Tag Archives: State Department

CUBA: More Sonic Attacks At US Embassy

The Associated Press reports: Mysterious incidents affecting the health of American diplomats in Cuba continued as recently as August, the United States said Friday, despite earlier U.S. assessments that the attacks had long stopped. The U.S. increased its tally of government personnel affected to 19. The new U.S. disclosures came the same day that the union representing American diplomats said …

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White House Announces Nomination Of Homocon Trump Loyalist Richard Grenell As US Ambassador To Germany

Politico reports: President Donald Trump intends to nominate Richard Grenell, a former spokesman for the U.S. mission to the United Nations under President George W. Bush, to be the next ambassador to Germany, the White House announced Friday. Grenell, a prominent supporter of Trump, was previously said to be in the running for NATO ambassador, before former Sen. Kay Bailey …

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US Expels Russian Diplomats In NYC, DC, And SF

USA Today reports: The Trump administration retaliated Thursday against Russia’s expulsion of U.S. diplomats ordering the Russian consulate in San Francisco closed and reducing the number of Russians in the Washington, D.C., embassy and consulate in New York. The closures will need to happen by Saturday, the State Department said. Spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the move brings the U.S. and …

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REPORT: Tillerson Is Next On The Chopping Block

Axios reports: There’s a ticking problem with Rex Tillerson, and it’s growing louder by the day, according to officials inside and close to the White House. President Trump has been growing increasingly frustrated with his Secretary of State. Recently, after Trump had returned from a meeting on Afghanistan, a source recalled Trump saying, “Rex just doesn’t get it, he’s totally …

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LIVE VIDEO: State Department Briefing On North Korea

USA Today reports: State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert will hold a briefing Wednesday on the heels of tense exchanges between the U.S. and North Korea. A day earlier, President Trump threatened North Korea with “fire and fury” in response to reports of a new milestone in the country’s nuclear quest. South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported that North Korea’s military …

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CUBA: State Department Reveals Staffers Suffered Severe Hearing Loss From “Acoustic Attack” [VIDEO]

CNN reports: The US believes several State Department employees at the US embassy in Havana were subjected to an “acoustic attack” using sonic devices that left at least two with such serious health problems they needed to be brought back to the US for treatment, several senior State Department officials told CNN. One official said the employees could have suffered …

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LIVE VIDEO: State Department Briefing On North Korea

USA Today reports: State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert will hold a briefing Wednesday on the heels of tense exchanges between the U.S. and North Korea. A day earlier, President Trump threatened North Korea with “fire and fury” in response to reports of a new milestone in the country’s nuclear quest. South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported that North Korea’s military …

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Rex Tillerson Spurns $80M Earmarked To Fight Russian Disinformation Campaigns, Funds To Expire Next Month

Politico reports: Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is resisting the pleas of State Department officials to spend nearly $80 million allocated by Congress for fighting terrorist propaganda and Russian disinformation. It is highly unusual for a Cabinet secretary to turn down money for his department. But more than five months into his tenure, Tillerson has not issued a simple request …

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KANSAS: Trump Nominates Gov. Sam Brownback To Be US Ambassador-At-Large For Religious Freedom

The Kansas City Star reports: President Donald Trump has appointed Gov. Sam Brownback to an ambassadorship, a little more than a month after the Kansas governor saw his signature tax policy dismantled by the state’s Legislature. Trump announced Brownback’s appointment as ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom Wednesday evening. Brownback had long been expected to be named to the post. “Religious …

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Rex Tillerson Is “Taking A Little Time Off”

Business Insider reports: Heather Nauert, a State Department spokeswoman, surprised reporters on Tuesday by saying Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was “taking a little time off.” When asked about the discrepancies between Tillerson’s public schedule and his reported movements, and why the department hadn’t updated the press on his whereabouts, Nauert said Tillerson “does have the ability to go away …

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REPORT: Secretary Rex Tillerson Might Resign Soon

CNN reports: Among those who viewed the President’s public rebuke of Sessions as unprofessional, according to several sources, is Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the former Exxon-Mobil CEO. Tillerson has a growing list of differences with the White House, including a new debate over Iran policy and personnel. His frustration is hardly a secret and it has spilled out publicly …

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US To Ban Americans From Traveling To North Korea

The Associated Press reports: U.S. officials say the Trump administration will ban American citizens from traveling to North Korea following the death of university student Otto Warmbier who passed away after falling into a coma into a North Korean prison. The officials said Friday that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had decided to impose “geographic travel restriction” for North Korea, …

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REPORT: Homocon Trump Loyalist Richard Grenell To Be Nominated As US Ambassador To Germany

From the far-right Trump ballwashing site Newsmax: Foreign affairs commentator Richard Grenell is set to be nominated by President Donald Trump as U.S. ambassador to Germany, a White House source confirmed to Newsmax. Grenell, who was the longest-serving U.S. spokesman at the United Nations during the George W. Bush administration, has been an international news analyst on Fox News and …

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Trump Taps Billionaire Pharma Mogul And NFL Franchise Owner Woody Johnson To Be Ambassador To Britain

Swampity! The Washington Examiner reports: President Trump officially announced his intent to nominate New York Jets owner Woody Johnson to be ambassador to the United Kingdom. The White House confirmed the news Thursday night in a press release. If approved by the Senate, Johnson would be taking over one of the top American diplomatic posts. He contributed millions of dollars …

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Sec. Rex Tillerson Recognizes Pride Month: The State Department Affirms Its Solidarity With LGBT Rights

Via press release from Secretary of State Rex Tillerson: In recognition of LGBTI Month, the Department of State affirms its solidarity with the human rights defenders and civil society organizations working around the world to uphold the fundamental freedoms of LGBTI persons to live with dignity and freedom. We also recognize that LGBTI persons continue to face the threat of …

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State Department OK’s Pride Month At US Embassies: LGBTI Rights Is A Core Component Of US Foreign Policy

Paging Tony Perkins. Via the Washington Blade: A State Department spokesperson on Friday said embassies and consulates have received guidance that allows them to recognize Pride month. “Advancing the human rights of vulnerable groups including LGBTI persons is a core component of U.S. foreign policy,” the spokesperson told the Washington Blade. “All people should be protected from discrimination and violence, …

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Tillerson To UK: We Take Full Responsibility For Leaks

The Hill reports: Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Friday said the U.S. government has taken responsibility for leaks about the investigation into Monday’s terror attack in Manchester, England. “We take full responsibility for that and we obviously regret that that happened,” Tillerson said, appearing alongside British foreign secretary Boris Johnson in London. The British government reportedly resumed intelligence sharing …

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Tony Perkins Flips Out After US Embassy Flies Rainbow Flag, Calls On Rex Tillerson To “Put A Stop” To It

Via press release from hate group leader Tony Perkins: Yesterday, the U.S. Embassy in Macedonia posted this on Twitter: “We’re flying the rainbow flag today to commemorate the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, & Biphobia.” This kind of activism is hardly likely to endear our country to the Macedonians. The former Yugoslav republic is facing a political crisis in the …

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State Department Denies Visas For Chechen Gay Men Fleeing Wave Of Kidnappings, Torture, And Murders

J. Lester Feder reports at Buzzfeed: The United States has declined visas to gay Chechens fleeing a wave of kidnappings, torture, and disappearances in the semi-autonomous Russian region, according to the organization Russia LGBT Network. A group of around 40 Chechens are now in hiding in other parts of Russia, Russia LGBT Network spokesperson Svetlana Zakharova told BuzzFeed News, and …

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State Department Deletes Mar-A-Lago Promotion

Talking Points Memo reports: The State Department on Monday removed a blog post promoting President Donald Trump’s Mar-A-Lago resort in Florida following criticism from ethics advocates and Democrats, and questions from reporters. The post boasting Mar-A-Lago as the “Winter White House” was posted to the State Department’s ShareAmerica website and had also been posted by the U.S. embassies in the …

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