The Morning Briefing: Tax Reform, Weinstein Fallout, Vegas Security Guard Surfaces and Much, Much More

President Donald Trump applauds members of the audience before speaking at the Heritage Foundation's annual President's Club meeting, Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2017 in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Good Wednesday morning.

Here is what’s on the President’s agenda today:

  • In the morning, President Donald J. Trump will receive his daily intelligence briefing.
  • Later in the morning, the President will have a phone call with the Governor of Iowa.
  • The President will then participate in a meeting with the Senate Finance Committee.
  • In the afternoon, the President will have lunch with the Vice President.
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If you read one thing this morning

Russian nuclear firm under FBI investigation was allowed to purchase U.S. uranium supply

Political swamp happenings

Obamacare: Congress is acting quickly after President Trump cut off the illegal payments that were dished out to insurance companies to prop up the doomed Obamacare program. Both John McCain and Lisa Murkowski are on board to throw money out the window with this bipartisan agreement that will continue payments for two years.

“While this deal certainly doesn’t solve all the problems caused by Obamacare, it shows that good faith, bipartisan negotiations can achieve consensus on lasting reform. … I look forward to voting in support of this bill,” McCain said in a statement. Murkowski said the bill was “an important step as we work towards long-term solutions.”

Tax reform: Last night, President Trump spoke at the Heritage Foundation’s President’s Club. He asked the audience to urge their representatives to “give America the best present of all: massive tax relief.”

Trump’s tax plan would lower the corporate rate from 35 percent to 20 percent, reduce the number of individual income tax brackets and double the standard deduction. But it would also remove the personal exemption and possibly much of the deduction for state and local taxes — changes that could increase taxes for many families.

As he talked up the plan, Trump repeated his administration’s assertion that the corporate tax cut and other changes would lead to a $4,000 pay raise for the average American family — a claim that has been met with skepticism from tax experts and Democratic lawmakers who say the administration’s math is flawed.

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And he offered some red meat patriotism:”Now, they’re even trying to destroy statues of Christopher Columbus,” Trump lamented. “What’s next? [It] has to be stopped, it’s heritage. We believe,” the president added, “that young Americans should be taught to love our country, honor our anthem, and proudly recite the Pledge of Allegiance.”

Phonecall-gate: According to a Democrat Congresswoman, President Trump was insensitive when he called the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson after Johnson was killed in an ambush in Niger. Why was this congresswoman involved in a call between the President and this hero’s widow? And why would she run to partisan Don Lemon to reveal this private conversation?

The latest on Weinstein & the Hollywood harassment machine

Although Democrat party patron and alleged degenerate Harvey Weinstein was fired from his company last week, he remained on the board. Yesterday he resigned from that board. The number of women coming forward with sexual assault allegations against Hollywood bigwigs continues to grow. Yesterday, Reese Witherspoon shared her story of assault that took place when she was only 16 years old. She did not name the person who harassed her. Additionally, a claim was made against the other Hollywood Weinstein, Bob. Female executive producer of the TV series “The Mist,” Amanda Segel, claims that Bob Weinstein made unwanted overtures toward her. Weinstein #2 denies the claims.

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Over at Amazon Studios, President Roy Price has resigned after harassment claims were made against him. Isa Hackett, executive producer of the Amazon hit series “The Man in the High Castle,” made the allegations.

What a cesspool Hollywood is. More people need to come forward and name names, otherwise, these predators will remain in place and continue to terrorize other women…and children. Rumors about pedophilia have long plagued Hollywood.

Vegas update

There was speculation and conspiracy-mongering about the “disappearance” of the Mandalay Bay security guard shot by the maniac who murdered 58 people and wounded nearly 500 at a concert in Las Vegas. Well he has been found…on The Ellen Show.

The MGM released a statement about Mr. Campos: “Jesus Campos wants to tell his story at a time and place of his choosing. He’s asked that everyone respect his request for privacy. We could not be more proud of Jesus.” And now we know that time and place.

Apparently the place of his choosing is the “The Ellen Degeneres Show.” In an episode that will air at 3 p.m. Wednesday on KVVU-TV, Channel 5, Campos and Mandalay Bay maintenance worker Stephen Schuck will describe what happened to them Oct. 1.

Schuck was caught in the initial hallway gunfire and helped direct police to gunman Stephen Paddock’s room. He previously appeared on “The Today Show” but otherwise has also kept a low profile since the shooting.

In clips of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” supplied to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Campos reviewed the events of the shooting, recounting how he was alerted to check on a door that was ajar. He said he was on the stairwell going from the 31st to the 32nd floor and came upon a door that was blocked and wouldn’t open. So he rerouted through a hallway and called security dispatch to get an engineer to check on the blocked door. The worker summoned would be Schuck.

Campos said he then heard drilling sounds and believed the slamming of the heavy door he passed through to get to the 32nd floor alerted Paddock to his presence. Paddock shot through the door and hit Campos in the leg.

“I was walking down and heard rapid fire,” he said. “And at first I took cover. I felt a burning sensation. I went to go lift my pant leg up and I saw the blood. That’s when I called it in on my radio that shots have been fired.

“And I was going to say that I was hit, but I got on … my cellphone just to clear radio traffic so they could coordinate the rest of the call.”

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Tune in today if you want to hear his entire account of the tragedy.

Historical picture of the day: (I love Reggie Jackson!)

Yankees’ slugger Reggie Jackson connects for his third home run in the eighth inning off a pitch from the Dodgers’ Charlie Hough during game 6 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Yankee Stadium in New York on Oct. 18, 1977. New York won the game 8-4, for their 21st World Series championship. (AP Photo)

Other morsels:

Obama’s UN Ambassador Claims Someone Else Made Unmasking Requests In Her Name

NFL policy on anthem kneeling unchanged, despite Trump rebuke

Scientists have discovered a new link between sugar and tumor growth

Kidnapped grandmother fends off knife-wielding attacker with concealed firearm

DNC chairman aims for diversity with delegate nominations

Watchdog files complaint over DNC boss Perez’ donations

George Soros has given $18 billion to his pro-democracy foundation

CNN reporter makes fun of polio survivor McConnell for needing Trump’s help to climb steps

The Life of Oriana Fallaci, Guerrilla Journalist

Florida deputies issue warning after young boy nearly attacked by clown

Pole dancing could be on track to becoming an Olympic sport

‘You Owe Me For Making My Grandmother A Slave’; Disabled Man Attacked On Bus Because He’s Old And White

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“Aggressive” turkeys becoming a problem in Massachusetts, police warn

Exclusive: Putin’s ‘chef,’ the man behind the troll factory

A startup backed by Peter Thiel has offered $100,000 to women with legal claims against Harvey Weinstein

And that’s all I’ve got, now go beat back the angry mob!

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