Politics

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:

Donald Trump Jr. and former Trump campaign chair, Paul Manafort, are set to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee in a public hearing next Wednesday, the committee announced.  The Senate judiciary committee hearing, entitled “Oversight of the Foreign Agents Registration Act and Attempts to Influence U.S. Elections: Lessons Learned from Current and Prior Administrations”, will take place on July 26.