Clash of Titans: With Attorney Gen. William Barr objecting to the proposed questioning format before the House Judiciary Committee, the panel’s chairman Jerrold Nadler is threatening to subpoena the AG if he doesn’t show.

  “The witness is not going to tell the committee how to conduct its hearing, period,” Nadler said yesterday onCNN.

  The Special Counsel report issued by the Justice Department cleared President Trump and his campaign of working with Russians to sway the election, but left it open as to whether Trump obstructed justice during the investigation. As the 2020 elections approach, the Democrats controlling the House want to hold open hearings they hope will keep Trump’s sleazy behavior in front of the voters. 

  Barr objects to the idea of being questioned by Judiciary staff lawyers, who would be much more skilled than the members of Congress. “The attorney general agreed to appear before Congress,” a Justice spokeswoman said. “Therefore, members of Congress should be the ones doing the questioning.”

Failing: The New York Times has apologized for a cartoon published in the Opinion pages of its international edition that was widely excoriated for being anti-Semitic.

  The cartoon published Thursday portrayed a blind President Trump, wearing a yarmulke being led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, drawn as a dog on a leash with a Star of David collar. It was intended to be a comment on the relationship between Trump and Netanyahu.

  The Timesown columnist Bret Stephens wrote, “The cartoon checked so many anti-Semitic boxes that the only thing missing was a dollar sign.”

  “The image was offensive, and it was an error of judgment to publish it,” The Times said in an editors’ note to be published in today’s international edition. The cartoon did not appear in the US print or online editions.

  It’s one of those things that any experienced editor would say is inappropriate, but someone in the Timesorganization let it pass.

Drafted and Shot:On Saturday cornerback Corey Ballentine became the first football player in 10 years from Division II Washburn University in Kansas drafted into the NFL when he was picked by the NY Giants.  “It’s all a crazy dream until you do it,” Ballentine said in a Twitter post after he was selected in the sixth round. “I can’t even explain the emotions I have right now.”

  Just hours later, Ballentine was shot and wounded and his teammate Dwane Simmons was killed at a social gathering just a few blocks from the campus in Topeka.  Ballentine is expected to recover.

By the Numbers: The Washington Post“Fact Checker” says that on April 26^thPresident Trump crossed the line of delivering 10,000 false or misleading statements. The paper says, “The tsunami of untruths just keeps looming larger and larger.”

  The Fact Checker says Trumpracked up 171 false or misleading claims in just three days, April 25-27.

  One of his biggest whoppers was delivered Saturday night at a rally in Green Bay, Wisc. Railing about late term abortions, Trump claimed that live babies are born and then the parents and doctors decide whether it will be allowed to live. He said, ““The baby is born. The mother meets with the doctor. They take care of the baby. They wrap the baby beautifully. And then the doctor and the mother determine whether or not they will execute the baby.”

  Think about that for a moment. It doesn’t happen.

The Obit Page: Six-term former Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar, who was considered a master of foreign relations, has died in Virginia at age 87. He was noted for being the co-creator of a program intended to destroy surplus stocks of nuclear weapons around the world.

Weekend Box: “Avengers: Endgame,” the superhero movie from Marvel Comics shattered box office records bringing in $1.2 billion around the world. It’s the first movie to break the billion-dollar mark in its opening.

 The prequel “Avengers: Infinity War” previously held the record at $640 million for its opening last year.

  “Endgame” has been described as “an epic showdown with Thanos — the evil demigod who decimated the planet and the universe.” It’s three hours long. Hooo …. boy. Can’t wait.

GOT: If you are interested, The NY Posthas run an article about who died in the battle of Winterfell. It was hard to tell in the dark. We would publish the list but we have one particular reader who records the show and watches it Monday night. She sent us a missile when we printed spoilers last Monday.

 OK, we’ll say this. A lot of the Army of the Dead got killed, but they were dead already.

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