Focus Washington January 2019 from

Senate to Vote on Rival Proposals for Ending Government Shutdown

January 23, 2019 Focus Washington

The U.S. Senate shifted slightly closer on Tuesday to resolving a month-long partial government shutdown, but there was no sign of relief anytime soon for 800,000 federal workers who are furloughed or working without pay, […]

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Supreme Court Allows Transgenders to be Banned from U.S. Military

January 22, 2019 Focus Washington

The Supreme Court ruled in President Donald Trump’s favor on Tuesday, allowing him to temporarily enforce its restrictions on transgender people serving in the military. According to The Hill, the court ruled 5-4 to stay […]

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Union Expects Worker Absences to Increase as Shutdown Continues

January 22, 2019 Focus Washington

The National Treasury Employees Union stated on Tuesday that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) worker absences are expected to increase as the government shutdown continues. According to The Washington Post, hundreds of IRS employees will […]

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Sanctioned Oligarch Deripaska, to Retain Control Over his Energy Company Under U.S. Treasury Deal

January 22, 2019 Focus Washington

Kremlin-linked oligarch Oleg Deripaska and his partners will maintain majority ownership in energy holding En+ Group under a deal with the Treasury Department to lift sanctions against the company, The New York Times reported. According to Russia Business Today, […]

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U.S. Spy Found with Russian ‘State Secrets’

January 22, 2019 Focus Washington

The lawyer for Paul Whelan, the U.S. citizen accused of being a Russian spy, said Tuesday that classified material was found in Whelan’s possession when he was arrested in the Russian capital. The American was […]

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Republican Proposal to End Shutdown Unlikely to Get Democratic Support

January 22, 2019 Focus Washington

Republicans in the U.S. Senate have released a spending proposal that would end the partial government shutdown, taking direction from a proposal by President Donald Trump that he called a “compromise plan” but which Democrats […]

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O’Reilly Claims Kamala Harris ‘Lost’ His Vote for Next Presitential Elections

January 22, 2019 Focus Washington

Former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly claimed that Senator Kamala Harris had “lost” his vote in her run for the presidency, which Harris’s communications director used to mock O’Reilly. “Somehow we will soldier on,” Lily […]

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Steve Carell to Launch a ‘Space Force’ Comedy Series on Netflix

January 22, 2019 Focus Washington

Steve Carell and Greg Daniels, who previously teamed up on the U.S. version of the beloved sitcom “The Office,” are making a “Space Force” comedy series for Netflix, the streaming giant announced last week, Space […]

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Canada Expects Extradition Request for Huawei Executive from U.S.

January 22, 2019 Focus Washington

The Canadian government has said that the U.S. will soon make a formal request for the extradition of Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s chief financial officer. “I have been told they [the U.S. Justice Department] will proceed,” […]

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Germany Bans Iranian Airline as European, U.S. Pressure Grows

January 22, 2019 Focus Washington

Germany has banned Iranian airline Mahan Air from flying to and from the country in the latest sign of European concern over Tehran’s “destabilizing” activities in the Middle East and Europe, Financial Times reported. The […]

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Reverend Sharpton Slams Trump and Pence’s ‘Secretive’ Visit to MLK Memorial

January 22, 2019 Focus Washington

The Reverend Al Sharpton slammed President Donald Trump, criticizing his undisclosed visit to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington D.C. “I honestly don’t believe [Trump and Vice President Pence] intended to do anything […]

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Kamala Harris Announces Her Presidential Run in 2020

January 21, 2019 Focus Washington

Democratic Senator Kamala Harris on Monday announced that she will run for president in 2020. “I am running for president of the United States,” she said on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” “I’m very excited about […]

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Giuliani Says His Comments on Trump Building a Tower in Moscow were ‘Hypothetical’

January 21, 2019 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, on Monday attempted to clarify his previous remarks about talks to build a Trump Tower in Moscow during the 2016 election, maintaining that they were “hypothetical.” “My recent […]

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Russia’s Alrosa, World Largest Diamond Producer, Appoints American as Head of U.S. Operations

January 21, 2019 Focus Washington

The world’s largest diamond company, Russia’s Alrosa, has appointed Rebecca Foerster as president of its U.S. operations, a role in which she will work on developing the miner’s polished sales in the country, the company said, […]

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Report Finds Another Undisclosed North Korea Missile Site; Trump Could Meet Kim in Vietnam

January 21, 2019 Focus Washington

With a second U.S.-North Korea nuclear summit looking increasingly likely in February, researchers have discovered a secret ballistic missile base in North Korea – one of as many as 20 undisclosed missile sites in the […]

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VP Pence Compares President to Martin Luther King Jr

January 21, 2019 Focus Washington

Mike Pence made a surprising comparison between Donald Trump to Marin Luther King Jr. over the weekend and claimed that both leaders were an inspiration to people across the United States, Newsweek reported. The Vice […]

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Rep. Cheney Calls Steve King’s Comments ‘Abhorrent’; Suggests he ‘Find Another Line of Work’

January 21, 2019 Focus Washington

Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., the third-ranking House Republican, continued on Sunday her criticism of Iowa Rep. Steve King – calling her fellow Republican’s recent remarks “abhorrent” and “racist,” Fox News informed. King, a nine-term congressman, […]

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Trump Thanks Federal Workers Awaiting Paychecks, Calling them ‘Great Patriots’

January 21, 2019 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump thanked the federal workers who are set to face another federal pay period without paychecks, for their service and dedication and also called them “great patriots,” Fox News informed. “To all of […]

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Trump’s Attorney Says President May Have Spoken to Cohen, ‘So What?’

January 21, 2019 Focus Washington

Rudy Giuliani, President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, has said that there is a possibility Trump talked to his former lawyer Michael Cohen, prior to his testimony in Congress. “Which would be perfectly normal,” Giuliani said […]

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Israel Admits Striking Iranian Forces in Syria

January 21, 2019 Focus Washington

Israel took the unusual move on Monday of announcing an attack on Iranian-linked forces in Syria, hitting targets including a training camp, munitions storage depots and a site at the Damascus International Airport, Washington Post […]

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Japanese Refiners Resume Iranian Oil Imports

January 21, 2019 Focus Washington

Japanese refiners have loaded Iranian oil onto a tanker, resuming imports after halting purchases because of sanctions by the United States, a spokesman for a Japanese refinery and an Iranian official said on Monday, Reuters […]

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Ocasio-Cortez Fires Back at Sorkin

January 20, 2019 Focus Washington

Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Sunday responded to Aaron Sorkin’s remarks that the young Democrats in Congress should “stop acting like young people.” “News Flash: Medicare for All & equal rights aren’t trends,” 29-year-old Ocasio-Cortez, […]

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Giuliani Says Trump Talking to Cohen Before Congress Testimony is Perfectly Normal

January 20, 2019 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani stated on Sunday that it’s “possible” the president spoke to his former attorney, Michael Cohen, ahead of his congressional testimony. “Which would be perfectly normal,” Giuliani said on CNN’s […]

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George Conway Mocks Trump after Giuliani Remarks on Cohen Testimony

January 20, 2019 Focus Washington

George Conway, the husband of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway on Sunday stated that it would be “insane” if President Donald Trump did talk to his former lawyer Michael Cohen about his congressional testimony before […]

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Employee at U.S. Consulate Indicted by Turkish Authorities

January 20, 2019 Focus Washington

An employee at the U.S. consulate in Istanbul was indicted by Turkish prosecutors for being linked to Turkish cleric Fethullah Gülen. According to The Associated Press, the employee, Metin Topuz, was originally arrested in 2017 […]

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Mueller Team Disputes BuzzFeed Report Claiming Trump Told Cohen to Lie

January 19, 2019 Focus Washington

Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s office on Friday made an announcement where they dispute a news report by BuzzFeed that claimed President Donald Trump directed Michael Cohen to lie about the timing of discussions over a […]

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Tesla Cuts Workforce, Sending Stock Plummeting

January 18, 2019 Focus Washington

Investors punished Tesla on Friday after embattled CEO Elon Musk announced thousands of layoffs and admitted the company’s electric cars are overpriced, sending the stock down 13 percent to $302 by the end of the […]

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Sheremetyevo International Airport’s Alexander Ponomarenko Talks Future Plans, Infrastructure Development and Construction Projects

January 18, 2019 Focus Washington

By Lisa Clayton The Sheremetyevo International Airport (JSC SIA) Board of Directors met at the end of last year to approve multiple phases of the new Master Development Plan – a crucial tool for the […]

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LUNCHTIME POLITICS: Rating Presidents – Shutdown – Border Wall Polling

January 18, 2019 Lisa Clayton

Your Daily Polling Update for Friday, January 18, 2019 TRUMP JOB APPROVAL: AVERAGE 42% Same as yesterday RON’S COMMENT: Today’s average is based on four polls, ranging from 39% (Pew) to 45% (The Economist). Without these […]

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House Votes to Keep Russian Sanctions

January 18, 2019 Focus Washington

The House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted to keep the sanctions on three Russian companies tied to oligarch Oleg Deripaska, in what appears to be a protest against the Treasury Department’s decision to lift the financial […]

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