monitoring Trump and relevant contemporary events

Jeet Heer
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@HeerJeet
The United States will now have access to 3.6% of Canada's dairy market (as against the 3.25% TPP would've given). Truly America is great again.

Ryan Goodman
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@rgoodlaw
New: Prof Charles Ludington, Kavanaugh friend at Yale:
"When Brett got drunk, he was often belligerent and aggressive…I witnessed him respond to a semi-hostile remark…by throwing his beer in the man’s face and starting a fight that ended with one of our mutual friends in jail"

...Conservative Christians see this. They know this is not a battle between Republicans and Democrats, it's a battle between good and evil, between the kingdom the of light and the kingdom of darkness, and that's why they're going to turn out in the 2018 midterms.

The Trump administration has denied restricting an FBI inquiry into sexual misconduct allegations made against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Democrats have been alarmed at reports in US media that the White House was limiting who could be interviewed under the investigation.

President Trump ordered the inquiry on Friday at the request of a Senate committee.

Mr Kavanaugh denies the allegations against him.

The new inquiry has delayed a final vote on Judge Kavanaugh, who if confirmed is likely to tip America's highest court in favour of conservatives.

Several US media outlets over the weekend said that the scope of the investigation was being constrained by the White House, reporting that one of Mr Kavanaugh's accusers, Julie Swetnick, would not be interviewed.

Mr Trump has denied imposing any restrictions, saying he wanted the FBI "to interview whoever they deem appropriate" in its check on his pick for the Supreme Court.

Some of his other top officials also hit back, with his spokeswoman Sarah Sanders saying the White House was not "micromanaging" the inquiry.

"It's a Senate process. It has been from the beginning, and we're letting the Senate continue to dictate what the terms look like."

Despite this, NBC news quoted a White House official as saying restrictions remained in place, adding that as the FBI is carrying out a background - not a criminal - investigation, the White House decides the parameters of the probe.

The most senior Democrat on the Senate's Judiciary Committee, Dianne Feinstein, has sent a letter urging the White House to release the written directive sent by President Trump to the FBI launching the investigation.

It is reported that the FBI will question four people: Deborah Ramirez, who said Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a party when they were students at Yale University; Mark Judge, a friend of Judge Kavanaugh who Christine Blasey Ford said had witnessed a sexual assault on her at a party in 1982; and Leland Keyser and PJ Smyth, who Dr Ford said were also at the gathering.

Europe thrashed the United States 17½-10½ to regain the Ryder Cup - prompting wild celebrations, tears, and one player dressing as a pillar box at Le Golf National in France.

Open champion Francesco Molinari beat Phil Mickelson to get Europe to the 14½-point winning mark, simultaneously becoming the first European to win five points in one Ryder Cup.

The Italian, who was immediately drenched in beer by celebrating fans, said it "means more than winning majors".

Spaniard Sergio Garcia secured a victory of his own to surpass Sir Nick Faldo as the Ryder Cup's leading points scorer with 25½, then sobbed as he was called a "legend" by team-mate Justin Rose.

"I don't usually cry, but I couldn't help it, what a week," he said. "It's been a rough year, but we fought hard. I'm so thankful to Thomas Bjorn for believing in me."

Tommy Fleetwood and Rory McIlroy led 'thunder clap' cheers with an exuberant 70,000-strong crowd, while captain Thomas Bjorn embraced each of his "amazing" players.

"Some people say golf is boring - well, this is certainly not boring," said Bjorn. "I've experienced a lot of Ryder Cups but this is the top one."

His opposing captain Jim Furyk said: "You have to tip your cap, they outplayed us."

Track Palin, the oldest son of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, has been arrested on domestic violence charges for the third time in about three years.

Alaska State Troopers responded to a home in Wasilla around 11:30 p.m. Friday after a report of a “disturbance,” according to the Alaska Department of Public Safety.

Once there, investigators said they found that Track Palin had assaulted an unnamed “female acquaintance.” When the woman tried to call police, Palin allegedly took her phone away to keep her from doing so.

Palin physically resisted troopers while being placed under arrest, according to the Alaska DPS...

“It’s not an investigation if the FBI is going to accept the dictates of the White House in terms of who you can interview and who you can’t,” John Mindermann, a former FBI special agent who investigated the Watergate break-in, told me. Mindermann added that the idea of such a limited investigation is “ridiculous” and that if this holds, “it would be unprofessional, it would be grossly incomplete, and it would be unfair to the American public.”

Ted Lieu
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@tedlieu
The ONLY reason the White House wouldn't let the @FBI interview relevant witnesses for the Kavanaugh investigation is because the White House is afraid of what the FBI will reveal.

If true, these limits scream Consciousness of Guilt.

“One of my proudest moments was when I told Obama, 'You will not fill this Supreme Court vacancy’” - Mitch McConnell, 2016

A classmate of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has ccused him of lying under oath about his "heavy" drinking.

Charles Ludington said that he was "deeply troubled" by the judge's "blatant mischaracterisation".

Prof Ludington, who teaches at North Carolina State University, said he had seen Judge Kavanaugh slurring his words and staggering after excessive alcohol consumption while at Yale.

The professor also said Judge Kavanaugh "was often belligerent and aggressive" when drunk.

"I can unequivocally say that in denying the possibility that he ever blacked out from drinking, and in downplaying the degree and frequency of his drinking, Brett has not told the truth."

He noted that it was not Judge Kavanaugh's drinking habits in college that worried him - it was the fact that he made questionable statements under oath.

"If he lied about his past actions on national television, and more especially while speaking under oath in front of the United States Senate, I believe those lies should have consequences," Prof Ludington said.

The professor plans to speak with the FBI on Monday, according the New York Times.

His statement contradicts another Yale classmate - former NBA player Chris Dudley - who told the Washington Post he "never, ever saw Brett Kavanaugh black out" from alcohol consumption.

I think #45's team has figured it out - which is why they're all 'we didn't put limits on them'.