| | | | | Roger Stone, a former adviser to President Trump, exits the federal courthouse Friday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images | | | BREAKING: President Trump announced a deal this afternoon to temporarily reopen the government after a 35-day shutdown. "As everyone knows, I have a very powerful alternative but I didn't want to use it at this time," he said. Here's the latest on the agreement and the reaction to it, in live updates from CNN. | | What the White House is Talking About:
President Trump today announced a temporary end to the shutdown. He'll also meet with mayors to discuss economic growth, and later will talk with Hispanic pastors.
What the White House Press Corps is Talking About:
Roger Stone's indictment.
The last time Trump tweeted about Stone it was December 8th, when he said this:
@realDonaldTrump "I will never testify against Trump." This statement was recently made by Roger Stone, essentially stating that he will not be forced by a rogue and out of control prosecutor to make up lies and stories about "President Trump." Nice to know that some people still have "guts!"
FBI ARRESTS ROGER STONE:
Woke up to that doozy today, am I right? Have to hand it to our David Shortell who, along with photojournalist Gil DeLaRosa, were on the scene in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to capture exclusive video of the heavy FBI presence going into Stone's home to arrest him early this morning. Shortell noted a weird change in the schedule of the DC grand jury working the case, which he has been monitoring for literally months. When it met on Thursday instead of Friday, as it normally does, Shortell thought something might be up, so he booked it to Florida and followed his instinct. Ace.
Here's the lowdown on what Stone's indictment reveals. Basically, Robert Mueller's investigation has led the special counsel to believe Stone's involvement with stolen WikiLeaks emails was illegal. (Read this timeline of Stone's comments on WikiLeaks because it is now fascinating.) Here are two key passages from the indictment: "After the July 22, 2016, release of stolen (Democratic National Committee) emails by Organization 1, a senior Trump Campaign official was directed to contact STONE about any additional releases and what other damaging information Organization 1 had regarding the Clinton Campaign. STONE thereafter told the Trump Campaign about potential future releases of damaging material by Organization 1," prosecutors wrote. The indictment also says: "During the summer of 2016, STONE spoke to senior Trump Campaign officials about Organization 1 and information it might have had that would be damaging to the Clinton Campaign. STONE was contacted by senior Trump Campaign officials to inquire about future releases by Organization 1."
This morning after his hearing, a judge released Stone on a $250,000 bond.
As recently as late last night, Stone was Instagramming his support of Trump.
And, lest we forget, it is Roger Stone who proudly displays a portrait tattoo of Richard Nixon on his back. | | Credit: @mikedelmoro/Twitter
Mueller's Moves, By the Numbers:
Stone's arrest brings the number of people indicted by the special counsel with direct connections to Trump to six. (Michael Flynn, Rick Gates, Paul Manafort, George Papadopoulos, Michael Cohen, Roger Stone.)
There have been a total of 37 people and entities charged by Mueller in the investigation since May of 2017. All you need to know is in our handy and in-depth guide to the investigation found here. | | Credit: cnn.com
Sarah Sanders Spins:
This morning on "New Day," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said the Stone indictment had "nothing to do with the President," which is a head-scratcher because it has everything to do with him, even tangentially. Sanders was sticking to that line, tho: "This is something that has to do solely with that individual. And not something that affects us here in this building." | | Newseum No More:
The building that houses the Newseum has been sold to Johns Hopkins University. Since its opening, the Newseum has struggled with mismanagement and low foot traffic. It will remain open for the rest of the year and then try to reopen in another location. The prime Pennsylvania Avenue real estate will be devoted to Johns Hopkins graduate programs.
Meanwhile, At the Couture:
Let's end this week on a high note, shall we? As the couture shows continued in Paris yesterday (my favorite fashion shows of the year), here are my three favorite looks. Like, if I were nominated for an Oscar (it's my fantasy, ok?) I would wear one of these; left to right, Ralph & Russo, Alexandre Vauthier, Balmain: | | | Credit: Francois Durand/Getty Images, (middle and right) Peter White/Getty Images | | What Washington is Talking About:
As expected, both the Democratic- and Republican-backed bills to reopen the government failed in the Senate yesterday, but six Republicans crossed over to support the Democratic proposal: Sens. Alexander, Collins, Gardner, Isakson, Murkowski, and Romney.
What America is Talking About:
Stone's arrest and indictment and flights in and out of New York's LaGuardia Airport that were temporarily restricted as the FAA said they experienced a "slight increase in sick leave."
Is This the End of Stone's Style Blog?:
Stone on Style wasn't updated much -- its two most recent posts are his best and worst dressed lists of 2018 and 2017 -- but I can't help but think we won't be getting a 2019 list. Then again, Stone's "staff" posted on Instagram this morning, so maybe we will.
Warren Proposes Wealth Tax:
Sen. Elizabeth Warren announced her proposal Thursday on Twitter for an "Ultra-Millionaire Tax" for those with a net worth of more than $50 million. She was advised by Berkeley economists on the plan, which would raise $2.75 trillion from about about 75,000 families, one of the advisers told the Washington Post.
Warriors Skip White House Again:
For the second consecutive year, the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors skipped the traditional White House visit. You may remember last year they visited the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture, which is now, of course, closed due to the shutdown. This year, they hung with former President Obama. A Draymond Green fan page posted a photo from the meeting: | | Credit: @gsdraymondgreen/Instagram
Then last night, Speaker Pelosi said hello to members of her hometown team at Capital One Arena where they faced off against the Wizards (Golden State won 126-118). Per the Athletic's Fred Katz, Pelosi was spotted outside their locker room and she told Green she bought his jersey.
Also while in town, Kevin Durant attended the grand opening of College Track at The Durant Center, an after-school facility for low-income students, and Steph Curry stopped by Howard University for a screening of "Emanuel," a film he produced about the 2015 shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston. The film will hit theaters on June 17, the anniversary of the shooting, Curry wrote.
Donald Trump Financial Tips:
Here's a flashback Friday for you. In 2009, a pink-tied then-"Apprentice" host Trump appeared on "Late Show" and gave his top 10 financial tips. America at the time was reeling from the Great Recession, but a decade later, as Trump, members of his administration, and his family offered tone-deaf solutions to how government workers can pay their bills and put food on the table without a paycheck, it's not quite as funny.
Fun fact: Trump's first-ever tweet was promoting this appearance. | |
Here was Trump's Top 10, delivered to David Letterman:
10. Only buy things that are essential, like golf courses and beauty pageants.
9. When nobody's watching I go into the 7-11 and stick my head under a soda nozzle.
8. Save money by styling your own hair.
7. Sell North Dakota to the Chinese.
6. Double your money at the Trump Taj Mahal casino, home of the loosest slots in Atlantic City.
5. Panic.
4. For tip number 4, simply send me $29.95.
3. If all else fails, steal someone's identity.
2. We're screwed.
1. The fastest way to get rich: Marry and divorce me.
Scaramucci Says "Big Brother" "Was A Lot of Fun":
It looks like Anthony Scaramucci's on his way out of the reality show already. He spoke about his time on "Big Brother" in the past tense during a Q&A in Davos, according to footage obtained by TMZ. "It was a lot of fun for me," he said about the experience, but wouldn't say much more. "You have to tune in on Friday." The season premiered Monday, so we're at just half a Scaramucci.
Street Art Sighting:
Artist and activist Alessandra Mondolfi called for an end to the shutdown and no wall in her latest piece, up in Miami: | | Credit: @alessandramondolfi/Instagram
Tag or DM me your political street art sightings @hunterschwarz on Twitter or Instagram, or email me at coverlinehunter@cnn.com. | | | | | | |
