Wednesday, January 10, 2018
The former British spy who compiled a dossier of allegations about Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and Russia brought the document to the FBI in July 2016 because he was worried about “whether a political candidate was being blackmailed,” according to a congressional interview transcript released Tuesday. California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, revealed the transcript from an August closed-door interview with Glenn Simpson, a co-founder of the political opposition research firm Fusion GPS. The firm commissioned the dossier, which was initially paid for by a conservative website and then later by Democrats, including Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.
The Trump administration said Tuesday it would not allow oil drilling off the coast of Florida, abruptly reversing course under pressure from Republican Gov. Rick Scott. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said after a brief meeting with Scott at the Tallahassee airport that drilling would be “off the table” when it comes to waters in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean off Florida.
President Winfrey? No way, says Trump. “I’ll beat Oprah,” the president declared flatly at a White House meeting Tuesday – though he quickly added, “I don’t think she’s going to run.” Asked about all the presidential speculation suddenly swirling around Winfrey, the typically pugilistic Trump steered clear of nasty nicknames and colorful insults while sizing up such a potential celebrity showdown.
Trump’s administration is aiming to curb the number of veteran suicides by improving mental health treatment for the high-risk group. Trump signed an executive order Tuesday directing the secretaries of defense, homeland security and veterans affairs to develop a plan to provide “seamless” access to mental health and suicide prevention resources for 12 months for members leaving the armed forces.
Trump is getting his first medical checkup since taking office, a head-to-toe exam Friday as questions swirl about the health and fitness of the oldest person ever elected to the nation’s highest office. In advance, the 71-year-old president has pushed back vigorously against suggestions he’s mentally unfit, declaring himself “a very stable genius.”