‘“Hatch…said that Kavanaugh had told him that he was not present at the party in question — which prompted some to wonder how Kavanaugh could make such a claim given that Ford had never specified the exact date or location of the gathering.”’
Month: September 2018
Senate passes comprehensive opioids bill
Senate passes comprehensive opioids bill
cbsnews.com
‘The Senate approved on a 99-1 vote comprehensive bipartisan opioid legislation on Monday that includes provisions to stop illegal drugs from crossing the border, establish comprehensive recovery centers, and support research for treating children exposed to opioid abuse.’
Russian Surveillance Plane Accidentally Shot Down By Syrian Forces, Moscow Says
‘A Russian surveillance plane carrying 15 people was accidentally shot down over northwestern Syria by regime forces, Russia’s Ministry of Defense says. However, officials in Moscow are blaming Israel for the incident, which killed all 15 service members on board.’
China hits back at Trump with tariffs on $60 billion of US goods
China hits back at Trump with tariffs on $60 billion of US goods
businessinsider.com
‘China has hit back at the US with a fresh series of tariffs less than 24 hours after President Donald Trump announced tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods.
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday that it would levy tariffs of between 5% and 10% on $60 billion of new US goods being imported into China, with 5,207 individual products impacted. They will take effect from September 24.’
Justice Department says working to comply with Trump request on…
‘The U.S. Justice Department is working to comply with a newly issued order by President Donald Trump to declassify and release records connected to the investigation into whether Trump’s presidential campaign colluded with Russia.
“When the President issues such an order, it triggers a declassification review process that is conducted by various agencies within the intelligence community, in conjunction with the White House Counsel, to seek to ensure the safety of America’s national security interests,” a spokesman for the Justice Department said.’
Deutsche Bank executive’s 1MDB role being probed, says report – Nation | The Star Online
‘Singapore has just opened a probe into Deutsche Bank in relation to 1MDB. Reminder, Jack Ma just hired a high ranking Deutsche Bank executive to head up Ant Financial’
U.S. to sharply limit refugee flows to 30,000 in 2019
‘U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday the United States would cap the number of refugees allowed into the country at 30,000 for fiscal-year 2019, a sharp drop from a limit of 45,000 it set for 2018.’
US refugee cap:
2017: 110,000
2018: 45,000 (previous record low)
2019: 30,000 (new record low)
US hits China with biggest tariffs yet
‘The US is imposing new tariffs on $200bn (£150bn) of Chinese goods as it escalates its trade war with Beijing.
These will apply to almost 6,000 items, marking the biggest round of US tariffs so far.
Handbags, rice and textiles will be included, but some items expected to be targeted such as smart watches and high chairs have been excluded.
The Chinese commerce ministry said it had no choice but to retaliate but is yet to detail what action it will take.’
BREAKING: President Trump directs DOJ to publicly release “all text messages relating to the Russia investigation
BREAKING: President Trump directs DOJ to publicly release “all text messages relating to the Russia investigation, without redaction, of James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, and Bruce Ohr,” as well as declassify other material related to the Russian investigation.
Mattis condemns Russian influence-peddling in Macedonia
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Monday condemned Russia’s efforts to use its money and influence to build opposition to an upcoming vote that could pave the way for Macedonia to join NATO, a move Moscow opposes.
Mattis told reporters traveling with him to Skopje that there is “no doubt” that Moscow has been funding pro-Russian groups to defeat the referendum on a name change later this month.
“They have transferred money, and they’re also conducting broader influence campaigns,” Mattis said. “We ought to leave the Macedonian people to make up their own minds.”