The shooting at a congressional baseball practice reminds us of something we too often forget: We are one country, and we’re all in this together. Here’s what you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door. You can also get “5 Things You Need to Know Today” delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.
1. Congressional shooting
We could see the first arrests in connection with the ongoing Russia investigation today, and that could be, to put it mildly, a game changer. On Friday, a federal grand jury in Washington approved the first charges.
2. President Trump
Federal District Judge James Robart, the guy who first put a nationwide halt to President Trump’s travel ban, has denied the administration’s request to delay challenges to the ban brought on by two states, Washington and Minnesota. Trump had wanted to put off more hearings while an appeals court weighs the case. But Robart refused to slow things down, referencing Trump’s own tweet last week when he first lost at the appellate level – “see you in court.” Trump’s team is now considering other options, including modifying or supplementing the executive order.
So much news, so little time:
3. London fire
The “No Spin Zone” is no more. Fox News let Bill O’Reilly go and canceled “The O’Reilly Factor,” after weeks of pressure, an advertiser exodus and an internal investigation into sexual harassment claims against the show host. It is a shocking end of an era. O’Reilly essentially was Fox News for the 21 years he was there, and just three weeks ago, the notion that something could knock him from his perch would have been unbelievable. Fox insiders say he wasn’t particularly liked but was considered invincible. Obviously, he wasn’t.
Puerto Rico’s power authority is working to cancel a controversial contract it awarded to a small Montana-based utility company in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. The $300 million deal with Whitefish Energy has drawn widespread scrutiny. For one, the company’s only two years old and had just a few employees at the time the storm hit. It’s also based in the small hometown of US Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. Zinke says he had nothing to do with the contract, and the White House has also said it’s “not aware of any federal involvement in the selection.”
4. Fed rate hike
Wow, the feds really screwed this up. The top federal banking regulator says that years ago, officials saw lots of red flags at Wells Fargo that could have stopped the fake accounts scandal. We’re talking, like, hundreds of whistleblower complaints about the bank’s aggressive sales tactics. An internal report says the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency provided “ineffective” oversight of the bank. The regulator did confront a Wells Fargo exec about the complaints but apparently didn’t follow up. Bank leaders say they’ve eliminated the unrealistic sales goals that drove the scandal.
5. Fried potatoes study
Hundreds of thousands of anti-independence protesters rallied in the Catalan capital of Barcelona yesterday after Madrid took unprecedented measures to quash the region’s bid to split from Spain.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
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The Astros beat the Dodgers in a wild World Series Game 5
Diss a U.S. senator’s town on Twitter, get a dinner date. That’s just how Mindy Kaling rolls.
Bracket buster
A factory worker got a lot more than bragging rights when he got the first 29 games right on his NCAA tourney bracket. He won $100,000! Ka-ching!
The shape of things to come
First, Dubai planned a spinning, shape-shifting skyscraper. Manhattan’s not putting up with that. Say hello to the world’s first U-shaped tower.
Yoga pants strike again
United Airlines didn’t let “girls in leggings” on a flight, so Twitter pretty much declared war on the airline and its dress code policy.
In other words, I miss you
Happily ever after
QUOTE OF THE DAY
500
Actor (and pilot) Harrison Ford to air traffic controllers, after he mistakenly landed his small plane on a taxiway at a California airport.
NUMBER OF THE DAY
4
$1 billion
AND FINALLY …
Like the rest of us, Buddy the beagle probably had a challenging week, so he lets off some steam by tickling the ivories. (Click to view)
This little girl loves her “robot” friend