The Hill Articles: October 26, 2017

Air Force retracts tweets claiming that Santa Claus isn’t real Poll: Number of voters who consider kneeling during anthem appropriate ticks up Schumer blocking two Trump trade nominees Feinstein blasts ‘immoral travesty’ after immigration agents detain girl with cerebral palsy Blumenthal: Trump-tied data firm reaching out to WikiLeaks ‘significant’ Woman goes on the record alleging Halperin sexual harassment Car drives into immigration protesters outside GOP lawmaker’s office Armed Services Dem: Pentagon not forthcoming about Niger attack 19 sens question EPA methodology behind Clean Power Plan repeal Tillerson eliminates key State Department sanctions office: report Third woman says she was groped by George H.W. Bush Intel Dem: What’s in dossier more important than who paid for it US appoints new chief for embassy in Cuba Overnight Tech: Twitter bans ads from Russian media | Dem says she was targeted by Russian bot | House Judiciary to hold hearing on net neutrality Treasury calls for looser federal oversight of insurance companies Publisher cancels Mark Halperin’s upcoming book after sexual harassment allegations UN: Assad government responsible for April sarin gas attack US wins trade case over ‘dolphin safe’ tuna labeling Overnight Defense: McCain sees ‘progress’ after Niger briefing | Second US military team was near ambush | Pentagon begins pulling back ships from Puerto Rico Conway: The best way to stop people dying from drug abuse is by ‘not starting in the first place’ Pentagon: Second U.S. military team on the ground near Niger ambush Overnight Cybersecurity: Top Dems seek data from GOP analytics firms | Georgia election server wiped after lawsuit | Corker says Trump officials implementing Russia sanctions Rosenstein: Americans are too ‘savvy’ to fall for Russian ads Democrats dig for Russian connection and uncover environmentalists Congressman who befriended JFK: Document release won’t stop theories Advocates pan Trump effort on opioid crisis Trump delays release of some Kennedy files pending review GOP Senate hopeful rips McConnell for ‘smearing’ conservatives Dem mega-donor Steyer runs ads calling on Hoyer to support impeaching Trump Christie: Trump’s opioid declaration ‘exactly what we asked for’ John Roberts has tough job of keeping faith in Supreme Court Corker: Trump officials moving forward with delayed Russia sanctions House Republicans growing impatient with Russia probe Charge drivers by the mile, not the gallon, to rebuild roads Overnight Health Care: Trump says this generation can end opioid epidemic | Overdose deaths double over decade | Dems seek money to address crisis Overnight Energy: House panels open probes into Whitefish power deal with Puerto Rico Dallas Morning News: Cornyn ‘betrays’ GOP by backing Roy Moore Yelp, Apple and PayPal press Supreme Court to rule against LGBT discrimination Trump environmental pick once said Texas would be ‘better off’ as an independent republic Hollywood needs to put adults back in charge after the Weinstein scandal American Legion calls on Trump to veto bill making it tougher to sue banks Top House Dems ask Trump data firms if they communicated with Russians Pentagon: Aircraft carriers heading to Korean Peninsula not in response to threats Overnight Regulation: Trump declares opioids a public health emergency | Mark Kelly lobbied Scalise on guns | Warren rips plans to ease bank oversight | Coal industry advocate tapped for mining regulator Michael Steele: Trump’s feud between Flake and others is personal, not political Tillerson: ‘Reign of the Assad family is coming to an end’ in Syria Trump signs $36.5B disaster relief package Budget vote raises red flag for GOP on tax reform Apple asks SEC to exclude shareholder diversity proposal Bipartisan groups call on DOJ to scrutinize AT&T-Time Warner merger McCain marks 50th anniversary of Vietnam capture CVS in talks to buy Aetna for $66 billion: report Overnight Finance: House adopts Senate budget, taking step to tax reform | GOP worries Trump feuds will endanger tax plan | Trump talks NAFTA withdrawal with senators | Treasury calls for looser oversight of insurers Amazon gets pharmacy licenses in at least 12 states: report Trump’s tax plan and the certainty of Democratic resistance Rapid flurry of new drug pricing leaves no room for public debate GOP tax plan declares war on everyone who isn’t a millionaire House panels investigating $300M Puerto Rico power grid contract Fox’s Ingraham: ‘If I were a liberal, I would watch Rachel Maddow’ America walks tightrope over conflicts in Iraq and Turkey Rubio unveils bill to strengthen security at Cuban airports HBO drops Mark Halperin project after sexual harassment allegations Dems yearn for days of GOP deficit hawks Podesta, Wasserman Schultz told Senate Intel they didn’t know of dossier funding: report Trump’s Senate oversight holiday must end Bump stock ban fails to pass Illinois House Iraqi forces launch offensive on last ISIS stronghold in country Tillerson jokes: Some days I feel like I need to ‘curl up in a ball’ Cornyn: Senate could work Thanksgiving to pass tax plan To get lights back on, Puerto Rico must boost transparency ‘The Wire’ star: Opioids treated differently from crack because they affect white people GOP senators ask Trump for meeting on biofuels mandate Melania Trump commits to fighting opioid crisis John Lewis to Clinton: ‘Happy Birthday, Madame President’ Dems ask for investigation into Whitefish Energy deal For police, first responder communications network is much needed good news Hurricane Maria caused largest-ever US blackout New Treasury sanctions target North Korean military, labor camps House Judiciary to hold hearing on net neutrality, antitrust issues Trump talks NAFTA withdrawal with GOP senators Trump Jr. trolls Clinton on her birthday This administration is hell-bent on attacking women’s health Trump says this can be generation that ends opioid epidemic Sessions accuses judges of overreach in Heritage address Democrat criticizes ‘distraction campaign’ by House Intel chairman Pentagon begins pull back of unneeded assets from Puerto Rico Twitter didn’t tell Senate Intel about RT pitch to buy election ads McCain pleased at ‘progress’ with Pentagon after Niger briefing CNN host Don Lemon files police report over white nationalist Twitter death threat Mitch McConnell and John Cornyn are screwing the Republican Party No laughing matter: Lift the budget caps and support our national defense NH Dems say money must be provided for opioid declaration Fractures emerging on Senate panel’s Russia probe Missouri college requiring freshmen to take patriotism class: report Ryan: FBI will hand over documents related to Trump-Russia dossier Cutting work-study program only punishes students in need WATCH: Combat vet rep calls out lawmakers ‘claiming ignorance’ of troops in Africa  McCain to address Naval Academy on leadership and service to US Pence to visit ICBM base Canada wakes up to immigration reality after ‘refugees welcome’ dream Flake says he won’t back Roy Moore, citing Muslim remark Watch live: Trump declares opioid crisis a public health emergency Warren op-ed: Don’t surrender oversight of big banks Maxine Waters demands info on Russia-linked Twitter accounts she says targeted her McAfee stops allowing governments to review source code GOP chairman: No appetite for gas tax hike now in House GAO to investigate Trump’s voter fraud commission Ryan to GOP: Stop calling each other names If Flake and Corker mean what they say, they should quit today Northam hits back at Trump: ‘Don’t talk to me about showing up’ The Hill’s 12:30 Report Temporary status for immigrants shouldn’t mean permanent residency Leadership vacuum in the White House Terror designation for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards a necessary first step O’Reilly dropped by literary agency Georgia election server wiped days after lawsuit House to vote on funding for Children’s Health Insurance Program next week Trump celebrates budget passing 5 reasons why Trump should declare the opioid crisis a national emergency Overdose deaths have doubled in a decade Brady announces tax bill markup for Nov. 6 DNC’s Perez says he learned about Trump dossier ‘a few days ago’ Dem senator calls on Congress to oppose Trump’s pick for NASA chief ACLU pans ICE plans to expand immigration detention centers Jeff Flake’s clarion call: Republicans must hold Trump accountable House votes to impose non-nuclear sanctions on Iran Trump nominates mining engineer to be top federal coal mine regulator Time cover shows Trump Cabinet as wrecking balls ‘dismantling government as we know it’ Trump picks interim replacement to lead IRS US pressing Niger to allow armed drones: report Mnuchin’s right: China’s not manipulating its currency House adopts Senate budget, takes step toward tax reform Twitter banning ads from Russia-funded media outlets Trump warns: Don’t underestimate ‘UNITY’ of GOP Texas Dems should draft Adm. McRaven for governor DOJ settles Tea Party groups’ lawsuits over IRS scrutiny Poll: Majority of military officers view Trump unfavorably Poll: Trump approval at 41 percent in Indiana Google to test self-driving cars in Michigan’s winter conditions Trump has spent $1.75 million on White House redecorations Trump: Gillespie ‘will be a great governor’ GOP lawmaker spars with CNN reporter over Charlottesville conspiracy theories Activists denied permit for 45-foot-tall nude female statue on National Mall: report Colbert compares Trump to ‘a crazy old guy yelling on his front lawn’ Meet the people hurt by Congress’s budget EPA head cites ‘unprecedented’ threats to justify security Poll: Key Senate race in Florida tied GOP, welcome to the resistance GOP senator: ‘Shared goals and areas of agreement’ will unite Republicans Support for death penalty at lowest level in 45 years Trump on Chinese president: ‘Some people might call him the king of China’ The unseen costs of dethroning ‘rocket man’ Private prison company moves annual conference to Trump golf course Sessions threatened to quit if Trump deported Chinese dissident: report Scarborough: Trump is not a civil man Kimmel mocks Trump on standing ovations: ‘If only his mother had hugged him’ RT editor says Twitter pitched outlet on buying election ads Puerto Rico utility expected to get emergency manager after outcry over contract to tiny Montana company: report Grassley intensifying Russia probe: report Immigration agents detain girl with cerebral palsy after surgery: report States are laboratories for evidence-based policymaking Graham, Booker to testify as character witnesses for Menendez Former McConnell aide defends labeling Bannon a ‘white supremacist’ White House: Trump to declare opioid crisis a public health emergency Sasse: Alabama Senate race looks ‘crappy to me’ Self-driving legislation will help pave a path to saving lives Ronan Farrow working on Weinstein follow-up: report Tillerson rejects reports of low morale at State Dept: ‘I walk the halls, people smile’ Hannity slams Maddow, Megyn Kelly: ‘Are you proud of that reporting?’ Andrea Mitchell on George HW Bush: ‘Someone should be ashamed and it isn’t ’41’ Pence to visit Israel, Egypt: report Sen. Rand Paul: Let’s pass big and bold tax cuts now! Seth Meyers mocks poll that shows majority of Dems have favorable view of Bush Fallon: ‘Standing ovations’ for Trump were ‘people getting up to leave’ NBC’s Mark Halperin accused of sexual harassment by five women Frederica Wilson not in Washington due to threats: report Former GOP senator: Trump has a personality disorder Whitefish Energy apologizes after arguing with San Juan mayor Senate budget just the latest attack on seniors Trump will declare opioid crisis a public health emergency: reports This is the best first step to stop Russian meddling in our politics Jeff Flake knows the GOP is in trouble, and so does the base Online lenders can get needed credit to small businesses Trump feuds endangering tax reform Mark Kelly personally lobbied Rep. Steve Scalise on guns Congress should encourage, not eliminate, competition in spaceflight Mulvaney: Tax plan is 45 percent Cohn, 45 percent Mnuchin, 10 percent me