Like to laugh? Like to be informed? Then sign up for TheDC Morning email here.
1.) The FBI is pro-amnesty — Though this has little to do with immigration. Elizabeth Dorton reports for TheDC:
“The Federal Bureau of Investigation gave its informants permission to commit 5,658 crimes in 2011 alone, reports USA Today. The newly released documents, obtained using the Freedom of Information Act, show that the FBI employs criminals to help it stop crime. On average, 15 crimes, authorized by FBI agents, were committed per day, ranging from the bribery of government officials to plotting robberies. The buying and selling of illegal drugs were also permitted.”
2.) Renaissance Amazon man — The Washington Post has a new owner. Gabe Finger reports for TheDC:
“The Washington Post announced Monday that Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon.com, has agreed to buy the newspaper for $250 million. Bezos has been described by friends as a libertarian, though RealClearPolitics notes that he usually donates to Democratic candidates. Bezos donated six figures to fight a Washington state measure to impose an income tax on its wealthiest residents. He also pledged $2.5 million to defend the legality of gay marriage in Washington.”Here’s hoping Penn Jillette will be a new columnist for the paper.”
3.) Troll fail — The liberal (but very accurate) Public Policy Polling tried to troll Alaska Republicans. TheDC’s Jamie Weinstein reports:
“Public Policy Polling tried to troll Alaska Republicans in their recent survey of potential 2016 presidential contenders by including George Zimmerman as a possible candidate. But Alaskans didn’t bite. Only 2 percent of respondents indicated they would support Zimmerman, who was recently acquitted in the killing of Trayvon Martin, which was lower than the poll’s 4.4 percent margin of error. The poll of 507 ‘usual Republican primary voters’ in Alaska was released Friday. Zimmerman, who was born in 1983, wouldn’t even be eligible to run for president in 2016 because he would be below the constitutionally mandated age of 35. … PPP is considered a liberal-polling outfit, but its polls were found to be the most accurate of the 2012 presidential election.”
Your DC Morning facilitator would have answered Zimmerman, not because he thinks he should be president, but because the absurdity of the suggestion demands it.
4.) Playing hardball — Reince Priebus is playing Mr. Tough Guy. TheDC’s Alex Pappas reports:
“The Republican National Committee threatened NBC and CNN on Monday over the news that the networks are producing in-depth television programs about Hillary Clinton. In separate letters to the television companies released Monday, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said the committee will take steps to make sure Republicans will not partner with the two networks for debates during the 2016 primary season. ‘If they have not agreed to pull this programming prior to the start of the RNC’s Summer Meeting on August 14, I will seek a binding vote stating that the RNC will neither partner with these networks in 2016 primary debates nor sanction primary debates they sponsor,’ Priebus said Monday.”
You almost get the sense the RNC chairman is not a big fan of Hillary Clinton.
5.) Tweet of Yesterday — CJ Ciaramella: Not a living wage? RT @mlcalderone: The Nation magazine will pay its interns minimum wage
6.) Today in North Korean News — BREAKING: Kim Jong Un’s Work Published in Russia