An official in U.S. President Donald Trump’s Cabinet and at least one of his advisers gave paid speeches for an Iranian exile group that killed Americans before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, ran donation scams and saw its members set themselves on fire over the arrest of their leader. Elaine Chao, confirmed this week as Trump’s transportation secretary, received $50,000 in 2015 for a five-minute speech to the political wing of the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, previously called a “cult-like” terrorist group by the State Department.
Category: US Politics
Trump sanctions against Iran spook India
New Delhi, Feb. 4: US President Donald Trump’s fresh sanctions against Tehran have spooked India into reviewing its marquee connectivity project in Central Asia, the Chabahar port in Iran, imperilling a prime ministerial promise and a key route to Afghanistan bypassing Pakistan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised the “early implementation” of a commitment India made to Iran during his visit to Tehran last May on developing two terminals and five berths at the strategically located port on the Gulf of Oman, within 18 months.
President Trump is on ‘self-destruct’ mission, unless he slows down…
Iran is playing with fire – they don’t appreciate how ‘kind’ President Obama was to them. Not me The possession of unlimited power will make a despot of almost any man.
Dakota Access and Keystone XL Pipelines Revived: Why Does It Matter?
On January 24, President Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum expediting review of the application to build the Dakota Access Pipeline. Construction of the 1,172 mile, $3.7 billion pipeline that carries oil from North Dakota into Illinois is almost complete, except for a 1,100 foot section under North Dakota’s Lake Oahe , an important reservoir on the Missouri River.
This CEO was hoping for a Trump tax cut. Hea s getting more than he bargained for.
When President Trump won the election, James Hagedorn was ready to take it to the bank. The chief executive of Scotts Miracle-Gro expected that Republicans He did not expect that Republicans would take such a broad approach to fulfilling Trump’s promises on trade, with stiff new taxes on imports.
Australian leader faces long-term risk after ‘Donald Thump’ call on refugees
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull might receive a short-term boost after his infamous phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump but is likely to be the long-term political loser, analysts and rights advocates said on Friday. Languishing in opinion polls and vulnerable to attacks from within his own conservative party, Turnbull at least woke on Friday to domestic media praise for his perceived statesmanship for refusing to go into details about the call, during which Trump berated him over a refugee resettlement deal.
U.S. tells Israel that West Bank settlements ‘may not be helpful’ to achieving peace
The White House on Thursday gently warned Israel that new or expanded settlements in the West Bank “may not be helpful” in achieving a Middle East peace, while insisting it has no “official position on settlement activity.” A statement issued by press secretary Sean Spicer said that although the administration does not believe settlements are “an impediment to peace, the construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements beyond their current borders may not be helpful in achieving that goal.”
Trump embraces pillars of Obama’s foreign policy
President Donald Trump, after promising a radical break with the foreign policy of Barack Obama, is embracing key pillars of the former administration’s strategy, including warning Israel to curb construction of settlements, demanding that Russia withdraw from Crimea, and threatening Iran with sanctions for ballistic missile tests. In the most startling shift, the Trump White House issued an unexpected statement appealing to the Israeli government not to expand the construction of Jewish settlements beyond their current borders in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Congressional leaders scramble to reassure Australia after testy Trump phone call
Top Republican figures on Capitol Hill sought to reassure Australia on Thursday following reports of a remarkably tense phone call between President Trump and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. House Speaker Paul Ryan said Australia was a ”very essential” US ally after being pressed in a morning news conference by reporters on the call, as well as on a tweet late Wednesday where Trump dismissed an agreement to accept refugees from Australia as a ”dumb deal.’
US: Trump ‘unbelievably disappointed’ in Australia deal
The White House deepened its condemnation of an Obama administration refugee deal with Australia Thursday, saying President Donald Trump was “unbelievably disappointed” in the agreement. The agreement to allow mostly Muslim refugees to resettle in the United States was a source of friction during a recent phone call between Trump and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, according to an administration official.
Correction: India-US-Tech Visas story
In a story Jan. 31 about H-1B visas, The Associated Press reported erroneously that proposed legislation could require more companies to prove that they have tried to hire U.S. workers before hiring foreign workers on H-1B visas. The change would actually force more companies to make a good faith effort to hire U.S. workers before considering foreign workers.
Senate Democrats boycotting HHS, Treasury nominees
In a surprise turn of events, Senate Democrats announced Tuesday morning that they are boycotting a committee vote on two of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees, drawing fury from Republicans across the aisle. The Senate Finance Committee was set to vote on the nominations of Rep. Tom Price to lead the Department of Health and Human Services and Steve Mnuchin for Treasury Secretary.
Senate Democrats boycotting HHS, Treasury nominees
In a surprise turn of events, Senate Democrats announced Tuesday morning that they are boycotting a committee vote on two of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees, drawing fury from Republicans across the aisle. The Senate Finance Committee was set to vote on the nominations of Rep. Tom Price to lead the Department of Health and Human Services and Steve Mnuchin for Treasury Secretary.
U.S. Travel Restrictions Put Saudi Arabia in a Bind
Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam and home to the religion’s two holiest sites, has long used its religious clout to project its role as a regional leader. Now that same clout has caught the kingdom in a prickly dilemma.
U.S. Travel Restrictions Put Saudi Arabia in a Bind
Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam and home to the religion’s two holiest sites, has long used its religious clout to project its role as a regional leader. Now that same clout has caught the kingdom in a prickly dilemma.
The Latest: Iranian widow freed after barred entry in Dallas
On Friday, Jan. 27, President Donald Trump signed an ex… . Protesters assemble at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017 after two Iraqi refugees were detained while trying to enter the country.
South Carolina-bound refugees affected by president’s immigration ban
A crowd of over 100 people gathered around the Charleston Holocaust Memorial in Marion Square during a demonstration to denounce President Donald Trump’s executive order that bars citizens of seven predominantly Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S., Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017. The group also expressed support for refugees.
Trump signed off on already planned Yemen al-Qaida raid fatal to GI; civilian casualties alleged
Just days into his young presidency, a U.S. service member has died in military action authorized by Donald Trump. It’s the first known combat death of a member of the U.S. military since Trump took the oath of office on Jan. 20 and underscores the gravity of the decisions he now makes.
Nearly 200 Maryland National Guardsmen deploy Sunday from Aberdeen
The boy put on his red Superman cape, loaded foam darts into his Nerf gun, and prepared to follow his daddy off to war. Nearly 200 Maryland Army National Guardsmen parted with their families Sunday at the base in Edgewood.
Israel’s Netanyahu says US embassy should be in Jerusalem
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Nation-Now 54 mins ago 9:13 p.m.Court grants emergency stay of Trump’s immigration ban
Protesters gather at JFK International Airport’s Terminal 4 on Jan. 28, 2017, to demonstrate against President Trump’s executive order to suspend refugee arrivals. President Trump’s ban on immigration by citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries ran into at least a temporary roadblock Saturday night, after a U.S. District judge in Brooklyn granted an emergency stay sought by immigrants’ rights lawyers.
Giuliani Calls For ‘Detention Centers’ For Illegal Immigrants Who Commit Crimes
Children play at a newly built section of the U.S.-Mexico border wall at Sunland Park, U.S. opposite the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico November 18, 2016. Picture taken from the Mexico side of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Dorn: Like Russia, U.S. has worked its will around globe
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017. The U.S. has been big-footing around the globe for more than a century.
Putin and Trump likely to discuss Ukraine sanctions during Saturday phone call: White House aide
Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump are likely to discuss the sanctions that Washington imposed on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine when the two leaders speak by telephone on Saturday, a senior White House aide said. Trump has said in the past that, as part of a rapprochement he is seeking with Russia, he is prepared to review sanctions that his predecessor, Barack Obama, imposed on Russia over its 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula.
New German foreign minister to meet Trump administration next week – report
Germany’s incoming foreign minister, Sigmar Gabriel, will hold talks with President Donald Trump’s administration in the United States next week, Handelsblatt newspaper said on Friday, after a cool start to relations between Berlin and the new U.S. leader. Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama, enjoyed a close relationship with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Trump, Putin set for phone call; GOP concerns on sanctions
In this Jan. 25, 2017 file-pool photo, Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to students at the Moscow State University in Moscow, Russia. A day ahead of President Donald Trump’s weekend call with Putin, the fight within the Republican Party over the direction of U.S. policy toward Moscow intensified.
President Trump to speak with Vladimir Putin on Saturday
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to speak on the phone Saturday in their first conversation since Trump took office, an administration official told CNN. This month, he suggested he would lift sanctions imposed by the Obama administration if the Kremlin helps the US battle terrorists.
Trump poised to seek new military options for defeating IS
President Donald Trump is expected to ask the Pentagon for ways to accelerate the fight against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, and officials said the options probably would include steps the Obama administration considered but never acted on, from adding significantly more U.S. troops to boosting military aid to Kurdish fighters Trump’s visit Friday to the Defense Department’s headquarters will start the conversation over how to fulfill his inauguration address pledge to eradicate radical Islamic terrorism “completely from the face of the Earth.”
The fragile economic foundation of Dow 20,000
Boeing unveiled its new spacesuit on Wednesday. The new suit is around 40% lighter than previous suits and features a wide polycarbonate visor.
Israel moves quickly to take advantage of Trump support
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the weekly cabinet meeting at the PM’s office in Jerusalem, on December 27, 2015 Israel has moved immediately to take advantage of US President Donald Trump’s pledges of support, announcing a major settlement expansion that deeply concerns those hoping to salvage a two-state solution with the Palestinians. Since Trump’s inauguration last week, Israel has approved some 3,000 settler homes in the occupied West Bank and in annexed east Jerusalem, signalling a sharp change of pace from such projects during the Barack Obama years.
Mexico opposition leader urges U.N. lawsuit over Trump wall
A cold-case investigation into the disappearance of a woman in Manchester in 1981 took a twist Wednesday when the state Attorney General’s Office announced it will hold a press briefing… Gabriel Verpaelst’s fourth goal of the season sent the Norfolk Admirals to a 4-3 overtime win over the Manchester Monarchs in ECHL play Wednesday night in … (more)
Several dead after militants storm Mogadishu hotel
At least 13 people were killed in Somalia’s Mogadishu on Wednesday after gunmen crashed a vehicle packed with explosives into the gate of Dayah hotel, Reuters reported.Four militants rammed a auto packed with explosives into the gate of the Dayah hotel, near the presidential palace, leaping out before the explosives detonated and exchanging fire with security guards, according to media reports. Al Shabaab frequently attacks hotels and government buildings in Somalia in protest against the country’s government, which is backed by Western countries.
Donald Trump’s name in Chinese? He won’t like this particular translation
Donald Trump’s name in Chinese? He won’t like this particular translation When you write a foreign name in Chinese, you add meaning whether you intend to or not. Check out this story on ElPasoTimes.com: http://usat.ly/2jq6k4L BEIJING – What’s in a name? If it’s Donald Trump in Chinese, it could be as controversial as the president is back home.
Books on Trump prove tough sell in Japan – so far
Dozens of books bearing U.S. President Donald Trump’s face on its cover have been piling up at bookstores across the nation since his stunning victory in November. But sales so far have been lackluster compared to how former President Barack Obama-related books did when he assumed the presidency in 2009, according to bookstores and publishers.
Keystone XL good for oil industry, concerning for environmentalists
In this Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012 file photo, miles of pipe ready to become part of the Keystone Pipeline are stacked in a field near Ripley, Okla. President Barack Obama says that the proposed Keystone XL pipeline project from Canada to Texas should only be approved if it doesn’t worsen carbon pollution.
Israel announces plans for 2,500 new settlement homes
Israel announced plans on Tuesday for 2,500 more settlement homes in the occupied West Bank, the second such declaration since U.S. President Donald Trump took office signalling he could be more accommodating towards such projects than his predecessor. A statement from the Israeli Defence Ministry, which administers lands Israel captured in a 1967 war, said the decision was meant to fulfil demand for new housing “to maintain regular daily life”.
Senate confirms Trump’s nominee for US ambassador to the UN
The Senate… . Health and Human Services Secretary-designate, Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., right, accompanied by Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., pauses while testifying on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017, at his confirmation hearing… .
With Trump’s swearing-in, Israel pushes ahead on settlements
Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton says he’s been diagnosed with prostate cancer but will finish the final two years of his term Stark contrasts in U.S. cancer death rates were found in an exhaustive new analysis that suggests where you live contributes to your fate One black bear cub has been rescued by Virginia wildlife officials after it was discovered in a den without its mother Dippin’ Dots has apparently found a way to begin thawing out its relationship with President Donald Trump’s press secretary, Sean Spicer, who has been sending critical tweets about the company since 2010 The wife of the founder of a ramshackle Oakland artists’ colony where dozens of people burned to death in a fire last month says she’s sorry about what happened but is angry about what she called “pretty terrible”… The partner of the founder of an Oakland artists’ colony where dozens of people burned to death in a … (more)
With Trump’s swearing-in, Israel pushes ahead on settlements
Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton says he’s been diagnosed with prostate cancer but will finish the final two years of his term Stark contrasts in U.S. cancer death rates were found in an exhaustive new analysis that suggests where you live contributes to your fate One black bear cub has been rescued by Virginia wildlife officials after it was discovered in a den without its mother Dippin’ Dots has apparently found a way to begin thawing out its relationship with President Donald Trump’s press secretary, Sean Spicer, who has been sending critical tweets about the company since 2010 The wife of the founder of a ramshackle Oakland artists’ colony where dozens of people burned to death in a fire last month says she’s sorry about what happened but is angry about what she called “pretty terrible”… The partner of the founder of an Oakland artists’ colony where dozens of people burned to death in a … (more)
Delay in one of Trump’s signature committments
At his press conference on January 23, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer declined to commit the Trump administration to quickly moving the embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the capital of the Israeli state. While President Donald Trump said during his campaign that he would move the embassy, the administration is now expressing some caution.