Tipsheet: Furor grows over Nunes intel memo

View in your browser     Furor grows over Nunes intel memo By Katie Bo Williams   The furor surrounding a controversial Republican-drafted memo alleging surveillance abuses at the Department of Justice reached a fever pitch on Thursday as the White House signaled that the release could be imminent. Read the full story here     Listen: A brain drain at Foggy Bottom continues By Alexis Simendinger   In today’s morning podcast: The State Department is losing its highest-ranking career official, adding to a trend that concerns lawmakers and diplomatic personnel. Listen to The Hill's podcast here     A year after Obama, Dems still looking for replacement By Amie Parnes More than a year after former President Obama left the White House, the party is still trying to fill the void and find a leader who can take on President Trump.  Read the full story here     GOP eyeing vote to fund the government through March 23 By Melanie Zanona House lawmakers will likely consider legislation early next week to keep the government open through about March 23, according to two sources familiar with the situation, though the plan has not been finalized. Read the full story here       GOP case: FBI probe based on tainted evidence linked to Clinton By John Solomon Congressional Republicans are seeking to make the case that the FBI’s investigation into President Trump’s campaign and possible collusion with Russia was based on flawed or politically tainted evidence connected to partisans loyal to Hillary Clinton.  Read the full story here     Romney making Senate race announcement in two weeks By Ben Kamisar Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney will reveal later this month whether he'll run for Senate in Utah. Romney is expected to launch a bid to replace retiring Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), a bid that would make him the far-and-away favorite. Read the full story here     House presses Senate GOP on filibuster reform By Alexander Bolton WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — House Republicans are pressing Senate colleagues to take a more serious look at amending the upper chamber’s filibuster rule amidst an unresolved budget stalemate that shut the government down last month. Read the full story here     Mulvaney shakes up consumer bureau office that polices racism in lending By Sylvan Lane The acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has stripped an office devoted to lending discrimination of its enforcement power, according to an email released Thursday. Read the full story here     Comey praises FBI for speaking up against 'weasels and liars' By Brett Samuels  Former FBI Director James Comey on Thursday expressed appreciation for the FBI standing up against "weasels and liars" as debate rages over a classified memo that purports to show political bias within the Justice Department. Read the full story here     Interior rolls back oil drilling policies for federal land By Timothy Cama The Interior Department implemented a new policy Thursday aimed at streamlining the oil and natural gas drilling process on federal land by cutting back on the opportunities for drilling opponents to slow down the process. Read the full story here     My experience with Andy McCabe: No criticizing James Comey allowed By Ari Fleischer OPINION | I was in an FBI car last June on my way to meet him and other top law enforcement leaders at a counterterrorism communications training event at the 9/11 Museum in New York City when deputy director Andrew McCabe suddenly ordered me not to show up. Read the full story here     With Amtrak crash, Congress faced a deadly rail danger firsthand By Jim Mathews OPINION | Perhaps this week’s train collision will be the crisis Congress needs to take safety seriously, and tackle the much talked about infrastructure bill. It’s long overdue. Read the full story here     The Associated Press: Emails: Pruitt monitored changes to EPA webpages on climate By Michael Biesecker Newly released emails show Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt personally monitored efforts last year to excise much of the information about climate change from the agency’s website, especially President Obama’s signature effort to reduce planet-warming carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants. Read the full story here     The Washington Post: ‘Never any hesitation’: Trump was quickly persuaded to support memo’s release By Philip Rucker, Ashley Parker and Josh Dawsey President Trump was only vaguely aware of a controversial, classified memo about the FBI’s Russia investigation when two House conservatives brought it to his attention in a Jan. 18 phone call. Read the full story here     The Wall Street Journal: Trump is willing to walk from immigration talks if Democrats don't accept his terms By Laura Meckler, Kristina Peterson and Siobhan Hughes WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va.—President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is willing to walk away from immigration negotiations if Democrats won’t agree to his terms, and many involved in the debate said the chances of a deal appear to be fading. Read the full story here     The New York Times: White House wants Pentagon to offer more options on North Korea By Mark Landler and Helene Cooper   The White House has grown frustrated in recent weeks by what it considers the Pentagon’s reluctance to provide President Trump with options for a military strike against North Korea, according to officials, the latest sign of a deepening split in the administration over how to confront the nuclear-armed regime of Kim Jong-un. Read the full story here     Reuters: U.S. employers likely boosted hiring in January By Reuters Staff   U.S. job growth likely accelerated in January and wages increased further, underscoring the strong momentum in the economy at the start of the year. 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.