply statistics instead of vibrant, beautiful girls full of potential. For far too long, these Black girls and women have been just numbers. I am here to say never again for those girls too.” And another from Emma González, a student and survivor of the Parkland, FL shooting who stood on stage at the March for Our Lives for six minutes and 20 seconds, most of it in silence, with tears streaming down her face. "Since the time that I came out here," she said, "it has been 6 minutes and 20 seconds. The shooter has ceased shooting and will soon abandon his rifle, blend in with the students as they escape, and walk free for an hour before arrest. Fight for your lives before it's someone else's job," she said and left the stage. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Rapper Killer Mike appeared on NRA TV with some questionable remarks meant to support gun owners. He later apologized. Congress is out for a two-week recess, and we’re kicking off the week with this...
- Barack Obama talks the power of young people and North Korea in Japan.
- Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) wants Cabinet secretaries’ travel costs made public.
- Staffer for Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) heads to the private sector in the Big Apple.
- Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) leads effort to stop plans on privatizing prisons in Puerto Rico.
- NY Governor Andrew Cuomo in all-out effort to gain ground with Black voters
- Congressman Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) intro bipartisan bill to raise the age of gun purchases.
- Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) ask SCOTUS to do same-day release of the audio from the travel ban arguments.
- Senators press DHS to investigate reports of asylum seekers being separated from their children.
- Congressmen Henry Cuéllar (D-TX), Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), and Donald McEachin (D-VA) head to the Middle East.
- Legislators want answers from DHS over the resignation of an ICE spokesman.
- Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) endorses in the Maryland Governor’s race.
- FL Democratic congressional candidate faces backlash for past GOP donations.
- NABJ is Team Robin Givhan in the BET beef over that Michelle Obama chat.
- Congressman Tony Cárdenas (D-CA) leads call for DOJ to reject Tribune-Sinclair merger.
- Meet the new columnist for The Intercept.
- Read The New Yorker's take on the "extraordinary inclusiveness" of the March for Our Lives, in Blogs!