Tuesday Top News Executive Summary

On the Immigration Front

PHONY GRANDSTANDING: “New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez reportedly screamed at federal law enforcement officers Monday while visiting the U.S.-Mexico border. … The news comes just hours after Ocasio-Cortez sent out a tweet saying that she saw people ‘drinking out of toilets’ inside the facilities and ‘officers laughing in front of members [of] Congress.’” (The Daily Wire)

BORDER CROSSING SHUTTERED: “U.S. authorities closed an international border bridge in El Paso, Texas, early Monday in response to Central American and Cuban migrants protesting on the Mexican side of the border. … The decision to close the bridge came as ‘a large and unruly group formed on the Mexican side,’ according to CBP spokesman Roger Maier.” (The Hill)

News From the Swamp

BIRDS OF A FEATHER: “The former top lawyer for Hillary Clinton’s failed presidential campaign who hired Fusion GPS to carry out controversial opposition research against then-candidate Donald Trump in 2016 is now working for … 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful [Kamala Harris].” (Washington Examiner)

IRS REFORM: “President Donald Trump signed a bipartisan bill Monday to force greater accountability on the IRS in … property seizures, as well as protect taxpayers from identity theft, boost whistleblower protections, and modernize the tax agency. … The new law, the Taxpayer First Act, requires the IRS to show probable cause that … smaller transactions were made in order to evade financial reporting requirements.” (The Daily Signal)

Business & Economy

UNCHARTED EXPANSION: “As July starts, the current U.S. economic expansion is crossing an invisible line: At 121 months, it’s officially the longest period of growth in U.S. history. From here on out, we’re in uncharted territory.” (CBS News)

ON THE FLIP SIDE: “US manufacturing activity last month fell to its lowest level in nearly three years — well below the pace when President Donald Trump took office — another warning sign for the world’s largest economy as it marks the longest expansion on record.” (Agence France-Presse)

JOURNALISM FREE FALL: “The news business is on pace for its worst job losses in a decade as about 3,000 people have been laid off or been offered buyouts in the first five months of this year. The cuts have been widespread. Newspapers owned by Gannett and McClatchy, digital media companies like BuzzFeed and Vice Media, and the cable news channel CNN have all shed employees.” (Bloomberg News)

Epic Fumbles

VIRTUE SIGNALING: “Nike was forced to pull an American flag-themed shoe called the ‘Betsy Ross’ from production after NFL quarterback-turned-political activist Colin Kaepernick, who inked a multi-million dollar sponsorship deal with Nike last year, complained. Kaepernick reportedly told the company that he found the very idea of the shoe ‘offensive.’” (The Daily Wire)

VIRTUE DEFICIENT: “U.S. Customs and Border Protection says it’s investigating a private Facebook group for current and former agents where users mocked the deaths of migrants and posted sexist and racist jokes about Latino members of Congress.” (CBS News)

Around the Nation

FIGHTING BACK: “Second Amendment right groups sued the state of California Monday over the new law banning the sale of firearms to people under the age of 21. The groups, the Calguns Foundation and Firearms Policy Coalition, argued in a lawsuit filed in San Diego on behalf of individual gun owners that those 18 and over are adults and have a right to purchase a firearm.” (Fox News)

Closing Arguments

POLICY: Addressing national debt is far more important than trade deficits (The Daily Signal)

POLICY: Unmask antifa and watch the cowards retreat (National Review)

HUMOR: Antifa shatters mirror in attempt to punch Nazi (The Babylon Bee)

For more of today’s editors’ choice headlines, visit In Our Sights.