White House eyes 7-cent gas tax hike for infrastructure plan
The White House may back the first hike in the federal gasoline tax in decades in order to pay for President Trump’s $1 trillion infrastructure package.
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Minister: Israel willing to act militarily to stop Iran from getting nuclear arms
Israel is willing to resort to military action to ensure Iran never acquires nuclear weapons, Israel’s intelligence minister said on Thursday in Japan where he is drumming up support for U.S. President Donald Trump’s tougher line on Tehran.
Trump’s Border Wall Prototypes Unveiled
Nearly a year after President Donald Trump’s surprise electoral victory, the first step to fulfill the central pillar of his campaign — a promise to build a wall along the country’s southern border — has taken shape along the perimeter between San Diego and Mexico.
Trump Announces Designation of Opioid Epidemic as Public Health Crisis
President Donald Trump announced plans on Thursday to combat the surging opioid epidemic in America, beginning a move that would free up resources and loosen regulations to help combat drug deaths, but falling short of his August promise to declare the the epidemic a national emergency.
U.N. nuclear chief to visit Iran this weekend
The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog will visit Iran on Sunday for talks with senior officials there, as opposition from the United States threatens to undermine an international accord to curtail Iran’s nuclear program.
Pence will visit Israel, Egypt in December
US Vice President Mike Pence will visit Israel and Egypt in December at President Donald Trump’s request, overlapping with the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.
Trump to issue emergency declaration next week on opioids
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would declare a national emergency next week on opioid abuse, a move that could give states access to federal funds to fight the drug crisis.
Trump to bypass U.N. and send aid directly to persecuted Christians in Middle East
Vice President Mike Pence announced Wednesday night that President Trump has ordered the State Department to shut off funding for ‘ineffective’ United Nations programs to help persecuted Christians in the Middle East, saying the administration will take over those efforts directly.
Mike Pence casts tie-breaking vote to cancel Obama-era rule favoring class-action suits against banks
With Vice President Mike Pence casting the deciding vote, the Senate voted late Tuesday night to undo a rule issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that would bar financial firms from contracts that rule out class-action lawsuits related to their products. The measure now goes to President Trump’s desk.
GOP Sen. Jeff Flake won’t seek re-election in 2018
U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., facing a tough primary fight, announced Tuesday he will not seek re-election next year — while taking a parting shot on the Senate floor at President Donald Trump for behavior he called ‘reckless, outrageous, and undignified.’
Clinton campaign, DNC paid for research that led to Russia dossier
The Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee helped fund research that resulted in a now-famous dossier containing allegations about President Trump’s connections to Russia and possible coordination between his campaign and the Kremlin, people familiar with the matter said.
Trump signs new order restricting refugees from 11 ‘high risk’ countries
President Trump imposed new restrictions on refugees from 11 ‘high risk’ target countries Tuesday, reportedly all but one being mostly Muslim, saying they pose too much of a danger to be admitted without a compelling national interest.
Supreme Court drops Trump travel ban case
The Supreme Court issued an order Tuesday dismissing Hawaii’s challenge to President Trump’s refugee policy, as encapsulated in his earlier ‘extreme vetting’ executive order, saying the case is moot because the 120-refugee pause has now expired.
Conservative groups get behind Bannon revolt against Republican establishment
Tea party groups and other prominent grass-roots conservative operations say they are on board with Steve Bannon’s crusade to oust the entire slate of incumbent Republicans because the former White House political strategist is tapping into the same anti-establishment mood they have been sensing for a while.
Congress launches 2 investigations into Obama administration dealings
House Republicans flexed their investigative muscle Tuesday, announcing two investigations into Obama administration dealings, including a 2010 uranium deal and the FBI’s handling of the probe of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s emails.
Podesta Group now part of special counsel probe into Russian collusion: Report
Tony Podesta and The Podesta Group are now being investigated as part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into collusion claims between the Trump campaign and Russia, NBC News reported.
Trump to press China on North Korea, trade on Beijing visit
U.S. President Donald Trump will urge President Xi Jinping to make good on his commitments to pressure North Korea when he visits China next month, a senior White House official said on Monday, stepping up a strategy to have Beijing help rein in Pyongyang.
Hamas ‘begging Iran’ for help, US envoy says
Hamas is ‘begging Iran’ for help in its armed resistance against Israel, a senior Trump administration official said on Monday, addressing the visit of several Hamas leaders to Tehran over the weekend.
FBI informant’s testimony sought as Clinton-Russia uranium case re-emerges
A controversial 2010 deal that cleared the way for a Kremlin-backed company to gain control of a huge chunk of America’s uranium supply is getting new scrutiny as a Capitol Hill inquiry gears up to probe the Obama administration’s suspected silencing of an FBI informant who reportedly had information on high-level corruption by Russian nuclear officials who engineered the deal.
Report: GOP Tax Framework Could Raise GDP By 5%, Wages By 7%
President Donald Trump’s tax reform framework could raise GDP by as much as 5 percent and wages by as much as 7 percent, according to a new study from Boston University economists.