Trump Asks John Kelly to Stay as Chief of Staff Through 2020

President Trump has asked John Kelly to stay on as White House chief of staff through 2020, multiple sources told Fox News on Tuesday. 

The move comes as Kelly marked one year at the White House, an anniversary that prompted inevitable speculation about whether he will stay or go.  

Kelly was brought on in July 2017 to impose order on a chaotic West Wing, replacing Reince Priebus, and has told people he’d be happy if he made it to the one-year mark. 

Trump marked the occasion during an Oval Office swearing-in ceremony for the new secretary of Veterans Affairs on Monday. Trump tweeted a picture of the two of them smiling, side by side, with the message: 

"Congratulations to General John Kelly. Today we celebrate his first full year as @WhiteHouse Chief of Staff!" 

Robert Mueller Russian Investigation

Up to this point, a total of 30 people have been indicted. Those who have been indicted are: 

Michael Flynn- was charged and pleaded guilty in December 2017 to making false statements to the FBI. 

Paul Manafort- Robert Mueller’s team brought additional charges of obstruction of justice against Paul Manafort. 

Rick Gates- He pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy and false-statements charges. His charges range from conspiracy against the US to conspiracy to launder money. 

George Papadopoulos- He pleaded guilty in 2017 to making false statements to the FBI regarding the timing, extent and nature of his relationships and interactions with certain foreign nationals who he understood to have close connections with senior Russian government officials. 

Richard Pinedo- a California man who sold bank accounts to Russians meddling in the election. He has plead guilty to using stolen identities to set up bank accounts in February. 

13 Russian nationals- A grand jury indicted 13 Russian nationals and three Russian companies in February or allegedly interfering in the 2016 election. 

12 Russian intelligence officers- The Justice Department announced that 12 Russian intelligence officers of GRU were indicted for allegedly hacking the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and Hillary Clinton’s campaign during the 2016 election.

The Paul Manafort Trial

The trial of Paul Manafort began on Tuesday in Alexandria, Virginia. This trial only concerns one segment of the charges filed against Paul Manafort. Paul Manafort faces similar charges in federal court in Washington, D.C., that second trial isn't scheduled to begin until Sept. 17.

Manafort has been charged with 32 counts of bank fraud and tax fraud. The charges against him are doctoring documents to inflate the income of his businesses and then using those fraudulent documents to obtain loans, evading taxes from 2010 to 2014, secretly paying former European politicians to lobby on behalf of Ukraine, 12 count indictment in connection with foreign lobbying work, conspiracy against the U.S., Conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of foreign principal, multiple counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts.

Rise of Socialism- “Medicare for All” Plan

Sen. Bernie Sanders’ plan builds on Medicare, the insurance program for seniors. The proposal would require all U.S. residents be covered with no copays and deductibles for medical services. The insurance industry would be regulated to play a minor role in the system. 

The “Medicare for All” plan has been pushed by Sen. Bernie Sanders and endorsed by a host of Democratic congressional and presidential hopefuls. 

A report, from the libertarian Mercatus Center, showed that Sanders' plan to extend Medicare to all Americans would increase federal healthcare costs by $32.6 trillion between 2022 and 2032, if implemented as written. 

Big Supporters for the “Medicare for All” plan are Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Kamala Harris, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. 

In a Statement from Bernie Sanders he said, “If every major country on earth can guarantee health care to all, and achieve better health outcomes, while spending substantially less per capita than we do, it is absurd for anyone to suggest that the United States cannot do the same. This grossly misleading and biased report is the Koch brothers’ response to the growing support in our country for a ‘Medicare for all’ program.”

People who support this plan say that the price tag for the federal government would increase significantly, but decreased spending by other groups would actually lower the total amount of healthcare spending over the same 10-year period.

At the same time, the plan also assumes that 30 million more people would get access to healthcare, and many people would get more robust services. 

The savings would come from a variety of places, such as the government's ability to leverage its bargaining power into lower prescription drug costs and mandating that all healthcare providers take the lower Medicare payment rate. 

Currently, 44 million beneficiaries, approximately 15% of the U.S. population, are enrolled in the Medicare program. Enrollment is expected to rise to 79 million by 2030.  

ICE union asks Portland mayor for police protection

The union that represents employees of Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Monday called on Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler to immediately provide law enforcement services to ICE employees. 

Attorney Sean Riddell, legal representative for the National Immigration and Customs Enforcement Council, sent a letter to the mayor's office Monday requesting a meeting with Wheeler to discuss the hands-off approach Portland police took to the Occupy ICE PDX protest. 

Demonstrators held a 38-day-long occupation at the Oregon ICE facility in Portland beginning June 17 in protest to President Donald Trump's immigration policies. 

Attorney Sean Riddell wrote in the letter that was sent on Monday that Mayor Wheeler's decision created "a zone of terror and lawlessness" and resulted in threats of physical violence and harassment toward ICE employees.

The letter went on to reference the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizens equal protection of the laws.

"Your policy of not providing police services to employees of ICE creates a class of people based upon their source of income," the letter read. 

On June 20, Wheeler tweeted that he did not want Portland police involved in a conflict between protesters and ICE, adding that he believes the agency is on the wrong track. 

CNN Interview Between LeBron James and Don Lemon

On Monday, LeBron James was interviewed by CNN's Don Lemon to promote a new public school that his charitable foundation along with the Akron school system helped build.

In the interview, James and Lemon also talked about race, President Donald Trump and the state of the country. 

James was asked by Lemon whether life was harder as an African-American living during Trump's presidency, LeBron responded: "No, I think it's always been there, but I think the President in charge now has given people -- they don't care now. They throw it in your face now." 

LeBron went on to say, "What I've noticed over the past few months (is) he's kinda used sports to kinda divide us, and that's something that I can't relate to." 

"I can't sit back and say nothing. Sports was the first time I was ever around someone white. I got an opportunity to see them and learn about them, and they got the opportunity to learn about me ... And I was like, 'Oh wow, this is all because of sports.'" 

Lemon went on to ask what James would say to Trump if he were seated in front of him. Mincing no words, James responded, “I would never sit across from him.”

Mail Time!

• Bill,
Where has all the hatred come from? I thought Obama was a terrible president in many respects and could not understand how he ever was elected to a second term. I am appalled by his administration’s corruption of the FBI and the DOJ. But while these feelings reflect total disgust, they certainly are not hatred. Can you explain how and why this hatred primarily from the left materialized? It just seems like such a leap from disappointment that your candidate lost an election to hatred for the victor, AND all his associates, AND their families. Love thy neighbor is not a sentiment I see being espoused much anymore. Very sad.
• Hi Bill, I'll keep it pithy. I hope you realize that President Trump cannot disappear for two weeks his own party will do too much damage. He has to keep fighting for us, we the people

Word of the Day: Pawky