1. Trump rescinds nomination for ICE head
President Trump on Friday rescinded the nomination of Ron Vitiello to lead United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "Ron's a good man, but we're going in a tougher direction," Trump said. The decision reportedly took U.S. lawmakers and Homeland Security officials by surprise. But Trump reportedly had been going back and forth on his decision to nominate Vitiello in the first place for months. He was influenced by complaints from senior adviser Stephen Miller and ICE union boss Chris Crane, White House aides who spoke on the condition of anonymity said. Vitiello has advocated for Trump's immigration policies, but he has refrained from making "bombastic" public statements about enforcement matters.
The Washington Post CNN
2. U.S. to designate Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist entity
The Trump administration is expected to designate Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist organization, U.S. officials said on Friday. The decision, which could be announced as soon as Monday, would be the first time that an element of a foreign state has been officially labeled a terrorist organization. The officials said the decision is strongly supported by national security adviser John Bolton, as well as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. It is reportedly intended to help the U.S. crack down on businesses in Europe and elsewhere which are controlled by the IRGC. Iran has warned of a "crushing" response should the U.S. follow through with the designation.
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3. Trump calls on Fed to cut interest rates
President Trump on Friday blamed the Federal Reserve for harming potential for further economic growth, telling reporters it "really slowed us down." He called on the Fed to cut interest rates and work to stimulate growth, something he's been criticized for by people who say the president shouldn't try to influence the Federal Reserve's decision-making process. Trump has repeatedly slammed the Fed's rate hikes, and has recently been announcing plans to nominate allies to the Federal Reserve Board. On Thursday, he reportedly decided to nominate former presidential candidate Herman Cain, and he previously announced a nomination for his campaign's economic adviser, Stephen Moore. Both nominees will need to be approved by the Senate.
The New York Times
4. Biden jokes about inappropriate touching allegations, predicts more
Former Vice President Joe Biden, after his first public speech since four women came forward to say he had touched them in ways that made them uncomfortable, said he "wouldn't be surprised" if more allegations soon arose. Speaking to a union group on Friday, Biden also joked about the claims, telling a laughing crowd he "had permission" to hug the union leader. He was later asked if he would like to directly apologize to the women he offended, and said "I've made it clear that if I made anyone feel uncomfortable, I feel badly about that. That was never my intention ... I'm not sorry for any of my intentions." On Wednesday, Biden promised he would be more "mindful" of people's personal space going forward.
Talking Points Memo The Week
5. Trump lawyer says the IRS must not hand over his tax returns
President Trump's attorney William Consovoy in a letter to the Treasury Department on Friday argued that House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) "cannot legally request," and the IRS "cannot legally divulge," Trump's private tax information. Neal formally requested six years of Trump's tax returns, citing a part of the U.S. tax code which states that the committee can request anyone's tax returns and the Treasury secretary "shall furnish" them. Consovoy argues, however, that Democrats have no "legitimate committee purpose" for this request. Even if they did, he suggests it wouldn't matter because Neal has made clear he is only interested in the tax returns to "damage [Trump] politically." Consovoy additionally writes that the request is "inappropriate" since Trump's taxes are under "ongoing IRS examination."
The Wall Street Journal NBC News
6. Congress implores Trump to support Yemen resolution
Lawmakers in the House and Senate urged President Trump on Friday not to veto a resolution passed by Congress that seeks to cut off U.S. funding for the Saudi-led coalition in the Yemeni civil war. The bipartisan group of nine lawmakers said Trump's support for the resolution would "set a new precedent for cooperation with both chambers of Congress to overcome such entrenched opposition to foreign-policy restraint." The House voted 247 to 175 Thursday to end U.S. participation in Yemen's civil war. Lawmakers denounced the Saudi-led bombing campaign against Iran-backed Houthi rebels, saying it had deepened an already devastating humanitarian crisis. The Senate passed the resolution last month. Trump is expected to veto it, but the group asked to meet with him to discuss the issue.
The Hill Rep. Ro Khanna
7. Jussie Smollett's lawyer threatens to depose Rahm Emanuel if Chicago lawsuit goes forward
In a letter, Jussie Smollett's attorney Mark Geragos says the city of Chicago is attempting to "harass and irreparably injure" the actor, saying he will "not be intimidated" into paying for the investigation. After Smollett did not meet the city's demand that he pay $130,000 in reimbursement for their investigation, Chicago's Law Department on Thursday said it is preparing a lawsuit against him. Smollett had said in January he was the victim of a hate crime, but police subsequently concluded that Smollett staged the attack himself. All charges against Smollett were later dropped, however, and he has continued to maintain his innocence. Should the lawsuit go forward, Geragos also said he will demand deposition from Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, and the two brothers who police said Smollett paid to orchestrate the attack. Emanuel and Johnson have both blasted prosecutors' decision to drop charges against Smollett.
The Chicago Tribune The Associated Press
8. Court documents show Stephen Moore in contempt of court for failing to pay alimony, child support in 2013
Court documents show that Stephen Moore, President Trump's planned nominee for the Federal Reserve Board, was found in contempt of court in 2013 for failing to pay his ex-wife, Allison Moore, $330,000 in alimony and child support. A court in Fairfax, Virginia, ordered Moore to sell his home to acquire the money he legally owed his ex-wife but had failed to pay for months. Moore ended up paying $217,000 after the court sent several police officers, two realtors, and a locksmith to his home to change the locks and prepare the property for sale. Allison Moore said the amount was enough and retreated from her demand that her ex-husband sell the home.
The Washington Post The Guardian
9. South-central U.S. braces for severe storms
Severe weather is expected to plague the south-central United States this weekend. Thunderstorms will reportedly develop across areas from central Texas and south-central Oklahoma into Arkansas and Mississippi through Saturday evening and possibly overnight. The "violent" storms could threaten several areas including Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, Houston, and Little Rock, as well as Shreveport, Lousiana and Greenville, Mississippi. AccuWeather meteorologist Ryan Adamson said the biggest threats will likely be hail, flash floods, and damaging wind gusts. But tornadoes cannot be completely ruled out.
AccuWeather ABC News
10. Notre Dame, Baylor advance to women's national title game
Notre Dame and Baylor advanced to the NCAA Division I women's national championship game on Sunday evening with semifinal victories on Friday night over Connecticut and Oregon, respectively. Notre Dame, the defending national champions, defeated Connecticut, 81-76. They were led by star Arike Ogunbowale, who tallied 23 points. Baylor, the number one overall seed in the field beat Oregon 72-67. The title game will air at 6 p.m. on Sunday on ESPN. The men's Final Four tips off on Saturday evening at 6:09 p.m. on CBS when Virginia takes on Auburn followed by Michigan State and Texas Tech in the later game.
NCAA NCAA
