Tipsheet: GOP plans tax blitzkrieg

View in your browser     GOP plans tax blitzkrieg By Scott Wong and Alexander Bolton   Congressional Republicans are feeling enormous pressure to deliver a win on tax reform before Christmas Day. After a humiliating defeat on ObamaCare repeal, GOP leaders are desperate for their first major legislative victory of 2017 and are doubling down on their ambitious timeline to overhaul the U.S. tax code. Read the full story here     First charges filed in special counsel Mueller's Russia probe By Brandon Carter and Max Greenwood   A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., has reportedly approved the first charges in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election. Read the full story here     Conservative site funded project that led to Trump dossier By Alicia Cohn A conservative publication set in motion the research that led to a dossier that includes unverified claims regarding ties between President Trump and Russia, the publication revealed on Friday. Read the full story here     Trump presses State to accelerate release of Clinton emails By Max Greenwood President Trump is pressing the State Department to expedite the release of any remaining emails from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Read the full story here       Trump says he'll release all JFK files to put 'conspiracy theories to rest' By Jesse Byrnes President Trump indicated late Friday that he would see to the release of all records compiled during the investigation into the assassination of former President John F. Kennedy, with some redactions, in order "to put any and all conspiracy theories to rest." Read the full story here     The Memo: Trump gets boost from strong economy By Niall Stanage   President Trump has been buffeted by historically low approval ratings, a probe into Russian election meddling and innumerable other controversies, but he has enjoyed one consistent bright spot during his first year in office: the economy. Read the full story here     Zinke: ‘I had absolutely nothing to do with’ Puerto Rico deal By Timothy Cama   Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke forcefully denied that he had any involvement with Whitefish Energy Holdings’s utility repair contract in Puerto Rico and lambasted accusations to the contrary. Read the full story here     Trump to shrink Utah national monument By Devin Henry President Trump told Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch (R) on Friday that he will reduce the size of the state's 1.3 million-acre Bears Ears National Monument. Read the full story here     Trump teases Fed chair decision in Instagram video By Sylvan Lane   President Trump teased his upcoming announcement on who he’ll nominate to lead the Federal Reserve with an Instagram video published Friday. Trump, speaking directly into the camera from the White House State Dining Room, said he’d choose “a person who hopefully will do an absolutely fantastic job.” Read the full story here     Facebook, Google, Twitter to testify before Senate Judiciary panel next week By Harper Neidig Representatives from Google, Facebook and Twitter are all slated to testify before a Senate Judiciary panel on Tuesday, the day before company officials are set to appear in a pair of highly-anticipated intelligence hearings. Read the full story here     President Bush is a reminder of importance of civility in America By Carolyn J. Lukensmeyer OPINION | President Bush deserves commendation for speaking out in era of partisan hostility to advance the cause of respectful discourse that has the power to shape so much of our country. Read the full story here     Steele dossier farce shows why Trump relies on Twitter By Paul Gregory OPINION | Twitter is President Trump’s only means of defense against the highly talked-about document of unverified claims about his campaign’s ties to Russia. Read the full story here     The Associated Press: Trump frustrated by secrecy with JFK files By Zeke Miller It was a showdown 25 years in the making: With the world itching to finally get a look at classified Kennedy assassination files, and the deadline for their release just hours away, intelligence officials were still angling for a way to keep their secrets. President Donald Trump, the one man able to block the release, did not appreciate their persistence. He did not intend to make this easy. Read the full story here     The Washington Post: Trump, Republicans steer Russia probes in new directions By Karoun Demirjian and John Wagner President Trump and Republicans in Congress are demanding new scrutiny of Hillary Clinton’s actions as secretary of state, potentially jeopardizing investigations of Russian meddling in the 2016 election just as the probes are closing in on Trump’s inner circle. Read the full story here     The Wall Street Journal: Virginia governor’s race tests GOP establishment’s appeal in Trump era By Dante Chinni and  Joshua Jamerson In the era of Donald Trump, Republican candidates across the country seem to be shaping themselves in the populist, antiestablishment mold of the president, or trying to show voters they are of a more traditional GOP strand. The Virginia governor’s race will test a different theory: Can you win by splitting the difference? Read the full story here     The New York Times: Economy is growing at its fastest clip since mid-2014 By Natalie Kitroeff and Jim Tankersley The United States economy is showing increased signs of resilience.   Read the full story here     Reuters: Mattis, in Seoul, says U.S. can't accept nuclear North Korea By Phil Stewart U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Saturday that he could not imagine United States ever accepting a nuclear North Korea, warning that its rapidly advancing nuclear and missile programs would undermine, not strengthen, its security. 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.