5 Things for November 10: Roy Moore, Russia Probe, Trump, Tax Proposal, Louis C.K.
CNN/Stylemagazine.com Newswire | 11/10/2017, 6:17 a.m.
By Doug Criss, CNN
(CNN) -- President Trump is in Vietnam, but Melania Trump stayed behind in China, where she talked to CNN about her first year as first lady. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door.
1. Roy Moore
Roy Moore's Senate candidacy was already a controversial one for the GOP; now it's a full-blown problem. Moore, the Republican nominee in a December 12 special election in Alabama, is accused of sexual misconduct with underage girls in allegations that go back more than three decades. Moore denied the allegations and blasted The Washington Post, which published the bombshell report, calling the story "a desperate political attack."
The GOP response was, believe it or not, rather mixed. Sen. John McCain said Moore should drop out of the race immediately. The White House, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other DC Republicans said Moore should quit the race if the claims are true. But some Alabama state lawmakers said they still support Moore, with one going so far as to use the Bible to excuse Moore's alleged behavior. At this point, it doesn't look like Moore is dropping out, and CNN's Chris Cillizza says that creates a huge headache for the GOP because there's no process to replace him outside of a write-in campaign.
2. Russia investigation
President Donald Trump's long-time confidant Keith Schiller privately testified that he rejected a Russian offer to send five women to then-private citizen Trump's hotel room during their 2013 trip to Moscow for the Miss Universe pageant, according to multiple sources from both political parties with direct knowledge of the testimony.
Members of the House intelligence committee raised the matter because of salacious allegations laid out in a dossier compiled by former British agent Christopher Steele, an opposition research document funded by Democrats detailing alleged ties between Trump and his associates with Russians.
Meanwhile, White House senior policy adviser Stephen Miller has been interviewed as part of special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe, according to sources familiar with the investigation. The interview brings the special counsel investigation into Trump's inner circle in the White House. Miller is the highest-level aide still working at the White House known to have talked to investigators.
3. Trump in Asia
President Trump dusted off his "America First" speech and took it to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Vietnam. The President issued a strong rebuke of trade practices that he feels harm American workers. But, like he did yesterday in China, Trump said he didn't blame business leaders in the Pacific Rim -- he blamed his predecessors. He said the US wasn't going to be "taken advantage of" anymore.
4. Tax overhaul
After watching the House kick around various tax overhaul proposals for a week, the Senate's decided to join in on the fun. Senate Republicans unveiled their proposal, which differs significantly from the House plan: seven tax brackets (compared with four in the House plan), no curbing of the mortgage interest deduction, a full repeal of the state and local tax deduction, a big cut to the corporate tax rate (but not right away).
This sets up a dramatic showdown on tax policy with the House. The Senate and the House are working with an uber-aggressive time line to meet President Trump's deadline of delivering him a tax bill to sign before the end of the year.
5. Louis C.K.
Comedian Louis C.K. is the latest Hollywood heavyweight to face sexual misconduct allegations. The New York Times reported the allegations of five women, who said C.K. acted inappropriately, including fondling himself in front of them. CNN has not confirmed the women's stories independently. The fallout has been swift: the premiere for his new movie was canceled, a "Late Show" appearance was ditched, HBO kicked him off a comedy special, and FX, where he's had several shows, said it would conduct a review. The comedian's publicist said he's "not going to answer any questions."
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"Everything is in such grief mode right now in this church (that) these decisions will have to unfold as they come for the people there."
Southern Baptist Convention spokesman Roger Oldham, talking about the suggestion by the pastor of the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Spring, Texas, that the church should be demolished after the mass shooting there killed 25 people and an unborn child
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WHAT'S FOR LUNCH
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NUMBER OF THE DAY
600,000+
That's how many people signed up for Obamacare in the first four days of open enrollment, far outpacing last year
CNN NEWS QUIZ
Total recall
Which former US President showed up for jury duty this week? Take CNN's weekly news quiz and find out.
AND FINALLY ...
Giggle girl
Nothing like the laughter of a beautiful baby girl to help us wrap up what's been a trying week.