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NYC Mayor Pushes for Tax on Wealthy to Fund Subway Fix

August 7, 2017 Focus Washington

The mayor of New York City wants to tax the wealthiest 1 percent to fund repairs and improvements to the beleaguered subway system, Bloomberg reports. The proposal comes as Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor […]

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Wells Fargo to Pay Government $108mn over Veteran Loans

August 5, 2017 Focus Washington

Wells Fargo announced Friday that it would pay the U.S. government $108 million after settling a lawsuit that claimed it had charged veterans hidden fees to refinance their mortgages, The Hill reports. The claims, made […]

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Kushner Asks Tech Giants to Help Upgrade Federal Agencies

August 4, 2017 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner is considering a system where leading tech engineers would serve a “tour of duty” advising the government on how to upgrade its digital infrastructure, The Hill […]

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Senate Leaders, Mnuchin Discuss Debt Ceiling Increase

August 2, 2017 Focus Washington

Senate leadership and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin held a closed-door meeting on Tuesday as they try to plot a path toward increasing the debt ceiling. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he, Mnuchin, and Minority Leader […]

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Jeff Bezos Briefly Becomes World’s Richest Person

July 28, 2017 Focus Washington

Jeff Bezos briefly overtook Microsoft CEO Bill Gates to become the richest person in the world Thursday morning with a net worth of $90.6 billion after Amazon stock rose 1.6 percent and added $1.4 billion […]

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Exxon Mobil Sues U.S. Government over Fine Levied for Russia Deal

July 21, 2017 Focus Washington

Exxon Mobil Corp sued the U.S. government on Thursday, blasting as “unlawful” and “capricious” a $2 million fine levied against it for a three-year-old oil joint venture with Russia’s Rosneft. The Treasury Department on Thursday […]

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Deutsche Bank Faces Scrutiny from Regulators for Giving Trump Hundreds of Loans

July 20, 2017 Focus Washington

Deutsche Bank is being looked into by finance regulators for giving the Trump family hundreds of loans over the past 20 years. Three people told The New York Times anonymously on Wednesday that the loans, which […]

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Bipartisan Beer Caucus Hops into Debate over Tax Reform

July 20, 2017 Focus Washington

A surprising cause might play a role in bipartisan tax reform later this year: beer. Members of both parties are expressing support for craft brewing, with a caucus even forming in the House to champion […]

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Government Ethics Watchdog to Release Mar-a-Lago Visitor Logs

July 17, 2017 Focus Washington

Government watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) will be making public visitor logs to President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort starting this fall, The Hill reads. CREW on Monday announced that the Department […]

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Nationalization of Ukranian Bank Failed Emerging Market Capitalists and the Public Good

July 3, 2017 Focus Washington

By John Mills In December 2016, the National Bank of Ukraine nationalized Ukraine’s largest private bank for what we now know was an incorrect understanding of the facts. It remains unclear who benefited from this […]

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Few Republicans Sure to Vote on Raising Debt Ceiling

July 3, 2017 Focus Washington

Only 16 House Republicans who are currently in office backed the last “clean” debt hike, whereas few of them intend to support it this year. If the debt ceiling is raised with a clean hike, […]

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Debt Limit Must Be Raised by October, CBO Says

June 30, 2017 Focus Washington

The federal government is expected to run out of money to pay its debts in “early to mid-October,” the Congressional Budget Office announced Thursday. The deadline for Congress to lift the nation’s debt limit is […]

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Labor Department to Reconsider Obama-Era Overtime Pay Rule

June 28, 2017 Focus Washington

The Department of Labor on Tuesday got closer to dismantling an Obama-era overtime regulation that has been in limbo for months and would make millions of Americans eligible for additional pay, as the department sent […]

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Kushner Company Received $285mn Loan From Deutsche Bank Before Elections

June 26, 2017 Focus Washington

Jared Kushner’s real estate company received a $285 million loan a month prior to Election Day from Deutsche Bank, a bank that has also lent millions to President Donald Trump in the past, The Washington […]

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Trump’s Job-Creation Promise Faces Challenge in Automotive Sector

June 23, 2017 Focus Washington

Promises made on the part of President Donald Trump to revive the struggling manufacturing industry, face new headwinds as the automotive sector announced thousands of new layoffs. The downsizing comes as the auto industry faces declining […]

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Trump Sparks Rush of NAFTA Lobbying

June 21, 2017 Focus Washington

Lobbyists are preparing for the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), a sweeping trade pact of critical importance to the United States, Canada and Mexico. Officials from the three nations are set […]

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Mercuria’s Graduates Join Trump to Announce Workforce Development Initiative

June 17, 2017 Focus Washington

Graduates from Mercuria Energy’s apprenticeship program joined President Donald Trump Friday at the White House to emphasize the importance of workforce development in the United States. President Trump discussed plans to combat the skills gap […]

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Congressional Democrats Sue Trump over Foreign Business Dealings

June 14, 2017 Focus Washington

Democratic members of Congress on Wednesday sued President Donald Trump in federal court, claiming he had violated the emoluments clause of the Constitution by accepting foreign funds through the Trump business, without Congressional approval, The […]

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Treasury Secretary Says U.S. Government Can Pay Debts through Early September

June 13, 2017 Focus Washington

The U.S. government will be able to keep paying its debts through at least the beginning of September, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told a House panel on Monday, The Hill reports. Mnuchin did not give […]

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Tennessee Becomes First State to Offer Free Community College for All Adults

June 12, 2017 Focus Washington

Tennessee has become the first U.S. state to offer tuition-free community college to all adults. Those who do not possess an associate or bachelor’s degree, can enroll for free starting in the 2018 fall semester. […]

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D.C., Maryland Officials to File “Major Lawsuit” against Trump

June 12, 2017 Focus Washington

Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh and his D.C. colleague, Karl Racine on Sunday stated that they will file a “major lawsuit” against President Donald Trump. Although, they didn’t disclose the content of the lawsuit, they […]

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FDA Wants Drugmaker to Remove Powerful Opioid Off the Market

June 9, 2017 Focus Washington

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requested Thursday that the drugmaker Endo Pharmaceuticals stop selling Opana ER, which is the first time the agency has taken steps to remove an opioid from the market because […]

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Democrats Urge Investigation into GOP ‘Stock Trading Scandal’

June 9, 2017 Focus Washington

A top Democrat on the House Rules Committee is calling for multiple federal investigations into a report that Republican representative Chris Collins told GOP lawmakers they could make lots of money by investing early in […]

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Privacy Laws Block Trump Finance Disclosures, Deutsche Bank Says

June 9, 2017 Focus Washington

Deutsche Bank says that U.S. privacy laws prevent it from revealing details about President Donald Trump’s finances and his potential ties to Russia, The Hill reports. Five House Financial Services Committee Democrats sent a letter […]

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Trump Administration May Restrict Reviews that Could Impede Infrastructure Plan

June 8, 2017 Focus Washington

The Trump administration may restrict the length of environmental reviews as part of efforts to streamline the approval process in the $1 trillion infrastructure package, The Hill reports. Speaking at a Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) […]

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U.S. State Department Approves $1.4 Billion Military Sale to Saudi Arabia

June 7, 2017 Focus Washington

The U.S. State Department approved the sale of $1.4 billion in military training and equipment to Saudi Arabia as part of a larger arms deal signed by President Donald Trump in May, the Pentagon announced […]

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Ethics Office Won’t Investigate Trump on Business Earnings

June 7, 2017 Focus Washington

The Office of Government Ethics (OGE) won’t investigate whether President Donald Trump’s business dealings violate a constitutional provision, limiting a president’s income to their official salary. OGE Director Walter Shaub said in a Monday letter […]

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US Vice President Urges Congress to Adopt ObamaCare Replacement Bill

June 5, 2017 Focus Washington

US Vice President Mike Pence on Saturday urged the Republican-controlled Congress to adopt the ObamaCare replacement bill and to quickly move on to tax cuts, Reuters reports. Just days before lawmakers return to Washington amid […]

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Trump Faces Increased Costs over Nuclear Arsenal Overhaul

June 5, 2017 Focus Washington

Trump’s cabinet is set to decide whether it will continue a 30-year, $1 trillion program to remake America’s atomic weapons, as well as its bombers, submarines and land-based missiles. The newly elected US President has […]

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White House to Activate $1 Trillion Infrastructure Plan in Upcoming Week

June 5, 2017 Focus Washington

The White House is set to ramp up infrastructure efforts next week, to show progress on the $1 trillion rebuilding package, which President Donald Trump broadly outlined in his budget proposal last week, The Hill […]

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