Trump attorney told Cohen to lie

Trump cannot stop Congress from obtaining his financial records

China isn’t giving in


Donald Trump may think his tariffs are working, but if they were meant to break China, they aren’t doing the trick so far. China is reportedly in no hurry to resume trade talks with the U.S., and Chinese analysts say the country will suspend talks altogether if the president isn’t “prepared to be realistic.” China has invited the U.S. delegation to Beijing, and Treasury Sec. Steven Mnuchin appears open to the offer, but nothing is on the calendar yet.

Mark Hertling: On pardoning soldiers accused of war crimes


“While these pardons reportedly being considered by the president would be ‘legal,’ they are also immoral and anathema to military discipline, unit cohesion, and our forces’ professionalism. If applied as reported, the pardons would damage the way the U.S. military is perceived by our allies and partners around the world and give credence and reinforcement to our enemies. They would cause even more damage to civil-military relations in our republic and send a very bad message to all those who serve.”

Scandal plunges Austria into political chaos


As the U.S. hems and haws over the many scandals of the Trump administration, Austria is moving at lightning speed in response to a scandal of its own. Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache quit his post on Saturday after a video became public in which he discusses contracts with a purported Russian investor in return for political favors. The Austrian chancellor responded by calling for a new election and ending his governing coalition with Strache’s far-right Freedom Party.

Standoff with Iran takes an ugly turn


After some hopeful rhetoric suggesting that a peaceful resolution of the conflict with Iran was possible, the president couldn’t leave well enough alone. On Sunday he threatened via tweet, “If Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran.” The Iranian foreign minister responded, also via tweet, that “genocidal taunts won’t ‘end Iran.'” Perhaps Twitter isn’t the best forum for conducting foreign relations business.

Trump encourages McGahn not to testify to Congress


President Trump and his legal team are running a blitz on former White House counsel Don McGahn trying to prevent him from testifying to Congress. The administration’s argument is that the president’s immediate advisers are immune from compelled congressional testimony on matters related to their official responsiiblities within the White House.

Aaron David Miller & Richard Sokolsky: There’s no compelling reason to go to war against Iran


“The U.S. and Iran are locked into a long-term competition for influence and control in a volatile and dangerous region. Military strikes and war are not the answer—they will only make a bad situation worse. A mix of deterrence, transactional negotiations, renewed dialogue and, yes, military force if Iran acts against America’s vital interests, is the most effective way to manage that competition.”

Change of course on migrants


President Trump and acting Homeland Security Sec. Kevin McAleenan have denied reports that hundreds of migrants will be flown from the Mexican border to cities throughout the U.S. to lessen the workload at crowded Border Patrol facilities. While Trump naturally blamed the media for “false reporting,” McAleenan admitted that local leaders were alerted to the plan before it was scrapped.

North Korean state TV gets a facelift


In an effort to keep foreign information out and to revamp its propaganda arm, North Korea has redesigned the presentation of its propaganda on TV. Instead of scripts and outdated dress, North Korea is opting for modern dressed presenters and modern sets to cast an element of legitimacy over its news.

Millions at risk over severe weather


Millions in the Midwest are at risk a huge storm system moves across parts of OK, TX, and KS. The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center issued a threat level 5 out of 5 for violent tornadoes Monday.

US Navy sails ship near disputed Scarborough Shoal


The USS Preble sailed near the Scarborough Shoal, a disputed area of the South China Sea as a sign of U.S. commitment to preserve waterways governed by international law. The move will certainly frustrate China as it claims the area as sovereign territory.

Congress still waiting for Iran briefings


Bombers and a carrier strike force are sent to the Middle East after provocations from Iran, and the U.S. body responsible for declaring wars, Congress, has no idea what is going on. Lawmakers are expecting the Pentagon and the State Department to brief them on the situation in Iran sometime this week, but for now, Congress is left in the dark.

Morgan Stanley sees global recession on the horizon


With no end in sight for the trade war between the U.S. and China, Morgan Stanley is worried that a global recession is coming. The bank said, “If talks stall, no deal is agreed upon and the U.S. imposes 25% tariffs on the remaining ~US$300 billion of imports from China, we see the global economy heading towards recession.”

China’s drones and your data


The Department of Homeland Security is warning that Chinese-made drones may be allowing China to steal sensitive data. The U.S. Army had already banned Chinese-made drones in 2017, saying that the drones shared sensitive data with the Chinese government.

Ford to cut 7,000 jobs


Ford Motor Co said on Monday it will eliminate about 10% of its global salaried workforce, cutting about 7,000 jobs by the end of August as part of its larger restructuring effort. “To succeed in our competitive industry, and position Ford to win in a fast-changing future, we must reduce bureaucracy, empower managers, speed decision making, focus on the most valuable work and cut costs,” said Ford CEO Jim Hackett.

Alex Webb: Trump’s Huawei ban will reverberate beyond China


“U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to blacklist Huawei Technologies Co. may just have scuppered any lingering hopes for more cross-border mergers in the semiconductor industry. On Friday, the administration barred U.S. firms from supplying components to the Chinese maker of telecommunications equipment, which it accuses of helping Beijing to spy. But uncertainty around the scope of the order means that chipmakers in Europe also decided to stop supplies to Huawei.”

Ryan Goodman: How Trump’s stonewalling puts our democracy at risk


“Our legislators aren’t flying blind, but the Trump administration is preventing them from obtaining the kind of visibility that would best serve the country. Time is running short: The electoral calendar won’t bend, and the full threat of foreign interference remains unaddressed. The administration’s bad faith arguments for keeping this information secret will surely affect how federal judges view the executive branch’s position when Congress takes officials to court over the full Mueller report. Judge Mehta’s reaction to Mr. Trump’s lawyers is a signal of how this will play out.”

Billionaire to pay Morehouse College grads’ student loans


Robert F. Smith, the billionaire investor who at one point became the richest black man in America, told the crowd that he and his family would pay off the entire graduating class’ student debt. “On behalf of the eight generations of my family who have been in this country, we’re going to put a little fuel in your bus,” he told the graduating class.

China isn’t giving in


Donald Trump may think his tariffs are working, but if they were meant to break China, they aren’t doing the trick so far. China is reportedly in no hurry to resume trade talks with the U.S., and Chinese analysts say the country will suspend talks altogether if the president isn’t “prepared to be realistic.” China has invited the U.S. delegation to Beijing, and Treasury Sec. Steven Mnuchin appears open to the offer, but nothing is on the calendar yet.

Mark Hertling: On pardoning soldiers accused of war crimes


“While these pardons reportedly being considered by the president would be ‘legal,’ they are also immoral and anathema to military discipline, unit cohesion, and our forces’ professionalism. If applied as reported, the pardons would damage the way the U.S. military is perceived by our allies and partners around the world and give credence and reinforcement to our enemies. They would cause even more damage to civil-military relations in our republic and send a very bad message to all those who serve.”

Scandal plunges Austria into political chaos


As the U.S. hems and haws over the many scandals of the Trump administration, Austria is moving at lightning speed in response to a scandal of its own. Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache quit his post on Saturday after a video became public in which he discusses contracts with a purported Russian investor in return for political favors. The Austrian chancellor responded by calling for a new election and ending his governing coalition with Strache’s far-right Freedom Party.

Standoff with Iran takes an ugly turn


After some hopeful rhetoric suggesting that a peaceful resolution of the conflict with Iran was possible, the president couldn’t leave well enough alone. On Sunday he threatened via tweet, “If Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran.” The Iranian foreign minister responded, also via tweet, that “genocidal taunts won’t ‘end Iran.'” Perhaps Twitter isn’t the best forum for conducting foreign relations business.

Trump encourages McGahn not to testify to Congress


President Trump and his legal team are running a blitz on former White House counsel Don McGahn trying to prevent him from testifying to Congress. The administration’s argument is that the president’s immediate advisers are immune from compelled congressional testimony on matters related to their official responsiiblities within the White House.

Aaron David Miller & Richard Sokolsky: There’s no compelling reason to go to war against Iran


“The U.S. and Iran are locked into a long-term competition for influence and control in a volatile and dangerous region. Military strikes and war are not the answer—they will only make a bad situation worse. A mix of deterrence, transactional negotiations, renewed dialogue and, yes, military force if Iran acts against America’s vital interests, is the most effective way to manage that competition.”

Change of course on migrants


President Trump and acting Homeland Security Sec. Kevin McAleenan have denied reports that hundreds of migrants will be flown from the Mexican border to cities throughout the U.S. to lessen the workload at crowded Border Patrol facilities. While Trump naturally blamed the media for “false reporting,” McAleenan admitted that local leaders were alerted to the plan before it was scrapped.

North Korean state TV gets a facelift


In an effort to keep foreign information out and to revamp its propaganda arm, North Korea has redesigned the presentation of its propaganda on TV. Instead of scripts and outdated dress, North Korea is opting for modern dressed presenters and modern sets to cast an element of legitimacy over its news.

Millions at risk over severe weather


Millions in the Midwest are at risk a huge storm system moves across parts of OK, TX, and KS. The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center issued a threat level 5 out of 5 for violent tornadoes Monday.

US Navy sails ship near disputed Scarborough Shoal


The USS Preble sailed near the Scarborough Shoal, a disputed area of the South China Sea as a sign of U.S. commitment to preserve waterways governed by international law. The move will certainly frustrate China as it claims the area as sovereign territory.

Congress still waiting for Iran briefings


Bombers and a carrier strike force are sent to the Middle East after provocations from Iran, and the U.S. body responsible for declaring wars, Congress, has no idea what is going on. Lawmakers are expecting the Pentagon and the State Department to brief them on the situation in Iran sometime this week, but for now, Congress is left in the dark.

Morgan Stanley sees global recession on the horizon


With no end in sight for the trade war between the U.S. and China, Morgan Stanley is worried that a global recession is coming. The bank said, “If talks stall, no deal is agreed upon and the U.S. imposes 25% tariffs on the remaining ~US$300 billion of imports from China, we see the global economy heading towards recession.”

China’s drones and your data


The Department of Homeland Security is warning that Chinese-made drones may be allowing China to steal sensitive data. The U.S. Army had already banned Chinese-made drones in 2017, saying that the drones shared sensitive data with the Chinese government.

Ford to cut 7,000 jobs


Ford Motor Co said on Monday it will eliminate about 10% of its global salaried workforce, cutting about 7,000 jobs by the end of August as part of its larger restructuring effort. “To succeed in our competitive industry, and position Ford to win in a fast-changing future, we must reduce bureaucracy, empower managers, speed decision making, focus on the most valuable work and cut costs,” said Ford CEO Jim Hackett.

Alex Webb: Trump’s Huawei ban will reverberate beyond China


“U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to blacklist Huawei Technologies Co. may just have scuppered any lingering hopes for more cross-border mergers in the semiconductor industry. On Friday, the administration barred U.S. firms from supplying components to the Chinese maker of telecommunications equipment, which it accuses of helping Beijing to spy. But uncertainty around the scope of the order means that chipmakers in Europe also decided to stop supplies to Huawei.”

Ryan Goodman: How Trump’s stonewalling puts our democracy at risk


“Our legislators aren’t flying blind, but the Trump administration is preventing them from obtaining the kind of visibility that would best serve the country. Time is running short: The electoral calendar won’t bend, and the full threat of foreign interference remains unaddressed. The administration’s bad faith arguments for keeping this information secret will surely affect how federal judges view the executive branch’s position when Congress takes officials to court over the full Mueller report. Judge Mehta’s reaction to Mr. Trump’s lawyers is a signal of how this will play out.”

Billionaire to pay Morehouse College grads’ student loans


Robert F. Smith, the billionaire investor who at one point became the richest black man in America, told the crowd that he and his family would pay off the entire graduating class’ student debt. “On behalf of the eight generations of my family who have been in this country, we’re going to put a little fuel in your bus,” he told the graduating class.