GOP/NATIONAL SECURITY/NOMINATIONS/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Republican lawmakers raised questions Wednesday [2-14-18] about the Trump administration’s security clearance process and an oversight panel launched an investigation, as the controversy surrounding former aide Rob Porter starts to eat into Capitol Hill’s confidence in President Donald Trump’s White House. Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) said his House Oversight Committee on Tuesday […]
2/14/2018
POLITICAL FIGURES: “Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-South Carolina, said Wednesday [2-14-18] he’s retiring from Congress because he misses the justice system and prefers working in an environment ‘where facts matter.’… The former federal prosecutor who has served in Congress for seven years said he’s ‘more at peace in jobs that reward fairness and are fact-centric than […]
2/14/2018
DEMS/GOP/VOTING: “Democrats picked off another Republican-held state legislative seat in a special election Tuesday [2-13-18] — this time a suburban, Sarasota-area district in Florida. Margaret Good’s win over James Buchanan — the Republican whose father is US Rep. Vern Buchanan — is another worrying sign for national Republicans headed into next fall’s midterm elections. Good […]
2/14/2018
INFRASTRUCTURE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “When President Donald Trump unveiled his long-anticipated infrastructure plan on Monday [2-12-18], there was one word that caught the attention of many investors: ‘recycling.’ It isn’t the garbage variety. Since early last year, infrastructure fund managers, bankers and lobbyists have been pitching the administration on the concept of infrastructure asset recycling… The […]
2/14/2018
DREAMERS/IMMIGRATION/LEGAL: “Trinity Washington University, a few miles from the White House, is lining up donors to boost scholarships for about 10% of its students—immigrants who likely can’t afford tuition if they lose their permission to work in the U.S… A March 5 deadline is looming for Washington to come up with a resolution for nearly […]
2/14/2018
GOP/STEVE BANNON: “Steve Bannon’s war on the GOP establishment seems to have petered out, but the party is still roiling with primary fights and fundraising woes that hang over its effort to hold or expand its Senate majority. In Nevada, Sen. Dean Heller and allies are pouring money into ads against his primary opponent, Danny […]
2/14/2018
IMMIGRATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump is refusing to budge from his immigration framework, and he and his allies on Capitol Hill are laying the groundwork to heap the blame on Democrats if the Senate fails to reach a deal this week. In Trump’s view, according to administration officials and GOP senators, he’s already compromised […]
2/14/2018
POLITICAL FIGURES/WOMEN: “Sen. Tammy Duckworth has a problem: How can a senator who needs to vote take time off to care for her newborn? ‘I can’t technically take maternity leave,’ Duckworth said in the latest episode of the Women Rule podcast. ‘Because if I take maternity leave, then I won’t be allowed to sponsor legislation […]
2/14/2018
LEGAL/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP BUSINESS: “Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, said he paid $130,000 out of his own pocket to an adult-movie actress who alleged a sexual encounter with Mr. Trump. The Wall Street Journal reported in January that Mr. Cohen made the payment in October 2016 through a limited-liability company in exchange for […]
2/12/2018
EDUCATION/LEGAL/LGBTQ: “A spokeswoman for the Department of Education confirmed on Monday that the department is no longer investigating civil rights complaints from transgender students banned from using bathrooms conforming with their gender identity.The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights ‘continues to use current law and current regulation to determine if any child in school is […]
2/13/2018
BUDGET/HUD/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program offers about 46 million low-income Americans both sustenance and economic choice by providing an allowance to buy the fruit, meat, fresh vegetables, soda, ice cream and kind of bread they want to eat. But on Monday [2-12-18], the Trump administration sprung a surprise: Under a proposal in […]
2/13/2018
NAFTA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump suggested on Tuesday [2-13-18] that the United States was likely to impose restrictions on imported metals, reviving the prospects for a continuing investigation whose future has been called into question amid months of pushback and delays. Meeting with a bipartisan group of lawmakers, the president said such restrictions would […]
2/13/2018
CYBERWAR/POLITICS/RUSSIA/VOTING: “As the midterm elections approach, Russia is likely to throw more propaganda at Americans, using people sympathetic to their messages and fake personalities on social media — many of them run by bots — to sow further political and social divisions in the United States, American intelligence chiefs said on Tuesday [2-13-18]. The intelligence […]
2/13/2108
MILITARY/RUSSIA/SYRIA: “Four Russian nationals, and perhaps dozens more, were killed in fighting between pro-government forces in eastern Syria and members of the United States-led coalition fighting the Islamic State, according to Russian and Syrian officials. A Syrian military officer said that about 100 Russian soldiers had been killed in the fighting on Feb. 7 and […]
2/13/2018
POLITICAL FIGURES: “Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee has been reconsidering his decision to retire this year, but Mr. Corker’s hopes for retaining his seat are running into a potentially insurmountable object: President Trump. Just over four months after Mr. Corker, upon declaring he would retire, unleashed a biting series of attacks on Mr. Trump, the […]
2/13/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/NOMINATIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The White House quietly imposed a ban on new interim security clearances for anyone in the executive office of the president last fall, but it let existing employees with interim clearances stay on, according to an email obtained by POLITICO. The Nov. 7 internal email to senior leaders at the Office […]
2/13/2018
HEALTHCARE/IRS/OBAMACARE(ACA): “Businesses are pushing back on the Internal Revenue Service’s decision to begin enforcing the Affordable Care Act’s employer insurance mandate, challenging penalties that run into the millions and asserting the agency is wrong to impose the fines. The ACA imposes a penalty on employers with more than 50 workers who don’t provide qualifying coverage […]
2/13/2018
DEMS/GOP/INFRASTRUCTURE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration this week laid out an infrastructure plan designed to win support from both parties: Republicans, who would like its plan to speed up environmental reviews, and Democrats who endorse its new pool of money for public-works projects. Congressional leaders, though, have other ideas, and may divide the package into […]
2/13/2018
EPA/SCOTT PRUITT: “Scott Pruitt’s flights in first class or via military jets are for security purposes, the Environmental Protection Agency administrator told The New Hampshire Union Leader on Tuesday [2-13-18]. Pruitt said he flew first class from Washington to Boston for his New Hampshire trip Tuesday… The Washington Post analyzed records and reported Monday that […]
2/13/2018
ARMY/CYBERWAR/NOMINATIONS/NSA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump on Tuesday [2-13-18] nominated Lt. Gen. Paul Nakasone, the leader of the Army’s digital warfighting arm, to helm the National Security Agency. The move, which was long expected, will also put Nakasone atop U.S. Cyber Command, the Defense Department’s digital warfighting unit, once he is confirmed by the Senate. […]
2/13/2018
TRUMP FAMILY/IVANKA/JARED KUSHNER: “Jared Kushner, a White House aide and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, appears to have drawn more money out of three separate lines of credit in the months after he joined the White House last year, a newly released document shows. Recent revisions to the financial disclosure form filed by Kushner’s wife, Ivanka […]
2/13/2018
DREAMERS/IMMIGRATION/LEGAL/SUPREME COURT: “A second federal judge Tuesday [2-13-18] has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis of the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York ruled that DACA participants and states are likely to succeed in their challenge that the way […]
2/13/2018
FBI/LEGAL/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation said his agency first flagged issues with its background check of Rob Porter to the administration in March, a timeline that conflicts with what the White House said it knew about the former aide’s past. Mr. Porter resigned last week amid accusations that he physically […]
2/13/2018
FBI/LEGAL/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Rob Porter was involved in serious discussions to be promoted when he abruptly resigned from the White House last week amid allegations that he abused his two ex-wives, multiple sources familiar with the matter tell CNN. His anticipated elevation further highlights how top White House officials were willing to overlook indications from the […]
2/13/2018
TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Donald Trump is breaking records! Just not in a good way. More than one in three Trump administration staffers have left the White House in its first year, a pace that far eclipses the rate of departures in the previous five White Houses, according to a study done by Kathryn Dunn […]
2/13/2018
TRUMP FAMILY/DONALD JR: “The letter addressed to Donald Trump Jr. that contained a suspicious white powder and landed his wife in the hospital Monday [2-12-18] said, ‘You’re an awful person and now you get what you deserve,’ according to law enforcement sources Tuesday. The note was delivered to the Upper East Side home of Trump […]
2/13/2018
TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The ex-wife of former White House speechwriter David Sorensen — who resigned last week amid allegations that he abused her — is disputing President Donald Trump’s suggestion that Sorenson didn’t receive due process. Jessica Corbett, who first came forward with the allegations last week, told NBC’s ‘Today’ in an exclusive interview […]
2/13/2018
ABORTION/PLANNED PARENTHOOD/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WOMEN: “Planned Parenthood will announce on Tuesday [2-13-18] a new campaign to help expand access to reproductive health care state-by-state, CNN has learned. The nonprofit is working alongside state lawmakers, advocates for reproductive rights and partners — such as the Oklahoma Coalition for Reproductive Justice, Latino Memphis in Tennessee and the Michigan […]
2/13/2018
DEMS/DREAMERS/GOP: “Negotiations on DACA have begun. Republicans want to make a deal and Democrats say they want to make a deal. Wouldn’t it be great if we could finally, after so many years, solve the DACA puzzle. This will be our last chance, there will never be another opportunity! March 5th.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. […]
2/13/2018
DEMS/INFRASTRUCTURE/MILITARY: “Our infrastructure plan has been put forward and has received great reviews by everyone except, of course, the Democrats. After many years we have taken care of our Military, now we have to fix our roads, bridges, tunnels, airports and more. Bipartisan, make deal Dems?” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 13, 2018 05:43am […]
2/13/2018
MIKE PENCE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Omarosa Manigault Newman, the three-time ‘Apprentice’ contestant and fired White House staffer, told fellow contestants on her current reality television show there’s more reason to fear Mike Pence in the Oval Office than Donald Trump… Manigault Newman’s latest comments touch on a favorite parlor game of some anti-Trump politicians and […]
2/13/2018
BUDGET/HUD/INFRASTRUCTURE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The White House’s Fiscal Year 2019 budget proposal, released Monday [2-12-18], calls for work requirements for those who receive public housing subsidies and slashes funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development by $8.8 billion. The budget outline also zeroes out the Public Housing Capital Fund, dedicated to rehabilitating and modernizing […]
2/12/2018
INFRASTRUCTURE/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Presidential Message to the Congress of the United States TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES: I have enclosed with this message my Administration’s framework for rebuilding infrastructure in America. Our Nation’s infrastructure is in an unacceptable state of disrepair, which damages our country’s competitiveness and our citizens’ quality of life… To help […]
2/12/2018
BUDGET/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “SEQUESTRATION ORDER FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019 PURSUANT TO SECTION 251A OF THE BALANCED BUDGET AND EMERGENCY DEFICIT CONTROL ACT, AS AMENDED By the authority vested in me as President by the laws of the United States of America, and in accordance with section 251A of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act […]
2/12/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The doors at the White House have been swinging a lot lately. A deputy chief of staff moved on. A speechwriter resigned. The associate attorney general stepped down. The chief of staff offered to quit. And that was just Friday [2-9-18]. All of that came after the departure of Rob Porter, the […]
2/12/2018
AGRICULTURE/BUDGET/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration is proposing to save billions in the coming years by giving low-income families a box of government-picked, nonperishable foods every month instead of food stamps. White House OMB Director Mick Mulvaney on Monday [2-12-18] hailed the idea as one that kept up with the modern era, calling it a […]
2/12/2018
DRUGS/LOBBYING/PHARMA: “Five manufacturers of opioid painkillers gave nearly $9 million between 2012 and 2017 to patient advocacy groups and other nonprofits that have a history of promoting opioid use, according to a probe by the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Those same firms gave more than $1.6 million to […]
2/12/2018
CONFLICT OF INTERESTS/ETHICS/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP FAMILY: “One week after the 2016 election, President-elect Donald J. Trump tweeted that he was ‘not trying to get *top level security clearance* for my children,’ calling such claims ‘a typically false news story.’ But he said nothing at the time about his son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Nearly 15 months […]
2/12/2018
INTERIOR/OBAMA ADMIN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration said Monday [2-12-18] that it is proposing to roll back an Obama-era climate regulation aimed at cutting emissions of methane from drilling operations on federal lands. The Bureau of Land Management, an arm of the Interior Department, announced it wants to replace a regulation issued by former President […]
2/12/2018
DEMS/DREAMERS/GOP/IMMIGRATION: “The Senate launched a rare and freewheeling immigration debate on Monday [2-12-18], with no bipartisan agreement in sight and no clarity as to whether any proposal will win enough support to pass. Senators in both parties said members might need to see their favored ideas defeated before they can seriously consider a bipartisan solution. […]
2/12/2018
BUDGET/CONSUMER PROTECTION/MICK MULVANEY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration on Monday [2-12-18] further detailed its vision to change the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, proposing that the regulator get less funding and fewer enforcement powers along with an overhauled mission that is friendlier to companies. In the CFPB’s new five-year strategic plan, the administration articulated the thinking […]
2/12/2018
INFRASTRUCTURE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration released a long-awaited infrastructure plan on Monday [2-12-18] that seeks to replace traditional federal publics-works programs with a new system of incentives intended to prod state and local governments to raise their own funds for physical improvements. The administration says $100 billion in incentives over 10 years could yield […]
2/12/2018
BORDER/BUDGET/MILITARY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump released Monday [2-12-18] a $4.4 trillion budget proposal that would boost spending for the military and border security, cut many domestic programs and projects deficits through the next decade. The blueprint underscores what has become clear in recent months: that the budget austerity Republicans pursued in 2011 has ended. […]
2/12/2018
BUDGET/NASA: “The White House is seeking to jump-start human space exploration with seed money for public-private missions orbiting the Earth and the moon, but U.S. astronauts aren’t projected to return to the lunar surface until at least the mid-2020s. NASA’s proposed $19.9 billion budget—a roughly 3% increase from current spending—reflects President Donald Trump’s previously announced […]
2/12/2018
TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The journey to #MAGA began @CPAC 2011 and the opportunity to reconnect with friends and supporters is something I look forward to every year. See you at #CPAC2018!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 12, 2018 03:48pm […]
2/12/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/TAXES/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump said Monday [2-12-18] he planned to announce as soon as this week what he called a ‘reciprocal tax’ on trade, aimed at countries that he said are taking advantage of the U.S. Mr. Trump’s blueprint for the tax surprised some of his top aides, who warned that […]
2/12/2018
ATTORNEY GENERAL/JEFF SESSIONS: “Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Monday [2-12-18] brought up sheriffs’ ‘Anglo-American heritage’ during remarks to law enforcement officials in Washington. ‘I want to thank every sheriff in America. Since our founding, the independently elected sheriff has been the people’s protector, who keeps law enforcement close to and accountable to people through the […]
2/12/2018
HHS/LEGAL/PLANNED PARENTHOOD/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A conservative legal organization worked with the Trump administration to make it easier for states to defund Planned Parenthood, according to documents obtained by congressional Democrats and shared with POLITICO. HHS last month told states they no longer have to comply with Obama administration policy that made it difficult for states […]
2/12/2018
TRUMP FAMILY/DONALD JR: “Vanessa Trump, the wife of Donald Trump Jr., and two other people were taken to a New York hospital on Monday [2-12-18] after she opened a piece of mail containing an unidentified white powder that was later determined to be non-hazardous, officials said… Vanessa Trump, the daughter-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, […]
2/12/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/REX TILLERSON/SOUTH KOREA/STATE: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said ‘it’s too early to judge’ whether new overtures involving North and South Korea could lead to a serious diplomatic process regarding Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program… Mr. Tillerson’s comments followed a weekend in which the start of the Winter Olympics in South Korea gave rise […]
2/12/2018
DREAMERS/IMMIGRATION/POLITICS: “The immigration debate that begins Monday [2-12-18] in the Senate promises to be the rarest of things in Washington: a freewheeling, open-ended battle over one of the thorniest subjects, with the expected outcome completely unclear. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) will begin debate on a shell bill that has no immigration provisions, to […]
2/12/2018
DRUGS/PHARMA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Thank you to Sue Kruczek, who lost her wonderful and talented son Nick to the Opioid scourge, for your kind words while on @foxandfriends. We are fighting this terrible epidemic hard – Nick will not have died in vain!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 12, 2018 07:54am […]
2/12/2018
INFRASTRUCTURE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “This will be a big week for Infrastructure. After so stupidly spending $7 trillion in the Middle East, it is now time to start investing in OUR Country!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 12, 2018 07:46am […]
2/12/2018
CRISIS/PUERTO RICO: “An explosion and fire in a power facility in Puerto Rico Sunday [2-11-18] night knocked out power to a densely populated corridor of the island, which is still getting back on its feet from last summer’s devastating hurricanes. The outage plunged much of the capital San Juan and surrounding neighborhoods into darkness, and […]
2/11/2018
JOHN KELLY/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The furor over spousal abuse allegations that forced the resignation of one of President Trump’s top advisers last week has exposed fissures within the White House that had been papered over since John F. Kelly took over last summer as chief of staff with a mandate to end the dysfunction. Aides […]
2/11/2018
BETSY DEVOS/EDUCATION/POLITICS: “The majority of states now have the green light from Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to begin implementing a sweeping federal law passed in 2015 to replace the much-maligned No Child Left Behind law. But state and federal education policymakers are running into a surprising source of opposition: governors. Ms. DeVos has approved 35 […]
2/11/2018
DEMS/INTELLIGENCE/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The White House signaled Sunday [2-11-18] that a classified Democratic memo it blocked last week could see the light of day soon, after changes are made to address concerns raised by Justice Department officials. The comments from a senior administration official came as Democrats said they were open to making changes […]
2/11/2018
CRIME/POLICE: “Just spoke to @JohnKasich to express condolences and prayers to all for the horrible shooting of two great police officers from @WestervillePD. This is a true tragedy!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 11, 2018 03:36pm […]
2/11/2018
GOP/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Rep. Lou Barletta, a Great Republican from Pennsylvania who was one of my very earliest supporters, will make a FANTASTIC Senator. He is strong & smart, loves Pennsylvania & loves our Country! Voted for Tax Cuts, unlike Bob Casey, who listened to Tax Hikers Pelosi and Schumer!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 11, […]
2/11/2018
JOHN KELLY/NATIONAL SECURITY: “President Donald Trump has full confidence in John Kelly, White House officials said Sunday [2-11-18], after the president in recent days had privately criticized his chief of staff’s handling of domestic-abuse allegations against a senior aide. Top officials also defended Mr. Trump’s recent public statements about abuse, in which he emphasized that […]
2/11/2018
JOBS/TAXES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “4.2 million hard working Americans have already received a large Bonus and/or Pay Increase because of our recently Passed Tax Cut & Jobs Bill….and it will only get better! We are far ahead of schedule.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 11, 2018 02:15pm […]
2/11/2018
FAKE NEWS/MEDIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “So many positive things going on for the U.S.A. and the Fake News Media just doesn’t want to go there. Same negative stories over and over again! No wonder the People no longer trust the media, whose approval ratings are correctly at their lowest levels in history! #MAGA” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, […]
2/11/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/NATO/SYRIA/TURKEY: “Western diplomats hope to use a high-level gathering of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization this week to keep members U.S. and Turkey from going to battle against each other in Syria. They have already come close to direct conflict. Turkey, angered by U.S. support for Syrian Kurdish militants whom Ankara considers terrorists, has […]
2/10/2018
EDUCATION/GOP: “A federal judge on Friday [2-9-18] blocked the University of Washington from charging a college Republican group $17,000 in security fees for hosting a controversial speaker on campus. The student group invited Joey Gibson, head of Patriot Prayer, a conservative group known for rallies in support of President Donald Trump in liberal enclaves, to […]
2/10/2018
IMMIGRATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “My Administration has identified three major priorities for creating a safe, modern and lawful immigration system: fully securing the border, ending chain migration, and canceling the visa lottery. Congress must secure the immigration system and protect Americans. https://t.co/xV1lgfhjBU” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 10, 2018 06:34pm […]
2/10/2018
CRIME/POLICE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “My thoughts and prayers are with the two police officers, their families, and everybody at the @WestervillePD. https://t.co/AoingY77Ky” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 10, 2018 04:18pm […]
2/10/2018
DEMS/DREAMERS/GOP/IMMIGRATION: “Republicans want to fix DACA far more than the Democrats do. The Dems had all three branches of government back in 2008-2011, and they decided not to do anything about DACA. They only want to use it as a campaign issue. Vote Republican!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 10, 2018 01:50pm […]
2/10/2018
MEDIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: ” ‘My view is that not only has Trump been vindicated in the last several weeks about the mishandling of the Dossier and the lies about the Clinton/DNC Dossier, it shows that he’s been victimized. He’s been victimized by the Obama Administration who were using all sorts of… agencies, not just the […]
2/10/2018
LEGAL/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation. Some are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new. There is no recovery for someone falsely accused – life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. […]
2/10/2018
DEMS/INTELLIGENCE/POLITICS: “The Democrats sent a very political and long response memo which they knew, because of sources and methods (and more), would have to be heavily redacted, whereupon they would blame the White House for lack of transparency. Told them to re-do and send back in proper form!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 10, 2018 09:20am […]
2/10/2018
JOBS: “Jobless claims have dropped to a 45 year low!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 10, 2018 09:02am […]
2/10/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/MIKE PENCE/SPORTS: “U.S. Vice President Mike Pence can’t attend a sporting event these days without attracting a controversy. Four months after causing a ruckus by leaving a National Football League game after some players protested during the national anthem, Pence drew criticism from some Koreans after he remained seated as the unified Korean team […]
2/9/2018
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT: “Rachel L. Brand, the No. 3 official at the Justice Department, plans to step down after nine months on the job as the country’s top law enforcement agency has been under attack by President Trump, according to two people briefed on her decision. Ms. Brand’s profile had risen in part because she is […]
2/9/2018
LGBTQ/MIKE PENCE/SPORTS: “The 2018 Winter Olympics officially opened on Friday [2-9-18] but the first bit of drama has already boiled over: a three-way dispute between Adam Rippon, the first openly gay American man to qualify to compete in the Winter Games; Mike Pence, the conservative vice president and longtime opponent of gay rights; and the […]
2/8/2018
JOHN KELLY/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Among the many people agitated this week over John F. Kelly, the White House chief of staff, was President Trump. And among the people the president called to express dissatisfaction, according to those close to him, was none other than Reince Priebus, the previous chief of staff, who also irritated Mr. Trump… […]
2/9/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/LIBYA/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Presidential Message to the Congress of the United States TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES: Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days before the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the […]
2/9/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/LIBYA/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Notice Regarding the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Libya On February 25, 2011, by Executive Order 13566, the President declared a national emergency pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701‑1706) to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign […]
2/9/2018
BUDGET/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES: In accordance with section 21204 of division B of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (H.R. 1892; the ‘Act’), I hereby designate as emergency requirements all funding (including the transfer of funds) so designated by the Congress in the Act pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of the […]
2/9/2018
DEFENSE/STATE/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE SUBJECT: Delegation of Certain Functions and Authorities under Section 1235 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 301 […]
2/9/2018
GOP/SUPREME COURT/VOTING: “The two top Republicans in Pennsylvania’s Legislature submitted a new state congressional map Friday [2-9-18] evening, the latest turn in a high-stakes drama that could help determine control of the U.S. House. Leaders in the GOP-led state Senate and House sent proposed redrawn districts to Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, beating a deadline imposed […]
2/9/2018
BUDGET/ECONOMY: “The White House’s budget proposal—to be released Monday [2-12-18]—assumes the economy can grow at a much stronger pace than independent forecasters expect and with lower inflation and government borrowing costs than officials projected last year, according to a preview of the proposal. Strong growth assumptions with relatively low borrowing costs, particularly in the back […]
2/9/2018
ABORTION/FOREIGN POLICY/HEALTHCARE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration said just four out of 733 organizations that have received US funding to deliver health services have turned down US grants rather than accept new rules that forbid the US providing aid to promote or perform abortions overseas. Advocates said that claim drastically downplays the impact of the […]
2/9/2018
DRUGS/PHARMA/TRUMP PEOPLE: “White House deputy chief of staff Jim Carroll, who has served in that role for nearly three months, is expected to leave the White House to helm the Office of National Drug Control Policy, two sources with knowledge of the decision told CNN Friday [2-9-18]. Carroll, a White House lawyer who quietly became […]
2/9/2018
AMBASSADOR/MILITARY/NOMINATIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump has announced his intent to nominate the top US military official overseeing operations across Asia to be his next ambassador to Australia. Adm. Harry Harris currently serves as commander of US Pacific Command, a combatant command that oversees all US military activities in the Indo-Pacific region. His nomination comes at […]
2/9/2018
DEMS/FBI/GOP/INTELLIGENCE: “The White House is inclined to approve the release of a classified Democratic memo that rebuts Republican allegations of abuse by the FBI in its application to monitor a former Trump campaign aide, according to a person familiar with the matter. John Kelly, White House chief of staff, said earlier this week that he […]
2/9/2018
BUDGET/FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/NATO: “Fewer than half of NATO’s 29 members have made plans to reach the alliance’s military-spending target, according to allied officials. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is expected to announce Tuesday [2-13-18] that European military spending continues to rise. But the overall increase obscures the reality that many allies haven’t adopted plans, as they […]
2/9/2018
BUDGET/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “When President Donald Trump sends his annual budget to Congress next week, it will be largely obsolete because the big decisions on government tax and spending priorities have already been made on Capitol Hill. Last year’s White House budget proposed big cuts in spending programs including food stamps, disability benefits, welfare and […]
2/9/2018
FBI/JOHN KELLY/TRUMP PEOPLE: “White House chief of staff John Kelly was told several weeks ago that the FBI would recommend denying full security clearances to multiple White House aides who had been working in the West Wing on interim security clearances. Those aides, according to a senior administration official, included former White House staff secretary […]
2/9/2018
POLITICS/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Omarosa Manigault-Newman, the ‘Apprentice’ star turned White House aide, dished on her time in the Trump administration and her former boss’ penchant for Twitter. ‘I was haunted by tweets every single day, like what is he going to tweet next?’ a tearful Manigault-Newman said in the teaser clip for Thursday’s [2-8-18] episode of […]
2/9/2018
TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “President Donald Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with Hope Hicks, his communications director and one of his closest confidantes, amid the fallout from the Rob Porter scandal, people familiar with the matter say. Meanwhile, the President has told associates he’s dismayed at how the allegations involving his former staff secretary accused […]
2/9/2018
MILITARY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The former Navy SEAL who claims he fired the shot that killed Osama bin Laden is blasting President Donald Trump’s desire for a military parade down Pennsylvania Avenue. ‘A military parade is third world b——-. We prepare. We deter. We fight. Stop this conversation,’ Robert O’Neill tweeted Thursday [2-8-18]. O’Neill was part […]
2/9/2018
DRUGS/HHS/PHARMA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration is backing a set of actions aimed at lowering prescription-drug costs, including a cap on the dollar amount that American seniors pay each year for expensive prescription drugs. The administration wasn’t specific about the dollar amount for the drug cap, and some of the proposals would require congressional action. […]
2/9/2018
BUDGET/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump signed a two-year budget deal Friday [2-9-18] morning, along with a stopgap spending bill to end a brief government shutdown. The measure narrowly passed in the House hours earlier, in a 240-186 vote, overcoming opposition from both conservative Republicans opposed to boosting federal spending and Democrats worried its passage […]
2/9/2018
GOP/MILITARY: “Costs on non-military lines will never come down if we do not elect more Republicans in the 2018 Election, and beyond. This Bill is a BIG VICTORY for our Military, but much waste in order to get Dem votes. Fortunately, DACA not included in this Bill, negotiations to start now!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. […]
2/9/2018
DEMS/GOP/MILITARY/POLITICS: “Without more Republicans in Congress, we were forced to increase spending on things we do not like or want in order to finally, after many years of depletion, take care of our Military. Sadly, we needed some Dem votes for passage. Must elect more Republicans in 2018 Election!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 9, 2018 […]
2/9/2018
JOBS/MILITARY: “Just signed Bill. Our Military will now be stronger than ever before. We love and need our Military and gave them everything — and more. First time this has happened in a long time. Also means JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 9, 2018 08:39am […]
2/8/2018
DEFENSE/STATE/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE SUBJECT: Delegation of Certain Functions and Authorities under Section 1252 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 301 […]
2/8/2018
JOHN KELLY/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The White House said Thursday [2-8-18] it could have better handled the domestic-abuse allegations that led to the resignation of staff secretary Rob Porter, as the president’s chief of staff faced mounting questions about how he dealt with the accusations… Scrutiny focused on chief of staff John Kelly, who worked closely with […]
2/8/2108
LOBBYING/POLITICAL FIGURES/RUSSIA: “Wow! -Senator Mark Warner got caught having extensive contact with a lobbyist for a Russian oligarch. Warner did not want a ‘paper trail’ on a ‘private’ meeting (in London) he requested with Steele of fraudulent Dossier fame. All tied into Crooked Hillary.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Feb. 8, 2018 10:22pm […]
2/8/2018
CALIFORNIA/INTERIOR/LEGAL/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “California has released its battle plan in a brewing war between the White House and coastal states opposed to the Trump administration’s expansive offshore drilling ambitions. The state’s powerful land commission said on Wednesday [2-7-18] it will refuse to issue permits for infrastructure that drillers need to bring oil and gas from […]