Russia giving cover to Iran could doom nuclear deal as Trump considers whether to certify

Russia giving cover to Iran could doom nuclear deal as Trump considers whether to certify

(Worthy News) – As President Donald Trump considers whether to certify to Congress the controversial 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, word that the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog can’t verify a crucial part of the agreement could tip the scales with time running out by the middle of next month.

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley indicated Thursday that Russia was shielding Iran by blocking the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from verifying part of the deal. The IAEA initially revealed the news to a reporter in a Q&A. Meanwhile, under a requirement from Congress, Trump must choose whether to certify the deal by October 15.

Yukiya Amano, the IAEA Director General, told Reuters that his agency’s “tools are limited,” regarding verification of section T in the nuclear deal.

Section T of the Iran nuclear deal, which is also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), prohibits activities related to “design and development” of a nuclear weapon. [ Source: Fox News (Read More…) ]

Pence’s chief of staff floats ‘purge’ of anti-Trump Republicans to wealthy donors

Pence’s chief of staff floats ‘purge’ of anti-Trump Republicans to wealthy donors

(Worthy News) – Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff railed against congressional leaders in closed-door remarks to wealthy donors and called for a “purge” if GOP lawmakers don’t quickly rally behind President Donald Trump’s agenda.

In remarks at a Republican National Committee event at the St. Regis Hotel in Washington on Tuesday morning, Nick Ayers also warned that Republicans are “on track to get shellacked” in next year’s midterm elections if GOP lawmakers don’t pass Trump’s legislative priorities.

But Ayers reserved his harshest criticism for congressional leaders and members who have not offered full-throated support for the president.

“Just imagine the possibilities of what can happen if our entire party unifies behind him? If — and this sounds crass — we can purge the handful of people who continue to work to defeat him,” Ayers said, according to an audio recording of the remarks obtained by POLITICO. [ Source (Read More…) ]

Republicans signal compromise to retain state and local tax deduction

Republicans signal compromise to retain state and local tax deduction

(Worthy News) – Republican leaders are already signaling a compromise on plans to erase a nearly $2 trillion break for state and local taxes, backing down in the face of fierce criticism from Democrats and some blue-state Republicans whose constituents would suffer.

It marks the first retreat on the tax reform framework that Republican leaders released last week, but a compromise could quell the furor among party holdouts whose support will be critical to a final deal.

Known to tax professionals as the SALT deduction, the write-off for “state and local taxes” is a vestige of a century-old federal tax code. [ Source: Washington Times (Read More…) ]

Trump prepares to wound Iran deal — and then save it

Trump prepares to wound Iran deal — and then save it

(Worthy News) – Donald Trump’s national security team has unanimously recommended that he decertify the Iran nuclear deal — but that he stop short of pushing Congress to reimpose sanctions on Tehran that could unravel the agreement.

Trump’s team plans to work with Congress and European allies to apply new pressure on the Iranian regime, according to a strategy developed in an Iran policy review led by national security adviser H.R. McMaster. But the strategy assumes the nuclear deal will remain intact for now.

The deliberations ahead of an Oct. 15 deadline to certify Iran’s compliance with the deal, a centerpiece of President Barack Obama’s foreign policy agenda, were described by a half-dozen sources inside and outside the administration who have participated in the internal debate. [ Source: Politico (Read More…) ]

Mossad head declares: Iran is our primary objective

Mossad head declares: Iran is our primary objective

(Worthy News) – Iran is the primary target of the Mossad’s actions, which number in the hundreds and thousands each year, Mossad head Yossi Cohen said on Monday.

Cohen was speaking at the Mossad headquarters alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a ceremony where Netanyahu initiated what he said would be a new annual tradition of handing out six citations of merit to Mossad employees who took part in operations.

Cohen said the spy organization works within the framework of a multi-year plan that focuses on the top national, security and diplomatic priorities.

“The objectives of the Mossad are clear: Iran continues to hold onto its vision of attaining significant nuclear capabilities, so that it will attain nuclear military capabilities,” he said. [ Source: Jerusalem Post (Read More…) ]

Israel sees Assad winning Syria war, urges more U.S. involvement

Israel sees Assad winning Syria war, urges more U.S. involvement

(Worthy News) – Israel’s defense minister said on Tuesday President Bashar al-Assad was winning Syria’s civil war and urged the United States to weigh in as Damascus’s Iranian and Hezbollah allies gain ground.

Avigdor Lieberman’s comments marked a reversal for Israel, where top officials had from the outset of fighting in 2011 until mid-2015 regularly predicted Assad would lose control of his country and be toppled.

“I see a long international queue lining up to woo Assad, include Western nations, including moderate Sunnis. Suddenly everyone wants to get close to Assad. This is unprecedented. Because Assad is winning, everyone is standing in line,” he told Israel’s Walla news site. [ Source: Reuters (Read More…) ]

House passes 20-week abortion ban

House passes 20-week abortion ban

(Worthy News) – The House on Tuesday passed a bill to ban abortion after 20 weeks.

The bill, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, would penalize medical providers who perform abortions after 20 weeks of gestation with up to five years in prison or fines, or both. The bill contains limited exceptions, including when a woman’s pregnancy puts her life at risk and in cases of rape or incest.

The legislation, which passed 237-189, has support from President Trump, who said in a statement of administration policy Monday that if it were to reach his desk his team would recommend he sign it into law.

The bill, however, is likely to be defeated in the Senate, as it needs 60 votes for passage but Republicans hold only 52 seats. A similar piece of legislation met the same fate in 2015. [ Source (Read More…) ]

Asteroid Will Pass Within a Cosmic Hair of Earth October 12th

Asteroid Will Pass Within a Cosmic Hair of Earth October 12th

(Worthy News) – An asteroid measuring between 30 feet and 100 feet is set to pass Earth on October 12 at a distance of 27,000 miles—about an eighth of the distance to the Moon. This makes it one of the largest close approach asteroids to brush past Earth this year, and presents NASA with a valuable opportunity: To test out its planetary defense systems.

The asteroid, named TC4, was discovered in 2012 and scientists have been tracking it ever since—until recently, it was thought TC4 could come within 4,200 miles from Earth’s surface.

However, scientists at the European Space Agency have now made the first direct observations of the object. These new views of the asteroid have allowed experts at NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) to refine its orbit and the distance at which it will make its closest approach. The asteroid is currently travelling at a speed of 30,000mph and while it appears very dim at the moment, it will get brighter as it gets closer. [ Source (Read More…) ]

Puerto Rico’s $70 billion debt will have to be wiped out, Trump says

Puerto Rico’s $70 billion debt will have to be wiped out, Trump says

(Worthy News) – President Trump has called for Puerto Rico to have its crippling debt forgiven and said it’s tough luck for the Wall Street holders of the debt.

“They owe a lot of money to your friends on Wall Street and we’re going to have to wipe that out,” Mr. Trump told Fox News Channel’s Geraldo Rivera in an interview Tuesday.

“You’re going to say goodbye to that, I don’t know if it’s Goldman Sachs but whoever it is you can wave goodbye to that,” he said, addressing the parties that hold the island, a U.S. commonwealth, in arrears to the count of more than $70 billion. [ Source: Washington Times (Read More…) ]