Trump Says U.S. Nuclear Arsenal Must Be Expanded and More You Missed in Politics Today
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It’s difficult to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in this country and to break through the clutter, so we’re here to make it easier. Here’s what we at Countable are reading today:
1. "Trump: U.S. Nuclear Arsenal Must Be ‘Greatly’ Expanded"
"President-elect Donald Trump expressed a desire to enlarge the country’s nuclear arsenal in an apparent reversal of longstanding efforts to reduce the nation’s cache of atomic weapons. Addressing the subject on Twitter, the president-elect wrote: “The United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to it senses regarding nukes." Trump’s statement, which came hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a speech that his country’s store of nuclear weapons should be bolstered. During his time in office, President Barack Obama has sought to both reduce and modernize the country’s stock of nuclear weapons, an effort that spurred heavy criticism from denuclearization proponents.”
Read more at Bloomberg.
2. "Health exchange enrollment jumps even as GOP plans repeal"
"The Obama administration said 6.4 million people have signed up to receive health insurance under the Affordable Act. The new signups represent an increase by 400,000 over a similar point in 2015, and means that millions could see their health coverage imperiled by the new administration of President-elect Donald Trump. Trump and GOP leaders have vowed to repeal the act as one of the first major legislative actions of the Trump regime, but the marked increase in signups may undermine Republicans’ argument that the law is hopelessly flawed and in freefall."
Read more at the New York Times.
3. "Trump picks Sean Spicer as White House press secretary"
"President-elect Donald Trump has appointed Republican National Committee communications director Sean Spicer to serve as White House press secretary, his transition team announced Thursday. Spicer, 45, served six years in his RNC role and 15 years in communications for Beltway Republicans. Like his boss, Spicer is a fan of Twitter, but his appointment might be a win for the press corps, as Spicer is a veteran of the “Washington press relations game and likely to provide an open line of communication into Trump's White House."”
Read more at CNN Money.
4. "North Carolina lawmakers leave ‘bathroom bill’ in place"
"North Carolina lawmakers failed to reveal a controversial law regulating the use of public restrooms by transgender individuals. Just days earlier, it seemed that the measure would be repealed with little issues. However, the special session that was convened to discuss the measure, which people to use bathrooms that correspond to the gender stated on their birth certificates regardless of an individual’s gender identity, ended abruptly after the Senate voted down a bill that would have repealed the law and the House adjourned without acting. The measure, which has spurred nationwide controversy and cost the state millions in tourism revenue, will remain in place for now with the House and Senate scheduled to next reconvene in January."
Read more at the Washington Post.
5. "Obama ending program that tracked Muslim travelers"
"President Barack Obama will formally end a program enacted under the administration of President George W. Bush that largely affected travelers from majority-Muslim nations. Advisors for President-elect Donald Trump indicated that the program might be put in use in the near future, but Obama’s move may partially head off those efforts. The program, known as the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS), “was established in 2002 to flag travelers from select countries for additional scrutiny and restricted travel options." It was partially dismantled, but not entirely discontinued, in 2011.”
Read more at The Verge.
— Erin Wright
(Photo by Flickr user Michael Vadon
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