Thursday's Headlines: Barr recasts McGahn’s account of Trump’s efforts to push out Mueller

Barr spars with Democrats over 'snitty' Mueller letter; Mueller's silence enables Trump, allies to dominate the debate over the probe's findings

Democracy Dies in Darkness

The morning's most important stories, selected by Post editors

Barr recasts McGahn's account of Trump's efforts to push out Mueller William P. Barr's view of the episode with the former White House counsel provided the most revealing look yet at his rationale for determining there was not sufficient evidence to charge President Trump with trying to thwart the probe. By Carol Leonnig · Read more Barr spars with Democrats over 'snitty' Mueller letter During a tense Senate hearing Wednesday, Attorney General William P. Barr denied misleading anyone over the special counsel's conclusions regarding President Trump. By Devlin Barrett, Matt Zapotosky, Karoun Demirjian and Rosalind Helderman · Read more   Analysis Mueller's silence enables Trump, allies to dominate the debate over the probe's findings Before the Senate, William P. Barr seemed more like a defense lawyer than the top U.S. law enforcement official. By Greg Miller · Read more   Barr's refusal to testify before House panel boosts chance of contempt citation The attorney general's refusal to appear escalates an already contentious fight between President Trump and House Democrats over Congress's oversight role. By Rachael Bade, Mike DeBonis and Karoun Demirjian · Read more   Japan is still hungry for ivory. The reason is a personal stamp called a hanko.   Japan is home to the world's largest legal market in ivory, driven by demand for hankos: the small stamps Japanese use in place of signatures. But activists say that market contributes to illegal elephant hunting, and pressure is mounting to close it down. By Simon Denyer · Read more   Venezuela opposition's plan to oust Maduro crumbles, leaving U.S. to mull next steps The Trump administration has sent mixed messages about what role, if any, the U.S. military might play in resolving the crisis. By Karen DeYoung, Josh Dawsey and Paul Sonne · Read more   WorldViews | Analysis Why is Russia clashing with the United States over Venezuela? It's about the money. And Libya. And Syria. By Emily Tamkin · Read more     ADVERTISEMENT   Opinions Barr torched his reputation. His testimony added more fuel to the fire. By Editorial Board · Read more Joe Biden doesn't owe me an apology. Clarence Thomas does. By Angela Wright-Shannon · Read more I was fortunate enough to have Richard Lugar as a trusted friend By Sam Nunn · Read more It's time to focus on the great migration of humankind to Mars By Buzz Aldrin · Read more Pete Buttigieg, please don't equate religion with morality By Kate Cohen · Read more Barr betrayed a friend, lied to Congress and ruined his reputation By Dana Milbank · Read more   ADVERTISEMENT   More News Trump's choice of Moore for Fed 'is in trouble,' majority whip says Republican senators said the White House is aware Stephen Moore lacks the votes for Senate confirmation, and they expect either him to withdraw or the White House to cancel his pending nomination. By Seung Min Kim · Read more   Campaign 2020 Biden says China is 'not competition for us,' prompting pushback from Republicans "This will not age well," Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) tweeted in response to Biden's remark at an Iowa campaign stop. By Felicia Sonmez · Read more   Alleged synagogue shooter espoused Christian theology, raising tough questions for evangelical pastors John Earnest's alleged actions have spurred debate among evangelical pastors about the role of a certain stream of Christian theology in shaping Earnest's worldview. By Julie Zauzmer · Read more   Fact Checker | Analysis Trump pledged to cut opioid prescriptions by a third in three years. He says he did it in one. The president's claim shows how data generated in the administration loses its nuance the closer it gets to his lips. By Glenn Kessler · Read more   Hundreds quarantined on cruise ship in St. Lucia because of measles infection The vessel was locked down in an attempt to stymie any potential spread of the highly contagious disease that's sickening people in the United States at a record pace. By Reis Thebault · Read more   'His sacrifice saved lives': UNC-Charlotte shooting victim tackled the gunman Authorities said Riley Howell, 21, knocked the shooter off his feet at a pivotal moment Tuesday, saving the lives of others even as Howell was fatally wounded. One other student, 19-year-old Ellis "Reed" Parlier, died and four were injured. By Jodie Valade, Susan Svrluga and Nick Anderson · Read more   Who is Ben Sasse? 'Jeopardy!' wizard James Holzhauer knows everything but that. Holzhauer's knowledge of obscure factoids has won him more than $1 million. He has identified 19th-century novels and 20th-century literary figures, superheroes and stamps. But somehow a sitting U.S. senator wasn't on his radar. By Reis Thebault · Read more

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