The Atlantic Politics & Policy Daily: Without a Dowd

Today in 5 Lines

• The House passed a $1.3 trillion spending bill, sending it to the Senate for approval. Congress has until the end of Friday to pass the measure.

• John Dowd, the lead lawyer representing President Trump in the Russia investigation, resigned; his departure marks the second major change to the president’s legal team this week.

• The House Intelligence Committee voted along party lines to release the Republican report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

• President Trump announced stiff tariffs on Chinese imports, which could total more than $50 billion, for the country’s alleged unfair practices against U.S. firms.

• Outgoing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson gave farewell remarks to State Department employees, urging them to act with “respect” in a “mean-spirited” Washington.

Today on The Atlantic

• Biden: I Would Have ‘Beat the Hell Out’ of Trump: America’s leaders shouldn’t glorify violence, writes Peter Beinart. Joe Biden’s comments about Trump are no exception.

• Better Than Nothing: Congress’s spending bill includes the Fix NICS Act, money for school safety, and a clarification on federal research. But the changes fall short of what gun-control advocates have demanded. (Russell Berman)

• Is the GOP’s Fate Sealed?: Republican leadership’s unwillingness to constrain Trump will prove to be an epic gamble for November—and beyond. (Ronald Brownstein)

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Snapshot

What We’re Reading

What's In the Federal Spending Bill?: The Washington Post breaks it down. (Mike DeBonis, Ed O'Keefe, and Erica Werner)

Twenty Bullets: On Sunday night, Sacramento police officers shot and killed Stephan Clark, a black man, in his backyard because they thought he was holding a gun. But body-camera footage reveals that Clark was holding his white iPhone. (Benjy Egel, Nashelly Chavez, and Anita Chabria, The Sacramento Bee)

Can the Kids Do It?: Meet Cameron Kasky, Emma González, and the other Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students who have, in the past month, organized one of the most powerful gun-reform movements in decades. (Charlotte Alter, Time)

‘The Lazy Republican’: In this political climate, Republican candidates who would usually be shoo-ins for reelection—and who haven’t faced a serious challenger in years—are now the GOP’s greatest fear. (Rachael Bade, Politico)

Kindergarten Politics: Some schools are considering teaching elementary-age students about school shootings and encouraging them to express their views at protests. Ben Shapiro argues that, while childlike innocence can be illuminating, children are not moral authorities. (Real Clear Politics)

Visualized

The Ripple Effect: Since the Columbine massacre, more than 187,000 students have been exposed to gun violence at their school. (John Woodrow Cox and Stephen Rich, The Washington Post)

-Written Lena Felton (@lenakfelton), Taylor Hosking (Taylor__Hosking), and Elaine Godfrey (@elainejgodfrey)