Tipsheet: Former President George H.W. Bush dies at 94

View in your browser     Former President George H.W. Bush dies at 94 BY NIALL STANAGE George Herbert Walker Bush, the 41st president of the United States and the head of one of the most prominent families in American political history, died Friday at the age of 94. In a statement released through his son, former President George W. Bush, the family described their patriarch “as a man of the highest character and the best dad a son or daughter could ask for.” Read the full story here     Cohen deal intensifies scrutiny on Trump business dealings BY MORGAN CHALFANT The decision by President Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen to plead guilty and cooperate with special counsel Robert Muellerhas intensified the focus on Trump’s business dealings. Read the full story here     Dems vow quick action to bolster voting rights upon taking power BY MIKE LILLIS House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Friday outlined an ambitious overhaul to the way government operates — including legislation to strengthen voting rights protections. Read the full story here     Zinke: Hard for Dem lawmaker to think straight 'from bottom of bottle' BY MIRANDA GREEN Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke sent a jaw-dropping counterpunch to a top Democratic lawmaker Friday, saying it was hard for Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) to "think straight from the bottom of the bottle." Read the full story here       Flake: Mueller bill has votes to pass Senate BY JORDAIN CARNEY   Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) said Friday that he believes legislation protecting special counsel Robert Mueller could pass the Senate, if Republican leadership would agree to bring it up for a vote. Read the full story here     US, Mexico, Canada sign trade pact BY JORDAN FABIAN AND JOHN BOWDEN President Trump joined the leaders of Mexico and Canada on Friday to sign a revised North American trade agreement, a victory for the president, who is facing troubles over the Russia investigation and fresh doubts about the economy.  Read the full story here     Sanders to 'strongly oppose' Trump trade deal BY JORDAIN CARNEY Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Friday that he will "strongly oppose" President Trump’s new trade deal with Mexico and Canada, arguing that as currently written it would continue to "ship U.S. jobs to Mexico."  Read the full story here     Government watchdog finds six Trump staffers violated Hatch Act BY MORGAN GSTALTER The U.S. Office of the Special Counsel (OSC) on Friday found that six members of the Trump administration violated the Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from using their offices and resources for political purposes. Read the full story here     Dems say Whitaker will appear before House panel in January BY OLIVIA BEAVERS House Democrats announced Friday that they have secured an interview with acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, the top official overseeing special counsel Robert Mueller's probe, for sometime in January. Read the full story here     Incoming House lawmakers scramble to find their new offices BY JULIEGRACE BRUFKE Newly elected House members scrambled to select their new offices Friday after gathering in the Rayburn House Office Building for a raucous biennial office lottery. Read the full story here     Trump's Brexit wrecking ball BY DESMOND LACHMAN Opinion | In attempting to torpedo United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May’s recently negotiated Brexit deal, President Trump should be careful about that for which he wishes. Read the full story here     Thwarting Moscow’s latest escalation BY JOHN HERBST Opinion | Moscow’s open attack on Ukrainian ships this week was designed primarily to prevent Kyiv from increasing its naval presence in the Sea of Azov. It is essential for US and European security to take strong steps against the Kremlin’s latest escalation. Stopping Moscow’s aggression in Ukraine is the smart way to prevent provocations against our NATO allies in Eastern Europe. Read the full story here     The Washington Post: How they survived: Owners of the few homes left standing around Paradise, Calif., took critical steps to ward off wildfires By Sarah Kaplan and Frances Stead Sellers Jeff and Cathy Moore have devoted hours of labor to clearing brush away from their house in the Sierra Nevada foothills in preparation for a massive wildfire, which suddenly became reality on Nov. 8.  Read the full story here     The Wall Street Journal: Trump Sets Sights on China After Completing New Nafta By Jacob M. Schlesinger and Valentina Pop President Trump, after arm-twisting Mexico and Canada to update the region’s free-trade zone, will now turn his attention to the greater challenge of winning concessions from Chinese President Xi Jinping. Read the full story here     CNN: Alaska hit by more than 190 smaller earthquakes since Friday By Madeline Holcombe and Sheena Jones More than smaller 190 earthquakes have hit parts of Alaska since Friday, when a 7.0-magnitude tremor knocked out power, ripped open roads and splintered buildings near Anchorage. Read the full story here     NBC News: Lawmakers demand investigation into VA after ongoing GI Bill issues By Phil McCausland A bipartisan group of senators and one member of the House have sent a letter demanding the Department of Veterans Affairs' inspector general investigate continuing issues in paying student veterans the benefits they are owed under the Forever GI Bill. Read the full story here     The Associated Press: Trump’s on-off dance with complicated acquaintances By CATHERINE LUCEY and ZEKE MILLER Amid weighty issues of state, another fascination at the Group of 20 summit has been President Donald Trump’s will-he, won’t-he dance with two fellow leaders who are something of international outcasts these days. Read the full story here   Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for The Hill Tipsheet       Forward this Tipsheet     You might like         Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  |  Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters   The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©2016 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.