Today in 5 Lines
Ivanka Trump will become an official federal employee, serving as an unpaid adviser to the president. In a news conference, the leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee said they have asked 20 people to be questioned as part of their investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Committee Chairman Richard Burr said the probe is “one of the biggest investigations the Hill has seen in my time here.” A judge sentenced Bill Baroni and Bridget Anne Kelly, two former aides of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, to prison for their role in the 2013 “Bridgegate” scandal. The U.K. formally gave notice of its intention to leave the European Union.
Today on The Atlantic
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In Hot Water: “Tuesday was not a good day for America’s hard-charging white men,” writes Alex Wagner. Fox News host Bill O’Reilly was forced to apologize after dismissing Representative Maxine Waters’s comments and instead focusing on her looks, and White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer received backlash for scolding journalist April Ryan.
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Above the Law?: President Trump is facing a defamation lawsuit from a former Apprentice contestant who accused him of sexual assault last year. Now, his private lawyers have asked for a special briefing to learn whether the president can be shielded from private lawsuits while in office. (Matt Ford)
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How the U.S. Protects the Environment: During his time in office, President Richard Nixon passed laws to reduce air pollution, clean up rivers and streams, and establish the Environmental Protection Agency. Here is a guide to those regulations, and how they may change under President Trump. (Robinson Meyer)