CHINA/FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump tweeted Tuesday [4-11-17] that the US will ‘solve the North Korea problem’ alone if China refuses to help. ‘North Korea is looking for trouble. If China decides to help, that would be great. If not, we will solve the problem without them! U.S.A,’ he tweeted. ‘I explained […]
04/11/2017
POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A special election in Kansas Tuesday [4-11-17] has Republicans sounding worried about an enthusiasm gap in the Trump era. Trump himself was apparently worried enough that he cut a robo call for Republican state party Treasurer Ron Estes. ‘On Tuesday, Republican Ron Estes needs your vote — and needs it badly,’ the […]
04/11/2017
ATTORNEY GENERAL/DOJ/IMMIGRATION/TRUMP PEOPLE/JEFF SESSIONS: “Attorney General Jeff Sessions directed attorneys from the Department of Justice on Tuesday [4-11-17] to increase the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws, including laws against unlawful entry, human smuggling and identity fraud. It was yet another escalation of the Trump administration’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants, and immigrant-rights groups blasted the policy […]
04/11/2017
DHS/IMMIGRATION/SANCTUARY CITIES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration has suspended its weekly reports aimed at putting political pressure on sanctuary cities. President Donald Trump’s executive order on immigration called for the so-called ‘declined detainer’ report, and the Department of Homeland Security issued the first one three weeks ago. The reports name jurisdictions that did not comply […]
04/11/2017
CABINET/EDUCATION/TRUMP PEOPLE/BESTY DEVOS: “Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Tuesday [4-11-17] withdrew a series of policy memos issued by the Obama administration to strengthen consumer protections for student loan borrowers. The Education Department is in the middle of issuing new contracts to student loan servicing companies that collect payments on behalf of the agency. These middlemen […]
4/11/2017
DONALD ON DONALD/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Great Strategic & Policy CEO Forum today with my Cabinet Secretaries and top CEO’s from around the United States. #AmericaFirst https://t.co/pmGIL08OpP” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 11, 2017 03:27pm […]
04/11/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP FAMILY/DONALD JR/IVANKA: “President Donald Trump has said that the horrific images from a chemical weapons attack in Syria compelled him to authorize a missile strike against an Assad-regime airbase last week. But according to his son, Eric Trump, another key White House voice may have also influenced his decision to use military […]
04/11/2017
ATTORNEY GENERAL/IMMIGRATION/TRUMP PEOPLE/JEFF SESSIONS: “Attorney General Jeff Sessions directed federal prosecutors to pursue harsher charges against undocumented immigrants who commit crimes, or repeatedly cross into the U.S. illegally, and he promised to add 125 immigration judges in the next two years to address a backlog of immigration cases. The moves are part of the administration’s […]
04/11/2017
ATTORNEY GENERAL/TRUMP PEOPLE/JEFF SESSIONS: “U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has dispensed with another federal feature designed to protect citizens from over-reach by government, perhaps giving context to the Trump administration’s vow to crack down on crime, one way or the other. Sessions announced yesterday [4-10-17] that his Justice Department will no longer require the services […]
04/11/2017
TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Donald Trump’s travel to his private club in Florida has cost over an estimated $20 million in his first 80 days as president, putting the president on pace in his first year of office to surpass former President Barack Obama’s spending on travel for his entire eight years. The outsized spending on […]
04/11/2017
PAUL RYAN/POLITICS: “Rep. Justin Amash said Monday [4-10-17] the solution for dysfunction in Washington likely boils down to removing House Speaker Paul Ryan and replacing him with someone who is ‘nonpartisan.’ ‘We need either a change in direction from this speaker, or we need a new speaker,’ Amash said while answering a question about the […]
04/11/2017
LEGAL/TRUMP BUSINESS: “The Trump Organization has settled another lawsuit with a celebrity chef. The company had sued Geoffrey Zakarian, a Food Network star, for breach of contract after he refused to open a restaurant in the Trump Organization’s new Washington, D.C. hotel. On Monday [4-10-17], lawyers announced that the suit had been settled, just days […]
04/11/2017
HOLIDAY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Better leave two seats empty at the White House Passover Seder this year― one for Elijah, and one for the president. President Donald Trump didn’t attend his staffers’ official Passover dinner on Monday [4-10-17], bucking the tradition that his predecessor Barack Obama started. Obama both hosted and attended the Passover dinner every […]
4/11/2017
POLITICS: “Ron Estes is running TODAY for Congress in the Great State of Kansas. A wonderful guy, I need his help on Healthcare & Tax Cuts (Reform).” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 11, 2017 07:59am […]
4/11/2017
CHINA/FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “North Korea is looking for trouble. If China decides to help, that would be great. If not, we will solve the problem without them! U.S.A.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 11, 2017 07:03am […]
4/11/2017
CHINA/FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “I explained to the President of China that a trade deal with the U.S. will be far better for them if they solve the North Korean problem!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 11, 2017 06:59am […]
4/21/2017
FAKE NEWS/MEDIA: “NYT editor apologizes for misleading tweet about New England Patriots’ visit to the White House (via @FoxFriendsFirst)” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 21, 2017 05:11am […]
04/10/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE/SEAN SPICER: “White House press secretary Sean Spicer said twice Monday [4-10-17] that the Trump administration will respond if the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad uses barrel bombs against his own people, something that’s been a regular occurrence in the six-year civil war. ‘If you gas a baby, if you […]
04/10/2017
FCC/NET NEUTRALITY/OBAMA: “A federal regulator’s plan to roll back Obama -era net-neutrality rules is sparking another battle that is expected to rival or exceed the epic political clashes over internet regulation in recent years. The dispute intensified last week when Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai held a closed-door meeting with telecommunications groups to sketch […]
04/10/2017
ENERGY/OIL/RUSSIA: “Russia is on the verge of taking control of a US oil company. In a crazy twist of international events, Russia’s state-owned oil company Rosneft might end up owning Citgo, a US energy company based in Houston, Texas. This isn’t a direct takeover. Instead, it hinges on the ability of Venezuela’s state-run oil company […]
04/10/2017
IMMIGRATION/POLITICS/SANCTUARY CITIES: “With the federal government vastly expanding who is considered a priority for deportation, the California State Senate approved a bill last week that increased protections for immigrants. The measure prohibits local law enforcement agencies from using resources to investigate, detain, report or arrest people for immigration violations. Supporters say the law — essentially […]
04/10/2017
IMMIGRATION/POPE FRANCIS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “As politicians around the world including President Trump take an increasingly hard line on immigration, a powerful force is rallying to the side of migrants: the Roman Catholic Church led by Pope Francis. Catholic cardinals, bishops and priests are emerging as some of the most influential opponents of immigration crackdowns backed […]
04/10/2017
MILITARY/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump’s decision to bomb a Syrian airfield with 59 missiles Thursday [4-6-17] night is being questioned by some U.S. veterans who had previously been deployed to the Middle East. One criticism revolves around a seeming lack of a clear end goal; for example, Evan McAllister, a Marine scout and sniper who […]
4/10/2017
HOLIDAY: “Happy Passover to everyone celebrating in the United States of America, Israel, and around the world. #ChagSameach” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 10, 2017 06:56pm […]
4/10/2017
SUPREME COURT/TRUMP PEOPLE/NEIL GORSUCH: “Congratulations to Justice Neil Gorsuch on his elevation to the United States Supreme Court. A great day for America! #SCOTUS https://t.co/RM9lfTaePS” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 10, 2017 04:59pm […]
04/10/2017
CABINET/EDUCATION/TRUMP PEOPLE/BETSY DEVOS: “An unusual security arrangement for Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is costing taxpayers upwards of $1 million per month. Citing a determination that ‘a threat to the secretary’s safety exists,’ the US Marshals Service said it would continue providing her a security detail, though it would not detail the nature of the threat. […]
04/10/2017
CABINET/RUSSIA/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “The Kremlin said on Monday [4-10-17] that U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will not meet President Vladimir Putin when he visits Moscow on Wednesday, a move that could point to tensions over a U.S. missile attack on a Syrian air base last week. John Kerry, Tillerson’s predecessor, often met Putin as […]
04/10/2017
SUPREME COURT/TRUMP PEOPLE/NEIL GORSUCH: “Justice Neil Gorsuch has yet to hear his first case, but the partisan conflict over President Donald Trump’s nominee on the Supreme Court already has left a legacy on the federal judiciary, further blurring the line between law and politics. More than any appointment in recent memory, Justice Gorsuch’s was tied […]
04/10/2017
TAXES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “On February 9, President Donald Trump told manufacturing CEOs during a White House event that he was going to release something ‘phenomenal in terms of tax’ in two or three weeks. As of April 10, eight and a half weeks later, no tax plan has been released by the White House, and, […]
04/10/2017
BUDGET/EDUCATION/HEALTHCARE/POLITICS: “Maryland lawmakers are putting the finishing touches on a legislative session that has been full of measures aimed at countering President Donald Trump and the GOP-led Congress. The Democrat-led legislature, which adjourns at midnight Monday [4-10-17], has passed legislation aimed at protecting health care from cuts in Washington. It also has empowered the attorney […]
04/10/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/RUSSIA/STATE/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE/UN/REX TILLERSON/NIKKI HALEY: “Foreign ministers of leading US allies were meeting Monday [4-10-17] amid mixed signals from the Trump administration on the future of Syrian President President Bashar al-Assad. At a summit in Italy, foreign ministers of the G7 group of industrialized nations were expected to seek clarity from US Secretary […]
04/10/2017
LEGAL/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A new lawsuit is demanding that a log of visitors to the White House and to President Donald Trump’s homes in New York and Florida be released to the public. The suit, set to be filed Monday in federal court in New York, contends that the Secret Service is in violation of […]
04/10/2017
ECONOMY/JOBS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump took credit for Toyota Motor Corp. investing $1.33 billion in an existing U.S. factory, championing spending by a Japanese automaker he’s blasted for building a plant in Mexico. The outlays in Georgetown, Kentucky, aren’t new — they’ve been in the works for years. But the way they’re being marketed […]
04/09/2017
TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump is considering an executive action that would launch a formal investigation into the way U.S. trading partners use subsidies and a tactic known as ‘dumping’ to skew imports and exports, a White House official said Sunday evening. If signed, the executive action would call for a review of foreign […]
4/9/2017
NAVY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Thank you @USNavy! #USA https://t.co/oD7L8vPgjq” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 9, 2017 08:35pm […]
04/09/2017
POLITICS/TRUMP PEOPLE/STEVE BANNON: “When Steve Bannon, President Donald Trump’s chief strategist, appeared at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February, he appeared to be at the height of his powers. Trump had pushed through an executive order banning travel from seven Muslim-majority countries. He had placed Bannon, controversially, on the National Security Council. Bannon and […]
04/09/2017
AMBASSADOR/NATIONAL SECURITY/SINGAPORE/TRUMP PEOPLE/KT MCFARLAND: “K.T. McFarland, the one-time top deputy to ousted national security adviser Michael Flynn, has accepted the US ambassadorship to Singapore and will likely leave the National Security Council in the coming months, a senior administration official has told CNN. ‘She is going to do it, assuming she gets confirmed,’ the official […]
04/09/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/NAVY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A U.S. Navy strike group has been ordered to relocate to the western Pacific Ocean, providing a physical presence near the Korean Peninsula as concerns mount over North Korea’s missile program. The Pentagon announced the deployment late Saturday. In a statement, U.S. Pacific Command spokesman David Benham said the Carl Vinson […]
4/9/2017
EGYPT/TERRORISM: “So sad to hear of the terrorist attack in Egypt. U.S. strongly condemns. I have great… confidence that President Al Sisi will handle situation properly.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 9, 2017 10:20-10:21am […]
4/8/2017
MILITARY/SYRIA/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “A Letter from the President to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:) At approximately 8:40 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on April 6, 2017, at my direction, United States military forces in the Mediterranean Sea, operating beyond the territorial […]
4/8/2017
SUPREME COURT/TRUMP PEOPLE/NEIL GORSUCH: “Judge Gorsuch will be sworn in at the Rose Garden of the White House on Monday [4-10-17] at 11:00 A.M. He will be a great Justice. Very proud of him!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 8, 2017 02:58pm […]
4/8/2017
MILITARY/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The reason you don’t generally hit runways is that they are easy and inexpensive to quickly fix (fill in and top)!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 8, 2017 02:00pm […]
4/8/2017
MILITARY/SYRIA: “Congratulations to our great military men and women for representing the United States, and the world, so well in the Syria attack.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Apr 8, 2017 02:00 pm […]
4/8/2017
CHINA/TRADE DEALS: “It was a great honor to have President Xi Jinping and Madame Peng Liyuan of China as our guests in the United States. Tremendous… goodwill and friendship was formed, but only time will tell on trade.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Apr 8, 2017 09:50 am and 9:51 am […]
04/07/2017
SUPPORTERS/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Some of President Trump’s most ardent campaign supporters were among his most vocal opponents on Thursday [4-7-17] after he ordered the missile strike against Syria, charging him with breaking his promise to keep the United States out of another conflict in the Middle East. Prominent writers and bloggers on the far right […]
04/07/2017
SUPPORTERS/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Some of President Trump’s most ardent campaign supporters were among his most vocal opponents on Thursday [4-7-17] after he ordered the missile strike against Syria, charging him with breaking his promise to keep the United States out of another conflict in the Middle East. Prominent writers and bloggers on the far right […]
04/07/2017
SUPREME COURT/TRUMP PEOPLE/NEIL GORSUCH: “The Senate handed President Donald Trump his biggest victory so far, confirming Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch after Republicans muscled past Democratic opposition with a unilateral rule change that may wind up poisoning the debate over the president’s agenda in Congress. With Vice President Mike Pence in the presiding officer’s chair, […]
04/07/2017
IMMIGRATION/MEXICO/WALL/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “…For years, the federal government has pondered a way to build a stronger barrier across it to halt illegal immigration from Mexico. In February, federal authorities made the long-looming threat concrete. A letter from the U.S. attorney in southern Texas informed the Benavides family that the government intends to seize a 60-foot-wide […]
4/7/2017
CHINA: “The relationship developed by President Xi and myself I think is outstanding. We look forward to being together many times in the future. And I believe lots of very potentially bad problems will be going away.” -Donald Trump, “Remarks by President Trump After Meeting with President Xi of China,” whitehouse.gov, Apr. 7, 2017 […]
04/07/2017
DHS/LEGAL: “Twitter Inc (TWTR.N) on Friday dropped a lawsuit it filed the previous day against the U.S. government, saying the government had withdrawn a summons for records about who was behind an account critical of President Donald Trump. A lawyer for the social media company, Mark Flanagan, wrote in court papers that a U.S. Justice […]
4/7/2017
CHINA/FOREIGN POLICY: “RT @IvankaTrump: Very proud of Arabella and Joseph for their performance in honor of President Xi Jinping and Madame Peng Liyuan’s official visit to the US!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 7, 2017 06:22pm […]
04/06/2017
CHINA/FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump and Xi Jinping, the president of China, will take each other’s measure on Thursday [4-6-17] as they meet for the first time to discuss trade tensions, North Korea’s nuclear ambitions and other issues. The two men will spend about 24 hours together at Mr. Trump’s beachside Mar-a-Lago estate […]
04/06/2017
2016 ELECTION/CIA/FBI/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA: “The C.I.A. told senior lawmakers in classified briefings last summer that it had information indicating that Russia was working to help elect Donald J. Trump president, a finding that did not emerge publicly until after Mr. Trump’s victory months later, former government officials say. The briefings indicate that intelligence officials had evidence of […]
04/06/2017
POLITICS/TRUMP PEOPLE/STEVE BANNON: “The man credited with honing Donald Trump’s populist message and guiding him into the White House has grown frustrated amid continued infighting in the West Wing, so much so that in recent weeks a top donor had to convince him to stay in his position. Five people, including a senior administration official […]
04/06/2017
TRUMP FAMILY/TRUMP PEOPLE/JARED KUSHNER/STEVE BANNON: “Thick with tension, the conversation this week between Stephen K. Bannon, the chief White House strategist, and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, had deteriorated to the point of breakdown. Finally, Mr. Bannon identified why they could not compromise, according to someone with knowledge of the conversation. ‘Here’s […]
04/06/2017
SECRET SERVICE/TRUMP FAMILY: “Eleven weeks into the Trump presidency, the Secret Service is grappling with how to constrain the rising costs and unexpected strain that have come with protecting a new first family as large, mobile and high-profile as any in modern American history. To keep up, dozens of agents from New York and field […]
04/06/2017
INTELLIGENCE/POLITICS/RUSSIA/DEVIN NUNES/MIKE CONAWAY: “Rep. Mike Conaway has been given the reins to the House intelligence committee’s fractured Russia investigation following chairman Rep. Devin Nunes’ announcement Thursday that he is temporarily stepping aside — but who is the man now tasked with getting things back on track after weeks of partisan conflict? A seven-term Republican representing […]
04/06/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/RUSSIA/SYRIA: “Russia and Syria have condemned the first US military strike against the Syrian regime, launched after a chemical weapons attack that killed dozens of civilians earlier in the week. The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, denounced the strike on a Syrian airfield as “act of aggression” Friday and said it violated international law. Western […]
04/06/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/MIKE PENCE: “Vice President Mike Pence plans to travel to South Korea and Japan later this month amid simmering tensions along the Korean peninsula over North Korea’s attempts to advance its nuclear and missile programs. The White House said Thursday that Pence would depart April 15 on a 10-day, four-nation tour of the Asia-Pacific […]
04/06/2017
DHS/LEGAL: “Twitter filed a lawsuit Thursday to block an order from the Department of Homeland Security that seeks to reveal the user of an account who has been critical of the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Tweets from the account — @ALT_uscis — indicate that it is run by someone who is an employee of the […]
04/06/2017
POLITICS/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP PEOPLE/NEIL GORSUCH: “More than a year of tension over an empty Supreme Court seat comes to a dramatic climax Thursday [4-6-17], when both parties in the Senate are poised to take action leading to an outcome neither party wants. It’s a head-scratching situation loaded with nuance, procedural twists and Senate history — not […]
04/06/2017
INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/DEVIN NUNES: “House intelligence chairman Devin Nunes announced Thursday [4-6-17] he was temporarily stepping aside from leading the investigation into Russia’s meddling in the 2016 elections. Nunes cited a series of ethics complaints filed against him alleging that he violated terms of discussing classified material following his clandestine meeting at the White House just over […]
04/06/2017
HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/POLITICS/PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS: “With their plan to dismantle the Affordable Care Act stalled, Republican House leaders on Thursday unveiled an amendment aimed at lowering premiums, a move to gain more support for their health-care effort before they head home for a two-week recess. The new provision would create a fund of $15 billion over the next […]
4/6/2017
VETS: “It was an honor to host our American heroes from the @WWP #SoldierRideDC at the @WhiteHouse today with @FLOTUS, @VP… https://t.co/u5AI1pupVV” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 6, 2017 01:30pm […]
04/06/2017
MILITARY/POLITICS/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump has told some members of Congress that he is considering military action in Syria in retaliation for this week’s chemical attack, and recognizes the seriousness of the situation, a source familiar with the calls tells CNN. The source said the President had not firmly decided to go ahead with […]
04/05/2017
CELEBS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER: “Arnold Schwarzenegger found himself in familiar territory Wednesday: taking aim at President Donald Trump. This time, the actor and former California governor blasted the President over his proposed $1.2 billion cut to after-school programs. ‘President Trump promised us he wants to *make America great again.* That’s not how you make America […]
03/30/2017
HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/POLITICS: “Senior House Republicans said Thursday [3-30-17] that they expected the federal government to continue paying billions of dollars in subsidies to health insurance companies to keep low-income people covered under the Affordable Care Act for the rest of this year — and perhaps for 2018 as well. The decision would be a curious twist […]
04/05/2017
POLITICS/TAXES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Republican tax plan in the House of Representatives, which could form the basis for President Trump’s overhaul of the nation’s tax system, contains plenty of measures that are likely to inflame partisan tensions. But one of the plan’s most important provisions could secure bipartisan support, and win acclaim from tax experts […]
04/05/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/SYRIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/UN/NIKKI HALEY: “Holding photographs of dead Syrian children after a suspected chemical bomb attack, the United States ambassador to the United Nations warned on Wednesday [4-5-17] that her country might take unilateral action if the Security Council failed to respond to the latest atrocity in the Syria war. Facing her first serious Syria […]
4/5/2017
JOBS: “JOBS, JOBS, JOBS! https://t.co/XGOQPHywrt https://t.co/B5Qbn6llzE” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 5, 2017 09:12pm […]
04/05/2017
BORDER/CABINET/DHS/TRUMP PEOPLE/JOHN KELLY/WALL: “Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly acknowledged Wednesday that President Donald Trump’s proposed wall on the southern border of the United States will not extend ‘from sea to shining sea’ and could partially be fencing. Kelly had few details about the size and scope of the wall when he testified in front of […]
4/5/2017
IRAN/OBAMA ADMIN: “The Iran deal made by the previous administration is one of the worst deals I have ever witnessed — and I’ve witnessed some beauties. It’s one of the worst deals I’ve ever witnessed. It should never have been made. It was totally one-sided against the United States, and, frankly, against much of the […]
4/5/2017
DONALD ON DONALD: “I like to think of myself as a very flexible person. I don’t have to have one specific way, and if the world changes, I go the same way, I don’t change. Well, I do change and I am flexible, and I’m proud of that flexibility.” -Donald Trump, “Remarks by President Trump […]
04/05/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A confluence of crises in Syria and North Korea is forcing President Donald Trump to re-evaluate his fledgling foreign policy, deciding which advisers he will listen to and which campaign pledges to jettison. The apparent chemical-weapons attack in Syria and the latest ballistic missile test by North Korea raise the […]
04/05/2017
SUPREME COURT/TRUMP PEOPLE/NEIL GORSUCH; “It’s probably naive to think that there could be a nuanced conversation about Judge Neil Gorsuch’s citation of sources in his 2006 book, ‘The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia.’ But that’s precisely what we need. There’s no doubt that in at least one extended passage, Gorsuch, President Donald Trump’s nominee […]
04/05/2017
POLITICS/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP PEOPLE/NEIL GORSUCH: “Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley has ended his marathon speech on the Senate floor against President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch. The Oregon lawmaker yielded the floor at 10:15 a.m. Wednesday [4-5-17] — 15 hours after he began highlighting his party’s opposition to Gorsuch. During his attention-grabbing talk-a-thon, Merkley stood next […]
04/05/2017
2016 ELECTION/CAMPAIGN/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump, amid questions about his campaign’s ties to Russia during the 2016 election, met Tuesday with Dana Rohrabacher, a California congressman so well-known for his pro-Russia views that he has been referred to as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ‘favorite congressman.’ Ken Grubbs, a spokesman for Rohrabacher, declined to disclose […]
04/05/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/ISRAEL/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s mantra, throughout his career, has been never to give an inch without getting an inch in return. But last week he announced that Israel would voluntarily impose some limits on future construction in the West Bank — and, according to Israeli news reports, he cited as […]
04/05/2017
ABORTION/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/UN: “The US cut funding for a UN program for women and girls, a move that critics said was based on faulty information, could lead to greater instability in the Middle East and hurt women around the world. The United States, as promised, has drastically cut funding to the United Nations’ most significant […]
04/05/2017
CABINET/FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/NORTH KOREA/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “North Korea has fired a ballistic missile into the sea off the Korean Peninsula, the latest in a series of test firings and one that comes just days before President Donald Trump is set to huddle with Chinese President Xi Jinping for a two-day summit in Florida. Here’s what Secretary […]
04/05/2017
TRUMP FAMILY/IVANKA: “If Ivanka Trump is ‘complicit,’ as critics and even a ‘Saturday Night Live’ perfume sketch allege, she’s not concerned. ‘I don’t know what it means to be complicit, but I hope time will prove that I have done a good job and much more importantly, that my father’s administration is the success that […]
04/05/2017
HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/POLITICS/PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS: “Republicans already paid a political price for their failure to repeal Obamacare just under two weeks ago, but Democrats are also preparing to make the GOP suffer at the ballot box in 2018 over their latest attempt to roll back the health care law. As GOP leaders work to revive their Obamacare bill, […]
04/05/2017
POLITICS/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP PEOPLE/NEIL GORSUCH: “Senate Republicans took their first procedural step Tuesday [4-4-17] toward implementing the ‘nuclear option’ to get Judge Neil Gorsuch confirmed to the Supreme Court over Democratic opposition when Majority Leader Mitch McConnell moved to end debate on his nomination. A vote on that ‘cloture’ motion will take place Thursday. Democrats can […]
04/05/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Eager to show strength after a major provocation, President Donald Trump is forcefully denouncing a chemical attack he blames on Syrian President Bashar Assad but staying coy about how, if at all, the U.S. may respond. Trump split the blame Tuesday [4-4-17] between Syria’s embattled leader and former President Barack Obama […]
04/05/2017
NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP PEOPLE/STEVE BANNON: “Steve Bannon, President Donald Trump’s chief strategist, has been removed from the National Security Council, according to a senior administration official. An official says Bannon was only on board to oversee now-ousted National Security Adviser Michael Flynn’s work to ‘deoperationalize’ the National Security Council from the broad purview it had under […]
4/5/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/JORDAN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “I am deeply committed to preserving our strong relationship & to strengthening America’s long-standing support for Jordan. @KingAbdullahII.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 5, 2017 04:18pm […]
04/05/2017
NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP PEOPLE/STEVE BANNON: “President Trump’s decision to remove chief strategist Steve Bannon from the National Security Council’s principals committee suggests a potentially significant change in the power balance among the four top White House advisers. Bannon’s placement on the principals committee at the start of the Trump administration drew criticism not only from Democrats […]
04/05/2017
BORDER/DHS/IMMIGRATION/MEXICO: “Parents and children caught crossing the Mexican border into the United States illegally generally can remain together, the Homeland Security Department said Wednesday, in a partial reversal of previous comments. Secretary John Kelly told a Senate panel that families would not be separated unless the ‘situation at the time requires it.’ He gave as […]
03/31/2017
LEGAL/TRUMP U: “Thousands of former Trump University students will get most of their money back, with a judge on Friday approving a $25 million settlement. ‘The settlement is fair, adequate, and reasonable,’ Judge Gonzalo Curiel said in his decision. Nearly 4,000 former students submitted claims and those who are eligible could get back about 90% […]
4/4/2017
NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “National Security Presidential Memorandum – 4 Organization of the National Security Council, the Homeland Security Council, and Subcommittees As President, my highest priority is to ensure the safety and security of the American people. In order to advise and assist me in executing this solemn responsibility, as well as to protect and […]
04/04/2017
CABINET/CONFLICT OF INTEREST/HHS/TRUMP PEOPLE/TOM PRICE: “Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price more than tripled his investment when he sold shares in a small biotechnology company developing a multiple sclerosis drug that might one day seek approval from Dr. Price’s agency, public disclosures show. Dr. Price sold the shares of Australia-based Innate Immunotherapeutics Ltd. in […]
04/04/2017
ATTORNEY GENERAL/POLICE/TRUMP PEOPLE/JEFF SESSIONS: “Attorney General Jeff Sessions has ordered a sweeping review of federal agreements with dozens of law enforcement agencies, an examination that reflects President Trump’s emphasis on law and order and could lead to a retreat on consent decrees with troubled police departments nationwide. In a memorandum dated March 31 and made […]
04/04/2017
IMMIGRATION/TRAVEL BAN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Foreigners who want to visit the U.S., even for a short trip, could be forced to disclose contacts on their mobile phones, social-media passwords and financial records, and to answer probing questions about their ideology, according to Trump administration officials conducting a review of vetting procedures. The administration also wants to […]
04/04/2017
EDUCATION/TRUMP PEOPLE/CARLOS G MUNIZ/CANDICE E. JACKSON: “A lawyer who represented Florida State University in an explosive sexual assault case and another lawyer who during the 2016 presidential campaign accused Hillary Clinton of enabling sexual predators have been chosen for key roles in the Department of Education, raising fears that the agency could pull back from […]
04/04/2017
INTELLIGENCE/LEGAL/TRUMP PEOPLE/RUSSIA: “Carter Page, who served briefly as a foreign policy adviser to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, made an appearance in a federal espionage case several years ago because he communicated with a Russian intelligence agent under surveillance by the FBI. In a statement released Tuesday [4-4-17], Page confirmed his role in the 2015 Justice […]
4/4/2017
2016 ELECTION/ELECTORAL COLLEGE: “I don’t know if you saw, but if you watch the Democrats now, the anger — the anger and hatred, and they’re trying to figure out where did all these people came that voted for Donald Trump? Remember they said — because the Electoral College is a very, very hard, they say, […]
4/4/2017
2016 ELECTION/DEMS/ELECTORAL COLLEGE: “I don’t know if you saw, but if you watch the Democrats now, the anger — the anger and hatred, and they’re trying to figure out where did all these people came that voted for Donald Trump? Remember they said — because the Electoral College is a very, very hard, they say, […]
4/4/2017
EDUCATION: “Charter schools are another thing that people are talking about a lot, and some of the charter schools in New York have been amazing. They’ve done incredibly well. People can’t get in. I mean, you can’t get in. I don’t call it an experiment anymore, it’s far beyond an experiment. If you look at […]
04/04/2017
CRIME/DHS/IMMIGRATION: “Immigration agents may arrest crime victims and witnesses at courthouses, a homeland security official said Tuesday [4-4-17], highlighting a growing dispute between the Trump administration and some state court officials who fear the practice will hinder law enforcement work in their jurisdictions. ‘Just because they’re a victim in a certain case does not mean […]
04/04/2017
CRIME/POLICE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Black pedestrians in Baltimore stopped without reasonable suspicion. Black drivers in Ferguson, Mo., searched much more frequently than whites. Cleveland residents punched and kicked by officers and subjected to stun guns, without posing any threat. In report after report in the Obama years, Justice Department lawyers found patterns of eye-popping rights violations […]