Politics

Content originally published at iBankCoin.com

Jared Kushner attorney Jamie Gorelick announced late last week that she will be disengaging from all things Russia when it comes to the President's son-in-law and advisor, and will instead focus on 'wrapping up' she said she was originally hired to do - a move which makes sense in light of Kushner's announcement today that he will testify in front of congress next Monday. In Gorelick's place, veteran criminal defense attorney Abbe Lowell will be handling responsibilities related to the Russia investigation.

So much for NATO-alliance members working for the common good.

When you're a government agency, asking for a tax increase is always a hassle. As Ryan McMaken notes, for the most part, taxpayers don't like taxes, and if asked if they want to pay more, they're likely to often say "no." Moreover, when public officials pass tax increases, they may face the wrath of taxpayers at the ballot box. For this reason, governments are always looking for ways to get revenue without having to use tax revenue.

Having seemingly just been handed a stinging defeat on Obamacare, the Trump administration is desperate to deliver some 'wins' for the people who voted him into office.  After all, he did promise voters "so much winning that you'll get tired of winning."

As the New York Times points out today, one such win could come in the form of recent advances on the construction of that "physically imposing" yet "aesthetically pleasing" border wall that was a cornerstone of Trump's campaign last year.

In what may be one of the most significant foreign policy decisions of his first year in office, Trump is shutting down the CIA's covert program to arm rebels fighting the Syrian government. This would constitute a monumental shift in terms of US priorities in Syria which throughout most of the 6-year long war have focused on removing Bashar al-Assad. The Washington Post reports: