In the White House:
Trump fires Tillerson
President Donald Trump fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (pictured above, source: CNN) and replaced him with CIA director Mike Pompeo, a Wichita, Kansas native. The new CIA director, Gina Haspel, the first woman to head the organization, is under scrutiny for her controversial history with interrogation techniques, such as waterboarding and sleep deprivation.
Russian sanctions
The White House announced on Thursday it will implement new sanctions on 24 Russian officials for interfering in the 2016 election.
Trump’s assistant escorted out
Trump’s personal assistant, John McEntee, was also escorted out of the White House Monday. McEentee, a formal NFL football player, was fired after officials found about outt about his extensive gambling addiction.
Other national news:
Pennsylvania special election results
A special election in Pennsylvania had a surprising end when a district Trump won by 20 points in 2016, swung Democratic by fewer than 700 votes. Connor Lamb, Pennsylvania’s new 18th district representative, won over Rick Saccone who President Trump had supported publicly.
School safety bill
The House of Representatives passed a new school safety bill in response to the Parkland shooting, which among other things, provides more funding for mental health crises, active shooter training and metal detectors.
Local:
Trump visits St. Louis
President Trump came to St. Louis on Wednesday. He had a roundtable meeting with economic leaders at Boeing CO. He then attended a fundraiser for Missouri Senate candidate Josh Hawley.
emilyreid@mail.umkc.edu
