The BBC’s condescending Emily Maitlis demands support for the European Union and challenges the sovereign authority of Hungary to self-determination.   Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó was having none of that nonsense, and pushed back against little Miss feelings.

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This occurs on the heels of Italy rebuking the EU immigration platform; and a weakened German Chancellor Angela Merkel having to beg political allies in Bavaria for support:

BERLIN (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s political future rests in the hands of the Christian Social Union (CSU) on Sunday, when the Bavarian party’s leadership meets to decide whether to accept migration deals she brought back from Brussels.

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Within the German economy the auto-sector holds the largest political influence.  Because of this dynamic all German politicians kneel at the knee of the big industrial auto manufacturers.  It has been said that losing support from within the auto-sector is much worse on a German politician than losing support from party or parliament.
Because of this dynamic; and specifically because the German auto-sector is dependent on the United States as their biggest customer, President Trump holds leverage over German Chancellor Angela Merkel.  This makes Fraulein Merkel unhappy.

President Trump wants three EU issues resolved: 1) Germany to contribute the minimum 2% of GDP for their own NATO defense.  2) Germany/EU to support enhanced sanctions against Iran; and  3) President Trump wants all German/EU protectionist trade barriers and tariffs lowered or eliminated – and new trade deals negotiated.
To gain momentum on these initiatives, President Trump is using the economics of trade as leverage.  Trump has suggested a 20% tariff on all EU automobiles shipped into the U.S. [The same standard now likely proposed toward Canada]  The German auto-sector, and as a consequence the German economy, simply cannot survive without low cost access to the U.S. market, their biggest customer.
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Interesting how two different articles (Reuters HERE) and (CBC HERE) hit on the same issue; a call between Prime Minister Justin from Canada and U.S. President Trump.  According to both reports Justin from Canada reached out prior to the listing of the counter tariffs to the U.S. Steel and Aluminum duties.

BEDMINSTER, N.J./OTTAWA (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau late on Friday to discuss trade and other economic issues, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said on Saturday.
During the call, Trudeau told Trump that Canada had no choice but to announce reciprocal countermeasures to the steel and aluminum tariffs, according to a separate statement issued by Canada late on Friday. The two leaders agreed to stay in close touch on a way forward, the statement added.

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Retiring ICE Director Thomas Homan had a message for congress, politicians and media on his last day in office.   Namely all need to get their facts straight.

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Special Counsel Robert Mueller has asked for yet another delay in the sentencing of former National Security Advisor General Mike Flynn.

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The Friday filing indicates the Special Counsel requests the court to begin preparation of a pre-sentencing report.  Lawyers for both sides proposed a status update of Aug. 24th.
However, later, in a minute-order, Judge Emmet Sullivan ordered the parties to explain by noon Monday July 2nd, the reason why the Court should depart from the normal practice of getting all the sentencing issues/dates done at the same time. (h/t Techno Fog)
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Yikes, looks like someone following through on Congresswoman Maxine Waters approach toward political violence was just arrested.  From the Eastern District of VA:

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A California man was arrested today in Los Angeles on charges of threatening to kill the family of Ajit Pai, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, for Pai’s role in repealing regulations relating to net neutrality.

According to court documents, on or about Dec. 19 and 20, 2017, Markara Man, 33, of Norwalk, allegedly sent three emails to Chairman Pai’s email accounts. The first email accused Chairman Pai of being responsible for a child who allegedly had committed suicide because of the repeal of net neutrality regulations. The second email listed three locations in or around Arlington, and threatened to kill the Chairman’s family members.

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The House Judiciary Committee has primary oversight authority over the DOJ.  House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte discusses the testimony from FBI Agent Peter Strzok, and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, along with the next steps.

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Louie Gohmert questions Rosenstein about Bruce Ohr (Deputy Asst Attorney General DOJ-NSD), Tashina Gauhar (Deputy Asst. Attorney General for DOJ-NSD), and Trisha Beth Anderson (FBI Office of Legal Counsel):

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Rosenstein says he never knew Bruce Ohr was communicating with Fusion GPS and Chris Steele? Rosenstein says he never knew Bruce Ohr’s wife was an employee of Fusion GPS and communicating with FBI. Rosenstein says he cannot imagine a scenario where the DOJ-NSD and FBI would purposefully mislead the FISA Court.
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Within the issue of Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein signing the FISA reauthorization (application renewal #4) Congressman Matt Gaetz confronts Rosenstein. DAG Rosenstein obfuscates his answer and uses the opaque nature of FISA to avoid direct response. However, interestingly Rosenstein says the public information shared about the FISA application does not match the briefing he received about the application content.
This central “spygate” evidence now looks like it is going to become a bigger issue for the FBI and DOJ.

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Representative Jim Jordan and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein get into a heated exchange surrounding the ongoing efforts of the DOJ and FBI to conceal the content of documents and evidence from congressional oversight.

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