Trump’s DACA announcement coming Tuesday

Trump’s DACA announcement coming Tuesday

WASHINGTON

The White House says President Donald Trump will announce a decision Tuesday on the fate of hundreds of thousands of young immigrants who were brought into the country illegally as children – immigrants the president is calling “terrific” and says he loves.

“We love the dreamers, we love everybody,” Trump told reporters Friday, using a shorthand term for the nearly 800,000 young people who were given a reprieve from deportation and temporary work permits under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program created by the Obama administration.

Asked what he would say to young immigrants who are awaiting his move, scared about their fate, he replied: “I think the dreamers are terrific.”

AP source: Mueller team has draft letter on Comey firing

WASHINGTON

Special counsel Robert Mueller’s team of investigators is in possession of a letter drafted by President Donald Trump and an aide, but never sent, that lays out a rationale for firing FBI Director James Comey, according to a person familiar with the investigation.

The letter was written in the days before the May 9 firing of Comey, but was held after objections from the president’s lawyer and others, according to two other people familiar with the process who were not authorized to discuss it publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

On that day, the White House released a different letter announcing Comey’s firing, one signed by Deputy Attorney General Attorney Rod Rosenstein that cited the handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation as a basis for Comey’s dismissal.

The earlier letter could serve as key evidence to Mueller’s team, which is now investigating whether Trump fired Comey to impede the FBI investigation into his campaign associates’ ties to Russia.

Russia lashes out after Trump orders posts to be closed

MOSCOW

Russia accused the United States on Friday of a “gross violation of international law” after the Trump administration gave Moscow two days to shutter diplomatic outposts in San Francisco and other American cities.

As Russian diplomats rushed to meet the Saturday deadline, black smoke was seen billowing out of the chimney at the San Francisco consulate, one of three Russian facilities being forcibly closed. Firefighters, who were turned away by Russian officials when they responded to the scene, said the Russians were burning something in their fireplace.

US to auction drilling rights near national monument

SALT LAKE CITY

Federal land managers said Friday they will allow drilling for publicly owned oil and gas near Dinosaur National Monument in northeastern Utah despite concerns about disrupting the area.

The Bureau of Land Management announced plans to offer drilling rights on about 145 square miles in a December online auction.

The agency cited President Donald Trump’s goal of increasing domestic energy production.

In a news release, officials said energy companies would be required to take steps to protect air and water quality.

Associated Press