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President Trump is now clear: he will refuse to cooperate with White House Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election if he is subpoenaed.
President Donald Trump told White House Counsel Don McGahn months ago that he wanted to move forward with prosecuting former FBI Director James Comey and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Before his departure from the Trump Administration, McGahn warned the President of the potential political consequences of such action, including impeachment proceedings.
In December 1619, 38 English settlers traveled up the James River through its many tributaries and landed at “Berkeley Hundred,” an 8,000-acre swath of farmland, ending the treacherous trip in remembrance and prayer, establishing the first Thanksgiving in Virginia.
Governor Ralph Northam said recently that he wants to target “spiraling healthcare costs,” as Medicaid expansion went into effect earlier this year. Interestingly, he mentioned that Senate Bill 964, introduced by State Senator Glen Sturtevant (R-Richmond), a bill the governor vetoed in May, is “certainly something we can put on the table,” going against the Democratic agenda.
The rise in cost follows increases in previous years as additional revenue is needed to finance the construction of the second phase of the Metro rail system’s Silver Line that will extend to Ashburn, going through Dulles International Airport.
Apart from speaking briefly on arms reduction agreements between the U.S. and the Russian Federation, Vice President Mike Pence warned Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop meddling in U.S. elections, giving the authoritarian leader a grim stare down.
The legislation that may be coming in 2019 follows a study created by a General Assembly subcommittee to investigate election laws and reform that could be made to make Virginia elections run more smoothly, add transparency, and maximize voter participation.
With Altria Group quietly pushing language in the state budget to investigate the health effects of new technology for tobacco inhalation products, the 14-member bipartisan, bicameral panel is preparing to ask the General Assembly to form a “working group” to study new products in the tobacco industry as more adolescents buy items that use liquid tobacco or liquid nicotine for “vaping,” raising concerns about companies marketing towards youths.
Although the moderate Democrat bulwark of less than two dozen lawmakers seems to be an easy hurdle to clear for Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who has led the caucus for 16 years, the speaker-to-be needs 218 votes out of the the now 233-strong Democratic majority. Therefore, she can only afford to lose 15, placing the California Democrat’s bid to reclaim the congressional gavel in serious jeopardy.
During an interview with Fox News host Chris Wallace on Sunday, when asked about his controversial pick of Matt Whitaker as acting attorney general and his previous commentary about the White House ending the Mueller probe, President Trump said that “It’s going to be up to him” and that “I really believe he’s going to do what’s right,” adding the “witch hunt” has gone on far too long. He also shut the door on any chance that he will sit down for an interview with the special counsel before the investigation into Russian collusion in the 2016 presidential race is wrapped up.
