| | | | As minutes tick down, travel ban frozen | | President Donald Trump's second attempt to restrict travel from several Muslim-majority nations was temporarily blocked Wednesday, just hours before it was set to kick in at midnight.
The new executive order already faces a slew of legal challenges, including lawsuits from several of the same states that banded together in opposition to the first version. Just hours before the updated travel ban – which removed Iraq from the list of nations affected and exempts those with green cards or valid visas -- was set to take effect, a federal judge in Hawaii blocked it for the time being. CNN's Laura Jarrett has the full story.
As the judicial system continues to process the ban, the Trump administration is sure to fight for its updated travel policy. But no matter what, the new travel restrictions remain incredibly controversial -- and could affect millions directly.
That's just the latest, but today was a busy day for the Trump administration on several fronts:
The DOJ accused Russian spies of cybercrime. Republicans inch toward cracking the whip on the FBI. And ex-national security pick Monica Crowley is lobbying for a Ukranian oligarch.
Oh, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions still doesn't like marijuana, but he might be willing to live with it. | | "The President is all in on this." -- House Speaker Paul Ryan on the Republican health care bill | | | | President Donald Trump lays a wreath at the tomb of former President Andrew Jackson in Nashville, Tennessee. | | HHS secretary faces voters on CNN | | It's almost time for a CNN town hall.
Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price will take center stage at an event hosted by CNN's Wolf Blitzer and Dana Bash at 9 p.m. ET.
And, as CNN's MJ Lee writes, he'll find himself in the middle of a political storm.
President Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan have wrapped their arms around the American Health Care Act, a bill administration officials acknowledged Tuesday was in serious jeopardy and has little breathing room in the House. At a news conference on Wednesday evening, Ryan signaled a new degree of openness to changes in the bill and would not commit clearly or firmly to bringing the bill to a floor vote next week.
With this backdrop, Price, a relatively unknown figure, will have to make the administration's case and contend with a Congressional Budget Office report that says the bill would lead to 24 million people losing insurance. | | | The Daily Show imagines Sean Spicer as BBC dad. H/t CNN's Greg Krieg. | | 4 things you may have missed | | Syria's civil war hits 6-year mark: Vice News' Tim Hume reports on the "ruinous" war that has now dragged on for six years, causing untold death and destruction with each passing day. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad continues his rule, and the war shows no sign of ceasing in the near future.
The Speaker declines a "goofy" question: House Speaker Paul Ryan wouldn't say if his favored health care bill could pass if a vote were held Wednesday. He also tells CNN's Jake Tapper that President Donald Trump is still fully in support of the measure. Here's my writeup of the interview.
Senator makes Cold War jab: Sen. John McCain said Sen. Rand Paul was "working for (Russian President) Vladimir Putin" when he tried to block a treaty for Montenegro's NATO membership. Politico's Connor O'Brien has the full story.
US debt approaches $20 trillion: The government has reached its self-imposed debt limit, and the Trump administration announced it would take measures to stave off default for the near future. Read more from Bloomberg's Laura Litvan and Justin Sink. | | | Sen. Mitch McConnell and former President Barack Obama make their March Madness picks. ... House intelligence committee wants names. ... Sen. Chuck Schumer talks a big game about SCOTUS nominee Neil Gorsuch. | | | We'd love to share our other newsletters with you. Check out Five Things for Your New Day, CNN's morning newsletter. Give us five minutes, and we'll brief you on all the news and buzz people will be talking about. | | | Get the Nightcap, a comprehensive summary of the most important political news, delivered to your inbox daily. | | | | | |
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