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December 2017 - page 2

US-Europe Trump Divide Explored by Iranian Foreign Minister in NY Times Piece

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Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif is testing the Trump era schism between the US and Western Europe. In an op-ed published by The New York Times on Sunday, Zarif said Iran is “cautioning European countries against wavering on issues beyond the scope of the nuclear agreement and following in lock step behind the White House.” The agreement limiting Iran to civilian nuclear activity was signed in 2015 by every permanent member of the UN Security Council, Iran and Germany—to minimize the chance of replicating the…

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Lawmakers Tie FISA Data Disclosures to Section 702 Reauthorization

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The Director of the FBI defended the continued use of a controversial spying authority that expires at the end of the year. But, in an appearance on Capitol Hill Thursday, Christopher Wray was met with demands that the Bureau act more transparently about how it uses spying tools before any authorities are extended. Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act sunsets in three weeks. The statute’s expiration could curtail the ability of intelligence and law enforcement agencies to conduct powerful forms of surveillance. “I would implore the…

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Louisiana Senator Advances Appellate Judge Nominee, Despite Warning: Never Tweet

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A Republican Senator overcame his concerns about a judicial nominee’s tweets, voting to move the Texas Supreme Court Justice one step closer to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. John Neely Kennedy (R-La.) said he was afraid social media posts by Don Willett could sour the perceptions of potential litigants before him. Willett was approved Thursday by the Senate Judiciary Committee in an 11-9 vote along strict party lines. Kennedy joined his Republican colleagues in voting “yes.” “I share some of the concerns today expressed…

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Pentagon Confirms: “Approximately 2,000” U.S. Troops on the Ground in Syria

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The Department of Defense provided a revised count on the number of US soldiers participating in the Syrian Civil War—one that’s drastically higher than numbers provided just a month ago. Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon on Wednesday, Army spokesman Col. Rob Manning pegged the troop deployment number in Syria at roughly 2,000, and added: “it could be more, could be less.” That’s four times the number of deployed US soldiers that the Pentagon previously copped to last November. Officials did, however, acknowledge a few weeks…

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Warren, Sanders Threaten Shutdown if G.O.P. Doesn’t “Respect Working People in this Country”

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Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) raised the heat on Republicans’ scramble this week to keep the government funded. The two Senators called on their colleagues to increase spending on the neglected, patchwork federal safety net, and threatened to withhold support for a push to avert a government shutdown. The US government runs out of money on Friday. Congressional Republicans are hoping to pass a two-week extension of funding, while simultaneously attempting to finalize watershed legislation that would slash corporate tax rates. “The Republicans…

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Some Dems Would Do Anything For Votes (But They Won’t Hurt Banks) – “Meat Loaf” References Pepper Dodd-Frank Rollback Vote

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Divisions within the Democratic Party were laid bare on Tuesday, as the Senate Banking Committee voted 16-7 to grant relief to some of the largest financial institutions in the country. The left-wing of the party, led by Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), questioned the merits of both the process and the substance of the legislative package, clashing with colleagues on both sides of the aisle. Centrist Democrats, including Mark Warner (D-Va.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) and Joe Donnelly (D-Indiana), defended their proposals as…

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Roberts Court Could Slow Advance of Gay Rights

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The Supreme Court heard arguments on Tuesday in a case that could shield non-heterosexual Americans from discrimination in the marketplace. Justices listened to opening proceedings in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. At hand, is whether a baker in Colorado can be penalized for refusing to make a wedding cake for a same sex couple. Earlier this week, Justices showed an interest in pumping the brakes on civil rights. On Monday, the majority-conservative body declined to take up a case out of Houston that…

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Christie Administration Appears Before SCOTUS In Bid to Legalize Sports Gambling

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The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Monday in a case that could open up sports betting beyond the desert confines of Las Vegas. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, on behalf of his state, is challenging a 1992 federal prohibition on sports betting known as the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PAPSA). In Christie v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, lawyers for the Republican governor claim that the law, which prohibits the establishment of betting on competitive games between professional and amateur athletes, unconstitutionally…

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GOP Forced to Fend off Government Shutdown Amid Rushed Trillion Dollar Tax Giveaway to Elites

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Congressional Republicans are hoping to avert an impending government shutdown this week, with Washington engrossed in tax reform. The House Rules Committee is scheduled to meet on Tuesday afternoon to set the terms of debate over a bill that would fund the government for two weeks. The United States government runs out of short-term funding on Friday. The committee vote is set to come one day after the House is expected to advance a watershed tax reform plan. Early Saturday morning, Senate Republicans approved of…

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