Tipsheet: Hirono electrifies left as Trump antagonist

View in your browser     Hirono electrifies left as Trump antagonist BY JORDAIN CARNEY In a chamber packed with loud personalities, Sen. Mazie Hirono is not the obvious pick to be a pillar of resistance to the Trump administration. But the 71-year-old Hawaii Democrat has emerged as an electrifying force for progressives as they battle with President Trump on various fronts: judicial nominations, immigration, and the feud over special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe and subsequent report. Read the full story here     Trump takes fight with Dems to the courts BY JACQUELINE THOMSEN  President Trump is leaning on a tried and tested personal strategy in his fight with Congress – moving the battle to the courts. Read the full story here     Trump says he did not confront Putin on election interference in post-Mueller call BY JORDAN FABIAN President Trump said he did not confront Russian President Vladimir Putin about interfering in U.S. elections during a lengthy phone call earlier Friday, their first known conversation since the release of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report. Read the full story here     Mexico trade official hits Dems for opposition to new NAFTA BY RAFAEL BERNAL Mexico’s top trade negotiator said in an interview with The Hill on Friday that opposition to the revised North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) by U.S. progressives stems from a lack of understanding about recent labor reforms in the country. Read the full story here       Poll: Biden leads Dem primary field by 30 points BY MAX GREENWOOD Joe Biden holds a 30-point lead over Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in the Democratic presidential field, according to a Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll survey released exclusively to The Hill, further signaling that the former vice president is cementing his place as the primary contest’s front-runner. Read the full story here     Nadler threatens Barr with contempt in Mueller report request BY MORGAN CHALFANT House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) sent a letter to the Justice Department indicating he is willing to move forward with holding Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress if the panel does not receive subpoenaed information on special counsel Robert Mueller's report. Read the full story here     Trump officials renew waivers for Iranian civil nuclear work BY REBECCA KHEEL The Trump administration is renewing three key waivers that allow European allies, China and Russia to cooperate with Iran on civil nuclear programs. Read the full story here     Trump contradicts his own advisers, says Putin 'not looking' to get involved in Venezuela BY BRETT SAMUELS President Trump on Friday claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin is not "looking at all to get involved" in Venezuela, contradicting some of his top advisers who have condemned Moscow for bolstering embattled President Nicolás Maduro. Read the full story here     Trump official names former Secret Service head to top DHS post BY JESSE BYRNES Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan has named Randolph “Tex” Alles, the former head of the Secret Service, to a top Homeland Security post. Read the full story here     Graham asks Mueller if he wants to testify on Barr phone call BY JORDAIN CARNEY Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is inviting special counsel Robert Mueller to testify about his phone call with Attorney General William Barr Read the full story here     North Korea fires short-range projectiles, South says BY TAL AXELROD North Korea fired multiple short-range projectiles off its east coast on Saturday morning, South Korea's military announced. Read the full story here     Trump should target Maduro mafia to restore democracy in Venezuela BY NATE SIBLEY Opinion | As the standoff between the Venezuelan government in waiting and the entrenched mafia of Nicolas Maduro descends into chaos on the streets, more must be done by the Trump administration to reassure the Venezuelan people. Read the full story here     Trump's asylum proposal undermines immigrant justice system BY LAILA L. HLASS Opinion | President Trump's asylum proposals are not just the latest in a series of attacks on asylum-seekers. They constitute a systematic effort to undermine the integrity of the immigrant justice system.  Read the full story here     The Washington Post: African Americans say presidential candidates are missing basic connections BY CLEVE R. WOOTSON JR. As the 20-plus Democratic hopefuls traipse across South Carolina, black voters are absorbing more than policy positions and applause lines. They’re also taking note of social miscues and ignored niceties. Read the full story here     The New York Times: Inside Gang Territory In Honduras: ‘Either They Kill Us or We Kill Them’ BY AZAM AHMED From 2018 through early 2019, The New York Times followed the young men of Casa Blanca in this tiny corner of San Pedro Sula, Honduras, one of the deadliest cities in the world, as they tried to keep the gangs at bay. Read the full story here     CNN: The economy is booming, but Donald Trump can't stop talking about Russia BY STEPHEN COLLINSON Probably only President Donald Trump could simultaneously preside over the best economy in half a century and bring the nation closer to a constitutional crisis than it has been for almost as long. Read the full story here     The Associated Press: US missed chance to woo Venezuela generals BY JOSHUA GOODMAN A 2017 decision by the Trump administration, revealed to The Associated Press by a former U.S. official and another person familiar with the internal discussions, might have gone unnoticed if National Security Adviser John Bolton hadn’t admonished Hernandez this week on live TV as one of three regime insiders who backed out of a plan — allegedly at the last minute — to topple President Nicolás Maduro. Read the full story here     Reuters: 'I shall reign with righteousness': Thailand crowns king in ornate ceremonies BY PATPICHA TANAKASEMPIPAT AND PANARAT THEPGUMPANAT Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn on Saturday completed Buddhist and Brahmin rituals to symbolically transform him into a living god as the Southeast Asian nation crowned its first monarch in nearly seven decades. Read the full story here   Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for The Hill Tipsheet       Forward this Tipsheet     You might like         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.