10 things you need to know today: July 18, 2018

1. Trump says he misspoke after Putin summit

After facing bipartisan criticism, President Trump said Tuesday that he misspoke on Monday when he appeared to side with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the question of whether Moscow tried to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. After his summit with Putin in Helsinki, Finland, Trump said, "I don't see any reason why it would be" Russia that hacked Democrats during the campaign. Trump said he should have said he didn't see why it "wouldn't" be Russia, "sort of a double negative." Trump said he accepts the conclusion of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia tried to meddle in the election. "So you can put that in," he said, "and I think that probably clarifies things." Democrats called Trump's statement a transparent and weak bit of damage control.

The New York Times

2. Obama takes veiled swipe at Trump in speech

Former President Barack Obama on Tuesday made his highest-profile speech since leaving office, urging people around the world to preserve causes the late South African leader Nelson Mandela fought for — democracy, diversity, and quality education for all. Obama spoke in Johannesburg as South Africans marked the 100th anniversary of Mandela's birth with clinic openings and charitable acts. While Obama did not mention President Trump by name, his remarks were seen as a thinly veiled rebuke of his successor. Obama, speaking a day after Trump's cozy summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, decried the rise of "strongman politics" and "the utter loss of shame" of political leaders who lie to their constituents, saying that "those in power seek to undermine every institution or norm that gives democracy meaning."

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The Washington Post Politico

3. 4 states sue to void cap on state, local tax deductions

New York, Connecticut, Maryland, and New Jersey sued the federal government on Tuesday, seeking to get rid of the $10,000 cap on federal deductions for state and local taxes included in President Trump's 2017 tax overhaul. The Republican-led Congress passed the $1.5 trillion overhaul and Trump signed it seven months ago, slashing the corporate tax rate and mostly reducing taxes for the wealthy. Critics said the cap disproportionately hurts taxpayers in "blue" states that are heavily Democratic, trampling on state sovereignty. "The federal government is hell-bent on using New York as a piggy bank to pay for corporate tax cuts and I will not stand for it," said New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat. A spokeswoman said the Treasury Department was reviewing the complaint.

Reuters

4. Judge denies Manafort's request to move trial

Judge T.S. Ellis III ruled Tuesday former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort's upcoming trial on bank and fraud charges will be held in Alexandria, Virginia, rejecting a defense attorney's claim that Manafort can't get a fair trial in Northern Virginia due to a liberal jury pool and widespread publicity surrounding the case. The defense had requested a change of venue to Roanoke. Ellis noted that the case had received nationwide publicity, so jurors everywhere would know as much about it as those in Alexandria. "The proximity of defendant's pretrial publicity to the start of his trial will be the same in Alexandria as it would be in Roanoke or Kansas City or Dallas," the judge wrote. He added that there was "no evidence" the local jury pool was biased against Manafort.

The Washington Post

5. Grand jury adds another charge against Russian woman

A U.S. grand jury formally indicted an NRA-linked Russian woman, Mariia Butina, on Tuesday, adding the more serious charge of acting as an agent of the Russian government to a conspiracy charge unsealed by prosecutors a day earlier. The indictment accuses Butina of acting as a Russian government agent while developing ties with American citizens and infiltrating political groups. The new charge is punishable with a sentence of up to 10 years, while the conspiracy against the U.S. charge carries a maximum five-year sentence. Butina was arrested Sunday. Her attorney, Robert Driscoll, denied she served as a Russian agent. The complaint said Butina tried to infiltrate a gun-rights group. The group was not named, but Butina's Facebook page indicates she attended National Rifle Association events.

Reuters

6. EU hits Google with record $5 billion antitrust fine

European Union regulators on Wednesday hit Google with a record €4.3 billion ($5 billion) fine for antitrust violations. The European Commission said Google abused its Android market dominance by inserting its own search engine and Chrome apps into the widely used operating system for smartphones and tablets. The regulators also said Google did other things to block competition, such as paying "certain large manufacturers and mobile network operators" to exclusively bundle its search app on handheld devices. The fine far surpassed Google's previous $2.7 billion record-breaking fine, which the EU imposed last year, saying Google had manipulated search results. Google parent Alphabet has 90 days to change its business practices or face further penalties.

The Verge BBC News

7. Trump critic-turned-supporter wins Alabama runoff

Four-term Rep. Martha Roby, once a critic of President Trump, decisively won her Alabama Republican primary runoff against former Democrat-turned-Trump supporter Bobby Bright. Roby had faced a voter backlash in her conservative district after calling Trump's boasting about groping women on a 2005 recording "unacceptable." She later became a reliable supporter of Trump's policies in Congress. The president endorsed her last month. Unofficial results showed her winning 68 percent of the vote to Bright's 32 percent after she failed to win 50 percent in last month's five-candidate primary vote. Bright had held the same seat as a Democrat, and gained traction by reminding voters that he once backed liberal Democrat Nancy Pelosi for House Speaker.

Reuters

8. Mandalay Bay hotel owner sues claiming 'no liability' to attack survivors

The Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino has filed lawsuits against more than 1,000 survivors of last year's Las Vegas massacre, saying the company has "no liability of any kind" for the attack. A gunman killed 58 people and wounded scores more when he opened fire from the 32nd floor of the hotel, targeting people at a music festival using guns fitted with an accessory enabling them to mimic the rapid fire of fully automatic rifles. After firing for more than 10 minutes, police say the gunman, identified as Stephen Paddock, fatally shot himself. The hotel's owner, MGM Resorts International, is not seeking money, but to shield its investors from damage claims.

The Washington Post

9. MLB All-Star Game sets record with 10 home runs

The American League defeated the National League 8-6 Tuesday night during the 2018 MLB All-Star Game at Nationals Park. The game lasted 10 innings, with the American League prevailing thanks to back-to-back home runs from Houston Astros teammates Alex Bregman and George Springer. Bregman was named the game's MVP. The teams had a combined 10 home runs, the most in All-Star history, well above the old record of six set in 1951, 1954, and 1971. With the win, the American League has been victorious in 13 of the last 16 All-Star games.

USA Today

10. Liz Cambage sets WNBA single-game scoring record

Dallas Wings center Liz Cambage scored 53 points against the New York Liberty on Tuesday, setting a new record for the most points scored by a WNBA player in a single game. Cambage toppled the record set by Los Angeles Sparks guard Riquana Williams in 2013, when she scored 51 points against the San Antonio Silver Stars while she was a member of the Tulsa Shock. In helping the Wings to a 104-87 victory Tuesday, Cambage shot 17-22 from the field and 15-16 from the free throw line. She also nabbed 10 rebounds and blocked five shots, with Bleacher Report's Natalie Weiner noting that the last basketball player to match Cambage's Tuesday stat line was Michael Jordan.

Bleacher Report SB Nation