(cache) The West Wing is still leaking like crazy - Axios
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The West Wing is still leaking like crazy

Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP

Vanity Fair's Sarah Ellison is out with a dishy piece titled "The Inside Story of the Kushner-Bannon Civil War." While none of Ellison's top sources are named, the story clearly reflects the perspective of the moderate camp inside the West Wing — Jared, Ivanka, and Gary Cohn — and contains some brutal anonymous quotes hitting Steve Bannon and Kellyanne Conway in particular.

Between the lines: Ellison's story is a useful guide to the shifting power dynamics within the West Wing: the loss of power of the Bannonites and the imminent "normalization" of staff.

Why this matters: The West Wing's leak war is still very much alive, despite the President telling his senior staff to knock it off and work together. This situation is unsustainable and Bannon's job security isn't looking great.

The brutal quotes ... words

Shots fired at Bannon:

  • '"I'm not sure Steve does a lot of actual work," said one person in the Trump circle shortly before Bannon was removed from the National Security Council, a position he had enjoyed for fewer than 10 weeks.
  • 'Prior to his removal, Bannon had repeatedly threatened to quit the administration if he were ousted from the N.S.C., according to two people familiar with the matter. "It was almost like they were calling his bluff"...
  • 'Bannon's real undoing in the eyes of his boss, according to three people familiar with the situation, involves his perceived attacks through the media against Kushner and Ivanka as liberal Democrats seeking to undermine a more conservative agenda.
  • "He is very talented at making himself seem the hero of the conservatives who elected Donald Trump"..."The president sees through that kind of thing, and he's aware of what's happening." The official went on: "The reality is, if he keeps this up he's not going to be here."
  • Report claims Bannon tacitly encouraged the description of himself as "President Bannon"...'He keeps a personal publicist and is the self-appointed guardian of the issues that matter to the base that got Trump elected. But, according to a senior administration official, Bannon's effort to put himself on the National Security Council, without Trump having been fully briefed, made Ivanka and Jared suspicious of his motives.' "This was honestly a dark-of-night operation"...
  • 'Similarly, the bungled implementation of the travel ban didn't win any points for Bannon. According to a senior official close to the president: "You could have told Homeland Security to really start doing their jobs. You didn't have to sign an executive order and piss in everyone's face."

Shots fired at Conway:

  • The most withering of the anonymous quotes are aimed at Conway. "Don't spend too much time on Kellyanne," the senior administration official [said], referring to the Cheerleader Gone Wrong character in this reality-TV tableau. "She's a harmless, sweet person, but she is less and less in the middle of it."
  • "The way we dealt with her is that she's not in meetings anymore," according to a senior official close to the president. "That's how we dealt with that. So I'd say right now she's trying to figure out what her job is going to be."
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The only demographic to out-earn white men

Data: Bureau of Labor Statistics; Chart: Lazaro Gamio / Axios

Keep reading ... words

Other interesting facts:

  • Overall, there are more working men than women, with the exception of African-Americans. There are more working black women than black men.
  • The highest paying occupations are in the management, professional and related category, according to BLS, and half of working, Asian men worked in this field in 2012. 35% of white men, 24% of black men and 17% of Hispanic men had jobs in that category.
  • Black and Hispanic women were least likely to have jobs in the management, professional and related category. Only 34% of employed Black women and 26% of Hispanics held these jobs in 2012.
  • In 2016, African Americans have had the highest rate of unemployment (8.4%), according to BLS data, while Asians had the lowest rate of unemployment (3.6%).
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North Korea beats the drum of war

Ng Han Guan / AP

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un looks like he wants a war, meaning that this weekend's provocative posturing is much more worrisome than in the past.

Taunting Trump, Pyongyang today showed off a "Frankenmissile" — a new type of ICBM that had not been seen before.

Get smart fast: In the past, North Korea has aligned their displays of military force with significant dates. In 2014, hours after the US, South Korea and Japan held a summit to discuss North Korea's nuclear weapons capability, the nation tested two midrange missiles for the first time in five years. They tested a Taepo Dong 2, its longest-range and most provocative missile, as the US celebrated Independence Day in 2006.

Keep reading ... words

The media's war drums began at the start of this tense weekend of geopolitical risk:

  • The lead of BBC News is the stark "North Korea 'ready for nuclear attack'": "The comments came as North Korea marked the 105th anniversary of the birth of its founding president, Kim Il-sung. ... 'We're prepared to respond to an all-out war with an all-out war,' said Choe Ryong-hae, believed to be the country's second most powerful official."
  • The Guardian: "On a sunny Saturday morning in Pyongyang, military vehicles and tens of thousands of soldiers filled Kim Il-sung Square as a band played rousing military music."
  • WSJ's Jonathan Cheng in Seoul: "The weaponry on show, which appeared to include a newly-modified intercontinental ballistic missile and two types of large launchers with never-before-seen missile canisters, is likely to trigger fresh concerns about the speed with which Pyongyang's missile program has advanced."
  • "[A]n expert on North Korean weapons said the new hardware appeared to be far more advanced than expected."
  • China warns of "storm clouds" — N.Y. Times: "China warned ... that tensions on the Korean Peninsula could spin out of control, as North Korea said it could test a nuclear weapon at any time and a United States naval group neared the peninsula — an American effort to sow doubt in Pyongyang over how President Trump might respond."

Pulling back the camera: "World power whiplash: Trump reverses views on Russia, China," by AP's Josh Lederman: "Once soft on Russia and hard on China, ... Trump rapidly reversed course in the last weeks, concluding there's more business to be done with Beijing than with Moscow."

Why it matters: "Trump's evolving views ... have brought the U.S. back into alignment with former President Barack Obama's pattern of 'great power' politics."

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How Congress could get Trump to cough up his tax returns

Rich Pedroncelli / AP

Hundreds of marches are taking place across the country today, pressuring President Trump to release his tax returns. So far, he's stubbornly refused — first claiming that he couldn't release his tax returns because they were under audit with the IRS, then claiming nobody cared about his tax returns and finally sending Kellyanne Conway to say, "It's not going to happen."

Why they matter: The marches only work if they put enough pressure on Congressman to join the efforts in forcing Trump to release his tax returns. So far, there are three ways Dems could manage to get Trump's tax information — through the emoluments clause, subpoena or a petition.

Keep reading ... words

1. Emoluments Clause

Both the watchdog group Citizens Responsible for Ethics in Washington (CREW) and House Democrats are trying to get Trump's tax returns to see if Trump violates the emoluments clause by owning so many international hotels and resorts. The emoluments clause of the Constitution makes it illegal for federal officials to receive gifts from foreign officials.

Likelihood: CREW filed their lawsuit two days after the inauguration, but have an unusual claim, which might prevent them from making it to court. The last attempt by House Dems to push a resolution was blocked by Republicans at the end of March.

2. Subpoena

A Democrat's dream would be to get Trump on both Russia and his tax returns. As the House Intelligence Committee investigates Trump's ties with Russia, they could subpoena Trump's tax returns to look for signs of collusion.

Likelihood: So far, there are no signs of the intelligence committees requesting Trump's tax reforms, some Dems suspect this possibility is why Republicans refuse to have an independent investigator for the case.

3. Petition

House Dems are now pushing a "discharge petition" on a bill, which would require all U.S. presidents — including Trump — to disclose their tax returns or the Office of Government Ethics and the FEC can request the returns from the Treasury and make them publicly available.

Likelihood: So far, Mark Sanford and Justin Amash are the only two Republicans to cosponsor the bill, although Walter Jones supported the House resolution requesting Trump's tax returns as part of an emoluments investigation.

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This week in Trumpland: bombs away

Lazaro Gamio / Axios

With POTUS bailing on DC on Thursday afternoon for a long holiday weekend at Mar-a-Lago, we had a short week in Trumpland, though it definitely wasn't short on news. International controversies, palace intrigue, very large bombs — this week had all of the classic trademarks of Trumpland. So let's take a trip back through the last 7 days. And, don't worry, this flight isn't overbooked…

Final destination: Trumpland

Beach wear: POTUS must have had his Mar-a-Lago trip planned for a while because he made sure to stock up this week on the #1 accessory needed for a long weekend in Florida: flip flops. NATO became no longer obsolete! China isn't a currency manipulator! Relations with Russia are at an all-time low! The Export-Import bank is good! Janet Yellen is actually kinda nice! It's like Bush Sr. all over again — good thing he didn't solidify the comparison while visiting with a key Asian leader last week.

Bannon banned? Poor Steve! He's had the worst week in Trumpland of anybody. Trump's moderation came at Bannon's direct expense as he found himself on the losing end of his West Wing war with Jared Kushner. Trump even went so far as to brand Bannon as simply "a guy who works for me." And while that's technically true, it's probably not the vote of confidence that the architect of Trump's populist message wants to hear, especially after reports that Bannon's Breitbart eased up on Kushner.

Poor Sean: Wait, actually, Sean Spicer definitely had the worst week in Trumpland. In one Tuesday afternoon White House briefing, he invoked Godwin's Law at the podium — seemingly forgetting the details of the Holocaust in the process — and watched the media world implode around him. Everyone kinda knew what he was trying to get at, but it wasn't pretty to watch. And when it's your job to speak for the president, it's probably ideal if it doesn't take 4 clarifications to get your story straight. He issued another heartfelt apology Wednesday morning, but he probably needs a vacation way more than POTUS after his week in Trumpland.

Boom: President Trump saved the biggest bombshell of all for Thursday afternoon — literally. He unleashed the nation's largest non-nuclear weapon for the first time on an ISIS cave complex in Afghanistan. Dubbed "the mother of all bombs," it's really big (almost 20,000 pounds) and really expensive (roughly $16 million). Trump's response when asked if he authorized the strike: "Everybody knows exactly what happened."

This is the part where you're like, "Hey, there are always five items! Where's my content?" But if POTUS only decides to work four days in a week, Trumpland is legally required to follow suit. Happy Easter in Trumpland, y'all!

Giphy

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The big lessons learned from United

Rick Bowmer / AP

The cover of tomorrow's Washington Post Outlook section: "The 'empowered consumer' doesn't get much say: United shows that companies are still boss." Author Jacob Silverman writes:

Air travel is the most concentrated version of an essentially authoritarian experience that can be found throughout today's economy.
Keep reading ... words

The big lesson learned for passengers: "We live, work, shop, and travel under a system of grossly asymmetric power relationships, in which consumers sign away most of their rights just by purchasing a ticket and companies deputize themselves to enforce contracts with hired goons."

The lesson airline employees learned: "Phones and social media turn consumers into whistleblowers," by AP's Mae Anderson: "Employees need to be ready to react when a situation gets dramatic — and companies should emphasize that anything employees do could be recorded. ... On-site employees need to be given more power to respond to avoid escalating an incident, especially one that might be recorded."

How it's done: "Delta can now offer up to $9,950 to passengers willing to give up seats."

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Supply-side economics, but for liberals

Neil Irwin of N.Y. Times' Upshot just made the case of "supply-side economics" for liberals, since the economic approach is typically related to Reagan-ear conservatives. Here's why:

"Certain social welfare policies [such as child-care subsidies], according to an emerging body of research, may actually encourage more people to work and enable them to do so more productively."

The argument: "The United States and other advanced nations are struggling to emerge from a pattern of persistently low growth, an era when many prime-age people aren't in the labor force at all and productivity gains have been weak for years. Supplementing low-end wages through the tax code and ensuring that children have the food and education to become productive adults just may help."

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Here's how Trump launches a nuclear weapon

Tao WU via Flickr CC

There's not a real "nuclear button" Trump can press — that's just a metaphor for the framework that's used to ultimately launch a nuclear weapon. Here's what you need to know about that framework and the "national command authority," which can authorize a nuclear weapons launch.

Keep reading ... words

The "nuclear briefcase": Trump always has an aide nearby who has been trained on procedures for carrying out nuclear attacks and who carries a briefcase or two, known as the proverbial "nuclear briefcase."

The "black book" menu of attacks: Inside the nuclear briefcase is a list of attack target countries and target types the President can carry out, all listed out on a menu that looks a lot like a cartoon. There are three kinds of attack targets: nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, military-industrial facilities, or leaders and hideouts.

The President's ID "biscuit": He doesn't actually carry around launch codes in the nuclear briefcase, but he does carry around an identification card colloquially known as "the biscuit." He uses this code to authenticate his identity as the President to the military commanders in the Pentagon war room before he communicates which attacks he wants to launch.

And that request is then translated into an "emergency action message" in the war room, which, in a matter of minutes, would unleash the President's nuclear weapons request.

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North Korea holds military parade amid growing tension with US

Ng Han Guan / AP

North Korea held a military parade earlier today, debuting what appeared to be the country's new submarine-based and long-range missiles. The parade also celebrated the 105th birth anniversary of Kim Il-sung, North Korea's founding president.

Why it matters: The military parade, particularly the presentation of the nation's new ballistic missiles, is the latest display of military force as tensions continue to grow between North Korea and the US.

The tension timeline ... words

The U.S. deployed a Navy strike group to the waters off the Korean Peninsula on April 9. The group included two guided-missile destroyers, one guided-missile cruiser, and an aircraft carrier. The strike group can intercept ballistic missiles sent from North Korea, as well as launch its own missiles.

Why? The strike group was in response to North Korea's continued missile tests, despite UN resolutions banning the nation from carrying out any such tests. They have also pursued nuclear weapons capability.

April 11, tweets and threats:

  • President Trump tweeted, "North Korea is looking for trouble," adding that the US would solve "the North Korean problem" with or without China's help.
  • North Korean state media said the country has its "nuclear sight focused" on the US and warned of a nuclear attack if there were any signs of a pre-emptive strike from the Navy carrier group heading toward the Korean peninsula.
April 12: Satellite images suggested North Korea was going to conduct its sixth nuclear test, per NYT. The test, an underground detonation through which the nation could figure out how to craft nuclear weapons, would have been the latest in a decade. It also could have been its most powerful test yet, clearly in response to the US' show of force near the peninsula.
April 13: The US placed two Tomahawk cruise missiles carriers in the area — one of them was 300 miles from the North Korean nuclear site — after learning of North Korea's potential nuclear test and recognizing that they often celebrate major holidays and significant dates with military force.
North Korea's military parade is the latest show of force amid this growing tension. "We are ready to hit back with nuclear attacks of our own style against any nuclear attacks," said Choe Ryong-hae, who is believed to be the country's second-most powerful official. "We're prepared to respond to an all-out war with an all-out war," he said.
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Trump picks nominee to lead Export-Import Bank

J. Scott Applewhite / AP

President Trump announced last night he will nominate Scott Garrett to serve as the Export-Import Bank president.

Why this matters: Garrett has openly supported closing the Ex-Im Bank, which he could now lead. He voted twice (in 2012 and 2015) to oppose the reauthorization of the Bank, which would have continued providing loans to companies that export U.S. goods.

The money quote: He called the Ex-Im Bank a "corporate welfare program" and said it is "crony capitalism."

Who is he? A former Republican lawmaker in New Jersey, serving in the House of Representatives from 2003 to Nov. 2017. He earned his law degree at Rutgers Law School.

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The countries Trump loves to trash-talk on Twitter

Just this week, Trump tweeted about North Korea "asking for trouble," and offered China better trade deals if they help deal with the "North Korean problem." But the reality is that Trump has used Twitter to discuss foreign policy for years — and mostly to trash-talk other countries.

We've compiled all the tweets Trump has sent since 2014 that targeted different countries and organized them by sentiment. Here's what we found.

Data: Trump Twitter Archive; Note: Tweets from January 7, 2013-April 13, 2017; Chart: Andrew Witherspoon / Axios

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Y Combinator pushes startups into the net neutrality fight

Paul Miller / Flickr cc

Tech incubators and advocacy groups are trying to line up startup support in the brewing fight over the fate of the FCC's net neutrality rules. Powerhouse tech incubator Y Combinator, accelerator Techstars and startup advocacy group Engine are organizing an effort to push back on FCC Chairman's rumored plan to undo current net neutrality rules. The groups started soliciting signatures from companies earlier this week for a letter to Pai.

This paragraph sums up the letter:

"Fortunately, in 2015 the Federal Communications Commission put in place light touch net neutrality rules that not only prohibit certain harmful practices, but also allow the Commission to develop and enforce rules to address new forms of discrimination. We are concerned by reports that you would replace this system with a set of minimum voluntary commitments, which would give a green light for Internet access providers to discriminate in unforeseen ways."
Sound smart

Why it matters: Y Combinator brings a big brand name in the startup world to the fight over the net neutrality rules. Its head, Sam Altman, has already written in favor of the current regulatory regime. Evan Engstrom, Engine's executive director, said that the goal "is to get startups from every state to weigh in" and that the organizations are "pretty close to that goal."

Sound smart:

  • It's not a huge surprise that small startups are eager to engage in the fight over net neutrality. They don't have to make the same political calculations as big companies that have other issues on their plates, and they generally favor regulations that put them on a level playing field with those companies.
  • The Internet Association, the industry trade group representing Silicon Valley giants (think Google, Facebook and Netflix), told Pai earlier this week that they support existing net neutrality rules, but it remains to be seen how forcefully their member companies lobby against efforts to weaken the rules.
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Here's how much of your federal taxes go to health care

AP file image

More than a quarter of what someone pays in federal taxes goes toward Medicare, Medicaid, Obamacare subsidies and other health care programs, according to a Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget analysis for the Wall Street Journal. And for all of the attention Obamacare is getting these days, it only gets a fraction of the tax dollars that go to Medicare.

The amount funneled to Medicare has gone up by 15% since 2011 as more baby boomers age into the program. Tax spending on Medicaid has gone up more than 25% since 2011 due to Obamacare's expansion of the program. For every $100 of tax revenue, this is how much goes toward health care:

  • Medicare: $15.26
  • Medicaid: $9.55
  • Obamacare subsidies: $1.09
  • Other programs tied to health care: $0.36
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Uber touts growing business amid controversies

AP

Uber has a message: It might be in the midst of several PR crises, but it's growing more than ever.

The company released its revenue numbers to Bloomberg showing that it brought in $20 billion in gross bookings in 2016, which was double that of the previous year. It made $6.5 billion in net revenue, with $2.8 billion in adjusted net losses, excluding its Chinese business, which it sold last summer.

Q4 bump: In the fourth quarter of 2016, gross bookings grew 28% from the previous quarter to $6.9 billion, and Uber brought in $2.9 billion in net revenue, a 74% bump from the third quarter. Meanwhile, its significant losses grew 5% to $991 million.

Accounting note: While Uber only counts the commission it takes from private rides as part of its revenue, it counts the full price of the ride in the case of UberPool, its carpooling service.

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Boston station dropping "Fox" name from newscast

mroach via Flickr CC

Boston's local Fox affiliate, WFXT (Channel 25) Fox 25 News, will be dropping "Fox" from its newscast name since the national brand name of Fox News has negatively impacted the local station, according to The Boston Globe. It has been independently produced since 2014, when it was acquired by Cox Media Group, and will go by "Boston 25 News" starting April 24.

The liability: It is located in liberal Boston, with a decidedly liberal audience — Massachusetts has gone blue since 1988 — but 41% of Boston-area news consumers believed local Fox 25 was conservative despite running impartial newscasts. Plus, the station has recently reported declining ratings. Other local Fox affiliates in Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Florida will not be changing their names.

WFXT General Manager Tom Raponi said the decision does not reflect the fact that Fox News is dealing with the public perception of sexual harassment allegations against anchor Bill O'Reilly and former CEO Roger Ailes.

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