| BREAKING THIS MORNING — GUESS NOT EVERYONE GOT THE MEMO: Joint Base Andrews outside of Washington, D.C., went into lockdown Thursday morning after a preparedness drill was mistakenly reported as an active shooter situation. What happened: The base, in suburban Maryland, tweeted shortly after 9 a.m. that all personnel should shelter in place as it worked to provide more information. The base added that the incident was at a medical facility and first responders were on scene. Well, I guess this ended up being a drill for media outlets as well. https://bit.ly/2958PCb
It’s Thursday and the government is in full SuMmEr ’16 mode for the Fourth of July. I’mCate Martel with a quick recap of what you missed this morning and what’s on tap for the rest of the day. Send comments, story ideas and upcoming events tocmartel@thehill.com, @CateMartel and on Facebook.
DEVELOPING NOW – GUN VOTE EXPECTED NEXT WEEK: Via The Hill’s Scott Wong, a week after Democrats staged a nearly 26-hour sit-in demanding a vote on gun control measures, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said the House will vote next week on legislation to block suspected terrorists from buying guns. It’s unclear what exactly will be brought to the floor but: Ryan said on a conference call that the terrorism package will include measures to disrupt radicalization and recruitment, as well as a provision to prevent suspected terrorists from purchasing guns. https://bit.ly/298u21J
SOOOO, ANY REGRETS GUYS?: Attorney General Loretta Lynch and former President Bill Clinton met privately Monday night in Arizona, hours before the House Benghazi Committee released its report. The Justice Department is investigating Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server. While Lynch said the meeting was personal and didn’t touch on Benghazi or the emails, it’s getting a lot of backlash.
Criticizing Lynch: David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to President Obama, called the meeting “foolish.” https://bit.ly/297rkYa Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) said on CNN: “I don’t think it sends the right signal. I think she should have steered clear even of a brief, casual, social meeting with the former president.”https://bit.ly/297qURI Donald Trump called it “horrible” and said it shows “bad” judgment. https://bzfd.it/295ksc5
Defending Lynch: Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) https://bit.ly/297SCkZ
THE FINAL BATTLE FOR WINTERFELL: (Heads up: “Game of Thrones” spoilers!)Via The Hill’s Jonathan Easley, anti-Trump Republicans are plotting their last-ditch effort to deny him the party’s presidential nomination. A coalition of delegates, lawyers, rules experts and PACs has formed in what participants say is the most coordinated effort to date to dump Trump from the Republican ticket. Picture Jon Snow and Sansa Stark assembling the wildlings, the giant and trying to convince small groups in the North to support them. Everyone’s unsure how organized they are, but they believe they’re the rightful heirs: https://bit.ly/296ZKKK
I NEVER THOUGHT I’D LIVE TO SEE THE DAY: Via The Hill’s Scott Wong, advisers of former presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush have openly endorsed Hillary Clinton (!) over Donald Trump, but will Bush 41 and Bush 43 actually vote for a Democrat? They may have good reason: Trump made it personal by blaming Bush 43 for 9/11, accusing him of misleading the public over weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and taunting Jeb Bush. Evidence pointing to a yes: Both former presidents have openly refused to endorse Trump; they will not attend the party’s national convention next month; and behind the scenes, Bush 41 has become close friends with Bill Clinton. https://bit.ly/29aAzrV
JUST NOW – ENDORSEMENTS ARE GETTING INTERNATIONAL: French PresidentFrançois Hollande endorsed Hillary Clinton for president, saying the election of her likely general election opponent Donald Trump would complicate relations between Europe and the U.S. https://bit.ly/296byvo
WEEKEND PREP — INCREASED AIRPORT SECURITY: If you’re traveling, brace for tighter airport security following Tuesday’s terrorist attack in Istanbul. Details:https://reut.rs/294W9dR
HAPPENING THIS MORNING — PROTESTERS TAKE OVAH: Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson‘s testimony on Capitol Hill on Thursday was interrupted by a series of demonstrators protesting the deportation of illegal immigrants. Why: The protesters stood up after Johnson said the Department of Homeland Security would abide the Supreme Court’s split decision that effectively nullified President Obama’s executive actions shielding millions from deportation. Video: https://bit.ly/294VlG6
YIPES — SOMEONE’S GOT SOME VOTER OUTREACH TO DO: Via The New York Daily News’s Jason Silverstein, Donald Trump has 1 percent support among black voters in a new Quinnipiac poll. Yes, you read that correctly. O-N-E percent.https://nydn.us/295kCo7
TALKED ABOUT THIS A.M. – WELL THIS IS SLIGHTLY DISTURBING: According to a BuzzFeed investigation from Aram Roston, Donald Trump had a phone console near his bed at Mar-A-Lago that could connect to every phone so he could secretly listen in on phone calls between club employees or, in some cases, between staff and guests. Uhhhh, I hope that’s not true. But, two Trump supporters responded, saying he didn’t eavesdrop. https://bzfd.it/29dV8nq |
