Focus Washington January 2019

LUNCHTIME POLITICS: British Views on Leaders, Brexit, US – Fixing Government – Shutdown Blame Game

January 28, 2019 Lisa Clayton

Your Daily Polling Update for Monday, January 28, 2019 TRUMP JOB APPROVAL: AVERAGE 42% Up 1 from Friday RON’S COMMENT: Today’s average is based on nine polls, ranging from 38% (ABC/WaPo) to 45% (Rasmussen). Without these […]

Follow

Barr Tells Senators that Trump Has Not Asked about Mueller’s Probe

January 28, 2019 Focus Washington

Attorney General nominee William Barr told senators that President Donald Trump has not asked him about his views on special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe. In written answers, Barr stated that during his talks with Trump […]

Follow

Blumenthal, Grassley Introduce Bill Requiring Mueller’s Report to be Public

January 28, 2019 Focus Washington

Senators from both sides of the aisle introduced a bill that special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on the Russia probe will be released publicly once the investigation ends. According to The Hill, Senators Richard Blumenthal […]

Follow

Graham Says Trump Thinking about Using Military Force in Venezuela

January 28, 2019 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump allegedly touched on the topic of the use of military force in Venezuela while talking with Senator Lindsey Graham at the beginning of this month. According to Graham who was speaking with […]

Follow

Japanese PM Abe Wants Summit with North Korea’s Kim

January 28, 2019 Focus Washington

Japan’s Prime Minister vowed Monday to “break the shell of mutual distrust” with North Korea by meeting leader Kim Jong-un face-to-face and restoring diplomatic relations between the two historic foes, Korea Times informs. In a […]

Follow

Trump Donates $100G from his Salary to Alcoholism Research

January 28, 2019 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump announced that he has donated his 2018 third-quarter salary of $100,000 to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, The White House stated, Fox News informed. In 2016, Trump stated that […]

Follow

Trump Blasts Fox News Reporters over Shutdown, Border Wall Coverage

January 28, 2019 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump slammed Fox News reporters for covering the border wall talks, as he claimed that the outlet has “less understanding” than journalists at “fake news CNN & NBC.” “Never thought I’d say this but […]

Follow

U.S. Lifts Sanctions against 3 Russian Companies Tied to Oleg Deripaska

January 28, 2019 Focus Washington

The Treasury department on Sunday released a statement that it was rebuking sanctions on three companies tied to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, Fox News informed. The move comes after Congress attempted to block this action […]

Follow

U.S. Coerces Allies to Fight Huawei in New Arms Race With China

January 28, 2019 Focus Washington

Jeremy Hunt, the British foreign minister, arrived in Washington last week for a whirlwind of meetings dominated by a critical question: Should Britain risk its relationship with Beijing and agree to the Trump administration’s request […]

Follow

Trump Prepared For Another Shutdown, Mulvaney Says

January 28, 2019 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump is prepared to shut down the government again or declare a national emergency if Congress won’t give him the border wall money he wants, the White House said Sunday, AP/HuffPost reports. Trump’s […]

Follow

European Powers to Defy Trump With Iran Trade Promotion Plan

January 28, 2019 Focus Washington

Three European powers are set to make good on a plan to help companies trade with Iran, defying President Donald Trump with a bid to bypass U.S. sanctions, Bloomberg informs. The plan, which could be […]

Follow

Apple Shares Rally, Erasing Losses from Company’s Revenue Warning Earlier This Month

January 26, 2019 Focus Washington

Apple shares rose more than 3 percent on Friday, gaining enough ground to practically erase the losses that followed the company’s lowered revenue guidance three weeks ago, CNBC reported. The stock traded as high as […]

Follow

U.S. Drafting Plan to Stay in Remote Syrian Base to Counter Iran

January 26, 2019 Focus Washington

Despite President Donald Trump’s December pledge to withdraw all U.S. forces from Syria, the U.S. government is considering a plan to keep some troops in a remote U.S. base in southeastern Syria to counter Iranian […]

Follow

Shutdown Blame Stays on Trump as His Approval Hits Historic Low

January 26, 2019 Focus Washington

Blame for the partial government shutdown continues to focus on President Donald Trump and his party in Congress, with the President’s overall job approval rating the lowest on record for any president after two years […]

Follow

Tulsi Gabbard to Hold Campaign Launch Rally Next Week

January 26, 2019 Focus Washington

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) plans to hold a rally February 2 in Hawaii to formally launch her 2020 White House bid, her campaign announced Friday. Gabbard will use the rally in Oahu to “gather with […]

Follow

U.S. Set to Send First Round of Asylum Seekers Back to Mexico

January 26, 2019 Focus Washington

The United States was expected to send a first group of 20 Central American asylum seekers back to Mexico through the border city of Tijuana on Friday as part of President Donald Trump’s hardening of […]

Follow

LUNCHTIME POLITICS: Economic Optimism Cools – Shutdown – Immigration

January 25, 2019 Lisa Clayton

Your Daily Polling Update for Friday, January 25, 2019 TRUMP JOB APPROVAL: AVERAGE 41% Same as yesterday RON’S COMMENT: Today’s average is based on eight polls, ranging from 36% (CBS) to 44% (Rasmussen). Without these two […]

Follow

Trump Allows a Bill to End Shutdown Without Funding for his Border Wall

January 25, 2019 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump on Friday stated that he will allow for a short-term funding bill to reopen the government without the funds to construct his border wall. “I am very proud to announce today that […]

Follow

Dollar Purchases Unable to Keep Russian Ruble from Strengthening

January 25, 2019 Focus Washington

The seasonal increase in ruble supply from Russian exporters, especially amid recovering oil prices, offsets the negative impact of foreign currency purchases by the Bank of Russia, Russia Business Today reports. The value of Russia’s national […]

Follow

Elon Musk’s Mother Says Tesla Shares Manipulated by Media, Short Sellers

January 25, 2019 Focus Washington

Elon Musk’s mother, Maye Musk, blamed the media and short sellers on Thursday for manipulating Tesla stock, which fell nearly 4 percent during trading on Wednesday, Fox Business reported. “Short sellers and the media are […]

Follow

Trump Defends North Korea Progress as Second Kim Summit Edges Closer

January 25, 2019 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump on Thursday defended his negotiations with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, noting that they have yielded steps toward denuclearization, ahead of a potential second summit for which he sees “much potential” for […]

Follow

White House Working on Draft National Emergency Order, Identifies $7bn for Wall

January 25, 2019 Focus Washington

CNN has obtained documentation showing that the White House is working on a draft proclamation for President Donald Trump to declare a national emergency along the southern border and has, at the same time, identified […]

Follow

Pelosi Claims Govt Shutdown Causing ‘Serious Damage’, Blames Republicans

January 25, 2019 Focus Washington

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that the ongoing partial government shutdown has caused “serious damage” and blamed Republicans and the Trump administration for the current events. Pelosi argued that federal workers are faced with vulnerability […]

Follow

Kushner’s Security Clearance Was Rejected Twice

January 25, 2019 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump’s advisor Jared Kushner’s application for top security clearance was rejected twice by White House security specialists, only to be overruled by the head of the President’s personnel security office, The Hill reports. […]

Follow

Down to Last Two Villages in Syria, ISIS Continues to Fights Back

January 25, 2019 Focus Washington

Along two sharp curves of the Euphrates River in northeastern Syria, the Islamic State is fighting to hold on to the last speck of the vast territory it once controlled, The New York Times reports. […]

Follow

Non-Emergency Personnel Ordered to Leave Venezuela

January 25, 2019 Focus Washington

The diplomatic crisis between the United States and Venezuela seems to be deepening. On Thursday, the State Department ordered all non-emergency personnel out of the South American country. The State Department further warned that American […]

Follow

Trump Ally Roger Stone Charged With Obstruction in Special Counsel Probe

January 25, 2019 Focus Washington

Longtime Donald Trump associate Roger Stone has been indicted by a grand jury on charges brought by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Stone was arrested by the FBI Friday morning at his home in Florida, his […]

Follow

Space to Become New Advertising Domain, Russia Start-Up to Put Giant Billboards in Earth’s Orbit

January 24, 2019 Focus Washington

StartRocket, a Russian tech start-up, is hoping to be the first company to turn the outer levels of the Earth’s atmosphere into a media buying space, Russia Business Today reports. The company has outlined plans […]

Follow

U.S. Plans New Measures to Help Energy Companies Counter Russia: Report

January 24, 2019 Focus Washington

The White House is considering a new round of executive actions to boost the U.S. energy industry in an attempt to portray strength against Russia, Politico reports citing a senior Trump administration official and others familiar with […]

Follow

LUNCHTIME POLITICS: Washington Gamesmanship – Socialism – National Conditions – Issues

January 24, 2019 Lisa Clayton

Your Daily Polling Update for Thursday, January 24, 2019 TRUMP JOB APPROVAL: AVERAGE 41% Down 1 from yesterday RON’S COMMENT: The shutdown appears to be pulling down President Trump’s approval rating. Today’s average is based on […]

Follow