Month: January 2019

Amid uproar over President Donald Trump’s decision to order the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria and the possible consequences such a move could have on Kurdish allies in the country, who risk attacks […]

Trump’s Stance on Shutdown Tracks Rise of Mulvaney, Miller

President Donald Trump’s refusal to reopen the U.S. government reflects the growing influence of his acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and senior adviser Stephen Miller, hard-right conservatives who are closer to the President thanks […]

Democratic Senators to Vote on Russia Sanctions Relief

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Saturday he will force a vote soon on a resolution to disapprove the Trump administration’s decision to ease sanctions on three Russian companies connected to oligarch Oleg Deripaska, The […]

White House Asked Pentagon for Options to Strike Iran

President Donald Trump’s National Security Council reportedly requested last year that the Pentagon provide military options to strike Iran, U.S. officials said. The move, which followed two incidents in Iraq when three shells were fired […]

Teenager Captured With ISIS Fighters Is From Trinidad, Not the U.S.

A 16-year-old boy who was captured on the battlefield in Syria this week with fighters for the Islamic State is not American, but is instead from Trinidad and Tobago, according to American officials and the […]

Qualcomm CEO Claims Apple Demanded $1bn for Chance to Win iPhone

Qualcomm sought to become the sole supplier of modem chips for Apple’s iPhone to recoup a $1-billion “incentive payment” that Apple insisted on, not to block rivals from the market, Qualcomm’s chief executive testified on […]

Trump Taps Commerce Watchdog to Become New Interior Inspector General

President Donald Trump has tapped Commerce Department inspector Mark Greenblatt to be the new inspector general of the Department of the Interior, The Hill informs. Greenblatt, who is currently the assistant inspector general for investigations […]

Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard Running for President in 2020

Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is running for President in 2020. The Democrat and Iraq War veteran who was first elected to Congress in 2012 told CNN’s Van Jones in an interview slated to air Saturday […]

Government Shutdown Becomes Longest Federal Closure in U.S. History

The partial government shutdown became the longest closure in U.S. history on Friday midnight as President Donald Trump and nervous Republicans scrambled to find a way out of the mess, CNBC reports. The House and […]

January 11, 2019 Lisa Clayton

LUNCHTIME POLITICS: Job Ratings of all 50 Governors – North Carolina Politics

Your Daily Polling Update for Friday, January 11, 2019 TRUMP JOB APPROVAL: AVERAGE 43% Down 1 from yesterday RON’S COMMENT: Today’s average is based on three polls, ranging from 40% (Reuters) to 45% (Rasmussen). Without these […]

Venezuelan President Maduro Starts New Term

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro started a second term on Thursday, defying critics in the U.S. and Latin America who called him an illegitimate usurper of a nation where economic chaos has wrought a humanitarian crisis, […]

Canada Aims to Welcome More Than Million New Immigrants in Next Three Years

The Canadian Parliament has announced plans to add more than one million new permanent residents in the next three years, which is nearly one percent of the country’s population each year, CNN reports. Canada welcomed […]

U.S. Begins Syria Drawdown

The United States has officially begun its announced withdrawal from Syria with the first ground equipment being pulled from the war-torn country, an administration official familiar with the operation said. “Some cargo has already moved,” […]

Fed Chairman Powell ‘Very Worried’ About Growing U.S. Debt

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is concerned about the ballooning amount of United States debt, CNBC reported. “I’m very worried about it. From the Fed’s standpoint, we’re really looking at a business cycle length: that’s […]

White House Looking into Alternative Ways to Fund Wall

Officials at the White House have started exploring alternative ways of diverting funding for President Donald Trump’s long-sought border wall if he decides to declare a national emergency to obtain it, though they remain divided […]

Trump Weighs Declaring Emergency as Shutdown Nears Record Length

President Donald Trump, facing the prospect within days of the longest U.S. government shutdown in history, was considering declaring a national emergency that would likely escalate a policy dispute with Democrats over his proposed U.S.-Mexico […]

Top Chinese Aide to Visit Washington for Trade Talks

High-level talks between China and the United States aimed at resolving the trade conflict between the world’s two largest economies are set to continue, with a top aide of Chinese President Xi Jinping scheduled to […]

Cohen to Testify Publicly to House Panel Before Going to Prison

President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer and fixer, who is to start serving his prison sentence in March, has agreed to testify before a House committee, CNBC reports. Cohen will appear before the House Oversight […]

Treasury Secretary Says Russian Companies Will Get Sanctions Relief

Three Russian companies have cut ties to sanctioned oligarch Oleg Deripaska and will no longer be under U.S. sanctions themselves, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Thursday, according to The New York Times. Mnuchin appeared before […]

Las Vegas Police Issue Warrant for Cristiano Ronaldo’s DNA in Rape Case

Las Vegas police authorities issued a warrant for soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo’s DNA as part of an ongoing investigation into rape allegations against him. According to The Wall Street Journal, the DNA test is connected […]

January 10, 2019 Lisa Clayton

LUNCHTIME POLITICS: Rating Women Leaders – Gender Perceptions and Public Office – North Carolina

Your Daily Polling Update for Thursday, January 10, 2019 TRUMP JOB APPROVAL: AVERAGE 44% Same as yesterday RON’S COMMENT: Despite recent events, President Trump’s job approval rating remains steady at 44%. Today’s average is based on […]

NASA Revokes Invitation for Roscosmos Chief to Houston

The Russian space agency is demanding answers from NASA after the U.S. agency last week revoked an invitation for Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin to Houston, Space Daily reported. “We are still waiting for clarification on the current situation from the […]

Russian MC-21 in Trouble over U.S.-Made Components

Washington’s sanctions against Aerocomposit (part of Russian state-run conglomerate United Aircraft Corporation) and ONPP Technologia (part of Rostec) have jeopardized the creation of what the company calls a “black wing” made of composite material for Russia’s key […]

Pompeo Travels to Iraq to Reassure Kurdish Allies on Syria Withdrawal

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made an unannounced trip to Iraq on Wednesday, where he sought to reassure the U.S.’ Kurdish allies that they will remain safe even after troops are pulled out from Syria. […]

Schumer Says Trump ‘Slammed the Table’ and Stormed Out of White House Meeting

Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer said President Donald Trump “slammed the table” and “just walked out” of the White House meeting dedicated to the ongoing partial government shutdown, which Democrats deemed as contentious. According to […]

Polling Data Manafort Shared with Russia Was Intended for Ukrainian Oligarchs

Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort intended to share the 2016 polling data with two Ukrainian oligarchs with whom he had worked for years, Serhiy Lyovochkin and Rinat Akhmetov, according to a source familiar with […]

White House Adviser Confirms Border Wall to Be Funded by Taxpayers Money

White House communications adviser Mercedes Schlapp confirmed that the border wall between the U.S. and Mexico will be funded with taxpayers money, The Hill reported. “Yes,” Schlapp said when pressured by a CNN reporter. “And you […]

WHO Undermines Religious Freedom and Gender Equality?

By Carlos D. Londoño Sulkin A federal judge in Detroit has dismissed six charges of Female Genital Mutilation, FGM, against a Dawoodi Bohra doctor alleged to have circumcised girls of the Dawoodi Bohra faith. Dr. […]

Kamala Harris to Decide on 2020 Run Soon

California Senator Kamala Harris published a new memoir this week, hinting on a 2020 presidential run, arguing that the American people deserve a capable leader. At the same time, she criticized President Donald Trump for […]

Mnuchin to Report to Congress About Relief of Sanctions Imposed on Russia

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin will hold a classified briefing for House lawmakers on Thursday about the decision to ease sanctions on companies tied to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, Politico reports. Earlier this month, Treasury said […]