Focus Washington October 2018

DHS Secretary Nielsen Defends Trump over Accusations that His Rhetoric Inspired Mail Bomber

October 29, 2018 Focus Washington

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kyrstjen Nielsen defended her chief on Sunday amid rising accusations that President Trump’s fiery rhetoric inspired Cesar Sayoc to allegedly send mail bombs to a number of prominent members of […]

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Russian Held as Agent Studied U.S. Groups’ Cyberdefenses in Grad School

October 29, 2018 Focus Washington

Maria Butina, who was accused by the federal prosecutors of being a secret agent for the Russian government, was a graduate student at American University working on a sensitive project involving cybersecurity, Fox News informed. […]

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Lawmakers Call for Unity After Synagogue Shooting

October 29, 2018 Focus Washington

Republican and Democratic lawmakers called for unity on Sunday, following a deadly shooting in a Pittsburgh synagogue that killed 11 people. Lawmakers from both parties agreed that tensions have lately reached a boiling point, culminating […]

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White House Invites Russian President Putin to Washington

October 27, 2018 Focus Washington

The White House has formally invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to Washington, U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton said on Friday, returning to an idea that was put on hold in July amid anger in the U.S. over the […]

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Suspicious Packages Sent to Democrats ‘Not a Hoax,’ FBI’s Wray Says, as Probe Continues

October 27, 2018 Focus Washington

The string of packaged bombs sent to several Democratic figures and critics of President Trump this week were “not hoax devices,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said Friday, Fox News informed. Wray’s comments came during a […]

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Trump Accuses Twitter of Political Bias

October 27, 2018 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump accused Twitter Inc. of targeting his followers for removal from the social media platform, amid complaints by conservatives that social media companies have been discriminating against right-wing voices, Bloomberg informed. “Twitter has removed many people from […]

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Florida Man, Cesar Sayoc Jr., Arrested in Probe of Mail Bombs Targeting Obama, Clinton and Other Trump Critics

October 27, 2018 Focus Washington

A 56-year-old man, Cesar Sayoc Jr., was arrested Friday morning in Florida in the investigation of 12 suspected mail bombs sent to former President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and other leading Democratic critics of President […]

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Section of Trump’s Border Wall Unveiled in California

October 27, 2018 Focus Washington

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said “everything is on the table” on the topic of border security during the unveiling of a border wall project in California on Friday, Fox News informed. Nielsen’s comments came as […]

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LUNCHTIME POLITICS: Five Really, Really Tight House Races – Florida, Texas, Michigan – Generic Ballot Update

October 26, 2018 Lisa Clayton

Your Daily Polling Update for Friday, October 26, 2018 TRUMP JOB APPROVAL: AVERAGE 45% Same as yesterday RON’S COMMENT: Today’s average is based on four polls, ranging from 43% (USA Today) to 47% (Rasmussen). Without these […]

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Megyn Kelly Negotiating Exit from NBC News After “Blackface” Remarks

October 26, 2018 Focus Washington

Megyn Kelly and NBC News executives are negotiating the terms of her departure from the news division, CNN reported. Although her exit is not official yet, it’s highly likely to be announced in the days […]

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Trump Tells Migrant Caravan to Turn Around, as Troops Being Sent to Border

October 26, 2018 Focus Washington

President Trump tweeted a warning Thursday to the migrant caravan which is headed toward the United States– telling the thousands of people currently making their way through Mexico to turn around as U.S. troops are set […]

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Trump Imposes Sanctions on Hezbollah, Says his Administration Has ‘Done a Big Number’ on Iran

October 26, 2018 Focus Washington

President Trump on Thursday slapped major new sanctions on the Islamist terrorist group Hezbollah, while his administration continues its all-out economic squeeze on the Iranian regime that backs it, Fox News informed. After a speech punctuated […]

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Pentagon to Fight Russian Election Meddling with Cyber Operation

October 26, 2018 Focus Washington

With the November midterms approaching, U.S. Cyber Command has conducted operations to prevent Russia from meddling in the elections, an administration official has said. This operation is the first of its kind and serves to […]

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Trump Unveils Plan to Slash Cost of Medicare Medication

October 26, 2018 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump touted Thursday his “American patients first” approach, saying that he would limit federal payments for some Medicare drugs based on prices paid in other developed countries. At the same time, he also […]

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Tehran Braces for U.S. Sanctions as China Also Cuts Iranian Oil Purchases

October 26, 2018 Focus Washington

As Iran braces for U.S. sanctions that target its oil sales, Tehran is resorting to a series of extraordinary steps to try to insulate the country’s increasingly restive working class from the likely economic fallout, […]

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Trump ‘Deserves Some Credit’ for Foreign Policy Successes, Former Clinton Aide Admits

October 26, 2018 Focus Washington

Former Obama Administration diplomat both praised and criticized President Trump’s foreign policy during a forum Thursday at the University of Minnesota, Fox News informed. Jake Sullivan, who served as former national security adviser to Vice […]

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Turkish Group Cancels Event at Trump Hotel amid Talks over Pastor’s Fate

October 26, 2018 Focus Washington

Organizers of a Turkish-American business conference that was to take place at a lavish Trump hotel in the capital have canceled the event amid diplomatic talks regarding Pastor Andrew Brunson’s fate. The president of the […]

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Facebook Receives Maximum Fine for Data Law Violations

October 26, 2018 Focus Washington

The British data and information watchdog has slapped Facebook with the maximum $644,000 (£500,000) fine for its violations of data protection laws. “Facebook failed to sufficiently protect the privacy of its users before, during and […]

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Florida Seen as ‘Region of Interest’ in Package Bomb Probe, Sources Say

October 26, 2018 Focus Washington

Postal markings on packages with explosive material sent to prominent Democrats have helped federal investigators narrow the focus of their probe, with Florida set as a “region of interest,” Fox News informed. Homeland Security Secretary […]

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LUNCHTIME POLITICS: The latest in Texas, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, South Dakota, Georgia, Oklahoma

October 25, 2018 Lisa Clayton

Your Daily Polling Update for Thursday, October 25, 2018 TRUMP JOB APPROVAL: AVERAGE 45% Same as yesterday RON’S COMMENT: Today’s average is based on four polls, ranging from 43% (USA Today) to 47% (Rasmussen). Without these […]

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China Rejects Report of Trump Phone Spying Calling it ‘Fake News’

October 25, 2018 Focus Washington

U.S. President Donald Trump disputed the accuracy of a New York times report that China’s spies wiretapped calls he makes on unsecured iPhones after Beijing rejected the story as “fake news,” Bloomberg informed. “The so-called […]

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Republican Senators Contradict Trump’s Comments on Tax Cuts

October 25, 2018 Focus Washington

The GOP chairmen of the Senate Banking Committee and the Senate Finance Committee contradicted Wednesday the comments President Donald Trump had previously made about middle-class tax cuts he announced prior to the midterm elections. Only […]

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Sarah Sanders Claps Back at CNN President: ‘You Chose to Attack and Divide’

October 25, 2018 Focus Washington

Sarah Huckabee Sanders has dismissed the denunciation by CNN that claimed President Donald Trump has a poor way of handling the press. The President’s continual slamming of journalists and media has been criticized, and critics […]

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DOJ Tells Supreme Court Businesses Can Discriminate Against Transgender Staff

October 25, 2018 Focus Washington

The Justice Department told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that discriminating against transgender workers on the basis of their gender identity was lawful. The DOJ wrote in a brief to the Supreme Court that the […]

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Arizona Troopers’ Union Pulls Support from Democrat Opposing GOP’s McSally in Senate Race

October 25, 2018 Focus Washington

An Arizona union that represents state public safety employees withdrew its endorsement of U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema this week after its members said that the executive board voted on the endorsement without their input, Fox […]

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Suspected Mail Bombs Sent to Clinton, Obama, CNN Building and Others Intercepted

October 25, 2018 Focus Washington

The Secret Service said Wednesday suspicious packages that were addressed to former President Barack Obama and former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton have been intercepted, and New York police evacuated the Time Warner Center to investigate […]

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U.S. to Be Possible High-Tech Business Partner of Russia

October 25, 2018 Focus Washington

Russian businessmen are ready for wide-scale cooperation with U.S. colleagues, including the high technology sector, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said in a late-night political show on Channel One TV on Wednesday. “I want […]

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China, Russia Listening to President’s Calls: Report

October 25, 2018 Focus Washington

New findings by U.S. intelligence agencies show that Russian and Chinese spies routinely listen on President Donald Trump’s calls to associates made on his private cell phone. They then use the information gathered in this manner […]

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After Bomb Threats, Trump Blames Media for Incident

October 25, 2018 Focus Washington

Wednesday night marked the end of a day of high tensions following the sending of explosive devices to several prominent Democrats, including former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, by unknown perpetrators, which prompted President […]

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U.S. and Russia Can Establish High-level Regional Business

October 24, 2018 Focus Washington

The Governor of the U.S. state of Utah Gary Herbert has voiced his support for the concept of establishing a high-level regional business commission between Russia and the U.S., Russia’s ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov […]

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