USA

Tensions rise in House Intelligence Committee probe

WASHINGTON — Tensions between the two leaders of the House investigation into links between the Trump campaign and Russia escalated Friday as the committee announced it would soon question President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman. Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, told reporters at a news conference that former Trump campaign […]

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International, USA

Blackstone sells stake in SeaWorld to Chinese firm

ORLANDO, Fla. — Investment firm Blackstone Group has sold its 21 percent stake in SeaWorld to a Chinese company. The deal with Zhonghong Group gives SeaWorld a path into the growing Chinese tourism market and a partner with experience in theme-park development there. Zhonghong Group will buy the stock at $23 per share, Orlando-based SeaWorld

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International, San Diego County, The World We Share, USA

Rasmea Odeh, convicted terrorist, agrees to leave U.S. in exchange for no jail time

Convicted Palestinian terrorist Rasmea Yousef Odeh, an organizer of a Day Without a Woman, has agreed to leave the country in exchange for no jail time for failing to disclose the conviction on her U.S. visa application. Odeh, a resident of Chicago who has lived in the U.S. for about 20 years, plans to plead

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Middle East, USA

Jim Himes, Democrat: Paul Ryan controls fate of House intel chairman

A Democratic member of the House Intelligence Committee stopped short of calling for Rep. Devin Nunes to be stripped of his chairmanship over the Republican’s decision to go public with allegations that communications from the Trump transition team were inadvertently intercepted by U.S. spy agencies before sharing the information with Democrats on the panel. Rep.

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International, USA

House GOP postpones vote on health care

WASHINGTON — House GOP leaders postponed a much-anticipated vote Thursday on legislation to overhaul the Affordable Care Act amid a Republican revolt that raised doubts about the fate of the measure as well as President Donald Trump’s self-proclaimed negotiating skills. After initially vowing to continue talks through the night, a frustrated White House told a

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Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

House intelligence chair partially backs off claim about surveillance of Trump team

WASHINGTON — The head of the House Intelligence Committee partially backed away from his dramatic claim that officials in President Donald Trump’s transition team had been subjects of surveillance by U.S. intelligence agencies, with an aide saying that Chairman Devin Nunes did not know “for sure.” On Wednesday, Nunes, R-Calif., said that names of transition

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International, USA

Suspect in bomb threats may have been paid to harass JCCs

A teenager with dual US-Israeli citizenship who allegedly made hundreds of false bomb threats over the years to Jewish community centers around the world may have been paid for foreign entities to do so, Channel 2 reported Thursday night. The suspect, a resident of the southern coastal city of Ashkelon, was arrested by Israeli authorities

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International, Middle East, USA

Rick Perry questions presidential election results — at his alma mater

AUSTIN, Texas — Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry thinks the president stole the election. No, he’s not talking about President Donald Trump, Perry’s new boss as the former governor leads the Energy Department. He’s talking about Bobby Brooks, a kid from Belton who just was elected student body president at Perry’s alma mater Texas A&M

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Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

No conflict for President Trump in leasing hotel from government, agency says

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump can continue to lease a downtown Washington hotel from the federal government, a federal agency has decided, determining that the unprecedented arrangement does not present a conflict. The Trump organization has changed the lease to prevent the president from receiving any of the proceeds from hotel operations, a contracting officer

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USA

Nunes trips on a high wire as chair of House intelligence panel, and Democrats pounce

WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes seemed to set his partisan gloves aside when he stepped into the national ring as the new chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in 2015. Now, upending the committee’s most politically sensitive investigation, the 43-year-old California Republican has antagonized the panel’s Democrats, who until now have

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USA

Bipartisan bill would oppose UNHRC on BDS

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) —U.S. Representatives Peter J. Roskam (R-IL), Co-Chair of the GOP Israel Caucus, and Juan Vargas (D-CA) introduced the Israel Anti-Boycott Act, legislation to further combat the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Movement. In the United States Senate, a companion bill was introduced by U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Ben Cardin (D-MD).

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International, USA

Senate confirms Friedman as US ambassador to Israel

Washington (dpa) – The Senate confirmed US President Donald Trump’s choice to serve as ambassador to Israel on Thursday. The upper chamber approved David Friedman 52-46 to the post. Friedman advised Trump throughout his presidential campaign and has taken a hard-line position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, going after US Jewish groups who support a two-state

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Middle East, USA