Senate approves Trump’s rewrite of North American trade deal
The Senate approved President Trump’s rewrite of the North American trade deal Thursday, handing him a second trade victory in as many days while he fights to remain in office.
Ukraine
Ukraine investigating ‘all possible causes’ of plane crash in Iran
A Ukrainian passenger jet crashed minutes after takeoff from Iran Wednesday, killing all 176 passengers and crew.
House Votes to Impeach Trump: 230-197 For ‘Abuse of Power,’ 229-198 For ‘Obstruction of Congress’
The House of Representatives on Wednesday voted 230-197 to impeach President Trump for ‘abuse of power’ over his dealings with Ukraine, and by a vote of 229-198 to impeach him for ‘obstruction of Congress.’
Russia, Ukraine agree to ceasefire by year-end at Paris talks
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to implement a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine by year-end, following their first meeting on Monday at a summit in Paris mediated by France and Germany.
House Committee Releases Trump Impeachment Inquiry Report, Republicans Submit Response
The Trump impeachment inquiry officially moves into phase two this week. On Tuesday, the House Intelligence Committee publicly released their report after weeks of both closed-door and public hearings.
House lawmakers oppose Russia’s return to G7 summit
The House signaled its opposition Tuesday to allowing Russia to resume attending summits of the Group of Seven nations.
Nunes sues CNN over ‘demonstrably false’ Ukraine report
Rep. Devin Nunes, the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, has filed a $435 million defamation suit against CNN over a story that alleged Nunes met with a fired Ukrainian prosecutor in an effort to dig up dirt on Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.
White House holding up $100M in Lebanon aid, official confirms
The United States is withholding security assistance to Lebanon to the tune of over $100 million, leaving lawmakers and policymakers in the dark, a senior State Department official confirmed on Tuesday.
Sondland implicates top officials on Ukraine, but says he ‘never heard’ quid pro quo from Trump
European Union ambassador Gordon Sondland tied top officials to the ‘potential quid pro quo’ involving U.S. military aid to Ukraine and investigations desired by President Trump during his highly anticipated impeachment hearing testimony on Wednesday – yet said he never heard that link from the president himself.
Sondland Affirms ‘No One on This Planet’ Told Him Trump Was Tying Ukraine Aid to Investigating Bidens
n an exchange with Rep. Michael Turner (R.-Ohio), Amb. Gordon Sondland conceded in testimony today that “no one on this planet”—as Turner put it—told him that President Donald Trump was tying U.S. aid to Ukraine to Ukraine’s agreeing to investigate the 2016 election, the Bidens, or Burisma, the Ukrainian company that had hired Hunter Biden, the son of former Vice President Joe Biden.
Pence’s Chief of Staff: ‘This Alleged Discussion Recalled by Ambassador Sondland Never Happened’
Vice President Mike Pence’s office released a statement Wednesday morning refuting Ambassador Gordon Sondland’s testimony that he told Pence about the alleged quid pro quo being pushed by President Donald Trump and his attorney Rudy Giuliani.
Witness Says Nothing Concerned Him About Trump Ukraine Call, Republicans Question Pelosi’s Claim of Bribery
A new week of public impeachment hearings has kicked off on Capitol Hill.
White House releases transcript of first Trump-Zelensky call
President Trump congratulated Volodymyr Zelensky on his election win in Ukraine, inviting him to the White House in their first phone call, according to a transcript released by the White House Friday morning.
Democrats’ smear campaign against Trump sparked White House involvement in Ukraine, Devin Nunes says
The Trump White House became involved in Ukrainian affairs to investigate a smear campaign from Democrats against the president, but the fact-finding mission was twisted and used as an excuse for impeachment, House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Devin Nunes, R-Calif., said in an interview airing Sunday.
Schiff rejects GOP demand for Hunter Biden and whistleblower to testify on impeachment
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff has added eight additional witnesses who will testify at public impeachment hearings this week, including Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman and diplomats Kurt Volker and Gordon Sondland.
Impeachment aside, federal budget remains a pressing matter
Impeachment hearings for President Donald Trump come at the very time that Capitol Hill usually tends to its mound of unfinished business.
U.S. diplomats to star in public impeachment hearings next week
Three U.S. diplomats who expressed alarm about President Donald Trump’s dealings with Ukraine will serve as star witnesses when Democrats bring their impeachment case against Trump directly to the public with televised congressional hearings next week, lawmakers said on Wednesday.
Russia nixed arms sales to Israel’s enemies at its request, PM’s adviser says
Russia acquiesced to Israeli requests and canceled certain arms sales to regimes that are antagonistic toward Israel, an adviser to the prime minister said this week, according to the Ynet news site.
NATO Chief Calls For Russian Troop Withdrawal From Ukraine
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has welcomed the withdrawal of Ukrainian and Russia-backed separatist forces from a frontline area in eastern Ukraine, but reiterated calls for Moscow to ‘withdraw all their troops.’
Anti-Trump ‘Whistleblower’ Worked With DNC Operative Who Sought Dirt On Trump From Ukrainian Officials
A new report from RealClearInvestigations reveals that the anti-Trump ‘whistleblower’ who prompted the current impeachment proceedings against President Trump is a registered Democrat who worked with a Democratic National Committee opposition researcher who dug up dirt on the Trump campaign during the 2016 election.