Tipsheet: Lawmakers zero in on Zuckerberg — Sponsored by CVS Health

View in your browser     Lawmakers zero in on Zuckerberg By Ali Breland and Harper Neidig      Mark Zuckerberg is drawing intense scrutiny from lawmakers demanding that the Facebook founder testify to Congress about the Cambridge Analytica controversy. Facebook’s data practices are under the microscope like never before following a report that the British research firm connected to President Trump’s campaign improperly obtained information on 50 million Facebook users as it sought to find ways of influencing voters at the polls. Read the full story here     Trump faces backlash after congratulating Putin on election win By Jordan Fabian President Trump is coming under intense criticism for declining to press Russian President Vladimir Putin about the fairness of Russia’s presidential election and the poisoning of a former Russian double agent living in England, an incident the United Kingdom blamed on Moscow. Read the full story here     GOP leaders to Trump: Leave Mueller alone By Alexander Bolton Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday defended special counsel Robert Mueller as “thoroughly credible” as Senate Republicans pushed back on President Trump’s criticism of his investigation. Read the full story here     Spending bill delay raises risk of partial government shutdown support By Mike Lillis Congress struggled Tuesday to finalize a 2018 spending package, leaving negotiators scrambling for an eleventh-hour breakthrough and top leaders weighing the need for a short-term spending patch to prevent yet another government shutdown on Saturday. Read the full story here     White House officials expect short-term funding bill to avert shutdown By Juliegrace Brufke Administration officials said they expect Congress to pass a stopgap bill to avert a third government shutdown this year as lawmakers scramble to finalize a must-pass omnibus spending bill. Read the full story here     Congress may pass background check legislation in funding bill By Melanie Zanona Congress is considering attaching a narrow background check bill for gun purchases to a must-pass government funding package before the end of the week, as thousands of high school students are set to congregate Saturday in Washington for the March for Our Lives calling for an end to gun violence. Read the full story here     Austin bombing suspect dead after police standoff By The Hill staff Officials in Austin, Texas say a suspected serial bomber is dead after an intense standoff with police overnight. Read the full story here     Anti-abortion Dem wins primary fight By Lisa Hagen and Ben Kamisar Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.), a staunch anti-abortion lawmaker, is projected to win the Democratic primary, fending off a strong challenge from energized progressives who had aimed to end his decade-long tenure in office. Read the full story here     Senate sides with Trump on providing Saudi military support By Jordain Carney The Senate on Tuesday rejected an effort to force President Trump to end the U.S. military's support for Saudi Arabia's bombing operations in Yemen. Read the full story here     DeVos battles lawmakers in contentious hearing By Niv Elis Education Secretary Betsy DeVos struggled to answer tough questions in a congressional hearing Tuesday, resulting in numerous tense back-and-forths with Democrats and a few quiet rebukes from Republican committee members. Read the full story here         SPONSORED CONTENT   Sponsored by CVS Health We go beyond filling prescriptions to helping people take the right medicine at the right time just as their doctor ordered. Helping deliver improved outcomes. Learn more.         Trump is right: The special counsel should never have been appointed By Alan M. Dershowitz OPINION | President Trump is right in saying that a special counsel should never have been appointed to investigate the so-called Russian connection. There was no evidence of any crime committed by the Trump administration. Read the full story here     How many ways are there to leave the Trump administration? By Douglas Brook OPINION | Singer-songwriter Paul Simon told us there were 50 ways to leave your lover: just slip out the back, Jack; make a new plan, Stan; hop on the bus, Gus: just drop off the key, Lee. Read the full story here     The Washington Post: Bannon oversaw Cambridge Analytica’s collection of Facebook data, according to former employee By Craig Timberg, Karla Adam and Michael Kranish   The data gathering was part of a program under conservative strategist Stephen K. Bannon that tested anti-establishment messages that became campaign themes for Donald Trump, said an ex-Cambridge employee. Read the full story here     The New York Times: New investigations into Facebook add new pressures By Cecilia Kang   Facebook has built its highly profitable social network by selling advertisements based on the personal details of its users. But scrutiny over the company’s trove of data is taking aim at that formula. Read the full story here     The Associated Press: Democrats turn out in big numbers for Illinois primary By Sara Burnett and Sarah Zimmerman   Democrats turned out for Illinois’ primary in higher numbers than the left-leaning state has seen for a midterm election in more than a decade, deciding several hotly contested races and signaling the November election could be even tougher-than-usual for the GOP. Read the full story here     Reuters: Despite warning signs, Trump says Republicans can keep House By Steve Holland Despite signs that Democrats are in a strong position, U.S. President Donald Trump vowed on Tuesday to beat expectations and keep the House of Representatives in Republican control in the mid-term elections in November. Read the full story here     The Wall Street Journal: Trump to ramp up trade restraints on China By Bob Davis   White House plans to raise barriers for Chinese firms looking to acquire advanced American technology. Read the full story here         Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for The Hill Tipsheet       Forward this Tipsheet           Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  |  Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters   The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©2016 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.