| Comey News Dominates Week
The ripples from President Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey are still being felt as we close out the week. And they show no sign of abating, particularly given Trump’s tweet Friday morning: “James Comey better hope that there are no ‘tapes’ of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!” Any talk of tapes is bound to bring up comparisons to Richard Nixon, whose Oval Office taping system helped provide the evidence that brought down his presidency. That’s not the kind of comparison most White Houses want. This story is moving faster than the speed of Twitter. But RealClearPolitics’ Alexis Simendinger reports on how Trump decided to fire Comey well before receiving recommendations from the Justice Department, in contradiction of what administration officials previously said. Trump seemed to indicate he’s most worried about himself and his reputation, repeatedly emphasizing he is not under investigation for possible collusion with Russia during the election. NBC News’ Lester Holt pressed him on this, given that the FBI is looking at his campaign’s possible ties with Russia. “Well, all I can tell you is, well, I know what, I know that I'm not under investigation. Me. Personally. I'm not talking about campaigns. I'm not talking about anything else. I'm not under investigation,” the president said. And RCP’s Caitlin Huey-Burns looks at how Trump’s actions, from pushing the repeal of the Affordable Care Act to the firing of Comey, are putting members of his own party on defense when they go home to their districts, which is a worrisome sign for Republicans as we head toward the 2018 midterm elections. Meanwhile Trump’s job approval is at a negative 11.8 points in the RealClearPolitics Average. Topics du Jour
RCP’s Trump Administration Priority Tracker will help you keep track of where various policy reviews stand in the administration. In the second episode of her new podcast, “Politics Is Everything,” RCP’s Caitlin Huey-Burns looks at the relationship between the media and the White House. In RCP’s video series “Changing Lanes,” Tom Bevan talks to the Federalist’s Mollie Hemingway about the media’s treatment of Ivanka Trump. In Other Originals
At RealClearEnergy, Mark Mills discusses “peak subsidy” as part of the site’s series on unseen revolutions in energy policy. He talks about this further with RCE editor Bill Murray in a podcast interview.
RealClearLife’s Improbable Research column digs into car crashes and whether people’s minds actually slow down while they are happening.
At RealClearReligion, University of Maryland professor Robert Nelson offers five rational arguments for why God exists.
RealClearMarkets editor John Tamny's reviews an economics book/management memoir from Ed Catmull, the president of Pixar.
At RealClearDefense, Eric Rasmusen, author of “Games and Information: An Introduction to Game Theory,” looks at how game theory may apply to the North Korea situation.
The Brookings Institution George Perry writes at RealClearMarkets on fears that a correction in the stock market could spark a recession.
In RealClearHealth, James Capretta of the American Enterprise Institute examines how the Senate can write a better health care bill.
At RealClearPolicy, Betsy Huber, the president of National Grange, looks at the Internet divide, writing that “rural America is still missing out on the digital revolution.”
At RealClearInvestigations, Norman Leahy notes that “while federal employees tend to receive lower salaries than their counterparts in the private sector, they enjoy far more generous benefits.”
As part of RealClearWorld’s series on the U.S.-China relationship, Ford Carson examines how the American sport of basketball has made its mark on the country.
At RealClearScience, editor Ross Pomeroy looks at the most interesting state minerals, rocks or gems.
And, at RealClearSports, editor Ben Krimmel looks at The Top 10 Never-Ending Games. | 
