Subject: FW: DNC Clips 5.6.2016
From: "Palermo, Rachel" <[email-masked]>
To: "Palermo, Rachel" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 6 May 2016 07:08:35 -0700

WEATHER: 54F, RAIN
POTUS and the Administration

President Obama Meets With Child of Undocumented Immigrants on Cinco de Mayo<http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/president-obama-meets-child-undocumented-immigrants-cinco-de/story?id=38923215>
ABC NEWS // ALEXANDER MALLIN
In what is a clear contrast to a widely-panned tweet from Donald Trump, the White House has shared a photo of President Obama meeting with 6-year-old Sophie Cruz, an activist and child of undocumented immigrants. Cruz is known for her impromptu hug with Pope Francis on his visit to the U.S. last September. She handed the pope a letter calling for him to urge Congress to pass immigration reform, explaining that both her parents are undocumented workers from Mexico. Because of her parent's legal status, they were not permitted to accompany her to the White House for the Cinco de Mayo celebration Thursday. The White House shared photos of both Obama and Vice President Joe Biden meeting with Cruz privately before the celebration.

Barack Obama and Bryan Cranston on the Roles of a Lifetime<http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/08/fashion/barack-obama-bryan-cranston-table-for-three.html?_r=0>
NEW YORK TIMES // PHILIP GALANES
"Nice place!" the actor Bryan Cranston said to President Obama as he glanced around at the White House. "When are you putting it on the market?" The Oval Office looks eerily familiar, even to a couple of first-time visitors: that solid oak desk with the South Lawn behind it through floor-to-ceiling windows; the pair of comfortable-looking sofas on an oval rug with the presidential seal; and on a gray afternoon, a nimbus of light glowing above the crown molding at the ceiling. "I'm only leasing," Mr. Obama replied. "I just want to make sure I get my security deposit back." The president showed us around the Oval Office and its adjoining private dining room, chatting about items of particular significance to him: a handwritten draft of a speech by President Kennedy; a seascape painted by Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who gave it to Mr. Obama when he was a senator; and, next to three family photos, a pair of red boxing gloves signed "To Barack" by Muhammad Ali. For Mr. Cranston, who won four Emmys for his role in "Breaking Bad," a show that Mr. Obama has said that he, like millions of Americans, binge-watched, this visit had the feeling of déjà vu.

President Obama Commutes Sentences of 58 More Convicts<http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/president-obama-commutes-sentences-58-convicts/story?id=38910249>
ABC NEWS // JOHN PARKINSON
President Obama granted commutations of sentences to 58 convicted criminals today, including 18 individuals serving life sentences, boosting his total to 306 granted petitions, more than the previous six presidents combined and the most of any president since Franklin Roosevelt. "As President, I've been working to bring about a more effective approach to our criminal justice system, particularly when it comes to drug crimes," Obama wrote in a post explaining his decision today. The president also implored Congress to reform federal sentencing laws, "particularly on overly harsh mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenses."

President Obama just commuted the sentences of 58 people. Here are their names.<https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/05/05/here-are-the-58-people-whose-sentences-president-obama-just-commuted/>
WASHINGTON POST // SARI HORWITZ
President Obama commuted the sentences of 58 inmates Thursday as part of his ongoing initiative to release federal prisoners who have received severe mandatory sentences for non-violent drug offenses. With this latest round of commutations, Obama has granted clemency to a total 306 inmates, 110 of whom were serving life sentences. Obama has said he will continue granting commutations during his final months in office to inmates who meet certain criteria set out by the Justice Department. Of the inmates granted clemency Thursday, 18 had been sentenced to life without parole. One was Fulton "Wash" Washington, of Compton, Calif., who was convicted on PCP charges. At his sentencing, the judge lamented that harsh mandatory minimum sentences were not meant for offenders like Washington, but he had no choice. His daughter, who is 31, was 10 years old when Washington was sent to prison for the rest of his life.

U.S. Justice Dept. clash with N.C. on 'bathroom bill' is becoming a national fight<https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2016/05/05/435d7ee4-12ed-11e6-8967-7ac733c56f12_story.html>

WASHINGTON POST // JULIET EILPERIN

U.S. Justice Dept. clash with N.C. on 'bathroom bill' is becoming a national fight. The Justice Department's brewing legal battle with North Carolina's governor over the state's controversial "bathroom bill" has escalated a state-by-state fight over transgender rights into a new national one, with enormous financial implications for residents in North Carolina and other states. White House officials emphasized Thursday that several agencies were reviewing whether they would deny funding to the state on the grounds that its new law constitutes sex discrimination under the 1964 Civil Rights Act. But the letter from the department asking Gov. Pat McCrory (R) to halt the law's implementation by Monday or face a possible lawsuit sets up an unavoidable political battle between the Obama administration and conservatives.

NC leaders divided on whether they'll meet Obama administration's deadline on House Bill 2 Department of Justice says HB2 violates the Civil Rights Act and Title IX of education law<http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article75797342.html>

CHARLOTTE NEWS AND OBSERVER // COLIN CAMPBELL

Republican state leaders were in no hurry Thursday to respond to the Obama administration's determination that North Carolina is discriminating against transgender people - and didn't even agree on whether to adhere to a Monday deadline. House Speaker Tim Moore said Thursday that legislators won't meet the Department of Justice's Monday deadline to declare that House Bill 2 will not be enforced. The department sent state leaders a letter Wednesday saying that the law violates the Civil Rights Act and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 - a finding that could jeopardize billions in federal education funding. Those laws ban employment discrimination and discrimination in education based on sex.

Administration announces actions to bolster financial transparency<http://thehill.com/policy/finance/278940-administration-announces-actions-to-bolster-financial-transparency>

THE HILL // NAOMI JAGODA

Obama administration officials on Thursday announced new actions designed to fight money laundering, corruption and tax evasion. The initiatives include final and proposed rules from the Treasury Department, as well as administration calls for congressional action. "Nobody should be able to hide in the shadows of their legal obligations," Wally Adeyemo, deputy national security adviser for international economics, said in a call with reporters. The issues of money laundering and tax evasion have been brought to the forefront recently as a result of the "Panama Papers," documents from a Panama-based law firm that sets up anonymous shell companies for its clients. While having a shell company itself is not illegal, they can be used for illegal purposes such as money laundering and tax evasion.

Obama Administration Adopts Rule to Fight Money Laundering, Tax Evasion<http://www.wsj.com/articles/obama-administration-adopts-rule-to-fight-money-laundering-tax-evasion-1462496401>

WALL STREET JOURNAL // ARUNA VISWANATHA

The Obama administration adopted a rule on Thursday that would require financial institutions to identify the true owners of companies they do business with, after leaks from a Panama law firm threw a spotlight on money hidden offshore. The Treasury and Justice departments also proposed related legislation that they said would help law-enforcement authorities pursue money laundering and corruption cases as well as close loopholes that could allow some foreign citizens to evade U.S. taxes. "Gaps remain in our laws that allow bad actors to deliberately use U.S. companies to hide money laundering, tax evasion and other illicit financial activities," Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said in a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) outlining the proposals.

Democrats

House Dems call for $600 million to fight opioid abuse<http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/278833-house-dems-call-for-600-million-to-fight-opioid-abuse>

THE HILL // PETER SULLIVAN

A group of 53 House Democrats is calling on Republicans to approve $600 million in new funding to fight opioid abuse as part of a package of bills coming to the floor. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) led the letter to Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) saying that emergency funding is needed in addition to a range of bills aimed at fighting opioid abuse that are expected to be voted on next week. The message is an echo of a debate that occurred in the Senate in March, when Democrats there also called for emergency funding, saying that a measure being voted on was a good start but lacked the needed funding. Republicans countered that funding has already been approved as part of the spending bill for the year that passed in December.

Harry Reid starts the scorched-earth campaign against Donald Trump<http://www.businessinsider.com/harry-reid-donald-trump-supreme-court-2016-5>

BUSINESS INSIDER // ALLAN SMITH

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid is still in shock that Donald Trump is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. "First of all, there are a couple times every day since yesterday ... I have to remind myself that Donald Trump is the Republican nominee," the bewildered Reid said during a conference call with reporters on Thursday. "It hasn't sunk in yet for me, but it's true. That's reality," he added. And with that, Reid began to reprise his role as a Democratic attack dog, which he vibrantly embraced in the 2012 campaign against then nominee Mitt Romney. He went after Trump's wealth and his at-times inflammatory statements, as well as Republican leaders' refusal to confirm a Supreme Court nominee in favor of waiting for a theoretical Trump administration.

Did Trump Just Hand the Senate to Elizabeth Warren? <http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/05/2016-elizabeth-warren-trump-us-senate-elections-democrats-politics-progressives-213874>

POLITICO // DAVID BERNSTEIN

For Elizabeth Warren, maybe not running for president wasn't such a bad idea after all. One of the great disappointments for fans of the Massachusetts senator-a huge, devoted following of progressive Democrats across the country-has been watching their hero sit out the presidential contest. As Hillary Clinton struggles to clinch the nomination, and a rumpled socialist from Vermont manages to galvanize crowds of young people with a Warren-esque platform, there's a powerful current of sadness that Warren might have just dropped her best chance to push her economic-equality agenda at the highest levels in Washington But now, with a Trump nomination changing the electoral landscape, it looks like they may be selling her far too short. One possibility is that Clinton could pick Warren as her running mate as a way to throw a powerful bone to the Bernie Sanders left, putting Warren a mere heartbeat away from the Oval Office. But another, more likely prospect is now floating into view. Between Warren's powerful fundraising chops and the potential for a Donald Trump candidacy to push Senate seats into Democratic hands, the next Senate could see a whole new power bloc with Warren at the head.

Dems blast Ryan over refusal to back Trump: 'Well, that was awkward'<http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/gop-primaries/278926-democrats-blast-ryan-over-refusal-to-back-trump-well-that-was>

THE HILL // HARPER NEIDIG

The Democratic Party seized on House Speaker Paul Ryan's refusal to back Donald Trump on Thursday, slamming the GOP for refusing to accept its own presumptive presidential nominee. "Well, that was awkward," Democratic National Committee spokesman Mark Paustenbach said in a statement. "Paul Ryan - the highest-ranking Republican in the country, and chair of the Republican National Convention - just said he can't support Dangerous Donald Trump's nomination for president." Paustenbach added, "Bring a hazmat suit if you're one of the remaining Republican leaders still planning to stand with your nominee - Trump has gone radioactive." Earlier on Thursday, Ryan told CNN that he was "not ready" to support Trump for president.

Republicans

Gowdy says administration slowing Benghazi probe<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/trey-gowdy-benghazi-probe-222867>
POLITICO // RACHAEL BADE
For months, critics of the House Benghazi Committee have slammed Chairman Trey Gowdy for dragging his investigation into the middle of the election cycle. Just last week, a top Pentagon official sharply rebuked the panel for making new interview requests 22 months after the probe began. But the South Carolina Republican has an answer for his detractors: It's the Obama administration's fault. Gowdy, in an interview with POLITICO, said the State Department, the CIA and the Pentagon are to blame for his investigation's snail-like pace, arguing they've slow-walked the hand-over of documents and interviews with key witnesses. "It's taken way too long and way too much of our energy in simply gaining access," Gowdy said. "There continues to be time wasted negotiating with executive branch entities who do not want to give us what I believe Congress is entitled to."

House Republicans fear Trump effect<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/house-republicans-donald-trump-222875>
POLITICO // THEODORIC MEYER AND SCOTT BLAND
In the 48 hours since Donald Trump essentially clinched the GOP presidential nomination, many House Republicans facing tough elections this fall have grasped for a third way between embracing Trump and rejecting him: stalling for time. House Speaker Paul Ryan spoke for many of his members Thursday when asked on CNN whether he was ready to support Trump, saying, "I'm just not there yet." A number of Ryan's most vulnerable colleagues had already said much the same thing. Colorado Rep. Mike Coffman said Trump had a long way to go to earn his support. Reps. Rod Blum (Iowa) and John Katko (N.Y.) simply did not respond to requests for comment. Several congressional Republicans, like Michigan Rep. Mike Bishop, tempered statements that they would support the GOP nominee with criticism of how Trump has conducted his campaign.

Paul Ryan Says He Cannot Support Donald Trump for Now<http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/06/us/politics/paul-ryan-donald-trump.html?ref=politics>

NEW YORK TIMES // JENNIFER STEINHAUER

Speaker Paul D. Ryan, the nation's highest-ranking elected Republican, said Thursday that he was "not ready" to endorse Donald J. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee. Mr. Ryan, who is also chairman of the Republican National Convention, has repeatedly said he would support his party's nominee. But he has carved out some terrain to differentiate himself, by insisting that House Republicans write their own policy agenda this year and by giving speeches that at times criticized Mr. Trump's views. Mr. Ryan said Republicans needed a "standard-bearer" who embodied the party's standards. "I don't want to underplay what he accomplished," Mr. Ryan said in an interview on CNN with Jake Tapper. But he added, "We hope that our nominee aspires to be Lincoln and Reaganesque," someone who "appeals to a vast majority of Americans."

Paul Ryan says he's not ready to support Trump<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/paul-ryan-says-he-cannot-support-trump-at-this-point-222864>

POLITICO // NOLAN MCCASKILL

House Speaker Paul Ryan on Thursday declared that he cannot currently support Donald Trump, throwing a wrench in the presumptive nominee's efforts to unify the Republican Party and giving cover to lawmakers nervous about being tethered to the brash billionaire. Ryan was diplomatic, but firm - Trump must prove that he deserves the nomination. "Well, to be perfectly candid with you, I'm just not ready to do that at this point," Ryan told CNN's Jake Tapper about extending his support to Trump. "I'm not there right now. And I hope to, though, and I want to." It was a partial reversal for the Wisconsin Republican, who had previously pledged to support the nominee. He said on Thursday that Trump needs to do more work to show that he is a true conservative who can unify the different wings of the Republican Party.

Ryan says he is 'not ready' to back Trump, deepening GOP divide<https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/ryan-says-he-is-not-ready-to-back-trump-deepening-gop-divide/2016/05/05/fab4c590-12ff-11e6-81b4-581a5c4c42df_story.html>

WASHINGTON POST // PHILIP RUCKER

In an extraordinary rebuke of the Republican Party's presumptive presidential nominee, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (Wis.), the nation's highest-ranking GOP official, said Thursday that he could not support Donald Trump until he changes his tone and demonstrates that he shares the party's values. While acknowledging that Trump has mobilized a powerful grass-roots movement and earned the nomination, Ryan said that Trump has not shown himself to be "a standard bearer who bears our standard" - and he put the onus on the business mogul to recalibrate his campaign and offer a more inclusive vision. Asked by CNN anchor Jake Tapper whether he backs Trump, Ryan responded, "I'm just not ready to do that at this point. I'm not there right now. And I hope to, though, and I want to. But I think what is required is that we unify the party. And I think the bulk of the burden on unifying the party will have to come from our presumptive nominee."

Ryan fans GOP civil war over Donald Trump<http://thehill.com/homenews/house/278945-ryan-fans-gop-civil-war-over-donald-trump>

THE HILL // SCOTT WONG

Paul Ryan on Thursday pressed presumptive nominee Donald Trump to do more to unify the party. But the Speaker's latest public break with Trump has started tearing Republicans apart. Members of the #NeverTrump movement and Trump's biggest critics on Capitol Hill cheered Ryan's remarks on CNN that he could not in good conscience endorse or support the bombastic New York businessman at this time. Ryan's "proving that he's an honest and courageous leader and not just another politician who quietly falls in line," vulnerable Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla), who has refused to endorse Trump, told The Hill. "He's putting the country above petty partisan interests." But some of the Wisconsin Republican's other House colleagues scolded the Speaker for not giving Trump a full-throated endorsement after his two remaining rivals - Ted Cruz and John Kasich - dropped out of the GOP primary. Failing to back Trump could hand Democrat Hillary Clinton an easy White House victory, some members argued.

House Republicans fear Trump effect<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/house-republicans-donald-trump-222875>

POLITICO // THEODORIC MEYER

In the 48 hours since Donald Trump essentially clinched the GOP presidential nomination, many House Republicans facing tough elections this fall have grasped for a third way between embracing Trump and rejecting him: stalling for time. House Speaker Paul Ryan spoke for many of his members Thursday when asked on CNN whether he was ready to support Trump, saying, "I'm just not there yet." A number of Ryan's most vulnerable colleagues had already said much the same thing. Colorado Rep. Mike Coffman said Trump had a long way to go to earn his support. Reps. Rod Blum (Iowa) and John Katko (N.Y.) simply did not respond to requests for comment. Several congressional Republicans, like Michigan Rep. Mike Bishop, tempered statements that they would support the GOP nominee with criticism of how Trump has conducted his campaign.

2016 Democrats

Hillary forces target Bush donors<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/hilary-clinton-bush-donors-222872>

POLITICO // BEN WHITE

Hillary Clinton's supporters in recent days have been making a furious round of calls to top Bush family donors to try to convince them that she represents their values better than Donald Trump, multiple sources in both parties told POLITICO. The moves come as Clinton and the Democratic Party try to take advantage of deep unease among establishment Republicans on Wall Street and elsewhere with Trump's emergence as the presumptive Republican nominee. Top targets for the Clinton team include people like Woody Johnson, Jeb Bush's former finance chair and the owner of the New York Jets. In recent days, Bush's brother and father, former presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, have said they plan to skip Trump's nominating convention.

FBI interviewed Clinton aide Huma Abedin in email probe: report<http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/278916-fbi-interviewed-clinton-aide-huma-abedin-in-email-probe-report>

THE HILL // REBECCA SARVANSKY

The FBI has interviewed aides to Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton - including top adviser Huma Abedin - as part of the probe into her private email server, according to CNN. The FBI is expected to interview Clinton in the coming weeks, though a date has not been set. Federal investigators have reportedly not found anything showing the former secretary of State willingly broke the law. Several aides have been interviewed in recent weeks. Bryan Pagliano, who helped to set up the server, has reportedly given documents and statements to the FBI.

FBI interviews Clinton aides including Huma Abedin as part of email probe<http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/05/politics/fbi-interviews-huma-abedin-clinton-aide/index.html>

CNN // EVAN PEREZ

Some of Hillary Clinton's closest aides, including her longtime adviser Huma Abedin, have provided interviews to federal investigators, as the FBI probe into the security of her private email server nears completion, U.S. officials briefed on the investigation tell CNN. The investigation is still ongoing, but so far investigators haven't found evidence to prove that Clinton willfully violated the law the U.S. officials say. In recent weeks, multiple aides have been interviewed -- some more than once, the officials said. A date for an FBI interview of Clinton has not been set, these officials said, but is expected in the coming weeks. Abedin has cooperated with the probe, the officials said. Lawyers for Abedin declined to comment. The officials say the interviews of Clinton and her aides would be a routine part of an investigation like this.

Top aide to Hillary Clinton questioned by FBI in email server investigation<http://www.latimes.com/politics/clinton-aide-fbi-20160505-snap-story.html>

LOS ANGELES TIMES // DEL QUENTIN WILBER

Huma Abedin, a close aide to Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, was questioned last month by FBI agents investigating whether classified material was mishandled on the private email server used by the former secretary of State and her aides, according to a person familiar with the investigation. Abedin was interviewed for about two hours at the FBI's field office in Washington on April 5, according to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing. Abedin is one of Clinton's longtime confidantes and the interview is the latest indication that FBI agents have completed much of their background work and are nearing a conclusion in the politically sensitive probe.

Hillary Clinton Gives Bernie Sanders a History Lesson in Dropping Out<http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/hillary-clinton-bernie-sanders-history-lesson-dropping/story?id=38909381>

ABC NEWS // LIZ KREUTZ

To date, Hillary Clinton and her campaign have been very cautious about saying Bernie Sanders should drop out of the primary race. But remarks the Democratic presidential front-runner made today suggest she does think her opponent has passed his sell-by date. While speaking at the California African American Museum in Los Angeles this morning, Clinton appeared to come just shy of flat-out telling the Vermont senator -- who has vowed to stay in the race through the convention in July -- it's time for him to bow out. (If not that, though, she at the very least made the argument for why she believes he should strongly consider it.) "I am three million plus votes ahead of Sen. Sanders, right? I am nearly 300 pledged delegates ahead of Sen. Sanders. When I was running against then-Sen. Obama, he and I were neck and neck in the popular vote. Depending on how you counted it, I was a little ahead or he was a little ahead. He was about 60 or so pledged delegates ahead. A much, much smaller margin than what we see in this race," Clinton told a group of black community leaders this morning, just one day after it became clear Donald Trump will be the likely Republican presidential nominee.

Bernie Sanders will be well-equipped to upend Democratic convention<http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/05/05/bernie-sanders-well-equipped-upend-democratic-convention/83964184/>

USA TODAY // NICOLE GAUDIANO

If Bernie Sanders wants to upend the Democratic National Convention, he'll likely have all the tools he needs. The Democratic nomination increasingly seems Hillary Clinton's for the taking. But the number of pledged delegates Sanders will have collected by the time the convention begins July 25 should give him a sizable presence on convention committees and a strong voice in shaping the Democratic Party's rules and platform to include some of his top priorities. Tad Devine, one of Sanders' top advisers and a veteran of contentious convention battles, said he expects "good will" at the convention between Sanders and Clinton, and agreement on a number of issues. But he raised the possibility that Sanders will play hardball if negotiations fail.

Sanders goes to one of the poorest counties in America<http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/05/politics/bernie-sanders-mcdowell-west-virginia/>

CNN // ELIZABETH LANDERS

Bernie Sanders, who has staked his presidential campaign on fighting poverty and income inequality in America, on Thursday took his message to one of the poorest counties in America. In the first stop of a day-long swing the Sanders motorcade careened along a two-lane road in rural McDowell County, West Virginia -- the state's southernmost point -- on its way to a "community conversation" at Five Loaves & Two Fishes Food Bank. The Vermont senator's remarks focused on poverty in America. He and a group of panelists spoke and listened to residents for more than an hour in what he called an "informal hearing, informal discussion."

Bernie Sanders Pledges to Keep Jobs in Coal Mining Areas<http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/05/05/bernie-sanders-pledges-to-keep-jobs-in-coal-mining-areas/>

NEW YORK TIMES // YAMICHE ALCINDOR

Senator Bernie Sanders on Thursday vowed to invest billions of dollars in coal-mining communities to create jobs, seizing on the issue as Hillary Clinton faces a backlash for promising to put coal companies out of business. The Vermont senator brought up the future of coal miners while campaigning across West Virginia, which holds its primary on Tuesday, and spoke about poverty at a food bank in Kimball. Though he trails Mrs. Clinton by hundreds of delegates, Mr. Sanders has said that he hopes to close that gap in the remaining contests and has presented himself as more dedicated to helping the middle class than her. On Thursday, Mr. Sanders promised to fight to make sure communities that lose jobs because of his environmental policies would get help rebuilding their employment base. "While I strongly believe we need to combat climate change to make our planet habitable for our children and our grandchildren, let me be clear: We cannot abandon communities that have been dependent on coal and other fossil fuels," he said, according to prepared remarks of his speech.

Bernie Sanders's Online Foot Soldiers Weigh Their Next Campaign<http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/06/us/politics/bernie-sanders-online-support.html?ref=politics&_r=0>

NEW YORK TIMES // NICK CORASANITI

No sooner had Senator Ted Cruz of Texas exited the Republican primary on Tuesday night than Hillary Clinton's partisans on social media began calling for Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont to follow suit. Sanders supporters answered those calls with a hashtag that quickly started trending on Twitter: #DropOutHillary. With his victory in Indiana, Mr. Sanders seems all but certain to remain in the race for at least another month, taking his insurgent presidential campaign to the California primary on June 7. But there is one thing he will definitely leave behind if he ultimately abandons the Democratic nomination fight: an army of online foot soldiers unmatched in size, influence and capabilities, more than ready to join the next battle. The only question is whether that battle will involve Mrs. Clinton.

2016 Republicans

Trump super PAC strategist found guilty of 2012 campaign-finance violations<https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-super-pac-strategist-found-guilty-of-2012-campaign-finance-violations/2016/05/05/426da670-1311-11e6-8967-7ac733c56f12_story.html>

WASHINGTON POST // DAVID WEIGEL

Jesse Benton, a political strategist for former congressman Ron Paul who went on to run the pro-Trump Great America PAC, has been found guilty on four charges relating to the 2012 Paul presidential campaign. Benton, alongside two other former aides to the Paul campaign, was found guilty of conspiracy, causing false records, creating false campaign expenditure reports and making false statements. The trio of Benton, John Tate and Dimitri Kesari had been charged with concocting a plan to pay then-Iowa state Sen. Kent Sorenson in exchange for him endorsing the campaign and helping it organize in early states. Benton did not respond to questions from The Washington Post, and none of the men commented to reporters outside the Southern District of Iowa courthouse. All three had been there just months ago for a separate trial in the same case, in which Benton and Tate were acquitted on most charges. Despite the new case hanging over their heads, they celebrated and seemed to move on.

Donald Trump Reaches Out, Quietly, to Republican Establishment<http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/06/us/politics/donald-trump-gop.html?ref=politics>

NEW YORK TIMES // ASHLEY PARKER

Donald J. Trump, turning his attention to the general election, has begun quietly reaching out to key elements of the Republican establishment as he seeks to unite the party behind his candidacy before his anticipated battle against Hillary Clinton. Mr. Trump, who is expected to run on a nonideological platform of his own design, is trying to reassure party officials that he understands there are certain norms even he needs to follow as the Republican nominee, and that he is capable of producing an organization and infrastructure that can sustain a costly general election campaign. His team, already working to transform a lean operation into a national presidential campaign apparatus, has been reaching out to members of Congress and Washington think tanks; strategizing on how best to take on Mrs. Clinton and woo supporters of her primary opponent, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont; and planning to head to Cleveland next week to help direct the party's July convention, according to aides.

In Donald Trump's Rise, Allies See New American Approach<http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/06/world/europe/donald-trump-foreign-policy.html?ref=politics>

NEW YORK TIMES // DAVID SANGER

Alarmed by Donald J. Trump's grip on the Republican presidential nomination, world leaders are wrestling with the possibility that, even if he loses the general election, his ascent reflects a strain of American public opinion that could profoundly reshape the way the United States addresses security alliances and trade. From Beijing, Tokyo and Seoul to the headquarters of NATO in Brussels and the vulnerable Baltic nations along Russia's western border, officials and analysts said in interviews that they saw the success of Mr. Trump's "America first" platform as a harbinger of pressure for allies to pay up or make trade concessions in return for military protection. In many capitals, Mr. Trump's formal and off-the-cuff foreign policy proposals - his threat to pull out of NATO; his musings about removing the United States' nuclear umbrella over Japan and South Korea; his pledge to slap huge trade tariffs on China - are regarded with a mix of alarm and confusion. Asked on Thursday if Beijing was concerned about the prospect of a Trump presidency, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, Hong Lei, replied, "We hope the U.S. people from all walks of life would view bilateral relations from a reasonable and objective perspective."

Trump backs British exit from the European Union<http://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-gop-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/05/donald-trump-brexit-222874>

POLITICO // NOLAN D. MCCASKILL

Donald Trump signaled his support for Britain's exit from the European Union, though he quickly cautioned that such a decision should come from the UK. "I would say that they're better off without it, personally, but I'm not making that as a recommendation - just my feeling," the presumptive Republican presidential nominee told Fox News' Bret Baier in an interview Thursday. Trump said he knows the country well, noting that he has a number of investments there.

Trump rules out Democrat as running mate<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/trump-no-democrat-vice-president-222885>

POLITICO // NICK GASS

Despite surrogate Ben Carson telling The Wall Street Journal on Thursday that Donald Trump would consider an independent or even Democrat for his running mate, the presumptive Republican nominee said Friday he would do no such thing. "I would rule him out. Or her out," Trump said in a telephone interview with "Fox & Friends." "I want to have a great ticket," Trump said. "The Democrats have been in there a long time, the economy is terrible. The real unemployment rate is probably 20 percent. Jobs are leaving. Look at Carrier, look at so many companies. They're leaving." Trump said he is "going to pick a great Republican," vowing to "have a tremendous victory. We're going to win." In his interview with the Journal, Carson, who is helping Trump pick his running mate, said the campaign "would consider people who are Americans and who put America first."

6 people who don't want to be Trump's VP<http://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-gop-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/05/donald-trump-vp-refuse-222863>

POLITICO // NOLAN MCCASKILL

Donald Trump is looking for a Republican, likely with political experience, to be his running mate as he shifts toward the general election. The real estate mogul has boasted about his business chops, insisting he would be a strong president for the economy, jobs and the military while conceding that he could benefit from a vice president with congressional connections and experience to help pass his agenda. On Thursday, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee set the odds that his running mate will be a former rival, suggesting during an interview with CNBC that there is "probably a 40 percent chance" that his veep will be one of the 16 candidates who ran against him for president.

In wake of nomination victory, Trump travels to welcoming West Virginia<file:///C:\Users\palermoR\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary%20Internet%20Files\Content.Outlook\4O6A3N3E\In%20wake%20of%20nomination%20victory,%20Trump%20travels%20to%20welcoming%20West%20Virginia>

WASHINGTON POST // JENNA JOHNSON

For his first rally since becoming the presumptive Republican nominee, Donald Trump ventured on Thursday to West Virginia, a state that believed in him when few did. When Trump flirted with running for president during the last cycle, an April 2011 poll in West Virginia found him tied for first place with former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, who had won the state's nominating convention three years earlier. When Trump announced his 2016 candidacy last June and dominated social-media conversations, his highest rate of engagement was in West Virginia. When the race still had three Republican candidates, polls showed that Trump was poised to win at least 60 percent of the vote in the state's primary, which will be held Tuesday. West Virginia's statewide demographics mirror those of the down-on-their-luck towns and cities where Trump has hosted many of his campaign rallies. The state has a median annual household income of $41,576 - nearly $12,000 less than the national figure - and more than 18 percent there live in poverty, one of the highest rates in the country.

Trump celebrates Cinco de Mayo with taco bowl from his tower<https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-celebrates-cinco-de-mayo-with-taco-bowl-from-his-tower/2016/05/05/ab18e0b6-12ff-11e6-81b4-581a5c4c42df_story.html>

WASHINGTON POST // DAVID WEIGEL

Donald Trump marked his first full day as the presumptive Republican nominee for president with an old habit: Tweeting something that people couldn't believe they'd just seen. On Twitter and Facebook, the mogul shared a picture of himself smiling widely and eating a sour cream-covered pile of Mexican food inside of a crispy flour shell. "Happy #CincoDeMayo!" wrote Trump, celebrating, in his way, the Mexican Army's 1862 victory over French invaders. "The best taco bowls are made in Trump Tower Grill. I love Hispanics!"

Rick Perry will support Trump<http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/278942-rick-perry-will-support-trump>

THE HILL // EVELYN RUPERT

Former Republican presidential candidate and Texas Gov. Rick Perry will support presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump, CNN reports. CNN's Dana Bash said Thursday on "Out Front" that she had spoken to Perry, who said he would support Trump and do everything to help him. "Rick Perry just told me in a phone call from his home state of Texas that he does support Donald Trump and he's going to do everything he can to help Donald Trump get elected," Bash said. "He said that he believes in the process, and the process meaning the voters inside the Republican electorate clearly said Donald Trump should be the guy, and he is going to follow that process."

Trump tasks aide Michael Glassner with convention planning<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/donald-trump-michael-glassner-convention-222878>

POLITICO // KENNETH VOGEL

Donald Trump is tasking one of his closest aides - deputy campaign manager Michael Glassner - with putting the presumptive GOP nominee's mark on the party's convention, multiple sources with knowledge of the move tell POLITICO. Glassner is set to travel next week with a delegation from the campaign to the convention site, Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena, to assess the convention planning and receive a briefing from Republican National Committee officials involved in convention planning, according to the sources. Story Continued Below Glassner, who was traveling with Trump in West Virginia on Thursday, did not respond to requests for comment. But the sources said he will retain his title and other responsibilities, in addition to the convention planning work, and will continue to work for the campaign out of its Manhattan headquarters and its Washington office, making occasional trips to Cleveland.

Editorials/Op-Eds

Hillary Clinton speaks to the L.A. Times editorial board about war, women and her ability to navigate partisan obstructionism<http://www.latimes.com/opinion/la-ol-hillary-clinton-editorial-board-meeting-20160505-snap-story.html>
LOS ANGELES TIMES // EDITORIAL BOARD
The following is a transcript of Hillary Clinton's phone interview with the Los Angeles Times' editorial board on May 4, 2016. Nicholas Goldberg: Welcome. I'm Nick Goldberg, I'm the editor of the editorial pages. We have a lot of questions for you. I'm hoping you can keep your answers kind of short so we go around the room and we can get everyone's questions in. We're on the record. I assume that's OK with you? Hillary Clinton: Yes it is. Of course. Goldberg: We have some people here from our newsroom. The rest are from our opinion pages. I was told you would give us a short one or two-minute introduction and then we can lay into you with questions. Clinton: I appreciate the chance to talk about a lot of the questions that are on your mind. All I really want to say is that I'm excited about running for president. I believe we've got a real chance in this election to lay out an agenda that will, if verified by the voters, move the country forward, create positive results for Americans in their lives, knock down barriers that are holding them back, protect our country, maintain American leadership around the word and unify our nation. I'm more than happy to answer your questions, and we'll try to get as many in as possible.

Restoring Bathroom Sanity in North Carolina<http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/06/opinion/restoring-bathroom-sanity-in-north-carolina.html?ref=opinion>
NEW YORK TIMES // EDITORIAL BOARD
The Department of Justice has given Gov. Pat McCrory of North Carolina until Monday to abandon the state's discriminatory law barring transgender people from using public restrooms based on their gender identity. The law also blocked Charlotte's antidiscrimination ordinance, and prohibited cities and counties from enacting similar laws. In a letter issued Thursday, the Justice Department's top civil rights prosecutor, Vanita Gupta, warned the governor that the statute, which was passed in March, violates federal civil rights law. She said that the Department of Justice may sue North Carolina and that the Department of Education may withhold federal funding for its schools. The state law peddles the malicious idea that transgender people are sexual predators and that allowing people to use a bathroom that reflects their gender identity violates the rights of others. It immediately drew a strong backlash from civil rights groups, religious leaders and businesses. Major corporations have decried the law, calling it an impediment to recruiting and retaining top talent. Employers have already suspended plans to expand operations in North Carolina, costing the state hundreds of jobs.