{"articles":[{"id":206,"title":"Trump Plans to Keep Comey As FBI Director and More In Politics Today","html_content":"

by Causes | 3.20.17

It’s difficult to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in this country and to break through the clutter, so we’re here to make it easier. Here’s what we at Countable are reading today:

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1. \"Trump to keep Comey as F.B.I. director\"

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\"The F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, told his top agents from around the country that he had been asked by President Trump to stay on the job running the federal government’s top law enforcement agency, according to people familiar with the matter. A decision to retain Mr. Comey would spare the president another potentially bruising confirmation battle. It also would keep Mr. Comey at the center of the F.B.I.’s investigation into several Trump associates and their potential ties with the Russian government.\"

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\"Retaining Mr. Comey could also help calm the bureau’s work force, which has been rattled after a tumultuous few months in which the F.B.I. and the director himself were sharply criticized for moves that many felt influenced the outcome of the presidential election.\"

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Read more at the New York Times.

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2. \"WH: Trump believes millions voted illegally\"

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\"President Trump stands by his belief that millions of people voted illegally in the 2016 presidential election, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Tuesday. The spokesman doubled down on the false claim after the president raised it Monday night during a reception with congressional leaders. “The president does believe that. He has stated that before,\" Spicer told reporters at the daily press briefing on Tuesday afternoon.”

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\"Despite the explosive nature of Trump’s continued references to voter fraud, Spicer said the president has no interest in pursuing a formal investigation. \"No, I think he won very handily with 306 electoral votes, 32 states,\" the spokesman said. \"I think he is very comfortable with his win. … It’s a belief he maintains.\"”

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Read more at The Hill.

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3. \"Schumer, Democrats try to split Trump and Hill GOP over infrastructure\"

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\"Senate Democrats are offering President Donald Trump a $1 trillion proposal to upgrade the nation's aging infrastructure -- but he'd have to split with Republicans to get it.

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In their first major bid to force Trump's hand on a policy issue where the President's populism is at odds with spendthrift congressional GOP leadership, top Democrats unveiled their infrastructure package Tuesday.\"

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\"The issue could become an early test of whether Trump's willingness during the campaign to break with Republican leaders has carried into the White House -- or if he will show patience for GOP lawmakers through a lengthy legislative process and instead target Democrats.\"

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Read more at CNN.

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4. \"Trump backs controversial oil pipelines\"

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\"President Donald Trump has infuriated environmentalists by signing executive orders that support two controversial oil pipelines. The Obama administration in late 2015 halted Keystone, which would carry crude from Canada to Texas. The Army decided last year to explore other routes for the Dakota pipeline amid huge protests by Native Americans.\"

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\"On the campaign trail Trump often cited the Obama administration's reluctance to green-light the project as prima facie evidence of the Democratic Party's anti-business attitudes. Now, with the swipe of a pen, he's set make it much easier for the project to be completed - assuming the involved company still wants it.\"

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Read more at the BBC.

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5. \"Israel approves major expansion of West Bank settlements\"

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\"The Israeli government, emboldened by signs of support from the Trump administration, approved plans on Tuesday to build 2,500 new housing units in the West Bank, the largest such settlement expansion in years.\"

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\"The approval came days into the new U.S. administration, which has signaled it will shift policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. President Donald Trump had indicated in the past that he would ease U.S. pressure on Israel to limit settlements when he took office.\"

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Read more at the Wall Street Journal.

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— Erin Wright

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(Photo Credit: Girard at Large - Flickr / Creative Commons)

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