Dec 6, 2018

Saudi lobbyists spent $270,000 at Trump Hotel in December 2016

Photo: Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

A month before President Trump was inaugurated, lobbyists funded by the Saudi government spent more than $270,000 renting rooms at the Trump International Hotel as part of an initiative to send groups of veterans to Capitol Hill to lobby on its behalf, the Washington Post reports.

The big picture: Veterans who participated in the "fly-in" trip were offered free rooms and dinners at the luxury hotel before heading to the Hill to meet with lawmakers, where they claimed a law alleging the Saudi government bore some blame for 9/11 would pave the way for retaliation from other countries. Lobbyists said they chose the Trump hotel because it offered a discount for veterans, but the case is nonetheless being used in an emoluments lawsuit that accuses Trump of profiting off the presidency.

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Axios

Updated 56 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 4 p.m. ET: 19,720,406 — Total deaths: 728,176 — Total recoveries — 11,970,444 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 4 p.m. ET: 5,032,299 — Total deaths: 162,751 — Total recoveries: 1,643,118 — Total tests: 61,080,587 — Map.
Politics: Pelosi says states don't have the funds to comply with Trump's executive order on unemployment — Mnuchin says Trump executive orders were cleared by Justice Department.
Public health: Ex-FDA head: U.S. will "definitely" see 200,000 to 300,000 virus deaths by end of 2020 — Fauci says chances are "not great" that COVID-19 vaccine will be 98% effective.
Schools: Nine test positive at Georgia school where photo showing packed hallway went viral — How back-to-school is playing out in the South as coronavirus rages on.

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Rashaan Ayesh

1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Poll shows Biden leading Trump in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania

Photo: Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images

Joe Biden leads President Trump 48% to 42% in Wisconsin and 49% to 43% in Pennsylvania, according to the latest CBS/YouGov Battleground Tracker poll.

Why it matters: Trump's surprise wins in the two states, where many voters broke his way after deciding the week before the election, helped propel him to an Electoral College victory over Hillary Clinton. Trump won Wisconsin with 47% of the vote and Pennsylvania with 48% in 2016, according to the New York Times.

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Fadel Allassan

3 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Blumenthal calls classified briefing on Russian interference "absolutely chilling"

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D- Conn.) called on the Trump administration to declassify intelligence detailing Russian efforts to influence the 2020 elections, telling MSNBC on Sunday that the classified briefing lawmakers received about the Kremlin's activities last week was "absolutely chilling."

The big picture: National Counterintelligence and Security Center Director William Evanina said in a statement Friday that the Russian government is "using a range of measures" to "denigrate" Joe Biden ahead of the election. China and Iran would prefer that Trump is defeated, according to Evanina.