*By Carlo Versano* With the clock ticking on a deadline for the FBI to wrap up its investigation into sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, the Senators who asked for it still don't have an idea of what to expect. "I don't yet know the scale and scope of the investigation," said. Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), a member of the judiciary committee who worked with Republican Sen. Jeff Flake in dramatic fashion on a compromise that led to the FBI reopening its background investigation. Speaking to Cheddar, Coons said that regardless of the outcome of Kavanaugh's confirmation, the fact that the nomination wasn't voted on immediately following last week's emotional testimony would end up being a good thing for the country. "I think my friend Jeff Flake did something really positive," Coons said. "He got us to hit the pause button for a week." "It's got to help the country that we're trying to work for more shared facts," the Senator added. Investigators are under extreme pressure from Republicans to deliver a report in time for a vote on Friday, a deadline Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has demanded. Sources told Cheddar's J.D. Durkin that a report is likely to be delivered to senators Thursday. 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 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, said on NBC's "Today" show he found Trump's comments "kind of appalling."

Share:
More In Politics
Dems' Platform for Midterms? 'Throw the Bums Out'
Tea Party Republicans and President Trump ran campaigns on a platform of being the Washington outsiders needed to save the country. Now the Democrats will have their own opportunity in the 2018 midterms.
Rep. Castro 'Dumbfounded' by Proposal to Arm Teachers
The Democratic Congressman from Texas says state and local officials should do more to limit the places people can carry guns, not introduce more guns into schools. "Like so many other teachers, they didn't sign up to be soldiers or police officers," says Castro.
EU Lawmakers Pile on Zuckerberg
European lawmakers aggressively questioned Facebook's CEO on Tuesday, indicating they may consider further restricting the social media company's unchecked growth and regulating its business practices.
CEO of Invisalign Braces Maker Is Confident in China
Align Technology, which makes Invisalign orthodontics, opened its first manufacturing plant in China in 2017 and expects to have a "good, contained business" there by the end of the year, despite a wider reassessment of U.S.-China trade relations, says Joe Hogan, the CEO of Align Technology.
Netflix Gives Obamas Global Reach, Local Responsibility
The streaming platform will give the former president and first lady a global platform to focus on issues important to them. But they need to be mindful of making that content available to communities that don't have access to high-speed internet or Netflix, says Alexander Heffner, the host of "The Open Mind" on PBS.
China Cuts Car Tariffs in Latest Move to Ease U.S. Trade Tensions
China, the world's largest auto market, announced it will cut taxes on imported cars from 25 percent to 15 percent in its latest attempt to appease Washington. But most global car makers don't pay that added tariff because they've set up manufacturing plants in China. Cheddar's Kristen Scholer and Tim Stenovec look into the details.
Markets Rally as U.S.-China Trade War Cools
The Dow crossed 25,000 points on Monday for the first time in two months and the S&P 500 and NASDAQ were also up as two of the world's largest economies appeared to back away from a full-blown trade war.
Bernie Sanders Considering Another Run for President
The Vermont Senator's 2016 campaign manager says Sanders hasn't made up his mind one way or the other. "At the end of the day, it comes down to who is going to be the strongest candidate to beat Trump," Jeff Weaver tells Cheddar's J.D. Durkin.
Load More