4/25/2017

TRUMP FAMILY/IVANKA: “Proud of @IvankaTrump for her leadership on these important issues. Looking forward to hearing her speak at the W20! https://t.co/e6Uajrm8zp” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 25, 2017 06:23am […]

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4/25/2017

AGRICULTURE/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS: “By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to ensure the informed exercise of regulatory authority that affects agriculture and rural communities, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Policy. A reliable, safe, and affordable […]

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4/24/2017

CLIMATE CHANGE/ENERGY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP EXEC ORDERS: “U.S. President Donald Trump this week will sign new executive orders before he completes his first 100 days in office, including two on energy and the environment, which would make it easier for the United States to develop energy on and offshore, a White House official said on Sunday […]

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4/24/2017

FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TURKEY: “President Trump issued a statement that studiously avoided the term ‘genocide’ as he marked the 102nd anniversary of the Armenian genocide on Monday [4-24-17], following past presidents’ decisions that it’s more important to avoid offending Turkey than support aggrieved Armenian Americans. ‘Beginning in 1915, one and a half million Armenians were […]

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4/24/2017

HOLIDAY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Today, I signed the Holocaust Remembrance Proclamation: https://www.facebook.com/DonaldTrump/posts/10159027593260725 … #ICYMI- My statement last night at the @WorldJewishCong.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 24, 2017 03:32pm […]

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4/24/2017

FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP FAMILY/IVANKA: “German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s visit to the White House last month may have been filled with awkward moments, but she left with one key takeaway — identifying the first daughter as her back-channel to President Donald Trump. The White House was broadly criticized for seating Ivanka Trump, who at the time held […]

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4/25/2017

FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP FAMILY/IVANKA: “German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s visit to the White House last month may have been filled with awkward moments, but she left with one key takeaway — identifying the first daughter as her back-channel to President Donald Trump. The White House was broadly criticized for seating Ivanka Trump, who at the time held […]

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4/24/2017

FOREIGN POLICY/POLITICS/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Trump administration officials will hold a rare briefing for the entire Senate at the White House on North Korea as tensions continue to mount with the oppressive regime. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said the briefing scheduled for Wednesday will be led by Secretary of State Tillerson, Secretary of […]

Read More… from 4/24/2017

4/24/2017

FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Trump administration officials will hold a rare briefing for the entire Senate at the White House on North Korea as tensions continue to mount with the oppressive regime. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said the briefing scheduled for Wednesday will be led by Secretary of State Tillerson, Secretary of […]

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4/24/2017

ATTORNEY GENERAL/BORDER/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE/WALL/JEFF SESSIONS: “Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Sunday he does not expect the Mexican government to outright pay for President Donald Trump’s border wall, but there are a number of ways to extract the billions of dollars needed to build it. Sessions made his comments in an appearance on ABC’s ‘This […]

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4/24/2017

CELEBS/MISC: “Join me in congratulating @NASA’s @AstroPeggy by using the hashtag #CongratsPeggy! Earlier today: http://45.wh.gov/YBZbAo “ -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 24, 2017 12:11pm […]

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4/24/2017

BORDER/MEXICO/WALL: “….the wall is not built, which it will be, the drug situation will NEVER be fixed the way it should be! #BuildTheWall” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 24, 2017 10:31am […]

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4/24/2017

TRUMP PEOPLE/SEAN SPICER: “Weekday afternoons at 1:30, it’s the can’t-miss Sean Spicer Show. President Trump refuses to axe his harried, gaffe-prone press secretary because his daily briefings are ratings gold, an insider told the Washington Post for a story published Sunday. ‘I’m not firing Sean Spicer,’ Trump reportedly said during a White House lunch last […]

Read More… from 4/24/2017

4/24/2017

BORDER/BUDGET/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WALL: “Fights over money to pay for a border wall — as well as Obamacare subsidies and an infusion of resources for the military — are threatening to trip up congressional talks over a funding bill to head off a government shutdown Friday [4-28-17]. Bipartisan negotiators have spent weeks methodically working through hundreds […]

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4/24/2017

CABINET/IMF/TREASURY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE/STEVE MNUCHIN/WORLD BANK: “Leaders of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund may have this past weekend won the qualified backing of the Trump administration, but their work is hardly done. Both institutions will likely still have to prove to their largest and most powerful shareholder that they represent an efficient […]

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4/24/2017

FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “With tensions rising between the US and North Korea, the Pentagon on Sunday called for the isolated communist nation to avoid destabilizing the situation further. ‘We call on (North Korea) to refrain from provocative, destabilizing actions and rhetoric, and to make the strategic choice to fulfill its international obligations and […]

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4/24/2017

AFGHANISTAN/CABINET/DEFENSE/FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP PEOPLE/JAMES MATTIS: “Defense Secretary Jim Mattis made an unannounced trip to Afghanistan to meet with Afghan leaders and U.S. military officials Monday [4-24-17], taking a fresh look at a 15-year war where he served during its first optimistic months. Mattis’ visit capped a six-country tour through the Middle East, his first as secretary […]

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4/24/2017

BORDER/MEXICO/WALL: “The Wall is a very important tool in stopping drugs from pouring into our country and poisoning our youth (and many others)!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 24, 2017 07:28am […]

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4/24/2017

FAKE NEWS/MEDIA: “The two fake news polls released yesterday, ABC & NBC, while containing some very positive info, were totally wrong in General E. Watch!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 24, 2017 07:15am […]

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4/24/2017

HHS/PUBLIC FIGURES/TRUMP PEOPLE/VIVEK MURTHY/TOM PRICE: “Surgeon General Vivek Murthy resigned at the request of the White House after assisting in the transition to the Trump administration. Dr. Murthy’s deputy, Rear Adm. Sylvia Trent-Adams, will assume the position of acting surgeon general. Trent-Adams, a 24-year veteran of the corps, also served as its chief nurse officer […]

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4/23/2017

DONALD ON DONALD/FAKE NEWS/MEDIA: “New polls out today are very good considering that much of the media is FAKE and almost always negative. Would still beat Hillary in…popular vote. ABC News/Washington Post Poll (wrong big on election) said almost all stand by their vote on me & 53% said strong leader.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April […]

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4/23/2017

BORDER/MEXICO/WALL: “Eventually, but at a later date so we can get started early, Mexico will be paying, in some form, for the badly needed border wall.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 23, 2017 10:44am […]

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4/23/2017

BUDGET/POLITICS/WALL: “The Democrats don’t want money from budget going to border wall despite the fact that it will stop drugs and very bad MS 13 gang members.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 23, 2017 10:42am […]

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4/22/2017

CLIMATE CHANGE/JOBS: “I am committed to keeping our air and water clean but always remember that economic growth enhances environmental protection. Jobs matter!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 22, 2017 04:49pm […]

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4/22/2017

HOLIDAY: “Today on Earth Day, we celebrate our beautiful forests, lakes and land. We stand committed to preserving the natural beauty of our nation.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 22, 2017 02:01pm […]

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4/22/2017

VETS: “Getting ready to visit Walter Reed Medical Center with Melania. Looking forward to seeing our bravest and greatest Americans!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 22, 2017 11:05am […]

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4/22/2017

IMMIGRATION: “RT @foxandfriends: Chicago approves new plan to hide illegal immigrants from the feds, plus give them access to city services” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 22, 2017 10:18am […]

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4/21/2017

DODD-FRANK/TREASURY/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of the Treasury Orderly Liquidation Authority Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, Public Law 111-203 (the “Dodd-Frank Act”), established an Orderly Liquidation Authority (OLA). Using OLA, the Secretary of the Treasury (Secretary) may place a financial company in receivership and initiate liquidation […]

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4/21/2017

CONSUMER PROTECTION/DODD-FRANK/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of the Treasury Financial Stability Oversight Council The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, Public Law 111-203 (the “Dodd-Frank Act”), authorizes the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) to determine that a nonbank financial company’s material financial distress or the nature, scope, size, scale, concentration, interconnectedness, […]

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4/21/2017

TAXES/TREASURY/TRUMP EXEC ORDERS: ” ‘Identifying and Reducing Tax Regulatory Burdens’ The order directs Secretary of Treasury Steve Mnuchin to review within 60 days all tax regulations put in place in 2016 and 2017 that put an ‘undue financial burden on United States taxpayers.’ Within 150 days, Mnunchin will submit a plan to the president detailing […]

Read More… from 4/21/2017

4/21/2017

POLITICS/SUPREME COURT: “A bipartisan group of voting rights advocates says the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature, the State Assembly, was gerrymandered by its Republican majority before the 2012 election — so artfully, in fact, that Democrats won a third fewer Assembly seats than Republicans despite prevailing in the popular vote. In November, in a […]

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4/21/2017

TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “.@POTUS @realDonaldTrump, @IvankaTrump, Jared Kushner, & Dina Powell in the Oval Office today w/ Aya & her brother Basel. #WelcomeHomeAya??” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 21, 2017 07:19pm […]

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4/21/2017

CABINET/RUSSIA/TREASURY/TRUMP PEOPLE/STEVE MNUCHIN: ” ‘The Treasury Department will not be issuing waivers to U.S. companies, including Exxon, authorizing drilling prohibited by current Russian sanctions,’ Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, said in a statement Friday. Mnuchin said he consulted with President Trump on the decision. Exxon had applied for a waiver from sanctions imposed by the Obama […]

Read More… from 4/21/2017

4/21/2017

2016 ELECTION/DOJ/FBI/INTELLIGENCE/POLITICS/MARY MCCORD/RUSSIA: “One of the top officials at the Justice Department overseeing the FBI’s probe of potential coordination between the Trump campaign and Russian meddling in the presidential election will leave the department next month. Mary McCord — a career prosecutor for over 20 years — has been serving as acting assistant attorney general […]

Read More… from 4/21/2017

4/21/2017

ATTORNEY GENERAL/IMMIGRATION/SANCTUARY CITIES/TRUMP PEOPLE/JEFF SESSIONS: “The U.S. Justice Department has escalated its approach to so-called ‘sanctuary cities,’ writing at least eight jurisdictions Friday to put them on notice they could be failing to cooperate with immigration authorities. Alan Hanson, the acting assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s grant-making arm, warned the cities that they’re […]

Read More… from 4/21/2017

TRUMP FAMILY/IVANKA: “Ivanka Trump is quietly staffing up, and she’s filling out her team in the West Wing with former officials from President George W. Bush’s administration. In addition to her close adviser Dina Powell, who served as chief of the personnel office in the Bush White House, the first daughter — who now serves […]

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4/21/2017

SPORTS: “After 5 SB victories since 2002, it was my honor to give Bob Kraft, Coach Belichick, and the players their first tour of the WH Residence.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 21, 2017 10:38pm […]

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4/21/2017

FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA: “Russian military aircraft were spotted flying off the coast of Alaska for the fourth time in as many days, a US defense official told CNN on Friday [4-21-17]. The two most recent sightings occurred late Wednesday and on Thursday, with the first involving two IL-38 maritime patrol aircraft and the second involving […]

Read More… from 4/21/2017

4/21/2017

BUDGET/DEFENSE/MILITARY/TRUMP PEOPLE/JAMES MATTIS: “Defense Secretary James Mattis has privately told Congress the Trump administration’s Pentagon budget request isn’t sufficient to cover the cost of rebuilding the military as President Donald Trump has vowed to do, four sources familiar with the conversations told CNN. Trump has repeatedly said he would rebuild the military with a massive […]

Read More… from 4/21/2017

4/21/2017

TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump on Friday claimed that he won’t get the credit he deserves for the first 100 days of his administration, seeking to manage expectations around what he called the ‘ridiculous standard’ of the upcoming milestone date. ‘No matter how much I accomplish during the ridiculous standard of the first 100 […]

Read More… from 4/21/2017

4/21/2017

FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “When President Donald Trump travels to Southeast Asia this fall, he will likely be going without the help of one key adviser: a chief of protocol. Vice President Mike Pence announced Thursday that the President will attend two summits in the Philippines and one in Vietnam this November, and before that, […]

Read More… from 4/21/2017

4/21/2017

TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “No matter how much I accomplish during the ridiculous standard of the first 100 days, & it has been a lot (including S.C.), media will kill!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 21, 2017 05:50am […]

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4/21/2017

CABINET/DEFENSE/FOREIGN POLICY/SYRIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/JAMES MATTIS: “U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Friday there was ‘no doubt’ that the Syrian government has chemical weapons, following a U.S. strike earlier this month on a Syrian air base that targeted a stockpile believed to have been used on a rebel-held town. ‘The bottom line is there can be no […]

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4/21/2017

TERRORISM: “Another terrorist attack in Paris. The people of France will not take much more of this. Will have a big effect on presidential election!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 21, 2017 05:32am […]

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4/21/2017

ECONOMY/JOBS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Donald Trump’s effort to force the federal government to ‘Buy American’ will be a challenge as foreign-owned companies already hauled in more money from federal contracts in the past three months than in any corresponding period in a decade. Much of the payout to foreign-owned firms in the first quarter of […]

Read More… from 4/21/2017

4/21/2017

IRS/TAXES/TREASURY/TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS: “By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Policy. The Federal tax system should be simple, fair, efficient, and pro-growth. The purposes of tax regulations should be to bring clarity to the […]

Read More… from 4/21/2017

4/20/2017

TRUMP MEMORANDA: “A Letter from the President to Certain Congressional Committee Chairs Dear Mr. Chairman: In accordance with section 1264 of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (Subtitle F, Public Law 114-328)(the “Act”) I have enclosed the initial report on its implementation. This report, compiled by the Departments of State, the Treasury, and other […]

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4/20/2017

TRADE DEALS/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Memorandum for the Director of the Federal Bureau By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Trade Expansion Act of 1962… Core industries such as steel (including specialty steel unique to defense applications), aluminum, vehicles, aircraft, shipbuilding, and semiconductors […]

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4/20/2017

CHINA/FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Mr. Trump’s confrontational and improvisational approach to foreign affairs has lifted his mood, fortunes and poll numbers in recent days. There are signs it has also made an impact on the Chinese, prodding them to finally use their leverage with their errant neighbor, North Korea. But Mr. Trump’s mix of […]

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4/20/2017

POPE FRANCIS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump wants to meet Pope Francis when he visits Europe next month. But the two world leaders have clashed in the past. ‘Obviously, we’d be honored to have an audience with His Holiness,’ White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters at Wednesday’s [4-19-17] press briefing. In response, Archbishop Angelo […]

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4/18/2017

ATTORNEY GENERAL/CABINET/DHS/TRUMP PEOPLE/JEFF SESSIONS/JOHN KELLY: “Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly say they are on a mission: dismantle transnational criminal organizations and stop gangs from pushing drugs over the southwest border. The two agency heads painted grim visions of a nation under siege on Tuesday [4-18-17]– using similarly ominous rhetoric in […]

Read More… from 4/18/2017

4/20/2017

CONFLICT OF INTEREST/EPA/TRUMP PEOPLE/SCOTT PRUITT: “Dow Chemical is pushing a Trump administration that’s open to scrapping regulations to ignore the findings of federal scientists who point to a family of widely used pesticides as harmful to about 1,800 critically threatened or endangered species. Lawyers representing Dow, whose CEO is a close adviser to President Donald […]

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4/20/2017

CABINET/TAXES/TREASURY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE/STEVE MNUCHIN: “Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Thursday [4-20-17] the Trump administration plans to release its tax reform proposal ‘very soon’ and promised that a sweeping overhaul of the tax code will get done. Speaking at a conference of international financial firms in Washington, Mr. Mnuchin said Treasury is ‘pretty close to […]

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4/20/2017

FBI/LEAKS/MEDIA: “The FBI is overhauling its media policy, restricting contacts between the news media and its employees amid controversy over alleged leaks, bureau officials told CNN. The new media policy was rolled out this week at a conference in Washington attended by FBI special agents in charge of its 56 field offices, according to officials […]

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4/20/2017

ATTORNEY GENERAL/IMMIGRATION/TRUMP PEOPLE/JEFF SESSIONS: “Attorney General Jeff Sessions said this week he was amazed that a judge in Hawaii could block President Donald Trump’s executive order halting immigration from several majority Muslim countries. Sessions made the comments in an interview with ‘The Mark Levin Show’ Tuesday [4-18-17] evening that was put online Wednesday. ‘We’ve got […]

Read More… from 4/20/2017

4/19/2017

POLITICS/PROTESTS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A march aimed at promoting scientific-based public policy in the Trump era is raising questions about the appropriateness of mixing science with politics. The ‘March for Science’ — whose beginnings reflect the viral birth of the Women’s March on Washington — occurs this Earth Day. It will be comprised of scientists and […]

Read More… from 4/19/2017

4/20/2017

BUDGET/FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The data tells us that in a single generation, funding from the United States and other donor nations has helped turn the tide against infectious diseases like polio and HIV/AIDS, while driving a child survival revolution that has saved 122 million children’s lives. The world has cut extreme poverty in half […]

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4/20/2017

JOBS: “We’re going to use American steel, we’re going to use American labor, we are going to come first in all deals. ➡️http://45.wh.gov/7xvM2D” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 20, 2017 02:33pm […]

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4/20/2017

AMBASSADOR/FOREIGN POLICY/NEW ZEALAND/TRUMP PEOPLE/SCOTT BROWN: “Scott Brown may soon be headed off to greener pastures. President Trump announced his intent to nominate Brown to be the next U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand on Thursday [4-20-17], offering him a plum ambassadorship to the kiwi country after Brown’s vocal 2016 campaign support. Brown, who served as senator […]

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4/20/2017

2016 ELECTION/CAMPAIGN/DREAMERS/IMMIGRATION/LEGAL/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A highly unusual and racially charged episode from the 2016 campaign suddenly resurfaced this week when a federal judge whom President Donald Trump repeatedly criticized last year was assigned to hear the case of a man who claims he was unfairly deported. Judge Gonzalo Curiel, who was born in the US […]

Read More… from 4/20/2017

4/20/2017

FOREIGN POLICY/MIKE PENCE: “Vice President Mike Pence praised Indonesia for its tradition of ‘modern Islam’ Thursday [4-20-17], sending a conciliatory message to the Islamic world as the Trump administration continues to cause unease among Muslims. Pence was speaking in the world’s most populous Muslim nation midway through a 10-day swing in Asia meant to reinforce […]

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4/20/2017

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/POLITICS/PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS: “House Republicans are outlining a new deal that could revive their bid to repeal Obamacare — and set up an all-out sprint to make concrete progress on health care amid the specter of a government shutdown. The flurry of activity just days before Congress returns to Washington aims to reunite the GOP behind […]

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4/20/2017

NATIONAL SECURITY/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump will direct his administration Thursday [4-20-17] to investigate whether imports of foreign steel are harming US national security, according to a White House official. Trump plans to sign a memo ordering the probe during a noon ceremony surrounded by representatives of the US steel industry. The memo […]

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4/20/2017

FAKE NEWS/MEDIA/SPORTS: “Failing @nytimes, which has been calling me wrong for two years, just got caught in a big lie concerning New England Patriots visit to W.H.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 20, 2017 08:48am […]

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4/20/2017

FOREIGN POLICY/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The ‘America First’ president who vowed to extricate America from onerous overseas commitments appears to be warming up to the view that when it comes to global agreements, a deal’s a deal. From NAFTA to the Iran nuclear agreement to the Paris climate accord, President Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric is […]

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4/20/2017

CABINET/HEALTHCARE/HHS/OBAMACARE(ACA)/POLITICS/TRUMP PEOPLE/TOM PRICE: “While President Donald Trump insisted Congress repeal Obamacare within his first 100 days, the legislation was rushed, according to his Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Tom Price, and that’s why the Republicans failed. But the recent setback will not deter the Trump administration, he said during an interview at the Centers […]

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4/20/2017

2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President-elect Donald Trump was very clear: ‘I will appoint a team to give me a plan within 90 days of taking office,’ he said in January, after getting a U.S. intelligence assessment of Russian interference in last year’s elections and promising to address cybersecurity. Thursday [4-20-17], Trump hits his 90-day mark. […]

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4/19/2017

SECRET SERVICE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s repeated weekend jaunts away from Washington have caused nonstop headaches for his South Florida neighbors this winter. But once his exclusive seaside retreat at Mar-a-Lago closes for the season, Trump is expected to shift his weekend plans north, to his Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey […]

Read More… from 4/19/2017

4/20/2017

CAMPAIGN/LEGAL/SUPPORTERS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “During his campaign, Donald Trump promised to pay the legal bills of supporters who beat up protestors at his rallies, but a POLITICO analysis found that Trump’s campaign hasn’t always paid its own legal bills in a timely or transparent fashion. The analysis of court and campaign filings found that Trump’s campaign […]

Read More… from 4/20/2017

4/20/2017

SECRET SERVICE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The U.S. Secret Service said Wednesday [4-19-17] it plans to restrict public access to the sidewalk along the southern fence of the White House, weeks after a man scaled the barrier and walked around the grounds. The changes are a part of an ‘ongoing comprehensive review’ of security measures at the […]

Read More… from 4/20/2017

4/19/2017

TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/VETS: “President Donald Trump signed an extension of a Department of Veterans Affairs law on Wednesday to continue a program that helps veterans seek health care outside the VA system. The original legislation, commonly known as the Veterans Choice Act, was slated to expire in August. The measure signed Wednesday by Mr. Trump […]

Read More… from 4/19/2017

04/18/2017

CHINA/CONFLICT OF INTERESTS/ETHICS/FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee blasted the family of President Donald Trump on Tuesday [4-18-17], saying that the approval in China of patents for Ivanka Trump set a new bar for ethical conflicts. ‘Just when you think you’ve seen it all, Trump offers something else that’s […]

Read More… from 04/18/2017

4/19/2017

SPORTS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A great honor to host the @SuperBowl Champion New England @Patriots at the White House today. Congratulations! https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/04/19/remarks-president-trump-welcoming-super-bowl-li-champions-new-england …” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 19, 2017 08:34pm […]

Read More… from 4/19/2017

4/19/2017

FBI/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/CARTER PAGE: “The FBI reportedly used the explosive, unverified dossier detailing President Donald Trump’s alleged ties to Russia to bolster its case for a warrant that would allow it to surveil Carter Page, an early foreign-policy adviser to Trump’s campaign. It’s a key signal that the FBI had enough confidence in the validity of […]

Read More… from 4/19/2017

4/19/2017

FBI/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/CARTER PAGE: “Ever since F.B.I. investigators discovered in 2013 that a Russian spy was trying to recruit an American businessman named Carter Page, the bureau maintained an occasional interest in Mr. Page. So when he became a foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign last year and gave a Russia-friendly speech at a prestigious […]

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4/19/2017

POLITICS/JON OSSOFF: “Jon Ossoff, a Democrat making his first bid for elective office, narrowly missed winning outright in a heavily conservative House district in Georgia on Wednesday [4-19-17], throwing a scare into Republicans in a special congressional election that was seen as an early referendum on President Trump. Mr. Ossoff received 48.1 percent of the […]

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4/18/2017

BORDER/BUDGET/DHS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WALL: “Democrats in the Senate are raising concerns about the potential cost of President Donald Trump’s border wall — releasing documents Tuesday [4-18-17] from the Department of Homeland Security that explain what the administration is planning. The first $1 billion of wall money requested by the administration would cover 48 miles of new […]

Read More… from 4/18/2017

4/19/2017

TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Today I signed the Veterans (OUR HEROES) Choice Program Extension & Improvement Act @ the @WhiteHouse. #S544 Watch➡️http://45.wh.gov/7x5n53” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 19, 2017 03:26pm […]

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4/19/2017

CAMPAIGN/CONFLICT OF INTERESTS/ETHICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s record $106.7 million inauguration fundraising haul drew heavily from U.S. companies with policy issues in front of the new Republican administration, according to documents released Wednesday [4-19-17]… Other Trump inauguration corporate donors — named in an exhaustive 510-page Federal Election Commission report — are among those who […]

Read More… from 4/19/2017

4/19/2017

FOREIGN POLICY/OIL/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM -0.53%) has applied to the Treasury Department for a waiver from U.S. sanctions on Russia in a bid to resume its joint venture with state oil giant PAO Rosneft, according to people familiar with the matter. Exxon has been seeking U.S. permission to drill with Rosneft in […]

Read More… from 4/19/2017

4/19/2017

ATTORNEY GENERAL/TRUMP PEOPLE/JEFF SESSIONS: “More than a month after Attorney General Jeff Sessions directed dozens of the country’s top federal prosecutors to immediately resign, not one of the 93 US attorney positions has been filled. ‘We really need to work hard at that,’ Sessions said Tuesday after being asked about the vacancies, The Washington Post […]

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4/19/2017

FOREIGN POLICY/JAPAN/JOBS/MIKE PENCE: “Vice President Mike Pence praised investment by Toyota Motor Corp. and other Japanese companies in the U.S. while avoiding criticism of Tokyo’s trade practices, drawing a relieved welcome from business leaders here… The election of President Donald Trump and some of his tweets thereafter led to concern in Tokyo about the possibility […]

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4/19/2017

POLITICS: “Dems failed in Kansas and are now failing in Georgia. Great job Karen Handel! It is now Hollywood vs. Georgia on June 20th.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 19, 2017 07:43am […]

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4/19/2017

FOREIGN POLICY/IRAN/NATIONAL SECURITY/NUCLEAR/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Iran is sticking to the terms of its nuclear deal made with the Obama administration, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has concluded, but he questions whether sanctions should keep being lifted, given Iran’s continued support for terrorism. The Secretary of State said the Trump administration was reviewing the lifting of […]

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04/18/2017

TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump visited the Tennessee estate of Andrew Jackson last month to symbolically claim the mantle of the first genuinely populist president since the 1830s. Just like Jackson, Mr. Trump defeated a political dynasty to take power and was now determined to challenge what the new president called ‘the arrogant elite.’ But […]

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4/18/2017

IMMIGRATION/JOBS/TRUMP EXEC ORDERS: ” ‘Buy American, Hire American’ The order has two parts. The ‘Hire American’ portion of the bill targets the H-1B visa program, which allows businesses to hire high-skilled workers from outside the U.S., by putting less emphasis on the lottery system used to determine which companies can sponsor visas. The ‘Buy American’ […]

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4/18/2017

FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/NAVY/NORTH KOREA: “The Navy confirmed Tuesday [4-18-17] that it didn’t send one of its aircraft carriers directly toward North Korea amid growing tensions with Pyongyang, despite representations by President Donald Trump and his top defense advisers that it was on its way. In fact, the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson was thousands of […]

Read More… from 4/18/2017