BUDGET/MIKE PENCE: “Vice President Mike Pence cast his ninth tie-breaking vote in the Senate on Wednesday [2-28-18] to save the confirmation of Russell Vought to be deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget. Vought had some controversial writings in his past related to Islam, which were brought up during his confirmation hearing. Sen. […]
2/28/2018
2A/GOP/GUNS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump asked Sen. Pat Toomey, a Pennsylvania Republican who’s worked on a bill to strengthen background checks for gun purchases, whether he left a proposal to raise the gun purchasing age to 21 out of his measure because senators are ‘afraid of the NRA.’ In an exchange during a meeting […]
2/28/2018
CRISIS/EDUCATION: “It was an honor to welcome bipartisan members of Congress for a discussion on SAFE schools and SAFE communities. As we continue to mourn the loss of so many precious young lives in Parkland, we are determined to turn our grief into action. Full meeting: https://t.co/tbl94sCM01 https://t.co/TmUMusoR9x” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 28, 2018 04:34pm […]
2/28/2018
2016 ELECTION/INTERIOR/NOMINATIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A political appointee at the Department of Interior resigned Wednesday after CNN’s KFile flagged inflammatory comments she made on Facebook and Twitter. Christine Bauserman, a former Republican activist in Arizona who also worked for President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign, served as a special assistant to Secretary Ryan Zinke, providing him operational […]
2/28/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP PEOPLE: “One of the White House’s most important diplomats happens to be an artist — with a top secret security clearance. That means the chief White House calligrapher now has greater access to sensitive information than White House adviser — and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law — Jared Kushner. Scrutiny over White House clearances in […]
2/28/2018
BANKING/TRUMP FAMILY/JARED KUSHNER: “The New York State of Department of Financial Services asked several banks for information about their relationships with Jared Kushner and his finances, people familiar with the information requests said. The DFS, which regulates New York banks and some international banks that do business in the state, sent inquiries last week to […]
2/28/2018
RELIGION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Today we honor Billy Graham as only three private citizens before him have been honored. We say a prayer for our country: that all across this land, the Lord will raise up men and women like Billy Graham to spread a message of love and hope to every precious child of God. […]
2/28/2018
RELIGION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Starting at a small Bible School in Florida, Billy Graham soon led a nationwide revival. From a large tent in Los Angeles, to one hundred thousand people in a single day at Yankee Stadium, to more than two million people at Madison Square Garden over sixteen weeks in 1957… https://t.co/z1vvAemlBP” -Donald Trump, […]
2/28/2018
RELIGION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Today, in the center of this great Chamber lies Billy Graham – an Ambassador for Christ who reminded the world of the power of prayer and the gift of God’s grace. https://t.co/5aMh8nFPJW” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 28, 2018 12:10pm […]
2/28/2018
LEGAL/PAUL MANAFORT/ROBERT MUELLER: “Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman, will face trial in mid-September on charges of conspiring against the U.S., conspiring to launder money, and failing to register as an agent of a foreign power, a federal judge said Wednesday [2-28-18]. The Sept. 17 date was set by U.S. District Judge Amy […]
2/28/2018
2A/GUNS/NRA: “National Rifle Association leaders appealed directly to President Donald Trump about not raising the age limit for buying certain firearms, a senior administration official tells CNN. The appeal came when Trump had lunch with the leaders on Sunday [2-26-18]. The official said the NRA would prefer that the White House pursue school safety programs. […]
2/28/2018
LEGAL/PAUL MANAFORT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort pleaded not guilty at an arraignment Wednesday [2-27-18] morning in federal court to a re-written set of charges that had been levied against him late last week. The charges in the US District Court for the District of Columbia include allegations of money laundering, conspiracy […]
2/28/2018
FAA/NASA/TRANSPORTATION: “The head of the Federal Aviation Administration office that oversees commercial activities in space is departing, following higher-level complaints about the pace of deregulation efforts. George Nield, a former Air Force, NASA and industry manager who has held the FAA’s associate administrator job for a decade,’did announce his retirement effective March 31′ and ‘we’ll […]
2/28/2018
JEFF SESSIONS/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/LEGAL: “Why is A.G. Jeff Sessions asking the Inspector General to investigate potentially massive FISA abuse. Will take forever, has no prosecutorial power and already late with reports on Comey etc. Isn’t the I.G. an Obama guy? Why not use Justice Department lawyers? DISGRACEFUL!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 28, 2018 09:34am […]
2/28/2018
2A/BUSINESS/GUNS/NRA: “Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. said it would stop selling assault-style rifles at all of its stores and would no longer sell guns to those under 21 years of age, in the latest corporate response after a gunman killed 17 people at a Parkland, Fla., high school two weeks ago. The Pittsburgh-based company, which operates […]
2/28/2018
BORDER/CRIME/IMMIGRATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WALL: “45 year low on illegal border crossings this year. Ice and Border Patrol Agents are doing a great job for our Country. MS-13 thugs being hit hard.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 28, 2018 09:08am […]
2/28/2018
BORDER/CALIFORNIA/LEGAL/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WALL: “I have decided that sections of the Wall that California wants built NOW will not be built until the whole Wall is approved. Big victory yesterday with ruling from the courts that allows us to proceed. OUR COUNTRY MUST HAVE BORDER SECURITY!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 28, 2018 07:29am […]
2/28/2018
DONALD ON DONALD/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Heritage Foundation has just stated that 64% of the Trump Agenda is already done, faster than even Ronald Reagan. ‘We’re blown away,’ said Thomas Binion of Heritage, President Trump ‘is very active, very conservative and very effective. Huge volume & spectrum of issues.’ “ -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 28, […]
2/28/2018
LABOR/NAFTA/TRADE DEALS: “U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and aides have been consulting with American unions and congressional Democrats over the past few weeks to assemble new proposals aimed at boosting Mexican workers’ rights and wages in talks to overhaul the North American Free Trade Agreement. The intensifying consultations with labor are part of a gambit […]
2/28/2018
BORDER/CALIFORNIA/DHS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WALL: “US District Judge Gonzalo Curiel has cleared one potential obstacle to President Donald Trump’s long-promised border wall, ruling Tuesday [2-27-18] that the administration has the authority to waive a host of environmental laws and other regulations to begin construction. Curiel’s 100-page order does not mean construction of the wall will begin immediately. […]
2/28/2018
DEMS/GOP/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Democratic and Republican states are moving in opposite directions on health policy, leaving Americans with starkly divergent options for care depending on where they live. The Trump administration and congressional Republicans, by easing many of the Affordable Care Act’s nationwide requirements after failing last year to repeal the entire law, are effectively […]
2/28/2018
2A/GUNS/MENTAL HEALTH/POLITICAL FIGURES: “In the wake of this month’s Florida school shooting, Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.) renewed his calls for a better background-check system to keep firearms away from the mentally ill, but said nothing of his two votes opposing restrictions on gun purchases by some people deemed unfit by the federal government. The Miami […]
2/27/2018
BORDER/LEGAL/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WALL: “Big legal win today. U.S. judge sided with the Trump Administration and rejected the attempt to stop the government from building a great Border Wall on the Southern Border. Now this important project can go forward!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 27, 2018 11:28pm […]
2/27/2018
MICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Such a beautiful map, thank you! https://t.co/FyQdgKvsRO” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 27, 2018 11:20pm […]
2/27/2018
FEDERAL RESERVE: “Jerome H. Powell, the new chairman of the Federal Reserve, painted an optimistic picture of the United States economy on Tuesday [2-27-18] and signaled that he will continue to bolster strong growth during testimony before Congress in his public debut as head of the central bank. Mr. Powell, in remarks to the House […]
2/27/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/SPORTS/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “North Korea’s declaration at the end of the Winter Olympics of its willingness to start a dialogue with the United States offered a sliver of optimism that the political pageantry of the Games would lead to more substantial results. A day after the closing ceremony, President Trump responded that the […]
2/27/2018
BEN CARSON/ETHICS/HUD: “Department of Housing and Urban Development officials spent $31,000 on a new dining room set for Secretary Ben Carson’s office in late 2017 — just as the White House circulated its plans to slash HUD’s programs for the homeless, elderly and poor, according to federal procurement records. The purchase of the custom hardwood […]
2/27/2018
INTELLIGENCE/LEGAL/NONTRUTHS/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Hope Hicks, the White House communications director, told House investigators on Tuesday [2-27-18] that her work for President Trump, who has a reputation for exaggerations and outright falsehoods, had occasionally required her to tell white lies. But after extended consultation with her lawyers, she insisted that she had not lied about matters material […]
2/27/2018
TRUMP FAMILY/TRUMP PEOPLE: “A top White House communications aide who has worked most closely with Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump is leaving the White House in the coming months. Josh Raffel, who was recruited to the White House by Kushner, has primarily served as a spokesman for Ivanka Trump and Kushner’s White House initiatives, including […]
2/27/2018
2A/ETHICS/GUNS/INTERIOR/NRA/RYAN ZINKE: “In September, women gun owners and enthusiasts from the National Rifle Association headed to a plush Four Seasons resort in Texas for an annual retreat and clay shooting at the Dallas Gun Club with one of the weekend’s headliners: Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke… The meeting appears on the secretary’s official schedule as an […]
2/27/2018
2016 ELECTION/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “White House Communications Director Hope Hicks, testifying before a House committee investigating Russia’s role in the 2016 election, discussed the presidential campaign but declined to answer questions about her work as one of President Donald Trump’s most trusted advisers, lawmakers said. After hearing her refusal, Democrats on the House Intelligence […]
2/27/2018
EDUCATION/OBAMA ADMIN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration is delaying the implementation of an Obama-era rule that seeks to address the high proportion of black and Hispanic children in special-education programs. The rule, which the Education Department is reviewing as part of a larger rollback of Obama administration social policy, was set to take effect on […]
2/27/2018
CYBERWAR/DEFENSE/NSA/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The head of the National Security Agency told lawmakers Tuesday [2-27-18] that he hadn’t been formally asked by President Donald Trump to take steps to disrupt Russian election hacking activity at its source. Adm. Mike Rogers was asked by Sen. Jack Reed (D., R.I.) during testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee […]
2/27/2018
IMMIGRATION/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/SUPREME COURT: “The Supreme Court on Tuesday threw out a lower-court decision affording bail hearings to thousands of noncitizens held in federal lockups while they appeal deportation orders. Voting 5-3 along ideological lines, the justices found that the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had stretched the reading of federal immigration law when it […]
2/27/2018
BEN CARSON/ETHICS/HUD/TREASURY: “A high-ranking civil servant at the Department of Housing and Urban Development claims she was demoted after raising concerns about agency spending and Secretary Ben Carson’s redecorating plans. In a sworn complaint to the Office of Special Counsel, HUD official Helen Foster said she was targeted for reprisals in part because incoming Trump […]
2/27/2018
2016 ELECTION/FBI/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Tuesday [2-27-18] that the Justice Department’s internal watchdog will investigate how the FBI and federal prosecutors obtained warrants from the nation’s secret spy court to surveil a former Trump campaign adviser. His statement came in response to a question at a press conference about whether […]
2/27/2018
TAXES: “.@SenatorWicker of Mississippi has been a great supporter and incredible help in getting our massive Tax Cut Bill done and approved. Also big help on cutting regs. I am with him in his re-election all the way!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 27, 2018 05:58pm […]
2/27/2018
POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Texas LC George P. Bush backed me when it wasn’t the politically correct thing to do, and I back him now. Also, AC Sid Miller has been with me from the beginning, he is ‘Trump’s Man in Texas.’ Also support Comptroller Glenn Hegar, and Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. […]
2/27/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP FAMILY/JARED KUSHNER: “The White House downgraded the security clearance of senior adviser Jared Kushner last week as part of White House chief of staff John Kelly’s push to tighten control of classified information inside the Trump administration, said an administration official with knowledge of the situation. Mr. Kushner, who is also President Donald […]
2/27/2018
2016 ELECTION/CAMPAIGN/LEGAL/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Former Donald Trump campaign deputy Rick Gates is quickly discovering that cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller has its advantages. The lead Russia investigator asked a federal court in Alexandria, Virginia Tuesday [2-27-18] to dismiss a series of criminal charges against Gates, including tax and bank fraud, in exchange for his […]
2/27/2018
GUNS/POLITICAL FIGURES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The White House has invited lawmakers who represent the sites of two of the deadliest school shootings in recent years to discuss gun violence and school safety with President Donald Trump on Wednesday [2-28-18]. The White House invite list includes Rep. Elizabeth Esty, a Connecticut Democrat whose district includes Sandy Hook […]
2/27/2018
ECONOMY/JOBS: ” ‘American consumers are the most confident they’ve been since 2000….A strong job market is boosting confidence. The unemployment rate has stayed at a 17-year low.’ https://t.co/aL7aVoR7XC” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 27, 2018 01:18pm […]
2/27/2018
POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “I want to encourage all of my many Texas friends to vote in the primary for Governor Greg Abbott, Senator Ted Cruz, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and Attorney General Ken Paxton. They are helping me to Make America Great Again! Vote early or on March 6th.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 27, 2018 […]
2/27/2018
2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/NOMINATIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump has chosen the digital director of his 2016 campaign to lead his 2020 re-election effort, further advancing an unusually early campaign process. The campaign on Tuesday [2-27-18] said Brad Parscale was taking control ‘as the advanced planning for the 2020 race begins.’ Mr. Trump formally filed to run […]
2/27/2018
IMMIGRATION/LEGAL/SUPREME COURT: “The Supreme Court held Tuesday [2-27-18] that under immigration law, a certain class of non-citizens facing deportation are not required to have a bond hearing if they’ve been held in detention for more six months. The 5-3 ruling, however, avoided a judgment on whether the Constitution requires such hearings, returning that issue to […]
2/27/2018
AIR FORCE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump and Boeing have struck a deal over the development of two new Air Force One planes at a price tag of $3.9 billion, the White House and Boeing said Tuesday [2-27-18], and the President has asked for the planes to be ready by 2021. Trump met with Boeing […]
2/27/2018
DEMS/FCC/NET NEUTRALITY/POLITICS: “Congressional Democrats today introduced a long-promised resolution aimed at undoing the Federal Communications Commission’s repeal of the net neutrality rules. Spearheaded by Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), the measure would reverse the FCC’s December decision to repeal the Obama-era regulations. It would do so via the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to nix […]
2/27/2018
CYBERWAR/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “US Cyber Command chief Adm. Mike Rogers told lawmakers on Tuesday [2-27-18] that he has not been granted the authority by President Donald Trump to disrupt Russian election hacking operations where they originate. Asked by Democratic Sen. Jack Reed if he has been directed by the President, through the defense secretary, to […]
2/27/2018
GUNS/JEFF SESSIONS/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/LEGAL: “Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Tuesday [2-27-18] that he believes bump fire stocks can be effectively banned through regulation, teasing that an announcement from the Justice Department would be coming soon… Bump fire stocks, commonly known as bump stocks, are devices that allow semi-automatic weapons to fire at a more rapid rate. […]
2/27/2018
GOP/POLITICAL FIGURES: “Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) will not run for reelection after reconsidering his decision last fall to retire, his chief of staff said Tuesday [2-27-18]. After listening to some Tennessee Republicans and GOP senators who were privately urging him to run, the two-term senator and Foreign Relations Committee chairman decided that this will be […]
2/27/2018
CRIME/GUNS/LEGAL: “A judge has refused to step aside from the case of Florida school shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz as requested by his lawyers. Court records show that Broward County Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer denied the request Monday [2-26-18]. Cruz’s lawyers claimed Scherer has made rulings and comments that indicate favoritism for prosecutors. They say in […]
2/27/2018
RACISM/RELIGION: “The number of anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S. last year surged by 57 percent, according to data released on Tuesday [2-27-18] by the Anti-Defamation League. It is the highest tally that the Jewish civil rights group has counted in more than two decades. The New York City-based organization found 1,986 anti-Semitic incidents last year, […]
2/27/2018
2016 ELECTION/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Top White House aide Hope Hicks will appear before House investigators Tuesday [2-27-18], and lawmakers say they haven’t been told to expect any restrictions on her testimony in the intelligence panel’s probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Rep. Mike Conaway of Texas, the Republican leading the investigation, said that […]
2/24/2018
JOBS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “So true Wayne, and Lowest black unemployment in history! https://t.co/gDxxJdZQUm” –Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 24, 2018 08:21am […]
2/27/2018
DONALDISM: “WITCH HUNT!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 27, 2018 07:49am […]
2/27/2018
POLITICAL FIGURES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: ” ‘We’ve seen NO EVIDENCE OF COLLUSION….I have seen nothing, the firing of James Comey and all of the aftermath, that suggests that the President has obstructed justice because he’s exercising his power as the President of the U.S. I just don’t see it.’ Judge Ken Starr” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. […]
2/27/2018
MEDIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: ” ‘I’ve been skeptical about the collusion and obstruction claims for the last year. I just don’t see the evidence….in terms of the collusion, it’s all a bit implausible based on the evidence we have.’ Jonathan Turley on @FoxNews” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 27, 2018 07:28am […]
2/27/2018
HOUSE OF REPS: “Top House Republicans have embraced far-reaching legislation aimed at making it easier for underage victims or prosecutors to hold websites and online services accountable for sex trafficking. The House on Tuesday [2-27-18] is set to take up the proposed changes, which would give victims a stronger chance of winning civil lawsuits against […]
2/27/2018
MEDIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: ” ‘He’s got a very good point. Somebody in the Justice Department has a treasure trove of evidence of Mrs. Clinton’s criminality at her own hands, or through others, that ought to be investigated. I fully agree with the President on that.’ @judgenapolitano on @marthamaccallum Show” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 27, 2018 […]
2/27/2018
GOP/INFRASTRUCTURE/TAXES: “The country’s biggest trucking group thinks it has a way to convince Republicans to raise the gasoline tax: Don’t call it a tax. The American Trucking Associations, reviving an argument in Washington that’s older than some roads, is pressing lawmakers and the White House to gradually increase fuel levies in steps by 20 cents […]
2/27/2018
CALIFORNIA/FBI/GOP/POLITICAL FIGURES: “Rep. Duncan Hunter, already staring down an FBI investigation, is running into serious turbulence for reelection. Sensing that the five-term congressman is mortally wounded by a federal investigation into alleged misuse of campaign money and a recent POLITICO report about his freewheeling Washington lifestyle, Republicans in Hunter’s San Diego-area district are lining up […]
2/27/2018
AMBASSADOR/FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/STATE: “Joseph Yun, the top U.S. diplomat on North Korea issues, said Tuesday [2-27-18] that he plans to retire this week, dealing a blow to Washington’s efforts at outreach to Pyongyang as the regime signals its interest in dialogue with the U.S. Mr. Yun confirmed the news, reported earlier by CNN, in an […]
2/26/2018
GOP/POLITICAL FIGURES: “The devastating explosion in the Upper Big Branch coal mine killed 29 men in 2010 and scarred West Virginia like few events in modern memory. Don Blankenship, the head of the mining company, went to prison over it. Not many people would call that a springboard for a career in politics. Yet when […]
2/26/2018
CRISIS/ENERGY/PUERTO RICO: “Though hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans remain in the dark five months after a devastating hurricane trampled the island’s power grid, the federal government has begun to scale back the number of contractors it has working to get the lights back on. The United States Army Corps of Engineers is in charge […]
2/26/2018
TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP FAMILY/MELANIA: “The first lady, Melania Trump, has parted ways with an adviser after news about the adviser’s firm reaping $26 million in payments to help plan President Trump’s inauguration. Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, who has been friends with Mrs. Trump for years, had been working on a contract basis as an unpaid senior […]
2/26/2018
CALIFORNIA: “California regulators have given the green light to truly driverless cars. The state’s Department of Motor Vehicles said Monday [2-26-18] that it was eliminating a requirement for autonomous vehicles to have a person in the driver’s seat to take over in the event of an emergency. The new rule goes into effect on April […]
2/26/2018
BUSINESS/GUNS/NRA/TAXES: “The lieutenant governor in Georgia threatened on Monday [2-26-18] to kill a proposed lucrative tax cut for Delta Air Lines after the company eliminated a discount fare program for the National Rifle Association over the weekend. The move by Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, who presides over the State Senate, immediately put the legislation in […]
2/26/2018
2A/GUNS/POLITICS: “Legislation designed to improve background checks for gun purchases ran into new hurdles Monday [2-26-18], raising doubts about lawmakers’ ability to act in the wake of the Florida school shooting. The background-checks bill, sponsored by Sen. John Cornyn (R., Texas), would encourage states and federal agencies, including the military, to submit criminal-conviction records to […]
2/26/2018
DONALDISM/GUNS/MENTAL HEALTH/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump said on Monday [2-26-18] that the country needs to take a look at whether more mental health institutions need to be opened to treat people with mental illness and avert mass shootings. The president also said he would have run into the South Florida high school where 17 students […]
2/26/2018
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/LEGAL/LGBTQ/NEW YORK: “A federal appeals court in Manhattan ruled on Monday [2-26-18] that federal civil rights law bars employers from discriminating based on sexual orientation. The case, which stemmed from the 2010 dismissal of a Long Island sky-diving instructor, was a setback for the Trump Justice Department, whose lawyers found themselves in the unusual […]
2/26/2018
HEALTHCARE/LEGAL/OBAMACARE(ACA): “A coalition of 20 U.S. states sued the federal government on Monday [2-26-18] over Obamacare, claiming the law was no longer constitutional after the repeal last year of its requirement that people have health insurance or pay a fine. Led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel, the lawsuit […]
2/26/2018
GUNS/POLITICS/TRUMP FAMILY/MELANIA: “First lady Melania Trump spoke out Monday [2-26-18] about the student movement for action on guns in the wake of the tragic school shooting in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 dead and launched a national conversation on gun violence. ‘In my year as first lady, I have also learned that it is often […]
2/26/2018
CONFLICT OF INTERESTS/LABOR: “The National Labor Relations Board on Monday [2-26-18] made it easier for companies that franchise their brands, such as McDonald’s Corp, to be held liable for labor law violations. The U.S. board overturned its own recent decision limiting corporate liability on the grounds that one of its members, appointed by President Donald […]
2/26/2018
2016 ELECTION/REX TILLERSON/RUSSIA/STATE: “The State Department will get $40 million in new funding to fight disinformation from foreign countries, the agency said Monday [2-26-18] in a long-awaited announcement that avoided mentioning Russia by name. The funding for the State Department’s Global Engagement Center had been a source of tension between Secretary of State Rex Tillerson […]
2/26/2018
DREAMERS/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Supreme Court on Monday [2-26-18] denied a Trump administration appeal that sought the swift cancellation of a program protecting undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children. The court’s move means the program, called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, will remain in place for the near […]
2/26/2018
CAMPAIGN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign used a photo of a survivor of the Parkland, Florida, shooting in an email Saturday that asks its recipients to donate money to the campaign. The email contains a photo of 17-year-old Madeleine Wilford in a hospital bed surrounded by her family, Trump and the first lady. […]
2/26/2018
LEGAL/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP FAMILY/IVANKA/WOMEN: “Ivanka Trump does not believe the women who have accused her father of sexual misconduct, adding that it’s ‘pretty inappropriate’ to ask her about the subject… ‘I believe my father. I know my father. So, I think I have that right, as a daughter, to believe my father,’ the senior White […]
2/26/2018
DHS/IMMIGRATION/LEGAL/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The American Civil Liberties Union is suing the Trump administration over the government’s moves to separate some asylum-seeking immigrant parents from their children. The organization filed a lawsuit in federal court in San Diego on Monday [2-26-18] on behalf of a woman from the Democratic Republic of Congo identified as ‘Ms. L.’ […]
2/26/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/SOUTH KOREA/SPORTS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “South Korea’s leader urged the U.S. to ease preconditions for talks with North Korea, as the left-leaning administration in Seoul sought to extend an Olympics-driven rapprochement with Pyongyang and head off the possibility of a new flare-up. President Moon Jae-in said in a meeting on Monday [2-26-18] with a […]
2/26/2018
2A/EDUCATION/GUNS/TRUMP FAMILY/IVANKA: “White House senior adviser Ivanka Trump on Sunday [2-25-18] did not fully advocate arming educators — but didn’t break with her father, President Donald Trump, saying it’s ‘an idea that needs to be discussed.’ ‘Obviously, there would have to be an incredibly high standard for who would be able to bear arms in […]
2/26/2018
BUSINESS/SUPREME COURT: “Technology companies will square off with law enforcement on Tuesday [2-27-18] as the Supreme Court hears arguments on whether emails and other customer data stored overseas are subject to U.S. search warrants. The case is one of several legal battles on law-enforcement access to private online data, and it requires the justices to […]
2/26/2018
EPA/LEGAL/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Environmental Protection Agency has experienced a huge surge in open records lawsuits since President Donald Trump took office, an analysis of data reviewed by POLITICO shows — a trend that comes amid mounting criticism of EPA’s secrecy about Administrator Scott Pruitt’s travels, meetings and policy decisions. The legal attacks also […]
2/26/2018
JOHN KELLY/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP FAMILY/JARED KUSHNER: “President Donald Trump’s decision to punt the issue of whether Jared Kushner can keep his access to sensitive government secrets without a full security clearance to his chief of staff, John Kelly, has put him in a tricky position, stuck between the rules on one side and the […]
2/26/2018
GOP/POLITICAL FIGURES: “Voters sent Luther Strange back to Alabama last year, but the former senator is quietly plotting a return to Washington. Strange, who had been appointed to the seat vacated by Attorney General Jeff Sessions but was defeated by Roy Moore in the Republican primary in September, has been on the hunt for a […]
2/26/2018
HHS/TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS: “By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and to promote the economic, academic, and social benefits of youth sports, fitness, and nutrition, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Revocation. Executive Order 13545 of June 22, 2010, is […]
2/25/2018
CALIFORNIA/DEMS/POLITICAL FIGURES: “Senator Dianne Feinstein suffered a setback in her effort to win a sixth term representing California as the state Democratic Party declined this weekend to endorse her re-election bid. Ms. Feinstein is way ahead in most polls, and has a huge fund-raising advantage over her main opponent, Kevin de León, the California State […]
2/25/2018
CANADA/CHINA/COMMERCE/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WTO: “China is the main target of possible tough new United States trade measures against low-priced imports of steel and aluminum. But the sanctions threaten to ensnare America’s closest allies, particularly Canada. Earlier this month, the Commerce Department declared the steel and aluminum imports a national security threat, and President Trump must […]
2/25/2018
DRUGS/FDA/HHS/PHARMA: “In an effort to encourage new treatments for opioid addiction, the Food and Drug Administration plans to begin permitting pharmaceutical companies to sell medications that help temper cravings, even if they don’t fully stop addiction. The change is part of a wider effort to expand access to so-called medication-assisted treatment, or MAT. The agency […]
2/25/2018
FAA/NOMINATIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump is pushing to have his longtime personal pilot, John Dunkin, to head the Federal Aviation Administration, according to a report from Axios. Dunkin, who flew Trump’s personal plane during the campaign, is reportedly on the short list for the top spot at the agency that oversees civil aviation in […]
2/25/2018
BORDER/FOREIGN POLICY/MEXICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WALL: “Plans for a meeting between President Donald Trump and Mexico’s Enrique Peña Nieto have been shelved for the second time in a year over disagreements about the funding of a border wall, Trump administration officials said. The border wall has been a key issue for Mr. Trump since he began campaigning […]
2/25/2018
LABOR/SUPREME COURT: “Public-employee unions face a reckoning Monday [2-26-18] when the Supreme Court hears a long-anticipated lawsuit seeking to strip them of the power to bill collective-bargaining costs to employees who don’t want to pay. The case arrives at the court as a dispute between a state employee in Springfield, Ill., and the union that […]
2/25/2018
2A/GUNS/POLITICS: “Lawmakers return to Washington on Monday [2-26-18] to find a familiar contentious issue—guns—taking a priority over spending and immigration legislation that were expected to preoccupy their time for the next several weeks. The Feb. 14 school shooting in Parkland, Fla., and President Donald Trump’s subsequent calls on Congress to take action are expected to […]
2/25/2018
2016 ELECTION/DEMS/INTELLIGENCE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A feud flared over the weekend between President Donald Trump and the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee over the release of a Democratic memo defending federal investigators’ handling of surveillance of a former Trump campaign adviser. Rep. Adam Schiff of California accused the White House of delaying the memo’s […]
2/25/2018
2016 ELECTION/LEGAL/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s lawyers are considering ways for him to testify before special counsel Robert Mueller, provided the questions he faces are limited in scope and don’t test his recollections in ways they say could unfairly trap him into perjuring himself, a person familiar with his legal team’s thinking said. […]
2/24/2018
2016 ELECTION/PAUL MANAFORT/ROBERT MUELLER/ROBERT/UKRAINE: “Former European leaders who tried to bring Ukraine closer to Europe before a 2014 uprising there reacted with shock on Saturday [2-24-18] after a federal indictment accused Paul Manafort, President Trump’s former campaign chairman, of secretly paying former European officials some two million euros in 2012 and 2013 to lobby on […]
2/24/2018
SUPREME COURT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/VOTING: “President Trump added his voice on Saturday [2-24-18] to the continued conservative outcry over the court-ordered redistricting of the Pennsylvania congressional map, calling the decision ‘very unfair to Republicans and to our country.’… The Supreme Court this month denied a request from Pennsylvania Republicans to stop the state’s highest court from […]
2/24/2018
TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “I will be interviewed by @JudgeJeanine on @FoxNews at 9:00 P.M. Enjoy!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 24, 2018 08:00pm […]
2/24/2018
POLITICAL FIGURES: ” ‘Congressman Schiff omitted and distorted key facts’ @FoxNews So, what else is new. He is a total phony!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 24, 2018 07:56pm […]
2/24/2018
2016 ELECTION/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: ” ‘Russians had no compromising information on Donald Trump’ @FoxNews Of course not, because there is none, and never was. This whole Witch Hunt is an illegal disgrace…and Obama did nothing about Russia!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 24, 2018 06:44pm […]
2/24/2018
DEMS/FBI: “Dem Memo: FBI did not disclose who the clients were – the Clinton Campaign and the DNC. Wow!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 24, 2018 06:20pm […]