Focus Washington September 2017

NFL Union Slams Trump over Right to Protest

September 23, 2017 Focus Washington

The NFL Players Association said Saturday that they “will never back down” from supporting players’ right to protest, The Hill reports. The statement came following President Donald Trump claims that people should “pick up and […]

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Report: U.S., Russian Militaries Hold Unprecedented Talks on Syria

September 22, 2017 Focus Washington

Senior American and Russian military leaders reportedly met for an unprecedented, face-to-face session somewhere in the Middle East this week to discuss the growing tensions in the competing battles to retake one of the remaining […]

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Eleven Nations in TPP Negotiations Inch Closer to a Deal

September 22, 2017 Focus Washington

The 11 nations remaining in the Trans-Pacific Partnership after the United States withdrew have inched closer to a comprehensive deal, offering hope that major countries can maintain free trade in the face of U.S. protectionism, […]

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Spicer’s Notes Could Aid Special Counsel Mueller in Russia Probe

September 22, 2017 Focus Washington

Former Press Secretary Sean Spicer’s notes during his time at the White House could reportedly provide Russia investigation special counsel Robert Mueller’s team with information on what transpired early in President Donald Trump’s tenure, Newsmax […]

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Kim Jong-un Says Trump Will ‘Pay Dearly’ for Threats

September 22, 2017 Focus Washington

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Thursday issued a warning to President Donald Trump, saying that he will “pay dearly” for his threats, The Hill reports. “The mentally deranged behavior of the U.S. president openly […]

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Key State Department Vacancy Unsettles Relations with Europe

September 22, 2017 Focus Washington

A key vacancy in the State Department is creating discord between the European Union and United States over a new agreement affecting thousands of U.S. companies that do business in Europe, The Hill reports. The […]

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Trump Looms Large in Alabama G.O.P. Senate Debate

September 22, 2017 Focus Washington

Senator Luther Strange invoked his support from President Donald Trump at a Republican candidate forum on Thursday, defending his seat against former state Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore, who unwound a string of allegations against […]

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Trump, Ghani: U.S. Can Help Afghanistan’s Rare Earth Minerals Development

September 22, 2017 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump and his Afghanistan counterpart Ashraf Ghani met Thursday and agreed to have U.S. companies help in the development of Afghanistan’s rare earth minerals reserves, in spite of dreadful obstacles to the country’s […]

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U.S. Stealth Fighter Jets Adding More Firepower

September 22, 2017 Focus Washington

The United States military showed North Korean leader Kim Jong-un its new fighter jet this week, when four F-35 Joint Strike Fighters conducted a training flight over the peninsula, loaded with live bombs and missiles, […]

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Trump’s Travel Ban Decision Could Spark Fresh Controversy

September 22, 2017 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump is on the brink of new clashes with civil-rights advocates and entrepreneurs, facing a tight deadline this weekend for still pushing his current travel prohibition on six largely Muslim countries, Bloomberg reports. […]

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Sessions Says Some Unaccompanied Minors ‘Wolves in Sheep Clothing’

September 22, 2017 Focus Washington

Attorney General Jeff Sessions urged for a strike on illegal immigration and inflow of criminal gangs into the United States, The Hill reports. “We are now working with the Department of Homeland Security and [Department […]

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Puerto Rico May Be Months without Power

September 21, 2017 Focus Washington

Hurricane Maria has knocked out power across the island of Puerto Rico, home to 3.5m people, The BBC said, citing officials. Flash flood warnings cover the entire island, which continues to be lashed by heavy […]

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Trump Administration Plans Law to Deport Unaccompanied Immigrant Teens

September 21, 2017 Focus Washington

The Trump administration is drafting a new policy to quickly deport more than 150,000 child migrants from Central America who arrived alone in the U.S. illegally, creating a new class of undocumented migrants, Newsweek reports. The Department of […]

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Trump Plans to Slap New Sanctions against North Korea over Missile Program

September 21, 2017 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump promised to slap new sanctions on North Korea as he prepared to meet Thursday with leaders of Japan and South Korea to discuss the growing crisis over Pyongyang’s weapons program, Bloomberg reports. “We will […]

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Clinic Offers Free Abortions to Women Affected by Harvey

September 21, 2017 Focus Washington

A women’s reproductive health clinic in Texas is offering free abortions for those affected by Hurricane Harvey, and at least 74 women have signed up so far, The Dallas Morning News reported. Austin-based Whole Woman’s Health has raised […]

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Report: Tillerson, Haley at Odds on Iranian Nuclear Deal

September 21, 2017 Focus Washington

Rex Tillerson and Nikki Haley are squaring off over the Iranian nuclear deal, with the secretary of state pushing President Donald Trump to remain in the accord while the U.N. ambassador fights for the president’s […]

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U.S. Securities Regulator Hack Rattles Investors, Stirs Doubts

September 21, 2017 Focus Washington

Wall Street’s top regulator faced questions on Thursday about its defenses against cybercriminals after admitting hackers breached its electronic database of corporate announcements and may have used it for insider trading, Reuters reports. The incursion […]

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Manafort Offered to Brief Wealthy Russian during Campaign

September 21, 2017 Focus Washington

In the middle of Donald Trump’s presidential run, then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort said he was willing to provide “private briefings” about the campaign to a Russian billionaire the U.S. government considers close to Russian President Vladimir […]

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Insurers Scrambling to Keep up with ObamaCare Repeal

September 21, 2017 Focus Washington

Insurance companies are scrambling to figure out a way to move forward, аfter Senate GOP decided to pull the plug on bipartisan negotiations and repeal ObamaCare. Senate may vote to repeal ObamaCare next week, The […]

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Poll Shows Trump’s Approval Rating Spikes after Democrat Deal

September 21, 2017 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump’s poll numbers jumped in September after the president made an agreement with Democrats to raise the debt-limit and fund the government through mid-December, The Hill reports. A poll released Thursday by the […]

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Axios Reporter Says Spicer Threatens Legal Action over Questions

September 21, 2017 Focus Washington

Former press secretary of the White House Sean Spicer made a threat to take legal action against a journalist who e-mailed and texted him questions, the reporter said Thursday. Axios informs that the former press […]

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Haley to Join Tillerson at Iran Nuclear Deal Meeting at UN

September 20, 2017 Focus Washington

Nikki Haley, the U.S. Ambassador to the UN, will join a meeting of foreign ministers responsible for the Iran nuclear deal that President Donald Trump has called an “embarrassment to the United States” and “the […]

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Trump Blames Clintons for Nuclear North Korea

September 20, 2017 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump on Wednesday accused former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton of failing to disarm North Korea, Politico reports. “After allowing North Korea to research and build Nukes while […]

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California to File Lawsuit to Block Trump’s Border Wall

September 20, 2017 Focus Washington

The State of California is planning a lawsuit in order to block President Donald Trump’s proposal to construct a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, Politico reports. “The lawsuit alleges that Trump’s administration violates federal law […]

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EPA Employees Leak Memo on Agency’s Anti-Leaking Training Courses

September 20, 2017 Focus Washington

Employees in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) leaked a memo Tuesday emphasizing the importance of protecting sensitive information and describing a one-hour training course for agency workers on the necessity to prevent leaks, Newsmax reported, […]

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Manafort Urges Justice Department to Release Any Wiretaps of Him

September 20, 2017 Focus Washington

The former campaign chairman for the President Donald Trump, Paul Manafort, urged the Justice Department’s inspector general to start an investigation into leaks after the CNN reported that the FBI has initiated separate wiretap probes […]

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President Trump Returns U.S. to Realpolitik in World Affairs

September 20, 2017 Focus Washington

In his debut speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, President Donald Trump described to the world leaders his view and stance to world affairs by saying: “We are guided by outcomes, not ideology,” The […]

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GOP Likely to Succeed to Repeal ObamaCare

September 20, 2017 Focus Washington

Republican leaders in Congress along with the Trump administration are making last efforts to repeal and replace ObamaCare, The Hill reports. Earlier in September, the GOP efforts were nearly done for, as Republicans veered for […]

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Trump Will Face Bannon and Breitbart in Alabama

September 19, 2017 Focus Washington

U.S. President Donald Trump will face with his former White House chief strategist, Stephen Bannon in Alabama, The Hill Reports. Bannon and other Trump loyalists are furiously pushing for Roy Moore, the conservative that will oppose […]

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UN Chief Condemns North Korea Threat, Prods U.S. on Climate Deal

September 19, 2017 Focus Washington

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned North Korea’s recent nuclear test as a “serious threat” to the world peace and urged all countries to increase efforts to enforce Security Council sanctions imposed on Kim Jong […]

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