Sessions’s Session: Attorney General Jeff Sessions reaffirmed that he did not collude with Russia to undermine the 2016 presidential election, dubbing the allegations an “appalling and detestable lie.” The attorney general’s testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee comes less than a week after former FBI Director James Comey testified that he was fired by President Trump because of his role in the Russia investigation—one which Sessions recused himself from due to his own meetings with Russian officials while he served as a foreign-policy adviser to the Trump campaign.
You’re Fired?: Sessions’s testimony comes on the heels of ongoing speculation over whether Trump is planning to fire Robert Mueller, the special consel charged with leading the investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. Though the president can’t fire Mueller himself, he could order Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to do it. But Rosenstein assured lawmakers that Mueller has full independence in his handling of the investigation, adding that he did not see any “good cause” to fire the special counsel.
Exit, Kalanick: The embattled Uber CEO Travis Kalanick announced he is taking a leave of absence for an unspecified amount of time following a string of scandals that have engulfed the ride-sharing app in recent months, including a high-profile public boycott, reports of sexism and discrimination, and a leaked video of Kalanick engaged in a heated argument with a driver. And an investigation into Uber’s corporate culture revealed that the company still lacks some basic policies when it comes to hiring and retention.
Snapshot
Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello celebrates referendum results that overwhelmingly support Puerto Rico seeking statehood. But as Vann R. Newkirk II writes, “the chance of the island becoming a state is still, at best, a long shot.” Read more here. (Carlos Giusti / AP)
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