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TRUMP DAY ONE UPDATE -- Who we hear is sitting close to the OVAL -- JACK LEW's new gig -- Playbook Interview: Suzanne Clark, No. 2 at the CHAMBER -- RICHARD HAASS' advice for Trump
Listen to Playbook in 90 Seconds http://bit.ly/2iVIDBb … Subscribe on iTunes http://apple.co/2eX6Eay … Visit the online home of Playbook http://politi.co/2f51JnfGood Thursday morning. DONALD TRUMP will be president of the United States by tomorrow afternoon. THE SHOCK OF THE DAY -- The incoming Trump administration is being so tight-lipped about their Day One executive actions that top figures of the GOP leadership have no idea what's coming. That's surprising, since they are the people who have been working on unwinding Obama's policies for years. TRUMP WORLD EXPECTS THE FOLLOWING EXECUTIVE ACTIONS: action to peel back Obama administration directives on health care; a unilateral move to pave the way to build the border wall with Mexico; codifying the five-year lobbying ban; and curbing some energy regulations implemented by Obama. Trump is expected to take action tomorrow and Monday.ALSO… The Trump team got some flak for saying that the hotels in town were filled -- they're not. But, luxe spots like the Ritz Carlton and Four Seasons are hopping. We heard Steve Wynn was spotted holding court at the Four Seasons Wednesday night. The Marriott Marquis on Massachusetts Avenue is also a top spot for people heading to the inauguration.WEST WING SCUTTLEBUTT -- Hope Hicks, Trump's strategic communications director, is increasingly seen as a prime gateway to the next president. Hicks has been with Trump for the entirety of his campaign, and the president elect trusts her. Some have mused that Hicks -- the pride of Fairfield County -- will be posting up very close to the Oval Office in the coming weeks.PLAYBOOK SCOOPS -- The Trump team is bringing on Makan Delrahim, a partner at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. We've heard two options for him: a top slot at Justice, or a top White House job, helping handle and manage what's expected to be a steady flow of judicial nominees. Both are critical jobs. Delrahim is a former deputy assistant U.S. attorney who has also worked for the Judiciary Committee on the Hill. **SUBSCRIBE to Playbook: http://politi.co/1M75UbXHAPPENING FRIDAY AT THE "WINTER WHITE HOUSE" -- PARTY IN HONOR OF TRUMP -- Trump is feting Mar-a-Lago members with a complimentary buffet dinner and viewing in his honor. THE INVITE: "As a thank-you to his Mar-a-Lago members for their loyalty and support, the President Elect of the United States, Donald J. Trump, wishes to invite you to a celebration of his inauguration. Please join us on Friday, January 20, 2017, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. for a complimentary buffet dinner and viewing in his honor."ANOTHER SCOOP -- NEW JOB ALERT -- JACK LEW, the outgoing Treasury secretary, is going to New York to be a visiting professor at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs, and has signed with the Harry Walker Agency to give paid speeches. Lew joined the Obama administration in 2009, working as deputy secretary of state for management and resources, then as the director of Office of Management and Budget, White House chief of staff and Treasury secretary from 2013 until the end. Lew's post-White House deal was cut by Williams and Connolly's Bob Barnett and Michael O'Connor.INCOMING FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP'S former modeling agent Paolo Zampolli, the man that introduced her to Donald Trump, is hosting a late-night party at Living Room on Vermont Avenue Friday night, Tara Palmeri scoops. They say they have 500 RSVPs, including Kanye West, Jon Voight and Sylvester Stallone, and the guest list is closed. http://politi.co/2jC5ClI JUST ASKING … HAWAII REP. TULSI GABBARD is in the Middle East on a trip to Syria and Lebanon. Her office is refusing to say who she's with and who paid for the trip. It will become public in records when she returns, but her office is keeping silent for now. Just a tip: Inauguration week would seem to be a great time to get information out.PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW: Suzanne ClarkThe recently installed No. 2 of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is helping shepherd the powerful business lobby into the next generation. "I think at the end of the day, we're pretty optimistic," Clark said of the incoming Trump administration. "This has been eight years where people weren't focused on some of the things we think are important and now all of a sudden you have a pro-business Congress, a pro-business administration and people talking about things that are important to us like economic growth. It doesn't mean it is not hard work, but we are optimistic." Under Clark, the Chamber has implemented a new policy council in an effort to make sure departments across the trade group have a voice, and is launching a quarterly small business survey and adding four regional summits on small business this year. Pics http://bit.ly/2iMB64g … http://bit.ly/2jOQTBBTRUMP TARGETING COMPANIES IS 'A LITTLE SCARY': "I feel like people are doing what they do with any administration, which is preparing. [It's thinking about] how do they like to get information, what relationships do we have, how do we think about things. And I think every company now has a Twitter strategy whether they want to or not, but I also think the results of [Trump's actions] have been pretty good. It looks like it has encouraged CEO-to-administration if not president-elect [to CEO] direct conversations and some results and some quick dialogue, and so I think people are learning that maybe it's OK. It's a little scary, but it leads to some conversations and maybe it's OK."TRUMP NEEDS TO GET REGULATORY REFORM RIGHT: "I think getting reg reform right and not just repealing some of what we have seen as egregious regulations but also reforming the whole system so that agencies really have to take into account what is the impact of jobs, what is the impact on the economy so that it's not just a system of one administration putting in executive orders and the next taking them out."NO ONE KNOWS WHEN CEO TOM DONOHUE IS LEAVING: "I'm probably Tom's closest adviser and I don't have any idea when he's going to retire. I really have no idea. I don't think he has any idea. I don't think his wife has any idea. I'm very close to the board. Here's what I know: He doesn't want to retire, his wife doesn't want him to retire and the board doesn't want him to retire. Is he retirement age? Yeah … For me -- and I'm not even 50 years old -- I was willing to take the trade that he's a great leader, he's a strong leader, he's really good at what he does, he's a visionary, he's a master storyteller and I learn from him and I'll take the trade on the risk … I understand the churn and I understand the parlor game … but he has no intention of that."SIREN -- "FBI, 5 other agencies probe possible covert Kremlin aid to Trump," by McClatchy's Peter Stone and Greg Gordon: "The FBI and five other law enforcement and intelligence agencies have collaborated for months in an investigation into Russian attempts to influence the November election, including whether money from the Kremlin covertly aided President-elect Donald Trump, two people familiar with the matter said. The agencies involved in the inquiry ... are examining how money may have moved from the Kremlin to covertly help Trump win." http://bit.ly/2jqMOU7IS TRUMP READY? -- NYT A12, "Trump National Security Team Gets a Slow Start," by Mark Landler: "The Obama administration has written 275 briefing papers for the incoming Trump administration: nearly 1,000 pages of classified material on North Korea's nuclear program, the military campaign against the Islamic State, tensions in the South China Sea, and every other kind of threat the new team could face in its first weeks in office. Nobody in the current administration knows whether anyone in the next has read any of it. Less than three days before President Obama turns the keys to the White House, and the nuclear codes, over to President-elect Donald J. Trump, Mr. Trump's transition staff has barely engaged with the National Security Council below the most senior levels. ... [T]he chronic upheaval in Mr. Trump's transition, a delay in appointing senior National Security Council staff members, and a dearth of people with security clearances have deprived the Trump team of weeks of prep work on some of the most complex national security issues facing the country." http://nyti.ms/2iEbwDn--"Trump's National Security Team Is Missing in Action: Trump's train wreck of a transition stumbles into office with key vacancies in top positions and wracked by infighting," by Dan De Luce and John Hudson in Foreign Policy: "'I've never seen anything like this,' one career government official told Foreign Policy. ... At the State Department, senior diplomats said there is little clarity on whether several top career officials will be expected to stay in their positions beyond Friday, when Trump will be sworn in as president. That's a contrast to the Pentagon, where at least six senior officials have been asked to remain during the Trump administration's opening weeks." http://atfp.co/2iEaMOM-- NYT A14, "'Learning Curve' as Rick Perry Pursues a Job He Initially Misunderstood," by Coral Davenport and David E. Sanger: "When President-elect Donald J. Trump offered Rick Perry the job of energy secretary five weeks ago, Mr. Perry gladly accepted, believing he was taking on a role as a global ambassador for the American oil and gas industry ... In the days after, Mr. Perry ... discovered that he would be no such thing -- that in fact, if confirmed by the Senate, he would become the steward of a vast national security complex he knew almost nothing about, caring for the most fearsome weapons on the planet, the United States' nuclear arsenal. ... For [outgoing Energy Secretary Ernie] Moniz, the future of nuclear science has been a lifelong obsession; he spent his early years working at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. Mr. Perry studied animal husbandry and led cheers at Texas A&M University." http://nyti.ms/2jAoLVs-- "Trump Budget Nominee Did Not Pay Taxes for Employee," by NYT's Jennifer Steinhauer: "President-elect Donald J. Trump's choice for White House budget director failed to pay more than $15,000 in payroll taxes for a household employee, he admitted in a statement to the Senate Budget Committee, the sort of tax compliance issue that has derailed cabinet nominees in the past. In a questionnaire provided to the committee, Representative Mick Mulvaney, a conservative from South Carolina and vocal proponent of fiscal restraint noted, 'I have come to learn during the confirmation review process that I failed to pay FICA and federal and state unemployment taxes on a household employee for the years 2000-2004.' Mr. Mulvaney said he had subsequently paid more than $15,000 in taxes and awaits the state tax bill, as well as penalties and interests. His confirmation hearing before the committee is scheduled for Jan. 24. The employee was a babysitter hired when Mr. Mulvaney and his wife had triplets in 2000." http://nyti.ms/2jBXqlh --"Trump's 'beachhead' teams primed to grab agencies' reins at noon Friday," by Andrew Restuccia and Nancy Cook: "At 12:01 p.m. Friday, Donald Trump's aides will deploy a team of temporary political appointees into federal agencies to begin laying the groundwork for the president-elect's agenda while his nominees await Senate confirmation … While the transition team has been building the so-called beachhead teams for months, they are taking on outsize importance because few of Trump's nominees will be confirmed by the time he's sworn in." http://politi.co/2iEj6xU--"HHS nominee Price pressed hard on health policy positions, financial dealings," by WaPo's Juliet Eilperin and Amy Goldstein: "Rep. Tom Price, President-elect Donald Trump's choice to head the Department of Health and Human Services, faced a contentious Senate hearing Wednesday as Democrats questioned his ideas for the future of Americans' health coverage and whether his personal investments in health-care companies presented conflicts during his years in Congress. Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee grilled Price (R-Ga.) over his stock transactions in health, biomedical and pharmaceutical companies while he was supporting legislation that could benefit them. … The nominee maintained that he had not sought to take advantage of his public position and that he was not aware of what precise stocks he held in the past or at present. 'Everything that we have done has been aboveboard, ethical, transparent and legal,' he said. He denied the existence of any conflict stemming from stock purchases, saying he'd had 'no conversations with my broker about any political activity at all, other than her congratulating me on my election.'" http://wapo.st/2jC8CON-- A NOTE: Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.) is on the board of Innate Immunotherapeutics, the company Price bought stock in. Collins gave Price the stock tip, but says he didn't provide him non-public information. We expect Price to get confirmed, but this isn't pretty. IT'S OFFICIAL … AS SEEN IN PLAYBOOK 17 DAYS AGO – "Trump to announce Sonny Perdue for Agriculture," by Helena Bottemiller Evich, Ian Kullgren, Jenny Hopkinson, Catherine Boudreau, Josh Dawsey and Alex Isenstadt: "President-elect Donald Trump plans to nominate former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue to be the next Agriculture secretary ... The decision, which is expected to be announced on Thursday, ends weeks of speculation that Trump was looking to name a woman or Hispanic to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture and answers the pleas of the more than 70 members of Trump's agriculture advisory council who were hoping to have one of their own put in charge of the lower-profile but far-reaching agency with a $150 billion budget." http://politi.co/2k6HAQFTHE LOYAL OPPOSITION -- "Dems jockey for big money control: Liberals raise concerns about efforts by Clinton enforcer David Brock," by Ken Vogel and Gabe Debenedetti: "Some of the left's most active financiers and groups — including the Democracy Alliance donor club — are bristling at Clinton enforcer David Brock's plan to officially launch his own donor network this weekend to fund his efforts to rebuild the left ... Brock's plan ... is seen in liberal finance circles as an implicit challenge to the Democracy Alliance, which was launched in 2005 by billionaire financier George Soros and other major donors. Brock has not exactly discouraged that notion, explaining that his network will be more overtly political than the Democracy Alliance ... Some Democracy Alliance donors and officials have grumbled quietly that Brock ... is plotting a power grab." http://politi.co/2k6gU2lFIRST LOOK – "Harvard Kennedy School's Institute of Politics Announces Spring 2016 Resident and Visiting Fellows": Resident Fellows: "Gina McCarthy ... Chris Shays ... Jon Finer ... R. Gil Kerlikowske ... Sarah Hurwitz ... T.W. Shannon ... Visiting Fellows: Kelly Ayotte ... Peter Shumlin ... Ray Mabus." http://politi.co/2jOiPW2QUOTE OF THE DAY -- In "Democrats in the Wilderness: Inside a decimated party's not-so-certain revival strategy," by Isaac Dovere in POLITICO Magazine: "We're at a space shuttle moment,' says Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. ... 'The most vulnerable time for the space shuttle is when it re-enters the environment, so that when it comes back into the environment it doesn't blow up. The tiles need to be tight. I'm concerned about the tightness of the tiles on the space shuttle right now. We have to get through this heat.'" http://politi.co/2iECx9QTOP-ED -- RICHARD HAASS in the WSJ: "Don't Make Any Sudden Moves, Mr. Trump": "The U.S. should be especially wary of sudden or sharp departures in what it undertakes abroad. Consistency and reliability are essential attributes for a great power. Allies who depend on Washington for their security need to know that this dependence is well placed. Serious doubt about America would inevitably give rise to a very different and much less orderly world. There would be two reactions. First, 'self-help' would increase, as countries take matters into their own hands in ways inconsistent with American interests—including by developing their own nuclear weapons. Second, many countries could fall under the sway of stronger regional states, undermining the balance of power. This is a prescription for instability." http://on.wsj.com/2k3O4fe INAUGURATION EATS -- "Lobster and Beef, but No Fries, on the Menu for Inaugural Lunch," by NYT's Christopher Mele: "[T]he luncheon [for 200 elected officials and dignitaries] will feature J. Lohr 2013 Arroyo Vista chardonnay, Delicato Black Stallion 2012 Limited Release Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon and Korbel Natural 'Special Inaugural Cuvée' California Champagne ... The first course will include Maine lobster and Gulf shrimp with saffron sauce and peanut crumble, followed by grilled Seven Hills Angus beef with dark chocolate and juniper juice, accompanied by potato gratin. The Smithsonian Chamber Players and the United States Coast Guard Brass Quintet will provide musical selections. And for dessert? … Guests will be served chocolate soufflé and cherry vanilla ice cream." http://nyti.ms/2jBWQnM WHAT PETE SOUZA IS READING -- "The Case for Donald Trump's Official White House Photographer," by Time's Olivier Laurent: "In the next 48 hours, as President Barack Obama prepares to leave the White House, his official photographer, Pete Souza, will document the last moments of his history-making presidency. The photographs Souza will take on Jan. 20 will join the more than two million images he has shot in the last eight years, completing a lasting visual record of the first black President's time in office. When Donald J. Trump takes up the baton, however, his first hours in the White House – and possibly his entire term – might go undocumented. The President-elect has yet to name Souza's replacement." http://ti.me/2iEjFI4EAST WING UPDATE -- "Melania Trump considering male social secretary," by Kate Andersen Brower, author of "First Women: The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies," on CNN.com: "Soon-to-be First Lady Melania Trump is considering a man among several other candidates to become the next White House social secretary, according to two people with knowledge of East Wing personnel deliberations. A final decision hasn't been made. The role has historically been filled by a woman until 2011, when the Obamas named Jeremy Bernard to the position, making him the first man and the first openly gay social secretary." http://cnn.it/2iEjigC … $19.84 on Amazon http://amzn.to/2fRweOa THE HEARINGS TODAY...--WHAT TREASURY NOMINEE STEVEN MNUCHIN WILL SAY: "Since I was first nominated to serve as Treasury Secretary, I have been maligned as taking advantage of others' hardships in order to earn a buck. Nothing could be further from the truth. ... In the press it has been said that I ran a 'foreclosure machine.' This is not true. On the contrary, I was committed to loan modifications intended to stop foreclosures. I ran a 'Loan Modification Machine.' ... I am proud to be able to say that our bank was able to modify over 100,000 loans thus allowing people the opportunity to remain in their homes."--WHAT ENERGY NOMINEE RICK PERRY WILL SAY: "I have spoken several times to Secretary Moniz and his predecessors. ... My past statements made over five years ago about abolishing the Department of Energy do not reflect my current thinking. In fact, after being briefed on so many of the vital functions of the Department of Energy, I regret recommending its elimination. ... I believe the climate is changing. I believe some of it is naturally occurring, but some of it is also caused by manmade activity. The question is how do we address it in a thoughtful way that doesn't compromise economic growth, the affordability of energy, or American jobs."#THISTOWN -- "Politics are Off the Record at This Washington, D.C. Bar," by Derek Brown in Imbibe Magazine: "Off the Record is a Washington monument in that regard. It reflects an older Washington that believed in politics, not just politicking. And while you can still stop by this basement bar and sip an Old Fashioned and hear political talk, today, it's more typically from black-suited, brown-shoed lobbyists. But if you use your imagination, you can almost hear the echo of past conversations from the most powerful people in the free world, spoken over gin and whiskey." http://bit.ly/2k6kw4BAL GORE'S NEW MOVIE -- "Al Gore on His 'Inconvenient Truth' Sequel, Private Donald Trump Talks, 'Consoling' Hillary Clinton," by The Hollywood Reporter's Tatiana Siegel: "Even during this last election cycle, Gore largely remained on the sidelines, cutting just one ad and appearing with Hillary Clinton on the podium only late in the campaign. But he says he has been in touch with Clinton since her big loss. 'She's experienced enough to not need advice from me, but I offered whatever words I thought might be both consoling and helpful,' he says. ... If anyone could be consoling, it'd be the one other candidate in modern times who won the popular vote only to lose the presidency." http://bit.ly/2jO8DNmWHAT BROOKLYN ALUMNI ARE READING -- "Hillary Clinton's Would-Be West Wingers Have Nothing to Lose," by The Daily Beast's Eleanor Clift: Hillary alums "are trying to figure out what to do next in Donald Trump's strange new political world. ... Jake Sullivan, who would likely have been Clinton's national security advisor in the White House, is returning to Yale, his alma mater, where he had been teaching in the law school before going to work for the Clinton campaign full time. Staffers who want to stay engaged in politics are deciding whether to join 'the resistance or the rebirth,' says Bill Burton." http://thebea.st/2jbxl9x-- "Obama aides, full of emotion, get ready to turn out the lights," by Sarah Wheaton: "This week, President Barack Obama's White House aides have been getting their last taste of Chocolate Freedom. The molten fudge confection (with fro-yo a la mode) is the signature dessert at the White House restaurant known as the mess, and it's been a must-order item at last meals there for the hundreds of Obama-appointed staffers who need to be out the door before Friday. The marble halls of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building echo with the sounds of colleagues exchanging personal Gmail addresses. Gigantic boxes haphazardly filled with computer monitors are scattered around the corridors. They always knew the end was coming. But that doesn't make it feel any less abrupt for the dedicated staff who will suddenly no longer have every waking moment consumed by one man and one mission. They'll no longer be on guard for how any development, anywhere in the world, might require Obama's and therefore their own response. 'In the moment, a week of 18-hour days can feel like an eternity,' said Charlie Anderson, who spent most of the last 10 years working for Obama. 'In retrospect, it all just compresses.'" http://politi.co/2iMDs3i MICHAEL KRUSE in POLITICO Magazine, "'He Has This Deep Fear That He Is Not a Legitimate President': On the eve of the inauguration, Trump's biographers ponder his refusal to bend his ego to his new office": "[A]fter more than two months of Trump's norm-shattering transition, we gathered Gwenda Blair, Michael D'Antonio and Tim O'Brien by conference call ... From his pick of nominees for posts in his cabinet to his belligerent use of Twitter ... to his unwillingness to cut ties with his business to avoid conflicts of interest, they see the same person they've always seen—the consummate classroom troublemaker; a vain, insecure bully; and an anti-institutional schemer, as adept at 'gaming the system' as he is unashamed. As they look ahead to his inauguration speech in two days, and to his administration beyond, they feel confident predicting that he will run the country much as he has run his company. For himself." http://politi.co/2iUQhvIHOT ON THE LEFT -- "We Are the Last Defense Against Trump: America's institutions weren't designed to resist a modern strongman. That leaves civil society," by Daron Acemoglu, author of "Why Nations Fail," in Foreign Policy: "What makes America vulnerable to being blindsided by such a threat is our unwavering — and outdated — belief in the famed strength of our institutions. Of course, the United States has much better institutional foundations and a unique brand of checks and balances, which were entirely absent in Venezuela, Russia, and Turkey. But many of these still won't be much help against the present threat. Not only are America's institutions particularly ill-equipped, in this moment, to stand up against Trump; in some cases they may actually enable him." http://atfp.co/2k6bCEjUSED NEWS – AP, yesterday, "With job announcements, firms appear to seek Trump approval": http://apne.ws/2jAvZsm ... Politico, Dec. 29, "Companies rush to link jobs to Trump," by Tony Romm: http://politi.co/2iUUnnyWHAT WORKS -- How Salt Lake City's 1990's radical urban planning experiment is paving the path for 2050: In the latest installment of POLITICO Magazine's "What Works," read how a liberal city in a conservative state created a bipartisan alliance of business, industrial, religious, political and civic leaders, who solicited ideas from tens of thousands of Utah citizens that yielded longterm benefits in controlling urban sprawl, traffic congestion, and water conservation. http://politi.co/2jBJk3aOOPS – Even though actress and singer Jennifer Holliday has dropped out of participating, she is still listed on the Presidential Inauguration Committee's website as one of the acts for the Inauguration's Lincoln Memorial concert later today. She told The View that she "didn't realize that people weren't really over the election." http://bit.ly/2iEpaGtMEDIAWATCH – Major Garrett has a new, weekly podcast set to launch on Inauguration Day. "'The Takeout' is a 30-minute, weekly podcast about politics, policy and pop culture hosted by CBS News' Chief White House correspondent Major Garrett. Each episode will include guests and be recorded over lunch at a D.C. restaurant. Expect Major's interests (politics, sports, movies) and personality to drive the show's content. The first guest on Friday's show will be Corey Lewandowski."--GABE BROTMAN returning to the U.S. – Poppy McDonald emails colleagues: "This new year presents a huge opportunity for POLITICO – a new U.S. administration, robust footprints in Washington, across six (soon to be seven with our expansion into Texas) U.S. states and four European countries, a new leadership team, and a new generation of POLITICOs to power the newsroom and business teams into the publication's second decade. ... I'm thrilled that Gabe Brotman has agreed to join my team, returning to Washington from Brussels in a new role—executive director of strategy and growth."--NYT A1, "From Headline to Photograph, a Fake News Masterpiece," by Scott Shane in Annapolis, Maryland: "Cameron Harris, a new college graduate with a fervent interest in Maryland Republican politics and a need for cash ... started by crafting the headline: 'BREAKING: "Tens of thousands" of fraudulent Clinton votes found in Ohio warehouse.' ... He pushed the button and the story was launched on Sept. 30, blazing across the web like some kind of counterfeit comet. … The ballot box story, promoted by a half-dozen Facebook pages Mr. Harris had created for the purpose, flew around the web, fueled by indignant comments from people who were certain that Mrs. Clinton was going to cheat Mr. Trump of victory and who welcomed the proof. It was eventually shared with six million people, according to CrowdTangle, which tracks web audiences." http://nyti.ms/2jqFd88--"Daily White House press briefing to stay in the West Wing - for now," by Hadas Gold: "Trump has ordered his staff to keep the daily press briefing in the James S. Brady room in the West Wing of the White House. 'The press went crazy, so I said, "Let's not move it." But some people in the press will not be able to get in,' Trump told 'Fox & Friends' in an interview broadcast on Wednesday." http://politi.co/2k6xuPM --"Trump's D.C. hotel bans press during inauguration week," by Daniel Lippman: "A POLITICO reporter attempted to enter the hotel Wednesday morning for a previously scheduled breakfast meeting but was stopped at the door. He then identified himself as a journalist and was told 'media' was not allowed. President-elect Donald Trump and his three adult children … have a 60-year lease with the federal General Services Administration, which owns the property. ... D.C. legal code prohibits public places like hotels from denying 'the full and equal enjoyment' of its facilities to people based on 'source of income,' among other reasons, calling it an 'unlawful discriminatory practice.' 'Source of income' could reasonably include one's occupation as a journalist.'" http://politi.co/2jnZDyD --GABE SHERMAN in NYMag.com, "CNN's Jeff Zucker on Covering Donald Trump — Past, Present, and Future": "It doesn't worry me that Donald Trump hasn't done an interview with CNN in eight months. I think our credibility is higher than ever, and our viewership is higher than ever, and our reporting is as strong as ever. One of the things I think this administration hasn't figured out yet is that there's only one television network that is seen in Beijing, Moscow, Seoul, Tokyo, Pyongyang, Baghdad, Tehran, and Damascus - and that's CNN. The perception of Donald Trump in capitals around the world is shaped, in many ways, by CNN. Continuing to have an adversarial relationship with that network is a mistake." http://nym.ag/2jAppCs--"Fox News 9 p.m. ratings soar as Tucker Carlson takes over for Megyn Kelly," by Business Insider's Oliver Darcy: "In the show's debut prime time week, 'Tucker Carlson Tonight' averaged 3 million viewers and 576,000 in the key 25-54 demo … Those numbers represented a 10% increase in total viewers over the 2016 average for 'The Kelly File.' The key 25-54 demo also saw a 12% spike. Carlson, a conservative journalist fighting an on-air war with elites, was also up 21% in total viewers from the same time last year and 52% in the key demo." http://read.bi/2jbnUHm --@timgrieve: "Psyched to welcome @katieglueck and @Alex_Roarty to @McClatchy & @McClatchyDC: great reporters to cover the right and left, respectively."-- @rebeccarnelson: "Some #news: Stoked I'm joining @Cosmopolitan as a senior writer covering politics!" She was previously with GQ, National Journal and Washingtonian.RICK STENGEL is the commencement speaker at Hunter College this afternoon in New York. Hunter is part of the City University of New York. "My speech is a kind of prebuttal to the Inaugural and I will tell them that they -- not politicians -- determine what the [American] Dream is and that they are what makes America great, today and tomorrow."SPOTTED: Rex Tillerson and his wife last night walking down the hall at the Jefferson Hotel … Tucker Carlson holding court last night in a booth at Martin's Tavern in Georgetown … John Bolton walking up K Street yesterday morning toward the White House ... At Joe's yesterday: David Perdue and Joni Ernst (separately) ... Team MSNBC last night at Le Diplomate: Jesse Rodriguez, Hallie Jackson, Dana Haller, Katy Tur, and Michael LaRosa ... Ben Carson at last night's Insight America inaugural gala at the Watergate Hotel ... Nigel Farage at the Mississippi State Society's Magnolia Soirée party last night at Airbus Group North America (the building across from the Trump Hotel near Fogo de Chao).INAUGURATION PARTY CIRCUIT – SPOTTED last night at the British Ambassador's residence, during which Amb. Kim Darroch discussed the democratic values that the U.S. and the U.K. share and spoke warmly of how he looked forward to working with the incoming Trump administration: Justice Stephen Breyer, Jim DeMint, Newt Gingrich, Rudy Giuliani, Sally Quinn, Reps. Devin Nunes, Michael McCaul, Debbie Dingell, Joe Wilson, Mike Shields, The Advisory Board Company's Mary Lunde, Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Gov. Chris Christie, Corey Lewandowski, Lord Ashcroft, Robin Wright, Fred Ryan, Andrea Mitchell, Marc Short, Geoff Morrell, Bob Woodward, Tom Barrack, Susan Pillsbury, Lenwood Brooks, Donald Graham, David Frum, EJ Dionne, Steve Rattner, Gloria Dittus, Stu Rothenberg, Sebastian Gorka, Iraqi Amb. Fareed Yasseen, Jordan Amb. to U.S. Dina Kawar, Emily Heil, Charlie Black, Lucky Roosevelt, Fred Ryan, Scott Pastrick, Stewart Holiday, Dan Poneman. Pix http://bit.ly/2jbnkcBMORE INAUGURATION PARTY HOT TICKETS – French Amb. to the U.S. Gérard Araud is hosting an inauguration reception tonight from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the "Residencé de France." ... Tomorrow, the LBJ Washington Center is hosting an Inauguration Day Open House and Viewing Reception at its Greyhound Suite at 1100 New York Avenue NW from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.OUT AND ABOUT -- Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen hosted a party last night at RPM Italian for the launch of their new media venture, Axios. Ben Chang was the DJ of the shindig. SPOTTED: Outgoing Vice President Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Sean and Rebecca Spicer, Josh and Natalie Earnest, Valerie Jarrett, Roy Schwartz, outgoing Defense Secretary Ash Carter, Debra Messing, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), Kellyanne Conway, Andy Lack, Jeff Zucker, Chuck Todd, Jake Tapper, Wolf Blitzer, Greta van Susteren and John Coale, Tony Blinken, Mike Froman, Craig Melvin, Nick Johnston, Bubba Atkinson and Samantha Smith, Peter Cherukuri, Lauren Culberson, Kate Snow, Katy Tur, Hallie Jackson, Tammy Haddad, Jeremy Bash, Gordon Johndroe, Jesse Rodriguez, Michael LaRosa, Kate Bedingfield, Adrienne Elrod, Geoff Morrell, Stephanie Cutter, Frank Thorp, Dan Bartlett, Amos Snead, Stephanie Schriock, Bob Woodward, Ken Strickland, Marcy Stech, Nihal Krishan, Nika Nour, Dana Haller, Glenn Thrush, Jonathan and Betsy Fischer Martin, Alex and Caitlin Conant, Jeff Mason, Julie Pace, Kate Gaertner, Mo Elleithee, Nate Tibbits, Jeremy Bash, Ambassador Kim Darroch, Amanda Downes, Stuart Holliday, Tony Blinken, Hans Nichols, Erin McPike, Stuart Siciliano, Jon Allen, Fran Holuba, Bill McQuillen, Nic Breeding.-- A cadre of campaign embed reporters gathered at Satellite Room in Shaw last night to reminisce and catch up – SPOTTED: Alex Jaffe, Vaughn Hillyard, Candace Smith, Jordan Frasier, Dan Merica, Monica Alba, Betsy Kline, Dan Gallo, Danny Freeman, Alan He, Jason Donner, Cassie Spodak, Kylie Atwood, Liz Landers, Lauren Selsky, Kailani Koenig, Ines De La Cuetara. Pic http://bit.ly/2jbNtYB WELCOME TO THE WORLD – David Shuster, a broadcast journalist and alum of AJAM and MSNBC, and Kera Rennert, freelance producer for CBS News, post on Facebook: "It is with great joy that we announce the arrival of Ezekiel 'Zeke' Arden Rennert Shuster. He was born on January 4th, weighing in at 7 pounds, 11 ounces. Everyone is doing well...and Mom, Dad, and big sister Ayala are all thrilled beyond words!"TRANSITIONS -- "Third Way [is] announcing that former Congressman Steve Israel will join their 'New Blue' campaign as a Visiting Fellow. New Blue is Third Way's $20 million multi-year project to help Democrats reconnect with middle class voters and provide Democrats with an alternate path out of the wilderness. Mr. Israel will be bringing to the organization a deep expertise in middle class economic issues, evolving swing districts, and extensive network of thought leaders from across the country." http://bit.ly/2iIkZEZ-- Melissa Salmanowitz is joining the Gates Foundation on Monday as a senior program officer on the U.S. policy, advocacy and communications team in D.C. Melissa is wrapping up her job at the Education Department, where she was the senior communications adviser to Education Secretary John King.SUNDAY SO FAR – "Fox News Sunday": Panel: Bret Baier, Mo Elleithee, Kim Strassel, Juan WilliamsBIRTHWEEK (was yesterday): Sandy Cannold, EP for CNBC's "Power Lunch" ... Anna Morris, senior adviser in Treasury's office of terrorist finance and financial crimes (hat tip: Ben Chang) BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: His Excellency Yousef Al Otaiba, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the United States and a Georgetown fan, celebrating with "a quiet dinner with his wife Abeer – read his Playbook Plus Q&A: http://politi.co/2iVD3yC BIRTHDAYS: Ann Compton (h/t her Harvard IOP fellows who miss wine on grant with her) ... Jon Karl is 49 ... PBS alumnus Robert MacNeil is 86 ... Chase Deckard, third son of Ali and Josh Deckard ... John Avlon, editor in chief of Daily Beast, is 44 ... the incomparable Jacquelyn Fain Duberstein, "celebrating the anniversary of her 39th birthday by attending parties to commemorate this great event" (hubby tip: Ken) ... No Labels co-founder and treasurer Jerry Howe (h/t Dennis Craig) ... Civic Nation's Jason Waskey (h/t wife Elena) … Evan McMorris-Santoro, correspondent for "Vice News Tonight" on HBO, is 36 … Caitlin Rush, digital account manager at The Herald Group (h/t Kurt Bardella) ... Melissa Boteach, VP of the Poverty to Prosperity Program at the Center for American Progress (hubby tip: Adam Kaplan) ... Beth DeFalco, comms director for the MTA and a Cory Booker, NY Post and AP alum ... Politico Europe's Giulia Paravicini ... Kristin Mitchell, special events manager at The Corcoran Group ... WashPost's Drew Harwell is 3-0 ... Brooks Kochvar, SVP at GS Strategy Group ... Emily Berman Pevnick, deputy director of strategic partnerships and global affairs in Rahm's office and an AIPAC alum ... Paul Thacker ... … Sarah Farnsworth, an NSC alum now SVP for public affairs with the San Diego Padres ... Rep. Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (D-North Mariana Islands) is 62 ... Maury Devine ... South Dakota state Sen. Angie Buhl ... Joe Milicia, AP alum now director of PR and comms at Cleveland Clinic Akron General ... Jonathan Monteith, a DNC alum now director of comms at State Innovation Exchange (SiX) ... Subrata De, VP of multi-platform newsgathering at ABC News ... Aruna Kalyanam of House Ways and Means ... Brita Stevenson of the Aspen Institute ... Tim Valentiner … Brian Hawthorne ... Preston Elliott ... Chicago Tribune alum Adam Sege, now doing comms at Everytown for Gun Safety, is 27 ... Patty Link … Charlotte Hudek … Laura Pena … Marc Schloss … David Green ... Heather Roth … Rebekah Kessler ... Sandy Blitz ... Brennan Hart ... Jonathan Steed, director of media relations at Vital Strategies ... Philip Reeker ... Dolly Parton is 71 (h/t Morning Hangover creator and publisher Kurt Bardella)… former U.N. Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar is 97 ... Paula Deen is 7-0 ... Olympic gold medal gymnast Shawn Johnson is 25 (h/ts AP)
Mnuchin at the Senate Finance Committee: Issues to watch
Steven Mnuchin, who will appear before the Senate Finance Committee Thursday morning, is on the verge of becoming one of the most influential economic policymakers in the world. The Goldman Sachs alumnus, former bank executive and hedge fund founder has a long career in finance but no track record at high levels of government. The hearing will be Mnuchin's first public opportunity to outline his views on the vast responsibilities of Treasury. It will also provide an update on the emerging economic agenda of President-elect Donald Trump."We will work diligently to limit regulations, lower taxes on hardworking Americans and small businesses, and get the engine of economic growth firing on all cylinders once again," Mnuchin said in prepared testimony.Here are the issues expected to come up during his confirmation.His resumé and investmentsSenate Democrats are scrutinizing Mnuchin's banking career and personal investments. Front and center at his hearing will be his tenure at OneWest, a bank that he and other investors built during the housing crisis from the remains of failed mortgage lender IndyMac. Controversy over OneWest's foreclosure practices has dogged Mnuchin since the IndyMac takeover, and he will devote a big piece of his testimony to defending the bank's record."If we had not bought IndyMac, the bank would likely have been broken up and sold in pieces to private investors, where the outcome for consumers could have been much bleaker," he said in his written remarks. Mnuchin has argued that the takeover "saved a lot of jobs" and was one of the most satisfying moments of his career in finance. His personal investments also will raise questions. The nominee has invested with hedge fund billionaire John Paulson, who has made a long-shot bet on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Treasury-backed mortgage giants whose future rides on Trump administration policy. On the day of his nomination, Mnuchin lifted Fannie and Freddie shares when he told an interviewer that he wanted to release the companies from government control. His hearing is likely to move those share prices again. Mnuchin is expected to face questions about how the incoming administration would approach overhauling the housing finance system.Mnuchin has pledged to divest interests in several major corporations, including some of the country's biggest financial institutions. But questions remain about what he plans to keep, including the title of president at Steven T. Mnuchin Inc., which he uses to manage some investments. Taxes Mnuchin is sure to get questions about the distributional effects of the Trump tax plan, which independent analysts have said would benefit the wealthy the most. The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center found the top 0.1 percent of taxpayers would get a 14 percent cut, compared with a 0.8 percent reduction for the bottom quintile of households. Mnuchin told CNBC in November that "there will be no absolute tax cut for the upper class. There will be a big tax cut for the middle class, but any tax cuts we have for the upper class will be offset by less deductions that pay for it." But he didn't spell out which deductions he would cut or by how much.Mnuchin would be tasked with working with Congress to shape tax reform — Treasury stewarded the last major tax overhaul — so he'll probably be asked to weigh in on the most controversial element of the House GOP plan, border adjustability. Trump panned the idea last week, but House Republicans are sticking with the proposal for now. Either way, Mnuchin will get questions about the best way to stop corporate inversions — when companies move their headquarters overseas to cut their tax bills — and give the businesses an incentive to bring foreign earnings back home.Dismantling financial regulationMnuchin, who if confirmed will play a major role in coordinating government oversight of the financial system, has said the Dodd-Frank regulatory overhaul enacted after the 2008 crisis is "way too complicated." The Trump administration is vowing to dismantle the law. Mnuchin has described the approach as "strip[ping] back parts ... that prevent banks from lending." "Sensible regulation is a necessity for healthy markets," he said in this week's Senate testimony. "However, I saw first-hand how regulatory excess can inhibit lending by financial institutions, resulting in a lack of access to capital for small businesses and entrepreneurs."As Treasury secretary, he would chair an interagency group known as the Financial Stability Oversight Council, which also includes the heads of the Federal Reserve, SEC and CFPB. The council plays a coordinating role across regulatory agencies and has the power to impose stricter oversight on firms outside the banking sector.It's an area of finance that Mnuchin knows well thanks to years in the hedge fund industry, which FSOC has been scrutinizing under the leadership of Obama administration appointees. Mnuchin would have the power to decelerate FSOC's activity in general, and a question will be whether the council decides to remove "systemically important" insurance companies from Federal Reserve supervision.'Making America Great Again' through international economicsThe Treasury Department has the potential to play a major role in Trump's plans to reshape the nation's standing in the global economy. Mnuchin will tell the Finance Committee that while traveling with Trump he "heard the pained and heartbreaking stories of many Americans who had lost their jobs to workers in foreign countries."One way Treasury could follow through on Trump's trade agenda is by labeling China a currency manipulator, which the president-elect pledged to do on the campaign trail. Mnuchin would have an opportunity to take action when Treasury releases its next report on international exchange rate practices, expected in April. Another question looming over Treasury is the extent to which the Trump administration would take advantage of economic sanctions capabilities that the department has employed against Russia, Iran and North Korea. Outgoing Treasury Secretary Jack Lew has warned against the overuse of sanctions because of the risk of diluting their impact.Mnuchin said in testimony for Thursday's hearing that he would use Treasury's Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence to stop the financing of terrorism.
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Вице-премьер Госсовета КНР Ван Ян в среду провел телефонный разговор с министром финансов США Джейкобом Лью, стороны обменялись мнениями по вопросам экономических отношений между двумя странами. --
События сегодняшнего дня:
В 13:45 GMT Член FOMC Уильям Дадли выступит с речью В 15:00 GMT Министр финансов Джейкоб Лью выступит c речью В 15:00 GMT Член FOMC Лайель Брайнард выступит с речью В 15:00 GMT Премьер-министр Тереза Мэй выступит с речью В 23:00 GMT Член FOMC Джон Уильямс выступит с речью Ежегодный мировой экономический форум в Давосе. День 1 Информационно-аналитический отдел TeleTradeИсточник: FxTeam
Основным драйвером станет речь премьера Великобритании
Рынок откроется вблизи уровней закрытия По нашим прогнозам, сегодня российский рынок откроется вблизи отметки закрытия вчерашней торговой сессии. Однако внешний фон складывается негативный – два из трех основных азиатских индексов снижаются, цена нефти немного корректируется вниз. Основным драйвером, который может привести сегодня мировые рынки в состояния разнонаправленной волатильности, может стать речь премьера Великобритании о выходе страны из ЕС. В конце рабочего дня выступит министр финансов США Джейкоб Лью. В повестке дня значатся вопросы, касающиеся налоговой реформы, экономики, торговли, отношений с Китаем. Американские биржи откроются после праздников и, возможно, отреагируют снижением, скорректировавшись на внешнем фоне.
Главный аналитик банка «ГЛОБЭКС» Виктор Веселов: рынок откроется вблизи уровней закрытия
По нашим прогнозам, сегодня российский рынок откроется вблизи отметки закрытия вчерашней торговой сессии. Однако внешний фон складывается негативный два из трех основных азиатских индексов снижаются, цена нефти немного корректируется вниз. Основным драйвером, который может привести сегодня мировые рынки в состояния разнонаправленной волатильности, может стать речь премьера Великобритании о выходе страны из ЕС. В конце рабочего дня выступит министр финансов США Джейкоб Лью. В повестке дня значатся вопросы, касающиеся налоговой реформы, экономики, торговли, отношений с Китаем. Американские биржи откроются после праздников и, возможно, отреагируют снижением, скорректировавшись на внешнем фоне.
Unveiling the Future of Liberty
Earlier today, I was honored to join Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew and Deputy Secretary Sarah Bloom Raskin to unveil designs for the 2017 American Liberty Gold Coin. The unveiling not only marked a historic milestone for the allegorical Lady Liberty, who has been featured on American coinage since the late 1790s, but also served to kick-off the Mint's 225th anniversary—a year-long public awareness campaign about its mission, facilities and employees. I am very proud of the fact that the United States Mint is rooted in the Constitution. Our founding fathers realized the critical need for our fledgling nation to have a respected monetary system, and over the last 225 years, the Mint has never failed in its mission to enable America's growth and stability by protecting assets entrusted to us and manufacturing coins and medals to facilitate national commerce. We have chosen "Remembering our Past, Embracing the Future" as the Mint's theme for our 225th Anniversary year. This beautiful coin truly embodies that theme. The coin demonstrates our roots in the past through such traditional elements as the inscriptions United States of America, Liberty, E Pluribus Unum and In God We Trust. We boldly look to the future by casting Liberty in a new light, as an African-American woman wearing a crown of stars, looking forward to ever brighter chapters in our Nation's history book. The 2017 American Liberty Gold Coin is the first in a series of 24-karat gold coins the United States Mint will issue biennially. These coins will feature designs that depict an allegorical Liberty in a variety of contemporary forms including designs representing Asian-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and Indian-Americans among others to reflect the cultural and ethnic diversity of the United States. 2017 American Liberty Gold Coin obverse (left) and reverse (right). (United States Mint Photos) Rhett Jeppson is the Principal Deputy Director of the U.S. Mint.
Senate Dems Want To Know More As Trump Nominees Cash Out At Their Old Jobs
function onPlayerReadyVidible(e){'undefined'!=typeof HPTrack&&HPTrack.Vid.Vidible_track(e)}!function(e,i){if(e.vdb_Player){if('object'==typeof commercial_video){var a='',o='m.fwsitesection='+commercial_video.site_and_category;if(a+=o,commercial_video['package']){var c='&m.fwkeyvalues=sponsorship%3D'+commercial_video['package'];a+=c}e.setAttribute('vdb_params',a)}i(e.vdb_Player)}else{var t=arguments.callee;setTimeout(function(){t(e,i)},0)}}(document.getElementById('vidible_1'),onPlayerReadyVidible); WASHINGTON ― Seven Democratic senators sent a letter to President-elect Donald Trump this week asking him to require his nominees and appointees to disclose more details about their compensation history, including any bonuses they may get for leaving their jobs to work in government. Many large companies, particularly on Wall Street, give executives special exit bonuses, known as "golden parachutes," when they leave their corporate roles to join the government. Nominees are already required to fill out financial disclosure forms. But the letter, spearheaded by Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), calls for incoming government officials to go further by releasing all information related to compensation or preferential treatment from an outside organization. The senators also asked for documentation detailing "how they will recuse themselves from taking any actions relating to their former employers." The senators asked that this information be provided before Congress holds hearings on Trump's nominees. "Given your nominees' experiences leading some of the world's largest companies, we anticipate it will be difficult to mitigate conflicts of interest," the letter states. "We believe that expanded recusal requirements will be necessary and we ask that you explicitly detail how your nominees will recuse themselves from matters relating to their former employers or even industries." Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) also signed onto Baldwin's letter. Baldwin previously sent a letter to Trump asking him not to appoint revolving-door nominees to oversee industries where they made their wealth. Trump has not done that with his several appointments, including that of Steve Mnuchin for Treasury secretary. The signees point to the $180 million that Rex Tillerson, Trump's pick for secretary of state, received when left his CEO post at Exxon Mobil Corp. This, they say, illustrates why greater disclosure is needed. The Office of Government Ethics, however, has pointed to Tillerson's ethics plan as a model for Trump ― who has failed to meet the same standards ― and other nominees. Many nominees are leaving major corporations and haven't reached agreements with OGE on their conflict of interest plans. Baldwin has been an outspoken opponent of golden parachutes for government service since winning a Senate seat in 2012. She introduced legislation to ban such bonuses for government service and to make government employees recuse themselves from any cases involving their former employers for two years. Then-Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton endorsed the bill in 2015. Several officials within President Barack Obama's administration came from Wall Street and received special compensation when they moved to the public sector. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew was granted an accelerated vesting of stock options from Citigroup when he left the bank to enter the administration. And two of Clinton's top aides, Tom Nides and Robert Hormats, received accelerated stock vesting from Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, respectively, when they went to work at the State Department. This also became an issue when Obama nominated Antonio Weiss to be undersecretary for domestic finance. Weiss' employer, Lazard, had promised to pay out $20 million in preferential stock and deferential payment when he went into office. Warren and other Democrats opposed his nomination, and Weiss was later appointed to a position that did not require Senate confirmation. Sheila Bair, the former head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Commission, denounced the practice at the time. "Only in the Wonderland of Wall Street logic could one argue that this looks like anything other than a bribe," Bair wrote. "Once upon a time, part of the nobility of joining public service was the willingness to make the financial sacrifice. We want people entering public service because they want to serve the public. Frankly, if they need a $20 million incentive, I'd rather they stay away." The Trump transition team did not respond to a request for comment. Letter to PEOTUS Trump Cabinet Conflict of Interest by Paul Blumenthal on Scribd -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
Guest Contribution: "Demonetization on Five Continents"
Today, we present a guest post written by Jeffrey Frankel, Harpel Professor at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, and formerly a member of the White House Council of Economic Advisers. A shorter version appeared on December 22nd in Project Syndicate. Several countries are undergoing "demonetization" or currency reforms in which the government recalls bills of […]
Американцы зачастили в «изолированную» Москву
Россию посетили двое американцев из окружения Дональда Трампа: Картер Пейдж и Джек Кингстон. Красной нитью через эти визиты проходит тема вероятного снятия санкций с России. В США существует целое промышленное «лобби», выступающее против ограничительных мер в отношении России.Бывший конгрессмен от Джорджии Джек Кингстон, один из помощников мистера Трампа, допускает, что новой администрации Белого дома следует рассмотреть вопрос снятия санкций в отношении России. Об этом Кингстон заявил в интервью телекомпании CNN, передаёт ТАСС.По его словам, «у новой администрации есть возможность посмотреть новыми глазами» на ключевые темы отношений между США и Россией. К результатам санкций он относится скептически: «Не думаю, что можно сказать, что санкции принесли те результаты, на которые надеялись люди».Также помощник Трампа подчеркнул, что «в условиях, когда американцы ведут бизнес в России на 50 млрд. долл., следовало бы сохранять возможности для хорошей коммуникации с русскими».Очевидно, что Трамп и его помощники придерживаются прагматичного делового подхода. «Некоторая риторика Вашингтона может быть не такой продуктивной, как кто-то считает, — сообщил в интервью бывший законодатель. — Нам следует вместе заниматься Сирией, Украиной, все это очень важные темы. Однако нужно поддерживать отношения в бизнесе, когда решаются эти военные вопросы».В Москве мистер Кингстон обсудил с представителями американского и российского бизнеса возможность отмены санкций. При этом встреч с официальными лицами России он не проводил.Как отметил бывший конгрессмен, избранный президент Трамп «не обязан следовать внешнеполитическому курсу Обамы» и может «начать с нового листа».Побывал в Москве и советник избирательного штаба Дональда Трампа Картер Пейдж. По словам Пейджа, история событий последних лет на Украине и в Крыму является одним из вопиющих примеров «поддельных новостей».«Я уверен, что будут новые возможности для преодоления этих ошибочных представлений и неверного вектора, который был установлен для Украины», — заявил Пейдж в интервью РИА «Новости», отвечая на вопрос о том, будет ли, по его мнению, новая администрация США реализовывать политику признания присоединения Крыма.Агентство напоминает, что Трамп в предвыборной кампании обещал в случае избрания рассмотреть вопрос признания российского статуса Крыма.Что касается цели визита в Москву, то мистер Пейдж её не скрывал. Он отметил, что возможности сотрудничества с частным сектором РФ в ближайшее время будут максимально благоприятными, а потому он работает над рядом проектов.«Американские, равно как и европейские, компании высоко заинтересованы в возвращении на российский рынок. Их интерес затрагивает широкий спектр секторов», — цитирует Пейджа агентство.Ни Пейдж, ни Кингстон не проводили официальных встреч с представителями власти. Известен комментарий визита Пейджа в Москву, данный заместителем министра иностранных дел России Сергеем Рябковым.Россия не воспринимает приезд Пейджа как сигнал от будущих американских властей, сказал Рябков в интервью ТАСС.«Он экономист, приехавший по своим делам, — отметил дипломат. — Он давно работал, и, как я понимаю, продолжает работать в России. Насколько я знаю, у него есть опыт инвестиционного характера. Поэтому мы, естественно, приветствуем, если зарубежные инвесторы приезжают сюда и прорабатывают свои вопросы на предмет вкладывания средств в те или иные сектора или на биржу, или куда угодно».По словам Рябкова, Пейдж не был принят в государственных структурах. «Мы не воспринимали и не воспринимаем его приезд как некий сигнал от Трампа: этого просто быть не могло», — сказал он.То же самое сам Пейдж подтвердил телеканалу «RT». Процитируем фрагмент диалога:— Просто ради любопытства: в каком статусе вы сейчас находитесь и какими обладаете возможностями для того, чтобы, как вы говорите, двигать ситуацию в другом направлении? Что вы можете сделать?— Я лично верю, что главной движущей силой способно стать деловое экономическое сотрудничество. Очень большое внимание сейчас уделяется безопасности, вопросам войны и мира и особенно опосредованным войнам…— Иными словами, вы работаете здесь от своего лица…— Совершенно верно.— …как бизнесмен, который хочет заключить собственные деловые соглашения?— Конечно.По мнению главы президиума Совета по внешней и оборонной политике Фёдора Лукьянова, которым он поделился с «Газетой.ру», оба визита следует рассматривать как налаживание контактов. «Есть краткий период, пока команда нового президента ещё не сформирована. Потом будут уже официально уполномоченные лица», — сказал изданию Лукьянов.Что касается Кингстона, то его визит в Москву организовывала «компания, в которой он работает», сказала «Газете.ру» представительница американской торговой палаты Инесса Грикурова.Это лоббистская организация «Squire Patton Boggs». Кингстон стал её сотрудником в феврале прошлого года. Сам он такое решение объяснил желанием помочь бизнесменам «найти кратчайший путь в паутине федеральных законов и различных норм, чтобы лучше развивать бизнес и создавать рабочие места».Один из партнёров «Squire Patton Boggs» — бывший лидер сенатского большинства Трент Лотт, тесно связанный с Москвой. В 2015 году «Bloomberg» отмечал, что эта компания заработала большие средства на контрактах с энергетическими фирмами, связанными с Кремлём. «Squire Patton Boggs» работала по контрактам с рядом крупных американских энергических компаний, ведущими свой бизнес в России. Среди них и нефтегазовый гигант «Exxon Mobil», главе которого, Рексу Тиллерсону, Трамп недавно предложил занять пост госсекретаря. По данным «Bloomberg», которые приводит «Газета.ру», Тиллерсон семь раз разговаривал с главой американского минфина Джеком Лью по поводу санкций в отношении России.Тем временем, добавим, в ФБР и ЦРУ продолжают нагнетать в США компьютерную истерию о «вмешательстве» России в американские выборы.Директор ФБР Джеймс Коми и директор Национальной разведки США Джеймс Клэппер согласились с позицией начальства ЦРУ по поводу хакерского «вмешательства» Москвы в ход президентских выборов в 2016 году. Это было сделано якобы для того, чтобы «помочь» Дональду Трампу занять пост главы государства.Мистер Трамп отозвался на эти заявления короткой заметкой в «Твиттере». «Если бы многие мои сторонники действовали так же и угрожали людям, как делают те, кто проиграл выборы, их бы презирали и обзывали ужасными словами!» — написал республиканец.На сайте Change.org висит петиция, цель которой — собрать 6 миллионов голосов и убедить выборщиков проголосовать не за Трампа, а за Клинтон. На полдень 19 декабря было собрано меньше 5 миллионов голосов (4,913 млн.).Напомним, итоги голосования выборщиков будут утверждены Конгрессом США 6 января 2017 года. Инаугурация вновь избранного президента состоится 20 января.Обозревал и комментировал Олег Чувакин[link]
Treasury Rebuffs Democratic Senators' Plan To Help Disabled Americans With Student Debt
WASHINGTON ― The Treasury Department has rejected a request by congressional Democrats to guarantee that impoverished, severely disabled Americans will not face a tax penalty for discharging student debt, according to an aide to a Democratic senator who had been advocating the measure. Treasury representatives on Wednesday informed the staff of several Democratic senators that the department wouldn't issue the "guidance" ― language clarifying its interpretation of tax law ― that Democrats requested, said the aide, who would only speak on condition of anonymity. Instead, Treasury officials discussed two alternative approaches that the Internal Revenue Service or Department of Education could enact, but failed to lay out a timeline or make a compelling case that the measures would be as effective as action by Treasury, according to the aide. "After months of work, it was a big and disappointing loss," the aide said. These Democratic members of Congress for months had been asking Treasury to officially declare that Americans with student debt who are eligible for the "Total and Permanent Disability" loan discharge ― a category of borrowers with especially severe disabilities ― would not risk an income-tax penalty. Otherwise, there is a chance that the discharged loan would count as income subject to taxation, costing already-impoverished borrowers a potentially significant sum, they noted. A Treasury spokesman did not dispute the aide's account. "The Obama Administration has repeatedly urged Congress to enact legislative changes to address the possible tax consequences of loan forgiveness faced by these borrowers, as well as others with student loans," Treasury spokesman Rob Runyan said in a statement. "Congress has not yet enacted these legislative changes. Treasury continues to work with the Department of Education to evaluate possible alternatives that could address the situations faced by these borrowers." Borrowers qualify for the "Total and Permanent Disability" loan discharge if they receive Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income benefits, and the Social Security Administration has given them the designation "medical improvement not expected," meaning recovery is highly unlikely. They must also earn no more than the federal poverty level for a family of two ― about $16,000 a year in 2016. The Department of Education announced in April that it would try to make it easier for these severely disabled borrowers to obtain debt forgiveness by notifying them of their eligibility. Working with the Social Security Administration, the department identified 387,000 severely disabled borrowers eligible for the forgiveness. The Democrats began working behind the scenes to encourage Treasury to write the guidance protecting these struggling borrowers from a burdensome IRS tax. Frustrated by months of fruitless discussion, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a private letter to Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. "Treasury's failure to provide guidance will impose an extraordinary compliance burden on Social Security beneficiaries with total and permanent disabilities, while also triggering unnecessary administrative burdens on both the IRS and the ED," Warren wrote in the Oct. 7 letter. After months of work, it was a big and disappointing loss. Democratic Senate aide The Congressional Progressive Caucus sent Lew a letter this month asking for the guidance. Warren noted in the letter that most borrowers eligible for "total and permanent disability" loan discharge undoubtedly meet Treasury's definition of "insolvency," which applies to borrowers with debts exceeding assets. Under current tax law, Treasury must exempt a loan discharge amount from being counted as income for tax purposes if the borrower meets this definition of insolvency. The average student loan burden of workers who would be affected by the guidance is about $18,000, according to a calculation the Department of Education performed for Warren that she included in her letter. The median net worth of people receiving Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability insurance is $1,500, according to an analysis conducted by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College at Warren's behest. In addition, Warren observed in the letter, the Social Security Administration estimated in 2014 that 84 percent of the narrower category of severely disabled workers with the designation "medical improvement not expected" had no annual earnings. "During the meeting they conceded that roughly two-thirds of these borrowers, who are already known to be in poverty, are also insolvent, but rejected the idea of providing guidance to even this subset of borrowers," the Democratic Senate aide said. Treasury's failure to act means these impoverished, disabled borrowers will have to navigate IRS rules on their own. The IRS is likely to determine that the discharged loan was not a form of income, since the vast majority of the borrowers are insolvent. But the borrowers may face an automatic audit, pushing them to engage expensive tax advisory services and experience great personal stress. "Ultimately, given the costs of filing and the potential risks of garnishment, additional tax credits, or other federal and state benefits, the streamlined loan discharge process could leave borrowers who are totally and permanently disabled even worse off than before their loan was discharged," Warren wrote in the letter. Treasury has already issued guidance this year exempting certain kinds of loan discharges from counting toward taxable income for two far less vulnerable categories of borrowers: real estate investors and grantor trusts. The Treasury spokesman didn't respond to HuffPost's request for an explanation why it was possible to exclude those types of discharged debts from taxable income, but not the outstanding student debt of impoverished people with disabilities. Treasury's rejection of Warren's proposal comes amid mounting evidence that student debt is worsening elderly poverty. In 2015 alone, the federal government garnished 110,000 seniors' Social Security benefits to pay off student loans on which they had already defaulted, according to a Government Accountability Office study requested by Warren and Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) that came out this week. Some 70,000 Americans over 50 live in poverty as their Social Security benefits are cut to pay off student debts, the report found. -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
Treasury Rebuffs Democratic Senators' Plan To Help Disabled Americans With Student Debt
WASHINGTON ― The Treasury Department has rejected a request by congressional Democrats to guarantee that impoverished, severely disabled Americans will not face a tax penalty for discharging student debt, according to an aide to a Democratic senator who had been advocating the measure. Treasury representatives on Wednesday informed the staff of several Democratic senators that the department wouldn't issue the "guidance" ― language clarifying its interpretation of tax law ― that Democrats requested, said the aide, who would only speak on condition of anonymity. Instead, Treasury officials discussed two alternative approaches that the Internal Revenue Service or Department of Education could enact, but failed to lay out a timeline or make a compelling case that the measures would be as effective as action by Treasury, according to the aide. "After months of work, it was a big and disappointing loss," the aide said. These Democratic members of Congress for months had been asking Treasury to officially declare that Americans with student debt who are eligible for the "Total and Permanent Disability" loan discharge ― a category of borrowers with especially severe disabilities ― would not risk an income-tax penalty. Otherwise, there is a chance that the discharged loan would count as income subject to taxation, costing already-impoverished borrowers a potentially significant sum, they noted. A Treasury spokesman did not dispute the aide's account. "The Obama Administration has repeatedly urged Congress to enact legislative changes to address the possible tax consequences of loan forgiveness faced by these borrowers, as well as others with student loans," Treasury spokesman Rob Runyan said in a statement. "Congress has not yet enacted these legislative changes. Treasury continues to work with the Department of Education to evaluate possible alternatives that could address the situations faced by these borrowers." Borrowers qualify for the "Total and Permanent Disability" loan discharge if they receive Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income benefits, and the Social Security Administration has given them the designation "medical improvement not expected," meaning recovery is highly unlikely. They must also earn no more than the federal poverty level for a family of two ― about $16,000 a year in 2016. The Department of Education announced in April that it would try to make it easier for these severely disabled borrowers to obtain debt forgiveness by notifying them of their eligibility. Working with the Social Security Administration, the department identified 387,000 severely disabled borrowers eligible for the forgiveness. The Democrats began working behind the scenes to encourage Treasury to write the guidance protecting these struggling borrowers from a burdensome IRS tax. Frustrated by months of fruitless discussion, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a private letter to Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. "Treasury's failure to provide guidance will impose an extraordinary compliance burden on Social Security beneficiaries with total and permanent disabilities, while also triggering unnecessary administrative burdens on both the IRS and the ED," Warren wrote in the Oct. 7 letter. After months of work, it was a big and disappointing loss. Democratic Senate aide The Congressional Progressive Caucus sent Lew a letter this month asking for the guidance. Warren noted in the letter that most borrowers eligible for "total and permanent disability" loan discharge undoubtedly meet Treasury's definition of "insolvency," which applies to borrowers with debts exceeding assets. Under current tax law, Treasury must exempt a loan discharge amount from being counted as income for tax purposes if the borrower meets this definition of insolvency. The average student loan burden of workers who would be affected by the guidance is about $18,000, according to a calculation the Department of Education performed for Warren that she included in her letter. The median net worth of people receiving Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability insurance is $1,500, according to an analysis conducted by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College at Warren's behest. In addition, Warren observed in the letter, the Social Security Administration estimated in 2014 that 84 percent of the narrower category of severely disabled workers with the designation "medical improvement not expected" had no annual earnings. "During the meeting they conceded that roughly two-thirds of these borrowers, who are already known to be in poverty, are also insolvent, but rejected the idea of providing guidance to even this subset of borrowers," the Democratic Senate aide said. Treasury's failure to act means these impoverished, disabled borrowers will have to navigate IRS rules on their own. The IRS is likely to determine that the discharged loan was not a form of income, since the vast majority of the borrowers are insolvent. But the borrowers may face an automatic audit, pushing them to engage expensive tax advisory services and experience great personal stress. "Ultimately, given the costs of filing and the potential risks of garnishment, additional tax credits, or other federal and state benefits, the streamlined loan discharge process could leave borrowers who are totally and permanently disabled even worse off than before their loan was discharged," Warren wrote in the letter. Treasury has already issued guidance this year exempting certain kinds of loan discharges from counting toward taxable income for two far less vulnerable categories of borrowers: real estate investors and grantor trusts. The Treasury spokesman didn't respond to HuffPost's request for an explanation why it was possible to exclude those types of discharged debts from taxable income, but not the outstanding student debt of impoverished people with disabilities. Treasury's rejection of Warren's proposal comes amid mounting evidence that student debt is worsening elderly poverty. In 2015 alone, the federal government garnished 110,000 seniors' Social Security benefits to pay off student loans on which they had already defaulted, according to a Government Accountability Office study requested by Warren and Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) that came out this week. Some 70,000 Americans over 50 live in poverty as their Social Security benefits are cut to pay off student debts, the report found. -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
Американцы зачастили в «изолированную» Москву
Россию посетили двое американцев из окружения Дональда Трампа: Картер Пейдж и Джек Кингстон. Красной нитью через эти визиты проходит тема вероятного снятия санкций с России. В США существует целое промышленное «лобби», выступающее против ограничительных мер в отношении России.
Shul ties: Ivanka and Jared's big move has D.C.'s Jews buzzing
They can choose from several Modern Orthodox synagogues but Georgetown's Kesher Israel is seen as the front-runner.
Priebus to join former chiefs of staff at White House on Friday
White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough will host his successor Reince Preibus for lunch at the White House on Friday.
В Москву зачастили эмиссары Трампа
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Неофициальные визиты членов команды избранного президента США могут быть подготовкой к отмене санкций. Однако эксперты призывают не обольщаться дружественной риторикой лоббистов новой администрации
Remarks by the President at Evening Hanukkah Reception
East Room 7:40 P.M. EST THE PRESIDENT: Hello, hello, hello! (Applause.) HelloGood evening, everybody! Welcome to the White House, and Happy Hanukkah! (Applause.) It so happens we're a little early this year. (Laughter.) But Michelle and I are going to be in Hawaii when Hanukkah begins, and we agreed that it's never too soon to enjoy some latkes and jelly donuts. (Laughter.) This is our second Hanukkah party today, but in the spirit of the holiday, the White House kitchen has not run out of oil. (Laughter.) Dad jokes for every occasion. (Laughter.) I want to recognize some special guests that are with us today. There are a number of members of Congress here who obviously are so supportive of the values that are represented by this holiday and extraordinarily strong friends of Israel. We've got Justice Breyer and Justice Ginsburg in the house. (Applause.) We've got one of the country's finest jurists, who I happened to have nominated to the Supreme Court and who's going to continue to serve our country with distinction as the chief judge on the D.C. circuit, Merrick Garland is here. (Applause.) Our wonderful and outstanding and tireless Secretary of the Treasury, Jack Lew, is here. (Applause.) As is our U.S. Trade Representative and former B-B-Y-O president, Mike Froman. (Applause.) And I want to give it up for our outstanding musical guests, Six-Thirteen, who just did a amazing performance for Michelle and I of a "Hamilton" remix talking about the Maccabees, and the President, and menorahs, and -- MRS. OBAMA: It was good. THE PRESIDENT: If you ever have a chance to get the mix-tape, you should buy it. (Laughter.) Now, this is the eighth year that Michelle and I have hosted this little gathering. And over the years, we've welcomed Jewish Supreme Court justices, Cabinet secretaries, members of Congress. We celebrated Alan Gross's return from captivity in Cuba. (Applause.) We got to celebrate a once-in-70,000-year event, Thanksgivvikuh -- (laughter) -- where we lit the "Menurkey." (Laughter.) That was a turkey-shaped menorah, in case you forgot. (Laughter.) MRS. OBAMA: We got it. THE PRESIDENT: So this is a White House tradition that we are proud to carry on. It gives us a lot of nakhas. (Laughter.) If I pronounced that right, then that was a Hanukkah miracle. (Laughter.) Tonight, we come together for the final time to tell a familiar story -- so familiar that even we Gentiles know it. But as many times as we tell it, this 2,000-year-old tale never gets old. In every generation, we take heart from the Maccabees' struggle against tyranny, their fight to live in peace and practice their religion in peace. We teach our children that even in our darkest moments, a stubborn flame of hope flickers and miracles are possible. (Applause.) That spirit from two millennia ago inspired America's founders two centuries ago. They proclaimed a new nation where citizens could speak and assemble, and worship as they wished. George Washington himself was said to have been stirred by the lights of Hanukkah after seeing a soldier seek the warmth of a menorah in the snows of Valley Forge. And years later, Washington wrote that timeless letter we have on display today in the White House -- I hope you saw it when you walked in. Washington assured the Jews of Newport, Rhode Island, that the United States "gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance." (Applause.) He went on to write that all that is required of those "who live under [the nation's] protection" is that they be "good citizens." It's easy, sometimes, to take these fundamental freedoms for granted. But they, too, are miraculous. They, too, have to be nurtured and safeguarded. And it's in defense of these ideals -- precisely because the Jewish people have known oppression -- that throughout our history, this community has been at the forefront of every fight for freedom. It's why Jews marched in Selma, why they mobilized after Stonewall, why synagogues have opened their doors to refugees, why Jewish leaders have spoken out against all forms of hatred. And in my last months in office, I want to thank you for all your courage, and your conviction, and your outspokenness. (Applause.) The story of this community and the work you continue to do to repair the world forever reminds us to have faith that there are brighter days ahead. (Laughter.) MRS. OBAMA: They're a little cynical. (Laughter.) THE PRESIDENT: No, no, no, they're not cynical. MRS. OBAMA: Little doubtful. THE PRESIDENT: The menorah we light today is a testament such resilient optimism. It belonged to Rina and Joseph Walden, a young Polish couple who acquired it in the early 1900s. When the Second World War came, the Waldens fled to France and took shelter on a farm. And they hid their Jewishness, including their magnificent menorah, entrusting it to a courageous neighbor. But one Hanukkah, they retrieved their menorah and lit it behind locked doors and covered windows. That same week, the Nazis raided their neighbor's house and burned it to the ground. Of all the Walden family's treasures, only this menorah survived. A few years later, the Waldens moved to Israel, where their son Raphael met a young woman named Zvia Peres -- the only daughter of one of Israel's founding fathers and greatest statesmen. And I had the honor to go to Jerusalem earlier this year to bid farewell to my dear friend Shimon Peres and reaffirm the commitment of the United States to the State of Israel. We could not be more honored to have Shimon's son, Chemi, his grandson, Guy, and his granddaughter, Mika, here with us tonight. (Applause.) The Walden-Peres family lit these lights when the State of Israel was new. They've blazed it in the months after the Yom Kippur War and the Camp David Accords. And tonight, Chemi and Mika will light this amazing heirloom in the White House. And as they do, we hope all of you draw strength from the divine spark in Shimon Peres, whose miraculous life taught us that "faith and moral vision can triumph over all adversity." I hope it inspires us to rededicate ourselves to upholding the freedoms we hold dear at home and around the world -- that we are able to see those who are not like us and recognize their dignity, not just those who are similar to us. I hope it inspires us to continue to work for peace, even when it is hard -- perhaps especially when it is hard. (Applause.) And, as Washington wrote to the Jews of Newport more than 200 years ago, "May the father of all mercies scatter light, and not darkness, in our paths." I'd now like to invite Rabbi Rachel Isaacs from Colby College and Temple Beth Israel in Waterville, Maine -- which I said sounds cold -- (laughter) -- to say a few words and lead us in blessings. But first, I have to get a box, because she's a little shorter than I am. (Laughter.) (A prayer is offered.) Well, we hope that you enjoy this celebration here at the White House. On behalf of Michelle and myself, we could not be more grateful for your friendship and your prayers. And we want to emphasize that although we will be leaving here on January 20th -- AUDIENCE: No! THE PRESIDENT: -- we will meet you on the other side. (Laughter.) And we've still got a lot of work to do. We look forward to doing that work with you, because it's not something that we can do alone, and you've always been such an extraordinary group of friends that strengthen us in so many different ways. I should also note that your singing was outstanding. (Laughter.) I think this was an exceptional group of voices here. (Laughter.) Thank you very much, everybody. God bless you. (Applause.) END 7:57 P.M. EST
Remarks by the President at Afternoon Hanukkah Reception
East Room 4:04 P.M. EST THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody! (Applause.) Hello, everybody. Welcome to the White House. Michelle and I want to be the first to wish all of you a happy Hanukkah. I figure we've got to be first because we're about 10 days early. (Laughter.) We have some very special guests in the house to share some latkes with, so I want to call them out. We are, first of all, honored to be joined by Rabbi Steven Exler, the outstanding senior rabbi of the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale. (Applause.) He also happens to be Secretary Jack Lew's rabbi. (Laughter.) He taught my Director of Jewish Outreach, Chanan Weissman. So he obviously is doing something right. Also, let's give it up for Koleinu, whose sound might be the most beautiful thing to come out of Princeton since the woman standing next to me. (Applause.) That was a good one, right? MRS. OBAMA: That was a good one. (Laughter.) THE PRESIDENT: Today in the White House, as you will soon do in your homes, we recall Hanukkah's many lessons: How a small group can make a big difference. That's the story of the Maccabees' unlikely military victory, and of great moral movements around the globe and across time. How a little bit can go a long way, like the small measure of oil that outlasted every expectation. It reminds us that even when our resources seem limited, our faith can help us make the most of what little we have. The small State of Israel and the relatively small Jewish population of this country have punched far above their weight in their contributions to the world. So the Festival of Lights is also a reminder of how Isaiah saw the Jewish people, as a light unto the nations. This is the season that we appreciate the many miracles, large and small, that have graced our lives throughout generations, and to recognize that the most meaningful among them is our freedom. The first chapter of the Hanukkah story was written 22 centuries ago, when rulers banned religious rituals and persecuted Jews who dared to observe their faith. Which is why today we are asked not only to light the menorah, but to proudly display it -- to publicize the mitzvah. And that's why we've invited all these reporters who are here. (Laughter.) Everybody in America can understand the spirit of this tradition. Proudly practicing our religion, whatever it might be -- and defending the rights of others to do the same -- that's our common creed. That's what families from coast to coast confirm when they place their menorah in the window -- not to share the candles' glow with just your family, but also with your community and with your neighbors. The story of Hanukkah, the story of the Jewish people, the story of perseverance -- these are one and the same. Elie Wiesel taught us that lesson probably better than just about anybody. In one of his memories of the Holocaust, Elie watched a fellow prisoner trade his daily ration of bread for some simple materials with which to piece together a makeshift menorah. And he wrote that he couldn't believe the sacrifices this man was making to observe the holidays. A stunned Elie asked him, "Hanukkah in Auschwitz?" And the man replied, "Especially in Auschwitz." The world lost my friend, Elie Wiesel, this year. We lost a keeper of our collective conscience. But we could not be more honored today to be joined by his beloved family. (Applause.) His wife, Marion, is here. (Applause.) His wife, Marion, is here, beautiful as always. His son, Elisha, is here. His daughter-in-law, Lynn. And his grandchildren, Elijah and Shira. (Applause.) So today we're going to light a menorah that Shira made a few years ago when she was in kindergarten. (Laughter.) And as is appropriate to the spirit of the season, it's made of simple materials. It's got bolts and tiles and glue. (Laughter.) And it looks like some balsa wood. SHIRA WIESEL: It's actually melted wax. THE PRESIDENT: What is it? SHIRA WIESEL: It's actually melted wax. THE PRESIDENT: Melted wax. (Laughter.) Just saying. Over the years, your grandfather also corrected me several times. (Laughter.) And it was always very helpful. (Laughter.) We've lit a number of beautiful menorahs here at the White House. Some that weathered storms like Katrina and Sandy; others that were crafted by spectacular artists from Israel and the United States. But I've just got to say, this is my favorite. (Laughter.) I think this is the most beautiful one that we've ever lit. (Laughter and applause.) And it's a reminder that a menorah is not valuable because it's forged in silver or gold. It's treasured because it was shaped by the hands of a young girl who proves with her presence that the Jewish people survive. (Applause.) Through centuries of exile and persecution, and even the genocide of families like the Wiesels endured, the Hanukkah candles have been kindled. Each wick an answer to the wicked. Each light a signal to the world that yours is an inextinguishable faith. Jewish leaders from the Maccabees to the Wiesels, to the college students who proudly sing Hebrew songs on campus, reaffirm our belief that light still drives out darkness, and freedom still needs fighters. So let me close by saying I want to say how much Michelle and I appreciate the opportunities to have celebrated so many Hanukkahs with you in the White House. You know, at the beginning of my presidency, some critics thought it would last for only a year. (Laughter.) But -- miracle of miracles -- (applause) -- it has lasted eight years. It's lasted eight whole years. (Laughter.) Nes Gadol Haya Po. (Applause.) As many of you know, the name "Hanukkah" comes from the Hebrew word for "dedication." So we want to thank you again for your dedication to our country, to the historic progress that we've made, to the defense of religious freedom in the United States and around the world. (Applause.) And with that, let me invite Rabbi Exler to say a few words before Elijah and Shira light the candles and get this party started. Mr. Rabbi. (Applause.) END 4:13 P.M. EST
Reflections on the Obama Presidency: the price of moderation
(This is the third of four linked reflections. The first is available here , and the second likewise ) When examining the gap between promise and performance in the Obama years, the bit that isn't the Republican Party's fault is the bit that is Obama's. And there is one - certainly from a progressive point of view there is one: a progressive critique partly of the people he chose to work with, partly of the detail of the programs he chose to follow, and - biggest of all - partly of the programs that he did not. All three of these weaknesses, from a progressive point of view, were recognized and articulated as the Obama years went on. Recognizing and articulating them was, indeed, the prime driving force behind the drafting and original publication of so many of the essays that are gathered in the volume related to this posting; and those essays never stood alone. They always stood alongside the writings of Robert Kuttner, Paul Krugman and others who argued from the outset of the Obama presidency that his theory of power was at fault: that being determinedly "bi-partisan, detached and staying above the fray" would cost him (and us) a crucial FDR moment. This critique by leading progressives focused heavily during the first Obama term on the size of the initial stimulus package, and on the Administration's caution in relation to failing banks, opting as the Administration did "for propping them up and disguising the big holes in their balance sheets rather than cleaning the banks out." The result, in the view of his progressive critics at least, was that by conceding so much to his Republican opponents from Day 1, the President quickly lost both the policy initiative and the "broader philosophical war." He also, in the process, helped lose the Democrats control of the House of Representatives in 2010; a loss that led Robert Kuttner to write at the time that linking the mid-term "shellacking" to the President's penchant for bi-partisanship and policy caution was "not Monday morning quarterbacking." On the contrary, "people on his own economics team, such as Christina Romer, were telling him that the stimulus was far too small, and that it was too tilted to tax cuts" and "several of America's best economists - Joseph Stiglitz, Paul Krugman., Simon Johnson, Nouriel Roubini - were making these [same] criticisms at the time. So was the Congressional Oversight Panel ably led by Elizabeth Warren, which explains," Kuttner thought late in 2010 "why Tim Geitner [kept] trying to do her in." From a progressive point of view, the problem here was not an excess of wisdom based on hindsight. The problem here was a tendency to policy caution in the pursuit of Republican support: which is why, to those on the right of the Democratic Party coalition who blamed the mid-term losses in 2010 on an over-focus on healthcare reform rather than on policy-timidity, Paul Krugman at least was caustic in response: "Mr. Obama's problem wasn't lack of focus," he wrote, "it was lack of audacity. At the start of his administration, he settled for an economic plan that was far too weak. He compounded this original sin by pretending that everything was on track and by adopting the rhetoric of his enemies." He failed, that is, to capitalize upon the key moment of ideological openness created by the visible discrediting of free-market economics and trickle-down tax cuts during the worst of the financial crisis late in 2008. To quote Robert Kuttner again; Obama's critics contend that his prolonged fantasy of bipartisanship, his failure to lay the blame for the depressed economy, and his reluctance to use his bully pulpit to tell a coherent story, particularly about jobs, needlessly weakened the Democrat and led to avoidable losses in the 2010 midterm. More fundamentally, under Obama government has lost credibility as a necessary force for economic recovery and fairness, undermining the Democrats' core appeal to voters. At the very least, Obama failed to drive the agenda or exploit the full possibilities of presidential leadership in a crisis." This is not to deny that Obama's choice of personnel was sometimes outstanding: Joe Biden as Vice-President must be the best example of that. But Rahm Emanuel as his first chief of staff, Larry Summers as his first director of the National Economic Council, Tim Geithner to be followed as Treasury Secretary by Jack Lew, and the retention of Robert Gates as his first defense secretary - all those appointments spoke to an Obama failure to break fundamentally either with the neoliberal economic policies that produced the financial crash or the recession, or with the neo-conservatism that sent us initially into Iraq. In each area, there were progressive shifts, of course: including a stimulus package and help to homeowners that John McCain as president would doubtless not have implemented, and a determination to wind down the Iraq War that John McCain most certainly would not have demonstrated. But still, this was an Administration that began with a stimulus package that was too small, and too driven by tax cuts rather than infrastructure spending; and it was an Administration that ended having organized both a surge back into Afghanistan, and now the steady incremental increase in the number of US special forces on the ground across virtually the entirety of the Middle East. And as the President's passion for the Trans-Pacific Partnership demonstrates only too well, the Obama Administration was one that broke with austerity politics but not with neoliberalism; just as the extensive use of drone warfare demonstrates that this was an Administration that broke with the Iraq War but not with the concept of America as a global military force. The Obama Administration broke with one war, but not with war itself. There is no need to repeat the detail of this criticism here. What needs emphasizing instead is the broad limitation of a strategy of reaching across the aisle, and seeking bipartisan agreement, in the context of an aisle dominated on its right side by an ultra-conservative Republican Party. I realize well enough that bipartisanship is how the American system of government was intended to operate, and how indeed it did operate right through into the second Bush presidency. But bipartisanship only works if a liberal wing exists within the Republican Party to match the conservative wing within the Democratic Party. Given the absence of the former now, it is surely time for the Democrats to dump the latter - to move both parties, that is, towards more ideologically coherent sets of differences, and towards one-party rule (and effective governance, European style) whenever one party captures both Houses of Congress and the White House in the same election cycle. To talk in French terms, the Founding Fathers favored 'cohabitation;' but to cohabit successfully both of you need to like each other, and those days of mutual respect and tolerance are now gone. Barack Obama was reluctant to admit this. He tried to be a president for all Americans - an aspiration that is to some degree endemic to the job - but in truth the days of such presidencies (if they ever existed - think of the class hatred that fell on FDR in the 1930s ) have now gone. Barack Obama as President kept reaching across the aisle, only to meet total rejection there. Charm offensives are only needed when they are already pre-doomed to failure. If Democrats want to be part of the new politics - the politics of partisanship - they as a party will need to get their own coherence together, and to fight fire with fire. First posted, with full academic citations, at www.davidcoates.net This is an extract from the closing essay in David Coates, The Progressive Case Stalled Published by Library Partners Press, and bringing together all the Coates' postings on Barack Obama's second term. The postings on the Obama first term are also available, collected together as Pursuing the Progressive Case. Together, the two volumes make up Observing Obama in Real Time. -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
Lawmakers ask U.S. to block Chinese takeover of Lattice Semiconductor
WASHINGTON, Dec 5 (Reuters) - More than 20 U.S. Congress members wrote to U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew on Monday asking for the acquisition of U.S. chip maker Lattice Semiconductor Corp by a fund with ties to China's government to be blocked over security concerns.
G-20 предупреждает о рисках неустойчивого роста
Министры финансов и главы центральных банков стран G20 заявили, что низкие процентные ставки могут привести к потенциальному повышению финансовых рисков на рынках, так как крупные экономики опираются на монетарное стимулирование, чтобы спровоцировать рост. "Мы помним о потенциале роста чрезмерного риска на финансовых рынках, в частности в условиях низких процентных ставок и низкой волатильности цен на активы, - написали чиновники из G-20 в коммюнике, опубликованном в Кэрнсе, Австралия. - Мы приветствуем сильные экономические условия в ряде крупнейших экономик, хотя рост в мировой экономике остается неравномерным". Данное заявление отражает неравномерное экономическое восстановление с февраля, когда участники G-20 собрались в Сиднее. В то время как в экономиках США и Великобритании наблюдался рост, а ситуация на фондовых рынках улучшалась, в Европе сохранялся риск соскользнуть в дефляцию. К тому же есть опасения, что таргетированные темпы роста Китая в 7,5% на 2014 г. будет сложнее достичь. "Очень важно, чтобы мы приняли конкретные меры для стимулирования роста и создания рабочих мест, - отметил министр финансов Австралии Джо Хокей. - Мы будем использовать все доступные рычаги, среди которых дополнительные инструменты фискальной и денежно-кредитной политики". Представители некоторых стран в G20, включая министра финансов США Джейкоба Лью, считают, что необходимы срочные меры для стимулирования спроса в экономике. "В целом экономическая активность в мире остается слабой, - заявил Лью, выступая в пятницу в Кэрнсе. - Необходимо предпринять меры для достижения более быстрого и сбалансированного роста для стимулирования спроса в странах с профицитным балансом и увеличения занятости".
Сэкономить одну унцию платины?
Секретарь американского казначейства Джейкоб Лью "не считает серьёзной альтернативой" для преодоления потолка госдолга выпуск платиновых монет номиналом 1 трлн долл. WASHINGTON (MarketWatch)-- Minting a platinum coin to avoid a debt-ceiling showdown "is not a serious option," said Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew on Thursday. Some analysts outside the White House have advocated that the U.S. government take advantage of a loophole to mint a platinum coin, assign it a value of $1 trillion and deposit it with the Fed, thereby automatically boosting the debt ceiling. Earlier this month, the Huffington Post reported, based on a Freedom of Information Act request, that the Justice Department reviewed the idea sometime since President Barack Obama took office. Rep. Patrick McHenry, a Republican from North Carolina, criticized the Obama administration for considering an "absurd" platinum-coin plan. Lew said he agreed with McHenry's sentiment on the idea.Не хотят печатать двенадцать нулей на одной унции платины, ну и ладно. А вот факт, что это вынужден комментировать даже сам секретарь самого казначейского казначейства, тревожит. Господа в тупике. Надо где-то стравить давление... Нефтяной спред повторяет один в один Тунис-Египет-2011. В ноябре 2013 расширился с 5 до 20$ с той же скоростью... Это всё-таки Украина? На сегодня спред сузился до 11$ - тот же уровень и с той же скоростью, как перед Ливией-2011, дальше было 30$... Кто будет "Ливией-2014"? Или обойдётся? Вариант прямой эмиссии в США: монета номиналом $1 трлн Репортёр "Вашингтон Пост" Брэд Пламер (Brad Plumer), цитируя титулованных экспертов, на полном серьёзе обсуждает идею прямой эмиссии двух триллионов долларов Казначейством США... Да, казначейством, а не ФРС. Оказывается, в законодательстве США есть прореха, позволяющая произвести платиновую монету любым номиналом. Золотую, серебряную, медную нельзя, а платиновую можно. Законом ограничено количество металлических денег, за исключением платины. Казначейство отштампует две платиновые монеты весом в 1 унцию и проставит на них номинал: 1,000,000,000,000 долларов. Всего-то. Наверное, лучше извести на монету две унции, потому что на одноунцевой будут плохо различимы нули? Затем Казначейство закладывает (или обменивает?) их в ФРС и получает две единицы с вожделенными двенадцатью нулями на свой счёт. "Мне это нравится", - сказал ещё в 2011-м Джозеф Ганьон (Joseph Gagnon) из Peterson Institute for International Economics. "Нет ничего, что бы этому помешало". Предполагается, что в следующем году могут возникнуть сложности с размещением гос.облигаций и тогда казначейство может быть вынуждено начать продажу металлов из своих запасов... Джек Бэлкин (Jack Balkin), профессор права Йельской школы права подтвердил такую возможность с юридической точки зрения. Если Конгресс не может или не хочет поднять потолок долга, то, скорее всего, администрации Обамы придётся закрыть часть государственных программ, чтобы не допустить дефолт по своим долгам. Что, в теории, подтолкнёт Конгресс к действию. Сейчас оба эксперта, Ганьон и Бэлкин, сходятся во мнении, что платинум-вариант является всё же рискованным: могут возникнуть судебные разбирательства под предлогом того, что памятные монеты не должны использоваться для финансирования бюджета. Но ведь Казначейство выпускает в оборот монеты. И использует вырученные фиат-доллары по своему усмотрению. По сути, это прямая эмиссия, решающая проблему финансирования дефицита бюджета в следующие два года без роста долгов. В принципе, рано или поздно прямая эмиссия неизбежна. Например, прямым выкупом ФРС казначейских обязательств США, но там существуют законодательные барьеры, которые пришлось бы пересматривать в Конгрессе. А что такое дебаты в Конгрессе - все помнят шоу летом 2011, когда обсуждалось повышение лимита госдолга.