Politics A.M.: Razor-thin Senate majority, bloody primary fights hamstring GOP

Mulvaney defends pay freeze even for feds he knows are underpaid; Has Parkland changed Americans' views on guns?

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PowerPost Razor-thin Senate majority, bloody primary fights hamstring GOP GOP Senate primaries are devolving into costly free-fire zones, undercutting the party's ability to hold or add to its majority in November's midterm elections. By Michael Scherer, Sean Sullivan and Josh Dawsey  •  Read more » PowerPost • Perspective Mulvaney defends pay freeze even for feds he knows are underpaid President Trump's budget proposal would reduce compensation in several ways for all feds, even those Mulvaney says aren't paid enough. By Joe Davidson  •  Read more »   The Fix Has Parkland changed Americans' views on guns? Support for new gun-control laws has risen to levels higher than after the Newtown, Conn., school massacre in 2012, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. By Emily Guskin and Scott Clement  •  Read more »   Analysis What the Comey memos say What we already knew -- and what we learned. By Philip Bump  •  Read more »   Trump hires Giuliani, two other attorneys amid mounting legal turmoil over Russia The president regularly speculates about the status of the Russia probe and loudly complains that his political opponent, Hillary Clinton, and others should be jailed, associates said. By Robert Costa, Josh Dawsey and Rosalind S. Helderman  •  Read more »   PowerPost A duckling onesie and a blazer: The Senate floor sees its first baby, but many traditions stand Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) cast a vote with her newborn daughter a day after the Senate's baby ban was lifted. In the hidebound institution, though, a culture clash is escalating. By Elise Viebeck  •  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT PowerPost Schumer backs federal effort to decriminalize marijuana "The bottom line is it's just the right thing to do," said the Senate's top Democrat. "People should have this freedom." By David Weigel  •  Read more »   Giuliani says he is joining Trump's legal team to 'negotiate an end' to Mueller probe The former New York mayor joins a team that has struggled to attract new talent. By Robert Costa and Josh Dawsey  •  Read more »   The Fix • Analysis James Comey's coldblooded take on Andrew McCabe's criminal referral "Sometimes even good people do things that they shouldn't do." By Callum Borchers  •  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT Farm-state Republicans chafe at Trump's trade policies but are reluctant to confront him The senators worry the president's trade policies are putting their electoral prospects at risk in the agricultural regions they depend on. By Seung Min Kim  •  Read more »   Trump attorney Michael Cohen withdraws libel lawsuits over Russia dossier The actions against BuzzFeed and the political research firm Fusion GPS would have required Cohen to divulge his activities before the 2016 election. By Rosalind S. Helderman and John Wagner  •  Read more »   'He knows how to read a room really, really well': How White House physician Ronny L. Jackson became Trump's nominee to lead VA Jackson, 50, moved from combat surgery to a White House post but has no experience running a large agency. By Amy Gardner and Alice Crites  •  Read more »   The Fix • Analysis Every lawmaker appears to want to rewrite Congress's workplace harassment policies except GOP men The Congressional Accountability Act has come under attack in the #MeToo era. By Eugene Scott  •  Read more »   About 3 in 10 new senators have been closer to the age of Baby Duckworth than the oldest senator An important bit of analysis. By Philip Bump  •  Read more »   Justice Department tells court it is 'only natural' to pursue possible back-channel Russia contacts in Manafort case Ex-Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort has asked court to dismiss the charges in Washington, saying special counsel overreached his authority By Spencer S. Hsu  •  Read more »   Recommended for you     Get The Cybersecurity 202 newsletter COMING SOON | Your daily guide to cybersecurity policy. Sign Up  »

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