Section: TPM (USA)
Trump’s Chat With Japan’s First Lady: Lost In Translation Or A Snub?
WASHINGTON (AP) — In the world of diplomacy, some things are bound to get lost in translation. President Donald Trump, who sat next to Japan’s first lady during a dinner at a recent international summit, says Akie Abe can’t muster even a “hello” in English. In fact, she can handle a basic conversation in English, according to two...
Trump’s Lawyers Are Fixated On Scope Of Mueller’s Probe. Here’s What That Is
Money laundering. Targeting voters with fake news articles. Undisclosed lobbying on behalf of foreign interests. A meeting between the President’s oldest son and a Kremlin-linked lawyer. Much to Donald Trump’s chagrin, what started as a federal probe into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election has snowballed into a...
Trump’s New Ukraine Envoy To Make First Trip To Embattled East
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration’s new special representative for Ukraine negotiations is making his first trip to embattled eastern Ukraine. The State Department says Kurt Volker departs Friday for eastern Ukraine, where he’ll meet with people “affected by Russian aggression.” Over several days, Volker will also meet with...
Trump’s Ex-Biz Associate Is A ‘Pop Star.’ In Russia, That Gives Him A Lot Of Power
As the lights went down on a stage full of international beauty queens at the 2013 Miss Universe pageant, former Spice Girl Mel B and NBC anchor Thomas Roberts announced a musical performer recognizable to few outside of Russia and Azerbaijan. The show’s bookings weren’t always A-listers, but they were often respectable: Gavin DeGraw,...
Exxon Fined $2 Million For Sanctions Breach When Tillerson Was CEO
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Treasury Department says it is slapping Exxon Mobil Corp. with a $2 million fine for violating Russia sanctions while Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was the oil company’s CEO. The U.S. says Exxon violated the sanctions in May 2014 when two subsidiaries signed deals with Igor Sechin. Sechin is the chairman of Russian...
Trump’s Embrace Of Russia At Odds With National Security, Foreign Policy Advisers
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s persistent overtures toward Russia are placing him increasingly at odds with his national security and foreign policy advisers, who have long urged a more cautious approach to dealing with the foreign adversary. The uneasy dynamic between the president and top aides has been exacerbated by the...
NYT: Manafort Owed Pro-Russia Interests Millions Before Joining Trump Team
Paul Manafort owed millions of dollars to pro-Russia interests before he became President Donald Trump’s campaign chairman last year, the New York Times reported late Wednesday. According to the New York Times report, which cited financial records filed in Cyprus in 2016, Manafort — who kept bank accounts in the low tax jurisdiction — owed...
Trump Jr., Manafort To Testify Before Senate Panel Next Week
President Donald Trump’s eldest son and former campaign chairman are slated to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee next week. Donald Trump Jr. and Paul Manafort are among the big-ticket names now expected at a July 26 hearing as part of that panel’s probe into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and the foreign...
Separatists Proclaim New State To Replace All Of Ukraine
MOSCOW (AP) — Separatists in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday proclaimed a new state that aspires to include not only the areas they control but also the rest of the country. But Russia, their chief backer, sought to play down the announcement, saying it was merely part of public discussion. The surprise announcement in the rebel stronghold of Donetsk...
Report: NY Prosecutors Issue New Subpoena For Manafort Bank Records
New York prosecutors have issued a subpoena seeking bank records from former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort related to real estate loans of up to $16 million, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday. The Manhattan District Attorney’s office has ordered the Federal Savings Bank, a small Chicago bank whose loans to Manafort make up...
