9/22/2017

NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA: “North Korea’s latest threat—to detonate a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific Ocean—if carried through would mark a new level of defiance in the face of warnings from the U.S. and the international community. Pyongyang has notched milestone after milestone this year in its quest to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of striking […]

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9/22/2017

CELEBS/ENTERTAINMENT/HEALTHCAREPRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS: “Jimmy Kimmel targeted President Trump in his latest monologue about health care, which he delivered on his late night show Thursday [9-21-17]… While the Graham-Cassidy bill would keep the requirement that insurance companies offer coverage to people with pre-existing conditions, states would be able to apply for waivers that would allow them to […]

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9/22/2017

DHS/IMMIGRATION/TRAVEL BAN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration is preparing to replace its controversial travel ban—which sought to bar almost all travel to the U.S. from six countries—with more targeted restrictions affecting a slightly larger number of countries, people familiar with the process said. Rather than ban travel altogether from the nations on the new list, […]

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9/22/2017

TRUMP PEOPLE: “A fast-growing number of White House staffers are starting to look for the exits, even though the one-year mark of President Donald Trump’s first term is still months away. Many who joined the administration in January did so with the explicit idea that they’d stay for at least a year, enough to credibly […]

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9/22/2017

FAKE NEWS/MEDIA/RUSSIA: “The greatest influence over our election was the Fake News Media ‘screaming’ for Crooked Hillary Clinton. Next, she was a bad candidate!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 22, 2017 06:26am […]

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9/22/2017

FAKE NEWS/MEDIA/RUSSIA: “The Russia hoax continues, now it’s ads on Facebook. What about the totally biased and dishonest Media coverage in favor of Crooked Hillary?” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 22, 2017 05:44am […]

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9/22/2017

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA): “Rand Paul, or whoever votes against Hcare Bill, will forever (future political campaigns) be known as ‘the Republican who saved ObamaCare.’ “ -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 22, 2017 05:19am […]

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9/21/2017

AFGHANISTAN/MILITARY: “The U.S. has invested 16 years and more than $70 billion to train Afghan security forces, but the effort has been undermined by poor planning, training and oversight, a government watchdog said in a report Thursday. The 259-page report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or Sigar, offered a critical assessment of […]

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9/21/2017

FOREIGN POLICY/IRAN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump kept world leaders guessing for a second day on what he is going to do about the Iran nuclear accord after describing it this week at the United Nations as ‘an embarrassment’ to the U.S. But the options facing his administration aren’t as simple as staying in the […]

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9/21/2017

FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump launched a new phase of a crackdown on North Korea on Thursday [9-22-17], expanding sanctions to hit any individuals, companies and financial institutions doing business with Pyongyang, not only those involved in aiding its weapons program or laundering funds… President Trump on Thursday signed an executive order […]

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9/21/2017

INTELLIGENCE/LEGAL/PAUL MANAFORT/RUSSIA: “U.S. authorities placed Paul Manafort under surveillance after he was ousted as Donald Trump’s campaign manager in the summer of 2016, according to U.S. officials with knowledge of the matter. The surveillance, which was part of a counterintelligence investigation into Russian interference with the presidential election, didn’t involve listening to Mr. Manafort’s phone […]

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9/21/2017

LEGAL/ROBERT MUELLER/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Special counsel Robert Mueller has sought phone records concerning the statement written aboard Air Force One defending a meeting between Trump campaign officials and Russians at Trump Tower last year that was set up by Donald Trump Jr., according to two people familiar with the investigation. Mueller has also asked the […]

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9/21/2017

CONSUMER PROTECTION/CYBERWAR: “Equifax Inc. Chief Executive Richard Smith will testify in front of U.S. senators next month about the company’s handling of a data breach that compromised the personal information of millions of Americans. At an Oct. 4 hearing of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, Mr. Smith will have to answer […]

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9/21/2017

BETSY DEVOS/EDUCATION: “Education Secretary Betsy DeVos flies on her private jet for official business and pays all her own travel expenses as well as the travel costs of the federal marshals who accompany her, the Education Department confirmed to POLITICO on Thursday [9-21-17]… ‘The secretary neither seeks, nor accepts, any reimbursement for her flights, nor […]

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9/21/2017

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/NOMINATIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Justice Department’s antitrust efforts is facing an extended limbo in the Senate, prolonging uncertainty for potential mergers, including AT&T Inc.’s bid to acquire Time Warner Inc. The delay in Makan Delrahim’s nomination is due in part to objections raised by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., […]

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9/21/2017

TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump lavished praise on the health care system of Nambia during a speech at the United Nations. But there’s one little problem — there’s no such country. ‘In Guinea and Nigeria, you fought a horrifying Ebola outbreak,’ Trump told African leaders gathered Wednesday. ‘Nambia’s health system is increasingly self-sufficient.’ Trump […]

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9/21/2017

INTERIOR/RYAN ZINKE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “…[T]he Northeast Canyons and Seamounts could reopen to commercial fishing if President Donald Trump enacts the recent recommendations of his Interior Secretary to reduce protections of land and sea preserves known as national monuments… Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, whose department manages federal lands, is making major moves to open up protected […]

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9/21/2017

FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/SOUTH KOREA: “South Korea’s government said it would send $8 million in new humanitarian aid to North Korea, despite the nuclear standoff on the peninsula. The left-leaning administration approved the new aid tranche Thursday, after a meeting of government officials chaired by unification minister Cho Myoung-gyon. Since taking office in May, President Moon […]

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9/21/2017

GOP/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS: “Opponents of a Republican plan to dismantle most of the Affordable Care Act are scrambling to ramp up a resistance campaign before a possible Senate vote next week on a bill many never expected would gain traction. With such a narrow window, consumer and other groups are seeking to pressure specific GOP senators […]

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9/21/2017

DEMS/GOP/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s deal with congressional Democrats to keep the government funded and provide hurricane relief is drawing strong support from across the political spectrum, a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll has found. The poll found 71% of adults in the U.S. approved and 8% disapproved of Mr. Trump bypassing GOP […]

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9/20/2017

CYBERWAR/SEC: “The top U.S. markets regulator disclosed Wednesday [9-20-17] that hackers penetrated its electronic system for storing public-company filings last year and may have traded on the information. The Securities and Exchange Commission’s chairman, Jay Clayton, revealed the breach in an unusual and lengthy statement issued Wednesday evening that didn’t provide many details about the […]

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9/19/2017

ENTERTAINMENT: “I was saddened to see how bad the ratings were on the Emmys last night – the worst ever. Smartest people of them all are the ‘DEPLORABLES.’ “ -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 19, 2017 09:41pm […]

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9/20/2017

CRISIS: “Governor @RicardoRossello- We are with you and the people of Puerto Rico. Stay safe! #PRStrong” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 20, 2017 10:13pm […]

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9/20/2017

NOMINATIONS/TRUMP PEOPLE/VOTER FRAUD: “As President Trump’s voter integrity commission looks under rocks for possible voter malfeasance, its members might want to examine a presidential nominee awaiting confirmation by the Senate Finance Committee. Documents indicate that Jeffrey Gerrish, the president’s pick to be a deputy United States Trade Representative, moved from Virginia to Maryland last year, […]

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9/20/2017

GOP/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA): “Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell plans to hold a vote next week on the latest GOP effort to unwind the Affordable Care Act, his spokesman said Wednesday as Republicans scrambled to secure enough support to pass the bill… After falling short of repealing the 2010 law, known as Obamacare, this summer, Senate Republicans are […]

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9/20/2017

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/PHARMA: “The health insurance industry, after cautiously watching Republican health care efforts for months, came out forcefully on Wednesday [9-20-17] against the Senate’s latest bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act, suggesting that its state-by-state block grants could create health care chaos in the short term and a Balkanized, uncertain insurance market. In the face […]

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9/20/2017

GOP/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA): “Senator (Doctor) Bill Cassidy is a class act who really cares about people and their Health(care), he doesn’t lie-just wants to help people!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 20, 2017 08:06pm […]

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9/20/2017

MICHAEL FLYNN/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA: “Special Counsel Robert Mueller is seeking to determine what White House officials knew about a federal investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn early this year. The move comes as Mr. Mueller’s team examines whether President Donald Trump or other administration officials sought to obstruct that probe, according to people familiar […]

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9/20/2017

CYBERWAR/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA: “Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr says he’s planning to hold a public hearing next month on Russian election interference through Facebook and other social media platforms. Earlier this month, Facebook disclosed it had sold about $100,000 in ads to Russian troll farms connected to about 470 inauthentic accounts. Facebook briefed the Senate and House […]

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9/20/2017

TRUMP FAMILY/MELANIA: “First lady Melania Trump assumed the spotlight in New York Wednesday [9-20-17], hosting a luncheon at the US Mission to the United Nations, where she delivered a speech focused on a variety of issues facing children across the globe and hinted at her forthcoming platform… Trump, hosting the other spouses of world leaders, […]

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9/20/2017

ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel, has asked the White House for documents about some of President Trump’s most scrutinized actions since taking office, including the firing of his national security adviser and F.B.I. director, according to White House officials. Mr. Mueller is also interested in an Oval Office meeting […]

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9/20/2017

GOP/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA): “I hope Republican Senators will vote for Graham-Cassidy and fulfill their promise to Repeal & Replace ObamaCare. Money direct to States!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 20, 2017 07:16am […]

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9/20/2017

BORDER/CALIFORNIA/LEGAL/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WALL: “California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra plans to announce a lawsuit Wednesday [9-20-17] on behalf of the state that will challenge President Trump’s proposal to build a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border, a project Becerra has called ‘medieval.’ Becerra is scheduled to travel to Border Field State Park near San Diego to announce […]

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9/20/2017

FOREIGN POLICY/IRAN/REX TILLERSON/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the U.S. would remain a part of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement only if it is modified, a position that could heighten tension at a planned meeting Wednesday [9-20-17] of countries that are part of the accord, including Iran. Mr. Tillerson’s demand for modifications, […]

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9/20/2017

AUSTRALIA/IMMIGRATION/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The first refugees from Australia’s offshore detention centers will soon arrive in the U.S. under a resettlement deal that President Donald Trump blasted as ‘dumb,’ before his administration reluctantly agreed to honor it. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said about 50 refugees from Australian-backed detention camps in the South Pacific nations of Papua […]

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9/20/2017

ECONOMY/FOREIGN POLICY/HUMAN RIGHTS/IMMIGRATION/NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/NUKES/SANCTIONS/SECRETARY OF STATE/TREASURY/TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS: “I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, find that: The provocative, destabilizing, and repressive actions and policies of the Government of North Korea, including its intercontinental ballistic missile launches of July 3 and July 28, 2017, and its nuclear test of September […]

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9/19/2017

HHS/TOM PRICE: “In a sharp departure from his predecessors, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price last week took private jets on five separate flights for official business, at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars more than commercial travel. The secretary’s five flights, which were scheduled between Sept. 13 and Sept. 15, took […]

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9/19/2017

DEMS/HILLARY CLINTON/POLITICS/WOMEN: “Hillary Clinton’s defeat last year sparked an intense debate about the role of gender in American politics, but the presidential race overshadowed a deeper structural challenge for Democrats: They have a scarcity of female officeholders in state capitals. Only two governors and five state attorneys general are Democratic women, an acute problem for […]

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9/19/2017

LEGAL/MICHAEL COHEN/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump’s longtime lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, told Senate investigators on Tuesday [9-19-17] that the president’s critics were using rumors and innuendo about Russian interference in the election in an attempt to undercut Mr. Trump’s presidency. Their rush to presume guilt, Mr. Cohen said, had overtaken the facts, smeared supporters of […]

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9/19/2017

TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/UN: “A great and important day at the United Nations.Met with leaders of many nations who agree with much (or all) of what I stated in my speech!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 19, 2017 09:31pm […]

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9/19/2017

FOREIGN POLICY/IRAN/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/UN: “President Donald Trump threatened to annihilate North Korea if the U.S. has to defend itself or its allies against the Pyongyang regime, delivering the dire warning Tuesday during his first address to the United Nations General Assembly. Mr. Trump began his speech by espousing a form of international cooperation based […]

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9/19/2017

IMMIGRATION/LEGAL/POLITICS: “Three congressmen were among a group of protesters arrested outside Trump Tower on Tuesday, where they were participating in a demonstration in support of immigrants and protections recently ended by the Trump administration. Democratic Reps. Luis Gutierrez of Illinois, Raul Grijalva of Arizona and Adriano Espaillat of New York were arrested on civil disobedience […]

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9/19/2017

GOP/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA): “A last-chance push by Republicans to scrap the Affordable Care Act gained momentum but still faced formidable odds Tuesday [9-19-17], with some key Republican senators wavering in their support days before a possible vote. The latest drive to repeal most of the ACA has the backing of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.), […]

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9/19/2017

GOP/TAXES: “Senate Republicans reached a deal Tuesday [9-18-17] that would allow tax cuts over the next decade, bridging party divides over trade-offs between tax cuts and budget deficits and taking an important step toward tax-overhaul legislation… Mr. Toomey had been seeking tax cuts that might reduce revenues by as much as $2 trillion over a […]

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9/19/2017

TRUMP FAMILY/IVANKA/UN: “Ivanka Trump delivered an anti-human trafficking speech Tuesday [9-19-17] at the United Nations General Assembly, calling it ‘the greatest human rights issue of our time.’ ‘This is a call for action, a call for global unity,’ Trump said at a panel event hosted by Great Britain and Northern Ireland, noting that her father, […]

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9/19/2017

DRUGS/POLITICS: “A bipartisan group of states investigating the opioid painkiller industry and the causes of widespread addiction has stepped up its probe with a fresh demand for documents from drugmakers and distributors. States including New York, California and Tennessee announced the moves, saying a group of 41 attorneys general served subpoenas on manufacturers Endo International […]

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9/19/2017

TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/UN: “It was a great honor to have spoken before the countries of the world at the United Nations. #USAatUNGA??#UNGA https://t.co/1maJwRGa3d https://t.co/6Hu3AeUp58” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 19, 2017 05:04pm […]

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9/19/2017

FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/VENEZUELA: “U.S. President Donald Trump threatened new sanctions on Venezuela as his administration stepped up efforts to build an international alliance against President Nicolás Maduro. ‘We are prepared to take further action if the government of Venezuela persists on its path to impose its authoritarian rule on the Venezuelan people,’ Mr. Trump […]

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9/19/2017

TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “As President of the United States of America, I will ALWAYS put #AmericaFirst??#UNGA Full remarks: https://t.co/ksaMsQ2Lhm https://t.co/XrtpAWwuCn” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 19, 2017 02:09pm […]

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9/19/2017

LEGAL/MICHAEL COHEN/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Senate investigators called off an expected closed-door interview Tuesday [9-19-17] with Michael Cohen, saying they were upset that the longtime lawyer to President Donald Trump released a statement denying any role in Russian meddling in the 2016 election after the committee asked him not to comment publicly. The Senate Intelligence Committee […]

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9/19/2017

DONALDISM/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The??has great strength & patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy #NoKo. https://t.co/P4vAanXvgm” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 19, 2017 12:22pm […]

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9/19/2017

DHS/LEGAL/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A group representing U.S. venture-capital investors is leading a lawsuit against the Trump administration, claiming it took illegal steps to prevent an immigration policy that would have helped foreign-born founders stay in the U.S. to build startups. In a legal complaint filed Tuesday [9-19-17], the National Venture Capital Association, along with other […]

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9/19/2017

AMBASSADOR/NOMINATIONS/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be ambassador to Russia, said on Tuesday [9-19-17] there was ‘no question’ Moscow meddled in the 2016 U.S. election, and pledged to bring up the matter with the Russian government… Many members of Congress, including several of Trump’s fellow Republicans, are concerned […]

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9/19/2017

TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/UN: “Big day at the United Nations – many good things, and some tricky ones, happening. We have a great team. Big speech at 10:00 A.M.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 19, 2017 06:21am […]

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9/19/2017

SEBASTIAN GORKA/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Sebastian Gorka, a former adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump who quit after top White House political strategist Steve Bannon was ousted, has joined a nationalist pro-Trump campaign organization, the group announced on Tuesday [9-19-17]. The MAGA Coalition, dedicated to helping advance Trump’s ‘America First’ principles, said it had hired Gorka as […]

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9/18/2017

TERRORISM/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Notice Regarding the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Persons Who Commit, Threaten to Commit, or Support Terrorism CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO PERSONS WHO COMMIT, THREATEN TO COMMIT, OR SUPPORT TERRORISM On September 23, 2001, by Executive Order 13224, the President declared a national emergency with respect […]

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9/18/2017

CRISIS/TERRORISM/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “A Text of a Letter from the President to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:) Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days of the […]

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9/18/2017

BUDGET/GOP/TAXES: “Senate Republicans are considering writing a budget that would allow for up to $1.5 trillion in tax cuts over the next decade, said people familiar with the discussions. Budget talks are continuing and no final decision has been reached yet. A budget that creates fiscal room for a $1.5 trillion tax cut, if adopted, […]

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9/18/2017

HHS/IMMIGRATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Trump administration officials, under pressure from the White House to provide a rationale for reducing the number of refugees allowed into the United States next year, rejected a study by the Department of Health and Human Services that found that refugees brought in $63 billion more in government revenues over the past […]

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9/18/2017

NAFTA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The top United States trade negotiator said Monday [9-18-17] that it was unclear whether Canada, Mexico and the United States could reach a deal to overhaul the North American Free Trade Agreement within the ambitious timetable set by the Trump administration… The Trump administration has carved out a narrow path to […]

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9/18/2017

IMMIGRATION/REX TILLERSON/STATE: “The State Department is giving immigration and consular officials new grounds to deny entry to visitors to the United States or to kick them out if they are already here. In a cable to American embassies around the world, Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson wrote that visitors who require a visa before […]

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9/18/2017

KELLYANNE CONWAY/SECRET SERVICE/TRUMP FAMILY/DONALD JR: “Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, has elected to forgo protection by the Secret Service, according to a senior administration official, and another top White House official is losing hers. The agency ceased protecting Mr. Trump, who lives in New York City and is an executive at the Trump […]

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9/18/2017

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/POLITICS/PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS: “Just when the effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act appeared to be dead, a last-ditch push to obliterate the law could be nearing a showdown vote in the Senate, and a handful of Republicans insist they are closing in on the votes. The leaders of the latest repeal effort, Senators Lindsey Graham […]

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9/18/2017

LEGAL/PAUL MANAFORT/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA: “Paul J. Manafort was in bed early one morning in July when federal agents bearing a search warrant picked the lock on his front door and raided his Virginia home. They took binders stuffed with documents and copied his computer files, looking for evidence that Mr. Manafort, President Trump’s former campaign chairman, […]

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9/18/2017

FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/UN: “President Donald Trump’s first address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday [9-19-17] will lay out a foreign policy rooted in his view of nationalism and sovereignty and anchored by ‘America First’ principles, according to a senior White House official. Mr. Trump will call for more burden sharing and cooperation […]

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9/18/2017

EPA/HILLARY CLINTON/LABOR/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Hillary Clinton on Monday [9-18-17] urged federal employees who disagree with the Trump administration to stay in their jobs if they can, condemning what she called the ‘disregard, even contempt, among many in this administration about what federal workers know and what they’ve done, and the advice they can give.’ The […]

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9/18/2017

DEFENSE/JAMES MATTIS/​MILITARY/NORTH KOREA/SOUTH KOREA/UN: “The U.S. has military options available for North Korea that won’t put South Korea at grave risk of counterattack, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Monday [9-18-17], but he refused to spell out what those are. Mr. Mattis also said in an impromptu meeting with reporters at the Pentagon that the U.S. […]

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9/18/2017

BUDGET/DEFENSE/MILITARY: “The Senate on Monday [9-18-17] passed the annual defense policy bill, in a broad show of support for boosting military spending well above the current limits set by law. The measure passed overwhelmingly Monday evening, in an 89-8 vote… Mr. McCain urged lawmakers to support higher military spending not only in the defense policy […]

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9/18/2017

TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump was so inspired by Bastille Day celebrations in Paris when he visited earlier this year that he wants to hold a similar parade down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington to celebrate the Fourth of July, the U.S. leader told French President Emmanuel Macron. ‘It was one of the greatest parades […]

Read More… from 9/18/2017