Thursday, March 8, 2018

DAILY BELLWETHER 03/08/2018 PRESIDENT TRUMP CONSIDERING TARIFF EXEMPTIONS FOR CANADA & MEXICO

Trump Considering Tariff Exemptions for Canada, Mexico

The White House opened the door Wednesday to exempting Canada and Mexico from the proposed tariffs on steel and aluminum, the first pullback from a plan that critics say will spark a trade war. Much of the pressure to carve out Canada from President Trump’s big tariffs came from within the U.S. steel industry, which shares ownership in steel mills across the Great White North and reaps hefty profits from cross-border trade. A tariff exemption for Canada, Mexico and possibly other countries could help tamp down fears about a trade war, but it definitely promises to further boost profits for U.S. steel companies, ... Read More

Ryan Says Gas Tax Hike Won't Happen

Ryan Says Gas Tax Hike Won't Happen

House Speaker Paul Ryan squashed any talk of raising the gas tax Wednesday, saying it would reverse the benefits of the recent tax reform law. According to The Hill, Ryan joined Americans for Prosperity for a phone call on tax reform that was open to the public. "Well, we're not going to raise gas taxes, so I don't foresee that as a problem," Ryan said. "We're just not going to do that here. "There are some people who are talking about ... Read More

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Jeff Flake’s DACA Bill Gives
‘Dreamers’ Obamacare, CBO Says

Jeff Flake’s DACA Bill Gives ‘Dreamers’ Obamacare, CBO Says

Sen. Jeff Flake’s bill to enshrine the DACA program in law would also make the illegal immigrant “Dreamers” eligible for Obamacare — including perhaps hundreds of millions of dollars in annual taxpayer subsidies to buy health plans, Congressional scorekeepers said this week. Mr. Flake, Arizona Republican, tried to power his bill through the Senate on Tuesday, but was blocked by another senator. His bill would offer those who qualified for the original DACA program a new, three-year legal status, which would include permission to work in the country legally, in exchange for $7 billion — or about three year’s worth of funding — for President Trump’s planned border wall. ... Read More

VA Medical Center Plagued by Dirty Equipment,
Shortages under Shulkin’s Watch

VA Medical Center Plagued by Dirty Equipment, Shortages under Shulkin’s Watch

Veterans Affairs Secretary David J. Shulkin announced a sweeping overhaul of senior leadership at about 20 troubled VA hospitals Wednesday on the heels of a watchdog report blaming top agency officials — including Mr. Shulkin — for failing to fix dangerous problems at the Washington D.C. VA Medical Center. The restructuring was announced hours after the VA’s inspector general issued a report that found Mr. Shulkin, while serving as the VA’s undersecretary of health in the Obama administration, took no action to fix chronic problems of dirty syringes and equipment shortages at the medical center. The report found “failed leadership” and a “climate of complacency” at the agency. ... Read More

Ben Carson Just Made Two Big Changes To The Obama
Era HUD Statement

Ben Carson Just Made Two Big Changes To The Obama Era HUD Statement

The Department of Housing and Urban Development decided to scrap the words “inclusive” and “discrimination-free” from its official mission statement, according to a memo obtained by HuffPost. A March 5 memo passed out to HUD staff announced the changes to the department’s mission statement, HuffPost reported Tuesday. “HUD’s mission is to ensure Americans have access to fair, affordable housing and opportunities to achieve self-sufficiency, thereby strengthening our communities and nation,” the new mission statement reads. The previous mission statement under former President Barack Obama’s administration called for focusing on creating “inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination.” ... Read More

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