Monday, Nov. 27

á      White House budget director Mick Mulvaney, President Donald TrumpÕs choice to temporarily lead the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, competed with CFPB Deputy Director Leandra English, former Director Richard Cordray's hand-picked replacement, as both showed up for work. Mulvaney told staff to ÒPlease disregard any instructions you receive from Ms. English in her presumed capacity as Acting Director.Ó http://reut.rs/2zsNeke

á      President Trump transformed a White House ceremony to honor Navajo code talkers from World War II into a racially charged controversy by deriding Senator Elizabeth Warren with his favorite nickname for her, ÒPocahontas.Ó http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/27/politics/trump-pocahontas-navajo-code-talkers/index.html

á      A political activist believed to have been working for Project Veritas told a false story of sexual assault by Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore in an attempt to undermine the paper. The Post did not publish an article based on her unsubstantiated account  and instead exposed the scam. http://wapo.st/2ADohXB

Tuesday, Nov. 28

á      The Associated Press reported that the U.S. awarded $30 million in contracts for Puerto Rico storm victims to an unproven Florida company, Bronze Star LLC, that failed to supply aid. FEMA eventually terminated the contracts, without paying any money, and re-started the bidding process. http://bit.ly/2AfiKWo

á      Democrats Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer pulled out of scheduled meeting with Trump after he tweeted Ò[T]hey want illegal immigrants flooding into our Country unchecked, are weak on Crime and want to substantially RAISE Taxes. I don't see a deal!Ó https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/28/schumer-pelosi-cancel-meeting-with-trump-262853

Wednesday, Nov. 29

á      North Korea said it successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching any part of the U.S. mainland. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/north-korea-fires-missile-for-the-first-time-in-more-than-two-months/2017/11/28/0c136952-d46c-11e7-9461-ba77d604373d_story.html?utm_term=.f7436db239b8&wpisrc=al_news__alert-world--alert-national&wpmk=1

á      Politico reported that Trump may use the weight of his office to help elect scandal-tarred Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore. The White House is considering flooding the state with robo-calls, emails, and text messages Moore is confronting allegations that he sexually pursued teenage girls while in his 30s. http://politi.co/2AfhLoI

á      Garrison Keillor said heÕs been fired by Minnesota Public Radio over allegations of inappropriate behavior. Minnesota Public Radio confirmed Keillor fired, saying a single Ôinappropriate behaviorÕ allegation had been received. http://bit.ly/2BvAZ7I

á      NBC fired Matt Lauer, the longtime host of the ÒTodayÓ show, due to allegations of conduct that the network labeled Òinappropriate sexual behavior.Ó http://politi.co/2k9oURy

á      Trump shared videos from the far right group Britain First, supposedly portraying Muslims committing acts of violence on Twitter. Trump retweeted the video posts from an ultranationalist British party leader, Jayda Fransen, who has previously been charged in the United Kingdom with Òreligious aggravated harassment,Ó according to news reports. http://nyti.ms/2k7dRIv

Thursday, Nov. 30

á      The United States warned North KoreaÕs leadership it would be Òutterly destroyedÓ if war were to break out after Pyongyang test fired its most advanced missile, putting the U.S. mainland within range, in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions. http://reut.rs/2j42ZI7

á      House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called on Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) to resign, describing allegations of sexual harassment by multiple former aides as ÒcredibleÓ and Òdisappointing.Ó Conyers, the longest-serving member of Congress, faces multiple accusations of mistreating female aides over two decades, including alleged episodes of verbal abuse, inappropriate touching and sexual advances. https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/conyers-hospitalized-as-accuser-describes-unwanted-sexual-advance-in-chicago-hotel/2017/11/30/55b82820-d5e0-11e7-b62d-d9345ced896d_story.html?utm_term=.d88ae889a70b&wpisrc=al_news__alert-politics--alert-national&wpmk=1

á      The Washington Post reported that the White House has a plan to replace Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with CIA Director Mike Pompeo, after months of rockiness between Tillerson and President Trump. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/11/30/white-house-readies-plan-to-replace-tillerson-with-pompeo-install-cotton-at-cia/?undefined=&utm_term=.fd765518a68b&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

á      The Joint Committee on Taxation said the Republican tax measure pending in the Senate would add over $1 trillion to budget deficits over 10 years. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/11/28/us/politics/tax-bill-deficits.html?emc=edit_nn_20171201&nl=morning-briefing&nlid=81621366&te=1

á      Members of BritainÕs Parliament from across the political spectrum condemned the anti-Muslim tweets shared by Trump the day before. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/30/world/europe/trump-tweets-uk-visit.html?_r=0

á      Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, an undocumented Mexican immigrant, was acquitted by a jury in the 2015 killing of Kathryn Steinle, a San Francisco woman. Cited by Donald Trump during his campaign, the death of Steinle fed into a debate over whether immigrants without legal status should be dealt with more aggressively. Zarate had been deported five times. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/30/us/kate-steinle-murder-trial.html?emc=edit_nn_20171201&nl=morning-briefing&nlid=81621366&te=1

Friday, Dec. 1

á      Former national security adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and said he is cooperating in the ongoing probe of possible coordination between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/michael-flynn-charged-with-making-false-statement-to-the-fbi/2017/12/01/e03a6c48-d6a2-11e7-9461-ba77d604373d_story.html?undefined=&utm_term=.5ff1f58f503d&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

á      Rep. Blake Farenthold used taxpayer money to settle a sexual harassment claim brought by his former spokesman — the only known sitting member of Congress to have used a little-known congressional account to pay an accuser. http://bit.ly/2kePl8C

á      Plans for Donald TrumpÕs Òworking visitÓ to the U.K. were dropped as tensions with Theresa May grew over the presidentÕs anti-Muslim tweets. http://bit.ly/2zF0ja0

Saturday, Dec. 2

á      In the wee hours, the Senate passed a Republican bill overhauling the tax code. The $1.5 trillion tax cut bestows extensive benefits on corporate America and the wealthy while delivering mixed blessings to everybody else. The bill passed by a 51-49 vote. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/johnson-to-back-senate-tax-bill-putting-gop-leaders-close-to-securing-passage/2017/12/01/0226ff98-d6a2-11e7-b62d-d9345ced896d_story.html?utm_term=.e72b5a360e22&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1

á      A new poll shows the Alabama Senate race is neck and neck, with voters divided over Roy Moore allegations. With less than two weeks to go, support for Democrat Doug Jones stands at 50 percent vs. MooreÕs 47 percent support among likely voters. http://wapo.st/2iCcMrO

Sunday, Dec. 3

á      President Trump issued a fresh denial Sunday that he asked then-FBI Director James B. Comey to halt an investigation into the conduct of his dismissed national security adviser Michael Flynn. ÒI never asked Comey to stop investigating Flynn,Ó Trump said in a pre-dawn message on Twitter. ÒJust more Fake News covering another Comey lie!Ó https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/12/03/in-pre-dawn-twitter-message-trump-issues-a-fresh-denial-about-intervening-in-flynn-investigation/?undefined=&utm_term=.57af77638a8e&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

á      A Trump lawyer said the President knew in late January that Flynn had given the FBI the same account he gave to vice president, the account Flynn acknowledged as a lie in his plea deal on Friday.  http://wapo.st/2jf2Odg