[Remnick’s] comment’s?” Remnick: “Look, there is a difference between what people say loosely or in speeches and what we publish. All I can be in charge of is what we publish. I have enormous respect for him.”
• During a commencement speech at Tuskegee University Saturday, Michelle Obama spoke frankly: “And over the years, folks have used plenty of interesting words to describe me. One said I exhibited ‘a little bit of uppity-ism.’ Another noted that I was one of my husband’s ‘cronies of color.’ Cable news once charmingly referred to me as ‘Obama’s Baby Mama.'” (Hill)
Baltimore: Thousands of Suspects Too Injured For Jail (Guardian, Baltimore Sun, TRNS, me)
• Wow. Newly released records, obtained by the Baltimore Sun through a MD Public Info Act request, showed that correctional officers at the Baltimore City Detention Center refused to admit nearly 2,600 detainees who were in police custody between June 2012 and April 2015 because the detainees had injuries too severe for them to be admitted
• The records didn’t indicate how the people were injured or whether they suffered their injuries while in custody. However, they suggested police officers either ignored or didn’t notice the injuries. (sloppy? over-casual? incompetent? too busy? wearing blinkers?) Suspects are constitutionally guaranteed healthcare before they’re booked into jail
• Baltimore police are under scrutiny for their treatment of detainees following the death of Freddie Gray in April. Gray died of a broken neck that prosecutors said he suffered while riding in a Baltimore police van, and six officers involved in Gray’s arrested are facing criminal charges, including one facing second-degree murder
• Gray’s death sparked rioting and widespread protests in the city. Friday, the Justice Dept announced that it was conducting a civil rights investigation of Baltimore police (so this is a gift)
• The records obtained by the Sun showed that 123 of the detainees who weren’t admitted to jail had visible head injuries, the third most common ailment cited by jail officials. Others had broken bones, facial trauma and high blood pressure. Police didn’t comment to the Sun, and dept pox didn’t immediately return messages on Sunday (visible head injuries? walked into – – wall)
• Prince took to the stage in Baltimore Sunday night before thousands of fans who were dressed in gray in tribute to Freddie Gray, whose death in police custody prompted riots and drew international attention. Prince called on the city’s youth to fix a “broken system.” Here’s his new song which he debuted at “Rally 4 Peace”: “Baltimore” (Soundcloud) (AP)
• President Obama isn’t holding back in his ongoing spat with liberal Sen Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) over contentious trade negotiations. In an interview with Yahoo! Politics published Saturday, Obama said Warren “is absolutely wrong” on any trade deal’s potential to roll back the financial reform Dodd Frank Act
• Obama’s comments came during his visit to Nike headquarters in Portland where he was promoting the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement being negotiated between 12 countries. Warren has argued that a bill giving Obama “fast-track” authority to approve the trade pact would “give Republicans the very tool they need to dismantle Dodd Frank.”
• Obama didn’t hide his irritation at Warren’s comments: “Think about the logic of that, right? The notion that I had this massive fight with Wall Street to make sure that we don’t repeat what happened in 2007, 2008. And then I sign a provision that would unravel it? I’d have to be pretty stupid,” he said, laughing (think she may be suggesting that – or that he’s nefarious)
• In a further jab at Warren, Obama suggested she’s playing politics with the issue. “The truth of the matter is that Elizabeth is, you know, a politician like everyone else. And you know, she’s got a voice that she wants to get out there. And I understand that. And on most issues, she and I deeply agree.” (and she’s – not – running in 2016)
• The Senate faces a key procedural vote Tuesday on a bill granting Obama fast-track authority: The Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 (TPA-2015), S.995, and full debate on trade can’t move forward unless 60 of the 100 members agree to it. Bit of a nail-biter. A lot of Democrats still remain to be convinced (arm-twisted) to vote yes
• Former President Jimmy Carter, 90, left the South American nation of Guyana early on Sunday amid concerns over his health. Carter Center officials said the 39th president was “not feeling well” but didn’t divulge additional details. Carter was visiting Guyana to observe its presidential election today (Hill)
• Jeh Johnson, Sec of Homeland Security Dept, said on ABC Sunday, “We’re very definitely in a new phase in the global terrorist threat, where the so-called lone wolf could strike at any moment. The new environment we’re in, because of the use of the internet, we could have little or no notice in advance of an independent actor attempting to strike.”
• Two people were killed in Garland TX last week after an attempted attack at a deliberately provocative cartoon contest, where participants drew the Muslim prophet Muhammad. Authorities called the incident which left one police officer wounded, a terrorist attack. The Pentagon has raised the threat level at military bases around the country
• Johnson said the federal govt is making a greater effort to engage with state and local law enforcement and encourage them to be “vigilant.” Part of the effort is meeting with Muslim community leaders and urging them to counter ISIS’s recruitment campaign on social media
• Johnson took (major) issue with a statement by Sen Cory Booker (D-NJ) that the govt’s efforts to combat terrorists’ social media campaigns are “laughable.” (they are a joke) “It has to come from Islamic leaders, who frankly can talk the language better than the federal govt can,” Johnson said. He said when he met Islamic leaders, he urged them to do that
• Rep Mike McCaul (R-TX), chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, said on Fox News Sunday, “We have this phenomenon in the U.S. where they can be activated by the internet. Really, terrorism has gone viral.” FBI director James Comey said last week that hundreds, maybe thousands, of people, are being recruited on encrypted websites
• Cuban President Raul Castro was wowed by an audience with Pope Francis over the weekend. Castro praised the pontiff’s wisdom, adding: “I will resume praying and turn to the Church again if the Pope continues in this vein.” (wonder what bro Fidel thinks) Raul thanked the Pope for brokering a rapprochement between Cuba and the U.S. (BBC, me)
• A nearly-full slate of Republican candidates for president and likely hopefuls campaigned in Greenville SC Saturday at the South Carolina Freedom Summit, where they delivered speeches, vying to out-do each other in arguing that President Obama is a failed leader. The dominant theme of the summit was national security and combating terrorism
• South Carolina is a military-centric state. Sen Ted Cruz said an officer who killed two gunmen who were probably inspired by ISIS helped them “meet their virgins.” Gov Bobby Jindal (R-LA) joked that gun control means “hitting your target.”
• Sen Marco Rubio (R-FL) didn’t wow the crowd. He got loud applause for a memorable line from the movie “Taken,” but beyond that, there were only a few polite applause breaks. Afterward, Rubio, unlike many others who spoke, didn’t take questions from reporters, suggesting a very cautious strategy to limit his exposure (hmmm, not his territory, perhaps)
• Gov Scott Walker (R-WI) touted his success at the county and state levels. Sooo – next stop: national level? That was the message. Former Sen Rick Santorum (R-PA) said, “If these folks [ISIS] want to return to a 7th Century version of Islam, then let’s load up our bombers and bomb them back to the 7th Century.” (no need for ground troops, then?)
• Aaand Donald Trump’s speech: Bash politicians. Accuse Scott Walker of stealing your theme, “Make America Great Again.” Accuse Mike Huckabee of stealing your platforms. Call President Obama incompetent. Plug the TV show. Call political reporters dishonest. Japan! Share your net worth ($10 billion). OK, onto Iran. Is global warming a thing? Tax China! More jobs! Mention your money. Let’s build a massive wall along the border. And make Mexico pay for it (contd…)
• NH poll from Bloomberg Politics/Saint Anselm – 1. Rand Paul & Scott Walker (12%) … 3. Marco Rubio & Jeb Bush (11%) … 5. Donald Trump (8%) … 6. Chris Christie (7%) … 7. Ted Cruz (6%) … 8. Ben Carson (5%) … 9. Mike Huckabee (4%) … 10 . Carly Fiorina (3%) (Bloomberg)
• Former Gov Jeb Bush (R-FL) says he would have authorized the 2003 invasion of Iraq in an interview with Fox News: “I would have [authorized the invasion], and so would have Hillary Clinton, just to remind everybody. And so would almost everybody that was confronted with the intelligence they got.” Interview will air tonight
• Bush says the U.S. failed to focus on security first, which he argues led Iraqis to turn on the military because there was no protection for families. “By the way, guess who thinks that those mistakes took place as well? George W. Bush,” Jeb Bush said (and that somehow gives everyone confidence?)
• On immigration: “I mean, there’s got to be a point where we fix this system so that legal immigration is easier than illegal immigration and show some respect for people.” To “a kid that might have been here 10 years, that might be a valedictorian of their high school, to say, ‘no, no, no, you’re not allowed to go to college,’ I just think there’s a point passed which we’re over the line.”
• Bush gave the commencement address on Saturday at Liberty University, a prominent symbol of evangelical Christianity in Lynchburg VA, that’s a routine campaign stop for presidential hopefuls. Bush, a convert to Catholicism, is personally devout, but nationally he hasn’t discussed his religion as openly or frequently as several other 2016 competitors
• “As usual, the present admin is supporting the use of coercive federal power,” he said. “What should be easy calls, in favor of religious freedom, have instead become an aggressive stance against it. Somebody here is being small-minded and intolerant, and it sure isn’t the nuns, ministers, and laymen and women who ask only to live and practice their faith.”
Hillary Dilemma: What To Do With Bill? (WaPo, me)
• The over-arching question facing Hillary Clinton’s campaign is: What to do with Bill? In a presidential race that could include two dozen candidates, none has a spouse like Bill Clinton – a former president whose sprawling charitable ventures are rife with potential conflicts of interest
• Senior aides say Bill Clinton doesn’t plan to do any campaign activities for his wife in 2015. But even if he’s off the campaign trail, he’s never out of the limelight. Tuesday, he’ll be on the Letterman show. He’ll also speak for pay to Univision’s presentation to advertisers in New York on Tuesday
• One strategist said Hillary Clinton shouldn’t campaign with her husband: “It’s hard to shine when you’re standing next to the sun.” (and sun she is not) “Bill Clinton is like nuclear energy,” said David Axelrod, a strategist on President Obama’s campaigns, “If you use it properly, it can be enormously helpful and proactive. If you misuse it, it can be catastrophic.”
• Bill Clinton is very popular: 73% of voters approved of his job performance as president in a WaPo/ABC News poll in March. But some of the ugliest episodes in his wife’s 2008 campaign were of his making, including his stray remarks about President Obama that angered black voters in South Carolina
• Some days, Bill Clinton doesn’t know where Hillary Clinton’s campaigning. One day in April, he looked up at a TV screen in his Manhattan office and saw the security camera photo of his wife and her aide, Huma Abedin, at a Chipotle in Ohio, appearing incognito in sunglasses. He turned to aides and wondered, “What are she and Huma doing? Are they robbing that place?”
• German Chancellor Angela Merkel attended a wreath-laying ceremony in Moscow on Sunday to commemorate the Russians killed during World War Two. Merkel and other Western leaders skipped a military parade in Red Square in protest on Saturday over Russia’s alleged military involvement in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine
• Addressing thousands of Russian soldiers and more than 20 visiting heads of state in Red Square Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that “the basic principles of international cooperation have come to be increasingly ignored. … We see the strong-arm block thinking gaining momentum. All that undermines sustainable global development.”
• His remarks seemed aimed at the U.S. and Europe. At least 6,000 people have been killed since fighting began in Ukraine a year ago.The Ukrainian govt, Western leaders and independent experts say there’s clear evidence that Russia is helping the rebels with heavy weapons and soldiers. Moscow denies it, insisting that any Russians serving with the rebels are “volunteers.”
• Some Russian soldiers are quitting the army because of the conflict in Ukraine, several soldiers and human rights activists have told Reuters. Their accounts call into question the Kremlin’s continued assertions that no Russian soldiers have been sent to Ukraine, and that any Russians fighting alongside rebels there are volunteers
• Russia staged its biggest ever military parade in Red Square on Saturday to mark the 70th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany, featuring some 16,000 soldiers, 200 armored vehicles and 150 planes and helicopters, as well as new armor on display for the first time. More than 20 world leaders attended the event, including Chinese President Xi Jinping