CABINET/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Great meeting with @Cabinet at the @WhiteHouse today! #MAGA https://t.co/InWj0QTosz” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Mar. 8, 2018 01:58pm […]
3/8/2018
2A/DEMS/GOP/GUNS/POLITICS: “Two senators — one Republican and one Democrat who, as one of them said, disagree about ‘90% of the time’ on gun policies — teamed up Thursday [3-8-18] to introduce the latest proposal to address mass shootings: a bill that would allow federal courts to issue gun restraining orders against potentially dangerous people. Republican […]
3/8/2018
DEMS/GOP/NEW YORK/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump has threatened to veto a massive omnibus spending package if it includes money for the Gateway tunnel project in New York City, according to multiple sources. … While it is highly unusual for a Republican president to threaten a veto on a funding bill coming from a GOP-run […]
3/8/2018
HOLIDAY/WOMEN: “Happy #InternationalWomensDay ‘First Lady Melania Trump to Present the 2018 International Women of Courage Award’ https://t.co/EwYtFXGvn2” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Mar. 8, 2018 01:20pm […]
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 […]
3/8/2018
ETHICS/KELLYANNE CONWAY/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Kellyanne Conway said Thursday [3-8-18] she had spoken to President Donald Trump about a watchdog report that found her past remarks on the Alabama special election to be in violation of federal law, but the counselor to the president declined to say whether she would face disciplinary action over the ethics breach… […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
3/8/2018
CYBERWAR/INTELLIGENCE/NORTH KOREA/TURKEY: “Suspected North Korean hackers blitzed Turkish financial institutions and a government organization last week, seeking intelligence for a future heist, a new report says. The attacks on March 2 and 3, identified by cyber researcher McAfee LLC in a Thursday [3-8-18] report, attempted to lure targets with faux links to a popular cryptocurrency […]
3/8/2018
DEMS/DRUGS/GOP/PHARMA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump and other Republican leaders are pressing ahead with an array of opioid-related efforts in coming weeks, teeing up bills and spending measures, while Democrats are calling the GOP actions belated and insufficient. On Thursday [3-8-18], a bipartisan group of governors will testify before the Senate Health Committee on opioid […]
3/8/2018
LEGAL/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A federal judge on Thursday [3-8-18] expressed skepticism about whether U.S. President Donald Trump can constitutionally block Twitter users whose views he does not like from following and responding to his own Twitter account. At a hearing in Manhattan federal court, U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald asked Michael Baer, a lawyer […]
3/8/2018
TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS: “Looking forward to 3:30 P.M. meeting today at the White House. We have to protect & build our Steel and Aluminum Industries while at the same time showing great flexibility and cooperation toward those that are real friends and treat us fairly on both trade and the military.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Mar. 8, […]
3/8/2018
2A/GUNS/NRA/POLITICS: “Florida lawmakers approved a bill Wednesday [3-7-18] that adds the first notable gun restrictions in the firearm-friendly state in decades, three weeks after the deadly school shooting in Parkland, Fla. The measure passed after lengthy, emotional debate in the state House and Senate. Lawmakers faced intense pressure to act from Republican Gov. Rick Scott […]
3/8/2018
CYBERWAR/GOP/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Weeks after Donald Trump was elected president, Russia-backed online ‘trolls’ flooded social media to try to block Mitt Romney from securing a top job in the incoming administration, a Wall Street Journal analysis shows. The operatives called the 2012 GOP presidential nominee, then a contender for secretary of state, a ‘two headed […]
3/8/2018
CALIFORNIA/IMMIGRATION/JEFF SESSIONS/LEGAL/SANCTUARY CITIES: “California’s three new ‘sanctuary’ laws, challenged in court this week by the Trump administration, face different hurdles and have varying vulnerabilities, legal experts said Wednesday [3-7-18]. Law professors who read the lawsuit filed by Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions generally described it as a credible challenge that presents complex legal questions that might […]
3/8/2018
DOW/TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The three major U.S. stock indexes closed higher on Thursday [3-8-2018] after President Donald Trump appeared to soften his stance on trade tariffs, easing trade war fears that had the market on edge for a week.” – Reuters staff, “Wall Street gains on Trump’s softened tariff stance,” Reuters, Mar. 8, 2018 […]
3/8/2018
ENTERTAINMENT/GUNS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP FAMILY/ROBERT TRUMP/BARRON: “U.S. President Donald Trump met on Thursday [3-8-18] with the makers of popular video games ‘Grand Theft Auto’ and ‘Doom’ to discuss what the president believes is a link between video games and violent acts like last month’s school shooting in Florida. … The meeting included lawmakers, critics of video […]
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 […]
3/7/2018
2A/EDUCATION/GUNS/NRA: “Florida lawmakers gave final passage to a $400 million gun control and school safety bill on Wednesday [3-7-18] in defiance of the National Rifle Association, which opposed the legislation’s firearm restrictions. The bipartisan vote came three weeks after a gunman killed 17 people in a rampage at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, […]
3/7/2018
LEGAL/USDA: “The head of the United States Forest Service stepped down Wednesday [3-7-18] amid an investigation into sexual harassment accusations against him, a spokesman for the Agriculture Department said. The resignation of the agency’s chief, Tony Tooke, comes days after ‘PBS NewsHour’ reported that the Agriculture Department was investigating sexual misconduct complaints against him, including […]
3/7/2018
2016 ELECTION/CAMPAIGN/NOMINATIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “One appointee went from ‘battleground states’ director for the Trump presidential campaign to a role at the State Department that sent him to South Africa to meet with health officials… And another, who spent four months on the campaign in New York after graduating from college, landed a job as […]
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 […]
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 […]
3/7/2018
CALIFORNIA/IMMIGRATION/JEFF SESSIONS/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/SANCTUARY CITIES: “The simmering battle between California and the Trump administration escalated Wednesday [3-7-18] with Attorney General Jeff Sessions and California Gov. Jerry Brown trading barbs over a new Justice Department lawsuit that seeks to strike down the state’s immigration laws… For months now, Democratic-led California has positioned itself as a political, economic […]
3/7/2018
TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump is expected to sign a proclamation Thursday [3-8-18] afternoon outlining his plan to impose new tariffs on steel and aluminum, according to a White House official familiar with the planning, delivering on a signature campaign promise despite the concerns of many trading partners and lawmakers. White House press […]
3/7/2018
BORDER/CALIFORNIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WALL: “Donald Trump will visit California next week, his first visit to the Golden State as president, the White House announced on Wednesday [3-7-18]. Sources familiar with Trump’s plans say he is expected to visit California to the US-Mexico border to look at border wall prototypes in the San Diego area. The President […]
3/7/2018
ABORTION/HEALTHCARE/HOUSE OF REPS/OBAMACARE(ACA)/PLANNED PARENTHOOD: “House Republicans are demanding a series of controversial abortion and health care policies in the annual health spending bill, setting up a showdown with Democrats and threatening passage of an omnibus spending package to keep the government open. Democrats are vowing to block the slew of long-sought conservative priorities. The riders […]
3/7/2018
GARY COHN/GOP/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Republicans in Congress who viewed Gary Cohn as their best ally in efforts to steer President Donald Trump away from a protectionist trade policy expressed concern over his departure Wednesday [3-7-18]. Mr. Cohn said Tuesday night he would resign after 14 months in the administration, where he served as director of the […]
3/7/2018
DRUGS/FDA/HHS/PHARMA/SCOTT GOTTLIEB: “Scrutiny of prescription drug prices isn’t going away, no matter how badly investors wish that it might. Scott Gottlieb, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, laid out the flaws in how drugs are priced in the U.S. in a speech on Wednesday [3-7-18] before a health-insurance trade group… Excessive market concentration among […]
3/7/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/LEGAL: “The U.S. is acting swiftly on Intellectual Property theft. We cannot allow this to happen as it has for many years!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Mar. 7, 2018 10:38am […]
3/7/2018
VA/VETS: “A report from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs inspector general found that the Washington DC VA Medical Center has for years ‘suffered a series of systemic and programmatic failures to consistently deliver timely and quality patient care,’ and heightening the potential for waste, fraud and abuse of government resources. The report released Wednesday [3-7-18] […]
3/7/2018
NAFTA/TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump has remained open-minded as he determines final details of his promised tariffs on steel and aluminum, a top administration official said on Wednesday [3-7-18]. The White House said an announcement is still on track for this week… Despite fears from US allies and Washington Republicans that the measure […]
3/7/2018
STEVE MNUCHIN/TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS/TREASURY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the White House will move forward with steel and aluminum tariffs despite strong pushback from congressional Republicans and business groups, one day after President Donald Trump’s top economic adviser resigned following the surprise policy decision… Mr. Mnuchin said it was possible the White House would […]
3/7/2018
CHINA/TRADE DEALS: “China has been asked to develop a plan for the year of a One Billion Dollar reduction in their massive Trade Deficit with the United States. Our relationship with China has been a very good one, and we look forward to seeing what ideas they come back with. We must act soon!” -Donald […]
3/7/2018
DEMS/POLITICS/TEXAS: “The 2018 fight for control of Congress began Tuesday [3-6-18], as Texas Democrats flooded the polls for the year’s first primary election and showed that the national wave of Democratic enthusiasm will buffet even traditionally Republican states. Statewide turnout in the Senate Democratic primary race provided a measure of the party’s energy: More than […]
3/7/2018
CHINA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The U.S. isn’t the only country that has a chip on its shoulder about trade. When it comes to China, so do countless others. For President Donald Trump, this could be an opportunity to lead a coalition against China’s predatory trade behavior. Instead, he is threatening trade war with the countries […]
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 […]
3/7/2018
BETSY DEVOS/DEMS/EDUCATION: “Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has been approving state plans that don’t specifically measure the performance of minority students, arguing there is no requirement for the plans to do so but prompting Democratic allegations that she is violating a 2015 education law. The law, passed on a bipartisan basis, contains several provisions championed by […]
3/7/2018
CALIFORNIA/IMMIGRATION/SANCTUARY CITIES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The candidates running for governor reacted in familiar ways to news Tuesday [3-6-18] that the Trump administration is suing California over its immigration policies, with Democrats calling for insurgency and Republicans rejoicing. Businessman John Cox, a GOP candidate, released a minute-long radio ad seeking to tie California and San Francisco sanctuary […]
3/7/2018
JOBS/TRADE DEALS: “From Bush 1 to present, our Country has lost more than 55,000 factories, 6,000,000 manufacturing jobs and accumulated Trade Deficits of more than 12 Trillion Dollars. Last year we had a Trade Deficit of almost 800 Billion Dollars. Bad Policies & Leadership. Must WIN again! #MAGA” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Mar. 7, 2018 06:40am […]
3/7/2018
JOBS/TRADE DEALS: “@MarkBurnettTV @RealRomaDowney From Bush 1 to present, our Country has lost more than 55,000 factories, 6,000,000 manufacturing jobs and accumulated Trade Deficits of more than 12 Trillion Dollars. Last year we had a Trade Deficit of almost 800 Billion Dollars. Bad policies & leadership. Must win again! #MAGA” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Mar. 7, […]
3/7/2018
2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/RUSSIA: “All the Facebook account Black4Black asked for was some personal information about Ajah Hales and other Cleveland-area small-business owners. In exchange, she was told her cosmetics company, and her fellow African-American entrepreneurs, would receive free promotion on social media and in a new and influential directory of black-owned businesses… The fake directory is […]
3/7/2018
MISC: “Great couple, great book! https://t.co/cLDI79rin8” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Mar. 7, 2018 05:44am […]
3/7/2018
BANKING/DEBT/EDUCATION: “Private lenders are pushing to break up the government’s near monopoly in the $100 billion-a-year student-loan market. The banking industry’s main lobbying group, the Consumer Bankers Association, is pressing for the government to instate caps on how much individual graduate students and parents of undergraduates can borrow from the government to cover tuition. That […]
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 […]
3/7/2018
ATTORNEY GENERAL/CRIME/DOJ/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 maximize the impact of Federal Government resources to keep our communities safe, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Purpose. The Federal Government must reduce crime, […]
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 […]
3/6/2018
ECONOMY/GARY COHN/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Gary D. Cohn, President Trump’s top economic adviser, plans to resign, becoming the latest in a series of high-profile departures from the Trump administration, White House officials said on Tuesday [3-6-18]. The officials insisted there was no single factor behind the departure of Mr. Cohn, who heads the National Economic Council. But […]
3/6/2018
LEGAL/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WOMEN: “Former adult-movie star Stephanie Clifford filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump, saying his lawyer forced her to sign a false statement provided to The Wall Street Journal in response to inquiries about an alleged sexual encounter with Mr. Trump. The lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid Ms. Clifford $130,000 in October 2016 in […]
3/6/2018
CYBERWAR/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/RUSSIA/TREASURY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration could impose new sanctions on Russian entities as soon as next week, a senior administration official told CNN. Among the entities being considered for sanctions is the Internet Research Agency, a Kremlin-linked Russian troll group, the official said. The Internet Research Agency was at the heart of a […]
3/6/2018
GOP/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/LEGAL/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Two Republican chairmen in the House are asking the Justice Department to consider the appointment of a second special counsel to investigate matters related to how and why material gathered from a former British spy was used to spy on an associate of Donald Trump. House Judiciary Committee chairman Bob Goodlatte […]
3/6/2018
ECONOMY/NOMINATIONS: “Will be making a decision soon on the appointment of new Chief Economic Advisor. Many people wanting the job – will choose wisely!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Mar. 6, 2018 07:49pm […]
3/6/2018
2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump said Tuesday [3-6-18] that Russia had ‘no impact on our votes’ in the 2016 presidential contest but vowed to combat any attempts to meddle in the 2018 midterms. It was Trump’s most forceful attempt to date at dissuading Russia from continuing its election interference efforts, though he again […]
3/6/2018
HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration wants any congressional plan to shore up the Affordable Care Act markets to include conservative goals, such as letting insurers charge higher premiums to older people, according to a memo reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. The memo encourages lawmakers to pass measures including allowing insurers to charge older […]
3/6/2018
CALIFORNIA/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/LEGAL/SANCTUARY CITIES: “The Trump administration escalated what had been a war of words over California’s immigration agenda, filing a lawsuit late Tuesday [3-6-18] that amounted to a pre-emptive strike against the liberal state’s so-called sanctuary laws. The Justice Department sued California; Gov. Jerry Brown; and the state’s attorney general, Xavier Becerra, over three state […]
3/6/2018
2A/EDUCATION/GUNS/HOUSE OF REPS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Momentum on overhauling the country’s gun laws has practically stalled at the US Capitol, but the House will vote next week on a narrow proposal that will give schools more money to strengthen security. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy announced Tuesday [3-6-18] morning the chamber would hold the vote next […]
3/6/2018
ETHICS/KELLYANNE CONWAY/LEGAL: “The US Office of Special Counsel announced Tuesday [3-6-18] that White House aide Kellyanne Conway violated the Hatch Act on two occasions by ‘advocating for and against candidates’ in last year’s Alabama Senate special election. In a new report, the OSC special counsel, Henry Kerner, pointed to Conway’s TV interviews conducted in her […]
3/6/2018
NAFTA/TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS/TREASURY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs may not apply to Canada and Mexico as the U.S. negotiates deals with those countries, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Tuesday [3-6-18]. Testifying at a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing, Mnuchin faced increasing opposition from fellow Republicans to the president’s tariff proposals announced last week… […]
3/6/2018
PAUL RYAN/TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “House Speaker Paul Ryan stepped back Tuesday [3-6-18] from calls for President Donald Trump to drop aluminum and steel tariffs, instead urging the White House to take a more tailored approach focusing on countries that abuse the trading system. The president’s announcement last week that he planned to impose global […]
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 […]
3/6/2018
BANKING/TREASURY: “Bipartisan legislation expected to clear the Senate as early as this week has just one provision that is set to directly benefit the nation’s megabanks: a section aimed at making it easier for them to buy state and local bonds. The provision, championed by Citigroup Inc. and other large banks, would ease a new […]
3/6/2018
INTERIOR/RYAN ZINKE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The federal government has quietly said it will consider big game trophy imports on a ‘case-by-basis,’ deciding an issue that split President Donald Trump and his Interior Department. In November, Interior Department’s Fish and Wildlife Service, under Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, announced it would remove some Obama-era restrictions on importing trophies […]
3/6/2018
CONFLICT OF INTERESTS/ENERGY/EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT: “U.S. House Democrats want answers from Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt about political appointees in his agency who got special permission to moonlight for outside clients, which they said may compromise their impartiality. Top Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and its oversight subcommittee said they sent questions […]
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 […]
3/6/2018
BANKING/DEMS/GOP: “Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Tuesday [3-6-18] blasted Republicans and fellow Democrats for backing a sweeping rollback of banking regulations that the Senate will likely pass as soon as this week. Lawmakers will vote to begin debate on the legislation on the Senate floor later this morning, a move that will expose a long-simmering […]
3/6/2018
CLIMATE CHANGE/IMMIGRATION/POPE FRANCIS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Pope Francis remains broadly popular with Roman Catholics in the U.S., according to a new study from the Pew Research Center, but a growing number of Catholic Republicans are concerned about the direction of the church under his leadership. Overall, 84% of Catholics in the U.S. hold a favorable opinion […]
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 […]
3/6/2018
HOUSE OF REPS/TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS: “House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling warned President Donald Trump on Tuesday [3-6-18] against pressing forward with a broad package of tariffs on foreign aluminum and steel, cautioning that such a move could undo the economic benefits of the tax cut package he signed late last year… Trump announced last […]
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, […]
3/6/2018
FAKE NEWS/MEDIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “President Donald Trump on Tuesday [3-6-18] denounced as ‘wrong’ reporting in recent days from multiple media outlets that his administration has descended into chaos, declaring that the West Wing is filled with ‘only great energy’ but conceding that ‘I still have some people that I want to change.’… The Trump […]
3/6/2018
DREAMERS/IMMIGRATION/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT: “Federal Judge in Maryland has just ruled that ‘President Trump has the right to end DACA.’ President Obama had 8 years to fix this problem, and didn’t. I am waiting for the Dems, they are running for the hills!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Mar. 6, 2018 08:46am […]
3/6/2018
2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The top U.S. intelligence official said on Tuesday [3-6-18] President Donald Trump’s administration is ‘actively engaged’ in efforts to prevent Russian efforts to influence the November midterm elections, even as he warned of Moscow’s continuing ‘malign activities.’… Coats and other U.S. intelligence officials have warned repeatedly that Russia is already trying […]
3/6/2018
GUNS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump isn’t expected to announce new proposed action on guns until he meets with representatives of the video game industry on Thursday [3-8-18], two sources familiar with the matter tell CNN. Both sources caution, however, that the President could change his mind at any time and opt to move forward […]
3/6/2018
MISC: “We will see what happens! https://t.co/Y1qxoAUfd9” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Mar. 6, 2018 08:05am […]
3/6/2018
JOBS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “We are getting it done – jobs and security! https://t.co/Ui8bubj7Yr” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Mar. 6, 2018 08:02am […]
3/6/2018
DEMS/DREAMERS: “Total inaction on DACA by Dems. Where are you? A deal can be made!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Mar. 6, 2018 08:00am […]
3/6/2018
ENERGY/FAKE NEWS/MEDIA: “The new Fake News narrative is that there is CHAOS in the White House. Wrong! People will always come & go, and I want strong dialogue before making a final decision. I still have some people that I want to change (always seeking perfection). There is no Chaos, only great Energy!” -Donald Trump, […]
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 […]
3/6/2018
FBI/LEGAL/MICHAEL FLYNN/NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA: “Michael Flynn, the retired Army general and ex-Trump national security adviser who pleaded guilty last year to lying to FBI agents about his Russian contacts, has put his Virginia home up for sale to pay mounting legal fees, friends and family members told ABC News. Flynn’s 13-year-old, three-bedroom townhouse in Old Town […]
3/5/2018
LEGAL/TRUMP BUSINESS: “A workman wielding a crowbar pried off the silver T-R-U-M-P name from the Trump International Hotel and Tower here in Panama City on Monday [3-5-18] as the majority owner of the hotel declared victory in his fight to oust the American president’s family business as managers of the property. The president’s company, the […]
3/5/2018
DREAMERS/IMMIGRATION/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/LEGAL: “A federal judge in Maryland on Monday [3-5-18] struck down a a challenge to President Donald Trump’s decision to end protections for undocumented immigrants, stating that while he does not agree with Trump’s move, it is not his job to set immigration policy. ‘This Court does not like the outcome of this case, […]
3/5/2018
PAUL RYAN/TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump, facing an angry chorus of protests from leaders of his own party, including the House speaker, Paul D. Ryan, insisted on Monday [3-5-18] that he would not back down from his plan to impose across-the-board tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. But the White House was devising ways […]
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 […]
3/5/2018
TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump’s fixation with America’s widening trade deficit is fueling his decision to impose stiff tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Only a small group of experts share Mr. Trump’s fixation, and few see tariffs as an effective tool to narrow the so-called trade gap. America’s trade deficit is the gap […]
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 […]
3/5/2018
CLIMATE CHANGE/NEW YORK/UN: “The United Nations secretary general, António Guterres, on Monday [3-5-18] appointed a billionaire politician from New York to be his special envoy for climate action. It amounted to a finger in the eye of another New York billionaire: the one who occupies the White House and who has dismissed the fact of […]
3/5/2018
CONFLICT OF INTERESTS/ETHICS/TRUMP BUSINESS: “The Trump Organization could be in hot legal water after ordering markers for its golf courses that feature the presidential seal, ProPublica reported Monday [3-5-18]. President Donald Trump’s namesake company ordered the new tee markers, complete with the presidential seal, in recent weeks. Federal law forbids the seal be used for […]
3/5/2018
GOP/PAUL RYAN/TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Paul D. Ryan, the Republican House Speaker, criticized President Trump’s proposed steel and aluminum tariffs on Monday [3-5-18], saying they could lead to a damaging trade war… The statement was a dramatic departure for Mr. Ryan, a top leader in Mr. Trump’s own party, who worked in lockstep with the […]
3/5/2018
2016 ELECTION/BEN CARSON/HUD: “Before Ben Carson accepted President Trump’s offer to become secretary of housing and urban development, a friend implored him to turn down the job to preserve the reputation he had earned as a brilliant neurosurgeon and lost, in part, as a politician. The confidant, Logan Delany Jr., who was the treasurer of […]
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 […]
3/5/2018
2A/GUNS/MENTAL HEALTH/POLITICS: “The Florida state Senate passed a package of gun control measures designed to prevent another school shooting like last month’s attack on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. The proposals, which passed by a 20-18 vote, include raising age restrictions on the purchase of all firearms in the state, banning the […]
3/5/2018
COMMERCE/ECONOMY/TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS/TREASURY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Since President Donald Trump announced plans last week to hit steel and aluminum imports with new tariffs, his trade adviser Peter Navarro and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross have been all over television celebrating their victory and rebutting suggestions that the move would incite a damaging trade war. But economic adviser Gary […]
3/5/2018
NAFTA/PAUL RYAN/TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “House Speaker Paul Ryan broke with President Donald Trump over his decision to impose tariffs on imported aluminum and steel products, setting the stage for a high-profile policy fight between Republican leaders and the White House. Mr. Ryan’s concerns match those of many Republican and Democratic lawmakers, who fear the […]
3/5/2018
LEGAL/TRUMP PEOPLE: “President Donald Trump’s personal attorney Michael Cohen complained to friends he had not been reimbursed for a six-figure payment to a porn star alleged to have had an affair with Trump, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday [3-5-18]. Cohen previously said in a statement that he had facilitated a payment to Stephanie Clifford, […]
3/5/2018
GOP: “Mississippi Republican Sen. Thad Cochran, who chairs the powerful Appropriations Committee, will leave his seat effective April 1, citing his health issues that have kept him away from the Senate in recent months. ‘I regret my health has become an ongoing challenge,’ Cochran said in a statement. ‘I intend to fulfill my responsibilities and […]
3/5/2018
TRUMP PEOPLE/VA/VETS: “White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Monday [3-5-18] that the Trump administration continues to review a report from the Department of Veterans Affairs inspector general that found that Secretary David Shulkin misused taxpayer funds during a trip to Europe. ‘Secretary Shulkin has repaid, I know, several thousand dollars toward some of the […]
3/5/2018
BUSINESS/FBI/INTELLIGENCE/TRUMP BUSINESS/TRUMP FAMILY/IVANKA: “US counterintelligence officials are scrutinizing one of Ivanka Trump’s international business deals, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The FBI has been looking into the negotiations and financing surrounding Trump International Hotel and Tower in Vancouver, according to a US official and a former US official. The scrutiny could be […]
3/5/2018
DEMS/DREAMERS: “It’s March 5th and the Democrats are nowhere to be found on DACA. Gave them 6 months, they just don’t care. Where are they? We are ready to make a deal!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Mar. 5, 2018 03:37pm […]