*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."
The South African-born host of "The Daily Show" says President Trump's behavior reminds him of strongmen, dictators, and corrupt leaders from Africa or the Middle East.
Stocks kick off the week with a rally after Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the prospect of a trade war was "on hold" following an agreement to suspend tariff threats. Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveils details of the souped-up Model 3. President Trump is going after the FBI. Fortnite is launching on Android phones this summer.
There are meaningful gun reform bills that never make it to the floor of the House because Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) is standing in the way, says Rep. Green, a Democrat representing Texas's 9th District. A shooter opened fire at a high school in Santa Fe, Tex., on Friday, killing at least 10 people. The incident is reigniting the national gun reform debate that emerged after the high school shooting in Parkland, Fla., three months ago.
A school shooting in Santa Fe, Tex., on Friday left at least 10 people dead and 10 more wounded. The fact that students around the country "know that this is a possibility, and the fear that they carry with them every day when they walk into their school" is horrifying, says Becca DeFelice, San Antonio volunteer leader with Moms Demand Action. The Texas shooting comes just three months after the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., that left 17 people dead and reignited the national debate on gun control.
The Senate's confirmation of Gina Haspel as director of the Central Intelligence Agency comes at a time when President Trump faces several national security concerns.
A gunman opened fire at Santa Fe High School on Friday, killing 10 people, said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. He identified the alleged gunman as 17 year-old student at the school 35 miles southeast of Houston.
Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) says the racist rant by a New York lawyer that went viral is a reflection of the "toxic rhetoric" coming from the White House. The Congressman filed a formal complaint against the attorney on Thursday.
After all Senate Democrats voted in favor of keeping the internet open and fair, the party is using this opportunity to paint itself as a champion of the consumer going into the midterm elections later this year, says Ross Rubin, principal analyst at Reticle Research.
Senators voted Wednesday to override the FCC's repeal of net neutrality rules, keeping the internet free and open...for now. The resolution now heads to the House, where it is still 57 votes short of passing.
The Democrat from Rhode Island said doing away with the internet regulations would give large service providers too much power over the content that people see. The Senate on Wednesday voted to reinstate the Obama-era legislation, sending the bill to House, where it's expected to be shot down.
