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Taking Selina out of the White House is a wise move on showrunner David Mandels part, though perhaps as disappointing to some viewers as it is to Selina herself. When Veep premiered in 2012, critics hailed it as a mordant satire that was, if anything, just a bit too broad and nihilistic to adequately reflect the complexity of American politics. Along with shows like House of Cards, its appeal lay in identifying the Washington archetypes of our time, however crudely sketched. Veep, Carina Chocano wrote in The New York Times, captured our post-Reagan, post-Clinton, post-Bush, 24-hour tabloid news and internet-haterade dystopia.

Like its creator Armando Iannuccis previous comedies The Thick of It and In the Loop, Veep painted a grim world where no one ever accomplished anything, where all power was illusory, where every promise of progress was used cynically to manipulate voters or (worse) was rendered impossible to execute by a hopeless political system. We all know the White House would work so much better if there wasnt a president, Ben Cafferty (Kevin Dunn), the White House chief of staff, wearily reminds Selina in season two. But there is, so we work around that.

While this sensibility proved a rich seam for satire in the Obama years, White House politics as usual have now yielded to something altogether more chaotic. With the real-world targets of Veeps first five seasons ushered off the stage, the show reckons with the disappointed personal ambitions of those who surrounded Meyer. Her staffers are all dramatically worse off than they were when we saw them last, forced to weather the kind of disorder and humiliation that generates the most riveting character drama. Amy (Anna Chlumsky) is managing a gubernatorial campaign for her Nevadan fianc, for whom she exhibits almost as much open contempt as she does for his constituents; Dan (Reid Scott) is co-hosting a CBS morning show, limited to terrorizing his rivals through puff pieces instead of attack ads; Ben is hired, then quickly ousted, by the millennials at Uber. But there is good news for the Jonah Ryan (Timothy Simons) fans out there: Jonah, who began the series as a powerless underling, is now a freshman congressmanthe sole political survivor of the Meyer era.

In the year since she left office, Selina herself has spent some time at the spa (a Meyerism for a psychiatric facility), launched an obligatory foundation, and started work on her memoir. Only her body man, Gary (Tony Hale), and former Ryan staffer Richard Splett (Sam Richardson) remain by her sidethe two Fools left to care for their exiled Lear. They do their best, which doesnt count for much, because all Selina really wants is to be president again. Before the season premiere is over, she announces her plans for another run, then scraps them just as quickly. One thing seems certain as we embark on Veeps sixth season: Selina Meyer will remain, at least for now, a private citizen.

Which leaves us to confront what is, by now, the only reason for watching the show: not to spy on the imagined (and authentically filthy) inner workings of our nations capital, but to follow the characters and relationships we already know so well. In this shift, Veep reminds us that it has always been about the human fears and anxieties and desires that are the smallest but most recognizable unit of any political system. Relieved of its original, insidery focus, Veep feels not like it has drifted away from its center, but as though it has stripped away everything but its core.

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Selina Meyer, Hillary Clinton, and Life After Political Defeat - New Republic

What is the role of the Democratic National Committee in presidential elections? Is it to sway the vote toward a safe, solid and respected insider who will supposedly drive the party straight into the White House, or is it to provide voters the ultimate decision as to which campaign will take the ballot, without any bias or partiality?

That is the question at the heart of a class-action lawsuit charging the Democratic National Committee with fraud, deceptive conduct and negligent misrepresentation over the course of the 2016 primaries, in which Vermont SenatorBernie Sanders was defeated by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for the Democratic ticket. Jared Beck, a Harvard law expert and one of the attorneys backing the suit, has demanded the DNC repay its donors and Sanders supporters for contributions made throughout the election, citing a misappropriation of public funds.

Related: Was the 2016 Election Rigged Against Bernie Sanders?

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Article 5, Section 4 of the DNCs charter states the organization will operate with total neutrality throughout the course of the Democratic primaries. Court documents revealthe organization'slawyers made a lengthy case suggesting impartiality isnothingmore than a political promise, howevereven though the defense claimed it did not support any specific campaign over another.

Did the DNC rig the election for Hillary Clinton? A class action lawsuit demands retribution for Bernie Sanders' supporters who donated to his campaign and the Democratic National Committee during the 2016 election. Reuters

If the lawsuit gets past a pending motion to dismiss the case, currently under consideration with no specific time frame by afederal judge in southern Florida (with a hard-liner reputation on squashing corruption), Sanderssupporters have a chance of fundamentally shaping how the DNC and the Democratic Party conduct their business.

But progressives shouldinsteadfocus their efforts on working within the DNC right now to stop"the real opponent" currently in Washington,rather than hoping a class-action lawsuit shifts the way the institution operates in the upcoming midterm elections and general election in 2020, according to Scott Bolden, a Democratic strategist and former chair of the D.C. Democratic Party.

That opponentfor liberals, many independents and conservative Democrats alikebeing the Donald Trump administration.

Protesters gathered to rally against President Donald Trump's firing of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey, outside the White House in Washington, May 10, 2017. Reuters

"The DNC is not as dangerous as Donald Trump is,"Bolden tells Newsweek. "Sanders supporters are forceful, theyre vocal, but they havent learned how to win yet. The importance of the DNC fraud lawsuit is that it shows theyre trying to change the rules and regulations and the leadership of the DNC so they can win in upcoming elections."

Attorneys for the DNC and its former chairperson, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, attempted to dismiss the lawsuit on multiple occasions, originally claiming it wasnt properly served by Beck and his team, before stating there are no enforceable obligations for the organization to practice neutrality during the primaries.

That argument could be deadly to their chances of garnering support from Democrats, liberals and independents who grew inspired by Sanders'message of change in the Democratic Party last year.

"What if Apple went into a court of law and said, 'We actually dont believe we have any enforceable obligations to our shareholders,'"Beck said in an interview last week. "What do you think would happen to the Apple stock price?"

Meanwhile, strategists like Bolden say the partys best shot at winning back control of the House and Senate in 2018 would be to adapt its approach in engaging with Sanders supporters and working families who feel unrepresented by either party at the moment.

"I think the Democrats are still trying to win support from Sanderssupporters, and whether they have been successful to date is still an open question,"Bolden says. "You still have this lawsuit. You still have progressive factions who believe they and Sanders were wronged by the DNC. But at the end of the day, you cant prove he didnt get enough votes to beat Hillary because of the committees actions.... What you can do is move forward together, which is something [DNC Chair] Tom Perez and Sanders will have to continue to fight for."

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Did the DNC Help Hillary Clinton Beat Bernie Sanders? Fraud Lawsuit Takes Aim at Leadership - Newsweek

It feels like a lifetime ago that Michael Flynn resigned as National Security Advisor. In administration where a scandal is now breaking on an almost daily basis, it's hard to recall something that happened as recently as Februaryeven if it might ultimately define Donald Trump's presidency.

But Flynn remains among the most important players in the mushrooming scandal over whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 election. Late Wednesday brought a deluge of less than flattering news about the former generalincluding his delaying an anti-ISIS operation opposed by Turkey after receiving cash apparently intended to encourage him to help its government. Then, on Thursday, the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, North Carolina Republican Richard Burr, said that Flynn would not complying with a subpoena for documents pertaining to the Russia mess.

An hour or two later, the Associated Press reported that Burr had corrected himself, and that actually, Flynn's lawyers just haven't responded yet.

To make sense of what it would mean for Flynn to simply go rogue and not play ball with Congress, I called up a law professor at the University of Baltimore named Charles Tiefer. In a past life, Tiefer worked in the Senate Legal Counsel's office and handled enforcement cases against organized crime figures, which is to say he's pretty familiar with the the procedures at hand. He said that what's happening right now is very unusual, though noncompliance might be the retired general's only move if he wants to avoid time behind bars.

"It signifies that the former high official expects prosecution," he told me of Flynn possibly not cooperating. "So it's as rare as felons in the Oval Office."

Here's a condensed and lightly edited version of what else we talked about.

VICE: So what would Flynn be thinking if he did ultimately refuse the subpoena? Charles Tiefer: Flynn may be invoking his Fifth Amendment privilege. There was an earlier time some weeks ago when he said that he wanted an immunity deal with the Senate committee, and that often signifies fear of self-incrimination.

Can you game out what's next if Flynn does refuse? Does the Senate Intelligence Committee have the ability to issue a contempt citation like a judge would? It's not clear whether a court will enforce a subpoena against someone with a well-founded fear of prosecution. And Flynn seems to be one of the main targets of the special counsel. He may be left alone with his looming prosecution problems rather than face subpoena enforcement from the Senate.

Now the Senate Intelligence Committee has two choices [if Flynn refuses to cooperate]. They can say they've done as much as is possible with a witness under criminal investigation and facing prosecution and turn to other witnesses. Or the Senate can direct the Senate legal counsel to go to court and seek a court order compelling him to provide his documents. But the Senate is unlikely to do that if his Fifth Amendment claim is valid.

If this goes to court, would Flynn also get the opportunity to argue the subpoena is unwarranted? I don't see any defense for him other than the Fifth Amendment. He would make that argument to the committee, and then if the claim is valid, the committee will not pursue him. This subpoena didn't seek his testimony, it sought his documents. And an individual's documents are not cloaked with a Fifth Amendment privilege. But the Supreme Court has said that requiring an individual to produce his own documents does have a Fifth Amendment protection because of what's called the act of production violates his privilege against self-incrimination. So if he shared his documents with someone else, you could subpoena his documents from that person without there being a Fifth Amendment privilege.

OK, so maybe we can get the documents from someone else. But would a refusal to provide docs suggest Flynn won't ever testify himself? Oh, yes. The committee can require him to show up and take the Fifth Amendment, and indeed congressional committees have done that with officials like Lois Lerner of the IRS in recent years. But committees have also accepted lawyers saying their clients would take the Fifth and not even call them in. In any event, you don't get any information from such a witness.

So Flynn refusing to cooperate might actually not be a crazy move for him?There could have always been negotiations with him had he been willing to cooperate. For example, say he's only concerned about criminal investigation about his payments from Turkey. He could have negotiated an arrangement with the Senate Intelligence Committee in which he gave them whatever documents they had like his personal calendar relating to the Russian matter but not the Turkish matter.

It was worth trying to see whether he had any willingness to cooperate at all. The answer [may ultimately be] no, which would also change how the Congress and the public visualize him. He'd look a lot less like someone caught up in an investigation, and more like a criminal defendant.

Follow Allie Conti on Twitter.

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Can Michael Flynn Really Defy Congress and Get Away with It? - VICE

May 18, 17by Albert Robinson

(IDEX Online) The Israel Diamond Exchange (IDE) has opened a new wing dedicated to promoting internet marketing among its members.

It is the latest development by the Israeli diamond industry in electronic commerce initiatives over the past year, signaling a new direction for the industry, the IDE said in a statement.

The new internet marketing facility, which is available to bourse members, is manned by staff to instruct diamantaires in how to join e-commerce platforms and how to upload their goods. It is equipped with computers and 360 degree cameras for photographing diamonds to upload on e-commerce websites.

Yoram Dvash, President of the Israel Diamond Exchange, said, "We are making great efforts to provide new marketing channels to our members, and to encourage them to use the internet as a selling tool. I believe that this will give our industry a relative advantage. We need to look ahead, and this is the direction of the future."

This year, the IDE, together with the Israel Diamond Institute, launched GET-DIAMONDS, the Israeli diamond industry's official diamond trading platform. It offers international and local buyers free access to all Israeli diamonds via an advanced B2B trading platform, free of charge, which is user friendly, and accessible at any time and from anywhere, the IDE said.

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Israel Diamond Exchange Opens Internet Marketing Wing - IDEX Online

A brawl outside theTurkish Embassy in Washington, D.C., was captured on video Tuesday -- as witnesses claimed that members of PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdogan's security detail attacked protesters. Erdogan was in the U.S. for a meeting with President Donald Trump at the time.

Two people were arrested after the incident: one for aggravated assault and one for assault on a police officer. 11 people were hurt in the brawl, including a police officer.

"We witnessed what appeared to be a brutal attack on peaceful protesters," a police official said on Wednesday.

Witnesses toldThe Guardianthat the fight erupted when the Turkish presidents security attacked protesters carrying the flag of the Kurdish PYD party outside the embassy, hours after Erdogan met with Trump at the White House.

Video footage posted on social media showed some protesters bloodied as others were being beaten on the ground.

All of the sudden they just ran towards us, said Yazidi Kurd demonstrator Lucy Usoyan. She said a pro-Erdogan supporter attacked her.

ACTIVISTS URGE TRUMP TO PROD ERDOGAN ON RIGHTS

Someone was beating me in the head nonstop, and I thought, Okay, Im on the ground already, what is the purpose to beat me? she added.

Metropolitan police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck said the altercation broke out between two groups.

"The actions seen outside the Turkish Embassy yesterday in Washington, D.C. stand in contrast to the First Amendment rights and principles we work tirelessly to protect each and everyday," the police department said in a statement issued on Wednesday.

"The Metropolitan Police Department made two arrests following yesterday's incidents and we have every intention to pursue charges against the other individuals involved. We will continue to work with our partners at the United States State Department and United States Secret Service to identify and hold all subjects accountable for their involvement in the altercation."

MATTIS MEETS WITH TURKEY PM AMID DISPUTE OVER ARMING SYRIAN KURDS

Trump and Erdogan met to try to renew ties after the U.S. announced it was going to supply arms to the Kurdish group in its fight against the Islamic State.

Turkey considers the group a terror organization.

It is absolutely unacceptable to take the YPG-PYD into consideration as partners in the region, and its going against a global agreement we reached, Erdogan said. In the same way, we should never allow those groups who want to change the ethnic or religious structures in the region to use terrorism as a pretext, he added, suggesting that the Kurds were using the anti-ISIS fight as cover for separatist nationalism.

An investigation into the brawl is still ongoing. Police could not confirm that Erdogan's bodyguards were involved.

"This is a city where people should be able to come and peacefully protest," the police official said. "This is not something we can tolerate in our city."

Fox News' Jennifer Griffin, Matt Richardson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Erdogan's bodyguards accused of attacking protesters outside ...