*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."
New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is "cautiously optimistic" that the September 11th Victim's Compensation Fund's permanent extension will be passed in the Senate.
President Donald Trump Thursday evening decided to share his negative opinions on cryptocurrencies and Facebook's plans for the Libra currency, drawing a backlash among blockchain proponents.
Mississippi Rep. Robert Foster, currently running for governor of the state, is denying a female reporter from his campaign trip — unless she is accompanied by a male colleague. That Mississippi Today reporter Larrison Campbell joined Cheddar to give her reaction.
Nike announced on Thursday that it is moving forward with its plan to open a Nike Air Manufacturing Innovation facility in Goodyear, Arizona, just a week after the Governor Doug Ducey said the company was not welcome.
On Friday morning, President Donald Trump announced that Labor Secretary Alex Acosta resigned from his position. The decision follows widespread outrage over Acosta's handling of a 2008 case involving hedge fund manager Jeffrey Epstein, who had been accused of being a sexual predator.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Friday, July 12, 2019.
President Donald Trump abandoned his administration's years-long pursuit to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census, but through an executive order demanded that all government agencies compile and disclose existing data on citizenship.
According to the 16-page report obtained by Cheddar, the expected price tag of the Victim's Compensation Fund is expected to be more than $10 billion over the next 10 years.
French lawmakers voted to impose a 3 percent tax on revenues from digital services that reach French users that could leave U.S. tech giants like Facebook, Google, and Amazon facing a hefty new tax bill.
Billionaire progressive activist Tom Steyer who joined the 2020 race spoke with Cheddar about his focus on the avarice of big business and its undue influence.
