Tipsheet: Obama team’s 2020 signals spark chatter among Dems

View in your browser     Obama team’s 2020 signals spark chatter among Dems By Amie Parnes   Democrats are expressing concern that advisers and aides to former President Obama have already begun signaling which candidate they might support for the White House in 2020. Valerie Jarrett, one of Obama’s closest confidantes, and David Simas, the CEO of Obama’s foundation, have sent smoke signals urging former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to enter the race. Read the full story here     N. Korea claims successful test of ICBM-ready nuclear bomb By Jesse Byrnes South Korea said Sunday that North Korea appears to have conducted a nuclear test after an artificial earthquake was detected in northern North Korea, a remarkable show of defiance from Kim Jong Un against President Trump. Read the full story here     Trump talks to Japan's Abe on ways to 'maximize pressure' on North Korea By Julia Manchester President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe spoke by phone Saturday on ways to "maximize pressure" on North Korea over its missile program, the White House announced. Read the full story here     Trump goes hands-on in return to storm-ravaged Gulf Coast By Max Greenwood President Trump appeared in good spirits Saturday while taking a more hands-on approach during his second visit to Texas in less than a week in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Read the full story here       Justice Dept: No evidence of Trump Tower wiretapping By Max Greenwood The Justice Department confirmed in a court filing late Friday that neither it nor the FBI has evidence that Trump Tower was the target of surveillance efforts by the Obama administration during the 2016 presidential election. Read the full story here     Trump ramps up Russia tension with consulate shutdown By Morgan Chalfant The Trump administration has retaliated against Russia for expelling American diplomats by shuttering Russia’s oldest consulate in the United States along with two annexes, the latest sign of tensions between Washington and Moscow rising despite Trump’s public desire for warmer relations. Read the full story here     Message dissonance between Trump and his Cabinet sows confusion By Katie Bo Williams Two of President Trump’s senior Cabinet members dropped jaws in the past week with comments that appeared to suggest a clear break with the president. Read the full story here     5 changes John Kelly has made in the White House By Max Greenwood By installing John Kelly as his chief of staff in July, President Trump brought into the White House a retired Marine general intent on introducing order to a West Wing often roiled by chaos and controversy. Read the full story here     Tax reform advocates hope GOP can avoid September catastrophes By Naomi Jagoda Stakeholders hoping that the Republican Congress and President Trump can make meaningful progress this fall on tax reform say those efforts could be upset by difficult legislative hurdles in September. Read the full story here     Trump complained he’s reading fewer articles from right-wing sites: report By Brandon Carter White House chief of staff John Kelly has severely cut down on the number of news articles President Trump receives from conservative-leaning and right-wing news organizations, according to a new report. Read the full story here     The Associated Press: Trump’s summer of discontent bleeds into high-stakes fall By Julie Pace After a summer of staff shake-ups and self-made crises, President Donald Trump is emerging politically damaged, personally agitated and continuing to buck at the confines of his office, according to some close allies. Read the full story here     The Washington Post: Trump plans withdrawal from South Korea free trade deal By Damian Paletta The move would stoke economic tensions with a U.S. ally even as both countries confront a crisis over North Korea's nuclear program. Read the full story here     The New York Times: Top Democrats have 2020, and money, on their minds By Kenneth P. Vogel and Rachel Shorey Well before most of them will announce they are running, prospective Democratic candidates for president are taking steps to lay the financial foundation for a campaign. Read the full story here     Russia: US order to vacate diplomatic property 'blunt act of hostility' By Andrey Ostroukh The Russian foreign ministry said on Sunday that a U.S. order to vacate Russian diplomatic property in Washington and San Francisco was a “blunt act of hostility.” Read the full story here     CNN: Trump to nominate Rep. Tom Marino as 'drug czar' By Jennifer Hansler President Trump intends to nominate Rep. Tom Marino to head the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the White House has announced. 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.