IRS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump will name David Kautter as acting commissioner of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, the White House said in a statement on Thursday [10-26-17]. Kautter, who is assistant secretary of the Treasury for tax policy, would become the acting head of the federal government’s revenue collection service effective Nov. 13, […]
10/26/2017
STEVEN MNUCHIN/TAXES/TREASURY: “Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is the de facto frontman for the administration’s proposed overhaul of the U.S. tax system because of his extreme loyalty to President Donald Trump and the scores of tax policy experts and economists at his command. But Mnuchin, a former investment banker and movie financier with no prior experience […]
10/25/2017
2016 ELECTION/CAMPAIGN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The chief executive of a data-analytics firm that worked for President Donald Trump’s campaign reached out to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to offer help organizing the Hillary Clinton -related emails the website was releasing, according to a person familiar with the effort. The outreach by the CEO of the firm, which […]
10/25/2017
FAA/TRANSPORTATION/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of Transportation Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program… It shall be the policy of the United States to promote the safe operation of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and enable the development of UAS technologies for use in agriculture, commerce, emergency management, human transportation, and other sectors. Compared to […]
10/25/2017
DONALDISM: “Together, we will Make America Great Again! #AmericaFirst?? https://t.co/ajiC3flNkI” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 25, 2017 10:33pm […]
10/25/2017
2016 ELECTION/INTELLIGENCE/POLITICS/RUSSIA: “The Senate Judiciary Committee’s GOP chairman and top Democrat are splitting off in different directions when it comes to investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election, risking a collapse of their once bipartisan probe… Feinstein is working with Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) on the foreign-influence bill, a spokesman said. The legislation gives Feinstein, […]
10/25/2017
TAXES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “This will be the biggest TAX CUT in the history of our country – and we need it! #TaxReform Read more: https://t.co/o3W9bJkz5k https://t.co/JYckXWEmLu” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 25, 2017 08:47pm […]
10/25/2017
INTERIOR/RYAN ZINKE: “The National Park Service proposes more than doubling the entrance fees at 17 popular national parks, including Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Yellowstone, to help pay for infrastructure improvements. Under the agency’s proposal, the entrance fee for a private vehicle would jump to $70 during peak season, from its current rate of $25 to […]
10/25/2017
TRUMP FAMILY/JARED KUSHNER: “Back in December 2016, the Chinese foreign minister traveled to Manhattan to meet privately with Jared Kushner for emergency discussions after President-elect Donald Trump’s unorthodox phone call with the president of Taiwan… It was a sign of the lead role that Kushner occupied as Trump’s chief diplomatic contact for the Chinese. But […]
10/25/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/STEVEN MNUCHIN/TREASURY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration on Wednesday [10-25-17] imposed sanctions on eight individuals and a business affiliated with the Islamic State in Yemen and with Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in the first coordinated action taken with a newly formed center to combat terrorist financing led by the United States and […]
10/25/2017
AMBASSADOR/STATE: “Scott Brown, the United States ambassador to New Zealand, was investigated and cautioned by the State Department about comments he made to women while on an official trip to Samoa, he revealed Wednesday [10-25-17]. Mr. Brown, the former Republican senator from Massachusetts, told Fairfax Media that he had been instructed to be more culturally […]
10/25/2017
FCC: “The Federal Communications Commission is planning to make sweeping changes to media-ownership rules next month, eliminating or scaling back longstanding limits on local ownership of TV stations and newspapers, its chairman said Wednesday [10-25-17]. The plan by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, a Republican, would eliminate or reduce several regulatory barriers—including some from the 1970s—that […]
10/25/2017
TAXES/TRUMP FAMILY/IVANKA: “After months of meetings behind closed doors on Capitol Hill, Ivanka Trump took the podium Wednesday [10-25-17] in the Capitol’s Lyndon Baines Johnson Room to make a public pitch on tax reform, which she called ‘critically important.’ ‘Today, the vast majority of American homes are dual income. Our tax code has to recognize […]
10/25/2017
DONALD ON DONALD/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Interview with @LouDobbs coming up at 7pmE on @FoxBusiness. Enjoy! https://t.co/9V9z015kVl” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 25, 2017 05:46pm […]
10/25/2017
CRISIS/TEXAS: “Texas @GovAbbott & Lt. Gov. @DanPatrick, Thank you for todays briefing on hurricane recovery efforts here in TX. Keep up the great work! https://t.co/rBel6IWrJl” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 25, 2017 05:17pm […]
10/25/2017
CALIFORNIA/HEALTHCARE/LEGAL/OBAMACARE(ACA): “A California federal judge on Wednesday [10-25-17] said he wouldn’t force the Trump administration to continue paying insurers for providing health-coverage discounts to lower-income consumers, a blow to Democrats who fear the Affordable Care Act’s exchanges will crater without the funding. U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria in San Francisco said the case was ‘close […]
10/25/2017
DHS/IMMIGRATION: “A 10-year-old girl with cerebral palsy has been detained by federal immigration authorities in Texas after she passed through a Border Patrol checkpoint on her way to a hospital to undergo emergency gall bladder surgery. The girl, Rosamaria Hernandez, who was brought over the border illegally to live in Laredo, Tex., when she was […]
10/25/2017
NORTH KOREA/SOUTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The head of South Korea’s conservative opposition party is urging the Trump administration to redeploy tactical nuclear weapons to South Korea to help counter threats from North Korea and change the dynamics on the peninsula. Hong Joon-pyo, head of the Liberty Korea party, is making his pitch for weapons in […]
10/25/2017
NIKKI HALEY/SUDAN/UN: “The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, was evacuated from a U.N. camp for displaced people in South Sudan on Wednesday [10-25-17] because of a demonstration against President Salva Kiir, witnesses said. Shortly after Haley left the camp, U.N. security guards fired tear gas to disperse the crowd of more than […]
10/25/2017
MISC: “The long anticipated release of the #JFKFiles will take place tomorrow. So interesting!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 25, 2017 02:56pm […]
10/25/2017
DONALD ON DONALD/MEDIA: “President Donald Trump touted his Ivy League education on Wednesday [10-25-17], highlighting his experiences as a college student nearly 50 years ago as proof that the media is reporting a false image of the 71-year-old president… ‘You know, people don’t understand. I went to an Ivy League college,’ said Trump, who graduated […]
10/25/2017
CHINA/FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Melania and I look forward to being with President Xi & Madame Peng Liyuan in China in two weeks for what will hopefully be a historic trip! https://t.co/uFMonzza7N” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 25, 2017 02:39pm […]
10/25/2017
CHINA/FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Spoke to President Xi of China to congratulate him on his extraordinary elevation. Also discussed NoKo & trade, two very important subjects!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 25, 2017 02:24pm […]
10/25/2017
DONALD ON DONALD/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Just interviewed by @LouDobbs. Will be aired tonight at 7pmE on @FoxBusiness. #Dobbs” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 25, 2017 12:46pm […]
10/25/2017
DHS/FAA/IMMIGRATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Airlines are warnings U.S.-bound passengers they may be subject to interviews before boarding their flight as part of stepped up screening requirements Washington is demanding because of continued terrorism concerns. United Continental Holdings Inc. notified customers on its website that the Department of Homeland Security now requires additional security measures for all […]
10/25/2017
TRUMP PEOPLE/REINCE PRIEBUS: “Congrats to @Reince Priebus, a really good and talented man. We’re proud of you Reince! https://t.co/7AsjAMrSnV” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 25, 2017 12:19pm […]
10/25/2017
BUDGET/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA): “A bipartisan bill to stabilize Obamacare would cut the federal deficit by $3.8 billion but wouldn’t do much to change health insurance premiums for 2018, according to a new analysis by the Congressional Budget Office. It would not substantially change the number of people who are covered. The report is about the bipartisan bill […]
10/25/2017
MEDIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump is scheduled to sit down for an interview with Fox Business Network’s Lou Dobbs at 7 p.m. Wednesday [10-25-17] night, marking the 16th time that the president has been interviewed on a Fox television network, a preference unprecedented in the history of presidential TV interviews. By contrast, he has […]
10/25/2017
GOP/HOUSE OF REPS/TAXES: “Republicans are still weighing adjustments to a popular retirement savings program, the chief of the House tax writing committee said Wednesday [10-25-17], contradicting President Donald Trump’s statement this week that it would be unchanged in the forthcoming tax overhaul proposal. Ahead of next week’s release of the House GOP tax overhaul bill, […]
10/25/2017
2016 ELECTION/CAMPAIGN/HILLARY CLINTON/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA: “Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee were among those who paid a firm for research that led to a dossier of unverified allegations about President Donald Trump’s activities and connections in Russia, according to a person familiar with the matter. Marc Elias, a partner at law firm Perkins Coie […]
10/25/2017
DONALDISM: “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! https://t.co/CbEwJSQ1A3” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 25, 2017 10:40am […]
10/25/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/INDIA/REX TILLERSON/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The U.S. and India agreed to work together more closely to bolster regional security and prevent other nations from providing safe spaces for terrorists, during a visit here by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said the U.S. and India plan to hold three-way talks with […]
10/25/2017
GOP/POLITICAL FIGURES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U.S. Senator Jeff Flake said on Wednesday [10-25-17]he expected more Republican colleagues to speak out against Donald Trump’s behavior as well as his policies, one day after denouncing the Republican president in a speech… Flake’s criticism came on the same day that Republican Senator Bob Corker lashed out at Trump as […]
10/25/2017
POLITICS/TAXES: “U.S. Republican Senator Marco Rubio said on Wednesday [10-25-17] that tax legislation is likely to include an expanded child tax credit, adding that any reform without such a change would not truly provide relief for the middle class. ‘My sense is it will be in the underlying bill,’ Rubio told reporters, adding that he […]
10/25/2017
BUDGET/CRISIS/MICK MULVANEY: “The White House plans to ask the U.S. Congress for a third round of disaster aid in mid-November as the costs continue to pour in for helping rebuild after hurricanes, but Budget Director Mick Mulvaney has told lawmakers he wants to see spending cuts elsewhere. Mulvaney said the federal government is assessing how […]
10/25/2017
GOP/POLITICAL FIGURES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Jeff Flake, with an 18% approval rating in Arizona, said ‘a lot of my colleagues have spoken out.’ Really, they just gave me a standing O!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 25, 2017 07:33am […]
10/25/2017
DRUGS/FDA/HHS/SCOTT GOTTLIEB/TOM PRICE: “As the opioid epidemic in the U.S. continues to kill more and more Americans, the Food and Drug Administration wants to lift the stigma on the idea of using drugs to treat a drug habit. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb told a U.S. House committee on Wednesday [10-25-17] that his agency is looking […]
10/25/2017
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/SEC: “The U.S. Justice Department is weighing whether a financial enforcement task force created during the Obama administration in the wake of the housing crisis is still relevant, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said Wednesday [10-25-17]. The department’s scrutiny of the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force is part of a broader review by a […]
10/25/2017
PUERTO RICO: “Franklin Resources Inc., one of Puerto Rico’s largest creditors, sold hundreds of millions of dollars of the island’s bonds in recent days, part of an exodus of investors hurt by accelerating losses in the wake of recent hurricanes. A swath of mutual funds and hedge funds who held on to Puerto Rico’s roughly […]
10/25/2017
TAXES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Working hard on the biggest tax cut in U.S. history. Great support from so many sides. Big winners will be the middle class, business & JOBS” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 25, 2017 06:35am […]
10/25/2017
GOP/POLITICAL FIGURES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The meeting with Republican Senators yesterday, outside of Flake and Corker, was a love fest with standing ovations and great ideas for USA!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 25, 2017 06:30am […]
10/25/2017
GOP/POLITICAL FIGURES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The reason Flake and Corker dropped out of the Senate race is very simple, they had zero chance of being elected. Now act so hurt & wounded!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 25, 2017 06:27am […]
10/25/2017
MEDIA: ” ‘Clinton campaign & DNC paid for research that led to the anti-Trump Fake News Dossier. The victim here is the President.’ @FoxNews” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 25, 2017 06:21am […]
10/25/2017
CRISIS/PUERTO RICO: “A $300 million contract to help rebuild Puerto Rico’s electrical infrastructure, which was awarded to a small, two-year-old Montana company that had only two employees when Hurricane Maria struck the U.S. territory, has sparked calls for an investigation from both Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill. In addition to its size and relative […]
10/25/2017
POLITICAL FIGURES: “Establishment Republicans are sad to see Sen. Jeff Flake go. But his Tuesday retirement announcement came with a silver lining: They believe it gives the GOP a better chance of holding Arizona’s seat — and the Senate majority — next November. Flake’s drumbeat of criticism against President Donald Trump had tanked his popularity […]
10/25/2017
DEMS/POLITICAL FIGURES/TAXES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Chuck Schumer has shown he’s willing to cut deals with President Donald Trump. But the Senate minority leader says Democrats will take a hard-line approach with the White House on taxes — and everything else — until Trump’s GOP-only approach hits a dead end… Schumer’s comments about how Democrats will approach […]
10/24/2017
HOLIDAY/TRUMP EXEC ORDERS/UN: “President Donald J. Trump Proclaims October 24, 2017, as United Nations Day On United Nations Day, we recognize the more than seven decades of contributions the United Nations has made to peace and security among nations. The United Nations was founded on the vision that diverse nations could cooperate to preserve sovereignty, […]
10/24/2017
BANKING/CONSUMER PROTECTION/MIKE PENCE/OBAMA/TREASURY: “Congress overturned a rule by an Obama-appointed financial regulator that would have made it easier for consumers to sue banks in groups, with Vice President Mike Pence casting a tiebreaking vote in the Senate. The 51-50 vote handed the financial industry its most significant legislative victory since President Donald Trump took office […]
10/24/2017
CRIME/DHS/IMMIGRATION: “Both of Oregon’s senators have demanded an explanation after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in plain clothes entered a home in Portland without a warrant and arrested a man who was later released. The arrest of the man, who was working on a renovation at the house on Thursday [10-19-17], was captured on a […]
10/24/2017
POLITICAL FIGURES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump renewed his attacks on Senator Bob Corker on Tuesday [10-24-17], chastising him for his skepticism over a $1.5 trillion tax cut. Mr. Corker responded by going on national television to say that Mr. Trump was ‘debasing’ the United States and that the president struggled with the truth… The extraordinary […]
10/24/2017
IMMIGRATION/JOBS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Few American industries are as invested in the decades-long political battle over immigration as agriculture. Paying low wages for backbreaking work, growers large and small have historically relied on immigrants from south of the Rio Grande. These days, over one-quarter of the farmhands in the United States are immigrants working here illegally. […]
10/24/2017
FEDERAL RESERVE/NOMINATIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The two men that President Trump is considering as replacements for Chairwoman Janet L. Yellen of the Federal Reserve have sharply different views on monetary policy, offering a stark test of Mr. Trump’s economic priorities. The choice pits a status quo candidate, a current Fed governor, Jerome H. Powell, against a […]
10/24/2017
LEGAL/PAUL MANAFORT/ROBERT MUELLER: “The Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office is pursuing an investigation into possible money laundering by Paul Manafort, said three people familiar with the matter, adding to the federal and state probes concerning the former Trump campaign chairman. The investigation by the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York is being conducted […]
10/24/2017
GUNS/LEGAL/NRA: “A New York financial regulator is investigating the National Rifle Association’s participation in insurance policies that cover legal costs for policyholders in self-defense shootings. The investigation by the state’s Department of Financial Services is focused on whether the firearms-advocacy group is improperly promoting the policy and receiving commissions without proper licensing, according to a […]
10/24/2017
GOP/TAXES: “So nice being with Republican Senators today. Multiple standing ovations! Most are great people who want big Tax Cuts and success for U.S.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 24, 2017 05:20pm […]
10/24/2017
POLITICAL FIGURES: “GOP Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona said Tuesday [10-24-17] he wouldn’t run for re-election next year, declaring himself unwilling to follow the lead of President Donald Trump, whose behavior in office he painted as ‘not normal’ and dangerous to democracy. Mr. Flake is the second Senate Republican in less than a month to […]
10/24/2017
FEDERAL RESERVE/GOP/NOMINATIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump on Tuesday [10-24-17] asked Republican senators for a show-of-hands poll on two candidates he is considering to be the next chairman of the Federal Reserve. The president, who was on Capitol Hill at a Senate GOP caucus lunch, asked the group which candidate they preferred to lead the […]
10/24/2017
ABORTION/IMMIGRATION/LEGAL/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A divided federal appeals court on Tuesday [10-24-17] ruled the Trump administration must allow an undocumented teenager to leave government custody so she may seek an abortion, a major swing in a case that touches on two highly divisive political issues. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, […]
10/24/2017
PAKISTAN/REX TILLERSON/STATE: “The U.S. pressed Pakistan for the elimination of havens for militants within its territory, according to American and Pakistani officials, in a meeting Tuesday [10-24-17] between Pakistani leadership and the visiting U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. However, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi insisted to Mr. Tillerson that there are no terrorist sanctuaries […]
10/24/2017
TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: ” ‘President Donald J. Trump Proclaims October 24, 2017, as United Nations Day’ Read more: https://t.co/cyRAQAKhy2 https://t.co/HVD0kLYlBk” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 24, 2017 02:11pm […]
10/24/2017
CLIMATE CHANGE/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “And then there were two: the US and Syria. As Nicaragua signs on to the Paris Agreement, the United States and Syria are now the only two nations in the world who have refused to be members of the climate pact. The Central American country held out on signing the deal […]
10/24/2017
CRIME/JEFF SESSIONS/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT: “Attorney General Jeff Sessions Monday designated MS-13, the violent street gang, a target for a Justice Department task force that has traditionally attacked drug kingpins and cartels. The designation will allow the Justice Department to more aggressively target the gang for violating racketeering, gun and tax laws, Mr. Sessions said in a […]
10/24/2017
DOW: “Stock Market just hit another record high! Jobs looking very good.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 24, 2017 09:35am […]
10/24/2017
POLITICAL FIGURES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Sen. Corker is the incompetent head of the Foreign Relations Committee, & look how poorly the U.S. has done. He doesn’t have a clue as… the entire World WAS laughing and taking advantage of us. People like liddle’ Bob Corker have set the U.S. way back. Now we move forward!” -Donald […]
10/24/2017
POLITICAL FIGURES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Isn’t it sad that lightweight Senator Bob Corker, who couldn’t get re-elected in the Great State of Tennessee, will now fight Tax Cuts plus!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 24, 2017 08:30am […]
10/24/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NATO/RUSSIA: “NATO is poised to approve the creation of two new commands to improve allied logistics and protect supply lines, aiming to shore up weaknesses in any potential conflict with Russia, allied officials said. North Atlantic Treaty Organization defense ministers will review a new command structure at their quarterly meeting next month, the officials […]
10/24/2017
INTELLIGENCE/MILITARY: “A U.S. Army Green Berets patrol, outnumbered by suspected Islamic State militants, fought for two hours in Niger before air support provided by French military jets arrived, a top U.S. official said Monday [10-23-17], much longer than previously reported by Pentagon officials. The Special Forces unit didn’t call for help for an hour after […]
10/24/2017
CLIMATE CHANGE/EPA: “The Environmental Protection Agency has canceled speaking appearances by three of its scientists set to speak at a Rhode Island conference Monday. The New York Times first reported that the agency scientists, who were expected to address climate change during their talks to present a 500-page report, were removed from the program at […]
10/24/2017
POLITICAL FIGURES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Bob Corker, who helped President O give us the bad Iran Deal & couldn’t get elected dog catcher in Tennessee, is now fighting Tax Cuts… Corker dropped out of the race in Tennesse when I refused to endorse him, and now is only negative on anything Trump. Look at his record!” […]
10/24/2017
CANADA/NAFTA/TRADE DEALS: “Bank of Canada watchers unanimously believe the central bank will hit pause on Wednesday [10-25-17] when it releases its latest policy decision and won’t raise rates after two consecutive increases. There is also less certainty among analysts about the timing of the next rate increase in Canada due to the negative turn in […]
10/24/2017
DHS/IMMIGRATION/TRAVEL BAN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration will allow refugee admissions to the U.S. to resume for all countries but with new rules meant to better vet applicants, administration officials and others familiar with the planning said. The White House plans to announce the resumption of admissions and at least some of the new rules […]
10/24/2017
DREAMERS/GOP/IMMIGRATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Key Senate Republicans have begun privately discussing the contours of an immigration plan to shield the hundreds of thousands of Dreamers who will lose work permits and deportation protections starting early next year. Preliminary talks show that influential GOP senators are eager to devise a legislative fix for Deferred Action for Childhood […]
10/24/2017
CONFLICT OF INTERESTS/ETHICS/INTERIOR/RYAN ZINKE: “Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has directed millions of dollars in political contributions since 2014 to a network of Washington operatives that prominent conservatives have accused of profiting by misleading donors… The details about Zinke’s fundraising and spending practices have not been previously reported, nor has his years-long relationship with Mackenzie’s Virgin […]
10/24/2017
ATTORNEY GENERAL/DHS/DNI/IMMIGRATION/NATIONAL SECURITY/SECRETARY OF STATE/TERRORISM/TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS: “By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq., and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section […]
10/23/2017
TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Notice Regarding the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Democratic Republic of the Congo On October 27, 2006, by Executive Order 13413, the President declared a national emergency with respect to the situation in, or in relation to, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and, pursuant to the International Emergency […]
10/23/2017
INTELLIGENCE/LEGAL/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The United States effectively rejected a Russian criminal complaint against a prominent critic of the Kremlin on Monday [10-23-17] and decided to allow him into the country, reversing an initial decision to bar his entry in response to the complaint after congressional leaders protested. The critic, William F. Browder, a prominent investor […]
10/23/2017
CLIMATE CHANGE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Fires, floods and hurricanes are already costing the federal government tens of billions of dollars a year and climate change will drive those costs ever higher in coming years, a new federal study warns. The report by the Government Accountability Office, Congress’s auditing arm, urges the Trump administration to take climate […]
10/23/2017
NIKKI HALEY/UN: “Warning that Africa’s violence political chaos and humanitarian disasters could metastasize into larger security threats to the United States, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley began a diplomatic mission to help solve two of Africa’s most brutal conflicts. Haley arrived in Ethiopia Monday [10-23-17] for talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam […]
10/23/2017
GOP/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA): “Republicans returning to Washington will decide in coming days whether to embrace or set aside a bipartisan health bill that has gained traction in Congress, a decision potentially made harder by President Donald Trump’s statements praising the effort but opposing the bill itself. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) said on Sunday [10-22-17] […]
10/23/2017
MILITARY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “We will never forget the 241 American service members killed by Hizballah in Beirut. They died in service to our nation. https://t.co/BaQZDA3s2e” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 23, 2017 06:18pm […]
10/23/2017
TRUMP FAMILY/MELANIA: “First lady Melania Trump is making good on a promise she made earlier this year to combat childhood bullying, taking a surprise trip Monday to a middle school in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, a Detroit suburb. Trump is bringing awareness to a problem that many children are confronted with on a daily basis. She […]
10/23/2017
HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA): “Iowa is withdrawing its application for an ambitious program to reshape the Affordable Care Act after federal officials laid out tough conditions for its approval, a decision that signals limits to states’ efforts to alter parts of the health law. Iowa had applied for federal permission to move forward under a provision of the […]
10/23/2017
NORTH KOREA/SOUTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump has no current plans to visit the demilitarized zone between North Korea and South Korea during his trip to Asia next month, a White House official said Monday [10-23-17]. Instead, Trump is slated to speak with U.S. troops at Camp Humphreys, which is south of Seoul, the […]
10/23/2017
AFGHANISTAN/REX TILLERSON/STATE: “Rex Tillerson made his first trip as secretary of state to Afghanistan on Monday [10-23-17], jetting in and out of the country on a secret visit to meet top U.S. military and Afghan officials battling the Taliban and an offshoot of Islamic State. Mr. Tillerson, speaking from Bagram Air Field north of Kabul […]
10/23/2017
GOP/TAXES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump vowed on Monday [10-23-17] to protect a popular retirement savings program, pledging to leave it untouched in the forthcoming Republican tax overhaul plan… Mr. Trump’s comments point to a challenge Republicans face as they race to write and pass a tax plan: They have ambitious targets for rate cuts […]
10/23/2017
MILITARY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Myeshia Johnson, the widow of a soldier killed earlier this month in Niger, said Monday [10-23-17] that a condolence call from President Donald Trump ‘made me cry even worse,’ prompting Trump to immediately push back against part of her emotional account via Twitter… An hour after Johnson’s ABC interview aired, Trump responded […]
10/23/2017
GOP/JOHN MCCAIN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Sen. John McCain lamented the manifestations of economic inequality in Vietnam War-era military service in an interview that aired Sunday night, criticizing those who ‘found a doctor that would say that they had a bone spur’ to avoid military service. The remark appeared a criticism of President Donald Trump, who was […]
10/23/2017
OBAMA/VOTING: “Organizing for Action, the progressive group born out of Barack Obama’s old campaign apparatus, is joining the redistricting effort that Obama has made a central cause of his post-presidency. On Monday, OFA will officially launch a partnership with the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, chaired by former Attorney General Eric Holder. OFA officially runs independently […]
10/23/2017
MILITARY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 23, 2017 07:30am […]
10/23/2017
CRISIS/TEXAS: “The plaintiffs’ lawyers lined up shoulder to shoulder on a recent Friday in a Houston courtroom, filling every available bench, jury box and table. All had come to hear how they could get a piece of sprawling litigation emerging from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Harvey… The lawyers have coalesced around a corner of […]
10/23/2017
PROTESTS/SPORTS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Two dozen NFL players continue to kneel during the National Anthem, showing total disrespect to our Flag & Country. No leadership in NFL!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 23, 2017 06:53am […]
10/23/2017
TAXES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “There will be NO change to your 401(k). This has always been a great and popular middle class tax break that works, and it stays!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 23, 2017 06:42am […]
10/23/2017
FEDERAL RESERVE/MIKE PENCE/NOMINATIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Kevin Warsh, a candidate for the Federal Reserve chairmanship, met with Vice President Mike Pence last week to talk about the central-bank job, according to a White House aide. Mr. Warsh visited Thursday [10-19-17]—the same day Fed Chairwoman Janet Yellen was in the Oval Office interviewing for the same job […]
10/23/2017
ABORTION/HHS/IMMIGRATION/LEGAL/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is asking a federal appeals court to reconsider an order that delayed an abortion for an undocumented teenager. A three-judge appeals court panel on Friday [10-20-17] gave the Trump administration until Oct. 31 to find a sponsor for the girl, who crossed from Mexico to Texas […]
10/23/2017
CYBERWAR: “Hackers looking to exploit sensitive information for profit are increasingly targeting the nation’s schools, where they are finding a relatively weak system to protect a valuable asset: student data. Cyberthieves have struck more than three dozen school systems from Georgia to California so far this year, stealing paychecks and data or taking over networks […]
10/23/2017
DEMS: “Democratic candidates are reporting historic early fundraising totals, alarming GOP strategists and raising the prospect that 2018 could feature the most expansive House battlefield in years. Animated by opposition to President Donald Trump and the Republican congressional majorities, at least 162 Democratic candidates in 82 GOP-held districts have raised over $100,000 so far this […]
10/23/2017
GOP/POLITICAL FIGURES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Once upon a time, Lindsey Graham called Donald Trump a ‘jackass.’ Never to be outdone in the put-down department, Trump labeled the South Carolina senator a ‘lightweight’ and an ‘idiot’ who ‘seems to me not as bright as Rick Perry.’ Two years after that campaign smackdown, Trump and Graham act like […]
10/22/2017
GOP/STEVE BANNON/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump is siding with Republican Senate incumbents in key re-election races, potentially putting him on a collision course with Steve Bannon, the onetime White House chief strategist who has declared a ‘season of war’ on their party’s establishment. The two men have praised each other and their efforts in […]
10/22/2017
2016 ELECTION/CAMPAIGN/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s campaign digital director, Brad Parscale, will be interviewed Tuesday [10-24-17] by the House Intelligence Committee, his first appearance before any of the panels examining the issue of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Mr. Parscale confirmed his scheduled appearance. The Senate committees also probing interference haven’t scheduled time […]
10/22/2017
DEFENSE/JAMES MATTIS/NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA: “Defense Secretary Jim Mattis arrived here to meet with regional counterparts as the U.S. attempts to coordinate efforts to counter North Korean belligerence. The Pentagon chief is scheduled to meet Monday with Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera, Philippine Defense Minister Delfin Lorenzana and South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo during a […]