Focus Washington February 2019

LUNCHTIME POLITICS: Northam in Virginia – Tax Law Seen as Good for Wealthy – Trump’s Change

February 11, 2019 Lisa Clayton

Your Daily Polling Update for Monday, February 11, 2019 TRUMP JOB APPROVAL: AVERAGE 45% Up 2 from Friday RON’S COMMENT: Today’s average is based on four polls––and it gives us a fuller picture of President […]

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Iran Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Islamic Revolution

February 11, 2019 Focus Washington

Hundreds of thousands of people across Iran took to the streets on Monday to mark the 40th anniversary of the country’s Islamic Revolution. Speaking in the capital Tehran, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told a huge […]

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Kamala Harris Admits to Smoking Marijuana when She Was Younger

February 11, 2019 Focus Washington

Democratic Senator Kamala Harris stated on Monday that she had smoked marijuana in the past. According to The Hill, in a radio interview on WWPR’s The Breakfast Club, Harris, who recently entered the 2020 presidential […]

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Freshman Rep. Max Rose Slams Ilhan Omar’s Tweets, Says They’re ‘Hurtful to Jews’

February 11, 2019 Focus Washington

Representative Ilhan Omar was slammed by freshman rep. Max Rose, who claimed Omar’s tweets were ‘deeply hurtful to Jews’, and suggested that lawmakers were ‘bought off’ by a pro-Israel lobbying group, The Hill reports. “When […]

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Trump: ‘No President ever Worked Harder than Me’

February 11, 2019 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump said on Monday that he is one of the most hardworking presidents in U.S. history. “No president ever worked harder than me (cleaning up the mess I inherited)!” Trump tweeted. Trump’s tweets […]

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Representative Walter Jones Dies at 76

February 11, 2019 Focus Washington

GOP Representative Walter Jones of North Carolina died on Sunday at age 76, a statement on the congressman’s website said. “After faithfully representing the people of Eastern North Carolina in Congress and the state legislature […]

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Trump Accuses Democrats of Sabotaging Border Security Deal

February 11, 2019 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump on Monday bashed at Democrats after the negotiations about the border wall because lawmakers wanted to cap the number of beds available to hold detained immigrants. “The Democrats do not want us […]

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U.S. to Hit Russia with New Sanctions

February 11, 2019 Focus Washington

The United States Congress will resume talks on new restrictions against Russia on Tuesday, and Russian experts note that the most dangerous scenario for the country is sanctions against state banks. As all transactions in […]

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Mulvaney Indicates Another Shutdown Is Likely

February 11, 2019 Focus Washington

Amid efforts among congressional negotiators to reach a funding deal by Friday, acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney said a second government shutdown cannot be completely ruled out. He noted that if funding […]

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Elizabeth Warren Announces 2020 Presidential Bid with Economic Appeal

February 11, 2019 Focus Washington

Senator Elizabeth Warren said on Saturday she will run for president, adding a fierce advocate of economic populism to an already crowded field of Democrats vying for the presidency in 2020, Reuters reports. Warren, a […]

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Trump, Kim to Discuss North Korean Missile Complex, U.S. Rewards

February 11, 2019 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump’s first summit with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un last year was a historic meeting, which seemingly promised to deliver progress in terms of the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, but little has […]

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Washington Warns Brussels Tariff Threat Could Return

February 9, 2019 Focus Washington

The U.S.-European trade truce struck last summer that’s helped keep punitive tariffs at bay is at risk of unraveling, with America’s top diplomat to the European Union citing a lack of good will and progress […]

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Whitaker Weakens Trump’s ‘Witch Hunt’ Claims on Mueller Probe

February 9, 2019 Focus Washington

Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker said Friday that there’s no reason to interfere in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation, undercutting President Donald Trump’s frequent claim the probe is a “witch hunt.” Whitaker gave key […]

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U.S. Military Could Leave Syria by April

February 9, 2019 Focus Washington

The Pentagon is preparing to pull all U.S. forces out of Syria by the end of April, even though the Trump administration has yet to come up with a plan to protect its Kurdish partners […]

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Iran’s Khamenei Says ‘Death to America’ Aimed at Trump, Not American Nation

February 9, 2019 Focus Washington

Iranians will chant “Death to America” as long as Washington continues its hostile policies, but the slogan is directed at President Donald Trump and U.S. leaders, not the American nation, Iran’s supreme leader said on […]

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Bezos’s Story Spurs U.S. Prosecutors’ Scrutiny of AMI

February 9, 2019 Focus Washington

Federal prosecutors are reviewing the National Enquirer’s handling of its story about Jeff Bezos’s extramarital affair to determine if the company violated an earlier cooperation deal with prosecutors, according to two people familiar with the […]

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Government Shutdown Delayed 60,000 Immigration Court Hearing

February 8, 2019 Focus Washington

The latest government shutdown apparently delayed around 60,000 immigration court hearings. According to The Associated Press, Kathryn Mattingly, a spokesperson for the Executive Office for Immigration Review, said on Friday that the hearings would take […]

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Russia Fish Industry Benefits from Trump’s Trade War with China

February 8, 2019 Focus Washington

Russian-caught fish sold in the U.S. is enjoying a price advantage inadvertently protected by a trade decision by the Trump administration, and much of the cheaper Russian product ends up in fish sticks served to […]

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France Joins U.S. in Opposition to Nord Stream 2 Pipeline

February 8, 2019 Focus Washington

France has rejected an appeal by German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government and has agreed to back a European Union proposal creating hurdles for Russia’s controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, Russia Business Today reports. The pipeline has […]

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LUNCHTIME POLITICS: Moviegoers – ISIS, Syria – Popularity Ratings

February 8, 2019 Lisa Clayton

Your Daily Polling Update for Friday, February 8, 2019 TRUMP JOB APPROVAL: AVERAGE 43% Same as yesterday RON’S COMMENT: Today’s average is based on four polls, ranging from 38% (Reuters) to 50% (Rasmussen). Without these […]

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Humanitarian Aid for Venezuela Arrives at Colombian Border

February 8, 2019 Focus Washington

Trucks carrying U.S. humanitarian aid destined for Venezuela arrived Thursday at the Colombian border, where opposition leaders vowed to bring them into their troubled nation despite objections from embattled President Nicolas Maduro, AP/TIME reported. Food […]

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Supreme Court Blocks Louisiana Law on Abortion from Taking Effect

February 8, 2019 Focus Washington

The Supreme Court has temporarily blocked a Louisiana law on abortion to take effect, The Hill reported. The order was 5-4, with Chief Justice John Roberts joining the court’s four liberals voting for the stay. New […]

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Obama Pays Tribute to Late Rep. Dingell

February 8, 2019 Focus Washington

Former President Barack Obama paid tribute to John Dingell, following the news of the death of the Democrat lawmaker, saying that Dingell was leading “the charge on so much of the progress we take for […]

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Iran Could Pardon Huge Number of Prisoners to Mark Revolution

February 8, 2019 Focus Washington

Iran claims it will pardon a “large number” of prisoners to mark the upcoming 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, though how many of those locked up might actually get out remains an open question, […]

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Longest-Serving Representative John Dingell Dies

February 8, 2019 Focus Washington

Former Representative John Dingell died Thursday at the age of 92, shortly after entering hospice care and being diagnosed with cancer. His death was confirmed in a statement released by the office of his wife […]

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Whitaker to Testify Before House Panel

February 8, 2019 Focus Washington

Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, who previously said that he wouldn’t testify before the House Judiciary Committee unless Democrats on the panel withdrew the threat of subpoenaing him, has confirmed he will speak before the […]

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Barr’s Nomination Approved by Senate Committee

February 8, 2019 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, William Barr, was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, which voted to send his nomination to the full Senate next week. Barr, who served as attorney […]

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Senate Judiciary Committee to Hold Hearing on Migrant Children Deaths

February 7, 2019 Focus Washington

The Senate Judiciary Committee plans on holding a hearing on the two migrant children who died in U.S. custody last year. The Hill reports that SJC’s chairman, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, stated on Thursday that […]

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LUNCHTIME POLITICS: Wearing Blackface – Social Security – Estate Tax – Will Trump Leave Office?

February 7, 2019 Lisa Clayton

Your Daily Polling Update for Thursday, February 7, 2019 TRUMP JOB APPROVAL: AVERAGE 43% Same as yesterday RON’S COMMENT: Today’s average is based on four polls, ranging from 38% (Reuters) to 49% (Rasmussen). Without these […]

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McDonald’s to Raise Investment in Russia by 40%

February 7, 2019 Focus Washington

Global restaurant chain McDonald’s will raise investment in Russia by 40 percent this year, Marc Carena, the company’s managing director in Russia, told reporters on Wednesday, according to Russia Business Today. The fast-food giant plans […]

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