Focus Washington September 2019

UK, France, Germany Blame Iran for Attacks on Saudi Oil Facilities

September 24, 2019 Focus Washington

As world leaders gather for their annual UN General Assembly session, Britain, France, and Germany joined the United States on Monday in blaming Iran for the Sept. 14 attacks on key oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, […]

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Oil Prices Fall on Prospects for Saudi Output Restart, Economic Concerns

September 23, 2019 Focus Washington

Oil fell on Monday, reversing an earlier gain, pressured by the prospect of a faster-than-expected full restoration of Saudi oil output and by fresh signs of European economic weakness, Reuters/CNBC informs. A source, briefed on […]

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Romney Calls for ‘Facts to Come Out’ after Ukraine Scandal

September 23, 2019 Focus Washington

Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, who has recently stated that he might not back President Trump’s reelection bid, tweeted on Sunday that it would be troubling if the President appealed to his Ukrainian counterpart to probe […]

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Apple Reopens Redesigned Fifth Avenue NYC Store

September 23, 2019 Focus Washington

Apple on Friday will take the wraps off its latest and biggest store redesign: its Fifth Avenue location in New York, CNET reports. The new store, which is in the same location right off of […]

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Top General Says U.S. Won’t Send New Troops to Syria

September 23, 2019 Focus Washington

The U.S. won’t be sending any additional troops to Syria even though U.S. troops will perform additional tasks as part of an arrangement with Turkey to patrol a buffer zone along the Syrian-Turkish border, a zone designed […]

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Japan Fails to Track Recent North Korea Missile Launches

September 23, 2019 Focus Washington

Japan has failed to track the trajectory of some of North Korea’s new types of short-range missiles in a recent series of launches, raising concerns over Tokyo’s defense capabilities, sources close to the matter said […]

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Top Adviser on Asia to Become Deputy National Security Adviser

September 23, 2019 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump’s top adviser on Asia, Matt Pottinger, will be named new deputy national security adviser. The personnel move was announced by the newly named national security adviser Robert O’Brien, who was traveling to […]

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Trump Will Think About Releasing Transcript of Ukraine Call

September 23, 2019 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he would consider releasing a transcript of a July 25 phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, which is allegedly the subject of a contested whistleblower complaint. […]

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British PM Johnson Blames Iran for Attack on Saudi Oil Facilities

September 23, 2019 Focus Washington

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Sunday blamed Iran for the recent attacks on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia and said that the U.K. would consider taking part in U.S.-led military actions to support Saudi […]

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Administration

Space Force Formal Launch Pegged Back Due to Cost

September 23, 2019 Focus Washington

A key legal change the Trump administration is seeking would enshrine a U.S. Space Force as a separate branch of the military next year, but it could cost billions more upfront than what the Senate […]

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Pompeo Says Trump Seeks Diplomatic Solution with Iran

September 23, 2019 Focus Washington

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday that the U.S. was seeking to avoid a military conflict with Iran, adding that President Donald Trump wanted a “diplomatic solution” with the country. “Our mission set is […]

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Ukrainian Official Disputes Reports that Trump Pressured Zelensky

September 22, 2019 Focus Washington

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko refuted reports that President Donald Trump pressured his Ukrainian counterpart in a July phone call to investigate Joe Biden and his son in an effort to help Trump re-election bid […]

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Supreme Court Judge Orders Trump to Testify in Civil Suit, Says He is Not Above Law

September 22, 2019 Focus Washington

A state Supreme Court judge said on Friday that President Donald Trump is obligated to sit for a deposition in a New York lawsuit against him and the Trump Organization. The lawsuit was imposed over […]

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Warren Overtakes Biden in Latest Iowa Poll

September 22, 2019 Focus Washington

A new state poll released on Saturday shows Senator Elizabeth Warren in the lead in Iowa, pushing former Vice President Joe Biden to second place, although the difference is so slight that the two presidential […]

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State Department Official with Ties to Maria Butina to Leave Post

September 22, 2019 Focus Washington

The State Department top official for arms control, Andrea Thompson, who was found to have a close relationship with the boyfriend of a Russian agent, will leave her post in October after failing to disclose […]

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More than 20 States Sue Trump Administration over Auto Emission Rules

September 22, 2019 Focus Washington

California and New York filed a lawsuit on Friday against the Trump administration, in an effort to prevent it from setting greenhouse gas emission and fuel economy standards for cars and trucks and revoking an […]

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Trump Orders Additional Troops to Be Sent to Saudi Arabia

September 21, 2019 Focus Washington

Additional troops and missile defense equipment will be deployed to Saudi Arabia and the UAE in the wake of the recent attacks on the biggest Saudi oilfield, the Pentagon announced on Friday. Despite the move, […]

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Trump Admits to Asking World Leaders About Biden, Downplays Whistleblower Complaint

September 21, 2019 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump told reporters in the White House that “it doesn’t matter what I discussed” with foreign leaders, seeking to assert that the allegations made against him were lodged by a “partisan” whistleblower. Trump […]

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Police Chief in Charge of Epstein Case Says Epstein ‘May Have Been Tipped off’

September 21, 2019 Focus Washington

Former chief of the Palm Beach police, Michael Reiter, overseeing the probe into Jeffrey Epstein, claimed that the late financier might have been tipped off during the interrogation, The Hill reported. Reiter was heading a […]

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House Dems Must ‘Do Something’ about Trump, Says Julián Castro

September 21, 2019 Focus Washington

Julián Castro urged House Democrats to impeach President Donald Trump following the reports that Trump asked his Ukrainian counterpart to probe Vice President Joe Biden who is his political rival for the 2020 presidential race, […]

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U.S.-Salvadoran Deal Could Send Asylum Seekers Back to Their Country

September 21, 2019 Focus Washington

An agreement signed Friday between the United States and El Salvador threatens to prevent some asylum seekers to seek refuge in the U.S., allowing the country at the same time to send some of these […]

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LUNCHTIME POLITICS: Americans Rate BiBi – Florida, Texas, California – Kansas Senate – U.S. Foe

September 20, 2019 John Ganjei

Your Daily Polling Update for Friday, September 20, 2019 TRUMP JOB APPROVAL: AVERAGE 45%Same as yesterday RON’S COMMENT: Today’s average is based on five polls, ranging from 43% (Reuters, Politico) to 52% (Rasmussen). Without these extremes, […]

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Rudy Giuliani Calls Cuomo a ‘Sellout’

September 20, 2019 Focus Washington

The attorney of President Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, clashed with CNN’s Chris Cuomo during an interview when he called the TV host a “sellout” in an argumentative discussion over the attorney’s efforts to get Ukraine […]

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Administration Seeking to Divert Additional Funds from Pentagon to Wall Construction

September 20, 2019 Focus Washington

The Trump administration is looking into diverting more funds from the Pentagon budget to the building of the border wall, said a U.S. official with knowledge of the project’s funding. The discussions come after $3.6 […]

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MSNBC: After Visiting North Korea, Trump Says He Won’t Visit North Korea

September 20, 2019 Focus Washington

A South Korean newspaper reported yesterday that North Korea’s Kim Jong-un invited Donald Trump to Pyongyang as a way to restart failing nuclear talks. A reporter asked Trump yesterday whether the report was accurate, MSNBC […]

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Failed UN Resolutions on Syria Leave Millions at Risk

September 20, 2019 Focus Washington

Dueling UN resolutions calling for a cease-fire in the Idlib region of Syria were both defeated Thursday, leaving millions at risk amid a brutal government offensive, aided by Russian airstrikes, and a looming humanitarian disaster, […]

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Federal Judge Hands Trump Victory in Tax Returns Battle

September 20, 2019 Focus Washington

A district judge issued a temporary injunction Thursday against the California law that requires candidates to release their tax returns in order to appear on the presidential ballot, handing President Donald Trump a victory. In […]

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Alien Enthusiasts Arrive for ‘Storm Area 51’ Despite Warnings

September 20, 2019 Focus Washington

Despite repeated warnings from law enforcement officials and the U.S. Air Force, people have begun descending upon two small desert towns in the western U.S. state of Nevada, Voice of America reported. Local media reports […]

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Beto O’Rourke Open to Broadening Gun Buyback Proposal

September 20, 2019 Focus Washington

Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke says he’s open to broadening his proposal to require owners of AK-47s and AR-15s to sell them to the government, Fox31 Denver reported. During an emotional town hall Thursday in […]

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Trump’s Calls with Foreign Leaders at Center of IG Complaint

September 20, 2019 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump’s call with foreign leaders, particularly the Ukrainian president, is the focus of a whistleblower complaint to the director of national intelligence inspector general, ABC News has learned from several sources. A White […]

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