Month: December 2019

A federal database that was tracking pollution in the United States was terminated at the beginning of this month by the White House. The database was in the form of an interactive map hosted by […]

House Dems Don’t Need Mueller Documents for Impeachment Trial, DOJ Says

The Justice Department informed a federal judge on Monday that House Democrats will not be needing the grand jury materials from Robert Mueller’s probe since the impeachment articles do not cover the issues with the […]

South Korea, Japan Leaders Meet for First Time in Months

The leaders of Japan and South Korea met for the first time in more than a year on Tuesday and stressed the need to improve ties after the worst period of tension between their countries […]

Taliban Kill 15 in Attack on Afghan Security Checkpoint

Taliban militants ambushed a government checkpoint in Balkh province in Afghanistan’s north, killing at least 15 members of the security forces, local officials said on Tuesday, the latest in an escalating series of insurgent attacks, […]

Impeachment Trial Stalemate Continues as McConnell Won’t Rule Out Witnesses

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has not eliminated the chance to have witnesses testify in the impeachment hearings, with leaders in a stalemate over the terms of the impeachment. “We haven’t ruled out witnesses,” the […]

Trump Administration Awards Immigration Detention Contracts in California

The Trump administration awarded billions of dollars in contracts for private companies to operate immigration detention centers in California – less than two weeks before a new state law takes effect to prohibit them, The […]

Special Reuters Report: Iran’s Leader Khamenei Ordered Crackdown on Unrest

After days of protests across Iran last month, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appeared impatient. Gathering his top security and government officials together, he issued an order: Do whatever it takes to stop them, Reuters […]

Saudi Arabia Sentences Five to Death for Jamal Khashoggi Murder

Five people have been sentenced to death in connection with the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul last year, Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor announced Monday, The Washington Post reported. The […]

South Korea, U.S. Commandos Practice Raiding Enemy Facility

South Korean and U.S. special forces troops recently conducted drills simulating the infiltration of an enemy facility, U.S. military photos seen by Reuters on Monday show, as tensions with North Korea ratchet up ahead of […]

McConnell Says Senate Republicans Have Not Ruled Out Witnesses in Impeachment Trial

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Monday that Republicans had not ruled out hearing witnesses in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, one of the main sticking points in drafting rules for the […]

December 23, 2019 John Ganjei

LUNCHTIME POLITICS: Social Media Usage – General Election Debate? – National Prez Poll

Your Daily Polling Update for Monday, December 23, 2019 TRUMP JOB APPROVAL: AVERAGE 46%Same as Friday RON’S COMMENT: Today’s average is based on five polls, ranging from 44% (WSJ/NBC, Politico) to 50% (Rasmussen). Without these extremes, […]

Trump Snaps at Wind Farms, Says He ‘Never Understood Wind’

President Donald Trump snapped at wind farms on Saturday, with a claim that energy produced by wind turbines causes a large carbon footprint. Trump held was speaking to the conservative student group Turning Point USA, […]

Tesla to Take New $1.4bn Loan from Chinese Banks for Shanghai Factory

Electric vehicle maker Tesla and a group of China banks have agreed to a new 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion), five-year loan facility for the automaker’s Shanghai car plant, three sources familiar with the matter […]

GOP Senator Says Pelosi Cannot Keep Impeachment Articles from Senate

Senator Roy Blunt argues that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi does not have the authority to keep the articles of impeachment from the Senate passed by the House last week. “Frankly, I don’t think the Speaker […]

U.S., North Korea Talks ‘More Important than Anything’, Seoul Claims

The U.S. and North Korea need to keep up their momentum for negotiations, and this is “more important than anything”, South Korean President Moon Jae-in told Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday, Reuters […]

US admin discusses raising the debt ceiling

Dollar Holds Firm Before Holidays

The dollar stood near two-week highs on Monday after decent U.S. economic data was released on Friday, while sterling recovered following last week’s big drop, Reuters writes. The euro was little changed below $1.11. With […]

Taliban Kill U.S. Force Member in Northern Afghanistan

The Taliban said their fighters killed a U.S. service member in Afghanistan on Monday and posted photographs of a blood-soaked backpack and the identity card of a American soldier to prove it, Reuters writes. The […]

Shooters Injure 7 in Baltimore Shooting

Two shooters opened fire on a crowd outside a hookah lounge in Baltimore early Sunday, wounding seven people, including at least three teenagers, police said, The Associated Press reported. The unidentified suspects, one armed with […]

Actor Kevin Costner Endorses Buttigieg During Iowa Campaign

Hollywood actor Kevin Costner returned to Iowa on Sunday to go to bat for Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, pitching the small-town mayor as someone worth listening to in the crowded lineup of White House […]

Boeing Starliner Becomes First American Spacecraft to Land on Ground

For observers of the evolution of spaceflight, this week brought with it mixed news. Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner launched into orbit with a plan to dock with the International Space Station — but that plan was […]

Utah Man Uses Cybernetic Implants to Open and Start his Tesla

A man from Utah has implanted chips in his hand that allows him to open and start his Tesla, as well as additional options that all look like from a science fiction movie. Ben Workman […]

Zarif: U.S. Sanctions against Iran Are a ‘Reckless Addiction’

U.S. sanctions against Iran are a “reckless addiction”, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a tweet on Sunday, Reuters informed. “The U.S.’ approach to sanctions betrays a pathological and reckless addiction — a […]

Trump Blasts House’s Impeachment Delay as ‘So Unfair’

President Donald Trump on Saturday criticized House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi for holding off on sending the articles of impeachment against him to the Senate, Reuters informs. “It’s so unfair,” Trump said, days after […]

Syria Says Rockets Damage Homs Refinery

Rockets were fired overnight at Syria’s main Homs refinery and two gas units causing minor damage and disrupting production, oil officials said on Saturday, calling it a “terrorist attack”, Reuters writes. Fires were extinguished after […]

Russia Gas Export Pipeline in Jeopardy as U.S. Sanctions Loom

Swiss-Dutch company Allseas said it had suspended work on building a major Russia-to-Germany natural gas pipeline in order to avoid U.S. sanctions contained in legislation signed by President Donald Trump on Friday, Reuters writes. The […]

North Korea Warns U.S. Could ‘Pay Dearly’ over Human Rights Spat

North Korea lashed back at the United States for taking issue with its human rights record on Saturday, saying Washington’s “malicious words” would only aggravate tensions on the Korean Peninsula, state news agency KCNA reported, […]

Trump Criticizes Christian Magazine that Called for His Removal

President Donald Trump blasted a prominent Christian magazine on Friday, a day after it published an editorial arguing that he should be removed from office because of his “blackened moral record”, The Associated Press informs. […]

Administration

Trump Launches Space Force

President Donald Trump on Friday celebrated the launch of Space Force, the first new military service in more than 70 years, The Associated Press reported. In signing the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act that includes […]

December 20, 2019 Focus Washington

Xi Tells Trump That U.S. is Interfering in China’s Internal Affairs

President Donald Trump spoke on Friday with Chinese President Xi Jinping and claimed progress on issues from trade to North Korea and Hong Kong, but China said Xi accused the United States of interfering in […]

December 20, 2019 John Ganjei

LUNCHTIME POLITICS: Last Night’s Debate – Post-Impeachment Sentiment – Election and The Economy – Trump vs. Generic Democrat

Your Daily Polling Update for Friday, December 20, 2019 TRUMP JOB APPROVAL: AVERAGE 46%Same as yesterday RON’S COMMENT: Today’s average is based on five polls, ranging from 44% (WSJ/NBC, The Economist) to 49% (Rasmussen). Without […]