Month: May 2019

Every week, we pick a new episode of the week. It could be good. It could be bad. It will always be interesting. You can read the archives here. The episode of the week for May 19 through 25 is the ABC special Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s All in the Family and The Jeffersons.

Is nostalgia all we have left? If you were to watch Live in Front of a Studio Audience — a hyper-earnest attempt to replicate episodes of two of Norman Lear’s hit 1970s sitcoms with popular, contemporary actors — without …

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), the chair of the Senate Finance Committee, will apply for financial assistance offered by the Trump administration as part of the latest bailout package for farmers hurt by the White House’s ongoing tariff war with China.

Grassley’s spokesperson, Michael Zona, told The Des Moines Register’s Stephen Gruber-Miller that the senator “receives no special treatment,” and that he is merely participating in programs for which he is legally eligible.

“As a family farmer who experiences the same processes with the federal government after downturns like other farmers in Iowa, Sen. Grassley brings firsthand knowledge and experience on …

Former vice president Joe Biden’s status as the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020 is highlighted in a new poll, which suggests he is not only the current favorite in the crowded field of candidates, but that he would remain the favorite even if he were running against a single Democratic opponent.

The poll (conducted by Republican firm Echelon Insights) asked 1,005 Democrats — and independents who favor Democrats’ policies — about their preferred 2020 candidates. The poll found 38 percent of respondents would vote for Biden if the primary were to be held right now. …

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Charges against Julian Assange raise First Amendment concerns; Narendra Modi is reelected by a landslide in India.

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Julian Assange is indicted under the Espionage Act

Jack Taylor/Getty Images

• The US government has indicted WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on 17 new counts of violating the Espionage Act — which has raised some concerns about First Amendment rights. The new charges come on top of

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Disney’s live-action Aladdin, a remake of its 1992 animated film, has finally arrived in theaters, and on one level, it’s something of an achievement. The production, helmed by Guy Ritchie, had a hefty amount of cultural baggage to overcome, and has been dogged by controversy and skepticism over its premise and execution since before filming even began.

All the backlash isn’t entirely the 2019 film’s fault. Although the original movie was a critically acclaimed masterpiece, it was also dripping in Orientalism and harmful racist depictions of Arabic culture. The new film has, for the most part, managed to shirk …

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A growing state-level push to sidestep the Electoral College; Theresa May’s days in office are likely numbered.

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The push against the Electoral College

Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call

• 14 states and the District of Columbia have joined an effort to elect the president by popular vote rather than the Electoral College. [CBS News / Camilo Montoya-Galvez]
• Under the National Popular Vote Interstate

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The United States might ratchet up tensions with Iran by sending thousands of troops to the Middle East — a sign that the Trump administration may be preparing for a serious fight.

According to multiple reports, the Pentagon will brief Trump administration officials Thursday on a plan to increase America’s troop presence in the region. It’s unclear exactly how many service members might be deployed, but reports put the number somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000. Of course, they won’t go anywhere unless President Donald Trump approves the plan, a still unclear outcome.

Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan denies …

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Nevada pushes back against a national trend of restricting reproductive rights; polls predict strong results for nationalists in EU elections.

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Nevada moves to relax abortion restrictions

Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images

• Nevada is pushing back against a national trend of restricting reproductive rights by passing a law that would relax abortion requirements. [Las Vegas Review-Journal / Colton Lochhead]
• The state Assembly passed a

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Elizabeth Warren is giving people a new reason to pick up their phones when a call comes in from an unknown number: She might be on the line. It’s a way for the Massachusetts Democrat to thank her backers. It’s also a savvy political strategy to highlight and spread her grassroots support.

Warren ignited a viral moment over the weekend when she replied to a tweet from comedian Ashley Nicole Black asking whether the 2020 candidate, whose 2020 mantra is that she “has a plan for that,” has a plan for her love life. “DM me and let’s figure …

According to Josh Dawsey and Jeff Stein of the Washington Post, an internal IRS legal memo agrees with most outside observers that the Treasury Department has no legal standing to reject congressional Democrats’ request to hand over President Donald Trump’s tax returns.

The 10-page memo, according to the Post, states that the law “does not allow the Secretary to exercise discretion in disclosing the information provided the statutory conditions are met.” It says that conceivably the White House could try to mount some kind of executive privilege claim but that the Treasury secretary’s stated rationale for refusing to comply is …