Tipsheet: GOP Senate hopefuls reluctant to back McConnell as leader

View in your browser     GOP Senate hopefuls reluctant to back McConnell as leader By Jonathan Easley and Ben Kamisar   Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has become a flashpoint for Republicans running for Senate in 2018.  The Hill asked nearly two-dozen Senate candidates this week if they would support McConnell as leader if elected. Not one campaign said outright that they would support McConnell, although two candidates appear to have expressed support for McConnell in the past. Read the full story here     All five living former presidents appear at hurricane relief benefit concert By Jacqueline Thomsen   All five living former presidents took to the stage at a benefit concert to raise funds for disaster relief Saturday night. Read the full story here     Carter volunteers to help solve tensions with North Korea By John Bowden Former President Jimmy Carter says he is open to working with President Trump to solve the growing tensions between the U.S. and North Korea. Read the full story here       Trump’s feud with Dem lawmaker over phone call stretches into fifth day By Alicia Cohn   President Trump on Saturday referred to a Democratic congresswoman as “wacky” and said she “is killing the Democrat party.” Read the full story here     Timeline: How the Trump administration responded to the Niger attack By Ellen Mitchell and Julia Manchester Lawmakers are pressing the Trump administration over the death of four U.S. soldiers in Niger earlier this month, questioning the U.S. presence in the African nation and American support for troops stationed in the region. Read the full story here     Trump calls on FBI to release names behind dossier By John Bowden   President Trump on Saturday renewed his criticism of the controversial dossier alleging that Moscow had compromising information on Trump during the 2016 election, calling for the FBI to "release who paid for it." Read the full story here     How Trump’s Twitter account is fueling a GOP money surge By Reid Wilson, Alexandria Aaron and Cole Gray   When President Trump tweets, Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill may see stars. But the Republican National Committee (RNC) sees dollar signs. Read the full story here     DNC creates new restrictions for corporate donations By John Bowden The Democratic National Committee (DNC) on Saturday passed a resolution banning donations from corporate contributors whose areas of interest come into conflict with the DNC's stated values. Read the full story here     Dems aim to boost black turnout in Virginia governor's race By Lisa Hagen Democrats are looking to mobilize black voters for Virginia’s crucial gubernatorial race, hoping to boost turnout with a core constituency that has repeatedly helped turn the state blue in the past. Read the full story here     Harry Reid: Health care ‘ruined’ by Trump By John Bowden Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) attacked President Trump at the Democratic National Committee's (DNC) fall meeting on Saturday, blaming the president for "ruining" health care in America. Read the full story here     Trump's rhetoric reflects a shallow understanding of immigration policy By Kristie De Peñaa,  senior immigration counsel with the Niskanen Center OPINION | Ending chain migration is the latest in a long string of immigration policy targets. Bottom line: family-sponsorship does not turn a limited, earned pathway to citizenship for Dreamers into a backdoor amnesty program. Read the full story here     In America's governors we trust By Mike Hirshland, co-founder of Resolute Ventures, and William Antholis, director and CEO of the University of Virginia’s non-partisan Miller Center OPINION | As hyper-partisanship, polarization, and dysfunction tighten their grip on Washington, D.C., trust in our federal political institutions and our democracy itself is evaporating. Read the full story here     The Washington Post: Trump pledges at least $430,000 to cover aides’ legal costs related to Russia probes By John Wagner A White House official said the president would use personal funds to help with the mounting legal expenses related to the ongoing investigations. A former director of government ethics immediately pointed to the potential conflicts of interest. Read the full story here     The Wall Street Journal: Trump says he will allow release of classified JFK documents By Eli Stokols Scholars hope for more insight into Lee Harvey Oswald’s trip to Mexico City in the weeks before he shot President John F. Kennedy. Read the full story here     The New York Times: Trump pick, industry insider, calls shots on toxic chemicals By Eric Lipton A top Trump administration appointee at the Environmental Protection Agency spent the previous five years as an executive at the chemical industry’s main trade association. Within the agency, there is fear that public health is at risk. Read the full story here     The Associated Press: Democratic chairman: Trump ‘most dangerous’ president ever By Bill Barrow Trying to quell accusations that he is ousting activists from the party’s left flank, Democratic Chairman Tom Perez told fellow Democrats on Saturday that unity is crucial in the fight against President Donald Trump, whom he lambasted as an “existential threat” to the nation. Read the full story here     Bloomberg: US disappointed by slow China reform, Trump official says By Michelle Jamrisko The U.S. has been disappointed this year at China’s lack of progress in pursuing market-oriented reforms, said a senior administration official, ratcheting up the pressure on the world’s second-largest economy ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit there next month. Read the full story here         Did a friend forward you this email? 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