Mattis to decide soon on troop levels in Afghanistan

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said he plans to make some decisions soon on whether to recommend an increase in the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan and whether the totals should be based on military requirements rather than pre-set limits. Mattis told reporters traveling with him that he spoke for several hours by video conference on Sunday with U.S. Gen.

US senators eye new sanctions on Iran

US Republican senators plan to introduce legislation to impose further sanctions on Iran, accusing it of violating UN Security Council resolutions by testing ballistic missiles and acting to "destabilise" the Middle East, a US senator says. "I think it is now time for the Congress to take Iran on directly in terms of what they've done outside the nuclear program," Senator Lindsey Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told the Munich Security Conference.

Trump called the press a the enemy.a Reince Priebus says he meant it.

Interpretation of the news based on evidence, including data, as well as anticipating how events might unfold based on past events White House chief of staff Reince Priebus says people should take President Donald Trump seriously when he calls the media the "enemy of the American people." Blasting stories that cite anonymous sources, White House chief of staff Reince Priebus said on CBS's "Face the Nation" that President Trump meant it when he condemned the press as the "enemy" of the people.

Tribes hope Trump’s ‘America first’ helps first Americans

Native Americans hope President Donald Trump doesn't forget America's first inhabitants as he promises to put "America first." Tribes have been reaching out to the Republican administration since it took office last month, saying they're ready to help it meet its campaign promises of improving the economy and creating more jobs for Americans.

John McCain defends media after Trump’s calls them ‘the enemy’

U.S. Sen. John McCain, defending the media against the latest attack by President Donald Trump, warned that suppressing the free press was "how dictators get started." The Arizona Republican, a frequent critic of Trump, was responding to a tweet in which Trump accused the media of being "the enemy of the American people."

Chris Wallace galls ‘Fox & Friends’ with…

Fox News host Chris Wallace argued on Sunday that President Donald Trump "crossed a line" when he called the media "the enemy of the American People." Following Trump's Friday attack on the news media, Wallace reminded the hosts of Fox & Friends that the country's founders believed that a free press was a vital component to the functioning of a free and fair democracy.

Reality versus ‘alternative facts’

When one of President Donald J. Trump's top advisers invented the tantalising but deliciously deceptive expression 'alternative facts,' it was an indication that the idea of truth as a regulative principle of human reason and its engagement with reality is being manipulated once again to hoodwink people with touch-and-go mentality who seldom activate their critical acumen.

McCain warns Trump against shutting down ‘adversarial press’

US Republican Senator John McCain has issued a stern warning to Donald Trump, saying the president's repeated attacks on the media "echo the language of dictators." In an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press," McCain cautioned Trump to heed the lessons of history and further added that shutting down the press was "how dictators get started."

The axing of Michael Flynn reveals deep problems in Donald Trump’s government

That is in line with what Spicer told NPR a month ago: Spicer "called it "doubtful" that Flynn and the ambassador discussed the U.S.'s retaliatory measures or Russia's potential response, because Flynn told Spicer they did not". Trump's first choice, Andrew Puzder, withdrew his name from consideration on Wednesday amid concerns that he could not garner enough Senate votes to be confirmed.

Bloomberg View: Helping ‘Dreamers’ would also help Trump

President Donald Trump hinted at his news conference on Thursday that he may yet unveil a surprise on the fate of "Dreamers" - the undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children. If it favors Dreamers, it could be a shrewd move.  Trump's deportation machine revved up this week, and quickly backfired.

“Life is a campaign”: After a difficult first month, Trump returns to his comfort zone

As President Donald Trump descended the stairs from Air Force One on Saturday evening, with a patriotic country song playing and thousands cheering, the 2020 election season officially began. Although the past several presidents have waited more than two years before jumping back onto the campaign trail, Trump's first four weeks in office have shown that he just can't stand too much time in Washington.

Memos signed by DHS secretary describe sweeping new guidelines for deporting illegal immigrants

Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly has signed sweeping new guidelines that empower federal authorities to more aggressively detain and deport illegal immigrants inside the United States and at the border. In a pair of memos, Kelly offered more detail on plans for the agency to hire thousands of additional enforcement agents, expand the pool of immigrants who are prioritized for removal, speed up deportation hearings and enlist local law enforcement to help make arrests.