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Inside Trump's snap decision to ban transgender troops — After a week sparring with his attorney general and steaming over the Russia investigation consuming his agenda, President Donald Trump was closing in on an important win. — House Republicans were planning to pass a spending bill stacked …
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STATEMENT BY SASC CHAIRMAN JOHN McCAIN ON TRANSGENDER AMERICANS IN THE MILITARY — Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement today on President Trump's tweet regarding transgender Americans in the military:
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The Moderate Voice, National Review, Business Insider, Politicus USA, Deadline, Mediaite, The Daily Caller, Fox News Insider and Axios

The military spends five times as much on Viagra as it would on transgender troops' medical care — On Twitter this morning, President Trump announced a ban on transgender people serving in the military, citing “medical costs” as the primary driver of the decision.
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Bloomberg, Politico, Business Insider, The Atlantic, AOL, Richard Dawkins Foundation, Just Security, Task & Purpose, Vox, Refinery29, NBC News, ThinkProgress, twitchy.com, Mashable, Raw Story and CNBC, more at Techmeme »


Trump Says Transgender People Cannot “Serve In Any Capacity” In The Military — He made the announcement on Twitter on Wednesday. — President Trump tweeted on Wednesday that transgender people cannot “serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military,” repeating a claim from conservative Republicans …


Trump Says Transgender People Will Not Be Allowed in the Military
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Kristin Beck, transgender Navy SEAL hero: 'Let's meet face to face and you tell me I'm not worthy'

Pence, Bannon pushed for transgender troop ban
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Hot Air, Mediaite and Business Insider

Trump “blindsided the Pentagon” with new military policy he got watching Fox News
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Business Insider, Politico, CityLab, Mediaite, Human Rights Campaign and IJR

Transgender airman: ‘I would like to see them try to kick me out of my military’

Hatch: ‘Transgender people are people’
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Politico, Shareblue, Washington Post, Task & Purpose and The Daily Caller


Trump Bows to Religious Right, Bans Trans Troops
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No More Mister Nice Blog, Business Insider, IJR and VICE News

GOP senators break with Trump over transgender troop ban
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al.com, RedState, VICE News, Washington Post and Talking Points Memo

Ernst opposes Trump's ban on transgender troops
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The Hill, ABC News, Business Insider, Splinter, New York Magazine and The Root


‘Dancing with the Stars’ wants Sean Spicer … Sean Spicer is taking his first steps to transition from the White House briefing room to the bright lights of a TV news studio — but he's also being courted by “Dancing with the Stars,” Page Six has learned. — The outgoing press secretary spent …
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Why Did Jared Kushner Download an Encrypted, Disappearing Message App? — The list of people interested in Jared Kushner's communications history keeps growing: This week, the White House advisor and presidential son-in-law voluntarily handed over documents to the Senate intelligence committee …
Discussion:
Raw Story


The Justice Department Just Argued Against Gay Rights In A Major Federal Case — Lawyers under Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in federal court that 1964 civil rights law does not protect a gay employee from discrimination. — Reporting From Washington, DC
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Raw Story
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Trump talks privately about the idea of a recess appointment to replace Sessions … President Trump has discussed with confidants and advisers in recent days the possibility of installing a new attorney general through a recess appointment if Jeff Sessions leaves the job …
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CNN, Bloomberg, Mediaite, IJR, CNBC, FiveThirtyEight, New York Times, NBC News, Washington Times, The Mahablog, The Week and Politicus USA

A Trump Tower of Absolute Folly
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Jeff Sessions won't take Trump's hint
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Politico, Wall Street Journal, ABC News, Business Insider, neo-neocon, The White House and Mediaite


The ‘Skinny Bill’ Is a Farce. Here's the Real Reason Republicans Are Doing It. — At times, various factions in Congress have called for repealing, replacing, or repairing Obamacare. Senate Republicans have been unable to agree on which of these ends to pursue, and so instead …
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Daily Kos
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‘Skinny’ Obamacare repeal still lacks votes to pass — Even a bare-bones repeal of Obamacare is no sure thing in the Senate. — A handful of key Republican senators who had spurned earlier overtures from GOP leadership endorsed the latest plan to gut Obamacare's individual and employer coverage mandates and its medical device tax.
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The latest vote to repeal Obamacare fails in the Senate
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Senate rejects repeal-only ObamaCare plan
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RedState, The Gateway Pundit, Mediaite and IJR


Steve Bannon Pushing For 44 Percent Marginal Tax Rate On The Very Rich — Top White House adviser Steve Bannon is pushing for tax reform to include a new 44 percent top marginal tax rate, hitting people who earn more than $5 million a year, with the revenue paying for tax cuts for the rest …
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RedState, AOL, Raw Story and The Daily Caller

State Department head of diplomatic security resigns — The head of the State Department's diplomatic security bureau has resigned and will leave his post on Thursday, leaving the two top positions vacant for the foreseeable future in the bureau in charge of embassy security around the world.
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Secretary of State Tillerson says he is ‘not going anywhere’
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RedState


Matt Drudge is firing warning shots at Trump, and that should worry the president — Conway: White House staff is tough, but humble — Matt Drudge has been in the White House an awful lot these days — “all the time,” as one senior administration official puts it.
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The Week


DOJ: Ex-Manafort Associate Firtash Is Top-Tier Comrade of Russian Mobsters — The Department of Justice has identified a former business associate of ex-Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort as an “upper-echelon [associate] of Russian organized crime.” — The declaration came in a 115-page filing …
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Raw Story and Political Wire


Foxconn to announce billions in investments and thousands of jobs for Wisconsin — MADISON - Foxconn Technology Group will announce at the White House on Wednesday its plans to build a massive plant in Wisconsin that would employ thousands. — The project could reshape the economy …
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New York Magazine, Crain's Detroit Business and Business Insider, more at Techmeme »
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Gowdy Acted Like Kushner's Lawyer Behind Closed Doors, Democrat Says — Gowdy says Democrats ‘ran out of questions’ for Kushner — Intelligence panel interviewed Kushner as part of Russia probe — Republican Trey Gowdy acted behind closed doors like a lawyer for President Donald Trump's son-in-law …
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Weekly Standard and Politico


Welcome to The Hill's 50 Most Beautiful! — After receiving hundreds upon hundreds of nominations, it was tough to choose just 50. — But following a lot of debate, we finalized this year's winners. — There is one thing that's different than our prior lists.
Discussion:
The Daily Caller and John Hawkins' Right Wing News


Angelina Jolie Solo — Photographs by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott. Styled by Jessica Diehl. … Like most things involving Angelina Jolie, stepping foot into her house is an experience so heightened one wonders if it's for real or the product of careful orchestration.


Health Care Vote: Senate Rejects Repeal Without Replace — • The Senate on Wednesday afternoon rejected a proposal to repeal major parts of the Affordable Care Act without providing a replacement. Follow the live vote tracker to see how each senator voted.
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Kevin Cavanaugh becomes first Democrat to win New Hampshire state Senate special election since 1984 — BOW, N.H. (AP) — Democrat Kevin Cavanaugh has won the special election for New Hampshire's District 16 state Senate seat. — Cavanaugh defeated Republican David Boutin and Libertarian Jason Dubrow on Tuesday.