TV News LIES

It was a symbolic gift from Emmanuel Macron to Donald Trump at the height of their “bromance” last year: an oak tree ceremoniously planted in the manicured lawns of the White House by both leaders.

Macron, on a state visit to the US at the time, tweeted that the sapling would be “a reminder … of these ties that bind us” and the “tenacity of the friendship” of the two nations. From little acorns, great transatlantic ties would take root and grow, was the message.

Now, just as symbolically with relations strained between the two, the oak tree has reportedly died.

Le Monde reported its demise last week as the two presidents met in Caen for the 75th anniversary of the D-day landings, saying it was a “metaphor for a relationship that isn’t what it was”.

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A former aide to political operative Roger Stone has turned over to a grand jury all of his text messages with Stone from October 2016 to March 2017, as well as the written agenda for Stone while he was at the Republican National Convention in 2016.

The aide, Andrew Miller, turned over the documents in response to a federal grand jury subpoena following his two-hour testimony last Friday before the body, according to communications between Miller’s lawyer and the government that were reviewed by POLITICO.

The subpoena offers a glimpse into the government’s ongoing investigation of Stone, an informal Trump campaign adviser who was indicted in January on charges of lying to Congress and the FBI about his dealings with WikiLeaks during the 2016 election. He has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting a trial, set for November.

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The Boyertown Area School District was sued by six current and former high school students who objected to the rule on privacy grounds. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled for the district last year.

The action, with no noted dissents, represented a victory for the transgender rights movement and a defeat for religious conservatives who say birth gender should determine which bathrooms and locker rooms students use.

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The statement by an unnamed North Korean foreign ministry spokesman came as President Donald Trump continued his visit to Japan for meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in which the nuclear standoff with North Korea was expected to be high on the agenda.

The Trump administration on Friday notified Congress it plans to sell $8.1 billion worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates without congressional approval — a move that has incensed members from both parties who have sought to cut off military aid for the Saudi-led coalition fighting Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen.

The decision covers 22 pending transfers of munitions, aircraft parts, and other supplies "to deter Iranian aggression and build partner self-defense capacity," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement. "These sales will support our allies, enhance Middle East stability, and help these nations to deter and defend themselves from the Islamic Republic of Iran."

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