ACTION

{ foxnews.com } ~ Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, in a letter Monday, denied House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal's request for President Trump's tax returns... saying the request lacked a “legitimate legislative purpose.” “As you have recognized, the Committee’s request is unprecedented, and it presents serious constitutional questions, the resolution of which may have lasting consequences for all taxpayers,” the letter read. Mnuchin told the Massachusetts Democrat  he'd relied on the advice of the Justice Department. He concluded that the department was “not authorized to disclose the requested returns and return information.” “The Department of Justice has informed us that it intends to memorialize its advice in a published legal opinion as soon as practicable. Out of respect for the deadlines previously set by the Committee, and consistent with our commitment to a prompt response, I am informing you now that the Department may not lawfully fulfill the Committee’s request,” the letter read. The move, which was expected, is sure to set in motion a legal battle over Trump’s tax returns. The likely options available to Democrats would be to subpoena the Internal Revenue Service for the returns or to file a lawsuit. Neal originally demanded access to Trump’s tax returns in early April under a law that said the IRS “shall furnish” the returns of any taxpayer to a handful of top lawmakers, including the chair of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee. The White House and the president’s attorneys declined to comment on the deadline to turn over Trump’s returns. Trump already has signaled he has no intention of turning over the much-coveted records...   https://www.foxnews.com/politics/treasury-secretary-mnuchin-denies-house-dems-request-for-trumps-tax-returns  

.

{ freebeacon.com } ~ America's morning news shows spread blame from Palestinian terrorist groups to Israel during Monday coverage of this weekend's rocket attacks... Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad fired nearly 700 rockets towards Israel over the weekend. Hundreds crossed into Israel, killing four civilians. The terror organizations fired the rockets from civilian centers in the Gaza Strip, which Israel fully vacated in 2005. Most of these rockets are unguided short-range weapons, impossible to accurately aim. Though fired towards Israeli population centers, dozens failed to reach Israel and landed in Gaza, where one killed a young Palestinian girl. Israel responded with several hundred precision airstrikes against strategic targets. A video published on the Israel Defense Forces Twitter page Sunday shows a car destroyed by an Israeli missile. The attack destroys the car but leaves all nearby traffic unharmed.The IDF identified the car's passenger as Hamed Ahmed Khudari, a terror financier. On CBS This Morning, John Dickerson shared the weekend's news with viewers. He described how "both sides have launched hundreds of rockets and missiles at one another since Friday." CBS reporter Seth Doane, reporting from Israel, citing "Palestinians," claimed that Israeli strikes had killed an infant. Doane did not mention that the Israeli government strongly denies killing the child and had concluded that a Palestinian-fired rocket was in fact responsible. He also did not share that his source was the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry. NBC's  Today news program included similar equivocations. NBC host Craig Melvin described "the worst weekend of fighting between Israel and Gaza militants in about fire years," in which "two sides exchanging deadly rocket fire."...   https://freebeacon.com/politics/morning-news-blames-both-sides-for-hamas-rockets/?utm_source=Freedom+Mail&utm_campaign=ec816f068f-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_05_06_09_17_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b5e6e0e9ea-ec816f068f-45611665  

.

.

{ dailycaller.com } ~ Democratic Sen. Minority Leader scumbag-Chuck Schumer had some rare praise for President Donald Trump on Sunday... After Trump announced that he was increasing tariffs on China, scumbag-Schumer urged the president to “hang tough” against one of America’s greatest geopolitical adversaries. “Hang tough on China, President Trump,” scumbag-Schumer tweeted. “Don’t back down. Strength is the only way to win with China.” Trump announced Sunday that his administration would be increasing tariffs Chinese goods worth hundreds of billions, crediting past tariffs for the recent U.S. economic boom. “For 10 months, China has been paying Tariffs to the USA of 25% on 50 Billion Dollars of High Tech, and 10% on 200 Billion Dollars of other goods. These payments are partially responsible for our great economic results,” Trump tweeted. “The 10% will go up to 25% on Friday. 325 Billions Dollars of additional goods sent to us by China remain untaxed, but will be shortly, at a rate of 25%.” “The Tariffs paid to the USA have had little impact on product cost, mostly borne by China. The Trade Deal with China continues, but too slowly, as they attempt to renegotiate, ” the president continued. “No!” Trump has railed against China’s trade practices and has pledged to hold the Communist country accountable for its past promises. Trump  slapped a 25% tariff rate on Chinese exports of machinery last July including electronics...   https://dailycaller.com/2019/05/06/chuck-schumer-trump-tough-on-china/  

.

{ freebeacon.com } ~ The Trump administration is readying a new salvo of sanctions on Cuba and Russia for their destabilizing activities in Venezuela that have helped prop up Nicolás Maduro... according to the U.S. Special Representative  for Venezuela, who told the Washington Free Beacon in a wide-ranging interview that America is still considering military options to deal with a worsening humanitarian crisis in the country as Maduro refuses to relinquish power. Senior U.S. officials continue to hold regular talks with Juan Guaidó, whom the United States recognizes as Venezuela's interim president, as he seeks to build momentum for popular protests against Maduro, whom the United States accuses of stealing the country's elections. As protests reach a breaking point, with scores of Venezuelans struggling to get basic necessities, Maduro has grown closer with traditional U.S. foes such as Russia, Cuba, and even Iran, according to Elliott Abrams, a veteran U.S. foreign policy hand who now serves as the Trump administration's special representative for Venezuela. Abrams told the Free Beacon that the Trump administration continues to examine military options to deal with the crisis in Venezuela and that it is already working on a new series of sanctions packages to target Cuba and Russia for their backing of Maduro. While the Trump administration issued wide range of sanctions on both countries earlier this year, Abrams said that more are coming, despite rumors the administration has exhausted its options on this front. "We will have more sanctions," Abrams told the Free Beacon during an interview in his office at the State Department. "You will see over the next weeks additional steps we are taking," Abrams said, declining to discuss specifics in advance of formal announcements. "There is a long list and we are basically going down the list."...

.

{ tommclaughlin.blogspot.com } ~ When I moved to Maine from Massachusetts in 1977, Democrats ran things. As the new Director of Special Education for the Fryeburg School District SAD 72, I traveled around the state to attend workshops and meet with state officials trying to bring Maine into compliance with federal law under the new US Department of Education just forming in the Carter Administration.