*By Carlo Versano*
The FBI will likely conclude its investigation into sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on Wednesday night and issue a report to Senators on Thursday, sources told Cheddar's J.D. Durkin.
Investigators are under extreme pressure from Republicans to deliver a report in time for a Friday vote, a deadline Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has demanded.
CNN reported late Tuesday that the FBI has actually widened the scope of its investigation, adding a specific party from Kavanaugh's calendar to its inquiry.
Sen. Angus King (I-ME) told Cheddar Wednesday that, even if Kavanuagh is confirmed to the high court, the nominee has revealed himself to be so partisan that it will be difficult for the judge to impartially decide certain cases. King alluded to a portion of Kavanaugh's testimony in which he blamed the allegations against him on a Democratic witch hunt. The Senator called that moment "very disturbing."
"I don't see how he can sit on a case involving partisan gerrymandering, for example," King said.
Meanwhile, President Trump shed all his prior restraint on the topic of Kavanaugh's first accuser, Prof. Christine Blasey Ford. Days after saying he found her to be a "credible witness" and a "very fine woman, he mocked and questioned Ford's testimony at a rally in Mississippi on Tuesday night to roaring applause from the audience. Earlier in the day, Trump also expressed concern that the #MeToo movement had made it "a very scary time for young men in America."
Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), a key swing vote in the Kavanaugh confirmation process, told NBC's "Today" show he found Trump's comments "kind of appalling."
Romney called Trump's actions — the president was impeached on charges of abuse of power and obstructing Congress— "perhaps the most abusive and destructive" violation of oath of office that I can imagine."
Minneapolis City Council member Andrea Jenkins discussed her range of issues including city services, the LGBTQ community, communities of color, infrastructure, economic development, and the future of the U.S. presidency.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Wednesday, February 5, 2020.
Tonight President Donald Trump gets to issue his third State of the Union address to lawmakers and guests on Capitol Hill. Cheddar is keeping track of the night's best moments.
Democratic state Rep. Robert "Renny" Cushing told Cheddar that the Granite State, surrounded by adult-use legal states, needs to get with the times.
Democratic Party officials in Iowa have released more than 60 percent their delayed caucus results. Confusion and chaos still hang over Iowa and its first-in-the-nation presidential contest.
Technology companies and banks led a broad rally for U.S. stocks in midday trading Tuesday following solid gains overseas. China took more steps to soften the financial blow of the virus outbreak and its main stock index rose following a plunge a day earlier.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Tuesday, February 4, 2020.
Voting in the 2020 election kicks off today, exactly nine months before Election Day, as Iowans gather at more than 1,600 caucus sites to pick their favorite candidate.
Councilman Ritchie Torres told Cheddar that cashless businesses might uphold institutionalized racism and discriminate against low-income people who are unbanked or underbanked.
