2019 October

Putin and Erdogan just did a deal on Syria. The US is the biggest loser.

The two leaders unveiled a 10-point memorandum of understanding with an unstated bottom line: The Americans do not have a place in shaping the future of Syria. ### What did Putin and Erdogan agree to? ### Russia and Turkey announced a wide-ranging agreement that addresses a major Turkish concern — the presence of Kurdish YPG […]

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Putin’s dreams have just come true

It’s a term that encapsulates the mess that awaited the US-led counter ISIS campaign when finally it wound down. The SDF — as it was always clumsily known — never really existed. ### At its inception, the Pentagon needed a force on the ground to fight ISIS. They tried for years to find disciplined, Sunni […]

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Lebanon’s government makes major concessions after weekend of mass protests

A long-awaited budget for 2020 has been approved — a move that could unlock billions of dollars in pledged international donations — and large taxes are set to be levied on the country’s banks. No new personal taxes or austerity measures are included in the country’s new budget, Prime Minister Saad Hariri said in a […]

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House Democrats ask judge to dismiss Trump lawsuit over NY tax return law

House Democrats on Monday urged a federal judge to dismiss them from President TrumpDonald John TrumpTrump says he doesn’t want NYT in the White House Veterans group backs lawsuits to halt Trump’s use of military funding for border wall Schiff punches back after GOP censure resolution fails MORE’s lawsuit challenging a New York law that […]

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US ban on China tech giant faces uncertainty a month out

Concerns among U.S. lawmakers over Chinese telecom giant Huawei remain heightened one month out from a deadline by the Trump administration for American companies to stop doing business with the firm, with questions lingering about the timing of the ban itself. The Commerce Department added the firm to a prohibited “entity list” in May before issuing temporary extensions […]

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Overnight Health Care — Presented by Partnership for America's Health Care Future — Trump official declines to detail plans if ObamaCare struck down | DEA unveils rule for opioid manufacturers | Republican tells Zuckerberg to allow anti-vax content

Welcome to Wednesday’s Overnight Health Care.  Seema Verma faced House Democrats today and was pressed on ObamaCare “sabotage” as well as Medicaid work requirements. Meanwhile, a GOP congressman expressed anti-vaccine views during Mark ZuckerbergMark Elliot ZuckerbergZuckerberg set for grilling over Facebook cryptocurrency On The Money: Waters clashes with Trump officials over ‘disastrous’ housing finance plan […]

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Aviation chairmen cite safety, new tech among concerns for the future

The chairmen of the House and Senate aviation subcommittees spoke Wednesday about the challenges facing by American air travel in an age of lightning-fast technological innovation. Sen. Ted CruzRafael (Ted) Edward CruzPartisan squabbles endanger congressional response to Trump’s course on Syria Trump urged to hire chief strategist for impeachment fight The Hill’s Morning Report – […]

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Overnight Energy: GOP senators push bill to move most federal agencies out of DC | DOJ sues California to stifle cap-and-trade program with Quebec | Cutting wild horse population to cost BLM $5 billion

FOREVER FIELD TRIP: Two Senate Republicans have introduced a bill calling for moving most federal agencies outside of the nation’s capital. The bill follows controversial efforts from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to move major portions of its staffers to Missouri and Colorado, respectively. The bill, sponsored […]

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Rep. Kennedy presses Trump health official on Medicaid work requirements

Rep. Joe KennedyJoseph (Joe) Patrick KennedyFlight attendant union endorses Markey in Senate primary battle Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle mourn Cummings Ocasio-Cortez taps supporters for donations as former primary opponent pitches for Kennedy MORE III (D-Mass.) in a tense exchange Wednesday pressed the head of the Medicare and Medicaid programs to explain why […]

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Boeing replaces senior executive amid 737 Max crisis

Click:Round Tea Packaging Machine Boeing has replaced its head of commercial airplanes after two fatal 737 Max plane crashes in the past year. Kevin McAllister, who was in charge of commercial plans, was replaced by Stan Deal, who headed its global services, effective immediately, the company said in a statement Tuesday. The statement did not give a […]

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