Politics Daily

The Atlantic Politics & Policy Daily: Sticks and Stone

President Donald Trump railed against one longtime associate, Michael Cohen, while praising another, Roger Stone, for refusing to testify against him.

By Elaine Godfrey
J. Scott Applewhite / AP

Written by Elaine Godfrey (@elainejgodfrey).

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Today in 5 Lines

  • President Donald Trump railed against one longtime associate, Michael Cohen, while praising another, Roger Stone, for refusing to testify against him. “Nice to know some people still have ‘guts!’” Trump wrote. The tweet drew criticism and accusations of witness tampering.

  • The body of the late President George H. W. Bush, who died Friday at the age of 94, was flown to Washington, D.C., where he will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda before his funeral Wednesday. Trump is expected to attend the funeral, but will not deliver a eulogy.

  • The House and Senate plan to vote this week to extend the government-shutdown deadline by two weeks, funding the government through December 21.

  • CIA Director Gina Haspel will reportedly brief senators on what information the agency has about the murder of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi on Tuesday.

  • Administrators at the University of North Carolina recommended that the school build a $5.3 million building on campus to house Silent Sam, a Confederate monument toppled by protesters in August.

Today on The Atlantic

  • ‘Conscience of a Conservative’: Senator Tim Scott, the sole black Republican in the Senate, shouldn’t be the only person opposed to appointing Thomas Farr to the federal bench, argues Adam Serwer.

  • Bush’s Forgotten Legacy: America’s 41st president was an architect of one of the most significant environmental achievements of the past 30 years. (David Frum)

  • A Place for Kasich: The Ohio governor is mulling another run for president. But are there enough centrists left to support him? (Dick Polman)

  • What’s Happening to Retail?: New York’s empty storefronts are proof that the city isn’t immune to the trends shaping the retail world, writes Derek Thompson. So which businesses are emerging as the most resilient?

Snapshot

Sully, the service dog of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush, lies in front of Bush's casket at the Geo. H. Lewis & Sons funeral home in Houston, Texas. (Office of George H. W. Bush / Reuters)

What We’re Reading

The Money to Run: It’s no coincidence that there are so many wealthy people in Congress. Running for office is expensive. (Amanda Terkel, HuffPost)

History-Making: At some point in the future, Americans will look back on last week as a turning point in the special counsel investigation, writes Dahlia Lithwick. (Slate)

‘This Is a Test of Character’: The smallest, silliest of events can be indicative of broader congressional dysfunction. Take last week’s House office lottery, for example. (Ben Terris, The Washington Post)

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