May 1, 2018

Michael Cohen Hit With New Taxi Taxes, Owes New York $282,000

By Bob Van Voris
April 30, 2018, 9:41 PM EDT

Michael Cohen, already under pressure from a federal criminal investigation into his business and financial dealings, has been hit this month with more than $185,000 in new state warrants for unpaid taxes on his taxicab companies.

Added to his previous tab, that brings the total to $282,000 owed to New York state by 16 taxi medallion-holding companies owned by Cohen or members of his family, including Mad Dog Cab Corp., Smoochie Cab Corp., Golden Child Cab Corp. and N.Y. Futon Taxi Corp. A lawyer for Cohen declined to comment.

Michael Cohen’s Other Woe: Mounting Unpaid Taxes on NYC Cabs

Cohen, a former Trump Organization Inc. executive, has been President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer and has claimed to be a loyal “fixer” for his longtime boss. He claims he drew on a home-equity loan to pay $130,000 to Stormy Daniels, a porn actress who said she had sex with Trump in 2006, to buy her silence in the run-up to the 2016 election.

Before he started working for Trump, Cohen built his wealth in the taxi business in New York and Chicago.

more
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-05-01/michael-cohen-hit-with-new-taxi-taxes-owes-new-york-282-000

May 1, 2018

What Kim Jong Un Wants From Trump

The United States is playing North Korea’s game. Here’s why that’s dangerous.

By VAN JACKSON April 30, 2018

-snip-

What Kim Wants

When Kim came to power in 2011, after the death of his father, Kim Jong Il, he inherited not only the family-run North Korean dictatorship, but also the Kims’ longstanding goal of reunifying the Koreas. Kim has upheld that goal in his rhetoric, both internal and external. While there has never been much detail about what unification is supposed to look like from North Korea’s perspective, the prevailing assumption has always been that it does not include a U.S. alliance with South Korea or a U.S. troop presence in the South. North Korean (and even leftist South Korean) propaganda has always portrayed the United States as an obstacle to unification, even though its notion of unification can’t possibly be the same as the South’s presumption of absorbing North Korea or extending democratic governance northward. That’s certainly not what Kim has in mind. But because unification is a somewhat abstract aspiration, it also doesn’t have a deadline.

Kim has more concrete goals that are evident in North Korea’s word and deed, and that happen to also propel North Korea toward the meta-goal of unification, but on terms favorable to the North. Kim has sought to 1) secure his rule against internal challengers, 2) achieve and demonstrate a reliable nuclear deterrent, 3) improve his people’s quality of life, and 4) elevate North Korea’s international standing as a nuclear state. Until very recently, his priority has been the first two goals. Having made significant progress on them, with his current charm offensive, Kim is now aiming to do the same for the latter two.

These four priorities, paired with the far-off ambitions of unification, are a logical response to the situation Kim inherited. He faced a legitimacy deficit when he first came to power because he was an inexperienced, Swiss-educated millennial and the youngest son in a culture that privileges the first-born. Many Korea experts expected he wouldn’t be up to the job and, as a consequence, wouldn’t be long for this world. But Kim almost immediately set about killing and purging a long list of senior North Korean officials—more than 300, by one estimate—including executing his uncle, Jang Song Thaek, who was widely seen as the No. 2 man in the North at the time. It was never clear if this reign of terror was a sign of Kim’s strength or insecurity, but the body count suggests he’s made progress in girding himself against internal rivals, real or imagined.

The same can be said of nuclear weapons. It was absurd to expect that Kim—with initially precarious control over the country—would or could trade away the one thing that ensures the United States doesn’t invade. Nukes play a central role in how North Korea thinks about its own security against the outside world. There is no North Korean theory of security without nuclear weapons—they believe it is the only thing that will ultimately protect them from the United States. What’s more, North Korea’s nuclear weapons program has birthed a large bureaucratic and elite constituency in Pyongyang—an entire nuclear “industry” of scientists, engineers and warfighters, and a corresponding maintenance and supply chain. The resource and human capital commitment to North Korea’s nuclear weapons enterprise means denuclearization could generate internal enemies, especially if declared by an unproven leader.

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https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/04/30/what-kim-jong-un-wants-from-trump-218115

May 1, 2018

Fact Checker. President Trump has made 3,001 false or misleading claims so far

By Glenn Kessler, Salvador Rizzo and Meg Kelly May 1 at 3:00 AM

In the 466 days since he took the oath of office, President Trump has made 3,001 false or misleading claims, according to The Fact Checker’s database that analyzes, categorizes and tracks every suspect statement uttered by the president.

That’s an average of nearly 6.5 claims a day.

When we first started this project for the president’s first 100 days, he averaged 4.9 claims a day. Slowly, the average number of claims has been creeping up.

Indeed, since we last updated this tally two months ago, the president has averaged about 9 claims a day.

Our interactive graphic, created with the help of Leslie Shapiro and Kaeti Hinck of The Washington Post’s graphics department, displays a running list of every false or misleading statement made by Trump. We also catalogued the president’s many flip-flops, since those earn Upside-Down Pinocchios if a politician shifts position on an issue without acknowledging that he or she did so.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2018/05/01/president-trump-has-made-3001-false-or-misleading-claims-so-far/?utm_term=.fdbc2b37dc4e

May 1, 2018

If President Trump is an 'idiot,' what does that make John Kelly?

By Jennifer Rubin May 1 at 9:00 AM

To the surprise of no one — certainly not former secretary of state Rex Tillerson, who once called President Trump a “moron” — Chief of Staff John F. Kelly, according to an NBC News report citing multiple White House sources, has frequently called Trump an “idiot.”

-snip-

First, Kelly is almost certainly right that Trump makes little effort to learn policy, and is at a serious handicap in a job that depends on getting the best information to make the best choices. Tillerson had a similar observation, and Trump’s public behavior (e.g., blatant misstatements of fact, word-salad answers, retreats into bland platitudes) suggest the president either cannot learn material or doesn’t bother to do it (i.e., is lazy or arrogant). Who doubts that if asked to identify and explain key provisions of the Affordable Care Act, the Iran nuclear deal, DACA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, the Paris climate accord or any other major deal or law, Trump would fail miserably?

Second, it is not Kelly’s job to save Trump from himself. No one elected Kelly to anything, and the rationalization that he plays some superhero role to correct the infirmities of democracy is misguided and dangerous. (Wasn’t that the mistake former FBI director James B. Comey made during the 2016 campaign?) It however does clarify that, just as we speculated, Trump was manipulated by aides — Kelly and, likely, senior policy adviser Stephen Miller — to wreck a doable immigration fix.

Either Trump is mentally and temperamentally competent to do his job (in which case Kelly is inappropriately usurping power), or he is mentally or emotionally unfit for office. The latter poses a problem since neither the 25th Amendment nor impeachment are designed for the situation when, to quote Kelly, the people elect an “idiot.” More about that in a minute.

Third, Kelly has no business continuing to serve. He cannot remain in the administration and bad-mouth the president behind — and sometime in front of — the scenes. It has been evident for months Kelly never really brought the expected sanity, discipline and normalcy to the White House. Trump has never been under control, nor has he been willing to listen to information or factual data gathered by experts or by his own administration rather than the ramblings of wacky TV hosts and conspiracy theorists (though there is some overlap there). Kelly, in short, has failed in his assigned role. If he was so frustrated that he could not keep a stiff upper lip, he should have quit.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2018/05/01/if-president-trump-is-an-idiot-what-does-that-make-john-kelly/

May 1, 2018

The Daily 202: Rod Rosenstein may just be the most powerful person in Washington

By James Hohmann May 1 at 7:59 AM

Robert Costa authored the Big Idea in today's edition as James is on vacation. We have a full slate of Post authors for you this week before James returns on Monday.

With Breanne Deppisch and Joanie Greve.

THE BIG IDEA: Let’s begin with a story about the White House correspondents’ dinner — but it’s not about Michelle Wolf.

It’s about a question that came up at my table at the event that evening, talking with guests of The Washington Post. They asked me about who was the most powerful person in a room full of seasoned politicians and national figures.

Looking around, I saw pundits and senators, actors and lawyers — and some people who overlapped a few categories. And then I found my answer sitting two tables away: Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein, who is overseeing the ongoing special counsel probe.
Rosenstein, I told them, may not be the most famous person at the Washington Hilton, but he was perhaps the most powerful, in terms of raw political power at this moment. The fate of the Trump presidency may well rest in what special counsel Robert S. Mueller III eventually reports out — and Rosenstein is responsible for overseeing the investigation.

Heads nodded and then they turned to glance at Rosenstein, who ducked out before Wolf took the stage. (My guess: Rosenstein didn’t want to be caught on camera during the jokes.)

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/daily-202/2018/05/01/daily-202-rod-rosenstein-may-just-be-the-most-powerful-person-in-washington/5ae7ce6b30fb042db579724a/

May 1, 2018

Romney praises Trump's first year in office: It's similar to things 'I'd have done'

BY JOHN BOWDEN - 05/01/18 09:38 AM EDT

Former GOP presidential nominee and current Senate candidate Mitt Romney praised President Trump's first year in office on Tuesday, saying it was similar to what the first year of a Romney administration would look like.

In response to a question from a voter in Utah, Romney seemed to indicate that he largely approved of the policies pursued by the Trump administration during Trump's first year in the White House, calling it "better than expected," the Washington Examiner reports.

“His first year is very similar to things I’d have done my first year,” Romney said. "The things he’s actually done have been better than I expected.”

Romney quickly added, however, that he would continue to oppose the president if he said something the former Massachusetts governor viewed as "racist" or "divisive."

more
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/385620-romney-praises-trumps-first-year-in-office-its-similar-to-things-id

May 1, 2018

EXCLUSIVE: EPA whistleblower says Pruitt 'lied' to Congress

By KYRA PHILLIPS, JOHN SANTUCCI, STEPHANIE EBBS MATTHEW MOSK Apr 30, 2018, 7:35 PM ET

A whistleblower from the Environmental Protection Agency says that Administrator Scott Pruitt was "bold-faced" lying when he told members of Congress that no EPA employees were retaliated against for raising concerns about his spending decisions.

In an exclusive interview with ABC News' Kyra Phillips, former deputy chief of staff Kevin Chmielewski said he was "100 percent" forced out after raising concerns about Pruitt's spending on first-class travel.

Chmielewski said chief of staff Ryan Jackson called him into his office and said: "Hey — Administrator Pruitt either wants me to fire you or put you in an office so that he doesn't have to see you again,” Chmielewski told ABC News adding that "And in addition to that, he wants to put Millan (Hupp) in your spot, as your title and your pay grade."

"I think Ryan Jackson, the chief of staff, is a very honorable guy. I think he's just in a weird situation," Chmielewski said. "Because he was — he was the biggest advocate about doing the right thing. We would talk about it all the time."

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http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/exclusive-epa-whistleblower-pruitt-bald-faced-lied-congress/story?id=54827538

May 1, 2018

Study shows tariffs on China would hurt US jobs, economy

Source: The Hill



BY VICKI NEEDHAM - 05/01/18 09:39 AM EDT

President Trump’s proposed tariffs on Chinese imports, combined with retaliation promised by Beijing would hurt the economy and cause U.S. job losses, a new study showed on Tuesday.

Trump’s plan to impose at least $50 billion of Chinese imports would reduce U.S. economic growth by nearly $3 billion and cause 134,000 job losses, according to a new study by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) and National Retail Federation (NRF). The report finds that four jobs would be lost for every job gained.

“As administration officials prepare to head to China for trade talks, the livelihoods of American workers hang in the balance,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “We hope this is the start of a serious negotiation process that leads to a more open Chinese market and protects U.S. jobs and economic growth."

The study warns that imposing tariffs on an additional $100 billion of imports would come at a significant cost to the U.S. economy, killing 455,000 jobs and reducing economic growth by $49 billion.

Read more: http://thehill.com/policy/finance/385621-study-shows-tariffs-on-china-would-hurt-us-jobs-economy

May 1, 2018

Legal expert methodically dismantles Trump's claim that Mueller asked 'no questions about collusion'

BRAD REED
01 MAY 2018 AT 08:36 ET

Benjamin Wittes, the editor-in-chief of the Lawfare Blog and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, tore apart President Donald Trump’s early morning tweet claiming that special counsel Robert Mueller didn’t intend to ask him any questions about collusion with Russia.

The president on began his day by sending out an angry tweet about the Mueller probe, in which he falsely claimed that leaked questions purportedly from Mueller’s office contained “no questions about collusion.”

Wittes, who is also a personal friend of former FBI Director James Comey, methodically dismantled this claim by posting all the questions from the leaked list that directly related to collusion with Russian officials.

Among other things, Wittes points out, Mueller asked Trump about meeting with Russian government officials during his 2013 trip to Moscow for the Miss Universe pageant; about Trump’s negotiations to build a Trump Tower in Moscow while he was running for president; discussions Trump might have had during the campaign regarding Russian sanctions; and even whether Trump had any knowledge of “any outreach by your campaign, including by Paul Manafort, to Russia about potential assistance during the campaign.”

Read all of the questions related to Trump-Russia collusion below.

https://twitter.com/benjaminwittes/status/991271725986930693
https://twitter.com/benjaminwittes/status/991271748099366912
https://twitter.com/benjaminwittes/status/991271754625667073
https://twitter.com/benjaminwittes/status/991271761906946048
https://twitter.com/benjaminwittes/status/991271769884495873
https://twitter.com/benjaminwittes/status/991271776830283777
https://twitter.com/benjaminwittes/status/991271783721467904
https://twitter.com/benjaminwittes/status/991271791225077760
https://twitter.com/benjaminwittes/status/991271797315244032
https://twitter.com/benjaminwittes/status/991271803938058240
https://twitter.com/benjaminwittes/status/991271812716728320
https://twitter.com/benjaminwittes/status/991271819331108864

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https://www.rawstory.com/2018/05/legal-expert-methodically-dismantles-trumps-claim-mueller-asked-no-questions-collusion/

May 1, 2018

Blankenship slams 'Cocaine Mitch' in anti-McConnell ad

ALEX ISENSTADT 04/30/2018 06:23 PM EDT

West Virginia Senate hopeful Don Blankenship is intensifying his offensive against Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, calling him “Cocaine Mitch” in a new TV ad released just more than a week until the Republican primary.

“One of my goals as U.S. senator will be to ditch Cocaine Mitch,” Blankenship says toward the end of the spot, which comes as polls show the coal baron falling behind his more mainstream opponents.

Blankenship, who spent a year in prison following the 2010 explosion at his Upper Big Branch Mine that killed 29 workers, offers no context for the jab. But he may be referring to a 2014 report in the liberal Nation magazine that drugs were once found aboard a shipping vessel owned by the family of McConnell’s wife, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.

Blankenship has gone after McConnell in startlingly personal ways. During a recent interview with POLITICO, Blankenship said McConnell “has a lot of connections in China,” and that Chao is “from China, so we have to be really concerned that we are in truth” putting America’s interests first.

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https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/30/blankenship-mcconnell-cocaine-west-virginia-560712