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Spending almost 50 years in proximity to the American foreign policy establishment gives Biden a perspective shared by few, if any, in Washington. At the start of the war, support for Ukraine was more widespread. Among the likely asks of the US by Israel will be additional interceptors for its Iron Dome missile defense system, an official said. The past three administrations have sought to refocus American foreign policy to Asia, hoping to challenge China’s rise. Even for a president as long immersed in American foreign policy as Biden, a ground war in Europe was not likely among his top foreign policy fears.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Lloyd Austin, Austin, ”, Washington, Kevin McCarthy’s, Biden’s, “, Michael McCaul, Jake Sullivan, Antony Blinken, Dana Bash, Donald Trump, Netanyahu, –, Patrick McHenry Organizations: CNN, Israeli, Defense, Israel Defense Forces, Biden, Reuters, Ukraine ”, Ukraine, Republicans, Capitol, Israel, Foreign, Texas Republican, Union, ”, West Bank, Administration, White Locations: Israel, Washington, Washington undercuts, Ukraine, Texas, “ State, Gaza, Saudi Arabia, Asia, Beijing, North Korea, United States, Europe

With an early morning social media post on Friday, Trump inserted himself into the chaotic race to replace Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker by backing Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan for the post. Jordan is facing at least one other candidate — House Majority Leader Steve Scalise — who is also on good terms with Trump. Political Cartoons View All 1202 ImagesRegardless of who becomes the next speaker, Trump has undeniable sway over House Republicans. All I can say is we’ll do whatever’s best for the country and for the Republican Party,” Trump told reporters at the courthouse Wednesday. Trump's agenda while in office was often thwarted by congressional leaders from his own party as he clashed with former House Speaker Paul Ryan and then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Persons: — Donald Trump, Trump, Kevin McCarthy, Jim Jordan, “, ” Trump, Jordan, “ He’s, —, Steve Scalise —, Matt Gaetz —, Troy Nehls, Trump's, McCarthy, “ He's, ” Jordan, That's, — Trump, Joe Biden, Nehls, Biden, Kevin Hern, Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, ___ Colvin, Lisa Mascaro Organizations: WASHINGTON, Ohio, Republican Party, Real America’s, GOP, Republicans, Trump, Florida Rep, Texas Rep, Fox News Digital, Capitol, Trump’s, Trump strategize, Republican Conference, Fox, White, Associated Press Locations: Jordan, New York, stoke, Scalise

☆ The next GOP speaker will face the same traps that doomed McCarthy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Two candidates, GOP Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio, have already launched campaigns. He’s not the first GOP speaker to think so. But in this political climate, any Republican speaker who has to rely on Democratic votes is critically weakened and probably can’t last long. But the only way a Republican speaker will be able to pass aide to Ukraine will be to do so with Democratic help. The lack of such flexibility has been a fatal flaw of GOP speakers for years.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, he’d, Steve Scalise, Jim Jordan of, Kevin Hern, McCarthy, Matt Gaetz, tormentor, Nancy Pelosi, Garret Graves, CNN’s Jake Tapper, ” Graves, Donald Trump, “, ” McCarthy, He’s, John Boehner, shutdowns, –, Paul Ryan, Ryan, Trump, they’d, McCarthy –, Mike Lawler, Biden, ” Lawler, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Lawler, Jordan, CNN’s Manu Raju, Michael McCaul, Raju, Jordan didn’t, Scalise, don’t Organizations: CNN, Republican, GOP, United, Republican Party, Tea Party, Wisconsin Rep, “ America, Democratic, New, Trump, Foreign, Texas Locations: Louisiana, Jim Jordan of Ohio, Oklahoma, Florida, Garret Graves of Louisiana, United States, New York, reining, Russia, China, Ukraine, Kyiv

☆ Opinion: Washington’s turmoil plays right into Putin’s hands
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Sheena Mckenzie | Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

In the meantime, a top NATO official warned that the arsenal for supporting Ukraine is running low. Europeans, contrary to the claims of demagogues running for president, are spending heavily to support Ukraine. Their meeting erupted in a round of applause for the Russian president, with delegates shouting “Putin! He voted against four of five bills supporting Ukraine as it sought to defend itself from a Russian invasion, which is now in its 20th month. Asked if Ukraine would be able to fight without US military support, 37-year-old Olha said, “Of course, we will fight — but it will be many times bloodier.”

Persons: Frida Ghitis, you’ve, Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy, Olha Hrubryna, she’s, ”, “, ” Volodymyr Kostiak, MAGA, Robert Fico, Rob Bauer of, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Putin, Donald Trump –, Josep Borrell, Joe Biden, Paul Krugman, Krugman, Trump, “ Putin, Oksana Markarova, Steve Scalise, Jim Jordan, firebrand Trump, he’s, Olha Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Republican, Frida Ghitis CNN, House Democrats, Ukraine, Capitol, NATO, European Union, Pro, Royal Dutch Navy, Soviet Union, European, Republican Party, New York Times, Political, firebrand, GOP Locations: Ukraine, Washington, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Slovakia, Russian, China, Russia, United States, –, Europe

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., September 26, 2023. A near-miss on a debt ceiling showdown in the Spring led to the loss of another Triple-A sovereign credit rating. A fiscal adjustment akin to the one enacted in 1993 would be enough to do that again over 5 years. "However, this looks unlikely anytime soon given congressional gridlock, a lack of political attention to deficit reduction and the upcoming 2024 election," it concluded. On current poll readings at least, next year's election will do nothing to end the fiscal war.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, it's, Donald Trump, Democrat Joe Biden, Erik Nielsen, what's, Stephen Jen, Jen, Trump, Biden, Goldman Sachs, Goldman, William Maclean Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, U.S, Presidential, AAA, Democrat, Biden, Trump, Congress, Ukraine, Treasury, Republican, Reuters, GRIDLOCK, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, loggerheads, Russia, Ukraine, United States

Democratic Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during The World Values Network's Presidential Candidate Series that discusses fighting antisemitism and championing Israel, in New York City, U.S., July 25, 2023. Kennedy's deep-pocketed backers and famous name, combined with a lack of broad enthusiasm for Biden and Trump, could help him take votes from their respective sides. "It could certainly siphon some votes from Trump, but it will certainly hurt Biden much more," said Republican strategist Ford O'Connell, who argued that Trump voters were more enthusiastic than Biden's. HIGH FAVORABILITY, TRUMP DONORKennedy has higher favorability ratings than either Trump or Biden, Reuters/Ipsos polling from September shows, with 51% of respondents having a favorable view of him compared to 45% for Biden and 40% for Trump. At 69, Kennedy might have an appeal to Americans looking for a younger candidate than Biden, 80, and Trump, 77.

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Amr Alfiky, Democrat Joe Biden, Republican Donald Trump, Kennedy, Biden, Trump, Donald Trump’s, Matt Bennett, FiveThirtyEight, Ford O'Connell, Trump's, Paul Offit, George W, Bush, Ipsos, Cheryl Hines, Gavin de Becker, Timothy Mellon, Peter Daou, Joe Manchin, Joe Lieberman, Al Gore's, ProPublica, Lieberman, Jeff Mason, Heather Timmons, Lisa Shumaker, Grant McCool Organizations: Democratic, REUTERS, Rights, Democrat, Republican, Republicans, Trump, Independent, Biden, Health Defense, Children's, White House, Reuters, HIGH, TRUMP, RealClearPolitics, Mellon, America, Cornell West, Twitter, U.S, Thomson Locations: Israel, New York City, U.S, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, Arizona, American Samoa, West Virginia

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Sept 22 (Reuters) - The 2024 presidential election promises to be like no other modern U.S. election. He will be 81 when the election is held in November 2024, making him the oldest American ever to win a presidential election should he secure a second term. Republican presidential candidates are split between those saying abortion laws should be left to the states and those supporting a national ban. Republican candidates, including Trump, have blamed Biden for reversing more restrictive Trump-era policies and have pledged to step up border security. Other Republican candidates, such as Pence and Haley, say the United States must continue to back Ukraine.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kevin Lamarque, Donald Trump, Democrat Joe Biden, Grover Cleveland, Biden, Trump, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Mike Pence, Chris Christie, Vivek Ramaswamy, DeSantis, Kamala Harris, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Marianne Williamson, Roe, Wade, Pence, Haley, James Oliphant, Ted Hesson, Heather Timmons, Ross Colvin, Kieran Murray, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Major Economies, White, REUTERS, Rights, Republican, Democrat, Trump, White House, Democratic, WHO, U.S, United, New, Biden, Supreme, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Energy, Washington , U.S, Florida, New Jersey, America, Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada , South Carolina, Michigan, South Carolina, California, Texas, Milwaukee , Wisconsin, Chicago, U.S, Mexico, New York, China, Ukraine, Russia, United States, Midwest, Michigan , Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, . Arizona , Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Southern

☆ Analysis: Zelensky's mixed reception in Washington may be a taste of political storm to come
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Washington CNN —The blue-and-gold flag draped hero worship of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s last Washington trip, which stirred comparisons to Winston Churchill’s wartime stand against Nazism, was a distant memory on Thursday. And in public appearances, Zelensky’s patience sometimes frayed – especially when berating the United Nations for failing to protect its members from aggression. There’s also a question of whether Zelensky’s relentless efforts to shame the world into action might be reaching the point of diminishing returns. Trump exacerbates such concerns by warning that Biden’s help for Ukraine could trigger World War III with Russia. With no end in sight for the biggest war in Europe since World War II, Ukraine’s fate seems increasingly aligned with Biden’s own political destiny.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky’s, Winston, Zelensky, Donald Trump’s, Franklin Roosevelt, There’s, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, Biden, Mr, ” Biden, Jake Sullivan, –, Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell, we’re, Carolina Sen, Thom Tillis, Kamala Harris, Nancy Pelosi, Kevin McCarthy, McConnell, we’ve, you’ve, ” McCarthy, “, McCarthy, Trump, Putin, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, Trump’s, Ohio Sen, J.D, Vance, Zelensky –, ” Vance, Missouri Sen, Josh Hawley, ” Hawley Organizations: Washington CNN, Republican, CNN, United Nations, United States, Oval, Tactical Missile Systems, NATO, Kyiv, Democratic, GOP, Senate, Trump, Ukraine, “, Twitter Locations: Washington, Russia, United States, Ukraine, United, Russian, Russia’s Far, Poland, Warsaw, US, Poland’s, ”, Carolina, Ukrainian, Southern, America, New Hampshire, American, Moscow, Missouri, Europe

In some ways, attaching Ukraine aid to other pressing matters could improve the odds of passing it quickly. Some lawmakers will be more inclined to vote for Ukraine assistance if it gets included with say, disaster relief for their home state. He said the focus needs to be on first passing an overall defense spending bill as well as the other spending bills. House Republicans hope to bring up for a vote this week a stopgap spending bill that doesn't include Biden's aid package for Ukraine. Still, Rep. Michael McCaul, the top Republican on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, voiced confidence that Ukraine aid will continue.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy's, Joe Biden, ”, Kevin McCarthy, Zelenskky, “, Nancy Pelosi, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump's “, McCarthy, Mitch McConnell, McConnell, ” McConnell, Chuck Schumer, Zelenskyy, Sen, Thom Tillis, ” Tillis, Putin, Ken Calvert, ” Calvert, Mike Garcia, he's, ” Garcia, ” Schumer, Michael McCaul, ” McCaul Organizations: WASHINGTON, Ukraine, Republican, Republicans, House Republicans, Washington, ”, Foreign Affairs, NATO Locations: Washington, United States, Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian, U.S, R

He wants to shut down five federal agencies, including the FBI and the Department of Education. Even as he runs against Trump, Ramaswamy has repeatedly praised him as the most effective president this century. Ramaswamy is not the only Republican candidate to suggest slashing the federal workforce. They have been working on drafting a plan for when Trump returns to the White House to oust federal employees and replace them with like-minded officials. Regarding the plan for the FBI, Ramaswamy said he would fire 20,000 employees deemed to be in non-essential roles and send 15,000 to the U.S.

Persons: Vivek Ramaswamy, Donald Trump, headcount, ” Ramaswamy, Trump, Ramaswamy, Matt Gaetz, Trump’s, Ron DeSantis, ”, “ Organizations: FBI, Trump, America, Policy Institute, Department of Education, Regulatory Commission, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S, Rep, Republican, Florida Gov, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Commerce, Department of Energy, U.S . Marshals Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S . Department of, Treasury Locations: Washington, Florida

The annual Best Countries rankings from U.S. News may inspire hopeful chants of "USA!" The Best Countries survey gathered perceptions about 87 nations across 73 descriptive attributes, and Americans did view the U.S. as No. For instance, the world viewed the U.S. as No. A lower self-image was observed in several dozen other attributes as well, with the U.S. falling in rank when assessed by its residents compared with the full set of global respondents. Agreement elsewhere was more polarized, however, including on statements that assessed whether some of the most powerful countries are threats to the world.

Persons: – Organizations: U.S ., United States, U.S Locations: United, U.S, United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Switzerland, Myanmar, Ukraine, Bahrain, Jordan, Russia, China

☆ Trump's Top 5 defenses in his massive NY financial fraud case, in his own words
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementHere are Trump's top five business fraud defenses – in his own words – as revealed in a recently-unsealed deposition transcript. New York attorney general's officeTrying to pass the blame won't work, two attorneys who used to work for previous New York attorneys general told Insider. And you're suing them instead of going after violent criminals," he scolded the attorney general and her lawyers. Then there's the $250 million Trump allegedly pocketed by lying about the size of his collateral. 3: his math is "worthless"At the center of the attorney general's case are a decade's worth of Trump's Statements of Financial Condition.

Persons: Trump, Donald Trump, Letitia James, James, Andrew S, Amer, Kevin C, Wallace, Brittainy Newman, Eric, I've, Mazars, We're, I'm, general's, Kenneth Foard McCallion, Tristan Snell, –, Susan Watts, they'd, Snell, McCallion, Donald Trump's, Laura Italiano, Kathy Willens, Jennifer S, Altman, Carlo Allegri, John Minchillo, Drew Angerer, George Washington, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, He's Organizations: Trump Org, Service, York, New York State, New York, AP Trump, Trump Organization, New, Trump University, Trump, Deutsche Bank, NY Daily, Getty, Associated Press Deutsche Bank, McCallion, Associates, Washington, MSNBC, Reuters, U.S, Marriott Marquis Locations: NY, Wall, Silicon, Manhattan, New York, Trump's, Trump Tower, Manhattan , NY, . New York, Trump, New York City, Springs, Westchester County , New York, Mount Kisco, N.Y, Washington ,, Miami

☆ Vivek Ramaswamy has Iowa voters curious, but not yet committed, after standout debate
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Aaron Pellish | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +19 min

That’s the true mark of a real milestone on this campaign,” Ramaswamy joked. For many voters in Iowa, the debate was their introduction to the 38-year-old candidate. A survey of potential Republican primary voters who watched the debate conducted by The Washington Post, FiveThirtyEight and Ipsos showed 26% of voters thought Ramaswamy won the debate, second highest behind DeSantis. Still, the Ramaswamy campaign said it raised $600,000 in the day after the debate, the largest single-day total since its launch. The Ramaswamy campaign plans to continue visiting Iowa and answering voter questions like Christensen’s around the state, Chapman told CNN.

Persons: Vivek Ramaswamy’s, Ramaswamy, ” Ramaswamy, Ron DeSantis, Donald Trump, “ I’m, ” Mara Brown, Brown, she’s, ”, Mike Pence, Chris Christie, Nikki Haley, ” Haley, “, Ipsos, Ramaswamy’s, Melissa Berry, she’d, ” Berry, he’s, Jake Chapman, ” Chapman, That’s, Vivek Ramaswamy, Apoorva, Ramaswamy hadn’t, didn’t, Milt Van Grundy, Van Grundy, Trump, who’s, Haloti Tukuafu, Joe Biden, “ Trump, Vivek, ” Tukuafu, Pam McCumber –, –, “ He’s, ” McCumber, DeSantis, Haley, Pence, Gene Smith, Terry, pushback Trump, ” Gay Lee Wilson, ” Wilson, ‘ There’s, Cory Christensen, ” Christensen, Richard Nixon’s, Christensen, Nikki, you’ve, you’re, ’, “ There’s, Chapman, Hillary Ferrer, leapfrog DeSantis, He’s, ” Ferrer Organizations: Iowa CNN —, Republican, Florida Gov, CNN, Trump, ”, Former New Jersey Gov, South, United Nations, The Washington Post, Atlantic, Quinnipiac, Republicans, “, America, NATO, Raytheon Locations: Urbandale, Iowa, Des Moines , Iowa, South Carolina, Russia, China, Ukraine, Taiwan, Israel, America, Milwaukee, Winterset , Iowa, Ramaswamy’s Iowa, Ohio, Marshalltown , Iowa, Washington ,, Florida, Indianola, Maui, Clarion , Iowa, Newton , Iowa, “, Des Moines, Pleasant Hill , Iowa, Waukee , Iowa, Winterset, Pella , Iowa

☆ What Putin will take away from the first Republican presidential debate
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —If Vladimir Putin was watching the Republican presidential debate on Wednesday night, he would have found one more reason to dig in for a long war of attrition in Ukraine. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy acted as Trump’s stand-in, mining a deep seam of skepticism over the war among GOP grassroots voters. Chris Christie, who recently returned from Ukraine, warned: “This is the Vladimir Putin, who Donald Trump called brilliant and a genius. The debate underscored one of the tragedies of the war for Ukraine. They can’t control what Putin does, which means their fate will also be on the ballot in the US in 2024.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump’s “, Ronald Reagan, Volodymyr Zelensky’s, Joe Biden, Trump, Ukraine’s, Biden, Vivek Ramaswamy, ” Ramaswamy, Ramaswamy, he’s, –, Chris Christie, Donald Trump, ”, Nikki Haley, Ukraine –, “, Haley, Mike Pence, Pence, Putin, it’s, ” Pence, Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, ” DeSantis, you’re, I’m Organizations: CNN, Republican, GOP, “, Former New Jersey Gov, United, Ukraine, Republicans, South, ”, Russia, China, Putin, NATO, Trump, Florida Gov Locations: Ukraine, Milwaukee, “ Ukraine, United States of America, Iraq, Vietnam, China, Russia, South Carolina, America, United States, Florida

But in advance of this debate, I did go back and watch the 2015 Republican debate. michelle cottleOK. I’m going to jump in here with the message may be great, but the messenger was absolutely atrocious. But I thought it was really, really interesting. carlos lozadaNo, no, no, but no, here’s what — no, I mean, I’m not inclined to. And then, I’m going to put the interests of Americans first, which is just an America first riff.

Persons: lydia polgreen, ross douhat Bemusement, michelle cottle, polgreen Wow, ross douhat, lydia polgreen Carlos, carlos lozada Darkness, carlos lozada, Mike Pence, Lydia Polgreen, michelle cottle I’m Michelle Cottle, ross douhat I’m Ross Douthat, carlos lozada I’m Carlos Lozada, you’re, Vivek Ramaswamy, Ramaswamy, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Pence, carlos lozada That’s, Lydia, Prince, carlos lozada —, Tucker Carlson, Carlos, John Kasich, Scott Walker, Jeb Bush —, Ross, ross, It’s, he’s, Trump, lydia polgreen We’re, ross douhat Punditry, yammering, He’s, Michelle, that’s, — michelle cottle, she’s, She’s, lydia polgreen —, michelle cottle He’s, I’m, Obama, —, Chris Christie, Marco Rubio, Haley, michelle cottle ChatGPT, carlos lozada ChatGPT, ross douhat We’ve, — carlos lozada There’s, Pudding Fingers, DeSantis, unquote, ”, it’s, Christie, Tim Scott —, hasn’t, carlos lozada DeSantis’s, George Soros, — carlos lozada —, I’ve, ross douhat Totally, Donald Trump, — ross, Chris Christie can’t, ross douhat Trump, Tim Scott, Vivek’s, carlos lozada He’ll, — ross douhat, Tucker, Jeffrey Epstein, polgreen, Epstein, Biden, lydia polgreen He’s, They’re, Asa —, carlos lozada It’s, michelle cottle That’s, michelle cottle Oh, we’re, you’re Donald Trump, carlos lozada Well, who’s, Mel Gibson, Anthony Hopkins, Caroline Alexander, — carlos lozada, michelle cottle Aw, ross douhat It’s, David Grann, MOO, we’ve, “ MOO, ” ross, “, somebody’s, michelle cottle I’m Organizations: Indigo, Twitter, lydia polgreen From New York, Trump, Republican Party, Republican, Harvard, Ivy League, Fox, Fox News, Republican National Committee, Biden, Democratic, Trump Republican Party, Iowa Locations: United States of America, lydia polgreen From New, Trump, America, Washington, UN, New Hampshire, Ukraine, Iowa, Florida, Panama, China, Milwaukee, Lydia, There’s

☆ Opinion | Winners and Losers of the First Republican Debate
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +22 min

Welcome to Opinion’s commentary for the first Republican presidential primary candidate debate, held in Milwaukee on Wednesday night. Gail Collins: She seemed generally reasonable and wow, when the debate turned to education and she actually brought up reading. If there’s any life left in the old G.O.P., Haley gave it hope. Perhaps more important, in taking on the glib and callow Ramaswamy on Ukraine, she showed anger and dominance, essential qualities in a Republican debate. Any debate that doesn’t feature Chris Christie at the front of the highlight reel is a bad night for Christie.

Persons: Jamelle, Nikki Haley, Haley, Gail Collins, Matthew Continetti, G.O.P, Michelle Cottle, —, Trump —, Ramaswamy, suburbanites, Ross Douthat, David French, Reagan, Michelle Goldberg, callow Ramaswamy, Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg, Katherine Mangu, Christie, “ Trump, “ Donald Trump, Daniel McCarthy, Vivek, Bret Stephens, Mike Pence’s, Mike Pence, Pence, Mike, Vivek ”, Vivek Ramaswamy, Trump, ”, he’ll, Jesus, Ramaswamy —, ChatGPT —, you’ve, Marco Rubio, Chris Christie, He’s, Joe Biden, Martha MacCallum, Ron DeSantis, Hunter Biden, DeSantis, Donald Trump, MAGA, pander, smartly, Sharp, Biden, refighting, Ron, Hutchinson, clearheaded, Still, Scott, Tim Scott, Meh, ” Daniel McCarthy, Pleasant, Donald Trump’s, wasn’t, I’d, Ramaswamy’s, callow, I’m, insufferable, Preening, Doug Burgum, Achilles, Burgum, he’s, Asa Hutchinson, Trump’s, Asa Hutchinson didn’t, didn’t Organizations: Republican, Republican Party, Trump, Ramaswamy, Pence, Pious, Trump Republicans, MSNBC, Fox, Department of Justice, United Nations, Energy, Department of Education, Republicans Locations: Milwaukee, Iowa, New Hampshire, Ukraine, America, Mexico, Florida, Covid, China, MAGA, Arkansas

Eight candidates will appear onstage for the first Republican debate on Wednesday. Many far more politically experienced contenders have met their end under the bright lights of the debate stage. How Republican voters respond will offer some early clues into the ideological future of the party, particularly in a post-Trump era. He participated in eight face-offs during the 2016 campaign and helped coach Mr. Trump for his presidential debates in 2020. The debate offers Mr. Christie an opportunity to take aim at those aligned with Trumpism, even if they are opposed to Mr. Trump.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Mitt Romney, gantlet, ”, Newt Gingrich, “ Donald Trump, —, Tucker Carlson, Ron DeSantis, Jordan Gale, Donald Trump, ” Mr, DeSantis, Trump’s, parry, Vivek Ramaswamy, Chris Christie, Pence, Mike Pence’s, AJ Mast, Mike Pence, Ramaswamy, Vivek Ramaswamy’s, MAGA, Victoria Coates, Roe, Wade, Tim Scott of, Christie, Scott, Nikki Haley, Will Christie, David Degner, Coke, New Coke, “ Ron DeSantis, Tim Scott, Haley, Doug Burgum, Maddie McGarvey, Burgum, Asa Hutchinson, “ We’re Organizations: Republican, Trump, Fox News, Fair, The New York Times, Wednesday, Fox News Radio, PAC, Ukraine, Harvard, Russia, Democratic, Republicans, United Nations, Mr, Credit, The New York, Gov Locations: Atlanta, Florida, Ukraine, Tim Scott of South Carolina, New Jersey, New Hampshire, South Carolina, U.N, Iowa, North Dakota, Arkansas

☆ Conservative activist sues major law firms for providing diversity fellowships
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Washington, DC CNN —The conservative activist behind the Supreme Court case that struck down affirmative action in college admissions this year is suing two international law firms for providing diversity fellowships. Corporate diversity programs have come under fire lately from conservative politicians and activists. The group has also sued Target for allegedly destroying shareholder value through its Pride-themed clothing, and it has sued Kellogg for diversity programs. Yet studies have shown that DEI programs and initiatives have demonstrated cultural and economic benefits. Affirmative action and diversity program advocates fear that conservative action against those programs could block career opportunities for people of color.

Persons: Perkins Coie, Morrison, Foerster, Perkins, ”, “, ” Morrison, White, Edward Blum, Blum, Trump, Stephen Miller, Kellogg, Ron DeSantis Organizations: DC CNN, American Alliance for Equal Rights, CNN, Apple, Google, Starbucks, Procter, Gamble, American Medical Association, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census, Harvard College, University of North, Legal, National Center for Public, Research, Conservative, America, Legal Foundation, Amazon, Florida Gov Locations: Washington, Dallas, Miami, University of North Carolina, Spokane , Washington, Texas, Florida

Ex-Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows and former Acting U.S. Attorney General Matthew Whitaker are board members. The complaints come as many experts expect an uptick in challenges to corporate diversity programs following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June that prohibited race-conscious college admissions policies. “There certainly is a deep psychological effect that is putting the brakes on the forward movement of diversity in the workplace,” Rossein said. America First has also filed lawsuits accusing Target Corp and Progressive Insurance of breaching their duties to shareholders by adopting diversity programs and progressive marketing campaigns, for instance celebrating LGBTQ Pride Month. Commissioner Andrea Lucas, a Trump appointee, filed a dozen charges last year, more than any of her colleagues.

Persons: Trump, Stephen Miller, Donald Trump's Mar, Jonathan Ernst, Activision's, Kellogg, Morgan Stanley, Donald Trump, Mark Meadows, Matthew Whitaker, Rick Rossein, ” Rossein, Hershey, Andrea Lucas, Lucas, Gene Hamilton, Daniel Wiessner, Alexia Garamfalvi, Daniel Wallis Organizations: REUTERS, Activision Blizzard Inc, Kellogg, U.S, Opportunity Commission, America, Starbucks Corp, McDonald's Corp, Anheuser, Busch Companies, Hershey Co, Republican, Trump, Supreme, City University of New York School of Law, Target Corp, Progressive Insurance, Activision, Democratic, Thomson Locations: Lago, Palm Beach , Florida, U.S, America, Albany , New York

☆ Chinese duties on U.S. imports 'inconsistent' with WTO obligations
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A logo is seen at the World Trade Organization (WTO) headquarters before a news conference in Geneva, Switzerland, October 5, 2022. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsGENEVA, Aug 16 (Reuters) - A World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement panel on Wednesday found that China had acted inconsistently with its WTO obligations by imposing additional duties on certain U.S. imports in response to U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminium. China's Commerce Ministry said it had noted the WTO panel decision and demanded that the United States immediately lift tariffs imposed on steel and aluminium imports. The U.S. imposed a 25% duty on steel imports and a 10% duty on aluminium imports in March 2018 based on the Donald Trump administration's "Section 232" national security investigation into steel and aluminium imports. In response to the U.S. duties, China announced that additional duties of between 15% and 25% would apply to certain imports originating in the United States, a measure challenged by Washington.

Persons: Denis Balibouse, Donald Trump, Joe Biden's, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Susan Heavey, Ella Cao, Rachel More, Devika Syamnath, Sharon Singleton Organizations: World Trade Organization, REUTERS, Rights, Trade Organization, U.S . Trade, WTO, Ministry, U.S, Washington, United, Thomson Locations: Geneva, Switzerland, China, United States, Beijing, U.S, Washington

☆ It’s Not Reagan’s Party Anymore
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Nate Cohn | More About Nate Cohn | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Mr. Trump’s first primary campaign amounted to a hostile takeover of the old Republican Party. Perhaps surprisingly, the poll found little evidence that Republican voters who still sit upon Mr. Reagan’s stool make up an outsized share of the G.O.P. Either way, Mr. Trump has more than 50 percent of the primary vote among the Reaganites — and more than 50 percent of the anti-Reaganite vote. Mr. Trump’s support among the vestigial, traditionally conservative wing of the party is a reminder that his takeover of the party didn’t necessarily amount to a total repudiation of the conservative agenda. After all, Mr. Trump still cut income taxes, attempted to repeal Obamacare and appointed Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade.

Persons: Trump’s, Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney, Trump, Reagan, Roe, Wade, Mr Organizations: Republican Party, America, Republican, Reagan Locations: Iraq, Ukraine

Kellogg's Corn Flakes, owned by Kellogg Company, are seen for sale in a store in Queens, New York City, U.S., February 7, 2022. "Management has discarded the company's long-held family friendly marketing approach to politicize and sexualize its products," the group said. The EEOC can sue companies if it finds that their employment practices amount to illegal discrimination. "Kellogg’s employment practices are unlawfully based on 'equity,' which is a euphemism for illegal discrimination," Reed Rubenstein, a lawyer with the group, wrote in the letter. America First said it also had sent a letter to Kellogg's board of directors on Wednesday threatening shareholder litigation if the company maintains the allegedly illegal policies.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Kellogg, Stephen Miller, Donald Trump, RuPaul, Reed Rubenstein, America, Daniel Wiessner, Stephen Coates Organizations: Kellogg Company, REUTERS, Wednesday, America, Donald Trump . America, U.S, Opportunity Commission, Management, Supreme, Tuesday, Target Corp, Thomson Locations: Queens , New York City, U.S, Albany , New York

☆ How a Sexual Assault in a School Bathroom Became a Political Weapon
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Charles Homans | More About Charles Homans | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Since 2021, at least eight states have signed into law bills restricting bathroom use. I asked Prior why these bills succeeded when similar legislation had so resoundingly failed not even a decade ago. Last fall, a Public Religion Research Institute survey found an 18-point shift in favor of restrictive bathroom policies among political independents since 2016, and a 17-point shift among all Americans. The Public Religion Research Institute survey found that while independents have soured significantly on transgender policies, the largest swing by far has been among Republicans. In another postelection study, TargetSmart, a Democratic data firm, matched Virginia’s 2021 election data to individual voters’ demographic information.

Persons: Ian, resoundingly, “ It’s, ”, ‘, ’ ”, “ Organizations: America, Religion Research Institute, Virginia, Democratic, Schools Locations: Loudoun County

☆ RFK Jr's super PAC is mostly funded by a GOP megadonor who spent millions on Trump and bankrolled an effort to build a border wall in Texas
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A major super PAC backing RFK Jr's campaign is mostly funded by Timothy Mellon. Mellon has given millions to GOP campaigns, including Trump, and bankrolled a border wall effort in Texas. Mellon cited Kennedy's "bipartisan support" in a statement to CNBC on his contribution to the super PAC. That includes:$20 million in contributions to America First Action, a super PAC that supported former President Donald Trump's 2020 re-election campaign. $30 million to Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC associated with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Persons: Timothy Mellon, Mellon, He's, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, —, Kennedy, Kennedy's, Donald Trump's, Kevin McCarthy, Mitch McConnell, Greg Abbott, Andrew Mellon, Gavin De Becker, De Becker, Biden, he's Organizations: PAC, RFK, GOP, Trump, Service, Democratic, Federal, CNBC, Republican, America, Congressional Leadership Fund, Leadership Fund, Republican Gov Locations: bankrolled, Texas, Wall, Silicon, Mexico

☆ 40 million ways Trump’s campaign is morphing into his legal defense
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Legal net tightens while Trump creates new echo of first impeachmentTrump’s legal struggles still dominate the Republican race. Despite Trump’s legal woes, no rival Republican has shown much sign of narrowing his double-digit lead in national primary polls. The PAC, Save America, has spent more than $40 million on legal fees since the start of this year, a source familiar with the matter told CNN, which is more than double the amount the group spent on legal fees in all of 2022. The details of the spending on legal fees by Trump’s PAC were first reported by the Washington Post. “I have good friends who did nothing wrong who had their legal fees paid by Save America PAC.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Joe Biden, Chris Christie –, Trump, can’t, Donald Trump, it’s Trump, ” Christie, Kasie Hunt, ”, Nikki Haley, Haley, hoarded, Ron DeSantis, he’s, ” DeSantis, Biden, Kamala Harris, Harris, “, DeSantis, Smith, Walt Nauta, Carlos De Oliveira, Trump’s, Hunter, Hunter Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, Joe Biden’s, ” Trump, Steven Cheung, De Oliveira, Michael Glassner, The New York Times . Ohio Republican Sen, J, Vance, ” Vance, Fani Willis, ” Willis, “ We’ve, We’re Organizations: CNN, PAC, GOP, Former New Jersey Gov, –, CNN’s, America, South Carolina Gov, Cabinet, United Nations, Justice Department, White House . Florida Gov, ABC News, Republican, Sunshine State, Black Republican, Trump, White, Republican Party, Democratic, Federal, Save, Trump’s PAC, Washington Post, Patriot Legal Defense Fund Inc, The New York Times, The New York Times . Ohio Republican, Twitter, Save America PAC, Save America, Department of Justice, WXIA Locations: Georgia, Washington, New Hampshire, CNN’s “ State, Florida, Washington , Georgia, New York, Mar, Iowa, Erie , Pennsylvania, Ukraine, The New York Times . Ohio, Manhattan, Fulton County , Georgia, Fulton County

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