Trump says he’s open to background check legislation, House Democrats announce they’re in the middle of an impeachment inquiry, Jeffrey Epstein’s apparent suicide is investigated, and the media focuses on Joe Biden’s latest gaffes. Then Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell talks to Jon L. about impeachment, immigration, and more.

Show Notes: 

Gun Debate

• WaPo: Trump claims strong congressional support for strengthening background checks for gun buys, at odds with GOP statements
• WSJ: White House Adviser Says Trump Working on Background Checks for Gun Buyers
• The Atlantic – Trump’s Own Aides Doubt His Latest Push on Guns
• NYT: On Guns, Public Opinion and Public Policy Often Diverge
• Politico: Sen. John Barrasso throws cold water on new gun legislation
• Politico: Steve Scalise: Don’t blame Trump for mass shootings
• WaPo: Congress’s August recess turns into a political cudgel in gun debate
• WaPo: How Trump could beat the NRA
• NYT: Past Flip-Flops Cloud Trump’s Position on Background Checks
• WaPo – Outlook piece – America is turning against guns
• WaPo: After shootings, Democrats rethink reluctance on assault weapons
• Time: President Bill Clinton: Reinstate the Assault Weapons Ban Now
• Vox: Elizabeth Warren has a new plan to reduce gun violence by 80 percent – Warren’s plan combines various policies, from universal background checks to licensing to police reform, to bring down US gun violence.
• Medium – By Elizabeth Warren – Protecting Our Communities from Gun Violence
• NPR: Elizabeth Warren’s New Plan On Guns Has A Goal: Reduce Gun Deaths By 80%
• Mother Jones – Elizabeth Warren Just Released Her Plan to Reduce Gun Violence—by 80 Percent
• NYT: Joe Biden: Banning Assault Weapons Works
• CNN: NRA singles out Kamala Harris for ‘ridiculous’ gun reform plan
• WaPo: On guns: How to stand out in a field of like-minded candidates
• NYT: Democrats in Iowa Offer Plans to Combat Gun Violence
• NYT: Four Democratic Candidates Call on Walmart to Stop Selling Guns
• Vox: Here’s where every 2020 candidate stands on guns
• The Atlantic – The Media Erased Latinos From the Story
• Politico: This Is What Latinos Think Everyone Got Wrong About El Paso
• New Yorker – The Vital Importance of Learning to See Latinos in Trump’s America
• WaPo: ‘If you’re a good worker, papers don’t matter’: How a Trump construction crew has relied on immigrants without legal status
• Vox: Border chief explains why there have been no ICE raids at Trump properties
• NYT: The Next Front in the Fight Over Gun Control? Virginia
• WaPo: Angry and fearful, Americans struggle to talk about guns and race
• WaPo: New York eased gun law hopeful Supreme Court would drop Second Amendment case — but that hasn’t happened yet

Impeachment Inquiry

• CNN: Nadler presses ahead with impeachment probe as Pelosi keeps door open
• CNN: List: The 120 House Democrats calling for an impeachment inquiry into Trump
• Politico: Nadler: ‘This is formal impeachment proceedings’
• WSJ: Has Impeachment Already Begun? Depends Which Democrat You Ask
• WaPo: The impeachment inquiry Trump feared is already here
• Vice: “Formal Impeachment Proceedings” Have Begun. Here’s What That Really Means.
• The Hill – Nadler hits gas on impeachment
• NY Mag – Nadler Makes It Clear House Is Already in ‘Impeachment Proceedings’
• Vox: Democrats’ confusing debate over an “impeachment inquiry,”
• Sun-Sentinel Op-Ed By US Rep. Ted Deutch – No more debate. Impeachment inquiry is underway
• CNN: Clinton’s advice for impeachment inquiry: Don’t pursue for ‘trivial partisan political purposes’
• LA Times Op-Ed by Doug Collins – Op-Ed: Democrats’ impeachment bumblings are damaging Congress’ strongest check on the president
• WaPo: Connolly, member of House Oversight Committee, joins call for impeachment inquiry into Trump

Epstein Death

• NYT – Before Jail Suicide, Jeffrey Epstein Was Left Alone and Not Closely Monitored
• NYT: Why the Jeffrey Epstein Investigation Is Not Over
• WaPo: ‘It was inevitable’: Officers watching Epstein were on overtime due to jail staffing shortage, union president says
• CNN: Jeffery Epstein’s apparent suicide is fueling rumors and questions. Here’s what we know, and what’s next
• Ny Mag – Everything We Know About Jeffrey Epstein’s Death
• Axios: Barr asks inspector general to investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s death
• WaPo: ‘She was shaking’: Court filings describe system Jeffrey Epstein allegedly used to procure girls
• WaPo: Jeffrey Epstein dead after ‘apparent suicide’ in New York
• NYT: Jeffrey Epstein’s Opaque Finances Could Become Focal Point for Investigators
• NBC News – ‘Heads must roll’
• WaPo: Epstein’s accusers call her his protector and procurer. Is Ghislaine Maxwell now prosecutors’ target?
• The Cut – SDNY Confirms Epstein Investigation Will Move Forward
• NY Mag – What the Unsealed Jeffrey Epstein Documents Reveal About Donald Trump
• Vox: Jeffrey Epstein wasn’t on suicide watch when he died. Officials want to know why.
• Politico: Kellyanne Conway on Epstein’s death: Trump wants everything investigated
• WaPo: Epstein’s accusers still deserve justice and will go after his alleged enablers, their lawyers say
• Vox: Jeffrey Epstein is dead. His story isn’t over.
• WaPo: Final evasion: For 30 years, prosecutors and victims tried to hold Jeffrey Epstein to account. At every turn, he slipped away.
• WaPo: Jeffrey Epstein doesn’t deserve to be a conspiracy theory
• NYT: Trump Shares Unfounded Fringe Theory About Epstein and Clintons
• Axios: Behind the scenes of Trump’s Epstein-Clinton conspiracy tweet
• WaPo: Trump retweets conspiracy theory tying the Clintons to Epstein’s death
• Vox: The conspiracy theories about the Clintons and Jeffrey Epstein’s death, explained
• Vox: Jeffrey Epstein’s connections to Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, explained – Here’s what we know.
• The Atlantic – Why Conspiracy Theorists Will Never Believe the ‘Official’ Epstein Story
• Politico: Epstein death brings birth of mainstream conspiracy theories
• The Atlantic – The Shame and Disgrace Will Linger
• The Atlantic – Epstein’s Death Has a Simpler Explanation

2020

• WaPo: Democrats descend on Iowa — with renewed anxiety
• Politico: Biden mangles his words — and undercuts his message
• Axios: Oh, Joe! Biden blunders pile up
• NYT: Biden’s Biggest Weakness? Iowa. But Some Rivals Don’t Seem to Know It. – A few major candidates are not focusing their campaigns on the state.
• FiveThirtyEight – Have Pollsters Forgotten That Nevada Is An Early State?
• NBC News – Inside Warren’s early-state sleeper campaign.
• WaPo: Joe Biden’s mounting slip-ups and why they matter
• The Atlantic – What Joe Biden’s Latest Gaffe Reveals
• CNN: What to make of Joe Biden’s Iowa front-runner status
• WaPo: Iowa is awash in candidates but don’t expect clarity until the very end
• Politico: Biden and Harris make a big play for Iowa, but Warren is months ahead
• NYT: Kamala Harris, in a Pivot, Makes Her Play for Iowa
• Des Moines Register – Elizabeth Warren, met with the largest Soapbox crowd so far, touts her 2-cent ultra-millionaires tax
• WaPo: The Trailer: What we learned at the Iowa State Fair
• FiveThirtyEight – Forget ‘Lanes.’ The Democratic Primary Is A Whole Freaking Transit System.