The Israeli military bombed a gathering of senior Iranian clerics today, while they were reportedly counting votes to choose the next leader. “We wanted to prevent them from picking a new supreme leader,” one Israeli defense official told Axios. #crookedmedia #whatadaynewsletter #mattberg
House Democrats accused the DOJ of not releasing all the files. Trump and his team “have made it clear that they intend to withhold roughly 50% of the Epstein files, while claiming to have fully complied with the law,” Democrats on the House Oversight Committee said in a statement. #mattberg
The Fourth Amendment protects people from unreasonable searches. DHS says that agents can now enter homes after they draw up their own “administrative warrants,” versus the normal requirement for a judge’s approval for a raid on that specific property. #mattberg
"Canada reset trade ties with China last week, lowering hefty tariffs on Beijing’s electric vehicles and other products. It signaled a major break with the United States, though Trump acted like he didn’t care." #mattberg
Trump and his EPA Chief, Lee Zeldin, are working to relieve the EPA of the burden of making decisions based on real science. Instead, they want to loosen regulations enough to make dirty fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, the dominant source of American energy for the foreseeable future. #mattberg
As historian John Ganz put it: “Totally outrageous that right-wingers ever had the temerity to lecture people about civility and respect when this is their guy.” #whatadaynewsletter #mattberg
Senators voted down two health care proposals today that would’ve extended Obamacare subsidies, which expire on January 1. Premiums for millions will skyrocket if lawmakers can’t agree on a plan. And Republicans finally seem to be realizing that A) They have no plan, and B) This is bad. #mattberg
The Trump administration unveiled the “Trump Gold Card” today, which allows foreigners to “unlock life in America” by paying the American government over $1 million, according to the card’s website. Applicants must pay a $15,000 non-refundable fee to even be considered. #mattberg
Paramount, controlled by billionaire Trump allies Larry and David Ellison, mounted a $108 billion hostile bid for the media conglomerate, days after Netflix announced a deal to buy Warner. Kushner’s private equity firm is backing Paramount’s bid, along with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. #mattberg
More than 80 percent of immigrants arrested during Trump’s crackdown in Washington, D.C. had no criminal record, according to federal data. Eighty percent!!! The data contrasts with Trump’s suggestion that the operations would target “violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals.” #mattberg
Okay, here’s the deal: Let’s have dignified air travel with comfortable seats, plenty of legroom, no anxious scramble to board, decent food and reasonable flight delay policies, and then I will not wear my Minions plush slippers on the plane. #mattberg #whatadaynewsletter #crookedmedia
Today, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani indicated that she’ll force the Trump administration to disburse SNAP payments. “Congress has put money in an emergency fund for an emergency and it’s hard for me to understand how this isn’t an emergency,” she said. #whatadaynewsletter #mattberg
Trump may come to regret decimating the State Department’s diplomatic corps — including an obscure four-person team that helped secure the administration’s biggest wins to date, known as the Negotiations Support Unit. #MattBerg #whatadaynewsletter
