HOUSE OF REPS/TAXES: “Excited to be heading home to see the House pass a GREAT Tax Bill with the middle class getting big TAX CUTS! #MakeAmericaGreatAgain??” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 13, 2017 09:21pm […]
11/13/2017
GOP/POLITICS/STEVE BANNON: “Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, the GOP’s most prominent megadonor, is publicly breaking with former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon over his efforts to oust Republican incumbents in 2018… The public pronouncement comes about a month after Adelson met with Bannon in Washington. Bannon has been huddling with major Republican contributors […]
11/13/2017
2016 ELECTION/CAMPAIGN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP FAMILY/DONALD JR: “Donald Trump Jr. was in communication during the 2016 campaign with WikiLeaks, the online operation that last year published a trove of damaging Democratic emails that the U.S. intelligence community concluded were stolen by Russian hackers, according to an email obtained by The Wall Street Journal. On Sept. 20, […]
11/13/2017
POLITICS/TEXAS: “Texas Democratic Rep. Gene Green won’t seek reelection next year after serving more than two decades in Congress. Green, who represents the Houston area, was first elected in 1992 and is a longtime member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Green said he was confident he would have won reelection in 2018 but […]
11/13/2017
CLIMATE CHANGE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration’s effort to pitch coal at the international climate change meeting backfired on Monday [11-13-17], drawing heckling and booing at White House officials and energy industry representatives at a U.S. event. The White House-sponsored panel discussion — held on the sidelines of the annual international climate change conference — […]
11/13/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/PHILIPPINES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Those hoping President Donald Trump would use a bilateral meeting with Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday [11-13-17] to publicly denounce the country’s violent war on drug users were instead treated to platitudes about the weather… Trump ignored shouted questions from reporters about whether he’d press Duterte on human rights… While […]
11/13/2017
DODD-FRANK/POLITICS: “A group of senators have agreed to relieve regional banks from some expensive regulations put in place after the financial crisis, the most significant deal to curb the 2010 Dodd-Frank law in the Senate. The bipartisan agreement released Monday, between Republicans led by Senate Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo of Idaho and a group […]
11/13/2017
CRIME/FBI/LGBTQ/RACISM/RELIGION: “Hate crimes across the country rose about 5% in 2016, the second-consecutive year in which federal authorities tallied an increase in the number of offenses motivated by bias involving race, religion or sexual orientation, according to FBI statistics released Monday [11-13-17]. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, relying on reports provided by more than 15,000 […]
11/13/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/VENEZUELA: “Venezuela was ruled in default on a missed interest payment by S&P Global Ratings, pushing the cash-strapped South American country and its creditors one step closer to a reckoning of its $150 billion debt load. The decision by S&P, one of the two main U.S. rating companies along with Moody’s […]
11/13/2017
HHS/NOMINATIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump on Monday nominated former pharmaceutical executive Alex Azar to be his next Health and Human Services secretary, moving to stabilize the agency at the center of his administration’s biggest domestic policy failure. Azar, a veteran of George W. Bush’s administration, would succeed Tom Price, who resigned after POLITICO reported […]
11/13/2017
GOP/TAXES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “I am proud of the Rep. House & Senate for working so hard on cutting taxes {& reform.} We’re getting close! Now, how about ending the unfair & highly unpopular Indiv Mandate in OCare & reducing taxes even further? Cut top rate to 35% w/all of the rest going to middle income […]
11/13/2017
HHS/NOMINATIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Happy to announce, I am nominating Alex Azar to be the next HHS Secretary. He will be a star for better healthcare and lower drug prices!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 13, 2017 09:57am […]
11/13/2017
CALIFORNIA/IMMIGRATION/LEGAL/TRAVEL BAN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A U.S. appeals court in California on Monday [11-13-17] let part of President Donald Trump’s latest travel ban go into effect, ruling that the government can bar entry of people from six Muslim-majority countries if they have no connections to the United States… The interim decision means the ban will apply […]
11/13/2017
GOP/POLITICAL FIGURES/WOMEN: “Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, said Monday that Roy S. Moore, the Republican Senate candidate in Alabama, ‘should step aside’ and that he believes the women who have accused Mr. Moore of sexual misconduct when they were teenagers. ‘I believe the women, yes,’ Mr. McConnell said at a news conference in Louisville. […]
11/13/2017
GOP/TAXES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday pushed lawmakers debating tax reform proposals in the Republican-controlled Congress to end the Obamacare individual mandate and cut the top income tax rate to 35 percent. Members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate were debating their respective plans this week before heading home for […]
11/13/2017
ARMY/MILITARY: “People with a history of ‘self-mutilation,’ bipolar disorder, depression and drug and alcohol abuse can now seek waivers to join the Army under an unannounced policy enacted in August, according to documents obtained by USA TODAY. The decision to open Army recruiting to those with mental health conditions comes as the service faces the […]
11/13/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/PHILIPPINES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump and Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte found common ground during their first extended meeting but skirted difficult issues such as alleged human-rights abuses in Mr. Duterte’s war on drugs and Chinese claims to the South China Sea. The meeting on Monday was seen as a way for the U.S. […]
11/13/2017
PHILIPPINES/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Will be leaving the Philippines tomorrow after many days of constant mtgs & work in order to #MAGA! My promises are rapidly being fulfilled.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 13, 2017 07:33am […]
11/13/2017
TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Great day of bilateral meetings at #ASEANSummit on trade, which we are turning around to be great deals for our country! https://t.co/2ahAvm4n9s” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 13, 2017 07:29am […]
11/13/2017
ABORTION/CALIFORNIA/LEGAL/SUPREME COURT: “The Supreme Court agreed Monday [11-13-17] to hear an antiabortion group’s challenge to a California law that requires ‘crisis pregnancy centers’ to notify patients that the state offers subsidies for contraception and abortion. The challengers say the disclosure law violates the 1st Amendment because it forces the faith-based pregnancy centers to send a […]
11/13/2017
HHS/TOM PRICE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Tom Price left his job as Health and Human Services secretary in September, but the investigation into his use of private jets for official travel now threatens to enmesh others in the department. The department’s inspector-general’s probe will review who approved — or should have been approving — Price’s use of […]
11/13/2017
EDUCATION/IMMIGRATION: “The surge in foreign student enrollment that has bolstered diversity and finances at U.S. colleges for the past decade is starting to slow—and concern that the Trump administration is tightening borders is only one factor in the turning tide. Saudi Arabia and Brazil, which have been big players in sending students to the U.S., […]
11/12/2017
LEGAL/POLITICAL FIGURES/WOMEN: “Beneath the wave of sexual misconduct allegations in recent weeks against male lawmakers and candidates lies a common theme: These offenses had been going on for decades, but were either unacknowledged or dealt with quietly. Now, veils of silence in legislative chambers are lifting as public disavowals and calls for resignations pour in […]
11/12/2017
PUERTO RICO: “The contract signed by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority with an Oklahoma company, Cobra, to do repair work on power lines in Puerto Rico.“ -Staff, “Cobra Contract With Prepa,” The New York Times online, Nov. 12, 2017 […]
11/12/2017
PUERTO RICO: “The contract that the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority signed with a small Montana company, Whitefish, for repair work after Hurricane Maria.“ -Staff, “Whitefish Contract in Puerto Rico,” The New York Times online, Nov. 12, 2017 […]
11/12/2017
GOP/TAXES: “As Republicans move forward on their tax bills this week, part of their pitch is that 9 in 10 Americans would ultimately be able to file returns the size of postcards. While the plans don’t make tax filing quite that easy, they do mark a step toward a simpler system. The GOP plans would […]
11/12/2017
HEALTHCARE/MEDICARE/OBAMACARE(ACA): “The Affordable Care Act required Medicare to penalize hospitals with high numbers of heart failure patients who returned for treatment shortly after discharge. New research shows that penalty was associated with fewer readmissions, but also higher rates of death among that patient group. The researchers said the study results, being published in JAMA Cardiology, […]
11/12/2017
2016 ELECTION/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A day after he called three former heads of U.S. intelligence agencies ‘political hacks,’ President Donald Trump said he had full confidence in the agencies and indicated he believed their report that concluded Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election. But the president’s shift in tone failed to mollify the targets […]
11/12/2017
STEVEN MNUCHIN/TAXES/TREASURY: “President Trump’s Treasury secretary says most middle income Americans will get a tax break under the Republican plan brewing in Congress. But he stopped short of saying that break would be for all of them. ‘By simplifying the code, we’re putting everybody on a level playing field,’ Steven Mnuchin told CNN’s Jake Tapper […]
11/12/2017
GOP/POLITICAL FIGURES: “Top White House officials said Sunday [11-12-17] they didn’t have enough information to judge whether Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore should withdraw from his race over allegations that he pursued teenage girls, including one 14-year-old, while he was in his 30s. Mr. Moore, who is running for a U.S. Senate seat from Alabama, […]
11/12/2017
TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Thank you! https://t.co/TD0rYcWN8C” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 12, 2017 09:29am […]
11/12/2017
MILITARY/NAVY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Three U.S. aircraft carriers with around 200 jet fighters in total sailed in close formation with several other warships here in the Sea of Japan on Sunday [11-12-17], the largest display of U.S. naval firepower in the region for a decade as nearby North Korea trades war threats with Washington. In exercises […]
11/12/2017
SEC: “The watchdog for the Securities and Exchange Commission, who encourages staff at the top securities regulator to blow the whistle on misconduct and fraud, is himself the subject of complaints by several whistleblowers. Carl Hoecker, the SEC inspector general, is tasked with rooting out malpractice at the agency. His team investigates alleged misconduct by […]
11/12/2017
PHILIPPINES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/VIETNAM: “We had a wonderful visit to Vietnam, thank you President Tran Dai Quang! Heading to the #ASEANSummit 50th Anniv Gala in the Philippines now. https://t.co/WfSd8EE3Nm” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 12, 2017 06:20am […]
11/12/2017
PHILIPPINES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/VIETNAM: “Just landed in the Philippines after a great day of meetings and events in Hanoi, Vietnam! https://t.co/YxHRNhhPWo” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 12, 2017 05:21am […]
11/12/2017
TPP/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Eleven Pacific-Rim nations said on Saturday [11-11-17] that they had made significant progress toward reaching a major trade pact 10 months after President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S., but disagreements from Canada prevented a final deal. Trade ministers said they had agreed on ‘core elements’ of a revised version of the […]
11/12/2017
PHILIPPINES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/VIETNAM: “Just landed in the Philippines after a great day of meetings and events in Hanoi, Vietnam!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 12, 2017 05:06am […]
11/11/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump and his advisers have begun developing their own concrete blueprint to end the decades-old conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, a plan intended to go beyond previous frameworks offered by the American government in pursuit of what the president calls ‘the ultimate deal.’ After 10 months of educating themselves […]
11/11/2017
NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me ‘old,’ when I would NEVER call him ‘short and fat?’ Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend – and maybe someday that will happen!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 11, 2017 07:48pm […]
11/11/2017
FAKE NEWS/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Does the Fake News Media remember when Crooked Hillary Clinton, as Secretary of State, was begging Russia to be our friend with the misspelled reset button? Obama tried also, but he had zero chemistry with Putin.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 11, 2017 07:43pm […]
11/11/2017
RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “When will all the haters and fools out there realize that having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. There always playing politics – bad for our country. I want to solve North Korea, Syria, Ukraine, terrorism, and Russia can greatly help!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. […]
11/11/2017
RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Met with President Putin of Russia who was at #APEC meetings. Good discussions on Syria. Hope for his help to solve, along with China the dangerous North Korea crisis. Progress being made.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 11, 2017 07:16pm […]
11/11/2017
PHILIPPINES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Will be doing a joint press conference in Hanoi, Vietnam then heading for final destination of trip, the Phillipines.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 11, 2017 06:35pm […]
11/11/2017
CHINA/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Xi of China has stated that he is upping the sanctions against #NoKo. Said he wants them to denuclearize. Progress is being made.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 11, 2017 06:32pm […]
11/11/2017
HOLIDAY/MILITARY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: ” ‘Presidential Proclamation Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War’ ➡️https://t.co/hgUQP9leqK ➡️https://t.co/9C0yyIv9Ws https://t.co/f9snmRUA4a” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 11, 2017 07:35am […]
11/11/2017
HOLIDAY/MILITARY: “On this wonderful Veterans Day, I want to express the incredible gratitude of the entire American Nation to our GREAT VETERANS. Thank you! https://t.co/GhQbCA7yII” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 11, 2017 07:11am […]
11/10/2017
ARMY/CRISIS/PUERTO RICO: “The head of Puerto Rico’s emergency management agency resigned Friday [11-10-17], the same day that the Army general in charge of the military’s response to the hurricane announced that his mission on the island had ended. The moves came as Puerto Rico tries to shift away from the emergency phase of its hurricane […]
11/10/2017
AMBASSADORS/REX TILLERSON/STATE: “The State Department will soon offer a $25,000 buyout to diplomats and staff members who quit or take early retirements by April, officials confirmed on Friday [11-10-17]. The decision is part of Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson’s continuing effort to cut the ranks of diplomats and Civil Service officers despite bipartisan resistance […]
11/10/2017
EDUCATION/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “President Donald J. Trump Proclaims November 12 through November 18, 2017, as American Education Week During American Education Week, we recognize that the foundation of the American Dream is a quality education that instills lifelong skills and develops strong character. All our Nation’s children deserve the chance to be successful, to live fulfilling […]
11/10/2017
REX TILLERSON/SAUDI ARABIA/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Friday [11-10-17] that a wave of arrests among the elite in Saudi Arabia raises ‘a few concerns,’ as he is awaiting word on ‘how these particular individuals are dealt with.’ His assessment of the Saudi corruption investigation contrasted with comments from President Donald Trump, […]
11/10/2017
LGBTQ/POLITICS: “Danica Roem knew she had made history this week when former Vice President Joe Biden called to congratulate her… The Democrat’s win Tuesday [11-7-17] means she will become the first openly transgender person elected and seated in a state legislature… While the focus has been on her defeat of a longtime incumbent and social […]
11/10/2017
2016 ELECTION/SEAN SPICER: “When former White House press secretary Sean Spicer bragged in an election-night retrospective this week about his central role at Trump Tower that night, some of his former colleagues did something very Spicer-like: They flipped out. In the oral history published Tuesday by GQ Magazine, Spicer recalled of the historic day: ‘A […]
11/10/2017
GOP/NOMINATIONS: “The Republican Party’s Senate campaign wing has severed its fundraising deal with Alabama Republican Senate nominee Roy Moore, Politico reported on Friday [11-10-17], a day after allegations emerged that he initiated a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old girl when he was 32. Politico said Federal Election Commission paperwork filed on Friday showed the National […]
11/10/2017
CHINA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump delivered a full-throated defense of economic nationalism here Friday [11-10-17], telling a Pacific Rim summit that the U.S. wouldn’t enter into multilateral trade deals, in a message that differed sharply from the one China laid out at the same forum. The leaders of the world’s two largest economies […]
11/10/2017
TRUMP PEOPLE: “The White House is bracing for another staff shakeup upon President Donald Trump’s return from Asia, with senior-level staff moves that could further consolidate chief of staff John Kelly’s power in the West Wing. Deputy chief of staff Rick Dearborn — a former top aide to Jeff Sessions in the Senate who played […]
11/10/2017
NOMINATIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Brett J. Talley, President Trump’s nominee to be a federal judge in Alabama, has never tried a case, was unanimously rated ‘not qualified’ by the American Bar Assn.’s judicial rating committee, has practiced law for only three years and, as a blogger last year, displayed a degree of partisanship unusual for a […]
11/10/2017
GOP/LEGAL/POLITICS: “Alabama’s special election for a U.S. Senate seat was rattled Thursday [11-9-17] by allegations that Republican nominee Roy Moore initiated a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old girl several decades ago, when he was 32. The allegations surfaced in a report in the Washington Post just one month before Alabama voters are set to hold […]
11/10/2017
MILITARY/MISC: “On behalf of an entire nation, Happy 242nd Birthday to the men and women of the United States Marines! #USMC242 #SemperFi https://t.co/ecgoSJP5Uc” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 10, 2017 07:57am […]
11/10/2017
EDUCATION/GOP/TAXES: “Universities are ramping up efforts to defeat a Republican plan to tax private-college endowments and other proposals that would hit their finances, as they confront a building wave of resentment against higher education. Separate measures proposed in Congress earlier this year—some with bipartisan support—would demand universities pay back part of the loans on which […]
11/10/2017
ECONOMY/FOREIGN POLICY/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The United States has been reminded time and again in recent years that economic security is not merely RELATED to national security – economic security IS national security. It is vital to our national strength. #APEC2017 https://t.co/8gKQUhit2X” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 10, 2017 05:43am […]
11/10/2017
INTELLIGENCE/MICHAEL FLYNN/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA: “Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating an alleged plan involving former White House national security adviser Mike Flynn to forcibly remove a Muslim cleric living in the U.S. and deliver him to Turkey in return for millions of dollars, according to people familiar with the investigation. Under the alleged proposal, Mr. Flynn […]
11/10/2017
ECONOMY/FOREIGN POLICY/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The United States has been reminded time and again in recent years that economic security is not merely RELATED to national security -economic security IS national security. It is vital to our national strength. #APEC2017 https://t.co/mGPeyZEyqm” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 10, 2017 05:31am […]
11/10/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The United States is prepared to work with each of the leaders in this room today to achieve mutually beneficial commerce that is in the interests of both your countries and mine. That is the message I am here to deliver today. #APEC2017 https://t.co/CM3Hqt16A8” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 10, 2017 […]
11/10/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Today I am here to offer a renewed partnership with America — to work together to strengthen the bonds of friendship and commerce between all of the nations of the Indo-Pacific, and together, to promote our prosperity and security. #APEC2017 https://t.co/gN2YbS9CYB” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 10, 2017 05:06am […]
11/10/2017
TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “In more and more places throughout this region, citizens of SOVEREIGN and INDEPENDENT nations have taken greater control of their destinies, and unlocked the potential of their people. #APEC2017 https://t.co/a570IIGe0I” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 10, 2017 04:50am […]
11/10/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Throughout my travels, I’ve had the pleasure of sharing the good news from America. I’ve had the honor of sharing our vision for a free & open Indo-Pacific — a place where sovereign & independent nations, w/diverse cultures & many different dreams, can all prosper side-by-side. https://t.co/qBOCY3u7YV” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, […]
11/10/2017
TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/VIETNAM: “Just landed in Da Nang, Vietnam to deliver a speech at #APEC2017” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 10, 2017 12:45am […]
11/9/2017
GOP/TAXES: “Senate Republicans’ proposal to rewrite the tax code breaks significantly with the one crafted by the House GOP, confronting party leaders with dozens of differences to reconcile and little time before the year-end deadline they’ve set to pass it. The Senate plan, released late Thursday [11-9-17], contrasts with the House version in key areas, […]
11/9/2017
IMMIGRATION/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Convincing big U.S. dairy owners to buy robots to milk their cows – and reduce the farmhands they employ – used to be a tough sell for Steve Fried. Recently, his job has gotten easier, he says, in part because of President Donald Trump… Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration through stepped-up […]
11/9/2017
CRISIS/FEMA/PUERTO RICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A main power line that serves the northern half of Puerto Rico failed Thursday [11-9-17], knocking out electricity to seven cities that had only recently regained service and dealing a major setback to the island’s desperate efforts to regain normality. Seven weeks after Hurricane Maria completely disabled Puerto Rico’s power grid, […]
11/9/2017
TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/VIETNAM: “Visiting Vietnam for the first time, President Trump arrived for an economic summit meeting on Friday [11-10-17] in a country still grappling with the legacy of its war with the United States two generations ago — land mines and Agent Orange, and some three million people killed. Yet here in Vietnam, […]
11/9/2017
AFGHANISTAN/MILITARY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Nearly three months after President Trump announced his new strategy for the war in Afghanistan, the United States and its international allies are still trying to come up with the troops required to carry it out. The relatively few American and international troops in Afghanistan are charged with training the Afghan military […]
11/9/2017
DEMS/HOUSE OF REPS/TAXES: “House Republicans, surprised by Democrats’ dominance in this week’s elections in Virginia and New Jersey, have pinned their hopes of retaining the House majority next year on passing a tax-code overhaul. But the details of the tax legislation could create new political burdens for some of the most vulnerable GOP incumbents. The […]
11/9/2017
IMMIGRATION/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/LEGAL/NEW YORK/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “New York and 15 other states can sue President Donald Trump to prevent him from rescinding legal protection for hundreds of thousands of immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children, a federal judge in Brooklyn ruled Thursday [11-9-17]. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis amounted […]
11/9/2017
CHINA/NORTH KOREA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “My meetings with President Xi Jinping were very productive on both trade and the subject of North Korea. He is a highly respected and powerful representative of his people. It was great being with him and Madame Peng Liyuan!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 9, 2017 06:44pm […]
11/9/2017
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA: “The Russian state-funded foreign television network RT said Thursday that it would comply with a U.S. Department of Justice request that the channel register as a foreign agent, but announced its intention to fight the designation in court. RT editor in chief Margarita Simonyan said in an article posted on the network’s […]
11/9/2017
CHINA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “I don’t blame China, I blame the incompetence of past Admins for allowing China to take advantage of the U.S. on trade leading up to a point where the U.S. is losing $100’s of billions. How can you blame China for taking advantage of people that had no clue? I would’ve […]
11/9/2017
HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA): “Heading into the second week of the Affordable Care Act’s annual open-enrollment period, early sign-ups and traffic appear strong, according to industry and government officials, with more than 600,000 people selecting plans through the federal HealthCare.gov website in the initial days. ACA insurers including Highmark Health, CareSource, Independence Blue Cross and Sanford Health Plan […]
11/9/2017
GOP/TAXES: “Senate Republicans unveiled a proposal to overhaul the U.S. tax code Thursday [11-9-17] that breaks in significant ways with a comparable House tax plan, including the level of top individual tax rates, the number of individual tax brackets, the timing of a corporate tax-rate cut and the particulars of estate tax changes. The Senate […]
11/9/2017
PUERTO RICO: “A massive outage has wiped out power to Puerto Rico’s capital San Juan. The problem is with a failure on a main north-south transmission line, said Fernando Padilla, an official with the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, known as PREPA. ‘It was a mechanical issue on the line, could have happened at any […]
11/9/2017
DRUGS/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Department of Justice plans to classify illicit versions of fentanyl as Class 1 drugs in an emergency effort to stop the creation of new synthetic opioids and make prosecution easier. DOJ and Drug Enforcement Administration officials announced Thursday that they intend to classify substances structurally related to fentanyl in ‘schedule […]
11/9/2017
RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE: “President Donald Trump’s long-time confidant Keith Schiller privately testified that he rejected a Russian offer to send five women to then private-citizen Trump’s hotel room during their 2013 trip to Moscow for the Miss Universe pageant, according to multiple sources from both political parties with direct knowledge of the testimony. Schiller, Trump’s former […]
11/9/2017
RAND PAUL: “The man who allegedly attacked Sen. Rand Paul outside of his home last week pleaded not guilty in a Kentucky court Thursday [11-9-17] to misdemeanor assault charges, as the senator’s office described the incident as unprovoked and not a result of any recent dispute. Rene Boucher, 59 years old, was arraigned in a […]
11/9/2017
LEGAL/VOTER FRAUD: “A member of President Donald Trump’s voting integrity commission is suing the panel and its leadership, alleging the group is not fairly balanced and that it is withholding key information from him. Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap, a Democratic member of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, filed the lawsuit in […]
11/9/2017
DHS/IMMIGRATION: “The White House lost an internal debate this week over whether to extend humanitarian protections for immigrants living in the U.S., when the acting chief of the Department of Homeland Security refused to end them, people familiar with the deliberations said. At issue is the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program, which gives safe harbor […]
11/9/2017
ETHICS/POLITICAL FIGURES/WALTER SHAUB: “Walter Shaub said he felt almost powerless as head of the Office of Government Ethics to serve as a check on President Donald Trump’s administration, but he’s pushing Congress to empower his successors. Shaub, now the senior director for ethics at the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center, sent a letter Thursday [11-9-17] to […]
11/9/2017
HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Heading into the second week of the Affordable Care Act’s annual open-enrollment period, early sign-ups and traffic appear strong, according to industry and government officials, with more than 600,000 people selecting plans through the federal HealthCare.gov website in the initial days. ACA insurers including Highmark Health, CareSource, Independence Blue Cross and Sanford […]
11/9/2017
CHINA/FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “At a U.S.-China summit emphasizing personal rapport over progress on deep-seated differences, President Donald Trump blended tough talk with chumminess, calling Xi Jinping ‘a very special man.’ The two countries’ rivalry will be more clearly on display as the two presidents move on to Vietnam on Friday and outline conflicting visions […]
11/9/2017
FEDERAL RESERVE/NOMINATIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal this month expect that a Federal Reserve led by Jerome Powell would mean little change in monetary policy and a less aggressive approach to financial regulation. Most survey respondents expect the Fed to raise short-term interest rates next month and lift them three times […]
11/9/2017
NAFTA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The probability of a U.S. withdrawal from the North American Free Trade Agreement is roughly 1 in 4, according to private-sector forecasters, who said such a move would likely weigh on economic growth. President Donald Trump has threatened to pull the U.S. out of Nafta if efforts to renegotiate it fail. […]
11/9/2017
CHINA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “In the coming months and years ahead I look forward to building an even STRONGER relationship between the United States and China. ???? https://t.co/mK3SB7t3EV” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 9, 2017 08:58am […]
11/9/2017
TREASURY/VENEZUELA: “The U.S. Treasury Department will announce more sanctions on Thursday [11-9-17] against top Venezuelan officials, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing a U.S. Senate aide. According to the aide, the sanctions against the top members of the Venezuelan government are linked to human rights abuses and corruption, the report said. The new sanctions target […]
11/9/2017
MEXICO/NAFTA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “American trade negotiators are taking aggressive measures to close what they describe as a Mexican ‘back door’ through which steel and other auto-manufacturing components produced outside North America are sold tariff-free in the U.S. The U.S. trade representative has proposed a significant expansion of the North American Free Trade Agreement so-called […]
11/9/2017
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/LEGAL/PAUL MANAFORT: “The Justice Department is seeking to reach a plea deal in its criminal investigation of the former son-in-law of Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump’s one-time campaign chairman, according to people familiar with the matter. The investigation into Jeffrey Yohai—who hasn’t been charged with any crime—by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. […]
11/9/2017
CHINA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Xi, thank you for such an incredible welcome ceremony. It was a truly memorable and impressive display! ?https://t.co/J9x51h1LBe https://t.co/g4Z7mO5cV9” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 9, 2017 02:08am […]
11/8/2017
DEMS/POLITICS/NOMINATIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Tuesday’s [11-7-17] elections favoring Democrats could give conservative forces more urgency in an area President Donald Trump is already moving on aggressively: reshaping the federal courts. Trump and his advisers are moving at break-neck speed compared with past presidents. Republicans pushed four conservative US appeals court judges through the Senate last week, […]
11/8/2017
DEMS/GOP/POLITICS: “Republicans scrambled Wednesday [11-8-17] to prevent a potential Democratic wave in next year’s midterm elections after a political shellacking Tuesday fueled by opposition to President Donald Trump. The results of elections from Virginia to Washington state produced Democratic victories up and down the ballot, prompting both parties to take fresh looks at their plans […]
11/9/2017
CHINA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP FAMILY/MELANIA: “I am leaving China for #APEC2017 in Vietnam. @FLOTUS Melania is staying behind to see the zoo, and of course, the Great WALL of China before going to Alaska to greet our AMAZING troops.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 9, 2017 08:17pm […]
11/8/2017
DHS/DREAMERS/NOMINATIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security offered a degree of assurance to Senate Democrats critical of the administration’s tough immigration enforcement agenda during a confirmation hearing Wednesday [11-8-17]. Kirstjen Nielsen told members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee she would prioritize the arrest of […]
11/8/2017
CHINA/DRUGS/FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump is looking to President Xi Jinping to ‘do something’ about America’s opioid epidemic, for which he blames China… Buying opioids from China, despite legal prohibitions, remains as easy as providing money and a shipping address. A drug bazaar thrives on Chinese websites, providing one-stop shopping for users around the […]