Buongiorno! We begin the week with Italy's Prime Minister at the White House. In welcoming
Giuseppe Conte on
Monday, President Trump will find himself in the company of another world leader who
campaigned on a populist anti-immigration platform. Conte also
has criticized NATO, another frequent target of the US President. Sure to come up are the
Afghanistan conflict (Italy is a key US partner) and Trump's push to bust
trade barriers with the European Union.
Also on
Monday, Zimbabwe holds its
first national election since the army
forced Robert Mugabe out of office last year in an apparent coup. It's the first time in a generation the strongman won't be on the ballot, though his influence still looms over a vote that could be among the closest in the nation's history. More than 20 candidates want to replace interim President
Emmerson Mnangagwa. He's a frontrunner, along with opposition leader Nelson Chamisa. Seats in parliament also are in play.
All eyes shift
Tuesday to Virginia, when
jury selection is due to begin in the trial of ex-Trump campaign chairman
Paul Manafort. He has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of bank fraud and tax crimes. Prosecutors plan to call
as many as 25 witnesses, and testimony could last two weeks. While the case has only a
loose connection to the Trump campaign, the Manafort storyline definitely adds to
White House drama. Manafort also faces federal charges, including money-laundering conspiracy, in a case due for
trial in September.
As his former go-to guy sits in court, the President hits the road for rallies ahead of
the November midterms. He'll be in Tampa on
Tuesday to tout
the strong economy and GOP Gov. Rick Scott, who's
vying to unseat Democratic US Sen. Bill Nelson, then head
Thursday to Pennsylvania for his 22nd rally in the key swing state since 2015. Meantime, voters in Tennessee
head to the polls Tuesday for a match-up between GOP US Rep. Marsha Blackburn and Democratic ex-Gov. Phil Bredesen
for an open US Senate seat.
Wednesday could prove to be a landmark day in
the gun debate. That's when people can start
legally downloading blueprints for 3D-printable guns. The implications of this could be historic. Do-it-yourself firearms
don't have serial numbers and are untraceable. Supporters say the ability to build unregulated and untraceable guns makes it much harder, if not impossible, for governments to ban them.
Others fear the technology will make it easier for terrorists and people who can't pass background checks to get guns.
With gun violence
front and center in some of Chicago's poorest neighborhoods, protesters on
Thursday plan to take their calls for peace -- and more economic investment in their communities -- to a more affluent part of town. They plan to shut down part of Lake Shore Drive, then march to Wrigley Field, where the Cubs play a night game. Demonstrators with similar demands
shut down part of a downtown interstate earlier this month.
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