Donald Trump’s top aides today discuss whether the U.S. should remain part of the Paris Climate accord. Environmental and other groups gather outside the San Francisco office of Senator Dianne Feinstein  to urge her to hold the line on violations of environmental and civil rights policies that Republicans plan to tuck into a must-pass … Continued


  Vice President Mike Pence travels to the demilitarized zone between North and South Korean and warns the  North that all options are on the table — a veiled warning of a possible military strike. Turkish President  Erdogan accuses European election monitors of having a “crusaders mentality” in the aftermath of the narrow and disputed win … Continued


North Korea’s vice foreign minister warns that his country is ready to launch a pre-emptive strike if the U.S. shows any sign of military aggression. The top U.S. military official in Afghanistan says the attack on a tunnel complex in remote eastern Afghanistan with the largest non-nuclear weapon ever used in combat by the U.S. military … Continued


Secretary of State Rex Tillerson holds Moscow talks, dominated by Syria,  with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. At the United Nations Security Council, Russia is set to veto a resolution last week’s chemical attack in Syria’s Idlib province. Drought and war are pushing South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen and Nigeria to the … Continued


Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrives in Moscow for what are expected to be tough talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the issue of Syria. Russian President Vladimir Putin warns of “false flag” incidents that will seek to blame Syria for future chemical weapons attacks. North Korea is vowing a tough response to any military … Continued


  On the eve of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s visit to Russia, G-7 foreign ministers meet in Italy for talks dominated by the situation in Syria. President Donald Trump praises  Neil Gorsuch during a White House swearing-in ceremony for the nation’s 113th Supreme Court justice. Public interest groups warn against President Trump’s nominee to head … Continued


President Donald Trump orders the first ever direct U.S. military strike on the Syrian government overnight. The U.N. Security Council debates the strike. The U.S. Senate confirms Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch. He’ll be sworn into office on Monday. California lawmakers have approved Governor Jerry Brown’s plan to raise gas and vehicle taxes to generate … Continued


Republican Senators employ the “nuclear option” in a party line vote to change filibuster rules so a vote to proceed to confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch can proceed with a simple majority, instead of the 60 vote filibuster margin. House Intelligence Committee Chair Devin Nunes recuses himself from leading the committee probe into … Continued


President Donald Trump declares that the deadly chemical attack in Syria crossed “many, many lines” as his U.N. envoy Nikki Haley suggests the U.S. might take unspecified unilateral action. Oregon Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley  holds the Senate floor through the night and into the  morning in a 15 hour talk-a-thon highlighting his party’s opposition to  Donald … Continued