APPOINTMENT OF ACTING AG CHALLENGED
ASHINGTON» Maryland is W challenging the appointment of Matthew Whitaker as the new U.S. acting attorney general, arguing that President Donald Trump sidestepped the Constitution and the Justice Department’s succession plan by elevating Whitaker to the top job.
The Tuesday filing sets up a court challenge between a state and the federal government over the legitimacy of the country’s chief law enforcement officer and foreshadows the likelihood of additional cases that present the same issues.
It comes as Democrats call on Whitaker to recuse himself from overseeing the special counsel’s Russia investigation because of critical comments he has made about it in the past and amid concerns over his views on the scope of judicial authority.
In their filing, lawyers in the office of Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh argue that the job should have gone to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein instead of to Whitaker.
They cite a statute governing the line of succession at the Justice Department that says that in the case of a vacancy in the attorney general position, the deputy attorney general may exercise “all the duties of that office.”
Trump rips Macron over trade, wine, his low approval ratings.
WASHINGTON»
Nursing grievances from a weekend visit to France, President Donald Trump lit into French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday over his suggestion for a European defense force, over French tariffs on U.S. wine and even Macron’s approval ratings.
Trump’s tweets included a fresh complaint about Macron’s recent suggestion that Europe build up its militaries because the continent can no longer depend on the U.S. for defense. He misrepresented the French leader’s comments along the way, even though the two presidents had talked through the issue while Trump was in France over the weekend for events marking the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I.
“Macron suggests building its own army to protect Europe against the U.S., China and Russia,” Trump tweeted. “But it was Germany in World Wars One & Two — How did that work out for France? They were starting to learn German in Paris before the U.S. came along. Pay for NATO or not!”
In fact, Macron had said that Europe needs to protect itself against cyberthreats from China, Russia and the U.S.
CNN sues Trump, demanding return of Acosta to White House.
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CNN took its access battle against the Trump administration to court, demanding the reinstatement of correspondent Jim Acosta’s White House credentials because their revocation violates the right of freedom of the press.
CNN also is launching a case that will test the ability of government officials anywhere to freeze out a reporter who displeases them.
“This is just more grandstanding from CNN, and we will vigorously defend against this lawsuit,” said White House press secretary Sarah Sanders.
The administration stripped Acosta of his pass after President Donald Trump’s contentious news conference last week, during which Acosta refused to give up a microphone.
Sanders explained the decision by accusing Acosta of making improper physical contact with the White House intern seeking to grab the microphone.
More leeway for states to expand inpatient mental health. WASHINGTON»
The Trump administration will allow states to provide more inpatient treatment for people with serious mental illness by tapping Medicaid, a potentially far-reaching move to address issues from homelessness to violence.
A long-standing federal law has barred Medicaid from paying for mental health treatment in facilities with more than 16 beds, to prevent “warehousing” of the mentally ill at the expense of federal taxpayers. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said states will now be able to seek waivers from that restriction.
Homeland Security chief expected to leave.
WASHINGTON»
President Donald Trump is weighing an administrationwide shake-up as he looks to prepare his White House for divided government, with Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen expected to be among the next to go.
Trump has soured on Nielsen and White House chief of staff John Kelly, in part over frustration that his administration is not doing more to address what he has called a crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border, according to people with knowledge of the issue.