3/10/2018

AFRICA/FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/SECRETARY OF STATE: “US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will resume his normal schedule on Sunday [3-11-18] after canceling his Saturday schedule of events due to illness. Tillerson arrived in Nairobi on Friday as part of a five-nation tour of Africa that includes Ethiopia, Chad, Nigeria and Djibouti. ‘The Secretary is feeling better […]

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3/10/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA: “North Korea has not conducted a Missile Test since November 28, 2017 and has promised not to do so through our meetings. I believe they will honor that commitment!” – Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Mar. 10, 2018 9:38am […]

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3/10/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/JAPAN/NORTH KOREA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Spoke to Prime Minister Abe of Japan, who is very enthusiastic about talks with North Korea. Also discussing opening up Japan to much better trade with the U.S. Currently have a massive $100 Billion Trade Deficit. Not fair or sustainable. It will all work out!” – Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Mar. […]

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3/10/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/IRAN/NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/NUCLEAR/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The planned meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by May will make it more likely the administration will kill the Iranian nuclear agreement, some current and former western officials said. … Wendy Sherman, the lead U.S. negotiator on the Iran deal who also […]

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3/10/2018

CHINA/FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Chinese President XI JINPING and I spoke at length about the meeting with KIM JONG UN of North Korea. President XI told me he appreciates that the U.S. is working to solve the problem diplomatically rather than going with the ominous alternative. China continues to be helpful!” – Donald Trump, Twitter.com, […]

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3/9/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/SOUTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Since his election in May, President Moon Jae-in of South Korea has been something of an odd man out in Washington’s ‘maximum pressure’ campaign on North Korea, calling again and again for talks as President Trump was threatening ‘fire and fury.’ At one point, Mr. Trump even accused him […]

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3/9/2018

AUSTRALIA/FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Spoke to PM @TurnbullMalcolm of Australia. He is committed to having a very fair and reciprocal military and trade relationship. Working very quickly on a security agreement so we don’t have to impose steel or aluminum tariffs on our ally, the great nation of Australia!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Mar. 9, 2018 […]

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3/9/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The White House on Friday [3-9-18] appeared to set new conditions for a meeting between President Donald Trump and the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, saying that the North must take ‘concrete steps’ toward denuclearizing for the U.S. to follow through on Trump’s acceptance of Kim’s invitation the previous […]

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3/9/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/SOUTH KOREA /TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “For at least two decades, leaders in North Korea have been seeking a personal meeting with an American president. Now, as a summit unexpectedly appears possible, analysts fear U.S. President Donald Trump’s understaffed administration may lack the expertise to successfully turn a political spectacle long sought by Pyongyang […]

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3/9/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s decision to accept a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un caught the world off guard. In agreeing to sit down with North Korea’s third-generation leader, Mr. Trump has boosted the stature of Mr. Kim—a man he has ridiculed as ‘Little Rocket Man’ and threatened with […]

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3/8/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/TARIFFS/TPP/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A trade pact originally conceived by the United States to counter China’s growing economic might in Asia now has a new target: President Trump’s embrace of protectionism. A group of 11 nations — including major United States allies like Japan, Canada and Australia — is set to sign a broad […]

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3/8/2018

AUSTRALIA/CANADA/FOREIGN POLICY/MEXICO/TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE/GARY D. COHN: “President Trump defied opposition from his own party and protests from overseas on Thursday [3-8-18] as he signed an order imposing stiff and sweeping new tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. But he sought to soften the impact on America’s closest allies with a more flexible plan […]

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3/8/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/SOUTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, has invited President Trump to meet for negotiations over its nuclear program, an audacious diplomatic overture that would bring together two strong-willed, idiosyncratic leaders who have traded threats of war. The White House said that Mr. Trump had accepted the invitation, and Chung Eui-yong, […]

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3/8/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/SOUTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Mar. 8, 2018 […]

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3/8/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump on Thursday [3-8-18] signed proclamations imposing steep tariffs on steel and aluminum but granting the administration flexibility on the levels and the ability to spare critical U.S. allies… But both Mr. Trump and a senior administration official, speaking Thursday morning ahead of the 3:30 p.m. announcement, indicated […]

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3/8/2018

CANADA/FOREIGN POLICY/MEXICO/NAFTA/TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump on Thursday [3-8-18] said he would maintain flexibility to adjust proposed metals tariffs on a country-by-country basis, hours before he is expected to meet with metal industry executives and workers to discuss the new trade actions… The president said tariffs might not be necessary on Canada and […]

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3/8/2018

CHINA/FOREIGN POLICY/TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump tweeted Wednesday [3-7-18] that Washington had asked Beijing for a $1 billion reduction—less than 0.3% of the countries’ annual trade gap or around one day’s worth of the trade imbalance. His tweet was off by $99 billion. … It is unclear how feasible the deficit-reduction goal is […]

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3/8/2018

CHINA/FOREIGN POLICY/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration is asking Beijing for a plan to cut the annual U.S. trade deficit with China by $100 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. President Donald Trump tweeted Wednesday [3-7-18] that Washington had asked Beijing for a $1 billion reduction—less than 0.3% of the countries’ annual […]

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3/8/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s planned tariffs on steel and aluminum threaten a world-trading regime already battered by mounting protectionism and its struggle to tame China’s state-driven capitalism. Mr. Trump is expected to sign a proclamation this week outlining his plan to impose the tariffs, which have angered close U.S. allies. European […]

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3/8/2018

AMBASSADOR/FOREIGN POLICY/MEXICO/TRUMP FAMILY/JARED KUSHNER: “The US ambassador to Mexico was not invited to a meeting between senior White House adviser Jared Kushner and Mexican officials, including President Enrique Peña Nieto, a US official told CNN. Roberta Jacobson, a career diplomat who has more than 30 years of experience in the region, announced her retirement earlier […]

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3/7/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/ISRAEL/PALESTINE/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “In two months, the United States plans to open a new embassy to fulfill President Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. There’s just one problem: The embassy may be in Jerusalem, but it may not be fully in Israel. The diplomatic compound that will serve as the American Embassy until […]

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3/7/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/SYRIA/TURKEY: “The Turkish government took the extraordinary step on Wednesday [3-7-18] of asking the United States to stop Kurdish commanders from diverting their forces from areas of eastern Syria to the fight in Afrin in the west. The request followed an announcement from the Kurdish forces, which are allied with the United States in […]

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3/7/2018

EU/FOREIGN POLICY/TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “European Union officials unveiled an array of tariffs on Wednesday [3-7-18] that they would place on American-made goods if the United States followed through on President Trump’s plan to impose penalties on imported steel and aluminum, raising the specter of a trade war. The announcement in Brussels was the latest […]

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3/7/2018

COMMERCE/FOREIGN POLICY/TRADE DEALS: “The foreign-trade deficit widened in January for the fifth straight month and hit its largest level in over nine years, as exports weakened in the first month of 2018. The U.S. trade gap in goods and services expanded 5.0% from the prior month to a seasonally adjusted $56.60 billion in January, the […]

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3/7/2018

AMBASSADOR/FOREIGN POLICY/RUSSIA: “Russia’s new ambassador to the United States has been described as both ruthless and charming. Since his arrival in Washington six months ago, he has emphasized the charm — hosting parties, giving speeches and even launching a bluegrass-backed embassy podcast at a moment of bitter U.S.-Russian relations. But Anatoly Antonov says he has […]

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3/6/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/NUCLEAR/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump called an offer by North Korea to discuss giving up its nuclear weapons sincere, but top administration officials Tuesday [3-6-18] stopped short of a commitment to open talks with Pyongyang. The White House’s wariness stems from three decades of frustrated diplomacy and fears that North Korea […]

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3/6/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump will face reporters on Tuesday [3-6-18] amid questions about chaos inside the White House and new prospects for talks with North Korea. Trump and his Swedish counterpart will convene a joint news conference at 3:30 p.m. ET in the East Room after sitting for talks. Trump attempted to […]

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3/6/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/SOUTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump hailed ‘possible progress’ Tuesday [3-6-18] in talks between North Korea and South Korea, hours after the US ally said that North Korea is willing to talk to the United States about giving up its nuclear program… North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has also agreed […]

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3/6/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/NUCLEAR/SOUTH KOREA: “North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told a visiting South Korean delegation that he was willing to hold talks with the U.S. about giving up nuclear weapons and normalizing relations with Washington, officials in Seoul said Tuesday [3-6-18]. During meetings in Pyongyang, Mr. Kim, who has conducted a series of […]

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3/6/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Possible progress being made in talks with North Korea. For the first time in many years, a serious effort is being made by all parties concerned. The World is watching and waiting! May be false hope, but the U.S. is ready to go hard in either direction!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, […]

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3/6/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/REX TILLERSON/STATE/TERRORISM/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson heads to Africa this week for a five-nation trip focusing on counterterrorism, China’s influence and fence-mending, a visit that comes as the Trump administration tries to set out its priorities there. The one-week tour by the most senior Trump administration official to visit the continent […]

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3/5/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/ISRAEL/PALESTINE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “In the midst of his campaign, President Trump vowed to bring peace to the Middle East by playing it down the middle between Israel and the Palestinians. ‘Let me be sort of a neutral guy,’ he said. Two years later, any hopes of being the neutral guy are long gone. In […]

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3/5/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/ISRAEL/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump said on Monday [3-5-18] that he might visit Israel in May to preside over the opening of a new American embassy in Jerusalem in what would be a potent act of symbolism, even as he expressed optimism that Palestinians angered by the move would nonetheless return to the peacemaking […]

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3/5/2018

CYBERWAR/FOREIGN POLICY/INTELLIGENCE/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA: “A Belarusian escort with close ties to a powerful Russian oligarch said from behind bars in Bangkok on Monday [3-5-18] that she had more than 16 hours of audio recordings that could help shed light on Russian meddling in United States elections. The escort, Anastasia Vashukevich, said she would hand over the […]

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3/5/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/ISRAEL/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives at the White House on Monday [3-5-18], it will be under clouds of controversy — both his own and those of his hosts. Netanyahu and his inner circle are entangled in a series of corruption scandals back home that has put his political future […]

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3/5/2018

AMBASSADOR/FOREIGN POLICY/TURKEY: “The U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey closed Monday [3-5-18] due to an unspecified security threat, though local media reports the closure came as Turkish authorities detained several suspects on charges of plotting an attack against the embassy. According to The Anadolu Agency, the country’s state-run media outlet, the suspects are Iraqi nationals and […]

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3/4/2018

CHINA/ FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The comment was made behind closed doors, and appeared to be in jest: President Trump told donors on Saturday [3-3-18] that China’s president, Xi Jinping, was now ‘president for life,’ and added: ‘I think it’s great. Maybe we’ll want to give that a shot someday.’ … On Saturday evening, at the annual Gridiron dinner in […]

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3/4/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP FAMILY/JARED KUSHNER: “After nearly a year, a Trump administration effort to devise a blueprint for Middle East peace has yet to materialize and now faces a growing array of obstacles even before it has been unveiled, experts and diplomats say. White House adviser Jared Kushner, who has been leading the effort, and chief […]

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3/3/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/NUCLEAR/SOUTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “In the midst of a joke-filled monologue at a dinner with journalists, President Donald Trump suggested on Saturday [3-3-18] that the United States will be meeting with North Korea but has told Pyongyang it must first ‘denuke.’ ‘Now we are talking and they, by the way, called up a couple of […]

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3/2/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump Friday [3-2-18] said that ‘trade wars are good’ in a tweet the morning after he announced the U.S. would impose steep tariffs on steel and aluminum, a move that prompted America’s trading partners around the world to suggest they would retaliate… It appeared Mr. Trump was referring […]

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3/2/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s planned tariffs on steel and aluminum prompted angry responses from U.S. allies around the globe Friday [3-2-18], driving down stock prices and generating warnings of a possible international trade war. Allies in Asia and Europe lobbied for a change of heart and took issue with Mr. Trump’s […]

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3/2/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “When a country (USA) is losing many billions of dollars on trade with virtually every country it does business with, trade wars are good, and easy to win. Example, when we are down $100 billion with a certain country and they get cute, don’t trade anymore-we win big. It’s easy!” […]

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3/1/2018

ECONOMY/FOREIGN POLICY/GARY COHEN/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Gary Cohn, President Donald Trump’s top economic adviser, has been rumored to be on the brink of leaving the White House for months but stayed for one main reason: to stop the president from imposing steep tariffs. By Thursday afternoon, Cohn had lost the fight. In a meeting with steel […]

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3/1/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration summoned steel and aluminum executives on short notice for a White House meeting on Thursday [3-1-18], telling some of them that an announcement could be made then on long-awaited curbs on steel and aluminum imports in the name of protecting national security, according to people familiar with […]

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3/1/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Our Steel and Aluminum industries (and many others) have been decimated by decades of unfair trade and bad policy with countries from around the world. We must not let our country, companies and workers be taken advantage of any longer. We want free, fair and SMART TRADE!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, […]

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2/27/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/SPORTS/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “North Korea’s declaration at the end of the Winter Olympics of its willingness to start a dialogue with the United States offered a sliver of optimism that the political pageantry of the Games would lead to more substantial results. A day after the closing ceremony, President Trump responded that the […]

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2/27/2018

AMBASSADOR/FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/STATE: “Joseph Yun, the top U.S. diplomat on North Korea issues, said Tuesday [2-27-18] that he plans to retire this week, dealing a blow to Washington’s efforts at outreach to Pyongyang as the regime signals its interest in dialogue with the U.S. Mr. Yun confirmed the news, reported earlier by CNN, in an […]

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2/26/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/SOUTH KOREA/SPORTS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “South Korea’s leader urged the U.S. to ease preconditions for talks with North Korea, as the left-leaning administration in Seoul sought to extend an Olympics-driven rapprochement with Pyongyang and head off the possibility of a new flare-up. President Moon Jae-in said in a meeting on Monday [2-26-18] with a […]

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2/25/2018

BORDER/FOREIGN POLICY/MEXICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WALL: “Plans for a meeting between President Donald Trump and Mexico’s Enrique Peña Nieto have been shelved for the second time in a year over disagreements about the funding of a border wall, Trump administration officials said. The border wall has been a key issue for Mr. Trump since he began campaigning […]

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2/23/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP BUSINESS/TRUMP FAMILY/DONALD JR: “After days of controversy over Donald Trump Jr.’s apparent mixing of his family’s private real-estate interests and American foreign policy during a trip to India this week, Mr. Trump dropped his plans to make a speech about international affairs on Friday [2-23-18]. Instead, he went in the opposite direction, sitting […]

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2/23/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/ISRAEL/PALESTINE/STATE: “The Trump administration is expected to move its US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem sometime in May, according to a senior State Department official. While symbolically important, the move is likely a preliminary step in a broader relocation effort initiated by the administration in December, which Secretary of State Rex […]

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2/23/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/ISRAEL/PALESTINE/STATE: “The State Department is set to begin operating its embassy in Jerusalem in May and is entertaining an unusual offer from Sheldon Adelson, Republican Party donor and casino magnate, to help pay for a new facility after an initial move from Tel Aviv, U.S. officials said. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson late Thursday […]

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2/23/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRADE DEALS/TREASURY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration on Friday [2-23-18] levied what it called its largest ever North Korea sanctions package, hitting dozens of shipping and trading companies as it seeks to further cut off foreign-currency revenues keeping the nuclear-armed regime afloat. The administration sanctioned nearly 60 companies and ships and one individual […]

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2/22/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/IRAQ/REX TILLERSON/STATE/SYRIA: “The Trump administration has decided that it needs no new legal authority from Congress to indefinitely keep American military forces deployed in Syria and Iraq, even in territory that has been cleared of Islamic State fighters, according to Pentagon and State Department officials. In a pair of letters, the officials illuminated the […]

Read More… from 2/22/2018

2/22/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/SOUTH KOREA/TRUMP FAMILY/IVANKA: “North Korea said an army general tied to two attacks on South Korean forces would lead its delegation to the Winter Olympics’ closing ceremonies this weekend, presenting a diplomatic quandary for U.S. presidential adviser Ivanka Trump, who is also set to attend. The potential for an encounter, planned or unplanned, […]

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2/22/2018

BANKING/FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TREASURY: “A Latvian bank threatened with U.S. sanctions for allegedly conducting a global money laundering scheme, including for companies connected to North Korea’s missile program, is seeking more than a half billion dollars in government bailout money in an effort to stay afloat. The accusations against ABLV Bank by the U.S. Treasury Department […]

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2/21/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/CHINA/PAKISTAN/SAUDI ARABIA/TURKEY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Saudi Arabia joined Turkey and China in a move to block a U.S.-led attempt this week to place Pakistan on an international terror-financing watch list, according to officials involved in the process, in a rare disagreement between Riyadh and the Trump administration. Saudi Arabia’s move on behalf of Pakistan came […]

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2/21/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/NATO/TURKEY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Five months ago, President Donald Trump hailed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a friend and said the two North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies had never been closer. But Mr. Trump’s optimistic view masked a more complicated reality: Turkey quickly has become one of the Trump administration’s most vexing relationships. Relations […]

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2/21/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/INDIA/TRUMP BUSINESS/TRUMP FAMILY/DONALD JR: “Donald Trump Jr. praised the ‘spirit’ of the ‘poorest of the poor’ in India during a business trip there to sell luxury condos… The President’s eldest son arrived in India Tuesday. During his trip, he will dine with buyers of the Trump-branded apartments in at least two cities, and his […]

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2/20/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/MEDIA/OBAMA ADMIN: “Thank you to @foxandfriends for the great timeline on all of the failures the Obama Administration had against Russia, including Crimea, Syria and so much more. We are now starting to win again!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 20, 2018 07:24am […]

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2/20/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/NUCLEAR ENERGY/SAUDI ARABIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration is pursuing a deal to sell nuclear reactors to Saudi Arabia despite the kingdom’s refusal to accept the most stringent restrictions against the proliferation of nuclear weapons, U.S. officials say. Saudi Arabia’s nuclear energy ambitions could open a new market worth tens of billions of dollars, […]

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2/16/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration on Friday [2-16-18] said it was weighing broad-based tariffs and quotas to curb imports of steel and aluminum to protect national security, though officials stressed no final decisions had yet been made and the ultimate policy could be considerably more limited. The recommendations were part of internal […]

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2/16/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/NATO/REX TILLERSON/STATE/TURKEY: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Friday [2-16-18] said the U.S. and Turkey won’t ‘act alone any longer,’ but the North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies fell short of immediate concrete steps to improve what the top U.S. diplomat described as a ‘crisis point’ in relations. The two countries instead pledged to form […]

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2/12/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/TAXES/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump said Monday [2-12-18] he planned to announce as soon as this week what he called a ‘reciprocal tax’ on trade, aimed at countries that he said are taking advantage of the U.S. Mr. Trump’s blueprint for the tax surprised some of his top aides, who warned that […]

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2/12/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/REX TILLERSON/SOUTH KOREA/STATE: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said ‘it’s too early to judge’ whether new overtures involving North and South Korea could lead to a serious diplomatic process regarding Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program… Mr. Tillerson’s comments followed a weekend in which the start of the Winter Olympics in South Korea gave rise […]

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2/11/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/NATO/SYRIA/TURKEY: “Western diplomats hope to use a high-level gathering of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization this week to keep members U.S. and Turkey from going to battle against each other in Syria. They have already come close to direct conflict. Turkey, angered by U.S. support for Syrian Kurdish militants whom Ankara considers terrorists, has […]

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2/10/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/MIKE PENCE/SPORTS: “U.S. Vice President Mike Pence can’t attend a sporting event these days without attracting a controversy. Four months after causing a ruckus by leaving a National Football League game after some players protested during the national anthem, Pence drew criticism from some Koreans after he remained seated as the unified Korean team […]

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2/9/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/LIBYA/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Presidential Message to the Congress of the United States TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES: Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days before the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the […]

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2/9/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/LIBYA/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Notice Regarding the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Libya On February 25, 2011, by Executive Order 13566, the President declared a national emergency pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701‑1706) to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign […]

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2/9/2018

ABORTION/FOREIGN POLICY/HEALTHCARE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration said just four out of 733 organizations that have received US funding to deliver health services have turned down US grants rather than accept new rules that forbid the US providing aid to promote or perform abortions overseas. Advocates said that claim drastically downplays the impact of the […]

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2/9/2018

BUDGET/FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/NATO: “Fewer than half of NATO’s 29 members have made plans to reach the alliance’s military-spending target, according to allied officials. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is expected to announce Tuesday [2-13-18] that European military spending continues to rise. But the overall increase obscures the reality that many allies haven’t adopted plans, as they […]

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2/8/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The American-backed coalition in Syria has repelled an attack by forces supporting the Assad government, carrying out deadly strikes Wednesday [2-7-18] night, in a rare confrontation between competing factions that have both fought the Islamic State… The S.D.F., a mix of Kurdish, Arab and other fighters, is allied with the international […]

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2/8/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/IRAN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The White House secretly reached out to Iran in December to propose creating a direct channel to negotiate the release of prisoners held by each side, according to U.S. officials and people briefed about the discussions, marking the first U.S. diplomatic overture to Iran on the issue under President Donald Trump. […]

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2/7/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/MIKE PENCE/NORTH KOREA/SOUTH KOREA: “Vice President Mike Pence, dispatched to Asia to blunt a North Korean charm offensive at South Korea’s Olympic Games, said Wednesday [2-7-18] that the United States planned to levy the toughest sanctions yet on the North over its nuclear and missile programs. Mr. Pence’s threat, delivered in Tokyo, came two […]

Read More… from 2/7/2018

2/6/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/MIKE PENCE/NORTH KOREA: “Vice President Mike Pence on Monday [2-5-18] did not rule out contact with North Korean officials when he attends the Winter Olympics in South Korea this week, saying, ‘I have not requested a meeting, but we’ll see what happens.’ The comments came as North Korean athletes, artists and officials were descending […]

Read More… from 2/6/2018

2/5/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP FAMILY/IVANKA: “Ivanka Trump will lead the Presidential delegation to South Korea for the closing ceremony of the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic winter games, a White House official told CNN Monday [2-5-18]. The first daughter and senior adviser was asked to attend the closing ceremony by her father, President Donald Trump, and the United States […]

Read More… from 2/5/2018

2/5/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/HEALTHCARE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/UK: “Donald Trump’s habit of testing the US relationship with Britain took a new turn Monday [2-5-18] when he attacked the UK’s National Health Service, claiming it is ‘going broke and not working.’ The US President hit out on Twitter minutes after a segment aired on Fox News that highlighted winter strains […]

Read More… from 2/5/2018

2/5/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/NATIONAL SECURITY/NUCLEAR/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The U.S. has met the limits on the number of deployed nuclear warheads it is allowed under a 2010 treaty with Russia, the State Department said Monday, and expects to find Moscow in compliance with its obligations as well. The State Department said the U.S. has fulfilled its commitments under […]

Read More… from 2/5/2018

2/2/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/STATE/SUDAN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The U.S. imposed an arms embargo on South Sudan Friday [2-3-18], in a sign of Washington’s mounting frustration with continued violence in the country. The move is more symbolic than practical, as the U.S. government doesn’t sell arms or provide defense services to South Sudan, and there is virtually no military […]

Read More… from 2/2/2018

2/1/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration warned Syria about an increase in the use of poison gas against civilians, despite last year’s cruise-missile strike aimed at deterring the Assad regime from carrying out such attacks. U.S. officials on Thursday [2-1-18] said the Syrian military was shifting tactics to try to conceal its role in […]

Read More… from 2/1/2018

2/1/2018

AUSTRALIA/FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U.S. President Donald Trump will meet with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at the White House on Feb. 23, the White House said in a statement on Thursday. ‘The president and prime minister will discuss a range of shared bilateral, regional, and global priorities, including fighting terrorism, promoting economic growth, and […]

Read More… from 2/1/2018

2/1/2018

CHINA/FOREIGN POLICY/REX TILLERSON/RUSSIA/STATE: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson criticized Chinese and Russian attempts to expand footholds in Latin America as the chief U.S. diplomat prepared to embark Thursday on a visit to the region… Mr. Tillerson took particular aim at China and criticized what he described as Beijing’s unfair trading practices… China is the largest […]

Read More… from 2/1/2018

1/31/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration extended protections for roughly 7,000 Syrian nationals in the US due to the ongoing civil war in the country, the agency announced Wednesday [1-31-18] evening. But Syrians who arrived in the US after August 2016 will not be eligible under the new policy. The protections for Syria were […]

Read More… from 1/31/2018

1/31/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Russia is solidifying its footing close to U.S. shores, in the Caribbean, a region Moscow abandoned after the Cold War and has gradually returned to with investment, diplomacy and military hardware. In recent months Russia has developed a multidimensional relationship with the tiny nation of Grenada, whose name has resonated with […]

Read More… from 1/31/2018

1/31/2018

AFGHANISTAN/FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “US President Donald Trump’s first State of the Union touched on a number of international issues, including North Korea and the battle to defeat ISIS, but he didn’t offer any specifics and barely mentioned Russia or China… Here’s what he did include: Afghanistan Amid a deteriorating security situation on the ground, […]

Read More… from 1/31/2018

1/31/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/ISRAEL/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “US President Donald Trump’s first State of the Union touched on a number of international issues, including North Korea and the battle to defeat ISIS, but he didn’t offer any specifics and barely mentioned Russia or China… Here’s what he did include: Israel One of the Trump administration’s staunchest international allies, […]

Read More… from 1/31/2018

1/31/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/IRAN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “US President Donald Trump’s first State of the Union touched on a number of international issues, including North Korea and the battle to defeat ISIS, but he didn’t offer any specifics and barely mentioned Russia or China… Here’s what he did include: Iran Trump has persistently criticized the multilateral Iranian nuclear […]

Read More… from 1/31/2018

1/31/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/TERRORISM/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “US President Donald Trump’s first State of the Union touched on a number of international issues, including North Korea and the battle to defeat ISIS, but he didn’t offer any specifics and barely mentioned Russia or China… Here’s what he did include: ISIS One of Trump’s major foreign policy successes, he […]

Read More… from 1/31/2018

1/31/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “US President Donald Trump’s first State of the Union touched on a number of international issues, including North Korea and the battle to defeat ISIS, but he didn’t offer any specifics and barely mentioned Russia or China… Here’s what he did include: North Korea The threat posed by North Korea’s […]

Read More… from 1/31/2018

1/30/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/PALESTINE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/UN: “Almost a dozen countries have agreed to advance their annual contributions to the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees to help it plug a major shortfall after a partial cut-off of U.S. funding, its chief said on Tuesday [1-31-18]. The move by the Trump administration appears linked to a United Nations vote […]

Read More… from 1/30/2018

1/30/2018

FOREIGN POLICY/RUSSIA/TREASURY: “The U.S. Treasury Department released an unclassified list of Russian senior political figures and oligarchs, provoking ire in Moscow even as its consequences were unclear. The list totaled more than 200 names of top officials, heads of state-controlled companies and wealthy businessmen. President Vladimir Putin isn’t on the list, but top Kremlin aides […]

Read More… from 1/30/2018

1/29/2018

AMBASSADOR/FOREIGN POLICY/IRAN/NIKKI HALEY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/UN: “The Trump administration escalated efforts to put pressure on Iran on Monday [1-29-18], taking ambassadors from the United Nations Security Council on a field trip to inspect what American officials called remnants of Iranian missiles and other weaponry illegally supplied to Yemen rebels. The ambassadors were also White House lunch […]

Read More… from 1/29/2018

1/29/2018

CHINA/FOREIGN POLICY/TRADE DEALS: “Lawmakers are moving to stanch the flow of U.S. technology to foreign investors, creating potential problems for a number of American companies that have bet big on partnering with China. The Senate and House, with the backing of the White House, are working on bipartisan legislation to broaden the authority of the […]

Read More… from 1/29/2018