Facebook, Twitter to defend companies against charges of bias in elections

Facebook and Twitter executives plan to defend their companies in two congressional hearings, arguing they are aggressively trying to root out foreign actors who want to do the United States harm just weeks before the mid-term elections.

Twitter's CEO will also face angry Republicans who claim the companies have shown evidence of bias against conservatives.

In prepared testimony released ahead of a House hearing Wednesday afternoon, Jack Dorsey says his company does not use political ideology to make decisions.

Congress has sharply criticised the social media companies over the last year as it has become clear that they were at the forefront of Russia's interference in the 2016 elections and beyond.

That scrutiny has led to additional criticism over the companies' respect for user privacy and whether conservatives are being censored frustrations that are particularly heightened ahead of the mid-terms.

FBI raids Cohen; Trump brands Mueller's probe an 'attack on country'

President Donald Trump branded special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russian election meddling "an attack on our country", escalating his criticism of the yearlong investigation after federal authorities raided the offices of his personal attorney.

Agents today seized records from the offices of longtime Trump attorney and fixer Michael Cohen, on topics including a $130,000 payment made to a porn actress who says she had sex with Trump more than a decade ago.

Hours later, flanked by the nation's top military brass, Trump unleashed his sharpest invective against the sweeping investigation to date, calling the search "a disgrace."

"It's an attack on our country in a true sense," Trump said. "It's an attack on what we all stand for." He added it marked a "whole new level of unfairness" by Mueller and his team.

Trump called the probe a "witch hunt," suggesting it was a distraction from serious issues, like the consideration of a military response to Syria's apparent use of a chemical weapon on civilians over the weekend which was a subject of his meeting with the defense secretary, the joint chiefs of staff and US combatant commanders.

To avoid govt logjam, US strikes 2-yr budget deal to lift spending cap

The US Senate on Thursday reached a two-year budget deal to avert another government shutdown when federal funding is due to expire.The deal, agreed upon by both the Democratic and Republican leaders of the Senate, was immediately welcomed by the White House.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer announced the budget deal in the House."I am very pleased to announce that we have reached a two-year budget deal to lift the spending caps for defence and urgent domestic priorities far above current spending levels," Schumer said.He added that there were still a few final details to work out but all the principles of the agreement were in place.

Trump redoubles support for alleged sexual harasser for Alabama Senate race

President Donald Trump on Sunday redoubled his support for embattled Senate candidate Roy Moore, ignoring the sexual harassment allegations plaguing the ex-Alabama judge's campaign, even as Democrats moved to address harassment concerns afflicting their own party.

In an early-morning tweet, Trump said that Moore's rival in the Alabama race for a Senate seat, Democrat Doug Jones, was weak on crime, the military and immigration. For Alabamians to support him in next month's special election, the president said, "would be a disaster!".

Many members of Trump's Republican Party have withdrawn support for Moore, who is now 70, following multiple allegations that while in his 30s he molested or harassed teenage girls as young as 14.

But allegations of sexual harassment have plagued both of America's main political parties in recent weeks.

Democrat John Conyers, a celebrated civil rights leader who is the longest-serving member of Congress, announced he was stepping down from a leadership position as he battles similar claims.
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Trump warns McCain after his speech on 'half-baked' American foreign policy

President Donald Trump on Tuesday issued a warning shot after Republican Senator John McCain questioned "half-baked, spurious nationalism" in America's foreign policy.

Trump said in a radio interview with WMAL in Washington that "people have to be careful because at some point I fight back." The president added "I'm being very, very nice but at some point I fight back and it won't be pretty."

McCain, a former Navy pilot who spent 5 years in a Vietnam prisoner of war camp and is battling brain cancer, offered a simple response to Trump: "I have faced tougher adversaries."

In Philadelphia last night, the six-term Republican senator from Arizona received an award for a lifetime of service and sacrifice to the country.

In addition to recalling his more than two decades of military service and his imprisonment during the war, McCain took a moment to go a step further than the night's other speakers, who lamented what many described as a fractured political climate.
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The Republican's guide to Presidential etiquette

Republicans used to care a lot about how a president comports himself, and whether he acts at all times with the dignity his station demands.

“Is President Obama Disrespecting the Oval Office?” Fox News asked in 2010, with a link to images of Mr. Obama and his aides tossing a football, or eating apples just inches from the Resolute desk.

“Wear a suit coat and tie,” said Andrew Card Jr., President George W. Bush’s former chief of staff, in reaction to pictures of Mr. Obama in shirtsleeves in 2009.

“I do expect him to send the message that people who are going to be in the Oval Office should treat the office with the respect that it has earned over history,” Mr. Card said.

But hey, that was then! In 2017, there’s a whole new bar for tolerable conduct by the commander in chief. Our original guide cataloged several dozen examples. Almost five months later, it’s clear that an update is necessary. This expanded list is meant to ensure that Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell and other congressional Republicans never forget what they now condone in a president.
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Senate GOP opens health care debate. Now what?

On July 25, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell narrowly managed to keep a Republican effort to reform health care alive. We asked our experts to consider the importance of this procedural vote and what happens next.

Which bill will it be?

Senate Republicans have voted to start debate on a health care bill. The “motion to proceed” – which marks the start of debate on bills in the Senate – reached a majority on the strength of “yes” votes from senators who previously voted “no,” including Rand Paul, Dean Heller and Shelley Moore Capito; John McCain’s quick return to Washington after a brain cancer diagnosis; and a rare tie-breaking vote from Vice President Pence.

While this is a major step in the legislative process in the Senate, it’s important to remember that today’s vote is procedural, not substantive. No bill has passed. All that has happened is that the Senate will begin formal debate.

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell depended on a couple of factors to help get the motion passed. First, members are more likely to support their parties on procedural votes than votes directly attached to whether a bill should pass. Second, this particular procedural vote has almost no substance; nobody knows what the Senate bill will look like, so it’s unclear what exactly the Senate just agreed to debate. Since the health care bill is massively unpopular, this lack of substance probably helped get marginal senators on board.
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US House to vote on Bill imposing sanctions on Russia, Iran, North Korea

The United States (US) House will vote on the bill agreed by Congressional Republicans and Democrats, that includes a package of sanctions against Russia, Iran and North Korea, thus making it harder for President Donald Trump to lift sanctions on Moscow.

The House will vote on the bill on Tuesday and the Senate is likely to take it up after that. The bipartisan agreement could send the new bill to President Trump by the end of the month. It was not immediately clear whether Trump would veto the bill, an action that would spark an outcry from both parties and risk a potential override with a two-thirds vote.

Democrats and some Republicans have expressed concerns that the US President is considering giving Russia back two compounds in Maryland and New York that were seized by the Obama administration in December.

The House is scheduled to leave for its August recess at the end of next week.

The bill limits Trump's power of easing sanctions on Russia, as it gives Congress power to veto any decision made by the President that would "significantly alter" US foreign policy in connection with Russia, Fox news reported.

The White House had objected to a key section of the bill that would mandate a congressional review if Trump attempted to ease or end the sanctions against Moscow.

"The legislation ensures that both the majority and minority are able to exercise our oversight role over the administration's implementation of sanctions," said Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., the No. 2 House Democrat.
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Mr Comey and all the President's lies

Weeks after being described by Donald Trump as a “nut job,” James Comey on Thursday deftly recast his confrontation with the president as a clash between the legal principles at the foundation of American democracy, and a venal, self-interested politician who does not recognize, let alone uphold, them.

In sworn testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mr Comey, the former FBI director, made clear that he had no confidence in the president’s integrity. Why? “The nature of the person,” he said. Confronted with low presidential character for the first time in his career, Comey began writing meticulous notes of every conversation with Trump. “I was honestly concerned that he might lie about the nature of our meeting,” he said.

Comey said he was stunned during one Oval Office meeting by Trump’s request — which he very reasonably understood as an order — to drop the FBI investigation into Michael Flynn. Flynn had been forced to resign as national security adviser the day before, after lying about his contacts with Russia. And Russia, Comey usefully reminded the senators, had gone to unprecedented lengths to disrupt the 2016 presidential election, using “overwhelming” technological firepower.

“This is about America,” Comey kept saying. Russia “tried to shape the way we think, we vote, we act — that is a big deal,” he added. “They’re coming after America. ... They want to undermine our credibility in the face of the world.”

And yet Trump, the beneficiary of Moscow’s meddling, has never appeared even slightly concerned by this Russian attack. He told Comey to stand down and fired him when he refused. “I was fired because of the Russia investigation,” Comey testified. “That is a very big deal.” As he decried Russia’s attempt to “dirty” American democratic institutions,Comey could as well have been talking about Trump’s behavior.

With restrained fury, Comey described President Trump’s remarks last month that the bureau was a mess and that the director had lost the trust of his agents as “lies, plain and simple.”

Confronted later with the sworn testimony of a dignified and affronted lawman, the White House press office, its own credibility in tatters, was left to feebly insist, “The president is not a liar.”

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US Budget impasse: 'Good shutdown' needed to fix 'mess', tweets Trump

President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the US needs a "good shutdown" in September to fix a "mess" in the Senate, expressing frustration over the hurdles posed by the Democratic party in passing the budget proposed by him.

"The reason for the plan negotiated between the Republicans and Democrats is that we need 60 votes in the Senate which are not there!" Trump tweeted.

 Follow

Donald J. Trump 

✔@realDonaldTrump

The reason for the plan negotiated between the Republicans and Democrats is that we need 60 votes in the Senate which are not there! We....

6:31 PM - 2 May 2017

"We either elect more Republican Senators in 2018 or change the rules now to 51 per cent. Our country needs a good "shutdown" in September to fix mess!" the president tweeted.

Donald J. Trump 

✔@realDonaldTrump

either elect more Republican Senators in 2018 or change the rules now to 51%. Our country needs a good "shutdown" in September to fix mess!

6:37 PM - 2 May 2017

The ruling Republican party has a majority in the 100- member Senate. However, Trump needs 60 votes for the passage of his budget and financial bills, which the Republican party does not have. The Democrats are using this provision to block his budget and other legislative moves.

In his tweets, Trump indicated that if the Senate does not pass the budget that he has proposed, he is not willing to compromise.

In the absence of the budgetary passage of the Congress, the US Government would not have the authority to spend money including even paying salaries to its employees. As a result, the government might come to a stand still.

It was during the term of his predecessor that the government shutdown happened last time.

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Here's what Donald Trump has done in his first 100 days in office

Since FDR, a president’s first 100 days offer an important – if arbitrary – measure for evaluating success. While it is unlikely any executive will again match the productivity of Roosevelt, most scholars of the presidency agree that this period still matters for advancing an administration’s agenda.

It has been an unruly 100 days since President Donald Trump took the oath of office. His administration has been plagued with scandals, protests and a critical media with a renewed sense of purpose.

As a scholar of the presidency and the press, I’ve found the beginning of the Trump administration morbidly fascinating.

Despite his boasts, Trump’s legislative agenda appears to be stalled. As we approach day 100, many will point critically to the dearth of bills coming across Trump’s desk. However, focusing solely on legislation overlooks a thriving aspect of the Trump presidency: the use of unilateral powers like executive orders, memoranda and proclamations.

Trump goes it alone

Trump hit the ground running with a flurry of unilateral activity. This burst of direct actions may seem surprising in light of Trump’s past statements. In 2012, he took to Twitter to criticize President Obama for “constantly issuing executive orders that are major power grabs of authority.” According to the American Presidency Project, Trump has surpassed his power-grabbing predecessor in unilateral actions, and in less time.

Trump is clearly making a concerted effort to fulfill his campaign promises. In areas where he can act alone, Trump has made gestures – some symbolic, others more substantive – toward 14 of the 18 pledges outlined in his Contract with the American Voter. With a stroke of the pen, Trump attempted to reduce the number of people working for the government, “drain the swamp” and advance pipeline projects.
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