Let Russia In, More for Manafort

Yahoo News: Before making a drive-by appearance at the G-7 summit in Quebec, President Trump told reporters at the White House that he wants Russia re-instated to the group four years after it was thrown out for annexing Crimea.

“Russia should be in this meeting,” Trump said. “You know, whether you like it or not, and it may not be politically correct, but we have a world to run and the G-7 — which used to be the G-8, they threw Russia out. They should let Russia come back in because we should have Russia at the negotiating table.”

Trump offered no other reason why Russia should be readmitted. Despite having been repeatedly criticized for being soft on Russia, and even being in Vladimir Putin’s pocket, Trump said, “I have been Russia’s worst nightmare,”

Peter Baker writes in The NY Times, “At a moment of tumult over trade and nuclear security, he is shaking up the international order to make friends with America’s enemies and enemies out of America’s friends.”

Trump said, “When it’s all straightened out, we’ll all be in love again.”

The President also said the embattled EPA administrator Scott Pruitt is “doing a great job” and that the reason First Lady Melania is not with him going to Quebec and Singapore is that she’s not allowed to travel after her recent kidney surgery.

The Russia Thing: Sometimes you have to get their attention. The Special Counsel heaped new charges on former Trump Campaign chair Paul Manafort and a new defendant, Manafort’s Russian partner, Konstantin Kilimnik. Both are accused of conspiracy to convince witnesses to lie in Manafort’s upcoming trial on charges of violating financial, tax and federal lobbying disclosure laws.

This comes after a filing to revoke Manafort’s bail.

Manafort and Kilimnik worked together on behalf of the former Ukraine government which was deeply corrupt and linked to Russia.

Anthony Bourdain: The suicide of chef and CNN travel host Anthony Bourdain  threw a particular shock into the people who knew him.

Anderson Cooper, whose own brother jumped out the family’s apartment window, said on the air, “It is impossible from the outside to ever fully know what goes on in the heart and head of someone else. Impossible to fathom how quickly one’s life can change. Anthony once wrote, ‘As you move through this life and this world, you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life, and travel, leaves marks on you. Most of the time those marks, on your body or your heart, are beautiful. Often though, they hurt.’ Tonight — the hurt for all of us who knew Anthony, for all of you who came to know him through his travels — the hurt is strong… the shock is real… the sadness, just beginning to sink in.”

To Your Health: The Justice Department announced that it will not defend the Affordable Care Act against a lawsuit brought by Texas and 19 other states claiming that the clause in Obamacare requiring people with pre-existing conditions to be allowed to buy health insurance is unconstitutional. The plaintiff states say the requirement is part of an unconstitutional plan to require everyone to have insurance.

The Republican majority was unable to repeal Obamacare. The decision by the justice department appears to be a decision to let it die the death of a thousand cuts.

Hoop Dreams: The Golden State Warriors beat Cleveland 108-85 last night to complete a four-game sweep and win their third NBA championship in four years. Golden States Stephen Curry hit seven three-pointers.

Last Words: Columnist and Fox News commentator Charles Krauthammer, a fixture among Washington opinionator, announced in a column titled “A Note to readers” that he may have only weeks to live.

Krauthammer, 68, spent the last year recovering from abdominal surgery for cancer and thought he had beat it, but it returned. He wrote, “There was no sign of it as recently as a month ago, which means it is aggressive and spreading rapidly. My doctors tell me their best estimate is that I have only a few weeks left to live. This is the final verdict. My fight is over.”

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It's Been Said

"Christians, get out and vote, just this time. You won't have to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what, it will be fixed, it will be fine, you won't have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians. I love you Christians. I'm a Christian. I love you, get out, you gotta get out and vote. In four years, you don't have to vote again, we'll have it fixed so good you're not going to have to vote."

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