February 10, 2017

Obama Education secretary condemns protest against DeVos at DC school

Source: The Hill

Arne Duncan, Education secretary under President Obama, condemned protesters who briefly blocked Betsy DeVos from entering a Washington, D.C., public school on Friday morning.

“Agree or disagree w @BetsyDeVos on any issue, but let’s all agree she really needs to be in public schools,” wrote Duncan, who served as Education secretary for seven years under Obama. “Please let her in.”

@arneduncan Agree or disagree w @BetsyDeVos on any issue, but let's all agree she really needs to be in public schools. Please let her in.
12:30 PM - 10 Feb 2017

DeVos was met with protestors as she tried to enter Jefferson Academy middle school Friday. She was eventually able to enter the school for an event, her first visit to a public K–12 school since she was sworn in as secretary of Education on Tuesday.



Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/318951-obama-education-secretary-condemns-protests-against-devos-at-dc

February 10, 2017

Trump compliments Japanese leader for his 'strong hands'

Source: The Hill

President Trump complimented Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for his "strong hands" on Friday before making a golfing gesture.

The remark came after an extended handshake between the two men in front of cameras at the White House, where they met.

Trump has made similar remarks before, including following an infamous GOP presidential debate moment in March 2016, when he defended the size of his hands after then-rival Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said he had “small hands.”


The president revived the talk about his hands later that month during an interview with The Washington Post’s editorial board, describing them as “normal,” "strong," "good size," "great," "fine" and "slightly large, actually."

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/318959-trump-compliments-japanese-leader-for-his-strong-hands

February 10, 2017

Joint resolution filed to make Miami-Dade sheriff an elected office

Voters in Miami-Dade County may vote for a sheriff soon, if a joint resolution filed in the House by Jason Fischer and the Senate by Frank Artiles becomes law.

HJR 721/SJR 134 would make the Sheriff of Miami-Dade a Constitutional officer.

Currently, the position is appointed by the executive branch, foreclosing the voters’ right to decide their chief law enforcement officer.

The joint resolution proposes an amendment to Section 1 of Article VIII and the creation of a new section in Article XII of the State Constitution to remove authority for a county charter to appoint sheriffs and other such officials.

more: http://floridapolitics.com/archives/231837-joint-resolution-filed-to-make-miami-dade-sheriff-an-elected-office

February 10, 2017

Mexican official denies helping Trump write border wall speech

Source: The Hill

Mexico's top diplomat is denying a report that he helped President Trump draft a speech about U.S. relations with Mexico.

"I never thought I would use this phrase, but today I'm doing it: FAKE NEWS," Mexican Secretary of Foreign Relations Luis Videgaray tweeted on Thursday.

Videgaray was likely referred to a CBS News story on Thursday that claimed he met privately in the Oval Office with Trump and the president's special adviser Jared Kushner and helped draft a speech announcing Trump's border wall executive order.

A White House source also denied to CBS News that Videgaray played a role in drafting the speech, disputing Mexican officials' version of the events.

Read more: http://thehill.com/latino/318910-mexican-official-denies-helping-trump-write-border-wall-speech

February 10, 2017

Sen. Randolph Bracy considering primary challenge to Bill Nelson

State Sen. Randolph Bracy is exploring a run for the U.S. Senate, which would mean a match up in the Democratic primary against U.S. Sen Bill Nelson.

“I’m considering it,” Bracy said Thursday.

Nelson, 74, is the only Democrat in Florida elected to statewide office and is expected to run for another six-year term in 2018. Gov. Rick Scott is also rumored to be interested in the seat but demurs when asked.

Bracy, 39, was elected to the state Senate last year after serving four years in the Florida House. He currently serves as chairman of the Senate’s Criminal Justice Committee, hand-picked by Republican Senate President Joe Negron to carry out his agressive platform of juvenile justice reforms. Bracy is a consultant by trade, a former teacher and has been active in politics for years, mostly in his hometown of Orlando.

more: http://jacksonville.com/news/2017-02-09/us-sen-bill-nelson-could-face-primary-challenge-state-sen-randolph-bracy

February 10, 2017

Sixth New England Patriot announces he will skip White House visit

Source: The Hill

A sixth player from the New England Patriots has announced that he will be skipping the trip to President Trump’s White House in the traditional visit following the team's historic Super Bowl victory.

Defensive lineman Alan Branch joins five of his teammates who have said they would not make the trip to the White House.

Branch did not specifically mention Trump in his decision, but said in an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio this week that he would stay home with his family instead.

“I’ve got four kids at home so I’m just going to hang out with the family and continue celebrating until the next season starts,” he said.

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/318884-sixth-new-england-patriot-announces-he-will-skip-white-house

February 10, 2017

Conway apologized to Trump for promoting Ivanka brand: report

Source: The Hill

White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway apologized to President Trump for promoting Ivanka Trump’s clothing line during a TV interview, CNN reported Friday.

Trump reportedly reaffirmed his support for the senior aide, backing up Conway’s claim that the president was behind her “100 percent.” A source also told CNN that Trump “hated” the word “counseled” to describe how the White House handled Conway after her comments.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said during his daily briefing Thursday that Conway had been “counseled” in the wake of her remarks about Ivanka Trump’s brand. He didn’t not offer any details about the nature of the discussion or who spoke with Conway.

Conway tweeted early Friday that "POTUS supports me, and millions of Americans support him & his agenda."

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/318886-kellyanne-conway-apologized-to-donald-trump-for-comments-promoting

February 10, 2017

Hundreds of thousands protest Trump in Iran

Source: The Hill

Hundreds of thousands of Iranian demonstrators gathered to protest President Trump in Tehran on Friday, while celebrating the anniversary of the nation's 1979 Islamic Revolution.

According to Reuters, Iran's state television reported that the crowed gathered to pledge their allegiance to the clerical establishment in opposition to Trump's administration stating that U.S. put Iran "on notice."

"America and Trump cannot do a damn thing. We are ready to sacrifice our lives for our leader [Ayatollah Ali Khamenei]," an Iranian man told state television, according to the news source.

According to the report, the crowd chanted "Death to America" while carrying effigies an banners of Trump.

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/news/318887-hundreds-of-thousands-protest-trump-in-iran

February 9, 2017

Craig Fugate quietly leaves FEMA post

Source: Tampa Bay Times

WASHINGTON - Craig Fugate was never one to call attention to himself, so it's fitting that tenure as the nation's disaster response chief ended without fanfare.

Fugate resgined as FEMA administrator just before President Trump took office, a routine move for political appoinees. The acting head is Robert Fenton.

"I'm a Gator," Fugate told the Tampa Bay Times in 2011. "As soon as the president says I am done, I will be on the way back home as fast as I can get in my vehicle and crank the ignition."

Fugate ran the Florida Emergency Management Division from 2001 to 2009, a time known for a series of punishing hurricanes. President Obama appointed him in 2009 and by all accounts, Fugate ran FEMA well, even as Gov. Rick Scott sometimes complained about a lack of federal funds.

Read more: http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/craig-fugate-quietly-leaves-fema-post/2312688

February 9, 2017

Hensarling looks to place consumer agency under Trump's control

Source: The Hill

House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) is preparing a major overhaul to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that would place it squarely under President Trump’s authority, according to a memo.

Hensarling is overhauling his broad legislation to rework the Dodd-Frank financial reform law, putting place changes that would significantly curtail the CFPB’s powers and make it answer directly to the president.

According to a staff memo outlining changes to his legislation, Hensarling plans to replace prior calls to establish a bipartisan commission at the top of the CFPB. Instead, he wants to stick with the single director currently in place, but put that person directly under the president’s authority.

Republicans have called since the agency’s inception in 2010 for a bipartisan commission at its helm, but Hensarling now is pushing a change that would effectively allow Trump to dictate the direction of the CFPB for as long as he is in office.

Read more: http://thehill.com/policy/finance/318758-hensarling-looks-to-place-consumer-agency-under-trumps-control