Amazing, not even soot on the side or roof structures of his house. The others as well appear to be clean and unscathed…
Trump says he will nominate Andrew Wheeler to head EPA
President Trump said on Friday that he will nominate Andrew Wheeler to be the next administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Trump said Wheeler "is going to be made permanent" in introducing him at a White House Medal of Freedom event at the White House. "He's done fantastic job, and I want to congratulate him," he added. "Congratulations, Andrew. Great job."
Wheeler has been serving as acting administrator since July after former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt resigned from the post amid numerous scandals over his misuse of federal funds. Wheeler told the Washington Examiner that he is "humbled and grateful" that Trump intends to nominate him on a permanent basis. "I look forward to continuing to carry out his agenda and the mission of our agency," he said. The news comes as several members of Trump's Cabinet are expected to step down before the new year, including Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who is facing a Justice Department investigation into allegations that he used his position for personal gain. Wheeler is a former energy lobbyist and Republican congressional staffer. He has a law degree and an MBA.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/energy/trump-says-he-will-make-wheeler-permanent-head-of-epa
Supreme Court to hear dispute over citizenship question on census
The Supreme Court has agreed to consider a dispute over evidence in a politically fraught case about the Trump administration's plans to include a citizenship question in the 2020 Census. The court said in an order Friday that it would hear arguments in the case Feb. 19.
More than a dozen states, cities, and organizations sued the Trump administration over its move to include the citizenship question on the 2020 census, arguing the Commerce Department acted unlawfully in doing so. Critics contend the question's inclusion could deter broad swaths of people from participating who fear interaction with government agents — including noncitizens or friends and relatives of noncitizens. That could produce a lower overall count of people that could potential help Republicans and hurt Democrats. The dispute headed toward the Supreme Court centers on evidence that could be heard in trial by a federal judge in New York. The proceedings in the lawsuit challenging the addition of the citizenship question began Nov. 5, and the trial is expected to wrap soon.
As part of discovery, litigants sought to depose Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and John Gore, the acting head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights division. The Supreme Court agreed to halt Ross’s deposition, in an order late last month, but allowed Gore’s to proceed. In a separate order this month, the justices also rejected a request from the Justice Department to put the census trial on hold, which allowed it to proceed.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/courts/supreme-court-to-hear-dispute-over-citizenship-question-on-census
Trump Tells Fox’s Chris Wallace Conduct ‘Rules’ Coming for Press
The president said "rules" are being written and if they're not followed, reporters can still be thrown out of briefings.
President Trump seems to be already working on a plan to regulate press briefings, hours after a judge ruled an ousted CNN reporter’s press access be reinstated. In an interview with Chris Wallace for Fox News Sunday, Trump brushed off Judge Timothy Kelly’s Friday ruling that CNN’s Jim Acosta have his Secret Service pass to the White House grounds be reinstated. Despite the ruling being a interim rejection of The White House argument that the president has “broad” discretion in which credentialed members of the press are allowed access to attend official briefings, Trump said, “It’s not a big deal,” and that his team is already working on “rules” for reporter conduct. “We’re doing that, we’re going to write them up right now,” Trump told Wallace. “It’s not a big deal and if he misbehaves we’ll throw him out or we’ll stop the news conference.”
Pushing for specifics, Wallace asked if certain things are going to be considered “over the line” and Trump reiterated that these new rules are being written now, but that they will cover “decorum” and outline that reporters “can’t keep asking questions.” “We had a lot of reporters in that room, many many reporters in that room and they were unable to ask questions because this guy gets up and starts, you know, doing what he’s supposed to be doing for him and for CNN and, you know, just shouting out questions and making statements, too,” Trump said, referring to Acosta refusing to give up a mic during a briefing last week, which led to the revocation of his White House access.
Trump did not mention the initial White House line that Acosta, who returned to the press area of the White House today, was barred because he allegedly “placed his hands on” an intern who attempted to take the mic from him during a question. Now it seems the issue is Acosta refusing to have his question ignored after Trump called on him during a briefing. Trump added that “nobody believes in the first amendment more than I do,” citing CNN’s allegation in a Tuesday lawsuit that the president and his key staff were crossing the line of freedom of speech in barring Acosta arbitrarily. Going forward, Trump said his strategy during briefings will be to simply leave if he doesn’t like the way it’s going. “If I think somebody is acting out of sorts I will leave, I will say ‘Thank you very much everybody, I appreciate you coming,’ and I’ll leave,” Trump said. “And those reporters will not be too friendly to whoever it is that’s acting up.”
https://wwd.com/business-news/media/trump-tells-foxs-chris-wallace-conduct-rules-coming-for-press-1202908956/
National Guard soldier arrested, charged with smuggling Mexican nationals into US
As migration-related news coverage continues to center around U.S. troops deploying to the U.S.-Mexico border in anticipation of the migrant caravan’s long-awaited arrival, one service member has reportedly gone against the security grain by smuggling Mexican migrants into the United States. California National Guardsman Pfc. Edward Jair Acosta-Avila was arrested Nov. 10 when his car was stopped near San Diego, California, about two miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border, USA Today reported. After pulling over Acosta-Avila’s Honda Accord, Customs and Border Protection agents apprehended five individuals, including three undocumented Mexican nationals who were discovered hiding under a blanket in the back seat. Acosta-Avila, along with one other passenger who was identified as U.S. citizen, has been charged in federal court with human trafficking. The Guardsman, who was reportedly awaiting discharge for being absent without leave, told authorities he and the co-defendant planned to split a payment of $400 for shuttling the three men into the U.S.
The Mexican nationals told officials they “made smuggling arrangements and agreed to pay between $6,000 and $7,000 each to be smuggled into the United States,” the report said. For now, the three men will be detained to serve as witnesses in the case, Fox 5 San Diego reported. They will later face the standard deportation process. Acosta-Avila was reportedly not part of the U.S. border security mission, one in which an estimated 7,000 troops are expected to deploy in support of at various locations along the U.S.-Mexico border.
https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2018/11/15/national-guard-soldier-arrested-charged-with-smuggling-mexican-nationals-into-us/
My believe is this is Cyprus..it is geographically very close to these countries.
Or Pruitt, becomes a witness?
Ah,, good catch Anon..That was not on my radar..
I have often wondered if Ted..may have had a hand in all of this…