‘Reinsurance’ Obamacare fix wins bipartisan support in Senate
Sen. Joe Manchin III, a West Virginia Democrat who just won re-election in one of the country’s reddest states, has an idea to fix Obamacare — call in President Trump.
NATO
Merkel calls for creation of ‘European army,’ backing Macron in spat with Trump
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday backed French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in his call for a European army — a move that President Trump has called ‘insulting’ as he urged the countries to fulfill their NATO commitments instead.
Mattis shows support for ‘Arab NATO’ concept, despite regional challenges
Defense Secretary James Mattis on Tuesday voiced his implicit support for a so-called ‘Arab NATO’ that would include the small, oil-rich nation of Qatar, despite Doha’s ongoing diplomatic conflicts with Saudi Arabia and its Middle East allies.
Democrat Kyrsten Sinema Wins Arizona US Senate Seat
Democrat Kyrsten Sinema won Arizona’s open U.S. Senate seat Monday in a race that was among the most closely watched in the nation, beating Republican Rep. Martha McSally in the battle to replace GOP Sen. Jeff Flake.
ABC, NBC Ignore Court Rulings Against Dems for Florida Election Shenanigans
As the contentious Florida gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races moved on to a mandatory machine recount, they do so under a cloud corruption as Democratic election officials were accused of voter fraud and other forms of misconduct. Despite the fact that Florida courts had already ruled twice against Democrats, ABC’s and NBC’s Sunday morning news programs ignored the orders for transparency. The networks preferred to keep the truth hidden.
UK PM May dives into diplomacy in bid to clinch Brexit deal
Prime Minister Theresa May steps up attempts to court European support for a Brexit deal on Thursday as negotiations on securing a smooth British divorce from the world’s biggest trading bloc enter their final stages.
GOP Senate candidate Rick Scott files bombshell lawsuits accusing Dem Florida election officials of trying to ‘steal the election’
Accusing Democrats of ‘rampant fraud’ and a coordinated effort to ‘steal’ elections, Republican Senate candidate Rick Scott filed explosive lawsuits late Thursday against the top election officials in two heavily Democratic counties, as they continue to report new votes and three major races in the state appear headed for recounts.
Jeff Sessions resigns as attorney general at Trump’s request
Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the first sitting senator to endorse Donald Trump for president, is no longer in charge of the Department of Justice.
French president Macron revives idea of ‘true European’ army outside NATO
French President Emmanuel Macron is once again stoking debate over the need for a Europe-wide military force to defend against an increasingly aggressive Russia, a force that critics fear could undercut and compete with the transatlantic NATO alliance.
Russian minister warns Europe over US exit from nuclear pact
Russia’s defense minister has urged Europe to consider what impact Washington’s intended withdrawal from a key nuclear arms pact would have on its security.
NATO launches biggest war games since end of Cold War
NATO launched its biggest exercises since the end of the Cold War on Thursday in Norway.
Senate confirms 15 Trump judges after GOP leaders, Democrats strike deal
The Senate confirmed 15 of President Trump’s judicial picks Thursday night after GOP leaders reached a deal with Democrats, clearing about a third of the backlog and closing up shop through Election Day to give senators a chance to campaign.
Livid over Qatari aid to Gaza, Abbas said planning to cut PA’s funding to Strip
Angered by the reported funneling by Qatar of aid to the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was said on Saturday to be planning on cutting the flow of funds to the Hamas-run coastal enclave.
Trump envoy Greenblatt consults senators on Mideast peace plan
U.S. President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy for Middle East Affairs Jason Greenblatt has spoken with a number of senators on both sides of the political aisle recently about the president’s plan for peace between Israel and the Palestinians, Greenblatt tweeted Friday.
Mitch McConnell sets up final Kavanaugh vote for Saturday
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., took steps Wednesday that will set up a Saturday afternoon vote to confirm Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
U.S. quietly makes progress toward ‘Arab NATO’
A Trump administration plan to organize friendly Middle East regimes into an ‘Arab NATO’ is gathering unexpected steam, with the State Department on Wednesday confirming that Saudi Arabia and eight other allies plan a meeting soon to start putting the idea into practice.
US ambassador to NATO threatens to ‘take out’ Russian cruise missile
The U.S. ambassador to NATO put Russia “on notice” Tuesday, threatening to destroy an intermediate-range missile that sits well within range of NATO allies.
UNRWA evacuates officials from Gaza to Israel
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) had evacuated 10 of its international senior employees from Gaza to Israel on Monday, after they were threatened and harassed by UNRWA’s disgruntled local Palestinian staff following the agency’s announcement to cut more than 250 jobs.
Kavanaugh Clears Committee, FBI Investigation Now Looms
Republican Sen. Jeff Flake voted with his GOP colleagues Friday on the Senate Judiciary Committee to advance the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh but also joined with a bloc of senators from both sides of the aisle in pushing for an FBI investigation of the sexual assault allegations that would be limited to one week.
Knew nothing about any misconduct: Witnesses stick to stories as FBI digs into Kavanaugh case
Key witnesses have renewed their definitive statements that they did not see any of the sexual misconduct that a few women have said they suffered at the hands of Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh, bolstering his case as the FBI gets into the heart of its investigation.