he’LL Be Visiting Dover Often:

Planning for the final assault on Raqqa, the capital of the Islamic State’s caliphate, had been grinding on for more than seven months. There had been dozens of meetings of President Barack Obama’s top national security team, scores of draft battle plans and hundreds of hours of anguished, late-night debates.

Trump moves toward a tougher line on Israeli settlements

President Donald Trump is warning Israel that constructing new settlements “may not be helpful” to Middle East peace efforts, shifting toward a tougher line with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Still, the White House made clear Thursday that the Trump administration “has not taken an official position on settlement activity,” departing from previous administrations that have considered the settlements illegitimate.

Make 50 the New 60

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer isn’t a happy warrior. He loves the spotlight, but everyoneA s paying more attention to his colleagues Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders.

Majority of Americans want Barack Obama back as President: Poll

Less than two weeks into Donald Trump’s presidency, a majority of Americans want Barack Obama back as President with a significant percentage of voters already thinking that the real estate tycoon-turned-politician should be removed from office, according to a new poll. It has not taken long for voters to miss the good old days of Obama with 52 per cent saying they would rather have him as President, to only 43 per cent who are glad Trump is at the helm, according to a survey by Public Policy Polling.

Overnight News Digest

Donald Trump has won the presidency after narrowly carrying a few states to put him above 270 electoral votes.But according… **NOTE: THE FORM LETTER IS BLANK. WE WILL ACHIEVE MAXIMUM IMPACT WITH UNIQUE LETTERS.

In shift, Trump warns Israel against new settlements

President Donald Trump on Thursday warned Israel that constructing new settlements “may not be helpful” to Middle East peace efforts, shifting toward a tougher line with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ‘s government. Still, the White House made clear that the Trump administration “has not taken an official position on settlement activity,” departing from previous administrations that have considered the settlements illegitimate.

Lawmakers scrap Obama rules on coal mining, guns

In this file photo, President Barack Obama speaks during his final presidential news conference in the briefing room of the White House in Washington. The Republican-controlled House on Thursday took its first steps toward strengthening gun ownership under President Donald Trump, moving to scrap a requirement for background checks for Social Security recipients mentally incapable of managing their own affairs.

Congress scraps Obama rules on coal mining, guns

The Republican-controlled Congress on Thursday scrapped Obama-era rules on the environment and guns, counting on a new ally in the White House to help reverse years of what the GOP calls excessive regulation. The Senate gave final approval to a measure eliminating a rule to prevent coal mining debris from being dumped into nearby streams, while the House backed a separate resolution doing away with extended background checks for gun purchases by some Social Security recipients with mental disabilities.

The Latest: Trump looking to ‘re-doing’ NAFTA

President Donald Trump says he’s looking at “re-doing” the North American Free Trade Agreement, which he says has been a “catastrophe for our county.” The president made the comments in a pair of meetings Thursday with lawmakers and employees from the Harley-Davidson motorcycle company.

Trump puts Iran ‘on notice’ after ballistic missile test

President Donald Trump said Thursday his administration has put Iran “on notice,” echoing comments from his top national security adviser that the U.S. will act against Iran unless it stops testing ballistic missiles and supporting Houthi rebels in Yemen. Trump and his national security adviser, Michael Flynn, didn’t elaborate on what retaliatory actions the U.S. could pursue.

Trump at National Prayer Breakfast: ‘Pray for Arnold’

President Donald Trump veered off script at the start of the National Prayer Breakfast Thursday when he asked a room full of lawmakers, foreign dignitaries and religious leaders to pray for Arnold Schwarzenegger so that ratings of his show — NBC’s “The Apprentice” — would go up. Trump, who lauded the six-decade long traditional gathering as a “testament to the power of faith” was introduced by Mark Burnett, the television producer who teamed up with Trump to create “The Apprentice.”

Trump and Malcolm Turnbull’s bust-up could weaken alliance

Is this the biggest ever bust-up between a US president and an Australian prime minister? Explosive phone call between Donald Trump and Malcolm Turnbull casts doubt on decades of friendship between allies Donald Trump’s presidency is barely two weeks old, but already his relationship with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull appears to be on the rocks. Trump is said to have slammed Turnbull over a deal agreed with Barack Obama that would see 1,250 refugees from Manus Island and Nauru sent to the US.

Czech ministry suffered cyber-attack possibly from foreign state

Hackers possibly working for a foreign state breached the e-mail accounts of dozens of employees of the Czech Foreign Ministry in a cyber-attack similar to that conducted against the U.S. Democratic Party, the country’s top diplomat said. No classified data was stolen during the attacks, which took several weeks, Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek said Tuesday.

The GOP’s incredible, shrinking Obamacare repeal

Donald Trump’s presidency is off to an explosive start: A clash with the media over crowd size on Inauguration Day; the theatrical unveiling of a Supreme Court nominee; and the launch of an immigration crackdown that sparked nationwide protests. But across town on Capitol Hill, Republican lawmakers have been working away at the monumental task of overhauling Obamacare in the opposite fashion – quietly, slowly and with little fanfare.

Flynn puts Iran ‘on notice’ over missile launch as Trump team adopts aggressive posture

The White House put Iran “on notice” on Wednesday for test-firing a ballistic missile and said it was reviewing how to respond, abruptly adopting an aggressive posture toward Tehran that could raise tensions in the region. It was unclear what actions the new Republican administration might take to try to rein in Iran for a missile launch that President Donald Trump and his top aides considered defiance of a nuclear deal negotiated in 2015 by then-Democratic President Barack Obama.

Trump makes unannounced trip to honor fallen Navy SEAL

Assuming the somber duties of commander in chief, President Donald Trump made an unannounced trip Wednesday to honor the returning remains of a U.S. Navy SEAL killed in a weekend raid in Yemen. Chief Special Warfare Operator William “Ryan” Owens, a 36-year-old from Peoria, Illinois, was the first known U.S. combat casualty since Trump took office less than two weeks ago.

Putin visit to Hungary reveals regional divide over Russia

” A visit by President Vladimir Putin to Hungary this week reveals the vastly different reactions to Putin’s Russia in countries formerly under Moscow’s yoke, and highlights the very different challenges those countries will face in working with the new U.S. administration. On one end of the spectrum is Hungary, where Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government is treating Putin’s visit Thursday as a major event, and where a refurbished memorial to Soviet soldiers who died in World War II was unveiled ahead of his visit.

Eviction of Israeli settlers from illegal outpost sparks violence

Israeli policemen remove a pro-settlement activist during an operation by Israeli forces to evict settlers from the illegal outpost of Amona in the occupied West Bank on February 1, 2017. Photo – Reuters Israeli policemen remove a pro-settlement activist during an operation by Israeli forces to evict settlers from the illegal outpost of Amona in the occupied West Bank on February 1, 2017.

US-PH team starts minting process for WWII veterans’ congressional medals

A newly created team, composed of US Mint and Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project personnel, is now working together to oversee every stage of the design process until completion. This comes barely a month after the measure that honors Filipino World War II veterans with the highest civilian award bestowed by the US government was signed into law by then-US President Barack Obama.

LGBT advocates scared, despite White House words on equality

“Advocates said on Tuesday they were bracing for moves by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration to roll back lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality, despite a White House statement vowing to uphold protection for LGBT people in the workplace. Trump will continue to enforce a 2014 executive order by his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, barring discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people working for federal contractors, the White House said.

LGBT advocates scared, despite White House words on equality

“Advocates said on Tuesday they were bracing for moves by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration to roll back lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality, despite a White House statement vowing to uphold protection for LGBT people in the workplace. Trump will continue to enforce a 2014 executive order by his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, barring discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people working for federal contractors, the White House said.

LGBT advocates scared, despite White House words on equality

“Advocates said on Tuesday they were bracing for moves by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration to roll back lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality, despite a White House statement vowing to uphold protection for LGBT people in the workplace. Trump will continue to enforce a 2014 executive order by his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, barring discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people working for federal contractors, the White House said.

White House: No Americans will be targeted in terror strikes – Tue, 31 Jan 2017 PST

The White House said Tuesday that no American citizen “will ever be targeted” in raids against terror suspects, a blanket statement that appeared to signal a break from the Obama administration’s strategy for pursuing and targeting suspects in counterterrorism operations overseas. Under former President Barack Obama, the Justice Department had issued a legal opinion giving the U.S. the authority to target Americans who are working with terrorists abroad.

Five Ways The Media has Broken the Public Trust in Four Days

The first two weeks of the Trump administration have been chaotic at best, the last four days have been a whirlwind of reports, retractions and corrections. But why is that? So much confusion in the news, the fog of an “ideological” war? I found a few things that have happened just since Donald Trump signed the highly publicized immigration executive order that make it easy to see why the public has zero confidence in the press.

Trump to sign order strengthening cybersecurity

White House press secretary Sean Spicer speaks during the daily news briefing at the White House in Washington, Monday, Jan. 30, 2017. White House press secretary Sean Spicer speaks during the daily news briefing at the White House in Washington, Monday, Jan. 30, 2017.