GOP: “Republicans are confronting a growing revolt from their top donors, who are cutting off the party in protest over its inability to get anything done. Tensions reached a boiling point at a recent dinner at the home of Los Angeles billionaire Robert Day. In full view of around two dozen guests, Thomas Wachtell, a […]
10/4/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia said on Wednesday [10-4-17] that relations with America had ‘become hostage to the internal political situation in the U.S.,’ but that his country had many friends in the United States who can help improve relations between the two nations when the political tensions in America […]
10/4/2017
2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA: “The leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday [10-4-17] warned political candidates to expect Russian operatives to try to sow chaos and manipulate upcoming elections in November and in 2018. At a news conference, Senators Richard Burr, the committee’s chairman, and Mark Warner, its vice chairman, broadly endorsed the conclusions of American […]
10/4/2017
CRISIS/PUERTO RICO: “Puerto Rico’s official death toll from Hurricane Maria more than doubled from 16 to 34 two weeks after the storm as a result of a full accounting intended to add up the piecemeal reports from around the island, Gov. Ricardo Rosselló said Wednesday [10-4-17]. Governor Rosselló said at a news briefing Wednesday that […]
10/4/2017
CLIMATE CHANGE/EPA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration will repeal the Clean Power Plan, the centerpiece of President Obama’s effort to fight climate change, and will ask the public to recommend ways it could be replaced, according to an internal E.P.A. document. The draft proposal represents the administration’s first substantive step toward rolling back the plan, […]
10/4/2017
SAUDI ARABIA/UN: “The United Nations has placed Saudi Arabia on a draft blacklist of countries that kill and maim children in war, a contentious decision that, if finalized, could enrage one of the organization’s most generous donors. A draft of the annual list, seen Wednesday [10-4-17] by The New York Times, includes the Saudi-led coalition […]
10/4/2017
BUDGET/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/POLITICS: “As Congress struggles to reauthorize the broadly popular Children’s Health Insurance Program, states are increasingly concerned lawmakers won’t act quickly enough to help them avoid budget shortfalls and possibly a shutdown of some state programs by year’s end. House and Senate committees both approved packages Wednesday [10-4-17] to renew spending on CHIP, days after […]
10/4/2017
CRISIS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “On behalf of a GRATEFUL NATION, THANK YOU to all of the First Responders (HEROES) who saved countless lives in Las Vegas on Sunday night. https://t.co/ZxuMYWnNHv” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 4, 2017 08:08pm […]
10/4/2017
CRISIS/GUNS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump landed in Las Vegas on Wednesday to pay his respects after one of the deadliest mass shootings in American history. ‘Everyone remains in our thoughts and prayers,’ Mr. Trump tweeted before Air Force One touched down. ‘It’s a very, very sad day for me personally,’ Mr. Trump said earlier on […]
10/4/2017
BUDGET/CRISIS/DEFENSE/MILITARY: “The extended deployment of military cargo jets and Navy ships to help with Hurricane Maria and Hurricane Irma relief efforts is causing military planners to scramble and recalculate future deployments all the way from Afghanistan to the Korean Peninsula, according to several defense officials familiar with discussions underway inside the Defense Department. Due to […]
10/4/2017
BUDGET/CRISIS/FEMA/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The White House asked Congress on Wednesday [10-4-17] to approve $29 billion in additional hurricane relief and debt forgiveness, seeking to help Puerto Rico and other battered areas and to shore up the troubled federal program that provides flood insurance to homes and small businesses. The request came nearly a month after […]
10/4/2017
TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “WE LOVE YOU LAS VEGAS! https://t.co/nxRWeR1gEz” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 4, 2017 06:36pm […]
10/4/2017
NEIL GORSUCH/SUPREME COURT: “Justice Neil Gorsuch, President Donald Trump’s appointee to the Supreme Court, joined liberal colleagues Wednesday [10-4-17] in sharply questioning government arguments that criminal defendants forfeit all rights to appeal after entering a plea bargain. Since his April appointment, Justice Gorsuch’s remarks and votes nearly always have placed him on the court’s right. […]
10/4/2017
GOP/GUNS/POLITICS: “In a departure from years of opposition to new gun control measures, some congressional Republicans started to show cautious interest Wednesday in legislation that would restrict devices that enable semi-automatic rifles to fire rapidly like automatic weapons. Sen. John Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, said he would like a hearing on […]
10/4/2017
ENERGY/ETHICS/RICK PERRY: “U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry took a chartered jet to Ohio last week, according to an airport management company, the day before fellow Cabinet member Tom Price resigned over his use of private charter flights for government business. Perry took the private plane from Hazleton Regional Airport in Pennsylvania to the Greater Portsmouth […]
10/4/2017
TAXES/TREASURY: “The U.S. Treasury Department said Wednesday [10-4-17] it will withdraw proposed Obama -era regulations that would have made it harder for business owners to avoid estate and gift taxes. The rules, proposed in 2016 but never put into effect, targeted so-called ‘valuation discounts.’ Those enable businesses to pack valuable assets inside the lifetime exclusion […]
10/4/2017
2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr said Wednesday [10-4-17] the committee is continuing to investigate potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian agents meddling in the U.S. election. Despite the president’s dismissal of possible collusion between his campaign and Russian officials as ‘a hoax,’ Burr, R-N.C., and Vice Chairman Mark Warner, […]
10/4/2017
ABORTION/HOUSE OF REPS/POLITICAL FIGURES: “Embattled Rep. Tim Murphy is weighing his political future as pressure mounts on the Pennsylvania Republican to resign. Murphy met privately with Speaker Paul Ryan Wednesday [10-4-17], according to GOP sources. Numerous top Republicans want Murphy to step down amid a report that the married, anti-abortion congressman suggested his mistress terminate […]
10/4/2017
LEGAL/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A federal judge on Wednesday [10-4-17] upheld President Donald Trump’s pardon earlier this year of 85-year-old former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, rejecting legal challenges by outside groups. U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton said that she had considered the petitions filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona and other organizations, including […]
10/4/2017
CYBERWAR/INTELLIGENCE/NATIONAL SECURITY: “A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers unveiled legislation on Wednesday [10-4-17] that would overhaul aspects of the National Security Agency’s warrantless internet surveillance program in an effort to install additional privacy protections… The legislation, written by the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, is seen by civil liberties groups as the best chance in […]
10/4/2017
BUSINESS/CONSUMER PROTECTION/CYBERWAR/POLITICS: “Senators questioning Equifax Inc.’s former chief Wednesday [10-4-17] attacked the business model of the credit-reporting industry, asking why consumers shouldn’t have power over the data that the companies collect on them. The hearing, one of a series this week, was as much about the control consumers have over their personal data as it […]
10/4/2017
REX TILLERSON/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Wednesday [10-4-17] that he has never considered resigning his position, disputing an NBC News report that he was on the verge of such a move over the summer… Tillerson told reporters that he had not spoken to Trump Wednesday morning… NBC News reported Wednesday that […]
10/4/2017
ETHICS/KELLYANNE CONWAY/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee wants the White House to provide details of private jet flights that counselor Kellyanne Conway took with former HHS Secretary Tom Price, who resigned last week in the wake of a scandal over his use of charter planes for official business. Conway took several […]
10/4/2017
CRISIS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “I will be landing in Las Vegas shortly to pay my respects with @FLOTUS Melania. Everyone remains in our thoughts and prayers.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 4, 2017 10:49am […]
10/4/2017
FAKE NEWS/MEDIA: “The @NBCNews story has just been totally refuted by Sec. Tillerson and @VP Pence. It is #FakeNews. They should issue an apology to AMERICA!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 4, 2017 10:18am […]
10/4/2017
FAKE NEWS/MEDIA: “NBC news is #FakeNews and more dishonest than even CNN. They are a disgrace to good reporting. No wonder their news ratings are way down!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 4, 2017 09:47am […]
10/4/2017
BUDGET/MICK MULVANEY/PUERTO RICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney on Wednesday [10-4-17] appeared to dial back President Donald Trump’s suggestion that the U.S. would help wipe out Puerto Rico’s massive debt load… Trump on Tuesday sparked confusion when he told Fox News in an interview that people are ‘going to say […]
10/4/2017
IMMIGRATION/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT: “Sending immigration judges to the border has resulted in thousands of more cases being handled, the Justice Department announced Wednesday [10-4-17], though a substantial backlog in the immigration courts remain. The Justice Department released new statistics on Wednesday touting the effects of reassigning more than 100 immigration judges to the southern border, saying […]
10/4/2017
LEGAL/TRUMP FAMILY/DONALD JR/IVANKA: “According to the joint investigative story, Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr. narrowly dodged indictment on felony fraud charges in 2012 for allegedly lying to prospective buyers at the Trump SoHo ‘condo-hotel’—claiming units were selling like hotcakes when in fact the property was struggling to survive. (It went into foreclosure in 2014.) In […]
10/4/2017
GOP/TAXES: “Republicans left out many details from the tax-code outline they released last week, and few are more important for middle-income households than the fate of the child tax credit. They plan to bump up the $1,000 per-child credit for children under age 17, but they haven’t settled on how much or at what income […]
10/4/2017
FAKE NEWS/MEDIA: “Wow, so many Fake News stories today. No matter what I do or say, they will not write or speak truth. The Fake News Media is out of control!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 4, 2017 06:29am […]
10/4/2017
CRISIS/FEMA/PUERTO RICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A great day in Puerto Rico yesterday. While some of the news coverage is Fake, most showed great warmth and friendship.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 4, 2017 05:25am […]
10/4/2017
LGBTQ/NIKKI HALEY/UN: “After siding with countries such as Saudi Arabia, Botswana and Qatar, Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley is denying that the U.S. voted in favor of the death penalty for gay people. The United Nations’ Human Rights Council voted 27-13 last week to condemn capital punishment in a variety of cases including against […]
10/3/2017
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/LEGAL/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP FAMILY: “The Justice Department has released a trove of decades-old internal legal memos concluding the President should be legally barred from appointing a relative to a position in the White House, shedding new light on just how sharp a departure the department’s more recent interpretation of federal law under the Trump […]
10/3/2017
CRISIS/PUERTO RICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump on Tuesday [10-3-17] told officials in Puerto Rico that they should be proud that only 16 people died in Hurricane Maria, compared with the ‘thousands’ killed in ‘a real catastrophe like Hurricane Katrina.’… Hurricane Katrina claimed 1,833 lives. Officials in the Trump administration have often compared the relief efforts […]
10/3/2017
CRISIS/PUERTO RICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump ventured on Tuesday [10-3-17] to a storm-ravaged American island territory where residents have felt neglected by their government, telling Puerto Rican officials that they should be proud that only 16 people were known to have died in Hurricane Maria… Shortly after Mr. Trump departed the island, Governor Ricardo Rosselló […]
10/3/2017
CRISIS/FEMA/PUERTO RICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “My Administration will continue to work around the clock with Governor @RicardoRossello & his team. Great progress being made! #PRStrong?? https://t.co/1aL9YrwTvC” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 3, 2017 07:53pm […]
10/3/2017
ETHICS/VA/VETS: “The VA’s inspector general is reviewing Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin’s July business trip to London and Denmark, which included meetings with Danish and UK officials as well as a stop at Wimbledon. It’s now the fifth investigation into a member of the Trump administration’s travel by a department inspector general. Shulkin joins Environmental […]
10/3/2017
SUPREME COURT/VOTING: “The Supreme Court heard arguments on Tuesday [10-3-17] in a case that could reshape American democracy by considering whether extreme partisan gerrymandering — the drawing of voting districts to give lopsided advantages to the party in power — violates the Constitution. The Supreme Court has never struck down an election map on the […]
10/3/2017
GOP/GUNS/HOUSE OF REPS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “House Republicans said Tuesday [10-3-17] they don’t expect legislation that would make it easier to buy gun silencers to come to the House floor in the aftermath of this week’s shooting in Las Vegas. Some Democrats, meanwhile, pushed to end the sale of ‘bump stocks,’ devices that increase the rate […]
10/3/2017
CRISIS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “It is a ‘miracle’ how fast the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police were able to find the demented shooter and stop him from even more killing!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 3, 2017 07:20pm […]
10/3/2017
DEFENSE/FOREIGN POLICY/IRAN/JAMES MATTIS/NATIONAL SECURITY/NUCLEAR: “Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis told lawmakers Tuesday [10-3-17] that he supports the 2015 international nuclear deal with Iran, even though President Donald Trump has called it ‘one of the worst and most one-sided’ agreements ever made by the U.S… Mr. Trump must certify to Congress whether Iran remains in compliance […]
10/3/2017
ABORTION/HOUSE OF REPS: “The House passed a bill to criminalize abortions performed after 20 weeks of pregnancy on Tuesday [10-3-17], advancing a core plank of the Republican antiabortion push, which has President Donald Trump’s support but is likely to founder in the Senate. Republicans advanced the bill on a 237-189 largely party-line vote, the third […]
10/3/2017
DREAMERS/GOP/IMMIGRATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Key Senate Republicans signaled Tuesday [10-3-17] support for legislation allowing so-called Dreamers to stay in the U.S., but said they want it paired with immigration enforcement inside the U.S., as well as border security. Those conditions would make finding agreement difficult. Democrats say they want Congress to legalize young undocumented immigrants brought […]
10/3/2017
CRISIS/FEMA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “So proud of @FEMA, Military, and First Responders! Thank you! https://t.co/kWVMqVelri” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 3, 2017 06:02pm […]
10/3/2017
BUDGET/CRISIS/PUERTO RICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump commended rescue workers and passed out supplies to storm victims as he toured Puerto Rico on Tuesday [10-2-17], while also saying that the costs tied to Hurricane Maria have ‘thrown our budget a little out of whack,’ drawing rebukes from Democrats who called the remarks callous… Lawmakers last […]
10/3/2017
CRISIS/FEMA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Great meeting with Governor Mapp of the #USVI. He is very thankful for the great job done by @FEMA and First Responders. https://t.co/AtBGEpDF9C” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 3, 2017 04:59pm […]
10/3/2017
CRISIS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Leaving Puerto Rico now for D.C. Will be in Las Vegas early tomorrow to pay my respects. Everyone is in my thoughts and prayers. https://t.co/dBvZUIUfr0” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 3, 2017 04:22pm […]
10/3/2017
CYBERWAR/IRS: “The IRS will pay Equifax $7.25 million to verify taxpayer identities and help prevent fraud under a no-bid contract issued last week, even as lawmakers lash the embattled company about a massive security breach that exposed personal information of as many as 145.5 million Americans. A contract award for Equifax’s data services was posted […]
10/3/2017
MIKE PENCE/POLITICS: “Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff railed against congressional leaders in closed-door remarks to wealthy donors and called for a ‘purge’ if GOP lawmakers don’t quickly rally behind President Donald Trump’s agenda. In remarks at a Republican National Committee event at the St. Regis Hotel in Washington on Tuesday [10-3-17] morning, Nick […]
10/3/2017
LEGAL/NIKKI HALEY/UN: “U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley violated the law by retweeting President Donald Trump’s endorsement of a South Carolina congressional candidate, according to the Office of Special Counsel. Haley’s June Twitter post from her personal account marks the second time this year that a top Trump aide has run afoul of […]
10/3/2017
CRISIS/GUNS/LOBBYING/POLITICS: “Democrats lashed out at the National Rifle Association after the worst mass shooting in American history on Monday [10-2-17], but instead of fighting back the gun rights group retreated to a familiar posture: silence. The NRA’s website, Twitter feed and Facebook page — all of which are typically updated frequently throughout the day —went […]
10/3/2017
DHS/DREAMERS/IMMIGRATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration would support legislation allowing illegal immigrants who came to the United States as children to gain lawful permanent status and eventually citizenship, a Department of Homeland Security official said in testimony to Congress on Tuesday [10-3-17]. The Trump administration last month ended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy, […]
10/3/2017
CONFLICT OF INTEREST/ETHICS/INTERIOR/RYAN ZINKE: “The U.S. Office of Special Counsel is investigating whether Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke broke the law when he gave a speech to a professional hockey team owned by a political donor in June, the agency said on Tuesday. Zinke is already being investigated by the Interior Department’s inspector general in connection […]
10/3/2017
CUBA/FOREIGN POLICY/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration expelled 15 Cuban diplomats from the embassy in Washington in an escalating response to mysterious illnesses afflicting American embassy personnel in Havana. The expulsions were intended to force the Cubans to operate their embassy in Washington under the same emergency conditions that the United States is now operating […]
10/3/2017
ABORTION/HOUSE OF REPS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The House of Representatives will vote Tuesday [10-3-17] on legislation that would criminalize abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for instances where the life of the mother is at risk and in cases involving rape or incest. The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which is similar to legislation […]
10/3/2017
IMMIGRATION/LEGAL/TRAVEL BAN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Muslim immigrants and an advocacy group filed a fresh lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s latest version of a travel ban that placed indefinite restrictions on the entry of citizens from eight countries to the United States… The complaint says that the majority of the people affected by the ban are Muslim […]
10/3/2017
TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “I am so proud of our great Country. God bless America!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 3, 2017 06:40am […]
10/2/2017
DREAMERS/IMMIGRATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Around the country, thousands of young undocumented immigrants like them have been lining up at legal clinics and scrambling to finish paperwork before the clock runs out on their chance to live and work legally in the United States. Like Mr. Solis, who came to the United States from El Salvador when […]
10/2/2017
BUDGET/DHS/TERRORISM/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration has proposed sharp cuts to programs that seek to prevent domestic terrorism and prepare localities to respond — a move that has come under increased scrutiny by critics in the wake of the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history. The Department of Homeland Security says, however, that it […]
10/2/2017
CRISIS/GUNS/POLITICS: “The deadly mass shooting in Las Vegas renewed debate on Capitol Hill Monday [10-2-17] over a controversial bill in the House that would make it easier to buy gun silencers… On Monday evening the top Democrats on two House committees with jurisdiction over the legislation asked House Speaker Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) to pledge […]
10/2/2017
CYBERWAR/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA: “Facebook Inc. on Monday [10-2-17] said it estimates 10 million people saw ads it has discovered on its platform paid for by Russian entities, but warned that it may not have uncovered all malicious activity that attempted to interfere in the American political process. The revelation from Facebook quantifies for the first time the […]
10/2/2017
ETHICS/LEGAL/TRUMP FAMILY/IVANKA/JARED KUSHNER: “White House officials have begun examining emails associated with a third and previously unreported email account on Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump’s private domain, according to three people familiar with the matter. Hundreds of emails have been sent since January from White House addresses to accounts on the Kushner family domain, these […]
10/2/2017
GOP/TAXES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump and Republican leaders have positioned their sweeping tax rewrite as a way to cut taxes on the middle class. But some top officials are now saying the plan may not benefit everyone in that income group. The acknowledgment could complicate the administration’s ability to sell the tax plan, which is […]
10/2/2017
IMMIGRATION/TRAVEL BAN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “It took nearly two hours from when President Trump signed his first attempt at a travel ban for the head of United States Customs and Border Protection to get an official version of the president’s executive order. In the hours that followed, officials scrambled to figure out how to enforce the […]
10/2/2017
FCC/NOMINATIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The U.S. Senate confirmed on Monday [10-2-17] Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai to serve another five-year term on the telecommunications regulatory panel. Pai won confirmation 52-41 over objections from Democrats, who criticized him for moving to dismantle Obama-era internet access rules and taking other steps to deregulate U.S. telecommunications rules but […]
10/2/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/REX TILLERSON/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The White House said Monday [10-2-17] that President Donald Trump has confidence in Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, after saying a day earlier that the chief diplomat was ‘wasting his time’ by trying to negotiate with North Korea. Mr. Tillerson disclosed over the weekend that the U.S. has had […]
10/2/2017
CRISIS/GUNS/POLITICS: “The White House said Monday [10-2-17] it was too soon after the Las Vegas shootings to begin a policy debate about whether the nation needs stricter gun laws, in the face of Democratic lawmakers’ calls to revive their longstanding push for greater restrictions. In televised morning remarks, President Donald Trump called the shootings on […]
10/2/2017
CRISIS/GUNS/POLITICS: “The White House on Monday [10-2-17] rebuffed attempts to restart the gun control debate after Sunday’s deadly mass shooting in Las Vegas, with press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders saying now is not the time for such a discussion. Pressed on whether President Donald Trump and his administration felt the mass shooting that claimed the […]
10/2/2017
ECONOMY/LABOR: “A closely watched measure of manufacturing activity in the U.S. reached a 13-year high in September, as strong demand and order growth rode out a severe hurricane season. The Institute for Supply Management said Monday [10-2-17] that its index of manufacturing activity climbed to 60.8 last month from 58.8 in August, hitting its highest […]
10/2/2017
ETHICS/INTERIOR/RYAN ZINKE: “The Interior Department’s inspector general’s office has opened an investigation into Secretary Ryan Zinke’s use of taxpayer-funded charter planes, a spokeswoman said Monday [10-2-17]. The watchdog has ‘received numerous complaints’ and launched its investigation late last week, said Nancy K. DiPaolo, spokeswoman for Interior’s Office of the Inspector General. Zinke is one of […]
10/2/2017
CRISIS/GUNS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump on Monday [10-2-17] called the mass shooting in Las Vegas that killed at least 58 people and injured more than 500 ‘an act of pure evil,’ as he delivered somber and largely apolitical remarks about the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history… Trump announced that he will visit […]
10/2/2017
DRUGS/FDA/SCOTT GOTTLIEB: “The new commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration declared high drug prices are ‘a public health concern that FDA should address,’ and he began offering concrete steps the agency will employ to speed new, complex drugs to market through more efficient processes partially designed to address high drug prices. Commissioner Scott Gottlieb […]
10/2/2017
BUDGET/CRISIS/TEXAS: “Long before Hurricane Harvey hit in late August, government engineers were working on an array of projects designed to shield this flood-prone region from high water. But the record-setting tempest—which swamped the nation’s fifth-largest metro area, killed dozens and caused tens of billions in damages—changed the future of flood prevention in the region. Officials […]
10/2/2017
CRISIS/EDUCATION/PUERTO RICO: “School districts from Florida to Massachusetts are anticipating an influx of Puerto Rican students displaced by Hurricane Maria and have begun preparations to identify which schools have space and which resources will be needed. Puerto Rican schools have been closed since the Category 4 hurricane made landfall on Sept. 20, battering the island […]
10/2/2017
CRISIS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “My warmest condolences and sympathies to the victims and families of the terrible Las Vegas shooting. God bless you!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 2, 2017 06:11am […]
10/2/2017
INTELLIGENCE/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA: “Robert Mueller is rarely seen and almost never heard. He doesn’t frequent popular restaurants, appear on television or even issue statements. When he meets in person with President Donald Trump’s lawyers, he does not visit the White House where reporters might notice. He instead summons them to the conference rooms of his southwest […]
10/2/2017
FDA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A Trump administration plan to shift work on international food safety issues to a trade office under the supervision of a former animal-drug company executive is sparking an outcry from internal and external critics who say the move signals the U.S. is more interested in promoting exports than in science-based public […]
10/1/2017
CYBERWAR/FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/RUSSIA: “North Korea has opened a second internet connection with the outside world, this time via Russia, a move which cyber security experts said could give Pyongyang greater capability to conduct cyber attacks. North Korea has been blamed by Western governments for several major cyber attacks in recent years, including against banks and […]
10/1/2017
SUPREME COURT/VOTING: “How egregiously can a majority party gerrymander a political map before it violates the Constitution? The Supreme Court has tried to answer that question for 30 years. On Tuesday [10-3-17], it will try again, hearing arguments in a case involving the Wisconsin State Assembly that could remake an American political landscape rived by […]
10/1/2017
TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump dedicated the nation’s victory in Presidents Cup golf Sunday [10-1-17] afternoon to victims of recent hurricanes in Puerto Rico, Texas and Florida… The Presidents Cup is one of the marquee events on the PGA Tour. The tournament pits teams of U.S. golfers against international competitors and was held this […]
10/1/2017
SPORTS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Congratulations to #TeamUSA???on your great @PresidentsCup victory! https://t.co/fZeP1e9mo7” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 1, 2017 08:22pm […]
10/11/2017
CRISIS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “In even the darkest moments, the light of our people has shown through their goodness, their courage and their love. #USA?? https://t.co/8JK8aM2a1L” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 11, 2017 07:40pm […]
10/1/2017
MILITARY/RUSSIA: “A recent major exercise by the Russian military revealed significant strides in its ability to conduct the sort of complex, large-scale operations, using drones and other new technology, that would be part of any all-out war with the United States in Europe, according to American and allied officials. Preliminary Pentagon and NATO assessments of […]
10/1/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump said he didn’t think it was worth pursuing negotiations with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, a day after his secretary of state revealed the U.S. was in direct contact with Pyongyang… The president and his top diplomat have sent differing signals about North Korea before, as […]
10/1/2017
BUDGET/CRISIS/FEMA: “The Federal Emergency Management Agency just added another $6.7 billion to its coffers to help with hurricane relief. The money was expected. Sunday [10-1-17] kicked off a new fiscal year and brought a new round of funding for the agency. But it also comes at a crucial time for the federal government’s disaster response […]
10/1/2017
AFGHANISTAN/STATE/TERRORISM/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration is considering a plan that would aim to close the Taliban political office in Qatar, a move that triggered an unusual internal protest by State Department officials who said it would undermine U.S. interests in Afghanistan, according to current and former U.S. officials. A group of State Department specialists […]
10/1/2017
CRISIS/FEMA/PUERTO RICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump on Sunday [10-1-17] criticized the media and what he called ungrateful politicians after his administration faced criticism for its early efforts to support hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico. Democrats have said Mr. Trump seemed to focus more on issues such as National Football League protests than the early federal response […]
10/1/2017
BUDGET/GOP/TAXES/TREASURY: “Trump administration officials pushed back Sunday [10-1-17] against criticism that the emerging GOP tax plan would provide its biggest benefits to the wealthy. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said on Sunday news programs that key details of the plan remained undecided and thus it was too early to […]
10/1/2017
NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Being nice to Rocket Man hasn’t worked in 25 years, why would it work now? Clinton failed, Bush failed, and Obama failed. I won’t fail.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 1, 2017 02:01pm […]
10/1/2017
CRISIS/PUERTO RICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Puerto Ricans still living largely in darkness 12 days after Hurricane Maria leveled their island reveled in small victories on Sunday [10-1-17] in what promises to be a months-long slog back to some semblance of normal life. Some islanders got their cell phone service back on Sunday, others gathered at bars […]
10/1/2017
REX TILLERSON/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man… Save your energy Rex, we’ll do what has to be done!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 1, 2017 09:30am and 09:31am […]
10/1/2017
LEGAL/SUPREME COURT: “The Supreme Court begins a new term Monday [10-2-17] with a conservative majority and a docket filled with longtime conservative goals to go with it, with cases that could curtail the power of organized labor, expand religious exceptions to legal obligations and validate tougher scrutiny of voter rolls. As he steered the court […]
10/1/2017
CRISIS/FEMA/PUERTO RICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “We have done a great job with the almost impossible situation in Puerto Rico. Outside of the Fake News or politically motivated ingrates…people are now starting to recognize the amazing work that has been done by FEMA and our great Military. All buildings now inspected…for safety. Thank you to the Governor […]
9/30/2017
MILITARY/STATE/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of State Presidential Determination with Respect to the Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2008 Pursuant to section 404 of the Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2008 (22 U.S.C. 2370c-1) (CSPA), I hereby determine as follows: It is in the national interest of the United States to waive the […]
9/30/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration acknowledged on Saturday [9-30-17] for the first time that it was in direct communication with the government of North Korea over its missile and nuclear tests, seeking a possible way forward beyond the escalating threats of a military confrontation from both sides… The two countries have been […]
9/30/2017
GOP/LOBBYING/TAXES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The sweeping tax rewrite unveiled by President Trump and Republican lawmakers this past week leaves many of the details to Congress, but two sentences in the nine-page framework have Washington lobbyists salivating over a payday that some industry experts predict could top $1 billion. Tucked away on Page 8, the sentences refer […]
9/30/2017
CRISIS/PUERTO RICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump lashed out at the mayor of San Juan on Saturday for criticizing his administration’s efforts to help Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, accusing her of ‘poor leadership’ and implying that the people of the devastated island were not doing enough to help themselves. As emergency workers and troops struggled […]
9/30/2017
SPORTS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “19,000 RESPECTING our National Anthem! #StandForOurAnthem?? https://t.co/czutyGaMQV” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 30, 2017 09:08pm […]
9/30/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The White House said on Saturday [9-30-17] it had ordered that Iran, Venezuela and four African nations be added to a U.S. list of countries accused of failing to crack down on human trafficking, a step that further isolates them from the United States. The White House said it also […]