Trump Sought to Compel Sessions to Protect Him

05 January 18 AM It's Live on the HomePage Now:  Reader Supported News Trump Sought to Compel Sessions to Protect Him    Michael S. Schmidt, The New York Times  Schmidt writes: "President Trump gave firm instructions in March to the White House's top lawyer: stop the attorney general, Jeff Sessions, from recusing himself in the Justice Department's investigation into whether Mr. Trump's associates had helped a Russian campaign to disrupt the 2016 election."  READ MORE Even Steve Bannon's Main Financial Backer Is Over Him  Emma Specter, Splinter  Specter writes: "Disavowing Steve Bannon seems to be the hot trend this winter. First, a lawyer for Donald Trump threatened to sue Bannon over his alleged criticisms of Trump administration members in a new book; now, conservative billionaire Rebekah Mercer - Bannon's primary donor - is speaking out against the former White House strategist."  READ MORE Nationwide, Police Shot and Killed Nearly 1,000 People in 2017  John Sullivan, Zane Anthony, Julie Tate and Jennifer Jenkins, The Washington Post  Excerpt: "For the third year in a row, police nationwide shot and killed nearly 1,000 people, a grim annual tally that has persisted despite widespread public scrutiny of officers' use of fatal force."  READ MORE A Woman Who Accused Roy Moore of Sexual Misconduct Is Now Suing Him for Defamation  Salvador Hernandez, BuzzFeed  Hernandez writes: "On Thursday, Leigh Corfman sued Moore and his failed Republican campaign for the Senate, alleging that they defamed her 'repeatedly in all forms of media, calling her a liar and questioning her motivation for publicly disclosing that Mr. Moore sexually abused her in 1979.'"  READ MORE GOP Senator Threatens to Block Trump Nominees Unless Sessions Reverses Marijuana Decision  Max Greenwood, The Hill  Greenwood writes: "Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) threatened on Thursday to start holding up the confirmation process for White House Justice Department nominees unless Attorney General Jeff Sessions reverses a decision to roll back a policy allowing legalized recreational use of marijuana in some states."  READ MORE Hundreds Protest in Gaza as Israel Makes Devastating Electricity Cuts  Middle East Eye  Excerpt: "Hundreds of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip protested on Thursday against electricity cuts and worsening economic conditions in the coastal enclave, an AFP journalist reported."  READ MORE Trump Administration Opens Door to Dramatic Expansion of Offshore Energy Leases  Merrit Kennedy, NPR  Kennedy writes: "The Trump administration is proposing dramatic changes to policies on offshore leasing for oil and gas, opening the door to radically expand drilling in waters that were protected by the Obama administration."  READ MORE Contribute to RSN Become a Fan of RSN on Facebook and Twitter Update My Monthly Donation