Archive

National – October 13, 2017

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  • President Donald Trump reportedly will extend the March 5 deadline for the DACA program if Congress does not act [Washington Post].
  • President Trump plans to scrap government subsidies that help insurance companies pay costs for low-income people in yet another effort to destabilize the Affordable Care Act [New York Times].
  • President Donald Trump will announce a new, more aggressive policy toward Iran that could include more sanctions related to that country’s support for terrorist networks and its ballistic missile program [CNN].
  • The head of a government agency tasked with conducting background checks says he has “never seen that level of mistakes” when asked about the omissions in White House adviser Jared Kushner‘s security clearance application [CNN].
  • The IRS has temporarily suspended a $7 million no-bid contract they gave to Equifax following reports the credit agency’s website may have been breached a second time [Politico].
  • Twitter may have deleted data related to Russian agents who allegedly used the platform to help Donald Trump‘s presidential bid. The loss of that data may hamper the investigation into Russia’s meddling into the 2016 election [Politico].
  • Russian operatives used the popular mobile game “Pokemon Go,” as well as YouTube and Tumblr to influence voters during the 2016 election [CNN].
  • Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has revived an arcane military ritual at the agency’s headquarters which involves raising or lowering a special flag to indicate whether he is in the building or has left [Washington Post].
  • The toll from the wildfires sweeping across northern California continues to rise. 31 people are dead, which is the most from a single wildfire in state history [New York Times].

On this day in history:

  • 54 – Emperor Claudius dies from poisoning under mysterious circumstances; his 17-year-old stepson Nero succeeds him.
  • 1269 – The present church building at Westminster Abbey is consecrated.
  • 1792 – The cornerstone of the White House is laid. It would be November 1800 before the first presidential family – that of John Adams – moved in.