Month: September 2017

Donald Trump Jr. is scheduled to meet in private Thursday with the Senate Judiciary Committee for a long-awaited interview to discuss a 2016 meeting he arranged with a Kremlin-linked lawyer who promised damaging information about […]

CIA Tech Leader Says AI Can Be ‘Process No One Understands’

The CIA’s head of technology development says staying ahead of Russia and China is not as tough as getting U.S. leaders to listen to their own artificial intelligence analysis, Defense One reports. “I just want […]

U.S. Seals Reportedly Train South Korean Team How to Act in Case of War

The elite U.S. Navy Seals team that took out Osama bin Laden in Pakistan is training a South Korean assassination squad to kill North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, The Times of London reports. The […]

Florida Residents Prepare for Hurricane Irma

Florida residents picked store shelves clean and long lines formed at gas pumps Wednesday as Hurricane Irma, a Category 5 monster with potentially catastrophic winds of 185 mph, steamed toward the Sunshine State and a […]

DHS Will Not Carry Out Deportations in Areas Hit by Irma

The Department of Homeland Security announced Wednesday that the agency will not carry out immigration enforcement operations in areas hit by Hurricane Irma, in an effort to encourage undocumented immigrants to seek help without fear […]

Fifteen States File Lawsuit to Block Trump’s DACA Action

Fifteen states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit Wednesday against President Donald Trump’s decision to revoke the previous administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, The Hill reports. Announcing the suit, Washington […]

Defense Officials Take More Measured Tone in North Korea Brief

Senate and House lawmakers spoke with top Trump administration officials Wednesday on North Korea days after it carried out its sixth and most powerful nuclear test, The Hill reports. Legislators emerged from briefings with Defense […]

Senate Panel to Hold Immigration Hearing Next Week

The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold an immigration hearing next week, which will include a review on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, that the Trump administration announced it is shutting down, The […]

McConnel Keeps Quiet over 'Sour Relationship' with Trump

Trump Sides with Democrats to Prevent Government Shutdown

President Donald Trump shocked Republicans on Wednesday by making a deal with Democrats to prevent a government shutdown, to raise the debt ceiling and provide aid to communities hit by Hurricane Harvey, The Hill reports. […]

Donald Trump Jr. Meets with Congress

Donald Trump Jr. and Susan Rice are headed to speak with lawmakers in Congress this week, according to separate sources with knowledge, CNN reports. Trump Jr., President Donald Trump’s eldest son, is expected to speak […]

House to Vote on $8bn Hurricane Harvey Aid

The House will vote Wednesday to approve nearly $8 billion in Hurricane Harvey relief funds, days after President Trump requested $7.85 billion from Congress in immediate, supplemental aid, ABC News reports. The bulk of the funds would […]

Newly Sworn-in Surgeon General to ‘Make American Health Great Again’

Vice President Mike Pence swore a new surgeon general on Tuesday, ABC News reports. Jerome Adams, who previously served as health commissioner for the state of Indiana, was sworn in by Pence just three years […]

Hurricane Harvey Death Toll Rises to at Least 60

Officials now blame at least 60 deaths on Harvey, the storm that dumped several feet of rain in southeast Texas in a matter of days, ABC News reports. Many of those deaths confirmed in 11 Texas counties […]

Nationwide Protests, Dozens Arrested at Trump Tower Following DACA Announcement

Dozens of protesters were arrested in front of Trump Tower in New York in one of many nationwide protests after Tuesday’s announcement that the Trump administration is ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) […]

Turnbull Says Trump Call on North Korea Was ‘Very Warm And Constructive’

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said that he and President Donald Trump have reached a unanimous decision regarding the sanctions on North Korea, a topic the two leaders discussed in a phone call Tuesday, The Hill reports, citing BuzzFeed. […]

Hurricane Irma Reaches Category 5, Registers on Seismic Instruments

Hurricane Irma, currently barreling through the Caribbean toward Florida as a strong Category 5 storm, is showing up on instruments used to measure earthquakes, Newsmax reports. “What we’re seeing in the seismogram are low-pitched hums […]

Perez Slams Trump, Calls Him “Champion for Cruelty”

Following the Trump administration’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), NAtional Committee Chair, Democrat Tom Perez, slammed President Donald Trump, saying he is a “champion for cruelty”, The Hill reports. “Rescinding […]

Trump Administration: DACA Recipients Should Prepare to Leave

The Trump administration has advised Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program beneficiaries to “prepare for and arrange their departure from the United States,” The Hill reports, citing ABC News. Following President Donald Trump’s move to […]

Trump Ends ‘Dreamer’ Immigration Program, Burdens Congress

President Donald Trump ended an immigrant program that protects them from deportation if they have been illegally bought into the United States. Implementation of the annulled Obama-era program is expected in March and Congress has […]

Russia Investigations Enter New, More Serious Phase

The Russia probes are entering a new and more serious phase as lawmakers return from the August recess amid fresh revelations about contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia, Politico reports. In the upcoming period, […]

Japan Prepares for Evacuations from South Korea if Pyongyang Attacks

Japan is working on plan to help the nearly 60,000 of its citizens currently in South Korea in the event of a war with North Korea, Newsmax reports. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reportedly spoke […]

Florida Declares State of Emergency as Hurricane Irma Advances

Hurricane Irma grew into a powerful Category 4 storm Monday as it approached the northeastern Caribbean and was forecast to begin buffeting the region Tuesday, Newsmax reports. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 140 […]

Obama to Speak Out against Trump If He Terminates DACA

Former President Barack Obama has avoided directly criticizing President Donald Trump since the inauguration in January, but should Trump announce plans to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, that will change, Politico […]

Flake Says North Korea Economic Sanctions ‘Not Working’

Senator Jeff Flake said Monday that the economic sanctions are not effective at deterring North Korea’s nuclear program, Newsmax reports. “I think, given where they are, we see the limits of economic sanctions, obviously, on […]

Washington Agrees to Lift Limits on South Korean Missile Payloads

The U.S. and South Korea have agreed to lift limits on South Korea’s missile payload capabilities following North Korea’s hydrogen bomb test over the weekend, the White House announced Monday. During a call between President […]

Haley Says North Korea Is ‘Begging for War’

During an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said that North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, is “begging for war” with his “abusive use of missiles.” Haley said “enough is enough,” […]

Trump, Lawmakers Face Packed September Agenda

Amid major policy battles and unresolvedissues, Republicans will need to handle back-to-back legislative deadlines while avoiding a government shutdown in the first year of unified government, The Hill reports. Their task is being further complicated […]

Trump Was Reportedly Looking For ‘A Way Out’ on DACA

President Donald Trump reportedly asked his aides for “a way out” regarding his decision on whether to put an end to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Trump made the request of aides […]

Attorney General Sessions to Make DACA Announcement

Attorney General Jeff Sessions will hold news briefing Tuesday morning on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, amid increasing pressure over President Donald Trump’s decision on whether to end the Obama-era program, The […]

September 4, 2017 Focus Washington

U.S. Gasoline Prices Drop as Harvey Descends

Gasoline prices in the United States fell by over 4 percent on Monday, as oil refineries and pipelines in the Gulf Coast resumed work following Hurricane Harvey, which has eased worries over the shortage in […]