Thursday Top Headline Summary
Political witch hunt, Trump’s tax returns, Fairfax in trouble, Warren apology, record-warm period, retiree security, and more.
Political witch hunt: “President Trump on Wednesday denounced House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) as a ‘political hack’ for opening a sweeping investigation into Trump’s ties to Russia and his personal finances,” The Hill reports. The new investigation “extends beyond alleged links between the Trump campaign and Russia that would examine whether Trump’s decisions as president have been motivated by financial gain.”
“House Democrats will take their first step toward obtaining President Donald Trump’s personal tax returns, convening a hearing Thursday to examine legislative proposals and laws dictating the process to acquire the documents,” according to ABC News. “Democratic leaders have argued that the filings could produce a road map for investigations into Trump’s tangle of global businesses and provide a cure for anxiety caused by his refusal to share details about his wealth, debt, charitable giving and potential conflicts of interests.” The only “cure for anxiety” Democrats are after is Trump’s impeachment.
Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax may soon be pushed out the exit. The National Organization for Women (NOW) is urging Fairfax, who is accused of sexual assault stemming from an incident in 2004, to step down. NOW President Toni Van Pelt says the accuser’s account “is horrifying, compelling and clear as day — and we believe her.” (National Review)
Apologies ad nauseam: “Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., on Wednesday was once again forced to apologize for claiming Native American ancestry on a 1986 registration card for the Texas state bar, and left the door open that there may be more documents out there with a similar claim,” Fox News reports. Her latest apology is just a few days removed from her quietly giving a private mea culpa to the chief of the Cherokee Nation.
Last year was another warm one, according to government scientists. In fact, the current five-year period is the warmest on record. Democrats are complaining that climate change was absent from President Donald Trump’s State of the Union Address, but the U.S. is doing its part to reduce emissions. That’s not the case with other nations, which is why the Green New Deal, the goals of which were unveiled today, is senseless. In any event, there are more unknowns than there are knowns.
“Cutting the supply of prescription opioids has been a popular intervention to fight the drug crisis. But, according to a study released last week by the Journal of the American Medical Association, these interventions are likely to cut opioid deaths by only 3 to 6 percent by 2025.” Read why The Washington Free Beacon says that “policymakers must think bigger to stop opioid deaths.”
Not satire: “Calls for Liam Neeson to be removed from the upcoming ‘Men In Black’ film are making the rounds on social media after the actor made highly controversial statements about wanting to find and kill a black person.” (Fox News)
Humor: Elizabeth Warren admits to wearing paleface at college costume party (The Babylon Bee)
Policy: What can be done to improve retirees’ security? The American Enterprise Institute’s Andrew G. Biggs recently testified before the House Ways & Means Committee “to discuss developments in retirement income policy in the United States.”
Policy: Assuming Congress doesn’t fund a border barrier, the president is almost guaranteed to declare an emergency. And according to National Review’s John Yoo, he’s got the law on his side.
For more of today’s editors’ choice headlines, visit In Our Sights.
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